sometimes, more is better

I never knew what the big deal was with pop singer Lady Gaga, in fact I hate most pop music simply because of it's infuriating simplicity, cheapness, novelty driven one hit wonder sound that seems to never drive anyone to try more innovative musical sounds. That said, I listen to all types of music, and I am very open minded when it comes to certain pop producers, such as Timbaland, MIA, even Kanye before his huge ego leapt out of his closet and ate his own soul. THAT said, I officially became a Lady Gaga Fan this week, after finally watching some of her latest videos directed by Francis Lawrence, who directs big time Hollywood movies and as I have always followed the classic old school video directors like Spike Jonze who later made it big in El-lay, was curious about WHY so many people liked this Lady Gaga. ok maybe not LIKED her, but she's got the buzz. Finally, I saw a performance she did of her new single "Speechless", and well, she won me over. She's more Tori Amos than Britney Spears, and her crazy outfits, hair and makeup are more like pop art than some trashy tripe. At least SOMEONE is doing SOMETHING interesting out there in the pop world, and not trying to look like all the others. This artist was classically trained for vocals and piano in NY, and i can always respect someone who creates a name using some originality, even if it does contribute to her/his further commercial success. After all, the money does follow fame, and some people who work really hard, write their own lyrics, and play their own music, may well deserve some respect.
Lady Gaga is an example of the ends justifying the means, if her crazy outfits get you to listen to her music, then she is one smart business woman, and I can respect that.
Good for her!

Going down the Rabbit Hole...

Recently I was told that my "Grandpa", who passed away a few years back, and whom I held a special place in my heart, was adopted by his mother's second husband. I never knew her, of course, and never knew she remarried. I also never knew that she divorced her first husband...and was a little surprised at this info since you just don't hear alot about couples divorcing back in the "old days". Also, divorce is very rare in both sides of my family tree, which makes it more ironic that I married a divorced man, who like alot of my friends and almost myself, got married at a younger age with alot of stress on board. I've never held a negative attitude towards anyone who has tried the sometimes very hard act of marriage, and have always thought that most of us who attempt it are either crazy, naive, mentally unstable, or just plain bored. Anyway, Grandpa's stepfather raised him from childhood into the wonderful, witty, unique man that he became, and he had a happy and long life. What I am curious about now, is this birth father, his last name was "Labonte", my great grandfather.
That's all I know for the time being, and when my family gets together there's so much chitchat and barnyard chatter that I will have to remind myself this week to find out more.
Will there be more skeletons in the closet this year? More items to amuse me and my husband as we often marvel at the wonderful wackiness of our family trees and the stories they hold?
Oh....the stories I could tell, as could most people out there about their own families. What do we decide to tell our own children, nieces, or nephews? Do we leave the parts out about the political arguments over turkey day, the passive aggressive door slamming during family fire pit nights, the laughing over the lewd jokes during giddy late night Christmas Eves? Do we tell our kids about the oldest living McMullen (my very big pioneering family down here) that had a burlesque dancer show up to his 100th birthday?? Oh wait...shhh.. those kind of stories are meant to "stay in the family".....

Great music to dream by...

An oldie but goody that I just rediscovered on Napster...the soundtrack to "Out of Africa" composed by John Barry. This movie is one of my top ten of all time. It's got everything that I love- a true story of an aristocratic independent woman (Isac Denizen) played by Meryl Streep, and her naive purchase of a coffee farm in Africa. You know the rest.... one of the major components to the movie is the soundtrack, all instrumental. Just like the theme to "Jaws", "Indiana Jones", "E.T." and "Rocky", this music is unforgettable, albiet maybe less well known. The first track is the most well known to the movie's fans, but each piece after is perfectly scored to fit the mood of important scenes in the film. Just like the story, without giving it all away, each tune is simply sweet, soaring, or underscored with dark tones to fit each pivotal scene. If you're ever in the mood for great modern composition, without being distracted by a vocalist's flaws or personality, this is the soundtrack to add to the collection. Sometimes, it is just nice to hear music without the singing, without the added note of someone's distinct sound except for the composer's. It is enjoyable completely on it's own, if you've never seen the film, you will still enjoy the modern and fresh sound of "romantic" music that doesn't sound "romantic" or sugary sweet. The music, mostly strings, soars with a robust sound at times, and then lights up with single instrument solos and themes that are truly the sound of grace.
Highly recommended. and...if you haven't yet, watch the movie!!! It is the best non- love story love story you'll ever see. From my perspective, the land is the first love in the film, not the people, and that is what this Scottish, Irish, French descendant really related to.

Too tired to write anything remotely interesting

What a day, yard sale at 7, art festival, groceries, blah blah blah. Friday I spent 6 hours away from my family at a very old, very posh spa in Safety Harbor, that is directly across Tampa Bay from the airport, beginning the day swimming in a pool of pure mineral springs water that comes from the springs on site. It was FANTASTIC. Then a hot tub with the same mineral springs, then an herbal wrap where I was wrapped up like an enchilada by a mysterious accented woman and left in a dark room to relax and sweat out toxins, and felt a million little tickles of sweat that i couldn't itch. After that, it was on to a massage, which boulders of stress were rolled out like playdough by a tiny over 60 woman who had hands like a terminator machine. Finally, the day ended with a facial and my face was left with an oily lavendar sheen that i can still smell a day later. YUM. It is interesting that the springs were discovered in the 1500's by a Spanish explorer, of course, the Indians were using it for about 10,000 years previous. Just a few miles north of this site is a huge Indian mound (their dumping grounds) so it makes sense they used the inland Bay area for oysters, fishing etc and dipping their own stressed out bodies in the mineral bubbly.
I needed it. It was great. I am thankful for the gift. Now am fully motivated to book another one next year.
Girls do wanna have fun.

Funny wise man once said

"If I were two faced, would I be wearing this one?" Abe Lincoln.

Palin really bothers people.

I have ALOT of friends on facebook who are really upset that Sarah Palin even exists. I also have ALOT of friends who like her, respect her and wish her well. (Not one of them, now, will admit to being a BIG fan of hers, funny how finicky us Americans are when the "cool" factor is in play, much like ALOT of Obama's fans... I think I agree with a politico who said that ALOT of people voted for him because they thought it would give them mileage.)
Do people have nothing else to be upset about? I mean, ABOOT? Why give a HOOT if you just don't like her? Why don't you like her? Does she remind you too much of your mom??? Does her old fashioned, do it yourself, annoying, cloying and do-gooder attitude just irritate you? Then maybe you should go back to your cave of coolness, and get some Freudian therapy.
I jest! I joke!
I sincerely hope that some of the 30 something people that read this realize I poke fun of the news ALOT. And if they know me well enough or even have the same sense of humour, they get that I'm not making fun of any of my friends, just life in general these days....
Anyway, I sometimes want to tell people who get upset about our present set of politicians to chill out, but then I'd have to include myself in that group, and I only chill out once a year when the moon is full, bright, and there are no elections.
I'll go ahead and advise myself although the moon is about as bright as our truck after washing restrictions...
Chill Out, Ms. McCarthy, the world ain't gonna end just because your wise old man didn't win.

Hello...is it me your looking for?

Good morning. It's been a very busy past few days, as today will be. Last night I was so tired of the noise of two boys that when P got home at 4:30 I started getting ready for bed. Made it by 8 p.m. and read for about an hour, which is like heaven to me. Our littlest would not stop that cranky crying for four hours straight even though he had a full tummy, so he slept in the carseat (in our bedroom of course)- his favorite spot. So, he'll get some stretching out time today! Our other son was the same way, until he started eating baby food, they just get so cranky in the evenings.

The WEIRDEST part of my evening, during my long coma, was the dream I had. I don't usually pay much attention to dreams, even the "really real" ones, and by 5-6 a.m am too busy getting everyone fed that I forget them. I was so exhausted last night that the crazy subconscious mind brought out all kinds of weird images.

Here it is- I had a dream that JASON BATEMAN from "Arrested Development" kept trying to get fresh with me, AND that his crazy ex-girlfriend found out and was crying to my friends, thus gaining all kinds of sympathy and making me look like a hooker.

First, I have only seen a few episodes of AD, and yes they are funny. The most I have seen Bateman in are the movies like "Dodgeball" and other comedies that he's great in as somewhat small but memorable roles. Also, I don't know anything about any of his current or ex-girlfriends. I DO NOT have some secret crush on him.

So, I'm finishing up coffee after being up since 5:45 and need to get everyone dressed so we can make it to NIck's speech therapy down in Pinellas Park.

Hope all YOUR dreams come true today!

this is for my sons

Aubade

by Donald Davie (1922-1995)

I wish for you that when you wake
You emulate the leaf and the bird;
That like them, touched with grace, you take
Note of the wind. You have not heard
Its low-voiced billows yet, nor seen
(Lost in your less elated rest)
The empty light upon the green,
The leaves and tumbling birds that gave
The wind its due, and then redressed
That small excess, each bounding spray
A boat that dances on the wave,
A whip that tingles in the day.

It's the most blatantly broke time of the year...

Bring out your sob stories- I've got mine for the day! It just smacked me that Turkey Day is right around the corner, family all around, food, weight gain, football, etc. Then, the usual happens...we realize around Dec.1 that we are broke- I don't mean homeless broke, or a repossesed car broke, but sorta broke - like "how are we going to do Christmas?" broke. It seems to happen to us the past three years. Hmm--around the time we had our first child. Interesting. And it's not year round- it always seems to just happen in December that we don't have "extra money" due to the fact that most things are paid off, and we don't get late on payments or credit. What's weird is we always convince ourselves that our children don't really cost us alot- we don't go to toy stores, we don't buy them clothes, etc (we get LOTS from the grandparents, so much that there are piles of clothes and toys with tags still on them). We are very thrifty with grocery shopping, enjoy good food, make most meals at home instead of going out, only go out for seafood when family is in town, do outdoor activities almost every day that are free, and really get alot out of a week with our kids without spending alot of cash.

So what's the deal? It's the year-end curse. Maybe next year it will end. What can I say? Life is really good, and I am really happy and have been for years now. You can't buy that. I want my sons to know what satisfaction feels like- to not yearn for what everyone else has. It's harder to learn than it sounds.

Santa will just have to think smart, yet again, and get my family what you cannot buy- memories of fun, love and a good life.

I know I know- It's YIN and not YING. DOH.

Weather report

I LOVE nights like this. While I hate it that someone north of here is gonna get some crappy weather, I really enjoy the crazy wind gusts and the sound of our wind chimes blowing around like a warning of something evil coming our way. Ahh.. it reminds me of home- good ol Bay County, all those storms we sat through, waiting for the power to go out, for the air to go stagnant, for the food to rot, for the powerful smell of our DOG to come up through the carpet like an old spirit. Seriously, we've had such bright sunny days here so full of outdoor activity, that its nice to get one or two days of dark moodiness. The ying and the yang. The wind whipping around our patio furniture like a playground bully. Our dog whimpering at the sound of leaves piling up around the front and back doors. The phone calls to relatives while some try to figure out what they're expecting.

Ahh... the memories. Fortunately, this little part of the state doesn't get too many hurricanes or tropical storms as they usually move north and not straight east. We are lucky. Here's to you, Ida, for blowing the sand off of our porch, for making our wind chimes chime, and for making our dog antsier than Glen Beck after a Nancy Pelosi press conference.

Mad Men

I'll write more about this show again very soon. It's a gem. The writing is so deceptively simple, so true to character, and so intelligent that it's hard to describe to someone who has not been following it the past three years. It's beyond a normal tv show, it's a whole world of cultural references, human behavior, and well written suspense that one must enjoy each episode like a newly discovered treasure. I don't normally get this way about "television" but I do get this way about good writing. There is a big difference.

"Mad Men" deserves all the accolades it gets- and without much violence, explicit sex, or over dramatic acting, it won my mind due to it's subtleties. Every character is neither good or bad, but each acts like we all do- having embarrasing moments of mistakes, bad choices, or devastating consequences. Anyhoo, the season ending tonight was pure joy. They did it well, actually not as depressing as I thought it would be. Without giving anything away, I can simply recommend that one watch this show from the first season to this one sometime, and enjoy a show that actually gets better with age, instead of dying under it's own weight.
Mad about "Mad Men."

The Foo

I read recently that the Foo Fighters are on an "indefinite hiatus" mostly due to the fact that next week Dave Grohl's new band's album is coming out, and there will probably be touring and promotions he will have to commit to. All I can hope is that this band is successful ( not hoping just for monetary success but that their music is actually good for us), and that the Foo will reunite once more to produce some more great music. What I have loved about this band is that their albums have gotten better over the years. In my opinion, their songwriting and musicality has just grown every single record. It has gone from pop/rock to some pretty intense, deep, and emotional songs most of which one can tell are not written to be just radio friendly (and thus, made to be a "hit"). Seeing them live was one of the high points in my concert going history, we were so close I could see every tooth in Dave's big growling grin while he wailed away. They rock.
Its been a busy weekend. Writing more tomorrow.

Ta ta for now kids.

Stuff and other stuff

First, someday soon, I'll link a few cool blogs from other homemade bloggers like myself to this site...just to share some more cool reading. First I like to get the authors' permission, since although blogs are public, it's still nice to get someone's ok to share their personal information, opinions, or any other thing they may post on their blogs...

Secondly, what a cool night. Literally, it's only in the low 70's maybe, but with the very full moon it is neat to sit outside this time of night and enjoy the cooler air and the backyard is lit up like daylight.

Thirdly, I am excited someone made a movie about "The Road", the novel by Cormac McCarthy. Although i appreciated the cinematography of "No Country for Old Men"(which he also wrote), I have special feelings about "The Road". At first read, it was so brutal, depressing, and hopeless that I wanted to warn people NOT to read it. Then, I realized that my own interpretation slowly changed. I thought it was more about humanity, in the end, and that although the father sees the world ending, he knows that what makes us human is the hope that life will go on. He must believe that fact in order to give his boy (called "boy" in the book) hope. Otherwise, humanity is no different than the dead landscape that surrounds them. And, that is what i hope comes through in the violent storyline - that the hope of life is what makes us different than everything else in the natural world. Our consciousness of life, of our dreams, our minds, our every waking moment is what sets us apart from animals, trees, rivers and oceans. Damn- what a good book.
Not for the weak hearted. Some people might just not like it- it is very bleak. Be forewarned. It ain't pretty.

In the meantime, I could not just sit and watch tv tonight, as usual, got restless and did a bunch of multi-tasking until making myself sit, write, and catch up on email through facebook. One son has been asleep since around 8, and the other in his carseat sleeping until next feeding. I forgot how much babies need to eat...it's like walking on eggshells in the evenings with him for now, we keep him in the living room and pretty much hang out outside or play music on the stereo, which doesn't seem to wake him, until - oh! One eye opens then the other, and it's already time to eat again. He reminds me of the Oracles in "The Neverending Story" I think that is what they were... when you walk past them, their eyes open slowly and if you don't run through in time, their laser eyes open and they shoot fatal light at you. Similar, not as devastating.

Ta ta for now folks. Get some sleep.

Independent Party

I am very glad to see the numbers rising in substantial contributions towards Independents right now as people in our country look towards other parties for answers to our country's problems. When I get more details, I'll write more about this wonderful change. As long as I have been voting (since 92), I have always been interested in the third party option, and have learned a little more about several of them the past few elections. Personally, I never found a candidate among them that I could throw my vote at, but that may change the next few elections. I think competition is the source of so many good things for our country (capitalism of course, being the ultimate example of Darwinism), and a believable third party candidate will only help keep other candidates on their toes to work hard for our votes.

Work it!! That's what our country is supposed to be about- throw the yoke off our backs that has become so heavy the past election and bring some exciting new faces to the table!

the weather update

On accuweather.com says that at 4pm today it will be partly sunny, then at 6 pm it will be partly cloudy- isn't that the same thing??

maybe they are implying that it will be partly sunny with a sprinkle of snow, then at 6pm partly cloudy with some sleet? What's the other PART?

geejus my mind can go on overload due to total lack of sleep.

Anyway, that's the weather today in "partly" Dunedin, Florida.