HAHAHAHA CHERISE let me on her account!!!!! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!





Amanda

Who do you think will leave?

American Idol

With the announcement of the top 24, I feel inclined to post a little something about my favorites... I have to make this disclaimer, though: My opinions are based on the limited airtime for each contestant! (for a more informed opinion, please come back and see my review after their performances next week)

Blake Lewis. He is so fun to watch and I am excited about hearing him do some singing (though his beatboppin' is Sweet)!

Nicolas Pedro's sweet and earnest spirit stood out during the auditions - He is one of many repeat auditioners. Last season he was cut in Hollywood week. Hopefully he has grown as a singer and will stick around for a while.

Sanjaya Malakar is this season's sweetie! (and another one of a kind contestant) The moment his face hit the screen, I knew he would make it! Look at that smile - come on. This kid has a heart of gold and a set of pipes that could power him into the top 10.

Paul Kim is one of a kind! I can't recall there ever being an asian male that stuck around very long... am I wrong?? I haven't heard him sing, but look forward to. If he sings barefoot, he must be a very chill kinda guy.

Rudy Cardenas caught my attention (and Paula's!) during his audition. Simon turned him down, but Paula and Randy sent him through... I don't think Rudy will be crowned king, but has a nice enough voice and personality.

Amy Krebs. Though I've never seen or heard her, I liked her interview questions... that's all.

Ah, Gina Glocksen. Another season 5 reject, she makes it to the finals this year. Will she suffer from the fate of Melissa McGhee?? (one of my favorites, with a smokey voice who was cut early)

Melinda Doolittle rocks. Wait till you hear her!!

Brandon Rogers, Chris Sligh, Sundance Head and Lakisha Jones are sure to be around for a long time. So I didn't feel the need to mention them.

Leslie Hunt, AJ Tabaldo, Nicole Tranquillo, Alaina Alexander, Chris Richardson and Jared Cotter will probably be leaving us soon. While Antonella Barba, Jordin Sparks, Haley Scarnato, Phil Stacey, Sabrina Sloan and Stephanie Edwards may last a bit longer.

Let the competition begin!! Be sure to watch American Idol:
Tuesday (8-10 ET) -- The Top 12 Boys perform
Wednesday (8-10 ET) -- The Top 12 Girls perform
Thursday (8-9 ET)-- The First Live Results Show

Funny thing happened the other day...

So I was debating whether or not to post this event, but considering it's so rare and that I had little idea of how to respond, well... Maybe you have some advice (or similar stories) to share.

Yesterday afternoon I was making the long trek down to the mailroom to drop off a package. Two people were having a conversation; I had to pass between them. As I passed, the man said hi really loud. The woman nodded and smiled. I smiled and said hello. On my return trek, they were still talking, but this time nothing was said. I went back to my office and settled in for a short afternoon. About 20 minutes later, I hear someone coming down the hall. Then I hear a man's voice say, "Hey, good looking." I jerk my head to the doorway in time to see the same man going by my office... is he talking to me? how do I respond? I was slightly offended by his greeting and the first thing in my head was Sexual harassment?? I broke out of my stunned (and probably pretty confused) stare enough to say hey. Thankfully by then he had gone on into someone else's office.

?????

This obviously caught me off-guard since people (especially men) don't usually greet me with a hey, good looking... Isn't that line reserved for movies, clubs, and definitely NOT for the workplace??

Found!

... Josh & Ryan have both contacted me (and our families) this week, so we know they're okay. In fact, they are more than okay. They are on the beaches of Thailand! AND they got to pet tigers!! I can't wait to see pictures and am jealous of the tiger viewing... anyway, that's all for now... thanks for reading...

If anyone has any information regarding flight cancellations in Tokyo, Japan due to an earthquake, please let me know. Josh was supposed to catch a connecting flight to Bangkok, Thailand, but the earthquake may have caused flight interruptions... if so, then he and Ryan have no way of contacting each other!

::update::

Semi-good news... the earthquake didn't affect the mainland. However, my dad called the airlines - several of them, in fact. As far as we know Josh's flight out of Dallas was delayed four hours. So by the time he landed in Tokyo, he had missed his flight to Bangkok. ThaiAir said that he was currently on a plane to Bangkok and would arrive there in about 12 hours.

So where is Ryan? Will he sit and wait at the airport for Josh to arrive, even though his flight is over 14 hours late???

God will help them to find each other safely... I can't wait to hear the stories about this trip...

Steve Irwin - The most incredible animal man who ever lived

1)What's the most fun work you've ever done, and why? (two sentences max)
I like cleaning - nearly every time I clean I have fun! The instant results are very satisfying, and it gives me a feeling of control.

2)A. Name one thing you did in the past that you no longer do but wish you did? (one sentence max)
Attended college
B. Name one thing you've always wanted to do but keep putting it off? (one sentence max)
Read one of the books I bought months ago.

3)A. What two things would you most like to learn or be better at, and why? (two sentences max)
I'd like to be better at balancing the people in my life and I would love to get better at skiing. I used to always put sleep ahead of people, but now I tend to put people ahead of sleep and it's affecting my life... and skiing is really fun!
B. If you could take a class/workshop/apprentice from anyone in the world living or dead, who would it be and what would you hope to learn? (two more sentences, max)
Paul - I would like to hear more about how he moved on from his past, without thinking negatively about himself and keeping his mind on Christ.

4)A. What three words might your best friends or family use to describe you?
Fun, awesome, wonderful
B. Now list two more words you think describe you.
Odd, faithful

5) What are your top three passions? (can be current or past, work, hobbies, or causes-- three sentences max) Helping people see themselves the way God does, serving others, learning more about God's Word.

6) Write--and answer--one more question that YOU would ask someone (with answer in three sentences max) Do you want to come to game night? Of course! I would love to. Thanks for asking!

[Bonus: What is one question you wish people would ask themselves?]
Am I doing the wise thing?

Where has the time gone???

The past few weeks have been busy, relaxing, fun, exciting, slow, and strange. But mainly it's all a blur. Especially the last week! I won't bore you with the details, but I haven't gotten more than 6 hours of sleep since Friday. I'm misreading things, getting confused easily, and losing my mind. But it's been a terrific week. My family came to visit Monday - Wednesday. Even though I only saw them for a few hours, it was nice to know that they were here! Tuesday night they got to meet Josh's girlfriend Kat, my new roommate, one of my good friends, and a friend of Hans'. It was quite a night. God was so good to me that evening, as He provided energy, patience, energy, and joy for my weary body & mind. He has been protecting me as I drive, watching over my mouth, and reminding me of truth all this week. It's so easy to turn mean and selfish and rude when you're this tired. Amanda wrote me a note when she left, and in it she thanked me (as always!) for being a good sister, mentioning that I even though I was tired, I wasn't grumpy or mean. I hadn't really thought about it before... but she's right. I haven't been in a bad mood. Boy this post is really boring me right now, though, lol. Sorry Bex!!! Just go visit my xanga and read that - it's way more interesting!! Cherise - Over and Out.

http://www.xanga.com/ccloudsm