America's Got Talent Season (Season 6) Musings - July 14, 2011

Aw, you didn't think I'd forgotten to blog about America's Got Talent this time around, did you? It's my favorite variety/reality show and I've been watching religiously! I had a chance to go to a taping and heartbreakingly I wasn't able to go - sigh - but I'm glued to the show.

I have my favorites (and so far I also don't think there have been any surprises) but what I want to talk about is the missing acts, as far as I can tell. I can think of four acts that "got through" to Vegas that haven't been seen or heard from since:

• Narcissister (did the adults-only themes of most of her acts scare off the producers?)
• The cheesy couple where the guy sang rock and the woman sang opera and they sang the song from Titanic (they got through, right?)
• The stripper woman who got through when Piers was stuck and only Sharon and Howie were voting
• And my secret, inside knowledge - the veteran who sang his heart out at a certain city's audition who impressed the audience and the judges, but who wasn't ever even on TV

So I wonder what happened behind the scenes.
ETA: Ah, Wikipedia to the rescue - there's actually a long list of missing acts that dropped out for "personal" reasons over there - and reading it, I'm EXTRA sad about a few of them. Ah well.

I also don't understand why they haven't mentioned that a Russian board-jumping group (or whatever it's called - it's amazing) has been on before but was cut because the woman got hurt. (OK, I do understand, I just wanted continuity!) There's definitely a consistent theme on this show - cute kids doing things, animals, dance crews, a solo dancer (Snap Boogie - who I adore - is this year's HasPop), at least one female singer (LOVE HER this season by the way), and a few guys with guitars and possibly pianos. So yeah, formulaic. But I'm hooked. 

My favorites don't have names yet because I haven't paid enough attention. I love the Justin-Bieber-hair girl, the Sinatra-singing dude, the boy who told everyone to "kiss my fat ass" a la Tyra, the magicians (always love them), the opera-singing woman, and....a few others. Last night the show was great but my favorites weren't on. (I was rooting for the Fiddleheads though, and I feel bad for them.)

So yeah. I'll be watching and possibly blogging about this season again. Love!


PS Guess what Wikipedia taught me? "Untelevised producers' auditions were also held in Denver and Chicago." Oh I see... (Who came from those though?)

America's Got Talent final thoughts plus I Love Groupon - September 16, 2010

Here's my final thoughts on this year's America's Got Talent Finale - pbbbbpbbbhhhtttt. Not a fan of how it all came out at all. Another singer wins (talented, but NOT a Vegas act). Ho hum. I didn't think Prince Poppycock would win, but I still was wishing... (I just read on a message board that he was supposed to perform a David Bowie song instead of the opera, and it fell through. If that is true, and he had gotten to do another pop song, would he have ranked higher?) I still hope the tour lineup is good...

Today's Groupon deal is $12 for $25 at Noodle in both Decatur, GA, and Atlanta, GA. I love Noodle - big bowls of warm, yummy noodles with delicious sauce and fresh veggies. They're extremely vegetarian friendly but also great for meat eaters. Check it out.

I had a whole CVS run planned, and I was going to get freebies and make a bit of money (in Extrabucks currency), and then I found out that some of the coupons I had planned to use weren't for the size product that was on sale. That raised what my out of pocket (OOP) cost would've been, and I didn't need any of the things I was going to get, so I skipped it. So different from how I approached CVS a year ago, when I didn't care what I got as long as it was free! My stockpile is overflowing now, though, and my time is limited, so I have to choose my deals more carefully.

It's tricky finding time to blog while my kid is out of school... Staycation activity for today is lunch with friends and possibly an afternoon snack of New Orleans-style snoballs with different friends. Tomorrow we're supposed to go to the children's museum - I hope it works out!

Quick America's Got Talent Post

• Prince Poppycock sang beautifully and did not deserve to get buzzed (has an act that was buzzed EVER gone to the next round?), but I agreed with Piers that it was a boring performance. Technically wonderful, and it looked slick and pretty, but I expected the Prince to suddenly switch to a pop song or change his outfit or something. Oh well, I still adore him.
• Michael Grimm is fine. I am just not that into him. Dark horse here, he could win it all but I don't think he deserves to in this particular competition.
• Jackie Evancho has a stunning voice and more talent in her tiny body than most people I know. I just find her a bit cloying. But if she wins, it's deserved.
• Fighting Gravity deserves this though. It will make the best Vegas show. And I'm tired of singers winning AGT. 
• My favorite moment of the night was when they brought back other acts. This really was an entertaining season, and I may even consider catching the tour, depending on who goes along on it.

I don't think I'll blog about America's Next Top Model much, but I am watching that too. I don't have much time for TV, but that's one that I happily let Tivo grab for me for the next day. And How I Met Your Mother starts back up next week, hooray!

I have a cold and feel overall pretty icky. I'm hoping my visit to the chiropractor later today will help a bit. Yesterday's Staycation activity was me napping while my husband took our daughter to watch some newbie Thrashers skate. Exciting, I know. Today we don't have much going on either. I'll try to wave my magic wand and make a fun activity or two appear.

Short pop culture post (America's Got Talent) with thoughts about books and current events, but no smoothie

Blog posts are always so much better with a picture at the top, aren't they? Alas, I don't have one today. Here's what I have:

• I watched half of the America's Got Talent finale last night and the other half just now. I have FIVE favorites and am sad that all five won't go to next week (which, by the way, is totally milking it at this point - didn't the finale in past years end with the top 10 or 12?). My faves: Anna and Patryk (I think the fall made them more human and they may get sympathy votes), Prince Poppycock (my absolute favorite of them all), Michael Grasso (incredible), and then the two I think are definites, Jackie Evancho (did I hear her mic popping?) and Fighting Gravity. 
• Yesterday there was a fatal shooting at a strip club that's not very far from where I live and is on one of the few routes I drive. In fact, I'd driven by it earlier in the day. You know, I know how that all sounds, but it was a robbery in broad daylight and the man who died - he was bringing the weekend's take to the bank and so had a ton of cash in hand - was a husband and father. My husband thinks he'd seen the guy at the bank on occasion and that he was extremely nice, polite, professional. I feel terrible.
• On the other hand, last night apparently John Mayer played at a tiny club near my house with only an hour notice via Twitter. I think that's nifty, even if I'm not a fan of his. 
• And the Dresden Dolls are reuniting and playing a short tour and they're hitting Atlanta on my birthday. Tickets go on sale tomorrow and I'm planning on buying two even though I'm not sure who is going to go with me, if anyone.
• I'm finishing up The Butcher and the Vegetarian and LOVING it - proper review to come when I'm done - and I picked up a friend's copy of Mockingjay to finally finally start. I read it as I walked home, which I don't tend to do anymore because I'm supposed to be all grown up and stuff. 
• Here's some new Belle and Sebastian to make your Wednesday happier.
• Happy New Year and L'Shana Tova!

Smoothie of the Day (plus BPAL and AGT) - September 2, 2010

Super extra-creamy smoothie

I'm loving frozen pineapple in my smoothies. It adds a nice sweetness and texture to them and I think it's going to be a staple in my freezer from now on. Today I was low on both almond and cow milk, so I used a combination of both, which made today's smoothie extra creamy. Then I threw in fresh and frozen strawberries, flax seeds, frozen pineapple, frozen spinach, and a squirt of agave. Delicious, and hopefully it will keep me going through the morning.

I'm a fan of Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab perfume oils (perhaps I'll make a "Let me tell you about" post about it in the future). There are thousands of different oil blends, and each one smells different on an individual's skin, and I may or may not have quite a large collection of sample-sized vials (known as imps' ears) that I poke at from time to time. Today they released info about the Trick or Treat inquisition; on occasion the company will offer T shirts and oils that have a theme (usually Halloween and the winter holidays) and then require you to send in a fun request for what you want - naughty or nice? trick or treat? - with no guarantees of what combination of oil and shirt and other goodies you'll actually receive. It's a lot of fun and very creative, and this year I like both T shirt designs (I haven't always in the past). I had a chance to smell some of the inquisition oils at a BPAL event a week ago (I liked Marshmallow Pumpkin), but in the end this is probably too pricey for me at this time. But it may be something in which you'd be interested; go look!

Edited to add: Oops, a friend of mine pointed out to me that I misread the site - there are no shirts this year, the art is for the labels of the products. I'm so disappointed, I love the art this time around!

My guesses were pretty off regarding the America's Got Talent results last night. I was surprised that the judges picked the dance crew over the singer, but I also am tired of singers winning the competition. The top ten is a really great mix of variety acts and I'm looking forward to the finals (although I also am getting tired of how they're stretching this out forever and ever - I think there are two more weeks of finals to go...). My top three are Prince Poppycock, Anna and Patryk, and Michael Grasso. I think. No, wait! Fighting Gravity has to be in there too! Realistically, the young opera singer (I know her name, I just am not reaching for Google hits for her...) will probably place in the top three, if not win, but again, I'm tired of singers winning so I hope it's something more interesting in the end.

Smoothie of the Day (...to go! plus bento of the day and America's Got Talent babble) - September 1, 2010

Smoothie to go!

It's a smoothie to go today, because I had a chiropractor appointment I had to run off to. This one came out really yummy - almond milk, fresh and frozen strawberries, frozen grapes, frozen spinach, and frozen pineapple, plus some flax seeds and a squirt of agave nectar. I drank it as I walked and enjoyed the slightly cooler weather we've been having (only in the 80s!).

Bento for the kid - more of the same, but at least she eats it.

I haven't posted a bento in a while because they're largely the same most days. Here's today's - strawberries and a whole banana, organic string cheese and broken up whole wheat crackers, and pasta with sauce and veggie burger crumbles in a new lunch jar. The lunch jar is plastic, which I don't love, but it seems to be easier for both my daughter and her aides at school to handle, and I think it may even keep food warmer than the other jar (which I'll still use for her and for me on occasion).

I'm watching America's Got Talent from last night as I type this. This is probably my favorite line up of all the shows this season. My favorite singer, Debra Romer, probably won't get through, but I loved how she basically said she now gets paid to sing and she's already won. This show is all about the exposure, whether you win or not. Fabulous. Predictions: Jackie Evancho, Michael Grasso (so glad they brought him back), Fighting Gravity, Michael & Ashleigh (ditto - the judges made great choices for wild cards), Nathaniel Kenyon (I think there's a contingent that will vote him through). I'm still rooting for Haspop, but I don't think he'll make it. I could see the kid that plays piano sneaking in there somewhere instead too.

And look, Pomplamoose collaborated with Ben Folds:



Rabbit Rabbit. It's almost autumn.

Smoothie of the Day (plus more America's Got Talent ramble and chia seeds) - August 26, 2010

Isn't this smoothie pretty?

I'm not doing things in the order I usually do this morning. I had to stop watching America's Got Talent last night to take care of something, so I missed the final decision on the final person. I couldn't wait, so I made my smoothie and just finished watching. I'll do the 30-Day Shred in a minute. (Day four!) The smoothie is almond milk, chia seeds (more on them in a second), fresh strawberries, lots of frozen berries, and a big handful of fresh kale. It's OK - a bit tart - but look at that gorgeous color!

Chia seeds are weird! Yesterday I experimented with them a bit. I ate them plain - fine, crunchy, no major flavor. Then I put a large spoonful in a glass of water and let it sit. I knew they developed a gel from absorbing liquid, but I didn't realize exactly how that would manifest itself. The glass was full of suspended seeds - it looked really cool but I didn't get a chance to take a picture. Maybe I'll recreate it in the future. I couldn't manage to drink it though - a few sips were all I could take before the texture got to me. So I'm going to stick with putting them in smoothies and perhaps working my way up to a smaller amount in juice.

And as for America's Got Talent, I'm really disappointed in the results from last night. Confession: I didn't vote. But I suspect that in this case, my votes wouldn't have changed much. I was rooting for Anna and Patryk and Prince Poppycock, as you know. But I am not happy with the other three finalists - people voted with their hearts, which is lovely and beautiful (and I am a big sap, don't get me wrong!) but the acts that I thought had the most potential to put on a great show were the ones who got cut. I just can't see someone paying big bucks to see any of the singers that got through. And next week I like about seven of the finalists. Seriously, I love this show because, as Howie Mandel said last night, it's a true variety show. And also I'm a dork.

Finally, this morning, my daughter not only didn't cry when we dropped her off at preschool, but she actually smiled, said "Yeah! Yeah!" a few times, and waved bye bye to us. Yes! This afternoon we have a six-month follow-up appointment with the neurologist; I doubt we'll learn anything new, but it is good to have people keeping an eye on her progress, I suppose.

Smoothie of the Day (plus button plans and the Decatur Book Festival; gushing about America's Got Talent) - August 25, 2010

Lots of frozen fruit before...

Delicious smoothie after!

Day three of the 30-Day Shred and I still can't quite do the whole thing. But at least I'm up and moving around every morning, no? So while I really wanted to make a coffee smoothie, I instead made a healthy one. Almond milk, fresh banana half, chia seeds (interesting), fresh kale, frozen grapes, frozen strawberries, frozen mango, frozen blueberries. It's delicious.

As I type this, I'm watching last night's America's Got Talent. I'm happy to say that I don't know who will make it through tonight - or at least I can't narrow it down to my personal favorite five. I do hope that people voted on the best acts, not the most sentimental. [Correction: As I watch more, it seems like my top five are pretty obvious after all.] [ETA: PRINCE POPPYCOCK I ADORE YOU! My top five: Prince Poppycock, Anna and Patryk, Antonio Restivo, ArcAttack, and I still love AscenDance even though the judges weren't jazzed. I felt SO bad for the singer who got three Xs and wanted to give her a hug. Still looking forward to Haspop, Debra Romer, and the other two magicians.]

Today I feel like I have so much to do and not enough time to do it. I have errands to run and buttons to make - I'm planning on stocking my favorite local independent children's bookstore (that also has the most amazing selection of grownup books ever) Little Shop of Stories in Decatur, GA, with tons and tons of book-love buttons to sell during the upcoming Decatur Book Festival. Which means I need to get started...now.

Smoothie of the Day (plus going out to dinner and America's Got Talent) - August 19, 2010

Coffee smoothie before!

No bento pictures today, because today's bento wasn't particularly exciting. And I went out last night (more on that in a minute) so I needed a smoothie with a bit more kick and instead went with a coffee-based frappe/smoothie. It has cow milk, instant coffee (a single-serving instant coffee packet has the perfect amount; I got a bunch of them for free at CVS), vanilla extract, a splash of agave nectar (and yes, I'm aware of the controversy regarding agave nectar, but I have in the house so I'm going to use it), some semi-sweet chocolate chips, and a bunch of ice cubes. Oh and some frozen spinach - yep, really. I took a risk with that.

Mmm, coffee smoothie after.

Oh this was so good. It came out icy and creamy and sweet and delicious. And far cheaper than going to, say, you know, Starbucks. And no, I could not taste the spinach at all - win!

Last night I got to have a mommy-night-out with a friend. We went to Feast in Decatur, Georgia, and had a great time. I'm not a restaurant reviewer (yet?) and I didn't take any pictures, but I can tell you that I love this place; it's one of my favorite local spots, although I don't get there often enough.

We first shared a basket of "mushroom chips" that were basically lightly breaded and fried exotic mushroom caps - crimini, portobello, and shiitake, with a gorgonzola dipping sauce that I could have eaten with a spoon. So good. Plus I had an X and the City cocktail - vodka, fruity liqueurs, pomegranate. Sweet and fruity and girly and it had QUITE a kick (or I'm a lightweight...yeah, that's probably it).

For my main course, I had the only vegetarian full-plate option - the mushroom and homemade wheat linguini dish that was hearty and rich without being heavy - but I let it get cold because I was having such a great time talking about everything under the sun with my friend. That's OK, it was still good cold. It was, however, kind of a shame that I had mushrooms and then more mushrooms - I adore mushrooms, don't get me wrong, but it would've been nice to have a non-mushroom choice for my dinner. (There's also a mushroom pizza on the "small plates" menu - but again, more mushrooms - and there are two other vegetarian appetizer options, so that part is my own doing, but I really wanted the mushroom chips, as did my friend.) This is a very minor concern though, as everything was delicious. We finished with the bread pudding with white chocolate glaze that was perfection - we shared one bowl, but I could've eaten another quite easily.

Now the best part. Feast sends out emails with secret passwords from time to time. Last night, by saying "Back to School" to our waiter, we got one of the entrees for free. Fantastic. You can get on the mailing list on the website, where you can also see a full menu (which I used as a cheat sheet for this blog entry).

A few years ago I attempted to start a website on which I'd review the vegetarian options at non-vegetarian restaurants. I called it FreakMenu - so look for the FreakMenu label on posts here in which I will let you know what's available for we wacky crazy vegetarian types at various restaurants in and around Atlanta/Decatur, Georgia.

I'm watching last night's America's Got Talent results show while I write this entry. I really have enjoyed this season (unlike some other talent shows, ahem), but I am surprised that the kite-flying boy got through. He's great, but he's a sentimental choice, and I would've put both Doogie and the acrobats through instead. (During the performance, my heart STOPPED when the female acrobat dropped down. STOPPED.) I'm rooting for Prince Poppycock, AscenDance, HasPop, and Debra Romer. I like all the magicians this time around too.

PS I just found out that today's Groupon deal is a $50 Gap gift card (good in stores only, not online) for $25. That is AWESOME and I think I'm going to have to get one. You should too! (And yes, those are referral links. If you sign up, I get a Groupon credit. Thanks!)