c.a.k.e.

I know it's been a while.  Don't seem to have anything all that interesting to write about at the moment.  Oh but I'm sure I will soon.  I'll just say that I recently found out that Cake is coming back to Pittsburgh, and they were just here in July!!  I waited YEARS to see them live.. now I get them twice in 5 months.  Lucky Me.  I don't expect Everyone to like Cake's style, but man do I love the stuff.  Mos Def refreshingly different from most musical groups.  They are great musicians and, the singer just puts this really bizarre, fun twist on things.  It's the kind of music that makes my Soul feel good.  So, here's to CAKE.  I love you long time.

Oh, and you know what?  I just thought of something else I can pop in here.  Saw it a few days ago.  On my way home from work I saw:

A) A girl riding a unicycle.

B) An old station wagon with blue flames on the side.

C) A beat-up Oldsmobile w/ Home Speakers in the back window, a Baby in a car seat and 2 other toddlers in the back, pass me going around 90.  AND a yellow "yield" sign also in the back window which I assumed was warning cars going faster than 90 to Beware Of Baby. 

Okay...

1) A unicycle??  Really??  How cool is that?  Something you kinda always want to see, but never do.

2) A station wagon will always be a station wagon, regardless of nifty, blue flame stickers.  Don't try to polish a turd.  OH NOW.. .come on Station-Wagon-Owners... I'm just kidding!!   Truly.. they're badass.

3) Dude with 3 little kids and no money for car speakers...  Please.  Slow Down.  Enjoy your home-made speaker box but... take it easy on the kiddies, will ya???

Well, would you look at that, I had something to say after all.  Who knew.

It's official. I'm a tree-hugger.



You know what kills me?  The thought of breathing in air that's trapped in elevators and vestibules (fun word, aint it?).  As soon as I walk in, I (slightly) start to panic.  I try to take the least amount of breaths possible... but you know what happens?  You start breathing quickly because you're nervous and so you begin to breathe in even More Funk Air and.. that just plain Sucks.  I like Fresh Air.  Knowing that things are moving around...  not just sitting there being... stagnant would be the word.  I don't like stagnant.  Who likes stagnant??  Let's see a show of hands.  haha...  Feel free to join me in saying "stagnant" aloud about 10 or 12 times...  you'll start to feel a little weird.  Did you ever just stare at your thumb?  For like a good 3 minutes.  Whoa.  Things start to look VERY creepy after a few minutes.  What ISS that??  Why do things start to look strange?? 

I attended a funeral over the weekend at Sylvania Hills Cemetery.  (Very nice place by the way)  The gentleman was honored by the Beaver County Special Unit with full military honors.  That includes a rifle salute, the playing of Taps and the presentation of the flag to the widow.  Is there anything out there more touching and gut-wrenching than these few moments?  WOW.  You don't even have to know the family and it's still one of the saddest things one will ever witness.  There is So Much RESPECT & HONOR that goes on in that 10 minute presentation.  Taps will get you every time.  I don't know what it is about that song, but MAN its like a sharp blade right thru the heart.  Even the firing of the guns...  man.. I've got chills right now just thinking about it.  The dedicated veterans, all lined up in their clean, pressed uniforms, ready to honor their fallen comrade.  I think it's fantastic what these guys do.  It means more than you can imagine to the families.  You can learn a little more about them here:   http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_405291.html

I am now CPR certified.  Something I've wanted to be for a Long time now.  I thought there was a lot more involved in being certified, but not so much.  I especially wanted to learn the proper details of the Heimlich Maneuver because I have a fear (one of many) of witnessing someone choke in a restaurant and not being able to help.  Now I can.  The problem with me tho..  is my brain is very un-sponge-like, so I'm going to have to read the details... over and over.  The number 1 thing kids choke on?   Legos.  Number 2?  Coins.  Beware Parents!!  The number 1 thing adults choke on??  Dentures. 

I feel like I should put stink bugs in here somewhere, since they are "Taking over our Land".  haha.  They are everywhere at my place.  Some people don't see any.  What I'm Really happy about is that they are not in the spider category for me.  Meaning... they don't scare the piss out of me.  I handle them w/ no problem.  Now, if my windows and doors were completely infested by Spiders???    Dude.   I'd have to douse my house in gasoline.  Besides the fact that there are millions of them around, the stink bug itself I find very cute.  They mean no harm... they're not Creepy.. they don't have creepy Legs everywhere...  they have cute little feet and legs and they make me laugh when they walk.  And I like the sound they make when they fly.  Like they have little motors.  They just make me laugh.  That's all there is to it.

October is here.  Well, almost.  October puts a big smile on my face.  Pumpkins.  Apple festivals.  Long sleeve shirts.  *long nose inhale*  ahhhh...  that cool, crisp autumn air.  Some would want to add haunted houses to this list.  Not me.  I'm petrified.  Teenagers running after me with fake chainsaws?  I don't find that fun.   I don't like being scared.  I don't like being snuck up on.  I don't like thinking about evil things.  I like sunshine... and drum circles.   =) 

I'd wreck my car for a rainbow.

I think it would be worth it to crash my car while looking at a rainbow.  Saw one this morning on my way to work.  Why do I always wonder if everyone else is looking at this thing in amazement?  Why do I give a poop??  I'm just curious I guess.  I've obviously seen rainbows before, but each time it's like the very first time.  HAHA.. some cheesy 80s song just popped into my head..  "It feels like the fiiirst tiiimee.... feels like the Very first tiiime!"  who knows this song??   Anyway...  it was BadAss. [the rainbow, not the song]  I even saw the "end" of it.  I wonder how the whole pot of gold thing came about.  I'm not sure exactly what it is or Why it is, but it's extremely fucking cool... I know that.  I have lost my faith over the past couple of years, but it really does make me want to believe in something again.  It just seems so damn Special.  I suppose it's all in the way you look at things... which is the case in every situation in life.  Like.... when I looked to the sky... on my right it was all gray...  on my left was Blue skies and fluffy white clouds... with a rainbow thrown in... like a happy artist's canvas.  Bob Ross if you will.  Now That guy knew how to view life.  Who else could get excited about painting a happy little bush??

Ducks.  Geese.  Whatever they are.  They fly together.  Most of the time in a V shape.  This really blows me away.  Okay, I can maybe get why they form a "V", but I want to know how they decide who's in front.... who's gonna lead the V today guys????  And what slackers are gonna be in the very back?  Do they rotate?  If ya'll have an answer for me, I absolutely want to hear it.  I also love how birds fly together in flocks... and they look like a school of fish... they make a quick turn and the school stays in tact.  It's So Cool.

Lastly, on this fine Monday afternoon, I would like to mention the song "No Quarter" by Led Zeppelin.  I don't expect anyone to like it... or go out and listen to it... and I really don't care if everyone but me hates it.  I just think it deserves to be mentioned.  Yes, I am a rock and rolla at heart.  I love All Kinds of music and I mean all kinds.  But I bleed rock and roll... for sure.  Certain songs just Get To Me.  And No Quarter is one of them.  I love it and it's Fucking Fantastic.  Amen.   

Sense Extravaganza.

It was a "sense-sational" morning.  It truly is amazing what music can do for a person.  I know for a fact there are people out there who do not view music as an integral part of their lives.  That is sad to me, but if they don't feel they are missing anything, then, why would I be sad?  Ignorance is bliss.  I just think how it can benefit the lives of many.  Music in general is a really really really cool thing.  People sitting around, being creative with mulitiple instruments, including their vocal cords, fulfilling a desire inside them to.... express and release.  Express their emotions... and release tension and frustration, among other things.  The beauty of music is that there is no limit to what can be done/expressed.  So... drums, guitar, bass, saxaphone, whatever it may be...  Great.

But the thing I love most about music... is how it becomes part of you and once it's in you, it never goes away.  Popping in a CD I bought when i was 17 and listening to it today...  it's like I'm 17 again.  I'm Feeling how it felt to be 17.  I'm Seeing my apartment at that time.  I can Hear conversations and people's voices I hung out with then.  Emotions.  Smells.  You name it.  It All comes flooding back.  And what a Cool Ass thing that is.  In some cases, it brings back some negative memories, but that's all part of life.  It can't All be one big, plump strawberry. [haha "plump".  what a funny word.  say it a few times... you'll see]  It makes us FEEL.  Feel human.  Feel real.  Feel like we are part of something bigger.  Like life actually has some meaning and it's not just some sick experiment.

We all have different tastes, but you gotta find what type of music makes your soul Zing.  All kinds of music does it for me.  This morning it was Alice In Chain's Facelift.  Came out in August 1990.  I wasn't quite 15 at that time, but I don't think I got the "tape" till a year or two later.  And now, 20 years after it's release, it still blows my mind.  It's just Everything about it.  What it does to me when I listen to it, thinking about the whole grunge scene in Seattle in the 90s, thinking about Layne Staley's mental strife, those amazingly heavy, dark chords and thunderous drums.  Ahh... I just LOVE it.  But the best is.. that Voice.  Oh, that voice.  Drugs have taken Many amazingly talented humans [even tho it was a choice].  But let's face it,  the best music/vocals came about when people were in fact stoned out of their mind.  [things change drastically when people get clean/mature, but that's a whole other blog]  That voice is utterly AMAZING.  Take a listen to one of my favorites on the disc.. "Love Hate Love".  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.  Another favorite is "It Ain't Like That".  MAN.  You want to get a good laugh... be a fly on the window in my car when that song comes on.  I go nuts.  What a fun ride into work it was this morning!  Haha.  Good, good times.

This new shampoo I have.  Wow.  The smell... blows my mind.  It actually smells exactly like strawberry Starburst [the chewy candy if you're unfamiliar].  Why would you want your hair to smell like strawberry Strarburst???  I don't know, but it smells DeeLish.  I have a lot of different types of "fragrances".  Fragrances?  NO.  Haha.  It's perfume.  Fragrance is something that snooty women say behind the counter at Macy's.  So I like a lot of different smells, obviously, but one perfumey that sticks out as Amazing to me is "Secret Crush" by Victoria Secret.  WOW.  There are seriously no words to explain the levels of pleasure while smelling this smell!  Haha..    sometimes I truly think I'm insane.  So yeah, I highly recommend it.

So this morning, after exiting the shower, I was listening to Facelift, feeling the towel-dried hair on my face as I head banged (slightly), smelled my starburst hair, then sprayed my skin with this...  enchantment.  Ah..  what a Sense overload.  It was a GREAT morning.  ;)

Funny tho, how one tiny thing can throw you off and change your mood dramatically.  But guess what awaits me in my car at lunch time????   Yep.  More goodness in the cd player.  Have a great Thursday, ya'll.      

Smile.

So I'm driving to work this morning.  Middle-aged man sitting on the sidewalk in his motorized wheelchair, holding a sign that says "SMILE"... waving to all the people driving by, most of them off to work in a hurry.  Yeah yeah... I know that was one huge run-on sentence but guess what?  This is my blog and I can be grammatically incorrect in the land of blog if I so choose.  Haha.  You'll all still love me.  No doubt I'll be using the "word" funner at some point as well.  NO reason that shouldn't be a word.  There are no rules here.  And to prove that point, I'm gonna go ahead and say rulz instead.   ;) 

ANYWAY....    freakin A.D.D.   I totally need medication.  So this guy is sitting there.  He's laid back in his trusty chair..all chubby and happy to be Alive.  HE is in a wheelchair and he's telling Us to be happy.  WOW.  Fuckin Wow.  Did I mention he was waving?  I will never be able to find out for sure, but I would bet a million bucks, if I had it, that 99% of the passers-by did not wave to this guy.  They're too preoccupied with their commute and even... slightly embarrassed to wave at this fella.  You better believe I waved at him. 

*sigh*  We are so pathetic.  There are mos def a few peeps out there that are exceptional humans... but for the most part... we are Pathetic.  We are So quick to complain about Sooo many things.  My food's not hot enough...  my knee hurts...  this is taking too long...  my hair is annoying...  this traffic Sucks!!!  Yes, I am absolutely one of those people who complain on a daily basis.  But then I see this guy and I want someone to bitch slap me.  Hard.  HE is bound to a wheelchair For Life.  And HE is out there... obviously Happy for what he Does have...  wanting people to realize... be freakin happy for what you have... which is a Lot more than you think.

Simply sitting up in your bed, standing, walking to the bathroom for your morning pee, is a Huge thing to be thankful for.  Chasing your little cousin in the yard.  Blinking/Swallowing/Holding our pee!  [stuff we totally take for granted]  Seeing a rainbow.  Hearing music.. laughter.  One of my favorites... Smelling.   Fresh cut grass.  Freshly baked apple pie.  Clothes right out of the dryer.  Coffee Grounds.  We call it Rain, but it's the rain droplets hitting the soil and grass and other things that we're smelling.  It just smells so Fresh.. so... RIGHT.

All right... I know I'm maybe losing some of you on a Monday morning.  Haha.  Mondays are usually shitty.  I just feel good today.  Especially after seeing Bob.  I'm just gonna go ahead and call him Bob.  I'd actually like to take an extra 15 minutes tomorrow and stop and talk to the guy... if he's there.  I'd really like to hear what he has to say.  No Doubt he could make me a better person in 15 minutes.  God bless that guy.  If there is a God that is capable of blessing someone... please do.   But I don't even think that guy needs blessed.  He's GOOD to go.  We are the ones that need some help.  Like the lady behind me today on the road...  eating yogurt [or whatever] behind the wheel.. and yes.. with a Spoon.  um...  we only have 2 hands.  That lady needs looked after.  Thank you Bob.  Thank you for making me realize how much beauty is in the world.  You're Terrific.           

FRIDAY.

The Half-Assed Betty Crocker

I attempted to make bruschetta last night.  I think that's how you spell it.  Never talk on the phone while something is in the oven on BROIL. It's the first time I used that feature on my oven.  You have NO IDEA how angry I was when I pulled This out of oven:

After lots of bitching and scraping, it somehow turned into this:

I don't really feel like I'm cut out to be the homemaker/cooking type.  But I do try.  I know I'm hard on myself.  I just need to pay closer attention.  I could use some medication, if it wasn't for those pesky side effects.  I also made a homemade pizza.  Well, I must give credit where credit is due.  The mother-in-law made the shell.  And that's Turkey pepperoni by the way:

Have a good Wednesday ya'll.  Perhaps consider sitting on the purple porch tonight.  I know I'd like to.

A Weekend in August

So I figured out how to copy and paste on here.  Haha.  DUH.  Just a minor glitch.  Here is the nursery rhyme I was speaking of the other day.  Brings back So many wonderful memories as a kid... on the bus. 

"miss suzie had a steamboat, the steamboat had a bell, miss suzie went to heaven, the steamboat went to hello operator, give me number nine, and if you disconnect me i'll chop off your behind the refrigerator, there sat a piece of glass, miss suzie sat upon it and broke her little, ask me no more questions, tell me no more lies, the boys are in the bathroom, zipping up their flies are the city, the bees are in the park, the boys and girls are kissing in the d-a-r-k dark. miss suzie had a son, she named him tiny tim, she put him in the bathtub, to see if he could swim, he drank up all the water, he ate up all the soap, he tried to eat the bathtub, but it wouldn't fit down his throat. so... miss...suzie called the doctor, miss suzie called the nurse, miss suzie called the lady with the alligator purse. in comes the doctor, in comes the nurse, in comes the lady with the alligator purse, out goes the doctor, out goes the nurse, out goes the lady with the alligator purse!"

I seriously would love to meet the person who wrote that juicy bit of fun. 

So, my weekend was NutZ.  Friday we had a wedding in the city.  It was really cool but it was Really Hot.  The ceremony was at 2:00 at the Heinz Chapel in Oakland.  MAN is that place amazing. I used to not appreciate old things and antiques, but now Love Them!  I'm a true believer in .. if something is OLD it's Good.  Like refrigerators.  Yeah.. I think my mother-in-law's has been there since like 1958.  Not sure what happend to humans and taking pride in things, but getting back to my  point..  Heinz Chapel.  I'm sure you all have heard of it.  If you want to know more about this amazing piece of architecture, check it out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinz_Memorial_Chapel.    I took the photo above by the way. 

The wedding was beautiful.  We had a lot of time to kill before the reception at the Phipps Conservatory at 6:00 but I think the heat and the dress clothes kind of made our brains move in slow motion, so we ended up at Primanti's then the Cathedral of Learning.  Another AMAZING building.  [Or as my girl would call it "The Cathedral of O'Lay]  Then the Phipps.  Lots of neato growth in that place.  The reception was beautiful and the bride stunning.  The food was Amazing.  My favorite thing there was the guacamole.  WOW. 

Saturday morning started the construction of our new retaining wall.  Perfect day to build a wall.  90 degrees and High humidity.  My cousin did it, so we helped him.   THAT was fun.  Then off to an acoustic gig, which was supposed to be on the patio, but Mother Nature decided to throw us a friggin' Monsoon.  BUMMER.  The Last show was rained out!!  So they ended up upstairs, and it all worked out. 

Next morning RC was involved in an Italian Festival mass and parade.  At least it wasn't as humid as the day before.  Then dinner at his mother's where we had delicious homemade food and I made the grand decision to have TWO pieces of strawberry pie.  YEAH.

And if that wasn't enough, we then had to go to the evening festival.  I had a large bout of irritibility over the weekend, but this festival made it SO much worse for some reason.  I really don't know what's happening to me... maybe I'm turning into a bitter old hag but..  kids and teens and cars everywhere was really pissing me off!  haha.  Thankfully, we just needed to grab a book, watched the fireworks and we were OUT of there.  I'm sorry I missed the doll dances tho.  I heard there was a mishap.  Those crazy ass Italians.

Last night I had a dream that someone broke into our house.  They took Everything.  It was Awful.  They even broke into our safe where my wedding ring was.  [it's not really there]  What's funny is ...  I felt it was my fault because I was in the bar from 7:30 PM to 7:30 AM.  HAHA.  Must have been having a rootin' tootin' good time!

An explanation... not that one is needed.

So...  "Purple Porch".  For years now, those two words have captured my interest.  I wasn't sure what to Do with them, but I know I liked them.  My mother started a candle-making business.  I suggested she name her company Purple Porch.  She is open-minded enough to have considered it, but she went with Mystic Moon Scents instead.  Still quite lovely.  So now, I have a chance to use it... to give it a Home.  The purple porch can be the place you go when you want to hear my thoughts.  Or Your thoughts.  To me, purple is more of a state-of-mind.  It's a Feeling..  a "zone".  The zone you get in when you want to talk with a friend for hours about things like...  why the moon appears to be a perfect circle or...  the fact that you will Never see your own face with your own eyeballs.  And, some of the best conversations I've had have been on.. someone's Porch.  I'm All About the porch.  Throw a few beers into the mix, you've got yourself a grand ol' time.  So, purple porch is more like a mental playground, but I wouldn't mind having an actual purple porch.  I do love the color.  They say it's the color of spirituality.  I say, sounds good to me.

The Wednesday Blues

So it's Wednesday and I'm feeling a bit sluggish.  Why?  Perhaps Oberon had something to do with it.  Quite the tasty beverage, but I'm a light beer girl now.  Bryan Fazio and friends were great last night.  You gotta love how INTO IT some musicians get.  When they just REALLY FEEL it.  Best thing ever.  Bryan is an inspiration.  He has such a bright & happy soul.  I'm happy I met him. 

On a daily basis there are things that go on that make me feel frustration.  And lots of it.  I already know how humans these days operate, and you would think I wouldn't let things bother me.  Ever utter the words, "but I just can't Help it!!"?  Yeah, you have.  Kohl's.  They do it best.  All I want to do is purchase my ... shirt... piece of jewelry...etc. and be on my way.  Here it comes.  "Will this be on your Kohl's charge?"  "No."  "Are you interested in opening a Kohl's charge?  You can save 10%!"  "No."  Why does this small exchange make me want to rip out my hair?? 

So I bought some new shoes.  I think they're Very cool and very "me".  But...  they're "farting" when I walk.  Yep...   my heels are sliding down the back of the shoe and a high-pitched farting noise comes out.. pretty loudly.  Quite embarassing and even more irritating.  I'm thinking I just need some thicker socks.  Hopefully that will solve the problem. 

I really miss my highly twisted dreams.  They were so entertaining.  Last night I had one about an elevator.  I would call it a reoccuring dream.  It's always this crazy elevator.. that's Really large and there are always strangers in it.  No one else seems to be frightened by this thing.  Now, all ideas you may have of a modern day elevator should leave your heads now.  This thing is a full blown Dream elevator.  It's Huge, it's Puffy, it moves at all different speeds and all different directions.  It's evil.  I  need to get on this thing for some reason, but it's craziness is making it very difficult to do so.  Finally the doors open... but it doesn't stand still.  It's wobbling up and down a bit... and I have to try my damndest to jump into this thing.  *sigh*  I'm exhausted just thinking about it.  Once on, there are hundreds of buttons/floors/numbers.  I don't know What the H is going on.  I usually end up in a parking garage or this huge building/hospital/airport type thing.  It's just nuts I tell you.  Nuts.  I often dream of stairs and stair cases.  And airports.  Being On the plane, but it's always a Very different experience than what really goes on.  I hope to have more interesting dreams to keep yinz posted on here.  I wonder if there is a certain food I can eat to make my dreamworld come alive.

So I was looking back at some old blogs I posted a few years back.  This really stood out.  This is a "nursery rhyme" if you will I learned on the school bus.  If you've never heard it, it's not gonna do a thing for you, if you Have, then Enjoy.  ;)

Okay, so nevermind.  This thing is not letting me copy and paste.  I'm still new here.  Perhaps I'll figure it out another day.

 

For the love of Blog

It's been a while since I wrote an official "blog".  That's what I liked most about MySpace.  Myspace has proven to be a pile of garbage.  Now, those interested in my thoughts can come here.  Welcome.  =)