Random Thought for the Day

How do you "draw" a blank?

Random throughts

I don't like parking lot stalkers and I take my time when I know someone is trying to get my spot just because I'm like that!

Why do people who are in their car try to have conversations with other people in a different car at a busy intersection when the light turns green?

And last but not least, let's talk about "Tea bagging" shall we?

Do we all know what "tea bagging" is slang for? If you don't please click here! Tea-bagging

Ok - now that you have the definition let's talk about a Libertarian group calling themselves the "Boston Tea Party" who have started noise about hosting a Tea Party on April 15th to protest the the current administration's American Recover and Reinvestment Act aka the stimulus bill.

So what you can do is "tea bag" Obama, or "tea bag" any other politician who approved of the stimulus plan and we can have a mass "tea bagging" party going on all over the US!

And they thought Bill Clinton was a naughty boy!

Here is a fun little segment from one of my favorite TV personalities Rachel Maddow to give you a little more about the event!

Miss me?

Nah...didn't think so. But I missed you!

I thought I would not have any blogging withdrawals but I did.

I think I need a 12 step program.

Ok...here's the scoop. Not that you asked, but what the fa...I'm gonna tell you anyways.

New Job - So far so good. I will be "on location" training for a month and then I'll get to work from home. Starting a new job around the holidays is not a good idea though. No one wants to work. I mean seriously!? Everyone else is on vacation or winter break or skiing or whatever.

Co-workers - um...well - since I am so afraid of being sued, I am going to "plead the 5th" on that subject. I will just quote the wonderful James Carville and say that Pennsylvania is : "Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, with Alabama in between."

Nuff said!

Living arrangements - Oh, this kind of makes me sad. Well...not kind of, but really. I had set up an arrangement to share a house with a woman in Limeport, PA. M and I went up a few weekends ago and scouted out a few places and as soon as I walked into this house I felt at home.

300 year old farm house in the middle of freakin' no where. The home owner is an artist/writer very sweet, very cool. Has 2 dogs and a cat. Beautiful stone fireplace, exposed beam ceilings, original hard wood floors. Just freakin' gorgeous!

Three little problems:

No internet access - I mean NONE! Total dead zone. Not even a stray unprotected wireless connection I could connect with.

No microwave - how does one live without a microwave? Apparently she does! This is a "salt of the earth" woman. Recycles, composts, live very frugally. No TV (that's fine). Only has a little transistor radio to listen to NPR on and no microwave.

Last but the biggest issue really - she has a cat. I Love cats. I love all animals really. Just ask M. If it is cute and fuzzy/furry/living/ has a pulse I love it. But unfortunately I am allergic to cats. I took some allergy medicine a few days ahead of time to fight off the sniffles and scratchy throat, but literally 30 minutes after my arrival I felt my sinuses beginning to build up pressure and my ears and throat were feeling scratchy.

If I were only to stay there one night, I could live with the symptoms but a whole month?

No...sorry

I apologized profusely to this woman. I felt horrible. I envisioned nights with a book in front of the fireplace and a cup of tea.

:::sigh:::

Instead I am sitting here at the Best Western in Bethlehem, PA.

Not that there is anything wrong with that mind you...but my little vision is crushed.

Smashed on the rocks of little allergens working their way into my mucus membranes.

But...all is not lost. I think I've made a new friend in her and I hope we can grow that friendship in the future.

We were chatting a bit and she was telling me a bit about herself. She is an artist. She used to teach in NYC. By some kind of odd coincidence she met with Louise Bourgeois who is an artist world renowned.

I have to admit here...I didn't know who she was, but my new friend...we'll call her "P" showed me this book called: Destruction of the Father/Reconstructions of the Father and gave me a little briefing about her friendship and collaboration with this wonderful artist.

Now I am intrigued. Most definitely.

Even though the homesharing thing did not work out I think...I KNOW I have a new friend in "P". I hope to keep in touch with her and learn a bit more about her life. This is good. Definitely good.

In the meantime, I have found a new place to dwell. Still no internet access but I'll see if I can "finagle" something with my new employer.

I'm in sales...heck...that's what I do...finagle!

OHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...and I've thought of a new musical torture for the New Year! You'll LOVE it...and hate it at the same time!

So stay tuned because Friday January 2nd is the first installment and I've got a special treat planned for you all!

heh, heh, heh!

Be well, stay save and Peace to all!

Happy New Year!

Away

I am traveling again.

This time to the Pacific Northwest.

Normally I will bring a book with me on the plane. This is in case I don't like the movie they are showing. Since I finished my previous book - Divisidero by Michael Odnaajte...I went into the basement where M has her collection of books and tried to find something that looked interesting to me.

I noticed something about myself during my search. I tend to read the same kind of books over and over again, so when I was looking at the description of the books I was picking...it sounded kind of familiar, but I didn't know if I had already read it.

I need to break out of that pattern!

The one I selected is called: The Dive from Clausen's Pier by Ann Packer.

When I got to the airport and whipped out the book to read while waiting for the plane to board, I letter fell out of the middle of it! The post mark date is Aug. 4, 2003

I wish I could say it was some kind of steamy love letter and I had small voyeuristic view of a passion that burned nearly 5 years ago - nope...not that kind of letter. It looks like it was written to a student from a teacher.

Dear ----,

Hi! How are you? I am doing well. How was Cape Cod? I hope you had a lot of fun. I am getting ready to leave for my vacation. I am going to Long Beach Island in New Jersey. Well, I have to go now. Write me back soon.

From, Ms. ------- (then it had a little smiley face)

The simplistic nature of it made me think this was written by an elementary teacher to perhaps a favorite student.

In the same envelope - there were two other pieces of paper: one had a few phone numbers written on it and the other was a recipe for Bob Chicken.

Here's the recipe:

1 Cup Cider Vinegar
1/2 Cup Oil (not olive)
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp Lowery's seasoned salt
1 1/2 tsp salt
(1 egg - optional)

9 - 10 Pieces

I am going out on a limb to think that perhaps you coat the chicken with the seasoning and then bake it or grill it? Sounds like a bit too much salt for me.

Perhaps the Mom of the young person the letter was addressed to read the book one summer and used the envelope as a book mark so that she wouldn't forget where it was!

I think I'll just keep the letter in the book and one day when M decides to sell all of her books someone else will find it and they'll have a new recipe for chicken! Maybe they'll look at the stamp which was .37 cents and say "Wow...it only cost .37 to mail a letter back then?"

This will be my little contribution to the mystery of history. Who knows...maybe someday the young person that this letter is addressed to may become rich and famous and this letter will be worth lots of money!?!?

nahhhhhhh...probably not.

It's fun to be in my head sometimes though...I have all kind of weird shit going on up there!

Do you ever...

give people you pass along the street names?

Like: "Mr. Swagger" for the tall young guy with the designer jeans, white striped shirt un-tucked, baseball cap that fit his head like a glove, designer sunglasses and a gait that screamed out to all the ladies out there - "Hey baby...like what you see?"

gag me

or -

'Confused lady" in the orange knitted floppy hat, matching orange skirt and blouse and white shoes who crossed the intersection of 3rd and Chestnut 3 or 4 times before some kind gentleman asked if he could help her.

This is what I did today on my way back from Reading Terminal.

There were lots of "Scrub grubs" walking around Jefferson Hospital and the older ladies that walked in groups of 2 or 3 that I called "bitta, bittas" because that was all you heard out of their mouths as they were talking. It kind of reminded me of the scene from the Music Man: "pick a little, talk a little, pick a little, talk a little, cheep, cheep, cheep, talk a lot, pick a little more".

I guess there was a matinee at the Walnut St. Theatre today because there were a lot of those ladies around today.

There was "Mr. Cell phone" - standing right smack dab in the middle of the sidewalk, turning from side to side talking to someone on his crackberry and attempting to give directions to someone on the other end. I wanted to just yell out to the person on the phone - just listen for his voice as your driving down the street...he's loud enough that you can hear him a few blocks away!

His counterpart..."Lady Cell phone" - I got stuck behind her for a block or so as she slowly sauntered down the street, waving her free arm, talking on the cell phone and taking up as much sidewalk space as she possible could for a person her size. (she was tiny)

"Ms. Blue Suit and Sneakers" - impatiently trying to pass the groups of bitta, bittas and almost running over Mr. Cell phone in her lame attempt to get where ever the heck she needed to go. (back to work after an quickie?) One can only hope...she looked a little uptight.

"Crazy Guy" in shorts trying to light his cigarette in the wind and then talking to himself. LOUDLY! I thought maybe he had a blue tooth on and was talking on the phone...but no...he was actually talking to himself! Laughing...having a good ol' time.

Good for him!

"Same Shirt Hazards" - these are the multiple school groups in the city for class trips. Seas of Orange, yellow, red, blue, greens come rushing towards you and you just run. RUN FOR YOUR LIFE! If you get swallowed up in a Same Shirt Hazards - you aren't going anywhere for a while. They surround you, envelope you and pull you in. Making you walk at their slow pace. You try to weave in and out - but there is always some kid ready to just jump in front of you and cut you off.

"Mail Order Bride" was walking with "Bling, bling, on the thing, thing." - MOB wore a black dress that made a mini-skirt look absolutely Victorian. Black stiletto heels that laced up to her knees and a hot pink pocket book. Between the short, short dress and the heels, she could only walk in these teeny tiny steps that made her even more absurd looking. Bling, bling, on the thing, thing.was a young African American male...didn't look more than 20 years old - big baggy pants, big baggy shirt...big chunky silver chains...rings on the all the fingers and walkin' like he was "all that".

Ok, OK..."Mail Oder Bride" and "Bling, bling, on the thing, thing." were obviously something else - but hey...I was being nice.

"Lovely Lady with the Cane" - she was my favorite. This was an elderly woman, her hair swept up in a tight french twist, wide brimmed sun hat, big black sunglasses, nice tailored suit, and comfortable flat shoes. Think Katherine Hepburn style. She was out for her afternoon walk along Walnut street...I don't know if she had a goal...maybe she was headed towards the Theatre with the bitta, bittas...but she didn't look like the type actually. She was more likely to sit herself down somewhere in Washington Square park and watch the people go bye with a bright, but lonely smile on her face. Reminiscing or hoping someone will be kind enough to sit and chat with her for a bit. She looked like she had some great stories to tell.

I finally found a vacant park bench and had a nice view of Commodore Barry and a group of Same Shirt Hazards with mock wooden muskets getting a lesson on how to be a colonial soldier.

"Huzzah!" they shouted on command!

I ate my Original Turkey sandwich - adding a few more names to my list. Smiling.

If you passed me by you probably would have named me: Wacky woman on a park bench smiling to herself!!!

Meme thingy

OK...I saw this meme on the McCutcheon's Blog, Maria's Blog and Dive's Blog...

I didn't want to be left out so I did it too!

How to: put your itunes/ipod on shuffle and press next for each question. write down the song that's playing as an answer.

I'm not going to add any additional comments and will just let the answers speak for themselves as weird and as random as they might be; or as dead on as they may be. Only I will know!

If anything, it's a good way to see what kind of music is on other peoples iPods.

I think I'll make this a playlist just for the whole eclectic nature of it all.

1) How would you describe yourself? Talkin’ to Myself about you, by Peggy Lee
2) What do you like in a guy/girl? Redemption Day, Sheryl Crow
3) What is your motto? In the Air Tonight, by Phil Collins
4) What do your friends think of you? You’re Timeless to me, By Christopher Walken and John Travolta (From the musical Hairspray)
5) What do you think about often? Bard Dance, Enya
6) What do your parents think of you? Weather Channel, by Sheryl Crow
7) What do you think of your best friend? Keeper of my Heart, Indigo Girls
8) What do you think of the person you like? Angel, Eurythmics
9) What do you want to be when you grow up? I Can’t Be Without You, The Cranberries
10) What do you think when you see the person you like? Proudest Monkey, Dave Matthews Band
11) What song will they play at your wedding? Drowning, Hootie and the Blowfish
12) What will they play at your funeral? The Other Side, Melissa Ferrick
13) What is your hobby/interest? Misery, Dana Fuchs
14) What is your biggest fear? Barcelona, Dean Jones, Susan Browning (from the musical Company)
15) What is your biggest secret? Stop in the Name of Love, Diana Ross and the Supremes
16) What do you think of your friends? Cure for Love, Bonnie Raitt
17) What is your theme song? Someday I’ll be Saturday Night, Bon Jovi
18) What do you think of your family? Carmine St., Kaki King
19) What is your best friend's theme song? Before the Deluge, Jackson Browne
20) What is your mood right now? Get Ready, Rare Earth
21) If your heart could talk what would it say? It’s Happening with You, k.d. Lang
22) What do your co-workers think of you? Godspeed, Dixie Chicks
23) What does your future look like? Careless Love, Madeleine Peyroux