Pop goes boom

I made the stupid mistake of watching the American Idol finale last night. Okay, I only caught the first half an hour, but in order to back away from the train wreck that is America's greatest tv spectacle, I needed intervention. I admit I watched and loved the first two seasons. After that I was burnt out. There's only so much armchair voice coaching that a frustrated singer can do and only so many belted power ballads that my tender ears can take. Yet, after a long day I was drained and didn't have the energy to delve into California's history via my Kevin Starr book or to go for a long evening walk. No, I watched a terrible group ensemble in which everyone was trying to out sing one another. I saw Meatloaf twitch his way through a pathetic duet. It was awful.

However, this morning I learned that PRINCE performed on this nightmare. I missed Prince! Ack! I should've watched, screams the place in my heart where Prince is lionized as a musical genius. No, no, reasons the part of my brain concerned with my mental and musical health, no you did not need to watch such drivel.

Ramon and I have been brainstorming people who never would have made it past the opening auditions for American Idol:
Kurt Cobain
Bob Dylan
Norah Jones
Bjork (okay, she may have gotten to the second round, on account that she can sing loudly)
Sally from Hem

Free to add to this list.

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It is deathly slow at work. I want to read the Economist online, but it keeps freezing up my internet for some reason. I'm waiting on something to come in the mail. Pandora isn't doing it for me today. Everything just seems to be slow. But this just might be that I am so excited to get out of town this weekend.

The itinerary:
Friday - Leaving in the AM, having lunch with howilearned and possible goddessofmercy in Santa Barbara - someplace I've never to before! I love going to new places. Then onto LA to stay with the friend(s) we lunched with.

Saturday - Hopefully brunch at the most amazing brunch place ever in LA. Then down to Santee (east county San Diego). Time with the almost in-laws and erinya.

Sunday - Wedding in the afternoon on some lovely coastal bit of San Diego.

Monday - Leave for lunch with other friends in Irvine. Then back up to Oakland!

I'm looking forward to a road trip. Yes indeed.