Summer!

I've been neglecting this blog again, and for that I'm sorry. I've just been so distracted by... well... life.

I've started working out a few times a week at a beautiful new women's gym just a few minutes from my house (score!), plus a couple times a week here at home. I love this gym; it's such a great fit for me. Thanks to my friend Alison for introducing it to me!

My niece/goddaughter has also been in town for the past month, and she's been staying with us the majority of the time. (The rest of the time she stays with Grandma and Grandpa.) Em and I enjoy having her here. It's nice having someone to play Mario Kart with and to accompany Em outside when I have other stuff to attend to! And she's just a fun person to be around, period. :-)

Now I'm also preparing for my sister's arrival on Thursday... and Friday is my parents' 49th(!) wedding anniversary. Then, of course, Saturday is the 4th of July (which we'll be celebrating at my beloved alma mater, USD)... and we have a birthday party to attend on Sunday. We might have a dinner party to attend next Tuesday... and I also want to sign us up for a Family Campout that the City is hosting on the weekend of the 18th. I'm also hoping to get us back to Legoland at the end of July, because Em *loved* the water area and we just didn't have enough time there when we went a couple weeks ago. We need to go on the rides we missed, check out the really cool-looking Aquarium, and spend a nice chunk of time in the water (this time with bathing suits!). And then, we have a few of our nieces and nephews on the Lawless side coming to stay with us the first weekend of August. They'll be in town for a friend's wedding, and we're really looking forward to seeing them all. We're especially eager to meet and see baby Anna. I'm so glad I'll be able to get a new baby fix!! ;-) And THEN, of course, Stephen is going to visit his family in Oklahoma the second week of August. Actually, everyone will be there except for me and the girls; it's going to be a Lawless reunion. I'm sad we won't be able to attend. :-( Hopefully, Stephen, the girls and I will be able to go out there together in a couple years (perhaps spring of 2011?). We won't be able to go next year because we'll have too much going on (and therefore too much expense!): my parents' 50th anniversary (next July)... and our 10th (next October)!

So anyway, as you can see, we've got a lot going on, just like we do every summer. I really wish I could be disciplined and post updates every time something significant happens. Instead, though, I envision a very lengthy all-in-one post in August, detailing all of our summer adventures. I guess it's better than nothing.

I also want to take this opportunity to express my profound sadness over Michael Jackson's tragic and untimely death. I hate that he had to suffer such horrendous abuse at the hands of his father. I hate that he was such a pained soul who had to endure, in Lisa Marie Presley's words, the "awful vampires and leeches". I hate that in life, he was so insecure that he never felt the immense love so many of us had for him. I've always loved him, his music, his talent and his genius. Whenever I see a clip of him dancing on TV, I stop dead in my tracks and watch in awe. No one will ever match his talent. He's a legend, he's one-of-a-kind, and I will forever miss him.

Adam Lambert

If you know me well, you must know that I'm a die-hard American Idol fan. I've been watching the show religiously since Season 3, which was the year Fantasia Barrino was crowned. (Fantasia is a very talented vocalist and has found success in the R&B genre of music, in addition to Broadway. She played Celie in Oprah's production of The Color Purple.) Unfortunately I missed one of Idol's best seasons ever, Season 1, which is the year Kelly Clarkson (one of my favorite Idols) was crowned. Kelly has, of course, enjoyed huge success over the years as a pop music star. She has seen many of her singles score big on the music charts.

Up until now, my favorite season of AI has been Season 7, because that was the year David Cook won the show. David Cook is awesome. He's the first rock musician to ever be crowned the American Idol. He is so talented and creative when it comes to writing music, but also in taking an already existing song and making it his own. Every week last season, Stephen and I would eagerly tune in to see what David was going to do next. And without fail, he would deliver. He would meet our expectations and then some. Even though we knew he was the best and deserved to win the competition, we weren't sure America would agree with us. We were worried that the teenyboppers of the nation would vote in David Archuleta, who is a very good vocalist, but doesn't come near David Cook in terms of having the entire package. Cook can sing, he can perform, he can write... he has it all. My family and I all met on a Wednesday night last year expecting to see Archuleta named the American Idol. Amazingly (shockingly!), he wasn't. Cook was crowned, and we were ecstatic. (I cried!) He deserved it, and to this day he proves to us that he deserved it. He's got some really great music out, and I'm so happy for him. [On a sidenote, David's brother had been battling brain cancer for years, and sadly, he just recently died. I'm very glad for David that his brother was around to see him win American Idol, and to see him achieve all this success.]

Well, I thought for sure we wouldn't be seeing anyone as good as or better than David Cook... and boy, was I wrong. Enter Season 8... and Adam Lambert. Now, I might think for a split second that I'm biased, because Adam just so happens to be from my hometown (his alma mater is my alma mater's rival school), but the fact that he has now landed in this season's Top 3 shows me that I'm not alone in my assessments. Adam is AMAZING. He's INCREDIBLE. Just as I said about David, Adam has it all. He has a fabulous voice, and his performance skills are unbeatable. Each and every week, he gets out on that stage and BLOWS us all away. He is PERFECTION. What's wonderful about Adam is that he's so versatile. He can sing ballads, he can sing Broadway showtunes, he can sing pop, and he can rock out like nobody's business (rock is definitely his strong suit). David Cook paved the way for a rocker to win American Idol, and Adam is running with it! I love, love, LOVE Adam. He's hands-down my favorite Idol EVER (with David Cook coming in at a somewhat close second, and Kelly Clarkson coming in at a fairly distant third). If you've never seen Adam Lambert perform, I urge you to look him up. (Or you can check out some of the links at the end of this post.) Some view him as over-the-top, but I think it's just because he's so different that some people simply don't know what to make of him. But that's the beauty of it all. He's unlike any other, and after performing, he leaves so many of us utterly speechless. I've found myself with my jaw left hanging open after an Adam Lambert performance or two. Stephen and I have just looked at each other and then back at Adam, at a loss for words. Words escape us at that point. He's THAT good.

I had been telling anyone who'd listen that when Adam made it into the finals, I was dead-set on attending his homecoming concert and rally. He's from Rancho Penasquitos, for crying out loud! This was the chance of a lifetime!! Last week, Allison Iraheta (one of our favorites) was voted off the show (she should've scored second place, but instead she placed fourth), and Adam landed a spot in the coveted Top 3. Ryan Seacrest announced that the final three contestants [Adam, Kris Allen (who's really good, by the way) and Danny Gokey] were about to go home to visit their friends, fans and family. I was SO excited, and Stephen went online right away to try to find out the specifics. We couldn't find many details Wednesday night, but the following day my sister found the entire Scoop. My dad is a big fan of the show and of Adam Lambert, too, so he and I made plans to go to Mt. Carmel High School the following morning (last Friday) so we could see Adam and hopefully hear him sing. My sister was kind enough to take a few hours off from work so she could watch my girls. (My mom had to take care of other things at the time.)

So my dad and I left his house at 8:30 a.m. for the 11:00 a.m. concert at Mt. Carmel. We had originally planned to attend the parade at 10:00, but when we got to the school, we decided to just go ahead into Sundevil Stadium and wait for him to arrive and perform. We waited from about 9:00 to 11:00 in the brutal sun (I was starting to worry about my dad a little bit there, 'cause he doesn't do well in the sun, but he did okay). It was nice to hang out and chat with Pops for those couple hours.

Once we heard and saw the chopper overhead (and I could see through my binoculars that it belonged to the San Diego Police Department), we knew that Adam was about to enter the campus. After he arrived, we had to wait another 30 minutes or so before his convertible, red Ford Mustang got to the stadium's entrance. When his car appeared, I immediately grabbed Dad's binoculars to see what I could see, and there was Adam, in his newly blue hair (the color changes from week to week). I couldn't help but smile and exclaim to my dad, "There he is!! He has blue hair today."

The car carrying Adam drove him around the racetrack so he could wave to his adoring fans. The public sat on the "Visitor" side of the stadium, because the "Home" side was reserved for Mt. Carmel students and faculty only (which was actually fine by us, because the Home side ended up getting the brunt of the sun's rays!). From what I understand, each side holds about 4,000 people, and both sides were pretty full. Adam drew quite a crowd. After his lap around the track, Adam got out of the car and he took his place onstage. After thanking everyone for turning out in support, he spoke directly to the kids. He told them it's okay to be different, and that they all need to embrace one another's differences. "It's cool to be different!" he said proudly. After speaking for a few minutes, he asked if we wanted to hear a couple songs, and of course we all screamed "YES!!" He then started out with Michael Jackson's "Black or White"... and it was TERRIBLE. I was SO bummed. 'Bummed' doesn't even describe how I felt! Adam's singing wasn't terrible; the performance was. And Adam wasn't to blame; the SOUND SYSTEM was. I just couldn't believe how quiet and crackly he sounded. The quality was beyond horrific. I told my dad that I was certain the "Idol" people would've been on top of that, or at least that they would've checked it out ahead of time to make sure it was working decently! It was pitiful. We could hardly hear his voice, much less make out the lyrics to the songs he sang.

After "Black or White", Adam sang Tears for Fears' "Mad World". I love that song, and that's one of my favorite Adam performances on Idol thus far. After "Mad World", Mayor Jerry Sanders presented Adam with a key to the City, and he also declared the day "Adam Lambert Day" in San Diego. I got a couple pictures, but they're pretty hard to make out. Not enough zoomage. ;-)

Adam then got back in the Mustang and did one more lap around the track. The first time I got a pretty good picture of him, so the second time I took a few seconds of video. After that, Dad and I collected our belongings and exited the stadium. We were about to turn left and exit the campus, when suddenly my dad asked me if I wanted to turn right instead (which is where the Home side of the stadium lets out) to see if we could catch another glimpse (or more) of Adam. I was hesitant, but I agreed. We walked over and saw the really long Limo he arrived in. (It was waiting to take him to his next event.) Just past the Limo, we looked up the hill, and we saw Adam in the Mustang heading down toward us. His posse was surrounding the car, trying to get all of us crazies out of the way. I thought we might get hit! Then it happened. My dad told me to get the camera ready, because he was going to give Adam a high-five. His words didn't really register in my brain, though, because I was already trying to take pictures of Adam coming toward us, and I couldn't think fast enough as to what I needed to do next. "Do I take a picture? Do I take video? What should I do? What should I do? Is Dad really going to give Adam a high-five? I wanna see that happen if he does!" It's really hard to live in the moment when you've got a stupid camera in your face. Ugh. A split second later, as the men surrounding Adam were trying to push us all out of the way, my dad very casually walked up to the car with his hand held up in the air, and fairly quietly said, "Adam." Adam turned and looked at my father, saw his outreached hand, and he put his own hand out to meet my dad's. It was awesome! Unfortunately I missed the photo op. I really regret not getting that picture, but I'm glad I at least got to live the moment. :-)

And as disappointing as it was not being able to hear Adam sing, like I told my dad, it was okay with me, because I at least got to see him. I'm proud to be able to say that I was there for his homecoming; there for his beginning. (Not really his beginning, but the beginning of life as he'll know it from now on!) Because this guy's gonna be a big star. I just know it. He's gonna be HUGE.

And ya know, I think that's what's so cool to me about American Idol. I get to see these guys start to live their dream. I get to see them in the early stages, before they become the stars they end up being. It's neat to see them a few years down the road and think, "Hey! I remember watching when they were just starting out." It's sort of inspiring.



RELATED ARTICLES:

• From the San Diego Union-Tribune: Adam shares the love
• From the San Diego Union-Tribune: Singer Lambert 'idolized' at his alma mater
• From the San Diego Union-Tribune: 'Idol' sensation showed promise on local stage
• From the North County Times: "American Idol" contestant Adam Lambert rocks Mt. Carmel High -- this article includes a pretty good video that captures the essence of the whole Homecoming event
• From the Associated Press: Simon Cowell: Adam Lambert Will WIN 'Idol' -- Simon told Oprah his money's on Adam because the contestant is fearless, unique and "he's got swagger."

ADAM'S AMERICAN IDOL PERFORMANCES:

• Whole Lotta Love
• Slow Ride (a duet with Allison Iraheta)
• Feeling Good
• If I Can't Have You
• Born to be Wild
• Mad World
• Play That Funky Music
• The Tracks of My Tears
• Ring of Fire
• Black or White
• I Can't Get No Satisfaction

[Click here for my "Adam Lambert Homecoming" photoset on Flickr.]

Cinderella

Stephen took Emily to see Cinderella on stage at Patio Playhouse, a cute little community and youth theatre in Escondido. Stephen's boss' children were in the play, which made the occasion extra special. Before the play started, Emily told Stephen, "I've been to The Phantom of the Opera, and you have to be quiet." :-)

She sat through the entire 2-hour play and enjoyed the characters, costumes, singing and scenery. During intermission, the little girls got to go up to try on Cinderella's glass slipper. Upon returning to her seat, a few people asked Emily if the slipper fit, and she proudly replied, "Yes, it did."

Here is an article about the the girl who played Cinderella. She's a senior at Rancho Bernardo High School, and she won RB Idol, which is funny because Stephen said she sings very well and should try out for American Idol!
(The girl to the right is the one who played The Fairy Godmother; not Cinderella.)


And here are the rest of the Cinderella pictures. (There are only a few.)

Plowboys

I'd been wanting to post this for a while (two months now, sheesh!), but I never got around to it. I was pretty sad about it when it came about. Heck, I still am. We all loved Plowboys around here. It was such a cute, quaint, convenient, inexpensive place to get fresh produce.

What a bummer.


San Diego Union Tribune: Plowboys to go; Wal-Mart to grow
North County Times: Wal-Mart looking to expand its Poway store

October

October's my favorite month of the year. Good things always seem to happen this month. My dad was born in October, his very first grandchild was born on his 50th birthday; my brother was born; Stephen and I were married in October seven years ago; we had a wonderful Lawless family reunion in October three years ago; Stephen, Emily and I went on a much-anticipated trip to Boston and New York City in October last year; it's the beginning of fall (my favorite season); it marks the beginning of the holiday season (I love the build-up and anticipation of Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas); and of course, Halloween, one of my favorite days of the year, is in October.


Here's a list of things we plan to do (or have already done) this month:

-- Story Time at the library (this runs from September through May)
-- a short daytrip to Julian for some warm apple pie
-- flu shots and many doctor visits, including "The Big One" (where we find out the sex of BL #2!)
-- Gymnastics Class (which will continue through early December)
-- the Miramar Air Show (Emily LOVES planes, trains and automobiles, so we thought she'd enjoy this)
-- a trip to Boston (Stephen unfortunately has to stay home; just Em and I will go)
-- Discovery Time Toddlers Class (which will continue through November)
-- the Halloween Carnival at the library
-- Halloween! (but of course that's a given :-)


Ah... should be a fabulous (and exhausting) 31 days!

Way to Go, Titans!

The little brother of one of my best friends is a senior at Poway High and plays for the varsity team. They went to play at "The Q" (Qualcomm Stadium) last night (my friend's birthday!) to compete for the CIF Division I title.

We unfortunately lost to Carlsbad, but hey, we fought the good fight!

Congratulations to Andy, his best friend Donnie (the star quarterback), and the rest of the Titans!

Record Scores

One reason (of many) why we're so glad we live in Poway.

SD Eats

For some reason, I feel compelled to list (at least some of) my favorite San Diego restaurants. (I say "some" because I know I can't recall all of them at once.) Here goes:

* Submarina -- THE best submarine sandwiches around! The original is here in Poway.
* Round Table -- Not exclusive to San Diego, but still one of my favorite pizza joints.
* Filippi's Pizza Grotto -- Completely different kind of pizza than Round Table, but yummy nonetheless.
* Souplantation (known as Sweet Tomatoes in the Bay Area) -- I believe they have locations across the country. Good thing, because their soup & salad buffet is one-of-a-kind! Everything's very fresh and tasty. I love their clam chowder.
* The Cheesecake Factory -- Again, not exclusive to SD, but one of my all-time faves. EVERYTHING there is excellent, from the appetizers (especially the potstickers -- the sauce they're in is to-die-for) to the main dishes to the desserts (especially the -- you guessed it -- cheesecake!).
* A Delight of France Bakery & Bistro -- We went here with Stephen's boss and some co-workers. Located in Escondido, it is out of this world!
* Rockin' Baja Lobster -- A fun atmosphere with yummy Mexican-style seafood.
* Katsu Seafood & Steak House -- Stephen & I never get tired of this place. Located in San Marcos' Old California Restaurant Row, it's probably the best Japanese around!