No Rest for the Weary

I think I can speak for everyone in that we're all tired of the snow and everything to do with it.  I'd like to just pull the shade down and forget it's there. We got an additional 6 inches with a possibility of a few more before it's all over... for today... Some more on the way tomorrow.  Schools were closed today... we never got a day off for snow when we were kids... and we had to walk to school with no shoes on, stop at the General Store to see Ike Godsey and then plow the fields when we got home.  Me, John-boy, Mary Ellen, Jim Bob, Ben.... oh wait, that wasn't me... that was the Waltons.  Nevermind. Now I don't feel incestual that I thought Ben was hot.

 I haven't felt well this past week, but that hasn't stopped the need for snow to be shoveled.  After shoveling our and then my Aunt's driveway, I took a nice hot shower and thought I would go for a coffee and catch up on what's going on in Hollywood, but Barnes and Noble was closed... so I'm at Panera instead, drinking sub-par coffee with the smell of toast and Muzak in the background.

Words To Live By...

Wanda Sykes

American Idol Update

With round one of Hollywood week over, there were some unlikely upsets.... the main one being Justin Williams... Despite his story of beating cancer, wooing the judges with his good looks and even me putting a good word in for him couldn't help get him through.  A few more of my picks didn't make it as well.  I should have a better feel for my next boyfriend after round two tomorrow night

Yipee!!

There are many reasons why I wouldn't like this time of year... I can't do landscaping... camp is closed... the weather... depression.... but there's one reason why this time of year is my favorite.  From today until the end of May... my friend Brad turns 42 just like me... and that makes me absolutely giddy!!  Call me shallow... call me jealous... call me whatever... but just call me the same age!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BRAD....

(Brad's Feature)

Taylor Swift Butchering Every Song

I've never been a fan of Taylor Swift... I think she can write songs well, but she really should let someone else sing them for her.  Never in key, always weak and forever amateur, she has got to be the worst 'singer' going... and yet, she just keeps winning and winning.  What is this world coming to when someone the likes of Stevie Nicks sings backup for this little girl... and Taylor does on awful job not only on Stevie's song... but her own as well. 

Her label, in her defense, had this to say:   "This is not 'American Idol,'" Big Machine Records CEO Scott Borchetta told The Associated Press. "This is not a competition of getting up and seeing who can sing the highest note. This is about a true artist and writer and communicator. It's not about that technically perfect performance."  Uhhhh.... yes it is, jackwad.  Kelly Clarkson (of AI fame) had this to twitter in rebut:  "We (American Idol alum) not only hit the high notes, you forgot to mention we generally hit the 'right' notes as well. Every artist has a bad performance or two and that is understandable, but throwing blame will not make the situation at hand any better."

 I didn't watch the Grammy's (because the state of modern music makes me cry in disappointment), but with all the hype, I expected it to be worse, since she always sucks.  Somebody PLEASE, for the sake of the dogs shrieking in the alley, keep her away from a microphone.  Now, her dress was awesome... maybe she can just write music, stand there and look pretty... that seems like a winning combination.

Dogs in Motion...

Todd White Artistry

These are works that I own from my favorite artist, Todd White.

Todd captures restaurant, night and Hollywood scenes with contrasting colors serving the viewer's eyes as those in his stolen scenes serve or are served-wine, coffee, cigarettes, cigars, martinis and sex. He creates timeless scenes of diverse attraction, of known intimacy. Within the exaggerated features and textured skin of his characters lies truth; yours and theirs.

Distinctive bodies and details to lips, eyes, hair, skin, hands and what is held in each, separate and blend his characters' lives. The smoke that rises from their lips, the drinks that linger at their fingertips, the clothing that adorns their bodies and the crowd created among lovers, friends, patrons and co-workers all speak a certain poetry. Each character depicts the subtleties of what one shows and what one hides. An asymmetrical face tells of an asymmetrical life, of how life wears and how we wear life - what we choose to carry in our hands and on our faces - how we wear ourselves, what smoke and color we stand in.

Todd began in at Warner Bros. Studios while working on the popular series, Tiny Toons. Through character clean-up and development, Todd began to forge his own artistic style. Shortly thereafter, Todd became part of the lead animation team for the internationally renowned cartoon, Sponge Bob Square Pants. Over the next three years, Todd sharpened his eye in storyboarding, illustration and character design.

The pieces I have are prints... with the originals worth in thousands.  I just love how everything about them are 1960-ish... with booze in-hand and cigarettes always lit.  Some of his other pieces are a lot more flirty.

She's A Bully...

Mother Nature can be a real bitch.  I realize that I shot my mouth off that we weren't going to see any of the snow promised... and then we did... and a lot of it... but we have more coming tomorrow... a possible 4 to 8 inches.... although it's really hard to say since it's early in the game.  They are predicting 1-2 feet for Philly and D.C. again... All I remember in the past was a few of my friends in Philly teasing me when we used to get a lot of snow here... and they were'nt getting any... payback is a bitch... get your shovels out... it's getting deep out there.

I think there are still people with power out... and I'm still without internet at the house.  So here I am at Barnes and Noble... the pic of my truck is in the parking lot... I'm thinking of opening a ski slope there....

Um.... I'm ... Sorry?

Well, I guess I can admit when I'm wrong... or at least doubtful.  And I suppose I can be blamed for taunting Mother Nature to drop "The Winter Powerhouse" on our heads.  I think I will keep my mouth shut from here on out.  After a day and a half of snowing, I think we topped out at around 20+/- inches of snow, making this storm the 3rd or 4th worse one that Pittsburgh has ever seen.... declaring it as a state of emergency. 

I was keeping up on our driveway on Friday night... I shoveled it a few times, which wasn't easy but, overnight, the wrath of hell fell upon us.  I started shoveling our 30 foot long, 2 car wide driveway around 7:15 a.m. and finished around noon.  The main problem being the snow drifts and having no where to put the snow when shoveling it.  Since we're a new housing plan, the snow shovels didn't come down at all... so when they finally did come down, they brought a backhoe... and even that got stuck.
  

Friday night, the power was off for about ten minutes... and then for a few hours overnight, but fortunately for us, it was back on in the morning.  Matt was not so lucky.  His power went out Friday night and just came back on this morning.  With Nick, his dog, sick and cold, I made it over there in my 4x4 to take him to Matt's sister's house where he'd be warm.  I had no problems on the road with the 4x4 engaged... except for dodging stupid drivers, downed trees everywhere and mounds of snow.  The only casualty we had was our internet... which is still off.  I made it to Barnes and Noble today to have a connection with the outside world.  

You take for granted that necessities will be there... electricity, gas, water... and not to sound like a big baby, but I have a hard time without internet connection.  I hate admitting that.  I would have never made it in settler times... without the necessities like an oxen... and a plow.... Oh hell, who am I kidding.... the necessities are Starbucks, pizza and internet.

The Twins

By 'Twins', I'm talking about being a Gemini.  I don't really get into a daily horoscope (although I did move to Vegas because a fortune cookie told me to (basically)), but I do believe in astrological signs, mainly because mine is dead-on-balls true.  I am probably 98% textbook Gemini... not that figuring one out is textbook, as past partners and friends can attest.

 

Quick, alert, never still, strong-willed, curious, talker, contradictory, paradoxial, never resting, jack-of-all-trades, hyper, nervous, lanky... all basic traits of a Twin.  Called the Twins for their duality, a Gemini will always see both sides.  Naturally analytical, they seek just enough knowledge to know just enough to get them started and then they're off and running, often getting bored with it right before they achieve success and on to the next exploratory, exciting thing.  With a soul entering the world through opposition in Aries and an inner-struggle in Taurus, a Gemini is ready to explore.

Often at odds with themselves, the need to constantly change comes from the pain caused by not changing, and the desire to escape it.  Fear is a major obstacle for a Gemini; it emerges with thoughts of limitation.  Choice becomes the demon that the Gemini cannot face, especially maintaining two points of view.  The avoidance of identity throws the soul into depression.  Without a clear sense of self, they may feel as if they are living in a house without a foundation.  The desire is to disappear and withdrawl.  They imagine themselves shadows rather than full human beings.  Life seems cold and lonely.  The desire to break free of their isolation is overwhelming.  Without any outside connections, thoughts of death abound.  Life itself becomes undesirable.

Gemini is the sign of the common man and of everyday things of life, and when you're with a Gemini, those simple things become special. If your mate is a Gemini, change your meaning of 'togetherness'.  You and me, as you will find out, means at least ten other people, since a Gemini's heart can expand to include a mini-universe.  Choice is a Gemini's enemy... all consequences of an action must be considered.  With their mind being a computer, all options are considered in a blink of an eye.  Able to size up a situation, , they run into trouble when a little faith is required.  Afraid to let others in, they tend to do things for themselves.  Serious to a fault, they have forgotten how to play and have fun.  Stress comes from their unrelenting dialogue with themselves, all of it negative and demanding.  They need love, which will provide the security they've been looking for in things.

Matchmaker, Matchmaker....

Because I was away in Florida when the new season started, I've been behind the eight-ball on the audition shows... I just got caught up and they have just posted all the contestants.  It's given me a chance to take a look at suitors out of this year's crop, and although they don't sing in their little one-minute spot on americanidol.com (and some of their auditions were'nt televised), you can kind of get a feel for them a little bit.  Justin Williams is the one with all the personality, really.  If I had to predict, I'd say he has it in the bag.  But as far as suitors go, there are a few others that I'm looking at.  Noel Turner (pictured) is adorable... so is Timothy Urban, Justin Gray and Bryce Larsen, with Lee Dewyze as the dark horse.  I haven't heard most of them sing though, so only time will tell.  I'm holding off on any decisions until next week... where I have a press conference scheduled for Thursday.

Timothy Urban
Lee Dewyze
Bryce Larsen
Justin Williams
Noel Turner
Justin Gray

It's no secret that I have a love/hate relationship with the weather, mainly since it has an effect on my landscaping, both good and bad, but mostly with the inability of weather forecasters to get it right.  Tomorrow, we are supposed to get anywhere from 5-10 inches of snow... I'm sure the people are running to the stores to get bread, etc... such irrational behavior.  First, it's not like we're snowed in for days on end ever... secondly, don't you have a loaf of bread to make it through a few days already?  And lastly, they are always wrong anyway... especially, it seems once they name it.  This one's being dubbed 'The Winter Powerhouse'.  Bring it on, bitches!

No He Didn't.....

Better never come between me and my Happy Meal... I will cut a bitch over a burger and fries, no questions asked.

My New American Idol Boyfriend

It's a little early in the game for me to pick my new AI boyfriend for the season... with auditions not even over yet... but this guy seems to have the whole package... the story, the smile, the voice, the personality and, duh, the looks.  Someone from his camp has contacted me but I declined to interview him for the position of boyfriend until I can see the others in Hollywood week.  With all that he has gone through with beating cancer, shooting him down may just be too much for him to get through, so I will tread lightly until I know for sure.

As you may recall, I hastily picked Kris Allen to be my boyfriend last year and, although I was able to shoot him to stardom (with a lot of input and work on my part), he may not have been the best choice.  With his CD sales not hitting projections, it's a little embarrassing for me to have dated him, put all the work into him and then he not produce.  Fortunately, I cut him loose on the high rather than waiting for the downfall and he subsequently (and having no choice) went back to his wife.  It was a lesson learned for all.  This year, I'm not going to be as eager to accept offers.

Another 6 Weeks

FUC.... OK?

YUM !

A Single Man

I had missed going out with the guys for a movie over the weekend since I was sick, so after my cleaning binge today, I decided to treat myself to a nice, relaxing afternoon out at the theater.  Two slices of pizza, one venti hazelnut latte no whip and two Dunkin Donuts later, I made it to the film in Squirrel Hill.  I like that theater... I feel like I'm supporting the little guy when I go there... it's retro... and the people that go there are usually of the artsy-fartsy, Democrat style... who know how to watch a movie without pulling a gun out, are not stuffing their face with noisy food and can keep their opinions to themselves and not talk.  You could actually hear a pin drop the whole time.

Set in L.A. in 1962, A Single Man is the story of George Falconer (Colin Firth) who is struggling to find meaning to his life after the death of his long-time partner, Jim.  George dwells on the past and can't see his future as we follow him through a single day, where a series of events and encounters ultimately leads him to decide if there's a meaning to life after Jim... going as far as laying out the plans necessary to take his life.  Consoled by his closest friend Charley (Julianne Moore) and a kindred-spirited young man... the romantic tale of love interrupted, the isolation that is an inherent part of the human condition and ultimately, the importance of the seemingly smaller moments in life rang through in this excellent adaptation.

The role won Firth the Best Actor award at the Venice Film Festival.  The art direction was excellent... capturing the feel of the time period right down to the 60's film noir musical compositions and everyone smoking constantly.  Julianne Moore looked stunning as the divorcee' best pal to Firth.  The whole thing was shot beautifully and kept you totally intrigued the first minute to the last.  I'd give it 5 Lucky Strike cigarettes out of 5... 

It was tragic, ironic and poetic.  It brings to mind the saying... better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.

It Was A Crumby Day... My Life Is For The Birds

Since I haven't been feeling well, despite turning the heat up a bit at the other house to start on the kitchen, I haven't made it over there yet.  Instead, I decided to do some deep cleaning on this place... being away for about a month... it's gets away from you.

We were fortunate to be able to move into a completely brand new place... just move in and you're ready to go... no refurbishing or cleaning up someone else's mess.  I guess since I'm spending so much time cleaning up my Dad's place, I have so much anxiety about this place getting out of hand.

My Dad is a creature of habit.  Every morning, he feeds the birds with the feeder hanging off the porch, turns the fireplace on to take the chill off (from 64 degrees to a Boca Raton 72), make some coffee out of grounds that have been in there for days, adding a scoop here or there.... making his toast with butter and jelly.... turning on his a.m. radio station and having the TV on at the same time (despite the fact that he can't hear me speaking directly to him any other time)... and it's a day full of Cash Cab, The Price is Right and every Western movie that a station is willing to air.  Then, the night-time move to the TV up in his sitting room, where it's Murder She Wrote, etc. until about 11 p.m.  How, then, does one little old man with a cup of coffee, two pieces of bread and a stray bird make so much mess?

I have always been a clean freak.... so much that my friends years ago ordered me a cake in the shape of a Clorox bottle.  It's an aphrodisiac for me.  Today, I cleaned the entire first floor... with an emphasis on the kitchen, where I probably swept 2 pounds of crumbs and bird seed from every crack and crevice.  And after a few hours of this, my Dad comes home from taking my brother some where and... makes coffee... two pieces of toast and turns the TV on... he missed The Price is Right... but was just in time for The Family Feud... cause I almost busted him up.  Why can't he just eat cereal?

Back Barack

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm so tired of hearing about how President Obama is failing... there's so much about politics that is so destructive to the population, not only in morale, but every other facet as well.  Bipartisanism might be a way to keep people on their feet (with someone watching over their shoulders), but it's unproductive and causes more problems than it's worth.  I thought this was a country built on the premise of working alongside your fellow man... but it's been anything but.  And progress seems to be the victim.  Why can't we all just work on the problems, not throw tantrums to get our own way... there should only be one way.

It's amazing to me how gun-toting, backwoods Republicans have more power in this country than the experienced, intelligent.  When someone in rural Tennessee can mold the outcome of the country because he's bored and needs something to shoot up in his back yard, that's a problem.  I'm not saying that being a Democrat is the way... but pick one way towards a common goal and lets get on with it.  Religion and politics will be the downfall of our world.

As far as President Obama goes, you can't expect him to clean up 8 years of shit in one year.  The fact that he hasn't made things worse is huge... get off his back, get off your butts and help, rather than armchair criticizing.