It was a wonderful Christmas holiday for me.
It started off on Friday morning at 3:30 am. I went in to work early to help with the holiday celebration for 1st shift. Such a diverse group – Indian, Hispanic, Filipino, Vietnamese – makes for an array of goodies, which they prepare in bulk and share with each other. This year the celebration was a little subdued. The death of a co-worker in a car accident during the previous week made for a celebration filled with thanks. There was no dancing this year but the food was amazing – curried chicken for breakfast at 5 am was a real treat!
Having a whole weekend to prepare wasn’t even time enough! I thought that going into work early, I’d leave much earlier than I did, take a nap and plow through some housecleaning and gift-wrapping. I came home and collapsed and never really got up the gumption to do any more than watch mindless TV.
So Saturday morning I went to the gym and when I came back, we blitzed through the house, straightening and cleaning. Then I began preparing food for Christmas Eve. I planned on having some of it catered, but I also wanted something extra special nice because this will be our last hosting of Christmas Eve with the Smith family. So I planned a menu:
Antipasti - Caesar salad
Primo Piati - Ravioli and Meatballs
Secundo Piati – Prime Rib, Yukon Gold Smashed Potatoes, Green Bean Casserole (catered)
Dessert – lots o stuff
There wasn’t much to wrap, but I got the presents organized, then I organized a rehearsal for Christmas Mas. We had a nice wind ensemble of 2 trumpets, clarinet, flute, alto sax, 3 trombones, tuba and cello – along with 2 guitars, keyboard and vocals.
Christmas Eve I got up and set the table, reorganized music for Mass, made more meatballs, got out all the serving pieces, got ready for Mass, went and picked up the catered portion of dinner and left for Mass, which was beautiful. Dooner and Shelden both were there.
We got out of Mass and Dooner gave us our Christmas Present – a brand new digital camera that is totally awesome! Family began to assemble. The nieces brought appetizers, Santa arrived and we were well on our way to a wonderful night…. Until my husband had my brother-in-law cut the prime rib before I had served the ravioli and meatballs. Ah well – It was fine and dandy!

The Big Ass Pot

At one time I had this big pot that I used to make gravy or Spaghetti Sauce as some of you may call it. My husband reminds me often, “Gravy is brown”. I also used it for making soup. It was a big pot – I forget how many quarts – with a nice heavy bottom and a lid. The heavy bottom made it perfect for making gravy because it rarely allowed the gravy to stick and burn.

Now some of you who are somewhat perceptive may have noticed that I am speaking of this pot in the past tense. There does happen to be a story related to this pot.

I brought this pot with me when I helped on a women’s retreat that we were giving and providing food for. Denise, my sister-in-law, used it to make marinara sauce for a pasta dish we were having. There were a bunch of us cooking and cleaning up. One of the women, who I’ll call ‘Liz’, also brought a pot that was similar in size but didn’t have a heavy bottom or the same type lid. I had also provided an even larger pot that was better for cooking/steaming seafood or corn – but we used it for marinara as well.

As we cleaned up, I took my heavy-bottomed pot and put it with the lid in my bigger pot and put them off to the side and out of the way. I wish, I had stuck them in Denise’s car trunk but I thought her car was locked. So in the kitchen, off to the side, they sat, the heavy-bottomed pot and lid inside the steamer pot and the steamer pot was covered with its big lid.

So by now, you should’ve guessed where this is going. It turns out the car wasn’t locked so we began to load the car on Sunday morning and were pretty much ready to leave when Denise realized she was missing her car keys. We started pulling everything out of the car, hoping that the keys were on the bottom of the trunk or maybe in the 2 pots. As I checked the pots, I realized that my heavy-bottomed pot wasn’t in the big steamer pot. The lid was also missing.

I went back into the kitchen and couldn’t find my heavy-bottomed pot and lid. I did however find Liz’s pot and lid. I went to her and asked her if it was possible that she had taken my pot in error and left her pot in the kitchen.

“Oh no,” she said, “I have my pot. I know it’s mine because it was my mother’s pot.” Well, I’ll tell you a little secret, Liz has OCD and she is obsessed with food. There’s no way that was her pot!!! It was MINE!!! MINE, I tell ya! And I have way too much class to go up to her and call her a liar/thief!!!

So I let her keep my pot.

Well, sometime later I went shopping and bought myself “The Big Ass Pot”. I will never let Liz anywhere near it because there’s no way she’s going to house it and say it’s her grandmother’s or her poor dead cousin’s big ass pot! It’s mine – I bought it with my own money at the Home Goods store in Delran. And Liz isn’t going to lay her obsessive/compulsive eyes on it… ever!

So it was one of those particularly horrible days and I had to call home to get messages because I was expecting a doctor’s office to return a call. The doctor’s office was just another part of the horror of the day. So I dialed our voice mail and this is the message that greeted me:

Um
Aunt Peg and Uncle Shelden…
I want you to come over.
But…
Um, I’ll give you some roses if you come over one night.
And when it’s fall, we’ll both jump in the leaves.
When it’s winter, we’ll both eat snow.
And in spring, when can pick flowers.
And when it’s February, we can go see the baby.
And summer, we can go in the pool one time.
Bye.

I saved the message and it’s good for another 15 days. I sent a copy to myself so maybe I can keep doing that and when it disappears, I’ll still have it to listen to on those other horrible days!
Everyone should have a message like this one!

October 6, 1995
The day that changed my life... I'm feeling a little sad and a little angry. What's the line that Joni Mitchell sings, "You don't know what you got 'til it's gone".
It was funny because when we were in Italy, Erika sent Sue and email and she said, "I never realized how many times a day I call my mom." Yah, Er. Me, too!
I can't call my mom OR email her... she's just someplace where she can't get those physical messages. Maybe she hears my heart calling out to her. Maybe she hears my prayers. Maybe she feels my tears. I don't know. I just miss her a lot.
I'm pissed because she has three granddaughters she hasn't even seen... Three granddaughters who've never met her... never felt her warmth. Never shared her laugh...
Yeah, Er. I just never realized either.

Summer's Gone... Pretty much!!!
Today we're heading for the shore in the remnants of Ernesto. It's a bit chilly and it's certainly raining. Last night, Shel thought it would be good to take an inch or so out of the pool given the amount of rain we were anticipating. When we woke up this morning, we expected to see the pool near to cresting... Nope - It was actually 3 inches emptier!
How might this happen, you ask. Simple - someone, who shall remain nameless, forgot to turn the valve off and the pool emptied itself overnight! It's still raining so perhaps it will fill some more. In any case we're not in any rush to get to the shore so I thought I'd spend some time updating.
This was a fun summer in many ways. Mike carpooled with me so the drive to and from work was usually pleasant, not to mention raucous. We laughed a lot... From the first Deer Park truck that began our drive to the Asbury sign at the end of our drive. A lot of in-between included the distasteful green building that had the word "adult" painted in black letters on the sides, the guys at the bus stops (the guy who was monochromatic by the pizza place, and the one down by the pub that has changed it's reopening date 3 times), the crazy turbaned drivers including the many that park in our lot at work and the mad dash across 6 lanes of highway traffic going 65 mph.
So, yesterday as I drove to work, I realized that there was little traffic , owing to a holiday weekend. There wasn't a Deer Park truck to be seen and the only laughter was my own, as I listened to WIP sports talk radio. I was thinking that it would be an uneventful ride, when I happened upon the distasteful green building and noticed a gentleman pushing a mop in a yellow bucket on wheels. I immediately skeeved and at present refuse to conjure up the image because thinking of what that guy was mopping - aaaaagggghhhh - I can't do it.

Saturday was somewhat of a celebration. The weather was threatening but it didn't stop friends and family from gathering to welcome the Bald-headed Wonder back to Cinnaminson.

An opportunity in NYC brought Dooner East and he had the weekend off so he took the train and visited with us. It was very weird having him home - I'm thinking that we've sort of gotten used to it just being the two of us in this house.

In any case, it didn't rain and I didn't cry. The food was yummy and the laughs were many. Tim's shirt was salmon! There are more pictures if you click this link :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28922249@N00/

We hope to see him a few more times before he returns to California! If the weather's nice on September 9th, we'll go up to Madison Square Park and check out the venue like we did last year. And perhaps he'll have a few days to stop home again at the end of his gig, do some laundry and catch up with a bunch of other folks.

I'm looking forward to that :-)

So today’s topic actually began to take shape 2 days ago – a typical rainy day and Monday. I was scheduled to drive up to our Pennington location so I found myself driving north on Route 130 instead of south… Either way, it would’ve been a crappy day because southbound 130 was flooded as was Route 73 and I would’ve used either of those routes to get to work in Swedesboro.
The point of this story is that it was raining and I was driving through Burlington on Route 130 – just before the Burlington Bristol Bridge. I looked up and noticed a the light had turned red and was slowing down when the three cars in front of me seemed to be braking suddenly. I think I was going about 20 mph but I slammed on my brakes and found myself gliding into the rear of a red Nissan Altima.
Well, there’s no need to go into the prayers followed by the string of obscenities issued from my mouth! Yah – I prayed. “Please don’t let me hit it. Please don’t let me hit it. Please don’t let me hit it.” (The three thing again!) Yah – I hit it.
I wasn’t going that fast so the airbag didn’t open. Apparently, the damage wasn’t so bad either. The worst thing was that the screws on my license plate holder left an imprint on her rear bumper. I was pretty shook up and upset at the stupidity of the situation, so much so that I neglected to check the obituaries when I got into work.
Also, I tried to call Shel and I had to leave a message because his cell didn’t pick up. When he finally called me, he started yelling because I didn’t call the cops… really the damage was so minor… I finally hung up on him because I had had enough crap all day! I even told Andy to take a walk out to Postal to check the time on their PCs.
SO… yesterday morning, I’m driving to work – the southern direction and I catch the light at Riverton Road. This woman using a walker is crossing Route 130 at the street, not using the famous overhead crosswalk that Erika used to love crossing to go to Clover to get her birthday present. No – this woman was crossing at road level and, while she was making good progress, it was unusual enough to make me giggle – especially when she motioned for oncoming traffic to inch up on her!
Then, a little farther down the road, still in Cinnaminson, this little blonde chick hopped the medial strip and got stuck there as she tried to cross Route 130 – not even at a light let alone over the cross walk! I wasn’t going fast, but someone with a little speed, could get her caught in their draft and fling her up like Dorothy’s house in the twister!
So now, I’m approaching Cinnaminson Ave and I noticed there was a car stopped at the light going northbound and an older guy was standing beside it pouring gas into the gas tank. The light changed and everyone begins to move and I noticed that a police cruiser is up ahead with its lights flashing. This cop has decided that he’s going to cut through the medial strip and go back north on 130 to the guy with the gasoline can.
I started braking (probably because I was still freaked from the fender bender the day before) and it was lucky that I did so! The guy in front of me slammed on his brakes but slid into the rear of an old taxi. The taxi then, pulled to the right to avoid hitting the SUV in front of him, but clipped it anyway, knocking the rear passenger lights off.
There was a younger guy driving the Mazda in front of me so I told him I’d be a witness if they needed me. He was a wreck. Then I called the cops because this was a much worse collision then I’d had the day before. A cop came, took my info and told me I could leave. Then he stopped traffic so the other cars could pull off to the side of the road. As I drove away, the guy in the Mazda waved a thank you.
This morning – it was quiet.

Got Wedding?

An amazing adventure began somewhere back in 1979. Two families became inexplicably bound – first, through the Spirit, then through music. I won’t get into the details except to say that this Saturday, we celebrated together the wedding of the youngest J. sibling after having celebrated a total of 10 weddings, myriad christenings and several very difficult funerals. The P.’s and the J.’s have shared a lot of ups and downs and although it seems impossible, more than 25 years have elapsed and the music still flows as does – the milk. In fact, two of the culprits in the picture are highly successful children’s musicians… but that’s a story for another day.

So the point of this entry is that sharing music with the J boys and my brother at Church was inspiring to say the least. There’s such a feeling of heaven when you share space and time with folks you love. So much so that we immediately went into buffoon mode at the reception – you know we really know how to balance our lives!

First, Mike spilled beer on Jerry, which, of course, prompted the “Spiller in the Family” discussion. We have one in our family too… although he wasn’t at the wedding. Sue asked Karen, “So which of your kids got the ‘spilling gene’”? “Oh,” she sighed, “Peter got it.”

Well, don’t you know? Peter comes over to our table with a gallon of milk which promptly slips from his grasp, hits the floor, pops the lid and spills all over the floor. (Thank God, they had the sense to stick us in a dark corner.)

Karen and Sue just shook their heads and sighed together. You can’t make this stuff up!!

Got Wedding Part A

So about the sharing time and space… the prep for the Wedding (I know – I’m working backwards here) was a hoot. Mike, Ernie and I met at Mike’s house one night about two and a half weeks before the wedding and attempted to put together the music that would be needed for the church.

This turned out to be a larger obstacle than I expected. First, there was the whole – “the groom wanted to get married by a lake so he could go fishing afterwards…” thing. Then, the bride only really wanted one song – and we were banned from singing it during the ceremony because, even though it’s based on scripture, it isn’t liturgical. Ah, well, the challenges of selecting songs for a church wedding ceremony…

The sub-plot was that Mike was in the backyard when we arrived, setting up a tent so that Rebecca and a friend could camp out that night – in 90+ degree heat!

Karen explained that Mike was frazzled because they had a toilet that he couldn’t fix and she had just noticed that the LED on the thermostat for the central air conditioner was faded out and she couldn’t read it. She was afraid to tell him, thinking he would freak. She swore Ernie and me to secrecy so that we could get some productive work done.

The music selection went fairly well – even Ernie had some positive contributions. We chose some oldies but goodies and some new songs. I promised Ernie and Mike I would send MP3s of the 2 new tunes. Of course, we neglected to set a rehearsal date, so that when it became apparent that I would be unable to attend the church rehearsal (because I was prepping for the dreaded colonoscopy), Ernie ended up not being available for when I COULD practice. Mike, Neal and I had a productive rehearsal on Wednesday before the wedding.

On Saturday, Wedding Day, Neal, Denise and I began the drive down to Camden (yes, Camden, NJ – City of Violence). As we passed the Old Ivystone, Neal looked over and said, “Hey, when did that place become an old people’s home? I saw Yngwie Malmsteen there!!” I am not lying when I tell you that place has been an assisted living facility for probably more than 15 years. And it’s not like Neal hasn’t driven past it once a week for the last 20 years!!!!

We arrived at the church early enough that we had a bit of time prior to the actual wedding ceremony and used that time to brush up some of the newer stuff and set harmony parts and beginnings and endings. Mike mentioned that at the wedding rehearsal Thursday night, Father Mike had asked if we planned to sing the “Our Father”. Mike said, “I told him we didn’t plan on it.” I thought to myself “Good, it’s been a long time since I had actually played the one that Father Mike would’ve wanted us to play”. Moments later, Ernie said, “Oh by the way, Father Mike wanted to know if we were going to sing the Our Father. I told him we weren’t going to.” I was just about to say “Good…” when Father Mike came up to us and said, “We’re singing the Our Father right?” In unison we responded, “No Father Mike, we didn’t prepare it.” I started to figure out the chords just in case. I got more than halfway through the song and Ernie looked at me. “No – we’re not doing it, Peg.” I nodded and we began the prelude songs as people were starting to come into church.

The ceremony went well and when it came to the part where we all would pray the Our Father, Father Mike looked right over at us and said, “Now let us all raise our voices in song as we pray the Our Father.” I couldn’t really see the paper where I had jotted down the chords, but I did my best from memory, completely ad libbing the ending… We all just giggled through the song.

When ever we do one of these church gigs, there is always one song that we fear will be a challenge and we had one for this gig. It happened that we needed it during a quiet prayerful moment of indefinite length. We had planned to sing the refrain twice hoping that we’d only have to do one verse because Ernie and Mike – who were doing the verses – weren’t real confident with the 2^nd and 3^rd verses.

As it turned out, our bride ended up NOT saying much of a prayer and we’d barely got through the refrain once when I saw her returning to her space in front of the altar. I signaled for a quick end to the song only to watch Ernie have a conniption because he had practiced and practiced that song and never got to sing a verse!!! “It was the best we ever did it,” he blustered.

AH – church gigs…

Be Kind To Your Colon!

So-o-o-o… last week I experienced a miracle of modern medicine – the colonoscopy. I’m over 50 and have never had one so it was time. Having put it off for four years, I truly wasn’t looking forward to the adventure but decided it would be worth it in the end (ha, get it). Besides, it will be five years before I need another one and if I’m lucky I can put that off as well.
The procedure was scheduled for Friday so the fun began Thursday morning. I took my happy pill at 4 am with a piece of pretzel and that was the last solid food to be consumed for the next 36 hours or so. I drank sprite and beef consommé – never did get around to the chicken broth.
I left work early to set up VPN access for the human resources director of our company. She’s having knee replacement surgery and because she’s in so much pain, can work from home where she’ll be comfortable… also on days like Monday, when she has pre-admission testing from 10:00 to 2:00, she can work – do the testing and work without having to drive 60 miles round trip to work.
Oh, so, I got home at 4:15 and took the first 4 Visicol tablets with 8 ounces of water. 15 minutes later, the next 4 tablets with 8 ounces of water, etc., until I had consumed 20 of these gigantic pills that I gagged on by the end of the preparation. These lovely white gems draw water to your colon so that, um, things will start moving… which they did within an hour of the last pill sequence… just like the literature stated. I kind of just lay in bed and watched TV to take my mind off of everything.
Then at 9:00 pm, I took 4 – count ‘em, 4 – Dulcolax tablets and things really started happening. I guess I finally drifted off to sleep at 10:30 pm and awoke at 4:00 am for the final clean out. All in all, it wasn’t painful or uncomfortable. It just was!
Shel stayed home and took me to Voorhees for the procedure, after stopping at WaWa for coffee and cigarettes. By now, I had a bad headache from caffeine withdrawal. We got to the medical center and the stupid benefits credit card didn’t work so I had to write a check for $200 – awesome, huh!!
Eventually, they called me and Shel went to get breakfast. I got an IV, a hospital gown, robe and those little socks with treads. I walked into the operating/procedure room, hopped on the stretcher and was told to lie on my side. A nurse injected something into my IV and I asked if it would make me say stupid things. She said, “You won’t even have time to say…” I don’t know what else she said because the next thing I knew, I was in the recovery room.
The nurses were very cheerful and were actually singing Mellow Yellow, which they thought was a Beatles’ song. I let them know that it was Donovan. They were pretty young to really have known that. Then they were singing Lola by the Kinks and I think they though that was also by Donovan…It’s ok, like I said, they were pretty young.
Then the doctor came in and said everything looked good – no cancer – maybe some colitis. He took some biopsies and said “No aspirin, Motrin, etc. for a week. Follow up with me in three weeks and we’ll go over the biopsies.” He even showed me the pictures!
So, all in all, I’m pretty proud of my colon and decided to share a view with my friends. I sent an email with the following text:
The miracle of modern medicine makes it possible for me to share an image of my healthy colon... after a bunch of biopsies, i'm doing a-ok. NO CANCER - that was never even in the thought process... I'm just over 50 and never had one... maybe colitis but we have to wait for biopsy results...
... oh yeah, if it had been ERNIE'S colon it would've been funny.... I see how it is!
My friends immediately made comments like –
LOOKS LIKE THE INSIDE OF THE TERRACOTTA WINE COOLER!! – Tim
See,
If it was me, I would have had part of my colon removed.
Just so I could say that I had a semi-colon.
That's what I'm talkin' 'bout.
Fmwah,
Ernie
IF WE'RE HAVING A CONVERSATION ABOUT YOUR COLON, DOES THAT MEAN WE'RE HAVING A COLIN POW WOW? (BABA WAWA) – Tim again
An oldie but goodie – Jeff who sent this picture of his famous broken finger surgery…

And that about ends it for Be Kind To Your Colon week.

Eagles Pre-season – Hall of Fame Game

Well you KNEW this was going to happen sooner or later. First pre-season game of the 2006-2007 season… And WHO was there???? Not Ernie – he doesn’t come to pre-season gatherings. Not Neal – he just came back from vacation. Not Dooner – he’s in California – and besides, he probably needs an exemption for this season so I don’t even count him. AT LEAST HE CALLED when the Eagles scored.

Peg was there… of yeah, of course I was there. I tried not to be too loud, be cause we all know that only ERNIE can be loud and be funny. When I’m loud, it’s stupid and NOT funny. I’m a little bitter, of course, but I’ve been trying to control myself.I was talking “drunken gibberish” so a lot of F-bombs were dropped. I promise to try harder and better throughout the season. And also, I promise to be quieter… but I still love McNabb.

This is just amazing.

Back in May, my sister and I went out to get some perennials to plant. Perennials are flowers or plants that don’t die after their season is over. They bloom or grow every year. I got some sedum and stuff.

Then we went and got some herbs – basil and flat parsley – and I picked up a four tomato plants. Got home, got everything planted in containers on the deck and then our neighbor came over to borrow our wheelbarrow.

Our neighbor is a pretty cool guy. He just doesn’t own a wheelbarrow and has no plans to ever own one. We didn’t really care about him borrowing it because we weren’t using it and it’s kind of nice to know that a tool is being useful to SOMEONE.

When he returned the wheelbarrow, he brought over two zucchini plants, four pepper plants and five more tomato plants. “Thanks for letting us borrow the wheelbarrow. Here are some vegetable plants. If you can use them, great, I was just going to throw them out because I didn’t have enough space to plant them.”

Well neither did I… so I dug up an area near the deck and in went the vegetables.

Now it’s August and this is what I got!!!!

So it happened on Saturday night at church… our regular 5:00 gig. We are a contemporary ensemble of singers, guitars, keyboards, drums and cello although we were missing some of the key components. We had just sat down after the proclamation of the Gospel and were getting ready for the sermon – our priest, this weekend, was the associate, an intriguing gentleman from India… very spiritual and kind of oblivious to our culture but learning quickly.

As he began to preach, I noticed two of my friends, seated on the other side of the church, jump up and head for the back of the church. In a matter of moments, an usher appeared and headed down the aisle, as did another friend of mine who is an RN. Mary Beth got to the person who was in distress and I watched her take a pulse and quietly ask some questions.

The usher checked on the situation and headed to the church entrance again. He came back with a wheelchair but by now, another usher and another woman had approached the scene and were motioning for someone to call an ambulance.

I soon heard sirens and felt a bit relieved however Fr Mike had just finished his sermon and sat down for a moment of silence. (I have to admit, I didn’t hear much of it because he has such a thick accent that you REALLY have to pay attention when he preaches). Fr Mike did NOT at this point notice what was going on, the deacon, however was aware.

The deacon got up to lead the prayers of the faithful and now, I was beginning to feel very uncomfortable. I felt that Fr Mike should have been made aware of the situation and maybe gone down and anointed the person in distress. By this time, the whole back of the church knew what was going on because the police arrived – 3 strapping Cinnaminson lads in uniform.

We stood up to begin the Preparation rite with a song but I didn’t feel that I should have started. First of all, everyone was worrying over this person and not really preparing for the most sacred of moments in our celebration. Second of all, I really felt strongly that the person should have been anointed. I did begin the song but cut it short.

By now, the paramedics arrived with a gurney and Fr Mike finally realized what was going on, as did the whole church assembly. The person in distress protested the paramedics’ attempts but eventually agreed to be taken to the hospital. It turned out to be an elderly woman whose face was whiter than her hair by the time I saw her. The deacon’s wife was gesturing to her husband that one of them – the deacon or the priest – should say some prayers for the poor, sick woman.

Fr Mike didn’t stop. He didn’t go and anoint her. He began the prayers for consecration as the paramedics rolled her out of the church.

I was fit to be tied but trying not to be angry. I just felt so uncomfortable. No one would’ve cared if he had delayed the Mass for a few minutes to say some prayers for the woman. I said a lot of prayers for her starting from the moment I realized someone was ailing.

Later, I found out that she was severely dehydrated and anxious because her special needs son was in rehab after an operation that left him partially debilitated. This woman is the sole caregiver to her adult son who is impaired and she was stressing because no one would be able to help her son if she was in the hospital.

I haven't heard anymore about her. I hope she's ok.

So this is what I've done this summer:
I joined the Golden Eagle Community Band so I could brush up on my bass playing skills. We played a variety of music: marches, show tunes, standards, some pop. I really liked the Sousa marches, Liberty Bell turned out to be my favorite because we played it the night of the fireworks in the Shade. On the way home, Mike and Mark sang it from start to finish. I laughed until I cried.
I've gotten to Wildwood twice. It's so relaxing. I love the deck especially in the morning, drinking coffee as people walk, jog or bike by. It's so beautiful there. I hope to get back soon.
We remodeled the powder room which was just insane because it took SO long. The result is that it looks good and it works.

You Are a Dreaming Soul

Your vivid emotions and imagination takes you away from this world So much so that you tend to live in your head most of the time You have great dreams and ambitions that could be the envy of all... But for you, following through with your dreams is a bit difficult You are charming, endearing, and people tend to love you. Forgiving and tolerant, you see the world through rose colored glasses. Underneath it all, you have a ton of passion that you hide from others. Always hopeful, you tend to expect positive outcomes in your life. Souls you are most compatible with: Newborn Soul, Prophet Soul, and Traveler Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

Jump!

Have you heard David Lee Roth do the bluegrass version of “Jump” from the Strummin’ with the Devil CD? It’s sort of growing on me... although I think Eddie would have issues with it!

Andy did this incredible version of Tarkus. Well – Tarkus is pretty frightening, but his interpretation is just plain brilliant! He has an amazing sense of rhythm. He also has the uncanny ability to laugh at himself. Why he would ever try to cover Tarkus is one question that defies an answer. Another question is simply “Why?” I’ve given up asking any questions.

I found my Marc Broussard CD – I thought it was lost but it ended up being in my car CD player. I had it on my IPOD so I wasn’t so worried about not ever hearing it again… I just was pissed that I lost it.

Last night I heard that amazing version of Wanted Dead Or Alive – the live BonJovi one… This Left feels Right I think is the album.

Which brings me back to Strummin’ with the Devil… what WAS he thinking? Did poor Eddie give his approval? Did he need to give his approval? Are things that bad that they David needed to do this album? OK, so he failed miserably on WYSP… was that such a shock?

Which begs another question? WHAT has happened to WYSP? Oh sure, in the wake of Howard Stern, the station was doomed, but what about the MUSIC???? I find myself listening to WXPN more often than not… sometimes WMGK – classic rock, now that Mike and I carpool.

There’s a large rubber cockroach on my desk, left by a co-worker. I must remember to return it.

I listen to LaunchCast on Yahoo. By rating artists, albums, songs and genres, you have some control over what you listen to. I feel that my selections are eclectic. Show Tunes to Ska. 80s Hair band to Singer-Songwriters. Classical to Classic rock.

Ah well. I DO like bluegrass… so instead of asking “WHY?” I’ll just say, “Why not?”

A favorite time of year for me… Kind of interesting without Lance -still a lot of excitement for me. Yahoo has flash updates and live coverage so you can follow the riders as they progress through the stage.



This guy – George Hincapie, I think, can win. He’s in 4^th overall right now – 17 seconds behind. It’s so early in the Tour. Almost anything is possible.
I love watching these guys race. There’s just so much heart in the Tour de France. There’s the team aspect, the country aspect and the individual aspect. I spent a couple of years “going Postal”. Now Discovery, with the Lance Armstrong legacy, is doing very well.

Paolo Salvodelli is in 7^th overall, just 27 seconds back, Yaroslav Popovych is in 22nd place, José Acevedo is in 27^th place, José Rubiera is in 46^th place which is only 57 seconds behind the leader.

Floyd Landis could do it too… he’s an American riding for Phonak. He’s in 8^th overall.



Levi Leipheimer is an American riding for Gerolsteiner and he’s in 25^th place.

These guys were both members of Postal and rode with Lance.
It’s still early… and it’s so exciting.

18 Things To Do With A Third Arm:

1. Drink coffee or something stronger, while typing
2. Paper hanging
3. Dial a cell phone while driving
4. Hold all your paraphernalia while booting H
5. Light a cigarette while making an amazing wind screen
6. Opening jars
7. Talking on the phone while rolling meatballs
8. Punch my shaking head while covering my eyes
9. Applauding while still being able to eat popcorn at the ball game.
10. Keep the 3rd one hidden and "WHOA" whip it out with a surprise bitch-slap.
11. Become a guitar legend that no one could imitate
12. Dress up the third like a chestburster from "Alien" and scare people at a hospital.
13. Unlocking the front door while carrying a bass fiddle
14. Mixing a cocktail while drinking one
15. Cutting your meat while eating potatoes
16. Flipping the bird while keeping 2 hands on the wheel
17. Rolling down the window while searching for change at a toll booth
18. Opening the basement door while carrying a basket of laundry

I love movie billboards. I love them better than when the Indians in our building page each other... but that’s a topic for another day. I even love them better than when Lauren pages because she sounds like a 3 year old, I think she should have her adenoids removed… then she might sound like her age.

My last entry had to do with a concert… ok, The X-Men billboard. The Omen billboard recently caught my attention because it would have been my mother's 78th birthday. Luckily, she hasn’t lived to be that old. I don’t think she would’ve liked it much. She was lively and vibrant and had such peace about her. She had an incredible sense of humor – well she married my dad, after all, and had seven children.


In any case, my newest favorite movie billboard is for Superman Returns. Now tell me, does this not seem reminiscent of Christ crucified? I mean, really? Ok, the arms are extended downward, but the cape is certainly a cross. Does this mean that Superman is intended to be a savior. Well, Metropolis may think so, but I don’t. I’m completely dedicated to UnderDog. It’s my belief, that UnderDog, albeit a minor super-hero and often misunderstood and maligned super-hero, is really the guy we need to call on when we’re in a bad way. I’d give real pesos just to hear “There’s no need to fear, UnderDog is here.” Don’t you think that’s way more effective then jumping into a near-by phone booth.

No, I haven’t lost what little bit of my mind I have left. It’s just that I’ve been unjustly accused of having DID – dual identity disease or some such nonsense. Some people believe that “Violet” is the violent ‘other me’. Most of it has to do with the repeated degaussing that I suffer at the hands of the evil Seth. But that’s a topic for another day.

Ok… so maybe I need to have my eyes checked again. My last check up was in May and the doctor said that, with contacts, my eyesight was excellent “for someone your age.” Folks, be careful when an eye doctor says, “For someone your age…” What they’re really saying is “Jesus, how does that woman drive a car???”

Ok… so I drive to work and home every day and I read billboards as I fly by. I’ll admit, some of them peak my interest like 6 + 6 + 06. I figured it was for a movie about the devil, no big deal, right.

So I see this other billboard as I drive up and down Route 130. Now my nephew is car-pooling with me. So I say – “Check out that billboard… who else is gonna be at that concert?” “What concert?” he asks. “The one with Bonnie Raitt and EmmyLou Harris.”

I know I’m in trouble when he bursts out laughing. “That’s for the X-MEN movie.” “Oh. I see.”

Thanks to Dayv who photoshopped the above gif - it's my new desktop!

It could happen….

Ok this is a true story:
This morning at 4:55am the alarm goes off and my husband gets up to get his shower after hitting snooze twice. I try to fall back to sleep as is my custom. Suddenly, as the drool is beginning, I’m sure, the door to the bedroom bursts open and Shelden yells, “You gotta help me. You gotta help me.”
“Holy Shit, Holy Shit, Holy Shit”, I think. It could be anything when that skinny-assed, lame-fingered, diabetic is concerned. So I leap out of bed and say “What? What? What?’ (I think in 3s, especially at 5:20 am)
“I gotta tick. You have to remove it.” “A tick??? Where is it?” “It’s on my dick!!!! I have a tick on my dick!!!” “What the shit? How’d you get a tick on your dick??” “I don’t know. Just get it off. Make sure you get the head” I was pretty sure he was referring to the tick at that point.
So I go into the bathroom, get my makeup bag and grab the tweezers. Of course, the tick is on his groin, not his actual dick, so I go to work on it. “Why don’t you put on your glasses so you can actually see?” he says. He still hasn’t figured out the whole near-sighted/far-sighted thing. “Actually, I see up close better withOUT my glasses.” I say. He seems happier and lets me get down to work again. This time I get the tick – it really hasn’t latched on or anything – but it starts climbing up the tweezers. I run to the sink and turn on the water. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?????” he screams. "Put it in the toilet – it’ll climb up the drain pipe. It’ll cling to the sides.” I go to the toilet and try to flick off the tick. Doesn’t the pair of tweezers fall in the toilet????

Why they were chosen - Road Trip CD 2

Take the Time – Freddy Jones Band – “Take the time to look in front of you.” And all around when you’re driving through some of that beautiful country.

We’re Not Right – David Gray – What’s wrong with us is no small thing…

Lonely Night in Georgia – Marc Broussard – Marc Broussard rocks. Hope you don’t get too lonely.

Two of Us – The Beatles – Wish I could have made the trip with you. I was there in spirit.

Hate to Lose Your Lovin’ – Little Feat – A kickin’ song, just to make you dance in the car!

Your Smiling Face – James Taylor – I have to smile myself, because I love you.

Show My Face Around – Jim Boggia – from the new CD. Another Beatlesque tune with lots of mini-moog. “I’ll just crawl back in my world of sound.” Boggia’s Mom sings at the end.

Sailin’ Shoes – Little Feat – When Neal was in Sweden he played this song on a radio station. It’s just another link to family history…. Nothing to do with the drug reference.

Prologue, Jellicle songs for Jellicle Cats – Cats – One of my favorite gifts was when we went to see Cats together.

Carry On – Crosby Stills Nash and Young – “Where will you be tomorrow? Carry on, love is coming, love is coming to us all.”

Up on Cripple Creek – The Band – One of our favorite jams. Our air jam band does it real good!

Maze – 4 Way Street – Those Philly roots are represented again. “Better find another way out…”

Magic To Do – Pippin – Referring to the magic of life!

Northern Bound Train – Pete Droge – The ultimate Jam of all air band jams. Our anthem, our New Years Eve favorite!

Mexico – James Taylor – Simply because my fondest memory of this song was the night we danced around your bedroom.

You’ve Got A Friend – Carole King – She has a big butt but she can write a mean song!

Ma-Ma-Ma Belle – Electric Light Orchestra – Don’t forget to call once in a while.

Everywhere You Go – 4 Way Street – Ben Arnold’s contribution to a really great Philly local CD “You sing a silent little melody Everywhere you go”

States Where I've Urinated!




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Why they were chosen Road Trip CD 1

California – Joni Mitchell – Obvious… he’s DRIVING to California. Not so obvious… James Taylor plays guitar on this tune. When I was in college, I listened to this album (vinyl) repeatedly while drinking cheap wine. I have fond memories that I associate with this entire CD. Perhaps, my son will have some as he listens to this song on his big adventure.

The Long and Winding Road – The Beatles – Obvious…. He’s on the long and winding road. Not so obvious… it’s from Let It Be – Naked. We both got goose bumps the first time we heard this version.

Shoot The Moon – Four Way Street – Obvious… a Philly local band, Scott Bricklin and his brother Brian, or maybe it was the other way around, produced The Freakin’ Cads Escape from Philly. Not so obvious – Jim Boggia and Ben Arnold are also part of Four Way Street, an obvious reference to Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. “Once in a while your dreams come true…”

Wanted, Dead Or Alive – Mr Andy - Obvious… It’s my favorite karaoke tune, something to be remembered by. Not so obvious… Oh yes, I do karaoke – badly, but I do it. And I’ve seen some amazing performances, as has my son. I want him to laugh as he listens and remembers nights like Petey doing White Snake and Neal doing Livin’ La Vida Loca. Oh, and, Mr. Andy’s version just reeks of karaoke.

Rocksteady – Marc Broussard – Obvious… Marc Broussard ROCKS! Not so obvious… Dooner actually worked an event where Marc Broussard performed and was pleasantly surprised by the guy’s talent and demeanor! AND a very special Christmas present.

Come On! Feel the Illinoise – Sufian Stevens – Obvious… another special Christmas present. Not so obvious… Dude, you can’t be on the road trip of a lifetime and not listen to a song about Illinois. Plus the album was recorded in Clarksboro – right down 295 from where I work!

In A Daydream – Freddy Jones Band – Obvious… What compilation disc is complete without a Freddy Jones tune. Not so obvious… The lyrics – “The sky is calling, Calling out my name. Telling me just to stay, Stay and don't go away. I'm already in, In a daydream.” But go, my son, go where no Petti has gone before!

Honey Don’t Leave L.A. – James Taylor – Obvious… It’s James and it’s about leaving LA. Not so obvious… It’s James.

Several Thousand – Jim Boggia – Obvious… “Every time I see you I'm exalted.” Lyrics, of course. There is nothing like the feeling I get when my son croshes the threshold! Not so obvious… Dooner drove to Manayunk in a snow storm to get this CD for me as a Christmas present.

Teach Your Children – Crosby Stills Nash and Young – Obvious… we all want our kids to continue to honor the values we’ve instilled in them. Not so obvious… Dooner went with Neal to a CSN concert. They had 1 front row seat so they took turns sitting there. Dooner was young – maybe 15, 16. As CSN sang this song, Graham Nash noticed Dooner in the front row, reached down and shook his hand, saying “We’ve got some young ones here tonight.” When he came home, he woke me up to tell me about it. How cool is that!

Corner of the Sky – (from Pippin) – obvious… Lyrics “Every man has his daydreams. Every man has his goal. People like the way dreams have of sticking to the soul. Thunderclouds have their lightning. Nightingales have their song. And don't you see I want my life to be something more than long.... Rivers belong where they can ramble. Eagles belong where they can fly. I've got to be where my spirit can run free. Got to find my corner of the sky”. Not so obvious… One of our favorites as a musical. When Bo Bice was on American Idol, they had to sing show tunes and Dooner thought “If II were Bo, I’d sing ‘Corner of the Sky’.” Bo sang it. Yah - my son can totally do TV... no problem!

So Far Away – Carole King – obvious… Lyrics “So far away. Doesn't anybody stay in one place anymore. It would be so fine to see your face at my door. It doesn't help to know, you're just time away.” Not so obvious… I miss Dooner (I’ve missed him for a year) but I want him to live his life and be successful. If it means being ‘So Far Away’, so be it.

How Sweet It Is To Be Loved by You – James Taylor – Obvious… It’s James. Not so obvious… Dooner and I share some pretty insane taste in music. James has been common ground for many, many years.

Silver Lining – Bonnie Raitt – Obvious… It’s a David Gray tune. Not so obvious… Lyrics “Step into the silence, take it in your own two hands. And sprinkle it like diamonds all across these lands. Blaze it in the morning. Wear it like an iron skin. Only things worth living for are innocence and magic, amen” You make your own magic, you make your own life. Why Bonnie Raitt? Why not?

Jesus on the Grill – Willy Porter – Obvious… a travel song. Not so obvious… we really dug Willy Porter when we saw him at Apple Farm. Funny thing, on his trip out to LA, A jackelope got all up in Dooner’s grill. I called him up and parodied the words to this song, singing “I saw rabbit on the grille…” ah well – you had to be there.

New Horizons – David Gray – Obvious… It’s David Gray… again no road trip cd can be complete without David Gray. Not so obvious… lyrics “Weight on my shoulders but I'm walking so tall out into the new horizon. Wonder in everything no matter how great or small.” How cool, a great big new adventure.

Superman – Five for Fighting – Obvious… “I can't stand to fly. I'm not that naïve. I’m just out to find the better part of me.” Well, sure, Dooner. Take this opportunity to find what you’re made of. Not so obvious… I met John Ondrasik at Singer-Song writer weekend. He’s pretty down to earth. Like Dooner.

Traffic Jam – James Taylor – Obvious… It’s James… Not so obvious… I wanted to let Dooner know that I knew it would be a tough trip, not just because of traffic. It would be a real test of stamina and patience. We all know how patient Dooner can be.

All That You Dream – Little Feat – Obvious… Well it IS Little Feat, after all. Not so obvious… “All, all that you dream comes to shine in silver lining. And clouds, clouds change the scene. Rain starts washing all these cautions right into your life, make you realize just what is true. What else can I do just follow the rule keep your eyes on the road that's ahead of you.” Just do it!

Sending your son on the road trip of a life time…

Get a phone call on a Tuesday from the 31-year old appendage commonly known as ”son”. It goes something like this….
Son: Yeah, well, so I start my new job in Santa Monica on Monday.
Me: hmmm
S: Well, I’m driving. I’ll need my car out there.
M: hmmmm
S: um
M: hmmm
S: Let’s see, my car has been sitting in the driveway for 6 months and has no insurance…
M: hmmmm
S: yeah and apparently my license has been revoked because I got a ticket in NY and I neglected to pay it.
M: hmmm
S: Dad said he will drive up here to Hoboken on Thursday morning to help me move my shit out of here. Then maybe I can get the car inspected sometime during the day Thursday so I can leave Friday morning.
M: hmmmm
S: Yeah and well I’m so busy finishing out this job, I’ll never have time to figure out insurance and getting my license reinstated and getting the car serviced for the trip.
M: hmmmm
S: Thanks, Mom
M: hmmm

So, of course, I get home from work on Thursday with the knowledge that I’ve helped pave the road West. The car is sitting in the driveway, serviced and inspected, driven by someone with a newly reinstated license AND new insurance.
In addition to the many phone calls I’ve made during the week, I make a lovely dinner for son, husband and PopPop – a dinner, which by the way, has not escaped the scrutiny of husband who whines as usual, even though I’ve made a salad with ICEBERG lettuce.
The family shows up to celebrate the nephew/cousin who will now embark on a journey that none of us have ever conceived of, given that we all live within a 10 mile radius. Some of us live across the street from one another, some of us on the same street more or less.
It is mostly an excuse for cousins to drink together. Aunts, uncles, parents, etc., do their bit and help with the alcohol consumption, good wishes and monetary gifts. I kick them all out at 11 knowing that 5:00 will come all too soon. And it does.