Tuesday, July 16, 2013

My American Idol experience

I wasn't going to audition. In fact I had always swore never to audition for American Idol because I thought it was a joke. If I was going to become a singer as my career I was going to pursue it the right way, not through reality TV. This year Jason convinced me (took him 4 years before he pulled the "do it for our family" card.) to audition. I decided to sing Hell on Heels by the Pistol Annies. Registration Day was Monday (yesterday), and I got there at 5am. They divided us into sections and we all sat around. I stood next to a very nice hippie girl why had dread locks, and a Ukulele singing a song she wrote about murdering her love's gf so he could love her. (Uhhhh.) the cameras where everywhere. It instantly reminded me of LA again. The camera men were shallow attention seekers. "What's your sob story?" "Who traveled the farthest?!" "Hey give us a preview of your audition song!" Then when the person sang and most of the time, sounded ill prepared, they salivated at the mouth. "Yessss! The reality TV jackpot." It was hard for me to step out of my comfort zone. I would have needed to be quirky, or traveled from a far away place in order to get them to interview me, and I was NOT about to make a fool of myself on television. I stood quietly with an entertained smile while 4 times the people I was talking with we're pulled away for camera interviews. I wasn't discouraged, it was reality TV. I was there to sing, and I was beginning to understand that would be my downfall.

Audition day came an they corralled us into the front area of AT&T park. I met a lively mother an daughter from Minneapolis MN and honestly connected more with the mother. They filmed us screaming and yelling in excitement to Ryan Seacrest with his "THIS...is American Idol." Speech. Then they funneled us into the stands. I sat beside a girl who knew my family in Fallon NV, and talked about them for a while (small world), an then we all stood in a long line on the field, waiting to approach a booth to sing for two producers. Over the day, veteran auditioners mentioned that certain booths were looking for certain contestants to pass through. Some booths were looking for real singers, some were looking for train wrecks that would make good TV, some were automatically passing those that had already been interviewed by a camera. I approached the booth with my three other group members and we listened to the group in front of us finish. Singer1 was amazing, singer 2 was even better, 3 and 4 were terrible. I knew in my head, they're gunna cut 3 and 4 for sure. They ended up cutting 1 and 2!!! I realized, oh no..I'm at the train wreck booth. They're only gunna pass people who make entertaining dramatic reality television!! I relaxed inside, saying to myself "oh well, sing it out and give it your all! Give this songs glory to God." So I did. I sang my heart out and it was probably the best audition I've ever had. I was confident, my notes were spot on, and the SF police officers standing behind my table stopped their conversation to watch me and bob their heads, then clap. I felt awesome. I knew I did well, but I knew what was coming. I could tell as they discussed behind their clip boards that it was coming. They called the three of us up, who sang great, and said "Thank you for your audition, you are all talented but not what we are looking for in contestants at this time." And there it was.. My audition. I was so proud of myself! I didn't pass the first audition but I knew that it wasn't because my singing was terrible. I could see the LA/Hollywood process of it all. I didn't miss that from living in LA. 

It was so much fun, but now that its over I can really focus on getting excited for my upcoming surrogacy!! I have a couple that I am 90% sure I will be working with who are Dutch Indonesian!! I'm super excited to meet them and begin the next exciting chapter of my amazing life.   




Saturday, July 13, 2013

Washing windows and falling in love.

When I was young my family took me on lots of road trips. We would drive to Yellowstone, from PA to CA, Canada, and to Fallon NV every summer. We drove thousands and thousands of miles, and during those trips our windshield would get very very dirty. When we stopped for gas, as we often needed to, my Grandpa or my father would step out of the car, and pay for gas. He would stand beside the pump as it began to fill our car with the steam we needed to get us the next 300 or so miles. I remember sitting in the back seat of the car, sometimes sweaty from being awoken from a nap by the sudden lack of movement, and seeing my father grab the squeegee from the soapy water they provide, and wash the bugs off the windshield while the gas filled our car. It was a careful meticulous act. Taking more time to scrub at the bugs, and only reaching halfway across the windshield. Then he would flip it over and draw the rubber across the glass revealing a clean and glistening windshield. I always felt hypnotized while I watched him do this.. I watched him walk around and finish the other side, and sometimes he would wash the back windows, making silly faces at me while I pretended to point out spots he missed. (Classic, I always did it, and he always acted as if I were hilarious for pretending to point out his missed spots.) The act of cleaning our windows was something I attached to my love for my father and Grandpa. They cleaned the windows without being asked because it needed to be done to keep the family in the car safe. 

When Jason and I got married, we piled all of my stuff into the back of his truck, and drove from Sunnyvale CA to Twentynine Palms. I was nervous, we had never lived together, were driving to a military base where we would be staying with friends until he deployed to Afghanistan, and I was now a WIFE! Our truck was pretty gross when we reached a gas station outside of LA. I had my bare feet up on the dashboard and the windows down. (The AC was broken.) Jason stepped out of the truck and paid for the gas, he placed the pump into the gas tank and headed for the squeegee. I smiled to myself. He began to squeegee the windshield, take extra time with the bugs he found, and then flipped the squeegee over to drag the rubber across the glass. I smiled so widely as I let this new moment seep into my memory. He was washing our windshield, without having been asked, because he cared about me in his truck. I giggled as I pointed out places he missed with my toes.

For me, washing the windshield of the car will always mean "I love you". I thought of that today as Jason pumped our gas on our way to Roaring Camp to see the trains. I thought of how much I loved him the day we drove down to Twenty Nine palms, and the many times he had cleaned our windshield since. I cherish those moments, when I remember the love and peace of the simple act as acted by my dad and grandpa, and how I now love my husband as he cleans our windows.. So silly, but love is silly isn't it?

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

My amazing little family.

Lately I have been taking the time to observe and truly appreciate my family. When I was 16 years old, I used to lay in my bed and dream about who my future husband would be. I have always had a thing for blonde haired blue eyed white boys.. haha. All my crushes in Elementary School and High School were blonde. I imagined my husband would be as well. Then I would dream about my children I would have. Would I have one? Two? More? How about a house? Where would I live? What car would I be driving?

Its so weird to think that all of those questions have been answered! I have a blonde haired blue eyed AMAZING husband, and two beautiful children. A girl and a boy. We have three vehicles, and a three bedroom house. My son is hilarious. I absolutely love watching him grow. He recently began giving his toys personalities as he plays. That to me is so fascinating! My daughter just started on solid foods, and I am weaning her off of nursing as I am going to be pregnant again soon as a surrogate. My life is so wonderful. I have never been so happy. My marriage is better than ever, and my relationship with my children gets more and more fun every day.

I am truly blessed.






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The Oestreich Family

The Oestreich Family