Santa brought me a Cold

Sorry I haven't written in a bit, but it's hard when you are sneezing, your eyes watering and you can barely get out of bed. Ugh.

I have been surfing, but not feeling like writing much. I started feeling better about 2 days ago, and am getting my game on now.

Things I have enjoyed while being on vacation:

• Watching videos of the Purina All-Stars Pets on Yahoo
• Avoiding the neighbors when I run outside in pjs to get the paper
• Watching "Love Actually", wonder why Hugh Grant isn't my secret lover
• Cooking everything in the cabinets because too sick to go to grocery store
• Figured out how to tell hubby I don't like earrings he bought me, even though I picked them out of the catalog myself.  Yikes!
• Knitting
• Reading all SIX (6), yes 6, cookbooks I got for Christmas and bday
• Staying up until 1:00 am watching Frasier reruns
• Sleeping until 9:00 am
• Watch Addams Family  and The Munsters reruns.  OMG possibly funnier as an adult.
• Start over at top of list

I got an Ipod Touch from my hubby for Christmas.  I love it.  I can't wait to be able to blog remotely.  

I also got a cool video thingy...and I am going to post a video for you of my favorite gift...hope you like it.

More later.

Happy Holidaze.

xoxo

Coley B

MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!

Joy to the World...I hope you are having a wonderful Christmas Season, no matter what your celebrating.  Just feel the love and goodwill of the spirit of this time of year And my Christmas for me was the following new on Kelly Clarkson!

Yea! Kelly Clarkson has a new album releasing in April. Ummm I betcha just in time to coincide with the final weeks of the next season of American Idol. OMG. This is just what I asked Santa for this year! New Kelly!

xoxo,

Cole

It's Beginning to Look Alot Like Christmas!

Good Morning Everyone.

Today is my last day at the Factory until next Jan. 8, 2009.  OMG I need a break so bad.  I have been contemplating cutting myself, just to feel a different kind of pain.  Just kidding, but seriously the place has been on nuclear meltdown.  The economy, blah blah blah, layoffs, blah blah blah.  The news says my company is laying off 1,000 people.  I better stop bitching and be thankful for my high stress, low satisfaction, work with circus freaks job.  

So, this weekend I decided to get my Craft ON!  I was working with red food dye.  OK, so now I have fingers that look like I torched them.  I love homemade gifts.  I made homemade marshmellows dipped in pink icing and rolled in crushed peppermints.  The homemade part was the crushing of candy canes and icing installment.  I did not pull a Martha Stewart and make my own Marshmellows.  Kraft has a lock on it.  I also made jars of Cranberry Orange Honey.  Very tasty and holiday-ish.  This one is a tough one too.  Mix a can of cranberry sauce, a jar of Orange Marmelade and Honey.  Pop in microwave to get soft.  Pour in jars.  Wipe sweat from your brow.  ha ha.  I was injured, however.  I stabbed myself with scissors cutting fabric for the bows.  

Hope these little tips give you motivation to add a personal touch to your last minute gift list.  I secretly dreamed of being Martha Stewart at one time.  

xoxo,

Cole

What? American Idol News

People, it's only 24 days away. So, it's time to start focusing on the whole purpose this blog was conceived...Dishing on Idol.

So, here's a recap of a USA Today story that I just found. Some really interesting scoop in here.

Amid a flurry of rumors, here's Bill Keveney's story detailing changes for Season 8 to be announced today at a press conference. (Link updated to reflect corporate synergy.) To summarize, with commentary:

> A cutback on audition episodes (four to three weeks) and an increase in Hollywood-round coverage (two weeks). We pretty much knew this was in the offing from earlier producer comments.

> Semifinal round expanded to 36 from 24. Whew -- that is a big change. That would mean, I would guess, they'd have to increase the number of eliminations per night, from four per week to six, to keep the semis within the same three-week schedule. Also, a lot of people to get to know (however casually and briefly) in a short time.

> Reinstitution of the wild-card round, in which a designated number (three, which seems like a lot) of previously eliminated semifinalists are allowed to compete for a finalist slot -- the savior of Clay Aiken in Season 2. That could be tacked on to the final semis week (Thursday?) or provide an additional week of programming. It also means only nine out of the 36 semifinalists will be chosen by popular vote. Also -- rather big change -- the final 12 won't necessarily be split evenly between the sexes. (Good move, will avoid situations like the weak class of women last season.)

> Simon breaks ties in audition votes by the now-four judges. Hardly surprising.

> Playing instruments is still allowed. Good.

> Idol Gives Back moves to a biennial schedule, meaning there won't be one in 2009 but it will come back in 2010. Sounds like a reasonable way to avoid overkill and charity fatigue.

Not much, thankfully, about rumored increases in the show's depiction, during the finals, of more non-performance material, such as "interactions" between contestants -- that one brought back bad memories of early seasons, when a lot of time was wasted on sequences shot at the communal house the finalists were staying in. Shades of Big Brother and Rock Star. The more Idol gives in (hey, there's a name for a special) to worn-out reality-show gimmicks, the faster it will fade away. Sure, viewers want to know the contestants better, but there's too much potential for abuse and manipulation when a show starts messing around with staged interactions and "candid" (that is, carefully culled and selected) footage. Let's hope that's not going to happen.

(The only "innovation" related to this topic is the return of group performances in the Hollywood round, which will enable the producers to isolate what the story calls "bratty behavior." We can probably live with that.)

----------

So there you have it.  What do you think?

xoxo

ColeyB

I have a feeling those Palin's will NEVER go away!

OMG. What the hell. LEvi's mom got arrested for drugs. So this baby has a grandmomma that does drugs and a grandmamma that could commute her sentence. How convenient.

ha ha

I'm so bored I forgot to tell you about it

Sorry that I failed to write before hitting send.  

My husband has called me to show me the Yahoo Home page Purina Cat All-Stars videos and I'm ACTUALLY entertained.  There is a cat that loves to be vacuumed...omg.  And then a little kitten that eats broccoli...and when you try to take it away from her knawing little fangs, she hisses and swats at you.  She naws at the raw broccoli head.  I hope she doesn't get the farts.  That poor tiny kitten might explode.

I'm excited to watch survivor tonite.  I'm still winning our pool of 5.    Whoo Hoo.  I hope Bob wins.  Skinny dude might not even live through Tribal Council.

I've finished Christmas shopping now.  I went to buy my charity gift for the Family Giving Tree yesterday.  I drew a card off the wreath for a little girl who wants Jonas Bros. cd.  ha ha.  And then I drew a card for a homeless man that wanted Size 36 underwear and socks.  I decided to buy him some razors, toothbrush/paste and shaving cream.  I hope he likes it.  I get very, very sad at this time of year for those less fortunate.  I hate it.  I don't donate charitably to big organizations with tv commercials and crap.  I want my money going straight to the source.  There are big bins for 'recycling clothes' around town and I always noticed bags sitting outside the bin.  I wondered if the bins were full or something?  Well, I finally figured it out when I saw homeless people with shopping carts digging through the clothes for stuff that fit them.  So, now I don't go to Goodwill.  I neatly stack my bags outside the bins.  Yesterday I dropped 3 bags off, went to get gasoline and not 30 minutes had passed and I got back and there was someone digging through my stuff.  I was so happy.  These people can't afford Goodwill or Salvation Army.  I do appreciate those organizations and their food banks, etc.   But homeless people need clean items and warm wrappings.  

I hope that this season you find some ways of practicing random acts of kindness.  Not only to make someone happy, but to show other people that the world is a better place because of YOU.  

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, and Merry everything I forgot...

Many blessing to everyone, and give thanks this joyous season.

Coley

Oh, and Santa, thanks for the early gift...the $1.55 gal price.  You rock~!

Am I Bored or what?

And in David Cook News....

People, sometimes this American Idol machine shocks me. I mean is there nothing they don't touch? I give you Exhibit A...the cover of the 2009 Almanac.   Barack Obama, The Olympics and David Cook.  wowzah.  That's a bit ridiculous.

Well, I guess this went to print before Wall St. collapsed, or is it Main St. that's folding, taking Sesame Street with it.  

Hope you are well.

Christmas is my favorite time of year.  I took today off so I could decorate my house.  It's noon.  All I've accomplished is 

1.  Pharmacy

2.  Gas purchase

3.  Santa purchase at Best Buy

4. Breakfast with friend

I'm not getting anywhere.

House is a disaster.

Need to get the maid over here, but can't justify cost in hard economic times.  Also can't justify my sneezing for 3 days after dusting.  I like the dust settled in my house.

xoxo

Coley

Day After Bday Hangover from Fun

OMG, it was a great bday.

I got tons of cheerful bday wishes, tons of phones calls, and the husband gave me awesome gifts. And I bought awesome knitting needles.

Life is Good.

Today I shopped until I swear I might feet were going to fall off. The sales were so good at Macy's at one point they were paying me, I'm not kidding. I had so many coupons. Then I fail to realize the bags were going to be heavy. I had to trounce back to the care with my buddy, Marilyn. And we were about to die. I found my self jealous of the lady with the scooter.

I am an excellent shopper. I can sniff out a bargain. I got all the gifts bought. Dunzo. That's it.

My favorite gift...I got for my mom and step dad as a gag gift. I always hate that they serve leftovers for like 4 days after the original meal. Yuk. So I bought them these little timers..and you dial in what day you put the leftover in the fridge and it does a real time countdown. So when you go to eat it, and it says it's been in there 22 days, you better toss it. Hint Hint Mom-o-rama.

I got some other fun crap for stocking stuffers. I got these little tupperware like containers shaped like bars of butter...to keep your butter fresh. I likey!

Well, hope your Christmas shopping is going well and is fun too. Gas prices are 1.69 Regular out her in Northern California. I can get it at Costco for even cheaper. OMG, it's crazy times we live in.

David Archuleta News

As you might guess, anytime anyone anyplace has an Idol sighting, they feel compelled to tell me. I have a cellphone pick of Daughtry the day after his vote off (boy did that turn out well and all my wasted tears.) and I got texted about someone eating next to Paula at The Grove. Anyhoo...DAvid ARchuleta performed at a Charity event honoring Ryan Seacrest last night, and of course, one of my co-worker peeps was in attendance with her parents, who live in LA. She was sitting 10 feet from him and said the girls were swooning over him...and that his performance was AMAZING.

Hey, um, I'm a little bit needing to tell you guys this...but Archie's cd sales are probably going to beat Cook's. I'm guessing. I just think the Teenie Bop crowd is ruling the airwaves right now. And Britney's back bitches...that stirs the pot 4sure.

Hope everyone is well.

3 days to my B-Day. Whoo Hoo! Sha-bang!

Happy Bday TODAY to NJ Fan...a frequent commenter and we love her so much. Thanks for playing in our sandbox and hope you have a terrific birthday celebration up there in New Jersey. Say hi to Tony Soprano for me! (sorry, couldn't resist.)

ColeyB