I'm a bad blogger

I mean - aren't I supposed to be doing this every day?   I'm starting to think my life is just not that - well, interesting, for lack of a better term!  LOL. 

And looking back on some of what I posted, I'm also sort of afraid that I'm a bit of a negative Nancy which I totally do not want to be.  Well, not ALL the time anyway.  :D  I mean unless you count the Rush posts and the doggie post...I think other than that, I'm whining about stuff.  And that is grating - trust me, I know!

I mean let's face it - I've got it pretty good.  I have an awesome husband who lets me be his Negative Nancy (aka 'little prophet of doom') who worries all the time a bit about random crap that I can't control - and yet, he loves me anyway.  He takes care of our sweet daughter all day every day and never complains once.  Granted, she is the sweetest child in the world and a really happy baby, but still.  Being a stay at home parent can suck the life out of you on even your best days, and make you long for adult conversation (even the most mundane)  - but looking at him, you'd never really know.  Which is a level of awesome I struggled to maintain during my mere three months of maternity leave. 

My job, while not my dream job, is pretty flexible.  I never feel like I have to justify myself if I need to leave early for an appointment, or work for home because I wake up sick or Emily has an appointment.  The commute doesn't suck and my coworkers, on the whole, are pretty awesome.  The pay is decent and the benefits are great.  Sure, I wish I were doing nothing but immigration paperwork all day every day - but at least I'm not digging ditches. 

My family and friends couldn't be better.  I consider my close friends to be my family so I should just say my family are awesome.  No drama from them, no hidden agendas like in some families - just support, love and laughs.  All of us are healthy, which given what some of my other friends have gone through with their families is worth it's weight in gold.

So I dunno - is it me, or does the world as a whole have a bit of a negative outlook?  Or is it just that it's more interesting (and funny) to write about things that aren't roses and clovers all the time?  I mean you couldn't make the shit up about the King of Stink or my crapola parking of late.  I just don't want to sound whiny or bitchy all the time - so I guess this is my way of saying I know that I can be and I acknowledge it. There.  I said it.  Bad blogger.  B A D!!!!

Auto correct has made me stupid

I used to be a really good speller.  I have two English degrees on my wall to prove it.  :)

But somewhere along the way, as Microsoft started suggesting spelling for me - I got lazy.  I'm ashamed to admit it, but it's true.

I know the word I want to use, and sometimes they're not easy ones (if you know me well).  So now I just barge ahead typing them even if, off the top of my head, I cannot for the life of me remember how to spell it.  Because I know my friend Auto correct will show me the error of my ways.

Websites do this for you now, too.  And it's making me dumb.

I could always spell words like 'consistently' prior to auto correct.  But it's been only recently from one of it's suggestions that I realized I was spelling it wrong anywhere and everywhere auto correct did not save me. Consistantly.Is.Wrong.  Just so you know.  And yes, it is underlined in a squigly red line right there just to prove me right.  (And squigly is also underlined, because it's not a real word, of course!!!)

There are copious other examples, most of which I am too ashamed to admit.  So I challenge you to think about it - see where it's kicking in and if these use to be words you could spell once upon a time.  Maybe I'm not the only one losing brain cells because of this.

This could be total bullshit

but I swear my oversensitivity to smells has gotten worse after having Emily. 

Surely by now you've read my rant blog about the King of Stink - the dude who sits behind me and knocks us all over with his yuppie ass cologne.  But today, not feeling well since a slight cold recurrence anyway, my teammate who sits beside me chooses today to thrill us all with her perfume.  Something she normally does not do.  And it is killing me.

I was already coughing like a good one but this has made it ten times worse.  Have already been caught by someone with the kleenex up my nose but I swear to all that is holy, I could not cope if it wasn't in there.   I might even hurl.  It's seriously that bad.

I never did well with any of this pre-baby but never did I nearly want to vomit.  Something is seriously amiss.

OMG she just packed her laptop and left.  I hate to be mean, but I hope she is gone for the day.  Sweet miracle of fresh air.  Oh how I missed you.

One of my grandest pet peeves is...

CLOSE STALLING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Most of you ladies will know what this means without me saying another word.  But for those of you fortunate enough not to be bothered by this (read: men), allow me to explain.

You go into a public bathroom.  There are 5 stalls, all available.  You pick the one closest to the door, close the stall door behind you and set about what you set about.  Seconds later, the bathroom door opens and closes and now you're not alone.  Despite ALL other stalls being open, including ones far away from you, this daft cow chooses the one RIGHT. BESIDE.YOU.  You have just been close stalled.

There's even a website which suggests not doing it.  I kid you not.  But still - happens ALL.THE.TIME. to me!!!!

I don't understand WHY.  What is the logic here?  Does she want to make sure she hears me clearly enough, or that I hear her?  Is she afraid her stall will be out of TP and she won't have me to rely on for 'spare a square' if she's too far away?  Am I unknowingly in her favorite stall so choosing the closest one to me is her way of making me pay?  Are the other ones too far for her lazy, fat ass to walk?  Seriously.  These things all cross my mind in that moment.  At the same time that my middle finger oddly finds its way into the air.  Sure, it's behind a stall wall but it makes me feel better for a fleeting moment anyway. 

The only way I know to exact any revenge against the offending cow - and feel free to steal my idea, ladies - is to get up before her and make sure my stall door slams against her stall wall as I exit.  I live in the hope that it made her jump and exclaim 'Holy balls!' to herself.  But that is probably wishful thinking.  I've had some other close stall haters tell me that they proceed to barrage the room with as many gross sounding noises as they can manage in a two minute period (I'll let your imagination run away with that!).  They are WAY braver - not to mention less modest - than I am, clearly.

By the by, the only excuses acceptable for close stalling is you have no other stalls available, either due to use or nastiness.  Those are the only reasons I have ever close stalled.  Beyond that, there IS no excuse for it.  Of all the rooms in a public building, this is the one where a tad bit of privacy is sacred -- or so one would think.  Oh yes, Emily will be brought up properly in this regard.  Mark my words.

So next time you go into a public bathroom, think of me, the close stall hater - and make sure you are not a perpetrator.  Some random chick behind a wall may just thank you.

PS - took a potty break after writing this and guess what?  Yep - close stalled!  By some bitch in flip flops (since when are they appropriate as 'business casual'????)...

I'm just wondering

As I read my daughter's 'order' for her hip x-ray, why the code for the medical issue is 'Abnormal Gait'....when she DOESN'T WALK!!  LOL.

I love the medical profession!  :D

Dogs are perfect, people aren't

I had never owned a dog before I met Chas.  He finally convinced me, kicking and screaming, to get one back in 2008.  I have always loved all animals so it wasn't that so much as it was fearing for my dear kitty cat's 'new life' which I was sure would be ruined by introducing a canine into the mix.

So, on Halloween night, we drove a short distance to the home of what's best described as a 'back yard breeder' who had 2 female Jack Russell Terriers - sisters to boot!   We looked at both, but it was the white one with brown on one of its ears that had the best reaction when Chas stuck his hand in the pen.  (In retrospect, we wish we would have gotten them both, but alas!)  So we chose her.  Or - does that mean SHE chose US?  I'm still unsure about that one, really.

In the car on the way home, we decided to name her Beamer.  We had debated dog names for a month or so, both of us not liking 'traditional' names, or 'people' names for dogs, etc.  As we brainstormed, Chas looked at her papers that she was born on Sept 11th (2008);  and, long story short, Beamer it was. 

Despite my tears and fears, the cat was initially fine, and then spent two days in the bathroom in a huff.  Cats must pout sometimes.  It's a very cat-like thing to do. I had a LOT to learn about training a dog.  I would never have done it if it weren't for hubby.  But I am so glad that we did.

That dog is THE.sweetest.thing.ever.  She sleeps with me every night, she is joyous when we return home, even if it's only been 2 minutes, and she accepted both the kitty cat AND the crying, pooping tot as one of her own from day one.  If we have babysitters at the house, they'll soon find their laps full of dog - whether they want it or not.  LOL. 

She is naughty at times.  In her early days, we had to trap her in the kitchen when we left the house because she'd destroy anything that had stuffing inside (like couch cushions!).  She still cannot turn down the chance to destroy a kleenex - even though she knows it's wrong!  She's eaten or destroyed possessions of ours we wish she hadn't.  She tracks muddy paws into the house.  She licks the tot all the time, hoping for dribbled food.  She eats rabbit poop and barks at things that aren't there. She incessantly wants to play ball.  Every bit of food you ever get for yourself can and will be scrounged - and she goes especially bonkers when you put something in the toaster.

But -- she is perfect.  If I yell or swat at her in a stressed out mommy moment, she forgets it like it never happened and wants to make up with ME, even though I should be the one asking for her forgiveness.  Dogs live in the moment and they just want to please you, always.  And they forgive and forget - truly, they do.  If I had that capacity (instead of holding a grudge as is my nature), I wonder how much different my life might be.  See - not only is she perfect, but she shows me how I could be better. 

So here is my very cool dog today.  Don't be jealous and wish she were yours.  Go adopt one if you want to learn a bit more about yourself.  I can't guarantee you'll get one as good as mine :) - and they are a lot of work - but the rewards FAR outweigh the sweat equity you'll put into it.

Rush post-mortem

Heh.  Cuz some of us kind of felt like we were run over by a truck yesterday.  But a happy truck, kind of like an ice cream truck with a huge Geddy Lee head on top.  :D

The pre-show party could not have been more fun.  Linda and I had door duty (checking folks in) and it was fun chatting with all the fans as they arrived.  Even more fun was judging the karaoke contest, which was honestly hard to do!!  My dear friend Scott (see us below!) judged the t-shirt/memorabilia contest, and chose a winner who was a cancer survivor.  Her 'Make a Wish' wish was to meet Rush.  Not only did they grant that wish, but Geddy also dedicated a song to her during that night's show.  Priceless!!  (Good choice too, Scott!!)

Seeing some of my old friends - esp. Scott and Sarah - - a gal Chas and I 'knew' back in our message board days but didn't realize until then who she was!! She was 'ilovegeddylee' - and she said my face when she told me that was PRICELESS.  :D  I don't doubt it - she was always awesome and remains that way today.

Made new friends too, which is truly what the experience is all about.  I told the organizer, Jeff, that we ought to just have a Rush fans get together some other time during the year for fun.  Because it sure was a lot of that!


The gig - truly memorable, esp. as my pal Angel was seeing them for the first time.   I think she used words like 'best live show ever' to describe it.  And she isn't kidding.  'Witch Hunt' almost made me cry, but I ended up more verklempt than anything.  :)  Neil's solo was killer.  'The Camera Eye' was another highlight, as was La Villa and (for me) Caravan.  Not to mention finally hearing 'Freewill' with Angel sitting nearby.  Sure beats getting on my cell phone to let her hear it, that's for sure.

I can only hope this means that Rush will play Nashville again.  Because while I don't mind traveling to see them - and always will if I have to - as you can see from the photos, there's nothing like having them in my own back yard.  Good times and noodle salad. 

OMG It's Rush day!!!!!!!

I can hardly contain myself.  :D :D  I hope to have a full report tomorrow but I took off work to recover (hee) so I may not feel like much of anything, damn it.

GEDDY!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Man I'm so going to be hoarse after singing and screaming.  I hope Emily is kind to our dear babysitter. 

It sort of seems like I have a stream of consciousness going - which is probably about right because I feel like Road Runner right now, I swear.  High on life ONLY, I promise you. Believe me now or forget me later.  (Jesus, now I'm Hanz and Franz!) 

I'm going to quit while I'm ahead. 

Angel Harmon - see you soon, and can't wait til you're finally baptized at the alter of Rush!!!!!!!

7 Reasons why I love Rush - part 7

Can I just say it's a good thing I don't have to write a blog that means a crap on Sunday.  Because I won't BE worth a crap with excitement!!!!

Anyway - today's reason - their live shows.

I can't even begin to tell you what they're like if you've never been to one.  Starting somewhere in the mid 90s, they began their 'An Evening with Rush' concept.  (Gives me chills just typing it!!  LOL)  This means they have no opening act and take a short intermission during sets.  So you literally spend your evening with them.  It's possibly the best thing on earth.  Well, besides my family and friends.  :)

The evening starts with the pre-show music, always chosen by Neil.  Some stuff I've never heard, but I have heard Pink Floyd a few times which thrilled me.  Other known acts too (AC/DC, Black Sabbath, etc).  Inevitably during this time, as Linda and Chas will tell you, I'm like one of those spring loaded toys.  I can't hardly stand the wait.  Oh and it was during this time in Atlanta for the 'Snakes and Arrows' tour where the three of us got absolutely soaked waiting for the show to start.  See the photo below if you don't believe me.  But we still manage to look kinda happy.  :)  We were cold, we were wet - but we didn't really care.  Note the smart people behind us with an umbrella, and the puddles of water near Linda's feet. 

Linda and I have seen every Rush gig together - save one (when I went to Toronto for Rushcon).  I should also mention that, for some reason, we used to get ROUTINELY asked if we had pot.  LOL!!!  Every.damn.show. That includes our very first as young teenagers, AND after the 'Roll the Bones' gig - where it  was pouring rain and we were running to the car.   Literally running.  Because apparently, umbrellas + us at Rush gigs doesn't happen - we have proof (above).  But still, they asked.  Apparently wet pot is better than no pot??  This stopped for some reason in the new millennium.  Perhaps we look older and less chill-astic or something - but still.  How rich is that???  

But - back to our story.  So pre-show music complete - the lights go down and the video rolls (and I scream).  Usually its some creative little film that they've crafted full of dialog and characters (each of them playing at least one character), and sometimes - guest stars.  We've seen Jerry Stiller a bunch of times.  We've seen the South Park gang too.  Film ends and the awesomeness begins - usually with something very well known ('Spirit of the Radio' has been a recent one).  My favorite was probably the medley they did on the 30th anniversary tour, with 'The Big Money' as a close second.

Now these boys aren't spring chickens - but you'd never know it.  They don't dance and gyrate around like Steven Tyler or something.  But they DO play with verve and energy that is unmatched - and Alex and Geddy like to push on each other or make goofy faces to try and see if they can mess up the other person.  (I told you they were clowns!!)  You can tell they really love doing this, and they pull the audience in too.

Then after about an hour and a half of music, Geddy will say something about them being old and needing to rest, and they disappear off stage for an intermission.  Lights up and house music rolling. 

I should mention here something else that Linda and Chas will tell you.  I have a penchant during the show for SCREAMING at Geddy.  No one else, just Geddy.  I do not know why.  It's one of those things better left alone.  :)  The Gedster RULES. 

After intermission, the lights go back down and you get another video, albeit shorter (and not always with characters) and the second set begins.  It always includes a short Alex solo and the much touted Neil drum solo.  That is about the only point during the show where true fans sit in their seats.  Because we have to steady ourselves to watch the awesomeness (and pick our chins up off the floor).  The night is parsed with their hits, and album cuts from various segments of their career - and whatever new stuff has just come out.  This last CD of theirs is probably one of my all time favorites now ('Snakes and Arrows') so I can't begin to imagine what the next one will be.  This tour ('Time Machine'), they are doing 'Moving Pictures' in its entirety - which has been SUCH a treat. 

The music inevitably winds to a close, although we always get an encore.  The saddest part of the night is the walk to the car.  Even though you're high as a kite (from the music, people!) and your ears are ringing in delight - it's still hard to accept that it may be another year before you see them again.  But - as they are not youngsters - I'll take whatever I can get.  And if the show I just saw will be my last one ever, I will still have priceless memories thanks to them.  I will never forget any of it.

7 reasons why I love Rush - part 6

Today's reason:  the women of Rush

Did you know that Rush have a woman to thank for getting them started?  Yep, it's true. 

<--- Donna Halper - who I had the chance to meet in Toronto at Rushcon - was their earliest fan and advocate, getting them played on her local Cleveland radio station back in the early 70s.

Rush are notorious for having a largely male audience.  I can remember back to my first Rush gig - January 16th, 1988 during the 'Hold Your Fire' tour - that my friend Linda and I were one of few women in attendance.  Not counting the 'I'm here with my boyfriend' contingency, who really didn't give a damn about being there otherwise.   And I should point out that, as young teenagers, Linda and I relied on two other women - our moms! - to drive us to downtown Nashville to see the show.  Moms who sat and had coffee somewhere while we rocked out.

We can thank Linda and her mom for getting us 2nd row seats to see the 'Counterparts' tour in Murfreesboro.  What's interesting about that one is there Linda and I were - surrounded by all the male fans, and we find ourselves right behind two of them who decided to get in a fight!!  After Linda got a little knocked into by one of them, another male fan (uninvolved in the fray) took exception to that and got involved on her behalf!

Then there was the time during the 30th anniversary tour where I ran into a guy I knew from the message boards (remember that Rush family I talked about?) that was sitting in about the 5th row.  He had some extra seats and after the intermission, he snuck us down there.  We proceeded to do our normal jamming and singing along, only to suddenly notice two gap mouthed Rush gentlemen looking at us.  Puzzled, I leaned into one of them only to be told 'We've never seen Rush chicks who KNOW the lyrics before!!'  Now that made me laugh, since by this point, my extended Rush family included SEVERAL women, all of whom are very devoted fans.

<--- I must digress to say, oh even YESSER!  :)

Anyway - I can't tell you how much fun it is to go to a gig and be, yet again, a bit of a non conformist.  Because even though there are now more female Rush fans than there ever have been before, we're still a bit of an anomaly.

I can only hope I am currently rearing a future Rush fanatic - though knowing my luck, she'll decide that hating Rush is a good way to rebel against her ol' parents.  LOL!  Regardless - there will always be more female Rush fans coming on board because the boys are just too awesome.  You never know - maybe the next 'I'm here with my boyfriend' female that I laugh at will morph herself into their biggest fan.  Stranger things have happened!