8 posts tagged “american idol”

This evening I picked up the new Rush CD "Snakes and Arrows Live".  It is from the Rotterdam show last fall.  I got to see them last summer in Indianapolis (Noblesville actually).  I've seen Rush on every tour ever since the "Hold Your Fire" tour March of 1988.  Favorite band of all time.  They'll be back in Indy June 26th, but I may still be on vacation out of town at that point, so I may not go. 

The last two days I've put three hours on the Octane.  I've run really hard the last two weeks, putting in 108 miles.  I ran really hard Wednesday and Thursday of last week.  Then ran hard again on Sunday, running 10 miles under 1:06 with the last five miles just a hair under 31 minutes.  So, Monday and today, I've really felt it in my sacrum area and have definite inflammation and irritation everywhere.  I took a hot bath and used our massager and it feels much better right now.  Gotta be careful.

Tonight, on American Idol, we got to see one of my co-workers and her husband in the audience as they watched his brother, David Cook perform.  Their family is facing some very serious challenges right now, and it is great to see that it was made possible for them to be able to see David perform.

Kourtney is doing better with her knee surgery recovery.  Today, I worked from home for part of the day to stay here with her.  She's going do go to school tomorrow.  Probably won't be very easy, but she's dying to get back to school.  Next week is Spring Break and she would have gone totally nuts to have missed this whole week.  Mariah stayed home with her yesterday, and I stayed with her today.  She pretty much did homework, watched MTV and played Guitar Hero III. 

Had a really good track workout lastnight.  Did 5x1000m in goal race pace.  I ended up going a little faster than I should have, but still in the ballpark.  3:38 to 3:42 on all of them.  3:45 is 6:00 min per mile pace, which is what I aim to run for my 10 mile race on Saturday.  And still looks like the weather is going to be nice.  Lower 50s, partly cloudy, slight breeze.

So, I'm watching American Idol with Mariah.  First time I've really sat down and watched it.  Pretty talented bunch.  I'm glad I'm not as goofy looking as Ryan Secrest.  Not quite.

Starting to get fired up for the Live Rush CD coming out April 15th.  Going to see Feist with the family April 11th.  I really wish I could go see Iron Maiden in Chicago this June.  That's way out of bounds unfortunately.  Tickets are going to be outrageous and Chicago is just expensive anyway.

I really should be getting to bed.  I have to get up at 2:45 am for work tomorrow morning.  I haven't been to bed before midnight but once since Christmas.  I'm watching the OSU/LSU game.  Don't know why.  I've never gotten into college football before.  Work was a little tiring today, trying to catch up on things.  That's what happens when you take a couple of vacation days.  Things pile up.  S'well.  Managed to do 40 minutes on the Octane today during lunch.  The legs are a little dead from Saturday and Sunday's runs.  I've got a hill workout slated for tomorrow evening.  I should be recovered pretty well by then.  Weather was really crazy today.  New record high of 67 in Terre Haute.  Of course, it always comes with strong winds when it warms up in January.  Tomorrow is going to be very windy with temperatures falling after sundown.  I've got a couple of races slated for February and the beginning of April, but I'm still looking for a race for mid March, like a 10K or 15K.  Looks like American Idol is ready to fire up again.  Can't say that I'm really all that thrilled about it.  I am looking forward to the new Survivor in February.

Had a really good workout on the Octane today for an hour during lunch.  Average HR of 156.  Held 164 to 173 the last 20 minutes.  HS Batman.  I took the two-minute cold shower after and couldn't stop sweating for up to 20 minutes after I got back to work.  I went the "farthest" on it I'd ever done before in 60 minutes, 11.35 miles.  It probably equates to about 9 miles of running.  Effort wise, I'd have to say it was about 6:30 pace running.  My legs were so sore this morning from the last couple of days, but I got plenty of carbs in yesterday.  I had no pain during the workout and none at all the rest of the afternoon.  I did start getting some sharp pain right smack dab three inches above my tailbone earlier this evening.  I think it could be from carrying the laundry upstairs.  No Joke!  And carrying the trash out to the barrel.  So, I still can't do sudden movements that require strength or stability or sudden shift in weight.  But things are getting better.  Gees, Kourtney has lit every candle in the living room.  They're dancing quite wildly since we've got the air on and a fan going.  Speaking of dancing, this "So you think you can dance" show on Fox looks about stupid and un original, even though it was created by the American Idol producers.  Album of the day for me.  Alan Parson's Project "Eye In The Sky", burned from Vinyl to CD.  Just a couple of more days here and the kids will be out of school.  Austin will be a fourth grader and Kourtney will be an eighth grader.  Somebody slow it down.  I sure hope they get "The Office" on DVD this summer.  I missed the whole season because of Survivor.  .  We've had three baby robins in our yard for the last three days.  They're pretty big.  One of them bit the dust yesterday, but the other two were starting to get a grip on brief flight.  The parents (three of them?!?) squawked at me while I observed them.  Cool!!!!!  The lightning bugs are out.  They're hanging out under my Lilac bushes.  Must be June, eh?

Now, I've got to go to work on my "Hans and Franz" pectoral muscles.

And the winner is.....  Jordin Sparks.  I called it in April!  I like Blake.  I still say he sounds like a young Paul Carrick (Squeeze and Mr. Mister).  Pretty good show tonight. Lots of performances. The Beatles songs were pretty good.  The highlight performance for me was Bette Midler.  WOW.  I still get goosebumps when I hear her sing.  And Blake with the old school hip hop rap.  And Carrie Underwood covering The Pretenders' "I'll Stand By You".  Really struggled on the Octane tonight.  Went for 75 minutes at just 133 average HR.  No pain whatsoever during the workout or after.  Did it to my R30 Rush DVD.  Yesterday was Fleetwood Mac's The Dance.  While I love them and that DVD, it's not a good DVD to do a workout to.  Work was really rough yesterday.  Production issues all day, almost severe enough to send production workers home in three plants...  Then called again this morning at 3:11 even though I'm not on call...  I'm ready for Memorial Day.  I still have to work, but it'll be like working on a weekend, not so hectic.  I'm going to have to figure out when I can get a day off because I'm up to my limit of 180 hours PTO.  Ali vs. Liston II this week in 1965.  What a bizarre ending.  Tonight Holly Holm vs. Chevelle Hallback.  Never heard of 'em.  Women's Jr. Welterweight.  Kourtney won't know if she made the cut for Guys and Dolls for a couple more days.  The incoming 6th graders are still auditioning.  Off to see the Wizard.

Today is 14 years that I have worked for my company.  I've been in my current position for the last 8 years.  Whew.  Started there just one week after I graduated from college.  Had a pretty good workout on the Octane today.  Did 45 minutes, with the last 15 minutes at a 164 HR.  Not too bad.  Been gaining weight.  Not a lot, but certainly enough to complicate things when I start running again.  No Survivor tonight, but still had Pizza.  The Office finale is on tonight.  I've missed the whole season thanks to Survivor.  If I had dual tuner satellite, I could have been recording it all this time.  S'well.  Maybe they'll have reruns this summer.  Otherwise, maybe I'll get it for Christmas when (if) it comes out on DVD.  Really starting to get into the new Rush CD.  Makes me go back and listen to my other Rush CDs.  And!  Korn's album will be out on the 31st of July.  I got a sneak peak at in-studio sessions.  New song "I Will Protect You" is really progressive.  The drumming on it is awesome as Missing Persons drummer is recording with them.  And the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have a new single out on the Spider Man 3 soundtrack.  Sounds great.  I can't wait.  White Stripes are overdue as well.  I think they've got one coming out soon.  And what the hell is this group making a pop/rap song over Toto's "Africa"?  All these 80s songs that these young groups are cashing in on, and listeners like my daughter think that these "borrowers" wrote this stuff.  Talk about retro in disguise.  Austin bought another Wii Game.  Wii Play.  It's actually pretty cool.  He solved Super Paper Mario today.  Just 11 days.  He should've rented it...  Looks like Jordin and Blake made it to the final on American Idol, just as I had thought.

Pretty good show tonight.  You know, the Blake (?) kid kinda sounds like Paul Carrack (Squeeze, Mike + The Mechanics).  I think Jordin should win it all.  She's the best one that's left.  Did an excellent workout on the Octane this evening.  90 minutes total w/ average HR=141.  Getting pretty strong, and here it is 4 hours later and no side effects.  Had quite a bit of irritation this morning for a couple of hours.  Can't get over optimistic though.  We'll see how I'll feel tomorrow.  My quads are pretty tired.  Kinda reminds me of doing hill work on the trails at Hawthorn Park.  Your quads are really tired, but the legs aren't beat up from running on the roads.  Today would have been an awesome day to run.  61 degrees, cloudy, pre and post rain humidity.  Hmm. 

Well, just as I thought could happen.  This morning when I got up I could feel the effects from yesterday's workout.  Had lots of irritation and a little bit of pain.  Especially when I shifted my weight to get into the car this morning going to work.  Went ahead and took the day off from any kind of workout.  I'm very tired today.  We've got to get another DBA in here to help me out.  This morning, I wanted so much to go running.  The weather was "perfect", 51 degrees, light misty rain and a slight breeze.  Those kind of conditions are just like a dog sniffing the breeze with his head hanging out of a car window at 50 mph.  Hmm... 

Off to bed though.  The cats are doing their nightly nocturnal wrestling.  Not impressed with J Lo on American Idol at all...  Give me Alicia Keys.

My top CDs that I'm listening to lately (not in order)

Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Fever To Tell

Morningwood (self-titled)

Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Show Your Bones

Korn, (self-titled)

Korn, Unplugged

Metric, Old World Underground, Where Are You Now?

Tool, 10000 days

Feist, Let It Die

Nelly Furtado, Folklore

Rush, R30

Pixies, Doolittle