onemattDOTcom

In keeping with the updateing trend that’s happening on onemattDOTcom, let’s catch you up on the last few weeks.

Things are going great at the new job.  I’m really enjoying what I’m doing, and I think it has real potential.  Christy and I just got back from the beach with my folks and brother, which was big fun…outside of my experience at The Track in Gulf Shores where some punk kid rammed me from behind in my go-cart and caused my leg to slam into my steering wheel, causing a huge bruise to form on the inside of my leg.  But the rest of the trip was great.

Christy and I are leaving for Atlanta tomorrow afternoon.  We’ve got a George Michael concert we’re going to tomorrow night at Phillips Arena, then we’re going to see my beaten down Braves play on Friday night against Milwaukee.  Then we’re driving back Saturday morning in time for Christy to prepare things for my 80’s themed birthday party that night!

Gifts aren’t expected, but if you’d like to make a donation to the PayPal as a way to say thanks for all I’ve done to keep you hip this year, you can do so by donating to mattplanet@gmail.com.  I’ll personally thank you in a column next week if you donate!  What could be sweeter?!?

Anyway, that’s about it.  Thanks for checking out onemattDOTcom.  American Idol auditions are happening right now in preparation for the new season…I can’t wait!

So in the course of human events, if you have to choose between Top Chef and the American Idol season finale…choose Idol.  Here’s why.

Last night, we had three shows taping on the DVR…one was the American Idol season finale (2 hours long from 7pm-9pm), the Boston Legal season finale (one hour long, 9pm-10pm) and the new episode of Top Chef (one hour long, also from 9pm-10pm).  Because of certain circumstances, we didn’t start watching Idol until around 7:35pm.  We figured we should be able to catch up with it before the show is actually over.

We didn’t.

We were still on DVR playback when Ryan had the envelope in his hand, saying the words “And the American Idol for 2008 is…” and I kid you not…the show stops!  It’s around 9:02pm at this time, so I know we’re only a few minutes behind live TV, but here’s the catch…we had two shows recording and couldn’t watch live TV without canceling one of the shows being recorded.  We were so stunned…well, we thought about stopping Top Chef, but we weren’t sure if they’d be re-airing that episode anytime soon…and we knew we couldn’t watch Boston Legal online (we tried about a month ago and for some reason, that show’s the only one ABC has that isn’t online right now).

So we were stymied…we just couldn’t believe it.  So we wait about 10 minutes and get online and what do you know, right there front and center on MSNBC.com is an article about who the winner is and we click that to find out that David Cook has pulled the upset (and by a WIDE margin) and won American Idol 2008!!

First off, some thoughts on the show…I thought most of the musical acts were outstanding.  It was good to see the duets featuring the Idol contestants playing with those music legends (I particularly enjoyed Graham Nash playing with Brooke White and George Michael with the Top 12).  I thought that all the contestants were in fine voice as well.  Could Amanda Overmyer look anymore disinterested?!?  How is she going to be on that tour this summer??

So onto the results…obviously I’m surprised.  The general consensus was that David Archuleta had the teeny-bopper vote, and that was enough to get him through as Champion.  Most media outlets were giving the title to Archuleta hands down…even Simon was giving it to him.  I guess it goes to show you that with four hours to vote and only two candidates to choose from, it really was anybody’s game.  I’m not entirely sure that David Cook was happy that he won or relieved that this thing was over…probably a little bit of both.

You know what will be interesting…where David Archuleta’s career goes from here.  Here’s why…other than a remarkably humble personality and a great voice, what all have we learned about David Archuleta this year?  Is he really a person and a performer that can be sold to audiences at this point?  I’m not entirely sure.  In the context of American Idol, he’s a great story, but beyond that…I’m just not sure.

To the winner go the spoils, and the $1 million contract.  Will Clive Davis and his record label force David Cook to go against his rocker roots and do a pop album?  I doubt it.  Beyond all other things, they are still about selling records and making money, and David Cook’s money shot is rock and roll music.  So expect his debut to be much like that of Daughtry’s debut, and probably just as successful.

So another season of Idol is at an end.  I have to say I was pretty impressed with how the last two shows turned out.  So what did YOU think, America?!?!?!

As soon as I saw the microphone descending from the rafters, I said out loud “Please don’t let Michael Buffer be at the end of that mic…” and apparently today is not my day for wish-granting. I have to admit though, instead of the pomp and circumstance of previous shows where all they wanted to do was try and build up the finale to some unreachable height, I thought the intro and the whole mood tonight was one of self-realization and I’m actually very proud of the Idol crew and stars tonight. I’m proud to say I’m a fan.

They’ve been taking “a lot of stick” as Simon put it, but they showed they don’t take themselves too seriously tonight, and put on one helluva finale. While it’s true that many of the aspects of the show have changed from it’s roots, the show still remains at heart a talent competition, and as Simon said, we have the two best singers on stage tonight, which proves (much like the BCS in college football) the system works.

So enough babbling right…? It’s time for the review. As most of you already know, the singers had to perform three songs tonight. One song was chosen by Clive Davis, the Godfather of American Idol and famous record producer. One song was chosen by the contestants from the top 10 in the songwriter’s competition, and the final song was chosen by the contestants again, but this time it could be anything at all, either sung or unsung up to this point (more on that in a bit).

So without further delay…let’s get to it!!

David Cook
So Mr. Cook leads off the night, meaning he’s got slots 1, 3 and 5. I guess they did a coin flip or something to determine who went first…if not, they definitely should. David’s first choice was perfect for him…”I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” was a great choice by Mr. Clive Davis and I thought David’s performance was great. You could really tell throughout the night that Mr. Cook was really enjoying his time in the spotlight. I’ve never had the honor to sing in front of that many people before so I don’t know what it’s like, but I can imagine. His second song wasn’t as strong but that wasn’t because of his performance. The song was just weak, and I think maybe it’s time to do away with the American Idol Songwriter competition. It doesn’t really add anything to it for me. Last, David chose to do a song he’d never done in the competition to this point by singing “The World I Know” by Collective Soul. Collective Soul is one of those underrated bands as it relates to songwriting, and I thought this was a great choice for Mr. Cook despite what Simon had to say. Sure, most contestants have traditionally chosen a song they did well in the previous weeks to perform here as a way of saying “See? Remember when I did this one so good??” but for me, I had to give David Cook some props for sticking to his artistic integrity and doing something new. For him, it just wouldn’t have do to sing a song he’d already sung.
“I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” - 9.0 out of 10.0 Matties
“Dream Big” - 9.0 out of 10.0 Matties
“The World I Know” - 9.5 out of 10.0 Matties
Total Rating - 27.5 out of 30.0 Matties

David Archuleta
For all the talk about how American Idol is a competition to find the best singer, we all know it’s also a very big popularity contest. Simon himself said it earlier in the year, so it has to be true. David Archuleta has been at the top of many people’s list since very early in the competition, and his fanbase has never been stronger. His first choice was great for him (and personally one of my favorite Elton John songs)…”Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” was outstanding, and I loved the key in which he sang it. To me, it allowed him to showcase the strength in his lower range, and really showcase his big voice. His second song, a lot like David Cook’s, was mediocre, but not because of the singer but because of the songwriter. He did what he could with it, and Simon was right (although not by much) that David A. picked the better of the two songs, although to me that’s like trying to decide between broccoli and collard greens. On David’s third song, he decided to recapture some of that Beatles magic with singing “Imagine” again. To me, it wasn’t as good as his first time, but maybe I’m a bit jaded. The artist in me wanted to see him do a new song, to showcase his versatility. Maybe he’s just too young and inexperienced to learn three songs in a week. I don’t know. He did it well though, as he almost always does.
“Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” - 9.5 out of 10.0 Matties
“In This Moment” - 9.0 out of 10.0 Matties
“Imagine” - 9.5 out of 10.0 Matties
Total Rating - 28.0 out of 30.0 Matties

I know pretty much everyone reading this can tell who I think will win American Idol…David Archuleta has had one helluva run, and so has David Cook. But to me, tonight, David Archuleta was just slightly better. I think the real difference was how they did on their first songs…right out of the gate, David Archuleta was on point vocally and he really showcased his range and vocal power.

This is a popularity contest though, and anything can happen. The blogs are already buzzing about this, and with the four hour voting window (voting still going on as I write this btw), the vote could go either way. But I expect that at the end of tomorrow night’s finale, we are going to see the balloons and confetti and spotlights fall on David Archuleta as your 2007 American Idol winner.

It’s been my honor and privilege to bring you these American Idol reviews this year…and I hope you’ve enjoyed them. I’ll be back for one more review after tomorrow night’s finale, and then it’ll be onto more reviews! I hope you’ll stick around as I get into the summer shows of The Bachelorette and So You Think You Can Dance.

Oh…I almost forgot…as if I have even have to ask this…but what do YOU think, America?!?!?!?

Well, well, well…where to begin?  I could spend a couple of paragraphs talking about the train wreck that was Fantasia.  My God, I think the judges were even aghast.  Was it me or was she basically running around the stage and studio yelling “Go!  Go!  Go!” over and over while her back-up singers/dancers were doing the actual song?  I could be really ugly right now and compare her to half the black girls I worked with at Cingular, but I won’t do that…

And then there were the hometown visit montages…handled well I thought, and of course, the right amount of emotion from Syesha and David Cook…and over the top emotion from David Archuleta.  I mean, if he does win it, he’ll be worse than Jordin was last year.

Speaking of who might win it, of course Syesha was the one sent packing last night.  I think she exhibited a large amount of grace as she was told the news last night.  Some people might call it relief, and hey, maybe some of it is, but instead of the dozens of bloggers wishing her ill will, I’m going to lean towards the positive and congratulate her on a great season of Idol and wish her well.  I honestly think she has a bright future on Broadway.  I think she shouldn’t even venture into trying to make an album (although I’m sure she will).  Her passion clearly lies with acting, and it showed during her performances of show-tunes this year.

And one last thing I’ll say on Idol this year…some might think that having people like Andrew Lloyd Webber on is pointless because he’s not relevant to 21st century pop music…I call hogwash on that.  Look, Idol is trying to expand it’s variety of music that’s displayed, and I applaud them for that.  The ratings are lower than previous years because it might be the contestants aren’t the most engaging personalities ever, but I don’t think that’s the fault of anyone but the American public who keeps them on each and every week.  They send home originals like Michael Johns and Carly Smithson because they are too original.  You got what you wanted, America…a David vs. David final.  I can’t say it’s not what I wanted either though…

Here’s the thing about this final next week…it’s quite possibly the most anti-climatic finale ever.  We ALL know that David Cook and David Archuleta are both getting record deals.  We ALL know that both these guys are going to be featured on the American Idol tour this summer.  What happens next week will have no bearing on those two facts.  Their careers are off to super-stardom right now, no matter what.  And I guess that’s part of the problem.  American Idol wants you to believe their show makes or breaks your dreams, but at this point, what happens in the Finale next week isn’t the point.  We all know it.

But we’ll all tune in won’t we?

I didn’t know what else to call this post…so forgive the lack of a cool title. I was going to call it the “American Idol - Just How Much Can We Fit Into One Hour” or “American Idol - It’s The Week Where The Contestants Go Home But You Won’t Be Able To Tell Because We Only Show You About 10 Seconds Of Footage” but those are just much too long…and too obvious.

In all honesty, I would’ve liked to have seen more footage of the contestants at home and less songs. Let them sing 2 songs each, with the songs perhaps being a bit longer than 90 seconds, and give us more of the footage of their hometown visits. Now I know that tonight’s results show will probably be full of the hometown visit stuff, but still…

Onto the review!

David Archuleta
I think this week was an interesting one for David A. He showed a bit of his pop side with singing “With You” and his somewhat awkward dancing as well. I thought his first song, “And So It Goes” was perhaps the best song choice of the night, be it the judges, contestants, or producers. Speaking of the producers…what the heck were they thinking? Could it have been more of a gap between songs with “Longer” by Dan Fogelberg and the other songs? I think the producers need some of the same meds Paula was on tonight…which, btw, allowed her to be the surprising “voice of reason” a bit tonight. Overall, I think David acquitted himself pretty well tonight…again, he’s got the support of the teeny-boppers, and well, they can carry you.
“And So It Goes” - 9.0 out of 10.0 Matties
“With You” - 8.0 out of 10.0 Matties
“Longer” - 8.5 out of 10.0 Matties
Total Rating - 25.5 out 30.0 Matties

Syesha Mercado
Let’s face facts…Syesha is a very beautiful girl. She has a million dollar smile, and she does seem genuinely happy on stage. That being said…Alicia Keys she is not. I’m in direct opposition to the judges on one thing with regards to Syesha…I think it was a smart thing to sing “Fever” for her second choice. Look, I truly do believe that Syesha could be a fantastic Broadway performer. It’s a natural fit for her charisma. She’s an actress as well, so she could pull that side of it off as well. Right before she sang her second song, I said “If she’s smart, she won’t try and be too much like a diva with this second one and maybe do something show-tune like.” And I’ll be dang if she did…and I liked it. The third song was a bit of a mish-mash, but she did okay with it as well.
“If I Ain’t Got You” - 8.0 out of 10.0 Matties
“Fever” - 8.5 out of 10.0 Matties
“Hit Me Up” - 8.0 out of 10.0 Matties
Total Rating - 24.5 out of 30.0 Matties

David Cook
Of all three contestants left in this year’s competition, I think David sings with the most authenticity and emotion. No one can dispute that I think. He is really one of the truest performers in this competition. For all the talent that David A. has, he still lacks some stage presence. I think David did well all night long, and even though the arrangement of “Dare You To Move” was a bit odd, I think he did well enough. His song choice by the producers, a great song, was sort of screwed up by the arrangement. Christy said it well when she said it was like they couldn’t decide if he should do the John Michael Montgomery version or the Aerosmith version, so they sort of mixed them both and it didn’t come out that well. Let’s face it folks, I’m a big David Cook fan…and I think he did win the night.
“First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” - 9.5 out of 10.0 Matties
“Dare You To Move” - 8.5 out of 10.0 Matties
“I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing” - 9.0 out of 10.0 Matties
Total Rating - 27.0 out of 30.0 Matties

So there’s the review…are you happy, Jill?? Oh wait…I’ve still got the rankings…well according to the scores above, you can sort of tell how it shakes out…but here goes anyway…

3 - Syesha Mercado (Broadway’s calling honey…just answer it and move on)
2 - David Archuleta (It should be one helluva final…the kid versus…)
1 - David Cook (…the seasoned bartender performer…the Two Davids!)

So look for the reaction post tonight, and then later this week, I’ll post which songs I wish the finalists would sing…you don’t want to miss that!

So America…what did YOU think of last night’s show?? Who are your finalists?!?!

America got it right.

Take care, Jason.

That is all.

I should tell you that I accidentally wrote in Brooke White’s name on my scoresheet tonight…I’m not sure what that is besides odd. Anyway…! It’s time for Idol, folks!! Our favorite night of the week, and we’re down to our Final Four! This week, the Idol contestants got to open up the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame songbook (is there actually a songbook?!) and pick two songs each to sing tonight. I was a bit surprised that the judges didn’t pick one of the songs for the contestants.

Onto the review!

David Cook - “Hungry Like The Wolf” & “Baba O’Riley”
I looked this up on Wikipedia to be sure…because I had always thought that 2nd song David sang was called “Teenage Wasteland”…but alas, I was wrong. I think David did okay tonight…I wasn’t blown away by anything he did. I’m not sure, but I think I’m with Randy on this one…he just didn’t seem all there tonight, like maybe his mind was in other places or on other people. I think David did pretty well though, and when you think about the horror that was Jason Castro tonight (more on that shortly), I think David is well safe tonight and into the Top 3.
“Hungry Like The Wolf” - 8.0 out of 10.0 Matties
“Baba O’Riley” - 8.5 out of 10 Matties
Total Rating - 16.5 out of 20.0 Matties

Syesha Mercado - “Proud Mary” & “A Change Is Gonna Come”
I think Syesha has begun to come out of her own shell here these last few weeks, finding a nice groove on stage during her performances. I liked the first song, a bit better than David Cook’s first one…not much though. Syesha’s second song was also well played…but unfortunately, I have to agree with Randy in that it wasn’t as good as the first. Look, we all know that Simon had no choice there but to agree with Paula. He wasn’t about to throw a crying girl under the bus. She was bawling…and he’s not that mean. But all in all, I think Syesha did pretty well tonight.
“Proud Mary” - 8.0 out of 10.0 Matties
“A Change Is Gonna Come” - 7.0 out of 10.0 Matties
Total Rating - 15.0 out of 20.0 Matties

Jason Castro - “I Shot The Sheriff” & “The Tambourine Man”
*sigh* What’s sad here is I like Jason…I think he’s a nice guy. He’s a poor man’s Jack Johnson, but that (to me) isn’t a bad thing. I own all of Jack Johnson’s albums. Would I buy Jason Castro’s album? Probably not. Would I listen to it if it was given to me? Maybe. Do I think that Jason is singing that Dylan tune to end tomorrow night’s results show? Abso-f*cking-lutely. Does posing a question and answering it myself annoy you? Probably. Jason was bad tonight…there’s just no other way around it. He was uninteresting and boring and on the first song, actually bad. Good night, Mr. Castro.
“I Shot The Sheriff” - 6.5 out of 10.0 Matties
“The Tambourine Man” - 6.5 out of 10.0 Matties
Total Rating - 13.0 out of 20.0 Matties

David Archuleta - “Stand By Me” & “Love Me Tender”
Time for the pro of pros to sing here, and David A. really did a great job picking the tunes to sing tonight.  Look, he and David C. have the closest idea of what types of artists they are, they clearly deserve to be our finalists this year.  David A.’s performances tonight were really great.  I liked the first song better than the second, but all in all, David was great.  He’s so composed, so mature for a 17 year old (is he still 17?  I thought maybe he’d had a birthday this year this season’s been so long)…big night for him, and way to close out the show.
“Stand By Me” - 9.5 out of 10.0 Matties
“Love Me Tender” - 8.5 out of 10.0 Matties
Total Rating - 18.0 out of 20.0 Matties

So as you can see from the combined scores, here’s how I have the Final Four ranked…

4 - Jason Castro (Bye-bye-bye)
3 - Syesha Mercado (It would be a sad thing if the teeny-boppers and the VoteForTheWorst crowd kept Jason in…I think it would cost Syesha her spot)
2 - David Cook (Not on his game, but enough on it to stay alive…I hope he’s not tiring on us)
1 - David Archuleta (Right on point as always…and this is not a time to try and reinvent yourself…good job tonight)

So there we have it folks…and now…without further delay…what do YOU think, America?!?

So instead of doing two separate posts regarding this week’s show and results, I’m going to combine the two into one long post.  And I think you’ll see that my rankings and ratings aren’t based on anything that’s happened in the results show..well, not entirely anyway.

So this week was Neil Diamond Week on Idol, and with the contestants having to perform twice (that’s 10 songs total), Ryan was off and running right out of the gate with the fast pace.  I was somewhat of a fan of the judging happening after the 2nd song, although obviously what Paula had to say throughout the show was a bit disturbing and confusing.  I see what you all mean.  And apparently we weren’t the only ones that noticed.  Ryan stopped 5 minutes into the show to back-up his co-star and Paula seemed genuinely touched.  I usually don’t have a problem with Paula even in her whacked out state of mind…but you have to wonder who was doing her notes for last night’s performance show…Gallagher?!?

So onto the review of the performance show already!

Jason Castro - “Forever in Blue Jeans” & “September Morn”
Wow, where to begin with Jason this week…I think the one word that best describes him this week is disconnected.  He just felt disconnected all night long with his choice of song and his approach to the performances themselves.  Another word I would use is disinterested.  I can’t believe we had to listen to him do two songs while Carly Smithson was (as was pointed out in the opening segment) watching from home.  C’mon…talent or no, Carly would’ve owned this night much more than Jason did.
Song One Rating - 7.5 out of 10 Matties
Song Two Rating - 7.0 out of 10 Matties
Total Rating - 14.5 out of 20 Matties

David Cook - “I’m Alive” & “All I Really Need Is You”
David’s got it in cruise control at this point.  It would take a catastrophe of epic proportions to have this guy not make the Final show.  He’s talented, he’s humble, and each and every week he brings something to his songs that the other contestants don’t…pure, unadulterated originality.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m also a fan of Archuleta, but this guy is a self-made talent.  He might be a step below Archuleta vocally, but he more than makes up for that in stage presence and charisma.
Song One Rating - 8.5 out of 10 Matties
Song Two Rating - 9.5 out of 10 Matties
Total Rating - 18.0 out of 20 Matties

Brooke White - “I’m A Believer” & “I Am, I Said”
Brooke just seemed ultra-stiff tonight…like the exact polar opposite of her usual gyrating self.  Look, I’m not a fan of the wild on-stage performance usually, but you’ve got to move some.  That first performance was just (to use a Simon’ism) ghastly.  The second song was much more Brooke.  She was vulnerable, personable, and very at home in front of the piano.  That being said, she’s been in danger a few times in recent weeks, and well, tonight she could be in danger again.
Song One Rating - 7.0 out of 10 Matties
Song Two Rating - 8.5 out of 10 Matties
Total Rating - 15.5 out of 10 Matties

David Archuleta - “Sweet Caroline” & “America”
So I guess we probably knew that David A. was going to pick arguably the two most recognizable Neil Diamond songs tonight, right?  Look, you can call it a safe pick, you can call it cheesy, you can call it whatever you like…David Archuleta has an amazing vocal instrument and he knows how to work it.  He is never off pitch, he has great vocal timing with his runs, and he never, ever seems uncomfortable on stage (except when getting the comments from the judges…)  David is the total package.
Song One Rating - 9.5 out of 10 Matties
Song Two Rating - 9.5 out of 10 Matties
Total Rating - 19.0 out of 20 Matties

Syesha Mercado - “Hello Again” & “Thank The Lord For The Nighttime”
There are fans of this blog that are going to hate hearing me say this…but Snoha has grown on me these last few weeks.  I think it’s because she’s stopped trying to be the diva everyone expected her to be and she’s just being herself on-stage…a funky, kinda crazy Broadway stage performer with a great voice and great stage presence.  I think she has found her niche’.  I love the fact that she’s playing this side of her up…and even the non-fans of Syesha have to admit that in these last few weeks, she’s been pretty good.  Of the two girls left in the competition, she has more talent than Brooke, so I expect that she’s safe this week.
Song One Rating - 8.5 out of 10 Matties
Song Two Rating - 8.5 out of 10 Matties
Total Rating - 17.0 out of 10 Matties

So there we go…packed tightly into 10 songs were 10 ratings and here are the rankings!

5 - Jason Castro (Dreadlocks, it’s time to go)
4 - Brooke White (Can she hang on for one more week?)
3 - Syesha Mercado (No shame in being #3 this week…she did well again)
1a - David Cook (No #2 this week…these two guys are just too close)
1 - David Archuleta (It would be a crime of justice not to have these two guys locked in the finals)

Right on…so there you have it folks.  I’m not sure how close I am to the results (well technically I do now, but as of this part of the post I don’t)…so without further delay, let’s get to my post regarding the results show!

————————————————

So it was Neil Diamond week on Idol, and while I was hoping for better performances and a bit less hectic of a pace, I thought the performances were really good.  Interesting that Paula was mentioned in the first segment or two…interesting indeed.

The minute they brought Castro out, I had a feeling he was safe, and lo and behold, the first three contestants brought out were all safe….Castro, Cook and Archuleta.  That leaves the Bottom 2 this week as Syesha and Brooke.

I gotta say I’m not entirely surprised, although I had Castro rated below Syesha.  Brooke has flirted with elimination for a few weeks now, and while she’s managed to hang on…this week was not her week.  Thanks to the DVR cutting off, I didn’t manage to see the entire performance of her song, but the tribute was touching and it was nice to see the rest of the Top 4 surround her on stage for comfort.

Brooke will be missed…

And so now we’ve got the Top 4 as Syesha, David A., David C., and Jason Castro…and it’s Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame Week on Idol next week.  I guess each contestant will get two songs just like this week…so it’ll be interesting.  It might be that the judges pick one song and the contestants pick another…who knows??  All I know it that we’re getting down to the nitty-gritty, America!

So what are your thoughts on this week’s Idol?!?  Whose performance did you love?  Whose performance did you hate?!  Did Brooke deserve the axe?!

Let me know your thoughts!

About a week ago, me and my sister-in-law, Jill, went to CPK (California Pizza Kitchen) for lunch.  They are currently running a contest/promotion called “CPK says Thank You!” where you get these contest cards that can only be opened by the store manager the next time you come to CPK.  Last week, Jill and I each got one of these such cards.  There are various cash prizes involved, and things like free pizza, appetizers, 10% off your meal, etc.  It says “Every Card’s A Winner!” so hey, that’s something.

Well today, Jill texts me today that says we should go back to CPK and have the manager open our cards (and have lunch there)…so we go.  The manager comes over and opens my card first…and I’m not even kidding…I win $2500!!!!  How friggin’ cool is that?!?  I’ve never won anything in my life in these contests…so it’s very cool.  Jill’s card had 10% off her next meal there…sorry Jill.

So that was quite the nice surprise today!  Again, sorry for the delay in the Idol review…I hear it’s quite a doozy and as soon as Christy and I get home from the airport tonight, we’re gonna fire up the DVR and get at it.

Just a quick FYI here…Christy is out of town until tonight, so I’m going to postpone my performance review and reaction posts until tonight and tomorrow respectively.  We’re going to watch both tonight.

Thanks for reading!