Hey, I Know It's Just a Song, But It's Spice for the Recipe

Here is a nice piece of stained glass.

Wait. It's the weekend again already? This Summer is going way too damn fast. My iPod was great for my run today...It even made me want to extend my run to 8 miles. I got all my other chores done today, and added a few more. I feel like I have a good jump on housework at the start of my weekend. I'm not sure what else is going on, but Stinky will finally be home from camp. Hurray! With Coadster gone every night for rehearsal, my house has seemed so empty and hollowed out. It's been nice to clean and actually have it stay that way, but I'd definitely trade that in for some time with my kids.

I know it's been a while, but in honor of the weekend and my new iPod, I've decided to post the random running playlist that my shuffle threw at me today. There were tons of oldies and some newer stuff. In case you don't remember, I like almost every kind of music, so there should be something to offend all y'all:

1.) "Take On Me" - Aha.

2.) "King of the Road" - Roger Miller. For whatever reason, I used to listen to a lot of Roger Miller when I was in college with my guy friends. It seems like an odd choice for a bunch of angst ridden punk rock kids...

3.) "Stupid Cupid" - Connie Francis. I guess my iPod wanted me to hear some REALLY old songs today.

4.) "Our House" - Madness.

5.) "Evil" - Interpol. Weird. I just used lyrics from this song for the title of yesterday's blog post.

6.) "Bittersweet Symphony" - Oasis.

7.) "Walkin' on the Sun" - Smash Mouth. This is a really fun song to run to.

8.) "Warning Sign" - Talking Heads.

9.) "Penelope" - Pinback.

10.) "Wildcats of Kilkenny" - The Pogues.

11.) L.E.S. Artistes - Santigold. This song is a little slow to run to, but I love it so much, I cut it some slack.

12.) "Don't Worry Baby" - Beach Boys. This song always reminds me of road trips. Whenever I'm stressed out and driving through one of those horrible storms in Nebraska, Coadster always puts this song on to calm me down.

Okay, have a great weekend, and may your random playlist be so great that it makes you want to extend whatever you're doing.

And You Can Trust Me Not to Think

Still gearing up for Halloween. Here is a photo of the girls playing in the cemetery when we lived right by it. That's a totally appropriate place for young children to play, isn't it?

Well, kids. It looks like I'm still sleep deprived and I think by now you know what that means, don't you? That's right. Another random post.

1.) They have this great program in our town where high school kids can take classes at the university that will transfer to their college. And get this; it's free. I know. Anyway, Coadster decided to use it to take an Italian class next semester. Cool, huh?

2.) I know I've ranted on here before about the inappropriate email addresses with which kids use to apply to our Big 10 university. I'm not a prude by any stretch, but dude. Seriously? You should refrain from using an email address with the number combination 69 either preceded or followed by the name of a sexual organ or practice. One of my favorites was the girl who's address was bleeding wh*re. Do you email your mom with that? So, my coworkers have heard my rant a time or two. Yesterday Coadster's application came through and one of them said, "Wow. Have you seen your daughter's email address?" As far as I knew, Coadster's had the same email address for years, and it is the name of a Van Morrison song. My co-worker then said, "Hmmm. Well, the one she used on her application is xoxofuninthedark@gmail.com." I asked her to let me see that and she started laughing and said, "Sucka! I was just kidding. It was the one you said it was." Damn, I hate being so gullible.

3.) I called the banker guy and he blew me off. I think he's kind of a putz. He got the initial amount of the purchase wrong and he always gets me confused with some other potential home buyer. Today I called him and he told me he was in the middle of something and would call me right back. He lied.

4.) The realtor called me to talk about how we would arrange for our $1,000 remedy money. I asked her if she knew what was going on with the loan. She said she was under the impression that it had to be all approved by the end of this month. She said she'd try to contact the lender and if I don't hear from him by noon tomorrow, I'm going to call the underwriter person. I only have a few questions and it would take him about 5 minutes to address them. I realize we're all busy, but how hard is that? I need to know whether this is going through as soon as possible so I can try to sublet my apartment. See what I mean about the hurdles?

5.) I've been running a lot so far this week. Yesterday I ran my 7 mile route, which is a little more hilly than my normal one. I tried to run it at a faster pace. It was the last harder run I'm going to do before the "Run for the Schools" Coadster and I are racing in on Sunday. Today I just did a nice relaxing 6 mile route. My iPod decided I needed to listen to a lot of late 80's/early 90's music. Sure, it still played old stuff like Stevie Wonder's "Fingertips Part 2" and newer stuff like Coconut Records, "Nighttiming" and The Go! Team's "Ladyflash". But mostly it gave me The Breeder's "Cannonball" and Jane's Addiction's "Been Caught Stealing", Pavement's "Cut Your Hair" and The Gin Blossom's "Hey Jealousy". It was a pretty damn fun mix to run to.

6.) Okay. I'm going to try really, really hard to finally get some sleep tonight. It would be so cool to find me one of those attention spans I've been hearing about.

A Simple Prop to Occupy My Time

I'm posting two tree photos tonight, in celebration of Earth Day.

Well, kids. It's just another exhausted Wednesday. A good day, but I've been having some motivational problems. I had a little time to myself for a change, which was good, I just wish I could have spent it lying on my couch watching a movie or something equally relaxing. Maybe this weekend...

Here is a whole row of trees by a lane. I could just hug them all.

Okay, since I'm so lame, I'm going to just post the random playlist my iPod created for me while I was running and leave it at that. Trust me, it's all I'm really good for right now.

"Galway Girl" - Steve Earle. It was just about a year ago that I saw him perform live at the Englert. I think he would be even better to see in some small town bar, playing with a real band.

"Got to Give It up Pt 1"- Marvin Gaye. Even his disco era stuff is awesome.

"The One I Love" - R.E. M.

"Gamma Ray" - Beck. This song is so fun to run to...Or to do anything, really.

"Mama Said Knock You Out" - LL Cool J. Don't call it a comeback!

"Johnny Too Bad" - The Slickers. This is from the soundtrack of the movie The Harder They Come. There was a time in my life when I was delusional enough to think I'd be able to afford graduate school in comparative literature where I would study Latin American and Carribean literature and film. I think I've seen almost every Caribean movie made up to a certain year.

"Raspberry Beret" - Prince. This is one of those songs that takes me right to a particular place and time whenever I hear it: My first day at the salmon restoration site in the California Conservation Corps. in Leggett, Ca. in 1985.

"Come On Eileen" - Dexys Midnight Runners

"Ceremony" - New Order. Better this than "Blue Monday", which is annoyingly overplayed.

"Don't You Just Know It" - Huey "Piano" Smith and the Clowns

Today I was thinking about how I get songs stuck in my head when I don't listen to to music while I run. In the past I was foolish enough to tell people I knew about that problem I have. An ex-boyfriend used to think it was funny to play Ratt's Round and Round, when he saw me getting ready for a run. Have I mentioned to you how grateful I am for my iPod?

She's the Sweetest, hmmm, Pet in the World

Here is the purse of person who owns a three year old girl...Or more accurately, the purse of a person who is owned by a three year old girl.

Tonight was a little different than I expected, but still great. I originally thought that it would be the first night in for-freaking-ever that the girls would both be at their dad's. They did both spend the night there, but were also at my house on and off until nine o'clock anyway. It was fine, I love to see my girls as much as possible. I was just fantasizing about having a few hours of uninterrupted alone time. Sigh.

I did finally watch my zombie movie - 28 Weeks Later. I was going to drink a beer while I watched it, but was starting to feel a little migrainey and alcohol and migraines are mortal enemies and usually wage great wars in my head. So, I got all crazy and drank a soda pop instead and watched all the blood and gore and zombies. I agree with Mr. Manuel, it wasn't as good as the first one, but it was still entertaining.

Before that, I did my one hour's worth of cleaning thing. It's going really well this week, since the girls' track meets and soccer games are out of town, and I can fit it in every night. It still amazes me how much I can get done in one hour.

Before the cleaning, I ran my six mile route. It was about 55 degrees outside and it felt really good. My iPod randomizer thought I might like to listen to some classic rock this evening for the most part, and it was right. Yesterday it thought I wanted to listen to cheesy dance music, and it called that one perfectly too. So, here is a sampling of what my iPod thought I might like to hear on my run tonight:

1.) "Diamond Girl" - Seals and Crofts.

2.) "The Kids Are Alright" - The Who. I listened to the Who a ton on my Walkman when I was in high school, so it's always a running nostalgia favorite for me.

3.) "Arc of a Diver" - Steve Winwood. This song was also big when I was in high school and it reminds me of the first time I ran in the Drake Relays and met Herschel Walker right after he won the Heissman trophy.

4.) "Sabotage" - The Beastie Boys.

5.) "Brandy" - Looking Glass. This song reminds me of being a kid and living in Arizona.

6.) "We Got the Beat" - The Go-Go's. I can't hear this song without instantly thinking of the beginning of Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

7.) "Cynical Girl" - Marhsall Crenshaw.

8.) "Under My Thumb" - The Rolling Stones. This is one of my favorite Stones songs.

9.) "Gimme Danger" - The Stooges.

10.) "Walk in Jerusalem" - Mahalia Jackson. Nothing like a good gospel song to wash off the dirt of The Stooges.

So, now I'm going to bed. I'll let you know if I dream of flesh eating zombies or not.

You're Always Dancing Down the Street

I think this is the back of the Biology Building.

Hey, today was a good day and let me tell you why:

1.) The weather was amazing. It got into the 50's. I ran in shorts. I'm positive it will snow again this year, but I doubt we'll have to experience 20 below zero temps for the rest of the season. We are dangerously close to Spring and not a minute too soon.

2.) Along the same lines, I just got my gas and electric bill and it was $70 cheaper than last month. Just think of all the things I could do with 70 dollars.

3.) I went to supper club for the first time in a hundred million years and it was so fun. We talked a lot about movies and I got some great suggestions for films I apparently HAVE to see. The best thing was, that one of the couples who attend aren't able to have children, and decided to be foster parents for a while. Well, they were actually able to adopt a newborn they were fostering. She's is absolutely gorgeous and they are amazing parents. I almost got a little teary seeing their new family.

4.) After supper club, I met my friend S. at George's. A few years back, a guy we knew sold his life over the internet and wrote a book about it. Part of what he sold were experiences. At one point, he wanted to sell the experience of drinking a beer and eating a cheeseburger at George's with my friend S., but ebay won't let you sell people, so they had to nix that. I'm the lucky girl who got to drink a beer at George's with my friend S. while she ate a cheeseburger without having to bid on her. We had a great talk and laughed a lot.

5.) My iPod was so good to me on my run today. Here is what I can remember of the songs it played:

a) "My Best Friend's Girlfriend" - The Cars
b) "Yellow Moon" - The Neville Brothers
c) an East Indian song who's name I can't remember, but it's great to run to.
d) "Pressure Drop" - Toots and the Maytals
e) "Roll With Me Henry" - Etta James
f) "The Theme from Sanford and Son" - Quincy Jones
g) "Rock and Roll" - The Velvet Underground
h) "Magic Man" - Heart

Now, off to bed with me.

I Ate It Up and Spit It Out

This is my mom in 1956. I think she was at Machu Pichu in the Andes in South America.

Well, kids. Only one more day to vote. It looks like I'll be doing it at the last minute tomorrow evening. But don't you fret, I haven't missed an election since the first year I could vote in 1984. Not that my vote did all that much good back then, but at least I tried.

Tonight I ran and then went over to my friend James' house to watch the Steelers play on Monday Night Football. My friend K. and her boyfriend showed up with homemade wings and James had some really good apple cider, so it was perfect. It didn't hurt that The Steelers won after a slow start either.

So, tonight I think I'll post that playlist of swank music that I made for my co-worker. The one I talked about last night. It definitely won't be for everyone, but I like a little crooning and early, early, rhythm and blues now and again. Tonight, you need to dress up a little. You know, wear some cufflinks or gloves if you're a woman, and take a seat in the way-back machine.

My mom is way to the right in this photo. She's with some of her friends from art school in the 50's.

1.) "I Say a Little Prayer" - Aretha Franklin. My co-worker said she loved Aretha, so I made sure she was first.

2.) "Fever" - Peggy Lee. I love this song.

3.) "Beyond the Sea" - Bobby Darrin. In the late 90's I worked with this guy who was in his early twenties who loved Bobby Darrin and helped me appreciate his music more.

4.) "Are You Having Any Fun?" - Count Basie and Tony Bennett. The only other Tony Bennett song I really know is "I Left My Heart in San Francisco". I may need to check out more of his music.

5.) "Ain't That a Kick in the Head" - Dean Martin. I've been meaning to write a blog post about The Dean Martin Show, and then forgetting. I'll have to try to get it done in the next week or two.

6.) "My Way" - Frank Sinatra. I have a version of this by Darby Crash of The Germs, but I have an idea my co-worker wouldn't really appreciate it as much as I do.

7.) "I'll be Seeing You" - Billie Holiday.

8.) "Jump, Jive an' Wail" - Louis Prima. I've heard some covers of this song, but this is my favorite version.

9.) "Forty Second Street" - Mel Torme'. I can't think about Mel Torme' anymore without remembering the show Night Court.

10.) "L-O-V-E" - Nat King Cole.

11.) "My Baby Just Cares for Me" - Nina Simone.

12.) "Hit the Road Jack" - Ray Charles. She loves Ray Charles, so I had to get at least one of his songs on here.

13.) "Be-Bop Beguine" - Sammy Davis Jr. When I was a kid, Sammy Davis Jr,'s "Candy Man" was really big. I remember going to school and telling all the Mormon kids that the song was really about drugs and how horrified they were. I'm not sure if it really was, but it was always fun to get a reaction from the Mormon kids.

14.) "One Mint Julep" - Sarah Vaughan. If you haven't heard this one, you should. This song seriously kicks ass.

15.) "Tequila" - Stan Kenton and His Orchestra. When I was in junior high, my uncle had an 8-track player in our Chevy Suburban and about 5 tapes that he would listen to over and over and over and over. One of them was The Best of Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass Band, which had a version of "Tequila" on it. The others he had were, Elvis Presley's Greatest Hits and John Denver's Windsong, and I can't remember if there were others that I've forgotten. Anyway, it's taken me many years to be able to listen to those songs again.

16.) "La Dolce Vita" - Xaviar Cugat and his Orchestra.

17.) "The Look of Love" - Dusty Springfield and Burt Bacharach. Burt Bacharach is probably the king of cheese. Which means that Coadster loves him and this song.

18.) "Come On-A My House" - Rosemary Clooney. George's aunt.

19.) "The Way You Look Tonight" - Frank Sinatra. I love this song. I never said I wasn't a big cheeseball.

20.) "Heart" - Peggy Lee.

21.) "Kansas City" - Wilbert Harrison. I think the world needs more rock stars named Wilbert.

I'm pretty sure that's just enough cheese for one night. Now, who's job was it to bring the wine?

Well I'm Near the End and I Just Ain't Got the Time

Here is a picture of some fire damaged Redwoods. Don't these look a little like the trees in H. R. Puffinstuff?

It's finally the end of the week and boy am I wiped. I don't really have any plans for the weekend. It's the Iowa/Iowa State game in town, so things should get stupid crazy drunk around here on Saturday. There was a little talk about maybe going to Fort Madison with some people for Fiesta, but I haven't heard anything about it recently. I hear the food is amazing and we'd go to our friend C.'s bar and hang out, but if it's going to rain all day, it might not be worth it to me...We'll see what happens.

Tonight, I'm in the mood to look at photos of pretty trees and countryside. Speaking of country, I think I'll just list the songs on the CD I made K. last night. You may or may not recognize anything on it, but I don't have much else going on in my life and I'm going to actually try to go to bed at a decent hour. Soooo, are you ready for some Bluegrass?...No. Probably not, but here it is anyway.

Here is a picture of the road leading us out of King's Canyon.

Old Timey Country and Bluegrass CD:

1. "El Paso" - Marty Robbins. When Coadster was a baby, my ex-husband used to sing this to her but he replaced, "I fell in love with a Mexican girl" with, "I fell in love with a half-Mexican girl". To this day, I'm sure Coadster thinks those are the actual words.

2. "Big Mon" (instrumental) - Ricky Skaggs. I went to see Ricky Skaggs play in a gym in Marshalltown with the guy I was dating at the time, some tattooed friends and a ton of senior citizens. The music was great, but in between songs, Ricky Skaggs would go on and on about god and his love for Billy Graham. While Ricky was speaking, the guy I was dating would whisper/chant, "Less talk. More rock" until they started playing again.

3. "One More Dollar" - The Nashville Bluegrass Band.

4. "Green Pastures" - Dolly Parton, Emmy Lou Harris, Ricky Skaggs.

5. "Girl on the Billboard" - Del Reeves. I warned you there would be a trucker song or two on here.

6. "The Grass is Blue" - Dolly Parton. I really like Dolly Parton's bluegrassy stuff. Okay. I also love "Jolene" and "9 to 5" and a few more of her songs. I understand how cheesy she can be, but I kind of like that about her too.

7. "Jolene" - Jack White. This is an excellent cover of this song.

8. "What Goes On" - Joe Val and the New England Bluegrass Boys. If you haven't already noticed there are a lot of covers here.

9. "Manzanita" - Tony Rice

10. "A Fool Such as I" - Tasty Licks. Interesting name for a band, huh?

11. "Hickory Wind" - Gillian Welch and David Rawlins. This is one of the songs from the Gram Parsons tribute album. Again, another cover.

12. "Rocky Road Blues" - Dwight Yoakam. I'm pretty sure that every country CD I make has at least one Dwight Yoakam song on it because I heart him - even when he was the scary white trash guy in Slingblade.

13. "Hello Darlin'" - Conway Twitty. This song is so creepy sounding it cracks me up.

14. "Rebel Rouser" - Duane Eddy.

15. "Bury Me Beneath the Willow" - Ricky Skaggs and Tony Rice. This song is a classic example of the "suffering hero" daydream I learned about in my high school psychology class.

16. "I've Just Seen a Face" - The Charles River Valley Boys.

17. "Wild Flowers" - Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt.

18. "By the Mark" - Gillian Welch. Have you noticed that I really like Gillian Welch too?

19. "Walls of Time" - Bill Monroe and his Bluegrass Boys.

20. "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" - Freddy Fender.

21. "Can't Find My Way Home" - Rob Ickes and Tim O'Brien



Here are some tree silhouettes.

Okay, that should be enough country for any one person. I can almost feel Evil-E wincing right now.

Have a great weekend with as much or as little countryside or country music as you can stand.