NOT MUCH OF ANYTHING

Just wanted to say “Hi.”

I miss my laptop where I have a nice list of bookmarks that makes reading my daily blogs much easier and faster than it is here on the “Family” computer.  If I haven’t visited you lately, it’s either because I’ve been crazy busy or don’t have you on my blogroll for whatever reason.

How are you all, anyway?  This seems to be a very slow week in Blogworld, everyone must be busy.  Or depressed with the weather here in Western PA which all of a sudden has turned yucky.

Does anyone have any big plans coming up for the weekend?  Or for Halloween?

That’s about all I have for now.  Past my bedtime.  Did I mention how badly I hate working overtime?

EXCUSES, EXCUSES

So finally today Verizon took all our whining and complaining and hours of phone/tech time seriously and since they had a truck in the area without a full schedule, sent someone over to “look at the problem.”  So now we have all new lines in addition to the new line from their pole to our house which Hulk Hogan Himself installed last weekend.  Every single wire is filtered (or some damn thing) and the amount of wires we have under the computer desk looks like a spaghettifest.  It appears that everything we had under there before is now doubled.  And for all our aggravation, I think we should have free Internet access for the rest of the year at least. Dammit.  Additionally, it seems their modems have been having issues and IF WE STILL HAVE PROBLEMS after all of this, we’re to let them know daily/hourly -whatever it takes- and they will replace that.  As soon as the router people send us the replacement for the junk router we bought, I will be able to reunite with my poor neglected laptop.  I know this all sounds like a big run-around… I truly don’t think the router was a problem in the first place, just people passing the buck making it look like someone else’s problem.  And yeah, this is boring me so I’m done.

I had a really good video posted here last night, The Kings of Leon video for Sex on Fire. (you can try this link but it may not be there. Natalie alerted me that the video turned “sorry no longer available” overnight.  What’s up with that, anyway.)   It’s their hottest (literally) song right now and I wanted you all to see it.  I’ll keep checking YouTube and if it comes back available again I’ll repost.  I downloaded the song (and the rest of the album, Only By The Night) and I have to tell you, it’s AMAZING.  Give it a listen if you’re so inclined.  If you like them, they’ve made a whole series of home movies and they’re on YouTube.  Pretty Cool.  This one will give you a glimpse of Sex on Fire at 1:49.

My little brother left yesterday to a place far across the ocean to serve our country in the National Guard.  Which by the way, Kid Rock has developed a fondness for and has recorded a song called Warrior, somehow connected with Dale Earnhart, Jr.  I haven’t figured out the connection, but, anyway… you can download the song for free by following this link. The song is not something I would listen to more than once, but it’s nice that the Kid is giving some creedence and recognition to our “Warriors.”   I would appreciate any spare prayers you might have lying around for the safety of my little brother, Bill, while he’s gone.  We hope to have him back home by the Holidays.

Yeah, I’ll get to that final post about The Airborne Toxic Event show before the year is out.  I just haven’t had the time to sort out my thoughts and get it on here since I’ve been in a hurry everytime I post waiting for the Internet connection to go out.  Maybe now I won’t need to worry about that anymore.

I almost forgot to mention that Saturday morning drivers in my neck of the woods are suicidal/homicidal maniacs.

HIS INTENTIONS ARE GOOD

PD has taken it upon himself to aid me in the frightful task of smoking cessation (mine).  He subscribes to the school of thought that the very best way for me to quit is to allot me a certain number of the cursed things cigarettes each day, tapering off until I’m smoke-free.  This week he’s kindly counted out 15 cigarettes each day and sends me out in the world with that much ammunition.  Next week he’ll arm me with 14 per day and so on and so on.

I hesitate to even post this information due to the fact that you wonderful people have heard so many different versions of this song and dance routine that I’m sure you’re thinking, “Yeah, right.  Here we go again…”  Yeah, well, you’re gonna hear it- and if and when I fail again, you can say “I told you so” but you can say it to yourself because if you say it to me I’ll cry.  And then I’ll try again and you’ll have to read about it again.  And so on.

I have to confess that I’m not exactly buying this method one hundred per cent.  And I’ve been honest with PD about it.  The times that I’ve tried this method before, what happens is this: by the time you get down to say, 5 cigarettes per day, those five cigarettes become the most important thing in the world and that’s all you can think about.  I feel like I wrote this before and if I did, I apologize. But that’s what I’m expecting.  In the mean time, I’m working on getting more exercise and drinking voluminous amounts of water. (Not entirely sure if I’m using voluminous correctly, I looked it up [honest I did, it’s somewhere between volcano and vomit in the dictionary] and I’m still not sure.  Anyway, I’m drinking gallons of water.  And trying to occupy my mind with prayer/song lyrics/plots to murder people who stress me into lighting up.

So.  I guess the plan is that 14 weeks from now I’ll be smoking one cigarette per day.  That ought to be quite an entertaining time to read here.

And as a side note fodder for your added entertainment in the coming weeks maybe I’ll chronicle my weight each week.  Just for fun.  Officially, today my weight is 123 lbs.  I actually lost two pounds since last week, not sure what to attribute that to…  And to wrap this up,  I would like to discourage any off-site wagering as to what the figure may be at Christmas time.  That would be funny, I know, but mean.  😉

And just because this page needs some color, here’s a recent sunset behind our house that I like.  A lot.

HI, HOW ARE YA?

Tonight I was cleaning out my email and I came across a sitemeter report from awhile back. Out of curiosity, I opened it and there was an entry that caught my eye. I clicked on it and it took me back to this page on my old blog over at Blogger. Remember when each and every post was titled using a Replacement’s song title?  I go there now and then if I’m looking for a particular post for whatever reason but tonight I had a little time and started reading post after post after post. If you ever get bored, click on here and go read. Actually this is for me, not you… Ha! I’m going to come back tomorrow and read some more because I’m shallow and egotistical.  And it’s fun to read old comments, some of those readers are long gone.  No, they didn’t die.  I probly just paid pissed them off or something.  At any rate, it was kinda fun reading.

One day soon I’ll get back to some real posts.  For some reason I’ve had the urge to write teeny little bits lately.  OMG, maybe I AM cut out for Twitter.  Say it isn’t so!  I’m not even going to make a link to it lest I go to the site and get sucked in.

OH MY!

Happy First Day of Fall. Where in the heck did Summer go?

A BUNCH OF STUFF

We’ve had our DSL back all day and I carried with me in my travels a happy little sense that when I got back home I would be able to catch up on all of your collective news and answer my mail.

I was ill-prepared to find that after I’d gone to the iTunes store to check on some music, a red light came on the modem and POOF, my connection was gone. After a reboot, an unplug and forty two cartwheels, it’s back on but don’t know for how long. Anyway…

You wanted to know how I qualify for Ignorant Person status. Here is proof that I am, indeed, one:

On Day One of our garage sale, which was advertised to commence at NINE O’CLOCK AM, I was busy finishing setting up in the garage at 8:10 am with the garage door still closed, when I heard someone come up the driveway. First I thought that the closed door might be a good sign that we weren’t “open” for business yet and the earlybird may have left. Not the case. PD had been adamant when the subject came up, and no, we wouldn’t give in to those “vulture types” (my words, not his) and let them rush us before we were ready. So I went outside and informed the white-haired woman clutching her little change purse that we were not yet ready for shoppers. She looked a little indignant and informed me that she would just look around. I politely told her that she wouldn’t be able to buy anything until 9 o’clock and she was welcome to come back. She promptly planted her hands on her hips, eyes flashing, and said quite plainly and with great conviction, “Well, YOU are an ignorant person!” She turned on her heel and marched away.

No, I didn’t see that coming. And I still can hardly believe that something so ridiculous could cause a person to make such a pronouncement to another. What is it with people anymore?

Now on to something that could possibly make you a little squeamish. < That is your warning.

Last night I agreed to sit with a friend’s two little ones so that he and his wife could go out for a couple of hours. It just so happened that they’d gotten a new puppy and their cat had had 4 4-week-old kittens (had had 4 4!!) and so I found myself with not just two little girls but six animals in my charge. The puppy is still being potty-trained so I took him outside a couple of times. He’s a little thing, so I scooped him up and started in the house when the mama cat came flying out of nowhere and high-tailed it out the door. She ran across the porch and I wasn’t sure if she would go under the banister, so I ran after her and reached down under her front legs to grab her. Well. That was not in her plan. She freaked and scrambled to get out of my grasp and all I saw were paws flailing wildly and then I felt the pain in my finger. By the time I realized that her claw had not only pierced the bottom fleshy part of my index finger, but had gone clear through and come out the other side, (I know!) she was hanging by just that one claw from my finger. It was completely surreal when I realized what was happening. Oh and yeah, it hurt like hell.

Now all I can think about is the gazillion cat germs that are probably multiplying inside my finger… I doused it with soap and water and peroxide, and then put antibiotic cream and a band aid on it. I figure it will have to be amputated at some point. PD said a current tetanus shot will probly not do me a lot of good.

I hope you caught The Kings of Leon on SNL tonite.  Great band.

PD and I spent about an hour today picking up three wheelbarrows full of sticks which were strewn all over the back of our yard, mostly under the cherry tree. My legs hurt already. I’ll not be able to get out of bed tomorrow.

A Happy Birthday to my little sister Hazel today.  Love ya!

HOME SWEET HOME HERE

The Airborne Toxic Event – Does This Mean You’re Moving On

Worst thing about being offline for six days? Missing you guys. Second worst? Missing these guys (and Anna.)

AFTERMASH

We had a bad windstorm on Sunday night and actually saw what most of the people around considered to be a funnel cloud. If I thought I could get it uploaded before my Internet access goes down again, I would post the pictures I took. Anyway, our online service has been sporadic since and I’ve not been able to be on here for more than a few minutes at a time. I’ll try to hurry and say what I have to before I lose it again.

I surely feel for the poor people in Texas who had storms so much more severe. Had our winds been a wee bit stronger, I would have been scared pissless.

I spent almost a half an hour on Monday after work untangling wind chimes on the back porch. They looked almost like someone tried to braid them. Fun, fun. And the pretend pansies I had in a bowl on the table on the porch, they’s missin’ sumptin’ awful.

Melinda over at Melinda Zook has bestowed an award upon (bestowed upon?) me if you’re interested. It’s pretty and I’m very touched. I wanted to show you a picture of it but I’m trying to hurry and finish this before my connection goes poof. Thank you Melinda!

The garage sale if finally over. Wasn’t a total waste of time, got rid of a lot of stuff but there are still quite a few boxes that will be donated. Met some really interesting people, not including the woman who told me I was an ignorant person. I don’t have time to get into that now. But I certainly will.

Did you see the Moon last night and this morning? Freakin’ awesome.

I have one more chapter of the Epic to share with you. Yes, I know you’ll all be glad when that’s over. Too bad, I want it chronicled so I can look back here and relive it when I’m old. Er. Older. Will post it on the weekend. Consider that your warning so you can avoid it if you’re sick of it…

I read all of your blogs tonight after dinner but couldn’t leave comments. What’s up with that? I opened all 15 up in tabs, read them but couldn’t leave comments. Computers and DSL make me crazy sometimes. Also, our landline phone was dead for two days. It’s back on but all staticy. The repairman is coming Thursday and I’m hoping he can cure the DSL too. My apologies if you sent email… If I read it, I didn’t get to answer it. Of course you would know that wouldn’t you.

I’m getting a small taste of what it would be like to be blog-less and email-less, and let me tell you… Well, I know there are plenty of things in life worse to be without but I would miss you all even more than I could imagine. So just in case I haven’t said this in awhile, I love you guys and it means so much to have you around.

Goodnight 🙂

WINDY

Haven’t had Internet access since the storm Sunday night until now (Tue at 6:30am)… So I am behind. Damn storm.  (Ok, it was off and on but mostly OFF.)

EPIC Part Four

After talking to Michael about our night at Mr. Smalls, I may have screwed up the chronology of things, but hey, I’m old, what do you expect?

I did remember this detail which I meant to share. When we met Noah, he was carrying his “performing shoes” which instantly reminded me of Paul Westerberg. They were white leather with pointy toes with a buckle across the instep. Much like this. When I told him that he made me think of Paul, he thought that was cool.

Last to emerge from the van was pretty, petite Anna Bulbrook. She met us with a smile, chatted a bit (She had her formal musical training in Boston) and apologized for having to move on, but she just had to get into some air-conditioning. I guessed traveling in a van with four hunky male musicians all across the US might warrant asking for some comfort wherever one girl might find it… She graciously posed and signed “Linda – Always a Pleasure! X X ANNA” in my magazine and off she went in her cheerleader outfit and if I remember, ballet slippers.

Shortly after, we were inside admiring the architecture and ambiance of Mr. Smalls. Mike and I found a nice spot at the end of the bar to hang, with the intention of going up closer to the stage when the music started. While we were standing there and it was starting to get crowded, I noticed a girl next to me, having a hard time gathering up about 8 bottles of Heineken from the bar. I leaned over and said that she looked like she might need help and she thanked me and asked me to follow her. We were delivering beers to The Band as it turned out and she motioned for me to hand one to “that guy” who turned out to be a smiling Noah who said “Are they putting you to work now???” and thanked me.

The first band who played was Electric Touch and I was really liking them. I’ve gotten four of their songs on iTunes. Here are some YouTube vids of them. Love In Our Hearts, Call My Name, Saved, and Sonic Touch (which I can’t seem to find a link for.) They had great stage presence and wonderful dance-ability. I spoke to one of the band members after their set and told him that I thought they had a great sound and he seemed real happy about that. Ok, yes, he was cute too. I did notice.

So by the time that Airborne Toxic Event came onstage, I was all warmed up. We were lucky to find ourselves about ten feet from the stage, a little bit to the left of center. I was thrilled that they played every single song that I wanted to hear. Even after having listened to them for months, I still can’t say that I have a favorite song of theirs. One by one I’ve dissected the lyrics; every note, hook and bridge and by the time I get through a song, I like it as much as the one before it. When they played Innocence, though, it took me to an entirely other place. It starts off with an ethereal viola played by Anna. I closed my eyes and just let the melody take me away. A few minutes into it, I was aware of a change in the sound. I opened my eyes and there was Noah, picking up where she left off, but playing his bass with a bow. It was truly awesome. It sounds like an entire orchestra is playing. Learning what I have about their background and what’s been happening in Mikel’s life the past year and a half since the band has been performing together, all their music has more meaning and depth for me. A lot, ok, most of their music is about the harsher side of life, the struggles we all face, heartbreak, loneliness- but it’s as if there was a conscious decision to take the sadness and angst (love that word) of the lyrics and put them to upbeat, exciting, in-your-face music. Which totally appealed to me from the very beginning.

As Mikel has a background in writing, his lyrics are descriptive and heartfelt and even haunting sometimes. I actually got tears in my eyes listening to them play Sometime Around Midnight. Not surprising, it often makes me cry. His stage presence was one to behold. He comes across quite genuinely humble but with just a teeny bit of cockiness… I think inside he knows damn well that he’s a genius. So we let the cocky part slide. It’s just barely there, I don’t think it even got noticed by most of the audience. I think he’s earned it anyway. Like when I asked if he’d take his glasses off for the picture. The way he chirped “nope” was so cool. With the accent on the “P”. It was with a tiny little smirk as if he was saying don’t even think of f—ing with me. That’s all I have to say about that ;-P

On that note, I can’t keep my eyes open another minute. My fantasy about being a music journalist (and why Almost Famous is one of my favorite movies) ? I don’t think I’d be very good at it. It’s hard work. But it would be oh so much fun!