Detroit leaning....

You Should Drive a Ford Shelby Mustang Cobra

You have an extreme need for speed, even when you're not in a hurry. And while your flying by, you don't want to look like every other car on the road!

What 2007 Car Should You Drive?

I had to laugh while taking this quiz...as to what my driving attitude is like. It's ALWAYS "GET THE HELL OUT OF MY LANE!!"
But then again, if I'm in the left lane doing 10 miles over the speedlimit, what the fuck are these goofballs doing tailgating me? The way I look it at is if you have to get there that quickly, LEAVE EARLIER!

They ain't no Annie or Molly

There are times to bitch, complain, vent until you're red in the face..and then there are times to just sit back and enjoy simple stuff. Something that just makes you say "awwww".
I had that kind of moment this morning when my buddy Christine sent me this picture of her two dogs; Dottie and Shorty.
What makes this picture even sweeter is the fact that both of these dogs were pound rescues; orphans basically, who are now enjoying the rough life of walks, toy hedgehogs and dog beds in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Yeah, it's the hard-knock life for them..can't you tell?

From the home office in Wahoo, Nebraska

Did you ever read something online while at work that made you laugh so hard that three people came into your office to see what they were missing?
And to those in my family who are reading this...you know why!

Top Ten Signs You've Been Living With Your Parents Too Long
10. They withold Social Security from your allowance
9. You notice that "old person smell" but it's coming from your room
8. You have to explain to your children that you can't take them to the zoo today because you're grounded
7. The annual "growth chart" marks on the hallway door indicate you are getting shorter
6. The blue of your Smurf sheets match your vericose veins
5. You were grounded for drinking the last can of Ensure
4. You excitedly beg your mom to buy that new cereal, the one with the high fiber
3. Stopped stealing their liquor; started stealing their Lipitor
2. Last night you were grounded because you stayed out too late with your wife
1. You can't go to Vegas until you eat all your vegetables

A Night at the "thea-tah"

Last night I went to see The Lion King at the local Auditorium "Thea-tah". (I have to write it how the snobs say it)
I haven't been to see a live musical in a couple years but I was definitely looking forward to it because nothing beats a live experience not to mention the magic of Disney and my love of the original animated movie.
I will get to my review of it in a bit but first I have to talk about the whole experience of going to see a musical locally.
Rochester isn't known for much. Okay, we had George Eastman which was something to be proud of until Eastman Kodak laid off half of the town. (granted, it wasn't HIS fault) We had the riots, which I heard SO much about when people found out I was moving here and we have serial killers. What some people don't know about Rochester is it's VERY artsy. People really enjoy and love to experience the arts in it's many forms here so musicals tend to create a big buzz. Especially one as loved and renowned as The Lion King.
If you drove by the building where these events are held, you wouldn't give it a second glance. Infact, the armory across the street would probably get your attention instead. (most people are fascinated by anything that looks like a castle; I know I am!) Once inside however the building takes on the aura and charm of a classic thea-tah house. The carpeting, the wooden railings and the whole pre-show excitement. Not to mention it's a prime people-watching place. Make that people staring. There was alot of staring going on. It's a place to see and be seen I guess.
One thing I notice that people at the thea-tar love to do is tell total strangers how they've seen that nights production in other cities. You don't even have to ask; the person sitting next to you will offer up this information and never even introduce themselves. Then they will give you a list of all the musicals or plays that they've seen in the last two years. Granted, I wish most total strangers were this friendly but it seems that it's more of a speech of domination. They've got season seats, they've seen every production at the venue the last five years so what gives you the right to sit next to them? You better have some ammunition or they may never speak to you again.
Now on to my review.
Unfortunately I can't give as glowing a write-up as I had hoped. It could be for many reasons but here are mine.
Most of the cast were not strong singers or actors; they didn't command the stage or demand your attention. I sat there many times hoping for a puppeteer to come on stage again and break up the bore. Mufasa seemed to be trying to do a cheap James Earl Jones impression, it wasn't even that sad when he died. Scar was good but not exactly scary, he was more weird than intimidating...and shouldn't a villainous lion be at least a LITTLE scary? Simba young and old were average; not great actors and so-so singers. I couldn't help but wonder what Wayne Brady could do as older Simba. The hyennas comic timing was lousy and most of the time, they just weren't funny. How come they cracked me up in the movie and I didn't even giggle at them last night? It's all in the delivery folks.
The worst parts of the show had to be some of the dance routines. And that's saying alot considering they were choreographed by the renowned Garth Fagan. A man who has local ties which SHOULD bring an additional air of excitement. I found alot of it boring, out-of-synch and, most of the time, badly placed. What was the point of dancers suspended in mid-air, half naked and clinging to each other during "Can you feel the love tonight"? The song itself is enough, the production slowed it to a halt and de-tensified the love-connection.
But there were highlights. The opening scene is AMAZING. I had goosebumps. I get them again just thinking about it. So was the opening scene in Act 2. The puppets and puppeteers were first rate; exactly what you'd expect from a Disney production. Timon and Pumbaa were fantastic and funny. Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella are not easy shoes to fill but these guys last night made a hilarious stamp of their own although them doing a charleston instead of a hula to distract the hyennas didn't quite get the laugh they had hoped but Timon's headware was great! The music was outstanding, perfectly loud yet soft and emotion-filled when it had to be.
The biggest star in the production was without a doubt Rafiki played by an amazing South African woman named Phindile Mkhize. I would've been just as happy last night listening to her sing any song w/the puppeteers dancing wildly about her and from what I heard from others as I walked out of the thea-tah, I wasn't alone. She received the loudest cheer of any during the bows, and deservedly so. One reviewer put it best when speaking of her voice "As the wise baboon Rafiki, Phindile Mkhize (new to this cast) sets the vocal tone in the opening number, "Nants Ingonyama,'' when she calls the animals to the introduction of Simba. Her voice pours through the theater, sending a chill down the spine and vibrating through every molecule of air"
If she was a lion, she would be King!

Does March come in like a lion?

Then being a LEO, no wonder I like it. (at least so far)
It's closer to spring, it has St.Patrick's Day in it and makes us meat-eating Christian's take a cow-break every Friday for the next 6 or 7 weeks. Bring on the fish fry!

Here are some other reasons why I like March right now: (have you noticed I've been doing alot of lists on my blog? it's just as confusing to me, believe me!)

It has five Friday pay days in it
It's not February (Valentine's Day..blahhhhhhhhhh)
It's not November or Christmas-time where you have to blow a bunch of money on anyone
The NASCAR season will finally be in full swing which will give me something to do with my Sunday's now that football season is over
BlowOut Season 3 starts on the 21st: You thought The Bachelor or Flavour of Love had Drama Queens in it, wait until you see Jonathan Antin. The guy cries at the drop of a hat. Don't get me wrong, I'm all about men showing their emotions but this dude is a raging, sobbing freak with a beard of a wife and a kid now. What's next?!
America's Next Top Model:Cycle 6 is upon us so it'll be another season full of cat fights where one girl thinks she's more black than the others and someone who's the most irritating of ALL the broads will make it to the Final Three much to the dismay of every viewer
Every day is one day closer to the May 23rd release of the long-awaited Dixie Chicks new CD "Taking the Long Way". Say what you will about their lack of apologies for saying what most American's think by now...these women are amazing musicians and Natalie's voice; hands down the best I've ever heard. Not to mention she gets to bang Adrian Pasdar. To those haters, get a life! I say bring on The Chicks!
Every day is one day closer to Brokeback Mountain being released on DVD. Sorry but I'm just dying to see Heath and Jake makeout!
And lastly, every day is one more day closer to the NASCAR race at Watkins Glen!!

You're never too old for Harry Potter

As previously admitted, I'm a Harry Potter fan. Freak, no. Fan, yes. I have all the books, all the movies and two leather HP wristbands. (I ordered one and they sent me one that was different than the one I ordered so I asked them why so they sent me what I ordered and told me to keep the one I got for free, NICE!)
Last night I had to run out and buy the new DVD which shows once again that I'm not a FREAK of HP but a fan considering it was released on Tuesday. (Over 5 million sold the very first day)
I did, however, go home and cue it up right away. I did see it on it's release weekend back in 2005 but there are always things you miss at the movie theatre, no matter how quiet everyone is. You could be reaching for your popcorn or your soda and BAM, you miss some dialougue or an important facial expression.
It was amazing; I enjoyed the movie all over again. It made me laugh, cry and it was the scariest of all four so far. At least in MY opinion.

Here are something things that I love about the HP series and the movies:
The friendships: who wouldn't want friends like Harry, Ron and Hermione? Harry's famous and talented, Ron's a kick and Hermione's amazingly smart ALMOST to the point of annoyance but her loyalty and cuteness make up for it.
Fred and George: totally geeky and hilarious, I can't WAIT to see their escapades in movie 5. Hopefully that whole storyline won't be cut.
Hogwarts: who in their right mind wouldn't LOVED to have gone to a school that just LOOKED like that? To get away from your muggle parents for a year, have a "house" of rooms to be part of and eat in the great hall with spooks and spectors everywhere. Although I can't say I'd be thrilled w/those moving staircases.
Snape: that's right, I just love Severus. Even though he seems to be a downright rat at the end of Book 6.....I don't think he's as bad a guy as we're lead to believe. There has to be a reason Dumbledore trusts him. Plus a foe who never bends to the charm of HP makes the movie even better. And he's down-right hilarious beating Ron with a book in movie 4.
The Dark Arts teacher: each year whoever teaches this class endures some bad mojo. Mad Eye Moody was the best and most entertaining of them but wait until you see the freak down-front for movie 5. She makes Snape seem like an ANGEL!
The villians: The death eaters, Barty Crouch Jr, the dementors from Azkaban prison and Valdemort himself. The movies wouldn't be as interesting or scary without them. Granted, the maze in movie 4 was scary without anything else but itself, it's high walls and sounds. Turn up the sound, turn on the surround and turn off the lights. yikes!!

Want to know which HP character you're most like? Clink the link below my results and take the quiz. Believe it or not, I'm Severus Snape, how appropriate!


Harry Potter Personality Quiz by Pirate Monkeys Inc.

You've got to pick a pocket or two...

Sad news today as one of my favorite 70's screen hero's died; Jack Wild.
Any child of the 70's knows that Jack played on one of the oddest morning kiddie shows; H.R.Pufnstuf. You could tell that people did ALOT of drugs back then because the show was full of talking trees and mushrooms and the houses talked and sneezed. Did I even mention the gold talking flute?
I admit, I had a crush on Jack on that show. Could've been the accent, the Beatles-esque bowl haircut or that wicked yellow shirt and those groovey brown bell-bottom pants. (a yellow shirt and brown pants..who was the stylist?!?!) Any guy who could outsmart a dim-witted witch and her cast of idiots and make friends with a dragon with a southern accent who wore cowboy boots had to be a cool dude. But even better yet; he could sing, dance and be cute all at the same time and somehow not come off looking too light in his loafers.
Jack was also in a great movie called Oliver! It's basically a musical adaptation of the Dicken's story with a great cast of characters, especially his Artful Dodger. He was a perfect pick-pocketing tramp. And talk again about style; high-waters and a top hat...Jack was the MAN!
Unfortunately as all 70's icons seemed to do, Jack had a battle with the bottle throughout his life and smoked like a chimney stack. He even lost part of his tongue and his vocal cords to cancer. Can you imagine? Being a singer and not being able to even TALK?! And from what I can tell by recent pictures I saw of him, although he was only 53 he looked about 20 years older. It's not the years folks, it's the miles.
Somewhere he's singing now; RIP Jack.

It's my weird way of showing I care

It's true, I'm a smart ass. Those who know me best know it, those who have met me briefly know it. The question is, do all people appreciate it? Probably not.
I can name many co-workers who didn't. Social aquaitances who didn't. Do I care? FUCK NO!
I was trained at an early age to be like this. In my family it's pick on someone or get picked on. Sometimes simutaneously. It's harmless fun, it's a deranged way of showing you care or saying that I love you. And there's nothing I like more than making a sarcastic comment that leaves people laughing to the point of tears.
Not only did my family give me the roots of my sipid tongue, but so did TV. In the 70's you couldn't turn the dial without seeing some brilliant smart ass on the screen. (Ah, the golden age of TV) Archie Bunker was one although he was on the less intelligent scale of it. Florence on The Jefferson's was a perfect SA. So was Louie on Taxi. A top SA has to blend both snap and wit. That's why a dumbass is something COMPLETELY different!
One of my all-TIME favorite SA's is Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce from M*A*S*H. To me, he is the king to which all SA wanna-be's look to. I myself have been known to steal a line or two,..or three from him. And I use them to this day. Infact even yesterday I used the "It's the least I can do,..and never let it be said that I didn't do the least I could do" line.

Some great lines here from one of the best episodes:

Col. Potter: Where's your gun?
Hawkeye: Sulking under my cot. We're not at speaking terms.
Col. Potter: Go kiss it and make up. You're taking it with you.
Hawkeye: Colonel, if I touch that gun, I'll trigger another argument.
Col. Potter: Pierce, You're taking your sidearm.
Hawkeye: [Holding up each arm in turn] Correct, I'm taking along my right side arm and my left side arm.
Hawkeye: How 'bout a little kiss for the road?
Margaret: Oh, don't be ridiculous.
Hawkeye: Then how 'bout one for me?

[both drunk, under fire, in a foxhole]
Col. Potter: I said fire that weapon.
Hawkeye: All right.
[to the gun] Hawkeye: You're fired.
[to Potter] Hawkeye: I did it as gently as I could.
Col. Potter: That was an order, Pierce.
Hawkeye: [Snapping his fingers] Oh waiter, would you take this man's order, please?

Recently they even did a countdown on The Comedy Channel of the Top 10 smart asses. I can't believe I didn't make the cut. Ah well, I never figured I'd get paid for this gift anyway! Instead I'll keep using it with my family and friends...it's the gift that just keeps ON giving, and giving, and giving....

Let the nail biting begin

Okay, I admit it...I'm nervous. What about? Over tonights ladies long program at the Olympics. Presently my girl Sasha Cohen is in 1st place after the short program and as wonderful as it is, I'm not comfortable in the LEAST for her.
Sasha is my favorite. She has been ever since I first saw her skate and was blown away by her elegance, artistry, ballerina-like body and her amazing physicality. Even if you're not into skating, you can't watch her and not say to yourself "How the hell does she do that?!?!"
Skating itself is hard enough. Balancing on small blades and just going across the ice surface, it's not as easy as it looks folks.
You think you can do it? Fine, go for it. That was good. Okay, now do it backwards. Pick your speed up a little. Oooo... okay, get up...brush yourself off. Now do a spin...but keep your spin foot in one place. Are you okay? Yeah, you can't spot like you do on the floor. I'll give you a second to clear your head. Ready? Okay, now do it again but this time take your left leg and pull it up over your head. That's right...I said OVER your head. Ouch, those boards don't give much do they? Now do it again but bend over your back and look behind you. Woah, watch out! You okay?
Alright, let's try a jump. Yeah, but get some air on it this time. There ya go. Okay, now this time get a spin in it. Well, that was KIND of a spin. Try it again,...just one revolution. Ohhhhh....okay, I've got my cell phone. "Hello....911?"

Baby you can drive my car....

Many times throughout my blogs I've mentioned my love of sports. Football, hockey, Yankees baseball but my present favorite is NASCAR.
I admit, I wasn't a fan at first. I used to call it Neck-car and make other jokes about it but it wasn't until I started watching it that I learned to appreciate the hard work and talent that it takes to be involved in it. Then I went to my first race, and I was HOOKED.

Now also being a woman I do have to tell you that there is definitely some eye candy in the pits and on top of the pitboxes but today I'm going to concentrate on the "talent" behind the wheel.

So here they are, in no particular order:

HERMIE SADLER:
He's what Van Halen sings about in their song Poundcake; home grown and down-home. He's not as well known or as successful on the race track as his younger brother but personally I think he's MUCH better looking and has loads more personality. And he 'rassles in the United Wrestling Federation so you know there's some muscle under that firesuit!

JAMIE MCMURRAY:
A couple of years ago in an episode of NASCAR 360; young Mr. McMurray was shopping for clothes to wear to a country awards show that he was scheduled to appear at. Off came his shirt and down went my chin. You have to understand, Jamie is a tiny guy...who knew he was a such a stacked little package with pecs and tight abs to boot! Notice Anna Porni-kova even appreciates him!

KASEY KAHNE:
Kasey came onto the scene not too long ago and was immediately thrust into the spotlight by being named one of the countries hottest bachelors. Since then young girls every where have been following this sport even though they're not old enough to drive. You have to wonder though: are his eyebrows really that thin or does he have them waxed?

JIMMIE JOHNSON:
Such a great NASCAR name; he's my sisters favorite driver just for that reason. Gotta love the wooley bears and he cleans up nice too. Jimmie set himself up to be hated by most NASCAR fans because he's good looking, isn't from the south, he annunciates but mostly because he's Jeff Gordon's team mate and protege.



JEFF GORDON:
Okay, bring it on all you haters! What's the latest? He's spoiled, he's a whiner, he's over-rated, he's gay? Please. I was even told by a friend of mine who works in NASCAR that the moment he and his wife split Jeff was basically living like Hugh Hefner. I was fortunate enough to meet him a few seasons ago and considering what a big star he is I would've understood if he was the biggest dick on the planet. As it turns out, he was anything but.


TONY STEWART:
Okay, Tony is FAR from being what's considered classically handsome but his looks are not why we like Smoke. He's an A #1 smart ass which gives him far more points than his mug. I did look back a few years and found a picture of him that doesn't include a double chin; not bad!


RYAN NEWMAN:
Yeah, he doesn't have a neck but he's got a degree in engineering, a lead foot and he loves dogs. Not to mention he's far better looking in person than any picture I've ever seen of him.




SCOTT RIGGS:
As one writer mentioned, you have to love those Steve McQueen sideburns and his "aww shucks" demeanor. Riggsy is definitely one of the good guys; approachable, personable and down-right adorable. The Daytona 500 wasn't the same without him.


PAUL MENARD:
His cool presence, his huge brown eyes and hip facial hair. I consider Paul the most overlooked driver in the Busch series. That's what happens when you're the low man on the totem pole at DEI. I'm sure he doesn't mind flying under the radar, but I noticed him!


CASEY MEARS:
Don't let his good guy looks and attitude fool you! I'm sure there's some bad-boy in this charming prince of a racer and that's what makes him irresistible!








and last but not least, CARL EDWARDS:
There are some drivers who can keep their shirts on (Dale Jr) but Carl,....help me out here ladies; I'm a bit speechless. I'm sure Amanda Beard dates him for his personality!

If it walks sideways...

It took me quite a long time to develop a taste for seafood. I was never a big fish fan, which is surprising considering how many my brother and uncles probably had to clean after I caught them off the dock at ours or my grandmothers cottage. Sun fish, those poor devils; they were no match to the eyes and determination of a 7 year old.

When I was younger we used to go to Florida every February and Myrtle Beach, SC every April. We drove most of the time and stopped at the best seafood places on the east coast. Me, I ordered steak.

My first introduction to real seafood was at the hotel we stayed at in Myrtle Beach a few years called The Patricia. This was a REAL southern place; the cooking, the class of it and right down to only black women and men serving the food and cleaning the rooms. You didn't get a choice of what to order at dinner really; what they cooked is what you ate. One of the choices was what you wanted as an appetizer. I didn't like shrimp at the time so I passed on that but somehow became hooked on crabmeat cocktails. I still don't know what was in them but if I think hard enough I can almost taste it.
Then when I was on the road working as a sales manager for a sports telemarketing company I was sent on an assignment in Sarasota, Florida. My apartment was 3 blocks from the beach and about 10 from a really nice island. My Dad and his wife came to visit me while I was there and although they did take me out for a traditional birthday steak dinner we also had smoked fish at some roadside stand and oysters on the half shell. RAW ones. And I tried them. Goopy but good.

I also discovered crab legs when I was traveling; that's alot of work to get at the meat but wow,..you go to the right place to eat that stuff and there's nothing better. When I was running and account in Massachusetts my Mom and my Aunt came to visit me on my birthday. We went out to dinner to this really nice place and when I ordered lobster tail I thought my Mom was going to fall out of her chair.
I've also introduced people to their first full lobsters and have had in-restaurant tutoring sessions with other people (total strangers even) on the art of cracking crab legs.
So as I said to a waiter at Red Lobster one night "If it has claws and walks sideways...BRING IT!"

And the ugly dog wins..AGAIN

I now know as much as I love animals and have a pretty good idea as to what a breed is supposed to look like I can never be a judge at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog show. Why? Because I would never give the Best in Show to an ugly dog.
Afghan hounds wouldn't have a chance with me, neither would a Kuvacz or a Portugese Water Dog. They're so homely they can't stand the sight of themselves in the mirror.
The other night the Best in Show final featured a GORGEOUS Golden Retriever (who just beat out one of my favorites; the Irish Setter), a sturdy and handsome Dalmation, a kick ass Rottweiler, a classic Old English Sheepdog, an adorable pug, a Scottish Deerhound and Spuds MacKenzie. (anyone from the 80's will remember that dog as the face of Bud Light...at least I THINK it was Bud Light)
And who won? I think from my early ranting and raving you can tell that the butt-ugly Bull Terrier beat out all those beautiful dogs. He's so ugly I will not shame this page by posting his picture. (the pic of Mick Jagger below is bad enough) I'm glad I recorded the finale of the show Tuesday night and didn't watch it live. I wouldn't have a working TV right now, it would have my boot in the middle of it. I did watch the recording of all the group finals but didn't even bother watching BIS because it would just have aggravated me.
I've been watching the show for about...10 years now and I can probably count on one hand how many times a physically beautiful dog has won the big prize. I remember the German Shepard who won it back in 1987, the Pomeranian (the only toy dog I could tolerate owning) in 1988 and one of my ALL time favorites; Josh the Newfoundland who won it in 2004. He was awesome and you can tell he made an impression on me because I still remember his name. Josh was gorgeous; big, (155lbs which is the biggest dog to ever win) black, and hairy. He had to be the first BIS I can remember who barked during his judging. You just couldn't stifle his personality. I can't remember who the other finalists were but I do remember there were many ugly dogs in it and I was cringing to think they'd win out over the clunky yet somehow graceful Josh. I actually cheered out loud when he won. Look at him!! Isn't he the best?!?!?!
Yeah, beauty may be in the eye of the beholder but I'm starting to think Westminster judges are pretty blind!

Sasha probably won't miss your ass either Michelle

Okay, is it me or are they making WAY too much out of Michelle Kwan leaving the Olympic games? Give me a break folks. NBC calling her the most important athlete of the games; and then having the gall to say "Michelle Kwan means more to the United States Olympic Committee than maybe any athlete that's ever performed for the U.S. Olympic team". What a slap in the face to all the other athletes who have ever participated in the games. Talk about an over-blown pile of dog crap. She definitely doesn't mean more than the 1980 US Gold Medal winning hockey team did and she never will. I doubt Disney will ever make a movie about her ass; who would pay to see a movie about a total prima-donna. Not me thanks. Mary Lou Retton had more class and charisma.
Don't get me wrong, I think Michelle's a great skater but I'm not going to miss seeing her pout on the podium when there's no gold around her neck. (see years 2002 and 1998) Get over it, get over yourself, you are NOT the best skater in the world. At least not on the Olympic stage Michelle.
I admit, I used to like Michelle back when she was an un-assuming little sprite who floated over the ice with the grace and musicality of a crusty veteran. Somewhere down the line however her success went to her fat head.
Let's face it, skaters are pampered pooches. Walking around in their fur coats, expensive jewelry and skating in their designer dresses. Sometimes you tend to forget they're athletes. That must've been why people screamed when Sasha Cohen almost collided with Michelle during warm ups for the Nationals last year. Excuse me, Michelle looks like she's on steriods and about 10 feet tall compared to little Sasha. Do you really think she was going out there looking to hurt Michelle, let alone herself? Have you ever seen how many girls are on the ice for pre-skate practice and have you noticed how much room they need to set up a jump? How they don't go flying off the surface or into the boards more often is beyond me. So Michelle felt a bit of a breeze,...I'm sure she got over it.
Then there was the previously mentioned Olympics that Michelle was SO positive that she'd win the gold medal that she had a gold outfit and a song that mentioned gold in her Exhibition skate. If that's not putting the cart before the horse I don't know WHAT is. Okay, so Sarah Hughes' win WAS very suprising but that Russian skater, Slutskaya, is no slouch either. Did Michelle really think that just showing up would win her a medal?
And finally, why the hell did she even TRY to make the team this year? Once again that enormous ego of hers I'm sure. I doubt her doctors were telling her that it was a good idea. I also think that the US Olympic commitee has egg on their face now given the fact that they let her on the team knowing full well she wasn't healthy. This was not an extroridinary situation like Nancy Homewrecker Kerrigan getting her knee whacked. Injuries are common in athletics. If you're not healthy, you shouldn't go. You shouldn't get some special try-out behind closed doors that some stuffed shirts decide on. You skate in the Nationals and make the top three, you go. You don't, you can't.
Sorry, not gunna miss you Michelle. But I hear the Ice Capades are hiring.

Watts: "Get your skag and let's go"

Forget Pretty in Pink, The Breakfast Club (sorry Nikki), or Sixteen Candles (sorry Dong). My all-time favorite John Hughe's movie is Some Kind of Wonderful.
I relived my love for this movie when it ran on Oh! Network the other night. Oh! is another cable channel geared toward women that is having a revolting love-movie-fest from now until that nauseating holiday (is it really considered a HOLiday?) known as Valentine's Day. You know the one; where people go out on dates that they should just do any time of the year and men are expected to shell out big bucks on flowers, candy and jewelry?
I have had two memorable Valentine's Days in my life. One was delivering singing Valentine's telegrams in highschool with my fellow Jazz Choir members and the other was a date I won with a local hockey player. I had lost a bet and had to go on this Dating Game styled show that they held on center ice inbetween periods of a game. It was embarrassing as hell but at least I won and the guy turned out to be a great date. (Of course it's always fun when the organization is picking up the tab and you're told by the waiter that you can use that money to buy drinks!) Don't get me wrong, my loathing of V-Day has nothing to do with bitterness;I just always thought it was a trumped-up, ridiculous holiday that only helped increase sales for Hallmark, FTD and Tiffany's.
Anyways, getting back to the movie...I'm not sure what it is about this movie that I love so much. First of all, I'm not into red-headed men; just the thought of red pubic hair is frightening to me but Eric Stoltz is absolutely adorable in this flick. I can't imagine in reality that looking like that would make ANY guy an outsider no matter what he did or who his best friend was.
Secondly, I can definitely relate to Watts. I always had crushes on guy friends; not only in highschool but even into adulthood. Although mine didn't have the lovely movie-ending that hers did. I also know how it feels to be in a lockeroom with other girls and feel completely inferior. I don't think anyone ever accused me of being a lesbian but I was definitely a tomboy. Still am.
I'll bet alot of the popular girls I didn't like in highschool were very Lea Thompson-esque. Basically very pretty but completely misunderstood. It's hard to take pity on "pretty people with problems" but I'm sure they had some as well. Too bad they had to be a bunch of snooty assholes, I probably would've liked them.

So enjoy however you decide to celebrate the upcoming V-day but you'll have to excuse me if the whole holiday makes me gag.

Boo, hoo MOOriah

U2 is still cool, relevant and the class of the rock world. Don't try to argue with me, you won't convince me otherwise.
I LOVED the fact that they dominated the Grammy Awards last night but still had the class to acknowledge their fellow nominees. That's the kind of guys they are.
I remember seeing them when they first hit the music scene; wearing their puffy shirts, sporting some really bad semi-hip haircuts and trying to find their signature sound.
I was in a band that did nothing but Zepplin tunes. Somehow I convinced them to play Pride and Two Hearts Beat as One. Funny thing was when we played out, those songs were are most popular. I remember fooling around with an ex-boyfriend while the Joshua Tree album player over and over and over again. I stood first row for one of their shows and even had Bono singing "I still haven't found what I'm looking for" while standing right above me. Some pretty good memories there. One thing there's no denying about this band is the power and star-quality of their frontman.
I love Bono, always have. Even when he had a mullet, wore clothes that looked like Prince rejects and sported that sloppy poneytail during the Joshua Tree days. There's something in his voice. A sigh, a yearning. Almost a beg. I love his fly-eye glasses, his cool demeanor and the fact that he rolls around the floor with some lucky woman pulled from the audience during their concerts.
Alot of people have criticized him; saying that he walks around thinking he's some sort of prophet. It's nothing but jealousy. He can sing, he can command a stage, hold a crowd in the palm of his hand and then turn around and try to solve the worlds problems. He's not trying to be a martyr folks, he just wants to do good with his fame. Use it to help others who haven't been blessed with the things he has. I could go on and on about him but this writer summed my feelings up even better than I could:
http://www.statepress.com/issues/2006/01/25/arts/695316

Yeah, they can't exactly count correctly in Spanish but you'll never convince me that the wrong band won the big awards last night, so don't even bother trying.

You make a grown girl sick

Why I didn't watch the Super Bowl:
Okay, it is true; I worked almost all night on Sunday but even if I wasn't working I wouldn't have even BOTHERED to tune in to ABC for it's 20+ hours of SuperBowl coverage.
Why might you ask? Why would I miss the most popular sporting event of the year? Well, I have many reasons.
The pre-game show. No, I don't mean the ONfield stuff, I mean the in-studio garbage with whatever retired NFL players they can dig up who find the need to break the game down before it even happens and debate who's going to win and why. Seriously, does anyone REALLY give a fuck what these guys think? Most of them have taken so many hits to the head that they're lucky if they can tie their shoes.
The pre-pre-game crap. All that overly orchestrated, choreographed onfield Up With People bullshit. What ever happened to the good old marching band? Or maybe some mascots getting out there and beating the piss out of each other. I'd like to meet the people who organize this crap and ask them exactly what group of humans they are trying to appeal to because personally...I haven't met anyone who likes it.
The anthem. As much as I loathe Whitney Houston (see my blog from Sept.16) no one has done any kind of decent anthem since. At least on a football field. Marvin Gaye did one back in the late 70's/early 80's at an NBA event that brought the house down. God love Aretha Franklin but she has gotten so full of her big black ass that I can't tolerate looking at her anymore. What exactly was Aaron Neville doing there? He's from Nah'leans. When they finally get their crap together, he's got the gig but in Motown? Come on.
The half-time show. Okay, this is where I REALLY get aggitated. Once again, the game is in Detroit; the ex-music capital of the freakin world and what do they do? Do they call Barry Gordy? Wrong! They bring in a british band whose average age is DEAD! I'm so glad I didn't have to witness any close-ups of Mick Jaggers wrinkley, old ass or watch Keith Richards hack hair balls onto the stage. Don't get me wrong, I know they're rock legends but rock is all about anger and rebellion, not about botox and viagara. That's why this line in the movie I named my blog after always cracks me up:
Dennis Hope: If you think that Mick Jagger will still be doing the whole rock star thing at age fifty, well, then, you are sorely, sorely mistaken.

Save the plastic but kill the trees

After working my first full 7 days as a cashier at the local grocery store chain I've learned alot of things about people. Basically, almost all of you seem to leave your brains at the door. What is it about shopping for groceries that makes ordinary sane people turn into stark raving idiots?
For one....the Paper People. You know who you are. I can spot you a mile away now. You're people with money who keep your wallet in a vice and dress either like the homeless or like you just came from NY fashion week.
Let me show you the cuts on my hands just because you're thinking you're being environmentally friendly by taking paper instead. I look like I have a vicious cat at home. Guess what, i do have a way of getting my revenge on you. I pack those bags so heavy that you'll be lucky if you can lift them out of your cart! BAHAHAHAHA! Suffa' bitch!
Even more annoying than the PP's are the PIP's. The Paper In Plastic people. What the fuck is THAT?!?! What is the point? These people also seem to shop once every two months.
Then there's the people who you just can't seem to bag their groceries perfect enough. Well, ya know what? If you put your shit onto the conveyor in the order you want it bagged it would make my life alot freakin easier. Instead you treat me like some sort of idiot because I can't be a mind reader and know how you want them. Look, just be happy your bread isn't smushed and your eggs aren't crushed. I didn't know there was a law against putting produce on the top of cans.
Then there's the genuises that don't weigh their produce, even though there's a scale that prints out labels and barcodes all OVER that department. Then they give me dirty looks and attitude because I don't know what a leek is. WTF would I use a leek for? I'm 7 days into this job and I haven't learned every produce code yet. Save us all some time there Einstein, weigh and label the shit okay?
And people wonder why cashiers are so cranky....

Woof!!

Turns out even CNN.com is pimping Puppy Bowl II.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/TV/02/03/tv.kicking.superbowl.ap/index.html

Kick off (or Lick Off) is at 3pm Sunday

My money's on Cha-Cha the Springer Spaniel for MVP!!

http://animal.discovery.com/convergence/puppybowl/bios/chacha.html

Where to begin....

Gotta love the t-shirt, huh? Thank you Christine, I got a great laugh over it. Which I needed. I consider myself a pretty low-key, low drama person but sometimes reality just comes crashing in and on those moments i have to vent. So here's my latest stress.....maybe writing about it will make me feel better. Couldn't hurt.
I am job paranoid; I'm completely insecure at work and it sucks. I started in purchasing about 8 years ago and figured I'd finally found a job I was good at. It's kind of the opposite of sales; you still have the daily people contact without having to do all the customer ass kissing. I've never been one who was good a BS'ing so I don't think I could be a good enough personal sales pitch. So 3 jobs ago I had this pretty decent gig at this company and somehow I always found a way to screw it up. I just killed it with procrastination. If something turned out to be too difficult, I just put it aside until it became a MAJOR issue. It was weird, I almost felt like I was planning my demise because it ALWAYS caught up with me. My boss was so hands on,....to the point where he'd run duplicate reports and check our work so it wasn't something I could hide. He put up with; I got screamed at once but other than that it was a relatively painless job. Wait, no it wasn't. It sucked. I hated it. I couldn't get over the hump, it was STRANGE. I looked for other jobs but didn't find much. Then one day I finally got my reprieve. I was laid off.
So on I went to another gig that I found two weeks later. Or should I say, it found me. Now this job, I liked. I liked the people, I loved my boss and the job was pretty easy and the pay was great. The only issue....I was a contractor with no real chance at getting hired on. After about a year and a half, I started getting antsy for things like decent health coverage that didn't cost me half my paycheck and PAID VACATION. So I found another job. Things were headed in the right direction. WRONG.
This job was a nightmare. It was in purchasing but I had NO experience in the area of their business. None. Zero. Zilch. I got by for about 3 months and then it went to to hell. The owner hated me, my supervisor compiled lists of the "issues" she had to resolve with me, everyone in the office other than two people were two-faced back-stabbers. At least the owner was pretty clear about how he felt about me. Fortunately, I left my contractor gig in such good standing, they even told me at my going away bar bash that if this gig didn't work out to call them and they'd do whatever they could to get me back. So one day while I was scanning the online job ads, I saw my present position listed on Careerbuilder.com. That was it. I went right in to the HR bitches office and confronted her on it. She denied it of course but went running into my supervisors office the minute my back was turned. On the way to a doctors appointment that same day I called my ex-boss and asked him if I could come back. Let me tell you, putting in my 6 day notice (fuck em, they didn't earn 2 weeks worth of respect from me!) was the greatest day I had in MONTHS.
Back to contractor gig I went and it was even better the 2nd time than the first. (the job...get your mind out of the gutter!) My attitude was completely different, my job was a little different and actually better than what I had left and I was making more money. Unfortunately, business was down and suddenly my job was in jeopardy of going away. Right around the holidays no less. My boss felt bad and I understood that. I really wanted to find something before I got let go....which I did.
So day 2 of the year 2006 I started my new job. It's temp-to-perm and basically I feel like I have 13 weeks to prove myself worthy. (4 down, 9 to go) So here I am, paranoid. I'm afraid to make a mistake. I wake up and worry and I come home running the whole day through my head making sure I did everything right. Isn't that crazy? Who can live like this?! I don't want to be the procrastinator anymore...which I feel I've definitely conquered but at the same time I still have nightmares from the last job-from-hell. I couldn't trust a person in the place so anytime someone at my new office has a closed door meeting, I think they're talking about me. I think my supervisor is interviewing my replacement behind my back and I'm scared to make a wrong move. It's just insane.
I took alot of psychology classes in college and what it comes down to is I have to forgive myself for my past screw ups, learn from them and not repeat them. The issue I can't seem to resolve is how to get over this whole "everyone's out to get me" feeling. Does anyone have Dr. Phil's phone number?

Watch sweaty, over-paid men or puppies?

Somewhere within this 7-month old blog there had to be a time when I wrote about my love of animals. I just love 'em, grew up with them and can't imagine a place being a home without them. The problem is, I'm allergic to them; at least the ones with fur anyway. So I live vicariously through my friend Christine and her doggie-daughter Dottie, my sister and her two furry family members Heidi and Puss-puss, my mother and my ex-cat Pepper and my aunt and her buddy Buddy and her cat Queen. I do have two birds but they can't exactly sit on your lap, lick your face or keep your feet warm.

I am also a serious watcher of the channel Animal Planet. Great Show that Animal Precinct, although alot of times it's really hard to watch. I can't fathom for the life of me why anyone would abuse or neglect an animal. To me it's like doing the same to a child. How could you take advantage of something so helpless? Bring back torture, that's what I think. An eye for an eye. Going to jail is too much of an easy way out. But that's a blog for another time.

Last year while watching Animal Planet they announced they were having a show on Super Bowl Sunday called The Puppy Bowl. I think they called it punts, passes and puddles. Something along those lines. I couldn't help but tune in,..puppies just melt my heart. So there it was, a small football field with the yard lines, the stands and even goal posts. There were some footballs on the field but most of the puppies couldn't be bothered with them. They either wrestled with each other, drank or splashed in the water bowls that were underneath the goal posts or tried to climb the walls and get out. There was a referee near by to clean up "fouls" and even replays to show the cutest or funniest moments. This went on for about 3 hours, then repeated. I was HOOKED. Screw the 10 hour Super Bowl pre-game, the pre-taped, lousy remdition of the anthem, the ridiculously over-produced half time show and the game which always seems to end up a blow-out. The commercials have been the best part for the last few years.

Fortunately again this year Animal Planet has announced that there will be a Puppy Bowl II. This year it will even include a half-time show with kittens. Can you STAND it?!?! I'm even considering having a Puppy Bowl party. (no fur allowed, sorry!)

To see some hilarious and adorable video clips you can go here:
http://animal.discovery.com/convergence/puppybowl/video_gallery/videogallery.html

You think Vegas will be taking odds next year for the PB MVP?

Move dat car sistah

After living in the heart of the city of Rochester for the last 6+ years I've learned that Drivers Ed, my drivers test and all those years behind the wheel didn't teach me a thing.
People who live and drive in the city have a completely different set of rules. I'm exposed to new ones every day.
So here is the short list of things I've learned:

You can stop at ANY time with no regard to the people behind you. Especially to talk to someone who's walking down the street. No need to pull over. And make sure you give the cars behind you a dirty look or better yet call them a bitch when they honk their horn and find some way to get around you.
Parking your car on the street is fine, feel free to leave lots of room between your car and the curb.
Stopping at red lights is optional.
To figure out the mph for each street, read the sign and mulitply the number by 3.
Left on Red
Be sure to leave that 2 inches of braking space between you and the car ahead of you.
To take a left onto a busy street, pull your car into the middle of the intersection. Once the oncoming cars have screeched to a halt, you're free to go. (shit, just go...don't wait for them to stop)
2 lanes merging into one isn't a problem, drive up until you can't go any further and be sure to cut someone off so you can get over.
Turn signals are for pussies

Glad I practiced those K-turns and parallel parking, they've come in SO handy!

Rochester Fast Ferry sinks

So the fast ferry made the headlines again tonight, but for all the wrong reasons. It's going bye-bye. New mayor Duffy decided not to make the city and the tax payers fund it anymore. Well, not completely anyway but he also said that we would need to put 9.5 million into it to pay off debts and sell it. And all they were asking for was another 1.5. Hmmm...that'll definitely be debated to death for the next week. Or month.
Personally, I never rode the ferry but I was all for it being here. There was something big-city and awesome about it that I couldn't explain to you. Seeing it I suppose is understanding.
The thing is, the boat seemed to be jinxed from the start. It hit a dock in New York City, barely squeezed through the Hudson River lockes, it broke down several times, fell off the lift while it was being repaired, it got so in debt that it got locked down for months, the city paid way over what it cost at an auction even though there weren't any other bidders and when it finally started they kept decreasing and decreasing the number of runs it was making. Next thing you know, they were asking the city tax payers to give up another 11 million.
I feel for all the people who put so much time and effort into it. I feel for the businesses who paid rent to be in the ferry terminal who somehow survived when it was in lock down although I think they got some business from people who were just coming around to look at it. What do they have now? Charlotte Beach is a ghost town when it's cold and we have that kind of weather 9 of the 12 months in a year.
So I'm a little sad about it. Not to mention that drive on the QEW is a nightmare most of the time!
Too bad our "friends" in Canada didn't help out paying for that tub. That could've made all the difference.
As the kids from South Park said "BLAME CANADA!"

Not dressed up and no one to kiss...

The year of 2005 is ending in 3 1/2 hours and I have no plans so instead, I had some random thoughts to share.

Mother Nature is kicking our ASS. Some say it's Global Warming, some say that drastic weather issues happen like this every 75 years or so and others say it's the big guy upstairs showing us how he feels about how we're treating our planet and eachother. Whatever the reason, it's pretty scary. The Tsunami, Katrina, the earthquakes, now the fires in the southwest because of the dryness and tonight I see the floods out in northern california. I can't keep up with it all. I feel bad because I can't afford to donate more money but it also makes you think about being grateful for what you DO have and when those little stupid things happen that you want to complain about....you think twice and remember how so many others are so much worse off than you are. (granted,...I'll be complaining about something trivial any second now)
When will the obsession with celebrity-crap please STOP?!?! If I never hear the names Paris Hilton, TomKat, Brangelina and Bennifer again I will be SO happy. Let's change focus to talented people or people who have something to say that actually makes sense. Not because they have money or are famous for whatever reason.
Figure skater Ekaterina Gordeeva still makes me cry. Her first husband/pairs partner died over 10 years ago yet seeing her skate on TV today still tugged on my heart strings. And to make it even MORE touching, her daughter Daria came out and skated with her. She has her mothers grace and body and her fathers face. Not to mention, she is already an amazing skater. So keep your eyes out for Daria Grinkova folks.
I caught The Clash on VH1 Classic the other day and realized that the lead singer of Green Day is totally ripping them off!!
Those E-Harmony commercials are getting on my last nerve. Does the word overkill mean anything to that company?
People who mistreat animals should be subjected to the same abuse they put that animal through. Ever seen the movie Powder? The scene with the deer? That's what I'm talking about. Fines aren't enough. Same with people who abuse children. I say we bring back torture...people are just getting off WAY too freakin easily.
I really don't need to be seeing commercials when I go to the movies. Aren't the 20 minutes of previews bad enough?
I thought aging gracefully was cool until I saw this psychologist on Biography last night, she looked like Mark Martin.
My New Years Resolution...get to my goal weight. Considering I'm starting two new jobs this week....I think I'll have less time to eat anyway.
Cheers everybody!

Top 10 Favorite Christmas Songs

I think I would disappoint my family and friends if I didn't do this list.

I included links to the more obscure songs from a wonderful website I found called SantaSearch where you can e-mail Santa, read his journal and also find song clips and lyrics. (which is important to all the carolers out there!)


So here they are and I have to admit that it's extrEMELY difficult to rank them:

#10- White Christmas- The Drifters
http://www.santasearch.org/music.asp?PID=2&AudioID=3386
There's something about a doo-wop group doing a funky version of this song that just makes you smile. The movie Home Alone put it on the map.

#9- Mary Had a Baby- Bruce Cockburn
http://www.santasearch.org/music.asp?PID=2&AudioID=2276
I heard this ditty one day on the local radio station that plays Christmas music 24/7 from Thanksgiving to Christmas and fell in love with it immediately

#8- Dominick the Donkey- Lou Monte
http://www.santasearch.org/music.asp?PID=2&AudioID=1370
A Christmas staple in most Italian homes. Cute and catchy enough to get your kids addicted to it as well.

#7- Still, Still, Still- Mannheim Steamroller
http://www.santasearch.org/music.asp?PID=2&AudioID=3093
I'm not one for this new-age stuff but when I first heard this track off their 1990 release it stopped me in my tracks. The vocals are so haunting.

#6- Holly Jolly Christmas- Burl Ives
Makes you think of growing up with Rudolph

#5- All I Want for Christmas Is You- Mariah Carey
Seems to harken back to the early 60's girl-group sound. Mariah at her best

#4- Charlie Brown Christmas- Vince Giraldi
I can't pick just one song off it because the whole CD is amazing.

#3- Where are you Christmas?- Faith Hill
From the How The Grinch Stole Christmas soundtrack. Anyone who's been through a time where Christmas seemed to lose it's meaning can relate to this one. I can't listen to it without crying.

#2- Merry Christmas Darling- The Carpenters
Combine an amazing song with Karen Carpenters beautiful voice and you have this timeless classic. Everytime it comes on the radio I have to sing-a-long

#1- Home for the Holidays- Perry Como
Mr. Como means Christmas to me

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!!

Madonna

Yes, I'm a proud Madonna fan. Not a fanatic (although that's what the word "fan" is short for) but I do like her music, her originality, the fact that she's pushed peoples buttons for 20+ years and has still managed to keep them intrigued. She's also been called every name in the book and has survived to be one of the most famous people in the world.
The Kabbalah thing doesn't interest me, or her childrens books. I like her as an artist and respect the fact that she's a very smart business woman.
I remember the first time I saw her videos for Borderline and Lucky Star. I thought she was a bit full of herself but you still couldn't keep your eyes off her. She had "something" and the tunes were catchy and most importantly to me, you could dance to them. (I was a club girl in the 80's.)
I was watching the MTV awards the night she was rolling all over the floor in her wedding dress, I remember when Pepsi dumped their sponsorship of her tour after her video for Like a Prayer came out and I borrowed my friends copy of her SEX book when it came out. That whole SEX and Erotica era of hers confused me, I thought she had SERIOUSLY lost her mind. The pressure of being her had finally made her crack. But much to everyone's suprise, she came back from it stronger than ever.
I remember going on a date to see the movie Desperately Seeking Susan and I thought she was hilarious in the movie A League of Their Own. Do you think the character was that much of a stretch though?
Was watching when she swapped a quick tongue-kiss with Britney and thought to myself "That's Madonna for ya, she knows how to get her name on the frontpage." Did they really expect those two to behave themselves on stage? Come on!
I still love the songs Papa Don't Preach (especially the string intro), Secret, Beautiful Stranger (from the Austin Powers soundtrack), Ray of Light, Power of Goodbye and Don't tell Me.
Remember you heard it here first; I predict that when she releases the song Jump as a single off her new album, it will be a HUGE hit. You can listen to it here if you scroll through the songs next to the Navigation Bar at the top of the site:
http://www.madonna.com/

"Music, makes the people...come together, yeah"

You go girls!!

Okay, I'll admit...I still watch some reality TV shows. America's Next Top Model, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and lately my favorite was Making the Band 3.
Sean Combs,..what is he going by now; Diddy? Puffy? Pudding Pop? He was trying to create a hot new girl group of young ladies who could sing AND dance. Went through 8 weeks the first time and found 3 girls worth keeping but not 5. So he had ANOTHER round of tryouts.
I was hooked on this show from the 2nd episode. Personally, I hate watching auditions. I'm not the kind of person who enjoys hearing people sing badly. Why, because I sing. And to see people like William Hung and all those other fools get there 2-15 mintues of fame for butchering good or even BAD music is disgusting to me.
So as soon as they get the "finalists" set...I'm on board!
Last night, he picked the band. Blonde Shannon; who you wouldn't notice unless you were REALLY paying attention, Dawn; an ex cheerleader who's family lost everything in Katrina and...oh shoot. Who was the other girl? That's how much of an impression she made on me I guess. Wanita, I think her name was. AND he picked my two favorites who were finalists in part 1. Aubrey O'Day and Aundrea Fimbress.
Aubrey was a shoe-in. (pictured left) Hot lookin, great body, the best dancer there and can sing, WOW can she sing. During Part 1 of the auditions Diddy took the girls to an Open Mic Night at some club and had them go up and sing live. All I remember from that show was Diddy leaning over to his chereographer Lorianne and saying "Aubrey is officially black. Michael Jackson is white, and Aubrey is black as a MF'er" He was right, she was amazing.
Aundrea (pictured below) seemed like a given after Part 1 but in Part 2 she struggled. She had issues with learning the dances and then even had some weak vocal moments during the very last auditions right before he announced the final 5. And to make matters worse, he announced her name last. She was dying, so was Aubrey and I was DYING too. Alot of people say she looks like JoJo but how could you not put someone that adorable and with that many skills in your band? Like Johnny said after final auditions for Part 1 "People are gunna fall in love with her"

So I'll be keeping my eyes on Bad Boy Online to see what their name is gunna be and can only hope they don't turn into another Eden's Crush!

Ho, ho, ho MF'ers

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Bah, Humbug

Why is it when we have the least amount of money, that's when we feel the most festive at holiday time? I guess it's Bob Crachit syndrome. When you're broke you take joy in other things and when you have money you turn into Ebanezer Scrooge.
Personally, I've never felt very Scrooge-like. It's a hard time of year for most people. For me it's all about bitter sweet memories of being a kid and our family being together. I guess I thought when my parents got divorced that I was old enough to handle it...I wasn't. And for a while afterwards Christmas never felt quite right.
But it's back for me. Could be because I have young nieces and nephews to enjoy it with. Could be because I've finally given into the fact that it not being the same is okay. I'm not sure.
I'm a VERY nostalgic person. I like going on ebay and finding toys from when I was young. Probably because they were thrown out or given away without my permission so getting them back seems to be a strange power trip.
Last year I FINALLY found a Christmas album we played over and over and over again when I was growing up. We had it in 8-track tape form; I knew all the songs, even had little dance routines or skits made up to them. (those I don't remember so please don't ask for an encore performance)
So after aquiring the album in LP version I went to a local studio that converts old LP's to CD's and had them make copies for myself, my sister and my Mother.
I knew I was the most nostalgic one when they didn't recognize the cover art right away. I knew it the moment I saw the picture of it on ebay. The color, the fireplace, the little kid in the PJ's looking up the flew for Santa.
Just listening to it again made me warm all over.
So you can bring your past to your future....and move on.
As Jim Carrey as the Grinch said "It's joyful and triumphant"