Mari's virtual notebook.

The one where I attempt to decompress

2012-02-07T16:51:00.003-06:00

My brain is spinning, way too much on my mind right now. So I'm going to download some of it, right here.

I love "The Voice."It started again this week. My thoughts:

Adam is hot. Shiny like a rocket and hot. Kind of weird looking, he's got a clean cut yet scruffy look. But still hot.
CeeLo makes love with words. He's like a fun-sized Barry White, Barry White's Mini-Me.
Christina Aguilera is a porcelain-skinned beauty but she shows way too much boob. Makes her look a bit trailerish. The producers need to not encourage her to be so snarly mean and to lighten that up a titch.
Blake is scruffy, tall and occasionally gets this crazy look in his eyes. He picked really bad songs for his contestants last year & I hope he does NOT do that again this year.
When the judges are like, "oh man! I should have picked you! You're so hot!" it really undermines the whole meaning behind the show.

Two weird musical moments this week:

Madonna's half-time show. Dare I say it? I loved it. For reals. She was... joyful. Looked happy to be there and jumping around. The squat-jump-squat-jump thing she kept doing made my knees hurt real bad just to watch. I don't care if she was lip-syncing; this was the way pop music was intended to be, joyous and fun. And I'm a little weirded out that I just wrote that because I've never bee much of a fan, but there you go.
My son's 4th grade class sang "We Are the World" at his school assembly last night. And it is so weird to have all of these moments where the music of my past is jumping up to smack me in the face. I'm not sure how I feel about it... but time marches on, right? And then I have to be faced with the fact that even though I'm a grown up, I still sing the parody version (... we are the worms! Out on the pavement!...)

And all this talk of weird reminds me of this shirt that my friend Ronda told me about (because I'm a grammar geek):

Found it on CafePress.com

Wait ... what?

2012-01-26T18:48:00.001-06:00

I was all ready to post something new, had a few little beans of goodness rolling around my skull, so I sat down & booted up my fast-as-lightning laptop.

But in the minutes that it took to boot up, I was distracted by:

A "news" story that said that a certain menopausal Hollywood superstar was hospitalized for drug use. Her drug of choice? Whip its.
I saw a video teaser for the new Red Hot Chili Peppers song. First, it made me smile because I always remember an interview I read with Flea, where he said that his 'tween daughter thought he was a dork. A DORK!? He's Flea. He's like the definition of a cool guy. But then I saw Anthony Kiedis and he looks like a weird '70s porn star with the helmet hair and the 'stache.

So, yeah. I lost my train of thought.
But then I Googled "random free image" and came up with this:

Yeah... that's all I've got.

It's fiction day!

2012-01-20T12:33:00.000-06:00

So, once upon a time, when I was bemoaning the fact that I don't write as much as I should (see here if you don't remember) and that I was going to start writing in a notebook and then on the 20th of the month I would post something that I wrote?
Well, it's the 20th. So here goes nothing.

My stab at romantical fiction #1:

She knew him right away when she saw him; they had traded pictures and he looked just as advertised. He was wearing well-worn jeans that hugged his hips, a black T-shirt and a buttery black leather jacket. His hair was a little long for a grown man, and as he lifted his head to search the new arrivals he pushed them back on his forehead. He smiled timidly as his eyes met hers and she smiled back and started to walk down the remaining moving stairs.

"Hey," he said with another shy smile.

"Hey," she said back.

They shifted a bit nervously, not knowing how to rephrase their easy banter into the real world. He guided her out of the river of people with a hand at the small of her back.

"How was your flight?" he asked, making small talk.

"Good," she said. "Very long and no food, but overall, good."

"I'm glad to hear it," he said with a nod. "Uh, since you said you only had your backpack I brought my bike." He gestured to two helmets on the chair near where they stood. "It's such a beautiful day and since you've never been here and can't check into your hotel for a few hours, I thought you might like a ride."

"As long as we can go somewhere for food, that sounds great," she replied.

"You might want to take off your earrings," he said, pointing to the jeweled hoops she wore. "The helmet fits a bit snug."

"Oh, of course!" she said as she moved her hands to remove them. She removed one but the second was stuck and her brow knotted. "I don't know what's wrong with this," she said as she blindly struggled to remove the hoop.

"Here, let me," he said as he moved closer to see what was wrong. He brushed her hair away from her ear. The touch caused her breath to catch and he paused, looking directly in her eyes, just inches away.

"The clasp is bent on the back," he said as he removed the earring. When his palm touched her cheek she couldn't stop her face from turning, ever so slightly to meet his hand.

She looked up and he was looking down at her. His eyes flicked to her lips for a quick second before he leaned in and kissed her, slowly and gently. He started to move away, but her hands slid inside his jacket and along the muscles of his side.

"I..." he said.

"Shh..." she said.

And he moved in to kiss her again, stepping forward to meet her. She slipped her arms fully around him, cocooned inside his jacket and returned his kiss.

"I knew it would be dangerous to meet you."

What will you regret? My 2012 non-resolutions

2012-01-17T18:47:00.000-06:00

So I read this post here (go ahead; I'll wait).
And it got me to thinking.
And evaluating.
And thinking some more.
And here is what I think of that top 5 list.
(more after the jump)

First, when you talk about the Top 5 Regrets of the Dying, it makes me sing this song:

You've got to set the mood, you know.

Here is the list of items from the post, which I've edited down but hopefully kept the spirit in which they were written. I'm going to think of them about the 5 things that I refuse to regret in 2012.

1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.This was the most common regret of all. When people realise that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled.

This is a tough one and one that I think about a lot as a parent of small children. How can I help them to be true to themselves? But more importantly, have I been true to myself? Have I reached my goals or stopped short, worried about what other people think or what other people expect?

2. I wish I didn’t work so hard.
They missed their children’s youth and their partner’s companionship.

I have a job that I find very satisfying; I get to read and write for a living, and it's hard not to work hard at something when it feeds your soul. But there is so much more to life than work! And the snarky but accurate "how can I miss you if you don't go away?" applies to people, things and work. Think about it.

3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.
Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result.

This does not so much apply to me as I am, for the most part, a roiling ball of emotion. But have I been honest with the people who matter most to me? Have I let them know how much they mean, or have I spoken up when I have a need that's not being met?

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying.

Ah yes. This is the big one. It's tough to maintain friendships when you are raising children, especially when your friends all have kids and all the kids are different ages and have different interests. I never imagined that my friends and I would drift apart as our children got older, but it's happened; there were a few years when I didn't let a day go by without talking to at least 2 or 3 friends ... now 2 or 3 days can go quickly by without talking to any friends at all. My family, my job, my personal responsibilities have rushed in to fill the space.

Sometimes, I don't mind; sometimes I'm owning the choice of putting all of these other things in the forefront of my life, and I see that my friends have done the same, but the result is that we've let our relationships founder and, in some cases, fall apart. I hate when that happens, because I don't let people go easily; you can guarantee that if we were friends at some point in my life, you are still a part of my heart today. I haven't let you go, even though we don't talk as often as you or I wish we did. But I hope that this year we can bridge that gap again. Everyone may miss their friends when they're dying but it's crazy to miss them when you are alive.

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.
This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realise until the end that happiness is a choice.

That is a lesson that I've learned in the past few years: happiness is the journey, not the destination. I try to find happiness in my life every day, even in the most mundane circumstances. I try to find the kernel of good in every nugget of, well, crap.

What about you? What regrets will you overcome this year?

Only the good music

2012-01-08T16:06:00.004-06:00

So a few things have conspired today to get me to upload music to my son's Kindle Fire.

This week, he purchased Maroon 5's Moves Like Jagger for his music collection. This is the first musical purchase made under his own steam and it means more to me than his first word or the rest of the ~~crap~~ entries in his baby book.
He then asked me if he could buy a song that I already owned. Which I balk at. I don't like paying for things twice.
I read a lot of music-related tweets.

So I used my powers of the Interwebz & decoded the magic of the cloud drive. (more after the jump)

And here is what my son now has in his musical arsenal:

Ain't No Sunshine by the Reverend Al Green
Antmusic by Adam Ant
Big Me by the Foo Fighters
Blitzkrieg Bop by the Ramones
Crank That by Soulja Boy
Dyer Maker by Led Zeppelin
Everyone's In Love With You by Steve Earle
Fall Back Down by Rancid
Friday I'm in Love by the Cure
Get Rhythm by Johnny Cash
I am Superman by REM
Limelight by Rush
Monkey Wrench by the Foo Fighters
No Sleep 'Til Brooklyn by the Beastie Boys
Santa Monica by Everclear
Should I Stay or Should I Go by the Clash
Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana
That's Not My Name by the Ting Tings
The Galway Girl by Steve Earle
The Spirit of Radio by Rush
Time Bomb by Rancid
Time by Pink Floyd
To Have and To Have Not by Lars Fredericksen and the Bastards
Tom Sawyer by Rush
Turn Up the Radio by Autograph
You're Unbelievable by EMF

This is just a start, based on the songs that get played a lot around here & the songs that he's responded to. There are tons more that still need to be added, including some country (Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Big & Rich), some more punk and rock (like carefully-screened Metallica, Sex Pistols and the like) and some jams (... I wanna rock right now! I'm Rob Base and I came to get down. I'm not internationally-known, but I'm known to rock a microphone. Cuz I get stupid, I mean outrageous! Stay away from me if you're contagious ...) plus some kid-friendly dance songs that are on a CD made for him for his birthday last year.

Because music matters. It's important for kids to have access to a wide range of music just like they should have access to a wide range of foods or books. It's my job to seed the field; he can decide what he wants to harvest. But you bet your ass I'm going to plant the best seeds I can find.

Why I like January.

2012-01-03T08:36:00.001-06:00

It's January! Aren't you excited?
I am. The sun is shining, we're all healthy & relatively happy and I've got a calendar filled with 365 tiny little squares of possibility hanging on my wall.

Not everyone is a fan of January, but I am (clearly. I've just told you that). And here's why:

I like winter. I like the cold weather (I'd rather be too cold than too hot & dreamed of these days all through this last season of SUMMERGEDDON that we had). I like snow (but I hate ice).
So much possibility! A new calendar is a fresh start (says the woman with a paper product fetish). Just like a new notebook offers a chance to write a new story, a new calendar is a wide open possibility.
Do you hear that? It's quiet! Post-holidays, it's so peaceful. Gone is the audible clutter of the once-a-year music, the Santa talk, the budget juggling, the list-making, the holiday baking, the visual clutter (disclaimer: I love the visual clutter of the holidays!) in my house, the shuffling of things to storage so those once-a-year decorations come out and happily cover every surface ... when all that stuff is done and put away, there is such peace and quiet. We've all been sated by sweets and holiday cheer and we're all ready for some quiet time.
The holidays always bring fond memories. Even the worst Christmases past offer some small bit of happy that I can carry forward with me. And now that I have kids, they carry these little happy nuggets with them as well. I try to focus on how the holidays bring out the best in people, and I carry that into the new year with me.
Availability of motivation. Everybody is starting something new in January; a new diet, a new schedule, a new commitment to productivity, creativity, fill in your own -tivity here; that makes it easier to jump on and try something out for myself. I'm happy to take advantage of other people's motivation to help give my own motivation a boost! I call it "KALAKA" after that old carpooling PSA cartoon. No, it's not the same; but kalaka never caught on as the word for carpooling so I'm going to liberate it & use it for "using the motivation of others to inspire your own motivation." Kind of the opposite of "schadenfreude."

Love it or hate it, 2012 is here, people! Embrace it.

"He's not dead; he's resting."

2011-12-18T20:34:00.000-06:00

Okay, so it's almost Christmas (Happy Chrismahanukwanzikah!) And I, once again, missed out on the big thing of the year. This year that means the Elf on the Shelf.

I did not get on the Elf bandwagon. But I saw all my over-achieving Facebook friends (not really over-achieving; but if I don't say that I'd have to call you "better than me moms" and my ego can't take it!) with the Elf on the Shelf posts and I got jealous.

And then I got bourbon.
And then I saw Rudolph the [redacted] Reindeer.

So, let's go to the beginning.

Sometime in the early 90s, one of my sisters made this cute little crafty ornament, a reindeer made from a cork, jingle bell and pipe cleaners. Well, a few moves later and poor Rudolph has turned from a cute little ornament to a poor reindeer missing a few imperative body parts (like an eye).

Every year we thought we threw the poor, bedraggled boy into the trash, but every year, like a bad penny, he keeps turning up. So we named him and turned him into a tradition.

It wasn't Christmas until we found Rudolph in the bottom of the box of Christmas stuff and found a home for him.

But this year, Rudolph became more than a bit player; more than just a member of the chorus; he became a star.

I started posting his adventures on Facebook, Elf on the Shelf style. And he was given a proper name (in honor of his, well, "gimp" nature and a mutual love of Pulp Fiction shared with my friends, he has been named Zed. I think it fits.)
And here he is, in all of his glory:

I don't have an "elf on the shelf" but I do have this tattered reindeer. And a turtle.

Zed took a swim in a bowl of sparkly holiday balls. Because nothing says "happy holidays" like a half-broken reindeer ornament fashioned from a cork (hic) and pipe cleaners sitting in a basket of not-good-enough-for-the-tree-this-year ornaments & last year's tinsel.

Our Reindeer on the Table just needs a little hit of caffeine to make it through the day.

Still life with faux foliage ("fauxliage"?), wrapped gifts and fairy lights. Oh, and reindeer.

It's hard work being a damaged, unnamed reindeer. So he took a nap on a candle.

Oh, Zed! You crazy, gimpy reindeer! That's a glass rooster, not a rodeo rooster. Silly Zed.

Guess who decided to join me at work today?

Sis? Is that you?

Zed has had a very long day. Sweet dreams, tiny broken reindeer!

Glinda says: "I'm a good witch!"
Elphaba says: "I'm a bad witch!"
In Unison: "What the #&@* are you?"

Zed: "Listen here, elfie-boy; this is an elf-free house. D'ya hear me? No encroaching."
Butch: "Don't push me, gimpy."
Zed: "Oh, it's on. It's on like Donkey Kong."

Oh, and people keep asking me, what's with the dead reindeer? To which I say, "he's not dead; he's resting. Beautiful plumage on the Norwegian blue..." because along with tattered reindeer, and sarcasm, I like random Monty Python references.

Frustated, Inc

2011-11-20T10:38:00.001-06:00

I am a frustrated writer.
I am reading books and stories that are leaving me flat; making me think to myself, "man! I could do better than that!"
It's one of those "nut up or shut up" kind of moments.

I tried the NANOWRIMO before, wherein you write a novel in a month (talked about that before, too). I've been doing the NABLOPOMO but have missed a few days. The pressure to write something that is at least somewhat interesting overwhelms me; the fact that there are like 5 active readers on this blog takes the edge off the feeling overwhelmed.
So here is what I intend to do:

Books about writing books and other assorted nonsense.
Looks impressive when it's all collected in one place, no?

I'm going to start reading that great big stack of books about writing that I have in my office (see above). This selection shown includes all the books I could find lying around the house in various locations; I believe there may be a few more. And there are many downloaded on my Kindle as well.

I'll write about these books after I read them. Though I reserve the right NOT to read the Roget's Thesaurus. I believe you may already be familiar with that one and I'm not a complete lunatic.

I'm going to assign a notebook to the task of fiction writing and endeavor to write one page of fiction each day, in longhand. A short story, a long story, an outline of a story or plot, something for kids or something for adults; writing is what I will do.

When I get something together, I'll post it here. The 20th of the month will be designated as Fiction Day and I'll post something of the drivel that I've come up with in the previous month's time. You've been warned!

hmmphf

2011-11-18T07:23:00.001-06:00

I missed a day in my blogging binge but there are some days this month where I've had more than one post so hopefully that carries me through. It's been a long week. Just some thoughts:

I'm frustrated by the economy. Our government needs a revolution. It's time to put term limits on Congress. Public service should not be a career where you are able to make millions.
I'm encouraged by well-behaved children. Children who use manners, say please and thank you, and stop running in the halls at school because they see me there (even though they start running again as soon as they are clear of me; it's important to know when its the right time to break a rule).
I'm angered when someone else's lack of attention makes more work for me. Whether it's the idiot in the car who speeds up to get in front of me and then promptly slows down so I have to change lanes; the child who is told to put something away and leaves five other things in his wake; the person who asks for the same information, with slightly different wording, every day for a week through email; the stranger who leaves his trash on the table at the cafe where busing your own table is de riguer; you people? Piss. Me. Off.
I'm tired of hearing about celebrity divorces. Is this really news?
I'm thanful to have wonderful friends and family in my life who understand me, challenge me, push me, pull me, love me and hug me when I need it.

Happy Friday!

Toast

2011-11-16T14:33:00.001-06:00

"Hey Mom! What's that song you like to sing about your favorite food?"

... Get up in the morning, about 6:00am

Have a little jelly, have a little jam

Get a piece of bread, put it in the slot

Push down the lever & the wires get hot,

You get TOAST!

Thanks to morning radio in Milwaukee, where I was first introduced to the Toast song. And thanks to the Interwebz for allowing me to find it again.

Words

2011-11-15T15:04:00.001-06:00

We reached a new milestone in the home yesterday!
My son found the word "bitch" in the dictionary.
"It's not a bad word, mom," he ensured me.

Really? Do Tell.
"It means 'female dog' and it's not a bad word."
Do you think that means you should say it?
"It's not a swear word. It's in the dictionary!"

Oh yeah, I remember making this discovery myself. And he's right, of course; it's not necessarily a bad word. But it does need more discussion.

Do you think this means that you should be able to say 'bitch'?
"It's not a bad word."
But do you think that there is a time where it's right for you to say it?
... no response...

See, here's the thing; it's all about context. That word became a bad word because people misused it to mean something other than the straight Webster's meaning of "female dog."

So please don't use that word. Okay?
"Okay."
He exits the room. And I hear:
"Hey, guess what 'bitch' means!!?" Yelled to his 7-year-old sister.
Sigh.

So, then he did this:

While I made dinner.
We talked about this punishment and I asked him: When is the appropriate time to say the word "bitch" around your mom? He answered with several different answers (when talking about a dog; when talking about someone else talking about a dog; when you ask me about it; when someone else asks me about it; I don't know).
The answer? You don't.
It's not appropriate for a 9-year-old to use that word around his mom! And while I am quite pleased that my son feels he can talk to me about anything, we do need to have some clear boundaries. I don't want to know the plot to Bakugan cartoons and I don't want to be privy to his adolescent gigglefests over bad words.

Did I handle the situation? Hell if I know. I guess time will tell!

No rain, no rainbows

2011-11-14T08:58:00.001-06:00

Here is what I woke up to this morning:

So, naturally, this is what I'm singing:

That's a great way to start off a Monday morning. :)

"Random information"

2011-11-13T08:32:00.001-06:00

So, I've been daily posting for a while now; like 45 days. And sometimes, a girl will run out of something to say.

So I Googled "random information" and the Random Facts and Useless Trivia website came to me. What did I learn at this site?

Rob Zombie's first job in the entertainment industry was as a technician on Pee Wee's Playhouse.
Crayons got their name from the wife of one of the founders of Crayola.
In the movie Scarface, the F-word is said 207 time, which works out to an average of 1.22 per minute.
A fear of long words is, ironically, called "Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia."

Information is sorted by category and includes references.

Random, indeed!

Yup. Another meme.

2011-11-12T07:49:00.000-06:00

A pivotal scene of my dad from the movie of my life.

1. Open your musical library
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that’s playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. ~~Don’t lie and try to pretend you’re cool!~~ S'okay if you fast forward a time or two; but this is for posterity; so please, be honest and don't fast forward on every one.

Opening Credits: Four Horsemen - The Clash
Waking Up: Summertime Blues - The Who
First Day At School: Close to Me - The Cure
Falling In Love: Everybody Needs Love - Drive-By Truckers
Fight Song: Way Down in the Hole - Steve Earle
Breaking Up: Dumb - Nirvana
Prom: Heart-Shaped Box - Nirvana
Life: Like an Animal - The Donnas
Mental Breakdown: Atomic Dog - George Clinton
Driving: Alabama - John Coltrane
Flashback: Some Kind of Monster - Metallica
Getting Back Together: You Want It, You Got It - Rancid
Wedding: Wild About My Loving - Imelda May
Birth of Child: Irreplacable - Beyonce
Final Battle: In a Big Country - Big Country
Death Scene: Departure - REM
Funeral Song: My Own Prison - Creed
Remembrance Song: True - Spandau Ballet
End Credits: Oops I Did It Again - Britney Spears

The Scorpions and other stuff

2011-11-11T08:27:00.001-06:00

I totally kicked it old school last night, listened to the Scorpions. For some reason I had a Still Lovin' You earworm that I could not kick. I'm sorry but those German boys were the scheitze back in the day!

Now I have a little problem that maybe you can help me with? I've been running outside for a few weeks & building distance but last night I got on the treadmill & felt like I was going to pass out after less than half a mile. What am I doing wrong?

Finally, what are you still doing here? It's a Friday Fiver day! So get your behind over to the Music Mamas!

I hope this day is good

2011-11-10T08:11:00.001-06:00

There have been some ups & downs lately, and the days are passing by way faster than I need. I could use about 5 hours of bonus time, if the world would kindly stop for that length of time so I could just catch up!

But alas; that's not to be. Probably a good thing. If the world stopped turning? Yikes. Scary, doomsday stuff that.

Anyway. Today, the coffee is hot, the sun is shining and the children are cheerful. So my hopes all boil down to one small song:

Lord, I Hope This Day is Good by Don Williams

Music and Memories

2011-11-09T18:30:00.000-06:00

Good evening, my legion of readers! I don't normally post in the evening, but I've got something to say.

First, let me tell you something you might know: I am a music mama. Not just a music-loving mama, but a full on, official, business card carrying Music Mama (captial-M, captial-M).

See! I really AM a Music Mama!

We have a few new mamas submitting on the Music Mamas site, and yesterday, one of these mamas (a lady known in some circles as the Coastal Chick). She posted her first post this week (cheer for her!).

But what she couldn't have known is that I havent heard that song since I heard my brother in law sing it the last time I was in Wisconsin.
When I was there for my dad's memorial.
Where my brother in law also sang a few tear-filled songs in honor of my dad.
And that today I heard another song that I always thought would remind me of my dad & would be impossible to listen to after his passing.
That I listened to that song while thinking, "hey this isn't so bad; I'm not even crying!" but then as the day wore on, I thought more and more about him and started to get sad.
And then I read her post.
And I heard that song, that song that reminds me of my family. My brother in law. My dad's memorial.

Grief sucks. It comes at you when you don't expect it and effects you in ways that maybe you didn't anticipate. I'm not all weepy / mushy / falling apart, just a bit sentimental.

Thank you, Coastal Chick (a/k/a Kathryn); you are aces in my book.

Oh; here is my brother in law (2nd from left) singing Wagon Wheel with the Bunkhouse Boys (a/k/a, 4 musician-slash-hunters in a cabin in Tomahawk, Wi). Love him.

Singing songs you don't know

2011-11-09T07:24:00.001-06:00

Driving last night, listening to the radio. The song ended and something else came on. The melody was vaguely familiar, but the musical intro was too long, and I started to look for my iPod to plug in and get some music that I like.

But then the lyrics started. And I started to sing along:

When the lights go down in the California town, people are in for the evening / I get in my guitar and throw in my guitar, my heart beatin' time with my breathin'

WTF? How do I know this song?

Stevie Nicks is singing backup. I had to find the song. So I came home, Googled it and came up with "Gold" by John Stewart:

I still don't know how I know this song. Must have been popular with my older sisters in the late 70s, their music was very influential to me.

Reminded me of another song that I used to know, this one was one of my brother's favorites in the early 80s. I spent a little bit of time searching, and thankfully for the internet, I was able to find the song here, "Livin' on the Edge" by Jim Capaldi:

PS, for anyone keeping track, I'm behind on the NABLOPOMO writing prompts; I'll address those later.

It's the end of the world as we know it ...

2011-11-08T07:44:00.002-06:00

Yesterday featured torrential rains, flooding, tornadoes, earthquakes and hail. All within the confines of my state. There is much discussion as to what is causing this havoc wreaking upon us (some say it's end of days, some say it's God angry at us for some reason, some say it's the natural ebb and flow of the earth, some say global climate change). I thought this an appropriate selection.

I skipped the deep-thought nablopomo post yesterday, which was:

How do you balance your children, relationship and work life?

To which I answer: I don't.

The most powerful lesson I've learned as a mother is that there is no way to put everyone first at the same time. You gotta know what needs your attention on any given day & what can be dropped.

So, some days I don't get to the gym because I have to focus on work & the kids. Some days I put work aside so I can go for a run and meet my husband for lunch. Some days I break away for a few hours on a weekend afternoon to go into the office and take care of what needs doing. And, sometimes, I'll even throw chores in there.

I look at the parts of my life like pieces of a puzzle, but most of them are the same size. They can't all fit at the same time; just like I can't focus on everything each day; but every piece gets a chance.

And that's what works for me.

You Get What You Give

2011-11-07T07:40:00.000-06:00

Happy Monday Morning, y'all.

Valley Girl

2011-11-06T09:38:00.001-06:00

I was surfing the free movies on cable in search of a diversion, when what should my wandering eyes uncover?
Valley Girl.
Yup. I took a little fieldtrip into early-80s teenage angstland.

I remember the first time I saw this movie. It knocked me off my feet. I was a young and impressionable 13, I was babysitting at my sister's house and she had HBO. It was my first teen angst movie. I was immediately smitten with Nicolas Cage.
Tommy was her "hot" boyfriend:

Our heroine dances with the floppy-haired Tommy.

Back then, I was all about Randy.
But now? I might be more inclined to chat up Fred.

Randy and Fred check out the scene in the valley.

Anyway, if you haven't seen it? See it.
I was also inspired to download some music after watching this movie (see below). Someone needs to put impulse control on my iTunes! Is that even an option? Or give me like a binary or hexadecimal password that I couldn't possibly remember off the top of my head and would need to write down. But then I would forget where I put that piece of paper when I had a few glasses of wine. That might work.

This is the "prominently-featured first kiss oh how I miss you when we break up for a while like all teen movie couples are wont to do" song.

The song from the "obligatory girls dancing around in their underwear at a slumber party when in fact things like this never happen in real life (apologies to any boys who may have fantasized to the contrary)."
I downloaded this song because I like it and also because it reminds me of the actress Elizabeth Daily, who played a tragic character in the movie (the girl with no self esteem) and also played Dottie in Pee Wee's Big Adventure along with a ton of other roles. I think she's awesome.

Yeah, so this song wasn't in the movie but it came to mind after hearing some of the songs that were in the movie. I would use this song in the movie (disregarding the fact that it came out a few years later). In fact, if it were up to me, I would rescore the whole damn thing. I mean really, Randy should have been listening to some edgy punk when the music they played at his Hollywood club was a variation of the same pop dredge that Julie was listening to at parties in the valley.

But that's a post for another day.

Music Meme interlude

2011-11-05T10:07:00.001-05:00

Go to your iTunes (or what have you). Enter the search term & put the name of the first song that comes up.
Ready?
GO!

Happy: Happy Jack (The Who)

Sad: Sad But True (Transplants)

Love: The Things We Do For Love (10CC)

Hate: She Hates Me (Puddle of Mudd)

Light: One Headlight (The Wallflowers)

Dark: Eclipse (Pink Floyd – Dark Side of the Moon)

Good: Good Lovin’ (The Rascals)

Bad: Bad Attitude (Two Tons of Steel)

Smile: She Wears a Smile (Johnathan Tyler & TheNorthern Lights)

Cry: Jamie’s Cryin’ (Van Halen)

Girl: Brown Eyed Girl (Van Morrison)

Boy: Rough Boy (ZZ Top)

God: God Save the Queen (the Sex Pistols)

Devil: Devil’s Dance (Metallica)

Sex: Sex Type Thing (STP)

Kiss: Kiss Off (Violent Femmes)

Red: Sikamikanico (Red Hot Chili Peppers)

Blue: Behind Blue Eyes (The Who)

Green: Blue in Green (Miles Davis)

White: We’re Gonna Be Friends (White Stripes)

Black: Pot Kettle Black (Tilly & the Wall)

Yellow: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (Elton John)

Orange:Orange Crush (REM)

Mother : Mother (Voice of Addiction)

Father: Father of Mine (Everclear)

Brother: Flowers on the Wall (Statler Brothers)

Sister: Look at Little Sister (Stevie Ray Vaughn)

Daughter: Daughter (Pearl Jam)

Son: After the Storm (Mumford & Sons)

I can haz playlist.

2011-11-04T08:03:00.001-05:00

Damn that Ace Frehley.
I'm minding my own business, feeling a cold coming on, sitting on the couch, watching the Today Show. And then comes Ace Frehley and the obligatory accompanying theme song, Back in the New York Groove.
So, naturally, I made a playlist.

So I got on the laptop & one thing led to another and pretty soon I had a hard-rocking playlist that makes me happy.

The playlist is called "25 Rock Songs" but I gave up after 15 and couldn't change the name. I wanted to call it "you got your cock rock in my peanut butter" but thought that might be offensive. But really, isn't that what it is?

And today's NaBloPoMo prompt:When you are writing, do you use a pen or a computer?
The not simple answer? I use both. Sometimes it's easier to write up a post or a story or what have you the old-fashioned way. Especially if I'm somewhere and don't have my computer available. But sometimes it's easier to spill it all out through the keyboard, where the paragraphs are portable and can be arranged easily.

NaBloPoMo

2011-11-03T07:21:00.000-05:00

So I'm hoping to post every day this month, so that kind of makes me a part of the NaBloPoMo (National Blog Post Month, wherein I post every day for 30 days) movement. I know; you're excited, right?

I tried to do the NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month, wherein I write 3,000 or so words per day and finish a novel at the end of 30 days) challenge a few years prior, but fizzled out after a few days. This, however, maybe I can stick to? Yeah, we'll see.

Anyway! I have a song for you today, too. It's my earworm for today.
Red Hot Chili Peppers, Easily.

But if I do the NaBloPoMo, there are ideas each day for posts and I am not keeping up with those, so please allow me to catch up:

1. What is your favorite part about writing?Catharsis. Writing, for the most part, is a release.

2. If you knew whatever you ate next would be your last meal, what would you want it to be?This is a tough one, because it's totally dependent on when I write this. Right now, I'd like a bottomless cup of coffee and a full breakfast from George Webb's (2 eggs over medium, sausage links AND bacon -- hey, it's my last meal, right? -- white toast with butter, hashbrowns extra crispy with onions and cheese). Ask me closer to lunch and that will change. Ask me tomorrow and I might want yogurt. I love food but am one of those people who like to plan ahead.

3. Can you listen to music and write? What song did you hear today?
Yes, I can listen to music if I'm writing non-fiction but if I'm writing fiction, I need quiet or no lyrics. Otherwise I just start singing along and get distracted.

On work and pork rinds

2011-11-02T06:47:00.003-05:00

Here is what I learned yesterday:

Turtles like pork rinds.
Maybe you shouldn't do what you love for your job.

Which one do you think is driving this post?

I met a former football player who said how he can't remember how long it's been since he watched a football game. Since he was in the NFL and played quarterback this came as a surprise to me; but he said that when he watches a game, he watches the key players and gets back into the mindframe of a quarterback and can't enjoy the game. He said that the NFL killed that little boy in him, the one who dreamed of being a pro football player.

Then I saw a TV show, where a woman was a chef. And she hated to cook at home, because she cooks at work. She's tired of it. This is a woman who became a chef because of her absolute love of food and cooking; she wanted to do something she loved all day, every day.

And there are more stories.

The woman who worked retail and can't enter a store without a mental checklist on the layout of the store, the attitudes of the workers.

The music critic who can't just listen to music for pure pleasure anymore because they are always listening with a critical ear for that point that will make or break the music for them.

But we've all been told that we should do something we love for work and we'll be fulfilled.
I disagree.

But I'm searching for the answer! I want to know how to take something that I love to do and turn that into my business. I love my job now; I'm an editor and a writer and it's really right up my alley, but it's also difficult and when I don't love it? I hate it. Because, let's face it! It's work. And that's why it's called work.

So where do you weigh in on the do what you love argument?

Viva la November!

2011-11-01T07:35:00.000-05:00

Yay for November! A month to chill (I hope) after a month of craziness.

The song for today? Bob Marley, Satisfy My Soul.

Don't rock my boat; 'cause I don't want my boat to be rockin'

72 Days.

2011-10-31T14:22:00.001-05:00

Did you hear the stunning news? Kim Kardashian and husband Kris Humphries are getting a divorce.
The pair married 72 days ago, in a ceremony that cost the family an estimated $500K-$10 million, depending on whose estimate you believe (if any). But, don't feel bad; the wedding had an $18 million payday due to licensing, exclusive photo deals, television specials and comped items (including the $20K+ dress, a $10K+ wedding cake -- that's expensive buttercream! and $400K+ in champagne).

By contrast, I am entering my 20th year of marriage. Similar to Kim and Kris, we had a whirlwind courtship and were married a mere 160 days (give or take) after our first meeting. But the similarities end there. And let's be clear; being known for a bit of excess junk in the trunk is the only other thing that I could every say I've had in common with Kim Kardashian).

After rougly 7,300 days of marriage, I've learned a few things. I've learned that marriage is HARD WORK. Let me repeat that: IT'S HARD WORK. It's not easy. It's 2 completely different people coming together trying to make one life work. And sometimes it's fun. But mostly? It's hard work. There are rough patches and fights and hugs and love and pain and joy and fear and celebrations. It's messy. AND IT'S HARD WORK.

It's not something to take on lightly and then throw it away. It's irresponsible to commit a sum of money that would lift an entire country out of poverty so you have a pretty day that's all about you and how awesome you are.

Nothing against Kim Kardashian. I don't know her. I don't judge her. I just don't get this situation. And this is no disrespect for anyone who is in a marriage that truly doesn't work. But you have to try. Or you have to not get married in the first place. Everyone has their own situation, their own story. But c'mon people; you have to agree that this one? A tiny bit absurd.

By contrast to the aforementioned lavish nuptials, my 20-year marriage began on the foundation of a ceremony that cost us more than $19 dollars! Literally TENS OF DOLLARS! We paid the $20 for the Justice of the Peace. I wore a white party dress purchased from Sears (yes, Sears. Ironically, where the Kardashians have a fashion line) for about $29. Oh, and 3 1/2" white heels (it was the early 90s). Tony wore my grandfather's tie and gray shoes with his black pants because, aside from his uniform, it was the only suitable outfit he had.

We had 2 witnesses (required by law) who came along with us. My flowers were a dozen roses, possibly bought from one of those roadside guys who sell flowers. Afterwards, we went to my squadron picnic where we toasted with domestic beer. Then we headed to the Couryard Marriot for our "honeymoon." Our wedding night dinner? Outback Steakhouse.

So no, I had no sponsors at my marriage; but I'm accepting them now. I'll glady take Apple, as I type this up on a Mac Book; Mini Cooper because I want a new car; Hanes because I need to buy underwear but keep forgetting to go to the store; Coach because I'd like a new purse; Tag Heuer so Tony can get a new watch; Nintendo because the kids really want a new 3DS; and Le Creuset because a kitchen just isn't a kitchen without some nice coated cast-iron cookware. Oh, and also Starbucks Coffee Valet because there should be such a thing that delivers my coffee to me every morning.

Fin.

2011-10-31T07:33:00.002-05:00

So, this is it; October 31st.
Halloween.
The last day of RAWKtober, and therefore the last day of my blog-post-a-palooza.
Or is it?

I'm not done yet! So I hope you will bear with me and continue to visit as I continue to wax poetic about music. Most days. Maybe not every day. Maybe every day. But maybe not. So, to my small handful of readers, will you visit me in November?

Today's song: Limp Bizkit, I Want You to Stay. Secret bonus short song. This might possibly be the only Limp Bizkit song that you see on this blog (though I've posted about Break Stuff before and may write about it in the future as it's good and full of angsty anger), so you know, enjoy it.

Captain Obvious

2011-10-30T08:55:00.001-05:00

Yawn.
So, it's Sunday morning. So yeah, this is the obvious choice, right?

Teenage Dream

2011-10-29T08:47:00.003-05:00

So last night there was a costume party. I dressed as though it were 1985-ish. Tony dressed as a mulleted beer delivery man and I deemed him my teenage self's inappropriately older boyfriend. Made me think of other things that are awesome and also inappropriate.

So today's song? Nick Gilder, Hot Child in the City.

Like, okay, whatever.

2011-10-28T05:00:00.000-05:00

So, in honor of my costume for tonight's Halloween party festivities:

Exhibit A: the awesome costume accoutrements.

I give you the top ten songs of 1985 (according to Billboard):

Careless Whisper, Wham!
Say You, Say Me, Lionel Richie
Separate Lives, Phil Collins & Marilyn Martin
I Want to Know What Love Is, Foreigner
Money for Nothing, Dire Straits
We Are the World, USA for Africa
Broken Wings, Mr. Mister
Everybody Wants to Rule the World, Tears for Fears
The Power of Love, Huey Lewis & the News
We Built This City, Starship

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you define "craptastic" in 10 easy steps.
I am in awe of how horribly awful the music of 1985 was. Surely there was something that soothed my ears back then? Surely I did not listen to all of this, did I? Oh, yes I did. All that AND Rick Springfield.

Ant Music

2011-10-27T07:30:00.002-05:00

Ooh; today we've got a theme!
I blogged about Adam Ant on the Book End Babes blog today, so it's only natural that I post a bit of Adam Ant, yes?
Here you go:

And now for something ... completely different

2011-10-26T07:27:00.001-05:00

Have you ever wondered what you would get if you took Madonna's Ray of Light and mixed it with the Sex Pistols?

Oh I'll tell you what you'd get. You'd get Mark Vidler's mashup Ray of Gob; and it's brilliant.

Visit Vidler's website to listen to his creations and access free downloads. Linkin Park + the Commodores? He's done it. Oh, and he's also the mind behind a mashup that you may have already heard about, the Blondie + the Doors Rapture Riders.

Silver, Blue and Gold

2011-10-25T07:45:00.003-05:00

Been reminiscing a bit, and this song makes me so very reminiscient.
Bad Company, Silver, Blue and Gold
I think Paul Rogers is hands down possibly the best lead singer in rock from this time period.

Eye of the Beholder

2011-10-24T07:47:00.005-05:00

Monday. Morning. Metallica.
Eye of the Beholder because it has some of my mostveryfavorite lyrics.

Do you feel what I feel? Bittering distress. Who decides what you express?

Do you take what I take? Endurance is the word. Moving back instead of forward seems to me absurd

Do you fear what I fear? Living properly. Truths to you are lies to me.

Do you choose what I choose? More alternatives. Energy derives from both the plus and negative.

Do you need what I need? Boundaries overthrown. Look inside, to each his own.

Do you trust what I trust? Me, myself and I. Penetrate the smoke screen, I see through the selfish lie.

Do you know what I know? Your money and your wealth. You silence just to hear yourself.

Do you want what I want? Desire not a thing. I hunger after independence, lengthen freedom's ring.

Run and run and run and run

2011-10-23T12:15:00.002-05:00

I've been back on the track, running again, trying to build distance and not get discouraged by the slow process of rebuilding progress. Age adds another layer of difficulty, with aching joints and muscles that don't heal as quickly as they once did, but still I go on.

I am building excruciatingly slowly, in small increments, hopeful to reach a goal distance that has been just out of my grasp even at my peak running condition. It's not far in the grand scheme of things, but it's far for me. It's a goal.

And I go on.

And I use music to propel me forward. Primarily music with a thumping, throbbing baseline that rings through my headphones like a cadence. Sometimes it's angry punk, with aggressive lyrics that have me lipsynching F-bombs, throwing punches through the air when I don't think anyone is looking. Sometimes it's a dance song that makes me want to fancy my footwork.

And when I need that last little bit of strength and motivation, I play this song.

And I bleed it out. I dig in deeper, just to throw it away.

While My Guitar Genty Weeps

2011-10-22T08:52:00.001-05:00

Beautiful song. Heard it played at a funeral once and haven't really listened to it since, but it came up on shuffle and I just sank into it. Found this stripped-back version and it's great.

Blister in the Sun

2011-10-21T08:14:00.002-05:00

What does it all mean? Hell if I know. But I sing it, LOUDLY, every time I hear it. And it makes me happy.
Today is a day with a bright blue sky & fun on the agenda, so I give you The Violent Femmes, Blister in the Sun.

Genius of Love

2011-10-20T07:38:00.001-05:00

Why Genius of Love by The Tom Tom Club?
1. Because it's a brilliant video.
2. Because whenever I invoke a sonic memory from this song/video, nobody ever knows what I'm talking about and that's just sad.

Reasons

2011-10-19T09:12:00.001-05:00

I've been reading a lot of traffic lately from people questioning if they should continue to blog. They've lost their audience / mojo / inspiration / available time / what have you.
Many of these posts ask the reader: why should I go on? Why should I continue to write for you?
But I fear they are missing the point.
Blogs aren't for you. I don't write for you.
I write for me.
Now, don't get me wrong, I value my readers. I love that people will read something I wrote, listen to or watch something that I post. I value the dialogue that happens when I blog. I am thrilled to have made friends through blogging that have become people I can depend on in real life.
But when I write for you (in the collective sense), it's diluting what I have to say.
And I see the logic behind blogging for a purpose. I have those too; I talk music reviews, book reviews and parenting/life issues on the various blogs that I contribute to.
But this place right here?
All for me.
As always, thanks for reading!

Now for today's song: Head East, Never Been Any Reason

Serious Business

2011-10-18T07:04:00.001-05:00

You ever notice how those hair bands of the 1980s took themselves so seriously?
I don't mean like Slayer or Megadeth or Metallica (those are some serious, hard-core bands), but Ratt and Cinderella and Poison (their band members wore more makeup than I did at the time, and that's saying something).
And then Anthrax just had fun with it. They were funny. Yeah.
So I was going to post an old Ratt song like Wanted Man because it's running through my head, but I think I'll post some Anthrax instead.
It's too damn early to be serious.

PS, when Stallone made Judge Dredd and they didn't use I am The Law in the trailer? It lost complete credibility.

Doo-wacko!

2011-10-17T07:32:00.002-05:00

You get up you get down and you try it again.
Mondays suck.
That is all.

Have you seen this chicken?

2011-10-16T18:56:00.000-05:00

It started innocently enough, as these things do.

With this chicken:

Have you seen this chicken??

It was given to me by my mother. I don't know what it's for. I don't know where she got it from, or where she kept it. But I know that she gave it to me and for years it lived on a shelf in my kitchen.

Then, my good friend Ronda found this guy (or gal?):

Pink. Glass. Chicken.

I have several pieces of pink glass (also from mom) and I also have a chicken, so Ronda put 2 and 2 together and came up with her. And she is as fierce in person as she appears in this photo.

So then, the white and pink chickens lived happily together on a different shelf in the kitchen.

Then one day, while I was out perusing antique stores with another friend, I came upon these little gems:

Teeny-tiny-eensy-weensy glass chickens!

But I did not buy them. Not at that time. After all do I really want to start collecting glass chickens?

Is that who I am? A glass chicken collector? What's next? Teacups? Spoons of the world. No, thank you.

But then ... I found THIS!

Why, yes, that is a giant green glass rooster.

Have you ever!?? I mean really. Because I haven't So I had to have him. Then I went back to the other place to get the babies (I needed them; I mean now I have not just 2 hens but also a rooster), and they all live happily ever after here:

"Still Art with faux flowers and chickens"

So, yeah, I'm that woman of a certain age with the glass chicken collection. And I couldn't be happier.

Spencer saw me take a picture of the tableau and he asked what that was in the background. I told him it was a recipe card handwritten by my grandmother (who died earlier this year). He asked if it was a recipe for chicken. For the record, it's Cranberry Nut Bread, but I gotta admit that a chicken recipe would be pretty funny.

So there you go; the inspiration for today's musical selection of Alice in Chains' The Rooster. How's that for random?

The Rooster

2011-10-16T09:27:00.001-05:00

The song of the day? The Rooster, by Alice in Chains.
I'll explain why later.

Utter Nonsense

2011-10-15T10:17:00.003-05:00

Ess ... Ayy ... Eff ... Eee ... Tee ... Why?
Safe-safe-safe-ty Da-da-da-dance.

The song is nonsense. The band name is nonsense. The video is nonsense.
Awesome, awesome nonsense.

Education

2011-10-14T07:29:00.001-05:00

Today's pick is a twofer!
The Clash, Death or Glory and Lars Fredericksen and the Bastards, To Have and To Have Not
Why?
Because I've been giving my 9-year-old a proper punk rock primer when he told me that he liked these songs.
So enjoy.

and

A little bit of SRV

2011-10-13T07:53:00.002-05:00

Top Ten Lists, random musical trivia

2011-10-12T09:06:00.002-05:00

Fun facts time!

Where were you 20 years ago? I was in between Basic Military Training & my first duty station. I was getting ready to start a whole new life and who knew that just one short year from then, I would be married? Certainly not me.

Here is the Billboard list of Top Ten songs from October 12, 1991.

Emotions (Mariah Carey)
Good Vibrations (Marky Mark)
Do Anything (Natural Selection)
I Adore Mi Amor (Color Me Badd)
Romantic (Karen White)
Something to Talk About (Bonnie Raitt)
Hole Hearted (Extreme)
Love of a Lifetime (Firehouse)
Motownphilly (Boyz II Men)
Everybody Plays the Fool (Aaron Neville)

Where were you 30 years ago? I was in 7th grade, walking over a mile to school through the streets of Milwaukee, on inclement weather days, choosing to use my bus money to buy snacks instead. I remember finding a cigarette purse (remember those?) with my friends & we practiced smoking on the way home one day. The school was old and crumbly but I was young and fresh, so happy to be out of elementary school and growing up. I had a mad crush on Jason Cepanika and Rick Springfield. I went to my first dance and remember listening to what we called jam music for the first time (songs like Pac Jam & Egyptian Lover come to mind).
The Billboard playlist from October 12, 1981.

Endless Love (Diana Ross, Lionel Richie)
Arthur's Theme (Christopher Cross)
Stop Draggin' My Heart Around (Stevie Nicks, Tom Petty)
Who's Crying Now (Journey)
For Your Eyes Only (Sheena Easton)
Step By Step (Eddie Rabbit)
Start Me Up (The Rolling Stones)
Private Eyes (Daryl Hall & John Oates)
Urgent (Foreigner)
Hold on Tight (ELO)

Hmm. I'm thinking I'll take list #2!

Riverwide

2011-10-11T07:05:00.000-05:00

Can't stop singing this one: Sheryl Crow, Riverwide.
I'm not a big Sheryl Crow fan, but I do love the Globe Sessions album.

I spent a year in the mouth of a whale with a flame and a book of signs.
You'll never know how hard I've failed trying to make up for lost time.

Once I believed in things unseenI was blinded by the dark.
Out of the multitude to me he came and broke my heart.

When the dust in the field has flown,and the youngest of hearts has grown, and you doubt you will ever be free, don't bail on me.

River is wide and oh so deep and it winds and winds around.
I dream we're happy in my sleep floating down and down and down.

And the tide rushes by where we stand, and the earth underneath turns to sand, and we're waiting for someone to see, don't bail on me.

Tell ma I loved the maneven though I turned and ran.
Lovely and fine I could have been laying down in the palm of his hand.
Laying down in the palm of his hand.
Laying down in the palm of his hand.
Staying down in the palm of his hand.

In the morning you wait for the sun, and secretly hope it won't come, but time washes everyone clean, honey now, don't bail on me.
Don't bail on me.
Don't bail on me.

Monday Music

2011-10-10T09:24:00.000-05:00

Nirvana "In Utero" 20th anniversary + rainy Monday = Nirvana Unplugged, Oh Me

No shame in my game

2011-10-09T16:58:00.000-05:00

Last night was karaoke night!
So I have a clip from my version of Tainted Love, recorded for all 6 of you to enjoy. But I can't figure out how to upload it.

For me, karaoke is 99.9% swagger, .1% ability. Since I don't have the video evidence to upload, I will share a photo:

Singing "Tainted Love" quite poorly; but loudly, and with enthusiasm.

Good times, y'all.
Good.
Times.

Rawktober: karaoke night

2011-10-08T17:17:00.000-05:00

Today's song? In honor of tonight's planned karaoke outing: Georgia Satellites, Keep Your Hands to Yourself.

The first song I ever sang karaoke to, it holds a special place in my heart. XO

Today's a Tom Petty day

2011-10-07T07:05:00.000-05:00

Rejoice in the relative awesomeness that is Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

For Whom the Bell Tolls

2011-10-06T07:21:00.000-05:00

Scene: my living room, 7:00am, post-workout. Morning news on. Laptop on coffee table, nearly empty cup of coffee to my left. Cross trainers on the floor between my feet.
Open iTunes (thank you and rest in peace, Steve Jobs).
Click "shuffle" and then click "play."
Fast forward.
Fast forward.
Fast forward.
Fast forward.
Wait! That's the ticket, yeah.
For Whom the Bell Tolls, Metallica.

Random playlist, made of WIN

2011-10-05T07:02:00.000-05:00

So, yesterday was a busy day. An in the car all day kind ofday. Work and errands and run-run-run day. Dropped off the kids & headed tomy meeting, fast-forwarding through my iPod to find a good song to keep merunning. Up comes “Jam On It” (ja-ja-ja-ja-ja-jam on it!) and that makes methink of “White Lines” (which I have from the same compilation album, and is ofthe same genre) so I hit the little button to bring up similar songs (becauseI’m driving and searching through the songs would be dangerous), but I did notget “White Lines.” I got something even better.

I got a playlist of songs that made me say “holy crap!” atevery other song that popped up. Random, fun and inspirational (okay, that’s astretch—but it did inspire this post!). Songs I hadn’t heard in years (withabout 5K songs in my stash, there are some that don’t get to dance very often)and some that I fast forwarded through and did not listen to (sorry, Styx!).

So here is my random playlist made of WIN for a busy Tuesday.Some songs I like more than others, some were not welcome and show me that Ineed to vet my digital music library, but most of them just made me sing along.

1. Jam On It(Newcleus)
The song that started it all

2. Nobody’sFool (Cinderella)
Love Cinderella! Saw them with Bon Jovi in 1984

3. Spill theWine (Eric Burden & The Animals)
One of the best songs EVER

4. Warrior(Scandal)
Random; the video immediately pops into my head

5. Runaway(Bon Jovi)
The single Bon Jovi song in my stash

6. Big Time(Peter Gabriel)
Eww, this one has got to go

7. Too MuchTime on My Hands (Styx)
This one too

8. 18 &Life (Skid Row)
Oh, Sebastian Bach! What luscious lips you have!

9. In the Dark(Billy Squier)
Turn that one up. More! Yeaaaah!

10. Beautiful Girls(Van Halen)
... I was a seaside sittin, just a smokin & a drinkin ...

11. Far Behind(Candlebox)
Wow. Who knew I had this song in there?

12. Talk Dirtyto Me (Poison)
Poison? Really? Why do I have this? Oh well [gives up & sings along]

13. Jungle Love(Steve Miller Band)
Nice!

14. Caught UpIn You (38 Special)
What ever happened to 38 Special?

15. Shake Me(Cinderella)
... all! night! long! ...

16. Goodbye toYou (Scandal)
This has karaoke possibilities ... wow, she sings fast

17. Crimson& Clover (Joan Jett & the Blackhearts)
Great cover of a great song

18. In YourEyes (Peter Gabriel)
... in your eyes, the resolution of all my fruitless searches ... Oh, what Gen X girl doesn't get swoony at this song and Lloyd Dobler with his boombox held aloft? Would not be the same with a tiny little iPod.

19. The BeautifulPeople (Marilyn Manson)
Unexpected

20. And theCradle Will Rock (Van Halen)
Love me my old-school VH

21. ShootingStar (Bad Company)
Best. Song. Ever.

22. Babe (Styx)
*fast forward*
I got home before these last few songs played, but they were still on the list!

23. Bad to theBone (George Thorogood)

24. Cumbersome(7 Mary 3)

25. Hey ManNice Shot (Filter)

This playlist? Makes no sense. From an early 1980s hip hop songt this playlist? Makes me think I need to update the settings on my music.However, I love an unexpected musical pairing; when you have the sweetness of “InYour Eyes” up against the harshness of “The Beautiful People.” It works.

So I did! And got the same results.

Ilove random crap.

I told you it was random music month

2011-10-04T06:46:00.000-05:00

And here's what I pulled today.
C+C Factory, Things that that make you go hmm...

I'm right back in the club, just out of basic training, dancing very badly.

Monday Music

2011-10-03T07:14:00.001-05:00

Today's random song pick: The Who with Squeeze Box.
And just for fun, I found this version by Tenacious D.
Rock on, Monday morning.

Useless crap? or Truly awesome?

2011-10-02T08:02:00.001-05:00

So, once upon a time, I wrote a post wherein I lamented the fact that I did not have this hat:


Because? It's true. My brain is stuffed to the rafters with useless information.

Then, yesterday, I'm minding my own business and happen upon a truly awesome new store in the mall (how 1986 is that?), a store with lots of fun & crazy hipster crap. And that's where I found this:

An awesome place in which to store all of my useless crap.

I shall just call it the tin box of happiness. Because it's so damn awesome.
So, it's still ROCKTOBER! Let's pick a song.
Today it's Jonathon Taylor & The Northern Lights with Pardon Me.

OOh, bluesy and delicious. Give them a try if you haven't already.

Randomly Rocktober

2011-10-01T09:57:00.002-05:00

Yay! I love October. And I love Rocktober.
Today's randomly generated song?
Rich Girl by Hall & Oates
No matter where you fall on the debate, it can't be denied that this little duo put out some ass-kicking blue-eyed soul in their time. And also some questionable pop songs. But for today, let's focus on what made them awesome, mmkay?

The post I stole from Ri

2011-09-14T10:17:00.000-05:00

So Ri made up a meme yesterday (go ahead, read it here; I'll wait.).

Backing up a bit: I started the BIG MOVIE MADNESS series and then, well, didn't finish it. I did a few posts, and wrote a few that just didn't make it beyond the 'draft' stage.

Clearly this was not the right choice.

So then, Ri posted this aforementioned meme, and I just can't resist a meme.
And since I already turn to music for thearpy, it just fits.

So here goes: the one about the general questions asked in therapy, as answered by my music collection:

So, what brings you here?
Empty Spaces (Pink Floyd)... What shall we use to fill the empty spaces where we used to talk? ...
Have you ever seen a counselor before?
Edge of Seventeen (Stevie Nicks)
... (S)he was no more than a baby then / seemed broken-hearted / something within him ...
What is the problem, from your viewpoint?
American Dream (P. Diddy & the Bad Boy family featuring David Bowie)... My country 'tis of thee, where there's no liberty, just misery, yo ...
How does this problem typically make you feel?
Gangster Tripping (Fatboy Slim)
... C'mon, we gotta dig that gangsta shit! ...
What makes the problem better?
Wearing & Tearing (Led Zeppelin)... When you've worn away the cure, you know, go back to the country ...
If you could wave a magic wand, what positive change would you make happen in your life?
Us & Them (Pink Floyd)... With / Without / and who'll deny it's what the fighting's all about? ...
Overall, how would you describe your mood?
Good Times Ain't What They Used to Be (Jamey Johnson)... and I thank God, Lord, the good times ain't what they used to be ...
What do you expect from the counseling process?
Blackened (Metallica)... opposition / contradiction / premonition / compromise ...
What would it take to make you feel more contented, happier, more satisfied?
Terrible Lie (NIN)... I want so much to believe ...
Do you consider yourself to have a low, average or high interpersonal IQ?
Sex Machine (James Brown)... the way I like it is, is the way it is ...
What did you think was accomplished in this session?
What Would Mama Say (Shannon Curfman)
... what would mama say if she could see the mess I made? ...

Up

2011-09-08T08:20:00.000-05:00

ME: Lauren, what's your favorite movie?

Lauren: Barbie & the Mermaid Princess.

ME: What else?

Lauren: Barbie & the Diamond Castle.

ME: What else that isn't a Barbie movie?

Lauren: Up.

Now, that's something I can get behind.

Spencer loved it for the balloons. Lauren loved it for the adventure. I loved it for Ed Asner.

* Intermission *

2011-09-07T18:18:00.002-05:00

Because I didn't post today!
Will be back tomorrow.

Wayne's World. Or was it My Cousin Vinny?

2011-09-06T07:23:00.000-05:00

In early March of 1992, on our first actual date, my husband & I went to see Wayne's World after having dinner at Ruby Tuesday's restaurant. This would continue to be a pattern in our married life when we got married (160 days after we met).

Or did we?

I can't remember if we saw Wayne's World or My Cousin Vinny (another funny one). I remember he bought me a Wayne's World poster for my dorm room, which makes me lean that way, but I also thought I went to see Wayne's World with my roomie before our date happened. He remembers Wayne's World. I can't remember which movie we saw. I know we saw them both. Along with many, many others.

The Right Stuff

2011-09-05T05:00:00.000-05:00

This is one of my husband's favorites. He made me watch it when I protested and I liked it too. But it has the most meaning to me as the one that we use in the DVD player when we move (or buy a new TV) and need to test out the surround sound.

That bit where Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier is perfect for this application.

And it's a movie that everyone needs to be familiar with, if only to know that it's being spoofed in Monsters, Inc. when the monsters report to the scare floor.

Coming to America.

2011-09-04T05:00:00.002-05:00

Sexual Chocolate! Soul Glo! You go to Queens to find your queen! McDowell's!

Coming to America. This movie is not a guilty pleasure, it's just a pleasure. C'mon, Eddie Murphy in his prime (1988), plus Arsenio when he was funny, James Earl Jones as the king. I love this movie.

You can always find plenty of laughs in a fish out of water story, and this one takes Eddie Murphy's prince out of Zamunda and puts him in New York, searching for true love.

I spent hours upon hours listening to Eddie Murphy's comedy routine on LP or cassette when I was a teen, and this movie really taps into his comedic abilities in a great way. It's got sight gags and bad jokes, misunderstandings and naivety. I think this movie is tons of fun.

Plus, there are fun goodies that you can catch if you look closely.

The bums that pick up the money that Eddie Murphy's Prince Akeem drops are the Duke Brothers from Trading Places, the movie where Eddie's character is responsible for the brothers losing their money.
This is Cuba Gooding Jr.'s first movie - he's in the barber shop scene.
Eddie Murphy & Arsenio Hall each play 4 characters in the movie in various scenes.

Fargo.

2011-09-03T05:00:00.000-05:00

This is a movie I love to watch in the heat of the summer, because those cold, barren show-filled scenes just chill my toes like nothing else out there.

I love this movie. Marge is my hero. I quote from it daily. It was one of my dad's favorites also (because he was awesome). And the accents, though they sound totally contrived, are actually fairly accurate. I love that up-north sound.

Steve Buscemi is brilliant, and I'm sure he's 99% of the reason we went to see this movie when it came out, a few years post-Pulp Fiction (but that's a whole 'nother day's post).

And what I loved almost as much as the movie? Frances McDormand's strut across the stage to accept her Oscar.

Memorable quotes:

Yeah, kinda funny-lookin.
Hon! Prowler needs a jump!
Go Bears.
So, I'm tendin' bar there at Ecklund and Swedlin's last Tuesday, and this little guy's drinkin' and he says, "So where can a guy find some action? I'm goin' crazy out there at the lake." And I says, "What kinda action?" and he says, "Woman action, what do I look like?" And I says, "Well, what do I look like, I don't arrange that kinda thing," and he says, "But I'm goin' crazy out there at the lake," and I says, "Well, this ain't that kinda place."
And I guess that was your accomplice in the wood chipper.
You alright there, Margie? Oh, I just think I'm gonna barf... Well, that passed. Now I'm hungry again.

An Affair to Remember

2011-09-02T05:00:00.002-05:00

As a kid, I watched those old, romantic black & white movies on TV on the weekends. You remember, back in the day when we had like 5 channels that you had to get up, walk across the room, and turn a dial (or two) to select? Good times.

The movies have all kind of bled together to be one, bit black & white tale, but some scenes have stood out in my head.

I remember this scene from a movie, clearly. The characters were on a hillside in Italy. Was it someone's yard? Was it a town square? I couldn't remember, but the scenery with the impossibly tall trees and picturesque surroundings stuck with me.

Then I saw An Affair to Remember. And there was the scene, when Deborah Kerr's Terry meets the grandmother of Cary Grant's Nickie. This is followed by an epic cruise across the ocean where these star-crossed lovers, both engaged to others, fall love. They plot to disentangle themselves from their faultless sweethearts and meet again at the top of the Empire State Building.

But it wasn't to be.

This is called the most romantic film of, well, ever. Who am I to disagree? It also served as the inspiration for the meeting of the main couple in Sleepless in Seattle, including a memorable, tearful scene of dialogue between Meg Ryan & Rosie O'Donnell.

Stand By Me

2011-09-01T05:00:00.001-05:00

It's only appropriate that I start with this movie, as the "barf-o-rama" scene inspired the “blog-o-rama” name. And? It was on TV this weekend so I felt it was meant to be.

So many great things about this movie. Great actors, great dialogue, great soundtrack.

And (bonus), it's based on a book. But not just any book, a book (okay, short story) by Stephen King, who paints incredible pictures with his tales that often don't translate properly to the screen but never fail to move readers. This adaptation was truly a success.

Maybe because I was 16 when this movie came out, and not much older than these boys were in the movie, it's a movie that's always resonated with me.

Random trivia:

In the special features, Stephen King revealed that the leeches scene was real; it had happened to him (ouch).
River Phoenix, who was genius as Chris Chambers, originally auditioned for Gordie. Rob Reiner made the decision to cast him as Chris (smart man).
Corey Feldman has stated that the character of Teddy is actually closest to his real personality and life events at that age.
The boys' reaction to the "dead body" is real; they weren't allowed to see him until he was unveiled for the camera.

Blog-o-Rama

2011-08-24T16:44:00.000-05:00

Okay, so last year I posted a quote a day for the month of September, to gear up for the month of

ROCKTOBER!

(emphasis added)

During this month, which may be known simply as "October" to you, I post a different music-themed blog post each day. Either a random song, an ode to a CD or musician or playlist or what have you.

This year, I'm going to try something different.

This September, it's going to be all about the movies.

I shall endeavor to write a post each day about a random movie from my collection of movies.

I'll share some information about that movie and ask for your comments about said movie.

If I had a giveaway to offer you, I would offer a giveaway for the wittiest reply to the question that begs answer:

What shall we call this festival of movies?

SCREENTEMBER?!

MOVIE MADNESS!?

All I can offer is my undying gratitude should anyone come up with an awesome answer to that question.

Wish me luck, and don't forget to leave me lots of comments for encouragement as I'm notorious for starting projects and then not

Got nuffin'

2011-08-23T17:57:00.000-05:00

It's been a hideously long time since I posted, so here is the obligatory meme post to fill space until I get some damn original ideas!

Random photo of birds.
In my head they're all doing the DeNiro in Taxi Driver "You talkin' to me?" scene.

Number of songs: 4,724 (I deleted about 100 or so when my computer crashed)
Total amount of time it would take to listen to your iTunes: 13 days (too bad my iPod battery doesn't last that long!)
Top 10 Most Played Songs (No Repeat Artists):

No Time (the Heavy)
It's Tricky (Run DMC)
Be Near Me (ABC)
Rolling in the Deep (Adele)
The Shortest Straw (Metallica)
My Best Friend's Girl (The Cars)
Wrong 'Em Boyo (The Clash)
Girlfriend (Matthew Sweet)
Try it Again (The Hives)
Little Rude Girl (Lars Fredericksen and the the Bastards)

First Five Songs That Come Up On Shuffle:

Authority (Goldfinger)
Naked Sunday (Stone Temple Pilots)
London Calling (The Clash)
Pet Sematary (The Ramones)
Wanna Be Startin' Something (Michael Jackson)

Search (how many songs come up):

“sex”: 33
“love”: 289
“you”:561
“death”: 17
“hate”: 19
“wish”: 21
“dream”: 34

"Hipster."

2011-07-27T12:31:00.003-05:00

“Hipster.” The very mention of the word makes some roll their eyes or cringe. But what does it mean?

According to the Urban Dictionary (urbandictionary.com), here is but a mere section of their definition of a hipster (and why it does or doesn't apply to me):

... a subculture of men and women typically in their 20's and 30's (escaped that one by being too old)
that value independent thinking (totally),
counter-culture (don't think I qualify!),
progressive politics (yup),
an appreciation of art and indie-rock (I’m more punk than indie but I do own Vampire Weekend),
creativity, intelligence, and witty banter (Witty banter and sarcasm are my middle name, yo)
... Hipsters reject the culturally-ignorant attitudes of mainstream consumers, and are often be seen wearing vintage and thrift store inspired fashions (love that Mad Men era - sweater sets, pearls and such; plus I have an affinity for flannel which speaks more to my blue-collar Wisconsin background than it does to hipster),
tight-fitting jeans, old-school sneakers (old school shoes rock! I'll never give up my Doc Martens & most recent shoe purchase? Vintage Frye boots),
and sometimes thick rimmed glasses (I have both the black and brown tortoise Ray Ban frames because I can't wear contacts anymore).
Both hipster men and women sport similar androgynous hair styles that include combinations of messy shag cuts (for now)
tend to be well educated and often have liberal arts degrees, or degrees in maths and sciences, which also require certain creative analytical thinking abilities (nope; basic one-size-fits-all business management degree... but I am planning for my grad degree).

And did I mention that I have totally been photographed with a can of Pabst Blue Ribbon? But truthfully, that is more in homage to my dad, who is the original PBR-swilling cowboy hipster.

Dad was rarely without his cowboy hat or his Pabst Blue Ribbon.

Hipsters don't sound so bad to me, if you stay away from the negative stereotypes. Just like with any label... like forty-something stay at home mom.

Amy Winehouse.

2011-07-23T15:07:00.000-05:00

The reports say that she possibly died from a drug overdose, but they are unconfirmed.
But the hits are coming.
How can you not make the obligatory "Rehab" jokes if the death was possibly an overdose?
The sin is that her amazing talent will be overshadowed by the irony.

This is how I will choose to remember Amy Winehouse. Smart, fiery, tattooed & functional. She was an amazing singer and songwriter. Her songs were, well, music to my ears. I love her music.
She came on the scene when I had a lot of craziness in my life and her music eased me through my troubled times. Her songwriting had a tongue-in-cheek quality to it even while she tackled big, tough subjects like drugs and infidelity.
I won't remember the crazy drug-addled Amy Winehouse, pictured stumbling down the streets of London in soiled ballet flats, packet of Marlboros in hand. I won't remember the strung out Amy Winehouse, recorded in concert screwing up her lyrics and unable to finish her performance.
Too many people will remember that.
Instead, I'll listen to my CDs and think of the amazing talent that we are lucky enough to have.
Be at peace, Amy. At last.

Because it's too long for a Facebook status update.

2011-07-05T18:12:00.000-05:00

News story #1: The United States is about to fail, financially, seemingly because the government cannot come to an agreement, largely over tax issues regarding corporations and the very rich.
No cooperation.
#fail

News story #2: Two separate sports entities are squaring off over how they are going to divide amongst & within themselves roughly $20 billion.
Unable to see the big picture (like the thousands of low-wage earning Americans who will be negatively impacted by their inability to cooperate).
#fail

In my kitchen: My son asked for a napkin. My daughter handed it to him.
Cooperation.
#winning

Go the **** to Sleep.

2011-06-28T10:30:00.000-05:00

Have you seen this book yet? It's a bedtime story but not for children. And it's causing a stir.

Through Twitter this morning, I saw a post about how this book is horrible; how this possibly encourages abusive behavior. How parents never read bedtime stories to their children anymore.

Really?

You got all that from this book? Have you read this book?

I take issue with that. I think this book is brilliant. Hilarious. And? I'm a good parent.

I read to my kids, read to them at bedtime until they didn't want me to read to them at bedtime anymore & now they read their own books, thank you very much. There is an expert quoted in the article stating the "fact" that "most kids don't get read to at all when they go to sleep." There is a connection drawn between this humorous book for adults and children's literacy. Really?

How does that compute? Because a parent has a (admittedly slightly warped) sense of humor their child is doomed? The book's author is chastised in this piece because "his book accurately portrays the hostile environment in which too many children grow up." Really? Should we ban cookbooks because some people don't have enough to eat?

And no, my kids won't be reading this book. Nor will I be reading it to them. Because it's not meant for them.

It's satire, folks. It's for the parenting demographic that, regardless of their best efforts, has a child who will not go to bed. No matter how tired he is. No matter how firmly you tell him. I know that there are times in my head when some of the pages from the books could have been easily pulled from my head. Such as this line that was quoted in the news story:

"The eagles who soar thru the sky are at rest
And the creatures who crawl, run and creep.
I know you are not thirsty. That's bulls**t.
Stop lying.
Lie the f*** down, my darling, and sleep."

And many of the parents I know (good parents) feel the same way.

I agree with the author of this article that it's horrible that children are abused, sometimes at the hands of their parents. But I don't think it's fair to pin that on this book.

Shallow, slightly ranty, Thoughts

2011-06-27T21:56:00.000-05:00

I've been wracking my brain. Surely there's something to write about, right? I mean, for a while there I was doing great with the blog posts. But I just dont know what to say right now (that hasn't already been said here, here or here). I got nothing.

So then I was walking out to the beer fridge (the "garage-located electric beverage cooler" for you non-beer-drinkers out there) & I thought to myself:

How is it that Bristol Palin can have a whole frickin' memoir and I can't write a damn blog post?!?

I mean, really. I'm twice her age, have twice the number of kids and twice the number of husbands but half as many domineering mothers (yes, my math is sketchy. Whatever.).

And I don't mean to pick on her, I just mean to say that the fact that I have so little to say makes me wonder how it is that someone so young (yes, I could also be talking to you, 3D movie having Justin Bieber) could have so much to say.

I propose a new rule - don't open your mouth until you've got something to say.
And that's all I've got to say.

Sailing

2011-06-16T18:38:00.000-05:00

As in "~~Rummage~~ Yard Sailing."

The kids were safely tucked into VBS and Mama needed a little downtime. So, with a good friend, a refreshing cup of iced coffee and a wallet full of small bills, we set off for a morning of ~~rummage~~ yard sales.

We were at the first location and it appeared to be a bust for me. I had spent time in the previous weeks perusing lovely antique stores in Wisconsin, finding amazing deals in glassware and handkerchiefs. These castoffs were not doing it for me today.

"You know you have to pop the cherry & find the first sale or else you're not going to find anything," my friend wisely advised. So I heaved a sigh and made a second lap of the crap. And that's when I found it.

A set of these bad boys, 1-15 (but not #9 .... #9 ... #9 ... oh you get it. And if you don't? That's okay too), for just $5. They looked very much like a set of books that I had as a kid and I asked the sellers if they minded if I unwrapped the kitchen string to take a look at a few of the volumes.

One of the ladies said: "I know it took her a long time to wrap those up, but if you want to mess 'em up, go right ahead." Really? Because, remember - it was kitchen string.

I looked at this first volume and though the cover was not the same, the innards were. I gave a little *squee* of delight and said they were exactly what I was looking for (this was before I noted the missing #9). The other lady said: "I wish I had priced them higher."

Oh yeah? Well you didn't And for $5 they were mine. You keep your crappy attitude; I'll take your books. These are based on the Sesame Street Library books from the 1970s, of which I had one. It looked like this one on the right. The Treasury is slightly different, but much of the content is the same. And I've wanted those books. Coveted them. Searched online for them and hoped to run across them. Then, I forgot about them. But today I found them.

I don't remember what happened to that original Library book that I had, but I do know that a few years ago when my son was very young, one of my sisters found one at a ~~yard~~ rummage sale and bought it for us. I *squeed* with delight then, too.

As a kid I dreamed of having all of these books, which were filled with fun chapters of recipes, crafts, stories and more. I don't know if it was because we didn't have the money to put into this series, or if I only got the first one that they usually sent as a freebie to lure you into buying the rest of them, but I had only the first one.

Now, I'm just looking for #9.
:)

Road Trips

2011-06-02T16:13:00.000-05:00

Who doesn't love a road trip?

Back in the day, it was all about the finely-crafted mix tape. You didn't want to have to carry a buttload of tapes around, and you wanted to have all your songs on one tape so you didn't have to swap tapes in the middle of a moment. Or should I say "moment." Because they were heavy like that. I spent countless afternoons tooling around the backroads of my home state, best friend at my side, as we discussed the meaning of life, guys and music. Not necessarily in that order.

The gold standard was a well-planned 120 minute tape full of your favorites, crossing genres and time frames, one song seamlessly flowing into another. Songs that you mixed in such a way that whenever you heard one song, you had to hear the other. Like We Will Rock You & We are the Champions. Or Heartbreaker & Livin', Lovin' Maid. Or those 2 Journey songs that always go together.

But my roadtrips have been upgraded, thanks to an auxiliary-audio-equipped car & a digital library of 5,000+ songs that fit in my pocket.

Swoon.

And I love the feature that will find the songs that fit the mood of the song you selected before you pushed the button. Want some 80s alternative? Cue up Midnight Oil & hit the button for some high-hair memories. Looking to dip into some old-school road songs? Start with Marshall Tucker Band & open the windows.

The best part? I recreated those old mix tapes of my misspent youth through saved playlists, so I can always access the days of cheap beer and cheaper hairspray.

Happy Birthday

2011-05-23T22:35:00.000-05:00

May 24. Dad's birthday.

But this year, dad's not here. He passed last month and will be missed. So I'm doing a post in honor of dad.
In honor of dad & his upcoming memorial, I purchased the following:

They're real & they're spectacular.

I bought them special for the memorial. When I heard that Dad's boots were given away, it shook me to a degree that I wasn't expecting. This was a way that I could address that, to continue the tradition myself.

Then, I had this sweater from my dad. My mom had relegated it to the trash bin but I rescued it. Yes, the elbows were worn clean through, but it was an awesome cardigan. I wore it often in high school and even after, to work, a few times. I washed it to try to salvage it and it shrunk; the old, pure merino wool was no match for the water. So I purposely washed it in hot water & felted it. And kept it in a closet for years. But this weekend, I made this:

Yeah, it's a sweater pillow!

I need to search my photos to find one of dad wearing this ... he wore it in the early 1980s for our family church portrait. I know a copy of this still exists, somewhere. I'm thankful that I held onto this old thing, and love the tangible object it's become.

And finally. Of course. It's all about the music.

I was raised music. There is very little country music that I can listen to without it bringing a swift memory of my childhood, a visual of my dad in his cowboy hat, PBR close at hand, playing his air guitar.

So I leave you with this playlist and ask that you say a prayer, toast your drink, tip your hat or just keep a kind thought for Ralph today.

Drafts File #2: Random stuff I want to write about books

2011-05-13T16:14:00.000-05:00

Officially, this is the 2nd of the "drafts file" posts. But I did something & deleted the first one (which was not really that interesting, anyway). I found this draft, from 2007.
Enjoy!

So I went out to amazon.com to look for something - I can't even remember what it was now - and I see that the new Harry Potter book has presold over 611,000 copies. Are you freaking kidding me? It this absurd or am I a player hater?

So yesterday I'm getting the kids' lunches ready for school (lunchables/juice box/carrots/grapes for inquiring minds), and I am thinking of those adorable little football-headed babies in Free to Be You & Me - because that's how I roll, crap like that just lives in my head.

And so then I went to Borders (because that's what I do when my kids are in school and I don't have a pressing deadline - I cruise book stores). I was looking for a Henry Rollins book (an adventure in and of itself - I'm in Oklahoma and his books are not easy to find. Why didn't I just buy it off the Internet? I'm too tactile. I like to touch the books before I buy them. Thank you for taking this tangent with me, please exit to your left). I come across this other book in the same section, called Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life. It's literally a book this chick wrote about how ordinary her life is, in encyclopedia form. So what, right. So I am wandering Borders and enjoying myself, looking for more books and this one keeps calling me back. So I figure "what the hell" and I grab it and sit at a table to read through it. I figured it would be relevant, I like to read a lot of memoir-type books because I like to write that kind of stuff.

I flip through pages and land on page 104 where the entry reads Free to Be ... You and Me. I know - freaky, right? So of course I bought it. I quickly changed my opion from so what to so awesome. She's my new BFF .

Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life (Amy Krouse Rosenthal): $13.00
Do I Come Here Often (Henry Rollins): $12.00
Siddhartha (Hermann Hesse): $8.95
Getting validation through an obscure reference to the never ending babble that runs through my brain: priceless.

Let there be questions

2011-05-09T18:36:00.000-05:00

Nothing to write about here, emotionally drained and bordering on going all emo. Talked too much about recent drama, and need a break from it.

So bring on the random questions.

What is your favorite breakfast cereal? Captain Crunch or Cocoa Pebbles (NOT Krispies or Puffs).
What is your favorite class from high school? As they had no class in angst, I will go with Creative Writing.
What is your favorite color? Green. And black. But not in a "I see a red door and I want to paint it black" kind of way. I just look good in black.
What is your favorite flower? Lilacs. And morning glories. The flowers that were all around the house I grew up in.
How do you vent anger? Running (that's the good answer). Drinking (that's the bad answer). Yelling (that's the too honest answer). Listening to music (honest but also socially acceptable). Writing (because that's what I do).

Hat of awesome

2011-04-24T21:48:00.000-05:00

Seriously. Someone really crafty needs to make me a hat like that. I mean in real life. Because I just made this one on PowerPoint. Yes, PowerPoint.

Waxing poetic about vinyl

2011-04-12T12:57:00.001-05:00

I love records. True vinyl, 45 or 33 rpm were a huge part of my life. My earliest memory of vinyl was the stack of children's records that I owned, courtesy of my older sisters and brother. There was one that was made up of kids songs, there was a teacher and a classroom full of kids who sang their adventures. It was sassy and I loved it. They did a "hot potato" song and one boy (whom I thought was awesome, based on his voice, and I wanted to marry him in the way that only a 7 year old girl can want to) who sang the alphabet. BACKWARDS. Swoon.

I had a "Mickey and the Beanstalk album" and I can still sing songs from it. My children picked up the DVD from the library one day and I almost wept from the familiarity of it. There were also titles from Chuck Berry (possibly not so child-friendly. I remember loving listening to "My Ding-a-ling" but not knowing why it was dirty, just knowing that it was). I moved on to listening to my parents' records (Waylon, Haggard, et. al.)

Then my sister dated a man who owned a bar. With a DJ booth. And, even better than the friend who gave her the suitcases filled with Barbie castoffs years earlier, this time I got stacks of records. Oh swoon indeed.

But these were the albums that were foisted on me; not the music of my own choosing. So when I did finally get to go out and choose a record for myself?

Rick Springfield.

Whatever. Don't judge. I was 10! He was awesome. I continued to listen to records all through these formative years, making mix tapes with my stand-alone blue jean-covered record player and my portable tape player.

Days went by. We moved to the suburbs. I became a teenager. I developed my own tastes. And I fell in love with the local record store. It was eclectic and interesting and intimidating and in the old downtown part of town where there were funky storefronts and people who seemed cooler than me. I spent much of my formative years here in this record store, perusing the bins and watching as the cassettes overtook the vinyl, finally giving way to CDs ("they'll never catch on," I remember saying). When they sold the store posters I picked up a movie poster from "Pink Floyd the Wall" that I still have hanging around somewhere.

What I remember most about this record store was buying my first copy of Led Zeppelin IV (which I still own today, along with a slim stash of others that I couldn't bear to part with. This may or may not include Motley Crue, Dokken and several Rick Springfield titles).

Back in the day, you had to work for your information. You didn't just hear a song, Google the lyrics and download the digital version in the space of 10 minutes. These were the days when you'd have songs rolling around in your head and you'd bug everyone you met asking them if they'd heard of that snipped of lyric before and did they know where you could find that song.

So why the ramble? Well, April 16 (that's this coming Monday) is Record Store Day, when record stores around the country encourage you to visit and enjoy some family-friendly fun. You can find more details here, including a list of participating stores, so you can find one in your area.

So what are you waiting for? Get thee to the record store and reminisce about your musical past.

Today's 5 Random Questions

2011-04-10T08:20:00.000-05:00

Who was the last person to call you?
Tony
What is your favorite thing about your work?
I get to meet awesome people and I get to make a magazine every month! This is sometimes the best and worst thing about it ... it's stressful. But I love it.
Have you ever been to the Grand Canyon?I have not. But I hope to!
What is your favorite romantic comedy?Used to be it was When Harry Met Sally. But now I would possibly say P.S. I Love You.
What was the first thing you thought this morning?Holy crap, it's humid.

I'm running out of things to say. I hardly post anymore, and I don't know how to continue.
I don't want to not post, but I'm not filled with righteous indignation about anything so I don't post that often. I have a place to put my music thoughts and a place to put my book thoughts and a place to put my parenting thoughts. So where does that leave me?

Usually this is the place where I do a bit of ranting, but I'm feeling oddly rant-free. Is this the beginning of a kinder, gentler me?

Yikes, I certainly hope not!

Five more times

2011-03-27T09:56:00.000-05:00

Here are five more drops of randomness:

Have you ever cut your own hair?Yes; but not to the spectacular effect that my daughter did!

Have you ever been on a motorcycle?Yes; and when I finally break into the big time as a published novelist, my gift to myself shall be a Sportster (as below). But I'm kind of a wuss about adventure as I get older, so I may lean more toward a convertible Mini Cooper.

What is your favorite battle scene from a movie?
Ooh, most definitely the big shootout from Desperado. A guitar case that is also a machine gun? Brilliant!

What are you doing tomorrow?Living the dream, folks. Living. The. Dream.

Where were you on September 11, 2001?We had just arrived at our new base, staying in a hotel & getting ready to live life in OKC. I was pregnant with my first child & it was quite a shock (to say the least).

You know when you're really tired & just kind of ramble?

2011-03-23T18:15:00.002-05:00

I'm having a day like that. So here are five random bits of randomness, taken from other random blogs where they had a ton of different questions about, you know, random crap.

What is your favorite music when you want to get your groove on?
Old-school dance tunes such as that which would have possibly been played in the 1980s.
Ten awesome tracks:
1. Here We Go (C+C Music Factory)
2. Let the Music Play (Shannon)
3. I Will Survive (Gloria Gaynor)
4. Come On, Eileen (Dexy's Midnight Runners)
5. I Want Your Sex (George Michael)
6. Black Cat (Janet Jackson)
7. Push It (Salt + Pepa)
8. Baby Got Back (Sir Mixalot)
9. I Touch Myself (DiVynls) [special 90s song inclusion]
10. Shout (whoever sings that song because I don't know)
What is your favorite screen kiss?
That one in PS I Love You when Gerard Butler says that a boy shouldn't be kissing because that's a man's business. {growl}
What is your favorite pie?
I'm not a big eater of sweets, but I do love some Key Lime pie. {nom}
Have you ever seen a celebrity?
I had my photo taken with Sam Elliot. {growl} I did a phone interview with William Shatner. {Denny Crane} I've seen my fair share of musicians in concert {does that count?}
Who is your favorite sports hero?
The guy from "Run Fatboy, Run." When he finishes that marathon? Not a dry eye in the house. For real.

Monday Morning Playlist

2011-03-21T10:56:00.000-05:00

Because Blip failed me in searching for my songs of choice, I came up with my own playlist, with an iTunes Genius assist. The songs that have been rocking my morning:

Side Kick - Rancid
Mommy's Little Monster - Social Distortion
Commando - The Ramones
While People for Peace - Against Me!
This Lonely Place - Goldfinger
Koka Kola - The Clash
No Brakes - The Offspring
Them Bones - Alice in Chains
Bloodclot - Rancid
Radio Friendly Unit Shifter - Nirvana
Bad Luck - Social Distortion
Search & Destroy - Iggy Pop
Unsung - Helmet
Jennifer's Body - Hole
Last Caress / Green Hell - Metallica
Up the Cuts - Against Me!
Salvation - Rancid
Ball & Chain - Social Distortion
My Head - Goldfinger
Wrong 'Em Boyo - The Clash
Have You Ever - The Offspring
Sheena Is a Punk Rocker - The Ramones
Tourette's - Nirvana
Clean My Wounds - Corrosion of Conformity
Dam that River - Alice in Chains

You're welcome.

Sins of the Radio

2011-03-07T12:30:00.000-06:00

It started innocently enough. I remember, back in the day, hearing the Black Crowes' "Hard to Handle" on rock radio, but when they played it on the pop station, it was different; they added some horns in there for some reason. I preferred the non-horn-having version, but whatever. No harm, no foul.

But it persisted.

Ozzy's "Mama I'm Coming Home" showed up with entire verses absent. I've heard Joe Walsh's "Life's Been Good to Me So Far" with missing chunks of lyric. A few other early 90s grunge tunes that were popped up for radio play.

Don't get me wrong - I do feel that some edits may be necessary, maybe to remove an explicit lyric here or there, to minimize offense. But listening to Rage Against the Machine's "Killing in the Name" on the radio is like watching Pulp Fiction on TBS; it's just not right, there is too much gone from the meat of the matter, it's been taken too far.

I don't remember asking you a gosh darn thing!

And what of the songs that don't need edits? A few weeks ago, TLC's "Waterfalls" came on the radio, a song that I love. And just when it was getting to Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes' rap ... skipped right over it. WTF? Dude. That is just wrong.

And then there was the straw that broke the camel's back. Driving on a beautiful, sunny day, the kind that reminds you of when you could go for drives on beautiful, sunny days back when you didn't have a care in the world. Boston's "More than a Feeling" came on the radio & made me all nostalgic, reminding me of buying that tape, driving up to Long Lake in the summer where the only music I listened to was Boston, Steve Miller Band's greatest hits and (randomly) U2's the Joshua Tree. I was 17, with long legs, big hair & not a care in the world aside from who was buying beer that weekend.

So I'm driving. I'm singing. I'm smiling. And then they cut a section out of the song and it's like I'm singing to the wrong words on the screen at some karaoke death match. What did "More Than a Feeling" ever do to you?

Emotions in Motion

2011-02-09T09:17:00.001-06:00

I’m not good with tragedies. I try really hard to say the right thing but I find it difficult to follow through.

Years ago, a co-worker of mine lost her husband and son in a freak accident, and when I went to the funeral to show my support, I lost it. Going through the line to pay condolences at the end of the service, she actually consoled me because I was crying so hard.

Thinking back on it later that night, I was horrified at that behavior. It was so unfair of me to put her in that situation. I felt selfish and petty and all I could do was pray for her then and apologize later.

I know what my reaction was rooted in - fear. My own husband was deployed, we were living in Germany. Everything was out of my control.

I over-empathize; when watching movies or reading books, I’m crying with the actors (or laughing with them or getting mad with them). I wear my emotions on my sleeve, always have.

In the past year, I’ve witnessed a lot of tragedy happening in other people’s lives. I’ve struggled with how to manage my feelings of grief with the fact that it’s so not about my feelings.

In particular, there have been two young mothers who have died after long and tragic illnesses. I feel for these families; for these mothers who had to leave their children, for their heroic fights to persevere and be present for their families, for all those who have been left behind to question their passing.

These are not my tragedies; they did not wreak havoc upon my life; I’m not a player in the lives of these families, and they don't think of me; But I think about these women often, and they play a big part in my life. As a mother, a sister, a wife; it's hard to understand how they could have been taken away, much too early in their lives. I mourn for them, quietly.

I have decided that I will live in honor of them. I’ll speak more kindly to my family, in honor of those who cannot speak. I’ll work hard to treasure every moment of time spent with my loved ones, no matter if it’s a moment of celebration, boredom or pain. I’ll push myself to do the things that I feel are too hard to do, because I am still here to do them. And I’ll pray every day that the families of these women find peace, joy and comfort in the things around them. I’ll pray for the women to be free of pain and anguish and to take comfort in the knowledge that there are thousands of people praying for their families (because that’s the kind of women they were while here on earth).

I’ll do my best to offer a comfort to others, a shoulder to cry on, a safe place for my loved ones to fall.

Thank you for letting me share.

And then there were 3

2011-01-26T07:31:00.001-06:00

I picked another 5 entries from the meme list but don't feel like posting pictures of myself and my friends right now. So I'm skipping those and just answering the 3 that require writing.

~~Day 11- Another picture of you and your friends~~

Day 12- How you found out about Tumblr and why you made one

Hmm. This is awkward. I don't know about Tumblr and have not made one.

Day 13- A letter to someone who has hurt you recently 

Dear Treadmill,
I'm sorry if you think I take you for granted; I so don't. I enjoy spending time with you at the YMCA and I'm sorry that I'm not able to spend more time with you. But do you need to make everything so hard for me? You say you'll keep track of my heart but when I check with you, it's not even on your radar screen. And did you really need to go there? A charley horse? I'm not amused. So yes, I cheated on you with the stationary bike. But it meant nothing to me, and I know you'll take me back because you need me just as much as I need you. Well, at least until the weather turns and daylight savings time changes again so I can run outside at night.

~~Day 14- A picture of you and your family~~ 

Day 15- Put your iPod on shuffle: First 10 songs that play

Bicycle Race (Queen)
Warwick Avenue (Duffy)
Dreamweaver (Gary Wright)
Saturday Night Special (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
Daughter (Pearl Jam)
What I Like About You (The Romantics)
D'Yer Mak'er (Led Zeppelin)
Jailhouse Rock (Elvis Presley)
Where Did You Sleep Last Night (Nirvana Unplugged)
Malibu (Hole)

Mayhaps I spoke too soon?

2011-01-22T09:48:00.000-06:00

Yes, if you paid attention to my last post, it was the one where I "start" doing a new weekly project. That was December 3. It's now January 22. So yeah, clearly that didn't happen.

What did happen? Life. Holidays. My writing chair that sits by the window was put in temporary storage to make room for the tree. I didn't listen to music or run for like a month solid. I was on hiatus from guitar for the season. The kids were on break.

But here I am - I'm baaa-ack! I've downloaded new music (and wrote about some of it at the Mamas). I've been cooking (and wrote about it at the work blog) and reading books (and wrote about it at the Babes). Making magazines. Starting a painting class. Continuing guitar. Getting my kid tested for ADHD. Going on dates with my husband. Having drinks with friends.

But I've been neglecting this blog.

Part of the problem has been that meme list I was working through. Not really sure it's the right list, but I started it so I will finish it. Here are the first 10 entries; let's roll through them, shall we?

1: A recent picture of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself

Done, check, taken care of with the previous entry.

2: The meaning behind your blog name

"Mari's Virtual Notebook" because I'm Mari, this is online and I like notebooks.

3: A recent picture of you and your friends 

4: A habit that you wish you didn’t have

Procrastination.

5: A picture of somewhere you’ve been to

This one could have been metaphorical or philosophical, but I went with actual. I've been to this palace in Seoul, South Korea.

6: Favorite super hero and why 

It started as a tie between the duos of Electra Woman & Dyna Girl or the Wonder Twins, but the Twins win by sheer force of their tagline. Wonder Twin powers! Activate!

7: Someone/something that has the biggest impact on you

Most definitely my kids.

8: Short term goals for this month and why

Getting my writing on track. I'm a frustrated novelist.

9: Something you’re proud of in the past few days

My son is in the school spelling bee!

10: Songs you listen to when you are Happy, Sad, Bored, Hyped, Mad 

Hmm. This is changing, but these are the songs that evoke those feelings today:
Happy: Santa Monica (Everclear)
Sad: Hurt (Johnny Cash)
Bored: Psycho Killer (Talking Heads)
Hyped: Mister Bad Luck (Jimi Hendrix)
Mad: Killing in the Name (Rage Against the Machine)

The one where I start doing "Friday MEMEs"

2010-12-03T14:02:00.001-06:00

I'm stealing this idea from someone else's blog who took it from someone else's blog, so if you have a blog of your own, please steal away! I tried the daily blog thing and don't have the patience for that right now, so I'm going with the once a week (or so) post that will run through the 30 post ideas. Sometimes I'll post more than one a week. Sometimes I might skip one or two ideas if I think they look less than interesting. But you can bet that I'll always err on the side of oversharing. Because that's how I roll. So, without further ado; away we go ...

Day 01- A recent picture of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself.*
* Facts, yes. Interesting? Maybe not so much.

I am always happier when blonde.
My eyes are blue and yellow, not quite green, but it looks like it if you look closely enough.
If I could do it all over again the only thing I would do differently is to have confidence.
I’m an over-protective mother. Never thought I would be.
My only regret is that I don’t live closer to my family.
If you choose to judge my choices, I choose to minimize your role in my life. You don’t have to like what I do, but if you judge me as being a lesser person because of it, then clearly we are not meant to be friends.
I want to be in a band.
I have a “laminated list” that includes (from left): James Hetfield (lead singer of Metallica), Henry Rollins (formerly of Black Flag, now a spoken-word kind of dude), Tim Armstrong (the man behind Rancid), Jeffrey Dean Morgan (from my favorite PS I Love You) and Ray Stevenson (who played Titus Pullo in the Rome miniseries on HBO). I’ve spent far too much time searching for images of them, so I hope you enjoy this little montage (which I refer to as "the hotness") as much as I do.

My favorite season is fall.
Once, when driving down a gravel road with my friend, we crested a hill & there was an owl in the middle of the road. It was at least 3 feet tall.
I don’t have a favorite color. I can’t pick just one! When my kids ask me, I tell them that I like them all, they all serve a purpose.
My favorite number is 4. I don’t know why. I do remember that it was Paul Molitor’s number when the Brewers went to the series in the early 80s.
I’m practical but superstitious.
I develop unnaturally close connections with people who pass through my life. You may not remember me – but I remember you.
I love to cook & doing domestic stuff like knitting or other crafts but I hate cleaning with a burning, passionate fire.

It's a lovely day for a meme

2010-11-20T21:46:00.000-06:00

I totally stole this from someone else's blog. Sorry. But I'm fairly confident it doesn't fall under copyright law, so I'm okay with that. Instructions: The post is a list of 99 random things, the ones that I've done are bolded. So, please feel free to take this list for your own & bold the ones that you yourself have done.

Ready? Okay!

Started your own blog (duh. I mean - you're soaking in it)
Slept under the stars (on a beach in Biloxi, circa 1991)
Played in a band (not unless you count playing "Rock Band.")
Visited Hawaii (I don't want to about it.)
Watched a meteor shower
Given more than you can afford to charity (9/11 and Katrina. Wow.)
Been to Disney World (as a teen. Taking the kids next year; whoo-hoo!)
Climbed a mountain* (does "rode a cable car to the top of ..." count? I say yes. Plus I walked up some really steep hills in Seoul.)
Held a praying mantis
Sang a solo (6th grade, "What Child Is This" at the Christmas Eve service)
Bungee jumped (oh, hell no.)
Visited Paris (filthy city)
Watched a lightning storm
Taught yourself an art from scratch
Adopted a child (I have adopted dogs. But I refuse to call them "fur babies")
Had food poisoning
Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
Grown your own vegetables (do herbs count?)
Seen the Mona Lisa in France (did not go to the Lourve, unfortunately)
Slept on an overnight ~~train~~ bus.
Had a pillow fight.
Hitch hiked
Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
Built a snow fort (should say "built the most awesome snow fort EVER!")
Held a lamb (hello? My name is Mari. Of course I have)
Gone skinny dipping
Run a Marathon (I did run a 5K. More than one. But not 26 miles worth)
Ridden in a gondola in Venice (Nope. It was pouring rain when I was there. Boo.)
Seen a total eclipse (In Germany, I think in 2000? A man drove into a bridge piling and died while trying to watch the eclipse, and he made it into that year's "Darwin Awards" - true story.)
Watched a sunrise or sunset
Hit a home run (Hmm. Maybe? It's been a really, REALLY long time)
Been on a cruise
Seen Niagara Falls in person
Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
Seen an Amish community (totally spent time in Intercourse, PA!)
Taught yourself a new language
Had enough money to be truly satisfied
Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
Gone rock climbing
Seen Michelangelo’s David
Sung karaoke
Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
Visited Africa
Walked on a beach by moonlight
Been transported in an ambulance (it totally wasn't an emergency but they had to move me from one clinic to another)
Had your portrait painted (had a caricature drawn)
Gone deep sea fishing
Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris (no, but I kissed under it & then had a beer)
Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
Kissed in the rain
Played in the mud
Gone to a drive-in theater
Been in a movie
Visited the Great Wall of China
Started a business
Taken a martial arts class
Visited Russia
Served at a soup kitchen
Sold Girl Scout Cookies
Gone whale watching
Got flowers for no reason (because my DH is awesome)
Donated blood, platelets or plasma
Gone sky diving
Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp (overwhelming)
Bounced a check
Flown in a helicopter
Saved a favorite childhood toy
Visited the Lincoln Memorial
Eaten Caviar (so not delicious)
Pieced a quilt
Stood in Times Square
Toured the Everglades
Been fired from a job
Seen the Changing of the Guards in London (And also at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington, many times)
Broken a bone (all toes, all the time)
Been a passenger on a motorcycle
Seen the Grand Canyon in person
Published a book (Not yet!!)
Visited the Vatican
Bought a brand new car
Walked in Jerusalem
Had your picture in the newspaper
Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
Visited the White House
Killed and prepared an animal for eating (Yikes, not sure that I could. But I so appreicate those who do it for me!)
Had chickenpox (immune!)
Saved someone’s life
Sat on a jury
Met someone famous
Joined a book club
Got a tattoo
Had a baby
Seen the Alamo in person
Swam in the Great Salt Lake
Been involved in a law suit
Owned a cell phone
Been stung by a bee
Someone took this one? I will say it should be: Stole a meme from someone else's blog ... which I have clearly done.

Bad Form.

2010-11-15T21:13:00.000-06:00

I'm a writer. I'm an editor. I take my jobs seriously. I strive to be professional. I aim to write articles and posts that are witty, non-confrontational and hopefully either informative or entertaining. On a good day? Both. I do not have a journalism degree, but I do have a degree. I love reading, I love words, I love writing. Sometimes I get my nose bent out of shape & that sends me on a rant.

I just wrote up a rant of about 1,000 words regarding two recent events:

The website for Marie Claire magazine wrote a fat-bashing post about television sitcom "Mike and Molly." The backlash was swift and vocal. The blogger repeatedly apologized for the unintended consequences of her post, and also for the tone, which in retrospect, she realized was inappropriate. Then, the website took the additional step of posting several rebuttal posts to round out the discussion. The award-winning magazine salvaged its reputation and goes on to publish another day. The original post, apologies and comments may be found here.
The New England regional magazine Cooks Source blatantly printed copyrighted materials that were neither approved nor paid for. Find details here. When outed and lambasted by an enraged list of "fans" on Facebook, the magazine repeatedly blamed the writer, the "fans" and everyone else for the reputation-bashing. The magazine also insisted that the Internet is "public domain" and nothing was copyrighted. Their webpage now explains their situation and intimates that the magazine will soon fold as a result of the scandal.

I deleted that post because it was obnoxiously long and unnecessary. Rambly but not in a good way. However, the gist of my point is this:

Marie Claire made a huge misstep by posting this blog, and it was also incongruous with their print magazine, which has a popular column about what it means to be a "big girl in a skinny world," and is generally a publication that celebrates all the differences we have (including size). The post was mean-spirited and out of character with the magazine that most people know. However, their swift response to the demand of the people prevented further damage. On the other hand ...
The response of Cooks Source was quite unfortunate. Not only does the magazine not take responsibility for printing information that doesn't belong to them, they play the victim. Yes, they may be forced to close their doors, but it's due to shoddy standards, not so much the mean people who pointed out said lack of standards. I could go on, but I won't. As I said, that's why I deleted my other post.

The good and the bad. And then I watched RHOBH and got the ugly. But that's a post for another day ...

Finis

2010-10-31T05:00:00.001-05:00

Whew, that was a long month. And I am done. I don't have a choice for today, but I guess there are tons of songs about the end. A few that come to mind:

It's All Been Done - Barenaked Ladies
The End - the Doors
When It's Over - Loverboy

And those are the ones that bubble up to the surface. Any others you can think of?

I'll be taking a bit of a break for a bit, but don't you fret - I will be back.

For Halloween

2010-10-30T05:00:00.001-05:00

Here is my song of the day:

Why am I singing this song?

2010-10-29T05:00:00.001-05:00

Sir Duke; Stevie Wonder

There is a story behind this song. I took the kids to lunch one day & this song came on the radio. Immediately I started singing (and, yes, dancing. I do that. So if you see me in public, you should totally bust out your video camera) ... but why? Why was this song so familiar? And why was I immediately transported back to my childhood home on 20th Street?

Seriously, that house had THE BEST front porch in the whole city.

I don't know why this song was so familiar. I had to google it to figure out the name so I could figure out if I had it in my catalog (which I didn't) so I went and downloaded it and proceeded to listen to it non-stop for about a week. It's pretty damn catchy and upbeat. Like sunshine and rainbows contained in just under 4 minutes of melody.

So I happened to be talking to my sister Juli and mentioned the song.

That would be us, right there. I'm the one in the stylin' granny square dress. In the living room in the house on 20th St.

Well, when I told her that the song reminded me so very much of the house we grew up in, she said "Maybe because I played it over and over on that old record player while I was trying to learn the words?"

Yeah. Maybe.

Hey; I can't find nothing on the radio

2010-10-28T05:00:00.006-05:00

Isn't it ironic that the ode to earworms is one of those songs that's hard to get out of your head?

REM: Radio Song

Out of Time was the REM album that hooked and landed me. My dear husband is an alt/indie guy to my rocker chick; he had his REM & Cure, I had my Metallica and Floyd. We met in the middle at Nirvana and Guns & Roses. Discovered a shared love of Led Zeppelin and Merle Haggard.

Out of Time came out in 1991, the year before we met. I can't remember if I had the CD before we met, but it quickly became one of my favorites and sent me on a wild goose chase through REM's back catalog. You have to understand, as a girl from the classic rock loving town of Milwaukee, nice girls (i.e., the ones who used lots of peroxide and Aquanet extra super hold in their hair, black eyeliner that you had to light to properly apply and a pliers to zip up their jeans [what!? Don't judge. I was still a nice girl even if I looked a wee bit dangerous.]) did NOT listen to alternative rock. That was for the weird goth kids who wore black nail polish and lipstick and felt too much. The pre-emo kids, if you will. Which makes no sense. The Cure and REM are so not Emo!

But I digress;

So I didn't listen to REM, but I did learn to love them through my husband. And he developed a healthy understanding of Metallica. We still have our disagreements over his Traveling Wilburys and Tim McGraw, my Rancid and Luscious Jackson. But mostly, it's all good

Random song, 10-27

2010-10-27T05:00:00.003-05:00

Sigh. This post is a clear explanation of why it's dangerous to have upwards of 5,000 songs in your iTunes. Inevitably, some songs make their way in there and you don't even realize you have these songs, which may have never seen the light of day in your daily listening. But then, every now and then, one of these deeply buried nuggets pop up. Like this one:

Rhythm of the Night by El De Barge

Really? Yes, really. It's a shock to me as well. I believe that it is time to vet the music pool. No disrespect to De Barge - I was as much of a fan as anyone back in the 80s, but yeah, not so much anymore. That bouncy, dancy phase in 80s music (also includes Gloria Estefan and others) was not my favorite, but there are a few standouts that have staying power. For me? This is not one of them.

Random song, 10-26

2010-10-26T05:00:00.001-05:00

You Got Another Thing Coming
Judas Priest

I've never been a huge Priest fan, but I've got a few old school hard core songs on my iTunes.

Random song 10-25

2010-10-25T05:00:00.001-05:00

REM: Star Me Kitten

Talk about lyrics; there is a magic to REM songs for me. The words, the melodies, the instruments; it's like it's all done in a way that's not been done before.

Mari's virtual notebook.

The one where I attempt to decompress

Wait ... what?

It's fiction day!

What will you regret? My 2012 non-resolutions

Only the good music

Why I like January.

"He's not dead; he's resting."

Frustated, Inc

hmmphf

Toast

Words

No rain, no rainbows

"Random information"

Yup. Another meme.

The Scorpions and other stuff

I hope this day is good

Music and Memories

Singing songs you don't know

It's the end of the world as we know it ...

You Get What You Give

Valley Girl

Music Meme interlude

I can haz playlist.

NaBloPoMo

On work and pork rinds

Viva la November!

72 Days.

Fin.

Captain Obvious

Teenage Dream

Like, okay, whatever.

Ant Music

And now for something ... completely different

Silver, Blue and Gold

Eye of the Beholder

Run and run and run and run

While My Guitar Genty Weeps

Blister in the Sun

Genius of Love

Reasons

Serious Business

Doo-wacko!

Have you seen this chicken?

The Rooster

Utter Nonsense

Education

A little bit of SRV

Top Ten Lists, random musical trivia

Riverwide

Monday Music

No shame in my game

Rawktober: karaoke night

Today's a Tom Petty day

For Whom the Bell Tolls

Random playlist, made of WIN

I told you it was random music month

Monday Music

Useless crap? or Truly awesome?

Randomly Rocktober

The post I stole from Ri

Up

*** Intermission ***

Wayne's World. Or was it My Cousin Vinny?

The Right Stuff

Coming to America.

Fargo.

An Affair to Remember

Stand By Me

Blog-o-Rama

Got nuffin'

"Hipster."

Amy Winehouse.

Because it's too long for a Facebook status update.

Go the **** to Sleep.

Shallow, slightly ranty, Thoughts

Sailing

Road Trips

Happy Birthday

Drafts File #2: Random stuff I want to write about books

* Intermission *