Ordinarily I would never do this

unless I was on my death bed, but I'm taking a sick day tomorrow. It's not that I'm not sick. I have a sinus infection or something, and I'm going to see the doctor in the morning. But usually, I'd go straight from the doctor to the office. Heck, I've even been known to take a cab to work when I have a migraine and can't drive, and to do it all over again the next day after spending five hours in the ER. So, theoretically, I could go to work tomorrow after my doctor visit. But I'm not going to.

I've been feeling crappy for three days, I'm exhausted, I'm running a fever, and I guess I'm just not as invested in this job as I was in my last one. So I'm gonna go to the doctor tomorrow, pick up whatever prescriptions she gives me to get rid of this crud, come home, and rest for the remainder of the day. I would have stayed home today, too, but we had two filing deadlines and I would have felt guilty. But tomorrow will be a day of rest.

My current music obsession

Christina Aguilera's Back to Basics has been in my CD player non-stop since I got it just over a week ago. I don't care what anybody says about her -- she is a phenomenally talented vocalist!

I was pleasantly surprised by her last CD, Stripped. I had never been interested in her music, as I'd written her off as just another bubblegum pop act after her song "Genie in a Bottle" hit the radio years ago (though I must admit, that song is catchy). However, someone told me about the song "Beautiful" on the Stripped CD and recommended that I listen to it, so I bought the CD, expecting to be underwhelmed. I'd never realized just how talented a vocalist she is, and I really liked most of the music on the CD, as well, which I can't say for some of the other vocalists of her caliber, such as Maraiah Carey and Celine Dion. Heck, I even bought Katharine McPhee's first CD because she also has an incredible voice, but after one listen, I decided the CD sucks. It is just silly bubblegum pop with cheesy lyrics, even if she does sing it beautifully.

I read recently that Christina has a four-octave range, and that she can hit notes in the whistle register, for crying out loud. She hits a note in her song "Soar" on the Stripped CD that has been referred to as "that dog-whistle note." It's at the 3:20 mark in the song, if anyone is interested.

Anyway, her voice is amazing, and the more I listen to Back to Basics, the more impressed I am by just how good it is. It's full of jazz, blues, and soul inspired songs and she belts them out flawlessly. Furthermore, her song "Oh, Mother" gives me chills and makes me cry.

Okay, I admit it.

For those of you who don't already know, I'm an American Idol junkie. It's true. I have always loved to sing, and if I were young enough to audition for the show, I would. Instead, I live vicariously through those who are young enough to audition, and who make it into the top 24.

So anyway, they have narrowed this season's crop of hopefuls down to the top 24 contestants, who will perform this week. And I'm really pulling for Sanjaya Malakar at this point, and I'll tell you why. He and his sister, Shyamali, both auditioned and both made it to Hollywood week, but Shyamali was cut after the last audition of the week. When Sanjaya realized that he had made it and his sister had not, the first thing he did was run downstairs to comfort her, rather than celebrating with the rest of those who made the cut. They showed a very touching moment with him hugging his sister, and both of them crying. He seemed just as upset as she was at the fact that she hadn't made it.

Of course, I instantly thought that that was exactly how it would have gone down had Steve and I ever auditioned for American Idol. Steve would have made it, and I wouldn't have, and he would have been right there to give me a big hug and cry with me, without giving a thought to celebrating his own achievement. He would have been devastated that I hadn't made it.

So, watching Sanjaya and Shyamali made me cry, and now I'm hoping that he does really well on the show. What can I say? I'm a sap.

In Memory of Steve

Stephen Michael Elmshaeuser
March 8, 1969 ~ February 12, 2000

For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind and to melt into the sun?

And what is to cease breathing, but to free the breath from its restless tides, that it may rise and expand and seek God unencumbered?

Only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing.

And when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall begin to climb.

And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance.

~Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

Death is nothing at all.
I have only slipped away into the next room.
I am I and you are you,
Whatever we were to each other, that we still are.
Call me by my old familiar name,
Speak to me in the easy way which you always used.
Put no difference in your tone,
wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow,
laugh as we always laughed
at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Pray smile, think of me, pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household word
that it always was.
Let it be spoken without effort,
without the trace of a shadow in it.
Life means all that it ever meant,
it is the same as it ever was.
There is unbroken continuity,
why should I be out of mind
because I am out of sight?
I am waiting for you
somewhere very near
just around the corner.
All is well.

~Henry Scott Holland 1847-1918
Canon of St Paul's Cathedral

At least I'm below 50%!

You Are 46% Misanthropic

You're somewhat misanthropic, but you're not willing to write off the human race (yet!). There's a few people you like, and even them you like at a distance.

How Misanthropic Are You?