What's on my MP3 player lately?

A few weeks back, I upgraded my music player from the Lyra to a newer MP3 player.... I couldn't resist the appeal of a 2GB player at roughly the same cost that I paid for the Lyra a year ago (with about 8 times the capacity too).

It came with 10 songs preloaded -- and I haven't learned yet how to remove them. They don't show up as files on my drive when I plug it in. They may be somehow ROM'med onto this thing. I'd give my eyeteeth to just move them off and listen to them later.

But here's my current group of songs. For those I've already listed in previous columns, I won't put in additional comments.

• (Every Time I Turn Around) Back In Love Again -- LTD with Jeffrey Osborne
• (Get Up I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine -- James Brown
• A Man I'll Never Be -- Boston. I've had this one on there since Brad Delp's unfortunate passing, and the song has much more poignancy for me than it previously did. I guess we, the fans, all saw him as a man he felt he could never be ... so very sad. But I liked this song before then, and that's why it's on here.
• Ah! Leah! -- Donnie Iris
• Alive & Kicking -- Simple Minds
• Are You Experienced? -- Jimi Hendrix. Because quite honestly, sometimes you just need a little surreal psychedelia to make your day complete. Getting it out of the way early on the treadmill helps!
• Baker Street -- Gerry Rafferty. Have always liked this song. Odd choice to have, but it works for me.
• Bitch -- Rolling Stones.
• Boogie Wonderland -- Earth Wind and Fire.
• Boogie Woogie Choo Choo Train -- The Tractors.
• Cool the Engines -- Boston.
• Cradle of Love -- Billy Idol.
• Dancing in the Moonlight -- King Harvest. A great song, full of wonder and magic and lightness of heart. Great for Mondays!
• Dazz -- Brick.
• Deeper and Deeper -- The Fixx.
• Dixie Chicken -- Little Feat. Give me one reason NOT to have this on here. I'll politely listen to the suggestion, but I offer no guarantees.
  
• Eruption/You Really Got Me -- Van Halen.
• Every Little Thing -- Carlene Carter. During the early 90s when I listened primarily to country, I liked her music. Her family connections just added to it. This one was a favorite -- upbeat, playful, and fun. At the time, it had some personal significance (especially the line, "I love you so much I hate you"). Sometimes a song work for reasons only you yourself can understand; this is one of them.
  
• Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic -- The Police. 26 years since its release, and it's still one of the best pop songs ever. Ever. Ever. It never sounds dated or old to me. Brings a smile to my face, and that's reason enough for its inclusion here.
• Far Cry -- Rush. Their new one. Two words: kicks ass.
  
• Gemini Dream -- The Moody Blues.
• Go Faster -- The Black Crowes.
• Hair of the Dog -- Nazareth.
• Hearts on Fire -- Randy Meisner. Another one that works for me. Don't know why, and I'm not going to analyze it.
  
• Home and Dry -- Gerry Rafferty. I like Gerry Rafferty's music. This one might not have been quite as big or well-known as "Baker Street" (like who doesn't know that sax solo?), but I loved it back then. And now.
• I Feel Free -- Cream.
• Invisible -- Alison Moyet. Ah yes, one from my days when my world revolved around MTV. They were touting her as one of the biggest things coming out of the UK, and she was going to make a huge splash here in the States. Naturally, as was often the case with them, their prediction flopped. But this was a great song. A great vocal with raw power and emotion. There's a great internet station I listen to out of Canada, and they play it a good bit. So I found it online, bought it, and have enjoyed it ever since.
• It's In The Way That You Use It -- Eric Clapton. Clapton is God. And in 1986, so was Tom Cruise as far as this teen girl was concerned. The Color of Money. Great song that has stood the test of time.
  
• Jailbreak -- Thin Lizzy. I mentioned on another post somewhere that this one had been in my brain for a while and I've even skipped other songs just to get to this one in my workouts. A great song.
  
• James Dean -- The Eagles.
• Jealous Again -- The Black Crowes.
• Leave It -- Yes. A fantastic song. It works for me.
• Let Me Love You Tonight -- Pure Prairie League. A great shuffle beat, kind of reminiscent of beach music. And I love Vince Gill, who does lead on this, and then went on to a big career in country. Another one of those '70s Summer Songs that make me happy.
• Lights Out -- Peter Wolf.
• Love Will Find A Way -- Pablo Cruise. Pablo Cruise -- one of the great underrated bands of the 70s and early 80s. And I loved this song.
• Midnight At The Oasis -- Maria Muldaur. Because everyone deserves at least one Guilty Pleasure Song.
• New York Groove -- Ace Frehley.
• Oh Yeah -- Yello. Every righteous dude and dudette needs this song for a workout.
  
• On and On -- Stephen Bishop. Another GP song. And works well for a cooldown song.
  
• O-o-h Child -- The Five Stairsteps. A completely beautiful song, and if I need a pick-me-up, there it is. And surprisingly it works well sometimes in the middle of a workout.
• Peace Frog -- The Doors.
• Radioactive -- The Firm.
• Redneck Friend -- Jackson Browne. It's a great song. What can I say?
• Remedy -- The Black Crowes.
• Renegade -- Styx. Great beat, and I love it.
• Rock the Casbah -- The Clash. It just flippin' rocks.
• Rock You Like A Hurricane -- The Scorpions
• Rocky Mountain Way -- Joe Walsh. You can't see me but my head is bobbing to this song and I'm doing the (supposed) devil sign (you know, pinky finger and index finger, with middle two against the palm. When I saw the Eagles in concert years ago, I went in an Eagles fan, and came out a Joe Walsh fan too. He just rocks.
• Romeo's Tune -- Steve Forbert.
• Running on Empty -- Jackson Browne.
• Sexyback -- Justin Timberlake. I confess to Almighty God, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have sinned through my own fault... but I love the beat. I shall pray 50 Hail Marys each day for 50 days for such a transgression.
• Shining Star -- Earth Wind and Fire.
• Sir Duke -- Stevie Wonder.
• Smoking Gun -- Robert Cray. I have always loved this song. So I figured why not put it here?
• Stone in Love -- Journey. Why this one wasn't on their Greatest Hits album, I will never understand. This song kicks!
• Stuck In the Middle With You -- Stealers Wheel.
• The Boys Are Back In Town -- Thin Lizzy.
• The Other Side -- Aerosmith.
• Tom Sawyer -- Rush. Because Rush flippin' rocks, and so does this song!
• Vehicle -- The Ides of March. Because I felt like it. Because the song rocks, 37 years later. Because Stone Cold said so.
• War -- Edwin Starr. Because sometimes you have to have a song to get your brain and emotions and heart fired up.
• Well All Right -- Blind Faith.
• Werewolves of London -- Warren Zevon. What can I say? I love this song, and I think I was on a Color of Money soundtrack kick.
• Whatcha Gonna Do -- Pablo Cruise. See "Love Will Find A Way."
• Whatever Gets You Through the Night -- John Lennon
• Who Will You Run To? -- Heart. Another that makes perfect sense to me, even if it doesn't make any sense to anyone else.
• Winning -- Santana.

So that's it. That's the list.

The sure signs of spring!

Warmer weather -- ah, yes, at last!!! Three weeks ago at Easter, we were freezing. Waking up to 35 degrees on a beautiful Sunday morning when it should be around 55 degrees is just cruel! But at last, we are waking to temperatures in the high 50s/low 60s, and warming up to the high 70s and even low 80s. It's a little elevated for this time, but you won't hear me complain.

The NFL Draft -- and my butt will be parked in proximity to a TV at least for the first round or so. I do get pretty peeved on Day 2, because I hate hearing the announcers go on and on and on about who got picked on Day 1. Great, but talk about them ON Day 1 and let the Day 2 guys have their moment too!

Hives -- yep, the grass pollen count is going up, and so is the skin on this little area of my left hand (right on top, too!). I have a little outbreak of mini-hives or some sort of weird skin thing. So I sit here with Benadryl cream on my hand and close at hand for the next dose.

Happy Spring!

I take offense....

Your Linguistic Profile:

50% General American English

35% Dixie

10% Yankee

0% Midwestern

0% Upper Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

I prefer to think of myself as at least 75% Dixie. Yeah, yeah -- enough years of working with people from all over have tempered my accent to a degree, but at heart I'm Dixie to the core.

Right, y'all?

The Shining, Recut

This is 40 million levels of wrong. I love it anyway. See you on the bobsled!

Another golden oldie....

Note: I had some rambling thoughts earlier today about the whole Virginia Tech thing, but I'm still sorting through what I want to say. What I can say is that I am offering prayers for ALL those who have been hurt by this senseless tragedy. God bless you all.

In the meantime, I was sorting through some old "Top Ten Lists" (the precursor to this blog), and found this gem from August 1999. Hope you enjoy!

***

I found the Lost Notebook with my top ten list in it (on a bookshelf - who'd a-thunk it?). So at long last, here is Auntie Nettie's Top Ten List: Music as Pop Psychology! What I mean by that is a lyric or phrase that catches your attention because it's so true, or it's more like advice meant just for you. For once, this is actually numbered by order of importance!

"There are people in your life who've come and gone / They let you down, you know they hurt your pride. / You'd better put it all behind you, 'cause life goes on. / You keep carrying that anger, it'll eat you up inside." -- Don Henley, "Heart of the Matter"
'Nuff said. When I first heard these lyrics, I squalled. It was precisely what I needed to hear at that time in my life, and each day since. It's a lesson we continually learn, and it's one of the most important ones to know.

"There's no such things as 'no regrets' but baby it's all right." -- Mary Chapin Carpenter, "Almost Home"
This is a recent addition to the list, and another case of what I needed to hear at just the right time. I like to think that I won't have any regrets, but I know that just won't happen; but this let me know that it was okay about that too. And, as an added bonus, it's a pretty good song to boot....

"What the head makes cloudy, the heart makes very clear." -- Don Henley, "New York Minute"
Keep reading and you'll see the role that Don Henley's lyrics have played in my life. This is a great one, and one that I tend to follow quite a bit in murky situations. I've even passed it on to others when they've had difficult situations -- and it does work, even when we think it doesn't.

"You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you might find, you get what you need." -- Rolling Stones, "You Can't Always Get What You Want."
Truer words were never spoken................

"I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints - the sinners are much more fun." -- Billy Joel, "Only the Good Die Young"
Okay, it bothered me a little as a kid, because we were definitely a religious family; I wasn't sure if it bordered on sacrilege or not. But religious thoughts aside, throughout my short lifetime, I have found this to be true about 80-85% of the time. I find it hard to tolerate people who take themselves too seriously or who have little or no sense of humor. "Lighten up, already!!" I just want to yell to quite a few folks I've encountered!

"Sometimes to keep it together, you've got to leave it alone." -- The Eagles, "Wasted Time"
Told ya it was the Don Henley anthology. For me, this is one of the best songs for picking yourself up, dusting yourself off, and starting all over again. I've done that enough to know the drill, and it's advice I've taken more often than I care to admit. But it always turns out with the best eventual results.

"And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make." -- The Beatles, "The End"
Don Henley and John Lennon are practically the High Priests of Musical Advice. This is a fairly good example, though I don't always succeed at following this formula. When you give without thought of reward, you receive rewards far greater than imagined (okay, at least that's my perspective on the lyrics). Lennon knew it, and gave us this phrase to remind us; following this simple rule is a pretty good way to live.

"Gimme the beat boys, and free my soul / I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away." - Dobie Gray, "Drift Away"
Life getting you down, things piling up, along with more demands than you have resources for? I promise, follow that advice, and you'll thank yourself for it. No, your problems won't go away, but you'll be renewed to deal with them. Close your eyes, and sway a bit to this song, and it almost becomes a hymn. So thank you, Mentor Williams (songwriter) and Dobie Gray (singer) for "the joy that you've given me....."

"Shower the people you love with love, show them the way that you feel / Things are gonna work out fine, if you only will." -- James Taylor, "Shower the People"
File this one under "Advice Not Always Followed." Make a copy for "Advice That Doesn't Always Work The Way You Would Like" and one for the "Nice Sentiment Department." Seriously, though, this is pretty good advice -- if more people loved unconditionally, then maybe our best dreams and ideals would begin to become reality.

"I will not lie down, I will not go quietly." -- Don Henley, "I Will Not Go Quietly"
This one falls under Newly Meaningful Advice. Yeah, this song's been out for a while, but it's only been recently that I've taken it to heart. I am usually Miss Sweetness and Light. It's commendable but (a) too much of these traits are damaging - or more so - than too little and (b) it gets REAL old to be sweet and nice all the time. Not that I'd ever be baaaaaaaaaaad, just tougher (does all this make sense?) As I age and hopefully grow wiser, it's my hope that I stop being so much of a doormat and start being the wonderful person I know I can be.

**Honorable mention goes to "I'm tired of baling hay for something that I can't see..." -- Hootie & the Blowfish, "Let It Breathe"
Okay, technically, I don't know if this is advice, but it's a lyric that's stuck in my mind for a number of years. These days, it keeps coming back, maybe as a signal not to settle for less than I deserve -- and as a reminder of what I've learned in these last few months. If you can get all that out of one sentence in a song, that ain't bad.....

The Boss had a point...

Twenty years ago or so, I was listening to the song "My Hometown" and thinking, "Oh how sad ... my town is a little like this, too." I was a teen, desperately wanting to get out of my hometown, and wondering what it would be like after I was gone. I never imagined moving back here permanently, but I did, 15 years ago. It's not a sad thing, necessarily. But the hometown where I live in 2007 is not the hometown I left in 1987 (and returned to in 1992).

There was one incident that shattered the idyllic nature of small-town life as most locals had known it: the Tammy Haynes murder. Tammy Haynes was a teenager who literally lived within shouting distance of our house (if I remember, it was the next street over, not too far from my church). In December 1973, she was kidnapped from a nearby laundromat, and later raped and murdered. I was 4 years old, and I remember the town being absolutely stunned; NOTHING like this had ever happened before! Not here! This is our town; we watch for our own. How could this have happened on our watch?

You can best believe that every girl of my generation heard this phrase a million times: "You be careful going out! You remember what happened to Tammy Haynes, don't you?" When I went away to college, my mother admonished me about my laundry: "You be careful -- Tammy Haynes was kidnapped at a laundromat, you know!" I shook my head and said, "Mother, poor Tammy Haynes will never rest in peace as long as the mothers of (hometown) keep reminding us of it! I will be fine. I promise." I used a laundromat for years and nothing remotely scary happened. The fact that it was fully staffed at all times helped a lot with that -- and that an officer stopped in regularly. But I digress.....

In spite of poor Tammy's sad tale, we still gallavanted all over town in broad daylight, with no fear of being kidnapped, picked up, or anything else. One of my best friends and I would walk to the Speedy Mart (about 2 blocks away and crossing a US Highway) to buy nickel candy. Or we'd walk about 4 blocks out to Mr. Owens' store for Astro-Pops (and if anyone remembers those concoctions, God love you!). I rode my bike around the neighborhood until it was dark. I walked home from high school, and occasionally accepted rides from neighbors or other students. Even with the whole Tammy Haynes thing looming in our town's collective past, we all felt safe with each other.

If I had a child growing up here now, there is no way in hell I'd let him or her walk home from school, be out past suppertime, or walk to the convenience store. My hometown has changed for both good and bad. Even my neighborhood is not what it used to be. When I was a kid, it was working/middle-class folks living here in some older homes. Half of them are rentals now and attract a slightly less affluent crowd. Not that there's anything wrong with that... please don't take it that way.

I know almost none of my neighbors -- as a kid, the entire neighborhood lived by "mi casa, su casa." To get to my mom's best friend's house, I'd cut through 2 backyards, and no one ever thought anything of it -- because we all knew each other, and they all knew I was on my way to L's house. No big deal. We played in each other's backyards, and one house in particular was the neighborhood gathering spot (my next-door neighbor's). She was another grandmother to us all. The last time I went to L's house (to offer my condolences to her family upon her death), I walked along the street. My initial impulse was to walk through those yards again, but the neighbors are all different now..... it was sad.

What keeps me here (besides purely economic reasons)? I don't truly know. I know that if given the opportunity, I would still live somewhere in this area ... this is home. My roots here run deep. My families (maternal and paternal) settled in various portions of the Upstate generations ago and did not leave. There's something about this place they loved enough to stay -- and I feel the same way.

Scary thought

One of the local news stations reported the story of a nail salon that has seen a 75% drop in business. DHEC (Dept. of Health & Environmental Control) has been trying to discover how someone came into contact with flesh-eating bacteria. Originally it was thought to be via work done at a nail salon.

I first heard the story last week through hearsay. The person didn't say which salon but that the person had died from a pedicure. This turned out to be wrong.

But it gave me great pause. I love getting mani's and pedi's, and the salon I've normally gone to has been terribly neat to a fault. And while I know they sanitize stuff, I'm also kind of wary now. I love the first pedi of spring, and it's time for one, and now I'm wondering what to do. I know there shouldn't be public panic, according to DHEC. I also don't want to be a guinea pig and be case #whatever. And the last time I tried to update my own pedi, I ended up with an ingrown toenail and a trip to the podiatrist. No thanks, not again.......

Gotta think this one through.

WKRP - Thanksgiving Turkey Drop

One of the best TV shows ever -- and the best episode ever. Okay, the one where Venus explains the atom is cool too. But this one is it.

OH, THE HUMANITY!!!

Tag. I'm it......

Ms. Kate/Susan tagged me ... and for crying out loud, it's music oriented, so you KNOW I'm there. The guidelines are: List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what they are. They must be songs you are currently enjoying. Then tag seven other people to see what they’re listening to.

Y'all also know I'm fairly old school when it comes to music. So some of these selections should come as no surprise at all. This is in no particular order:

1. "Dancing in the Moonlight" (King Harvest): there are a whole bunch of songs from the 70s that I think of as "summer songs." Now whether or not they were singles released during the summer or not, whenever I hear them, it's a sunny day, I'm outside playing in my yard or with Tee next door (depending on the age of the song), and it's always something sweet and nostalgic. This is one of those songs, and lately it's been one of my very favorites.

2. "Jailbreak" (Thin Lizzy): Each time this week I've worked out, I have hunted this one down and listened intently. There are plenty of other songs with similar beats, and I even have other Thin Lizzy material on the ol' MP3 player. I keep coming back to this one.... Maybe my mind is trying to tell the rest of me something.

3. "Solsbury Hill" (Peter Gabriel): One of my all-time favorites. Should be mandated music for all kindergarten classrooms, and each level thereafter. But that's just MHO......

4. "A Man I'll Never Be" (Boston): I have listened to a lot of Boston since learning of Brad Delp's death. It is now even more poignant given the circumstances of his death. This is a song that I have loved for years, and I will for years to come.

5. "Oooh Child" (The Five Stairsteps): When I'm stressed, this is my go-to song. Stressed? Well, considering we have a visit next week from THE Big Wig, it's month-end, and I got frickin' called for jury duty --- jury duty! --- let's say yes. So this afternoon, while still on my lunch break and sitting in the sun in my car, this came on. It made the afternoon a little more bearable. This will forever be dear to my heart.

6. "You Can't Always Get What You Want" (Rolling Stones): This will always be on my top ten. Always. As in forever. Now, I have friends who swear that "Gimme Shelter" is not only the best Stones song ever, but the best rock-n-roll song ever. Let the record reflect: they are wrong.

7. "Leave It" (Yes): When 90125 came out, of course, as the first single, "Owner of A Lonely Heart" got a lot of attention for Yes. But this is the song I enjoy more. The a cappella opening, the scat-like doo's that follow, and the gradual building of the song to its fortissimo conclusion. It doesn't get much better than that.

Who will be next? Who are the willing victims... er, suckers ... er.... Well, anyway. Here you go.

I shall tag Talmadge (from whom I am forever learning music things; his lovely bride Seraphim; the other Master of Music, Señor Bolivar; Radio Vixen (who will no doubt have some interesting, not-old-school selections); my pirate-loving friend GatorShan; the queen of Bad Bunny Productions, Dr. Ballz; and my best friend (in the hopes that she'll do a blog entry just for this), Anastasia.

Weather front moving through....

I know it. My face is aching. I betcha anything I will wake up in the morning with a headache. I used to think people were crazy when they'd say, "It's gonna rain, my knee is acting up." Until I got arthritis myself. And now, my face aches every single time a front moves through (usually a cold front of some sort).

And the April edition of Prevention just confirmed what I thought -- some people experience migraines with weather patterns.

I'm not crazy after all.

Strange beeping

I awoke this morning around 9:00 this morning. As usual on Sundays, I turned on my TV to catch "Meet the Press," and heard Chuck Schumer talking for what seemed to be the entire hour. Turns out it was only the first segment (about 20 minutes). That was weird.

About 20 minutes later, I finally got up to fix my breakfast. I took my stuff to the living room to watch some more TV .... and I kept hearing this strange "beep beep beep" every few seconds. Not constant, yet with some sort of rhythm. I could not figure out from whence it sprang. Stuck my head in the computer area? Nope -- it's behind me.

I heard it emanating from the secretary/credenza next to me. Opened the panel and sure enough -- Beep. Beep. Beep. I picked up the adding machine -- which was turned off. No beeping there. This was getting weirder and weirder. It was coming from a ceramic mug being used to house pens, pencils, and other assorted small office goods. There it was -- the source of the sound: my old metronome.

When I was in college, I decided that I was going to master the piano (funny how 15 years later, I've barely even played it, let alone mastered it). I never had lessons as a kid -- everything I know has been self-taught. But I decided I needed a metronome. There was a great music store just up the street from the college -- Fox Music. Now as much as I love record stores (they are still record stores to me, thank you), I love music stores even more. Files and files and files of sheet music, books and books of bound music for "Vocal - Piano - Guitar" ...... heaven. Pure heaven.

I found the metronomes. I kind of wanted a standard metronome -- you know, set the weight at a certain point, wind it up and watch it swing back and forth with a CLICK to keep the beat. Well, they cost a little more than I had expected. But I found an electronic metronome. Cute and compact -- could fit in my back pocket. Totally LED, with little dots that "swung" from side to side and a BEEP to keep the beat. Not exactly what I wanted..... but the price was right (I think it was like $14.95 -- under what I had budgeted). Of course I bought it.

I have used it on occasion. And I still want to officially learn to play. No time like my forties!

Lately it occurs to me....

I was sitting in my car today, eating lunch, soaking up the fantastic sunshine and weather, enjoying my lunch hour (or what was left of it), and pondering life. I know -- big surprise there.

I have 2.5 years (roughly) to go until I turn 40. For the most part, it doesn't bother me nearly as much as it might have once upon a time. I'm actually kind of looking forward to 40. Turning 20 was disastrous -- I cried the entire month of October (my birth month), and the only thing I can figure is that 20 is such a nowhere age. You're not a teen, you're not quite legal, it's just ... there. Turning 25 wasn't so bad. I had a great job, good friends, etc. Things were far from perfect, but not horrid either. Life was humming along somewhat normally.

Turning 30 was a little different. 28 was a lousy year for me all the way around, and at 29 I was fighting my way back. I dreaded my 30th birthday on some level -- you know, you're supposed to have all your crap together by the time you're 30 and be a respectable adult. What I wanted at that age was a do-over. Luckily, I had a few friends in their 40s who told me not to sweat the small stuff -- that their 30s had been completely fantastic, far better than their 20s had ever been! Turns out, they were right.

35 was a turning point -- I don't know what it was, but it was like the light switch came on, the cosmic tumblers all clicked into place, and voila! some of that wisdom finally came forth. It was about realizing something I'd read and known but hadn't yet fully germinated in me -- that if I didn't like my life, I could change it. I was the only one who could. And there were a few things that I could no longer like or tolerate, and I was no longer going to be a spectator in my own life. The Serenity Prayer became reality -- what I couldn't change, I would accept; what I could change, I would do; and learning the difference would be vital.

So with all that framework behind me and surrounding me, 40's looking nice. Very nice! I know it's not going to be all sunshine and roses, because life just isn't. But things can only get better!

In my life

Today gave me the opportunity to ponder friendships I have had over the years -- people who have come into my life, made an impression, and I am grateful for it. Some of them remain in my life, while others have drifted out.

My very first friend was Em. I grew up going to church with her, and we were playmates/friends long before either of us understood the concept. We really were BFF's. We did drift apart somewhat in our teen years ... she became closer to someone whom my parents but a big ol' kaput on me getting close to (and I can't entirely blame them). We resumed our friendship, but I went to college. She got married and started a family. We see each other out and about. Occasionally, she pops up at my parents' church and I keep up with her through reports from the folks.

There was also Tee, and she, Em & I were the three stooges for years on end. We had our moments but it didn't last long. We too drifted apart in our twenties. She married, had a family; I was Career Girl (okay, such as my career has been). And because of that bastard known as breast cancer, I will not see her again until the afterlife.

In high school, besides Em & Tee, I had a lot of friends from classes and so forth. A lot of them are still friends with each other. For me, they have drifted in and out and now are people I see at the store and so forth. I didn't bond with them all that well. I suppose I should feel some pang of something for that. Oddly enough, I don't.

Then there is Anastasia, who has become my best friend. This fall, we will have known each other for 20 years, and that seems so freakishly unbelievable. I still think of us sometimes as those 18-year-old freshmen....... Naturally, her hubby "CP" is also one of my dearest friends too. And the kidlets, my godchildren. While Em and Tee will always be my sisters-at-heart, Stasia is just as much one -- and in a strange way, perhaps more so because she has watched me truly grow from somewhat naive, shy young adult to a more confident woman.

There is also "Queen Serene" -- my former coworker. She too is a sister to me, someone who has embraced me as family and loves me for me. In the 15 years I've known her, we have vacationed together, shared a million laughs and almost as many tears, and have grown closer for it. While I don't see her nearly as much as I would like, I also know that if I ever needed her for anything, she would not hesitate to be there.

There's also Nikki, who has come into my life in the last few years. She is one of the most kind-hearted, generous-souled people I have ever known. Life has thrown her quite a few curveballs in the last few years and months, and she handles them with truly amazing grace. When I find myself leaning toward cynicism about many things, I can spend time with Nikki and walk away feeling better about life all from her upbeat attitude. She is truly one of the best.

Talmadge and Seraphim Gleck, whose blogs you see to the right of here, have been utterly precious to me. They came into my life during one of my lowest moments ever ... a time when I would have preferred the world stop spinning and just sling me off into deepest space. My entire world had been shattered and trying to rebuild looked bleak. I was truly living on autopilot, and not caring what the future held. In they came -- starting with an e-mail in mid-May 1998: "Found your website -- liked what we saw." The rest is history. It started with a meeting at the Varsity in Atlanta. That was such a great time, and we went on to Underground .... where within an hour, I was face-first over a trash can, sick as a dog, fighting off that last gasp of a god-awful sinus infection. They did not turn and run screaming, so I knew that I had found friends for life. I was honored to sing in their wedding, and love every adventure and misadventure I have had with them.

They also brought a new friend roaring into my life: the wonderful Bolivar Shagnasty. Bolivar -- best friend to Talmadge for years -- was the best man at their wedding. Over the years, I kept up with him from afar through reports from Talmadge, and his friendship is precious to me. I enjoy reading about his adventures (and the occasional misadventure).

I am also blessed with the friendship of Miguel and Kate -- it started with e-mails from Miguel over 10 years ago, and then the news: "I've met a wonderful girl!" Over the years, I have enjoyed their friendship immensely! They are fantastic people, whom I finally got the pleasure of meeting in person a couple of years back. One of these days, I am going to have to take off and go visit them ... they're ONLY two states away (granted, rather spacious states, but.....)

My lovely thought is that someday, all of us -- the whole warped group: Stasia, CP, Nikki, Tal & Sera, Bolivar, Miguel & Kate -- will all be sitting on the front porch of some nursing home, raising hell, drinking whatever we feel, not giving one hoot what we say or how people interpret it. And the staff will be thinking, "My God, what do we DO with these people???"

I raise my glass to you all --- Long may you all reign!

More than a feeling....

of sadness grips me this day.

Brad Delp, lead singer of Boston, died yesterday.

I love Boston's music. Always have. As a child, the Boston LP was all over the airwaves in '76 and on into '77, but I didn't become a real fan until Third Stage -- my senior year of high school. One of my friends, pregnant at the time, named her daughter Amanda, after the song (and hard to believe Amanda just turned 20!).

They made fantastic music, and most of it was due to Delp's powerful vocals. It is hard to pick a favorite song. The whole first album is fantastic, but one of my favorite songs on there is "Let Me Take You Home Tonight." I know -- awfully dated and some of the worst pick-up dialogue short of a crowded bar. I can practically see Lounge Lizard Larry spouting those lines. But I love it for reasons which make sense to me alone (long story).

Off the 2nd album, my favorite is "A Man I'll Never Be." That song just rips me to shreds. Third Stage? Oh, don't make me pick. "Cool the Engines" is my cool-down song for my workouts. But "Cantcha Say (Still In Love)" is my very favorite. Then again, there's "We're Ready." Oh my.....

Sadly, I listened to the reviewers and didn't buy Corporate America back in '02. They said it sucked. So I didn't buy. I may change my mind in the next few days and get it (I'll listen to samples online first).

Rest in peace, Brad Delp, and may you fully know the joy you brought to so many peoples' lives.

Bow. Chicka. Wow. Wow.

One of the local Adult Contemporary stations has a Seventies Saturday Night. The other A/C station said, "Oh yeah? Well, WE have all-seventies weekends!!!! Nyahhhhh!" Now, I am an 80s girl. That was my coming-of-age time, and I love 80s music. Most of the time, if I'm listening to XM, it's on "80s on 8." Most 80s music brings a smile to my face because I usually have a specific great memory attached.

But there's a special place in my heart for 70s music as well. It was in the 70s that I first listened to and learned to love radio and music and all that stuff. Most of the time, it gives me what I call the "sunny" feeling. I always think of summer and 70s music as going hand-in-hand. There may or may not be a specific memory, but it's always summer, it's always bright and sunny, I'm almost always outside, and it's generally good to be alive. What more can you want, right?

So I'm driving around today and as I was scanning the dial, it fell on the 70s Weekend station. They were just starting a new song -- "Pick Up the Pieces" by Average White Band. One of my favorites, by the way. And I started laughing and couldn't stop.

Porno Beat Music. What better way to describe a lot of the music of the mid-to-late 70s, especially the disco stuff. Okay, I love disco. I do. There. I said it. And in the late 70s you couldn't escape it. Even the Stones and Steely Dan and the Eagles all did disco-tinged stuff (even if they didn't call it disco themselves). "Miss You"? "The Fez" or "Kid Charlemagne"? "Those Shoes"? All great stuff and not overtly disco, but with that unmistakable beat.

The thumping bass. That bow-chicka-wow-wow guitar and synth.

And all those hidden things just flew over the head of one music-happy, fun-loving little girl in South Carolina.

"elpoeP erA diputS"!!!

I was stricken this morning by the knowledge that it's been a whole quarter-century since 1982.

Back in late winter 1982, I was in 7th grade -- which in my little town at the time was high-school. Everything seemed to be fairly decent. I was doing well in school. I had my two best friends to help me through things. I was practicing music for the spring concert, including this killer version of "Battle Hymn of the Republic" which all four choirs were going to combine on.

It also marks a very strange period in my life -- one of three times in my life when the music was silent. If you know me at all, you know how much of a role music plays in my life. Whether it's radio, singing, composing, or me attempting to play a keyboard, music has been there for me. It has been my boon companion, my comfort, my strength, and so much more.

What happened all those years ago to make me abandon said stalwart friend? I place all blame at the feet of Channel 16. Channel 16 is the religious station around here. It's about half satellite feed from other religious broadcasters and half local stuff -- mostly churches wanting to broadcast a weekly service. One particular evening in 1982, they had a well known local boy preacher who'd hit it big on the Shoutin' Circuit as a singer/preacher (and is married to the daughter of someone I used to attend church with). Anyway, he was doing a show on "backward masking."

At the time, this was the big thing in evangelical/Pentecostal circles to get the kiddies to quit listening to the devil's music...... you know, subliminal messages hidden in backwards to try to turn us all into devil-worshipping, orgy-having, drug-using sinners. Just the latest of Satan's little tactics to drag us all to hell. These days, it's easy for me to be incredibly cynical about it all. Back then, I was gullible enough to believe.

Not that we watched Channel 16 at my house. My parents might have been religious, but they weren't fanatics. They also had a relatively healthy suspicion of many TV preachers. But one of my teachers did watch it -- and did an audio recording of the segment of the show. And brought it into school the next day to play for us all.

Yes, this was a public school. I often said that had the state stripped all funding for us, and the Southern Baptist Convention supplied the same money, nothing would have changed. In some ways, it was kind of nice to have teachers who were willing to share their faith with us. But at the same time, had I been in a minority religion back then or from a completely different culture, I'd have been mighty upset.

So anyway, Mr. B plays this audiotape for us. Get ready for a big shock here -- the song that they highlighted was .... (Are you sitting down? Can your heart take it?) ...... "Stairway to Heaven." The ol' workhorse of the "backward-masking" exposers: By God, you older people thought Elvis was the Pied Piper leading your children to hell -- he was an angel by comparison! We've got some people who are way worse!!!

Yep, they trotted that one out. And like an idiot, I was scared shinola-less. Later on, they analyzed the lyrics to "Hotel California" (which didn't even NEED "backward masking" to talk about Satan, according to them). Not the Eagles, too??? I love them. Oh well, I guess not anymore.

For about 3-4 weeks, I quit listening to the radio at all. Dumbest thing I ever did. Not that I missed all that much, musically speaking, but I can't believe I was so frickin' STUPID. I honestly believed the stuff they were trying to sell me. As an aside, so did a bunch of my fellow students, for at least a little while. I probably took it a little further.

So what brought me out of the no-music funk? I can't pinpoint any one thing. Just a need to reconnect to music -- perhaps it was due to the falling-out taking place among my two best friends and myself. It all just hit the fan that spring; too much togetherness, I guess. Anyway, reconnect I did.... and as I said earlier, playing catch-up wasn't that hard. "Hungry Like The Wolf" was still all over the place, as was "I Love Rock and Roll." Not that much in between.....

As far as the backward-masker exponents go ... the trend lasted a couple more years but apparently we teens were no longer taking the bait. The very next year, our pastor's daughter did her senior term paper on it and then did a presentation on it at church.

I wasn't buying the backward-masking argument this time. One, I knew that she did the paper to please her daddy, not on her own convictions. I also knew that every single "demonic" album came straight outta her local boyfriend's stereo. She is also the girl whose other boyfriend (oopsie! the out-of-town one) gave her a copy of Def Leppard's Pyromania and she asked us to hold it for her until she got in and out of her car. What? Daddy was a purse-checker, too? Anyhow, the clincher was the same segment of "Stairway" having a different message -- supposedly demonic, but different wording. Uh-huh. I heard four different people all analyze that section over the years and each one of them came up with something different. But it did lead me to believe -- believe that the whole thing was utter bovine-byproduct.

And I still do.

Not a shoe girl -- does this revoke my "girl" card?

We were having a discussion about shopping on the messageboard, and if we enjoy it or not.

Well, shopping in general I don't mind..........

• Clothes? Don't get me started. I realized a couple of years back that I am a serious clothes horse. Right now, it's been made worse by a buttload of clothes that I can no longer wear and MUST do something with. Now. There is a consignment shop for plus sizes, but I haven't had much opportunity to get my crap together and over to them. So I'm thinking eBay instead right now.
• Groceries? Hey, gotta eat. It's one of those experiences I don't dread, but unless I'm doing a special dinner or something, I don't go all out over either.
• Gifts for others? Oh yeah. I enjoy that!
• Things for myself. Well, DUH! Put me in Barnes & Noble, Earshot or Horizon, Ulta, Bath & Body Works or any other store and I'm all there. Books, CD's, cosmetics,
  
• Purses? Meh. I can take or leave them. I don't get all into designer purses or having fourteen purses in various colors, styles, etc. I have about 4 decent all-around purses that I use. That's all I need. Stacey & Clinton tell me that it no longer matters that if the purse and shoes match, so I am in heaven. Which brings me to ....
• Shoes.Revoke my girl card now. I don't hate shoe shopping but I'm not into shoes either. I can live off about 4 pairs.
  

I did the higher heels when I was younger. I now have ugly feet to show for it. I went to a podiatrist a few days back to take care of an ingrown toenail (OUCH!) and took a look at a chart of common foot issues that was in the examining room. I noticed that I probably have bunions and a few hammertoes as well. They don't cause me any great pain because I've had them for so long. My feet have looked pretty much the same for the last 20 years. All the damage was done in my pre-teen and teen years.

I've always had big feet, as do most of the women in my dad's family. Mom's family (on her mom's side anyway) has all the little teensy feet. My one lone remaining great-aunt wore extra-narrow shoes. Little bird feet women. My grandmother and two paternal aunts -- well, to say we'd be more comfy in the shoe boxes would probably not be an understatement. I wear 10 wides and 11 mediums (depending on how the shoe is cut). I was wearing an 8 medium by the time I was 10 -- same size as my mother. So she let me raid her shoes plenty of Sunday mornings for church. But then, comfort became an issue in my early 20s. My feet were killing me. So I have paid attention and kept them out of heels ever since.

And since comfort trumps style, I don't do the cutesy shoes or high heels. Unfortunately there are times that is all I seem to find in the stores.

So if it means taking away the GIRL card, go ahead. I'll stick to reasonably comfy shoes and indulge my obsession with other things -- CDs anyone?

Thoughts for Fat Tuesday

Fat Tuesday is tomorrow -- Mardi Gras. Now, New Orleans is well known for its Mardi Gras celebrations, as is pretty much every other place on the Gulf Coast over to Mobile (or at least used to be, ya know....).

But my dream is to one day get to Carnival in Brazil. The real Mardi Gras.

My family hosted an exchange student from Sao Paulo, Brazil from August 1990 until June 1991. Marcio became like another brother to us, and certainly like another son to my folks. Although I was in college for most of that year, he did leave me something I had treasured for just about 15 years now -- a tape of Bossa Nova and Samba music, mostly of Joao Gilberto.

It was instant love, especially for the Bossa Nova. Not that I don't love Samba too, but I really flipped over Bossa Nova music. I bought Getz/Gilberto (the disc with THE song). I like it but quite honestly, I prefer Joao's voice to Astrud's. Just my thing.

And I want to one day, hear all those songs, both bossa nova and samba, in their native place by the native musicians. Enjoying Ipanema in person. Spending time on Ipanema. Visiting Bahia. I would love to travel along the Amazon, even to see the Mato Grosso (deforested as it is).

One day. One day.

You bet your sweet ass I am...

"I myself have never been able to find out what feminism is; I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat or a prostitute." -- Dame Rebecca West

I did a post on my Bad Catholics Anonymous blog, and in it, I went into a brief discussion of my feminist leanings. Make no mistake: I am a feminist -- a pro-life one at that, but that's a completely different point.

I arrived at my feminist leanings by:

• watching my mother go to work each day. Apart from some of the teachers at my school and a few others, very few of my friend's mothers worked outside the home. My mother did, primarily to help with household expenses. It wasn't entirely to "find herself" (to use such a 70s phrase!). At the same time, we had "luxury items" in our house (dishwasher, microwave, etc.) that some of my other friends would not get for years -- all because Mom worked.
  
• having my parents tell me in many ways and at many times that my gender did not limit me -- not necessarily in those words, but certainly in their attitudes. And I have discovered recently that they went out of their way to show me how important certain things were -- and did not with my younger brother. For example, my parents always took me with them to vote, and even lobbied for me to go into the booth with them. My brother? Never went with them. Now, we all vote, but it must have stirred in me an interest in government. I did, after all, major in political science with an emphasis in American Politics.
  
• listening to John Forsyth's wry delivery of the words, "Once upon a time there were 3 little girls who went to the police academy... and they were assigned {heavy sarcasm=on} very hazardous duties." {sarcasm=off} I know, it sounds funny. But I realized by watching Charlie's Angels that it wasn't fair that they didn't get to do what they'd been trained to do, and now Charlie was letting them do just that.
• from my girl peers in high school. Oh believe you me, we got very riled at injustices that occurred because we were girls. We were the beneficiaries of the women's movement. Title IX? Us. Our girls' teams regularly kicked ass; our guys' teams often just lay down and died. We had a debate in our junior English class that quickly dissolved into guys versus girls. I honestly did not know my classmates felt as I did. I thought I was the only one. Keep in mind- these are the same ones who had hooted me down 3 years earlier when I suggested that I thought God might have some feminine qualities. Oh, how little we know at 13.... did we learn that much in 3 years? Anyhoo.....
  
• from my own soul. I never had a sense that just because I was female, I was lesser. Okay, perhaps a little from the church I grew up in -- you know, Eve, Delilah, Jezebel and all that nonsense. Guess they forgot to put forth the positive role models like Deborah the Prophetess, Esther, Mary & Elizabeth and a few others. No matter. I had enough influences outside the church to counter that. And it truly came as no surprise to anyone that in my very first semester of college, I took Philosophy of Feminism -- and loved it. I was also blessed enough to have a good prof for that class -- one who not a man-basher, but who balanced her beliefs with her own life as a wife and mother.
  

The fear I have is that younger generations will forget the struggle. I think every girl by age 12 should have watched segments (if not the whole movie) of Iron Jawed Angels. I want them to remember the trailblazers of the 19th century, as well as those who continued the struggle throughout the 20th century. I want them to be trailblazers.

In my goddaughter's case, she's blessed to have both her mother and myself cheering the cause on. Just this past week, we discussed a little with her about women's rights -- just touching on it a little -- and exhorting her to be whatever she wants. As I told her, "Darling, to be a wife and mother is one of the greatest callings in life -- it's your choice. You can be a wife, mother, artist, dancer, whatever. It requires balance, but it can be done. It's your choice." I want her to embrace her power of choosing whatever she wants in life, and not to be limited by anyone who says, "You can't because you're a girl."

Completely stoked!!!!

If you've never heard of Fafarazzi..... well, it's kind of like a fantasy football league, only the draftees are celebrities. You earn points based on how many times they are in the news.

I joined a couple of leagues last fall. In one I proudly own the "Dead Last" trophy -- the celebs I drafted didn't score an entire point.

This week, the draft was held for the newest league I'm in ...... JACKPOT!!!! I got Anna Nicole Smith. I know it is truly wrong to rejoice in the death and/or sufferings of fellow human beings, especially one who had such great tragic circumstances in life. But I'm getting TONS of fafa points off her death, possible burial, possible embalming, will publishing, the custody battle, the DNA testing.......

Of course, one of the other teams racked 'em up today all because that cheap hussy, Broccoli Spears, decided to shave her head and get another tat. And speaking on that, who'd have EVER thought K-Fed would look way more responsible than her. That girl needs a serious reality check.

Anyway, when I found out I got Anna Nicole Smith in my team, I did the happy dance. Then I had to explain to my coworkers exactly what fafa is.

Happy SPA Day

One of the girls on my favorite messageboard wished us "no man, no cry" gals a Happy SPA Day today -- Single Person's Awareness Day.

Now I particularly liked this acronym; as a matter of fact, one of my plans for tonight is to treat myself to a few extra special beauty treatments -- soak my feet, mask my face, etc. Just to be extra good to myself and enjoy the person I love most.

V-Day is sometimes tough on those of us without a steady. But quite honestly, my worst V-Day ever was about a dozen years ago. I was in a relationship, and it had been a godawful weekend. My emotions were on edge, and some things had occurred to just make the whole V-Day worse. On top of all that stress, I had to go to a baby shower that night. Now, for whatever strange reason, my clock was ticking like a time bomb in my 20s; my 30s, hardly a peep. A baby shower was the last thing I needed that day -- but I had promised.

It was awful. I got to the shower and all the women were talking about their presents. I burst into tears. One of the other guests, whom I did not know from Eve, pulled me aside to offer words of strength and comfort that I have never forgotten: "Hunny, Valentine's Day is a complete crock."

She continued, "It's a beautiful day to express love, but I want my husband to tell me on the other 364 days too -- not because some industry tells him he HAS to today. It's a plot to get more money out of people, and it's a shame. So perk up and spend your time and money on yourself. And besides, if he's causing you to cry this much, is he worth it?"

I paid attention to all but that last sentence (the one I should have paid the most attention to). But she was right. I'd rather have someone I love tell me he loves me or give me roses or chocolates or highly-compressed pieces of carbon on April 22 or June 13 or even November 30 than feeling as if he HAS to do it on February 14.

So in honor of SPA day, I am signing off to go pamper myself.

SWF does NOT seek....

* College boys. Sorry, hunny, I'm old enough to be your mother. Now we may both be around our peak ages, but really. That's not enough. You may be cute, but if you're too young to get into a club legally, then you are waaaaaay too young for me.

(PS: It was fun to talk to you last night, but telling me in the first 5 minutes that indoor recreation is more fun ..... well, that may be true, but not with you. It works with sorority chicks, not real women. Come back when you grow up).

(PPS: the term sorority chick is not meant to be derogatory in any way, shape, or form to actual sorority members. No Tri-Lams were hurt in the writing of this post.)

* Sticks-in-the-mud. Just because I like the occasional quiet evening at home, and I am not big on non-stop clubbing doesn't mean I feel like sitting in a rocking chair either. I like the occasional concert (but it better be a dadgum good one). I like going out to dance. I also have a warped mind and I expect someone to appreciate it.

* People with no sense of humor. I don't expect someone to laugh at everything that comes out of my mouth, but I am fairly witty. My humor is a little drier, a little more ironic, a little more cynical and sarcastic than perhaps it should be. But I also get the Three Stooges, and think that some things in life are just damn funny. If you've had your sense of humor removed, walk on by.

I'm sure there are others, but these are the top ones.

SWF seeks....

I decided a couple of weeks ago to try the world of dating again, via online dating sites.

I truly suck at dating. Quite honestly, it's something where I have very little experience. I didn't date in high school -- academics were my boon companion. I rarely dated in college; I was part of a larger group and being with them satisfied most of my social needs. After college, I dated a certain person (if you know me, you know his nickname) for nearly five years. But our dates were certainly never labeled as such; then again, neither was our relationship (until its demise). Almost from the outset, we were exclusive -- so I didn't really learn the fine art of dating.

Back when I was in the relationship, I went out on a date -- hey, I didn't know I was in a relationship; cut me some slack. It was a weird date. It wasn't really so much a date-date as "hey let's meet for dinner." He was newly single, I was single. We spent 3 hours talking. Correction: he spent 3 hours talking. My pal Bolivar says I'm a talker -- buddy, you ought to have met THIS guy. I could barely get a word in. It's a good thing we never really clicked; we were very much opposites in many ways -- politics, viewpoints, etc. At the time, I was very clear in what I did not want in a future relationship -- and he fell short in just about all the categories. We corresponded a few times after that, but drifted apart.

A few years back, I went on a couple of dates with a set-up. The first date was less than thrilling, and why I agreed to a second one .... who knows? Again, it was someone who was so far off the mark of what I was looking for. I had softened my stance on a couple of things that were oh-so-dreadfully important in my mid-twenties .... and he still fell way short.

So why am I trying again? To be honest, I don't know. I've been fairly happy as a solo artist these last few years. I've used the time to work on myself, to truly learn to love myself for who I am, where I am. But there are the moments -- those awful times in the wee small hours of the morning -- when I wish with all my heart and soul to be half of a duo.

And I'm still incredibly particular -- and I refuse to settle. That alone is a big reason that I'm still a singleton. I watched people I knew early in life finally connect with their "special someone" -- and yet I felt on some level that they settled..... I know, a rotten thing to think, but in some cases it was true. And I also came to realize that I did some settling myself -- which is why I will not do it again.

So I signed up with a couple of Catholic sites -- I'd love to date a nice Catholic boy, but it's not 100% essential. If I do date a nice Catholic boy, I do not want a "Stepford Catholic"; oh no-sir-ree-Bob! I want someone with a brain who wants to use it. I want someone with a heart, a soul, and a few other vital working organs. I don't want a horndog but I definitely do not want a prude either.

I'm picky and proud ... surely there's someone out there who can appreciate that!!

Third time's a charm

Two other times this year, we flirted with a "wintry mix" .... once, I went into work a few minutes late. The next time, it was supposed to be on a Saturday and it missed us altogether.

Today is a different story. We have about 2 inches of snow which fell in the early morning hours. Then later on, sleet and freezing rain was to mix in. So I called my boss this morning and she said, "Don't even think about it. Enjoy the day."

And so I have. I have spent all day at the PC, hanging with my homegirls on my favorite messageboard. I had intended to do more work on my novel, but this was way more fun. It's not that I don't have ideas about the novel.... and I may do some stuff tonight. But I needed the laughs and the fun.

Apparently I've also been a bit on the non-hydrated side. Most days I get in my 8 glasses of water with no problem. Today so far (at 4:30 PM), 12 of them. More to come, too...... Now if I can just get the slight headache/neckache to go away.

Thank you, Gwyn, wherever you are....

I'm a little behind everyone else on this one, but Bob Dylan's Modern Times is a very good CD, and I'm so glad I decided to buy it over the weekend. I kept it in the CD drive at work today, and I'm betting I heard it through at least 8 times between 9 AM and 7:15 PM. Not a bad song on there. Bob is back, no doubt. But then again, did Bob ever really go away? (Okay, allow me to answer my own question: Tight Connection To My Heart. God, that was a weird time).

I got turned on to Bob by one of my roommates from freshman year. Gwyn was a huge Bob Dylan fan. Bob could do no wrong. I was a Bob detractor. She played him anyway. Eventually some of the songs began to seep their way into my brain. By the time the Traveling Wilburys came along the next year, I could deal with him and even bought Highway 61 Revisited and Greatest Hits (on cassette and I probably still have them somewhere).

And somewhere along the way, I grew to admire him. Respect him. Love the music. Hated the Tight Connection video, but hey, it was the 80s.

Fantastic. That's all I can say. And this -- thanks, Gwyn.

The decision is made.

I will be moving to A/P. We had a department meeting (or two) today, and we pretty much realized this was the only option there is. We can hire someone to do A/R with the understanding that the hours are gonna be hellacious. Of course, someone else could think they're fantastic hours.

I'm sad. I will always wonder what more I could have done. If I'd stood on my head and juggled or something...... you know? But I'm also hopeful -- learning something new and using my skills elsewhere. This could turn out to be very good. And I'll get to keep my normal hours.... a real blessing!

We shall see what happens. Keep your fingers crossed.

I love Dylan ...

and this is still one of the funniest damn things I've seen in ages!! Enjoy!

Helplessly hoping

As far as my earlier decision in the week, I will know more this week. What the thing revolves around is either keeping my current job but drastically changing my hours (starting three hours earlier) -- or switching to a different position in the same department (other side of the accounting fence). My heart is breaking .... I love what I do. It's something I know I'm good at, and I have grown to enjoy the interaction very much. The other stuff, I am very hesitant about, but the hours would remain the same.

My body has never been a morning person. I get up at 5:40 on gym mornings but I force myself to. I rationalize it with "it's only 3 times a week" -- and it works sometimes. But I am hardwired for afternoons and evenings. I have been since I was a child. I was the only one of my peers in second grade who stayed up past 10 regularly. But even in kindergarten (when I went to bed comparatively early), my mother had to drag me out of bed each day. For years and years on end, I have not been able to go to bed before 11:00. If I ever do, there's a good reason: migraine or other illness, or else I had poor sleep the night before and so....

So I face a tough decision: obey my own body or betray it for work I love. I am still not sure how it will all pan out. I'll keep ya posted.

Tricks and treats

I was looking forward to a nice quiet normal Saturday. I had a hair appointment, and a birthday party to attend this afternoon, and other than that, nothing much. Just a perfectly normal, quiet Saturday.

Mother Teresa said, "If you want God to laugh, tell him your plans."

I wanted to get on the PC this morning around 10:00 AM. Turned it on, and the monitor came on, but no picture. Crap. That can mean one of two things: the monitor is shot, or the video card is. I'm bitching about both. It hits me that it's most likely the video card, which is a semi-blessing -- only about $100 compared to the $200 for a monitor. But by now, it's about 10:30 AM. I have a hair appointment in less than 2 hours. Decisions, decisions.

I had been planning to kind of spend a little time this morning at Earshot, a locally-owned CD store. Having to stop at a nearby office supply store to scout a new video card or monitor purchase would put a serious crimp in those plans. Time's a-wasting: Big Box to the rescue.

Now I'm all for saving money, but I really try hard to support Earshot and/or Horizon Records. They're both locally-owned and fabulous. Yeah, I'm going to pay a little more in there. But considering we nearly lost Earshot a few years back, I'm going to take as many opportunities as I can to buy from them to keep the business going. But time was of the essence..... so off to Big Box I go. There I can buy a video card and look for the CD's I wanted.

I found a video card. I bought four CD's (let's just call it retail therapy): a Donna Summer compilation, Faith by George Michael (because I wore out a cassette of it in college and wanted to relive it), Best of Bob Dylan (from 2000) and Modern Times also by Dylan. I came oh-this-so-terribly-close to getting The Essential Bob Dylan but the Best of compilation only lacked two songs I really wanted. So I also bought a download card to get those particular songs. (And am currently working on using up that tiny card VERY quickly on a whole bunch of other songs too). Yes, I saved probably about $20 buying them at Big Box. But honestly, I felt very bad -- so my next few purchases of music will be at Earshot or Horizon. Asperge me, Dominus.

Anyway, off to get my hair done. I'm going to have about enough time between hairdo and party to eat a quick lunch. And I do. And I manage to check the PC again. Still no dice. I open up the PC and see the video card and proceed to change it out. It's not coming out. I am freaking at this point, but it's time for the party.

I go to my cousin's house -- and what a great time! The party was for her little girl (Happy First, Maggie!!), but I was reveling in all the compliments on my appearance. I hadn't seen my cousin in about 6 months and she was floored -- as was everyone else. Her dad and my dad are brothers, but I've also known members of her mom's family off and on through the years, and her husband's family has always welcomed me with open arms. It's a crazy kudzu mess, but that's a Southern family (extended and so forth) for you.

We came back from the party, and I got my dad to help with the video card project. We were FINALLY able to extricate the card .... and my new one doesn't match anything remotely like this one. Same manufacturer, same model, but my current one is a 128mb and this new one is 256mb. Okay, but it doesn't fit ANY of the slots. What the hell am I supposed to do now? So I decided to pack the new one back up, take it back to Big Box tomorrow, and with a huge sigh, put the old one back in. For the pure sheer torture of it, I turn the PC on.....

Fan-fricking-tastic hallelujah. It works. I don't know what I did, but it's working. So I'm typing to you now, and enjoying downloading songs from this site. I can already tell I am going to be in some serious trouble. Serious. Serious. I may need to visit Big Box again and pick up another card.

Music: a harsh mistress and not a cheap one either. But I was seduced too many years ago to leave now!

Praise the Lord, I can crawl!

I'm not paralyzed by indecision anymore. I'm not fully ambulatory yet, but we're getting there. Decisions are usually overwhelming because I'm considering every option possible. Sometimes too much thought is a bad thing. I've overthought, overanalyzed, and generally beat a dead horse better than anyone.

I'll let y'all know how things go over the next couple of weeks as things progress and we see just how it will really all play out.

In the meantime, thanks for any good thoughts you may have sent my way.

Paralysis of indecision

I suffer from this problem.

I don't know about the rest of you, but when it's time to make a serious decision, I am absolutely paralyzed. I find it very difficult to come to the best decision and stick with it. I can make all the pro/con lists possible; I can analyze the thing to death; I can (and do) pray for guidance until I have assaulted heaven with a never-ending barrage of pleadings. And as decision time approaches, I remain completely baffled over what to do.

I'm going through it right now. I have a decision to reach later this week and I have all the tools ready and no clue what to do. None at all.

Not one of my favorite states of being or emotions. But I gotta plow through it.

Very hard to believe.

Today has been one year since my friend Tee died. It is still hard to believe.

I wore a pink rubber bracelet for the longest time. I haven't in a while, and I need to start again; I am ashamed that I fell out of the habit. I bought a few things from The Breast Cancer Site. I need to do more. I click on it daily, hoping to fund mammograms for women who can't afford them. One of the items I bought was a pink ribbon tee with this phrase: "If you can talk, you can sing. If you can walk, you can dance." For me, it's inspiring when I wear it on the treadmill -- which brings me to what I want to do most.

I am actively working to participate in next year's Run for the Cure (although it will more likely be the Walk for the Cure). Our area usually has theirs the end of September/first of October. I missed it this year -- not that I would have been in shape anyway. I'm determined to do it this year. I will wear Tee's name proudly on my shirt, along with my aunt's (who is a survivor). I will shed tears of joy and of sorrow. I will not miss out on this opportunity to do something real and tangible -- to raise money to find a cure for the thing that took my friend's life.

I think of her, especially when I'm remembering things from high school. I have pictures in my scrapbooks and in my yearbooks, and her writing. And memories and so many other things that make me remember. I hope I never forget.

Novel update

Yes, I am still working on my novel (see November '06 posts). There's a lot of work that still needs to be done. Instead of having all the events take place over the course of a week at the lake, I've decided to make it more along the lines of "a year in the lives..." As I said before, it's a romance/chick-lit novel -- so it needs time to develop a little more properly. And since the characters are going to be in a long-distance relationship, it really needs the time to develop. I'm also adding interactions with their families, friends, etc.

So we shall see what transpires with E & C. Even I am not sure yet......

The world's best waitress

(Preface: Señor Gleck has written some posts about wait service -- the good, bad, and ugly. It got me thinking.....)

One of my fondest memories of college is a little place called Alex's. There's no official website for them, but they have six locations (one near you). It's a Charleston chain, a la the Awful Waffle or Huddle House. Good food, cheap, open 24-7. And in the late 80s and early 90s, they employed one of the best waitresses ever at their Savannah Highway location.

I had never been to Alex's until my junior year. Todd & Ernie took me one night on the bet that the waitress would know their order when they walked in. We got there, and sure enough, Kathy (the night waitress) said, "Hey boys, your usual?" And they said sure, but I'd need a menu. I ended up order the same thing they did. the cheeseburger special. A REAL burger with the best baked french fries. Or at least they seemed baked because they were never greasy -- always perfectly crisp.

Anyway, Kathy always worked the late shift, and on occasion Dell (another waitress) would be there too. They were both great waitresses -- always taking care of us along with everyone else, knowing we were poor college students on tight budgets, and still treating us with kindness and consideration. Kathy especially took extra good care of us. She was a conscientious worker -- always knew her customers and our likes and dislikes. In our case, it surely couldn't have been for the somewhat meager tips, but again, it was just her way.

Not too long after I became a regular there, Kathy was out for a while after Hurricane Hugo. She lived on one of the islands, and had survived the storm but had lost her mobile home. The owners put a Mason jar near the register, asking for whatever pocket change people could spare. When we found out on one of our meals there, we took extra money the next time just for the jar. A short time later, she was back at work and stopped by the booth to thank us. She was getting a nice settlement from the insurance and a better place.

Of course, as in any field, you have your share of weird clients and customers. Later that spring, I was in a play. My parents came down for the weekend to watch us, and I took them to Alex's after the Friday performance. Alex's was just the kind of place my dad loves. Kathy was there and did not fail to be the same kind soul she was. The next night, after we broke down the set, I took my brother there as a thank-you (he'd helped us do break-down). He and I were sitting in the booth, noshing on our chee-burger chee-burgers. Kathy and Dell were both there working, and Kathy was joking about getting a present from the Easter Bunny (just jiving with Dell and us). She said, "I tell you, I wish the Easter Bunny would hurry up and show up with my gift!" At that point, some idiot redneck (who was mercifully leaving) stood up and yelled out, "Well I'm right here now, bay-bayyyyy!" Kathy shot him a look that would have melted Antarctica. My brother lost it -- starting laughing so hard his body was shaking. After Redneck left, Kathy remarked, "Easter Bunny, my foot!" The guy sitting in the booth behind us said, "More like Easter jackass!" My brother lost it all again.

The next fall, when we came back, Kathy was telling us about her new boyfriend -- nice guy in the Navy, who was mad about her (and her for him) and how this just might be the right guy for a change. He had even bought her a horse -- which she loved - just before he left for sea duty. One year to the day after Hugo hit, lightning struck the barn where her horse was stabled and it caught fire. They weren't able to save all the horses, and Kathy's horse didn't make it. She was totally devastated. Once again, we brought extra money and a "thinking of you" card to give her on our next visit. When she came back, it was hugs all around.

We never know the people who are going to impact our lives. No one would have suspected 4 or 5 college students bonding over a couple of years with a waitress. We were out there 2-3 times a week but still..... And it's obvious I have not forgotten Kathy or her kindness to us. I hope that life in the ensuing fifteen years have been good to her. I hope that her dreams have come true and that she is happy.

YouTube is...

the crack cocaine of the internet world. Whatever you do, don't send me to rehab.

Friends turned me on to this a long time back. Now I have not personally put any videos on there but I am having the time of my life looking at old 80s videos.

God bless YouTube!

Solitude

Ah! I am alone. It is divine. Just me, the computer, and no one else around.

Solitude is highly underrated. Don't get me wrong: I love being around people, but up to a certain extent. After that, I have to be alone, and I will take it any way I can get it. Usually, in my case, that will involve a long drive somewhere, and any amount of gas money I spend is worth it for those hours of being alone with my own thoughts. As if you didn't notice already, I am a world-class ponderer. I always have some thought rolling around in my brain and picking up steam. Those times of solitude allow me to either roll with it, or stop it and work it out.

I know this solitude can't last forever. Everyone will come streaming back in at some point, jaws flapping and voices filling what is now a beautiful silence. The only sounds literally are coming from my own breath, the quiet drone of the computer fan, the squeaky chair I'm in, the fingers hitting the keyboard, and the occasional chime of the clock. This is heaven.

Being alone used to bother me. The silence was always deafening. I had to have the crowd, the noise, the chatter. I realize now that it was because I didn't want to be alone with myself. These days, I'm far more apt to seek the quiet spaces. I guess I finally took Depeche Mode's advice and have learned to "enjoy the silence."

Again, not that I don't love people and want to shut myself away forever..... I would croak without human contact. But I find that I enjoy the social dimension of my life far more when I know that I have appreciated the beauty of being alone. There's a great article in Psychology Today about solitude versus loneliness, and it matches a lot of what I'm trying to say here.

Namaste!

I have returned!!!

Holy crap. Lesson learned from all this: Always have another alternative.

Shakin' Up The Lyra

Every now and again, it pays to shake things up. With that in mind, I shook up some of the tunes on the Lyra for my workout and my own personal enjoyment. I removed only a couple but added a few new songs to help me kick ass on the treadmill and on the machines.

Here's the new list:

• (Every Time I Turn Around) Back In Love Again -- LTD (lead singer: Jeffrey Osborne). A real mover and shaker.
• (Get Up I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine -- James Brown. Brother James' recent demise made me put this one back on. My favorite of his songs.
• Ah! Leah! -- Donnie Iris. An old favorite that has been on here a while.
• Alive & Kicking -- Simple Minds. Another old favorite.
• All Fired Up -- Pat Benatar. This one has probably been on from the beginning. I had thought of rotating it off, but I can't bring myself to. It's one of those songs where the message means a lot to me.
• Bitch -- Rolling Stones. Another old fave, taken off and brought back.
• Boogie Wonderland -- Earth Wind & Fire. Great moving tune, and it's EW&F (need I say more?)
• Boogie Woogie Choo-Choo Train -- The Tractors. I like the song.
• Cigarettes & Alcohol -- Rod Stewart. Odd selection for music for healthy living, but it's the beat.
• Cool the Engines -- Boston. Been here from the start and isn't leaving any time soon. It really is a great cool-down song and a nice reminder for me to cool the engines myself.
• Cradle of Love -- Billy Idol. Great beat.
• Crumblin' Down -- John Cougar Mellencamp. Another I'd considered rotating off, but I like it too much.
• Dazz -- Brick. Had this one on here for a few weeks, and it will probably stay on. Good 70s funk. You can't beat it for anything.
• Deeper & Deeper -- The Fixx. An old fave, not moving.
• Don't Leave Me This Way -- Thelma Houston. A new addition, great beat, but have to remind myself NOT to dance on the treadmill..... that would not be pretty.
• Eruption/You Really Got Me -- Van Halen. Oh yeah.......... (Nettie emits a devilish laugh and twinkle in her eyes).
• Gemini Dream -- Moody Blues. A nice song, perfect beat for the middle of a walk.
• Go Faster -- Black Crowes. The Black Crowes make several appearances on my list. I kind of hit the wall (musically speaking) around 1992, but the Crowes and Collective Soul (and Kenny Wayne Shepherd and maybe a couple of other '90s acts) grabbed me and didn't let go. Love this song, great beat, love love love.
• Hair of the Dog -- Nazareth. The beat, the bad attitude. How can you NOT love this one? And I keep hoping I'll see a gecko in a little red convertible too.....
• Hold On Tight -- ELO. One that I've considered taking off a couple of times, but just can't do it. It's a message song -- keep going, keep going, keep going.
• I Feel Free -- Cream. NOT getting rid of this one.
• James Dean -- The Eagles. Ditto.
• Jealous Again -- Black Crowes. I love this song.
• Keep Yourself Alive -- Queen. I like this song. I had thought about taking it off, but it seems to work well exactly where it is. So I won't ponder it any further.
• Lights Out -- Peter Wolf. I don't know why. I just like it and it works for me.
• Long Train Running -- Doobie Brothers. Yeah, I know, it's been burned-to-a-crisp thanks to classic rock stations. I swear, it's like they worship Tom Johnston and give Michael McDonald no quarter at all. Anyway, I like a lot of the Doobie Brothers song and this one works here. So for the time being, it stays.
• So Alive -- Love and Rockets. Okay, for some oddball reason, the Lyra thinks the song is "Love and Rockets" by So Alive (apparently). Oh well. Anyway, it works and works pretty well here.
• New York Groove -- Ace Frehley. Yes, it's cheesy. No, I don't care. I love this song.
• One Vision -- Queen. I like the song, and I like Queen. But I am thinking of rotating this one off for another B2AC classic, "Another One Bites The Dust." I gotta think on this one.
• Peace Frog -- The Doors. (without Blue Sunday). Yes, a very weird inclusion.
• Radioactive -- The Firm. One of my favorites from the 80s. I guess I was suffering from lack of Zep when Jimmy Page reappeared on the scene, so I latched onto the Firm for their short career (one album, right?). They had good music.
• Remedy -- Black Crowes. Told you, this was a Crowe-heavy list.
• Right Here, Right Now -- Jesus Jones. Right now, this is working. We'll see for the future.
• Rock You Like A Hurricane -- Scorpions. I openly admit that I am an 80s music kind of girl. So why not include the German screamers?
• Romeo's Tune -- Steve Forbert. Yes, another odd inclusion. I think I had put this on the Lyra for some other purpose and just never took it off. I am not sure I will. I love this song.
• Running on Empty -- Jackson Browne. I have a special place in my heart for this song. It speaks to me.
• Sanctify Yourself -- Simple Minds. Another odd inclusion.
• Shining Star -- Earth Wind & Fire. Hell yeah.
• Sir Duke -- Stevie Wonder. If you aren't moving SOMETHING by the end of this song, check your pulse and call your local mortician.
• The Boys Are Back In Town -- Thin Lizzy. Because it just rocks. (Note to self: be sure to put Jailbreak on here too).
• The Other Side -- Aerosmith. There are lots of good tunes by Aerosmith, but this one seems to fit well here. Good driving beat, perfect for keeping things going.
• Well All Right -- Blind Faith. I like it. It works for me. There you go.
• Whatever Gets You Through the Night -- John Lennon. See above. I can almost hear Don Pardo saying "Saturday Night Liiiiiiiive" somewhere over the sax intro.
• Winning -- Santana. Another one that won't be leaving anytime soon. Great song.

Hmm. 70s Funk and 80s metal. Who'da thunk it?

It didn't take Jesus this long...

My internet service is still down, awaiting the resurrection.

In the words of the Indian pimp in Bachelor Party, the Major Telecommunications Conglomerate (henceforth, "Buttheads") "have been liar to me!" Last Tuesday, my service was reinstated (don't ask - even longer story). Liar #1 told me, "I'll have it turned back on within 24 hours." Nine days later, my phone is on but NOT my Internet. Seems Buttheads assigned me a temporary new number instead of rolling everything back on to my normal number -- and never told me. The DSL order? Attached to new number. Then even after spelling my user ID, they still managed to screw it up and misspell it.

FINALLY, I got someone yesterday who managed to actually give a damn and listen to my problem. Bad news? Still 3 more days.

Dealing with them has been one gigantic cluster(expletive deleted) without the (personal product).

Quick drive-by

No I haven't departed this life, but my Internet connection at home is on life support. I hope to remedy that today. It will be Easter at Christmas; the resurrection will occur.

Christmas was nice. Glad it's over. I can only take so much holiday cheer.

More to come.....

Touching the snow

Seven days to go, and I'm finally feeling a little of The Christmas Spirit (R).

Friday night, I went to my godchildren's school for their annual Christmas production. It was so cute! They had everyone from K-3 to 5th grade take part. The little K-3s were just adorable, and the K-4 (the class their cousin Hannah is in) was cute too! So I got to see all three kids perform. It was really good work, considering it's a somewhat smaller private school.

Usually, children's choirs are a reminder of times I took part in the children's choir at church -- some pleasant memories, and others where I go "what were we thinking?" These kids were good, and you could tell the music teacher really had worked with them. They didn't sound like a typical children's choir -- where half have the deer-in-headlights look and stand there bug-eyed and twisting around because they don't know what else to do ... while the other half screams out "Away In A Manger" because they don't know what else to do. No, the kids actually sang, no one screamed out the words off-key. A few did have The Look, but not for long.

Then last night, I went to the dance recital for Rebekah and Hannah. It was very cute, and they each did a great job. Rebekah was in four segments, Hannah in one (she's in Pre-Ballet). Then we went downtown to see the Christmas Village sponsored by a local hospital. It was kind of neat. They had a carousel for the children, but the rest of it was food sales. But they also had a snow machine -- to give it a real holiday feel. Now, bear in mind that yesterday afternoon, it was 70 degrees here; definitely NOT your average December high! But when the sun went down, it got pretty nippy -- perfect to haul out the snow maker! And the kids loved it. I got a couple of pictures of them holding their hands out and looking utterly delighted.

I think that's what did it for me -- that childlike sense of wonder. They knew it was from a snow maker and didn't really care. All they wanted was to touch the snow.

Just not in the mood.

I can't get into Christmas.

I guess I'm becoming more like my dad -- for him, it's just one more day in the year, religious significance aside. He doesn't get into all the hoopla and hubbub. His philosophy is "if I want something, I'll just go get it, or save up until such time I can go get it." Mine is the same.

But now along comes all the marketeers pumping up the expectations for the holidays. All the sparkly, expensive gifts. All the big fancy gatherings. All that warm, gooey, gushy feeling -- my God, it practically oozes through the screens.

Well, sadly for many people, the Norman Rockwell Christmas is a farce. (Apologies to Mr. Rockwell, he was just doing his job). People change, times change, and somehow we get all nostalgic at the holidays and try to live up to all those expectations we had as kids. Think Clark Griswold and the conversation he has with his dad. Over the years, I've developed a great definition for nostalgia: feeling sentimental for something that actually never existed.

As for me, I just want to celebrate the religious significance, exchange small gifts with loved ones, and not succumbing to the marketing pressure of what the perfect Christmas should be. I don't have to go all hog-wild and decorate like mad, or listen to holiday music 24/7 or spend $$$ that I don't need to.

Realism for Christmas. What a concept.

The one Christmas show I can't watch.

When I was a little girl, I saw a Rankin-Bass production called Nestor the Long-Eared Donkey. It's the story of a poor picked-on donkey who is ridiculed by the others for his excessively long ears, but who eventually becomes the hero, by taking Mary & Joseph to Bethlehem.

I think I was about 6 or 7 the first time I saw it. Oh my sweet Lord, I bawled like a baby. I was a very sensitive child, and I just couldn't stand to see someone being picked on for something they couldn't help -- like Nestor and his ears. Well, that just did it for me. I never saw it on TV again. I don't know if it was merely that our stations didn't carry it or if it went back into the R-B vaults.

Fast forward to somewhere around 1996. I saw it offered on VHS in a catalog at church/work. I told my coworker about not being able to watch it, and we laughed a little about it. Then in 2002 (I think), I was flipping channels and got to ABC Family. The next show on tap was "Nestor" ..... oh my. I really so wanted to see it, but I wondered if it was just my childhood tender heart that had caused me to cry my eyes out over Nestor. Surely now that I was an adult, I could handle it.

They got me again. I cried over Nestor -- not as much as I had that first time, but I needed a tissue. My brother laughed at me; I didn't care. Nestor's story broke my heart all over again. Sure, he was the hero at the end. But he went through some serious crap along the way, all because he was different.

Guess a tender heart doesn't easily go away, does it?

I can watch Christmas Vacation and laugh my butt off. I can watch A Christmas Story and die laughing (especially during the "fa-ra-ra" scene, among others). But put Nestor on and I become a puddle of tears.

Christmas Music, 24/7

God deliver us.

We have two Adult Contemporary stations, and around Halloween they start salivating all over themselves to see who's going to be the first with the Christmas music. They start with "weekend previews" -- okay, do I really need a preview of Christmas music? Uh, most of it I've heard for years.

I hate it. I remember when one of those stations was an easy listening/MOR, and they would do 24-hour Christmas music on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. That was it. But then again, none of the other stations shoved Christmas music down everyone's throat.

Call me the Grinch or Scrooge or whatever. I am so tired of it already. I don't listen to these stations anyway unless a song I like just happens to come on. One of them I pretty much flat refuse to listen to, because it's owned by a certain media conglomerate that wants to rule the world (doesn't everybody? Didn't we learn that in '85?). Anyway, I do my best to avoid them most of the time.

But I find myself hoping to catch just one Christmas song on there that I love with all my heart. So I will punch up their frequencies. And I've yet to catch this song on there. I drove to Atlanta last weekend and happened to catch it on one of their stations: the Christian station. I didn't know whether to be happy at hearing it or sad that the dadgum CHRISTIAN station was playing it. Because believe me, when I hear this song, the last thing on my mind is a manger in Bethlehem. But that's another post for another time (heh heh heh)........

Play the song more often. It can't be any worse than Mariah screeching the hell out of "Oh Holy Night" (to which I think, "Oh holy Jesus...."). And how many damn times can you play Bing and "White Christmas"? ENOUGH ALREADY!