The mind is the first thing to go....

Can you believe that I just had to read through ALL of my previous song of the day posts, because I couldn't remember if I had picked today's song already???? Pretty sad, I must say! I had to chuckle a bit, though. I'm happy to report that the mood is alot better today. Two sunny days in a row.....to be followed by an April Fool's Day snowstorm! WTF????????????? Mother Nature, you sure can be a rotten beyotch when you want to be!! The forecast is 4-8 inches for my area. Ugh. That's all I can say about it, Ugh.

Speaking of "Ugh", I watched a movie today that fits that description. If you saw it and liked it, then I don't mean to offend you, but this is my opinion. I should mention first that normally I love offbeat movies (I also love commercial movies, didn't mean to imply that I didn't) and I even love to watch "so-bad-they're-good" movies. (Like Rocky Horror Picture Show and "The Room". Oh, the glorious awfulness of "The Room"!! I laughed all through that piece of garbage!). This movie was actually Oscar-nominated this year, I think for best foreign language pic, but don't quote me on that. It is a movie from Greece, called "Dogtooth". I didn't have a problem with the subtitles, because I have enjoyed many foreign films before. It's one of those movies where I asked myself "what is the point of that?" afterward. Maybe I would have found out if I had watched all of it, but 3/4 of the way through, I said "life's too short for this crap" and turned it off. It is about a family who seems to be well-to-do, but the father keeps his family closed off from the world. He has three teenaged kids who have never left the family compound (which is surrounded by a huge fence and gate), and stay with their mom there all the time. It's a nice house, with a big back yard and a pool, but they can't leave, and I have no idea why he keeps them there! The father takes off for work each morning, and the kids never leave, I think because he has them sooo afraid of the outside world. Early in the movie, the father brings home the female security guard from his job (he makes her wear a blindfold in the car so she won't see where he lives) and pays her to have sex with his son. In another scene,the son is out in the backyard when he sees a stray, common housecat sitting on the grass, minding its own business. He is terrified of the cat, and goes to get these big gardening shears, which he uses to stab the cat to death!!! That is where I turned this piece of crap off. Did I mention the scene where the female security guard, after having sex with the son, goes into the room of one of the teen daughters and offers her a headband if the daughter will perform oral sex on her? And, the girl does it without hesitation!!! "Yippee! A headband!!!" So, in case you were wondering, I do NOT recommend this movie. If, however, this sounds like something you'd enjoy, it is currently streaming on Netflix. But, don't say I didn't warn you.

Let's get to today's song, shall we? Today I have chosen "As Forever as You" by Boston band Face to Face, from their 1987 album "One Big Day". This was the 3rd and final album by Face to Face, fronted by Laurie Sargent, as they disbanded in 1988. Earlier in the '80's, Face to Face had a hit with the song "10, 9, 8" from their self-titled album, and I believe they released the song "Under the Gun" as a single as well. "One Big Day" was a stylistic change for the band, as they went from a new wave sound to a more country-rock style, but it worked for them. I love "As Forever as You", and it has always been a favorite to sing to in the car! Unfortunately, this album is out of print now, but it can be found if you search in the right places. After my vinyl copy was destroyed a few years ago, I found a copy of the CD on Amazon.com. Don't look on Ebay for this one, unless you want to pay an outrageous amount for it. If that is the case, then by all means, go for it!

Blue morning, blue day

The title of this post is a lyric from a Foreigner song, but that is not the song of the day. It actually describes how I have been feeling the past few days. I won't go on and on about that, but I have been asking myself this question: why is it that when it comes to my friends, I am happy to be there for them anytime they need me, for whatever reason, yet when I really need to talk to someone, I don't because I feel like I am "bothering" them with my problems/feelings? I'm not saying that THEY feel that way, I am saying that I do. I feel like I am "butting in" to their lives, even if they say otherwise. Why do I feel this way? Why do I value others, yet not myself? That's all, just wondered about that.

Since I have been so blue the past few days, I have chosen a silly, upbeat song for today. The song is "Punk Rock Girl" by the Dead Milkmen, from their 1988 CD, "Beelzebubba". The Dead Milkmen are described as a "satirical punk band" on Wikipedia, and I couldn't have said it better myself. Their music has no nutritional value whatsoever, more like the musical equivalent of eating a box of Twinkies (mmm, Twinkies.....), but damn it, it makes me happy to listen to it!!! And, who could resist a punk song that name-checks Minnie Pearl?? Anyone?? Twenty-three years after its' release, it still makes me smile everytime I hear it.

Song of the Day

Yesterday's song of the day post was cancelled due to technical difficulties. Thank you for standing by.

Now, for today's song.....

I have chosen "Standing in the Way of Control" by the band, Gossip, from their CD of the same name.Singer Beth Ditto has a really great voice, and this song rocks! In fact, this whole CD is full of great tracks, so check it out if you get the chance.  Have to run for now! "See" you tomorrow!!!

Ode to a Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookie

Yesterday, you caught my eye,

Green boxes of you piled neatly on a table of a roadside stand.

There were many other different colored boxes on the table, but I only saw you.

You wanted me to stop, you had your girl scout minions standing by the side of the road, beckoning me, doing your dirty work for you.

Especially cruel, you had two of your minions actually dressed up as cookies to remind me of what lay inside those stacked boxes.

They flailed about, there on the sidewalk, yelling “GIRL SCOUT COOKIES” “COME BUY SOME GIRL SCOUT COOKIES!!”

I looked over at you, and swore I saw an evil grin, taunting me.

“You know you want to stop and buy me”, I could imagine you saying snidely from your plastic-wrap cocoon, “Me and a big glass of milk, you know you want it”.

I don’t know how, but I found the strength to keep on driving, even as your minions did their best to convince me.

Curse you, Thin Mint cookie, with your deliciously crunchy minty wafer, lovingly embraced by a thin chocolate coating.

My favorite of the Girl Scout cookies, you’ve always known that.

But, alas, you are no good for me.

Untitled

Another Saturday, another afternoon spent at our local Border's store. This week, they hosted a Lego Racers party for the kids. The festivities began with a few craft projects, some refreshments and then each child got a Lego Racer kit (a small race car made of Lego's) to build before they raced them. The staff had fashioned a rather crude "racetrack" with a flattened cardboard box and a dolly, but the kids didn't care. The great thing was, this large group of kids (primarily boys) was getting along so well. They waited patiently for their turns to race without any adults having to "fuss" at them, and they were really respectful of each other. Devin loves his Lego's, so this party was great for him, and free for us. Now, Devin is in VideogameLand (playing Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars), Tom is taking a nap and I am here, blogging.

Which brings me to a little feature that I like to call "Song of the Day". You might have heard of it? Today's song continues with the hard rock theme. It's called "Beautiful" by the band, Joydrop, from their 1999 CD "Metasexual" . Joydrop were a Canadian alt-rock band in the late 1990's to the early 2000's, fronted by singer Tara Slone. If any of you saw the TV show "Rock Star: INXS" a few years ago, you saw Tara Slone, as she was vying for the position of lead singer of INXS. In my opinion, nobody, especially not current singer JD Fortune, can ever replace the late Michael Hutchence, but I digress. I would have liked to have seen one of the female contestants win that show, as I think that would have given INXS a fresh start and a great sound, but that's just me. Where was I? Oh yes, Joydrop only released 2 CD's in their brief time as a band, but I can only vouch for "Metasexual", as I haven't heard the second one. The song "Beautiful" starts out sounding like a lovely balad, then explodes into the chorus. Great vocals, great lyrics, which I am reprinting here:

If I was beautiful like you
Oh the things I would do
Those not so blessed would be crying out murder
And I'd just laugh and get away with it too
Like you do

If I was beautiful like you
I would never be at fault
I'd walk in the rain between the rain drops
Bringing traffic to a halt

But that would never be
That will never, never be
Cause I'm not beautiful like you
I'm beautiful like me, I'm beautiful like me

If I was beautiful like you
I'd be quick to assume
They'd do anything to please me, why not
I see their reaction when you walk into the room

But that would never be
Never, never, never be
Cause I'm not beautiful like you
I'm beautiful like me, beautiful like me
Beautiful, beautiful like me
Like me, Like me...

If I was beautiful like you
I'd have so many friends
All fighting for my time to be next in line
So if I hurt one, I wouldn't have to make amends

But that would never be
Never, never, never be
Cause I'm not beautful like you
I'm not beautiful like you
I'm not beautiful like you
I'm beautiful like me
I'm Beautiful like me, beautiful like me
I'm beautiful like me, I'm beautiful like me!

Enjoy!

Mom & Devin Day

It's about 4:30 p.m. and I am BEAT!! As you can see from the title, Devin and I had a Day O' Fun. His school had a half day today, but I decided to make it a whole day off for Dev. Our day began at around 8:00, when I took him to Dunkin' Donuts so he could have a donut and a chocolate milk. I am happy to report that I resisted the donuts and even the triple chocolate muffins this time, as I had my Fiber One twig cereal before we left the house. Mmmm. Mmmmm. good!!! We did a bit of shopping (mostly "window shopping", it's free!), had lunch and then the event Devin had been anxiously awaiting: going to the movies to see the new Diary of a Wimpy Kid film. Devin insisted that we go to the very first showing of the day (the movie opened today), which was at 11:50, and apparently alot of other people felt the same way, as the theater was over 3/4 full. Still, he loved the movie and laughed all the way through it. We went to a theater that is about a half-hour drive from home, because it is a nice one with stadium seating (Devin likes to climb the stairs and sit in the back row). On the way home, I let him pick the radio station, and heard myself saying something I swore I would never say: "You actually LIKE this music?" Devin has been getting into that "screamo rock" lately, which is just heavy metal music where the "singer" screams the lyrics. Kind of sounds like demons are singing. I like classic heavy metal, and I even like some modern heavy metal, but not a fan of the screamo overall. To me, it sounds like someone is being tortured, when in reality, it is my eardrums that are suffering the torture. But, it bothered me a little that I made that comment to Devin, because I remember being a kid and my parents asking me the same questions: "Do you really like this crap?" "this music is horrible!", and I am sure their parents said the same thing to them as they were growing up. I like to try to be open-minded about Devin's choices, because I want to encourage him to be his own person and form his own opinions, even if they aren't always the same as mine. In the future, I will try to state my opinions without making him feel bad about his.

Okay, now it is time for Song of the Day. Keeping with the hard rock theme, I have chosen the song "It's Not You" by the band Halestorm. Lzzy Hale (yes, I spelled that right) is the singer of this newish band, and I have really been enjoying this CD for the past year or so. My husband, Tom, actually introduced me to Halestorm, and I was hooked on their music from the first listen. Some of the lyrics are: "I'm in love with somebody, and it's not you". You have to listen to the entire song for the context, though. Lzzy Hale has a great rock n roll voice, a bit reminiscent of the fabulous Ann Wilson of Heart (one of my all-time favorite female singers).

In totally unrelated news, Duran Duran happen to be on the Ellen show at this moment, which reminds me of how badly I want to see them on their current tour!!! And, of how I probably won't get to see them, frowny face...... I'll get over it....in time.....

For today's song of the day, let me take you all the way back to the 1980's. Picture it: big-ass hair, jumbo combs in back pockets, stirrup pants, Rubik's cubes, etc..... Now that you are strapped into the time machine, let's go to the movies to see a little film called "Pretty in Pink". That, friends, is where we will find today's song, called "Left of Center" by Suzanne Vega. We all know that "If You Leave" by OMD (also a great song) is the iconic track off this soundtrack, but I have always really loved "Left of Center" because it captures that feeling of not fitting in, being an outsider. I had some really great friends in high school, then there are many others from that time that I really never got to know, because of my shyness and low self-esteem. I just assumed that they couldn't possibly like me, so I shut down alot and kept to myself at times. This was really evident when I went to my 20th high school reunion a few years ago. I wanted to talk to everyone, but felt like I didn't really belong there or that I wasn't wanted there. It was nothing that my former classmates did, it was all in my head. I weighed alot more at that reunion than I did in high school, so I was especially embarassed about that. That was reinforced when one of my former classmates came over to me later in the evening, and couldn't stop giggling as she told me that she didn't recognize me, in a snide way that was so insulting! Ugh. I'm pretty sure I left the reunion after that. Not that I spent the whole reunion alone. Tom and I sat with a couple of my good friends all night and had fun talking about the ole' days!

Back to the song. I actually have seen Suzanne Vega in concert a couple of times over the years. Once in the late '80's and again about 4 years ago. At the latter, I was able to meet her after the show. I'd like to say that I said something clever, or that we became buddies, but that simply didn't happen. She barely replied when I said "hello" and she could not have been less interested in meeting any of us. I like to tell myself that she is simply shy, and not a beyotch, and give her the benefit of the doubt. Good show, though.

R.I.P. Elizabeth Taylor

Sad news today....Elizabeth Taylor passed away this morning. A beautiful lady, inside and out, who overcame many obstacles in her life and who fought to help others every chance she got. I remember her as one of the first celebrities to speak out about the AIDS epidemic in the 1980's and one of the first to fight for a cure by raising millions of dollars for research and awareness. Whoopi Goldberg described Liz as having a "bawdy" sense of humor, which made me like Liz all the more and wish I could have met her. Rest in peace, Dame Elizabeth.

So, I sit here in my craft room (aka my "woman cave"!), looking out at my backyard. In addition to most of the snow from yesterday being gone, I see one of the neighbors' cats stalking some tiny creature. My cats are indoor cats, and they are presently passed out on my bed in a catnip stupor. I won't see them until around 3:00, when they want to be fed.

My mood has improved today, thankfully. Didn't really have any urgent errands to run, so I stayed home today and cleaned some stuff. Don't worry, I didn't get too carried away with the cleaning, because that would just be insanity! LOL Plus, if I spent too much time cleaning, I might have forgotten the song of the day, and wouldn't THAT be tragic??? Well, not really, but here it is....

Today's song is called "Lay Down Your Arms" by the band, The Graces, from their 1989 album "Perfect View" The Graces were a short-lived band founded by Charlotte Caffey of the Go Go's, and also included Meredith Brooks, who had the hit song "Bitch" in 1998. "Lay Down Your Arms" was a minor hit that I really liked. When I bought the CD, I really liked the rest of the songs as well. Unfortunately, not enough people agreed with me, because "Perfect View" didn't sell in big numbers and the Graces never made a second album. Shame, because I felt that they were  underrated. I'm pretty sure this CD is out-of-print now, but used copies can be found. Of course, Meredith Brooks went on to have a hit solo album, and Charlotte Caffey eventually re-joined the Go-Go's, and the third girl, Gia-something, left the group to sing backup for Bruce Springsteen then apparently vanished in the Bermuda Triangle or something. Well, not really, but where is she now? Come to think of it, where is Meredith Brooks now? Guess being a "bitch" didn't serve her that well, after all, huh? :)

After days of Spring-like temps and the melting of snow, I awoke this morning to see the ground (and trees and power lines, etc) coated with the white stuff. Come on, Mother Nature, this isn't funny anymore! LOL The roads were nice and clear, however, so I was able to run my errands and pick up the copy of Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars I had reserved for Devin & Tom at Gamestop. I am not much for video games (aside from the occasional round of SingStar or Wii Fit), but Tom and Devin love all the Lego video games, so last week I took a pile of games that they were done with over to Gamestop and was able to get enough store credit for them to buy the new game outright. Gotta love the trade-in system!!

I'm feeling a little "blue" today, though I am not sure why. Happens to all of us sometimes, right? I don't know what is wrong with me, I'm just in this "funk" that I can't seem to get out of. I'm sure I will snap out of it soon. Sure would help if the sun came out, though.....

Instead of whining, I will get right to Song of the Day! In honor of the release of Duran Duran's new CD, I have chosen the title track "All You Need is Now" for today's song.This CD was actually released on itunes about a month or so ago, so I actually bought it then. However, the actual CD hits stores today. I was (and sort of still am) a major "Durannie" when I was a teenager, and I dreamed of marrying drummer Roger Taylor, but still harboured a crush on John Taylor as well. One entire wall of my bedroom was papered in DD posters and magazine clippings, and I snapped up every piece of DD merchandise I could get my hands on! I remember travelling to Portland, ME to see them (which was about 3 hours from my house) with my friend, Jenna, and her Dad on their "Seven and the Ragged Tiger" Tour. We got a couple of hotel rooms near the civic center, and I remember Jenna and I staying up to watch "Monty Python's Meaning of Life". Is that the one where the guy eats so much and his stomach explodes, because that is the part I remember. I will return from my brief flashback to tell you how much I am loving this new CD! Some of their music has been hit-or-miss with me since the '90's but "All You Need is Now" really captures their classic sound, with a modern tweak. Did I mention that I LOVE it??? :)

Spring is officially here!! Or, is it?

I say that because a Winter storm has been forecast for later today. I still have my fingers crossed that it will only be rain here! This will be a quick "song of the day post" because I will soon be off to Devin's school to work at the book fair. I love the Spring book fair, because all the books are buy-one-get-one-free. How can you beat that? It's great for the teachers as well, because they can stock up on books for their classrooms. Okay, onto the song of the day!

Today, I have chosen the debut single from the band, Cake, called "Rock and Roll Lifestyle". This band has soooo many great songs to choose from, and I am sure each of them will eventually become a SOD, but let's begin with this gem from their first album, "Motorcade of Generosity"How do I describe this song? It's mostly an acoustic jam, but the word "funky" springs to mind as well. It's just a great song to "bop" along to, for lack of a better description! The theme of the song is "How do you afford your rock n roll lifestyle?", referring to the people who seem to be at every rock concert and have every t-shirt to prove they were there and that "you saw them first" (to quote the song). Definitely one of those songs that sticks in your head, in a good way!

With that, I am off to sell some books, and hopefully buy one (and get one free!!) for Devin and/or myself as well (hey, they have books for us "big kids", too! LOL)

It's Sunday morning, and Tom is back out in the garage doing car repairs. He was unable to finish his car yesterday, so he will do that now. Mine is running great now, thankfully. Even though I am generally a  homebody, I kind of go a little nuts if I don't have a vehicle. Even if I don't want or need to go anywhere, I do need to know that I have the option! Strange, I know, but what can I say?

Yesterday, once my car was fixed, I took Devin to Border's for a Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie party they were having for the kids. Back in November, I took him to a party there for the release of the latest Wimpy Kid book, and he had a great time! He LOVES those books and he really liked the movie, so off we went for the par-tay. It was free (which fit into my budget perfectly!) and the kids played a trivia game, with questions about each of the books, and then another, called the Fregley game, based on the character Fregley. Each kid had to read a quote from the notoriously gross Fregley without laughing or smiling, and if they did, they won a prize, which was a package of Silly Bands. Basically, every kid got a prize, and they served them refreshments, so all the kids left happy, which means all the parents left happy, too!

And now it's time for song of the day! Today's song was released in 1993 and is probably known to some of you already. The song is "Dusted" by the group Belly,from their album "Star" Belly was a New England-based band led by Tanya Donelly, formerly of Throwing Muses and the Breeders. "Star" was Belly's debut album, and it had the hit song "Feed the Tree". I like that song, but I really prefer "Dusted" as it is more of a rocker. If I remember correctly, Belly only released one more album after "Star", which didn't do as well commercially. Notice the little plastic dancer figures on the album cover? I remember having a set of those when I was a kid. I had ordered them from an ad in the back of one of my Betty & Veronica comic books. I think there were 100 of them in the set, and I remember I used to set them all up on my Dad's coffee table to play with them. That has nothing to do with anything, just an old memory I thought I would share!

Take care!

Devin's song of the day

My son, Devin, was just reading my song of the day, and gave me a suggestion for my next song of the day. However, the song he wants me to post here is not.....well, let's just say it's NOT a fave of mine. Thus, this post is all Devin. And now, without further ado, it's Devin!!

This is Devin and my  song of the day is ''Bad ass'' by Saliva.I have no trivia or fun facts about spit ,or in this case,saliva. My Mom personally hates this song so much that she had to turn it off halfway through it (just kidding), but I disagree.
p.s. Europia!(youre-a-peeah)!

Okay, it's Lisa again. I let my son "guest-blog" and boy did he make me proud, LOL!

Song O' the Day

The weekend is upon us and Tom is putting a new radiator in my van as I type this! Yippee! His father came over to help him out, so it's all good.  We discovered that my radiator had a crack in it, so for the past two weeks, I haven't been driving it any further than I had to, all the while hoping my engine wouldn't overheat. A new radiator costs about $175, depending on which parts store you buy it from. I am lucky that Tom is able to do the work on it himself, as we were given an estimate of $450 to fix it from a local garage. As luck would have it, Tom's car needs work done this weekend as well. I think he said the CV joints on the front tires need to be replaced. Don't ask me what those are, but Tom did mention something about the possibility of the tires flying off the car is they weren't replaced soon, so I'm pretty sure that is a necessary fix! LOL He picked up the new CV joints this morning, so he and his Dad can start on his car as soon as mine is done.

Now, for my song of the day. This song is from the Swedish singer/songwriter, Robyn. You might remember her from the two minor hits she had here in 1997, "Show Me Love" and "Do You Know What it Takes". Well, the song I have selected of hers for today is called "Indestructible" from her CD "Body Talk part 2"
There are actually 2 versions of "Indestructible"--one is an electro-pop dance version, and the version that I have chosen for today is the acoustic version of the song. Both versions are really good, but I am really partial to the acoustic one because it is so lovely. Here are some of my favorite lyrics from the song:

And I was never smart with love
I let the bad ones in and the good ones go
But I'm gonna love you like I've never been hurt before
I'm gonna love you like I'm indestructible.

They sound better in song than on paper! I just really love Robyn's music and this song in particular. A little bit of Robyn trivia: in 2005, she left her record label (Jive records) when they didn't like the fact that she wanted to change her sound from bubble-gum pop to the electro-pop she does now. She wanted artistic freedom, so she started her own record label, called Konichiwa Records. She still hasn't become a huge star in the U.S., but she became even more famous overseas when she started doing the music she wanted to make and in the U.S. she has enjoyed much critical acclaim for her new sound. Sister is doin' it for herself! You go, Robyn!! In fact, Entertainment Weekly (which I read faithfully) recently did an article titled "why isn't Robyn more famous?" because she is that good! Anyway, I hope you get to check out the song and that you enjoy it as much as I do, whichever version you choose.

Ireland

I was cleaning my craft room (well, more like "de-cluttering") when I came across photos and mementos from one of the greatest trips ever! Twenty-two years ago this month, my friend, Kath, and I were in Ireland on a Pub Tour. I was living in Connecticut at the time, working as a bank teller with a really cool group of people. My manager, Nancy, happened to be good friends with a travel agent named Dennis, so she was always privy to some great travel deals. Well, when she told me that there was an Irish Pub Tour coming up, for only $600 (it was 1989), I jumped at the chance to go! Kath and I were excited, mostly because we were going to the homeland of U2, and even though we knew it wasn't likely, we still held onto hopes that we might see Bono and the guys wandering around their native land. Hey, we were young and silly (now, we are just silly...) We toured the Irish countryside on a bus with our group and a really wonderful bus driver whose name escapes me. We all loved this guy, though. We saw ruins of old castles, the cliffs of Moher and many, many little pubs along the way. Kath and I weren't really big drinkers (we still weren't able to legally drink in the States) but we had a great time anyway. The last two days (it was only a 4-day trip, unfortunately) were spent in Dublin at a nice hotel called Jury's. I remember Kath and I were so excited that they had room service, so we ordered french fries and sodas, which were delivered by a very cute Irish guy!I don't have a photo of the cute guy, but I did get a shot of those fries and sodas!

We didn't do too much pub-crawling in Dublin, just wandered around the city, taking it all in. Also during the trip, we enjoyed a medieval banquet at Bunratty Castle, where I got the only photo of Kath and I together during the trip.

I believe those were a couple of "wenches" behind us! Other things I remember from the trip: going to the Irish Whiskey corner & encountering a very rude group from France, shopping at an Irish Mall (no difference from an American mall, aside from the accents) and going to a newstand to look for music magazines. Then there was the dirty old man at the newstand who stood beside me, pointed at one of the topless "page 3 girls" that were (maybe still are) gracing the covers of newspapers, and told me that he'd like to see ME on those pages! Eww! I hope Kath's memories of that trip are as great as mine!

Bonus Song of the Day

I just got home from running errands, and really want to post a second song of the day! It is just such a beautiful day, and I was cruising with the windows open, listening to the 80's station on Sirius/XM radio when this song came one. You 80's fans all know this one, it is "Where's the Party" by Madonna from the "True Blue" album, pictured here: This song just put me in such a fun, weekend mood that I wanted to share that with you. I have been a Madonna fan since the early 80's, when her first album was released, and I still love her music today. Plus, she puts on the best concerts! I love the theatrics of a Madonna show--the dancing, the sets, the costumes, I love it all! Now in her 50's, she is still in killer shape, though I don't think I would want to be quite as muscular as she is. Looks great on her, though. Remember when Guy Richie said of Madonna that she was like cuddling up with a piece of gristle? That's just cold, but I kind of chuckled anyway, which was evil of me. Anyhoo, I have seen Madonna twice over the years--in 1990 on the "Blonde Ambition" Tour and in '93 on the "Girle Show" Tour. For the latter show, I traveled to Montreal on a bus with 3 friends, and had sooooo much fun! Great times.For now, I am off! Take care, all!

Friday!!

What a gorgeous day!!! The sun is shining, the temps are warm and the neighbor's cat is frolicking (yes, frolicking!) in my back yard! Kind of beating myself up a bit this morning, though, over the horrible choice I made for breakfast. I took Devin to Dunkin' Donuts before school to treat him to a donut. This is something we do not do on a regular basis at all, but I gave in today. Well, I went in with the best of intentions: get Devin his donut and get out! I would have gone through the drive-thru,but my van is still having radiator issues (which Tom will fix tomorrow) and I didn't want to sit in that long line and risk my engine overheating. So, as I stood there in line, something caught my eye. I heard "hey, Lisa, over here!", and I turned to see a triple chocolate muffin winking at me! I looked away quickly, and said (in my best Judy Tenuta imitation) "you cannot possess me, no!". As I waited for the guy in line before me trying to figure out what the heck he wanted in his coffee and what he wanted on his breakfast sandwich (hurry up, buddy!!! I gotta get this kid to school!!!), I tried to fight it, but the lure of the muffin was too strong and before I could stop myself, I ordered one. Well, I think you can figure out how this story ends, with me, the muffin and a glass of milk and a little extra insulin!!! I'm not proud of myself, but holy crap, was that muffin GOOD!!!!!!!! And I had the whole damn thing, too! What can I say, it was a moment of weakness. I think I will forgive myself and vow to make better choices from now on, rather than stress out over one chocolate, calorie-laden muffin. Well, I will try to do that, anyway! And, I did manage to get Devin to school on time, so I didn't have to cause any bodily harm to the sloooooow man in front of me! LOL

For the song of the day, I think I will go with another gem from Anastacia. Why not? Anyway, the song is called "I'm Outta Love", and it is from her 2000 album, "Not That Kind" Great song, great voice, what more can I say? Why isn't this woman more popular here in the States??? I'm listening to this song right now, and having a hard time sitting still! And, yes, I am singing (horribly)!

"Reigning" cats and dogs

Okay, so we have all heard that there are "cat people" and "dog people". I consider myself a member of both camps. I bring this up because now that we are enjoying some Spring-like weather, I see an increase in the number of people walking their dogs and taking their dogs with them to the store, etc. Four words "spring" to mind: I Want a Dog!!!!!! "Well, Lisa", you say "Why don't you just go to the shelter and adopt one of those beautiful canines?". I wish it were that simple, because I would love to do that! Devin would love for me to do that as well. There is only one monkey wrench in this plan, and that is my husband. He is SO not a dog person. He loves our two cats (as do I), but her really does not like dogs at all. In all of our years together, I have never figured out whether he is scared of them or just doesn't like them. When we visit relatives that have dogs, he recoils when a dog approaches to greet him. Let me say that I am not trying to make fun of him for this. I'm just saying that, as someone who grew up with dogs and adores them, it frustrates me that I can't go to a shelter and bring home a dog that needs love and care. We have the room for a dog, and I am home during the day to care for it, after all. I guess part of the frustration comes from the fact that he has the final say on whether we have a dog or not, or that he feels that he does. I have people who tell me to just go ahead and get a dog and he will have to deal with it, but I have always rejected that idea out of respect for him. I always think of his stories of his ex-wives and how they never respected his needs and how they did what they wanted regardless of what he wanted, and because of that I have never wanted to push the dog issue. However, we have been together for almost 14 years now, married for 12 of those, and I am starting to wonder, what about what I want in this issue? I am not his ex-wives, and I think I have more than proven over the years that his needs are as important to me as my own, and I have shown him the respect I want to receive in return. Okay, now this is starting to sound like a rant against my husband, which is not what I intended. I am only talking about the issue of dogs and how we disagree on them. Other than that issue, Tom is a wonderful husband who makes my happiness a priority, tells me I'm beautiful everyday and works hard to provide for Devin and I. He really is awesome and I couldn't ask for a better man to spend my life with and raise a son with. I just want a dog and wanted to whine about it, that's all! :) Now I am done with that....for now, that is!

With that said, I have to add that I have two cats that I LOVE! They are almost 12 years old, and are so affectionate and sweet. They really are "mommy's kitties" because they like me best. That could be due to the fact that Tom and Devin tease and taunt the cats whenever they can, but I know Tom and Dev love the cats, too.

Take care!

It's a beautiful day, don't let it get away.....

Just got home from a parent/teacher conference, where I received Devin's report card. I was happy to once again get a great report card and the teacher said great things about Devin. She said he has wonderful work habits, gets his work done on time, is well-liked by his classmates, etc. The only criticism she had (and I saw this one coming, believe me) was that he needs to stop talking to one of his buddies in class and getting distracted. Wow, that took me back to my grade school days. "Lisa talks too much in class" was pretty common to hear from my teachers!! Apple doesn't fall too far from the tree there! Oh well. I am still so proud of my kid!

And NOW....(drumroll, please)....it's time for....SONG OF THE DAY!!! Yippee! Begin the fanfare now! Without further ado, my song of the day is: "One Day in Your Life" by Anastacia, from her CD, "Freak of Nature". (released in 2002)
This is one of my all-time favorite songs, especially for car-singing! Anastacia has such an incredible voice! She is an American singer-songwriter, a breast cancer survivor and she is hugely famous in Europe, Asia, South Africa & South America. Not so much here in her native land, which is a shame, because she is so talented. Please, if you've never heard this song, check it out and play it loud. If you love car-singing as I do, I hope this will become part of your playlist!

Take care!

Song Time!

Okay, for this song of the day, I have chosen an electro-pop dance tune that I really love. It's called "I Get Around" by the Canadian band Dragonette, from their CD titled "Galore" (released in 2007, I believe). Parental discretion is advised for this one. Not for swear words, but for content. Hell, that is half the songs out these days, though, right? :) Anyhoo, this is one of those songs that makes me want to move!! I don't have any "fascinating" trivia about Dragonette, just love this song!!

Song of the Day

Here is something I am considering as a regular feature: Song of the Day, as in whatever song I am loving that particular day. I'm sure nobody cares but me, but I'm doing it anyway! :)

Okay, I'm going "old school" for the inaugural song: "Cherry Bomb" by the Runaways. This is a totally bad-ass, "girls with attitude" song sure to stir up the inner rock star in us all! Some of you may have seen the film based on the band called "The Runaways", starring Kristen Stewart & Dakota Fanning. The film wasn't too bad, but I'm about to become one of those annoying people who say "the book was way better than the movie"! The book the movie is based on is called "Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway" by Cherie Currie. If you enjoy rock n' roll memoirs or if you liked the movie, I highly recommend this book. Cherie Currie was the original lead singer of the Runaways (with the fab Joan Jett and Lita Ford on guitars) and she is a true survivor. I don't want to give too much away, but basically, Cherie lived a wild rock life and suffered much abuse along the way. Some of what she went through is difficult to read (emotionally) but at the end, I was so impressed by her. Nowadays, Cherie Currie is (and I quote the book jacket here) "one of the most prominent chain-saw carvers in the world.". Just an interesting fact.

I hope you have enjoyed the first Song of the Day posting. Did I mention that I am a pop culture geek?

Parenting & Stuff

I just read a post on my good friend's blog, in which she discussed the unsolicited parenting advice she has been receiving, and how it makes her feel. This struck a chord with me, so I think I will write a bit about that myself. There are times, of course, when the advice of someone who has gone through similar experiences is helpful and appreciated. However, the unasked-for observations and "tips" can be downright insulting, especially from someone who barely knows your child. Anytime someone say something to me that begins with "You should....", my inner defenses shoot up immediately.

Let me give you an example of how this has affected me in the past. When my son, Devin, who is now 9 was in kindergarten, I attended what I thought was a routine parent-teacher conference & progress report. When I arrived, I was met not only by Devin's teacher, but by the principal of the school and a special needs teacher. I really liked Devin's teacher and trusted her, so I just knew something was wrong. Basically what I was told was that they "felt" that Devin had a form of autism known as asperger's syndrome. They based this on the fact that he was already reading way above the kindergarten level (sorry, guess I shouldn't have read him all those books in his formative years. What was I thinking?) and the fact that he was shy. Being still relatively new to the parenting thing, I took every word to my broken heart. Later at home, I cried, and dreaded getting Devin tested, as I didn't know what I would be facing. Would he never be able to relate to other people? Would he never have friends? Would kids make fun of him? I bought books on the topic to educate myself, and told family members what the teachers said. (to which certain members of my family replied that they "knew" something was wrong with him or that something was "off" with him. Really nice, huh? My Dad even implied it was MY fault because I stayed home with him in his early years, instead of sending him to day care. Geesh.) Well, all that stress and worry on my part was for naught, because I had Devin tested and he does not have asperger's or any other form of autism. I know it would not have been the end of the world if he'd had autism, because there are many many wonderful autistic children. My point is this: these well-meaning folks should never have diagnosed him themselves as they were clearly not qualified to do so. Today, Devin is still a great reader, a math whiz, and has lots of friends. He is funny and clever and I am so proud of him.

Another example occured before Devin was even born. I am not sure if I have mentioned this on the blog before, so please bear with me if you've heard this one before. Before Devin, I had a miscarriage in my 18th week, that baby was also a boy. I won't share the gory details, but trust me when I tell you it was traumatic, and I have never grieved like that in my life. I still remember the date: October 18, 2000. Right after that, I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, so when I became pregnant with Devin, I was sent to see the high-risk pregnancy specialists (I'm sure they have a medical name, but it escapes me at the moment). There were 4 doctors in this practice, and I never knew which one I would be seeing at my many appointments. Early on, one of these doctors decided that I needed his advice. What was this gem of knowledge from this medical mastermind? One word: abortion. Yep, you heard me right. I don't want to get into a political rant about abortion, but here is my opinion: I am pro-choice, but I would never have an abortion myself. I asked him why he would suggest abortion to a woman who had just had a miscarriage 6 months prior, and his matter-of-fact reply was chilling: "Because, pregnant women with diabetes don't typically have the will power to keep their blood sugars under control". WTF????? Well, this medical genius had never met this diabetic chick, because I was ready to fight for this kid's life with everything I had, and proving his sorry ass wrong would be the frosting on the cake (sugar-free frosting, of course!). Over the next months, I tested my sugars 3 times daily and kept a log, as well as a food log, so this jerk could see what I was eating. The result? A happy, healthy baby boy, and a big, fat "I told  you so" to this jerk doctor when he came into my hospital room to check on me. I believe I made a comment like "Good thing I didn't abort him" or something similar.

My point on this day? Think twice before telling a parent how they should or shouldn't raise their child, especially if they don't ask you to. As long as the child is happy, healthy, loved, cared for and not abused, then those parents must be doing something right and your way may not necessarily be best. All children are not the same, and parenting is a hard enough job without people making you doubt yourself. Kath, I dedicate this post to you, my friend.

S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y NIGHT!!

I'll give you a minute to sing that "classic" Bay City Rollers jam, now that I have implanted it in your brain. Go ahead, I will wait.........Get it out of your system? Me too, so let's rock this blog! Let me start by saying that one of my favorite new songs is "Rolling in the Deep" by the British powerhouse known as Adele. That woman can SANG!!! My vocal prowess is....well, it isn't really, but still I absolutely love to wail along with this song when I am cruising in my "Mom Van". Yes, dear readers, I am one of those weird people you see everyday that sings in her car. Sometimes, if I am really feeling the song, I might even wave one of my arms as if I were onstage singing! I am always sure to keep my eyes on the road and my hands upon the wheel (to borrow from Jim Morrison there). When I am alone in my van, I am convinced that I am the best singer there is, and that I sound JUST LIKE each of the singers with whom I croom along. I am not really that delusional, I am well aware that my voice is less than great, hell, it is less than good. But, it sure is fun to pretend! Thankfully, my son is 9 years old now, so he has outgrown his Wiggles phase, and I no longer have to listen to endless plays of "Fruit Salad, yummy yummy" or "Hot Potato". Well, now that I have typed that, I have to admit that part of me misses those days, because he was little then. Why do kids insist on growing up so fast? Now, Devin prefers AC/DC, Linkin Park & Ozzy Osbourne (I like them,too. Who do you think introduced him to metal???) over Dan Zanes and Laurie Berkner. In fact, he will deny ever liking them  if you ask him. But, I have the photos of him meeting Dan Zanes (Del Fuegos, baby!) before a concert a few years ago, and photos of him rockin' his Wiggles t-shirt. I even have a home video of a 4-year old Devin playing his toy guitar and giving me a concert where he sang the entire Drake Bell (of Nickelodeon's Drake and Josh fame) CD, so he can deny all he wants! I will tuck these items safely away in case I need to get them out in his teen years. Perhaps I will sit and cry over them when he leaves for college someday, who knows? I don't like to think about that. Right now, he is still my sweet little boy who still wants his Mommy around, so I will enjoy it while it lasts. Many women say this, and now I will, too: having Devin was the best thing I have ever done. Even when he drives me crazy, I adore him. This past week, I saw a woman on TV who went off on a trip and while she was gone, she decided she didn't want to be a full-time Mom to her kids anymore. I don't want to judge her, because I don't know all of the circumstances, but I cannot imagine leaving my son! Don't know where I am going with this, just wanted to say it. I may be biased, but I'm so proud of that kid!! Can you tell it is getting late? When I was a teenager, my two best girlfriends and I would on occasion, try to stay up all night on the weekend. You know how when you stay up really late, and start getting goofier the more tired you get? We dubbed that "Battle Fatigue", and I may be entering that phase at any moment! The results could either be bizarre or entertaining, I can't predict these things. In another random note, my cats are presently strung out on catnip. Both of them are passed out on the carpet, glassy-eyed, bellies in the air. I am ashamed to say that I am their catnip connection, an enabler, if you will. I think I used to look like that when I would binge on chocolate many years ago! On that note, I will bid you good-night. Take care!

Friday

This morning, I made pillsbury breadsticks (& heated up pizza sauce for dipping) for my son's breakfast. Is that weird? He isn't really a fan of cereal or eggs, and he was getting tired of choc-chip pancakes, so I was running out of options. I served the breadsticks & sauce with a peeled orange & a glass of milk, so I figured I had 3 of the food groups covered! Not that Devin complained, he loved it! I'm of the opinion that as long as he has some healthy food in his tummy when he goes to school, it doesn't have to be traditional breakfast fare. Plus, we all know that kids LOVE foods they can dip into sauces. Come to think of it, I kind of like that, too! I stayed away from the breadsticks and ate my little bowl of Fiber One twig cereal. I say, cardboard YES, Mr. Fiber One guy in the commercial!!! Fiber One and a big glass O' water. Mmm-mmm, that's good eatin'!

Don't Be a Drag, Just Be a Queen

How much do I LOVE that song?? I was just thinking about how incredibly cool it is that there are currently so many songs about being who you are and loving that person out right now. Whether you like each of these pop songs or not, isn't it great that young people today have them to let them know that they are okay just the way they are? Hell, it's great for anyone MY age to have these songs, because self-esteem issues have no age limit, unfortunately. I am talking about songs such as: "Raise Your Glass" & F@*#ing Perfect (all hail Pink!!), "Born this Way" by Ms. Lady Gaga, "Firework" by Katy Perry, and so on and so on. I know I am probably omitting some other examples, but you get the point. The message is LOVE YOURSELF THE WAY YOU ARE! Something I have struggled with all of my life, and a message that never really gets old. Those of you who, like me, feel really unloveable sometimes, I want you to focus on your many wonderful qualities and realize how fabulous you really are! I won't name names, but you know who you are. And, yes, I plan to practice what I preach. I'm not saying we will be magically imbued with self-confidence, but what a great start, huh?

Not much else shakin' around the ole' homestead today. My van is having some radiator issues, so I am only driving when absolutely necessary. I have a lovely view of the backyard from my craft room window, and it sure is nice to see the sun again today! I should be cleaning up the clutter in said craft room, but if I just stare out the window, I don't see it, so the clutter therefore doesn't exist, right? RIGHT???? Oh, it doesn't work that way? Can't blame a girl for trying.

Woke up at 2:00 a.m. to what sounded like an animal crying out outside. Never heard anything like it. Sounded like it could have been a wounded cat, but when Tom went outside to check it out, the sound suddenly stopped. Whatever it was must have been scared off. Still, it bothered me, because maybe it was someone's pet. I hope not, but still I wonder.

With that, I will return to my chores. Laundry doesn't do itself, you know, and as hard as I have tried, I still can't get the cats to clean out their own litterbox. I think I will go put on one of those inspirational songs I mentioned above and make these chores a little more fun. Oh, and I dusted off my Wii Fit board this morning and did 30 minutes of aerobics. It's a start, right?

Until next time.....

Wonder Woman makeup!!!

The geek in me absolutely LOVES this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why does my cat always have to follow me into the bathroom???

March showers bring....??

As you can tell by the oh-so-clever (she said sarcastically) title, it is raining today. I'm not complaining about this, because where I live it could very easily have been snow, and we already seem to be up to our eyeballs in that stuff at the moment! Perfect day to hide out in my craft room for a little while and blog. The word "blog" just made me think of "log" which made me think of the "log" song from the Ren and Stimpy Show!! Now I can't get that song out of my head! "It's lo-og, lo-og, it's big. It's heavy, it's wood....." You are welcome!! :)  My name is Lisa and I am a geek.... ("hi Lisa!")

There, I just put on some Lady Gaga, so let's allow the random thoughts to fly free, shall we? If you choose to stop reading at this point, I will understand.

Am I the only one who can't listen to Sarah McLaughlin's music anymore, because the very sound of her lovely voice conjours up images of sad, abused animals????? Those commercials make me want to go adopt all those sad-eyed, beaten dogs and cats. However, that would be a one-way trip to an episode of that show "Animal Hoarders" on Animal Planet, and that would be wrong on so many levels. I don't want to be a crazy pet lady, anyhow.

Through the "magic" of Facebook, I have been recently reunited with a good friend from grade school. The last time we saw each other, if I recall correctly, was in the 5th grade. Both of us moved away in the years that followed, and took our lives obviously in different directions. Still, I am pleased and surprised to have this friend back in my life, and surprised at how much we have in common still! Oh, and R.B.,  to answer your question, you can read my blog anytime you want! :)

Take care, all!!