42nd Birthday Mix

This is the first year in awhile that the birthday mix has flitted around in my head. Maybe it is because this is the first year in awhile that I've been able to enjoy music, so I'm going to make the mix/playlist.

These are 42 songs that have meant something to me in my life so far. I know that many have appeared on other mixes, but when I think of songs that are a snapshot of my life, these are the songs that I think of.

Walk The Moon - Shut Up And Dance
David Bowie - Strangers When We Meet
Elvis Costello - Man Out Of Time
Celtic Thunder - Whiskey In The Jar
The Monkees - Our Own World
Diana Krall - Narrow Daylight
Nick Lowe - Cruel To Be Kind
Josh Groban - Brave
Miranda Lambert - Mama's Broken Heart
The Moody Blues - Steppin' In A Slide Zone
Byrne and Kelly- No Man's Land
Gorden Lightfoot - Race Among The Ruins
The Beatles - I'll Follow The Sun
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap - Lady Willpower
Herman's Hermits - If You're Thinking What I'm Thinking
Stevie Nicks w/Tom Petty - Stop Dragging My Heart Around
The Smithereens  - The House We Used To Live In
Traveling Wilburys - The End Of The Line
Laura Bell Bundy - Giddy On Up
Keri Noble - I Won't
Julia Fordham - Hope Prayer & Time
Billy Bragg & Wilco - California Stars
The Byrds - I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better
Susan Werner - St Mary's of Regret
Grey Eye Glances  - Halfway Back
Mika - We Are Golden
Mitchell Musso - Hey
Glass Tiger - I'm Still Searching
Crowded House - Don't Dream It's Over
Three Dog Night - Shambala
The Wallflowers - Sleepwalker
Matchbox Twenty - Last Beautiful Girl
Justin Hayward - The Way of The World
Gloriana - Wild At Heart
Feargal Sharkey - Cold Cold Streets
Erasure - Sunday Girl
Duran Duran - Ordinary World
Billie Myers - Am I Here Yet (Return To Sender)
Geri Halliwell - Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps
Oingo Boingo - Try To Believe
Keith Harkin - Orange Moon
Zac Brown Band - Knee Deep

I Have An Evil Floor

We've been in this house for about a year now and I swear I've not been able to get the dining room floor clean once.

The problem.

Its a porous floor.

Which means that any normal floor cleaners make it look awful. I know I need to get a finisher on it to make it shine, but I'd like it to look clean first and no matter what I do, that just doesn't seem to happen.

It is terribly frustrating.

I can use my swifter wet jet on the kitchen floor, but not in the dining room. It totally screws it up.

My floor is 100% evil.

Any hints as to how to clean this bastard would be greatly appreciated.

Men Who Look Good In Period Costumes

Hugh Laurie

Colin Firth

Ioan Gruffudd

Richard Coyle in Steampunk fashion

Aidan Turner

Hugh Grant

Back to Dear John

OK, so I've been watching the US and UK version of this show, as most of you know. We all know I huge Old Man Crush on Judd Hirsch.

I absolutely adore the US version, but after seeing the UK one, I find it more disappointing, because they tried to make the US version more sophisticated. Of course, even when Judd Hirsch plays a schmuck, he plays a smart schmuck.

The problem is, the original John Lacey was a little bit of loser, not the smart kind hearted guy that Hirsch played. The John Lacey in the UK version is more "real" to the ridiculous. He's a lot more self deprecating.

The Kate and Kirk banter is much more amusing in the UK version too. A little nastier, but that is what makes it funny. Especially as Kirk isn't really good looking. Jere Burns who plays that part, is actually very easy on the eyes.

Louise is fabulous in the UK version too and that's saying a lot because Jane Carr who plays the part in the US version is great.

Much more sexual innuendo too.

I really wish these shows were available on DVD so I could totally binge out on them.

Sad Stories

The last two books I read were tear jerkers. The first book, Forever Beach by Shelley Noble was actually a really good read. The cover gives it an illusion of being a beach read, but it was anything but. It dealt with children in foster situations and a young woman who was once in the system trying to adopt a child.

The second one was Saving Abby by Steena Holmes. This once was a tear jerker and it was depressing at the same time. It was also the kind of book that you knew what the outcome would be at the end, however you will wan to know how you got there. I enjoyed this book, but there were parts that I didn't understand as it was about a young woman who couldn't conceive after having one child in her teenage years, that she gave up for adoption. She then gets pregnant but has horrible headaches and fatigue that she tries to brush off as pregnancy hormones.

So you see where I'm coming from. If a friend of yours slept most of their day away and then had migraine type headaches, wouldn't you be likely to assume it was something more than pregnancy hormones? And when she is diagnosed she doesn't see anyone other than her general practice doctor? Huh?

Befuddling.

Both books left me with a desire to read something happy. I was burned out on romance before reading these two books. I can safely say I can probably go back to that genre now...or any other genre, because these two books have definitely been downers.

Randomosity (The Things I Wonder About Edition)

~ My niece is getting married in a few weeks. She's just finishing up college. In fact, she still has her student teaching to do.  I don't know why people want to get married that early in life. You haven't a job yet. You really don't know what life is about. Note to women...stop encouraging the belief that your daughters are not a whole woman unless they are married.

~ The election....how did we come down to these two godawful candidates, with one very orange one being even scarier than the other.

Every time I turn on the news I feel sorry for my father who fought for this country in WWII. Look at what we've turned into. A hateful bunch of people that really don't give a rats ass about anyone else. The worse part of it all, is most of the hatred comes from these so called Christians that don't behave like Christians in anyway. Except maybe to say they love Jesus.

A word to them..."Love your neighbor as yourself." and another "He who is without sin, cast the first stone."

If you don't know where those words come from...well...you obviously sleep through those church services you go to on Sunday.

~ Why can't there be good tv in the summer? My life has turned into a bunch of classic tv show reruns and The Daily Show/Nightly. Some people can't afford a vacation and we need to be entertained. That goes for you BBC America.

~ ebooks: I read a lot on my ereader. That said, I've been writing a fanfic based on the old show Dear John. (Don't ask) and my mind brought Jackie Collins' Hollywood Wives into the story. I read it years ago and no longer have the book. Would you believe it isn't available in ebook form? Oh and none of the libraries in my area have it? I really don't want to have to buy a copy, but it looks like I'm going to.  The weird thing is that all of Ms. Collins' other books are in ebook form. WTF

Hump Day Hunks a'la Numb3rs