Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Nonesuch #262

I am narrowing down as I find things I think I should take to the swap meet and greet. I have a number of movies on VCR tape that I have either never watched or will not watch again or I have on DVD now so I am going to take them. I also have a book that I am thinking on taking but not sure. I do not have pictures of any of these yet but if it snows and ices like they say it will I should have time tomorrow. Some other things I have contemplated on bringing are:

old candles
books I do not want anymore
coffee mugs I do not use anymore
unopened art supplies(paints, brushes, drawing pads etc)
extra incense

I may end up bring all of the above. Any more suggestions?

Monday, January 29, 2007

Nonesuch #261

I just saw the K-Fed Nationwide Super Bowl commercial which is so lame that I will not post the link to it so I cannot be blamed for you all seeing the train wreck that it is.

Nonesuch # 260 Question

On npr's All Songs Considered, they are asking folks to email in what their favorite love song is, why is it your favorite and what about it does it for you? I figured I can ask you all. Just leave your answers in the comments section and I will add them to a future post.

I will start by saying "Something" by the Beatles off their Abbey Road album is my choice. It is just a great song. It brings back the good times I had in my relationships. Plus, it is a good song to sing to the ladies. Always worked for me, also dating Beatles fans didn't hurt.

Nonesuch #259 Neil Young Monday #4



Neil Young - Imagine (John Lennon cover)

Friday, January 26, 2007

Nonesuch #258

Some bastards stole my lawnmower when I was at work this evening(Thursday),cut the chain in two and took it right off the porch. I didnt notice when I came home cause I didnt turn on the light when I went to work in the afternoon. I realized my pipes had frozen and turned on my porch light to see the temperature and that is when I noticed the lawnmower was gone. Called the police around 11:15. They got here 20 min ago, so over a two hour wait. He did apologize and explained it was a crazy night and he is the only one on duty in a 50 mile area. Didnt surprise me but it would be nice to have at least one more deputy on duty for the county size I live in. Maybe I will write the editor of the local paper, I dont know what that will accomplish other than me venting about the asshats that stole my lawnmower. And probably some asshat response that I needed to keep my property locked up better etc etc. I rent. I have limited say in what I can do to the house and the backyard where a shed would be perfect to lock up and store away my gardening tools, which they did not take, and a new lawnmower. I had to look it up online for a good description and saw it was $60 cheaper than when I bought it last year. So, I guess that is sort of positive. Now, to see if my pipes unfreeze when it heats up tomorrow. Its supposed to be cold all weekend so I may go see a friend or even get a hotel room. I dont know, I suddenly feel the urge to move more than ever now.


** Update **
My pipes did not freeze. My well pump is fried and will be replaced tomorrow morning. My lawnmower was less than a year old so that is a major pain to replace now BUT I did get permission from the owner of the house that I can build a lean-to/shed.

** Update to the Update **
The new pump is installed and I have water. There were some electrical problems that have been fixed for now but need more work done but all is working now. Time to get a shower and go shopping for a lawnmower.

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Nonesuch #257

I did something stupid today and now I must apologize. I am not going to go into details but the person will know what I am talking about and I hope they will accept my apology. I don't normally do really stupid stuff. I think through what I want to do beforehand oh a couple hundred times but this time I didn't and now I feel awful. So, when and if you are reading this, please accept my apology.

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Nonesuch #254

Too much going on for me to post and when I think I have time I feel too tired to make much of anything so I have put it off until now. Classes start tomorrow, students have started to come back. There was testing yesterday but only a few folks in the library. It should pick up today as people return and want to check their email.

Golden Globes were on last night but did anybody watch them when the second night of "24" was on? It has been said before but this show gets better and better. These first 4 hours, they have put more action, suspense, emotion into them than most shows have in an entire run. The show is not afraid to lay it on the line and us viewers are the lucky ones. Jack is the man, with Chloe coming in second even though this season I am a little letdown by what she is doing or should I say not doing. But it is early so I will hold my remarks.

Watched football playoffs over the weekend. I went 3 out of 4. I had San Diego beating the Patriots and they should have. The Patriots just have playoff experience I guess but is that an excuse at this level for SD to seemingly fall apart?

Not only am I not sleeping well but now I am tired all the time. Before, I could get by on 4 hours but it feels like my body is finally saying this is enough. Where my eye doctor is there is a sleep clinic. I may go and see what they can do. I have tried ambien and it worked for 1 night. I have been using CALMS a herbal remedy to help me relax and it helps but I am still waking at 4 in the morning wide awake ready to go and then by the time I get to work, its like I have already put in half a day so I am even more wore out.

Its funny, I have cravings for Pepsi in the winter and Coke in the summer. Does this make sense to anyone?

Does it make anyone feel lonely knowing there will be no more Lord of the Rings movies? What about Star Wars movies?

I have been invited to a swap meet 'n' greet. Its to celebrate a friend's new apartment and we need to bring unwanted object(s) to trade with other folks that will be there. I have no idea what I will bring. I am a collector, I don't get rid of much. I want to go but part of me does not want to put up with the hassle. There will be people there I have not seen in a long time and I have a feeling I will end up talking about CW and I really do not want to go down that path. I do enough of it as it is now. On the other hand, the hostess is an old friend and she wants me to meet her new boyfriend so I probably will go at least for a bit. I do work that weekend so its not like I will be closing the bar down that night anyway.

Nonesuch # 253 Neil Young Mondays #2

>

Neil Young(CSNY) - Only Love Can Break Your Heart

Monday, January 08, 2007

Nonesuch #252 Neil Young Mondays #1

Down By The River (Live)
Neil Young


Be on my side,
I'll be on your side,
There is no reason
for you to hide.

It's so hard for me
staying here all alone
When you could be
taking me for a ride.

Yeah, she could drag me
over the rainbow,
and send me away

Down by the river
I shot my baby
Down by the river,
Dead

You take my hand,
I'll take your hand
Together we may get away

This much madness
is too much sorrow
It's impossible
to make it today.

She could drag me
over the rainbow,
send me away

Down by the river
I shot my baby
Down by the river

Be on my side,
I'll be on your side,
There is no reason
for you to hide

It's so hard for me
staying here all alone
When you could be
taking me for a ride.

Nonesuch #251 mother did it need to be so high

Another weekend gone, another weekend spent watching NFL, the playoffs specifically(good games by the way), drinking guinness which is a not a bad thing and laying on the couch. I did leave the house a few times but just to get food. In other words I did nothing this weekend. And while to some that would be an ideal weekend, I found myself filling up with self-pity which turns into a circle that falls upon itself over and over. Its not as complicated as it sounds but i tend to overthink and that gets me into trouble. Truly, ignorance is bliss I say. For knowing too much really puts a burden on me that keeps growing as I get older. And by knowing too much I mean seeing my friends slowly one by one go away and knowing that I am probably to blame cause I got to the point where I do not put up with bullshit anymore and the older I get, more and more things are bullshit. I am tired of being the nice guy, it has got me nowhere but pain and being run over and manipulated.

I feel myself getting further and further away from my D&D group. Some of us have played together for almost 20 years. I always thought we would still be playing when we were in rest homes. So much of what they do just bothers me. I mean it did in the past but it bothers me more now. I don't surround myself with those type of people in my everyday life, why put up with it every 6 months. And they are good people, I just have become cynical and short on putting up with it all.

I see other friends going from relationship to relationship and here I am still alone. And yes, I am not trying anymore. I said as much in a previous post. I don't see how I can meet any dateable women where I am unless I use online dating sites but christ, the matches that are made on these sites, I just don't get it. And you get these women that say, I will respond if you write me, so I do and no response. At least in a bar, I can get a "talk to the hand" and they walk away. Do people even use that anymore, "talk to the hand?" Wow, I really don't get out much.

And a friend of mine got married in December, someone I said I would go to the wedding, but he never got back to me on when it was going to be. It does sound like it was a small thing, they didn't even have the reception yet. Its going to be next weekend. And I am happy for him, but dammit when is it going to be my turn? That does sound selfish but dammit I want it to be my turn.

Last week I tried to be positive with things it being all new year and all it didn't last long. So I am right back where I was in 2006.

Meet the new year, same as the old year.

It's not a good feeling but you know, I don't know any other way.

So nothing left to do but finish building the wall.

Friday, January 05, 2007

Nonesuch #250 Best Of 2006 music

In no particular order, these albums and the songs below were played over and over on my iPod and their myspace pages.

Best albums of 2006


Built to Spill - you in reverse
sounding like neil young never sounded so good

Sonic Youth - Rather Ripped
back to their roots or breaking new ground with this release. New blood brings more energy to these guys that we didn't even realize was missing in the first place.

The Flaming Lips At War With The Mystics
Fantastic follow-up to Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. Highlight is their cover of Bohemian Rhapsody.

Gnarls Barkley St Elsewhere
You were "Crazy" not to at least take a listen to this collaboration. Each set they played they had different costumes and they do a cover of Violent Femmes' "Gone Daddy Gone."

Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan Ballad Of The Broken Seas
two great voices that sound great together

Yo La Tengo I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass
One of my favorite bands continuing to do what they do best.

Robert Pollard From A Compound Eye
I know this has been said by others but Uncle Bob disbands Guided By Voices and then comes out with not one but two of the best Guided By Voices albums.

Sufjan Stevens The Avalanche - Outtakes And Extras From The Illinois Album
When the outtakes are as good maybe better than the album itself you know something is clicking. Also, check out his Christmas Album that came out just last month or maybe it was November.

Band of Horse - everything all the time
great album, check out "The Funeral"

Matisyahu - Youth
hassidic judiasm meets reggae meets rap and it works

Ben Kweller - Ben Kweller
crunchy pop nuggets of goodness and he's friends with ben folds.


Best Singles 2006
white and nerdy - Weird Al
title says it all

Daughtry - its not over
Great debut after being screwed over by AI.

shotgun romance - once in a lifetime
great bluegrass cover of the talking heads classic

imogen heap - hide and seek
ethereal voice that one gets lost in

gnarls barkley - crazy
see above, as others have said, probably most covered song of 2006 and for good reason.

ben kweller - penny on a train track
One of those pop nuggets I mention above, good lyrics, catchy tune. I listen to it at least once a week.

Matisyahu - king without a crown
was on his live album from a few years back and arguably that is the better version but the album take is very tight.

bishop allen - The monitor
From the guys that produced an EP a month in 2006 and nothing sucked.

vetiver - been so long
great song from a band made of members of two bands that I followed during the mid 90s just after I graduated college. Took me 10 years to find what they were doing now. acoustic goodness

Nonesuch #249 Friday Flower


I'm gonna to sing you a hundred verses in ragtime,
I know this song it ain't never gonna end.
I'm gonna march you up and down along the county line,
Take you to the leader of a band.

Nonesuch #248

Its a rainy day. One of those days where you just do not want to crawl out of bed and you stay in bed and wake up to realize you have overslept and it is 4:30am instead of the usual 3:30am. You have missed COPS and "Geraldo At Large" is about to come on. You say "oh fuck" but still turn on the tv anyway. Only 30 minutes till the local news morning show comes on and you can nap until time to get ready for work and catch up on the latest news and get cooking tips and electronic recommendations and what's right with our schools updates and weather first updates after every commercial and then you realize after about 8 months of doing this everyday that you can tell by what segment is being aired you know what time it is and there is no need to set let alone have an alarm clock so it sits blinking on the table beside the bed you haven't slept in two nights in a row since you broke up with her.

More rain says the weatherman after a brief dry day tomorrow with heavy rain on Sunday. You ask yourself "why does it always rain on the weekends anymore, the only time I can do yard work and everything is all wet or getting wet. So many leaves and sticks and wild onions to take care of, all wet. You could clean your house, but you say that everyday before heading home to watch bad tv, play scrabble on the laptop and an hour of DDO until you get tired of it or mad at it and make a peanut butter sandwich with some raisins and or chips and watch Jeopardy! hoping for another Ken Jennings to come along not to take him down a notch but just to prove that it was not a one time thing. (Brainiac - makes a good gift).

But no, champs last one maybe two days and then another is crowned. You blink twice and Wheel of Fortune is on, a perfect capper to the last 30 minutes of brainhurting trivia where solving every puzzle on the show before the contestants really makes you feel good. And you think, I would really like to be on Jeopardy! but I could probably win thousands on Wheel. And while watching you go down your blogglist hoping that someone has updated their blog so you can have something new to read other than cnn.com or fark.com or flickr.com. And none have been so you go to sleep watching nova or antiques roadshow british edition and you wake up and realize it is 3:30am. 30 minutes til COPS.

Thursday, January 04, 2007

Nonesuch #247 survey or meme and more

Got this from a myspace profile of a pretty good acoustic artist i am the lost sea
If if gets too long just skip down to the paragraph. can't miss it.

SEVEN CIRCLES

CIRCLE ONE: THE OUTSIDE

1. What's your name: Jonathan
2. How tall are you: 5'7"
3. What color are your eyes: brown
4. What color is your hair: brown
5. Are you Male or Female: male
6. What is your best feature (physically): beard/hair?
7. What's your shoe size: 8
8. Glasses, yes or no: yes
9. Did you ever have braces: yes
10. On a typical day you are wearing: jeans/polo shirt
11. When you go to bed you're wearing: boxers
12. work out/exercise about how often: walk/every day

CIRCLE TWO: MUSIC
1. Name five of your favorite bands:
yo la tengo
rem
the cure
sonic youth
tears for fears(been listening to songs from the big chair, great album)

2. Name five of your favorite singers:
bob dylan
mike doughty
sting
neil young
imogene heap

3. Name three songs you are currently playing nonstop:
dashboard - modest mouse
everybody wants to rule the world - tears for fears
penny on a train track - Ben Kweller

4. Name one song (give lyrics) that best describes your life right now:
"Everybody's breakin' and drinkin' that wine
I can tell the Queen of Diamonds by the way she shines
Come to daddy on the inside straight,
Well I got no chance of losin' this time."

5. Name one song (give lyrics) that best describes your life one year ago:
"Woke up this morning alone on the floor
Thinking about those clean sheets and the way it was before
When I looked in the mirror, I saw your face and thought of the past
But now I know how dirty you are, I took my fist and smashed the glass
Even though you'll never come clean
you know it's true
Those sheets are dirty
And so are you"

6. When you're driving, what are the preset stations on your radio: 90.7fm

7. What's the last CD you bought: the cure trilogy

8. Was the last CD you burned an actual CD or a mix: christmas mix 2003


9. Name one song/band/singer you're embarrassed to like but do: George Michael

10. If you could only attend one concert ever again, it would be:
well, have to say the smiths but they have to get back together which is not going to happen. In that case, U2.

11. Name one band/singer you absoulutely can't stand: one word - fergie

12. Name a group you used to like but feel you've grown out of: genesis. Was a huge fan back in high school and college. Just doesn't do it for me anymore.

CIRCLE THREE: MOVIES/TELEVISION

1. Name your favorite actor: hugh laurie
2. Name your favorite actress: scarlett johansson
3. Name your favorite television show right now: tv is crap these days, yes even house
4. Name five really cool movies you've recently seen: The last ones I saw in the theater were DaVinci Code and X-Men3. And I will add: Hudson Hawk, Legend and Empire Strikes Back. I dont get out much
5. Your favorite canceled television show: Seinfeld
7. Name one movie you wish you hadn't wasted time/money on recently: Battlefield Earth
8. You would never watch a movie with: britney spears
9. Favorite candy/food to watch movies with: chips
10. Three favorite tv channels: foodtv
11. Favorite reality show: ace of cakes
12. Favorite character on a reality show: mary alice from ace of cakes

CIRCLE FOUR: WORD ASSOCIATION
(Write the first word/thing/person that comes into your head when you read this word:)

1. coffee: ice moche latte
2. dog: kiley
3. slut: where?
4. candy: snickers
5. pole: dancer
6. ocean: 's 11
7. brave: heart
8. loving: could use some
9. cookie: yes, please
10. death: huh?
11. life: huh?
12. child: toys


CIRCLE FIVE: WHICH WOULD YOU PREFER:
(bold the one you prefer)

1. Ten guilty men go free OR One innocent man goes to jail for life
guilty men
2. Eaten by a lion OR Eaten by thousands of small insects
insects
3. A life of contentment without love OR A life with love and heartache
I have lived both, both suck to some extent.
4. Skydiving from a plane OR Bungee jumping off a bridge
neither
6. No television OR No music
no television
7. No more pizza, ever OR no more chocolate
no more pizza
8. A trip to Europe OR a trip to Hawaii
europe
9. An hour with your future soul mate OR An hour with a lost loved one.
soul mates do not exist, lost loved one it is.
10. No longer being able to cry OR No longer being able to feel the need to cry
no being able to cry
11. Sex without love OR love without sex
I have lived both and they both suck to some extent, hehe
12. Loving someone who doesn't love you OR being loved by someone you don't love
Again, been in both, and they both suck to some extent



CIRCLE SIX: THE LOVE LIFE

1. Are you currently in a relationship: no
2. Are you currently looking/interested in someone: yes
3. Are you a virgin: no
4. If yes, how long do you plan to be one: na
5. How many times have you been "in love": 2
6. Looking back, how do you feel about that person(s) now:1st one - I am happy for her, she married a great guy. 2nd one - I wish her the best, the cheating whore

7. Name three things (physically) you look for in someone:
- hair
- eyes
- body shape

8. Name three things (mentally/emotionally) you look for in someone:
- mentally stable, more or less
- trustworthy
- caring/compassionate

9. Biggest turn offs include: lies, cheating, cracker crumbs in bed
10. Your ideal date would be: dinner and conversation
11. You want to get married, where, when, how: not applicable
12. Does anyone have feelings for you right now that you don't return: if they do, they are keeping a good secret

CIRCLE SEVEN: THE FRIENDS
(of your friends, who would you say is:)

1. The one you immediately go to with a problem:
scott, sally, heidi
2. The most rational: me
3. The funniest: sally
4. The one you spend the most time on the phone with: sally
5. The craziest (but in a good way): scott
6. The most honest: all of them
7. The purest: we are all pure as the driven slush
8. The smartest: sorry but I think I am
9. The one most likely to get thrown in jail and why: I cannot say
10. The last one that said: no one since the cheating whore

Well, that was a bit a long and sort of redundant but there you go. A little more about me. The guy I got this from called it a survey, I guess it is but it is more of meme. You know, these things don't really do what they claim to do, bring out things about yourself so others(online and otherwise) know you better. For all anyone knows, this shit could be made up. But I assure you all that it is not. I don't lie, and some would say to a fault. Along those same lines, I heard from another of my friends concerning my dating problems. He said "I think the main thing I would say is being more confident in yourself and self worth. A and M stepped on your being repeatedly.
I am not sure about cw, but it seemed like you wanted her to be more closer but you did not push for it." He has a point and I agreed and added that I was the same with cw. They all cheated on me at one time or the other but cw was did it while we were talking marriage and her moving back in with me. A, well, we were seeing other people but seeing a lot of each other at the time. At the time I was very upset and she didn't help much by 1) still wanting to see me and 2) telling me all about the new guy. She ended up dating him, I'm sorry, fucking him for awhile. To be honest A and I dated 4 years too long. M, I have no idea how much she got around. I know of 2 possibly more only cause SHE told me after the fact and I was stupid enough to stick around. Bitch still owes me money. Not only that, but she has my Abbey Road cd, best Beatles album ever. I have learned cause when cw told me she was fucking a sailor, I ended it right there. Yes, we were having problems before but that is no excuse. (Harry: yes, well that excuse is fucking my wife. And now you're caught sing surry with the fringe on top in front of ira). To be honest, I thought I would get better answers from my friends about my dating mistakes. Maybe it shows just how much they were not paying attention. Or maybe I do the same things each time so even though I have seriously dated 3, I was really dating only one type of girl.

Listening to: Dashboard - Modest Mouse
Johnny Marr, everything he gets involved with is golden. the smiths, the the and now modest mouse. Which begs the question: Were the smiths emo before emo was called emo? And by the way, I hate the term emo.
Listening to: Track a Tiger live on daytrotter
Found by way of Popcandy, "this site posts exclusive in studio performances from indie bands."

And just read on popcandy, the Police may be reuniting for a tour this year. I am not holding my every breath I take but I was just thinking about how cool it would be this morning.

Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Nonesuch #246

I was thinking last night while waiting for the orange bowl to start: when was the last time someone was in my house other than me? I had joked with sally that I needed her mother and her to come to my house to help clean and it hit me, I don't know when the last time someone was in my house, other than myself. Was it 8 months when my friend from middle school came to visit and we went to the auto-show? Or did my landlord come by when the roof was being put on? They did but they did not come in the house. It is a mess but it bothers me that no one has come to visit me, not even my friends. I have gone to see them several times. I don't even get one of those "invite themselves over" situations. I promised myself when I moved into this house, I would keep this clean and somewhat orderly. Granted that was over 5 years ago and I made that promise to who became the cheating whore so is the promise still good?

Latest fantasy about bringing a girl home: She helps me clean the house.

Message to Anne: The closest Barnes&Noble is a good hour away. I live in the middle of the country and the closest thing we have to a bookstore is the book aisle in the Super WalMart. Just need to find something close, a hangout, somewhere where everybody knows your name, and they're always glad you came.

Message to Joie: Very cool your mother meeting frank mccourt. He seems like he would be a great dinner guest.

I mentioned in a previous post that mccourt inspired me to write more, but I must add a few others to the list. I started this blog so I could respond to a post that my friend and college roommate Chad had made on his blog. It was a picture of a sunrise or sunset near where he grew up. He is a writer and damn good. And to be honest, I have looked up to him and his writing for years. That was almost 2 years ago I think in February.

Second, if anyone reading this has not checked out WilWheatondotnet or WWdN: In Exile you need to check him out. He is the man. He has been blogging 5 or 6 years now. He has many readers and for a good reason, he can say more in 2-3 sentences about something like Guitar Hero 2 and give an image that stays with you.

Also, Magazine Man
who can "write 2000 words just on how he got up and made breakfast" has the same effect. (sort of quoted from Shane at nickerblog who is my inspiration for vlogging. I know I got it wrong what he said but the 2000 words part is right, I think. more to come on vlogging in the future)

I wanted to be able to express myself with words like these 3(oops, sorry Shane.4) guys do but I was going about it wrong. For so long I tried to use one of their styles, wanting to post like them and when the post wouldn't come out how I thought it should be, I would delete it and post some stupid link that I thought was cool and be done with it.I needed to find my own voice, my own style and the only way to do that is to write. And I know that I am just starting out, again, but got to start somewhere.

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

Nonesuch #245 dating 2007

I have deleted all my dating profiles that I remember signing up for. They were getting me nowhere and actually making me feel worse about myself and my non-dating situation. As Jerry told George, "Since nothing you are doing is working, maybe you should do the exact opposite." or something along those lines. The thing is, I am not sure what I can even do that will do anything to change my situation. I have thought about taking a class at the community college, hanging around grocery stores more and even going to church. I would go to a library but I work in one so, I am not too up on that option. I sense a theme: I need to get out of the house more. I may do all but go to church. I have dated a few girls that went to church every Sunday and let me say they were not all that churchly and I can say that cause I am not either but I do respect people and I don't lie or cheat. I asked some of my close friends to tell me what I have been doing wrong in my past relationships, stuff that stood out for them but I have received no answers, so far. One, said she would tell me if I told her about her dating miscues except the obvious. Now, I don't know what she means by the obvious. Plus, I want to know for myself and I apologize for it being about me for a change. I am not a selfish person but I also tend to put my feelings, wants and needs to the side so I think it is time for me to work on me. I just want my friends to be honest with me. I know some of my issues/problems but sometimes hearing it from others can give that kick in the ass we need from time to time.

Nonesuch #244 day 2

I was listening to npr yesterday afternoon on my way home from sally's. A show called "The Story" interviewed Frank McCourt, author, writer and high school teacher. I have always enjoyed hearing him speak but I have not ever gotten into his books. My mother said that Angela's Ashes used the "F-word" too much. Anyway, listening to McCourt yesterday afternoon once again speaking to a classroom of high school students at Cardinal Gibbons in Raleigh, inspired me. He told the students to write about things that effect them: heartbreak, what they had for dinner the night before, the simple things that one does or goes through day in and day out and that what happens surrounding the meal or the relationship are the particulars, what makes what you say unique. And it hit me, I feel the need to write and I have this blog so I figured here was a good as any medium. I have tried to write with a pen/pencil and white sheet of paper and I always came away with a some crap that sounded like the same stuff I was writing 10 years before. I was falling into that trap of "hey, this is safe. I have done this before." So, I have not even tried to do that for a number of years, too many to really count, probably 10+. With my new knowledge from McCourt, I will write about the mundane things and surround them with my particulars.

Monday, January 01, 2007

Nonesuch #243 my new year's eve

I had an uneventful new year's eve but I did spend it with my good friend sally and her mother. Here are the details:

I left home yesterday around noon. Had to go by the library to print something out. I had been to the store(side note, the marching band playing at half time of the rose bowl is playing stairway to heaven)and picked me up some guinness the night before. I had a couple with me and some pepsi. Yeah, the hard stuff. It rained the whole trip to Durham, poured a few times but mostly the pissy rain that covers the windshield just enough you have to turn on the wipers. I made good time and arrived early, sally was still at work so I text her to let her know I was there and drove around. She was to bring me a cheeseburger but it ended up that we were to meet her mother and boyfriend at bakery/cafe on the other side of town before he went on home. So, I meet sally at her house, she changes clothes and we head out. We ended up going to the restaurant that sally work which happens to be just above where my ex the cheating whore's brother lives. Anyway, we get there, we change cars(still not sure why), go to the bakery, get some baked good and coffee and end up in a bead store all before heading back to pick up sally's car and then back to sally's house where I finally had my cheeseburger. It was very good: white cheddar cheese and ketchup with homemade potato chips with ranch dressing. By the way the burger came from where sally works. I watched some football, Panthers won but didnt get into the playoffs cause tiki barber had an amazing game saturday night running mad crazy over the redskins. The saints did rest most of their starters but a win is a win. Then watched the 49ers beat denver to knock denver out of the playoffs. I think the philly/giants game will be a good one next week. Flipped some channels after and found When Harry Met Sally which has become a regular new year's eve movie. Its also one of our favorites. It went off at 9. Sally's mother began to get ready for bed as I flipped channels again and settled on a marathon of Ace of Cakes on food tv. I was sucked in, I had never seen it. Great "reality" show about a cake decorator shop in Baltimore where they do cakes Duff's way. Duff is the owner and they do some great stuff. We watched Ace of Cakes the rest of the evening. I say we but sally napped in the chair with her lap dog german shepard / black lab mix, all 70 pounds sleeping on her. I switched back and forth from Ace of Cakes to ABC which was showing the Dick Clark New Year's show with Ryan Seacrest. It was awful with fergie doing something close to lipsyncing and christine aguilara singing right before the ball dropped. Of course I was in to the Ace of Cakes and I dont know if they completed the dinosaur cake they were working on. I guess I can check the site out and see what I can find. So, I woke sally up and we watched the ball drop in times square and then we went to sleep. Well, she did but I went and played Scrabble on my laptop and checked out blogs for updates. Of course no one was one but really I was early in looking since Anne posted right after I shut the computer down and Joie a little while after that. I did have a guinness but we did not open the champagne. I never settled down, did not get much sleep. The covers kept shifting, i was warm even with a fan on me, not to mention the fireworks causing the dogs to bark for a few hours. I did sleep some but even with my messed up sleep patterns it was not enough. Anyway, that was my new year's eve. Today, they cleaned house while I watched tv and hung out with her dog. I left around 1, got in around 3, had a sandwich and then took a nap. Still worn out, do not feel rested after 12 days off from work. I feel I need more time, a vacation. Well, I am planning a vacation. A close friend and his wife are in school at Warwick University in England and when they get settled they want me to come see them, spend a few weeks this summer. Right now, they are in Jordan where he is doing field work for his PhD but they should be back in the spring. All I need to do is get my passport and then get the tickets. They said they would pay for my tickets but I said no, lets go halfsies. We are all on budgets. So, I guess I have something to look forward to. I have only been to Canada and only flown on an airplane twice, so 10+ hour flight(or so) will certainly be interesting for me.