Random!

While we're waiting (and waiting...sigh) for the tour rehearsals--and the associated hype and publicity and new photos/soundbites/information that should come along with them--here's a quick, kind of random look at what's happening:

I somehow missed posting links to these rather cool shots of Bucky at the Coca-Cola 600 a little while ago; here's a great one--with a funny caption--at the Tony Stewart Fan Forum (scroll down to the end) and another beautiful set from the TVPhotogblog's Coca-Cola 600 Flickr album, via Viewfinder Blues, with much thanks. (Gotta love that smile...)

Kathy at Team Covington has a very cute Bucky-related graphic gift for you...but it's a limited time offer, and I won't ruin the surprise. Go check it out!

Way back in March, when this blog began, there was no mistaking the deep affection of the Bucky fans on his thread at Television Without Pity; but what's even more striking is how much he's liked by posters who wouldn't necessarily be considered his diehard fans there. Someone started a fun "dream-team" thread about a fantasy lineup for a Best of Idol tour (all season's singers are eligible, but the posters can only pick 10 or so)--it's great to see how many times Bucky's name has popped up...

A full tour and ticket post about the fine art of upgrading your seats (without breaking the bank) is coming soon. Meanwhile, the folks who run the National Association of Ticket Brokers have been blanketing our local cable stations with ads featuring an unhappy family frowning about a sold out "event", grinning at the laptop in the living room, congratulating Dad on a job well done (he got the tickets! yay!) and heading happily out the door after smiling at the mailman. Um...okay. I think the "calling Ditech for a second mortgage" step was left out of the ad, but never mind. If y'all really, really want to do the broker thing, here's their list of members--a trade group membership should help protect you against some of the more insidious forms of malice associated with "secondary-market" tickets, and a local broker (with a storefront, and a face) might be easier to deal with. But my advice would be to wait a little while longer...the prices will almost certainly come down some later in the season.

And if you're up for a lower cost/higher risk option, there's always good old eBay. While you're there, you can enjoy a dazzling array of totally cheesy unauthorized Idol related items...and a few authorized ones that'll have you scratching your head, too. "American Idol Moments Shimmer Lotion for Women"...really? And I just can't imagine Paula, Paris or Katharine tucking this into their Vuitton luggage...

Finally, I'm going to get a little sentimental. (Apologies in advance.) If you haven't been to the Audition Mosaic page at the official site, check it out now. The sharp-eyed fans at Idolforums found Bucky's DMV style, first-ever Idol picture in that big, big crowd--I swiped it for this post. Between seeing those thousands of faces, and watching that Greensboro video from the link in yesterday's post, I have a little lump in my throat right about now. Out of all those people...really, just think about it. Against some truly amazing odds, we got a favorite new singer to enjoy...and with his hard work and talent and charm, looks like we'll have him around to enjoy for a long, long time ahead.

Sometimes life's pretty good, isn't it?

More later--enjoy the day!