Top 5 On Friday

Top 5 songs that you have liked "forever"


You guys know the drill. Play along in the comments or in your journal. This meme is created for my site Music Memoirs. Feel free to go there and check out my other weekly memes and play along.

This one is easy for me, since there are at least 2 that I can remember loving since I was at least 5...no wait...make that 3...

1. The Monkees - Daydream Believer: Still one still tops my list of songs that I can't live without. Davy Jones....sigh....I love that man!

2. The Beatles - I'll Follow The Sun: I fell in love with this one the first time I saw it on The Beatles Cartoons!

3. Olivia Newton-John - Xanadu: My nieces were obsessed with this movie when we were little and so was I!

4. Olivia Newton-John - Physical: Hey! I was a child of the 80s!!

5. Culture Club: Karma Chameleon: No explanation for this other than it is freaking catchy and I love it still!!!

Sometimes Its Best To Be Alone

I love my friends, but sometimes it is better to be solitary. I do solitary well. I always have. I'm not sure why.

If asked what tv character I identify with the most, I'd probably have to say that little boy Brick on The Middle. I'm not athletic and my nose as always been buried in a book. Not to mention I have always had anti-social tendencies.

I've also always managed to have friends that ditch me when they get involved. Funny isn't it? Granted I believe that your significant other should always be one of your best friends, but I don't believe that they should be your only friend.

I guess it leads me to be a not so trusting individual when it comes to friendships, and I do prefer being on my own to being in a group.

I'm going through a period right now where I'm kind of enjoying being alone and doing stuff with family. I'm sure that will change again and I'll want to be a social butterfly for a bit, but right now I'm enjoying some "me" time.

Oh and the YMCA...I'm loving the exercise and the lending library!!

Stink Bugs Make You Crazy

I had every intention of going to the YMCA to exercise after work today, until my dad had to go on the "Great Stink Bug Removal."

Sweet bejeebus! You would think we had an infestation of these ugly critters, but from what I've heard the few that we have sneaking in our house are nothing! But lordy, he's tossing them out windows, flushing them down the toilet! You name it! He's doing it! Anything to get rid of the dreaded STINK BUGS!

Better stink bugs than bed bugs, I'm thinking.

But back to my story. I was just getting ready to leave...but a storm was coming through, and my mom thinks she hears my dad say, "There's something on the door down there." Down there being my grams/my house.

So I grab a pair of sandals and nearly get blown to the other end of town to find NOTHING on the door!

Why?

Because what my father said was "There's a stink bug on the door!"

After he gets all twitchy about the bugs I tell him if he really wants to see stink bugs, he should come upstairs, as that's where the screens are, and there are scads of the ugly little Mofos.

Big mistake!

He set out to rid the upstairs of every stink bug.

I think he needs a 12 step program.

Exercise Helps!

I'm really feeling so much better now that I'm going to the Y and exercising regularly. They have two workout areas; one main gym with all the equipment and an express gym that really kicks butt. Its a bit like the Curves circuit only with weights, so that you can build your intensity.

In the last week, I've managed to go 5 times, which is actually better than I ever did with Jack's. Usually there, I was lucky to get three workouts in a week. So I'm proud of myself.

Hopefully in time I'll see myself shrinking, cos lord knows I need to shrink.

I know I certainly feel this exercise more than I have in ages. My muscles a properly sore after the workout which is much different than the feeling I had after I left Jack's and that doesn't make a lot of sense as the equipment was pretty much similar.

Ah well, I guess I'll know in time if it does me any good, right?

I do know that it makes me feel good when I'm doing it, even if it makes me achy!

Monday? Now? I Didn't Order It

I really don't understand how the weekends fly by so quickly anymore? I guess its just that I have so much that I need to cram into those 48 hours that makes it worse.

Saturday was more me time. I did get to the Y to exercise, and I got to make the down payment on the trip to Berlin, Ohio next month.

Whoo to the hoo!

I'm just not ready to head back to the same old same old today.

This could get me started on my "I need a vacation rant" but I know that gripe is old as Methuselah, so I'll let it go this time, even though it is true.

It doesn't seem fair that all my vacation days always have to go for doctor's appointments.

~big sigh~

Aw well, can't change it...so I gotta deal with it.

Covered Bridge Festival

20100919_27
Originally uploaded by moodylady

I made my yearly jaunt to Mingo Park to the Covered Bridge Festival. You can see some of the goodies that could be had there here.

The sad thing thing is the drought has really affected the creek. We actually walked through the creek to take pictures of the Henry Bridge, and there was no water there. Where there was water, it was barely a trickle.

I'm a bit apprehensive of going to Ohio Pyle next weekend, because the drought is sure to have made an impact on the waterfalls there, especially the Cucumber Falls.

Here's hoping we get some real rain soon.

Camera Critters

If you want to play along with Camera Critters just go here

Last weekend I went to Phipps Conservatory and though its mostly flowers there are some finned critters there.

Like this little guy

Top 5 On Friday

Top 5 recent musical discoveries

~ This can be bands, songs, albums a mixture of all of them

You guys know the drill. Play along in the comments or in your journal. This meme is created for my site Music Memoirs. Feel free to go there and check out my other weekly memes and play along.


Here are five awesome artists I discovered through my work with Review You and Aerial Publicity:

Annie Fitzgerald  : Singer/Songwriter Annie Fitzgerald combines tender lyrics akin to Shawn Colvin, a timeless sound like that of Ray Lamontagne, a soulfulness kindred to Patty Griffin, and a quiet intensity similar to Damien Rice, then stirs the pot into a sound that’s all her own.

Davy Mooney : ~ Davy's music is a bit jazz with folk. Really gorgeous chillout stuff.

Maree McRae I've described her in one of my reviews as a touch of Joni Mitchell and a smidge of Dar Williams.

Leyla Fences OMG this is awesome new country! She has a twang and a sense of humor!

Wendy Waller: This lady's voice is like buddah! Diana Krall may have some competition in Wendy!

I'm So Out Of It

Last week was the holiday so you would think that I'd have my days mixed up then, but no...its this week that has me befuddled.

I keep thinking...wishing...hoping...that today is Friday.

I think it has more to do with this stupid cold that I have than actually being excited for the weekend.

I really just want to be able to sleep past 6 o'clock and without the help from two tablespoons of Nyquil.

I'm not even getting the crazy Nyquil dreams. (That's really quite odd)

So can we please bypass Thursday please and hop straight to Friday so I can get some sleep?

Gumdrop Has Earned Her Keep

Miss Gumdrop found a mouse in our basement.

Now the last time one of those critters was spotted in our house, I was in high school, so you have a general idea of how long its been since we've had a rodent that wasn't caged in our house.

Miss Gummie of all cats, killed the mouse and brought it up to the kitchen to share with us!

Ewww, thanks but no thanks Miss Gummie!

And that's how my day started!

Oye and vey!

Sickness, I Has It

OMG the sinus issue I've been dealing with all summer has finally come front and center today and with it came the cough from hell.

Big F-off world!

I wanted to go to the Y today, but I've learned about exercise and sickness.

Don't do it, unless you want to be really sick the next day.

Trust me on this. I learned this the hard way.

So tonight I'm hitting the sack early with a swig of Nyquil and hopefully I'll be ready to go tomorrow night.

Frustrations

I've got a whole lot of frustrations in my life right now, and I think that's why I've not been posting many "real" posts lately.

I'm trying to get things situated for the holidays. I know, ALL READY?

Yeah.

We're going to scale back this year, and that's fine with me, but I want to have a game plan going into the season, so that we don't screw up and over spend and then feel guilty about it later on.

The problem is from Oct - December I have so many friends and family members with birthdays that everything is a huge expense. My mom, sister and brother all have birthdays, my other mother (a good friend that I've adopted as a bonus mother), and my two best friends have birthdays in these months, actually those friends have birthdays 4 days between each other..and other mother and sister have one day between them!

ARGH!

I need a financial planner to deal with all of this.

This holiday I want a pretty tree, some good music and books and some good food and I will be happy as a clam!

Now to figure out how to do that without going INSANE...or getting committed, or BOTH!

Gargoyles In The Garden

The rest of my pictures from Phipps can be found here

Camera Critters

If you want to play along with Camera Critters just go here

Last weekend I saw a lot of "critters". On Saturday I went to the Good Zoo in Oglebay Park and on Monday I went to Critter Country Animal Farm in Smithton, PA.

This little guy is one of the many llama/alpacas that they have there.

What is the difference between the two?

I checked Wiki and I really couldn't figure out the difference other than size? So I'm thinking this little guy is an alpaca. I may be wrong though.

One thing I do know though is, this little critter is pretty darn cute!!

Top 5 On Friday

Top 5 "peaceful" songs

~ Interpret as you see fit

You guys know the drill. Play along in the comments or in your journal. This meme is created for my site Music Memoirs. Feel free to go there and check out my other weekly memes and play along.

John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band - Give Peace A Chance
George Harrison - Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)
Elvis Costello and or or with Nick Lowe - What's So Funny 'Bout Peace Love & Understanding
Paul McCartney - Pipes Of Peace
Cliff Richard - Peace In Our Time

I Love My Nook

eReaders are wonderful. My nook is now my new best friend. I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about it after I bought it. Would it just be another gadget collecting dust? But no. Once I got used to the feel of the Nook, it really became a fun thing.

I finished my first eBook, Jane Eagland's Wildthorn, this morning and now I'm started an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of Debbie Macomber's Call Me Mrs Miracle and I'm halfway through it.

You can check out my review of Wildthorn here

Now if you don't mind, I've got lots of reading to do tonight!

I asked this on Facebook this week; What are you reading right now?

~ Note to Mike: Saying this post will get the raspberries blown in your general direction :P

It's time to get off my butt

I'm going to join the YMCA today, much to my chagrin I need structure or I will never be able to get the weight off. My gym closed at the end of June and its been a steady climb up the scale again.

I guess I can find a way to balance the budget and get rid of the bulge.

Insert big sigh here.

I guess sometimes you have to cut back to get what you want, right?

I just wish getting fit wasn't so expensive, but like I said, if I don't have something that has some structure, I just don't do it. I sit on my lazy butt and read or play on the computer. I need incentive to get myself moving.

Tuesday Tunes: Week 149

From Music Memoirs

Let's talk about tv and music this week.

Give us your favorite:

TV theme song: The Friendly Indians - I Know, You Know: Psych Theme
 

Music related tv show The Monkees! You didn't have to ask me twice about this one.


Show with the best background music Castle has the best music that you almost don't notice.


Music show from yesteryear:  Solid Gold

Weekend Photos

I had a rather productive Labor Day Weekend.

Saturday was Oglebay Park and The Good Zoo.

Today was Critter Country Animal Park

All in all about 249 pictures taken this weekend.

I was a busy little shutterbug!

It Costs How Much?

This is how you know I spend a lot of time at The Dollar Tree. I was looking for body wash at Shop N' Save today, thinking I would pick something sweet smelling to tide me over until my Yves Rocher order comes in. I looked at all the various brands out there and my jaw dropped to the floor.

Oil Of Olay body was was almost $7.00

No joke!

That's more than most shampoos sold in the store and the bottle is about the same size.

The mind boggles. I don't pay that much for body wash ever. $3.50 is the most I spend usually and that's at Yves Rocher because I love the scents. I never buy them at Bath And Body unless they are on sale. I usually buy the body sprays there because I don't usually like heavy perfume.

I guess I'll be off to one of the dollar stores, because $7.00 is entirely too much money for glorified liquid soap!!

Camera Critters

If you want to play along with Camera Critters just go here

Today I went to Oglebay Park in Wheeling WV. One of the highlights of the Park is The Good Zoo. I don't know why they call it that. It always makes me wonder if there's a Bad Zoo or a Mediocre Zoo out there somewhere.

But here are some of the critters I saw today.

Off To Oglebay

I'm obviously out of my mind, but I'm taking both Raymond, Michael and Michael's girlfriend Mandy to Oglebay today and then to Triadelphia to Books-A-Million and all the other amusing places today.

Will I be able to survive this?

I don't know.

I have my cameras ready.

My mp3 player charged.

My credit cards are ready to get a small workout.

Wish me luck

Top 5 On Friday

Top 5 albums you'd recommend to a friend

You guys know the drill. Play along in the comments or in your journal. This meme is created for my site Music Memoirs. Feel free to go there and check out my other weekly memes and play along.

1. Loomis and the Lust - Space Camp

I reviewed this EP for Mossip a few weeks back and it is really great, especially if you are a fan of 80s music. All the tracks on this one are good. That's rare these days.  It is definitely worth the $5.00 to download it from Amazon or iTunes.


2. Gordon Lightfoot - Harmony

This is probably the last album of new material we'll see from Gordon. From what I've heard at concerts, he's mostly concentrating on touring.

He told me that this album was thrown together really quickly but if you give it a listen, you'd never guess. One of my favorite Lightfoot tunes is on this album and that's Inspiration Lady. Sure his voice isn't as strong as it was 20 years ago, but it is still good, and this album is more than worth the money to listen to it.

3. Bombshel - Fight Like A Girl

This is acutally some pretty good country pop for people that like Sugarland, The Dixie Chicks and SheDaisy.

Its a little more country sounding than Lady A, but its fresh and fun and not really so twangy as to annoy.  My best description is Gloriana and SheDaisy only without the guys on vocals. Fresh and young, but not tween sounding. Dose that make any sense at all?

4. Judd Starr - Spirit and Skin

I can list many reasons besides his talent that any red blooded female should take.

Oh mylanta this man is gorgeous and he can sing.

There are so many good songs on this album, What If I'm Fine, Please Penny and Borrow You.  He's another artist with a bit of an 80s vibe. This was truly one of my favorite albums of 2008.

5. Nu Shooz Orchestra - Pandora's Box

Another album I reviewed at Mossip and a really great one too. A little bit jazz, a little bit chill out and a whole lot of mystery.

This duo has come a long way since their days as a new wave band in the 80s. Pandora's Box is a must listen!

Click on the album covers to get more info on each of my choices!

Sarah Palin Scares Me

I know I've mentioned this before, but every day I get more fearful that she will be the Republican nominee in 2012 and that she'll win.

This woman's picture is in the dictionary next to the word wingnut, and yet she has legions of followers.

I realize we're all dissatisfied with the government, but lordy, why do the people that the country at large chooses to follow blindly have to be INSANE! I won't even go on about Glen Beck. I might have an aneurysm.

Are there any politicians out there that actually care about the constituants. Do any of them actually care about the working poor. I know that's where I fall, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. I do what I have to do to survive.

I'm so sick of seeing the ads bitching about the bank bailouts. I wonder how we'd all feel if the banks didn't get bailed out? Or GM. What if all those banks failed? Or GM went belly up? Yet people like Palin will blame the current administration for doing what they thought was right at the time. You know, preventing a total economic disaster.

And because most of the country is uninformed, they nod and blindly follow her, forgetting what happened to cause the bailout.

Oye.

And when they all start preaching moral values I get sick to my stomach. Excuse me Mama Grizzly, maybe take a look at your own before you take a stab at the rest of the world.

Lady Sugarplum Von Buttonhead Tells It Like It Is

Hello world. I am Lady Sugarplum von Buttonhead and there are a few things I'd like to let you know right now.

I'm not sure I like these people who have adopted me. OK, I like the old man. He has a good lap.

I want the whole house to myself, but no, they have other animals and sometimes they really annoy me. I just want to be left alone so I can get my beauty sleep. Then I have to actually share my food bowl with them! How horrific! Let's not even start with the litter box! I don't like any of them!

But I do have all of them under my paw, because I'm so cute and they just love that. I can get away with most everything, except scratching the couch. If I do that they get really peeved at me. I don't know why. Its an upright object and it is perfect for scratching. Those scratching posts they paid lots of money for do absolutely nothing for me. Let those other foolish kitties play with them. I want nothing to do with them.

Now if you don't mind, I think I need to get back to my beauty sleep. Fill my food bowl, while I do that, or feel my wrath later.

Randomosity

~ Went with my sister to the vet yesterday. Her cat Mr. Grey has very sharp claws when he tries to hold on. I now haw several small holes all over my arms and legs. It is a good thing he's an extremely cute cat.

~  Bristol Palin on Dancing With The Stars = Do Not Want. I blogged more about it over at Wenches

~ I'm working on a reading challenge for my blog which I will be posting later today. I'll share a link for those of you bookie people that might want to join in.

~ Nu Shooz loved my review of their album Panadora's Box. I was very excited about that!! The album is great too, very jazzy and fun. I also found out they were fans of Danny Elfman, so that makes them good in my book.

~ Got my bill for the Colposcopy, health care reform has worked. Last year I paid $800 for the procedure. This year it was only about $400. So a small yay there.

~ I play way too many games on Facebook. I need to cut back. Way too much time is wasted there. I have farms, cafes, fishbowls. Oye!

~ A major publisher asked me to review some books. Can I get a woo hoo! Free books to review. I love it! And yes, Mike, I think my floorboards are buckling!

Hurry Down Doomsday The Cat's Are Taking Over

If Mr. Rimba can take over Andrea's blog, well so can I, and I think some of my other friends have some things that they'd like to share with the humans.

My big gripe is that silly I Can Has Cheezburger website. Do all humans think that we are that stupid?

The Egyptians had cat gods and goddesses and yet people think that cats walk around going "oh hai!" or "O Rly!" I don't think so!

Perhaps in recent years people have forgotten about TS Eliot's book of Practical Cats. It inspired a musical, you know. I may be no Grizabella, but I certainly know how to speak English, maybe even the Queen's English and that's a hard thing to do, considering I'm a kitty from Washington County in the fair state of Pennsylvania.

I better give this blog back to Andrea or maybe I should give it to one of my other friends.

Mr. Rimba's World

Hi there, friends. I'm Mr. Rimba. My real name is Skimble Shanks and I'm one of Miss Andrea's many kitteh's. I live here with her and my mom and 2 siblings and a few other cats that think they rule the house, but they are wrong. I'm the head honco here and if you promise not tell the others, I think I'm her favorite.

I like to keep her on her toes and make sure she gets up for work on time. My favorite thing to do is jump on top of her bedroom door and scratch and then pretend that I don't know how to get down.

Ha!

I can get down, but I don't like to. It sucks that she's been on to me lately. She ignores me! That's not right! I'm going to have to find something else to do to get her attention. I may have to consult with some of the other kitties, to find out what might work best.

But right now I think I need a nap and maybe some kibble.

Camera Critters

If you want to play along with Camera Critters just go here

My neighbor is the crazy turtle man. He has an insane amount of turtles in his yard and not all of them are small box turtles like the one in this picture.

Nope, some of them are pretty  big.


I think at the last count there were about twenty turtles in the yard next door. Not to mention the chickens and the bunnies . I miss the Sharpei dogs. I think I've mentioned that before.


So,  yeah, the neighbor is a bit weird, but he does have some interesting critters that keep me amused.

I'm hoping in the coming weeks he lets the bunnies hop around the yard when I can get my camera, because they are huge, fluffy bunnies, with big ole bunny ears.

Yes, I'm easily amused.

But I think most of you know that about me already, RIGHT?

Top 5 On Friday

Top 5 songs that help you when you are spitting mad

You guys know the drill. Play along in the comments or in your journal. This meme is created for my site Music Memoirs. Feel free to go there and check out my other weekly memes and play along.

1. Boingo - Insanity: This song used to help me when I got road rage driving to Monroeville.

2. Elvis Costello - I'm Not Angry: No I'm not..I'm just pissed off and Elvis is bitter.

3. Keri Noble - Watch Me Walk: One of my favorites. Keri is great with the grrrl power!

4. Cher - Strong Enough: I always feel more empowered when I listen to this song. I love Cher!

5. Erasure - I Love To Hate You: Good one for singing along to with road rage too

Amazon Recommendations Kill Me

I really don't need any help finding more books to read. I have a list of about 50 book bloggers where I can find more stuff to wishlist.

Yes, Mike, my floor is about to cave in!

So today, I open my email from Amazon and what are they recommending?

Torchwood books!

I miss Torchwood in a sick demented kind of way. I have a love/hate thing with John Barrowman. Reading a book might remind me why I loved the show even when it turned so bad in the mini series from hell.

Thankfully since a new series hasn't been made yet, the books at least feature Ianto, who I'm going to miss if the show does go forward.

Now I need to buy a few of these. I already have about 5 Doctor Who books, so it would only be fair to dive into the Torchwood stories.

Woo Hoo My First Book Tour

Yesterday I got my first Advance Reader Copy Book in the mail for a book tour I signed up for. Basically what a book tour does, is get early copies of new books out to bloggers to read and review and send on to another reviewer.

It is kind of neat to be able to review a book a few weeks before it hits the shelves.

So I've got 14 days to read The Twin's Daughter and then send it along to the next person on the book tour.

Neat isn't it.

This book is out next Tuesday, so I'm going to try to get it read before Friday so I can send it off to the next person on the list. Look for the review over at A Chick Who Reads in the next few days

Doctors Aggravate Me

Yesterday, my mother had an appointment with her primary care physician. Her appointment was at 3:45. We were running a little late because I was coming from work and had to stop at the bank for my boss on the way home.

We arrived maybe a minute or two late.

We could have been later.

My mother didn't get in to her appointment until 4:35!!!

And she wasn't finished with her appointment until about 5:35!!!

Sometimes I wish when they were running late like that they'd call the patients. I wouldn't have had to have left work early if they would have the courtesy to call, especially when the appointment is that late in the day.

Grr

Speaking Of Birthdays

2 years ago today Miss Callie gave birth to 2 of the four kittens you see here. The two boys, Skimbleshanks and Midnight arrived around 10 o'clock in the evening, the 2 girls, KitKat and Coco arrived the next morning around 2 a.m.

There was no sleep for me that night. I was on kitten watch!

Sadly Coco will be the only one not celebrating with us as she passed on mysteriously the day after Christmas.

Today I won't focus on that, I will focus on the fact that it is the birthday of my sweet little furbabies.

So happy birthday to my little boys today.



Look how big you both are now!

Skimbleshanks

 

Midnight

 

 

 

My 8th Anniversary Mix CD

Artist: Various Artists
Album: 8 Years Of Music (100 MB)
Genre: A Bit Of Everything
Sounds Like: Gordon Lightfoot, Elvis Costello, The Moody Blues and everything in between
Tracklisting: The Smithereens - Only A Memory
The Moody Blues - Your Wildest Dreams
Gloriana - How Far Do You Want To Go
John Lodge - Natural Avenue
Keri Noble - Talk To Me
Tommy James - Hold The Fire
Nick Lowe - The Rose Of England
Hem - The Pills Stopped Working
The Cyrkle - Red Rubber Ball
Gordon Lightfoot - Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald
Judd Starr - Please Penny
The Brilliant Mistakes - The Words
Justin Hayward - I'm Sorry
Peter Noone - Absent Minded Heart
Making April - Hey Katie
Three Dog Night - Shambala
Elvis Costello - Little Atoms
Lady Antebellum - Lookin' For A Good Time
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap - Lady Willpower
Over The Rhine - If A Song Could Be President
Comments: This is a mix of a bunch of the artists that I've obsessed over in the 8 years I've been blogging. Not all of them are new artists, some are much much older. Hope you enjoy!

Say Happy Birthday To The Blog

I really can't believe I started blogging 8 years ago today. 

8 years!

That's a really long time. And I've pretty much stayed with blogger. My web address changed that's to some freakazoid stalkers awhile back, but other than this this is me.

I really was Diary Of A Music Whore, but when I switched templates my title became A Little Night Music, which though a musical in its own right, reminded me of my favorite song from The Phantom Of The Opera.

A lot has happened to me in 8 years, here's a recap:

* Lost grandma 2 years ago in April. She was 101 and my world has not been the same since she passed away

* Loved and lost 5 kitties and one dog, may Mutchka, Itchy, Buddah, Misty, Coco and Purrbee be playing together in that big animal playground in the sky.

* Witnessed the birth of 4 beautiful kittens.

* Saw many many concerts: Elvis Costello, The Moody Blues, Nick Lowe, Davy Jones, Def Leppard, Stevie Nicks, Don Henley, Poison, Peter Noone, The Grass Roots, Lady Antebellum, Rockapella, Gordon Lightfoot and probably a few more that have skipped my mind.

* Met more than a few of these bands and got pretty drunk with a member of one of them too. Oye vey.

* Became obsessed with digital photography.

* Changed jobs a few too many times...from retail to call center to secretary with a short stint working at a fitness center.

* Changed cars 3 times from Greta the Grand Am to Bernie the Beretta to Francesca the Focus.

* Went to Atlantic City several times and never won anything. Went to Wheeling Island and The Mountaineer and won just about nothing. Determined I have no luck gambling.

* Became a freelance music reviewer

I'm sure I'm missing a lot here, but these are a few things that came to mind. I'm going to come up with a mix of music I became obsessed with in the last 8 years and I'll share it with you later today.

Camera Critters

If you want to play along with Camera Critters just go here

There was a juggler with two dogs at the Renfest today. They did tricks and oh they were so cute!

The black and white doggie is Daisy May. She was just so pretty, I wanted to hug her and love her and make her my very own. Then there was Rocket the Basset Hound. Our neighbors had a Basset named Daisy and an old friend had one named Duchess. Seeing this dog brought back a lot of memories. I miss having a bigger dog. Our J.J. is as sweet as can be, but he's a tiny ankle biter!

It was a a fun day, and I have many more pictures to share, especially of the Cast In Bronze performance. That's definitely a post of its own, because I have some exciting news about Frank Dellapenna and Cast In Bronze! I got my picture taken with Frank too!

Top 5 On Friday

Top 5 songs with "time" in the title

You guys know the drill. Play along in the comments or in your journal. This meme is created for my site Music Memoirs. Feel free to go there and check out my other weekly memes and play along.

1. Cher - If I Could Turn Back Time

2. Cyndi Lauper - Time After Time

3. The Moody Blues - I Really Haven't Got The Time (OK, this song is really bad, but it is the most upbeat thing I've ever heard Mike Pinder sing, so it has to win)

4. The Monkees - No Time

5. Oingo Boingo - Better Luck Next Time I wish there was an actual video for this one, but someone uploaded the song to youtube with a photo, so at least you can hear it!

R.I.P Harley

19 days ago, this poor little angel showed up on my porch. My dad, fearful that she was starving, ran for food and called me.

She was skin and bones. I couldn't keep her because we are already crazy cat people, but I quickly called my sister, who loves cats as much as I do, and she took her in.

She had been eating good. The vet found nothing wrong with her last week when we took her to get her checked out. She was just anemic and the vet gave her vitamins, which she had been taking.

Sadly none of that helped her. She passed away quietly by my sister's bed sometime this morning. She wasn't my cat, but I just feel heartbroken that we couldn't save her. The only consolation I have is that for 19 days, this beautiful little kitty knew that she had people that loved her and cared for her.

I hope she is in kitty heaven playing with all the fur babies that have gone before her and she's having a good time running and playing.

Harley, your little life was too short, but you were loved very much by everyone that knew you. RIP pretty girl.

3 Days Til My Blog Birthday

I can't believe that my blog is going to be 8 years old over the weekend! 8 years! I've been through so much in 8 years....deaths, job changes, car changes etc.

I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to celebrate my blog's birthday.

Maybe a mix CD

Maybe a special post

I'm not sure yet.

Maybe a bit of everything.

I just can't believe I've been blogging for 8 years. That is a damn long time!

Two Cartoons Cat Lovers Will Appreciate

Open Letter to Highmark and the PA Insurance Board

Dear Highmark and my not so good friends at the PA Insurance Board,

It is that time of year again. One of you has seen fit to ask for a raise for our premiums. A raise? When you employ countless worthless employees who work for Blues On Call. What service do they provide? If you have a question the answer is typically, call your doctor. I could ask my next door neighbor that and I would get the same answer. These Blues On Call people are nurses too. I say, eliminate that position and fill our hospitals and doctors' offices with these qualified people. Take them off the damn phones, where they are mostly useless and put them to work.

Oh and all those fliers that you send out.

1. Useless killing of trees.
2. Nobody reads them! So stop sending them and save some money too.

So to the PA insurance board, do you honestly think in these tough economic times, Highmark deserves to be allowed to increase the premiums on their plans when most of us struggle to pay them? If you do, you are a sad bunch of individuals.

Make these companies accountable. Let them cut useless spending before passing on higher costs to their customers.

Sincerely,

A pissed off highmark customer

Missing Mondays

Today I'm missing Isaac's in Lacaster, PA. Don't worry, it is still there, I'm just not and this is the time of year when they have their fabulous made with local corn, corn chowder. Best soup ever.

They make sandwiches that would make Primanti Bros look sad and pathetic, and as I'm a Burgh girl, that is almost a sacriligious statement.

I went there last year, and it was love at first bite.

No joke!

I love Amish cooking but these sandwiches and soups were to die for! There are a few of these restaurants in Central, PA, a few less than Primati's, so not quite as ambitious. I'm really hungry for that corn chowder right now, and maybe one of their really awesome sandwiches.

Today In Review

~ Bought my Nook and a spiffy pink cover for it.

~ Had a really great bad for me salad from TGIFridays.

~ Went all retro and listened to some 80s Olivia Newton John today. I really love the Physical album.

~ Made a total mess out of my computer room because I was trying to find my Best Buy gift card so I could buy the spiffy pink nook cover.

~ Still managed to buy 2 regular books at Barnes and Noble.

~ Determined that I can't fucking stand the heat and I retract all the bad things I said about the winter. Bring on the Snowpacalypse! Anything, just get rid of these 90 degree days.

Camera Critters

If you want to play along with Camera Critters just go here

These are some llamas at Critter Country Animal Park in Smithton, PA.

I love these people. They have such a great love for the animals. They had a baby porcupine that they had to bottle feed. It was so sweet to watch. Not to mention the many peacocks that strut around the farm.

It is a very fun place, and definitely one to check out if you are in the area.