Musings
an Online Journal of Sorts

By Alyce Wilson

First, some personal musings and then my usual American Idol breakdown.

I didn't expect to find a place for The Gryphon and I so soon, but yesterday afternoon, I looked at an adobe rowhouse about 10 blocks from where I currently live.

The landlord was friendly, a big Germanic guy in his late 30s with a slight European accent. He was born in Alsace-Lorraine, the part of France bordering Germany. This would explain his looks, his French first name and German surname.

This was his first rental property, and he'd been working on getting it ready since January. So when I asked him about the neighborhood, he told me my instincts were correct: middle class, multicultural and quiet.

As soon as I saw the downstairs, I had a good impression. It had a nice, spacious first floor, with a front section that could serve as a living room and a back area that could serve as a dining room. The kitchen was spacious with a new stove, although it will require some additional tables of some sort for extra counter space. It also needs a refrigerator, since the previous one was so bad he threw it out.

Upstairs, there are two large rooms, one of which will become our bedroom and one of which will become my office. There's plenty of closets. Not the biggest I've ever seen, but at least as big as my existing closets, which made them a lot bigger than the ones I'd seen in the "adorable" mill housethe previous day.

There's also a washer and dryer in the basement and a garage where I can park off street. We don't have to pay an extra security deposit for my dog, and the rent is exactly in our price range. In fact, it's on the lower end of what we were hoping to pay.

I would have said yes right away but needed The Gryphon's approval. We went by this morning to look at it together, and when he liked it as much as I did, we went ahead and wrote a deposit check right then.

Afterwards, at breakfast, instead of feeling giddy and excited like I expected, we were both sunk in thought, thinking of all the things we have to take care of now. I'm going to wait until the beginning of May to give notice to my landlord, for several reasons. First of all, it gives me more time to go through my things, hold a yard sale, and pack up the things I'm keeping. Secondly, it gives my friends more of a break between moves. We just helped some friends move last weekend, and I'd like them to be refreshed and recovered.

We both agreed, by the time we finished and I'd dropped The Gryphon off at the train station, that we were happy with the place we'd found and excited about the move. We'll get through it together.

American Idol, for me, has on weeks and off weeks. Last night was a little bit of an off week. The contestants were supposed to choose a song from the 90s, and they didn't always announce which song they were performing. This was a problem, because I didn't always recognize these songs, mostly because they came from the pop charts and not the rock/alternative charts I was listening to in the 90s.

I did, however, have no trouble recognizing the first song of the evening, "Remedy" by the Black Crowes, performed by Bo Bice. He had a lot of fun with it, the consummate performer. He even stood on the judges' table and placed his cowboy hat on Paula's head. Judge Randy Jackson said he'd love to see a rocker win and that Bo is on the right track for that. Nice judge Paula Abdul said that she adores Bo and that he did an awesome job. Tough judge Simon Cowell didn't like the song, and he said that when Bo does a song like that, it's like something you see at a wedding. Although I can't remember the last time I was at a wedding where somebody walked on the head table and placed a cowboy hat on the bride's head. Maybe I'm going to the wrong weddings!

Next was Jessica Sierra, who went back to her country roots (yawn) with "On the Side of Angels" by Le Ann Rimes. I really, really think she should just drop out of the show and audition for Country Idol. Randy said the song wasn't his favorite but that she sang it well. Paula said the song didn't showcase her vocals as well as the previous week. And Simon said that she didn't have the same likeability factor as some of the other contestants, and the problem with this song is that it's forgettable and makes her forgettable.

Number three on the countdown was Anwar Robinson, who did an R. Kelly song, "I Believe I Can Fly." Once more, he started a big rough and built up steam for a powerful ending. But personally, it struck me as a little strange that a music teacher would choose to do any song by R. Kelly, who's been accused of sexually abusing preteens. Still, I guess it was a big hit. Randy said he is an Anwar fan, but his lower register gets pitchy and he needs to make certain to make the whole song strong. Paula said that she has heard this song so often but has never heard such an incredible rendition of it. Simon said that Randy was right, that the first part of the song wasn't good enough.

Next up was Nadia Turner, who delivered an intense version of "I'm the Only One" by Melissa Etheridge. Randy said she's a great performer and that she made something out of the song. Paula said it was miles better than last week, and Simon agreed, saying it was a thousand percent improved. He criticized the song choice, however.

Pulling out all the stops, Constantine Maroulis was next with an unexpectedly sweet pop ballad, "I Can't Make You Love Me." Randy called it his best vocal performance yet. Paula said that it's one of her favorite songs and that she'd loved it. Simon said that he did better than Bo that night, and that the performance made him look like a classic pop star.

Nikko Smith did a great R&B song, "Can't We Talk?" Randy said he'd give him the award for most improved in the competition and called it incredible. Paula said she's proud of him and that he'd had a great week. Simon called him a breath of fresh air and said the song was a good copy of the original. It does seem like Nikko is finding his voice.

Next, Anthony Fedorov performed another insipid pop song, "Something About the Way You Look Tonight." I really would hate to look at his record collection, by the way. There's probably not even one decent album in it. Randy said that Anthony has grown up in the competition and that the song was all right. Paula said he did a great job. Simon claimed he wanted to be nice because he liked him, but that parts of the performance were excruciating. Paula asked which parts, and Simon replied, "Beginning, middle and end."

Carrie Underwood was also back to her country roots with a song so dreadful I don't even remember it but was apparently "Independence Day." Randy thought that it was the best vocal of the night. Paula called her a natural and said that the performance was wonderful. Simon said that some performances had reminded him of karaoke bars but that she has the "it" factor.

Scott Savol had a bad night with a very uneven performance of a ballad I did not recognize, "One Last Cry." Randy said it was pitchy. Paula disagreed, saying that it was not pitchy and that Scott has her heart. Simon said that if he'd been in a karaoke bar, he would have turned the mic off.

Finishing up the night, Vonzelle Solomon sang a Whitney Houston song, "I Have Nothing," that really showed her range. She's definitely beginning to open up on stage. Randy commented that the girls were on fire tonight and that she was the bomb. Paula said she sang some notes higher than Whitney and that it was top notch. And Simon said a few weeks ago he would have thought that her performing Whitney Houston was career suicide but that she'd pulled it off.

Now of course, you can never go strictly by performances, because if voters have really fallen in love with somebody, they're likely to vote for them anyway. So it's difficult to say with certainty who will be leaving, but considering that Anthony was in the bottom three last week, he's a likely candidate. It's also possible that someone like Scott might be vulnerable, if it's been his strong performances to date that have kept him in the running.

More Musings on American Idol:

American Idol, Season Four

American Idol, Season Three

Copyright 2005 by Alyce Wilson

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