Best-O-Show

Down the street from the 'Power Drain' house is just the most perfect and beautifully lit house. These pictures don't do it justice. The color is right on but the lights and lighting effect are blurred. Sorry, had my cheap camera with me. This house is on a corner lot. I'm on one street aproaching the corner. The next picture was taken just around the corner. Halfway down is an alcove and the lights follow the contours of the roof through it. It's just gorgeous. The last picture is past the alcove and looking back.These lights are those 'dangly' icicle type lights but very dainty with a powder blue clear bulb. Just beautiful.

Terrorists. They really piss me off. Flying used to be bad enough, stuffed in an airless plane for hours, terrible food and service, no respect as a human being. Now, thanks to that Damned Shoe Bomber, we all have to stop at the security scanning area, take our shoes off, put them in a container to have them scanned for explosives. Then, after walking through the beeping scanner thing, we have to wait for our shoes, slow the line down by putting them back on. Shoes? Explosives in shoes? Damn them! Why couldn't it have been a Bra............

Now that the Christmas season is winding down, I think of all the outdoor display of lights, reindeer, Santas and assorted baby Jesus paraphernalia neighbors set out. Some are quite beautiful, others, tacky. Really Tacky! Here's a perfect example of someone forgetting to say, "When!" It's about a quarter of a mile down our street. I'd be embarrassed to live next to them. The only thing missing is, er, uh, nothing. They've got it packed with crap from Christmas Hell.....

Then, there's another house up a different street that goes way overboard in a different way. Way too many lights but done in a 'Tastefully Tacky" way. When night falls and they turn on their display, there's a major power drain in Ventura. But tasteful....... I swear that it looks like white hot Christmas lava flowing through their yard. Yea, Tastefully Tacky.

Even Nic and Trav.......

On Sunday, Charlene and I went to Blockbuster to rent a movie using the 99 cent coupon I had received. We walked in and started to look around. She went one way, I, the other. I don't know what she was looking at but in my mind I was trying to choose between the new Star Trek movie and District 9. Action stuff. Blow up stuff. Guy movies. How can I talk her into watching something like that? I rounded a corner, still scanning the shelves and there it was: Julie & Julia. Action movies disappeared from my brain. I picked it up and walked toward her. "Find anything?", I ask. Before she could answer, I held up my pick and she smiled, agreed and we walked to the register. She had to work that afternoon so I figured we'd watch it later in the week. Later came sooner - tonight to be exact. She invited Nic and Trav to watch and they had agreed to sit with us, forgoing Xbox and iPods. I found this to be totally astounding. Kind of like Arabs and Israelites making peace. We ate dinner in front of the TV as we watched. That was followed by totally excellent hot cocoa for the boys, coffee for Charlene and I, all fresh brewed and served at precisely 192 degrees. Nic and Trav watched the whole thing, credits included. They laughed out loud at the humorous parts, felt bad when Julia shunned Julie near the end and really enjoyed the entire movie. I had explained that it was two true stories rolled into one movie and that Julia's husband, Paul was a 'spy' with the OSS. That intrigued them from the start. Charlene and I saw this when it first came out, saw it again on Thanksgiving Day (at the cheap theater, eating jalapeno hot dogs and icey's instead of Turkey dinner). I don't know why but it was just as enjoyable tonight as it was the last two times we watched. Even more so because we shared it with Nic and Trav and they enjoyed it, too.
If Meryl Streep doesn't get the Oscar for this role, well, I think the voters are crazy. Charlene agrees.
Again, if you haven't seen it, do so.

Love Songs

I'm one of those people that stuffs things deep inside and tries to deal with it later. Trouble is that I have a hard time getting to it when 'Later' arrives. I've found that sad songs or love songs help bring my feelings to the surface so I can deal with them.



It got me thinking about the love songs I've drawn close in the past decades. Less than a hand full. As a matter of fact, just three. Thanks to YouTube, you can enjoy them, too, at least once. Here they are:






Number Three.........................



Art Garfunkel's "I Only Have Eyes for You". I think that this is the third remake of the original. I've heard them all and this is the best. This was my first 'greatest love song ever'. I heard it on the radio and knew I had to have it. Went to the record store and bought it. Years later, I had to buy it again when they invented CD's. I swear, I'm not buying anymore music if they invent EF's. This song is so smooth, so beautiful. I used to wonder if I would ever find someone that I felt this much love for. Orchestrated from above, I did..... and moved 2000 miles to marry her. When I think of Charlene, I think of this song. There's other really great songs on this album, too. Years later, this love song was bumped to number two, then to number three on my list of the greatest love songs. Here's the link to it on YouTube:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9C53IEcg_0&feature=PlayList&p=489B0B1ACEAA2B7&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=48


Number Two........................


From the former Pink Floyd band, David Gilmour wrote and sings "Smile". I love Pink Floyd. Their early songs were kind of weird (in the beginning). Basically their music is rock blues. Charlene says that, although the songs are great, they are very depressing. Yea, I guess so. Maybe that's why I fell in love with their music - makes me think and deal with the things I've stuffed deep inside. But, I really do love their music. I 'Netflix-ed' a concert DVD ("Remember That Night, David Gilmour Live at the Royal Albert Hall") and discovered this song. Instantly fell in love with it. Tried to copy the DVD but it was just was a worthless copy. I went to iTunes and bought the song. Problem was that the download contained 'clicks' all through it. Went back to iTunes, bought it again and downloaded it, again. Clicks, again. iTunes let me go back and try again. I did, clicks and all, so I went to Amazon.com and could only find the album (David Gilmour's "On an Island"). Bought it, ripped it, got the song. This song is about all the people I know (in the past, myself included) trying to find a way to patch things up with their love. So sad, so beautiful, so hopeful. It bumped Art's song to number three. Here's the YouTube link:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wN3qvnpf_Y4



My Number One all time favorite Love Song..............


Paul McCartney's "Here Today". The dictionary describes Love as, "A profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person". Notice that it doesn't mention sex or gender. That's what this song is, pure love. Paul McCartney wrote this as a tribute to his fellow Beatle, John Lennon, after his death. Real love, real meaning. What more could I say about this song? This, in my heart, is my ultimate love song - Number one on my list and probably will be forever. Here's the YouTube link:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnTskBTaAlU

The day after Christmas

All is calm. Nic and Trav are off to see their Grandparents, Charlene is doing pleasure reading, laying on the couch, drinking fabulous coffee. Fabulous coffee, you ask? All part of the Christmas presents she gave me. I'm a coffee fanatic. I started drinking coffee and espresso at the beatnick coffee house, "The Sacred Mushroom", down on Ohio State's campus, back when I was 14. Fourteen? I can barely remember back that far.......


Back to the Christmas presents. Charlene got me one of those Keurig single serving coffee makers. You choose what kind you want from a purchased supply of little coffee plastic cups. They look like a half-and-half creamer cup. All sorts of coffees, regular, bold, mild, flavored (yuch!), hot cocoa and teas. About a million different kinds from various vendors. You just stick one in and presto, in 20 seconds you have fresh brewed, 192 degree hot coffee. It's just marvelous, miraculous and all sorts of mean, nasty words you could start with the letter 'M'. I mean .....I mean I'm sitting here on the Group W bench with the mother rapers and father stabbers and we're all enjoying some of the best coffee ever made and made fast!



Usually, she'll shop for something for me to wrap and give to her (that way she gets exactly what she wants in the right size, shape and color) so I reversed the tables and got two things I really wanted (not knowing she was gonna do the coffeemaker thing). They were both DVD's of rock concerts. Years ago, when I would spend a week in Ohio, visiting Scott and everyone else, I'd stay at daughter Shelley's house. While there, I ran across an old CD by the Talking Heads entitled, "Stop Making Sense". I really fell in love with it. She burned me a copy (I know nothing about pirates!) and I've almost played it to death. Have it on my little mp3 player and several copies floating around the house. I stumbled across a promo on Amazon.com (love that place) selling a DVD of the concert, "Stop Making Sense". Of course, I ordered it, received it, wanted to open it-couldn't as it was a present for her to wrap and give to me. Finally got to watch it on Christmas day. Wow! There was no light show, no 'smoke' on the stage - just unlimited energy from start to finish. Even Nic and Trav asked, "Is he on drugs or something?" I told them I didn't know but he sure burns a ton of calories. We all really enjoyed it. Daughter Shelley just may finally get a Birthday present...... burn that DVD, dude!

My other present I gave to Charlene to wrap was a DVD of the David Gilmour (Pink Floyd) concert, "Live at the Royal Albert Hall". I do have a terrible copy of it and it upset me that I couldn't make a good copy of it. Most of it just freezes up/locks up/pixelizes. I think I just ended up throwing it out. But now, I have the real, store bought one and it contains one of my favorite love songs, "Smile", written and performed by David Gilmour (more on love songs in a later blog, maybe). What a wonderful Christmas.

Oh, I forgot. Charlene also gave me a bar of wonderfully fragrant soap. If you see the picture.....enough said....

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and all you bloggers (Ahem, Cheryl), keep the blog alive and goin'.

The day befor Christmas

Here it is, 1 in the afternoon on Christmas Eve. I have the day off so what did I do? Went to work. Not really 'Work" work but I went to the office. I had 'Some Assemble Required' for two presents to Nic and Trav. Finished up an hour ago. Now, it's off to fix our friend's computer so they can send Christmas Greetings to friends, like me. I can't wait to get back to work on Monday for some rest..... Merry Christmas to all. Don't forget to say Grace tomorrow. We're gonna go with the 'Will Farrow' Grace he continually used in the movie, "Telladega Nights, The story of Rickey Bobby", that starts out, "Dear Baby Jesus........."
--Merry Christmas--
PS. None of that "Happy Holidays" crap, it's Christmas, damn it!

The horror, the horror

Thank God that NS20 classes are over. Charlene was doing 2 care plans a week for months and it was driving her crazy. Morning, noon and night it was study, study, study and when the weekends hit, more study, 8 hour shifts as a CNA at CMH (don't you just love all those initials that stand for something...). About the beginning of November, it was time to prepare for the final. Whew! Talk about stress. In the old days, we'd both read the Sunday paper for an hour or two, relaxing with fresh brewed coffee and enjoying CBS Sunday Morning. This quarter of Nursing College, no way - no time. There was one time that she put her foot down and just plain relaxed with the Sunday paper. For a whole 30 minutes. I was so amazed that I grabbed the camera and snapped a photo. A real rarity. Then, back to the books. She passed the main portion of NS20 with a 'B"and then was thrown into a 4 week crash course of OB/GYN. Very intense (read a 100 pages and have a quiz the next day type of stuff). Nic, Trav and I noticed the stress building and sort of kept our distance to help out. I did a lot of cooking for us and she was very grateful. But the course got more intense, the stress increase and we kind of stayed out of her way. I'd come home from work and hide in the closet with Nic and Trav until it was time for me to go to work again. Well, it wasn't that bad but almost. Then, after the first week of December, it was time for the OB/GYN final. The bad thing was that no matter how great you did in the main portion of NS20, including the final, if you flunked OB/GYN, you flunked the entire semester of NS20 and had to redo it. Even more stress. A day or two before that final she had a great study partner come over and for hours they both crammed. Did I forget to mention that they both had the 2 week killer cold that's gong around. I just stayed in the background or on the back porch or in the closet. Once, I was checking my e-mail and looked at both and giggled to myself. They both had a roll of toilet paper to blow their noses on. Her study partner, Christine, had brought one and Charlene had her own. I snapped a picture and ran like hell.

The end result was they both passed OB/GYN with a very good grade and NS20 was a done deal. Now, she's enjoying almost 4 weeks off before NS30 starts. It's the toughest of all the Nursing courses. The one where the dropout rate is the highest. You either make it, flunk out or end up in the looney bin. So, come January 11, 2009, Nic, Trav and I will be in the closet with some food, water and the telephone. Wish us (and her) luck.