Weather Rants

Have I mentioned lately that there is no central air in my house?

If I haven't allow me to rant about how freaking hot it is.

When I sit at my computer...sweat literally pours off me.

Needless to say, I don't have much of a desire to sit at my computer right now.

The power went off briefly tonight...and screwed up one of my dad's oxygen compressers. Thankfully we could bring the one from upstairs down to the living room where he sleeps most of the time.

I'm going to hope this evening is a little bit cooler so I can sleep...because last night...it was just too humid. Even my window fan didn't cool the room off.

GAH...

I want to go to a motel!!

Summer Music

There are just some artists that I really enjoy listening to more in the summer. Jimmy Buffett is one of them.  His songs beg for you to be lying on the beach, wasting away in Margaritaville.

Oh how I wish I were there now.

Another artist I'm thinking will join the ranks of summer fun music is Zac Brown Band. Now some people will grumble that they are a country artist, but really they fall into the same level of country as Jimmy Buffett and even James Taylor.

THeir latest single features Jimmy...but have a listen to the song as they performed it on Jimmy Kimmel.



Wecome summer! This song is the perfect start to a hot sweltering season.

Once Again Hungry Girl Annoys

Hungry Girl has a show on that other food channel. On Sunday's my mom watches it, so I usually catch a few minutes of it.

Now I've picked up a lot of tips from Lisa a.k.a. Hungry Girl, but I would really like to issue a challenge to her. Find some swaps that don't cost the viewers a fortune. I'm pretty sure there are plenty of Hungry Girls out there that would like to find some great meals that were healthy but less pricey.

Like on today's episode...She did a ground meat swap with Morning Star crumbles.

I love Morning Star products, but I can get about 2 lbs of ground meat at Giant Eagle or more at Save-A-Lot for what a 12 oz baggy of those crumples cost. If you have a family....this just isn't feasible or economic.

It is like the vita-top muffins she extols on her website and her daily emails. You should see how much these little things cost!!! And they are just what they are called, muffin tops!!!!

If you want flavors you have to buy them in bulk. In the Pittsburgh area, we can pretty much only get banana nut.

That's not to say she doesn't have good ideas....because she does...

But really I'd love to challenge all of these people to come up with healthy swaps that are family friendly and above all else AFFORDABLE!

Not all of us have a show on a food channel...M'kay?

Too Much Of A Good Thing

Last night we had Chinese takeaway for dinner. The dinners always come with soup and eggroll. I never eat the eggroll.

When asked why?

I said this, "I lived on eggrolls in college."

California, PA has a great little Chinese restaurant just about a block from the campus. When I had night classes or long breaks around lunchtime, we'd always go and grab an eggroll (cos they were a buck!) and a carton of fried rice.

This was pretty much my normal routine with my small group of college friends. So that is 4 years of fried rice and eggrolls.

Is it any wonder I can't stand the sight of an eggroll?

Rice is another thing...I could probably eat rice every day of my life and be perfectly content.

Sorry eggrolls, I over did a good thing.

Top 5 On Friday

Top 5 albums you'll be listening to this holiday weekend

Danny Milan - Cast Away Mariners and the Nostalgic Time Travellers: No one will have heard of this guy. I'm reviewing his album for Review You. I'm actually really enjoying it and am surprised he's only 19, because his sound is very 70s-ish!

Carole Stockwell - Pieces Of My Heart: This is another review album. I have every intention of finishing this review by the 31st too.

Here are three others that will likely be played either in my car or on my Zen while I'm at the YMCA

 

OK I Have A New Band To Love

The other day I discovered some new music by a band called Owl City. I know, they've been around for awhile, but I never bothered to listen until now.

I really think they fall under that crazy genre known as TWEE. I still haven't figured out WTF TWEE is. But that doesn't really matter, their music is absolute gorgeous. It is very calming and sweet.

Take a listen to Vanilla Twilight.



This song takes me to my happy place.  Oh and I really want to go to that lighthouse in the video. I love lighthouses!!!

When In Doubt, Improvise

Anymore when it comes to dinner, we improvise, especially on days when it is too darn hot to turn on the oven. Today was one of those days.

So mom came up with a great easy peasy crockpot recipe.

8 chicken tenders
1 can Cream of Mushroom
1 can Cream of Chicken
2 carrots cut up in bite size pieces
3 potatoes cubed
1/2 frozen peas

Cook on high for 4 hours....the peas are added in the last 45 minutes when you can turn the crockpot to low. If you'd like, shred the chicken or break it up into smaller pieces.

Served on toast or rice or egg noodles.

Very very nommy

Go Hines!

I can't believe I'm sitting at home watching Dancing With The Stars. Or at least parts of it. My draw, is our star Steeler, Hines Ward, aka Twinkle Toes.

It is really fabulous watching this powerhouse of a player trip the light fantastic.

He's good.

Damn good.

And I'm not just saying that because he's a Steeler. I'm saying that because, he's a damn good dancer. The competition tonight is tough,  but I'm rooting once again for the black and gold.

It was great to see the team represented in the audience.

Go Hines!

If we can't have a Super Bowl trophy....bring Pittsburgh the Mirror Ball!!!

Return Of The Doctor Rant

I'm ready to start billing my parents primary care physician for my time. They both have appointments scheduled together so that I don't have to miss work as often for them.

Today's appointments were at 3:30 and 4:00. Neither of them went in until well after 4 and the doctor didn't see them until 5:20.

It was 5:50 before we were able to leave the office.

Am I the only one that sees a problem with this?

Now, I really don't have much of a problem with the doctor. She's a nice enough lady. But crikey, every time we go, she's running late.

I left work an hour early so I could get them to their appointments on time. I really think that doctors should give their patients the same consideration.

Oh and my father ran out of oxygen AGAIN as a result. Grrrr. And he had 2 canisters.

Since When Is The Weekend For Relaxing?

I spent the last two days playing catch up. Catching up on laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning. And do you know what? I don't feel like I've accomplished anything.

I never seem to be able to take time for myself on Saturday or Sunday.

It is always running, somewhere for something.

Next weekend is a holiday weekend and I don't see anything changing.

However the first person that asks me what I'm going to be doing over the weekend, just may get punched. Chances are I'm not doing anything next weekend, that I haven't done this weekend or the weekend before.

Which is commonly the same as what I do every weekend.

Go CRAZY!!!

My only hope is that next weekend I'll be able to run to Critter Country Animal Park and Target.

Oh what a wild and crazy life I live!!

I Need Itso Cubes

For those of us that live a college dorm life even when we've been out of college for ...uh...never mind how long. Itso cubes are the most awesome storage unit around.

I have about 80 bazillion books laying around on the floor and on any other surface I can find..and CDs too.

I need Itso Cubes...and a bigger house!

But in all honesty, things are piling up and I really need to get a few more of those snazzy cubes so I don't look like I belong on an episode of hoarders.

I'm amazed that they have these things at Amazon as well as Target, but I'd hate to pay shipping on them because they are rather large.

Top 5 On Friday

Top 5 albums you wish you'd never have bought

Duran Duran's Thank You is definitely one album I wish I had never blown $20 on.

It was an album of cover songs, and most of them were done badly. Let me also add that these idiots who I mostly love usually do good pop music, when they give it a good college try.

However this was the start of a nearly 10 year peroid of not trying at all.  Oh and they covered Costello's Watching The Detectives. It was criminal, I tell you.

Duran Duran's Red Carpet Massacre is another album I wish I hadn't bothered with.

I know I sound like I'm picking on the guys, and well, I am, but this album was more horrible than Thank You, and I didn't think that was possible.

Thank You had a few decent covers. I think there was only one song on this one that liked, and I have to say, I never play this one. EVER. Yes, my friends, this album was that bad. That's what happens when you get Timberlake and Timbaland to produce. Madonna learned that lesson too.

Depeche Mode's Songs Of Faith and Devotion is another album I could do without in my collection.

I think it has to do with Violator being such a fantastic album. There is no way the followup could be any good.

I apparently am not the only one that feels this way. The album may have gone straight to number one, but within a few weeks all those copies sat in the used CD stores.

Avril Lavigne's Let Go is one of those albums I have no idea why I bought. it just isn't the type of music I usually listen to. Plus the only song I actually like on the record is Complicated, and after a few hundred times hearing it on the radio, even that lost its appeal.

This is definitely one album that can be filed under "Mistakes" in my collection.

Though I have to say that in more recent years, her music has become slightly less obnoxious.



I love Sarah Brightman, but Classics really doesn't have enough good material for me to say it was worth the price tag.

The only two tracks I really like are Ave Maria and Winterlight.

I guess I'm just not a huge fan of "Classics". I prefer Sarah singing the more New Age-y stuff. That seems to suit her voice better.

But then again, this is just me.

Murphy's Law

I think Murphy's Law applies to shopping too. How is it that whenever I go to Barnes and Noble for my monthly book buying extravaganza, I'll get a coupon in the mail the following week for 15% off?

No joke!

I spend $34 at B & N aka my crack dealer and yesterday when I get home there's a packet of coupons in the mail.

Grrrr

For the most part, I like to try to go shopping when I actually have a coupon...but this store always likes to give me a sucker punch.

On a plus I did get to take advantage of Happy Hour at Starbucks several times before the promotion went away!

Who can pass up 50% Frappachinos! Especially those new Coconut Mocha ones...Mmmm so tasty.

Why I Love Goodreads

Goodreads is such a fun website. Not only do I get to keep track of my reading...you know like I need another outlet for that, but it has great features.

My favorites are author quotes.

Here are a few of mine:



"You are not entitled to your opinion. You are entitled to your informed opinion. No one is entitled to be ignorant." — Harlan Ellison
 
"Some books should be tasted, some devoured, but only a few should be chewed and digested thoroughly."— Cornelia Funke
 
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe."


— Albert Einstein
 
"You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough."


— Mae West
 
What are some of your favorite quotes/

I Read The News Today Oh Boy

Every time I turn on the TV or pick up the paper or log into my homepages, I'm astounded by all the scary crap...and ridiculous crap going on in the world.

~ Trump isn't going to run for president. Apparently all the brouhahaha he was creating for the last few months was an attempt to make more people watch his crap reality show.

~ AHnold apparently knocked someone up awhile back...That just...I don't know...really...I just don't know...because I can't fathom anyone wanting to sleep with The Terminator.

~ The Irish were trying to blow up the Queen. Poor Elizabeth...Heck Charles doesn't even have to put toothpaste on his toothbrush. I'm not sure I'd want that much help in my life. But seriously what would this family do...if they had to be normal? Oh and really, it isn't nice to plot to kill an 80 something year old lady...even if you don't like her...

~ What about those watermelons in China? Apparently they were given a little bit too much of a growth hormone and now they are like land mines! That's one tasty explosion! Watch were you step though!

On a weather related note: I don't think it is ever going to stop raining. I'm considering building an ark. So what's your favorite silly/scary news tidbit so far this week?

Review Songs

This month I received a song review from the PR company I review for. Let me tell you, it is really hard to review a single song, no matter how good the song is.

The song I have to review is actually pretty good. Check out my Last.fm page, you'll see it there....ABOUT 100 times. I've had it on repeat now for about 5 days.

I'm getting a bit sick of listening to it, but it really is difficult to come up with about 300 words to describe something that is only about 4 minutes long.

It is much much easier to review an album. There's so much more you can say about 10-12 songs than just one!

I think I may lose the rest of my mind before my 5/25 deadline.

Randomosity

~ Can I get a woo hoo for Troy Polamalu for getting his degree while the NFL Lockout is going on! Good job Troy!

~ Hoping Hines Ward's dance partner Kym is OK...so they can continue to kick butt on Dancing With The Stars. I don't even like the show all that much, but I'm part of Steeler Nation...and I love Hines...so I want them to bring home the Mirror Ball...especially since they didn't win that Super Bowl.

~ Eat N' Park's Chicken and Strawberry salad is still pretty damn good. I think it is the poppyseed dressing that really makes it yummy though.

~ So far this season of Doctor Who has been a bit underwhelming. I'm hoping that last night's episode, which I'll be watching shortly will make up for the total meh-ish-ness the other 3 episodes left me with.

~ Torchwood I don't even want to think about what the next 10 episodes are going to be like, except maybe depressing.

90s Reunion..No Freaking Way

Our high school classmates have decided to have a reunion for everyone that graduated in the 90s.

Seriously? WTF!

I have to say my level of caring is about 0.

I didn't like the people I went to school with when I was in high school much. I sure as hell don't want to talk to any of them now.

And a whole decade of people I don't know and don't like?

No thank you!

I also think it has to do with not wanting to see how successful these people are when I'm a big ole loser :(

Actually I think that really is it.

Top 5 On Friday

Top 5 songs you wish you'd never hear again

1. Katy Perry - California Girlz  : It was cute the first 5 times. After that, not so much.

2. Sara Evans - A Little Bit Stronger: I loved this song when it first came out but country radio played it to death and now I die a little bit every time I hear it.

3. Taylor Swift - Mine: Another song that was played into the ground. Sadly all Taylor Swift songs are played into the ground.

4. Lady Gaga - Born This Way: The video is creepy too.

5. Beyonce - Single Ladies: Between the parodies and the actual song...I hope to god I never hear this one again!!

I Have Willpower

Bath & Body Works had a VIP bag with purchase going on the last few days. Anyone that knows me, knows I absolutely love all things Bath and Body Works.

The nice thing about their wonderful smelling products, is that they don't bother my Dad. He's always been super sensitive to fragrance and now that his lungs aren't good, I don't like to wear anything that could aggravate his COPD. Bath and Body stuff is really light and doesn't bother him, so WOOT!

I have one of just about every fragrance, except for the super floral stuff which I don't like.

I am so proud I didn't cave in and spend the $60.00 needed to get the bag. (Even though I really wanted it)

Right now I have body washes and lotions and sprays coming out the wazoo. So I really didn't need it.

Do I get a woo hoo for having some restraint? I think I deserve one..and maybe a chocolate chip cookie too!

Obsolete?

Take a look at what this writer says will be obsolete in 5 years.

I take exception with most of them. I don't think e-readers will be gone. They will evolve, as the Nook is doing with the fabulous Nook Color that is a cheaper version of an iPad. I don't quite grasp the fondness for touch screens on phones and computer devices. Sure they are fun, but they are super annoying to use.

Oh and really? GPS? The only way that will be obsolete is if the whole software thing goes belly up. Personally I can't stand any of them.

I can see Netbooks going, because well...isn't that what the iPads etc are supposed to replace, though lord knows, they cost an arm and a leg more.

Some people think everything will be done on the smartphones.

Uh no thank you.

I like my smartphone, but I don't plan on doing much reading on it. Apps like that suck the battery life from the best gadget, and I don't have vision insurance for when the Kindle and Nook apps kill what is left of my eyesight.

So which of the 5 do you think will disappear?

Too Many Towels

How many towels does one family need? A family of 4 perhaps?

I'm trying to figure out the equation because I swear I'm drowning in a sea of mismatched, obnoxious towels!

I figure if every person in this house had 3 or 4 towels that would be enough?

Why do I have 5 cubes full of freaking towels of every size imaginable?

Again, none of them freaking match!

Oh and there are beach towels too...you know from the days a long long time ago when Mom, Dad and I would go to the wonderful state parks in the Laurel Highlands and..GASP...SWIM!

I really want to burn all these nasty little blighters and start over. I'd really love to have towels that matched SOMETHING!!

Maybe I'm asking for too much? But I don't think so.

Happy Mother's Day

Two of the ladies that shaped my life



This is a picture of my mom and my gram, on gram's 100th b-day back in 2007. I can't believe she's been gone 3 years. It is on days like this that we all miss her terribly.

I'm glad that after all the health problems my mom has had over the years, that we still have her. I can't begin to fathom what my life would be like without her.

I love you mom!

Things I Don't Care About

~ Paul McCartney's soon to be wife number 3, Nancy Shevell. Seriously Paul? If you have a big glamorous wedding with this one, I will vow not to care about you either.

~ Anything the Republican Party has to say. If only they said things that were useful, maybe I'd want to listen. But since all they really do is lie and lie some more so that they get richer...I can't take them seriously. I'm not saying the Democrats don't do the same thing, but sometimes I think they at least care about the middle and lower classes.

~ American Idol: How many crap artists can one show create?

~ The parallels between Will & Kate and Charles and Di. Please stop! Let it rest.

~ Whether or not Obama's birth certificate is real. He's the president right now..I worked for his campaign, STFU!

Top 5 On Friday

Top 5 songs you associate with people in your life

Jimmy Buffett - Fruitcakes = My brother, Rudy (I didn't know there was a video for this song!!)

Scorpions - Wind Of Change = My sister, Debby

Paul Stookey - The Wedding Song = Mom

Morrissey - You're The One For Me Fatty = Tina

John Taylor - I Do What I Do = Jennifer

My Weekend Plans

Mom and I have decided that this is going to be a relaxing weekend. I'm not exactly sure how that is going to be accomplished, because relaxing is something that just isn't done in our household.

Frantic running around, we do well. Chillin' not so well.

If all goes well, we'll get La Fiesta fajitas for dinner on Mother's Day, but other than that...I'm going to try to make this weekend one that will let me just sit back, read and relax.

I have loads of books I want to get to, both in huge piles on my floor and on my Nook.

I also plan to stop by Happy Hour at Starbucks for a half price Coconut Mocha Frappachino! Mmmm tasty.

And if I'm feeling frisky I may start to organize my book blog...but I'm not holding out too much hope for getting that done

It's Time For Some LOLS

You know this is exactly what that wench Middleton was thinking...you know as she goes home to Wales to be a housewife!! That is after she plays with the WARDROBE the British public paid for. GRRRR

Now I just feel old!

Remind me...to keep my goals limited from now on!

Why Me?

So my mother calls me at about noon today to tell me my father's oxygen machine isn't working right. I ask her, if they have checked the tubing to see if there are any breaks in the line or if something is sitting on the tubing blocking the oxygen.

That has been known to cause the machine to malfunction.

No joke, my dad got the tubing stuck in his recliner last Friday....mayhem and madness ensued!

Today, after much panic, we found out, in his quest for neatness, he managed to turn down the oxygen level to zero, causing the machine to go batshit insane.

All this at lunch time.

Well it would have been lunch time if I actually erm...got one.

Either way....two more years off my life for the panic this caused.

I need a beer and a vodka please!

Final Thoughts On That Big Ass Wedding

Ok, so Kate Middleton not only gets to be Duchess of Cambridge and sometime in the next 40 years...she gets to be Queen of England, for the next two years...she gets to be a plain ole housewife, married to her RAF hubby also known as Prince William of Wales.

Oh and she had one of the most beautiful wedding days EVER!!!

I hate to say it..but

Lucky bitch!

She has the life that every little girl dreams of.

Where's my prince charming! I've been waiting nearly 36 years! I don't even want that kind of wedding. I'd be happy to walk down the aisle in my little church in this silly town I live in.

However I would like to put the request in to be a housewife!

Work is markedly overrated!

Monday Musings

~ So they killed Osama Bin Laden. I'm not really sure how I feel about this, except to say that maybe Prince William and his Duchess Catherine are thanking President Obama for getting the attention off of them for the time being.

~ Not sure why but I'm riding on a Royal Wedding high right now. Seriously! We should all have nuptials like Wills and Kate. However....I'd like to stake a claim on Prince Harry....I don't care that he's 12 years younger than me either. I can be a cougar!!! Roar!

~ Feeling a little bit better today. Tylenol PM is my new best friend.

~ This CD was finally reissued!!




Click here to get a few free mp3s. I highly recommend downloading Refuge while it is a freebie. The song is gorgeous!

Still Sick

I totally didn't have the gumption to post yesterday. Whatever crap I picked up has really got me down and still does.

My head is all stuffy, I've got a cough...and I've been sneezing like crazy.

This is totally not fun.

I felt ok yesterday for a bit...and did the dumbest thing.

I went to the YMCA and got on the exercise bike for about 20 minutes.

Big mistake.

After that I felt worse.

The only sign that I might be on the mend is that I have a bit more of a voice today.

Thank god for Tylenol PM...or the generic equivilent.