Down the drain.

It was inevitable. Yesterday, we came home to find our pond completely drained. The water levels have gone very low during past winters, but always seem to come back up once it rained. On Wednesday night, I came home from work to find Mark trying to fill it with buckets of water (Our hose doesn't reach). Both myself and Mel C. told him not to bother because a rain storm was supposed to be moving through our area.

While the rain did come, it wasn't enough. So when I came home on Thursday, I found Mark wading through the mud puddle that once was the pond. By some miracle (I'm beginning to think that our fish hold the secret of immortality), the fish barely survived and were swimming in the buckets that Mark was using to fill the pond the previous day. I happily wasn't there for the initial discovery. Mark described to me that when they arrived home, Lauren ran over to the pond and said, "Look, Daddy - the fish are sleeping!" In actuality, they were all laying in a pile on their sides gasping for air.



We're unsure at this point what we're going to do. The fish have been moved to larger containers, so hopefully that will sustain them in the short term until we figure out where the leak is and patch it. However, in the long term, we may just have to get rid of the pond all together. It's right next to the addition, and the moisture may eventually cause damage to the structure. I'd hate to get rid of it all together though, because we enjoy it so much.

In other news, I'm so glad that the Top 36 were finally announced on American Idol! Next week we're going to see people actually singing - no more crying and histrionics! While I haven't decided who, if anyone, I will be supporting this year, and can say that this is the first year that there are so many contestants that I just can't stand. Usually at this point, I'm pretty indifferent to everyone, but there are quite a few stand outs in this bunch that make me yell at the television screen.

***Begin American Idol blabbering***

The most obvious one is Tatiana Del Toro. I understand that the producers are keeping her around for the drama effect, but her drama isn't entertaining at all. I guess we're supposed to get a kick out of her or be on the edge of our seats in anticipation of what shocking(!) wackiness she will bring, but her antics just make me want to turn the channel.

Ditto for Norman Gentle. Don't get him. Don't find him funny.

The next one is going to be a surprise. And I realize this is going to make me unpopular, but I just don't like Danny Gokey. I can't put my finger on exactly why he bothers me so much. Maybe because his resemblance to Robert Downey Jr. gives him an aura of smarmyness. Yes, yes, I concede that he can sing, but once again, I feel as if the show is shoving him down my throat. I also didn't think that his friend Jamar was very good at all and that the producers just kept him around in order to give Danny even more airtime. And while it's totally tasteless and mean, we refer to him around here as DeadWifeGuy. Despite all this, he is one that could eventually win me over. Besides, "Gokey" is really fun to say. Gokey. There, I said it again.

I also can't stand Von Smith. I shall call him, "The Anti-Castro."

But perhaps my least favorite contestant of them all is none other than Nathaniel "Nate" Marshall. I was so ticked when they put him through. What don't I like? The sobbing. The pimples. The freakin' HEADBAND. I want to rip that thing off his head! I think my disdain for him began on the first day of Hollywood when he was sobbing to the judges about how he "wanted this so bad that he could feel it on his skin," and then he started feeling up his arms. Ewww. Just ewww.

Who do I like? I kinda like Adam Lambert. I think he has a great personality (Nate could learn a thing or two from him about how to be subtly flamboyant - wait, is it possible to be subtly flamboyant?) and he's very good looking EXCEPT when they show him close up, which is when things get sort of scary. His singing is another thing entirely. I understand that he is talented, but I can't help but feel embarrassed for him when he belts. It's so very Liza Minnelli! I also like Anoop (We also like to randomly yell out "Anoop Dog!" around here). I really wish that Adam had Anoop's voice - that would be a perfect package for me. Of the girls, I think Stevie Wright and Alexis Grace are adorable (but both have no chance of making it through).

I'm on the fence about Scott McIntyre (aka "The Blind Guy"). He reminds me way too much of Danny Noonan from Caddyshack (His cane even looks like a golf club!). Mark insists that he's faking it because he looks down at the keys when he's playing piano.

Anyway, I can't wait to hear everyone sing on Tuesday!



Eat your heart out, Nate!

ETA: Mark thinks that I look like someone punched me in the face in this photo. Nice!