A Little TMI

I have to go for another colposcopy on my birthday. What a way to celebrate. I had another abnormal pap in May, so I get an unpleasant present from the Gyne on Friday.

Just what I always wanted.

Of course I don't want cancer either, so I'll put up with it.

Its just a lovely way to spend my birthday, doncha think?

Ever since I knew it was scheduled I've been a bundle of nerves. I openly admit to crying my eyes out when the doctor called to tell me I had to have this done again.

The cost of the damn thing is going to hit me in the gut, and if I have to have anything else done afterward, it will really hit me.

Like I said yesterday, it isn't that there isn't affordable health care in the US it is that affordable health care won't help you. AT ALL!

I've Got A Bad Case Of The Angries

I'm so sick of things lately. The heat, which is just as bad as the cold and snow, the grocery shopping, the bill paying, EVERYTHING.

I have a ginormous chip on my shoulder right now.

I haven't enjoyed music in a long time, other than the Gordon Lightfoot concert and that is pretty much a given.

I keep thinking about all the plans I had for this summer and I'm not going to get to do any of them. I wanted to go swimming at the lake in Bedford or one of the other state parks. I wanted to go to Ohiopyle. Somewhere! Anywhere!

I have a doctor's appointment on Friday that will cost me about $800 - $900 and my insurance won't pay it as I haven't met my deductible yet. And we wonder about health care in this country. Its not that affordable health care isn't there, its just that the affordable shit doesn't do you any good if you end up with problems.

ARGH!

I'm wound so tight right now if I let myself go I'll be a whirling dirvish. (sp)

Missing Mondays

I miss my metal window fan. It was ancient as you might have guessed, because all fans seem to be made of nothing but plastic these days.

Two words for you: PLASTIC SUCKS!

This old fan could cool down my room better than an air conditioner.

It died last year, damn it and the fan that replaced it doesn't do half the job this one did. It is not fair at all.

Why does everything have to made out of plastic?

I really think it has to be the joy factor. You know, "Joy, I'm not allowed to have any."

Grrr.

I really miss that fan.

How To Make Me Less Cranky

Its nearly 90 degrees out. We don't have air conditioning and I'm about ready to go postal and I don't even work for the USPS.

How can I keep from going batshit insane and hurting people?

Booze!



This was the Very Berry Mojito that I had at TGIFridays. Have I mentioned that Fridays has the best bar of just about any chain restaurant? If I haven't, they do!

That strawberry was pretty tasty too!

Books A Million Is My Crack

There was a one day sale at my favorite bookstore today. There were sale books for as low as $1! And there were books buy 2 get one free or buy 4 get one free.

I spent $33.00 on books today.

I think I should open my own library now.

I have a whole Chicklit library at my disposal. Now if only I had the time to read them all!

There are just so many books I want to read. It doesn't help matters that when I go to the book store I just find more to add to my ever growing wishlist!

I think I'm a book addict.

There are probably worse things I could be addicted to though, so I won't complain much. However there's always a Bath and Body Works near my favorite bookstores, and that shop can also send me to the poor house. Wait, I already live in the poor house. Fuck it!

Top 5 On Friday

Top 5 songs that get you ready for the weekend.

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. Mika - We Are Golden: This song just makes me want to sing, dance and be happy. I could listen to it forever. OK, I could listen to any Mika song forever, but I love this one the most.

2. Roxette - Here Comes The Weekend: It is a kind of obvious choice, but Roxette were always one of my favorite bands in high school. I've always loved playing them in the car and this one always prepares me for road trips, that always come on the weekend.

3. The Moody Blues - Ride My See Saw: OK, I know I'm the only one that gets a pervy picture from this song, but nevermind that. This song is so upbeat and rocking it really is a Moody weekend song, besides the one they did in the 80s with the same title as the Roxette track.

4. Duran Duran - Electric Barbarella: This is one of my favorite DD singles from the last 20 years. It is super playful which is how I want to feel on the weekends.

5. Erasure - I Love Saturday: Title says it all, doncha think?

You Know It's Going To Be A Bad Day

I woke up this morning with no water. None. Three people are in my house and 2 can walk stairs and none of them thinks to tell me this until I go to the bathroom and FLUSH.

I run downstairs looking for my father, because the toilet sounded like it was going to swallow me and take me down into the sewar with all the dead fishies and crocodiles and that's when my nephew calmly informs me that there was no water.

Thank you very much.

No water and I have 2 hours before I have to go to work.

The water comes on about 45 minutes later and it was all brown and icky. It was still that way 20 minutes before work.

As I told my friend, Jennifer, this morning, "Thank God for astringent and mouth wash" because I sure as hell wasn't washing my face or brushing my teeth with the stuff coming out of my faucet.

Fun times, my friend, fun times!

Where Are The Great Summer Films?

It is almost July and I have to say that there haven't been any films that have excited me enough to splurge on movie tickets.

WTF is wrong with Hollywood?

I think the only film I'm reasonably amused by that will be out soon is Dispicable Me which isn't out until July 9th.

I'm not a huge movie goer, but I do like to catch a film every once in awhile, and I haven't been since Alice In Wonderland opened. All I ask is a few hours in a nice cool theater with some popcorn and a diet coke! Is that too much to ask?


Dang, wasn't that in March or early April? And again, my summer movie is a kids film.

Geeze!

Oh and raise you hand if you think that new Tom Cruise film is going to suck?

I Don't Understand This

Not to far from me is a Swim Club. Its one of those pools that you pay huge amounts of money to swim at. I really don't understand the people who go there.

Its not that there is anything wrong with the pool. The pool is huge and beautiful.

I drove by on Sunday when it was in the mid to upper 80s (translation: it was freaking hot) and the pool was near empty. Yet there were cars everywhere in the parking lot.

Where were all of the people?

On beach blankets in the grass!!

WTF people!

This isn't at $5.50 swim all day pool. You've paid several hundred dollars to go lay on the grass (No...not even sand...grass) that you have in your own back yard. WTF is wrong with you!!!

I'm not a swimmer but when there's water I at least like to wade it in. How can you spend all of that money just to lay in the grass! It really boggles my mind, almost as much as our neighbors that keep their doors wide open all the damn time, but that's story for another day.

Missing Mondays

Sometimes I really wish I were a kid again. Usually when my nephew laments not being an adult. I've never quite understood why we force our kids into adulthood these days, filling their schedules until they are little mini-robots. Hell, most kids I know don't really know how to play at all, unless it involves an electronic game of some sort.

~sigh~

Right now I long for summer vacation. 2.5 blissful months without a care in the world. To just lay around on a deck chair and read. Its not fair that you only get lazy time two times in your life when you are young and when you retire.

It doesn't seem fair. I only have 5 days of vacation a year and 1 was used for my dad's surgery and another day is going to be used for an unpleasant procedure I have to have done on my birthday, one that I'll be paying for, but that will get me started on my health care rant...and its too early in the morning for that.

Damn I wish I was a kid again. Just so long as its not the summer I had to read 3 classic novels that weren't fun reads at all.

Father's Day

Its much easier to deal with Father's Day then Mother's Day. Dad is happy most anywhere you take him for dinner and now that he has a stash of cash, he can get a new lawnmower.

It really is amazing how little it takes to make Dad happy.

Oh and after supper at Cracker Barrel, we stopped at Krispy Kreme for a dozen donuts.

His day was truly complete.

Give the man a donut and he'll be content for hours. OK, he'll be content for hours tomorrow, after his dinner at Cracker Barrel, there is absolutely no way he could stuff any more food into his belly. He got the sampler that has meatloaf a slice of ham and chicken and dumplings. Me I got an awesome pineapple salad that I will be blogging about over at Wenches later today.

My day was pretty good too, since I got to go to Target and spend money I don't really have.

What A Day

I went to see my critters at Critter Country Animal Park and then had dinner at Denny's and did some shopping.

Wow that was an experience.

There are lots more peacocks there now then there were last year. In fact, the total peacocks this year is somewhere around 14, with lots of little babies around. The peacocks were strutting their stuff too. So I have loads of gorgeous pictures of the birds.



Now I'm really tired from the heat and ready for a nice long nap. Wait! Its almost 9 o'clock, I'm ready for bed.

Top 5 On Friday

Top 5 songs that father's wrote for their children.

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. Jimmy Buffett - Delaney Talks To Statues

2. John Lennon - Beautiful Boy (Though Hey Jude was a much better song)

3. Gordon Lightfoot - Pony Man (This is such a sweet song that Gord wrote for his kids)

4. Jim Croce - Time In A Bottle (Tis a shame he died about the time the song was released as a single)

5. David Bowie - Kooks (For son Zowie)

Bonus:

By a lady, cos mom's rock too: Annie Lennox - Precious

Gord Is Gold

I'm trying to save up my Lightfoot story for the review I plan on writing a little later. Suffice to say the concert was fantastic. Gordon's voice is a little bit worse for wear after all his illnesses, but he still sounds good. His playing is also wonderful and after having a mini stroke a few years back, that's a very good thing. You can watch his hands on the guitar for hours!

I did get to say hello to him and get my Harmony CD signed. Facebook people should be able to see the horrid picture of me that was taken after the show. More on that in the review because I really could go on for hours about the impromptu meet and greet that happened last night in Greensburg.

There is one Gord related thing I want to say: He has a roadie/security/something that looks like a 40 something Justin Hayward. No joke! The guy has Justin's haircut, hair color and similar facial structure. That said, he's flipping gorgeous and I wanted to bring him home.

Oh and he didn't play Race Among The Ruins, but he did do Canadian Railroad Trilogy which is quite a treat, as he doesn't play that epic song as often anymore.

Tonight's Gordon Lightfoot

Well at long last, the Gordon Lightfoot concert is tonight. I'm very excited. I love this man's music. He's probably one of the few artists I've discovered by accident that I've kept loving even though he doesn't do much besides touring these days.

I'm hoping tonight he does Race Among The Ruins as he didn't do that one @ The Mountaineer when I saw him a few years back.

My seats are totally wonderful, so I hope I can get some good pictures of Gord. If I do they'll get posted over the weekend, as the next few days will likely be crazy busy for me.

Boo hiss!

So let's get a woo hoo for getting seats in the first 5 rows of a concert for once!

Oh and everyone sing a chorus of Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald.

Tuesday Tunes

From Music Memoirs

Ghosts of Rock Bands Past:

If you could experience one band/artist in their hey day, who would it be and why would you choose them?

I know a lot of people will say The Beatles, but I think that would be too crazy for me and I would end up being disappointed not being able to hear them if I would be as lucky as my godmother was, to see them during one of their stops in the US.

No, I think I would choose one of my other favorite bands, The Moody Blues. Oh how lovely to see Justin, John, Graham, Ray and Mike in their younger days. I'm not sure if I'd like to experience them so much in the late 60s or the 70s. Probably the 60s, as that whole time period has always fascinated me.

The other band I would have loved to experience in their hey day is Duran Duran. I would like to go back in time, with some Time Lord or another and catch them when they were young and fabulous, as opposed to now, when they just put out crap. The funny thing with Duran Duran is that I didn't really care for them when I was younger and they were huge. I didn't start getting into their music until The Wedding Album came out.

Zzzzz

Something about the heat totally puts me to sleep. I zoned out around 8 o'clock and slept for two hours. I woke up and wandered about for awhile but by 11:40 I was back in bed and out like a light again.

I like warm better than the frigid cold and snowy weather we had this winter, but geeze, the humidity has been awful. It just seems to sap the life right out of me.

The only thing I got done was some minor work on my book blog and a small post over at The Certifiable Wenches where it seems many of my fellow Wenches have gone missing.

I'm glad I did get the sleeping done yesterday though, because I obviously needed it. Today I feel a bit more awake, which is good, because I've got loads of stuff to do after work today. (None of which are things I enjoy) I want to get all my stuff done tonight too because tomorrow is the Gordon Lightfoot concert in Greensburg. I hope someone reminds me to put my batteries on the charger, so I can use my good camera.

I can't wait to see Gordon again!

Missing Mondays

Today I'm missing the strawberry soy frappachino I had yesterday at Barnes & Noble but flew out of my hand and landed on the ground at the mall yesterday.

Damn it, I only had a few sips out of it and I lost all my whipped creme.

I still have no idea what happened, because that cup was literally airborne! The lid cracked and frapp was everywhere...OK whipped creme was everywhere.

I was a very sad girl when that happened, because that was 4 bucks that flew out of my hands.

I was so shocked at what happened I let out quite a squeak. Two odd little geeky guys, bless them, asked if I was all right.

Yup, I was fine. Sadly the $4 drink was not.

I probably won't have one of those tasty treats for a long time now.

All that strawberry whipped creme goodness gone! Without the benefit of consuming it!!

How sad is that?

Late Blogging

I was out and about today with a good friend doing some well needed retail therapy. For those that don't know what kind of retail therapy I usually that means that Bath & Body Works, Barnes and Noble, Half Price Books and Hot Topic can stay in business for another month! Actually I did little damage at Hot Topic, but I did find a cute t-shirt there and some earrings.

I did my worst damage at Half Priced Books.

Let's face it, I love books. I also love things that smell pretty. (That's why I spent $28.00 in Bath and Body, plus I got a cute little tote bag with a ducky on it that will be great for grocery shopping etc later.

So now I'm hot and tired and broke after all the shopping (and eating) that I did today, but it was fun. I love writing down to buy lists when I'm in Barnes and Noble. I just need to work through that "To Be Read" list which is really large.

So I think my tired butt is going to call it a day today and maybe finish a book and head off to bed, since its off to the grind tomorrow.

A Morning At The Farm

I took my oldest nephew to breakfast at The Berry Festival @ Triple B Farms this morning. We picked up a "Very Berry" pie for dessert tonight and Stawberry Rhubarb Butter and Strawberry Salsa.

Nom Nom Nom.

I played with the "kids" again cos I like baby goats. Those are the only "kids" that I like. I took some pictures of the farm again and some of the other animals.

After we left we ran to Walmart for a few things. Walmart is evil and claims it saves you money, but I swear I always spend more there because I always find stupid shit that I didn't think I needed but did? Does that make sense? Ah the wonders of impulse buying.

Oh and have I mentioned I truly hate their book department. They are reasonable but the selection is really becoming crappier by the day.

So now its just around 12:30 and I'm home, and I should find something productive to do, but....It is already too hot to do much of anything.

Top 5 On Friday

Top 5 songs that make you think of your best 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.

Hmmm this one is for you Jen!

Rick Springfield - Love Somebody
Duran Duran - Hungry Like The Wolf
Power Station - Some Like It Hot
Jace Everett - Bad Things
Lady Gaga- Bad Romance

Let's see...Jen likes 80s music, True Blood and Glee and thanks to the Lady Gaga episode she always has that song stuck in her head.

Now my friends, I ask you, what songs make you think about me?

Ponderings and Worries

In three weeks I'll be 36 years old. Its kind of scary to be facing the upper end of the thirties.

I keep thinking, what can I do to make my life better.

I'm thankful I have a job, but I could have done more with my life, if I hadn't chosen to stay close to my family. My reviewing job hasn't panned out much lately. I've only had one review in almost 2 months. So I don't have the extra income.

I keep wondering....what can I do now to make things easier. To save something...while still being able to enjoy living.

Its much like I thought it would be. I have a car, but I really can't afford to go anywhere with it.

Plus there's the matter of my mom's doctor's appointment. She had a lot of episodes on one day in March and I'm afraid there's going to be a heart cath in her future. Those things scare me as much as they do her. I hope that we can get through the appointment without any scary nasty tests to take.

I'll be glad when this week is totally over. Its been way too stressful.

Oye To The Vey

I took a few hours off work to take my mother to the caridiologist and to get her pacemaker checked. Her appointment was at 11 a.m.

We had no sooner taken our seats in the waiting room, when the nurse came and told us that all the appointments were canceled for today except the pacemaker check etc, because the doctor got called to the hospital for an emergency procedure.

Mom's appointment is resceduled for Friday.

When its supposed to rain AGAIN!

Now for the average person rain isn't a rough thing to deal with, but my mom uses a walker and isn't very steady on her feet. That's why this was actually the first time she's been in a car in 7 months. We don't want her to fall. She did that when I was trying to get her to the hospital last year before my dad's surgery.

So I have to take more time off on Friday to take her back for her regular appointment.

Poor thing. She went to so much trouble to get there and to have the main appointment canceled is horrible, However if it were her at the hospital, I'd want the doctor to come running like that too. So I'm not really complaining, I'm just feeling sorry for her.

Here's hoping that Friday goes much better.

Sharing Some Music

I'm trying to help out a local artist by getting her music to the masses. Her name is Tiffany Apan and she's from Gibsonia, PA.

She's a classically trained singer and her album Pure is out on CD Baby. She's definitely worth a listen. Her style is a bit across the boards, sometimes goth, sometimes folk, sometimes electronic, but it is her voice that matters and that stands out no matter what type of music she's performing.

Check her out!

I Hate My Parents Not Having A Car

My mom has an appointment to see her cardiologist on Wednesday and another appointment to have her pacemaker checked that same day.

When the car issues started right after I bought Francesca, my nephew, Michael, said he would take her.

Guess what?

Michael's car is leaking oil or anti freeze or something nasty.

Guess who is now off on Wednesday so that mom can make it to the doctor?

If you guessed me, you are absolutely correct.

Now if I had a normal job, which we all know, I don't, I'd have a personal day to use for this. But no I don't. I have 5 vacation days...actually 4 since I used one for dad's last surgery. So most likely I'll be using this day without pay, because there were some things that may require those paid days coming up later this summer.

Isn't life grand?

I'm Depressed

I went to the gym today to find out that I won't have a gym as of June 30th.

That's just gym-be-dandy.

Can you smell the sarcasm.

Even though I hate going, hate talking about it, I liked my gym. I felt comfortable and I could afford it. Four years ago, I paid extra for my 2 year membership so that my monthly fee would be $19.00

There's no gym that cheap.

Curves is over $30. The YMCA is out of my range as is the Mon Valley Health Plex in Rostraver.

So at the end of the month I will have nowhere to go to exercise.

Not a good thing at all.

Worse still, I've heard the owner got himself in a total financial mess to try to keep the gym open. That makes me doubly sad, because I liked him. I hate to think of someone losing everything over a business.

This sucks.

Too Many New Releases

I think all my favorite authors and musicians got together and decided to torture me this month.

In music the list is huge:

Cyndi Lauper's Memphis Blues is out on June 22. I adore Cyndi and I try to get most of her albums. So needless to say, this one is already wishlisted on Amazon.

I'm really interested in hearing it too, considering she's working with the likes of B.B. King and Allen Toussaint. Who knows, maybe on her next album she'll work with Elvis Costello. Now that would be a very unique collaboration don't you think?

Sarah McLachlan is a goddess. I'm so glad she's finally doing a new album. (Of songs that aren't holiday-ish) The cover of this CD alone is stunning. From the soundclips I've heard on Amazon, I'm pretty impressed with the recording, which comes out on June 15th. I haven't decided if I want to preorder this one or wishlist it.

Then there's Andy Bell's latest solo effort, Non-Stop. I'm not thrilled with the cover, but the music is pretty good. I'm probably going to order it this week, as none of the stores I frequent will carry it. Andy is one of those artists that I must own all of his recordings. Its a crazy thing, I know, but I'm loyal to Andy Bell.

And then there's books. Janet Evanovich has a Stephanie Plum novel. And last month Dale Basye has released the third book in his Circles Of Heck series. I wish I had some time to devote to enjoying both a bit more than I do.

Top 5 On Friday

Top 5 albums you take with you for a day at the beach

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. The Beatles - Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

There is something about this album that screams summer to me. This album is one of two Beatles albums that I seem to play quite a bit during the summer months. Maybe the album still has some of that Summer of Love magic.

What do you think?

2. Erasure - I Say I Say I Say

This album came out in the summer of 94. I remember finding the first single earlier that year at Sam Goody in Westmoreland Mall. That was my summer album that year and it remains one. I think having a song on it called Run To The Sun helps too. Its also a really fun fast paced album, and that really makes it perfect beach listening.

3. The Monkees - Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones

This was an autumn of love album, but since I wasn't really there for it, its one of my summer beach albums. It is probably my favorite album by The Monkees. It also has some of Michael Nesmith's best songs; Salesman, The Door Into Summer and Love Is Only Sleeping. Oh and Pleasant Valley Sunday has to be the best summer beach song.


4. The Beatles - Rubber Soul

I won't deny it. This is my favorite Beatles album. Its best played with the windows down blaring down a highway, or on my headphones reading. (preferably in the sand) For me this is the perfect summer beach album and probably a perfect album period.

5. Matchbox Twenty - Yourself Or Someone Like You

Rob Thomas is a boy of summer. Any song that he sings well, except New York Christmas, seems to heat things up. So its only fitting I have a Matchbox Twenty album on my list.

Running On A Treadmill

No, I'm not blogging about exercise (though I need to start doing that more), I'm blogging about how I feel. Since I bought the new car, I feel like I've been running at a furious pace and going absolutely nowhere.

I really can't stand that my parents no longer have a car and that there's no way for my dad to do the things he usually does for the family right now.

GAH!

If only I hadn't traded in the Beretta.

Oh and speaking of the Beretta.

The last time I drove through Belle Vernon, she was on a used car lot, selling for almost $1200.00.

WTF!!

When I bought her 6 years ago, I paid $1500.00 for her.

Her interior is dry rotting. She has a hole in the exhaust (again!) but that is thanks to the Snowmageddon. Her clear coat is peeling. The car looks like hell and is falling apart, yet this guy is selling it for $1200!

Oye vey!

I got next to nothing for her on the trade because she was so shoddy. God I feel bad saying that. For a car her age, she was ok, for the kind of running my parents do, but for me, not good.

So now I'm stuck in the same boat as I was before. I don't want to go too far from home, because they don't have a car and that makes me a bit nervous.

Yes, I'm a worry wart.

Do you think I may get a moment of peace sometime soon?

Oh and tonight is my nephew's graduation.

Hump Day!

I love short weeks, it means the middle of the week gets here faster and that also means the weekend gets here faster.

Woo hoo!

I'm just not in the mood for most of the week! That's why I need my hump day hunks to come around and look pretty. They help me get through the work week.

This week I chose some musical hunks. Who knows what next week may bring.

The first hunk of the week is Justin Hayward. OK, so he's not quite as hunky has he was 5 or 10 years ago, but he still has a voice like an angel. I wish this hunk would get in the studio and record an album. I really miss his music.

The next hunk in our lineup is Rob Thomas. I love this guy. He's pretty to look at and he writes good music. That is a pretty darn good combination if you ask me. Come to think of it, I think he needs to record something soon, either solo or with Matchbox Twenty.


Lastly is the lovely Mika. Actually I think he's a hump day cutie pie. He's not really qualified to be a hunk.

Cuteness is allowed on Wednesdays though. Anything to make the day go by more pleasantly, right?


So what hunks or hunkettes help you get through the mid-week blues?

Feeling Old

My nephew, Michael is graduating high school on Thursday. He was born the year I graduated high school.

18 years ago.

Wow!

I remember holding this gorgeous little baby boy in my arms. He was the cutest baby in the whole world. (But then again don't we all say that about babies, especially ones near and dear to us?)

I can't believe he's all grown up and ready to go off to college.

Where have those 18 years gone? How did they fly by so darn fast?

I hope in the coming years he finds himself ready to take on the world, in whatever careerpath he ends up on. I hope he doesn't end up too far away from his roots.