The Whole Is Greater than the Sum of its Parts

So, I'm watching American Idol at my parents' house while I'm working with my cousins on a Memory Board for my dearly departed Grandma. It's on a tri-fold board and it looks like a page from a giant scrap book. It really is beautiful. And we made a huge mess: pictures everywhere, bits of paper on the floor, half-empty cans of Diet Coke. But I did turn on American Idol so that Wendi and I could watch it together. She's on the road a lot and I usually only get to touch base with her through Facebook.

She's currently assisting a minister with one good leg and one prosthetic leg walk the perimiter of the US, planting crosses every mile. The minister, Carol, is almost done. She plans on finishing in Miami, where she started, on New Years Eve. Usually Wendi doesn't even have access to TV and I have to let her know who got voted off by posting it on her wall.

So, we're together watching Idol with my other cousin, Rachel, who doesn't watch. But we were so absorbed in our task that I don't really remember any of the performances. I was however disgusted by Jamie Foxx's t-shirt gimick. OMG! That was so stupid. I wanted those "contestants" to shove those t-shirts back in his face and say, "Artist, Shmartist! It's a fucking game show, dawg!" Oh, it was gross.

But we were caught up in the duet with Casey and Mike, neither of whom I get. I don't like their music. I don't like their stories. I don't want to hear their crappy albums, so I hope they don't win. I want to say, "Nikki McKibbin, anyone?" and promptly forget I ever knew them.

And then they sang together. And it was like butter. I don't remember what they were singing but I was struck by how good they sounded. And I wanted to hear more of that. Maybe someday, they'll tour together like Ruben and Clay. By then I should have some disposable income I could blow on tickets to see them at the fair.

So, thank you, American Idol, for presenting something I've been looking for this season: Some musical magic. And it couldn't have come to me at a better time. It almost makes me want to forgive you for the Kara Dioguardi interpretation of Casey singing "Mrs. Robinson." Gag me.