Elimination

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

I wasn't expecting to have to say a few words about anyone this early in the process. It's one of the reasons why it was set up that way. Because I didn't want to say goodbye to any of them, and knew that this way we'd have just a little bit longer.

Sadly that was not the case.

I don't want to say goodbye to any of them, and I certainly wasn't prepared to say goodbye to kittenboo. She did take a lot of risks with entries this round, but I thought most of them ended up paying off for her in a creative sense. She stretched out her winds, and what beautiful yet powerful wings they were.

I may have said this before - but I'll say it again. In one of the earliest weeks (2 or 3) I had a dream where I saw the finalists. It kind of confused me because I wasn't quite sure *how* they would get there, but there was something that told me that they would. kittenboo was one of those two. Not sure that I had talked to her much up to that point. I did afterward though, and I'm really glad that I did.

I always say this wrong, and I hope people will FINALLY get what I'm saying when I point out that she *could* have rested on her FL. She could have rested on the fact that her husband has done quite well for himself. Had she done this, she still would have done quite well.

She didn't though. She took the hard road and did it herself. She did it FOR herself I can't begin to tell you the amount of respect she has from me from that one little decision. (not sure that actually *means* anything, having respect from me... but there it is anyway!*g*)

I can easily say that she's one of the most improved writers from start to finish who have been in this season, and has one of the best heads for the various aspects of the game that I have ever come across.

Her writing still very much has it's raw edges. Which is what gives it so much power when it connects.

Anyone who has the courage to enter Idol *at all* is a winner in my book. The ones who can make it far into the process are absolutely amazing.

To make it to the Final Four out of *155* contestants. I don't think you can call anyone who does that anything short of remarkable.

Thank you kittenboo, Heather, for a fantastic run and letting us share in a part of your continuing journey. Thank you.

Comments

[roina-arwen.livejournal.com]

All the entries were amazing - it was really hard sometimes to decide who to vote for (or whom NOT to vote for) in each of the polls. Good run, kittenboo - and congrats on making it all this way!

[tulip-in-yellow.livejournal.com]

I think a lot of her entries had that haunting tone that just stays with you. She was indeed, a force to be reckoned with.

[kathrynrose.livejournal.com]

kittenboo, Congrats on making it so far. Congrats on cranking out sixteen entries in such a short time.

::pats bench:: Come on over and sit with us. There's no telling what Gary's going to do to the final three and we get front row seats.

Maybe we'll be brought back in as a sous-chef (top chef, hell's kitchen) or an "extra set of hands" (project runway). You never know.

[eqfe.livejournal.com]

congrats kittenboo on a top four and thankyou for so many great entries which I enjoyed reading. 16 entries in that little time with a little one at home is a major accoplishment given the quality of your writing.

[spydielives.livejournal.com]

I am so, SO glad to have met kittenboo through this competition. Her writing has touched me, again and again.

I don't know what else to say.

Thank you, kittenboo, for writing your heart out.

[kittenboo.livejournal.com]

Thank you Gary.

I made a post in my journal but I did want to say something else. I really did get what I needed out of this contest. I joined because I was missing something. I joined because there was something wrong and I didn't know how to fix it. And I started writing again, something I had stopped doing years ago. And I talked about things that have been buried and forgotten. And probably sometime soon after the gatekeeper post I realized I had gotten everything I needed from the contest. However further i got was bonus, whatever number I ended up being was fine, because what I needed, the things I needed to hear myself say, were already said.

[superhappytime.livejournal.com]

Once again, the person who COULD have pulled on a lot of outside votes gets ousted by a load of mysterious voting...this makes at least two people (puppetmaker40 being the other) that could have cached in on a lot of spouse support, yet they chose not to do to...it's funny, the people who have talked the most about what is and is not fair have not made a peep the last few weeks when a lot of shady, last minute voting bailed people out...it's got a Republican Conspiracy twist to it, doesn't it? "Obey the Bible...thou shalt not kill! Unless it helps me...then it's cool."

[superhappytime.livejournal.com]

Dude, you're supposed to mention this stuff BEFORE the vote...and it's supposed to be to the tune of "But I have NOT quite got what I needed out of this...and the haters want to stop me...they've backstabbed all along the way. They will stop at nothing. I can't believe what lengths they go to."

And then you'll get a bunch of extra votes.

Obviously, you are not the master strategy expert we thought you were.....

Also, people who don't win are supposed to be bitter and insist that they'll never come back, because they were obviously cheated by someone and something and it's all Gary's fault.

[kittenboo.livejournal.com]

or I could have just posted a lot of sex talk or about how hard my life is or how winning this thing would be the only bright spot in my pitiful existence or I could have bribed people with naked pictures of myself, the possibilities were endless...

but you know I guess I chose the high road this one time, or maybe I was just up late snuggling with my husband watching a movie, falling asleep on the couch, and having such a wonderful evening I was just not interested in cracking open the computer to posting a vote reminder.

[eqfe.livejournal.com]

You really have to stop talking to yourself in public it looks a bit odd. If you wait a minute or two others will respond.

[superhappytime.livejournal.com]

talking to myself? huh?

[baxaphobia.livejournal.com]

Congratulations kittenboo. It was a good run. Now there is more time for husband snuggling. Smile.

[amergina.livejournal.com]

Obviously people with similar icons are the same person, donchaknow.

(relurks)

[eqfe.livejournal.com]

okay rub it in, but it was pretty stupid.

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

heh, took me a second at first too! Half-way through the first sentence though I stopped because it didn't sound like him at all!*g*

[superhappytime.livejournal.com]

I had no idea what he/she was talking about...then I realized it was on another thread and got it....

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

Except of course I KNOW where the votes came from, and where they have been coming from. I also know which communities both of the people in question run.*G*

So it's nothing that anyone who has been in the running for the last couple of months has even involved in as far as I can tell.

There have been legitimate surges in votes though. I don't think that can be overemphasized(considering that the illegitimate ones are processed out of the final figures). Especially toward the end of each round. The same way there always have been, when people decide to come out to support their favorites to keep them in.

[superhappytime.livejournal.com]

Oh, I know that you know where all the votes are coming from...

I don't think it's "coming out to support your favorites to keep them in" when all 16 polls surge and you only need 1 to keep them in...and you can't really make the argument that it had to do with entries this week...

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

Everything is my fault. You should know that by now.*g*

That said, on the backstabbing bit, people are going to vote how they are going to vote. I've said it all along. They are going to like each other/not like each other- friendships are going to grow or break apart in the process. And heck, people *have* gotten together in hopes of bettering their chance in the process. Of course they have.

You either own your experience or you don't. A lot of people don't, for various reasons. (Which is usually the ones who *are* bitter)

As I said to someone ages ago (or so it seems) it's more important to stand FOR someone than AGAINST someone. So yeah, when people go off on a specific person it's assine. You don't have to like each other, you DO have to be respectful to each other. You know?
It just seems to be a complete waste of energy to be focused on who people don't like instead of them focusing on who they do - and I've seen a tremendous amount of energy wasted over the last couple of months.

heh, sorry... apparently I had a left over rant in there and it was looking for a place to come out.*g*

[bateleur.livejournal.com]

kittenboo is made of awesome.

That is all.

[kittenboo.livejournal.com]

awww how sweet, thank you so much

[kittenboo.livejournal.com]

absolutely!

[kittenboo.livejournal.com]

hehe even though we have the same icon we are not the same person!

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

I love hearing that. I'm glad that you were able to use this experience for something that wonderful.

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

Which is GREAT because I for one have to say that I don't want *him* posting naked pictures of himself in his LJ!!!*g*