.... The X Factor.

Our DVR is almost always full ... my girls have every singing and dancing show set to record.  One night I was getting caught up, watching episodes of the X Factor - which I am absolutely crazy about. 

I had seen clips on YouTube from the X Factor that they film in the UK (think Susan Boyle) and was really looking forward to it when I heard they were bringing it to American television with Simon Cowell as a judge. Awesome.  I have kind of missed him since he left American Idol.  I wasn't ready to stop seeing that smarty pants on TV just yet.

Simon and Paula Abdul are together again, and I like it.  (Paula's hair is looking A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. this season.) I had heard the name L.A. Reid before, from his reputation in the music industry, but hadn't really seen him and I am loving just about everything about him.  (Mr. Cool, with a capital C.) But Nicole Scherzinger?  Not that much. (Simon was on Late Night being interviewed once and the host asked him who was crazier between Paula and Nicole, and he said "I would have to say Nicole.  Sometimes she is just so weird." )

When they put the groups together on American Idol, it tended to be slightly disastrous, but on the X Factor it has been anything but.  I thought the group part of the audition process was fantastic.  All of the singers are so good in their own right and together they were even better.  There seemed to be a really sweet camaraderie between the contestants ... very supportive of one another.

And of course we were all really excited when the group, The Anser, from Salt Lake made it into the final round.  In fact, I was watching that very episode when Sophie said, "Mom, see that guy in the knit hat?  That is who Haley is on a date with tonight."

WHAT?

"Yeah, Haley is out on a date right now with him.  His name is Gray."  (I had no idea.)

And you KNOW I got a big kick out of that.  (Gray is a doll ... so cute, so friendly, so conversational ... and we got an inside scoop about who made it through too.)

One of the things I really do love about the X Factor is that they don't have the same age restrictions that American Idol has.  One of my very favorite little singers is Rachel Crow and she was only 13 when she auditioned and made the show.  Then there is LeRoy Bell who is 59 and also amazing.  (My girls call him Papa Gray .... we think this is what Gray will look like when he is older .... actually, they look pretty much just alike now.)

When Haley first met Gray, he mentioned that he had worked as an entertainer at Lagoon (our local amusement park) for the last eight years. Well that is a coincidence, because Haley is working at Lagoon right now .....

And speaking of coincidences ...