I've Had Enough, Thanks!

“Yes, I really have, but thank you for asking.”

“No, no really, I really don’t need another roll or another serving of pasta…I’m just fine, thanks! Would you pass the salad, please?”

“Yeah, I’ve had enough, and I’m just fine, but thanks for asking anyway! But, I’d really like some salad.”

“No, really, I’m okay. I’ve just had enough, and maybe I’ll have some leftovers later after the game is over. But, right now, I’d really like some salad.”

“Well, no, I’m not wasting away as a vegetarian. I’m just done for the time being, which is why I’d like to have some salad. See, I prefer to eat my salad after dinner.”

“Yes, I get enough protein in my diet. Could you please, please pass the salad?”

“No, the Boca Italian sausage isn’t gross, actually, it’s really good! May I have the salad, please?”

“Yes, I’ve had enough, but thank you for asking. Oh, and thanks for passing the salad.”

“Now, could someone send some salad dressing my way?”

It's Over! It's Really Over!

Finally, that retail-supported-mall-big-box-store nightmare known as “ChristmasKwanzaaKah” is over.

Done, finished, finit. Stuffed like the leftover turkey and the last detritus of the wrapping paper into the trash, and good riddance, too.

Believe me, I’m not the Grinch…I love the holiday season, I really do.

It’s just that over the years I’ve just grown very, very (did I mention very?) resentful how retailers start to shove this season down our throats earlier and earlier each year.

I understand this isn’t a new complaint, and trust me on this…I’ll be blogging about how I can’t find a good sweater in six weeks’ time when all of the swimsuits are out in February in the middle of a blizzard.

I’ll be 42 in February (there, so now you know), and perhaps I savor the seasons more than I used to, but at the Wegman’s in Cherry Hill last week (last week!) there were little plush puppies and kittens all decked out in white and red in a corner rack, set off to the side, all ready for their retail runway debut and the next attack on our retail-minded society.

Valentines Day.

The Nicest Man In The World

We all know them, but we tend not pay too much attention these folk unless we really need them.

We’re not close to these people on a daily basis, but we’re always a bit surprised when they ask us if we’re okay, because we’re never expecting them to do so.

And, our usual stock answer is, “Yeah, we’re fine, thanks for asking!”, since that’s the response they’re usually looking for.

However, it’s when we say, “Well, no, not so much”, it’s clear that we need help, LOL! ;*)

When they spring into action to take care of us…to do good things that surprise the hell out of me…it makes me believe more in the ultimate goodness of human nature.

He didn’t have to do this for us…he didn’t have to replace the entire deal on his heating system on a Saturday afternoon to make sure that we’d be warm on Saturday night. He could have easily said, “No, I’ll take care of it tomorrow”, but he’s not that kind of guy.

And, despite his age, he did! He took care of the problem (with our help), installed it himself, and personally made sure that we were nice and warm.

It’s all about people, it really is.

Big Stick, Big Merino Wool…Now What?

Okay, I now have three unfinished projects going on (none are completed, BTW), but I found out today why you really should follow an established pattern.

AMF and I are vols for XPN in Philly, and one of their staff that we've known for ages is planning on climbing Mount Kilimanjaro for the New Year!

Great, terrific, “You go, girl!” and all of that, so let me crochet you a scarf, and I’ll embroider the station’s logo on the bottom on each end so that you can take it up to Kili with you!

What a great idea, and an easy project. I haven’t conquered knitting yet, but,I can do a very obscure crochet stitch called “Afghan Crochet Stockinette”, and I’ll be damned if it doesn’t look and feel like knitting.

And I’m going to make it with wool to keep you warm, and then…oh, it’s all over.

I’ve completed close to 50 rows with this stitch, and it already weighs a ton…this is one dense, heavy stitch. I think I’m going to create a back and make a small pillow for her cube at work that says:

Philadelphia Listens Live to WXPN on 88.5, but…
The World Listens Live On Mount Kilimanjaro at WXPN.ORG
******
You Go, Girl!

Yes, that will be centered on the work!... ;)

I’m still not quite sure about the words, but if anyone has any other ideas, please let me know!

Is There Anything Better Than Listening to Jonathan Schwartz on a Monday Night?

“I’m Jonathan Schwartz, and it’s a Saturday afternoon. It’s noon here in New York City, nine o’clock in the morning on the West Coast. And, here’s a Rodgers and Hart song for your consideration…”

And then, for four hours he’ll play some of the best, classic music you’ve ever heard.

This is not the rock and roll or funk or anything that you’ve grown up with, no indeed. If the late Scott Muni was “The Professor” of rock and roll, this man is the dean of “The Great American Songbook.”

I don’t spend time up in the WNYC area during the weekends these days, so I do miss Jonathan’s Saturday and Sunday afternoon show, but tonight he’s live on WNYC’s “Night Music” playing his picks for “WNYC Must Have Festival 2006”.

And, now he’s playing a Sinatra tune with a Riddle arrangement. It’s “Blues In The Night”, and this is just so sweet.

Now, it’s a classic Billie song…”I Thought About You”.

Guess what? He's just picked "Honky Tonk Women" ! He's just way, way too cool for the room...simply ageless.

Got to go...more Jonathan to come.

Never Stick Your Hook Where It Shouldn't Go

So, here I am on Saturday evening on AMF’s living room floor with all of my motifs laid out. I’ve got this great pattern thing going on, I’m liking how the burgundy motifs aren’t taking over the entire project color-wise, I’ve written down the pattern changes and hey, I’ve even taken pictures of it!

Just in case I forget, you know.

See, my memory is composed of very odd bits and the like all strung together, and I only remember certain things.

I can tell you when and where the late-but-great Donny Hathaway recorded the ultimate live version of “In The Ghetto” (1973, in Japan, recorded for a British release and available as an import), or how to solve algebra, geometry and certain calculus problems.

So, here I am with two motifs laid out on my living room table. I’m ready, I really am! I’ve got the t-pins ready, I’ve found the perfect complementary yarn that’ll work for the sewing and the border stitching, I’ve lined up the two motifs and all I need to do is just connect the seams, stitch to stitch, and I’ll be golden!

Right?

Wrong!

Where the bloody hell does this go? Does it go here or there? Where do I insert the t-pin, and why isn’t this lining up correctly? Oh, wait…if I do this…I got it!

And then, I attached the third motif…and realized that I was picking up the wrong stitch during the sewing, and then I looked back and saw that all I did the first time was, well, wrong, too.

Rip, rip, rip.

Oh, well…tomorrow’s another day and another chance to learn.

I've Always Loved a "Wawa"!

For those of you who don’t live in the southern area of New Jersey near Philadelphia, you won’t understand what the significance of a local “Wawa” means.

See, it’s not a “Quick Chek”, or even a 7-11 with much better coffee.

Your local “Wa” is a much beloved regional stop for milk, newspapers, hoagies (Philadelphian for “subs”), the best coffee in the world and pretty much anything else that you might need…it’s truly “one-stop-shopping”.

And, if you’re lucky enough to fine a “Wa” with a gas station…you’re also going to find some amazing gas prices, too.

I love a “Wa”…always have. They’re always clean and friendly…

And, then today, it wasn’t all about the “Wa”…’tis all about the people that were staffing it as well as the people that were there who made me stop and think.

So, I’m at this “Wa” that I always stop by on my way back from AMF’s place in Oaklyn down in Runnemede. It’s a sort of low middle-income area right outside of Camden and Philadelphia in a mixed residential area, and this African-American gentleman walked in to get some coffee.

I’ve seen this before…all of the “white folk” drew back (I don’t know why), and he was right behind me, asking for directions to the “Franklin Museum”.

Well, that would be the “Franklin Institute”, so I helped him out.

I was the only person in the Wa who was willing to give him directions, and I still don’t know why.

“Thank you so much! Can you write them down for me?” Sure, just let me find a napkin and ask for a pen at the counter.

Ladies and gentlemen, the last time I checked the year, it was 2006…and, do you know…everyone avoided us? I mean, walked “around us”? The 41 year old white girl in the “Eagles” hoodie and the 50-something African-American with the wild hair?

“Here you go! Oh, and don’t forget…the Philadelphia Marathon was run earlier this morning, so that area around the Institute’s going to be a mess.”

“Thank you so much!”
Cheers, mate…have a great time.

A Crafter's Idea Of Fun!

<< Well, since there’s nothing that I like more than following the crowd, I’d like to announce that I’ll be creating an exploratory committee myself so that I can run for “Crafter-In-Chief”!

I know, I know…I don’t have enough experience, but I feel your pain…really, I do!

I understand how painful it is to crochet a motif only to find out that you’ve added an extra double crochet, which will not become part of your work, but just may become a perfectly crafted coaster!

Consider variety yarns, my friends!

And, if you’re just learning how to knit, once again, I feel your pain!

We’ve been told for years that knitting should become second nature to all of us, and that crocheting is the “poor sisters’” craft. No longer, my fellow crafters, no longer!

I’ll make sure that crochet is in the forefront of all of us crafters, so that I can enlighten us all.

Thank you for all of your support…oh, and you? You really need to drop those huge knitting needles…as well as those tapestry needles…oh, no! Don’t do that! They only work in embroidery! Stop that…now! Those women are from the “Origami Coalition”, and…stop that, now! Don’t destroy their folding paper!

Okay, enough…I’ve just found a bunch of seed beads in my wine, and all of you need to stop, right now!

Enough, everyone…we all need to calm down, and “take a powder” and relax a bit.

There’s an open bar over to your left, and dinner will be served soon. Please enjoy both, and we'll talk tomorrow.

I hope. >>

About "Crafting"

The active verb “crafting” now seems to embrace the entire world of knitting and crocheting, scrapbooking, sewing, working needlework with beads so infinitesimally tiny that I’d need another pair of glasses to see the pattern correctly.

However, I’m on the verge of completing my first project…it’s a “cat blanket”, and guess what…I’m about done with those crocheted motifs, and now I get to learn how to put them together, and do a nice edge to make it look really cool.

I’m a “crafter-in-progress”, I guess. My first inclination would be to sew all of my motifs together with a tapestry needle, but I think I’m going to try the single crochet method instead, just to learn that skill.

Which would give me “Crafter Creds”, yo! ;)

And, then I’ll have to get back to my original project…that giant Queen sized-bed afghan that I’m making for my boyfriend with "Koigu"...handpainted superwashed merino wool.

It’s the same motif, it’s just smaller work with a tinier hook, but that’s all good.

Anyway, while I’m working on putting my cat blanket together, I’ll be taking pictures, and posting the results here, so keep a look out if you’re another “crafter-in-progress”!

I know I’m going to make mistakes, but that’s half the fun of creating something.

Well, now that the whole holiday season is upon us, we’re all being bombarded by media chefs who all want to show us how to cook, LOL!

And, when I think, “Well, show me how to do this!”, I’m talking about true cooks…people who know their way around a chef’s knife, who take the time and the effort to search out the best seasonal ingredients, know what to do with them, and take the time to educate us on what a wonderful meal should be.

I’m talking about Mario Batali, Emeril (love him or hate him, he’s one of the best), Sara Moulton, Tyler Florence, Ming Tsai, Ina Garten, Martin Yan and even Alton Brown.

Why? Because they’re all about working with great, fresh ingredients…the mark of a good cook is the ability to make a great meal out of all of the ingredients you already have on hand.

But, they’ve got to be the best, and this makes sense. Mario’s going to tell you to get the best cheese and pasta in the world, both Sara and Ina are big on fresh produce and bread, and I’m with both Ming and Martin when it comes to shopping in Asian markets and in Philadelphia’s Chinatown when I’m looking for Asian ingredients.

What I cannot stomach are these “wanna be” cooks, like Rachael Ray and that Sarah person who does “Semi-Homemade”, since these women don’t cook.

Do I take shortcuts? Of course I do…we all do, LOL!

But, would I buy a package of frozen chopped onions or a jar of minced garlic instead of chopping an onion or mincing some garlic myself? Of course not...that has to be fresh, you know.

Okay, toss these two silly "so-called" cooks out of the window, and think about what you can buy and cook now...think about what you can make in advance and freeze for the holidays (think about cookies and desserts, and breads and breakfast cinnamon rolls, and casseroles).

Buy the best stuff that you can possibly can, and "make it work" as Tim Gunn would say!

And...let's get started again!

So...I'm back, and blogging and better than ever!

I think.

'Tis been a tough couple of months...I've always said that I'd never blog about my family, but let's just say that we've been put through the mill for the past month or so, and everyone is fine, thank you very much.

And, what started as a "vacation" way back in August has now turned into a "full assault" job search. More about that tomorrow.

I've also turned into a crafter, so I'll be posting pictures as I move along with my crochet projects and picking up those knitting needles!

Has anyone found my crochet hook?

Let’s see…

A couple of months ago, I decided to crochet a blanket for my boyfriend’s queen-sized bed. I found a terrific pattern that wasn’t so much about “traditional squares” or colors, but incorporated incredibly bright colors into this blanket.

However, the yarn that was suggested is…well, quite pricey. Three skeins cost thirty dollars, and believe me, there’s nothing like “Koigu” hand-dipped coloured yarn.

So, I’ve been buying yarn at the usual suspects like “JoAnn’s” or “Michael’s”.

You know, the stuff that won’t need to be dry cleaned!

I haven’t crocheted in years, but all of this is coming back to me.

It’s a great skill to have!

TO?

You see, there used to be a time when I would have dismissed Terrill's antics as just another excuse to get attention.

You know, the very public slams against Donovan McNabb, his teammates and his coach while he played for the Eagles, and as many fans were, I was just one very happy camper to see him go.

Of course this man has problems...it's been documented that both the 'Niners and the Eagles have offered him counseling, which he's refused.

Which shouldn't surprise anyone...no one wants to admit that they're depressed. There are not a lot of big, hearty NFL players who will go out and gladly lose a limb for their teams while all they want to do is cry because they're "depressed".

I know this, because I've gone through depression myself.

And, I will tell all of you right now...you'd never, ever wish that deep, dark black hole of a so-called life on your worst enemy.

We may never know what happened, or even like this guy or the team he plays for.

But, if we're compassionate human beings (which I know we are!), let's just hope that he gets the help that he needs.

Friends and Family

I don’t believe I need to remind anyone that today is the fifth anniversary of that one defining moment that crosses many generations.

Yes, it’s an awful anniversary that’s remembered by everyone. We all know where we were when we first heard the news.

That senseless loss of life…the husbands, wives, partners, friends.

I almost lost a long-time friend during 9/11 five years ago, and now I treasure his friendship more than ever. He’s always been a part of my extended family…that wonderfully loose definition that includes everyone from my mother, our family, to her long-time partner, to his family, their husbands, girlfriends, my own terrific and incredible boyfriend and his family, my friends, his friends, our friends.

Our friends.

A few years back, a sociologist may have called them an “urban tribe”, and at the time, that was the keyword for young, educated, city-dwelling types who were “hipper-than-thou” who were only gathering at the best places to sip wine and check each other out.

On Saturday morning, four of us gathered for breakfast before setting out for a funeral for a friend’s sister. We’re all properly dressed for such a somber occasion (with the exception of the “Windsor Double Knot Problem”).

Of course, we all went through the viewing line, and through the Mass with eloquence and grace.

But, on the way back to my friend’s flat, it hit me…we are the new “urban tribe”. We’ve celebrated births, deaths, celebrations, concerts, three day station events, successful fund drives and capital campaigns together.

We are family.

Yeah, the age range between the four of is between 40 and 55, but it really doesn’t matter.

We’ve been friends for years.

And yes, these wonderful folk have become family to me.

Car Talk

I drive.

A lot.

And, I'm not talking about these little jumps back and forth to the local Wegman's or Target...I'm talking about putting on some serious mileage on your odometer.

For the past nine months, I've done a commute that would wilt much stronger men. Fifty miles a day, round trip.

In New Jersey.

Oy.

Then, every Friday afternoon after work, I'd make the drive down to AMF's place outside of Philly so we could spend the weekend together (brief disclosure: he's so worth it!), so that's another 90 miles or so. One way.

Anyway, I spend an awful lot of time in my car and as a result, you tend to end up with a lot of stuff in the back seat, since that's become my unofficial "closet space" while I'm on the road.

And, like a closet that isn't "Martha" perfect, it will get out of hand. But, like a typical messy closet or junk drawer (and you know you have one, or the other or both), everything you've been looking for will be there!

I found:

The huge pins for my Scottish kilts (I hear plaid is big this year).
More CD's than are probably legal in any country.
More pairs of shoes than any woman should own.
Cookbooks. Lots and lots of cookbooks.
Two pair of earrings. In the ashtray.
One can of vegetarian refried beans (don't ask).
The one-and-only belt that works with my jeans, which I could not find last weekend.

And, my favourite bit of paper...directions to AMF's house from last October!

Who knows what I'm going to find when I go through my cargo space next week...

Have a great holiday weekend...I know for all of us on the East Coast, it's going to be a stormy one, but seriously...when was the last time you saw "Casablanca" or played a game of "Scrabble"?

Class

Now, let's see...if I look in my "American College Dictionary" circa 1964 (think I need a new one?), there are fourteen definitions for this term, and not one of them even comes close to the concept that we've all come to associate with proper social behaviour.

The terms "class" and "classy" has been thrown around for ages, and mostly inappropriately. You know...Lyle Lovett is a "class act", Madonna is not.

"Project Runway" is a classy "reality show", but "All-Star's Big Brother" aint.

In my mind, class is grace. Class is that sort of intangible quality that the-late-but-unforgettable Katherine Hepburn had; so, of course you have Paul Newman, Meryl Streep, Alan Alda, Martin Sheen, Candace Bergen (and I'm sure you could name others!) all had, from the others who just *don't have it*.

Class defines athletes(and former coaches), as well such as Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, John Madden, Donovan McNabb, Rick Patino, and I could go on and on all evening!

But, they were warned. Between Jimmy Jones and Bill Parcells, they were told that this is a player without any class.

Or any grace.

Rain

I love rain.

I love the gentle sound of it during the spring when it's finally time to open up the windows after a long winter and smell that great, sweet spring air that wafts in.

I look forward to the summer when the western sky turns inky black, knowing that relief from a heat wave is on the way.

And, my favourite? A good rainy, chilly weekend in the autumn here on the East Coast. I'm a "comfort creature" by nature, so that gives me the most excellent excuse to cook and bake, wear sweats and warm socks, watch football and hockey and cuddle up with AMF!

However, rain isn't everyone's friend.

As I'm sure all of you know, today is the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's landfall on the Gulf Coast.

The rebuilding process will be an on-going effort for years...please take some time out this week and consider how you may be able to contribute to this cause.

And, all I wanted was some coffee...

Well, I'm an easy sort of gal, you know...I'm always open to have a conversation.

We live in very difficult times, and we may not always agree with each other, but if we're both willing to talk, perhaps we can come together and forge some sort of agreement with each other.

I truly understand that there are a lot of very angry people out there, for whatever reasons.

So, here's me...driving down Route 206 on Friday afternoon, and in desperate need to feed my late afternoon caffiene fix. "I Spy" a 7-11, and a good parking spot on the side, since all I wanted to do was enjoy my coffee and have a smoke.

If I'm going to take a break, I prefer to do that away from the entrance to any convenience store. I don't want to subject anyone to my second-hand smoke (really, I don't) as people with kids are going in and out, and besides...I've been driving for two hours, and I'd like a break, myself.

And there it was...a huge SUV blocking my way into said spot. So, I pulled into the one in front of the store, and then I noticed that SUV was blocking me, so that I couldn't get out...

...and then, the driver got out, and she was obviously hell-bent on confronting me.

So, I got out of my car (with cell phone in hand!), and I was accused left, right, up and down about how I dropped the "f-bomb" to her, and how she was being a nice person and giving me her spot, and how I *dare* put her in a bad mood...she was just raving, and her face was a very violent shade of purple.

While I'm sure the teenagers' in the parking lot may have been looking forward to a cat fight between two middle-aged ladies, I just shrugged her off, and walked in to get my coffee.

Everyone in the 7-11 saw it, and when I walked in, I said, "Hey, there's a crazy lady in the parking lot!", and then we all saw her eyeing up the back end of my little Scion xA.

I have absolutely no idea what she was up to, but I guess there were too many eyes on her, and she pulled out and left.

I'll leave it all up to you to discuss how someone could be that angry.

Wow...a week off!

So, please excuse me if I sound a bit giddy throughout this post, but I'm really besides myself with joy, because next week I have...

A. Week. Off.

If anyone reading this blog is a fellow contract employee, you'll fully appreciate this incredible concept. You know, the whole "if-you-don't-work-you-don't-get-paid" deal, which is why I think we appreciate it more.

Yes, I have interviews and the like, but really, it's the last weekend of summer and I'm going to drain every moment of my free time this week doing things that I enjoy.

I'd like to say that I've got a major "to do" list...you know, swapping out the summer clothes for the fall ones, cleaning the windows and sorting out the sock drawer...that sort of thing.

I can tell you right now that none of the above will happen.

So far, here's what's on my "To Do" list for next week:

1 - Sleep in, and turn off the cell phone.
2 - Make tea, put on some music, and finish up crocheting that pillow cover that I've been working on for the past couple of weeks.
3 - Take a nap. In the afternoon. I hear it's good for recharging your brain cells.
4 - Work on the blanket that I've been promising my boyfriend for ages. Make more tea, and catch up with "Project Runway" in afternoon reruns.
5 - Visit local farmers' markets, and make pesto. Buy more tea.
6 - Make one perfect tomato sandwich for lunch, which will be followed by a nap.
7 - Catch up with friends - one for lunch, and one for dinner. Lunch, of course, will be followed by a nap.
8 - Explore some local crafts and yarn stores.
9 - Update and redo blogs.
10 - Take a nap.

And that, my friends, is my idea of an almost-perfect week off!

Check This Space!

As a wise man once said, "As one door closes, another one opens", and that will be my life next week.

My current contract ends on Friday, and I'll probably have a week or two before that next career door opens up for me.

So, in between checking out Monster.com, I'll be seeing how many people have recently viewed my resume, and in between interviews, I'll have the time to entirely redo this blog.

Take care, and do drop in next week to check out the new changes!

In the meantime, enjoy the softer side of late August. Find trees that are already turning color! Go and find a local farm stand, and pick great, perfectly ripe tomatoes for salad or tomato sandwiches.

What, you've never had a tomato sandwich? Good goddess, what are you waiting for? ;) This is the only time of the year where you can eat such a great creation!

Take two slices of whole grain bread (seriously, white bread or a roll will not work here at all). Slice one great, ripe tomato (preferably with a thin, serrated knife)into very, very thin slices.

Tear up some fresh basil and add it to some mayonnaise. If you'd like to make your own, even better. And no, that ugly concoction call "Miracle Whip" is simply unacceptable here.

Add a pinch of salt, and good grind of freshly ground black pepper.

Now, spread your basil-mayo concoction on both sides of the bread; add lettuce and/or very thinly sliced red onion rings, if you'd like. A few slices of Swiss or a good aged Gouda would work, too. Oh, and if you're a veghead, do feel free to add some "Baco-Bits".

And, here's the key part to this sandwich...press it down. Take your hands, and make a 3" sandwich into 1"...yeah, it's going to look really ugly, but it'll taste like a dream!

Trust me on this. Really!

And you want me to wear *what*?

Ya know...

It's one thing to be employed as a contract worker for a major pharmaceutical company in Northern New Jersey (which I will say no more about, lest I be "dooced"), but 'tis also another thing to hear from your agency that you should be dressed in "formal interview wear" in 105° degree heat.

Let's just say that this information was passed along to me earlier today from my contact at said agency via email...and, it's probably a good idea that we didn't speak on the phone since I would have told her...

"Are you bloody mad?" You are *so* not getting me into a skirt suit, with hose and heels in this heat! The fine folk at the other location will just have to deal with me on my own terms...meaning brains and experience mean more than what I'm wearing.

It's time for a break!

Well, I'm going to take a couple of weeks off of blogging.

I need to rethink this site, and what I want to say. I've never really populated the site the way that I'd like, and I'm still not entirely sure it has my voice, either.

Besides, I'm sure all of you are just bloody tired of me complaining about the weather and the traffic!

I'll be posting on and off over the next couple of weeks, but it'll probably be a weekly thing until September redo.

Take care, stay cool, and keep checking in!

No Gas For You!

I currently work up in Morris County in New Jersey (which is a very affluent area of the state) where everything from toilet paper to disposable ball point pens presents a new adventure in personal expenses.

And, gas is very, very expensive in Morris County. Between the outrageous "Exxon" in Summit who thinks that $3.40 a gallon for regular is acceptable, to the Gulf in Madison who will happily suck the money out of your wallet for $3.25, I decided to stop at neither.

Oh, you bloody fools! I can get regular down here in Middlesex County for $2.93!

So, why fill up at well over $3 a gallon when I drive this incredibly fuel efficent vehicle?








And, really...all I needed was five bucks worth of gas to get back home to fill up with something cheaper. I stopped at the Gulf station in Chatham...

...and I was told "No."

No? You can't give me five bucks worth of gas?

"No, madam, I can't. No five dollars here."

"Yeah, but...oh, but you have a five dollar transaction on your pump! Why can't you do the same for me?"

"No five dollars for you, ma'am."

Gobsmacked, I tell you, gobsmacked!

I haven't been this annoyed since I figured out to properly put that ring onto my gas cap (here's the trick...the flat side of that ring goes on first) and finally understood why that does call up an "engine failure" code!

Oy!

More bloggage tomorrow, and much more about the "All About The Music" fest in Philly this weekend!

Hot, Hot, Heat

I don't really care what all of these alleged "summer people" want to tell me about how great summer is. All of that chat only makes me crankier (and I'm a cranky person to begin with!)

You know you've met the well-meaning types yourself; you're trying to make conversation at the office coffee station or in the elevator while you're drenched in sweat and listening to someone drone on saying, "Well, I'm "summer person", and I just love this weather!"

While I don't condone violence of any sort (like, bashing them in the knees or pulling a Zidane headbutt at a corporate function), you have this blog owner's full permission to remind them that cooler weather is coming, and that their sweet season is already coming to an end.

Go here, and here, please do! Print them out, and put them in their inbox.

And, you also might want to remind them that NFL training camp begins for most teams later on this week.

It's also the great "wind down" time for outdoor festivals. XPN's "All About The Music" can be found there, and it looks like the legendary British Virgin festival will be happening in Baltimore.

Now, about that XPN fest...

This could get very, very interesting as the week goes on.

Just Lovin' This Short Work Week!

Ah, yes...Wednesday's out of the way, and tomorrow's Thursday...no traffic to blog about today (and I'm sure some of my core readers will be very happy about that), but I think I may have identified a weapon that the government should use against all known terrorists.










See this little bastard up there? Here on the East Coast, it's called a "Bottleneck Green Fly", and it's the scourge of beach goers everywhere.

Why, you may ask? Well, first of all, they bite. Hungry little gits, they are. They're out for blood...mine, yours and any other walking, talking, breathing organism that they can find.

Even worse, they do a full-on attack on you (which England in World Cup action couldn't pull off). They will bombard your car (especially if it's black, for some reason), yourself (if you step out of said car without being entirely covered in DEET) and goddess forbid if you're not used to them.

Believe me, I know. AMF and I made a trip down to the Delaware Bay on Monday, and I'm sure I'll be the subject of local talk for, oh, the next couple of months or so, since I did, indeed, perform an impromptu version of an Irish jig in the parking lot while trying to get all of these nasty creatures off of me and out of my Tevas.

Yecch!

Another Commuter Rant

And yes, this is another entry about my drive to and from work! Why do you ask?

So, let's get started, shall we?

To you, you...little blue Acura RSX who tried to pass me on the left when you clearly knew there was only one (one!) lane onto Route 78 West. You almost clipped me and you were also very close to ripping off my rear view mirrow as well as knocking out my front bumper. Please take off that BlueTooth thing that's going on. Believe me, you're just not that important.

To the woman who was driving the grey Acura...you're another one that should cool her heels in trying to merge into stopped traffic on Route 78 when we're all stopped. I really don't care how upset you are, but do you realise you were almost flattened by that truck because he didn't see you?

No? Really?

Aw, hell... if you're crying into your coffee, just pull over. Really, and I'm sorry.

Now, you, the one in the lime green Lotus...don't you ever, ever, ever pull that move in front of me ever, ever again, because I will report you.

I don't care how important you are, or who you are, but you almost caused a four car pileup. You cut across six (yes! six!) lanes of traffic on the Garden State Parkway this afternoon without any regard for oncoming traffic.

Please feel free to go to hell. Do not pass Go, and do not collect 200 dollars.

And, this is the tough one.

Hey, Grandma? Yes, you can go now. No, no...feel free to take your time, I'm going to hold up traffic until you decide when it's safe.

Yes, now's a good time. Oh, you don't think so? Okay, I'll wait some more.

Yeah, it looks good to me, so go and make your left, and I'm waving to you for a reason. You can go now.

Well, thanks for the wave back...it's nice to see that we've established communication with each other, but I understand that making this left out of the supermarket parking lot is a tough one. I do it a lot, and it's a bitch.

I'm also backing up traffic up to freakin' Metuchen, and you also have nine people in back of you just dying to make this left turn too, but, that's okay, really.

Now, don't make me do this...it looks good...go!

Oh, you won't. You're still waving at me, and you've probably created the worst traffic jam in Pathmark history.

And now, you're smiling at me and waving! You've got your hazards on, and then you decide to peal off in your '78 Lincoln Town Car.

And make a right.

Waterlogged

Good goddess, according to the latest forecast, we're due for anywhere between 1 and 4 inches of rain.

In the next 24 hours. Let me repeat that, for those of you who aren't listening...in the next 24 hours.

For those of you who aren't interested in my latest weather report, here's a few other tidbits that you may find interesting:

JK Rowling has admitted that she's going to kill off two of her major characters in Book Seven. My money's on Arthur Weasley and his turncoat son, Percy.

'Tis groundhog season! And you thought that "Groundhog Day" was in February...nope, between AMF and I, we've seen more groudhogs in the past two months, and we love to see them running around. Yeah, we love the little beasts, and we have pictures to prove it...

World Cup thoughts...those Aussie Soccaroos were robbed, I tell you! That was one cheap penalty called against all of those sexy, Italian "Serie A" players. Never should have happened. The Australians were robbed of a victory in the knockout round.

My two favourite kicks of the tourney so far...watching Becks bend it. Say what you will about his "high lifestyle", but he's really got it. Oh, and the Argentinian player and that amazing footwork to get that goal.

I'm supporting England and I will not be going anywhere on Saturday morning when they play Portugal!

"Ode From My Air Conditioner"

I have a very, very old AC up here in the "JCTV" computer room.

It usually works during the summer, unless...there's a thunderstorm, a lot of wind, too much lightening or it gets too hot when the internal thermo decides to take a tea break and check out reruns of "EastEnders" for a couple of days.

Or, all of the above.

Yes, I should replace this monster, but when it works, damn...it makes it nice and glacial up here!

Anyway, here we go...

Said the Philco, to the sweaty blogger on a hot afternoon
You’ve been here for ages, playing your tunes
I’ve been installed for decades, it seems
My filter’s clogged, but that don’t bother me

I remember when this house was redone
When this was a nursery for a grand baby son
I think that was back in ‘72
While you were still wearing your Catholic school shoes

So now you’re streaming to public radio
Or checking out the latest sports scores
I may be an old man, but I’ve got a lot left
I just needed a little rest

Now that I’ve had one, I’m ready to go
Perhaps one more summer, or maybe three more
Thanks for being kind
To this old air conditioner…a cooler friend, you will never find

Not So Hot Fun In The Summertime

If you've read a couple of my past posts, you'll all know that I'm not a fan of the typical hot, humid weather during this time of year on the East Coast.

Actually, I'll be the first one to say that "this heat sucks!" in late June and yes, please feel free to quote me on that around late July or early August when all of you begin to stick, sweat and fry in your shorts, tees and Teva sandals while at your local arts or music festival.

I live in an area of the country where we have all four seasons, but I just don't get summer. I don't understand the whole "New Joisey" mindset of "going down-a-shaw" for the weekend, or why, like lemmings, everyone is willing to pay tons of money to rent a summer place, buy expensive tags (shouldn't the beach and the sea be free?) just to be able to deep fry their skin along with another couple of thousand folks next to them?

If anyone can explain this to me, please do. I'd really like to hear your side of the story.

Almost two decades ago, I did this whole beach thing myself. I'd get up dead early on a Saturday morning and make my way down to Sandy Hook just to beat the traffic. I'd spread out on my blanket, oil myself up and...

Just lay on the beach.

I was bored to tears. I did this for exactly one summer.

So, what's the appeal of the beach during the summer for all of you? Inquiring minds want to know!

Rants, ramblings and other thoughts

Just a couple of things that came up in this mind of mine today...

1 - Did anyone else see Bill Gates' announcement today? Yeah, I know he's considered to be Satan in certain circles (read: Apple and Linux and Google and many Windoze users as well), but I give him and Melinda full props for doing good things with their collective fortune.


2 - Two big huge, nasty thumbs down to the "Supreme Court" for allowing the police to have the power to barge in on your own personal habitat without a courtesy knock.

If you'd like to see the latest version of the Constitution and the "Bill Of Rights" intact, you'd better read it quick since it's being shredded to pieces at an incredible rate by this current adminstration.

3 - England won, and advanced to the second round of the World Cup!

4 - What the bloody hell were all of you doing on the "Garden State Parkway" at, oh, 4 o'clock this afternoon? I left work early for a reason...to beat the traffic...man, you were all harshing my mellow, and besides, I had to pick up things at Target, get my hair cut and wonder if the local "Barnes and Noble" had ever heard of Todd Snider.

5 - Congratulations to my cousin Dave for marrying the amazing Amy! We'll see you on Saturday with bells and whistles on!

Ben Roethlisberger, what the bloody hell were you thinking?

A good decade or so, I dated someone who drove a bike. A big 'ol honkin' late '70's Honda Gold Wing.

This was one monster machine, complete with hard sidebags on either side, the carrying case in the back, stereo system...the whole nine yards. And, as most top-end bikes do, there's a seat for the passenger behind the driver. It's called the "queen seat" and on this bike, it was a true seat with a padded back and armrests and not one of those little "buttpads" that you'll see on smaller bikes.

That "someone" always praised the helmet laws from his home state of Maine where helmets on both drivers and passengers were optional. "Imagine flying around on this with the wind ripping through your hair!"

Umm...no. We've already flown around Northeast Philly, dodging potholes on Roosevelt Boulevard, been intentionally cut off by drivers on both 95 North and South, have hit potholes on Bensalem Boulevard and you will never, ever, drive down the Schuykill towards Center City with me on the back of this bloody thing ever again. I've seen way too many things on the back of this bike since I'm potential roadkill if anyone hits us.

Even with helmets.

I'd like to say that Ben's accident was a bad judgement call on his behalf, and it probably was. I know all too well the lure of a gorgeous day when someone wants to "take the bike out" on country back roads. Say, to New Hope or up past there on Route 32.

But, that early morning "Need to get out on my bike!" jones just may have killed his young career.

What a waste.

Goooaaaaalll !!!

I mean, really...

I could talk about Ann Coulter, but if I had the opportunity, I'd gladly drive her to Camden, New Jersey, drop her off around, oh, the waterfront and let her make her way back to civilization.

And, I'm being kind!

But, we have more heavy things to consider...

The “ World Cup” starts tomorrow!

Yeah, yeah…I know most of us here in the States are going to give this one a pass again, but you really shouldn’t.

I live in one of the most culturally diverse areas of the country, and this is a great opportunity for all of us to connect to that family down the road who owns the local Asian market.

Or, that nice new Aussie family that just moved in down the road. Really!

Make yourselves more friendly with the less familiar names other than Beckham, Ronaldo and Ronaldohino. And, teams other than Brazil or more gossip than Maradona and his tax problems.

Or, Becks and his wife.

Football (I will not call it soccer here) is called “the beautiful game” for a very good reason…if you love sports, it’s a great game to watch. It’s also a very quick sport to pick up on. Watch a couple of first round matches, and you’ll get it. Really, I promise!

And, I’ll be supporting England, since Rooney’s been cleared to play. I don’t think the US has a chance in Group B (which includes the Czech Republic, Italy and Ghana, and the Czech’s have one strong team).

Now, go and catch up with the rest of the world!

I'll be blogging it as best I can.

"Reet Petite, The Finest Girl You'd Ever Want To Meet"

I'm going to veer dangerously off into "Cathy Guisewite" territory here, and talk about shopping.

Dress shopping, of all things. Oy...I'm willing to bet I've just lost all blogger credibility here!

2 counties, 10 stores and 16 dresses later, I finally found something that looks great and fits well, but man, here's where my rant begins.

To "SteinMart" in Ocean Township: How can you possibly have only one dress in the petite department? Didn't you get the memo that short ladies need to dress up, too?

To "Nordstroms" in Edison: I know your semi-annual sale starts tomorrow, but no, I don't like that black one. I've tried it on, it doesn't fit and will you please stop telling me that with "a bit of tailoring it'll be just fine?" I'm not paying for any tailoring; I want it to just fit off of the rack, thank you very much.

To "Coldwater Creek" in Edison: Yes, it's lovely (it really was), but no, it doesn't fit. Yes, I love the color, but no, it doesn't fit. Please stop bothering me, really! No, really, I don't like that color, and may I just leave, please?

No, really, I don't want to see this in another size...you're all harshin' my mellow...really, I'm leaving! Will all of you please, just, go away? Yikes.

To "Ann Taylor" in Edison: Love it, but there's no bloody way I'm paying $120 for this!

To "Talbots" in Edison: Umm, no.

I'm not a fan of Macy's, and I shop there as little as possible...I really do despise how Federated is taking over all of the regional department stores and sucking the life out of what used to be central to everyone's local shopping experience (hell, I worked at Bamberger's at the original Menlo Park Mall way back in the '80's when Bam's was a destination store), but guess who still has the best petite department in my area? With the best prices, and guess where I found my dress...on sale, no less?

Rant off, I suppose...

Driving 101

Tap...tap...is this thing on?

Yes, well, thanks! Please start the slide show.

Nice to see all of you here...As a public service, I've been asked to introduce all of you to what the car makers call a "stem"...that doohickey that protrudes from the left hand side of your steering wheel.

Slide one, please.

Now, for those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, this is called a "turn signal", and it does amazing things!

Did you know that when you move this into the "down position", all of your exterior lights turn on so that other people driving know where you're going?

Yeah, that's the truth! And, even better, your dashboard even lights up with a little red arrow pointing to the right, so that other people driving seventy five miles an hour can anticipate your next move.

Ain't that cool?

Even better, if you move it up, you'll let people know when you're moving to the left! See how well this works?

Next slide, please.

I don't want to confuse anyone, but since everyone here is new at using this, please, please refrain from moving the stem towards you (since that may activate the wipers on your particular car) or away from you (this class will not teach you how to properly use your high beams, and that will be covered in "Driving 304").

Please end the slide show, thanks.

Would You Like An Appel?

Oh, forget the rain, the soaked pants, muddy Tevas and sneakers and the "golf umbrella" situation..."Appel Farm '06" was one hell of a good time!

Yeah, it rained...actually, it poured! But it didn't really matter, since everyone was drenched nine ways to next Thursday. I was there with AMF (who is my man), and we ran into more vols and friends from the station's boards than you can possibly imagine.

One of the reasons why I began volunteering for the station five years ago was to meet like-minded people. I was 35 at the time, and I took on more and more volunteer responsibilities as the years went on...still do, actually.

Anyway, it was great fun to hang out with my fellow vols and boardies, especially since the music was so, so good.

I don't think anyone will every forget Richard Thompson's set, or James Hunter's deal with a full band at the Grove Stage.

Believe me, a *lot* of women "swoon" James and Richard, LOL, and with good reason!

Daniela Cotton rocked the "Meadow Stage", but there's two Philly local bands that you need to keep an eye on..."Slo-Mo" and "Cabin Dogs".

I don't know where all of you may be reading this from...but, if you're a music fan, do keep an ear out for what Daniela, "Slo-Mo" and "Cabin Dogs" may be doing in the near future.

Weekend...do just what you want to do!

Well, okay...'tis not even Friday yet, but AMF and I are off to "Appel Farm" on Saturday.

Notice the lack of enthusiam on my behalf...listen, the line-up is amazing (James Hunter! Danelia Cotton! Richard *freakin'* Thompson!)...but, of course it's...

Going.To.Rain.

Again.

Believe me, there's nothing I like better than walking through a muddy music festival field with my Tevas going all "squishy", and settling down in a field of mud while it's raining, complete with dirty feet, wet hair and damp backpack.

I happen to love "Appel Farm", despite the tendency for the weather to turn against the fest. They've always done a terrific job with the lineup, and this year is no exception.

Two words for me: Richard Thompson. AMF has never seen this man perform live before, so that's well worth the price of admission.

Yes, pictures to come next week...I'll open my Flickr account when I come back home on Sunday.

Political Science

MadBlogger will certainly acknowledge the fact that many of my emails to him since the start of the war have been thinly disguised political rants in nature.

It's no secret to anyone who reads this blog what my personal politics are.

But, I'm deeply disturbed when the "Today" show spends three hours on Katie Couric's departure and shoes and hair(Trev, she's a newsreader...nothing more and nothing less), and not nearly enough on what may have happened in Haditha.

Go here. Bush only found out about the Haditha massacre from "Time" magazine. So much for the new press secretary.

Jonathan Alterman does a wonderful blog on MSNBC's website, and one of his frequent contributors is LTC Bateman. Lieutenant Colonel Bateman is one terrific example of why the American military does "what it needs to do", and why people in the US miltary, well, snap. Go here to see this terrific blog entry.

I never thought I'd get this political on my blog, but yes, I am.

As the old saying goes, "If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention."

What do you mean it's 92 degrees?

Oh, jeez Louise...only three more months of this weather and, guess what?

Only three more months of me being one cranky lass...imagine that!

The pictures will be posted tomorrow, but for now I'm thinking that my pillows are looking really good at this point, LOL!

Cheers, all!

I'm not sunburned...just sunkissed...and kissed, and kissed...

How much do I love summer? Let me count the ways!

Is it just me, or do I hear crickets in the background?

Let me put this another way...I love all of the outdoor things you can do in summer, I just hate the heat. I need it to be about 10 degrees cooler than it usually is.

However, we did a couple of way cool things this weekend...got to see World Party live (even got to meet Karl Wallinger), and we finally made it to Citizens' Bank Park to see those Fightin's win!

I now have more pictures of Karl Wallinger and the Phanatic (but not together) than should be legal in any state.

I'll post those when I get home tomorrow...got some really good ones!

Off to moisturize...and moisturize some more.

And, "It's All About The Weekend!"

Well, yes, it is!

AMF and I will be doing the volunteer thing for the station at the annual "Jam On The River", and since this woman never needs an excuse to dance, I'll be doing just that when Karl and World Party take the stage on Saturday afternoon.

Wow...I remember when this wasn't called "Jam On The River"...the original 'fest name was "Jambalaya Jam", and I remember going there back in the early '90's and seeing The Radiators and Little Feat!

And then, we're going to see those Fightins' on Sunday afternoon.

Hey, we're busy, what can I say? ;)

I'll take lots of pictures and post them when I come back.

Really, I promise!

Have a great holiday weekend!

One Very Tired Blogger!

Well, I apologize for the lack of any new bloggage for the past couple of days...I've just been crazy busy, so here's the latest update:

Yes, I did buy a new digital camera: 'tis a Panasonic DMC-LMZ2, and I'll post the link to it as soon as Panasonic decides to update their website.

Yes, I do know who will be playing at the station's "All About The Music" festival this year! David Dye will be annoucing the partial lineup tomorrow at 4 PM on Wednesday, and no, I won't tell you!

I know I've promised recipes, cooking tips and the like, but I'm still trying to figure out the best way to handle text, photos and attachments without enlisting a free hosting service and reliving FTP nightmares.

And yes, the Phillies are winning!

Fresh bloggage?

But, it's Saturday!

Sorry, nothing tonight...got a fish pie in the oven, provencale green beans good to go, coffee ice cream for dessert and we're about to put on the Phillies' game.

Back with fresh stuff tomorrow!

"Old Music Thursday"

And, here's where I've had a long, long week...and all I want to listen to is great, comforting type stuff - the songs and the albums that just make me happy, and the ones that are best served with macaroni and cheese or mashed potatoes!

The Beatles come to mind, and if it's going to be the "Fab Four", it's got to be "Revolver" and "Rubber Soul".

Joni Mitchell's "Court And Spark" and "Hejira", too.

Coltrane's "A Love Supreme", of course, and Miles's "Sketches Of Spain". A bit of Herbie Hancock wouldn't go amiss, either.

Anything by Rod Stewart in his '70's rocking days, and the same goes for the Kinks, too.

So, I'll leave this discussion up to all of you!

Mmmm...let's talk food!

I've yet to introduce this topic on the blog, but anyone who knows me understands that I love to eat, love to cook, love to talk about cooking, chat about what I've eaten in my travels, or even, talk about supermarkets (my boyfriend and I defintely have certain reservations about where we'll shop).

I'm also a certified "food snob" when it comes to buying ingredients (as AMF will tell you!), but I've also created dinners for us that would cost well over 50 per person here in Philly.

With a nice bottle of wine, no less!

I'll post those recipes tomorrow...stay tuned!

"Picture Book"

So, I was at "NonComm '05" about this time last year as a volunteer for XPN, and I brought my camera along.

Between the fun (and very hard work) that all of us station volunteers did, I only managed to take a few snaps, and that was one (or two) of the entire crew at the registration table.

Why? Because I ran out of film.

Yeah, I know, and everyone did stop laughing.

Eventually.

And you know what? I think that picture is still sitting on my roll of film that's still residing in my Canon Elph, which I've yet to develop!

For someone that's been online since '92 (and remembers Windows 3.1 and pre-Pent PCs), I think it's high time I move into the new millenium and bought a digital camera.

Now, before my core readership (waving at Trev!) busts a gut, please know something...I can now buy a great camera for under $200.

And, if 6 MP, 3X optical zoom and the rest of those goodies don't make you drool for that price, well, then, damn...might want to check your pulse to see if it's still working, and all.

I Ain't Got Nothin' Tonight!

No, seriously...go and eat that entire pint of "Ben and Jerry's" that's been sitting in your freezer for the past couple of days (listen, I know you bought that pint of "Cherry Garcia" over the weekend!).

Yeah, and you only thought the NSA had the goods on you!

Sunday Night Links

Well, I know I promised new bloggage this evening, so here we go!

As MadBlogger will tell you, I just love the UK, and Scotland in particular. So, go here to see some great amateur shots of Scotland (and, I did have one published on the Beeb, myself...I'll post that one later on this week).

For those of you who know me (and, for the new readers who don't!), I've got a very dry sense of humour. So, go here, and here for links that make me laugh every day.

A number of years ago, Madblogger and I made our way up to the Shetland Islands and the Orkneys, too, which is a trip that I highly recommend to anyone who really wants to "get away from it all"...'tis an absolutely *gorgeous* area that's almost untouched by the rest of the world. Check the local news out here, and the great comic "The Giddy Limit" here.

And, I'd be remiss if I didn't wish a "Happy Mother's Day!" to all of the "Mom's" who may be reading this!

'Tis a "No Fresh Bloggage" Saturday Night

Oops...sorry, everyone!

I know all of you have just been absolutely besides yourself since I haven't posted anything new in the past two days.

More stuff to come tomorrow night!

New Music Thursday

Hey, what do you know? It's "New Music Thursday"!

Now, this isn't new, but I think this is going to be essential for summertime listening..."Thunder, Lightning, Strike" by "The Go! Team".

Yeah, I know, the sampling of the cheerleaders will turn some people off (and it's a whole CD of that sort of thing), but it's chock-full of great summertime-type pop grooves.

If you fell in love with the first US single "Ladyflash", you'll be very happy with the rest of the CD. Just remember...this is a "mood and groove" sort of piece, and it won't be to everyone's taste.

This isn't quite new either, but the freshman effort by "The Magic Numbers" should also be at the top of your list, too. 'Tis all light and groovy with great harmonies (consider an updated version of a UK version of "The Mamas and the Papas"), but the underlying songwriting is excellent.

Now, since we're all about getting into the summertime mode, here are my picks for CD's that have stood the test of time.

Kirstie MacColl, "Tropical Brainstorm". Yes, this was released posthoumously after her tragic death, but there's so much more to this work than just "In These Shoes?" (and yes, that is one of my favourite songs of all time!). She became enamoured of Cuban and South American music, and this CD tells that tale.

I should also add that, as a student of the "Jerry Blavat Dance School", you can do the "Cha-cha-cha" very nicely to most of this CD!

And, I've got to throw in a classic here..."Feats Don't Fail Me Now" by Little Feat. Between the obvious hits ("Rock and Roll Doctor", "Oh, Atlanta" and the rest), this is just great music to listen to while you're dancing and getting all sweaty with the one you love.

Not that I would know anything about that... ;*)

Bad Drivers...really, really bad drivers

Memo To: Any Driver I've Encountered Today
Memo From: That little gray Scion xA



Okay, it's time we all sat down and had some sort of friendly conversation, especially after what happened on the way home. The tea and cookies are over there, but you (yes, you!) "Ms. Black Corolla", let me start with you!

See, you shouldn't be putting on your makeup and chatting on your cell while you're trying to pass me on the right as we're all merging onto the Garden State Parkway. And, as you're still wondering why I flipped you the third finger of my right hand, you should never pass people on the right, especially on the shoulder lane of an on ramp.

And, all that got you was two cars ahead of me. Didn't you see that accident? Would you like to cause another one?

Next..."Mr. Lincoln Continental".

Dude! That's a great old car, but you're seriously underestimating how big that boat is! Here's a bit of advice; if you can't parallel park on Main Street in Madison, just go one block in and park in community parking. There's no need to back up traffic up to Chatham because you're still learning parallel parking, 'kay?

"Ms. Yukon".

Please don't drive anything larger that you can't handle. Seriously.

I watched you trying to park that monster vehicle in the "Whole Foods" parking lot a few weeks back, and it's clear that you can't do it.

You were backing up and forth, turning that steering wheel like hell, just trying to fit into a parking spot at "Whole Foods".

Incidentally, your rear-view mirrors are all bloody goofed up, and you can't see anything from them. You almost ran me over coming out of "Whole Foods" with my lunch because you couldn't see me, and if I ever see you pealing out of the "Whole Foods" parking lot again doing 40 MPH onto Main Street with kids in the car, I'll be on the cell so quickly to the Madison Police it'll make your head spin.

"Mr. Chrysler 300 With The Hemi"

I mean, really...all I was trying to do was pass you.

And, you decided to get all macho about it, and challenge me.

You know there's absolutely no way I could pass you (which is why I stay in the middle lane), but no, you're not nearly as handsome as you think you are.

Gah!

"Guillemots" At "World Cafe Live"!

Oh, yeah...oh, my!

So, let's see...Pink's new backup singers are the Indigo Girls, we've got Bruce braying with his take on old Pete Seeger songs, Vedder and the boys are back with "Worldwide Suicide", it certainly looks like Neil Young's got a hit, and the inexplicable collaboration between Paul Simon and Brian Eno called "Surprise" dropped today, and it sounds pretty good to me. Apparently, I'll still love Paul Simon when he is 64!

Now, don't get me wrong...there's a ton of great music coming out of the States these days, and I'm thrilled about the return to more politically charged songs (listen to Simon's "How Can You Live In The Northeast" or the single from Elvis Costello and Alan Toussiant called "Tears, Tears and More Tears", and you'll see what I mean).

But, sometimes a girl's just gotta dance, and some of the best pop music is coming out of the UK these days. The Magic Numbers, The Go-Team, James Hunter...and the Guillemots.

If you can imagine a heady combination between the "Dream Academy", very early Chris Martin keyboard-type stylings and then add some ska to that mix...they've got a sound that's entirely their own, and incredibly dancable.

Please...if you don't start moving and grooving to "Trains To Brazil", you'd better have someone check your pulse.

Nothing new tonight...check in tomorrow!

See, it's late, and I ain't got nothing!

Really, nothing.

Go to sleep...but there's going to be a lot of music to talk about next week.

So, why are you still reading this?

Go. To. Sleep. Now.

"United 93"

If I asked any of you to remember where you were on September 11, 2001, when you first heard about the two planes striking the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan, you could tell me exactly where you were and what you were doing when you knew something wasn't quite right.

Perhaps you had the "Today" show on, maybe you were in work listening to NPR", or perhaps you were checking out "CNN" on the Web. Maybe a co-worker told you about a story that a light plane had struck one of the "Twin Towers"...and, just in that moment, you knew everything in your world had changed.

It's one of those awful moments in history that everyone seems to collect during their lifetimes; Pearl Harbor being bombed, the assassinations of John and Bobby Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Kent State, the Challenger explosion. The horrific tsunami of Christmas, 2004. Katrina.

So, why should I persuade you to go and see "United 93"? You know the story, and you already know the ending. That day has been imprinted onto your personal history like no other, so why should you care? Why should you want to relive the chaos, the confusion and the abject horror of that day?

Because you need to remember, whether you choose to or not.

It doesn't matter right now what your feelings, thoughts or politics are against the war or the current adminstration.

This is not a film about politics, or religion or race. This is a film about people that come together underneath the worse possible circumstances in recent memory.

And yes, it's time. Go and remember.

Some of these things belong together, one of these things doesn't belong...

Okay, this is old news, but these two phrases together are still making me giggle:

"Keith Richards" and "coconut tree".

Poor tree.

"New Music Thursday"

Yes, I know, all new music drops on Tuesday! Believe me, you don't volunteer for the finest station on the planet (www.xpn.org) and not know that bit of information.

But, I thought it'd be fun to chat about new stuff, and then present other things that have held the test of time.

I'm a little late coming to Beth Orton's "Comfort Of Strangers" (especially since "Conceived" was released as a single here in the States last December). This is a fine CD, but only if you're a Beth Orton fan.

If you're used to hearing her airy, fragile voice on chill CD "Ministry Of London" re-mixes, then this is not the CD for you. However, if you'd like to hear what she can do as a songwriter, pick this one up.

World Party has moved back into town, and has reissued all of their previous CD's (thanks, Karl!) I haven't had a chance to pick up "Dumbing Up" yet, but as I understand, this isn't new material. "Dumbing Up" was released in the UK a number of years ago, and it's only been issued in the States now.

Karl Wallinger (who is, for all intents and purposes, "World Party") suffered an aneurysm a few years back that left him without the ability to speak. Anyway, it'll be a pleasure to pick up the reissues of "Private Revolution" and "Egyptology" without paying what Amazon.co.uk wants for it (sorry, Madblogger, the pound still isn't my friend).

I'm really excited about the new "Zero 7" CD, since, well, I'm 41 years old, LOL! I think it was Nick Hornsby who said, "Just when we all got too old for dance music, here comes the chillout stuff."

Moby has new instrumentals up on his MySpace site...haven't listened to them yet, but I will. I'm a huge fan of the little, bald vegan guy. Incidentally, don't miss him live; he puts on one hell of a show.

And, I'd really disappoint Madblogger if I didn't mention the new Mark Knopfler/Emmylou Harris effort. This is my next purchase, and I've really loved everything I've heard from it so far. It's not going to be to everyone's taste, since it seems to have a very old-timey "Johnnie/June" feel to it, but I'm a sucker for Knopfler's guitar work and Emmylou's voice. So, there!

So, out of the stack the other day, I pulled out Jeb Loy Nichols' "Just What Time it Is" and Pat Metheny's freshman effort "Bright Size Life".

And, what's not to love about "Bright Size Life"! You've got Pat, the late (but great) Jaco Pastorius on bass and Bob Moses on drums. It's a classic trio that only borders on what Pat would eventually do with a full band. This isn't "smooth jazz" at all...there is some serious groovitude going on, even when it does slow down a bit.

Now, you either love Jeb Loy Nichols or he puts you to sleep. I'm in the former category, but this is one terrific CD to put on when you just want to relax or slow down a bit. I love this guy's voice, and the music is very groove-worthy and entirely danceable, but in a slow, sexy kind of way.

Anyway, let me know if you'd like me to continue doing "New Music Thursdays"! It certainly makes it easier on my end!

It's Deja Food All Over Again

So, a few weeks ago, I was surfing "USA Today's" website, and found a lovely interview with an author named Kaavya Viswanathan. I read the excerpt from her new book, "How Opal Mehta...", and I thought, wow, that'll be a great summer read.

Normally, I don't go for books that are covered in cotton-candy pink and complete with the "Curlz" font, but I liked the online piece from the first chapter.

You know it... we all like "light reads" during the summer. I kept promising myself that I'd finally re-read Jane Austen, but then the new "Harry Potter" came out, and then I had to re-read all of them again...you can see the problem.

This young author is now being accused of plagarism, which brings up a very interesting question for the blogosphere: is there any original thought left out here?

For example, check out the title for this blog entry; I've used the term "deja food" from Crescent Dragonwagon's most excellent cookbook ("The Passionate Vegetarian"), and I've also co-opted the title of a John Fogerty song.

Do I expect any patent or music industry attorney to show up at my door anytime soon? No, of course not.

I've just made a salad of steamed broccoli, whole wheat couscous, beans and tossed it around with a nice dressing of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, oregano and salt and pepper. Am I the first person to do such a thing? Of course not (but it tastes damn good!).

And, if I pair that with some stuffed grape leaves (from "Trader Joe's", that I already have), I've just recreated a salad plate that "Whole Paycheck" charges $6.99 for.

But, I've also found that if you check out the blogs, and check out their links, and then check out those links...blogger plagarism is pretty prevalent.

Which brings us back to the original discussion...are there any original ideas out there, or are we just recycling the old ones?

It's a gas, gas, gas

And, here's where this blog takes a political turn for the evening.

Remember, way back when, right after "our fearless leader" was "elected" for the first time, he decided to squander some of the money from the previously balanced budget and send all of us "checks" for around $300 or so.

Of course, this was a loan on your taxes for the next year.

So, those geniuses in DC have decided that the $100 "Gas Rebate Gift" ain't gonna fly since we won't be fooled again.

But, you gotta love the statement from the White House earlier today: "We're afraid that everyone would spend that money on gas."

I mean, really...you can't make this stuff up!

So, where the bloody hell are you?

Okay, so it's not like the blogosphere needed another "slice of life" blog, but if you've found this out of the middle of nowhere (especially since this is brand new and the search engine spiders haven't found this yet), welcome.

So, feel free to take off your shoes, have a cocktail, light a smoke if you'd like and get comfy. Just be sure to clean up after you leave, okay?

Bear in mind that this is a work in progress. I'm going to make mistakes, but 'tis all in good fun here!

So, now that this is up and running, I'm going to ask a question that's been dogging the Australian travel industry for ages...

Where the bloody hell are you?