Tid Bits

BLUKA

If you have watched Young Frankenstein you will know that there is a character played by Cloris Leachman that goes by the name Frau Blücher.   It’s a great Mel Brooks movie, so if you haven’t seen it you really should.  I learned about Kitty from a friend who had her in a small dog kennel/crate in her bedroom.  Kitty was born in August, but by looking at her you wouldn’t believe that she is 5 months old as she looks younger than that she’s so little.  I decided to rescue Kitty and give her a better life than a kennel/crate in a bedroom with little interaction.  Off to Petsmart I went to get a carrier for her.  I didn’t want to use Fabio’s as he was going to be pinchy enough with a newbie in the house, and it’s nice to have two so I don’t have to cram them both in one.  Fabio is a big boy, not fat, just big. 

Kitty didn’t have a name at all, so I decided to name her Bluka in reference to the Young Frankenstein character.  Bluka is quite the little character herself.  She makes a little purring noise when she’s playing almost like she’s talking,  she’s not sure about the cuddling thing but when she does get a little bit of loves she is quiet the little lovebug.  She is not sure what to think of Fabio just yet, so she hisses and growls at him.  But they will be buds soon enough.  Fabio is more curious about her and what she is doing in his house.  She gets her first round of kitty shots and a well kitty check up on Saturday.  Hopefully she will get a passing grade. Not sure if she’s old enough to be fixed yet, but we will consult the vet on that.

 PARKING LOT RAGE

 I would like to say that I can control my temper in all situations, but sadly that’s not true.  Saturday as I was leaving the store, I was waiting for traffic to clear so that I could go. I looked left, right then left again and saw an older Dodge tailgate headed straight for my car.  I laid on my horn, the guy behind me was on his and there was woman off to the side yelling to stop she was going to hit a car.  As soon as she finally saw me, it was too late.  She hit my car L  I put it in park, got out to check out the damage and ripped into the driver of the Dodge.  I mean, let her have it almost screaming at her.  She looked shocked (I think I scared her), the guy behind me was wide eyed and the woman was also.  I said my piece and got back into the car.  Thankfully there was no major damage.  The mark that is left can be rubbed out with rubbing compound.  I hate parking lots anyways.  I feel all common sense goes right out the window when people enter a parking lots and it becomes a free for all. 

 

2 YEARS

Two years ago today I moved into my home.  It’s been fun and a little frustrating at times.  But I wouldn’t trade being a home owner for renting if I can help it.  It’s wonderful, it’s all mine and I can do whatever I want to it and have as many pets as my neighbors and I can tolerate…and county regulations allows.

Top Ten

Music is my escape from the bullshit in life ~ Anonymous~

Here are my top 10 songs for 2012.  This is not in any particular order and was much harder than I thought it was going to be.  I’m going to write down my favorite songs from the cd’s that I acquire going forward so it won’t be so painful next time.  Who knows, it just might turn into a Top 50 or 150. Heck let's go for 275 just to be different. 

 

 

Florence and the Machine:  What the Water Gave Me
Album: Ceremonials

I love this song and it gives me chills when I hear it.  I first discovered Florence and the Machine from their song Kiss with A Fist.  It was love at first listen, and a continued love.  She is brilliant and one of those artists that is just out of the mainstream enough to not get sick of hearing.

 

Lanie Lane: Betty Baby
Album: To the Horses

I stumbled across the album by sheer luck.  I was checking out another artist and went down to the “See what others like” section and there she was.  The search began and I was bummed when I found out that she was only available in Australia.  I was able to order it though and when it came in it was like an early Christmas.  Since Craig was so nice to go pick it up for me, he thought I was a little crazy when he handed it to me and the biggest Chesire Cat grin came across my face.  It was money well spent.

 

Steve Earle: Waitin’ on the Sky to Fall
Album: I’ll Never Get Out of this World Alive

This album was one of my Dimple discoveries.  I was in one night browsing and they played a different song from this album, so I had to know who it was as I liked it so much.  Clearly I was not disappointed.  I adore this song and since it’s fitting for the 3 times we were supposed to blow up this year, it makes more sense.  “Chicken Little wasn't makin' nothin' but noise Waitin' on the sky to fall” pretty much sums this one up.

 

Zac Brown Band: Let It Go
Album: Uncaged

Zac Brown Band is just fun anyways.  Fun songs that you can sing along to and make for great road trip music.  It was very hard to pick just one, but I did it (aren’t you proud).  This song means a lot to me in so many ways and is so true.  “You keep your heart above your head and your eyes wide open
So this world can't find a way to leave you cold.  And know you're not the only ship out on the ocean

Save your strength for things that you can change.  Forgive the ones you can't.   You gotta let 'em go”  I listen to this repeatedly at work.

Fun: Some Nights
Album: Some Nights

Who doesn’t like a band named Fun.  This song always catches my attention when it comes on either the radio, iPod or the cd.  It’s just a great song to play loud and sing louder.

 

Metric: Youth without Youth
Album: Synthetica

This band is underrated in my opinion.  They are talented and have great songs.  Youth without Youth is violent if you pay attention to the lyrics.  It’s a twisted game of cat and mouse while being destructive.  But the music behind the lyrics is fantastic and is a favorite on my gym playlist and hard to not turn up and sing while on the treadmill.  So I just do it in the car.

 

 

Aerosmith : Out Go the Lights
Album: Music from Another Dimension

Do I really need to explain this one?  They are my boys, enough said.

 

 

Foxy Shazam:  Wasted Feelings
Album: Welcome to the Church of Rock-n-Roll

It’s been said that that the lead singer Eric is the new Freddie Mercury from Queen.  I almost have to agree with that.  When you listen to them you can hear the Queen influence as well as a few other bands. They are trying to bring back the brass into music as they say, brass is too cool to not include.  This one pretty much holds true that we waste feelings on a person that doesn’t deserve them.  BUT eventually we all find somebody that does deserve those feelings and returns them.

 

 

Halestorm: Call me a Bitch like it’s a Bad Thing
Album: The Strange Case of

Thanks to a lot of events in my life I’m pretty thick skinned.  Yes, there are days when stuff gets to you.  But anymore it rolls.  I’ve always taken being called a Bitch as compliment. People think it offends me but it doesn’t.  I have no room in my life for the fake, manipulative, ignorant and just plain mean people of this world.

 

 

The Gossip: Involved
Album: A Joyful Noise

I read a review about this band in one my many music magazines and had to laugh.  As the review went a little something like this “It’s a dance banger that will make you sweat your tits off”.  With a review like that, who wouldn’t want to check it out.  So I did and fell in love with Beth Ditto’s voice.  This particular song though was my anthem for a relationship that I was in.  As the lyrics go “I liked you so much I turn a blind eye You were on my mind 90% of the time The laws of attraction can be unkind Or too kind, a fine line I was spending my days forgetting the nights You were MIA and out of sight A bad mistake and that's putting it nice It's true right”  But we all have those relationships where we are not in love with the person, we are just involved with them in some way.  Even if it’s just one of convenience for the other person.

 

Random

I call this Fabio No Feet (he just came in from outside.  It was 28 degrees)

Christmas Lights

Love this time of year for many reasons, but one of my favorites is all the Christmas Lights.  They make me smile and give me an excuse to go drive around just because.  Not that I really need one because I like to drive just because anyways, but it adds to the scenery.  Craig and I went to go look at many lights this year from the houses that had the lights timed to music to the Griswold house you can see from his kitchen window.  But there were two this year that really stood out as my all time favorites.

 

Okay, this one is not a house, but how often do you see this?  It was the highlight of the night.

This one is my favorite for two reasons, the flag on the roof is spectacular and the Christmas Story display in the bay window.

A look back

Okay, I know it’s a bit early for a look back on the year and events blah blah blah.  But it’s been an eventful year.  I feel extremely lucky and fortunate to still have a job, all my bills current , a loving family and a roof over my head.  To recap my year here are a few things in a nutshell:

Fabio got really sick at the beginning of the year and had to spend a few days at the vet.  About a week and half later he was back to his sweet stinker self.  Savings account kind of recovered but not really.  I couldn’t get him insurance now if I tried, he has pre-existing.

Paid off my car and applied that to other stuff

Met my sweet Craig and he’s still around oddly enough

Turned 40 and didn’t have a major meltdown about it

Have reached over 1,000 musical gems and about passed out at that number.  It really doesn’t seem like that many, but excel tells me different.  Just so you all know, this has been years in the making.

We lost such greats as Andy Williams, Michael Clarke Duncan, Neil Armstrong, Phyllis Diller, Ernest Borgnine, Andy Griffith, Donna Summer and Carroll Shelby race car driver and one who helped shape the sports car world.

I do know that one of my New Year Resolutions will be to blog more as I’ve seemed to drop off the face of the blog for awhile.  But I will be fixing that.

Became one with the smart phone world finally and am loving it

I get end my year with a bang and actually spend New Years with somebody to really kiss besides family.  Weird!!

Woot

So on my weekly trip to Dimple I went in armed my list (never leave without the list and in this case it’s okay to stray from it).  Three of the cd’s I wanted were imports, this is what I get for digging around on iTunes.  I talked to lovely gal behind the counter and she wasn’t able to order them since they would be coming from the manufacturer in Australia.  The three that I was looking for are Adalita (out of print..just rude), Lanie Lane and Clairy Browne and the Bangin Rackettes otherwise known as the Heineken gal.  So I called The Beat in midtown and woo hoo they were able to order two of them and I wasn’t sad anymore.  As far as Adalita goes since it was just released last year and went out of print so quickly that usually means they are getting ready for a U.S. release..yay!!

Since Clairy Browne is pretty much sold out and on back order, they went ahead and placed the order for that one and Lanie Lane on Wednesday. I received a phone call yesterday that one of them had come in and I was not only excited but impressed that it had come in so quickly.  Craig was kind enough to pick it up for me today but I don’t get it until Saturday when I see him (bummer).  Clairy Browne could take up to two months to get, but I’m okay with that.  I have Lanie Lane in the meantime who is Clairy Browne-esque and by the time it does come in I will have more than likely forgotten about it and will be extra excited about it.

Life is good

Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.  ~ Dr. Suess

Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving this year was awesome.  Very low key with no white trash, sarcastic, not enough alcohol to dull the pain that is unwanted family members.  Doug's family wasn't there, and mother was invited (yay).  Dad came home in time to enjoy Thanksgiving at home and life was good.  We were still sober at the end of the night too.  Which was even better.

The BIG 40
So I turned 40 on Saturday.  Don't know exactly how a 40 year old is supposed to feel, but I don't feel any older and I might have a few more wrinkles and more grey hair coming in.  But I survived the big one.  I was extremely excited about two of the coolest birthday gifts ever!!!

April and Doug got me a vinyl bowl.  Yes it's an actual record made into a bowl.  It's going in my cd room.

Craig found and framed an Aerosmith poster for me.  Everybody knows it's my favorite band and this is just way awesome.  I was almost speechless on this one.

Birthday Dinner
To celebrate the big day, Doug,Shel, Craig and I went to Fats in Folsom (funny enough I was just there last week for our company holiday lunch).  It was fun. 

Yes we were happily buzzed, but didn't care.  Doug was driving.

My sweetie pie or as I call him Bumpers (don't know why, it just stuck).  He makes me happy and is a good guy.

Smartphone
Yes, I am finally one with the smartphone world.  Still have yet to figure out how to use it, but am having fun with it.  I will sit down soon and read the novel on how to use it.  But it is fun to figure it out on my own.  I'm still not getting rid of my iPod though.  I don't want to be that attached to my phone like most people are.  I can still function without it.