Charles' 9 great songs from 1993:

Big Head Todd & The Monsters "Bittersweet"
Pearl Jam- "Daughter"
UB40- "Can't Help Falling In Love"
The Cranberries- "Dreams"
Aerosmith- "Crazy"
Lenny Kravitz- "Are You Gonna Go My Way"
Blind Melon- "No Rain”
Radiohead- "Creep"
Collective Soul- "Shine"

Ok, the only song I know on this list is Aerosmith's Crazy. But I didn't live in the states in 1993, and so missed most of the new bands that came out...and new songs, apparently, as well!

Tomorrow will feature songs from 1982, now THAT year I bet I'll know each and every song Charles plays!

Just messing around with the camera...

Charles' nine great songs from 1982:

1. ADAM ANT - "GOODY TWO SHOES" [loved Mr. Ant back in the day!]
2. JOHN MELLENCAMP - "JACK AND DIANE" [loved Mr. Mellencamp, too, but not particularly this song]
3. ASIA - "HEAT OF THE MOMENT" [nah...not my taste]
4. MODERN ENGLISH - "I MELT WITH YOU" [ahhh...memories]
5. PAUL CARRACK - "LESSON IN LOVE" [don't think I know this]
6. BILLY JOEL - "LAURA" [eh?]
7. STRAY CATS - "ROCK THIS TOWN" [good rockin' tune]
8. ALAN PARSONS - "EYE IN THE SKY" [eh?]
9. CLASH - "SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO" [yes!!! The Clash were such an fantastic band!]

Friday's Year will be 1972...lots happened to me that year...I turned 15 that summer and 15 then is not quite the same as 15 now LOL!

Yup, sorry!!! And not just one...but THREE!

I had to share this first one cause it's pretty damn true:

The Five Factor Personality Test

Extroversion:

You have medium extroversion.
You're not the life of the party, but you do show up for the party.
Sometimes you are full of energy and open to new social experiences.
But you also need to hibernate and enjoy your "down time." [very true!]

Conscientiousness:

You have low conscientiousness.
Impulsive and off the wall, you don't take life too seriously.
Unfortunately, you sometimes end up regretting your snap decisions.
Overall, you tend to lack focus, and it's difficult for you to get important things done. [again, very true]

Agreeableness:

You have medium agreeableness.
You're generally a friendly and trusting person.
But you also have a healthy dose of cynicism.
You get along well with others, as long as they play fair. [I'll just say yes, very true to this and move on]

Neuroticism:

You have low neuroticism.
You are very emotionally stable and mentally together.
Only the greatest setbacks upset you, and you bounce back quickly.
Overall, you are typically calm and relaxed - making others feel secure. [I don't know about "making others feel secure", but yes, very true to the rest]

Openness to experience:

Your openness to new experiences is high.
In life, you tend to be an early adopter of all new things and ideas.
You'll try almost anything interesting, and you're constantly pushing your own limits.
A great connoisseir of art and beauty, you can find the positive side of almost anything. [yes, this is definitely me]

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Then this one was just too cute:

What Kind of Food Are You?

You Are French Food: Snobby yet ubiquitous. People act like they understand you more than they actually do. [The last sentence I think is true in many cases]

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Finally, cause everyone loves a good secret:

Your Love Life Secrets, Revealed

Looking back on your life, you will have a few true loves. [very true]

You're a little scarred from your past relationships, but who isn't? [probably more than a little...]

You expect a lot from your lover - you want the full package. You tend to be very picky. [yes, I've been QUITE spoiled in this regard]

In fights, you speak your mind and don't hold back. You know you're right, and you can get quite angry about it. [oh hell yes, in love, in friendship, at work, you name it...not necessarily a good quality]

A break-up usually comes as a shock to you. You always think things are going well. [actually, the the first sentence is true. Even if things weren't going well, I usually think we can work things about, and this is true of friendships as well]

Wednesday night I spent $160.00 on picture frames, all wood, black or white or reddish-brown. Last night I went to Starbucks to see what the wall looked like where I'll be hanging my pictures and to enjoy a cinnamon dolce latte (yum!). There were 9 pictures I think, mainly 11 x 17, mostly travel shots, some with people, and all in frames like this:

They were hanging from braided wire, which was attached to a long metal rod. I wonder if the weight of the wood frames will be too much? I wonder if I need to have bigger pictures on display? Many of what I wanted to use are 5 x 7...

Do you ever watch My Name is Earl? Last night, Earl goes into a book store to find a book that will help one of the folks on his list (people he's wronged, that he must right in order to improve his karma) not kill himself. The man he talks to directs him to the "self-help" section and then mentions that maybe books on tape would be helpful. Earl says, with a puzzled look on his face, "you mean like sticky" and presses his forefinger and thumb together to mime stickiness. I. nearly. died. Such a simple comedy, so damn funny!

Awhile back, I asked you to name 5 things that make you think of me and I'd return the favor. Here 'tis, in order of the comments that were left to that entry:

Michelle: Grendel's, any book store, black labs, dimples, Bon Jovi

goofy girl: Wolfie, doctor, Star Wars, Morimoto, sushi

Mel: Cape Cod, the beach, bedtime stories, summertime, family

Lauren: Vegas, Star Wars, Gizmo, white russians, frappucinos

ME: chocolate labs, chicken parmigian, herbs, gardening, knitting

Carl: movies and reviews, musicals, renaissance fairs, tiaras, planets

zoot: Ron Weasley, Krispy Kremes, the south, humor, babies

Krista: Nightmare Before Christmas, bass guitars, the gym, Lowell, Tim Burton

Laura: Jersey shore, red sparking wine, big italian families, Bruce!, white carpeting

Lizabetty: laughter, kids, martinis, scary movies, Cheesecake factory

Dyane: Chevy HHRs, kids, crafts, Broncos, the TV show Medium,

Monique: Viggo!, shelties, craft fairs, cute bartenders, funky style (and I'm not the one the transvestite said "looking hot, darling", to! Also, I don't think there's enough sustenance in 6 olives to absorb vast quantities of alcohol, don't let me forget that, mmmkay?)

T: tattoos, bunnies, rainbows, grocery stores, freckles!

Azzy: LOTR trivial pursuit, Air Force, Halloween, the beach, designer handbags ;-)

Charles nine great songs from 1972:

1. David Bowie- "Starman"
2. Bill Withers- "Ain't No Sunshine"
3. The Doobie Brothers- "Rockin' Down The Highway"
4. Neil Young- "Heart Of Gold"
5. Moody Blues- "I'm Just A Singer"
6. Billy Preston- "That's The Way God Planned"
7. Jackson Browne- "Doctor My Eyes"
8. The Temptations- "Papa Was A Rolling Stone"
9. Steely Dan- "Do It Again"

Ok, why is it that I can barely remember what I had for breakfast, but I know EACH of these songs...with the possible exception of #6...OMG I forgot about the chiro appt~! Bye!!!

1. Where is your favorite place for solitude? I'd have to say the woods, especially at the end of a really hot summer's day...the smell of the evergreen is just fantastic. Course it's fun in the snow, too!

2. Why are woman such douche bags? Krista! Language! That question, my friend, I just can't answer. But I can say that not ALL women are. There's some pretty damn nice ones out there, you included...except when you're being a dooshay ;-)
3. If you could see one person who would it be? I'd really like to meet Gina. I think we'd have so much to talk about, not the least of which would be photography!
4. If you could vacation with anyone, who would it be? Wolf? Snape? Johnny Depp? Wait, I know...my FRIENDS!!!
5. In five sentences write a story line.
Once upon a time there were three friends. One of them decided to make a very big life change which utterly reshaped her personality. She kept pissing off one of the friends, fraying that invisible friendship line again and again. The line kept getting repaired, but of course each time lost a bit more of its strength and resilience; finally it snapped. The other friend is too nice for her own good and just lets the crap roll by.

I woke up this morning to the horrible smell of skunk! It was so strong, the odor woke me up from a dream! UGH! I think it possibly had crawled under the porch, because only the inside of the house smelled badly, not outside. Man, I hate that smell!

I took the dogs to the beach, ran some errands afterward and then put some pictures in frames and took them to the Animal Rescue League of NH for their juried art show. These are the shots I'm hoping they'll accept:

This isn't the shot I submitted, but I can't seem to find it, and just wanted to show you how cute Molly was!

I went over to Monique's for a bit afterward, beautiful home, dog, kid, etc., etc.! I think we're related via our Mayflower ancestors, how weird is that?

Met Michelle in town for dinner...the restaurant was SUCH a disappointment...our entree came out before our appetizer, so our waiter took back the entree ... and you KNOW it just sat in the kitchen waiting for us. But before it found its way back to our table, two other entrees appeared at the same time, and there was no room on the table...and to top it off, the hostess was rude to Smoochie. Nevertheless, we had fun! Afterwards we walked around downtown Boston in the rain, unseasonably warm, very strange.

And now I'm head to bed. G'nite, y'all!

I roasted a chicken today. Put a little olive oil in a bowl, squeezed some fresh orange juice into and stirred in some rosemary, sea salt, pepper, sage, oregano, bay leaves, thyme & garlic, then coated the chicken with that. Only problem was...I roasted it upside down, so at the end of the roasting time, it was still pink and not done in areas. Popped it back in for 1/2 hour or so, and voila! Roasted chicken dinner with baked potatoes, broccoli, and ice cream for dessert. Can't get much more traditional Sunday dinner than that!

I'm not a football fan, not since the Bears won back in the 80s (if you remember the Superbowl Shuffle, dang, you're about as old as me!), but I'll be watching on and off this year , if just to see Dr. John, a favorite of mine, and of course, the commercials!

Oh, and here's a few shots from yesterday:

Um...has Burger King lost it's mind? That commercial, with the women dressed as slices of tomato, onion, lettuce, the hamburger, all presided over by that creepy "Burger King"??? Someone dropped one too many hits of acid, I think.

Back later!

The FedEx one was cute...loved when the guy got stomped after kicking the little dinosaur!

Pepsi: Brown & bubbly was just stupid.

Polamalu: Wonder how tangled his hair is after a game?

Anheuser Busch: The Streaker...ahahah! But I'm a sucker for animals ;-)

ouch! That looked like it hurt when Tom Cruise slammed into the car in the preview for MI II.

Dove's Campaign for real beauty dotcom...great idea! That girl with the freckles was adorable. Course the one that thought she was ugly wasn't and let's not even talk about the one that thought she was fat...c'mon now.

Addicted to ... Lost???? AHAHAH! Wonder how much they had to pay Robert Palmer's estate for the use of that song?

And then...after the half time show...the commercials went downhill...so sad!

Wolf's going to the kennel during my vacation. It's $24/day if they can put him in with another dog...$35 if he's alone. I'd love for him to be with another dog, but I don't want anything bad to happen. They're fed separately, so that's good...but Wolf likes to nibble sometimes (on his food, not other dogs)...what to do, what to do...

It's sunny in patches today, with the rest of the sky looking very stormy, and cute lil snow flurries...in the sunshine. Pretty!

Max has a bit of an ear infection I think...it looks reddish, and I could see flecks of dried blood (sorry!). He's off to the vet tomorrow.

I'm considering laying out big bucks for a new camera; a professional camera. I know I'm going to buy it (I think), and I'd like to get it before I leave on vacation (Feb 26th). Help!

The dang beep beep beep of a text message on my cell phone woke me up last night...I wish I weren't such a light sleeper. Then because I woke up, Wolf woke up. He tried to go back to sleep, but apparently none of his normal places were comfortable enough for him (the pile of sheets on the floor [his, not dirty], the pillow on the window seat, the stuffed beanbag in the front room), so he ended up curled up next to me on the bed...he never does this and of course I'm worried that he's not feeling well. I always think this when he goes thru the shiba shed because I find it hard to believe that any dog (no matter HOW many times he does this) can lose so much hair and not be ill.

The best thing about this weird Monday? Snape's on my HP desk calendar! Yummy ;)

Seen here and there in blogdom, but most recently at Colleen's blog...I finally jumped on the bandwagon. As Colleen said, "you type in the name of your blog and it creates a word collage based on what's found at your site."

Pretty cool! I ordered the t-shirt, cause I'm a geek like that. Here's what mine looks like:

Of course, before I jumped on this bandwagon, I played around with a word cloud from flickr; it looks like this:

I seem to have become violently allergic to noise recently.

Saturday: Took the dogs to the beach, nice quiet day right? Nah. There was a group of gas-powered model plane enthusiats there...and do you know how LOUD those things are? Very loud.

Sunday: Relatively peaceful, especially since I blew out the speakers to the tv (apparently, an unwrapped speaker wire touching a metal 7 outlet power guard surge protector is not a good thing).

Monday: Our receptionist was out, so I had to answer the phones all day long. Ring, ring ring ring. So what do I do AFTER work? Go see a movie about...you guessed it...a freak who prank calls some screamy-meemy whiny-ass teenage girl all night long. Hep me...

Tuesday: Tree stump grinder shows up at 7:30 am and commences work. OMFG!!! The receptionist is here today but has one of the worst cases of laringitis I've ever heard (and this girl LOVES to talk!). Altho I've told her I'll answer the phones today, I'm stressing about her trying to answer the phones (which she has a few times), as the president of the company is traveling today. You watch. When he calls in, some combination of crap will happen (Murphy's law, y'all), she'll grab the phone before I can get to it, he'll freak when she does and it'll be all my fault somehow, someway.

And I feel that if ONE MORE PERSON asks me a question to which I do NOT have an answer (and that's happening all too often lately) I will completely, totally & utterly lose it!

I really REALLY need that motherf#*king vacation RIGHT NOW!!!

"...principal photography on Phoenix [i.e., Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix] began yesterday." Mind if I do a bit of a happy dance right now?

There are quite a few scenes I'm very much looking forward to seeing, such as Snape's memories in the Pensieve, Snape teaching Harry Occlumency, Fred & George creating the swamp, the centaurs carrying off Umbridge, the Threstrals and Tonks! Can't wait to see Tonks!!!

Saw this yesterday on The Leaky Cauldron; glad to see I'm not the only one who's fond of Snape!

I left work early today, came home, got Max and whisked him off to the vet. Yup, he has an ear infection, drops were purchased and the poor thing will get two squeezes of the stuff in his one bad ear, once a day.

Started talking to a man who was sitting in the waiting area, one thing led to another, and come to find out he's married to the woman my first ex-husband and I went to for marriage counseling. SMALL world!

Got home tonight and no lie...one of my dad's friends was visiting, well actually, most of the people that were "friends of my parents" were Mom's friends, Dad really didn't need anyone other than his family...but anyway. This is one LOUD man and he's a bit afraid of the dogs, so off Max went to the bedroom, where he began barking up a storm, Wolf's barking upstairs, the tv was blaring, the radio in the kitchen was blaring, and the guy was like Janet! Come in here and show me how Tivo works, and did you know it does this and it does that, and and AND... and Ii was like OMFG!! Get me OUTA here!!!

So I ordered them a pizza, made 'em a couple rum & cokes, picked up the pizza, served it and took myself off to Barnes & Noble, figuring I'd get some peace there

Sigh...not meant to be. There was the kid that kept yelling MOMMYMOMMYMOMMYMOMMYMOMMY and an adult with down's syndrome who kept making the same loud noise over & over and the man sitting next to me who kept sniffing extremely LOUDLY (because if there's anything that drives me more crazy than loud noises are REPETITIVE loud noises). AAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

Finally I mostly blocked it all out, thanks to the latest Stephen King book, "Cell". Before I knew it, I was 49 pages into the story. Know what made me buy it? This sentence: "He was naked except for a pair of what looked like brand-new Nikes with bright red swooshes." AHAHAHA! Maybe MaryEllen will be so kind as to explain why!

Seriously. I am GOING to go insane. Don't say I didn't warn ya!

Heather told me about Spoil-a-Blogger and I thought it sounded like alot of fun. Here we go!

What is your favorite color? Emerald green, midnight blue, deep dark rich purple
What is your favorite scent? I love sandalwood, amber, myrrh, cinnamon, spicy scents like that. For example, one of my favorite lotions is from Bath & Body Works, I take a bottle of Sandalwood Rose and another of Jasmine Vanilla and mix them together! I'm also really liking the Le Couvent des Minimes Honey & Shea lotion. Angel, by Thierry Mugler, is another favorite scent.
Where is your favorite place to vacation? Paris, Hawaii, Scotland & Japan.
Do you collect anything? Postcards and cookbooks
Do you have a favorite tv show? Lost, closely followed by 24. I also like Supernatural, My Name is Earl, Invasion and stuff on FoodTV (Racheal Ray, Alton Brown, Jamie Oliver, the original Iron Chef)
Are you crafty? If so, how? I make cards from my photos.
Do you have kids? Unfortunately, no.
Do you have pets? Yes, two dogs, a beautiful shiba inu named Wolf and a beautiful mixed breed named Max
What kind of movies do you like?: I like a wide variety of movies...some of my favorites are the Harry Potter movies (d'uh), the LOTR trilogy, Harold & Maude, Brokeback Mountain, Spirited Away, Forrest Gump, Interview with the Vampire...the list could go on and on!
What kind of music do you listen to? Led Zeppelin, James Blunt, old school hip hop (and by old school, I mean the 80s), the Beatles, James Taylor, the Kinks, Hall & Oates, T. Rex are just a few of the names that are on my iPod.
What kind of books do you like to read? I love to read; some of my favorite authors are Stephen King, Amy Tan, Hiroyuki Murakami, Charlaine Harris' vampire series, Tolkien, JK Rowling.
Do you have a favorite magazine? I don't suscribe to any, but I do enjoy Real Simple, Oprah, Gourmet, People, In Style & Rachael Ray's new magazine
What is your favorite weekend activity? Not having to get out of bed til I feel like it, going to Dunkin Donuts for a coffee, taking the dogs for a walk in the woods, taking photographs, going to the gym, hanging with friends
What kind of work do you do? Admin, but what I'd really love would to be able to support myself as a photographer.
What do you do for fun? Go out with friends, travel, photography, play with the dogs, read, cook, try new restaurants.

I wanted to tell you about four things that made me smile yesterday.

The first was a beautiful sympathy card my Mom's doctor sent to Dad, which said:

"I am so sorry for the loss of your wife. She was a strong feisty woman, who fought until the end. I am sorry for your suffering with her loss, but I am grateful that she no longer suffers. She was lucky to have such a devoted husband and children. It was my honor and pleasure to care for her." That made me smile as well as be thankful that there are actually some doctors who are also caring people.

The second was the beautiful Valentine's Day card my cousin sent to me, along with the cutest sterling silver and stainless steel snowman mobile that I'd admired at her house over New Years. The body is a snowman and there are three snowflakes that dangle against it, making the nicest QUIET chime ;-) That made me smile, too as well as be thankful that I had such a sweet, kind, caring cousin!

The third is I finally got into the Beginning Jewelry class at a local adult education center: "...students will learn the principles of piercing, soldering, filing, making jump rings, stone setting and various ways in which to polish. Emphasis on design, measuring and layout is encouraged. Materials include copper, silver, brass, solder, stones, bezel wire, round wire, drill bits, saw blades, and more." And Krista joined with me! This will be fun :-)

Lastly, Dad was cleaning out a closet and found an old Scrabble game that belonged to my first ex-husband and me. Inside there was an anniversary card with scores written all over the back, and another sheet of paper that the ex had written on:

Janet: 41
Blake: 66

Blake Won!
Janet quit because she was losing.

Yes, I'm quite aware that's a very low score...does it help that the score on the back of the card was Blake: 269, me: 192?

The year was 1969; the songs were:

Every Christian Lion Hearted Man Will Show You - the Beegees
Gimme Shelter - the Rolling Stones
Can't Find My Way Home - Blind Faith
Ramble On - Led Zeppelin
Green River - Creedence Clearwater Revival
I Can't Quit Her - Blood, Sweat & Tears
Come Together - the Beatles
Marrakesh Express - Crosby, Stills & Nash
Badge - Cream
Peaches en Regalia - Frank Zappa

I missed the first song, and the name doesn't ring a bell, but each and every one of the others I knew, some QUTE well, one (Peaches en Regalia) I hadn't heard in years. Sigh...this is radio at it's finest...obscure songs, not the same 10 "top of the pops" crap, songs that were about music and creativity, not money.

Remember I wrote about submitting five pictures to the 2nd Annual Juried Art Show and Sale to Benefit the Animal Rescue League of NH? They accepted these two:

Accepted work will be hung and up for sale until March 1, 2006...check it out if you're in the area!

A juried show is defined as: shows that require applicants to provide photographs or slides of their work and display. A group of people, referred to as the jury, decide which artists and crafters to allow into the show. The rules vary from show to show. Some let nearly all applicants in, only rejecting the retail items. Others have a high demand for spots and may receive 10 applications for each available spot. When you submit work to a juried show, you have to pay a "jury fee" (in this instance, $10.00 a photo) to have the jury panel review your work. This fee was nonrefundable, even if your work isn't accepted.

This is one of the pictures that wasn't accepted, but that someone might like to purchase:

I lowered the price for her, she's a good hearted person who works at an animal shelter! Hell, I should GIVE it to her!

Stolen from Laura, who stole it from Darren.

This is how it works: YOU leave a comment, copying the questions and filling in the blanks about ME even if you don't have any idea what the answers are. Be honest...or make something up....it's up to you and it's all fun :-)

ME, can't WAIT to hear what YOU have to say!

My name:
Where did we meet:
Take a stab at my middle name:
How long have you known me:
When is the last time that we saw each other:
Do I smoke:
Do I drink:
When is my birthday:
What was your first impression of upon meeting me:
Do I have any siblings:
What’s one of my favorite things to do:
Am I funny:
What’s my favorite type of music:
What is the best feature about me:
Am I shy or outgoing:
Am I a rebel or do I follow the rules:
Do I have any special talents:
Would you consider me a friend/good friend:
Would you call me preppy, average, sporty, punk, hippie, glam, nerdy, snobby, or something else (what):
What is a memory we have once had:
Have you ever hugged me:
Do you miss me…do you think i miss you:
How well do u know me?
What is my favorite food:
Have you ever had a crush on me:
If there was one good nickname for me, what would it be:
What’s your favorite memory of me:
Who do I like right now:
What is my worst habit:
If you and I were stranded on a desert island, what one thing would I bring?
Who are my favorite sports teams?
What was the last thing I said to you?
Will you repost this so I can do it for you?

"It is a man's own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways."
- Buddha

I saw this quote over on Buzz's blog and found it very interesting. Do you?

Last night I had dinner with Pat, then we went to see Nanny McPhee. Cute piece of fluff, that oldest boy needs to eat a sandwich or three. Also, the actress who's portraying Professor Umbridge was the cook in this movie and I had no trouble imagining her as Umbridge! Can't wait for that ;-)

Came home to hear Dad had taken Max for a walk that day, to the coffee shop in the center of town. They actually let him bring Max inside, which is great. It worries me a bit, though, as Dad's kind of unsteady on his feet...he has a hard time with curbs or walking uphill. I don't want to tell him NOT to walk Max, but ... eek, you know? I told him he'd look debonair with a cane, what do you think?

My brother stopped by yesterday, to see if he could fix my tv...no luck. No sound, so sad. Anyone have an extra tv they'd like to get rid of for awhile? My Tivo'd things are building up LOL!

What's the big deal about a little snow? Haysus! What the hell, did we become the deep south or something? Lots of snow is NOTHING to a natve New Englander, it's a way of life, like Dunkin Donuts coffee or rotaries...damn ratings-driven, blow it all out of proportion media. Sheesh!

EDA is 5 days from now...OMG! My new camera is on it's way! Get here in one piece, honey!!!

Today is (and I can't wait til we can really call her this) Dr. Goofygirl's birthday! Please go give her some birthday love, won't you?

Happy Birthday, Heather! I hope you have a fantastic day and if it snows, maybe you and Paul can go out and build a snow Heather with snow birthday cakes!!!

Hugs!

Took Dad out for breakfast; went to Acton to pick up dog food and to check out the kennel Wolf will be staying in when I go on vacation...looks nice, but the guy isn't too complimentary about shibas; headed over to Krista's to help her pack and move. She was done packing by the time I got there, so I just had to carry boxes down two flights and pack up Dad's van, which he kindly let me use. Then we waited two days for her boyfriend to arrive...luckily we're the kind who can easily amuse ourselves. Finally he & his friend arrived, they finished packing up the big stuff, and off we headed. Michelle was there to help unpack, so it was done quickly, and then we went for a nice toasty Italian sub and a cold beer. Well...I did, guess there IS a perk to looking older, Krista got carded and didn't have her purse with her. I let her sneak a couple sips, tho...it was the least I could do after scaring the bejesus out of her in front of the scary door:

I reached my hand around the side, stiffened and then screamed...she screamed louder and turned to run away, then I cracked up. I still laugh every time I think about it. I'm horribly evil like that ;-)

It was damn spooky down there, though... this was the basement of her old condo. You can click on that picture to see the others...*shiver*

All set for the snow...all 12-16 inches of it, 60 MPH winds, the whole shebang. Bring it on! Doesn't matter my tv has no sound, I've got books to read, comforters to cuddle under, and lots of tea to brew. Just please...don't let it be as cold as it was today...bonechilling, man...just bonechilling!

yesterday / today:

last night / today:

And a couple of Wolf pictures for you :-)

(he's not deformed, he's at the tail end of a shiba shake!)

and

and

Found this (Johari mapping) at Monique's. I'm sure you've been dying to let me know what you think of me ;-)

Just in time for Valentine's Day, my secret spoiler (What's a secret spoiler? Read about it here, on Spoil-a-blogger) spoiled me good!

Just in case you can't tell what that prettily wrapped package in the back is, here's a close up:

Thank you Secret Spoiler!!! I brought the Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans to work today to share their horrid goodness...did you know there's a new flavor? Rotten Egg! Also bacon, but that's not as gross. The really yucky ones are black pepper, earthworm, earwax, dirt, sardine, soap & vomit. The booger one, tho, that tastes kind of salty...yum!!!

As for the See's Dark Chocolates...not sure if I want to share them at all...but I will :-)

You're the best, Secret Spoiler!!!

Driving home last night I was listening to WZLX, and heard that Dr. John was playing at the Regent Theater in Arlington that night, postponed from Sunday night because of the blizzard.

I'd seen Dr. John and his band, the Lower 911 last summer at Boarding House Park in Lowell, and man, he was fantastic, doing all his old hits and some of his new stuff. I was thrilled to hear about it in time, called Pat (no answer) and Eileen ("sure, I'll go!") and made it there in time for the 7 PM show. The Regent, by the way, is a great place for a concert, very small and intimate.

He ambled onto the stage, cane in hand, as is his habit, sat down at the piano and played the HELL out of it! He didn't do many songs I recognized, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. And during the second show (I um...'stayed' for that, Eileen left) he went OFF about New Orleans (where he's from), and the lack of support given. The bass player & the drummer both lost their homes, and one of the roadies lost his mom, so it was very personal. Towards the end of that show, between songs, someone in the audience yelled "F*#% Bush", and the drummer, who is kind of the spokesman for the band, said "YOU can say that safely, from the anonymity of the audience, but if I were to say it...let's just say I value my life" or words to that effect.

A very politically charged concert, to say the least.

If you're interested in hearing a snippet of my favorite song of his, listen to Such a Night. Also check out "Right Place Wrong Time"; I'm SURE most of you will have heard that one!

"I don't wanna know about evil. Only the delicate balance of anutha zone, way past the Shapaka Shawee, more ancient than the olive tree. Before Rosacrucian mysteries, or Freemason vesteries. Up through the trembling roots as deep as the moss drenched Oak and Cypress trees."
- Dr. John

Today is my Dad's 81st birthday! I think I'll call him RIGHT NOW and sing happy birthday to him, lucky devil ;-)

Ah, even better, got the answering machine LOL! Nothing like recording some bad singing!

My brother and I are taking him out for dinner tonight, oh and I have to go pick up his birthday present, a picture that his Mom's sister painted long, long ago, and I had framed. Can't forget, can't forget, can't forget...cause I'm prone to that, don't you know.

and went to get a memory card today...here's the first picture, taken with a flash at work:

Far from perfect, but I haven't even read the directions yet...

the 9 songs at 9 were:

Beds are Burning - Midnight Oil
Like the Weather - 10,000 Maniacs
Got My Mind Set On You - George Harrison
Where The Streets Have No Name - U2
Tunnel of Love - Bruce Springsteen
Big Love - Fleetwood Mac
The One I Love - REM
What've I Done To Deserve This - Pet Shop Boys
Paper and Fire - John Mellencamp

And Charles' "flashback": Learning to Fly - Pink Floyd

"Late Sunday night, February 5th, "Mr. B," a five-year-old miniature donkey, was attacked by predators at his home in Milton, NH. It is not known if the attackers were domestic dogs or wild animals. It is believed that there were several in the "pack," due to the damage they inflicted."

To read more, click on this link (Careful, the pictures are a bit disturbing). Poor guy!

I first saw the story here.

Donations can be sent to the Mr. B Fund, c/o TNT Equine, 17 Member's Way, Dover, NH 03820. More info can be obtained by calling 603-749-4077. You can track Mr. B's recovery progress on his vet's website.

the 9 songs at 9 on WBOS were:

Miss You (Disco version) - the Stones [Disco sucks! I still have that tshirt somewhere]
Good Lovin' - Grateful Dead [excellent rockin' song!]
Lights - Journey [don't like Journey]
Just What I Needed - the Cars [such an awesome Boston band!]
Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy - the Kinks [I HEART the Kinks! In fact, there was an article in EW last week about Ray Davies]
Dreadlock Holiday - 10 CC [lol made me want to be on the cruise NOW]
Excitable Boy - Warren Zevon [I HEART Warren Zevon!!!]
Because The Night - Patti Smith [did you know Bruce Springsteen wrote this song just for her?]
Hollywood Nights - Bob Seger [I really liked Bob Seger back in the day, went to see him a few times back in the 70s, but...not now]

And Charles' "flashback": Walking In The Rain by Flash & The Pan [LOL and what a flashback it was!]

I found a tick on Wolf a couple weeks ago...testament to the strange weather we've been having (warm/FREEZING/warm/BLIZZARD/warm) as well as to the fact that he is a freaking TICK magnet! It's like...he's the sun for crissakes and the ticks are the planets...ever circling him, just waiting for the chance to pounce. Ok, so planets don't do that...but you get the general idea!

Here's a drawing Krista did for me illustrating my idea:

I love her artwork, it's so whimsical!

Sweet Gina emailed me today cause she hadn't seen me post in a couple of days and wanted to make sure everything was ok :-)

Everything is ok, I've just been busy.

Friday night, I carried the new 27 inch tv upstairs...can you say "jelly legs"? That sucker is HEAVY! I got it hooked up to Tivo, thanks to my brother and just relaxed, watching some Tivo'd programs. Supernatural was fantastic, especially the one about the freaky backwoods hunters.

Yesterday, I took Dad down to visit (for his birthday) Auntie Rosa & Uncle Jim, their daughter Mel (MB's parents & sister), Mel's husband, their daughter-in-law and two grandsons; my brother was there, too. Auntie Rosa and Mel prepared sauerbrauten, noodles, peas, red cabbage and some yummy "grandmother" pretzels (I'll ask Mel for the recipe, it was great!). We had a good time visiting, and after a bit, Mel and I went out shopping. It was nice to see everyone in a relaxed setting, since the last time was at Mom's memorial service. I'd love to steal Mel away for the day, minus cell phone and hubby checking up LOL! Mel's also quite the photographer and we spent some time looking at her pictures. There's a lovely rose garden close by her home, and I am definitely going down there in June for a photo expedition :-)

While there, I found out that Shubi, MB's dog, lost her long battle to stay alive. I wish there were words that would comfort her...I hope she realizes I love her and would do anything in my power to make it better for her. Shubi was the sweetest dog I know, and even Wolf loved to curl up with her:

That's Shubi on the left, Wolf on the right and my foot :-)

We didn't get home til 8 or so, Max & Wolf were more than ready to make a quick trip outside!

Today I decided to move things around in my room, throw more things about, dust, vac, and just rearrange. I had to stop mid-job as Michelle was coming over to have lunch with Dad and me, and I had to shower. Off we went for lunch (that Crackerbarrel cheese place, as Michelle calls it) where she was amazed at how much Dad can eat (fried catfish, two big pieces, corn, apples, apple sauce, and more apples...oh and let's not forget the biscuit! Afterward, we dropped Dad off home, and headed up to NH to pick up 3 of the 5 pictures of mine that didn't get picked for the craft show, looked at the pictures that did make it (mine and the others), stopped to get gas (I seriously thought I was going to run out but lied to Michelle when she asked me if I thought I was going to run out LOL), picked up a circular polarizing filter & a memory card, came home, made dinner for Dad, wrote some thank you cards, paid some bills and here I am.

Tomorrow? Hopefully, a nice long walk with the dogs, and I'm going to see "Walk The Line" while it's still in the theaters!

Here's a picture I took today, pre-circular polarizer:

Doesn't she have beautiful eyes?!

Today I decided to see Walk The Line. I liked this movie alot and altho I don't much care for Joaquin Phoenix, he was fantastic as Johnny Cash. Sometimes it takes awhile for two people to admit to the love between them and that seemed to be how it was for Johnny Cash & June Carter, for a variety of reasons. I also loved the guy who played Jerry Lee Lewis, so cute! It was interesting, as well, to see the early days with Cash, Lewis & Elvis on tour together.

Afterwards I went to see The Pink Panther. Except for the Paris scenery, it was a horrible movie. Just ugh.

Took the dogs for a walk in Thanksgiving Forest...hadn't been there for awhile and it was a great day for hiking. I did run into a very sketchy guy, tho, and he made me a bit nervous...and I'm never like that.

Made cinnamon apple chicken sausage for dinner, with rice pilaf & brussels sprouts. Apple pie for dessert. Yum!

Love having Monday holidays :-)

I pulled out of my driveway this morning, and noticed what I thought was a crow walking on the front lawn, near the bird feeder. Funny how one's mind works: I see a big bird, therefore, it must be a crow or a raven, cause I've never seen any other big birds in my yard.

Anyway...NOT.A.CROW! It was a HAWK! And it was going after the poor lil birdies that hang out in the bushes near the bird feeder. Man, that thing was fast! The lil bird would fly to one bush, pretty much silently, the hawk? Not so silently...more like CRASH CRASH CRASH!

I'm glad to say the hawk didn't get the little bird, at least not the one I saw it chasing, and when I got out of the car to take a picture, it flew away. Not too far, tho...just down the street, where I'm sure it waited til it was sure I was gone and then went back to stalk the bird feeder, waiting for an easy meal.

Time to change the location of the bird feeder, I'd say!

Also, I saw today on The Leaky Cauldron that it's Alan Rickman's birthday and that he's 60. I was reading some of the birthday well wishes and many people were either 1) shocked that he's 60; most thought maybe he was in his 40s or 2) shocked to find out that a man they think is hot is 60. Just another tribute to Mr. Rickman's acting skills, methinks.

[OMG, 1976, the memories LOL]...the 9 songs at 9 were:

Gotta Give It Up - Marvin Gaye [would've never guessed this was from 1976!]
Hotel California - the Eagles [I adored this whole album!]
Somebody to Love - Queen [what a voice on that man!!!]
Don't Take Me Alive - Steely Dan [this song gives me the chills to listen to...Steely Dan was always great to listen to when a bit messed up...]
Takin' It To The Streets - Doobie Brothers [my two memories of the Doobie Brothers are 1) they're actually the first band I ever saw...I went to see T. Rex, but the Doobies were the warm up band for them! and 2) l used to have a cloth hanging with one of their album's names What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits- tie dyed on it. Loved that albums title, and so damn true!]
Dirty Deeds - AC/DC [my absolute FAV song by them!!!]
Where Did Our Love Go - J. Geils [another great Boston band!]
Tvc 15 - David Bowie [dude, he must've been SO high]
Main Street - Bob Seger [good song back then, but man, it's played to death]

Charles' "flashback": One More Cup Of Coffee For The Road - Bob Dylan

And guess what...now YOU can listen to Charles' show and these songs too! Here's the link, you're welcome! You should listen, just to hear Jim Breuer doing the Hokey Pokey by AC/DC, too damn funny!

I'm not thrilled with either of these pictures (there's another one over in flickr if you click on this one) but I'm still learning! Had to take these on the fly, too, stopped at a red light and I was nervous about blocking traffic LOL! (me, nervous, it happens!)

um...that title just doesn't sound quite right. Anyway, here:

Quickie: You are entering a selfish phase in your life, but it's a good and enriching thing. <---COOL!

Overview: Do you really want to play a supporting role in this person's drama? Didn't think so. It's time to back off. Be a sympathetic ear, yes, but whatever you do, don't egg them on. They don't need any encouragement. <---no more drama!!!

Daily extended: You've been working very hard to keep things under control for some time, and it hasn't been easy. Not even a tiny little bit. If you can keep it going for a little while longer, though -- and you know you can -- you'll be oh so pleasantly surprised at how terrifically it turns out. Your quest now is to keep your eye on the ball, no matter what might come along to distract you. <----Talk about hitting the nail on the head. But, oooh I do so love a good, strong "distraction" ;-)

I saw the movie King Kong tonight and was inspired by Carl Denham's final words, "Oh, no, it wasn't the airplanes; it was beauty killed the beast." to write this personal ad:

You, there! On top of the Empire State Building! You don't have to die for beauty, you know. There's lots of us plain folk, good cooks, fun-loving, not into drama or being dramatic but loving, giving & caring, good in bed...so what if we're not pretty? Give us a try, won't you?

Next up on my list of old guys to see in concert: Ray Davies!

Did I even mention how much I adored the Kinks in the late 70s, early 80s? I brought my [first] wedding album in to work one day, to show my much beloved and missed office mate, Diana. As she thumbed thru it, she saw a picture of my apartment in Colorado (where I lived for six months while the first ex went through Air Force tech school) and noticed a Kinks poster on the wall. She said...who are the Kinks? I started singing Lola...L O L A...Lola and she went OH! I know that song!

Bet you just did, too :-)

I met her in a club down in old Soho
Where you drink champagne and it tastes just like cherry-cola
See-oh-el-aye cola
She walked up to me and she asked me to dance
I asked her her name and in a dark brown voice she said Lola
El-oh-el-aye Lola la-la-la-la Lola

I had a really hard time keeping track of the songs, something about work interfering, blah blah blah...

99 Red Balloons - Nena
Drive - the Cars
then a song by Dokken, I think, followed by a Stevie Ray Vaughn song
Chain Gang - Pretenders
Slippery People - Talking Heads
another song I didn't know
Cover Me - Bruce Springsteen
Driver Aid - REM

Charles' "flashback": The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking - Roger Waters

You can listen to Charles' show by clicking on this link.

...the 9 songs at 9 on Backspin were:

Feeling Stronger Every Day - Chicago
La Grange - ZZ Top [great choice!]
Warm Love - Van Morrison
D'yer Mak'er - Led Zeppelin [Chuck...you pick this instead of Over The Hills And Far Away??? *shakes head*]
In between these two songs, Charles played some dialogue from The Exorcist...SCARY!!!
No More Mr. Nice Guy - Alice Cooper [Pat and I really wanted to see Alice Cooper one time, so we went with two guys just to see the show, we probably didn't have the money or a way to get there...and once we got there, we lied and said I was sick so we didn't have to stay with them...karma, baby...karma is slapping me ALL around!]
Friday On My Mind - David Bowie
Ma-Ma-Ma Belle - ELO
Monday - Pink Floyd
Trapped In A Reggae World - Jimmy Cliff

Charles' "flashback": Hypnotized - Fleetwood Mac

"Well, I'm not a crook."
- Richard Nixon

My hairdresser said to me tonight, "The word 'old' is NOT in your vocabulary!" I love her!

I forgot to tell you about the medal my cousin gave me last week. It belonged to my Grandmother and identified her as a Regent in the Paul Revere Chapter of the DAR. I asked my aunt, "What's a regent?" and her answer was "One of the big bosses." The medal has her name and regent number engraved on it...pretty cool, and a gift I'll treasure, for sure!

Cousin Monique? Was your grandmother in the DAR?

Don't burst into tears in front of Michelle! It freaks her out but good! Sorry, Smoochy!

I'll be gone til for a few days, enjoying some fresh air and sunshine. See you all when I get back!