Must Have Macca

I got to thinking yesterday as a result of an email conversation I had with someone about which Paul McCartney CDs I consider his best. It's quite a long career and there is a lot of good material in those years, there's also, as he so eloquently put (cough cough) a lot of junk too.

I've come to the conclusion that the material that I enjoy the most seems to stem from the 80's and 90's. I don't know what it is about Wings, but I've found that I can only listen to the singles from that band and not the whole album. Maybe it's just Denny Laine, that irks me. I don't know. But in my personal arrogant opinion, these are the McCartney albums everyone should own.

1. Flaming Pie: easily one of his best since the 70's.



2. Flowers In The Dirt: This disc has several of the songs he co-wrote with Elvis Costello on it.



3. Press To Play: Macca would disagree with me on this one and so would the person I was corresponding with, but I think there are a lot of hidden gems in this record. I was always fond of this album's single and video, Press.



4. Tug Of War: The first McCartney album I bought, for the single Take It Away. It also has his lovely nod to Lennon, Here Today.



5. Band On The Run: This album is just full of great tracks. It's the best of all the Wings recordings in my opinion. Oh and get the version that includes Helen Wheels, if you don't have this album.



And because you need all the wonderful Wings singles without the filler that is in fact, crap at times...

Memory Almost Full

The new McCartney album fell into my hands this morning and it immediately got to take it's turn in my winamp player.

One listen isn't enough to truly "get" this CD, because it goes all over the place, from the typical bouncy, get up and move your butt, McCartney tunes, to a few R & B type tracks that remind me of the early 80's Macca, one or two remind me of the Wings disc "Back To The Egg" and there are even a few more modern sounding tracks that aren't really typical of Paulie.

The opening singles Dance Tonight, which features Paul on the Mandolin and Ever Present Past are the type of songs you expect from a McCartney tune. Both are ear worms of the finest pedigree.

One of the more eclectic songs one the disc is Mister Bellamy. The unique arrangement of this tune reminds me of one of Danny Elfman's Oompah Loompah songs, while making the listener think of other "people" McCartney tracks like Uncle Albert and Eleanor Rigby.

House of Wax, which is the longest track on the album clocking in at 5:01 can only be described as strange. It has a guitar solo that one wouldn't really expect from a McCartney album and an overall "Progressive Rock" sound. Perhaps that's why it's the only song on the album clocking in over 4 minutes. (How many progressive rock songs have you heard that are under 5 minutes?)

That Was Me and Nod Your Head are two tracks that are both funky and fun while proving that good songs can still be less than 3 minutes.

One of the stand out tracks for me is Feet In The Clouds for it's quirkiness and for it's very catchy refrain. End Of The End is a bit depressing, as the subject matter is death, and even the most lighthearted song about this subject leaves me feeling out of sorts.

This is not an album that you can listen to once and say "I love it!" It's an album that has to be played over and over again so you can appreciate some of the quirkiness as well as Paul's sense of humor that makes its way into several of the tracks on this disc.

It's not Macca at his very best, there are even times when listening that I thought his voice was going, but it's definitely a good offering. Coming off the praise that Chaos and Creation received, this may seem like a step back, but I disagree, it's just a step in a different direction. It's definitely a better album than Driving Rain, but it falls short of the brilliance he achieved with Flaming Pie. But you can compare all you want, one thing will be obvious, it's a good McCartney album, and it's one you won't mind playing over and over.

Flower Shopping

My nephew Michael and I went out last night to wrap up the shopping for our flower gardens. Plus he owed me a few plants for Mother's Day, because I'm his godmother.

So we went to a small eatery in Rostraver called The Roadside and had their $4.99 spaghetti dinner and then we went over to Martin's to look at plants.

Let's just say I went into a flower coma. Between the 2 of us, we spent $34 on flowers. Yikes!

Here's a sampling of what came home with us.







The rest of my photos can be found here

Take Me Back Tuesday - Week 124

From the ladies @ Music Memoirs

Musical Recall 5, 10 & 15

What were your favorite songs albums or artists or all three....5 years ago....10 years ago.....15 years ago.....

(for those of you that don't like counting backwards the years in question are 2002, 1997 and 1992)

2002 saw me regain my love for Elvis Costello

It was the year that this album was released:



My favorite song from the album is My Little Blue Window Oh and in October of that year, I met the man for the first time. Bliss.

1997 saw Erasure releasing one of my favorite albums of all time:



One of my favorite songs on this gem is World's On Fire

1992 was the year I graduated high school. I don't know that there was any particular album from that year that was high on my playlist but these were two albums that I played continuously that year.



Music of the Night was always my favorite song from this musical

Oingo Boingo's 1990 album figured high on my playlist



My favorite song from this album is Try To Believe

(downloads are available for a limited time)

Dreaming...

Yesterday morning I started contemplating an ad in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. The ad was for Day Chevy in Monroeville.

~sigh~

Yes, I was having new car fantasies again.

There's no way I can get one for at least a year or so. It's just me and Bernie the Beretta or whatever cheap clunker that would replace her if she would fall apart around me.

However the lease at the Monroeville dealership is so wonderful in some ways and lousy in others. It's a 39 month lease and the payments are only $99 on the Cobalt which is wonder-freaking-ful. The downside is the amount of the down payment, $3000. I'll never have that much hanging around. EVAH!

~big sigh~

Mind you I don't know if I could ever do the whole car payment thing, lease or otherwise. There are certain aspects of my life that I don't trust well enough. But don't we all deserve something shiny and new once in our lives?

Attack Of The 100 lb Girls

Spent another 1.5 hours at the gym, only to have to face all the little blonde chickadees in their short shorts, revealing pelvic bones and, even worse, butt cleavage.

Please shoot me!

My self-esteem can only take so much.



I feel like this cat.

Blergh!

Monday Morning Randomosity

~ My Erasure CDs shipped! Woot!



Light At The End Of The World is out on Tuesday, so I should have this one by Wednesday! Squee!

I'm also getting the On The Road To Nashville CD, because I still like to have all the Erasure CDs though I'm missing a few of the UK CD singles these days.

~sigh~



~ I did absolutely nothing this weekend worth mentioning. My car needs gas and my wallet is rebelling against it. Bernie's far from being a guzzler but her 17 gallon tank usually costs me around $30 or more to fill up. I can't handle these prices. I also can't handle staying at home anymore. I haven't been anywhere since the first of the month!!!!

~ I did have a glass of one of my favorite beers this weekend. What beer is that?

Purple Haze! (Funny, I hate Jimi Hendrix...but this beer is quite nice) It's a raspberry wheat beer.



~ I did do one productive thing this weekend. I got most of my flowers in the garden.



To see more, just go to my flickr page

Random 10 - Week 106

From the ladies @ Music Memoirs

10 songs that sum up your weekend...or were on your weekend playlist...and one picture that relates back. (oh, and if you feel like it, tell us why you picked the songs you did)

I was having one of those, "I'm feeling freaking bitter weekends"

Midge Ure - Lied

You lied
From your head down to your toes
You lied
But somehow I know I'll survive
And I can't believe another word you say
So go your way
You lied

Matchbox Twenty - Bent

I started out clean but I'm jaded
Just phoning it in
Just breaking the skin

Can you help me I'm bent
I'm so scared that Ill never
Get put back together

Brandi Carlile - The Story

All of these lines across my face
Tell you the story of who I am
So many stories of where I've been
And how I got to where I am
But these stories don't mean anything
When you've got no one to tell them to

(I just downloaded this album this weekend. I'm still not sure if I like it or not)

Cheap Trick - Say Goodbye

How does it feel to be better
How does it feel to be on your own
Oh tell me why did you take the time
Walk away, tell those lies
Why did you waste your time
To tell me that you came to say goodbye

(One of my favorite Cheap Trick songs)

Keri Noble - Watch Me Walk

Life is to short
you blink then it's over
so now
you're going to watch me walk
out of your life

(One of three new Keri Noble songs that aren't technically released yet. I can't wait for her new album)

The Monkees - I Don't Think You Know Me

If you think I want the life you choose to live
I don't think I want the love you've got to give
If you think my goals could be so trivial and small
Then, I don't think you know me at all

Tom Petty - Even The Losers

Baby, even the losers
Get lucky sometimes
Even the losers
Keep a little bit of pride
They get lucky sometimes

Gordon Lightfoot - Shadows

And I love you just in case you didnt know
Let it go,
Let it happen like it happened once before
Its a wicked wind
And it chills me to the bone
And if you do not believe me
Come and gaze upon the shadow at your door


Elvis Costello - Sulky Girl

I think you'd better hold your tongue
Although you've never been that strong
I'm sorry to say that I knew all along
You're no match for that sulky girl

Annie Lennox - Walking On Broken Glass


And if you're trying to cut me down
You know that I might bleed
Cause if you're trying to cut me down
I know that you'll succeed
And if you want to hurt me
There's nothing left to fear
Cause if you want to hurt me
You're doing really well my dear

One guess who was on my mind this weekend for some stupid reason.

And this weekend was cat picture weekend...so here's Oogie!

Buying A Bathing Suit

Every year I cringe at the prospect of possibly purchasing a new swimsuit. It has less to do with body issues than it does the price of the swim wear. Even at the cheapest places, swimsuits are insanely priced, especially as most two piece suits are now sold in pieces.

I'm all about being able to buy the right size top and bottom. That's a wonderful thing and whoever came up with that idea (that had to be a woman) was brilliant. However I don't think that the bottoms should be priced the same as the tops.

Seriously.

A swimsuit bottom that is little more than a pair of panties should not cost $14.00 or more. That's just insane. I do realize the swimsuit people want to make at least $30.00 on their product, but I just shake my head at this.

This part of the concept totally ruins the goodness of buying each piece separately.

I mean think about it. Would you pay $14 dollars for a pair of panties that didn't do anything? I mean face it most swimsuit bottoms aren't going to help hide any bulges or anything else that you want hidden.

Swim wear is essentially an easy way to go out and about in something similar to your underwear. However it's very expensive underwear.

Now I need to decide if I'm going to acquire a new suit this year.

Oh and not to worry The Mistress Of The Dark will buy a tankini as no one needs to see more of her flesh than that.

Got The Going To The Gym Blues

Sometimes the gym can just be a horrid experience. Today was one of those days, however it did motivate me to stay there nearly 2 hours. YIKES! I must be insane.

Nope, not really, I just had my self esteem squashed as I walked in the door.

1. All the teenybopper teenage/college age girls decided today was a good day to work out.

2. The above mentioned girls all decided that low rise workout clothes revealing absolutely no belly fat and their f-ing pelvic bones must be worn, much to the chagrin of this normally build female.

3. I think I was the only female there weighing more than 115 pounds.

4. None of these girls seem to break a sweat while exercising.

5. All of them have a perfect tan. (even though I know they come from tanning beds that are more dangerous than the damn sun)

6. Every damn one of them has long blonde hair that falls perfectly in place.

7. Not a damn one of them has ever had a zit.

8. They probably never ate a damn cheeseburger either, though they all could use a few of them.

Rant ended....I'm going to starve myself now.

Bernie's Fixed

The car from hell is home from the fix-it shop. Thankfully the damages wrought by this little breakdown weren't as bad as we were thinking they would be.

That brings me a great amount of joy.

The brake lines only cost me $32.

Praise be to God!

It was even done in time for me to go to Jack's to work out today.

Yay!

I got to drool on Gym Hottie for almost 45 minutes!

Life isn't so awful. And my little black cloud has apparently moved away for the time.

Top 5 On Friday - Week 124

SAP donated this week's topic @ Music Memoirs


Top 5 songs you love from artists you hate.

Oh how embarrassing this is going to be.

Hanson - Sure About It
(When I first heard this one I couldn't believe it was the Mmmm Bop brats)

The Rolling Stones - I'm Just Waiting On A Friend
(I like about 4 Stones songs...this is one of them)

Ricky Martin - Livin' La Vida Loca
(I have no explanation for why I like this song except that it's damn catchy)

Geri Halliwell - Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps
(This song will be familiar to those of you that watched the BBC's Coupling series. It's not the version used as the theme, but believe it or not Geri did a good job on it. Oddly she does strange covers well....and considering I flipping hate the Spice Girls...that's saying something)


Tony Orlando - Knock Three Times
(This song is awful and awfully catchy. It's also one of the few bad bubblegum tracks that I like that's not a direct result of listening to The Pickle...It's from watching The Britas Empire. Chris Barrie sang it in one episode, the rest is history)

Allow Me To Scream

Let's just say the little black cat with the cloud hovering over it is me.

I'm ready to find a nice little rock to hide under until the bad karma/juju leaves.

Apparently if there's a bad thing that can happen to me, it will. And that is no joke.

Unexpected bills.

Unexpected car issues making more unexpected bills.

What next?

No, I don't want to know. I really don't.

I just want to find a place to hide for the next 48 hours.

Bootsie The Bizarre

My little girl is a very odd kitty. I think spending the first year of her life @ the Humane Society has really altered the way she sees the world.

She's an upstairs kitty. I've seen her sneak downstairs once or twice but on a whole, she doesn't leave the 2nd floor of our house. She has specific prowling hours too. From about 8 o'clock in the evening she comes out of her spot (which is usually far from eye sight of any human in this house) til about 8 a.m.

The only way you know she's still in the house after those hours is because she has her tags on her collar and she jingles when she walks. So we know she's moving about after I go to work, but for the most part she goes unseen.

One of the things I've discovered about Bootsie, is that she loves to watch TV. She's fascinated by it, especially cartoons. She seems to be particularly fond of Ed, Edd and Eddie. Go figure! I guess that's because she's not out and about when Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends happens to be on.

She's far from being the most social cat but at least she's coming out of her kitty shell a little bit with people. She's never had a problem with other animals. She loves all of them, particularly Oogie, much to his chagrin.

Someday I hope she overcomes her strange kitty phobias...but I have a feeling it's not going to be very soon.

Must Love Dogs

I found this movie to be hilarious in it's badness. Online dating sites baffle me, because the internet opens new levels for people to lie to one another and withhold other important pieces of information.

I don't know how anyone could put their heart on the line at one of these sites and for that matter how anyone could shell out good money to one, and yes, I know that some people have success stories...but I'm sure they are actually the minority. I've read the profiles. I have one on one site...and I never log in anymore, because after a few weeks of being amused at what was looking, I shuddered and thought..."are there no people out there that aren't just out there for sex?"

Not that I have anything against sex. Sex is good. At least I think it is...what I can remember of it. But most of the profiles I've seen seem to beg for a romp in the hay.

Which makes me think of this song: The Monkees - P.O. Box 9847

Now if I were being honest my profile should read like this...

Ordinary Girl

Just an ordinary girl, looking for someone with a deep love of music, animals, travel and photography.

Suffers from an allergy to toddlers...and teenagers.

Looking for someone to share a few laughs a few drinks and maybe a few road trips.

I've always found that long winded profiles tend to be full of hot air. The longer the profile the more lies it contains or the more ego that needs to be stroked.

Now who's going to stroke my ego?

Couldn't I Just Sit Here All Day?

I'm totally beat, and for what reason I really don't know. Yesterday wasn't all that busy, just the 3 minute stop after work to cast my vote for the idiots running for office and then an hour and a half at the gym building some more damn muscle.

I could use a day where I didn't have to go anywhere for anyone. On Saturday's I'm usually roped into going to Aldi's after my workout because it's right next door to the gym. I always ask if there's anything anyone needs when I'm in the area, because my gym is close to Wal-Mart and several grocery stores. I figure its easier to do two things when I'm there, rather than making an extra trip at some other time. I can't afford the gas to be running around like that. As it is, 4 days at the gym really messes with the gas gauge.

I really just want a day to do mindless stuff...

You know like this...

Andrea -- [noun]: A hermit living in the big city 'How will you be defined in the dictionary?' at QuizGalaxy.com

What big city is it that I live within? Surely they aren't talking about my little hamlet of Charleroi on Mon.

But that's neither here or there. I just want a vegging day. Or rather a day where I can do as I please that's not a damn Saturday or Sunday. For some reason, vegging on a weekend just makes me a cranky girl.

Oh and I'd also like an iced coffee and a nice salad if that's not too much to ask. I know I'm pushing my luck, because the only chance I have of having a day off is Memorial Day and that's just an extension of a weekend which won't make me feel any better, because ultimately I'll feel like I should be doing something else on that day too. ARGH!

And as always...Yes, I would like some cheese with my whine.

Take Me Back Tuesday - Week 123

From this over taxed lady @ Music Memoirs

What musical formats do you remember (CD, Cassette, LP etc)?I think I've had something in every format over the years. I still have loads of LPs and 45's...I think I even have an 8-track of The Concert For Bangladesh. Mind you they weren't making those anymore when I really started to get into music, at least I don't think they were.

What was your favorite format 5 years ago? 10? What is it now?
5 years ago it was the CD.
10 years ago the cassette dying but I didn't have a CD player in my car so those little obnoxious plastic things were really important to me then.
Now the CD is still important and a favorite because I like to have tangible proof that I have music. I love digital media, but it's taking too much on faith that my music won't get swallowed by my computer or wonky mp3 player at some point.

What was your first portable music player? What is your current portable music player?
If we go by truly portable (as in portable with ease) I had a kickin' yellow Sony Walkman. It was a slim one with fancy earbuds and it cost a small fortune at the time. It was also a piece of poop that broke faster than any Walkman I've ever owned.

If you count a boombox as portable, my first CD player was a Magnavox boombox that I saved months to buy. I loved it to pieces.

Now I'm the proud parent of a Creative Zen Micro 4 GB in a lovely shade of pink. I also have a little 128 Creative Muvo. I love them both dearly, even though I'm still coveting a 30 GB Zen Vision.

Changes....Turn and Face The Strange

~ Have you noticed something different here? Once again, I reached a boredom threshold and I updated the template. This one was again found over at the blogskins site. I thought it was a heck of a lot nicer than the other one. I even added a tagboard on the side....so scroll down..and USE IT! Say hi or something, so I don't feel as if my 4 hours of work on a Saturday night was all for nothing.

~ I spoke to the people on my debt management program. There are going to be some changes there to in the coming months. By the end of the year it's possible that at least 3 of my bills will be gone forever. It's funny, as much as I want to do exciting things, I'd almost rather have the bills gone so that I could enjoy doing something with a clear conscience than the way I'm living now. (Does that make sense?)

Having less bills will certainly be a change.

~ I just got a package in the mail from Watty. She copied 10 CDs for me...and now I've got a change in what I listen to at night. Last night was Emm Gryner's Girl Versions



It's really odd to hear a girl and a piano doing songs like Crazy Train and Pour Some Sugar On Me. (Really Odd)

~ I put a pair of contact lenses in for the first time in years this weekend. I have enough lenses to last me through the rest of the year. I'm hoping I might be able to go back to wearing them more often when the financial situation clears up.

Missing Mondays

I started this last week in a round about way and I want to continue it on for awhile. The concept is simple...any number of things or people that I miss at the present time.

If you want to play along feel free, and come back here and tell me you played. It would be a cool thing to get started.

1. I miss my old Grand Am. It was a beautiful car. On the day it died, it looked as good as the day it rolled off the assembly line. (Not that I had it then) It was shiny and teal and beautiful and it didn't leak water and the interior was beautiful, it's a shame the engine was shot. ~sigh~

2. Girls night out with my mom. Since her heart problems started in my senior year of college we go out less and less. I graduated in 1996 and now we only go out with my dad on Sundays to somewhere local for dinner, no malls or other shops by ourselves anymore.

3. Gas prices at 89 cents a gallon. Back in the late 90's this was the case. It was a wonderful thing. Even on a really bad salary I could afford to get in the car and drive. It was bliss. Now I can't afford to leave the house.

4. 80's Night at Metropol in Pittsburgh's Strip District. I didn't go often but I enjoyed going and dancing once every month or so. It was on a Saturday night too, which made it perfect. The music wasn't always that great but the drinky poos were good and it was a cheap evening.

5. Tequila Junction @ Station Square: This was one of the best Mexican restaurants in the area. When Station Square started it's renovations this was one of the first casualties. I miss it terribly, even though there are oodles of fantastic restaurants in the area.

6. The Monkees: I miss seeing the show. I miss the tours. The guys won't work with each other anymore and it's sad. Granted they all do awesome shows solo, but it's just not the same. And the DVDs cost too much money.

7. Atlantic City: Isn't it time to go back yet? I miss the lights and the food and the boardwalk and the excitement of being there.

8. Dutch Wonderland: A family park in Lancaster, PA. I haven't been there in ages. I want to go back because they have more rides since HersheyPark bought the place several years back. It has a castle entrance, kinda like a taste of Disney in PA>

9. LUMS Restaurant and McSorley's: Jennifer should remember both of these restaurants. Lums was in Uniontown and Westmoreland Mall and McSorley's was at Greengate Mall. I didn't appreciate them nearly enough as a child...I miss them now and the atmosphere of both places.

10. Potato Patch Fries: Is it time to go to Kennywood or Idlewild Park yet?

This Is Going To Be A Hellish Week

I swear everyday this week has something going on so that I'll be driven totally mad by Friday.

Tonight is laundry day. Because of Mother's Day, I decided to put off doing my clothes and my grandmothers. Every laundry day I dream of just turning the offending dirty laundry into a bonfire. Less time consuming and you can roast marshmallows over them.

Tomorrow is the primary election. I need to stop to vote on the way home from work to vote for more idiots. In the last few weeks, I've heard enough about all the candidates running for our local government to know that I think there's not a whole brain cell between the lot of them.

Thursday is a holy day of obligation in the Catholic church, which means I got roped into reading at the 7 p.m. mass. How that happened I'll never know. Oh wait, I do know. I went grocery shopping and ran into the lady who does the scheduling and she has to power to make sure that you can't say no. Yikes.

One night once our temperatures regulate again, I'm going to have to start planting all the flowers that I bought over the weekend too.

And as always I want to make sure I get 4 days in at the gym, so I can build more damn muscle. GAH! It's odd, but I've got some definition in my abs right now. I'd rather see the scale going down than muscle appearing...but it seems that my body is comfortable at 135 so it's doing this to thwart me and make me miserable.

And to start it off, I don't feel good. I'm not "sick" mind you, I just don't feel good this morning. It's the perfect way to start a week that's going to run me to the ground before Friday afternoon.

This bitchy rant was brought to you by a girl that needs to run away from home very soon.

Random 10 - Week 105

From Music Memoirs

10 songs that sum up your weekend...or were on your weekend playlist...and one picture that relates back. (oh, and if you feel like it, tell us why you picked the songs you did)

The first bit is stuff...that I miss hearing on WPKL...sniffle...I want my cheesy goodness back.

WAH!

1. Mark Lindsay - Arizona
(A friend of mine in my 60's photo community on LiveJournal shared it with me. However it's now wedged in my mind and it won't leave)

2. Robin MacNamara - Lay A Little Lovin' On Me
(Uh, this Robin is a man. Yikes! Until I saw the video for this song on You Tube...I thought he was a she)

The next song is from Paul Revere and the Raiders Hard and Heavy with Marshmallow CD. Gotta love that title.

3. Paul Revere and the Raiders - Cinderella Sunshine
(There's a lot of "Sun" songs done by this band)

Fun stuff on mix CDs etc comes next

4. Annie Lennox - Walking On Broken Glass
(My favorite song from her first solo disc, and the video features the ever yummy John Malkovich. Drools)

5. Cheap Trick - Had To Make You Mine
(Rick Nielson was doing his best Lennon/McCartney when he wrote this song...it's very Beatle-esque)

6. Grey Eye Glances - Hey Love
(Another favorite of mine from the NJ band that needs to get into the studio to record another album!!)

7. The Devlins - Almost Made You Smile
(One of my favorite not so well known Irish bands...that I think everyone should hear)

8. Shakespear's Sister - Stay
(Marcella Detroit from this band is Marcy Levy from Eric Clapton's band in the 70's and 80's. This brought me a huge WTF this weekend)

9. Erasure - Sunday Girl
(They're playing Cleveland on a Wednesday night. I just want to cry, but instead I'll just play this song over and over and over)

10 Matchbox Twenty - Bent
I've always loved the weird lyrics to this one.

shouldn't be so complicated
just hold me and then
oh just hold me again

can you help me I'm bent
I'm so scared that I'll never
get put back together
keep breaking me in
and this is how we will end
with you and me bent

And because I love you:

Download (tracks 1 and 3 are m4a files)

The picture this week is from McShane's Greenhouse/Florist in Rostraver...where I spent loads of money in the last 3 days.

One More Weekend Like This...

~ And I think I'll explode...Here's a recap.

Saturday:

1. Every twig that belongs to Jack's Total Fitness was there from 10:30 til noon to make me feel highly inadequate. I don't know how anyone can live on greens and water, because that's all these skinny wenches must eat to look like that. So I've had a "I'm a fat cow" complex all weekend. (Oh and no...the Gym Hottie wasn't there)

2. My brother and his wife came to visit from Canton. Usually his visits are fun, but today just was mayhem.

3. Dad went off in one of his fits of temper at dinner that made everyone go WTF! His selective deafness from years of working in Steel Mills and at Corning Glass really makes life interesting, because he got pissy over absolutely nothing.

4. Cabin fever was at an all time high. No I didn't go to the Susan Werner concert for these 2 reasons.

a. Gas costs too damn much for a trip into Pittsburgh.
b. Bernie the Beretta has been acting strange.

Sunday:

1. Had the Mother's Day Spat with mom over absolutely nothing. The best part of the spat was...SHE STARTED IT! Because I was griping over the fact that I can't afford to go anywhere right now, which led to me saying I need to get away from these 4 walls, which is thus interpreted as I only think of myself and I'm selfish because it's mother's day and I don't love her at all.

ARGH!

2. Went for lunch/dinner at Sweeney's Cafe and Pub...only to find they were only serving a Mother's Day Buffet today. Weeee. Mom's Day dinner kicked my budget in the ass. Nope mom...I don't love ya, that's why you got a $16.00 dinner from a girl that's broke! (Yeah..that sounds selfish..but I'm out trying to make a point)

3. Bought her a Sweet Tea from McDonald's...and guess what? She spills the whole thing on the dining room table. Thankfully it didn't get on the nephew's laptop. I could only imagine what would happen then. Yikes!

What next I ask? No I don't want to know. If I weren't so concerned about getting bills paid off, I swear I would rent a car and run away next weekend to just about anywhere.

On a happier note...I bought this today...and planted it in the front yard.

Happy Mother's Day

For close to 33 years (Damn close...I've got a birthday coming up in July) she's been my best friend. She's listened to all my insanity....musical obsessions (and she's shared some of them. imagine if you will a little semi religious lady getting down to Oingo Boingo's Insects), work issues, and all my short lived relationship/crushes.

She's been there to pick up the pieces and glue them back together even when she wasn't well enough to do it. Let me tell you there's been a lot of pieces to glue back together.

I'm thankful that today I still have to to say Happy Mother's Day too. (There have been some close calls over the recent years) And yes, I've rearranged my life to still be sitting in the house I grew up in. It's my choice and one I wouldn't change. I know I'm needed here...more than anywhere else...and I wouldn't change that for the world.

Happy Mother's Day!

I love ya, Mom!

And to celebrate Mom's Day....a few pictures of my mom through the years.


Mom's first communion picture.


My mom and dad's wedding photo.


All of us, this past March for my grandma's 100th b-day.

My African Daisy

Every year I buy an African daisy when I go to McShane's greenhouse in Rostraver for my spring flowers. I've had pink ones, yellow ones and red ones in the past. This is the first time I've seen orange, so needless to say, that's the one I had to get.

I was actually surprised that there were only a few African daisies this year. Usually they have quite a few. It's pretty early in the season too. I hate to buy them elsewhere because I've only had luck with the plants I've got from McShane's. Last year I even had one seed a new plant.

Maybe they weren't ready yet. I hope that was the case, because I like to have at least two of them in the garden.

I need to go back again soon for my annuals. I also need to go to Martin's to see if there are any hibsicus, because I think my father may have cut them a little to low.

Ah well that just gives me an excuse to buy another one. It also gives me an excuse to take some photos of all the gorgeous plants they have at both of these florists.

Here are my shots from last night.

Top 5 On Friday - Week 123

From the ladies @ Music Memoirs.


Top 5 "Mom" songs (songs about mothers, or by mothers or that make you think of your mom..or you can take the "mom" theme and run with it)

1. Oingo Boingo - Mama
(This one is kind of obvious. It's about a mother. However I'm pretty damn sure it's about Norman Bates' mama!)

2. Michael Crawford - You'll Never Walk Alone
(This one is a favorite of my mother's. It's from the musical Carousel)

3. Paul Stookey - The Wedding Song (There Is Love)
(Another favorite of my mother's and a favorite of mine. It's just too beautiful)

4. Diana Krall - Departure Bay
(Many of the songs that Diana wrote for The Girl In The Other Room were about her mother. I hope she writes more in the future. This was my favorite album of hers.)

5. Bernie Barlow - My Child
(I wonder if she sings this one to her baby now)

The Guy At The Gym

Ok, I think Gym Hottie (GH is what I'll call him now which is better than a Pickled Herring, right?), probably thinks I'm stalking him now.

He was at Jack's last night, and came in wearing shorts and a muscle shirt. Now mind you I don't go for the real muscle bound type, but he's quite nicely built....not scrawny and not a total beefcake....

It's a good thing that I can get away with drooling by passing it off as sweat. Lordy he's gorgeous. He comes in at the tail end of my workouts it seems. Which is a good thing because when he comes in, I stare and drool like a I'm 32 going on 13....so his coming in then means that the drooling and acting like an idiot doesn't last too long. If he came any earlier there would probably be puddles around the equipment I used.

After my workout last night, I headed over to Giant Eagle, because Weight Watchers TV dinners were on sale 5 for $10 and I had a coupon to get one free..so woot! 6 for $10. I pick up some grapes and a 12 pack of wake up juice (Coca-Cola) and head to frozen foods...

I'm walking up the aisle and low and behold it's GH pondering Morning Star frozen thingies. I quickly hurried up the aisle to the TV dinners that I was searching for. If I didn't bad things would happen. I'd somehow manage to freeze my tongue to the case or something like that.

When I shared this story with my mom later she asked "Did you say hello to him?"

Say hello?

Uh no! That would be a bad thing. Because words would fall out of my mouth and it would end up like that "Fishy" situation that I'm still not quite over. OK, I'm nowhere near over.

And the reasons why I won't speak to GH?

1. He's gorgeous. No man that looks like that would even notice my existence let alone speak to me. Hell I wasn't worth PH's notice...perhaps a giggle from him or ridicule...or both, but a real notice...nope.

~sigh~

2. I don't think I'm ready to be rejected again. Once a year is enough for me. I've had my quota thanks to PH. I've fallen off the horse, so to speak, and I'm in no way ready to get back on for another humiliating ride.

So in light of that, I'm going to enjoy drooling on him and hope he never notices.

Hump Day Randomosity

~ Gym musings: There is one helluva droolworthy man at the gym after 6 o'clock. Maybe I should start going after dinner more often. He comes in after work in business attire..looks good in a tie...cleans up nicely...looks really good in gym clothes too. OK, he looks like a buff version of Mr. DJ, but taller and a bit (dare I say it) better looking. But there is a similarity that I see.

BIG SIGH

I think I will drool from afar. It's safer that way. Plus I look like hell when I go to the gym. I just can't do that perky cute thing that the college girls can do. Couldn't do it when I was in college and I sure can't do it now.

~ Diana Krall and Elvis Costello have done Lexus Ads. Why? Are they hard up for cash to raise those twins? Is that why they are both going on tour only about 6 or 7 months since they were born? I'm not amused by the ads at all. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth when I see them. I love Diana, but since EC and Ms Krallomort (as I like to call her) hooked up, he has totally sold out.

~ I'm addicted to McDonald's Sweet Tea and Iced Coffee. I'm pretty sure this is a bad thing, but I can't help it. They are so good. I guess as long as they come with a salad instead of a Quarter Pounder then I'm not doing too badly. Right?

~ I'm reading a Jackie Collins novel right now and I'm actually enjoying it. I don't know why. I don't usually go for smutty novels about Hollywood. For the most part celebrities annoy me.

~ Show off time. Here are my birdie photos from the National Aviary in Pittsburgh.

~ Oh and it's hump day is it not? That means I should have a hunk or two on the blog...or maybe more..

Take Me Back Tuesday - Week 122

From the ladies @ Music Memoirs


What is your favorite way to share music with your friends?
My favorite way is by the old tried and true mix CD, that way I can share more than one or two songs with friends. I've always said, you know you're a friend if I've offered to make a mix for you or you're on my Christmas CD card mailing list.

What song or album do you feel the need to share with anyone who will listen?
Grey Eye Glances - A Little Voodoo



Actually I try to force all Grey Eye Glances albums on anyone that will listen. They are truly a great band. They need to do a new album soon, very soon!

Do you ever lend your CDs/tapes/etc to friends or family?
NO! My CDs don't leave my house. I'll copy them for you, but never, ever, ever will they leave my four walls. I have an irrational fear that they may never come back or come back scratched to high heaven.

Did you ever discover a musical love because someone shared something with you? (mp3? Mix CD or tape)
It was through sharing that I discovered Dar Williams, Grey Eye Glances, Emm Gryner and Thea Gilmore to name but a few. Music sharing has broadened my horizons. So has LaLa.

So Sleepy

I don't know what's wrong with me lately but all I want to do is sleep, but when it comes to be time for bed, I just can't force myself to go any earlier. I don't know why?

Yesterday I didn't even go to the gym. I took a walk that was a mile or so, around the town. Not a strenuous workout by any means, but here I am at 6 o'clock still tired.

I just don't know what to do. I feel run down. The scale hates me and that makes it worse.

Tonight I have to go to the grocery store for my grandmother, then I'm going to the gym no matter what. I have to remind myself, it's open until 9:30 M-R and til 8 on Friday.

I'm just so frustrated. And tomorrow I don't know if I'm going to be running out to buy concert tickets for the Susan Werner show on Saturday. I'm not making any decisions on that until after my mother has her pacemaker checked, because any appointment now can result in her ending in the hospital for a new one. Which will result in me taking a day off work to sit in the damn hospital. Not my idea of fun, but something I've been expecting for nearly 6 months now.

I'm probably going to be really tired in the next few weeks. I wish I could find a way to shake this feeling, any suggestions?

Things I Miss

~ Regular emails from Fish. I know there's no hope for a friendship ever blossoming from the rubble that was created a month ago, but that doesn't stop me from wishing that somehow things could go back to the way they were. A wrinkle of the nose and a blink of the eye and voila we could be friends again. I miss our communications...and there's nothing or near nothing now.

I can't even bring myself to listen to another station. I like Fishy. I like listening to Fishy. I miss my emails though.

~ I miss my friend Jill who sent my life in a tailspin. I've tried repeatedly to contact her, but to no avail. I have no idea why she won't speak to me. I've told her over and over that I'm beyond being angry about this.

~ I miss Misty and Buddah, my two kitties that passed away at the end of last year. I forgot how hard it is to lose a pet. It had been ages since one of our little ones went to his/her maker.

~ I miss record stores in the malls. I remember when every mall had at least 3. Now the only store in most malls is that highly overpriced FYE store. Blergh!

~ Good concerts in the area. So far there is only one show I'm guaranteed to see this year; The Grass Roots in Oct in Uniontown. I can't commit to the Susan Werner show until my mother gets home from her pacemaker check on Wednesday. Yeah...and the show is Saturday at 7. Yay! There is nothing else enticing me either, that I is feasible to attend.

~ Having friends that were close by...even my "real life" friends are far away from me now.

~ Casual Corner/Petite Sophisticate: These were two of my favorite stores that went under about 2 years ago. I could find something there at any time and the prices were reasonable and the clothes timeless. I also worked for them for a brief period of time in 2000.

~ Talking long hours on the phone. I swear the only person I talk to anymore is my mom.

Monday Morning

Would someone please remove that horrid Fleetwood Mac song from my poor little brain? It was on a best of compilation that I put on my computer this weekend and for some odd reason I ended up playing it over and over last night.

I don't like this song. But I felt the need to play it because I'm kinda going to be missing it. Actually I do miss it. I turned Pickle on this morning to see how much of Fish's rantings the other day were truth and how much was fiction.

No more "Number 1 Mondays" or "Number 2 Tuesdays" (mostly these sounded like number 2's) or "Way back Wednesdays" or "Throw back Thursdays" or even "Free For All Fridays" (except for the request bit, which I no longer listen to)

I weep for him. (Even though I'd like to wallop him)

They've ruined The Real Dill Pickle Morning Show. I don't even want to listen because it's so awful now that he has so little to do with the programing.

Anything good that I heard on this station was played when he was on the air. When I say good that means music other than the same tried and true boring songs that you hear over and over.

I weep for all the really good music he used to play. I even weep for the bad stuff like Mac's Monday Morning and Ohio Express' Yummy Yummy Yummy that annoyed me but was fun to gripe about when it made it on the air.

KEYMARKET RADIO, YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF!!!!

And for ruining that...I will listen to Monday Morning a few more times in the honor of Fish and his morning show...that is now just 4 more hours of tired old music.

A moment of silence please...for my favorite morning show.

Random 10 - Week 104

From the ladies @ Music Memoirs

10 songs that sum up your weekend...or were on your weekend playlist...and one picture that relates back. (oh, and if you feel like it, tell us why you picked the songs you did)

I've been in a jangly guitar music mood....

Tom Petty - The Waiting
(This is my favorite Petty song ever. It doesn't get any better than this)

Grey Eye Glances - Faces
There is a face that I put on so that you say you admire me but the face I have now says the feeling is gone...
One of my favorite lyrics...

Cheap Trick - I Can't Understand It
(Best power pop out there. These guys should be bigger than they are. The music is infectious, Robin Zander is gorgeous, and they rock in concert. What more can you ask for?_

Herman's Hermits - You Won't Be Leaving
(Peter Noone singing about the girlfriend spending the night. OH MY!)

Glass Tiger - Touch Of Your Hand
(I've always loved this Canadian band, and I still think Alan Frew is a hottie)

John Lodge - Thunder Child
(I love John's version of this classic song from War Of The Worlds. Jeff Wayne should have used both Moody Men in that musical)

Fleetwood Mac - Monday Morning
(I hate this song, but I was listening to a best of collection and for some reason ended up listening to this horrid piece of work by Mr. Buckingham over and over)

Midge Ure - Sinnerman
(I love his voice...he could sing me to sleep anytime he wanted to)

Gordon Lightfoot - Carefree Highway
(WJPA plays my requests quickly. I think I may be switching stations..but I feel a strange loyalty to Fish and The Pickle at 99.3.)

Stevie Nicks & Tom Petty - Stop Draggin' My Heart Around
(I spent all weekend trying to find this song. It's one of my all time favorites. And a song I'd like to send out to the person that will only email me when they want to bitch about their job...

This doesn't have to be the big get even. This doesn't have to mean anything at all.)

This picture is from the Aviary on the North Shore....

I'm an "It" girl again

A - Available or Single? Available and going cheap....single but not looking because the more men I meet the more I like my dogs and cats.
B - Best Friend? Mom
C - Cake or Pie? Tiramisu please and thank you.
D - Drink of Choice? Amaretto sour, Coca-Cola or any of these:


E - Essential Item(s)? My Zen and Muvo, the 2 Easy Share cameras, moisturizer, vaseline for my lips and a good lipstick.
F - Favorite Color? Black

G - Gummi Bears or Worms? Neither actually.

H - Hometown? Charleroi, PA
I - Indulgence?Music and I'm always indulging in that.

J - January or February? Whichever has the least snow this year.
K - Kids? 0

L - Life is incomplete without… music
M - Marriage Date: The 12th of never.
N - Number of Siblings: 2 one sister and one brother, both older.

O - Oranges or Apples? Most certainly, dip with the apples please.
P - Phobias/Fears: heights, flying, being around too many strange people.(mmmm maybe that's just a fear of life) Oh wait I'm like Charlie Brown, I'm scared of EVERYTHING!

Q - Favorite Quote: "Without music, life would be a mistake.... I would only believe in a God who knew how to dance." Friedrich Nietzsche
R - Reasons to Smile? This face usually makes me smile

Ha! I bet you thought I was going to post a picture of Fish!
S - Season? Summer
T - Tag Three: Crse, Bananas, Julie
U - Unknown Fact About Me: I graduated "With Honors" from California University of PA. (The useless degree is in Business Administration)
V - Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animals? Mmmm meat is tasty..pass the hamburger!
W - Worst habits? Spending way too much time on the computer doing mindless things like this.
X - X-rays or Ultrasounds? Uh, erm, how about neither!
Y - Your Favorite Foods: pasta, burritos, gnochhi, soup, BIG SALADS.

Z - Zodiac Cancer: Cancer, malignant

I Want This!!!

If anyone wants to buy me an "Andrea is a swell girl/friend" present, well this is it.



It's a UK only release which puts it a full $10 about what it would cost if Universal would release it here in the US, which they won't, because they are wankers. They won't even release the SACDs in the US, so if fans want the Deluxe Editions of the Core 7 discs with the odd bonus material, they have to spend inflated prices for the UK discs.

There's a certain amount of unfairness to this. Of course, everything is unfair anymore.

My next question is this; Who else is going to release an album in the next two months so that I can be completely broke. I already have the Traveling Wilburys reissues, Paul McCartney's Memory Almost Full and Erasure's Light At The End Of The Tunnel and the first single and The Road To Nashville Live CD ordered and preordered. That's nearly $100 in CDs right there, and I still have to preorder Nick Lowe's At My Age

Rant Rant Rant

A few rants for the day.

Rant 1

Keymarket Radio sucks. They are the company that runs WPKL aka The Pickle and Froggy aka the worst country station in the world.

So as of Thursday, some DJ's can't even play random requests throughout the morning show, because the people in "corporate" don't seem to think that's necessary or some kind of shit like that.

Blergh.

So he's required to play crap! Basically the format for WPKL is Bubblegum hits of the 60's and 70's...with lots of Beatles thrown in to make you not want to throw up. The hours from 6 - 10 in the morning were refreshing, because the morning DJ, who we all know and ....(cough, hack) love, played music that people liked, and occasionally tossed something in there to make you giggle, like playing White Christmas in...erm February when we were in the midst of a nasty snow storm, at the request of a random listener. (No it wasn't me)

Now there will be no Moody Blues, no songs from the new Tommy James CD, no chance of hearing the new Paul McCartney song on the station or even the songs from The Beatles Love CD.

Nope it will now be WCRP Crap FM. Because what "Fish" played doesn't make a successful classic rock/oldies station. Hmmm methinks the higher ups at Keymarket have their heads up their proverbial asses. They should be thankful they have a DJ that is at least slightly in touch with their listeners and they should let him have some control over what makes our ears bleed or doesn't.

Blergh!

I don't want to be forced to listen to WJPA, which is a better station overall, but I will, because I like to hear stuff like Gordon Lightfoot and Paul Stookey, which likely won't get much airplay on Pickle.

I've tried listening to WRRK, BOB FM, but their mix isn't really to my liking either. I like 80's but not quite what they play and they don't do enough classic stuff for me. (Oh and if I hear the Spin Doctors Two Princes one more time, I'll scream)

On that note let me say this, I HATE RADIO!


Rant 2

The 100 lb girls at the gym that are taking up space when they should be at Wendy's eating a cheeseburger so they don't look so emaciated. I'm all for exercising to stay healthy, but these chick-a-dees are obnoxious. They work out with their boyfriends and wear workout gear that borders on obscene.

Seriously girls...I don't want to see your pelvic bone. I also don't want to hear your giggling. I want to exercise in peace, please and thank you.

Rant Three

BMG for having part of some artists back catalogs, like Tom Petty and Gordon Lightfoot, but not all of them, or rather not the discs I need. It's a conspiracy so I can't get these discs cheaply. I still have loads of Gordon I need. At least with Tom Petty there's not much they don't have. However, they only have 2 Warren Zevon discs..and he's one of my favorite members of the "Dead Rocker's Society."

Why is building a good music library so difficult?

Rant 4

People that only email me when they have a rant and they get an email from me. It's always nice to know that I'm needed when someone wants to vent, but no other time. It feels really damn good to know that the friendship I offer is only accepted casually whenever it's needed and other times it's cast aside.

Note to self: Dogs and cats are much more loyal and loving than people.

Busy Weekend Yay!

I've got so much to do this weekend that I'll probably need a weekend to recover from my weekend.

I already had an appointment to get my hair trimmed and styled. Yay! I'm sitting at my desk with Deep Mahogany Brown on my head so that the color is back to normalish for the time being. I think I'll back to black cherry in the fall. I really liked that color but it wasn't summery.

Tomorrow I need to get to the gym, for obvious reasons, to Wal-mart, for necessities, and it's the dreaded laundry day. I hate laundry day with a passion. I also need to do my grandma's bill paying. Blergh.

On a plus it's Cinco de Mayo and we have an authentic Mexican restaurant in my hamlet of Charleroi on Mon. The Three Amigos (aka the best damn Mexican restaurant) is having a buffet for $8.95. One word: Yum! Now this isn't your Chi-chi's Mexican. This is the real stuff...run by a Mexican family. It doesn't get much better than this. Plus they really managed to remodel an old Pizza Hut building and make it look gorgeous inside.

Sunday my sister and her youngest are going to go to the Aviary in Pittsburgh. I've never been there, but it's on the North Side near the hospital she was at in Dec. Ah pleasant memories. (Blergh)

I look forward to taking some good birdie pictures this weekend and having some good food on both days.

Top 5 On Friday - Week 122

Russ provided the topic over at Music Memoirs


Top 5 Beatles songs not sung by John or Paul

Hmmm, I guess Russ knows that George is my favorite Beatle!

From the album Rubber Soul - Think For Yourself (George)

From the album Abbey Road - Here Comes The Sun (George)

From the album Help! - I Need You (George)

From the album The Beatles (aka The White Album) - Don't Pass Me By (Ringo)

From the album The Beatles For Sale - Honey Don't (Ringo)

My Dad's New Toy

How can a '94 Chevy Corsica be a new toy you ask? Well it's the car my father brought home yesterday to replace the '92 Ford Escort. Let me tell you he's proud of it, even though its just as much a clunker as Bernie the Beretta.

It has power doors and windows much to his amusement and it has a working radio. The radio on the Escort died many years ago. Now he not only has a radio but a tape player as well. He's already mentioned getting out the Abbott and Costello (and I don't mean Elvis) tapes.

I have a feeling my dad's going to be in the garage a lot in the coming days.

Tee Hee!

I wish I could get that excited about something.

At least I'll be able to hear music when I'm in the car with the parents now. That will save some battery life on the mp3 player. And that will save them some hearing loss from when I sing along with what's playing on my mp3 player.

Tee Hee!

It All Works Out In The End

I think I might have the finances straightened out for this month.

Big sigh

I'm not sure if I feel comfortable going to the concert on the 12th, but it's looking like I might be able to go now. Yay! I really want to see Susan Werner. It's funny. I want to see her because I love one song which she likely won't do in concert because it would make me unbelievably happy.

The song, you ask? St. Mary's Of Regret.

It's just gorgeous.

I love the line

"And I wonder why passion's always half impossibility."

I'm sure my nephew's not going to have as good at time at the show as I am, but I feel the need to broaden his musical horizons.

So yay for things working out. I shouldn't be too happy about that, because when I get too confident bad things happen, like automobiles exploding or animals or people getting sick, but for now things aren't as bleak as I thought they were.

Can This Week Be Over, Please?

It's just Wednesday, I know, but I need this week to be finished. Nothing good is coming of it, except that the parents found a new old clunker to replace the one that is dying. Yay for them.

I'm having money issues and I haven't even spent any extra. I'm having weight issues too. OK, most of the family is right now...so what does mom get for dinner last night, pizza. I'm sorry I don't have the willpower to push away pizza. But never mind that, I can't do much about that. I exercise...I go to the gym, the scale hates me, it's that simple.

Another thing I can't change is that I now have a dentist's bill that I thought I would be able to pay and now I find that I'm going to have to fiddle with my bills to pay it because I had budgeted a different amount for that one and I hadn't counted on having a cat go to the vet either. But you can't budget for sickness or car problems or anything like that. They just show up and put a spoke in the wheel and overturn the carriage.

Ultimately this adds up to me not being able to do anything extra this month at all. No going anywhere fun. OK, no Susan Werner concert. Why? Because the $70 for the dentist amounts to what it would cost for parking and the ticket for the show.

I'm unhappy. I'm broke. And now add miserable to the list, please and thank you.

I need a money injection and a self esteem injection and maybe I'll be better.

Take Me Back Tuesday - Week 121

From Music Memoirs


What is your favorite record/CD shop? Is it still in existence?
My favorite record shop was Oasis, particularly the one that was on Library Rd in South Park. I used to bug the manager there all the time. I even took him to dinner one time. He got me loads of Duran Duran posters and we used to talk about Bowie. He was damn obnoxious, but then again, so am I. We were probably a matched pair, only we never could get it together.

Sadly Oasis was part of the National Record Mart chain that went out of business several years ago. I miss those stores. They were reasonable and they had a great selection.

Do you still buy most of your CDs in stores or do you purchase music online?
Amazon and Half.com are my best friends now. I seldom buy anything in a store for 2 reasons; cost (way too high) and selection (there is none).

What music store do you consider the world's best kept secret. (Meaning you can find anything there)?
Dave's Music Mine on Carson Street in Pittsburgh. They have a fantastic selection and they still sell used vinyl. Squee! In the 80's it used to be Eide's, but my musical needs are different.

What was one "hidden treasure" you found while shopping for music?
I was at the Oasis that was near Ross Park Mall and I found a copy of Spandau Ballet's Parade. This was in the mid 90's and most of their material was out of print. I picked up that CD for 8 bucks and it was like new! And I wanted that disc for one song, though I love most of it...The song? I'll Fly For You. It's still one of my favorite songs by Spandau Ballet.

Randomosity

~ The parents 92' Escort is slowly dying. They have til the end of the month to find a new old clunker. I say old clunker because the parents are in no financial position to buy anything but. Which is the same financial boat I'm in too. I fear something happening to Bernie the Beretta, even though I hate that car. In a year or so I may be able to do something, but I don't think I'd ever feel comfortable enough with my finances to have a car payment.

~ Today is back to the gym day. I need to get a schedule going for the gym, because I can't go everyday. I can't afford it. Since my gym isn't in my town I have to drive about 10 minutes to get there, and considering I'm poor and I conserve gas as much as I can because it's almost $3 a gallon here...I don't want to waste a damn drop of it.

I need to go because I'm really hating my body right now. I don't know if the strength training I was doing while I was sick put muscle on and that's why the scale has gone up or what, but I'm not a happy camper right now. PAH!

~ Must stop at Eckerd's on the way home from the gym tonight. I need to buy some hair color. I don't know if I'm going to stick to my Black Cherry or if I'll go back to something natural. In a month or two I'm going to have my stylist do highlights or something amusing for the summer, since my hair is growing out of its super shortness again.

~ Oh and have I mentioned I love the new Erasure CD, Light At The End Of The World? It's their best disc in ages. It's very bouncy and perky and happy and that's how I like my music.

~ Speaking of music like that, I've been really loving jangly guitar music. Yeah...Tom Petty. I haven't had a Tom Petty spell in years, but that's about to change. Ah well, there are worse things I could be listening to, right?