(Title Credit: Matthew Wilder / I Don't Speak the Language/Bouncin' Off the Walls / 1999)

It's been several days since we got our Chinese food for dinner. Dave got a really nice fortune in his fortune cookie. However, what you don't know is that he got another fortune in a 2nd cookie. And it is truly the lamest fortune I have ever seen in my life. See if you don't agree...

(Click to enlarge)

np - Pain or Paradise - June Tabor & the Oyster Band
from the album "Freedom and Rain"

(Title Credit: Kate Bush / The Red Shoes / 1993)

It's late, I know, but here's the Monday salute to one of my favorite artists or groups.

Tonight's hot topic - Kate Bush

Years and years and years ago, when I was at the young, tender age of 18, I heard my first Kate Bush song. I absolutely hated it. My boyfriend at the time (who later became my first husband) kept insisting that I listen to her music but I thought it was AWFUL! (That's because I didn't LISTEN!) Then he was going to make me a tape (years before CDs) and I asked him to put one song on the tape - "Fullhouse" from the Lionheart album. I kinda, sorta liked it.

I listened. And then I listened again. I REALLY listened. It's been a whirlwind since then. Kate is my absolute favorite singer of all time, bar none. She has got it all. She has a sensational voice, she's an extraordinary songwriter, she produces, she directs a lot of her videos, she's gorgeous, and she plays the piano on top of all that. There's so much of her laid out in each of her songs.

If you don't hear it right at the beginning, keep listening. It's all in there. Read the words, listen to the instrumentation, listen to her doing her own backing vocals, listen to the musicians she surrounds herself with. It's all there. You just have to listen.

np - Symphony in Blue - Kate Bush
from the album "Lionheart"
(still my favorite of all of her albums)

(Title Credit: Count Basie / Legend: The Legacy / 1989)

Sad.

(Title Credit: Small Faces / Ogden's Nut Gone Flake / 1968)

I'm working my way up to being lazy today. I did nothing at all yesterday. Nothing..at..all. So my big goal is to actually do one thing today. I'll let you know how I make out with that.

np - Feelin' Groovy - Buzz is singing it

The last of my new designs by Joelle of BlogMoxie is complete. And it's way cool, I think! Of course, I'm flipped out over Dave Matthews so I guess I may be a little biased, huh?

Thanks, again, Joelle! You're the best!!

OK - this is just not fair! I'm in this chat room and my comments are not working! Damn! So just let it be known that I love you all and I hope to be back in touch soon!!

I said that I'd post a picture of Kazoo from the Flintstones but I can't seem to find one right now. This is the best kazoo picture I could find. (If you are one of my children reading this, do NOT look at this!!)

View image

**Update** - It IS Gazoo! Thanks, etherian! And here's the right picture:

OK - I've been told I have to blog something since I'm playing in the whole drinking game tonight. But I refuse to follow my own stringent rules with a song in the title and pictures and all that. I simply don't have the time! These people are typing at a furious pace and I'm struggling to keep up!

But it's a whole lotta fun (like Foxy Cleopatra is a whole lotta woman!) so come on over and join us!! I don't know how to get there - go to Buzz's site for instructions. Heh!!

(Title Credit: Shana Morrison / Caledonia / 1999)

We've got the lucky drinking hats all rounded up, we've got the tunes cranked, we've eaten dinner and cleaned up, and we're sitting here drinking...

water.

What's wrong with this picture??

I'm not a patient woman!! Since I'm not really part of this gig, maybe I'll get the party started a little early...

np - Get This Party Started - Pink (I'm not kidding - that's what's playing!)
from the album "Missundaztood"

Oh, bloody grace! I got all lost in blog-reading and completely lost track of the time!

Well, you all know what I've been doing - the same damn thing for the last hour and a half or so! And, I don't have a picture of anything new, except for this one...

(Click to enlarge)

I've been doing some CD ripping on Dave's computer while I have been doing these oh-my-god-so-exciting activities all day!! But, this is the end of the Long Hot Summer Days entries. It was fun!

np - The Only Living Boy in New York - Simon & Garfunkel
from the album "Bridge Over Troubled Water"

I'll probably only do one more of these since Dave will be coming home after that and then I'll want to pay attention to him!

Tonight is his big Sambuca challenge with aka Laurie. Not sure how this will happen since she's on the West coast and we're old and tired and living on the East coast. Well, we'll see, won't we??

That reminds me, I should go buy some Sambuca!

Anyway, I am still reading blogs and I went out to the kitchen to refill my water and saw this sight...

It's my very, very stupid cat (that's not an insult - it's a fact) waiting for birds to come and land on the deck. I suppose that's better than what she normally does - stare at the refrigerator trying to will it open to get some milk. (If you look really closely at the picture, you'll see that there is actually a bird on the deck railing.)

And, just for good measure, here's a peek at one of our bird feeders hosting some birds!

np - God - Tori Amos
from the album "Under the Pink"

I was going to go outside and pull some weeds from the garden. I haven't been outside at all yet today and now I know why. The numbers don't seem so bad but, with the unobstructed sun, it's just too hot to play outside. Plus, I just got a shower and I don't want to get all stinky again! Then I remembered what else was on my list of things to do today - catch up on my blog reading! So here's me reading PixelSphinx talking about Swamp Ass. She is busting me the hell up!

(Click to enlarge)

np - My First Night Alone Without You - Jane Olivor
from the album "First Night"

Whew! It's getting about time for me to go get a shower!

OK - so I folded the sheets that I washed, I finished both the banana bread and Gramma's Chocolate Crumb Cake (I sampled the banana bread - VERY good!), and I went through just as much of those piles of papers that I can stand to do.

Here's what the office looks like now:

Oh - and here's a picture of the corner of the coffee table that I rammed the same spot on my knee into - not once, not twice but THREE frickin' times! - while folding the sheets. It hurt so bad it gave me a headache!!

np - Deeper Understanding - Kate Bush
from the album "The Sensual World"

Ooh - I'm getting ornery!! I've mentioned those other people living at the house - you know, the 4 between the ages of 18 and 21. It seems that they are never all in the house at the same time when I'm busy declaring the "rules of summer" and I always forget what I've told one and not the others, so today is a day of signs. So far, I have 3 scattered here and there...

Here's the first (click to enlarge - I hope these are readable):

Here's the second:

Here's the third:

Heh! I'm like the evil step-mother/mother/future step-mother-in-law!!

np - Bad Love - Eric Clapton
from the album "Journeyman"

It's time to attack those nefarious piles of paper in the office so that my kids have half a chance of making it to college this coming semester! Yikes - I have not been looking forward to this!! Here's what it looks like at the beginning...

(Click to enlarge)

Hopefully, I can have a better looking office by the end of the day!

Oh, and Dave, I am ripping more CDs onto your hard drive today. I wanted to make that disc for Liz but you were only up to Stevie Nicks and I have to get to Sinéad O'Connor!

np - Don't Speak - No Doubt
from the album "Tragic Kingdom"

This is much harder than I thought. Turns out there just not that much time in one hour!

Anyway, I finished the book, I changed into some more decent clothes (still no shower yet, though), I changed the sheets on our bed and I made my first foray into using up the leftover buttermilk before it goes completely south...

(Click to enlarge)

It's banana bread time! Next up, Gramma's Chocolate Crumb Cake! (I definitely do not belong in the kitchen, though. I'm covered head to toe in flour!)

np - Deacon Blues - Steely Dan
from the album "Aja"

One of the things on my very casual to-do list today is to finish this god-awful book I've been reading. I'm about 10 pages away from the end and it's taking every last bit of my willpower to get through it and on to something good!! My apologies if I have offended die-hard Heinlein fans but, either this is a particularly bad book of his or I am not remembering the others that I've read and said I really liked (The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Stranger in a Strange Land, etc.). I suppose I must go back and read them again at some point.

So here I am with my 2nd cup of coffee trying to finish the book. It's my 9:00 AM activity. *Disclaimer - vacation day - no makeup required!*

(Click to enlarge, if you dare!)

np - nothing - I can't listen to music while I read

(Title Credit: John Hartford / Mark Twang / 1976)

Oh, I miss John Hartford. Very sad.

But that's not the point of my post. I read somewhere back in May, perhaps, about a day when folks would have their cameras with them and document what they were doing hour by hour. It seems fun but also majorly ambitious, considering my current state of mental wakefulness (or lack thereof). But, for now, here's my entry for what I'm doing at 8:00 AM on Friday, June 27 - my big vacation day!

When you have four people between the ages of 18 and 21 living in your house all at the same time, you never know what you're going to see. I came downstairs this morning, still rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, to get myself a cup of coffee and I thought maybe I was hallucinating. But, no, they're real. Cute, huh? Thanks, Alicia! Oh, and the coffee cup is my favorite, given to me by my youngest son 13 years ago. (I'm saving it for when he decides he hates me.)

(Click to enlarge)

np - Too Blue - Prioress
I have no idea where this comes from - I think it's an EP but I can't find it

(Title Credit: The Go-Gos / Vacation / 1982)

I have the day off from work tomorrow! This is cause for great celebration and relief!! I will sleep in (because of all of the sleep that I missed out on last night), I will finally get to go through those massive piles of mail that have been building up (I swear my kids aren't going to be able to go to college next semester because I've missed something that needs to be looked at) and I will FINALLY be able to do some dedicated reading of my favorite blogs! That's probably the thing that I'm looking forward to the most! So, I'll be checking y'all out tomorrow. Put your best foot forward!!

np - If She Knew What She Wants - Bangles
from the album "Different Light"

(Title Credit: Iggy Pop / Blah Blah Blah / 1986)

Wow! What a night last night!

(Note to self: Do not split 4 bottles of wine with your husband on a school night!)

I woke up this morning thinking how great it was that we didn't have any plans today (which I thought was Saturday) and we could just sleep it off. And then it occurred to me that it was THURSDAY and we had to get up and go to work. Yikes! It will most likely be a very slow brain day. I hope everyone leaves me alone so I can recover.

Oh, and Spryte, sorry we talked your ear off last night! That's just how we get - all blah, blah, blah. But you did get to see that very cute picture of Tim, so that's fun, right? Hope you made it home safely.

np - New York New York - Ryan Adams
from the album "Gold"

(Title Credit: Koritas Musical / Caminos Nuevos / 1997)

She's done it again!! Go check out my new skin - it's all based around my very favorite car ever - a black 1st generation Camaro Z/28!

It's truly amazing to me what a super-duper job these women do on their designs!! REALLY!! Scurry over and get yourself in the queue for a redesign. You will LOVE it - I promise!!

Thanks, Joelle!!!

np - The Remedy - Jason Mraz
from the album "Waiting for My Rocket to Come"

(Title Credit: Chick Corea / The Leprechaun / 1975)

Tonight, we had another visit from Spryte! Yay!!! She's so cool and we feel so privileged to have a celebrity in our midst! She's famous!

Check it out - she's one of the ones who's not dead (and we are OH so glad that she's not!)

np - Traveling Again - Dar Williams
from the album "The Honesty Room"

(Title Credit: Tony Orlando & Dawn / Dawn's New Ragtime Follies / 1973)

Buzz and I are heading out to Gypsy Rose tonight for dinner. I plan on completely ignoring the prices and just getting whatever it is I want for our very special night out tonight. I feel giddy as a schoolgirl! We will have a great time, guaranteed! And, no, none of you are invited. This is an intimate dinner for TWO! Meh!

np - Burning Bridge - Kate Bush
from the album "This Woman's Work Vol. 1"
(but it's really the 'B' side of the "Hounds of Love" single)

(Title Credit: Carpenters / Now & Then / 1973)

Remember Sniglets? I was testing some data transmissions with a new client at work and we didn't have any actual data to use for the test so I dug out my old standby test file - my Sniglets. It's big enough to get a valid test and provides a chuckle to the end receiver. I haven't read this file in something like 8 years but I did yesterday. Some of these are actually pretty funny! Walk down memory lane with me, won't you? (Where did I leave my pet rock?)

Oh my secret is out!!

Well, I might as well go along with it and show you a picture of my perfect pet...

Rhonda

(Title Credit: Adam & the Ants / Kings of the Wild Frontier / 1980)

Well, I've done it. I've gotten "Antmusic" stuck in my head. It could be because I saw an ant on the deck while I was out there this evening. It could be because I'm just completely insane and that's the anthem of the insane. But for whatever reason, there it is.

Good thing I like that song!

(Title Credit: Fleetwood Mac / Rumours / 1977)

Tonight, we finally bought some more bird seed for the feeders. They've been effectively tapped for a couple of days but the last time we filled the feeders, they were emptied in one day. This has made us slightly alarmed wondering how we are going to support all of these birds if we have to fill up the feeders every day. We were at my brother's house this past weekend and saw the giant sacks of bird seed that he has to buy to keep up with the demand at his house. I'm frightened. And what happens if we're not prompt in refilling? Will they attack as soon as we leave the house? I often see them sitting in wild packs on one branch right beyond the deck, watching and scheming. Yikes!

np - Eldorado - Electric Light Orchestra
from the album "Eldorado"

(Title Credit: Joe Jackson / Night and Day / 1982)

My husband asked me out for a date! *Giggles* We're going out to dinner at a very nice restaurant tomorrow night. We can't afford it but I'm going to forget all about that, throw caution to the wind and thoroughly enjoy myself! Maybe we'll go parking afterwards!

np - 6th Avenue Heartache - Wallflowers
from the album "Bringing Down the Horse"

(Title Credit: Split Enz / Waiata / 1981)

I have decided to chronicle my episodes of clumsiness - at least those that are worth remembering. It happens so frequently that I could just sit still, be clumsy without moving, and type about it all day long.

Tonight's episode (it sounds like Dragnet!): The hill on the side of the house

It could have been bad but, amazingly, I didn't hurt myself at all. We were taking a little walk around the yard (it just got mowed tonight after two weeks) and we were heading down the hill in the side yard to visit the ugliest plants in the entire universe - our collection of leatherleaf viburnum. It's been raining here for two months, I think, and that particular part of the yard was still very wet (doesn't get much sun). My left leg slid right on down the hill while my right leg stayed put. My knee got very muddy but, other than that, all was fine.

My jeans are soaking in the sink upstairs.

np - Clocks - Coldplay
from the album "A Rush of Blood to the Head"

(Title Credit: Petula Clark / I Know a Place / 1965)

I stopped at several places "on the way" home from work tonight. (On the way home is not quite true - everything was out of the way, but that's OK.) One of the places I stopped at was the liquor store and bought several things, one of which was a bottle of Gentleman Jack. I haven't had a real bottle of Gentleman Jack for ages! Now I'm sitting here with a full belly, having eaten the very yummy chili that Dave made for dinner, sipping Gentleman Jack and then Petula Clark comes on the stereo! How kicky is that? I have to confess that after the days and days and days I've been having at work, this is a real nice easy feeling.

On another note, I told my sister-in-law that I'd make her a miscellaneous disc that revolved around some artist or group and I can't for the life of me remember who it was. I have to call her...

np - Do You Believe in Magic - Lovin' Spoonful
from the album "Do You Believe in Magic"

(Title Credit: Rupert Holmes / Partners in Crime / 1979)

I'm just taking a few minutes during what SHOULD be my lunch hour to add a quick post.

You know how you get to the point where you just want to say AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! and run away? Yeah - that's where I am. I'm trying to keep smiling but I just want to push rotten tomatoes into the face of whomever calls me next or sends me an e-mail with another project!

So, how's everyone else's Monday going? Swimmingly, I hope!

np - NOTHING! I haven't had time to turn the music on yet!!

(Title Credit: Elton John / Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player / 1973)

It’s the Monday morning (*salutes*) tribute to one of my favorite artists or groups! (In my best Kermit the Frog voice – YAYYYY!) I missed last week and I was disgruntled about it for the rest of the week. I shan’t let that happen again!

When I was 13, oh, so very long ago, a friend of mine in school loaned me this album she had just gotten. As you all know, I was raised in a strict Christian household and no secular music was allowed. Of course, I had been listening to the radio (top 40 station) secretly for 2 years by this time so I was acquainted with the popular music but this was quite the treat for me. The album was Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Elton John. I was amazed! First of all, it’s a double album so that’s a whole lotta music to drown yourself in. But the artwork on the album cover – I’d never seen anything like it! And what’s this – lyrics? I could follow along with what he was singing and really figure out what the song was about? Oh my goodness! I was in heaven!

And once I did listen to the album, I found amazing songs that blew me away. “Funeral For a Friend / Love Lies Bleeding” – I listened to that song over and over again. And some subject matter that I had never encountered before – “All the Girls Love Alice”, “Dirty Little Girl”, “Social Disease” – hoo, baby! Nothing like that had ever been discussed in my presence before.

After that, I devoured as much Elton John music as I could get my hands on (which, truthfully, wasn’t that much until years later). My brother owned 11-17-70, which is still one of the best live albums I’ve ever heard, and I secretly bought Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy when it came out. It was hard to come up with money for albums at that age when I had no income! Fortunately, I got older, got jobs and bought just about all of his albums. We’re missing a few, but not many. And, of course, they’re all on CD now but the albums are still in the house.

I still really like Elton John. The early years when he was with Bernie Taupin are the best. There were some iffy times in the middle there until he got his shit together again (and got back to writing again with Bernie Taupin). But these days, his songs are more mellow, his voice is sounding just great and I’m happy that he has maintained his career throughout my growing up years.

np – One More Arrow – Elton John
from the album “Too Low for Zero”

And, just so you know, I had this poster hanging in my room for years. I thought it was hot!

(Title Credit: Joni Mitchell / Court and Spark / 1974)

Oh, the torture! I have the jingle from the Klondike bar commercials stuck in my head! Not all of it, just that last line:

What would you do-ooo-ooo, for a Klondike bar?

This is not fun!

(Title Credit: Ted Nugent / Cat Scratch Fever / 1977)

Oh, my god! How amazing does this site look?? Joelle from BlogMoxie has outdone herself, I think. You should all scurry over there now and book your site redesigns! They are the best!!

(Title Credit: Loretta Lynn / Coal Miner's Daughter / 1971)

This post has nothing to do with coal miners or Loretta Lynn or even Sissy Spacek. It's just that I'm still sleepy and I couldn't come up with anything better!

Thanks to our friends over at WXPN (88.5 FM in Philadelphia), we found a new, incredible song. It's called "One Big Line to the Top of the Sky" and it's by the Darcie Miner Band. The song gets better every time I hear it. We bought the EP that it's on but do you think that I have listened to any other song from the EP? No, of course not. There are only 6 songs on the whole disc. You'd think I'd have gotten around to it at some point. Huh. Maybe I'm just afraid that the others won't be as good? No, that's stupid. I'm going to listen to it today, damn it! We'll be on the road for a few hours today so there is time.

And there's my goal for the day. Pretty lofty, I know. Whew!

np - One Big Line to the Top of the Sky - Darcie Miner Band
from the EP "Darcie Miner Band"

(Title Credit: Queen / A Night at the Opera / 1975)

Thanks to my very best friend, Buzz, for being there when I needed him the absolute most. You are truly my light and my life, my love.

Now, everyone, back to your blog-o-world! And what a fun place it is, yes?

np - The Blessings - Dar Williams
from the album "Mortal City"

(Title Credit: Julee Cruise / Floating Into the Night / 1989)

My son sent me a list of "Truths About Life" today. One that I thought was particularly good was one of the great truths about growing old:

When you fall down, you wonder what else you can do while you're down there.

Seeing as I often fall down, I might as well make good use of my time while I'm down there. I hadn't learned that yet but it's good advice!

np - Just Another - Pete Yorn
from the album "Musicforthemorningafter"

(Title Credit: Dave Matthews Band / Before These Crowded Streets / 1998)

The dinner menu was beef stew and biscuits tonight. Yum! So, Dave and I are dishing out our dinner when he asks me, "Do you want a spoon?" I said "no", but he thought I said "yes", so he says, "OK, when we go to bed tonight, we'll spoon! Ha ha!" So I say, "OK, but I said no". Then he says "Oh. Wanna fork?"

And he wasn't trying to make a joke! How hilarious is that??

(Title Credit: Talking Heads / Remain in Light / 1980)

Whew! I am in emotional overload right now. Holy cripes! I need a little breathing room - a little fun in the sun or a long drive out in the country. Time to step back, I'm a-thinkin', and take a little break.

So, my friends, and you know who you are, you'll need to forgive me if you don't hear from me for a few days. A little Pat time is needed right now, 'k?

np - Tailspin - Jayhawks
from the album "Rainy Day Music"

(Title Credit: Dr. Evil / Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me / 1999)

I am posting this so that I remember the term that means:

Interjecting a word or phrase between parts of a compound word or between syllables of a word.

The term is "tmesis". Forever recorded where I will be able to find it!!

np - I Am a Legend - Happy Rhodes
from the album "Rearmament"

(Title Credit: George Jones / Shine On / 1983)

Shhhhh! Do you hear?? The Gentleman from Tennessee is calling me...

np - My Last Cigarette - k.d. lang
from the album "Drag"

(Title Credit: Pat Benatar / Wide Awake in Dreamland / 1988)

When you miss out on hours of sleep during the night, you shouldn't wake in the morning with a raucous song in your head! Your mind should be able to properly filter out the inappropriate sounds and give you a nice easy morning to deal with. Maybe some Enya, some Loreena McKennitt or even Nick Drake. No, my brain has to give me "I've Got You" by Marc Anthony! I've got pulsating Latin rhythms coursing through my head! I'm not awake enough for this, brain! Knock it off!

(Title Credit: The Mamas & The Papas / The Mamas & The Papas / 1966)

I have been trying to sleep without the TV on (see item #28). But, because of item #49, it worked against me tonight. (I guess items #24 and 94 may have contributed as well.)

Tonight, it started to really pour and I got up to close the windows a little. When I tried to climb back into bed, I missed. It wasn't a tentative miss - oh, no - I don't do things halfway, I put my all into it! When I failed to make purchase with the bed, I fell. I crumpled my oft-broken little toe and sailed into the nightstand, which, I found out tonight, has very sharp corners. I scraped my hand and my leg in two places. I also found out that when you're laying in the dark - without the TV on - not being able to see what's about to shoot/stab/eat you, your boo-boos hurt more.

That is all. Guess I'll go see what's on TV now and try to get my boo-boos to go to sleep. G'night!

(Title Credit: Boyd Tinsley / True Reflections / 2003)

I just got the new solo album from Boyd Tinsley in the mail today. That's a nice little present to come home to! So far, I've heard half of one song but I'm mighty pleased. I didn't know he'd be singing on the album. I actually thought it would be mostly instrumental. This is cool!

I've been experiencing a pretty big influx of new music lately and I'm lovin' it!

np - Show Me - Boyd Tinsley
from the album "True Reflections"

Update to this post:

The death toll is now at 5. I did laundry yesterday. I suspected as soon as I opened the washer - a faint, minty smell greeted me - but I wasn't sure until I emptied the dryer. There was the little dead body.

(Title Credit: Elton John / Goodbye Yellow Brick Road / 1973)

I’m taking a few minutes from my work-induced craze to write down something that’s been in my head for a few days. I shall lose my sanity if I don’t distract myself!

A while back, Dave & I went to the Keswick to see Cry Cry Cry. (If you are not familiar with them, it’s a virtual group made up of Dar Williams, Lucy Kaplansky and Richard Shindell.) During the introduction of either the concert or one of the songs, Dar said that the three of them unashamedly describe themselves as “harmony whores”. She was right. They are! The term is a good one. It’s great for me because one of the main things that attracts me to a song is the harmonies. I’ve been reveling in a song that I’ve discovered and put on my last mix disc – “Run” by Collective Soul. They are definite harmony whores in that song!

So I was trying to come up with some classic examples of groups who display consistently whorish harmony behavior. Here’s what I came up with right off the top of my head:

Mamas & Papas
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Eagles

Help me out with this one! There have to be a million more that I just can’t think of.

**BALLISTIC WARNING** There is no bottled water at work. This is more than one should have to deal with!

np – Over the Moon – Pretty Things
from the album “Freeway Madness”

(Title Credit: Michael Penn / Free-for-All / 1992)

I am completely emotionally drained. I am physically exhausted. The two are undoubtedly connected. I don't seem to be able to snap out of this one! I want to get back to my blog so much - I want to have the leisurely time to do so!! - but I don't have the time. We will just have to skip the Monday salute this week -- I know, I know, I am disappointing so many millions -- and I'll try to regain myself for next week. At least, I already have my subject chosen, so that's good!

np - Dancing Nancies - Dave Matthews Band (I know I've mentioned this several times but it's what's playing!)
from the album "Under the Table and Dreaming"

(I got this picture from Rolling Stone - since I know where it came from, I should give some credit, right?)

I can't believe I didn't get a chance to post anything today. I've been walking around all day with 2 posts in my head (one, of course, being my standard Monday salute thingy) and I never got the time to type them in. Now I am way too tired to even think about it. Tomorrow...

(Title Credit: Milt Jackson / Plenty, Plenty Soul / 1957)

Gentlemen, start your engines!

It was race day today and my boy is still the points leader. It was close there at the end, but he managed to get ahead of Jr. and maintain the standings. Whew!

In honor of the day (and the close call at the end), I decided to post these little pictures of all my favorite NASCAR drivers. I found them at http://216.58.174.213/rusty2wocom/sp/.

Here's my boy, Matt Kenseth - well, sort of:

Interested in the other two? The future of NASCAR and the far distant past?

Happy Father's Day to all you dads out there! Have a great day!

A history of the day follows...

(Title Credit: Jimmy Buffett / You Had to be There / 1978)

I had a wonderful time. I didn't finish the parenthetical title to this posting because I'm hoping for a more wonderful time with my husband tonight!

The disc I made was awesome:

1. Peaceful World - John Mellencamp
2. Clocks - Coldplay
3. Long Road - Cliff Eberhardt & Richie Havens
4. Dancing Nancies - Dave Matthews Band
5. Over the Moon - Pretty Things
6. All the Way to Reno (You're Gonna Be a Star) - REM
7. Crazy - Seal
8. Run - Collective Soul
9. Train of Thought - a-ha
10. Say You're Wrong - Julian Lennon
11. I've Got You - Marc Anthony
12. Break it to Me Gently - Juice Newton
13. Darlin' - Beach Boys
14. Only Love Can Break a Heart - Gene Pitney
15. One Big Line to the Top of the Sky - Darcie Miner Band
16. Diamonds and Rust - Joan Baez
17. Because the Night - Patti Smith

Have a good night, y'all!

np - Because the Night - Patti Smith
from the album "Easter"

(Title Credit: Julie Andrews / Original Soundtrack / 1965)

My new mix disc is done. Woohoo! It took me so long to compile the list for this frickin' disc!! The reason is because when we redid the family room, we removed the old CD racks that used to hold our CDs to give us incentive to go buy something really cool and neato to replace them! We did find something but were a little stymied by the price - $2800 - to custom build a cabinet that would hold all of our CDs, leave room for growth AND fit in the only spot available in the family room. Now, ask anyone at work - I am all about custom - but, as I see again and again at work, the price tag is often prohibitive. So we're going to have to start digging in the couch for pennies and see if we can one day come up with the funds for the cabinet. It will be so awesome so if anyone cares to donate to the cause, feel free! In the meantime, our CDs are scattered all around the house and I can never find any of them. It is left to my peabrain or listening to random music to come up with fodder for my mix discs now.

But - back to the original context - I finished the disc I had in my head. I am going to something really non-Pat tonight - a jewelry demonstration with all girls. I don't do girls' nights, folks. Give me a night at the bar with the guys and I am so much more at home - but - and this is a big but - the people who are coming to this demonstration might as well be guys. We are a bunch of hard-drinking, nasty-talking, down-and-dirty girls. There's not a hint of vanilla to be found in the air when this group gets together. So, that's where I'll be tonight and I'll be listening to my new disc on the drive over. Fun!

np - Bring Me to Life - Evanescence
from the album "Fallen"

(Title Credit: Everclear / So Much for the Afterglow / 1997)

I've been thinking about some songs that I really loved back in my teen years. Many of them could fall under the "one-hit wonder" category and some of them never even really made it to the "hit" category. Some of the ones that I can remember are:

Sweetheart - Frankie and the Knockouts
Hot Rod Hearts - Robbie Dupree
Thunder Island - Jay Ferguson
Magnet and Steel - Walter Egan
Shake It - Ian Matthews
Something's Wrong With Me - Austin Roberts
Fooled Around and Fell in Love - Elvin Bishop (but the lead singer on this one was Mickey Thomas, from Jefferson Starship fame)

Those are the good ones.

I'm not talking about the silly novelties songs like:

Disco Duck - Rick Dees
Dead Skunk - Loudon Wainwright III
Amos Moses - Jerry Reed
Saturday Night - Bay City Rollers
Spiders and Snakes - Jim Stafford
Chick-a-Boom (Don't You Jes' Love It) - Daddy Dewdrop

And then there were the ones that I wouldn't necessarily consider "good" but I LOVED them:

Shannon - Henry Gross
Don't Say You Don't Remember - Beverly Bremers
We've Got to Get it on Again - Addrisi Brothers
How Do You Do? - Mouth and MacNeal (CLASSIC!!!)

So, come on - fess up - what are those one-hit-wonders that make you crank up the volume when they come on the radio??

np - Sylvia's Mother - Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show
from the album "Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show"

I woke up with the song "Darlin'" by the Beach Boys in my head this morning. My question of the day is how did the Beach Boys get so popular?

Let's consider a song that could have been an all-time classic love song - "Don't Worry Baby". It has all of the right elements - good tune, great harmonies - except for that one little nagging problem - the lyrics. They were doing OK up until the 2nd verse when suddenly they were singing about this guy having to race his car because he shot his mouth off and got some other guy pissed. Ooh!! Makes me swoon!!

Back to "Darlin" - are these inspired lyrics or what? Jeezy creezy, Brian - what were you thinking? (Side note: it is going on the mix disc that I'm compiling right now! )

And, yes, what teenage girl at the time didn't think what a romantic song "Wouldn't It Be Nice" was? But, hello??

So, no, they don't win the award for the deepest, thought-provoking lyrics of all time. Not even close! But, I have to admit, when "The Sloop John B" comes on or I hear "Barbara Ann", I can't help but sing along.

np - Darlin' - Beach Boys
from the album "Wild Honey"

(Title Credit: Throwing Muses / Limbo / 1996)

It's a "birds around our house" update. One of these was sitting on the table on our deck for a good long while the other day. It was cool but I understand that they don't play nice with the other birds. But, then, it takes all types to make the world go 'round! (By the way, it's an Eastern Brown-Headed Cowbird.)

np - Bang a Gong - T. Rex
from the album "Electric Warrior"

(Title Credit: Jim Reeves / Moonlight and Roses / 1964)

Relaxation. That's the key for me toinght. I'm going through my list of things to do to calm my butt down. So far, this is what I have:

» Long, hot bath
» Candles
» Flowers
» Music (maybe that DMB compilation I called "Steamy")
» Back rub
» Xanax
» Reading
» Breathing

That sounds like the recipe for success to me!!

**UPDATE** on the next screen...

np - The Dangling Conversation - Simon & Garfunkel
from the album "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme"

I'm in the midst of compiling a list of songs to make yet another unbelievably good mix disc (at least, in my opinion it will be unbelievably good!) and so I'm listening to Launch a lot more to get some ideas.

"Say You're Wrong" by Julian Lennon just played. I forgot how much I liked that song and album. He's one of my guilty pleasures!! Shhhh - it's a secret!

So, yes, it's going on the disc. It's my disc - I get to put whatever I want to on it. Just a word of warning to those who are planning on attending HHHII, it may be played there!

np - Dancing in the Dark - Bruce Springsteen
from the album "Born in the USA"

(Title Credit: Cranberries / Bury the Hatchet / 1999)

Did you ever meet someone for the first time and it was clear that they were never going to like you? LOUD and clear? With nothing more than a "hello"? It happened to me today. It was weird but, hey, no skin off my nose. Their loss, right? I mean, who wouldn't want to hang with the Empress?? I'm fun, damn it!!

np - The Bonny Swans - Loreena McKennitt
from the album "Mask and Mirror"

Happy birthday, Jess!

(This is my oldest biological son - he's 20 today!) Is that the third thing you were referring to in today's entry??

It wasn't much of a birthday for you but we'll make up for it at some point. Anyway, happy birthday!

(And CJ, I'm sorry I wasn't blogging at the time of your birthday. Happy belated birthday to you!)

(Title Credit: Shades of Blue / Happiness is the Shades of Blue / 1966)

I am becoming obsessed with our annual happy hour (HHHII). What are we going to serve to eat, where is everyone going to sit (all 40 people!) and park, where are those who want to (or should) stay over going to crash, and, most importantly, how is the music going to be that night?? We are just a little more than one month from the great event and it will become my main focus for this whole next month. I can't wait!!

np - Happy Phantom - Tori Amos
from the album "Little Earthquakes"

(Title Credit: Simon & Garfunkel / Bridge Over Troubled Water / 1970)

It's the Monday thing happening here at the Empress. Time to salute one of my favorite artists! We're taking yet another trip in the Way Back machine to my early childhood and saluting...

Simon & Garfunkel

This is another one of those groups that I was introduced to by my older sister. The first album that I listened to was Bridge Over Troubled Water. That album has two of the best songs ever written on it - "The Boxer" and "The Only Living Boy in New York". If you get the chance on some hot summer night, open the windows, work your way into a nice comfortable drunk, preferably on something cozy like wine, and then listen to those two songs several times, either with headphones or with your stereo at maximum volume. It's undeniable. It will bring tears to your eyes.

If it would ever become hot and summer here in Pennsylvania, I might just do the same thing again.

np - The Boxer - Simon & Garfunkel
from the album "Bridge Over Troubled Water"

(Title Credit: Joan Baez / Diamonds and Rust / 1975)
You gotta just love the way her voice cracks in the middle of this song. It's a-fixin' to break your heart!

Looks like my run of full nights' sleep is over. (Yea, it does that.) Thank goodness there is an I Dream of Jeannie marathon playing on TV Land this weekend, though! I'm watching these shows. They are very silly. Sillier than I recall. What's that mean? Am I getting old? Or, perhaps, just more sophistimacated?

I suspect that tonight's lack of sleep may be caused by the cat. She decided that she wasn't going to sleep in her normal spot between Buzz and me. She decided she was going to sleep on my left - not stretched along the edge of the bed, but perpendicular to the edge, causing me to have exactly 6 inches in which to sleep. That's how it started, anyway. She then proceeded to find her way to between my legs (no comments on that, please!) rendering me immobile. You know, 'cause I don't want to squish her or anything by rolling over. So I blame it on her.

Click to enlarge. (This is my baby, Phranc.)

np - Drift Away - Dobie Gray
from the album "Drift Away"

I'm sorry, Dale. I'm sorry this has been your worst year ever and it's all my fault. It's my fault because I declared that you were my man on the NASCAR circuit. Ever since then, it's all been downhill. Week after week, I see things like this:

I'm so sorry. I promise that I will stop using the Dale Jarrett shot glass that I have, I promise I will never again wear the Dale Jarrett t-shirt that I have and I will take down the little Dale Jarrett helmet that is hanging from my light on my desk at work. I do this for you, Dale. I hope your season improves.

I have got to be the most boring free-association subject in the history of psychoanalysis! I knew there was no reason for me to ever go to a therapist. I'd be paying them for a 50-minute nap!

Unconscious Mutterings

1. Suspected:: criminal
2. Indulgent :: ice cream
3. Advertising:: agency
4. Represent:: mis-
5. Ethical :: choice
6. Witness:: Harrison Ford
7. Triumph:: arc de (I know - don't correct me!)
8. Talons:: eagles
9. Finals:: Stanley Cup
10. Squeak:: squeal

Oh, brother.

(Title Credit: Cliff Eberhardt & Richie Havens / The Long Road / 1990)

The title song just came on the stereo. I have been trying to remember the name of this song, which album it was on or who sang it. I could only remember Richie Havens and that was just too much to search through.

I'm quite delighted to have it pop up this morning. It's a great song!

np - The Long Road - Cliff Eberhardt & Richie Havens
from the album "The Long Road"

(Title Credit: Led Zeppelin / Led Zeppelin II / 1969)

I woke up about 20 minutes ago and my head is just so full of random thoughts that I have to get rid of them somehow. Welcome to my nightmare!

* I was dreaming about work, which doesn't surprise me, considering the week I had. It revolved mostly around a request which came in directly to me to clean up 44 things that other people had messed up. I kept not being able to get to it and I was supposed to report back with a status at an afternoon meeting. There was something about monkeys in there, too.

* I dreamt an episode of Frasier. Something about his doorbell riling up a nest of wasps that was in the neighboring utility room and forcing the wasps into his apartment through the ventilation. Niles was mad at him and kept ringing the doorbell and laughing while Frasier was in there trying to get rid of the nest.

* I dreamt that everything was covered in 4 inches of ice. I was at my parents' church for some reason and I had to drive home from there. Dave left in our other car, the Subaru, which was fine - he would be safe. I was driving the mini-van down a very steep driveway but I made it to the road. Dave was waiting for me on the side of the road but the Subaru had turned into a Firebird, which, naturally pissed me off - the fact that he could get to drive a Firebird before I got my Camaro. But it was red and so that made it a little better. (I don't like red cars very much.) It turned out that the road was the road that goes by the back entrance of work's garage and was also very steep. We made it down the hill but, instead of turning left to go home, like we do, we turned right.

* I dreamt that I really needed to talk to a friend of mine at work and I kept missing him. Very frustrating.

* I woke up with the song "Talking to Myself" by Cousteau in my head. I feel like it's been there all night, playing over and over again.

That sounds like a lot of frustration to me and I'm sure it's all work. Or maybe it was the colitis. I feel a little better today so we are going to an indoor picnic - my favorite kind!

I think that's it. My head feels a little lighter now.

np - Locked Away - Raymond Gonzalez & Amy Malkoff
from the album "When October Goes"

(Title Credit: Warren Zevon / Warren Zevon / 1976)

Now see what this week from hell hath dealt unto me?? Colitis. And, my friends, this is just not fair. Did I not say that I need my weekend just yesterday? Laying on the couch watching movies I've seen 15 times before with a heating pad on my side is not my idea of a weekend. At least it's raining and not a beautiful 78° sunshiney day. So, boo-frickety-hoo for me. I'm miserable and I just want to moan, a la When Harry Met Sally - you know the scene where they're talking on the phone and she says "What will you do?" and he says "I'll stay up and moan" - not the restaurant scene, for goodness sake!

np - Grey Street - Dave Matthews Band
from the album "The Lillywhite Sessions" (that's the version I'm listening to - meh!)

(Title Credit: Beach Boys / Holland / 1973)

I don't often feel the need to expose the results of the little quizzes that I take now and again, but I thought that this one really reflects who I am. I found this one over on Busy Mom's blog:

How much of a pottymouth are you?

I am a lady, I am!

np - Heads We're Dancing - Kate Bush
from the album "The Sensual World"

(Title Credit: Tony Bennett / Rogers & Hart Songbook / 1973)

*Breathing easier*

We just got done watching Shakespeare in Love. *Sighs* How romantic! Of course, as soon as it was over, I wanted to watch Romeo and Juliet. You know, the 1968 Franco Zeffirelli version with Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting. One of my all-time favorite movies. But the funny thing is, I came away from the movie Don Juan DeMarco with the same romantic feelings! Isn't that a little twisted? These movies are on total opposite ends of the spectrum but I guess it has something to do with the idealized, overblown, larger-than-life romance in all three of these movies. Makes me want to light candles, put on some soft music and go whisper sweet nothings to my husband.

As soon as we're both done blogging, of course.

np - I've Got You - Marc Anthony
from the album "Mended"

(Title Credit: April Wine / Power Play / 1982)

Where do I begin to describe this week? I have had weeks upon weeks at work where I am simply hammered with projects. There is nothing in my recollection to rival this week. Not only am I hammered with projects, which is fine - that's my job, but every few minutes - LITERALLY - another problem would come in or someone else would ask me to look at something for them. I was on vacation just last week. That was my mistake! When I came back on Monday, my computer didn't work and it took them 5 hours to get it fixed. I had 3 hours to complete the 16 pressing items that needed to be looked at that day. I can triage like a pro, mind you, and it took all of my skills to whittle away at that list. I took care of all but 4 of them in 2 hours. I thought I'd be able to breathe a little. No. That's when the steady stream of incoming issues started. I have not been able to catch a break all week. I'm exhausted!! My brain hurts. I need my weekend and I need it NOW!

Thanks for listening!

np - Brian Wilson - Barenaked Ladies
from the album "Gordon"

(Title Credit: Todd Rundgren / Something/Anything? / 1972)

OK, I feel better now. It only took 6 or 7 Crown Royals and 3 Newport Lights to get me there, but I'm OK now.

np - Tusk - Fleetwood Mac
from the album "Tusk"

(Title Credit: Elton John / Caribou / 1974)

Ugh. Did you ever have one of those days where you woke up crabby and then it just sort of fed on itself until, at the end of the day, you were one major bitch?

Hello, it's me.

I can't even fathom what may make me feel any better, either. I'm sure if I start drinking, I will just bitch, bitch, bitch and it will simply reinforce how disgruntled I am feeling right now. Maybe I just need to watch some mindless TV or listen to some good music. Just ugh.

np - Say Goodbye - Dave Matthews Band
from the album "Crash"

(Title Credit: Wall of Voodoo / Call of the West / 1982)

Tonight was Mexican night at our house! Coronas (with lime) for the grown-ups - even me - and fajitas for dinner. They were unbelievably good! Dave marinated the chicken in herb & garlic marinade (Lawry's - highly recommended) all day, then sliced it up and cooked it in a little oil, water and fajita seasoning. He also sautéed green pepper and onions in the same mixture of oil, water & fajita seasoning (in a separate pan because not everyone likes the veggies). We had shredded pepper jack cheese and sour cream and wrapped it all up in flour tortillas. They were by far the best fajitas I've ever had. Something about marinating that chicken, I'm thinking!

Thanks for dinner, sweetheart!

np - Angela - Vitamin Z
from the album "Rites of Passage"

(Title Credit: Simple Minds / Once Upon a Time / 1985)

So, yeah, I’m listening to my MUSICMATCH here tonight and a song comes on that inspires me to come up with a post concerning the very best live shows I’ve ever seen. I generally prefer studio music to live music but there’s something about being there at the concert that supercedes the bad sound quality and all of the other distractions that live music tends to present to me.

1. Dave Matthews Band – I have to start here because that very first DMB concert 4 years ago turned me from someone who disliked them to the most avid, rabid, obsessed fan. Scary!
2. Sonia Dada – this is who inspired this post. We saw them at the singer/songwriter weekend at Penn’s Landing one year a while back. We weren’t there to see them – they weren’t really our style of music – but did they ever steal the show!
3. Barenaked Ladies – we went to see them at the Keswick Theatre before they were famous. We went on the strength of “Jane”, which was the only song of theirs that we knew. We were blown away. Then they got famous. Too bad for us!
4. Dar Williams – up until this last time we saw her, she sort of made me nervous every time we saw her in concert. I don’t know why but, because of the magical moment that we experienced at this last concert, she has to make the list.
5. Happy Rhodes – the concert at the University of Pennsylvania. Wow!
6. October Project – seeing them at Penn’s Landing was pretty fabulous. Watching Mary Fahl for the first time spread her arms as she hits those notes and holds onto them until they pierce your soul was indeed moving.
7. Richard Shindell – we saw him at the Common Ground. What a great storyteller he is and we got to meet him, too! *Squeals*
8. Susan Werner – again, at the Common Ground. She is so much fun!
9. Richard Thompson – at the very first singer/songwriter weekend we attended, he was the Friday headliner. I had never seen anyone able to play a guitar like that in my life. He was truly remarkable.
10. Cry Cry Cry – kind of cheating because Dar Williams and Richard Shindell are both part of this group but not really because we saw them separately. The moment in “By Way of Sorrow” when all three of them started strumming their guitars in unison gave me chills.
11. John Hartford – he played at schools in the area and I saw him several times. At one concert, he walked off the stage playing his wireless fiddle, walked all the way around the audience (frustrating the hell out of the lighting person!), found an empty seat in the hall and sat down right there in the middle of the audience and finished playing his song. It was SO cool!
12. Fairport Convention – at a small restaurant in Pipersville. They were so amazing that we came back the next night and bought tickets at the door for the next show.
13. Iris DeMent – I don’t even really like Iris DeMent. But she was at Penn’s Landing as part of one of the singer/songwriter weekends and she was just as cute as a button and so down-to-earth that she was irresistible!

Those are the ones that spring to mind but I’m sure I’ve forgotten some. There were plenty of other people we’ve seen who, for one reason or another, disappointed us and some that were just good concerts. The ones listed above were special.

np – Over You – Roxy Music
from the album “Flesh and Blood”

(Title Credit: Guess Who / Canned Wheat / 1969)

You know, when work gets in the way of me being able to even think about writing something, things are not right in the universe! This is the first minute I've been able to sit down and try to come up with something. But, to hell with it! I have a list of things that I want to do with my husband this evening so that's what I'm going to do.

Off to enjoy myself!

np - Stop Draggin' My Heart Around - Stevie Nicks
from the album "Belladonna"

(Title Credit: Todd Rundgren / Faithful / 1976)

It’s my first Monday back. I have really struggled to come up with the person I’d like to salute! But I’m going with Todd Rundgren today. I’m not sure what I will end up saying but that’s OK. I have so many mixed up memories/emotions/impressions that I don’t know which direction to go. So maybe I’ll just spill them all here.

At first, I only knew “I Saw the Light” and “Hello, It’s Me”. They were both very catchy tunes that I, as a top 40 radio listener, really liked. But then those two songs got lost in the big, giant pool of excellent, remarkable, disconcerting, unbelievable songs to which I got introduced in the very late 70s/very early 80s. Goodbye, top 40 radio!

Songs that rip my heart out - they are just that good:

* Just One Victory (from “A Wizard, A True Star”) – I can’t even begin explain what this song does to me. If I’m listening to it and you approach me, just back away. I need to be alone.
* Sons of 1984 (from “Todd”) – again, it’s best if you just leave me when this song is on. You don’t want to get caught in the fallout.
* The Verb “To Love” (from “Faithful”)
* Hurting for You (from “Hermit of Mink Hollow”)

Songs that are better than most:

* Be Nice to Me (from “Runt: The Ballad of Todd Rundgren”)
* It Wouldn’t Have Made Any Difference (from “Something/Anything?”)
* The Night the Carousel Burned Down (from “Something/Anything?”)
* A Dream Goes on Forever (from “Todd”)
* Love of the Common Man (from “Faithful”)
* Cliché (from “Faithful”
* Bread (from “Hermit of Mink Hollow”)
* Fade Away (from “Hermit of Mink Hollow”) – this reminds me of Zardoz.

Songs that I don’t understand why he wrote them and wonder if he still means/ever meant what he said in them:

* We Gotta Get You a Woman (from “Runt”) – “They may be stupid but they sure are fun” – what’s that? It makes me want to dislike him.
* Slut (from “Something/Anything?”) – huh?

So, even though there are some songs of his that make me feel like I should not listen to his stuff, there are way, way more that are so good and so uplifting and so positive that I tell myself that he must be portraying a character in those nasty, undesirable songs. Right?

np – Cold Morning Light – Todd Rundgren
from the album “Something/Anything?”

(Title Credit: Lene Lovich / Flex / 1980)

I have determined that the problem that I have with the untimely deaths of these is directly related to this site. During the entire time that I was away, none of them succumbed to a horrible death but as soon as I start up again on this site, well, let's just say that the death toll is now standing at 4.

np - Happy Together - The Turtles
from the album "Happy Together"

(Title Credit: The Beatles / 1966)

It had been raining and/or overcast here for more than a month. Yesterday, the sun broke through the clouds and it was a really, really nice day. A day for sitting out on the deck, for sipping cocktails (or water, in my case) and a day for forgetting about all of the grey weather we’ve had for 5 weeks. It was splendid.

Today, it’s raining again. It started last night after sundown but it was a warm rain, it smelled good, it was a summer rain. Today, it’s cold. But, yesterday’s respite makes it all just fine. I found a radio station on Launch called Rainy Day. It’s perfect.

A few things that have been going on in and around me lately:

1. Things I haven’t done for almost 4 weeks – drink any alcohol (except for that sip of champagne at John & Linda’s wedding for the toast), get my nails done (I’m still suffering with the pain in my fingertips!), smoke (but that goes with the alcohol - and, mind you, I had only had 7 cigarettes over the last 2 1/2 months and none for the 16 years prior to that so this isn't a big deal to me).
2. Things I haven’t done for almost 3 weeks – blog; this journal will replace that since I did enjoy the outlet but not the weird, sort of competitive/not-so-worthy feelings it evoked because of commenting (actually, lack thereof) and number of hits. We’re fixing that by turning off comments and losing the tracker.
*Brushes hands together and stands back to admire the solution*
3. Miscellaneous music – first, I made Matt’s discs, which were pretty focused. Then Laura asked us to make her a disc so I made 3. They are great and I broke my own rule and made copies of them for us. We will be playing them at HHHII. Then I made one more for myself. Just songs that I felt like putting onto a disc. It was fun but it wasn’t nearly as good as the ones I made for Laura.

Birds that I have seen around the house lately:

a. House finches – lots and lots of them. Two have built a nest behind the shutter on our front porch.
b. Sparrows – not as many as finches, but quite a few.
c. Mockingbirds – I just found out that they are insectivores. They ate all of the mealworms that I finally threw out into the garden.
d. Bluebirds – not too many this year. Not nearly as many as last year.
e. Cardinals – I swear the males are the brightest they have ever been.
f. Robins – two of them built yet another nest under our deck. So now we have a nest in the front and a nest in the back. Good thing it’s been raining so we haven’t disturbed them very much!
g. Nuthatches – how cool are they?
h. Downy woodpeckers – I love their little chirp. I can always tell when one is about.
i. Flicker – I have seen one twice now. It’s SO cool!!
j. Goldfinches – not too many but they are here.
k. Grackle – digging in the dead leaves in the front garden! It was very funny!
l. Crows – I saw one being chased by two mockingbirds and a goldfinch.
m. Mourning doves – they walk around in the front garden.
n. Blue jays – they make a big mess on the deck at the bird feeder. Plus, they are very large up close!
o. Baltimore orioles – we only saw a pair of these once. I don’t know if they were just passing through or what but they were oh so cool.

That’s all I can think of right now. If I think of or see more later, I’ll write it down.

A deer ran right across our front lawn the other day. It was the middle of the day and we were sitting on the porch (disturbing the finches). It was surreal and surprising and frightening all at the same time. I don’t want them to be crossing the street. I don’t know where they are living but we are too close to 422 and our road is way too busy to have them running across it all the time. It’s bad enough we get squirrels crossing the street.

So I guess this is the end of day one’s journal. It’s the beginning of June. There’s a lot coming up in the near future. We will be busy.

np – I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues – Elton John
from the album “Too Low for Zero”