The Lola Shuffle - The "On the Road Again" Edition

Well it's the last day of NaBloPoMo...it's been tough but there is definitely a sense of accomplishment. Congratulations to all who made it through.

Anyway, so we're headed to Georgia today. A quick shuffle is all I've got time for...go Lola, go!

1. Darkest Hour - Arlo Guthrie


2. Even Now - Barry Manilow


3. Mother and Child Reunion - Paul Simon


4. Calypso - John Denver


5. Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin' - Journey


6. You Can Leave Your Hat On - Joe Cocker (IMO, absolutely, hands down one of the sexiest songs...ever!)


7. Run to You - Bryan Adams


8. Come Fly With Me - Frank Sinatra


9. Dust in the Wind - Kansas


10. Let It Be - The Beatles

You know, I actually have "On the Road Again" by WIllie Nelson on Lola, but that would just be too obvious for Miss Thang.

The Dixie Interview and Props to My Wonderful Hubby

I'm on the road but nothing wildly exciting happened today, so I'll use the Dixie interview, which I had saved up for just such a situation.

I want to acknowledge my wonderful husband who after driving a gabillion hours and arriving to the hotel and getting all comfy, went out again in search of a web hot spot so I could post this. The hotel is supposed to have web access but it was messed up.

Isn't he wonderful? That's him up there...:)

Dixie interviewed me!

Here are the instructions as posted on her Blog:

"Leave me a comment if you'd like me to interview you for you to answer on your blog. Check back on the comments on this entry for your questions. You NaBloPoMo participants may especially be interested in an interview since that'll knock off one of your daily posts!"

1. I can't sew but I wish I could. Is there are skill or craft you're unable to do but wish you could? I was just telling Hubby today that I'd like to be able to play the violin.

2. Is there a childhood birthday of yours that stands out in your mind? Why does it stand out? I have memories of my birthdays in New York - I left there when I was 5 years old - but I don't know that I can pinpoint a specific birthday. I remember that my parents' friends and the family we had in New York and Philadelphia would come to my party. There were only a few kids my age, but I remember feeling so loved and special by not only my actual family, but by my "aunts" and "uncles" that weren't related to me technically but might as well have been. A quick clear memory: I don't know if everyone does this or if it's a Cuban tradition, but I would always have to lay all my presents out on my bed like a fabulous display of wonderfulness. I loved going into my room after everyone left and look over all my *loot*...

3. Is there an infamous world leader that you would like to have a conversation with for an hour? Which one would it be? Honestly - I'd love to have a conversation with Dubyuh (I'll wait until everyone picks themselves up off the floor). I really don't think he's a bad man - I just think he's being manipulated by bad people. I'd like to know if he realizes how much he's hurting our country. And then I'd ask him to do the right thing: ask Dick Cheney for his resignation and then resign himself.

4. Is there something that you absolutely love that would surprise most people if they knew? Hip hop music - in small doses.

5. If you were to mentor a 15 year old girl, which 5 lessons would you want to be sure she learned? This is a great question!
a) Believe in yourself - you can do anything if you work hard and focus

b) Have fun - you'll never be 15 again, and right now you're golden

c) Learn everything you can, no matter how obscure or unimportant it seems

d) At this point in your life, never ever choose some guy - no matter how hot he is - over your girl friends. Guys come and go, real friends will be there for you in 5, 10, 20, 30, 50 years.

e) Don't rush to get married. Get to know and appreciate yourself before you share your life with someone else.

Thanks to Dixie and remember if you want me to interview you, let me know in my Comments!

I'm No Longer an IKEA Virgin!

YAY! I went to IKEA, I went to IKEA and I didn't even have to take a shuttle from a different parking lot...and I bought dishes and I ate Swedish meatballs and drank a Swedish Pear Ale. NYA, NYA, NYA, NYA, NYA...

Seriously, since people in South Florida are still insane about the IKEA, I just went to one up here in the Philly 'burbs where they've had one for years and are, you know, normal about it.

The prices are truly phenomenal - I bought a set of 6 place settings of dishes for $29 and 8 flatware settings for $20. Again, since we're driving home no packing issues. Oh and a nice kitchen clock for a whopping $3.99!

The restaurant was very nice and very well priced. The Swedish meatballs were super good and we shared Swedish Apple Cake - yummy. And the non-alcoholic pear ale was very good too.

So tomorrow we're back on the road. I have had a totally suburban vacation - it was relaxing and I saw a bunch of new places.

Oh - I almost forgot - RUN DON'T WALK to see "Beowulf".

It.Was.Awesome.

Although I could do without the whole CGI thing, the story was very well told and the acting was wonderful.

Slow Vacation Day and Book Cover Meme

On the vacation front thus far we've had a pretty mellow day today. We woke up late and went to my SIL's house for her world-famous cauliflower soup. Later tonight we're going to see "Beowulf" in IMAX. I don't even want to go into how geekily excited I am about "Beowulf" being made into a movie. I'll tell you about the movie and whatever adventures ensue tomorrow.

For now I'll offer this fun and easy meme I found a while ago and saved for when I needed content. Here are the instructions:

1. Go to the Advanced Book Search on Amazon.com.
2. Type in your first name in the book title and post the most interesting/amusing cover that shows up.
3. Again, as always if you want to play, please let me know in my comments section.
   

Fog!

OK, so here's the deal - we don't really get a lot of fog in Miami - and when we do it's like at dawn , not at 3:30 in the afternoon! We were leaving Philadelphia Park Casino and Race Track and had to drive in that mess! It freaked me out a little bit.

The casino was a lot of fun. Gambling recently became legal in Pennsylvania and the race track was one of the first places to open a casino. It's all slots and video versions of traditional table gambling. I wound up spending about $30 playing video blackjack.

Before going to the casino we had lunch at my favorite diner ever Club House Diner - it was awesome. And then after the casino, we had dinner with some of my in-laws' friends who I love to pieces, and we went to one of my other absolutely favorite places in the Philadelphia 'burbs Otto's Brauhaus in Horsham, PA (their web site isn't working).

After dinner we went to our friends' new apartment in a fabulous retirement community that made me wish I was 62 so I could live there. We played games and had a wonderful time. These people have become like an aunt and uncle and I enjoy spending time with them.

So...another wonderful vacation day. Hubby and I even got our picture taken with Santa - he was at the Diner!

Book Review - "The Year of Magical Thinking" by Joan Didion

This is a beautiful, beautiful book. I had read articles, reviews and essays by Didion, and had enjoyed her writing, but I had never had the opportunity to truly recognize just how good a writer she is.

This narrative of a cruel, intolerable year in the life of a wife and mother is, in fact, magical. It could have easily been - and no one could have blamed her if it had - a morbid, depressing, self-indulgent dirge. Instead we see how a strong, intelligent woman processes the unprocessable - her husband drops dead out of nowhere as her daughter lies in a coma at the beginning of a succession of improbably tragic circumstances.

Through clear, exact writing we go through what Didion went through as she tries to survive her husband's death and get through her daughter's illness. All this is interspersed with memories that flesh out the relationship between Didion and John Gregory Dunne - a life time of experiences that make up a 40 year marriage.

We see her work through her grief, her shock and her insistence in thinking herself through it.

I highly recommend this book to everyone, whether or not you've suffered the losses or experiences delineated in the book. This is not an easy read - emotionally or literally - it will challenge you, but I think it is one of the best books I've ever read.

Christmas Cookies!

So...it's 37 frickin' frackin' degrees right now. I'm cold. Hubby and I are going to an Eastern European place for dinner because I want Hungarian Goulash to warm me up.

The Texas contingent left early this morning and the older nieces came over to decorate the sugar cookies above - and YES I did help! (stop snickering Purplepassion) Here are the girls, working away:



A good time was had by all.

Did I mention it was cold?

The Lola Shuffle - The "Scrapple" Edition

As I continue going through the foods I must eat when in the Philadelphia area, I had scrapple for breakfast today. YAY! Scrapple makes me happy.

So Lola...now that your scrapple lust has been sated, shuffle on...

1. New World Man - Rush


2. Fever - Peggy Lee (Perfect song for her)


3. Songbird - Eva Cassidy


4. Hold On - KT Tunstall


5. Livin' On A Prayer - Bon Jovi (Joisey in da' house)


6. Go Your Own Way - Fleetwood Mac


7. In the Mood - Glenn Miller Orchestra


8. The Winner Takes It All - ABBA


9. Blessed - Martina McBride


10. Spirits in the Material World - The Police

Well Lola is certainly at her eclectic best today.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wow! We ate a lot.

Here's our Thanksgiving Menu:

• Cauliflower Blue Cheese Soup
• Turkey stuffed with citrus, sage, rosemary, thyme, onion and garlic
• Cranberry Relish
• Grandmas' Gravy
• Grandma's Stuffing
• Sausage Stuffing
• Cornbread Oyster Stuffing
• Potato Cheese Casserole
• Sweet Potato Pecan Casserole
• Carrots and Horseradish Casserole
• Traditional Green Bean Casserole
• Brussel Sprout/Apple/Craisin/Almond Casserole
• Grandma's Cole Slaw
• Creamed Pearl Onions
• Biscuits
• Sweet Potato Pie
• Pumpkin Eggnog Pie
• Eggnog Cheesecake
• Pumpkin/Cream Cheese Rolls
• Pecan Cranberry Torte
  
  I'm full and happy...:)

***HAPPY NOTE - I found out yesterday that Harlem Renaissance: An Awakening of the Soul the DonorsChoose.org project I've been supporting and for which I posted a link here has been fully funded. YAY! Thanks for those who helped.***

The Whole Fandamily!

This is the official family picture for 2007 - look how nice everybody looks...

This is the real us...

'Nuff said...:)

First Full Day at the In-Laws

So, last night (Monday) we just hung out with the family, had some pizza - Tomato Pie for the win baby! We went to bed relatively early.

This morning I inexplicably woke up at 7:00 a.m. and was ready to go! That never happens. Ever.

So we made a super market run and had a *birthday lunch* for my FIL and SIL at "Longhorn Steak House". It was nice. Then we met at the house for gift exchange and cake. WOO HOO!

I've been enjoying my nieces ages 7, 5 and 1. I can't believe how much they've grown. The older ones are actual little people now - you can carry on conversations and stuff. Amazing. As much as I am enjotying the girls, as I write this, the older ones are watching something that is screeching on TV called Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! I want to woke wy wears wout. Heeeeelp meeeee!

For dinner I finally had a Philly Cheesesteak ...all is right the world. As to the great Philly Cheesesteak debate...I always have mine with Cheez Whiz because, well, because that's just the right way! To paraphrase Philly's favorite adopted son Ben Franklin: "Cheez Whiz is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."

Road Trip - Day 3 - Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina to Warminster, Pennsylvania

OK, so yesterday (Sunday) I tried the Waffle House coffee and their famous sweet cream waffle - OHMYGOD YUM! I am really glad we don't have a Waffle House near home - this is definitely *vacation food*.

Speaking of vacation food - we had lunch at the quintessential dining experience when traveling on I-95, yes boys and girls - Cracker Barrel ! You know what, I don't care that it's kitschy, I don't care that it's a chain, I don't care about any of it - their turnip greens and fried okra are gifts from the gastronomic gods. Don't judge me people! And guess what! Since we're traveling in a van, Hubby said that maybe on our drive home...wait for it...*we might buy a Cracker Barrel rocking chair*! YAY!

Other than the food, the day was both uneventful and lovely. The drive was easy, no traffic and beautiful weather. Hubby listened to Howard Stern (!) on Sirius and I listened to some "Wait Wait, Don't tell Me!" podcasts I had on my iPod.

Today we reach our destination: Warminster, PA. In-law and Thanksgiving revelry will ensue.

Road Trip - Day 2 - Brunswick, Georgia to Roanoke rapids, North Carolina

OK - it's Day 2 of our Magical Mystery Tour - aka the road trip to visit my in-laws for Thanksgiving.

Today we are traveling from Brunswick, GA to Roanoke Rapids, NC.

Yesterday I experienced two firsts:

1) I pumped gas for the first time ever! (Y'all better stop laughing at me!) I even called Purplepassion from Gimme Patience to tell her, she sorta yelled at me. I am SO Misunderstood (sigh).

2) I ate at a Waffle House - awesome! At some point on this trip I plan to have coffee there because Robin at Poppymom says their coffee is really good!

We spent pretty much the whole trip - about 9 hours total including lunch at Applebee's which took much too long - playing with the Sirius radio with which our rental van (don't even ask!) came equipped. Do you know that Jimmy Buffett, Elvis and Bruce Springsteen have Sirius channels dedicated to their music only! How cool is that?

I know my life and travels are just too exciting - try and contain your pea-green envy...:)

Let's see what adventures await us today...:)

Road Trip - Day One - Miami, Florida to Brunswick, Georgia and 5 Things Meme

I'm about to go on the road so I'm using a Meme (like I need an excuse to use a Meme!) that I found at Late Bloomer Boomer

Here are Five Things:

I've Always Wanted to Do:
Publish a book
Go to Greece
Ride in a hot air balloon - preferably over vineyards
Drive across the US
Travel through Europe by train


Found In My Bag:
Wallet
Keys
Cell phone
Mini flashlight
"The Year of Magical Thinking" by Joan Didion


Found In My Wallet:
$11 and change
State ID
Cold pills
Credit cards
Over $50 in various gift cards


I'm Currently Into:
Blogging
Getting Healthy
Non-work Writing
Trying new wines
Reading books I should have read already

You know the drill, if you want to play along, please let me know in my comments!

The Lola Shuffle - The "I'm Going on Vacation" Edition

To paraphrase from the classic song.."All my bags are packed (they're not even out of the closet), I'm ready to go (mentally yes - logistically, not so much)...[skipping lyrics I can't play with]...I'm leaving on a jet plane (actually, we're leaving in a van - yep - ROAD TRIP!)

Anyhoo...Hubby, Lola and I are hitting the road tomorrow morning to Warminster, Pennsylvania - a suburb of Philadelphia and hubby's hometown). We plan to make two stops so that 6'5" hubby doesn't turn into The Hunchback of Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Church. We will be stopping in Brunswick, GA and Roanoke Falls, NC.

Since *I* don't drive I loves me a road trip...and now with Lola, my DVD playing laptop, the latest issue of Mental Floss and some books, I am good to go.

So Lola, give us some road music...

1. Don't Stand So Close To Me - The Police (props to Nabokov; actually Sting can stand as close to me as he wants)
2. Mr. Don't Touch The Banana - Willy Chirino (a really fun song, in Spanish, about an *americano* that runs awry of Santeria traditions)
3. Luxurious - Gwen Stefani
4. Last to Leave - Arlo Guthrie (Guthrie two weeks in a row - woo hoo! The song is definitely *road* related)
5. Everlasting Love - Gloria Estefan (Nice - Miami's Cuban-American musical contingent is showing up to wish us a good trip. Did you see her on "Dancing with the Stars" the other night? She looks good for just turning 50 dontcha think? Go Gloria!)
6. Lyin' Eyes - The Eagles (anytime The Eagles shuffle up it's a good thing)
7. Like U Crazy - Mates of State
8. Faithfully - Journey ("Highway run into the midnight sun...wheels go round and round...)
9. Practice What You Preach - Barry White (Sing it Barry, you smooth devil you)
10. Tenth Avenue Freeze Out - Bruce Springsteen

What? You all expected "Born to Run", "Thunder Road", "On the Road Again" or other obvious, traditional road songs? No, no, no. Lola is much more nuanced and cryptic than that my friends. She's an iPod of mystery. It's more about *spirit* than actual, you know, lyrics.

I'll be posting something daily - or trying my damnedest anyway - NaBloPoMo you know!

I hope you enjoy a wonderful drive somewhere this weekend...be safe!

Random Meme

In my wanderings I came across this meme...if you want to play, please let me know in my Comments section.



1. When was the last time you cleaned out your closet? I don't remember (that's bad, right?)

2. When was the last time you went to a concert? July 2006 to see Bon Jovi

3. When was the last time you had a milkshake? About two weeks ago I had a chocolate malt shake and it was awesome!

4. When was the last time you got all dressed up? Christmas 2005

5. When was the last time you went grocery shopping? Today - we went shopping for the Thanksgiving baskets we decorate and donate to needy families in the community

6. What's your favorite tv talk show? Day time: Ellen; Late night: David Letterman

7. Do you like crackers in your soup? No

8. How much does money motivate you? Not enough

9. Do you have a garden? Bwahahahahaha...ummm, no

10. Do you enjoy the traditional Thanksgiving dinner (turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, etc.)? Yes, although if it was up to me we could forego the turkey and just have stuffing and side dishes and wine

UN World Diabetes Day

Today is World Diabetes Day. Obviously, this is now an issue for me - so I'm thrilled the UN has designated a day for Diabetes awareness.

How has my life changed since August 8 of this year when I came out ? I have changed my diet considerably, although lately I have been slipping a bit. I still haven't started exercising (sigh, I know, I know) but I'm thinking about it more.

Coincidentally I had my third appointment with my endocrinologist on Monday and even though my sugar is still too high, the daily readings have gone down an average of 30 points since the last time. He took about 95 gallons of blood to run tests (OK, so it was three test tubes - still!), the results of which are due today.

As a mater of fact, as I was writing this I called the Doctor to see if my numbers were in (because you know, I'm me!) and the girl was just getting ready to call me. The important marker everyone looks for is the A1c number. The American Diabetes Association recommends the average be below 7, my doctor wants me under 6.9. The last time I tested it back in July it was 10.2! Today it's 7.2 - YAY me!

Thanks so much to all who have offered me words of encouragement and thought good thoughts for me. It is most definitely a life-changing diagnosis, the trick is to allow it to make your life better.

For what it's worth, the next time you go see your primary care physician, have them test your sugar levels. If caught early it is much easier to control.

And for today, think a thought for the many in this country - and the world - who are walking around with Diabetes 2 without knowing it and don't have the means necessary to diagnose and treat it - sadly, it most likely won't end well for them.

Book Review - "The Time Traveler's Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger

I really enjoyed this book even though I had trouble with it at first. I find the story to be very *magically realistic* even if it isn't officially deemed as Magical Realism - and I always have trouble with magical realism in literature.

Once I got over trying to figure out what was happening when, I was able to enjoy the story of a man who travels back and forth in time throughout his wife's life. He first meets her when he's an adult and she's a little girl and their lives continue to intersect until eventually they get married.

I will say though that this was one of those books that has an extremely long "middle". I was reading every day and the damned book mark was still "in the middle"!

Niffenegger weaves a wonderful story creating characters that are well-developed and that you care about. And to top it all off it has one of the most beautiful endings I've read in a long time. Of course being the dork I am, I cried my eyes out.

I highly recommend this book, but in order to really enjoy it, be willing to suspend your disbelief and just go with it.

A New Chapter

Today my husband and I started a new chapter in our lives. After 8 years of working in a bank, my husband quit and is returning to school to earn his AS.

His last day was Friday and he'll start classes at Miami-Dade college in January - which is the beginning of the Spring semester- working towards his AS in Technical Support (there's a more complicated name, but that's the gist of it). He's also going to work on getting some certifications that are pretty much required for any type of Tech Support work.

I'm very happy he's going back to school. He is so smart, I mean really smart, and he was wasting his abilities in retail banking. Some issues regarding vacation time was the impetus that led to the decision, but we had been considering this for a long time, and it's something he's been wanting to do.

To be honest though, while I'm happy for him and for us, I'm a little scared. All of a sudden being responsible the family's sole income source is daunting. And of course I'm concerned we'll run out of money. That's not really a positively, we reviewed our finances carefully taking in various considerations and we're really OK. But still, I'm me. I worry. That's what I do.

So - please, think a good thought for our new beginning.

Jeffrey Toobin and Erica Jong

You're probably thinking, now there's an odd pairing! What do Jeffrey Toobin and Erica Jong have in common? Well, they were my favorite part of the Book Fair!

Toobin was promoting his newest book The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court. Of course I had seen him on TV and heard him on NPR numerous times, but he was always in *serious mode*. At the fair, his presentation was in the form of a conversation between him and my favorite local broadcaster, Michael Putney, and Toobin was relaxed and funny as hell. I mean the man made a conversation about The Supreme Court - not a body known for its hilarity - a hoot! I'm actually considering adding the book to my Christmas list - that's how entertaining he made it sound.

Erica Jong, on the other hand, I had seen at the Book Fair before - years ago. She was fabulous today, at 65, promoting her memoir Seducing the Demon: Writing for My Life. She talked about she had wanted to be a writer ever since she was little girl and would kiss the pictures of writers on book jackets. She's wonderfully candid, charming and funny. She also talked about being in the process of writing a sequel to her classic Fear of Flying, where Isadora will be in her 60s and dealing with aging in general and specifically sexuality and aging, the loss of parents to death or dementia, declining health, etc.

There were other lesser known authors that I saw and who have caused me to add yet more books to be never-ending-I'll-have-to-live-to-be-100-to read-them-all book list.

I also attempted to listen to Ralph Nader, but, I don't know if it was because it was late in the day and I was tired and had to get home to change for an evening out with friends, or if he really is such a bad, rambling speaker - but I lost my patience with him and left within the first 15 minutes of his presentation. I like the guy, i really do, but he makes me anxious.

So, another Book Fair is over. It was wonderful, we were blessed by beautiful weather and I had, a s always a phenomenal time. C-Span 2 will be airing several of the presentations for a while, so maybe you can catch one. Next year will be the 25th anniversary of the Fair - I can't wait to see what they have planned.

Book Meme!

Inspired by the Miami Book Fair today, I'm taking this meme from Doppelganger at 50 Books.

Total number of books I own - I'm totally ball-parking it here - I'll say about 300

Last book I finished reading - Celebrity Detox (The Fame Game) by Rosie O'Donnell

Last book I bought - Celebrity Detox (The Fame Game) by Rosie O'Donnell

Five meaningful books - There are so many, but off the top of my head, books that were meaningful to me and had an impact on my life:

1. "To Kill a Mockingbird" - Harper Lee
   
2. "1984" - George Orwell
   
3. "Fahrenheit 451" - Ray Bradbury
   
4. "Roots" - Alex Haley
   
5. "The Diary of a Young Girl" - Anne Frank

Tomorrow I'll be back at the fair!

The Lola Shuffle - "The Miami Book Fair 2007" Edition

It's my favorite weekend of the year! The Miami Book Fair International 2007 is here!

I'm so excited I can't stand myself! And it looks like it's going to be a beautiful weekend to boot!

I've got a full schedule Saturday (lots of conflicts actually), not so much on Sunday - but here are my expected highlights (there's always a surprise):

• Erica Jong !!! (OHMYGOD YAY!)
• Ralph Nader
• Judge Marilyn Milian (from "The People's Court" - I love her. It's a guilty pleasure, what can I say? Plus she's a cubanita from Miami - it's a solidarity thing)
• the panel on "Why Kerouac Matters: The Lessons of On the Road (They're Not What You Think)’’
• Amiri Baraka
• Jeffrey Toobin
• The "Cubans in Paris circa 1840" panel

I'll be there - up front in the *reserved rows* because I'm a "Friend of the Fair" and get priority seating. Yes - I am just *that* special!

Happy, happy, joy, joy!

OK Lola, shuffle up something literary...

1. Wanted Dead or Alive - Bon Jovi
2. Born in the USA - Bruce Springsteen (Totally random - I swear! It had nothing to do with yesterday's rant. Dayum - Jersey in da' house!)
3. Tell Me Something Good - Chaka Khan and Rufus (Does everyone love Chaka Khan?)
4. I Need You - America
5. Russians - Sting
6. Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Queen (this song makes me happy)
7. I Want You Back - The Jackson 5 (Woo hoo! Go Tito, go Tito!)
8. Darkest Hour - Arlo Guthrie (It's always good to have a Guthrie to keep us honest - be it Woody or Arlo)
9. This Kiss - Faith Hill
10. All of Me - Billie Holiday (Ah, we hadn't heard the glorious Lady Day in a while...a wonderful way to end the shuffle!)

Have a wonderful weekend - if you're in South Florida, go to the Book Fair; if you're not - read a book!

Banning the Boss?

This boys and girls is a clear example of something belonging in the WTF category?

Apparently Clear Channel radio (or as I like to refer to them the minions of Satan) have banned Bruce Springsteen's new album Magic from their 72 thousand radio stations.

To add to my shock and awe about this whole thing, the only MSM I could find reporting the story is...sit down and swallow any liquids you may have in your mouth...FOXNews.com. (You have to scroll down past Britney "why are people still talking about me" Spears - it's the second item in the column.)

I'll wait while you regain your composure over the fact that *I* am actually citing Fox News. I can't help it - the other nine million sources that come up when you Google the subject are Blogs.

OK, so anyway, Clear Channel claims that they're doing this because Springsteen is too old and they're appealing to a younger demographic. But somehow it's OK to play Springsteen's older music - you know the music that came out before the coveted younger demographic was, like, born!

Now I'll wait while you come up with a way to explain this to me so that it makes sense and you can post it in my comments.

OK, ready? See, here's the thing...you think it might have something to do with the fact that both "Magic" and Springsteen are definitely anti-Iraq war? You think it might have something to do with songs like Last to Die on the album and Springsteen's very public disagreement with Dubyuh's three-ring circus, I mean administration?

I'm just saying...things that make you say Hmmmm...

Things that make the mind wobble and the blood pressure rise...I'll be OK - I'm breathing like my friend Cris tells me to.

4 Things That Make You Different Meme

I found this meme in my wanderings through the Blogosphere...if you want to participate, please let me know in my Comments area.

1. Name a CD you own that none of your friends do - Most of the CDs I own aren't owned by my friends...I'll say "Songbird" by Eva Cassidy - a beautiful CD, every song is amazing
2. Name a book you own that none of your friends do - "Small Wonder" by Barbara Kingsolver
3. Name a movie you own on DVD/VHS/whatever that none of your friends do -"Evita" starring Madonna - I love that movie!
4. Name a tourist attraction in the US that you have visited that none of your friends have - The Mary Tyler Moore statue in Minnepolis, Minnesota

(sigh) It's gonna be a long blogging month...

Meme - You were a girl growing up in the 70s if...

I got this in an e-mail from a friend and thought it would do nicely for a Blog entry. If you'd like, copy it on to your Blog and tell us if these things applied to you...just let me know in my Comments please!

• You had that Fisher Price Doctor's Kit with a stethoscope that actually worked - I had a doctor's kit but don't remember if the stethoscope worked


• You owned a bicycle with a banana seat and a plastic basket with flowers on it - Yep - my bike was blue, the banana seat was white, I had a plastic basket with blue flowers *and* the handle bars had blue an white tassels! It was awesome.


• You learned to skate with actual skates (not roller blades) that had metal wheels - OK, "learned to skate" is really strong wording; let's just say I *owned* the pretty white boot skates with actual wheels


• You thought Gopher from Love Boat was cute - Nope, I liked the doctor, I always had a thing for older men - until I married a younger one!


• You had nightmares after watching Fantasy Island - No...I had a crush on Ricard Montalban - the older man thing again...


• You had either a "bowl cut" or "pixie", not to mention the "Dorothy Hamill" - I had the Dorothy Hamill wedge, looked goooood!


• You had rubber boots for rainy days and Moon boots for snowy days - I never had rubber boots, but I did own Moon Boots in my 20s for ski trips (don't ask!) - they are really comfortable!


• You owned a "Slip-n-Slide", on which you injured yourself on a sprinkler head more than once - Nope, I wasn't allowed to have a Slip and Slide but I don't remember really wanting one


• You owned "Klick-Klacks" and smacked yourself in the face more than once - I did own a set - they were amber colored - I never hit my face with them, but I did have bruises all over my arms. They were eventually confiscated in a raid at school, I never got them back


• Your Holly Hobbie sleeping bag was your most prized possession - Nope, by the time it came out I think I was a bit too old for Holly Hobbie


• You wore a poncho, gauchos, and knickers - Sadly yes, and maxis and midis and popcorn body-shirts as well


• You begged Santa for the electronic game, Simon - Actually I got "Merlin" instead


• You had the Donny and Marie dolls with those pink and purple satiny shredded outfits, or the sunshine family - I didn't have the dolls but I loved the show, hell Marie's getting my vote on Dancing with the Stars every week!


• You spent hours in your backyard on your metal swing set with the trapeze. The swing set tipped over at least once. - Nope, never had a swing set or a trapeze; as you can see my aversion to physical activity and/or the outdoors goes way back, although I love swings!


• You had homemade ribbon barrettes in every imaginable color - Don't know what these are


• You had a pair of Doctor Scholl's sandals (the ones with hard sole & the buckle) - Nope, but I did have Earth Shoes


• You also had a pair of salt-water sandals - Not sure what these are


• You wanted to be Laura Ingalls Wilder really bad; you wore that Little House on the Prairie-inspired plaid, ruffle shirt with the high neck in at least one school picture; and you despised Nellie Oleson! - Not a bit, I was never into the whole farmer out on the range settler thing. Laura and Nellie both annoyed me. I liked Laura's sister Mary, the one that went blind.


• You wanted your first kiss to be at a roller rink! Bwahahahaha, me - roller rink! Uh, no.


• PONG! ("video tennis" ) was the most remarkable futuristic game you've ever heard of ! - Yeah it was pretty cool!


• Your hairstyle was described as having "wings" or "feathers" and you kept it "pretty" with the comb you kept in your back pocket. When you walked, the "wings" flapped up and down, looked like you were gonna "take off" - Yep, that would be the Farrah Fawcett/Kristy McNichol phase


• You know who Strawberry Shortcake is, as well as her friends, Blueberry Muffin and Huckleberry Pie - I know who they are, but never owned any, again I was a bit too old when they came out. Scary part - there's baaaaack!


• You carried a Muppets lunch box to school and it was metal, not plastic. With the thermos inside some were glass inside and broke the first time you dropped them - I was never into the Muppets, but I did carry a Partridge family lunch box with a glass thermos for a while. I wish I would've kept that, they're worth a mint now!


• You and your girlfriends would fight over which of the Dukes of Hazzard was your boyfriend - No, I recognized the Dukes of Hazzard as the aberration they were even then!


• YOU had Star Wars action figures, too! - Nope


• It was a big event in your household each year when the "Wizard of Oz" would come on TV - Yes, the same applies to "The Sound of Music" and "The Ten Commandments"


• You often asked your Magic-8 ball the question: "Who will I marry. Shaun Cassidy, Leif Garrett, or David Cassidy?" - Well *I* was never allowed to own a Magic 8 Ball because my grandmother thought it was evil witchcraft and my parents didn't think it warranted arguing with her. However when I played with my friends' Magic 8 Ball I would never ask *that* question because I was *certain* I would marry David Cassidy!


• You completely wore out your Grease, Saturday Night Fever, and Fame soundtrack record album - Yes, and actually bought more than one copy of Saturday Night Fever and Grease


• You tried to do lots of arts and crafts, like yarn and Popsicle-stick God's eyes, decoupage, or those weird potholders made on a plastic loom - The only one I did was the weird pot-holders on the plastic loom thing. I have no idea what "yarn and Popsicle stick God's eyes are, but I'm scared.


• You made Shrinky-Dinks and put iron-on kittens on your t-shirts! - Yes to the Shrinky-Dinks, no way on the kittens. I was a rainbow and unicorn girl. (Stop laughing at me Dixie!)


• You used to tape record songs off the radio by holding your portable tape player up to the speaker - Absolutely!


• You had subscriptions to Dynamite and Tiger Beat - Yes to both


• You learned everything you needed to know about girl issues from Judy Blume books. (Are you there God, It's me, Margaret.) - Actually I had never read a Judy Blume book until last year


• You thought Olivia Newton John's song "Physical" was about aerobics - Isn't it?


• You wore friendship pins on your tennis shoes, or shoelaces with heart or rainbow designs - No idea what this is referring to


• You wanted to be a Solid Gold dancer - Never!


• You drowned yourself in Love's Baby Soft, which was the first "real" perfume you ever owned - No, the first "real" perfume I ever owned was "Chantilly"


• You glopped your lips in Strawberry Roll-on lip-gloss till it almost dripped off - Oh yeah, that super sexy spaghetti grease look...:)
  

I Get to Play Food Critic!

As some of you may know, almost two years ago I came up with an idea to get a bunch of friends together and and go to new or interesting restaurants - we're called "The Culinarily Adventurous Girls" (no "culinarily" isn't a word - just go with me on this). Since then we've been going to a different restaurant every month and have had some wonderful food and a lot of fun.

After each meal, in the e-mail message announcing the next date and restaurant selection, I would write a briefish review about the restaurant and what we ate and how we liked it. That eventually evolved into creating a web site for us which is currently a work in progress (once it's ready I'll let everyone know) and I also began sending the reviews to a couple of local food blogs.

Well, yesterday, the owner of my favorite of those food blogs Foodtastic invited me to be a Contributor! YAY me! If you click on the link, you'll see my latest review and my name listed as a Contributor. I'm so excited I can't stand it!

Maybe I'll grow up to be a professional food critic! Let's see you need to enjoy food - check; be brave about trying new and unusual foods - check; like to express your opinions - check (DUH!) ; and write semi-coherently - check!

Ah well...a girl can dream...:)

This Time Next Year

A year from today will be the 2008 Presidential elections. Thank God.

It's a given that regardless who the Democratic nominee is for President I am going to vote for him or her. There is no one in the Republican slate that even comes close to being palatable - there may be some I like, as people, more than others - but none of them are even in the vicinity of my political spectrum.

So really, for me the election where I have to make a choice will be the Democratic primary in Florida.

Back on January 27, 2007, I listed the then nominees and potential nominees. Most of them are still in the race, though realistically, not all are viable.

Although I like Biden and Todd and think they are extremely qualified, I don't think they have enough traction to go all the way. The same holds true for my original favorite Richardson, I still think he is "on paper" the most qualified of the lot as far as experience goes, but he just doesn't have the personality.

I love Kucinich, and strongly believe we need candidates like him in the party. What is radical and too far out there now, may very well be the issues of tomorrow - remember Ralph Nader and his environmental craziness back in the day? Now it's a major issue. As for Gravel - although I'm sure he's a lovely man I think the Alaska winters froze the common sense part of his brain rendering him crazy and frankly, a non-issue.

That leaves us with what having to choose among the, IMO, viable candidates: Hillary, Obama and Edwards. What a wonderful *problem* to have!

So here's the thing, I like Barack Obama a lot. I think he's super smart, personable, handsome, decent, radiating hope and possibility - but I don't think he's ready. I don't think he has the experience in politics in general and in Washington specifically. I'm not one of those who believes being an outsider is necessarily a good thing for a President.

And then there's Hillary. I have no doubt in my mind that she would make a phenomenal President. I think she's brilliant, has the necessary gravitas and has a mature, pragmatic approach to the issues at hand. The problem is that she's too polarizing. I think the Republicans don't have a definitive contender, and the conservatives don't have any viable candidates in the mix. I really think the conservative contingent of Republican voters will stay home before voting for Giuliani or the like - unless Hillary is the Democratic candidate, in which they will come out in hordes to vote against her!

Having said all that that I think the criticisms and attacks on Hillary have been, for the most part, unfair and unfounded. I think she knows better than to make wild pie-in-the-sky promises of radical change. She knows radical change is not only impossible, but in many cases irresponsible. I respect her for not pandering to the liberal Democrat base and saying what we want to hear even though she knows it can't be done.

That leaves Edwards, who until the last few days I was thinking would be the person I'd vote for in the primaries. But now he's started in on the Hillary bashing, and I think that's beneath him and unnecessary - he's pissed me off a bit. There's also the issue of his wife Elizabeth - God bless her. I'm concerned she's going to hit the crisis point in her illness just as the election comes around - then what's Edwards supposed to do? Continue campaigning and leave his young kids while his wife is dying? He'd have to drop out of the election just as it's crunch time. Hopefully this won't be the case and she'll be OK for a long time to come - but, not to be heartless, can we afford that risk?

So that's my conundrum for the primary...I want Hillary the President, but I'm afraid of Hillary the candidate. I like Obama, but don't think he's ready. I like Edwards but worry about his heart-breaking family circumstances.

The mind wobbles...if only Al Gore would run!

American Express Meme

These questions are from a print ad campaign American Express is running in magazines right now. It asks allegedly-American Express card-carrying celebrities some interesting questions. I'll skip the specifically American Express related questions.


Oh stop kvetching - it's short! If you want to play, let me know in my comments please.

1. Occupation - Technical Writer
   
2. Proudest Accomplishment - This is a difficult question to answer - I wonder what that says about me? I don't think about accomplishments and being proud of what I do, I just do what I think I have to and do it the best I can. I guess if I have to answer, I would say the first time I saw my name as a byline when I used to write a column in a local alternative paper.
   
3. Perfect Day - Wake up around 9:00 a.m. and go out for a nice breakfast. Then take the Metrorail to downtown and go to the art museum. Come home, change and go someone's house and hang out with a bunch of friends.
   
4. Most unusual gift received - The school-style globe my husband got me for Christmas a couple of years ago - I had always wanted one!
   
5. Recent Impulse Buy - a bottle of wine I've never tried before.
   
6. Retail Therapy - Buying books


7. Can't shop without - A bottle of water

Your turn!

The Lola Shuffle - "The It's NaBloPoMo Time" Edition

NaBloPoMo is here!

OK, Lola...shuffle us off to a good start for the month...

1. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' - Michael Jackson (Does he say "you're a vegetable" in this song?)
2. Learnin' the Blues - Frank Sinatra (Maybe I should call this the "dropping consonants from the end of words" edition of the Lola Shuffle)
3. King of Pain - The Police
4. One More Saturday Night - Grateful Dead (makes me smile)
5. The Fool On the Hill - The Beatles (I don't know why this is on Lola - I don't really like this song.)
6. I Haven't Got Time for the Pain - Carly Simon (Ay, who does Carly? Who does?)
7. Songbird - Eva Cassidy (Pretty)
8. I Only Want to Be With You - Dusty Springfield (That voice - awesome!)
9. La Vie Boheme - RENT Soundtrack (My favorite song and scene from the play and the movie)
10. The Dance - Garth Brooks (Melancholy song - beautiful)

Well, that was eclectic - good job Lola. Have a great weekend everyone!

"Beautiful In My Eyes" Lyrics

I know all of Joshua Kadison's songs sound the same, but the song David and I danced to at our wedding is his "Beautiful in My Eyes". And yes, the lyrics are sappy, but I think they're beautiful and very apropo for us.

I thought I'd share them today...

BEAUTIFUL IN MY EYES (Joshua Kadison)

You're my peace of mind in this crazy world.
You're everything I've tried to find, your love is a pearl.
You're my Mona Lisa, you're my rainbow skies,
and my only prayer is that you realize
you'll always be beautiful in my eyes.

The world will turn and the seasons will change,
and all the lessons we will learn will be beautiful and strange.
We'll have our fill of tears, our share of sighs.
My only prayer is that you realize
you'll always be beautiful in my eyes.

You will always be beautiful in my eyes,
andthe passing years will show
that you will always grow ever more beautiful in my eyes.

When there are lines upon my face from a lifetime of smiles,
and when the time comes to embrace for one long last while,
we can laugh about how time really flies,
we won't say goodbye 'cause true love never dies.
You'll always be beautiful in my eyes.

You will always be beautiful in my eyes.
And the passing years will show
that you will always grow ever more beautiful in my eyes.
The passing years will show
that you will always grow
ever more beautiful in my eyes.

Thanks for letting me share...

Our 10th Wedding Anniversary

Happy 10th Anniversary to hubby and me! Yep, it's been 10 years. It's so strange - in a way it feels like yesterday, but it also feels like we've been together forever.

We're not doing anything special today. Our trip to New Orleans back in April was our anniversary trip and Saturday we're going to lunch at a new Mexican restaurant that's gotten wonderful reviews. Then when we go to Philadelphia we're planning on going to our *special* restaurant in South Philly, the Italian neighborhood.

Actually our *big event* tonight is to play World of Warcraft with some friends and do a major "raid event" - we'll see how we do. But, as I told you last year, we'll still find time for our anniversary tradition.

So, to my husband: Happy Anniversary baby - thanks for giving me a wonderful 10 years. I'll be with you forever, you're my heart.