Pee in my face (and tell me that you love me).

What a busy busy week it has been (not that the lead up to it wasn't also harried and hectic). I feel like after 2 days of hibernating with Scott I am just starting to recover. So first off, we had an awesome Christmas. My folks arrived on the 22nd and it was pretty much go-go-go right up to when they departed on the 28th. I was totally spoiled rotten this year (could be this little munchkin growing in my belly is earning me some preferential treatment). This really was the year of the "accessory" (one would be pretty daring to buy me clothes that I didn't pick out). I got a watch, several beautiful necklaces (to keep the focus on my face and not my burgeoning belly), and my most favourite gift of all, a pair of pearl earrings from Scott. He really is a keeper ladies.

The best part of Christmas really was having my folks here. Living in Toronto is great and all, but I really feel it during the holidays. I think it is the customs we are used to, and when they aren't there, and your folks aren't there, it just isn't the same. Christmas is a HUGE deal to me, it always has been (I must get this from my mom). I go all out, baking, decorating, trying to come up with the most thoughtful gifts, wrapping presents so they look almost too nice to open...I live for this stuff. And yes, I have been called "Martha Stewart" on several occasions, and I wear that nickname with pride. A big shout out has to go out to my mom who pretty much handled Christmas dinner on her own (I chopped up stuff, washed dishes, and set the table which she said was a big help, but who are we kidding?). Her sausage stuffing and Southern Comfort sweet potatoes were big hits and Scott deserves props for his killer mashed potatoes. The $60 turkey is still being put to good use as Scott and I made turkey soup a few nights ago (for $60 we want that turkey to go far).

Tonight we are spending a low key New Year's Eve with our friends Jen and Brad and their just short of 4 weeks old baby girl Maya. I think there will be another couple there who are also expecting, so I won't be the only preggo person not drinking. Funny how now that we are 30 a lot of our friends have moved to this next stage with us. I knew it would happen, I just wasn't able to picture it. I don't have any new year's resolutions this year because they typically focus on trying to lose weight and that just isn't going to happen in the next little while. This next year is going to be full of enough challenges/surprises/delights without adding any extra pressure of a resolution, that's for sure.

Bossa Update: Stoner cat is doing just fine, though contrary to what the vet told us, the valium has not made her any nicer (she still looks for ways to sneak onto the 2nd floor to kill Samba). Sigh. I doubt that will ever change. Though she has stopped peeing in inappropriate places, and her pee doesn't stink nearly so bad. She is fully converted onto wet food as well, and her coat is much nicer for it. She has to stay on the valium until the 6th when we will take her to the vet again to get retested. Then we get to ween her off the drugs slowly so she doesn't come down too hard from her high. That's just what I need...I detoxing kitty.

A few of the wonderful gifts I got:
Pee-pee Teepees for our little boy (to avoid the whole face peeing thing)
Pizzelle Press (still working on mastering this)
Heated Throw Blanket (because you can never be too cozy)
So Doku book (I am truly addicted)
Kanye West's latest
Coldplay's latest (aka "Music For Bedwetters according to Scott")

Couldn't we all use a little valium this time of year?

My cat Bossa is on valium. And assorted other medications to clear up a urinary tract infection and crystals in her urine. Apparently she is a little stressed out, so the vet felt it would be a good idea to help her calm down a bit to aid in her recovery. This seems unfair to me. I mean, I have never had that chance to take valium, and I've heard it's a wonderful drug! Ah well, Bossa has such a rough life, sleeping on our heating vent all day, looking for new and creative places to piss, I am sure she needs it. It is pretty funny to see her once the "happy drug" has kicked in, she really does look stoned. If she could smile, I think she would have a slightly bemused expression on her face. The holidays are a stressful time, so if she needs a little help to get through the next few weeks, then more power to her. This will be my first Christmas in years that I will not be able to drink/self-medicate, so I am wondering how I am going to hold up? What do you mean I can't spike my coffee Christmas morning?? And no wine with dinner to numb me to the yearly ritual of Scott and his brother claiming the turkey legs for themselves? Lord help me and Lord help you too!

Anyway, I am pretty much ready for the big day. My house is decorated and clean, shopping complete, gifts are wrapped, baking is done, cards long gone, errands run, so now the festivities can start. My folks arrive tonight and Scott and I are very excited to get to share Christmas with them on the actual holiday - the first time in seven years! It will be fun to see how our collective families mix with our different traditions. Scott and I are hosting Christmas dinner this year, for the first time ever, giving his mom a break from having to put a big meal on Christmas day. Luckily my mom will be here to steer the ship, otherwise I would be FREAKING OUT. She does make a kickass Christmas dinner (her sausage stuffing is famous in 50 states), so I am hoping mine will be 1/10th as good as hers.

The little guy has really gained strength this week, and is kicking up a storm (his favourite times are right after dinner and at bedtime). It really is a trip, having a human being growing inside you. The book I am reading says that at 22 weeks he is 8 inches long from crown to rump and weighs just over a pound. A pound? So, umm...what about this other 13 pounds? What is all that? No wonder I grunt like an old man when I get up and down, it's because I'm actually the size of a pie wagon. Gah! I think I am still getting used to the fact that I am not the slender young thing I used to be. Yesterday at the grocery store I tried to ease my way between two shopping carts and I got stuck. The lady next to me gave me a funny look, but smiled when I explained that I am 5 months pregnant and I have apparently not accepted my new found girth. In other news, I got my first unsolicited belly tap this week. An odd thing really, having someone you barely know reach out and touch your tummy. All this and it's my CAT WHO GETS THE VALIUM?? So unfair.

Christmas Blog #3/Belly Blog #1.

Well, we're in the home stretch - only 9 days until Christmas! I am pretty much done my shopping, except for a few little loose ends that I'll probably ask Scott to take care of (I'm using my "P" card this year, so far it has been good for several "please pick XYZ's" and a free pass on shovelling the snow). Next on the list is to get my wrapping done and to finish up the last of my baking. I have a deep freezer full of cookies just waiting to be inhaled, and with all of the trades I have done this year, the selection is unbelievable. Seriously, if you have a sweet tooth, you would do well to stop by our house.

Melanie over at Melanoma Uberalis (who is having twins!) has been posting belly shots of her progress and while I am bit shy about my belly, I thought I would post a pic of my progress to date. This pink turtleneck is fairly fitted, so it shows my tummy off nicely. And I'm only 21 weeks! I can't even imagine how big I'm going to be by the end of this journey. The little guy has been making himself known this week with lots of kicks and nudges. Seems like his most active times are when I am sitting still and he settles down with I am on the move. I can already tell that he is going to be just like his dad. Goodness.

4a.m. and I can't sleep.

It seems that the 5-month insomnia has officially kicked in. I woke up at 4a.m. this morning and here I am wide awake, and ready to go. I guess this is Mother Nature's way of getting me ready for months of no sleep. Also, it seems that between quilting, baking and growing a child inside me, pretty much all my creativity has been sapped out of my body, so apologies for the lack of posts - my blogging muse has deserted me as of late.

Scott and I went over and visited with our friend's Brad and Jen and their fresh! new! pink! babysmelling! baby Maya Jennifer! Here is a picture of me hogging her all to myself:
A few months ago Brad emailed me pictures of Maya's nursery, so I quickly hussled my butt to the local fabric store and started on a quilt. I gotta say, I am very proud of this quilt - it turned out exactly as I had envisioned, and I made a pillow to boot! Let me show off a bit:
Okay, enough of that. Did I mention it matches her nursery perfectly???

I would remiss if I did not mention how pleased I was with Sunday night's Grey's Anatomy. I LOVE that Christina is Jewish, and even more so, I am very pleased to see the plot line moving towards a Merinda and Derek reconciliation. HAH! Madison's(TM) face with Derek was all "Just because I decide to be with you doesn't mean I don't love her". Friggin' ouch dude! Now, that's honesty. Seriously, this show gets me through the Sunday-night-gotta-go-back-to-work-blues.

Baby Blog: 20 Weeks & Half Way There.

I'm about to spill the beans on the whole boy/girl news so if you are one of those people that doesn't like to know these things before the big day, please avert your eyes.

We went for the 19 week ultrasound on Friday and (drum roll please) according to one ultrasound technician and two doctors, we have a beautiful bouncing baby BOY on the way. Funny, everyone was saying girl, but I had a feeling we were having a boy. Mother's instinct, I guess! Our little guys "equipment" got pointed out to us, but to be honest, I felt like Rachel on "Friends" where she nods and smiles and says that yes she can see everything and then bursts into tears and admits she actually sees nothing. I didn't cry, and I wasn't upset, but I have to say, outside of the baby's head, hands and legs, I had a hard time figuring out what exactly I was looking at. Scott guarantees that his son is "packing" though, and well, I guess that's that. To make matters complicated, our little guy would not stay still, and he was not staying in any kind of an ideal position for the tech to take her measurements. Ah well, I can already see that he is taking after his dad (stubborn!). Which means he'll also be late, so I can make plans after my due date with no worries.

Though Scott says he would have been happy either way, I think he is secretly thrilled that he is going to have a son. While the clothes may not be quite as cute as the sea of pink girl outfits, I think that boys definitely get better toys. Now that we know I can make some decisions about his room, which is already painted green (which is how it will stay). I'm not sure what kind of colour scheme I'll go with, but I know I'll stay away from any kind of Disney theme. Maybe trains, or lambs...we're half way there so I better make up my mind. Belly shots to come...

Christmas Blog #2.

Daymented is having a baby!

Adrianne got a new kitty! (Yet to be named)

Christmas preparations are now in full swing. Our tree arrived last night, along with the Diana Krall Christmas CD (doesn't she look totally uncomfortable in that picture?) and Nightmare Before Christmas DVD I ordered. I am on track with my baking (Skor Chocolate Chip Cookies - check, Cranberry White Chocolate Shortbread - check). Pinwheel cookies are on board for this Saturday and Christmas lights and Christmas tree decoration are scheduled for Sunday. Note, I have promised Scott his favourite eggnog (spiked with rye) from Beckers to gain his commitment to participate. Hopefully he gets the lights up on the house before he gets too much into the cups.

The Christmas social calendar has officially kicked off with Adam D's fabulous dinner party and Joe & Kevin's Annual Shake & Bake already put to bed. The next two weekends are also booked up with a visit to see Charlotte (and Stephanie & Shane), a day of Christmas baking with my friend Christine, and yet another Christmas Party. I think we have a few spare Saturdays/Sundays before Christmas, but I have a feeling they will get booked up before I know it. All that and I still have Christmas cards to write, a few gifts left to buy, and 2 major projects on the go. Goodness...and I'm working on a baby!

Speaking of which - I have my 19 week ultrasound on Friday. Hopefully our baby will cooperate and we will be able to find out if we are having a boy or a girl. I know that some people want to wait for the big "surprise" when their baby is born, but I figure we will be "surprised" whenever we find out, whether it's at 19 weeks or 40 weeks. Plus, then we can actually buy stuff for the baby that isn't all green/yellow/and white. Scott, who lovingly refers to our baby as "RaptorBaby" seems to leaning towards a boy, Jennifer and Alana are voting girl. The last day or so, I have been thinking boy, but I guess we'll know for sure in 2 days.

Christmas Blog #1

The "Joys" of Being Preggo.

The other night Jennifer and I were chatting on the phone and the topic of being pregnant came up. It's interesting really, how different people think about their own pregnancies and the pregnancies of others. Take me for example. I was very excited and there were a few key people that I told the moment I found out I was "in the family way". Mainly my mom and my friend Jennifer. See, they both knew how important this was to me and they were both really excited. We let a few other friends know early on, but then we zipped our mouths shut about it and waited until we got past the 12 week mark to share our news. When we did tell people, it wasn't that big a deal. We waited until we happened to be talking with people on the phone, or when we saw our friends. But, really, while the fact that we are having a kid is interesting news, it doesn't change anyone else's lives. We knew that and didn't make a huge deal about it. I've experienced the other side of it though, the huge "secrecy" of it all, the pecking order of who can be "in the know" and who needs to be "kept in the dark". Sounds like a bunch of bullshit to me. Billions of women have had babies before me and billions of women will have them after me. While it's awesome and beautiful and scary as hell, it isn't really all that spectacular. In fact, as I ran down the glorious list of pregnancy symptoms, I had Jennifer in stitches.

For your interest, here are the facts:

Skin/Hair:
- That pregnancy glow that people talk about, it is more of a flush and you are flushed because you are always boiling hot and sweaty
- You break out like a teenager, you get nose bleeds that would make special effects departments proud
- Your hair gets weird and funky on you, some days it is limp, some days it goes hay wire

Sickness:
- From the minute you find out your are pregnant until about 12 weeks, you feel pretty much like you want to die (it feels like it will never ever end)
- You dry heave every time your brush your teeth (this lasts the entire pregnancy), your dental hygienist gives you the gears for not flossing more (bitch!)

Eating:
- You have to eat at least every two hours, and if you don't you get dizzy and feel like you are going to pass out
- When you need to eat, you need to eat NOW
- Things that you used to love to eat are completely unappealing (example - Thai food)
- Things that used to smell good now smell like urine

Bathroom:
- The constant peeing is a real pain and time sucker, I swear I have a reserve bladder that is always full
- For the first time in your life, you can out-fart any male you know and your farts will smell so bad that your cat may bite you out of disgust
- When you manage to "go #2" you feel like you want to sing to the heavens in appreciation. You are so excited, you may or may not mention it to your spouse

Belly:
- At some point in the 2nd trimester, your stomach muscles give up the ghost. Then you need your husband/partner/whoever to push you out of bed, lest you end up stuck there flailing your arms and legs like a turtle
- Your waist line gets wider by the day and you swear if you get any wider you will in fact be mistaken for a pie wagon

Boobs:
- Your boobs, at first they hurt like they have NEVER hurt before, and they get about 2 cups sizes bigger, almost immediately. Then they get hard as rocks, like you had a boob job, except they aren't nearly as perky as they would be if you had a boob job (more like torpedoes shooting at your belly button)

Sleep:
- Getting up 2 - 3 times a night to pee, really messes up the whole sleep thing
- 9pm is your new bedtime, you can't imagine how you used to stay up to watch Saturday Night Live

General Life skills:
- You become the klutziest person on the face of the earth (breaking dishes, dropping the cat food container in mid air, knocking random potted plants over)
- You can't remember basic things, your husband/partner will use this to play tricks on you

And those are just the things I have experienced so far, I still have 22 more weeks to go! Now, don't think that I am complaining, these are mere observations and comments. I mostly take them with a grain of salt and a lot of laughter. I am thrilled to be having a baby. But anyone who tells you how wonderful it is to be pregnant, and how "great" they feel, they are either lying or insane (though the 2nd trimester is MUCH better than the first). The end result is worth it, but while you are in it, you wonder what the hell you were thinking.

Is this turkey dry, or is it just me?

I don't know about the rest of you Grey's Anatomy watchers, but I've been struggling ever since Derek and Meredith broke up. It isn't that I like Meredith all that much, but I liked "them". I liked their chemistry, their "steam", the fact that their romance was secret and wrong in that "work place romances are bad and never end well" kind of way. Remember when he bought glow in the dark condoms? See, that was hawt. But now we are left with what? Derek looking all unhappy with his decision to give Madison another try, and Meredith sulking around the hospital. I just don't buy the whole Derek and Madison getting back together storyline. I'm not feeling it. As of last night it looked like they were about to give new meaning to "Thanksgiving" by getting it on in his trailer, and to that I say, "whatever". Seriously, I feel no passion there. Kind of a token gesture on Derek's part, a pity fuck, if you will. He really should be with Meredith.

Maybe the big show that is going to air after Superbowl will give us what we want, because I know I am not the only one who wants to boo and hiss at the screen when Madison comes on. Even better - how about a Christmas or New Year's reconciliation where Madison gets on a plane (or a broomstick) and flies her ass home to New York (for good), while Derek and Meredith smooch under the mistle toe or as the clock strikes 12? Yeah! ABC - you listenin'? As for Madison, I'm not sure why I don't like her, probably because I spent last season rooting for Meredith and lusting after Derek's fine self. I mean, as a married woman, you'd think I'd be supportive of Derek going back to his wife/giving it a shot, but, ummm...not so much.

I'm hoping that Cristina and Preston (woot!) keep the romance (sex) going as we can't count on the rest of them to fulfill our needs. Not sure what I think of Izzie and Alex, that is still tbd in my mind, though I know that my friend Adam wouldn't mind if Izzie got a little more screen time. Okay, enough talk about good looking people getting it on...you guys must think this is all I think about...

Christmas Blog #1.

You may think it is early to start blogging (or even thinking) about Christmas, but then, you aren't me. Spending this past weekend in Ottawa with Jennifer has me inspired to get going on things like my Christmas baking (which will commence this Saturday) and at the very least, start figuring out what I am going to get people. Truth be told, I started my shopping back in October, and I have already purchased quite a few new ornaments for our tree. This year we are getting a new pre-lit tree (note - putting lights on Christmas trees will potentially end even the strongest of marriages). That is why the PRE-LIT option is the one for me.

Last year's lighting of the tree was the final straw. Poor Scott was doing his best to follow my instructions, but I am a difficult taskmaster, and he could not seem to please me. We muddled through it, but afterwards I could tell he could do without experiencing the lighting of the tree again. And really, the truly fun part is putting the decorations on, not getting the darn thing out of the closet and assembling it. Some of you may applaud my use of a fake tree while others may be dismayed. I don't like cleaning up the needles and with a cat like Bossa who enjoys pissing on things, I really don't want to encourage her to mark her territory or drink from the tree stand water. Lol. Scott just emailed me in dismay at my tree selection (Scott: "$260! I hope I get a bonus this year!"). I didn't even pick the most expensive one there for goodness' sake.

Onto baking. For the next 4-6 weeks I will bake a different type of cookie on each Saturday. I freeze them right after baking so they stay fresh, then thaw them out as need be in December. I have sent out a few emails soliciting cookie exchanges in hopes of having an über fantastic selection that will rival what I did last year. I am planning to bake:

Cranberry White Chocolate Shortbread
Gingerbread Cookies
Orange Spice Sugar Cookies
Chocolate Vanilla Pinwheel Cookies
Skor Chocolate Chip Cookies
Pizzelles
Cranberry Almond Bark

Hopefully I will be able to get someone else to do gingerbread for me. I don't seem to be very good at applying icing (last year's batch tasted good but looked like a 2-year-old had decorated them). Sigh. You can't be good at everything! I also need to get some bars in there (nanaimo, fudge, butterscotch?) to mix it up a bit. For some people Christmas is about the presents, for me it is much more about family and food. This year the stress will be even more so on family and food as I will be having a dry Christmas. No happy hours for me this year - a great deal for Scott, who will no doubt enjoy all of the parties we go to more than I will.

Last Year's Christmas Blogs:
Xmas Blog #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 | #6 | #7 | #8 | #9 | #10

The one night stand.

One thing that people don't tell you about being pregnant is that it is hard to sleep, mostly because you just can't get comfortable. Oh yeah, and the getting up 3 times a night to pee, that doesn't help either. For someone who has always been a stomach sleeper, this whole thing has been a challenge to say the least. After weeks of complaining, Scott bought me a body pillow to ease my pain. It's basically a super long pillow that you can cuddle up to and drape your leg over.

What's funny, is that it takes up a fair amount of space in bed, like about the size of another human adult. The first night of the body pillow commenced with Scott getting ready for bed, seeing the pillow (already tucked under the covers) and commenting "is there going to be room for me in there?". Once we both got into bed, I thought to myself, this is probably what a threesome is like, except without the flannel pyjamas and a lot more sex. Too bad for Scott, this is the closest he'll ever get.

I told Jennifer about out tight sleeping quarters and she said that one of her friends has a body pillow, which he has nicknamed "the one night stand". Somehow fitting, as when I came back to bed from one of many trips to the bathroom last night, there was Scott, embracing MY pillow. I strong armed it away from him, inserting myself between him and the pillow. Apparently I am a jealous and possessive woman. Later that night I woke up and Samba (aka "the princess and the pea") was on top of the pillow, attempting to nudge me away from it so that she could have it all for herself. It seems that there is much competition for my pillow. Since there is only room for one pillow, Scott and Samba are going to have to back off as the pregnant lady gets dibs.

Taking All Bets.

Ah damn. Somehow my blogiversary totally slipped by me...I'm going to blame it on the pregnancy brain. My mind seems to be doing an incredible impression of a sieve as of late. Seriously, I am able to forget anything and everything. It's actually rather impressive, and I thoroughly enjoy having something to blame it on. It should be noted that Scott told me that one year of blogging really isn't a big deal and likely not worthy of celebration. This from the father of my future child. Nice, eh? I guess I understand as he has now been blogging for 3+ years (check out his new design!). It should also be noted that the very moment he started blogging about the Raptors they completely went into the toilet. Raptorblog curse or just a coincidence? Only time will tell...

Tomorrow morning Scott and I have our first appointment with the baby doctor. I think it is a pretty routine visit (weigh-in, blood pressure, etc). My obgyn is a woman, so that's kind of cool. The best part is that she will hopefully schedule my "big" ultrasound sometime in the next 2-3 weeks where we will find out if we have a Scott Junior or a Kat Junior. I have no "motherly instinct" on this. Seriously, no idea. But I'm taking bets. So far Alana and DAM are on the girl side, and Jennifer has jokingly referred to her "nephews" (though we know there is only one bambino on board). I have been told of one grandparent's preference for a girl (no pressure) and Scott told me this morning that he thought it would be kind of awesome if we had a boy. Me, I'll be happy with a healthy baby, regardless of its "equipment".

As a complete aside, I have to say that my favourite new show is Grey's Anatomy. It is like ER meets the evening soaps. Patrick Dempsey is sex on a stick, Sandra Oh is too awesome for words, Ellen Pompeo has you rooting for her, even though she is a little too cute for my liking, and Isaiah Washington is so stern and sexy and hawt, goodness, I'd risk my career for him too! The only problem is that it is on at 10pm on Sunday nights which is past my bedtime. But I can't resist the pull, so I stay up anyway and then have dreams full of sexy doctors in their scrubs talking clever to each other. McDreamy indeed.

And baby makes three.

If you are wondering "why the lack of regular blog posts over at ficklefeline as of late?" I can now answer your question openly and honestly. Yep, you got it, I'm up the stump/preggers/expecting/in the family way/knocked up/with child/etc. The reason for not posting about it here until now? Well, I only just told my place of employment, and I wanted to make sure they found out from me and not anyone else. Also, I have been extremely tired and dealing with typical first trimester sickness since the beginning of September. But don't worry, I'm not sick anymore, still tired though (I sleep so much it should be considered a sport).

Hmmm...what other details can I share with you? Due date - end of April (between Scott and my birthdays which are April 23rd and 30th respectively). Projected zodiac sign - Taurus (that will make 3 hard headed bulls under one roof). Sex of baby - dunno, but we will hopefully be able to find out sometime in December. Best part so far - all of the positive reactions we have gotten from all of our family and friends, and seeing the baby kicking up a storm at the 12 week ultrasound (we have a future soccer player on our hands). Worse part so far - feeling like I was going to barf from the end of week 5 to the end of week 11 and waking up every 2 hours to pee. Trippiest part - feeling the baby move for the first time (tap tap...tap tap tap).

Truth be told, I think Scott and I are both still getting out heads around it. I mean, the whole thing is a lot to digest. Very exciting, but totally scary at the same time. Life as we know it is going to change in the very near future and we are suddenly going to be responsible for another human being. Goodness. I can just picture a little Scott Junior...can you imagine? I can barely handle him, let alone the toddler edition! Anyway, I'm sure I'll be posting a lot more on this subject, so bear with me through the next while. I've heard the second trimester is the best of the three, so we'll see if that is actually true!

In the blink of an eye.

I can't believe it's almost November. What happened to October? I feel like I blinked and it was gone. Or maybe it was that I was sick for at least half of it and I slept through it. Could be. Regardless, it's Halloween time and this year Scott and I are heading over to our friends Dave and Jen's place for a Quentin Taratino themed party. I'm not sure who Scott is going as (he said something about slicked back hair and a dark suit...that could be a few characters from a few movies). I am going as the Bride on her wedding day, pre-shoot up. Kind of a cop out I know, but hey, I get to wear my wedding veil again! I mean, besides to do the vacuuming.

In other news, Bossa continues to be a hateful little beast. She has figured out how to rush the baby gate at the top of our stairs (the one placed there so she would no longer have access to Samba, thereby removing daily opportunities to attempt to kill her). Bossa somehow managed to put all of her weight at the top of the gate, getting it to move out of place. She then hefts herself through the space between the gate and the banister. To stop her from doing this I bought a bungee type cord that I now hook through the top of the gate, around the banister and connect, making this impossible. I am willing to bet that before we see December she has either figured out another method of getting past the gate or my entire basement will be drenched in cat piss in retaliation. Anyone want a black, fur covered pie wagon?

Hot air enemas for all.

Every year around this time, two things happen:

1. The furnace kicks on, signifying that Fall is really upon us (three cheers for Fall!).
2. Bossa takes her rightful place on top of the floor vent, months of hot air enemas ahead for her enjoyment.

Scott took this picture of Bossa this morning. It is a good photo, because she is only sitting on the vent. Once she lays her mammoth self down, she covers the entire vent so you can't even see it. This leads to conversations like "in theory, it would have made sense for the builder to put a vent in this room, but I can't find one" or "didn't there used to be a vent in this room?". These words fall on deaf cat ears though as Bossa merely looks at you like "I know you love giving money to the gas company to keep me comfortable". Too bad the rest of the room remains freezing just so she can be a fur heating pad. Bossa, one day we will install a gas fireplace in the family room, just for you. And you can lay in front of it and roast your insides until they are crisp. A vision, really.

Samba is much more sensitive to the needs of others in the household. She simply huddles over the vent (picture the Little Match Girl warming her hands by the fire). It is very sweet, and I would post a picture if I had one but she is a bit harder to catch in action. One would think that we were heating our home at just above slightly above freezing, but no, I have the thermostat programmed at 21 degrees during the times we are home and 17 degrees when we are at work/asleep. Seems reasonable to me, but Bossa and Samba are giving me a guilt complex about the whole thing. I guess this is retribution for all the times I complained about the heat as a kid. If I could I'd tell both these cats to "put a sweater on for chrissake".

I'm getting old.

Apples. How you like 'em?

Last night as I braved the windy weather to do our weekly grocery shopping (solo, because Scott is sick with a cold) I noticed a young couple discussing apples in Dominion's mediocre-at-best produce section. At first, I was a little confused as they discussed the merits of the different apples (he did not care for McIntosh apples, which he deemed "only good for baking"). She did not care for Granny Smith ("too tart"). I forget what they settled on, but it struck me that grocery shopping as a couple was clearly new for them. I wondered why they didn't just buy a few of each apple so that they would both be happy, but they seemed focussed on finding a middle ground, an apple they could both live with. Probably not a bad way to be in the beginning of a relationship.

They seemed to be moving in the same basic direction as me through the grocery store. I was curious to see what would happen in the soda aisle (would she cave to his Coke demands, or get her own case of Diet Coke? Skim milk or 2%? Tuna and soup preferences? White or whole wheat? The list of potential conflicts is endless, and that doesn't even include the pharmacy aisle (2 ply vs. 3 ply anyone?). I remember when Scott and started living together, the only thing I would not allow in our home was Hamburger Helper. He attempted to debate me on it, and quickly realized it was futile. We tend to eat meals together, which we jointly prepare. He seemed to have a hard time with all the vegetables I included and protested at first. The vegetables stayed put and again, he eventually gave in. He even sings the praises of my mixed green salads (rated "the best in the world" according to him). I liked Kraft dinner, he liked Shake and Bake chicken. Both still make appearances on occasion (that's the compromise part). Still no Hamburger Helper, and he knows better than to eat straight from the pot a la his days in university residence.

I'm not sure what the point of this post was. I guess I just got sentimental thinking that October 24th marks 7 years together. We are both taking the day off to lounge and relax together. I'm not sure what the date will entail, but I'm sure we'll find something we'll both enjoy (meaning no zombie movies or chick flicks, no Sports bars or Thai restaurants).

Some things to be thankful for (and a few not so much).

I started writing this post as just some random thoughts and it ended up being kind of bitchy and negative (not really in the spirit of Thanksgiving). So, I decided to back up a bit and start with some nice, happy thoughts first, then I'll end with the other stuff (I figure it's good for a few laughs). Not a lot going on in the Fickle Feline household this weekend, though I am looking forward to going over to Scott's folks place for some turkey later today. Scott and I are (mostly "I") are going to bake and Apple Cake later today for the big event. I'll post a picture if we a) remember to take one and b) if it turns out photogenic in the least. Domestic Goddess always has these awesome pics on her blog and I have yet to figure out how she always gets her pics to look so good, I can actually smell and taste the subject.

So, things to be thankful for. Well, this past year has been a doozey, but here we are, a year older, wiser, still standing, and stronger for it. Health, check. Happy, check. Roof over head not leaking, check. Place to go to work on Monday, check. Bossa no longer attempting to kill Samba on a daily basis, check. Family situation good, check. Christmas shopping started, check (I'm not kidding, I have already bought a present and decorations). Friends doing well, check. Children of friends doing well, check. New friend getting through the year as best she can, check. See, a lot of good things.

Onto the cranky (and a bit of a non-sequitur)...
I was all ready to settle in for a kickass evening of Thursday night TV, but the show that gets me started was pre-empted for effing baseball. Baseball! Can you believe it? Glamorous hot young sexy things got bumped for a bunch of quasi-athletes in their pajamas running around a big field. Gimme a break. I am not happy. So, this killed my evening as I really had no good excuse to hang out and wait for ER to start at 10pm. So, instead, I taped ER and went to bed. Exciting. At least Football has the decency to keep to Sundays and Monday nights - that I can handle (also, Scott explains all the different plays to me and I am endlessly entertained watching him hike pillows, block the coffee table, and tackle the lazy boy - he is nothing if not passionate about his football). Between hockey being back and now baseball playoffs I feel like my cozy fall evenings are now falling prey to these stupid games. Note, I don't include basketball in my complaints because I like basketball. Fickle I know.

While I'm bitching, let me also complain about all of the nasty goddamn smokers who like to congregate with their little cancer sticks directly outside my office's entry way. Oh how I love to walk through your nasty ass smoke as I enter my place of work. I seriously can't wait until smoking in public ANYWHERE is completely outlawed, and then, the only way you will be able to smoke is to dig a hole in your backyard and go sit in it, cover yourself up with dirt and smoke to what is left of your clogged heart's content. Can't wait. Until then, have some fucking courtesy and step away from the doorway. Not everyone wants to inhale poison just to get into their office. Note to my friends who smoke: I like you, but I hate your cigarettes, so don't be all pissed off at me, just go smoke somewhere else.

Taking the iPlunge.

After months of waiting for the "right time" to shell out a wad of cash to buy an ipod, I finally took the leap on Saturday (I decided the right time was never going to present itself, so I might as well just bite the bullet). I have wanted one for a long long time. And not just because they are pretty and cool and everyone has one. I even considered other mp3 players, because honestly, I am a pc user through and through and the idea of bringing an apple product into my home (willingly) made me shiver (and not in a good way). Turns out, even my friend Adam thought ipod was the best way to go, so I made my decision. Then, the nano came out, more to consider.

Ultimately, I decided to get the 20G version because both Scott and I will be using the ipod (once we make a further investment for the car adapter). I will say that it was a big of a downer when I got it home and realized I couldn't immediately start playing with it because it needed to charge for five hours. Then there was the whole saga with my computer (it is old) and the fact that it is not compatible with the ipod and its fancy gizmo ways. So, we had to hook it up to Scott's computer (much more modern than mine) and we were off to the races. I seem to have had more success with it than Scott. He was complaining to me the other day that he couldn't figure out how to load his "Jamma Jamma Bamma" playlist (my words not his) onto the ipod and thought that if the itunes interface was so damn great why wasn't it easier to figure that out? This from a man who typically reads every word of a manual before he'll even start assembling something. He adamantly refuses to embrace my new ipod so anything he can do to badmouth it appears to be open season (from cost to appearance). That's okay. If he doesn't want to use it that means more room for me. That pink case I want to buy might also dissuade him...thanks to Renaissance Runner for his generous birthday contribution to the cause!

The falling leaves, drift by my window.

Fall is my favourite season. I think it is partly due to the weather (cool, crisp air, turning leaves) and also the lead up to the holidays. The overly hot summer of 2005 is finally over and while it is back to business in a certain sense, the warm up to hibernation mode has also kicked in. New episodes of my favourite tv shows have finally started (I have recorded this week's O.C. and ER for the weekend). I can wear my turtle necks and jeans in comfort along with my wool striped socks. Flannel sheets are just around the corner, along with an extra duvet (much to Scott's chagrin). There are leaves to rake, which is good exercise but not as awful as shovelling snow. My cat Samba likes it because soon it will be cool enough at night that we will turn the ceiling fan in our bedroom off (it scares her). My cat Bossa hates it because it means it will be too windy for her to hang out on the back deck (it scares her). I'm not sure where Scott stands on it - I think in a sense he's happy because basketball season will be starting soon (5.5 weeks and counting) and he won't have to mow the lawn anymore. We also have our dateversary on October 24th (though we have agreed that this more a nice evening out than a card/present type of event). I know we have a trip to Ottawa planned (lots of beautiful/turning trees there) and maybe a trip to Ithaca as well. See, it's the most wonderful time of the year, it really is.

Battle of the Balls

I'm not going to lie, I was pretty excited about the finale of Rockstar INXS, as were my friends Dave and Jen. I invited them over to watch the show at our place so we could make an event out of it. Scott was a good sport about the whole thing, though the most he has watched is a verse or chorus here and there, mostly with snide comments. Jen and Dave got all decked out (leather, hair gel, martinis). They weren't kidding around. I wore my pyjamas (yes I am a party girl).

The first surprise was that Brooke was actually wearing clothes. We weren't so sure about her Pepe le peu hair and mismatched boot jewellery, but hey, what do we know? They had all 15 singers back for the show, which was kind of strange (hey loser - look what you don't have). Jen and I were laughing about how we had forgotten that Will and Neal were ever even on the show. Ouch. Dave N. stepped it up and left his shirt at home (back to basics, I like it). Jen aptly pointed out that the final 3 rockers were wearing very heavy makeup this week (maybe it will help them rock harder?).

Early bets at my house were that INXS has known for weeks who they were going to pick, and that pick would be J.D. He had a bit of a smirk on his face the entire show, making me think he already knew the gig was his. Apparently winning the dickwad pool = lead singer status. Says a lot, don't it?

Round 1 - Singer's Picks

Mig - Bohemian Rhapsody
Seems like Mig decided to revert back to his comfort zone (perhaps he is reminding his previous employers just how good he is so they will have him back now that he needs a job). Scott pointed out that the style of the song does not lend itself to INXS at all, and that he has a real Steve Tyler quality to his sound. I think he showed Suzie how this song is supposed to be done, and both of them should thank their lucky stars that the house band is so damn excellent.

J.D. - You Can't Always Get What You Want
I thought this rendition was cheese city. Like if Michael Bolton was going to cover the Stones, this would be how he would do it. Spastic dancing and double time endings do not equal rock 'n roll, but J.D. doesn't seem to understand that. Ah well, he was still smirking, so he clearly doesn't care what we think. Just wait until we are the ones buying (or not buying) your album dude. Just wait.

Marty - Wish You Were Here
See, Marty was my favourite on this show. He wasn't a pompous dickhead, he's just a low key guy, sans ego, who can rock his ass off. He sang this really well - came off vocally strong, sincere and on the money. Stephanie and I have discussed that we think he will be better suited for another band. Perhaps Stone Temple Pilots should give him a call now that their singer is heading up Velvet Revolver. At least Marty can travel across the border.

Round 1 Loser - Mig (just not right for their band).
This was not a shock, nope, not at all. I think Mig is going to be just fine though - he really should stick more with the stage/musical stuff in my opinion. With a voice like that, he could easily star on Broadway or do whatever he wants. Doesn't hurt that he is easy on the eyes either...

Round 2 - Sing with INXS
Lasers! Woot! Arena Rock, here we come! I gotta say, I think the house band plays INXS better than INXS does. Marty sang "Don't Change", and he seemed a bit tense, like he was going through the motions. While the performance was alright, it didn't do much for me. J.D. got a much better song in "What You Need". Between the whole vibe and the body language of the band it was pretty damn clear who they were picking. Dave and I agreed that we want to kick the dude with the little moustache (Kirk Pengilly) across the stage. Not much of a sax player either. Funny, J.D. messed up the ending, but it didn't matter - the band was too busy lovin' his ass.

Winner: J.D.
We all knew he was going to win, and I know he really is the best fit, but for some reason, I'm not that satisfied with the result. I think I would have liked it better if they didn't go with the safe regurgitation of their previous singer and tried something new. But apparently these guys are risk averse and I don't blame 'em. J.D. performed their new song "Easy Easy" with them...I didn't love it. I actually think J.D.'s song "Pretty Vegas" is better. I guess we'll have the chance to hear both on their new cd. Best part - there might be a new Rockstar show next year. Jen suggested "Rockstar Blind Melon". I think that has a nice ring to it, don't you?

Better late than never - the final four.

I've had a crazy week, a lazy weekend, and well, enough with the excuses. On the tip that something is better than nothing, I thought I'd post my notes from last week's show. Didn't Brooke kind of look like a porno pochahontas in this getup? Dave N. said she looked like an "adult" super hero...yeah, I'll say. Last week INXS picked specific songs for each singer. It is getting hard to be super critical because the final four are all pretty good at what they do, but I'll give it a shot.

Suzie: #1. Interstate Love Song, #2. What's Up
Suzie seemed a lot more confident overall, which I liked. She messed up the entrance to the second verse on her first song. It was also in a bad key so she kept coming in under the pitch. Such is the saga of singing songs meant for men when you are a woman. The second song was much better, though she had some weird crackly/airy things happening with her voice. I think she was trying to do that cool vocal effect that Linda Perry does and it just didn't happen. Not Suzie's best performances, but pretty good.

J.D.: #1. Pretty Vegas, #2. Money
It's interesting that they wanted to hear his song again. Makes me think they have fallen under his spell. It was a bit strange when J.D. kissed Dave N's cheek during his first song. Dave N. seemed non-plussed by it. The band gave him a standing ovation, which I thought was overkill. He seemed to nail the second song rhythmically, which is where the key challenge was. I didn't really feel any kind of flow to the song, it just kind of bumped along. J.D. and his fucking props were at it again (megaphones, money). He is so rock 'n roll it hurts [/sarcasm].

Marty: #1. Trees, #2. Creep
I love Marty's song (so so much more than J.D.'s song). It was interesting to hear it acoustic, though I really prefer the electric version. INXS was singing along to the song (definitely a good sign). Creep sounded awesome (of course it did). He sang it perfectly with a terrific contrast between the chorus and verses. INXS seemed to dig it, but not quite as much as they did J.D.'s. Boo on them!


Mig: #1. Kiss From a Rose, #2. Paint It Black
The more I listen to Mig, the more I start to wonder if his voice is just too pretty and perfect? I mean, he is an excellent singer, but there is a gritty factor that is missing for me. He absolutely rocks, but I sometimes hear a bit of stage flair in there. He sang his first song better than Seal sings it live (and I've heard him sing it live, so I know). Seal wins in the leather pants department though [booty booty woot woot!]. The second song was fine, I was neither here nor there on it.

We all know that Suzie went home, so I'm not going to rehash the bottom 3. My friend Jen and her husband Dave are coming over on Tuesday to watch the grand finale and we are both psyched. I'm not sure who INXS will pick, though I do think it will be between J.D. and Marty. It all depends on where they want to take their band. If they want to stay in their comfort zone, then J.D. (Michael Hutchence Jr.) is there man. If they want to move forward musically and do more modern/interesting stuff, then Marty is it. I just don't see Mig fronting INXS, but maybe they want to make it all Aussie all the time? I think they know who they are going to pick already, but we won't be let in on their decision until Tuesday.

Bush takes responsibility for government's failure to respond to Katrina.

We're back, it's Tuesday, I'm tired. Nice update, eh? Seriously dude. I am taping Rockstar, so I will update tomorrow. We all knew Jordis was going home last week (I watched that from Nassau). This week I'm thinking Suzie, so the final 3 will be a battle of the balls. Thoughts?

2 More Sleeps Until Bahamas.

By Saturday afternoon, Scott and I will be lounging around this pool, drinking fruity drinks with little umbrellas and pineapple skewers. Oh, I’m not excited, I’m over the moon (downright levitated in fact)! These days are payback from Sandals for turfing us early from our honeymoon due to Hurricane Ivan. Not that we were complaining about leaving a day early (after nine days of lying about, drinking and eating, we were ready to go home). Plus, the idea of being on a tiny island in the middle of a hurricane was significantly unappealing. We are hoping that we have more luck on this trip (which will be shorter) and that there won’t be any more hurricanes, at least not this week coming up. I am expecting our cat Bossa will leave a big turd on day four of our absence, likely in our front entry way to let our neighbours (who have agreed to come in every day to feed the girls) know just how unhappy she is that we are not home. It should be noted that if we were home, all she would do is ignore us, but it is the fact that we won’t be at home for her to ignore that upsets her. Samba will get very lonely while we are gone, but I think being at home is less stressful for her than being at a kennel. Plus, I’m planning on going to the pet store to buy her a new plastic spring to play with. Ugh. I’m already feeling guilty about leaving and we’ll only be gone for five nights!.

Choirs and Trumpets and Strings (on my!).

On last night’s show the producers of Rockstar tried to up the ante by bringing in a gospel choir, strings, and horns. While the strings and horns proved to be an effective addition, as you will read in this post, the choir sucked big donkey bollocks. Brooke upped the trampy/hawty factor by sporting white hip waders and a macramé plant holder for a necklace (I think I should do a retrospective of her wardrobe once this is all over – we can vote on her best, worse, sluttiest, and most conservative clothing choices for the season).

The half hour show that I no longer actually believe exists featured a test for the remaining six. They had to learn a new INXS song and record it, with INXS producing it. Anyone who has actually sang in a studio environment knows that this is an excellent test as singing live and singing in a studio are two completely different ballgames. Apparently (and no surprise here), J.D. was cocky [shock!] and didn’t bother to learn the song. He went into the studio expecting them to coddle and spoon feed him and he ended up fucking it all up. Oakville represent! I’d award him a dickwad point or two, but he is so far ahead of everyone else that I think there is no point. Seems like Suzie, (who continues to surprise me), nailed it. I guess her experience singing Marineland jingles paid off. Seriously though, seems like she sings INXS songs really well, and the band really sees her as a professional, so who knows – maybe she has a shot after all.

Ty – You Can’t Always Get What You Want
We all know that Ty sings soul well, no doubt about it. I’d hazard a guess that he probably has more soul than a bunch of old craggy Aussie rockers require. At this point of the show, I was thinking the choir was being completely underutilized, I mean, a vocal-choral break in the chorus would have added something to the arrangement (like a “You can’t always get what you want, you can’t always get what you want…”). Whatever, it didn’t happen. As the show wore on I realized that the choir completely sucked (or maybe they just weren’t given good arrangements or enough prep/rehearsal time?). Dave N. and the band liked it, though they once again referred to it being a great “show” which makes me wonder if they are subtly referring to Ty’s stage experience (more Broadway than rock ‘n roll).

J.D. – Suspicious Minds
Why I am not surprised that J.D. used to be an Elvis impersonator? Oddly appropriate really, lip curl and all. The pre-pubescent gospel choir started wearing on my nerves right about now, they were just HORRIBLE. I didn’t love the speeding up double time at the end of the arrangement either. Also, he got pretty out of tune by the end – a lot of singers do this though. They get to the end of the song and they’re all “wankwankwankwankwank”. You know what I mean, vocal gymnastics take over – one last chance to show you “I can sing fancy” (Beyonce is the absolute master of this). Dave N. said it was pretty good, though an odd choice. I didn’t get the feeling that the band loved it. J.D.’s whole bad attitude schtick may finally be getting old (about time as he is off the dickwad scale!).

Marty – Wish You Were Here
I like this lower, softer voice that Marty featured last night. It is very beautiful and intimate – a huge contrast to the supersonic rocking we have seen from him in past weeks. Once again the choir proved to be fucking useless. I like that he kept it low key throughout and didn’t go bonkers at the end. He was very emotional at the end, which was hawt (love a man in eyeliner tearing up). Dave N. and INXS loved it (J.D. looked pretty sulky as they heaped on the praise and I loved that even more!).

Jordis – Imagine
I’m glad that Jordis played guitar – nice touch. Her hair looked awesome (kind of Princess Leah with dreads). I was a bit worried at the start of the song, because it sounded like it was sitting in a weird part of her range, but I think it was just because she started out softly. She built into the chorus beautifully and for the first time on this show, she gave me chills (or maybe that was the ceiling fan). Dave N. and the band gave her a standing ovation and heaped the praise on her. Good save after such a piss poor outing last week. Her dad was in the audience and he is hella cute! I wonder what her background is – seems like she has some flava going on.

Mig – Live and Let Die
Damn is he ever cute! I loved the cheesy band backgrounds in the slow section. The horns and the strings sounded awesome as well – I hope these singers know how lucky they are to be singing with such awesome musicians. I think that Mig could sing anything, and I’m glad he didn’t choose Bohemian Rhapsody. Dave N. loved it, INXS liked it, though they commented that he sang through the instrumental breaks. That didn’t bother me and I didn’t find it distracting at all. Mig really can do no wrong in my eyes though. Did I mention how hawt he is?

Suzie – Bohemian Rhapsody
I was a little concerned when Suzie picked this song. I thought it might go the way of Jordis’ awful performance of Dream On last week. Suzie came through though and did a top notch job. The band did a kickass job supporting her too – without them pulling their weight that vocal section would have fallen apart. I couldn’t help but notice that she didn’t sing over the instrumental breaks, and she was downright sassy in the “Let Me Go” section. Dave N. and the band ate it up, as they should. We’ll see if this keeps her out of the bottom three this week.
With only six singers left, it is getting tougher to predict the bottom 3. I have to believe that the band has some idea of who they think is a fit so it will be very interesting to watch tomorrow’s show to see not only who is in the bottom three, but what sort of comments they make about the performances.

Bottom 3 at the end of the show: J.D., Ty, Marty
Kat’s Bottom 3: J.D., Ty, Marty

An Anniversary to Remember.

I have now been married for 1 year + 1 day to the most wonderful man on the face of the earth (well, the most wonderful man for ME on the face of the earth!). We had the perfect anniversary yesterday. It started out with the requisite sleeping in, and then lounging around drinking coffee and opening gifts that we weren't supposed to get each other. Scott gave me a pearl necklace (Adrianne STOP LAUGHING you sicko) which I love love love! I had been oohing and ahhing over it in the jewelry store every time I was downtown near Scott's work. He is a smart smart man and he totally picked up on it. The first year anniversary gift is supposed to be paper (though I'm not complaining) so I got Scott two little pieces of art of our kitties. The little chubby faced grey one is Samba and the big fat blue one is Bossa. He liked them (at least that's what he told me!) so I hung them up in our dining room.

We went out to my favourite Thai restaurant for dinner and then out to a movie. I was in the mood for a comedy, so "The 40 Year Old Virgin" it was. I wasn't sure I'd like it, but Scott seemed to think it would be good (and he is the ultimate naysayer so if he was into it, it must have gotten really good reviews). It didn't disappoint. We agreed that the best line was "You know how I know you're gay? You have a rainbow bumper sticker on your car that says I like it when balls are in my face." I mean, ball jokes are always funny. So, a low key day to celebrate a very busy year. I can't wait to see what this next year brings. With Scott and me, it's always an adventure.

On motherhood and war.

I spent much of last night's Tori Amos concert wondering, is she knocked up? This pic here is from 2000 (preggo with her first baby). She looks pretty hawt for a pregnant lady! I did a little google search and found out that Alana and I are not the only ones who thought her big poofy dress was materity-esqe (and is that a bump on her tummy?). Her fans say no. Apparently she is just enjoying loose fitting garments.

The show, it was okay. I was disappointed that her band wasn't there (I kept hoping that back curtain would open up to show a big drum kit, but no such luck. I like a lot of her earlier stuff, but have been out of the loop for, I don't know, the last three or four albums. I think a lot of her songs, they sound the same. I mean, she sings beautifully, and she is musical, and talented, so don't jump all over me. Just that all of the songs she chose to sing last night, they were all midtempo songs about motherhood and family, and war. I'm happy we went, but if I were to ever go see her again, I would need a guarantee that her band would be playing. Last night's concert was for hardcore Tori Amos fans who would be happy hearing her recite the phonebook.

Of particular note was her opening act The Ditty Bops. They were absolutely fabulous and I think I actually may order their cd off Amazon. It's really too bad they weren't selling any at the show as I would have picked one up for sure. I think they are her opening act for the entire tour, so good for them! Adam and I had a lengthy discussion on the way back to the car about how we are always so pleased and surprised to hear singers who can sing in tune (gasp!) in live performance. We both agreed that this shouldn't be something to be surprised about as if your voice is your instrument, you should be able to use it proficiently. Just that in today's world of pop mediocrity, all we hear are voices fabricated in the studio that don't actually "exist" in the real world. Singers like The Ditty Bops are a pleasant gift.

Rock you like a hurricane.

I have waited 30 long years for a hurricane to be named after me. I always figured my name was too plain, but nope, Hurricane Katrina it is. Gotta tell you that it feels pretty righteous to read headlines like "Oil companies evacuate Gulf platforms as Katrina looms" and "Florida sweeps up from Katrina, but braces for a possible encore". It's right up there with headlines like "The dikes will save us" that Jennifer and I never cease to giggle at. Scott lamented to me yesterday that he doubted that there would ever be a Hurricane Scott. I told him that it could happen! Don't give up on it, we're only at K. The only problem is, I think they alternate male and female names, so "S" will technically be a female name this time around. Sigh. Anyway, as much as I am digging that my name is being used to name a massive upheaval in nature, I hope all this shit calms down for our 1 year Anniversary trip to the Bahamas next week. Tomorrow is actually our 1 year anniversary (yeah! we made it a whole year!). More on that later, gotta get ready to go see Tori Amos tonight with Alana, Adam, and Leeanne.

Lady In Red and Boys In Eyeliner.

I considered calling this blog “Brooke Burke and her lovely ta-tas", but that would just be crass. But seriously her boobs look freshly faked, I’m wondering if her soon to be ex gave her one last boob job for the road (he is a plastic surgeon after all). Dave Navarro did not disappoint either, he is slowly working back to his normal shirtless self, this time opting for unbuttoned to the navel. Nice!

So last night, they did an “Originals vs. Songwriter” theme. Suzie pulled a J.D. after suggesting that they all draw names from a hat and she was all “but I wanna sing my original it’sooooooooooo good” but thankfully Deanna and Mig stood their ground and showed her the hand. What I will say about the whole original song thing is that I think these singers need to remember that it may be a double edged sword. The audience votes for who they like, and part of liking someone is liking the song they sing. It’s hard to like a song (or even remember it for that matter) after only hearing it one time through. The recipe for success is does the audience like the song (meaning do they know it?) and do they like your interpretation. I doubt very many voters are actually considering “who would be the right choice for INXS” at this point. They are just voting for who they dig.

Suzie – Cameltoe City (Start Me Up)
She almost missed her entrance with her dumb shout out to her peeps. While I definitely think she is a strong singer, she has never connected with me. I think that live she is probably fine, but she doesn’t carry across the airwaves. Dave N. (who was surprised she has been in the bottom 3 so many times) should watch the show from home with Carmen and see if he still thinks she is so great. Me thinks no.

J.D. – Cold As Ice
Still a cocky SOB, but how can you not love that eyeliner? Hawt! Also, does he have a sock in his pants? Yowzers. I think he sang the song well and had a lot of confidence which made it compelling. The vocal harmony section with the band sucked though (totally out of tune, mostly J.D.’s fault). INXS loved it though, and they seem to like the risks he takes (one of them being that the rest of the singers will gang up on him and drown him in the pool).

Deanna – My Truth
I'm wondering (and maybe Adam can tell me) how they can write new material and get it copywrited so fast? Is it the whole, once you say “I wrote this” and then perform it on TV thing, that means it belongs to you? Or can you just seal the music in an envelope and mail it to yourself? The song completely catered to her voice and it was nice to hear her sing in a comfortable key. Hence, not a lot of range in the melody, but fuck, she sang it with balls (especially since she didn’t have much time to write it and then learn it). Good for her.

Ty – Proud Mary
Wow, buddy totally took credit for writing Deanna’s song – 1 dickwad point for Ty. That was unnecessary (has he been hanging out with J.D. or something?). I didn’t love this version of Proud Mary. It was too fast, the background vocals stunk (specifically: out of tune, not groovin’, and falling apart), and it just left me cold. The band liked it, but I think they were just checking out Brooke Burke dancing to it.

Mig – Do Or Die
The beginning was kind of minwaxy (meaning, awkward), but it did get better at the chorus. Seemed a bit “rock opera” to me, but I may be full of it. I loved the zebra fabric cod piece he wore over his pants – that was something! I think that the band should be given props for playing the hell out of a song they didn’t really like and I think that Mig sold it through. Dave N. liked it, and the band “appreciated” it, whatever that means. I still like Mig though and I am betting that all of Australia is voting for him.

Marty – I Alone
More eyeliner! Hawtness! Boy does the camera like Marty. He was very intense throughout his performance. I don’t know this song, so it’s hard to say how well he sang it, but he sure did rock his ass off. I thought that his head was going to turn around 360 degrees at the end, he damn near looked possessed. Dave N. lurves him, but the band wants him to stop screaming all the time and sing more. Funny, Deanna shouts most of her songs, but they never say that to her.

Jordis – Shits The Bed (Dream On)
I loved it until she opened her mouth. Great hat. Weird key – I think she opted for a lower key so she could try to hit that note at the end, which she didn’t. The problem with singing a song too low in your range is that it comes off as low energy. She not only had pitch issues, but she didn’t rock at all and missed the ending completely. I am with Dave N. on this, she should have changed the melody to make it work. This is a prime example of a song that only a man should sing. We all have off nights, but this was especially disappointing.

Bottom 3 at the end of the show: Deanna, Ty, Jordis,
Kat’s bottom 3: Suzie, Jordis, Ty

This thing called life.

Just wanted to post a quick update to say that I have been hella busy between my friends Jen and Dave's wedding (which was beautiful and pink and lovely!), starting to work again (ain't that a trip!) and trying to keep Scott's spirits up (he is sick as a dog right now). I taped Rockstar INXS last night so I will watch it tonight after work and make a quick post before I go out to see my friend Alex's band The Free Press tonight. It is their CD release party so we want to go and make an appearance (sick our not, he is our boy). I will have to tape the results show and watch it tomorrow, so don't tell me who gets booted off. Actually, it will be Suzie, so whatever, I showed you. I can tell you that without even watching this week's performances!

Mig, I love YOUR ways.

Jennifer was kind enough to give the Monday night recap (apparently I am the ONLY person who can't find this "floating" show). The show amounted to the remaining singers getting into two groups of four to see if they can play nice. Surprise, surprise, J.D. acted like the sulky punk-ass-bitch that he is. His group lost because of his bad attitude yet he somehow managed to come out of the incident lookin' like a bad-ass-rocker. Whatever. I'd just love to see him pull that prima donna shit with a bunch of craggy ol' Australian rockers. They would set him straight in a hot second. My lustful Brandon hate has now been refocused on J.D. (Canadian or not, he is a punk).
Okay, so now for the recap. I love that we can all chat with Brooke online. I can bet what kind of chatting is going to be happening and usually folks have to pay for that! Not sure about the continuous parade of pinstripes on this show (the stylists must get a discount on bad taste).

Last night there was a bit of twist with the song selection. INXS selected a song for each singer (I think they did this because despite their requests to hear particular styles from each singer, those requests have largely been ignored).

Jordis - Knockin' on Heaven's Door
She started out of tune with a bit of vocal wankery (when will singers learn?) but the song immediately got better once she got into the first verse. She really has a magic about her, and shone in this intimate setting (yet somehow still manages to be quite powerful). INXS is smitten with her, and while Dave Navarro doesn't want to sleep with her, I bet he wants to make her his honourary sister. Great performance, though I could do without the out of tune vocal riffing.

Jessica - Torn
Apparently INXS wanted to see a softer side of Jessica, and I guess they saw it last night. I still think she belted a lot and I would have truly unplugged this song, maybe even switched up the arrangement a bit so that it started out a little more bare bones. For some reason with the busyness of the arrangement it didn't really sound all that unplugged to me. Dave N. liked it and said "less is more", and the band seemed to like it. Jessica will still be in the bottom three though, and I think she'll go home this week.

Ty - Maggie (Mary) May
Nice rat tail dude. Gross. Also, what is with the pajama bottoms? I didn't love this rendition of the song (also - I think he was singing "Mary" instead of Maggie...at least a few times). It should be noted that I can't stand Rod Stewart, so that likely didn't help. Dave N. and INXS loved it (even went so far to call it a Motown feel which I didn't hear). Ty then capped his performance off with some wacky tongue talents...weird.

Suzie - Bring it on Home to Me
I know that I am always harping about this, but the tempo was really too fast. I think Suzie did a good job keeping it reigned in. I kept wondering how she would sound if she was an old black man, because I think this song would have rung more true to me. Terrible, I know! I seem a bit prejudice against poor Suzie - it may be because she sounded a bit country, which really, is unforgivable. Dave N. heard it differently and loved it, INXS thinks she is one of the best singers in the competition (technically yes, but otherwise no!). I think Suzie will join Jessica in the bottom three this week.

Marty - Hit Me Baby One More Time
I LOVE MARTY. What a horrible song, but he did a good job. The most distracting thing was the background singers sounded terrible. I really dug how he got all intense at the end, basically shrieking over the band. Go Marty! Too funny how J.D. was sitting there looking so jealous that he didn't get to sing this song. Dave N. also dug it, and the band seemed to appreciate that Marty was a good sport about singing such an awful song.

Deanna - I Can't Make You Love Me
This really was a perfect song for Deanna and I think it did show off her voice. And her boobies - check those sister out (they're all like - "Lift us up, we're suffocating down here"). She totally pulled it off, she was feeling it too, which came across. She is just as good a singer as Bonnie Raitt and better than Sheryl Crow. INXS liked her performance a lot, but I think Deanna was too hard on herself (I suspect she just HATES singing songs that expose her voice like that).

J.D. - As Tears Go By
The band wanted J.D. to be "real" with this song. Seeing as he is a Grade "A" Asshole, I'm not sure that's a good thing. It didn't matter either way because while he sang the song well, his supposed emoting came off as mere posturing. He was trying to come off as a sweetheart rocker, but it fell totally flat, nothing, nada, zip. I didn't buy it at all and neither did INXS (except for Tim, but whatever). HAHAHAHA J.D.! Looks good on you.

Mig - Baby, I Love Your Way
Mig plays piano - HOTT DAMN! Do you know how hard that is to do? To play and sing, and do both exceptionally well? Trust me, it's hard! He sounded fabulous. J.D. really should listen up because this was true emoting. But see, Mig really has love in his life, whereas J.D., he only loves himself. I think Mig is the favourite to win (he's Australian too - I can only imagine the votes he is pulling from down under). Dave N. got all sappy and INXS lurved him. Mig got my vote. Several of 'em.


Bottom three this week will be: Suzie, Jessica, J.D.
Favourites for final three: Jordis, Marty, and Mig