Fellows, I'm telling you: you're gonna want.....

Going into work this morning, I heard the familiar opening riff of "Don't Fear the Reaper." And I cracked up.... because I realized one very important thing: It really could have used more cowbell!!!! (Hee hee hee)

Memories light my corner of the web.....

I ran across an old initial edition of "Meanderings" -- apparently, my original intent was to sort of do my own blog without calling it a blog. But then I found blogger.com and figured, "Why reinvent the wheel?" Someday, I will actually post the thought found therein. It's pretty good, but unfinished.

In updating my web pages, I also found another page I was planning to post, but never did.... "My Favorites." While some of the items on the list haven't changed, others did. And that made me think about how our interests change -- for some, more often than others. For instance, ten years ago, if you wanted to get me the perfect gift, something about angels or with a drawing of an angel was a good place to start. I still have the books and prints, but I'm not as into angels (or at least the collectibles) as I was then. Some people have lifelong favorite things, colors, scents, whatever. I like a little more variety, and yet retain some familiar favorites.

***

By the way, it hit me that I didn't have the comments feature turned on. It is now active in case you'd like to add your thoughts to the mix.

Four words for Tom Cruise:

SHUT THE HELL UP!

I thought about writing a few more words on this topic, but then I realized the utter futility therein. Especially when those four suffice.

Now..... today, on our local morning newscast, I heard one of the anchors utter this phrase (or words to this effect): "Coming up after the break, Aruban PO-leece make another arrest..." Okay, that may not strike you as particularly funny, but I about fell out over it! To hear a Midwestern accent (or lack thereof) saying "PO-leece" instead of "puh-LEECE" just slew me! I assume that perhaps the Teleprompter(R) split the word across two lines, and in the fog and fuzz of morning, she didn't mean to say it that way. But it was dadgum funny!

It could have been funnier; they could have said, "Coming up after the break, watch the law go after another suspect...." Here in the South, sometimes law enforcement officers are simply called "the law" -- as in, "I'm gonna call 'the law' on my neighbors if they don't shut up that arguing at all hours of the night!"

Of course, the phrase 'the law' (meaning the PO-leece - HAA!) is not to be confused with the expression "They LAAAAAW!!!" (sort of the same as "Oh my Lord!" or "GOOOLLLLLL-LAY!").

Yup, I didn't know until today that they had the PO-leece in Aruba. HA HA HA!

Great Radio

Not much to say today. Other than you know it's gonna be a great day when you hear 3 beloved songs on the way in to work. And you know -- it was a good day! Thank you, Steely Dan, Van Morrison, and Traveling Wilburys!

Great. God. Almighty.

First off, a happy solstice to any and all friends who celebrate the day! Now to my REAL rant....

Charles Wesley must be rolling in his grave.

Today, George W. Bush addressed the Southern Baptist Convention, and noted that the family is the source of all compassion. Oh, really? According to Wesley's hymn, "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling," the 3rd stanza of the first verse reads (traditional wording): "Jesus, thou art all compassion; pure unbounded love thou art." In a more modern rewording -- the one my parish uses -- it reads as "Jesus, source of all compassion; love unbounded, love most pure."

Hmm -- so which is it, George? The family (meaning in this case, only a family with Daddy, Mommy, 2.7 children, a white picket-fence house, with Spot and Fluffy) or Jesus? I'll take my chances with the Almighty instead......

More Deep Thoughts, but not by Jack Handey

I am a ponderer. Always have been, always will be. So today, I was pondering. Pretty much a continuation of some of what I was pondering on the drive home from church Sunday evening.

I am a moderate. A centrist. In a world which seems to be increasingly polarized, a moderate path is not an easy walk. You will catch hell from people on both sides of the argument who assume that centrism equates to neutrality, or indecisiveness, or even a lack of passion. Actually, I find it much more refreshing -- because I can see multiple viewpoints, and recognize them as valid. I can see the passion and thought that goes into that person's particular stance. And I can see their polar opposite's viewpoint and appreciate it too.

This does not mean I do not have strong opinions -- quite the contrary! My opinions are also pretty strongly held and researched. But that does not mean I won't listen to the "other" side's viewpoint and hold it to be just as valid as mine.

Gee.... wouldn't it be nice if that happened more often in our world?

Yippee-skippee for Jesus.

Recently, I took the opportunity to attend a teen-oriented Mass at a parish. All I can say is that, in regards to the music (which is meant to be contemporary and relevant), I got more out of the George Harrison song that was on my radio as I left Mass. The music was indeed contemporary, but far from relevant to the Mass.

I have nothing against parishes trying to reach teens. I have a massive problem with them catering to whatever is "hip" in an effort to reach them. The Mass itself is always relevant and contemporary, even as it is centuries (now millennia) old. Further, the music should enhance the liturgy, neither serving as the focus nor the selling point to get butts in the seat.

Keep in mind, I am a moderate Catholic -- neither ultra-liberal or super-conservative. To certain conversatives, I say, "Vatican II happened; get over it." To certain liberals, I say, "The revolution is over; let's move on." All I ask out of Mass is a chance to worship with music that enhances the action (instead of being the focus), with nothing distracting me from the liturgy itself -- including overblown drama, whether it comes from the congregation or the presider.

And just a further nit-picky point: when you sing, it's AHH-men, never AY-men, unless you are in a production of Lilies of the Field. Since none of tonight's singers or congregants were nuns in the Southwest nor Sidney Poitier, then you should sing AHH-men.

Old fart rant over now.....

My name is Annette, and I am a bad blogger....

(Hi, Annette!)

Now that there are some different things going on in my life, perhaps I will get around to it more often. A few changes since my last writing: left my old job, am working again (after about 2 months of vegetation -- guess I got my Christmas wish, huh?) and in general really loving life.

Anyway, recently I have found myself in a strange position of being the old kid on the block at work. It is unusual because I have always been the "baby" of the group, the young whippersnapper, every place I've worked. Even when I worked with my contemporaries at AT&T/NCR, most of them were only a couple of years younger or so, and I *was* the youngest admin in my group. In my current configuration, I am the oldest. I am older than the manager of the group by two years. The person to whom I report is 10 years younger than me. That, my friends, is a weird place to be in. Now granted, I have the blessing of looking younger than my years, but it's just ... well, not to beat a dead horse, but weird. I'm now the "voice of wisdom..." (Y'all pardon me while I go laugh my considerable rear off at that notion!) :-)

Hey, if anybody needs any last minute gift ideas....

I'd like my boss, Frank Shirley... OOPS! Sorry, got carried away there.

However, after Christmas I will be buying myself the gift of a bagel slicer. One that won't take a huge chunk of my thumb out with it!!! YOWWWW! I know, I can buy the frozen pre-sliced, and they're good. But the bakery had such lovely fresh bagels (unsliced) that I chose them instead. And they are delish, to be certain. But slicing them is another story.

Another great gift idea I wish to pursue is 3 or 4 days of total vegetation.... where I can wake and sleep as I wish, with no deeds to do or promises to keep. Just a chance to make up for all the rest and the sleep and the relaxation that is so hard to find in everyday life.....

That's it; that's the list! (thanks, MJA, for a great phrase!)

I declare a POX on bad Christmas music.

Yeah, long time no blog. Lots of stuff has gone on but nothing that demanded that I write about it. But with the Christmas season upon us, you *knew* I'd have to share some thoughts on this -- bad Christmas music!!! I declare a POX on bad Christmas music.

Here's a most egregious example: Several years ago, someone I once knew had a CD given to him by a family member, probably as a joke. Last year, I found this CD at Big Lots. Let's just say the music therein makes Jessica Simpson's bad-sounding "Sanny CLAAAAAWZ!" (from the recent NBC special) sound like Leontyne Price by comparison. It's not one of those "so bad it's good" -- it's one of those "Oh my LORD, did someone actually PAY money to have this thing produced and marketed??" That alone made me have to buy it.

It's called "Southern Christmas Classics" -- but there's only one song on there I even remotely recognized (more on that "gem" in a minute). There's the opening song called "Star of Bethlehem" -- no, not "O Beautiful Star of Bethlehem" (which the Judds did a few years back). Let me just share one couplet of the lyrics (at least as I think it went; hard to get a precise transcription over my howls of shock and semi-laughter):

He didn't send his message through a fax or IBM
But he sent his love to us, through the Star of Bethlehem.

Then there is the all-time "classic"..... called (and I am quoting verbatim here): "Ain't That What Christmas Is About?" Here's the refrain:

Ain't that what Christmas is about?
So let all your good feelings out
It's the time of year to say "I love you"
Oh, ain't that what Christmas is about?

All I could say was "Oh my..... Oh my....."

And the one song I recognized? Since when is "On the Good Ship Lollipop" a Christmas song???? HUH?????

****

And the winner of the worst Christmas single ever, bar none?

The worst Christmas song -- the one I turn off while howling in disgust and writhing in pain -- is that damn "Christmas Shoes" (where the kids buy their dying mother a pair of gold shoes so she'll look pretty for Jesus).

Now, before you go calling me a totally heartless bitch, let me say that the song is designed to tug every heartstring (and it does). You'd have to be a completely heartless soul not to mist up the first time you hear it -- just on sappy sentiment alone.

But the stations around here are playing it at least 2-3 times a day, and it just makes me ill to hear it. PS: Haven't heard it yet? Really? Can I come live in your hometown? Apparently, judging by the number of times it's played around here, folks just can't get enough of it.

Furthermore, there is some appalling theology contained therein -- namely this: Is heaven so drained for new and exciting stuff that Jesus has decided to get His jollies by standing at the pearly gates, looking at people coming in and saying, "HEEEEY! Cute shoes!"????

I have stated before that if the master copy from the studio, every piece of purchased sheet music, every CD with this song, and every ripped MP3 file of this song were to suddenly, spontaneously combust, leaving it forever destroyed, I wouldn't shed a tear. I stand by this. Call me heartless. I can take it.

Just WTP is going on?

I swear, I wrote a post about a month ago, but it never got published. Oh well.....

Just a few random thoughts for the day:
1. Dang, it's hot this summer...... whatever happened to a nice mild spring and summer creeeeeeeeping its way in? It was like one morning, it was crisp and 50 degrees, with a nice high around 72. And a week later, it was 70 degrees at 7:00 AM, stretching on up to about 90!

2. Thank God for Sonic and their slushes..... MMMMM! They are making this godawful heat a little more bearable!

Life and Other Plans

Yeah, yeah, yeah.... it has been a long time since I put in an entry. Sorry.... life came along and had other plans.

So what's on my mind right now? Lots of stuff churning about. I suppose the thing on my mind most is the political stuff. Because I was working on my degree in political science, I should be completely intrigued with all the twists and turns in this year's Presidential race. I should find all the accusations and allegations completely holding my interest, and sitting on the edge of my seat awaiting the outcome.

As you may have guessed, I am not. While I am not apathetic about politics and the process, this year, I find myself underwhelmed by what is being offered. In 2000, I voted for the Libertarian candidate simply because I could not bring myself to vote for either Gore or Bush. The Libertarians may get my vote again in 2004, simply as a protest. Ralph Nader may get my vote, again as a protest. And yet strangely enough, the two-party system sure beats a handful of equally powerful parties having to work in a coalition government. YUCK!

And now to another hot topic: La Toya getting the boot last night on "American Idol".... I was shocked as all get-out. Due to other things going on in my life, I've only been able to see the last 3 or 4 weeks of the competition. Her voice has been amazing. As a journeyman singer (who is now "too old" for AI), I have been incredibly impressed with her voice, her style, her stage presence. So I have no doubts at all that we have not heard or seen the last of Ms. La Toya London.

posted by nettiemac at 3:57:01 PM

Christmas thoughts

What a busy week......! Between a massive 10-hour shopping blitz on Saturday, church on Sunday, and trying to cram five days' worth of work into two days..... well, you can just imagine how it was in my little world!

But now the rush of the season is past, and we can enjoy the actual wonder and beauty of Christmas. And time to send out my Christmas cards..... as I told several of my friends, there was just too much to do to send them out before the 25th. However, the holiday season extends into January for both my religions (Catholic Christianity and college football).... it ain't over till Epiphany or the last BCS Bowl game is played!! So all my friends will be getting their cards a bit late. Most have been QUITE understanding!

One idea I'd like to pass on: our diocesan Bishop has asked all families to light a candle of hope (a white candle to symbolize the Christ-child) during the Christmas season (December 25 through January 5), and during that time, to do an act of kindness or make a stab at reconciliation -- to light a candle, instead of cursing the darkness. In a time when war and fear and terror and hatred seem to be the only things on the news, we're hard-pressed to find hope and peace. Small as the effort may be, peace in ourselves, in our homes, will spread and one day... one day ... lead to real peace in the world. Apparently John Lennon really was right: "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one....." So if you feel inclined, do the same in your own home, and in your own family.

Blessings to you and yours in this season -- whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, the Solstice, or Kwaanza, or any other winter holiday celebration. May peace truly reign.

Ask and you shall receive...

Here I was this morning, grumbling about a jolted start to my morning, still feeling unappreciated and very "unspiritual" about Christmas..... and lo and behold, I got *such* a boost from someone that I barely know. One of our parishioners called. She is a sweet lady, and I know her by sight (and she knows me by sight), but we don't really know each other well. She needed information, was almost apologetic for even having to ask. It was an easy task, and the information was literally right at my fingertips. Right after we finished the conversation and hung up, she called back to tell me how nice I was everytime she had to call the office, and how she wished all offices had someone like me. I nearly cried, I was so moved.

Then this afternoon, we received the Christmas note from my cousin -- who REALLY should consider getting her essays published, she is SO gifted! I cried reading that one, too -- just very incredibly spiritual and another much-needed boost.

And on top of that, I was at last able to finalize plans for our family's mid-January gathering. I'm so boosted about everything coming together that I am going to sit down and send out my Christmas cards tonight (nothing like the last minute, huh???).

Amazing how things can somehow click together -- thanks God!!

Something burning on an open stove....

I awoke this morning to the smell of smoked sausage cooking. There was only one problem: I was the only person awake at the time..... So where was the smell coming from?

Nothing quite evokes a mood of winter like the roar and hiss of a crackling fire -- discovering it in a water pot on your stove is NOT where you expect it!! We have a gas stove in our house upon which we put a tin of water (for a little extra humidity in the house). A few weeks ago, I had put some mulling spices in a cheesecloth in it for a special touch -- add a little spicy smell to the house. Apparently no one checked the water levels in it last night, and by this morning, the spices were burning, and the cheesecloth was black as tar.

This makes two mornings in a row in which my day has gotten off to a shotgun start -- where all my plans to ease into morning, to creep into my routine, have been thwarted. It's bad enough that the holiday season tends to occasionally Grinch me out... you know, realizing you STILL have things to buy and stuff to do and it's less than a week away. But two rude awakenings are just enough to send the already jangled and jingled nerve endings into a total frizz.......

And trying to find the spirituality present in the holiday season is so difficult, made even more so when you actually WORK for a church. A few weeks ago, on Prairie Home Companion, Garrison Keillor made a remark about how those who seem to work hardest for Christmas are the ones who enjoy it least. He has a point.

Until next time....

Sixteen tons.....

Just a couple of random thoughts.

1. I have the highest respect for the medical profession -- doctors, nurses, technicians, and so forth -- especially after my surgery this summer. They are wonderful people who do a great job (or at least that holds true for my situation). The medical business (billing, insurance, costs, etc.) is another story. I just found out this afternoon that because I am slightly over the income limits, and worked hard to save back a little for my retirement in 35 years, I now will be spending the next 14 kazillion years of my life paying off this operation. Merry friggin' Christmas.

2. But just as I was feeling my absolute lowest today (just after talking to the hospital's business office), I came home to a WONDERFUL gift! Several of us SPQ gals took part in a Christmas card swap -- and mine arrived today!!!!! These are some awfully creative wimmins, and I'm proud to be part of them! I laughed, I cried (but in a good way), and feel as if I can take on the world again tomorrow ..... just when I felt like thinking, "Why even bother?" Thanks, ladies -- you might have been just sending a card, but what you sent me was hope and love, along with a little faith in myself and in the basic goodness of life. You can't beat that for a Christmas gift!!!

Fidiots at the Holiday Fair

I was going to post this yesterday, but was way too wiped out for it!! Yesterday was our local Holiday Fair -- tons of artisans and handcrafters plying their wares. Most of the wares were pretty neat; a few repetitions, but some really good things and some originals.

Here are some observations from yesterday's to-do:

1. Whatever happened to manners????? I saw more cut-offs yesterday than I've seen on the freeways and interstates for years! I think I said "Excuse me" or "I'm sorry" or other polite comments more often than they were ever said back to me. The most blatant example of this rampant rudeness: At an exhibit for a food product, this one lady cut in front of me several times! There were multiple flavors available, and she was sampling them all. She even glared at me -- guess she thought I was weaseling in on her path to the goodies. Worse, she actually looked a lot like someone who is one of the sweetest women in the world, and I suppose I was thinking that she would behave like this woman too (HA!). In addition, she was making comments about the products. Not necessarily rude comments, more just her observations on them along the lines of "Oh, this stuff is nasty!" (I was sampling the same product and actually thought it quite tasty). Now I'm the type who, if I thought a product was tacky or not to my standards, would not say something about it in front of the vendor.... I simply wouldn't buy, but just walk away. Or if I felt the pressing need to say something about it, I'd at least wait until the vendor was out of earshot. What is it with the lack of manners these days? Conventional wisdom says that today's youth are rude, but based on yesterday's displays, the younger generations were far more well-mannered than this person (several years older than me). I think it goes back to one's upbringing.... children who were raised with parents who taught them good manners and to be respectful of others generally grow up to be respectful, mannered adults.

2. Shuttles and trolleys to the parking areas would have been greatly appreciated! Not so much because the parking was out in BFE, but because it was so darn COLD, with a horrid wind! Even if the shuttle would have just gone to the entrance of the airport lot, that would have been fine. It would have been worth even another dollar or so for the ride! In the past, vendors have parked in the outer lots and left the inner lots for the shoppers. This year, it was reversed. I'm not sure that was such a great decision, but I'm not in charge either.

Okay, enough kvetching for today....... :-)

"Hallelujah, holy s**t....

.... where's the Tylenol?" -- Clark W. Griswold (Chevy Chase) in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

I'm utterly shocked. Completely speechless. This is the first time we've put up the tree in ages where there were no serious arguments, no real fusses (the occasional jibe and smart-azz aside were spoken, but......). I don't know what happened!

I'm honestly thinking that it's because we did it so early in the day. Most of the time, we wait until one evening, and we're all tired and grumpy and have had bad days at work, and it's one big friggin' nuclear meltdown.

I must remember this for next year!!!!

Gobble gobble gobble!

Turkey day has come and gone, and -- surprise! surprise! surprise! -- we got along without a major argument. Only one or two minor ones. I admit that I instigated one, because the broccoli casserole (which I normally make) was done differently from the usual. It's one dish I tend to pride myself on, so it made me a little miffed. Like I said, though -- minor in the grand scheme of things. And in no surprise at all, the tryptophan kicked in, and we were all snoozing before long.

In the day's shocker, the Lions beat the Packers. Don't know what's up with the Packers this season.....

What's on tap for tomorrow? Avoiding retail stores at all costs!! Instead, we're going to figure out where to put the tree this year. Last year, to my everlasting horror, my folks did not put up the regular tree (artificial... I prefer the real thing, but I'll take what I can get). Instead, they bought a 24-inch-high fiber-optic tree to put on our tabletop. It was cute, but it sure didn't seem like Christmas without the taller tree -- I mean, GEEEEZ! You couldn't decorate the other one. So tomorrow will be "hell day" of rearranging the furniture to try to make it work.

Ya know, I wish I could travel back to the 20s or 30s or whenever it was that houses like ours were designed. I'd love to bring the architect or contractor or whomever to 2003 and go, "Listen, jerkwad, here's your problem! Don't make bedrooms which connect only to the main room.....!" (we have 2 that way).

Our Lady of Migraines, pray for us.......

Willkommen, bienvenu....

"...welcome... c'mon in." -- Madeline Kahn as Lili von Shtupp in Blazing Saddles.

Well, here we are. The initial entry in my blog. Yeah, I'm behind the times compared to everyone else. I never claimed to be on the cutting-edge, anyhow...... So, what inspired me to do this now? I'd been working on a "Meanderings & Musings" page for my website for several years, but just never got around to actually finishing it. This seemed easier.

So here are my random thoughts for today:

1. Was Michael Jackson purposely trying to look like Faye Dunaway's rendition of Joan Crawford in his mug shot? And who brings a makeup artist with them? Hello!!! It's a mug shot, not a freakin' family portrait!!!

2. Why are holidays so stressful? Every year, it's the same. We have all these expectations for the perfect holiday (a la Clark Griswold) and inevitably, every year, they end up as hellish as we imagine they will be. Someone drinks too much or there's a fight over how to prepare the food or where things are going to take place. No wonder Robert Earl Keen's "Merry Christmas from the Family" is one of my favorite Yuletide songs.... and that's coming from someone with an intact nuclear family! YIKES!

3. There was some freaky letter to the editor in our local newspaper today about how God didn't create men and women equal.... different, but not equal. I got pretty fired up about that one, let me tell you! Rants are no fun if there's no one there to hear them...... I'd write a response, but here it is in 3 simple words: "Bless his heart......" As all Southerners know, "bless (x)'s heart" is a nice way of saying, "they don't know any better" or "I'm about to really slam this person, but this makes it sound nicer." Bless his heart, indeed!!!!