By Lady Antebellum.
I am probably the millionth person that has noted they love this song, which is not entirely bad I suppose. I often like my own stuff and move away from “the in” songs. But I LOVE this song. So watch the video. Do it!
NOTE: Youtube turned off embedded video for this, so just double click below and you will go to YouTube to see it.
By not doing anything? Alas, my title – grammatically correct or not – is a bit misleading. I realize that. But it got your attention, now, didn’t it?
But let me be clear – I HAVE lost over twelve pounds. I haven’t taken any diet pills, I haven’t starved myself, and I haven’t even really exercised. Admittedly, I need to step it up because I really have maxed things out, and I have quite a few more pounds I’d like to lose. But I would also like to encourage some of my readers about the little things that can make a great start to changing your life!
So, here is what changed in my life:
So, anyway, it’s worked for me. If you have other suggestion, let me know! I am going to start exercising this month, so I will keep you posted.
Gina OUT!
Shout out to my childhood friend Jon, who LOVES the Beatles. Hope you don’t cringe too much! 🙂
Aaron Kelly (o1) – Long and Winding Road – Aaron, your eyebrows don’t bother me as much this week. Good sign? I think you did a good job, I enjoyed this song more than your previous ones. Some high moments, I suppose. But it wasn’t GREAT. You had a few weak moments.
Katie Stevens (02) – Let it Be – a favorite song for many. Big shoes to fill. I think your “modernization” steps were weak, out of tune, and messed up the song. But who am I to judge? You sounded good in a lot of places girl. Remember, I am a fan. But I am yawning a little.
Andrew Garcia (03) – Can’t Buy me Love – that’s what I am talking about! You took a classic, well liked song that can live on its own merits, and made it your own. Made it contemporary without bastardizing it. I LOVED the change in time signature, too! The musician in me LOVED it and the person who would buy a CD is pulling out their wallet! The judges need to be kicked.
Michael Lynche (04) – Elinore Rigby – you have a great voice, man. I really like it. I actually liked your rendition and you’re right – the strings rocked. You’re a good stage performer, too. High five to you this week.
Crystal Bowersox (05) – Come Together – I love her voice! So natural, so talented, so AWESOME! Do we really need to keep voting because we have our winner! I will admit this is nothing new, there were no style changes or anything, just her fantastic voice and natural talent. I love her.
Tim Urban (06) – All My Loving – okay, is it wrong for me that I am hoping he goes home this week? His hair almost looked styled tonight! And I have to say, I liked how he started the song. I think I just tapped my foot a little. I actually am thinking I might even LIKE him after this song. A hint of Plain White T’s. I like them. Sorry Tim, I don’t want you to go home this week, afterall.
Casey James (07) – Jealous Guy – great guitar playing. Nice curley hair. Rings on your right hand? Didn’t like them too much. And your singing was……okay. I am not trembling with excitement like I did last week. But your voice was good. Bluesy. Raspy. But you didn’t connect with me man. Okay.
Siobhan Magnus (08) – Across the Universe – Deana likes her, she’s got that “different” vibe about her. Punk-ish. Rebel. But me? I don’t get Siobhan. I don’t especially like her singing either. Her screams are not “amazing” to me. And this song did nothing to change my mind. Oh no! Deana just said, “she picked a bad song”. You’re toast, Siobhan.
Lee DeWyze (09) – Hey Jude – wow, dangerous to pick such a well-known song. Deana, before he even started, said “I’m gonna like it.” I have to say, his voice is well suited for the song. That rasby throat thingy! His ownership of the song and subtle changes were very nice. The Scottish dude was a nice touch, reminds me of my recent trip to Scotland! And he showed personality during the song – nice. He kind of reminded me of Paul a little. He just moved up a notch or two for me.
Best of the night – Crystal, Lee, and Andrew
Might be going home – Katie or Siobhan (I vote for the latter)
Having lived in California 98.2% of my life, there were things I obviously took for granted. In N Out. Yogurtland. Mexican food. 60 degree weather in the darkness of winter. The ability to purchase hard alcohol in the grocery store, even on Sundays. The Pacific Ocean, usually within an hour drive. Mountains, not only to greet me with their majestic peaks (with or without that beautiful snow), but also to help me remember which way north was.
So it’s a bit of a cultural shock to be reminded, day after day, that these things are not part of my daily life. Well, I don’t drink hard liquor everyday of course, but it IS weird to hear Deana say “well, I was going to make you Bloody Marys this weekend, but didn’t want to drive all the way to Plano to get the vodka.” And almost 50% of the mornings are filled with sharp, ripping winds that – at least internally – make me think a tornado is just around the corner. I cannot just get in my car to drive the coast, nor swing by Disneyland to see the fireworks, nor even make my taco salad with the green sauce I’ve been using most of my life. Some days, I just can’t get my wits about me…..I am off kilter a bit!
But there ARE nice things about Texas, there really is! I can buy a handgun pretty darn easily, and even carry it around. I can ride a motorcycle without a helmet. (Don’t worry, my California friends, I would never do that!). I can drive my car and talk on my phone and don’t need to hide it if I see a cop (of course, not in a school zone!). I can eat Tex-Mex food to my heart’s content. I can say “boy, I’d love some tri-tip today!” and see the baffled faces of the Texas around me, who have no idea what that is. (Seriously!) I can use phrases like, “he’s really buff” and also see confusion abound. And hey, gas prices here are still pretty darn low!
But I have to admit, as if you haven’t realized already, I am missing California. I am missing all the little and big things that have been home to me my entire life. I am missing the friends and family that have gladly partaken and partied with me and my kids for a long time. I am missing seeing joggers and bicyclists everywhere. I am missing you, Golden State, and all that you offer – the good, the bad, and the ugly. But I am NOT missing Du-par’s! 🙂
Gina OUT!
After reading this blog, I feel sorry for my friends that need to find a new job. However, having dealt with threats from the landlord for MONTHS because we were always late paying the rent, I am not surprised this happened. Biff, what are you doing opening a new location in Vegas????? Have you even formed the corporation that signed the lease????? Wow, how do companies not notice that the corporation on the lease doesn’t exist, and therefore the lease is not valid? Ah, but there I go on a tangent!
GLAD I don’t have to deal with this anymore!
Enough????
So yeah, curse you Central Time again! Missed the first performer! At least it was not one of my top picks!
Siobhan Magnus (01) – missed this, but the tale end of her walking into the back room didn’t seem very, how shall I say, encouraging. Hope she’s not stressing.
Casey James (02) – wow, do I need to change my favorite???? HE FREAKING ROCKED. This is the first time I REALLY liked him. He sounded great and the guitar ripped. Hmmmm, Ellen? No blonde comment tonight? I totally agreed with Simon, this was his BEST performance so far! And he didn’t seem nervous and seemed quite comfortable performing.
Michael Lynche (03) – while I need to admit this didn’t have the PIZZAZZ as Casey’s performance, it was very, very good. I think he did an excellent job, his voice was right on. His guitar playing was even good. But…..I…..was……bored…….sorry.
Didi Benami (04) – Some very nice notes for sure. She had way more depth of her voice than I’ve heard before. But there were a few notes that were….uh……off. I would say I will not be voting for her, but I didn’t hate it or anything.
Tim Urban (05) – I have to confess again……his hair bugs me. He signs way better than I do. Some things even sounded…..nice…….a little. It wasn’t painful or anything. I think he could make a girl very happy. I am not that girl, though.
Andrew Garcia (06) – Me gusta Andrew. I have always like him. He has had a rough time, really since his audition, where he wowed everyone. He sound good tonight – it felt a little high for him – but he was not off or anything. His voice was even pleasant. But I didn’t get all excited and whoop and holler and such. I think he will make it, but I am not totally convinced he should get the overall win. I’m still a fan though!
Katie Stevens (07) – again, she was my fav during audition week – her story and her grandma gets me. The last few performances I’ve chilled a little – she hasn’t risen to the level I expected I suppose. But I think she was brave to take on a tough song like this! Aretha? Wow! The neck movements helped a lot! And her voice! Wowzers! I think this teenager just went up a few steps in my opinion of her, and I suspect the nation will agree. Except for the judges, of course…..what do they know? Except for that brunette that I can never remember her name……Cara?
Lee DeWyze (08) – he is not my fav. Never really was. I say that (along with the others) because I need to be real here so you know my perception of them influences my review of them. It goes both way, I know. But he hasn’t sung a word yet and I think I won’t like it. There, being real again. Although he HAS wowed me before (see earlier posts). His raspy voice I dig this week. I should add that I believe Deana REALLY likes him. Hmmmmm. Dilemma. I liked him tonight too, he sounded great and his guitar helped, too. I am a sucker for guitars. But he is not at the top yet. Dilemma indeed. (Deana really liked it, for those keeping track. Gulp) Great, the judges thought so too. Could D be right?!?!!?!
Crystal Bowersox (09) – okay, she is my #1 pick for this season, at least so far. Did I see with my own eyes that she was not playing the piano???? Well, okay, lame…..but the singing? Wowzer x 100! I would buy her freaking album people! She seemed a bit akward without her guitar, but that voice of hers……holy moly! Vote for her people! She IS in it to win it! Woohoo!
Aaron Kelly (12) – no comments about the eyebrows…..doh! Epic fail. Let me say here that Usher – who I don’t really listen to – did an excellent job helping the singers. And my Mom (Rivera) LOVES him and thinks he’s sexy! LOL Aaron, the hair man…..wow. But I can’t diss your voice – you sounded great. But I think you tried too hard, because you started strong but somewhere you lost it. Good, but not great.
My top pics for the night – Crystal, Casey, Lee.
My pic for adios – Didi or Tim. Based more on the judges than anything else really. Except maybe their singing.
I understand lots of people are worked up about the recent passing of the Health Care Bill. I understand that this bill is not the best, and I also know there are strong opinions regarding it on both sides. One of the things about this country I LOVE is that we can EXPRESS our differing of opinions – it really only matters when we don’t agree, don’t you think?
Having said that, I have a friend who has been on a rant since the bill passed saying that, for the first time in 200 years, our freedom has been taken away from us. He bases this on the fact that, for the first time in USA History, we are being forced to do something – in this case, purchase health care or face fines. While I can’t contest the fact that he is unhappy about this new rule, I can understand his opinion regarding if it’s right or wrong for our government to set it. But his point about freedom got me thinking.
So, for the first time in our history, our freedom to choose – per his assertion – has been taken……
……I wonder how a woman that lived from 1776 to 1920 would feel about that statement, given that she was not allowed to vote at all and even in many cases not allowed to own land, divorce her husband, etc. based on the fact that she was not a man.
……I wonder how black slaves from 1775 to 1864 (corrected) felt about the freedoms available in the USA, and the blacks from 1814 to 1964 who were also not allowed to vote, forced to eat in different places, go to different schools, drink from different fountains all because of their race.
……I wonder how many couples exist like my Aunt and Uncle, who were forced to go to a different state to marry because they were a mixed race couple and marriage was forbidden to them in their home state.
……I wonder how our freedom felt to the Japanese who were grouped into concentration-type camps during WWII just because of their race – some of which had even been BORN in the USA.
……I wonder if he thought about the millions of couples who have been told they cannot marry nor experience their love openly and legally at the state and federal level merely based on the fact that they love someone of the same sex. (Or, even in this day and age, lose their jobs – even those serving in our military branches for years and years – if the fact that they’re gay is found out!)
……Even today, I am not allowed to purchase alcohol on Sunday nor do I have a decision about whether I want my children immunized or not if they are to attend public school. Freedom indeed.
So, yes be upset about this bill if you choose. Throw up your hands and make signs indicated your disdain. Call your government representative and raise hell. That is your right. But please, if you’re going to make broad statements about “losing freedom for the first time in history”, then maybe you should check yourself.
Gina OUT.
I have lived over 42 years, and yet I haven’t learned the lesson that being honest, open, and direct get me nowhere. I will hear statements like “you don’t appreciate me” when I call out someone’s bad behavior. If I DARE to share that my feelings have been hurt, I am told I am too sensitive. Yet, when other react the same way to something I’ve done, I am insensitive. So, I am sharing with you as I remind myself – hang onto apathy. There is much less drama involved.
So, since moving to our own place, I’ve gone from using all these tricky streets to get to work to instead taking a freeway. For some reason, the freeways out here had previously freaked me out. Well, I actually do know some of the reasons. First of all, many are “toll roads”, and I don’t mean like in Cali where you are warned well in advance. Here, there is no real warning and many don’t even have places where “out of towners” can pay with cash. So, if you don’t have the fob thingy, you’re busted. To add to that, there is drama going on where one agency is charging HUGE, EXCESSIVE fees for “lost bills” – so thousands never get their ticket for let’s say $70, so next they get a revised ticket for $1,200 for “not paying” in the first place! Didn’t get that one either? Now your fee is $2,500…….So that freaked me out.
But even the FREEways freaked me out at first. It’s kind of weird here in Texas – there are no “real” on ramps…..but you have to drive on the frontage road – which is basically a road parallel to the freeway – and then jump on whenever there is an opening. To add a little stress, usually where there is a “jump on” point, there was previously a “jump off” point and THOSE cars get the right of way. Stressful to those who think the whole thing is sort of crazy. I won’t even talk about getting to a business that is located on the frontage road…..which side? So I have to loop back? Aaaaggghhhhh.
But, having gotten past the change with entering and exiting the freeways, that brings up the crazy merging of the freeways. They get confusing, too. For example, there’s the 35 out here. Although, I am told only California’s say “THE 35”. Texans say “35”. Anyway, the 35 runs north and south, although it splits into TWO freeways, running through Dallas and also through Fort Worth. So you might need to take the 35N-West………or the 35N-East……..and it’s crazy. OR, you’re on the George Bush (“George Bush”) and you THINK you’re going to head North, but the sign to get on the freeway (well, in this case, toll way) says “West”. What?!?!!?!
But it’s not ALL bad! At interchanges, you often see the highway numbers painted in the lanes so you can be sure if you’re gonna make it to the freeway you want. Pretty paintings, too – just like the highway signs. You don’t see that in Cali.
So, to bring this post full circle, I now drive the 75 to work……um, I should have said “I drive 75 to work”. It’s 8 miles of craziness. The speek limit is 60 mph, weird, but some yahoo Texans ride my ass while I am going 75 like I am an old lady heading to church. Then there ARE the “old ladies”, driving around 40 mph, who slam on their brakes if there is even a HINT of brake lights ahead (no matter if they are half a mile away!). But the most shocking thing are the big rig trucks – they can drive IN ANY LANE! I OFTEN see them in the fast lane, tooling along with not a care in the world! THAT is going to take some getting used to!
Alas, I AM getting used to the freeway – at least the 75 – and don’t really mind the commute at all. I feel like I’ve grown up a little, now……I drive on the freeway!
Gina OUT!
Just Rambling 