twice-told tunes: "slight of hand and twist of fate"

Last one for a while. Probably.


"U2 - With Or Without You"


"With or Without You - Breathe Carolina"

ArrivederLa Novembre

twice-told tunes: for indie

Okay, one more for tonight. I couldn't resist.


"neil diamond red red wine"


"UB40 - Red Red Wine"

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To: Lil
From: Phil

twice-told tunes: i'll have this dance

"Billy Idol - Dancing With Myself"


"Dancing With Myself-The Donnas (9 years old version XD)"

middle o' the night musings*

Right now, I feel like I'll never sleep again. I'm agitated, anxious, awake. I keep pulling on my hair and I'll be lucky to have any left by daylight. I keep telling myself that I just have to make it through the next three weeks and then I'll be able to get back to all the things I've been neglecting: writing, cooking, cleaning. Spending time with my child, actually with her and not just near her. Spending time with my partner. Letting go, relaxing. Sleeping without feeling guilty for having slept.

I'm tired. I'm tired of this period of my life. I'm tired of berating myself for getting myself into this situation. I'm tired of being too afraid to do what I want.

In the meantime, I'm going through intense periods of productivity and idleness. Over the course of two days, I've watched enough television and movies to rot away a bazillion brain cells. However, during each hour of viewing, my mind was constantly torn between the screen and somewhere else. Not that I really need to give my full attention to Jumping Jack Flash (what? I'm truly a purveyor of fine film, yes?), but still.

I have hours of work to do still and it's closer to the end of the night than it is to the beginning of the night.

Three more weeks.

In the meantime, this is keeping me company:


"Hey Marseilles - Rio (Official Video)"

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* I have a friend who claims to despise the word "musings" so I hesitate to use it, but I'm a sucker for alliteration.

from the mouth of the babe...

Over the weekend, while Pic and her friend L were in the car, they were discussing what happens when L loses her teeth. L told Pic she leaves her teeth for the tooth fairy.

"What does the Tooth Fairy leave you?" Pic asked.

"Money."

"A bunny?!"

Pic was incredulous. Cardo and I have been laughing about this since. Pic is under the impression that once Mamma isn't working as much, we'll be getting a bunny. So, give us another six or so months and we might be the happy new adoptive family of a Human Society bunny. We'll see.

serendipity

On Friday, we were out and about. I have been looking for practical yet cute (enough) boots to replace my old ones. (I've got snow boots that I plan on keeping until I die, if they'll last that long, but I need some better boots for work.) We didn't find any boots (I'm picky and I freak out about spending too much money on any one (or one pair of) item(s)*). Our outing wasn't a bust, though.

We have been wanting to take Pic to a movie for some time, but she's not a fan of the dark and hasn't wanted to go yet. Also, she is convinced that most movies are scary. However, when I asked her Friday morning if she wanted to see Tangled (the new Disney animated movie-version of Rapunzel), she agreed. We ended up at a cinema across town, not one we usually go to. We were walking toward our theatre when I heard my name. The voice was unfamiliar, so I figured there was another v there and I continued on. Finally, I did turn around and I was the one being called. It turns out that my godparents and their family were also at that showing of Tangled. They had come to the earlier viewing, but it was sold out, so they returned to the one we attended. Pic ended up getting to sit next someone her own age and next to an older girl she adores. My godparents and the older girl's sister also sat in that row. Cardo and I sat several rows higher, with my friend (my godparents' granddaughter) and her mom.

Pic did pretty well at the movie. At one point, she headed up to our row. We thought the theatre had become too dark or that she had become scared, but she walked up to Cardo and announced, not too quietly, "I just need gummies!" (We hadn't quite divided up our snacks very well before the movie.)

Anyhow, Pic ended up enjoying her first cinema experience. And, she talked her way into spending the night at her friend's house that night. (Let's see if you're following the family tree: Pic's friend is my godparents' great-granddaughter, L.) And, because we were child-free for the night (which never feels right to us), Cardo and I went to see another movie: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I. I'm always kind of weirded out when things aren't the same as they are in my imagination and seeing the movie really made me want to read the books again. Actually, Cardo said he really wanted to read the books, too, now that we saw that movie. Give me three weeks, and I might start them over again. Twice in one year? I'm down with that.

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* Was that complicated enough? Then, with the asterisk, even more complicated?

music: restyled

I keep trying to come up with a better title for these posts. I cannot. Ah, well. I'll eventually think of something in the middle of the deep, dark night.

I love the cover here. It's fun and funny. I think it works. (I also know very, very little about music, but I'm sticking with my story on this one.)

"Burning Down the House" by The Talking Heads (embedding has been disabled)

and


"The Cardigans ft. Tom Jones - Burning Down The House (HD Official Video)"

(I only just watched that second video. Above, I was commenting on the songs only.)

thoughts on a cold day

[I wrote this on Tuesday morning.]

I’ve been sitting in a warm coffeehouse for the last two hours. Outside the glass doors, the snow is blowing from west to east. I don’t see any actually falling – it’s just swirling around.

To my left, someone sings loudly and off-key. A minute ago, he declared to his friend that the War of 1812 was fought “on the Pacific coast” and that it was “fought between America and Spain.” His friend is creating US history worksheets for a high school class. “I might be wrong about that, though,” the singer concedes. I think the War of 1812 is the war in which the British burned the White House. I make a mental note to look up the war when I get home. I think the Madisons were the White House residents at the time.

“Hallelujah” plays on the overhead speakers. I want to sing along, but I don’t know the words well enough.

I should be doing more work, but I’m contemplating my future. I’m back to wondering what my dream job is and if I can, or want to, pursue it.

I wonder who might pay me to be a scholar? Who might pay me to read? Who might pay me to write?

I hope I live to old age, especially because it might take me many, many more years to figure this all out.

I look out the doors again and the wind is more blustery. I want to be at home before dark tonight, but I know that won’t happen. I’m not looking forward to my walk back down to my building. I have my coat, scarf and gloves today. I wore my snow boots. Cardo is trying to pawn his snow bots off on me, but I’m happy with mine. In an attempt to curb the volume of my possessions, I’ve vowed to give away a similar item whenever I get something new (books excepted, of course). If I get his boots, I have to give mine away.

Anyhow, I should be working, not staring off into space. I’ve got a long night ahead. I’ve reached the part of my work schedule where I only sleep every other night. This makes Cardo crazy. For the collective sanity of my family, I’ve vowed to not set myself up in a similar situation next year. Now I’m back to pondering dream jobs.

And, now, I’m heading back into the Land of Productivity.

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"Hallelujah - Leonard Cohen"


"Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah (Original Studio Version)"

this is my dance space

Watching this clip* just now, I finally realized Baby's mom is Emily Gilmore (Kelly Bishop).

And, yet, again, I wish I could dance.

Also, I should go to bed. We're entering a tough week of getting up extra early to accomodate Cardo's schedule. But, we do have a Blueberry Apple Crumble pie from 5th St. Bakehouse to look forward to, so that's something.

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* Embedding has been disabled.

snow day? no way

I'm in a bit of a restless mood lately. I'm ready to just get in the car and go. Where? Chissa. Somewhere. However, I have quite a few obligations to attend to here. And, winter is making a few timid appearances.

At the end of last week, we were thinking we would be getting about a foot of snow in the valley. Ha! Ha ha! Um, didn't happen. We got a tiny bit on Friday night/Saturday morning. And, today, we got a bit more, but it was already melting in the morning.

I'm pondering whether I need to wear snow boots tomorrow and how incredibly early we'll have to get up so we'll make it to our respective places. When it's cold and snowy outside (and downright chilly inside), all I really want to do is hibernate. I could spend hours in some warm clothes, bundled under the blankets with plenty of good books on hand. Ah, yes. If only.

Until it's possible for me to hole up during the winter months, we're going about business as usual. However, that doesn't mean we don't have big plans for the future brewing. Because, oh yes, we do.

For now, though, I'm off to climb into a nest of blankets and continue with my necessary work.

dance party!

"Bedtime" around here might just go something like this:


"Bert & Ernie - Dance Myself to Sleep (vintage sesame street)"

Cardo, trying to sleep, Pic and I (me especially) just warming up for the day. Fun times (just ask Cardo). :)

the golden rule

One Minute Writer from Sunday: How do you treat the books that you read?

We don't have many rules in our home. In fact, if you're a person who loves rules, you might just want to stay far, far away, because we'd probably make you very, very uncomfortable. However, I do ask that our books be treated well, overall.

I have a few probably weird rules about my own use of books. If a book is purely a for-pleasure book (my amateur detective novels, my HPs, ecc), I don't write in them. Not that I don't want to; when I see a line I enjoy, I really want to underline it and scribble a star next to it, but I refrain. However, if I feel the book is a "school" text in any way, I'm right in there with a pencil. (I guess the weird part is my internal distinctions between kinds of books.)

I've fine-tuned my reading marks and marginalia over the years. First, I limit myself to pencil. If I come back to the book, I want to be able to erase any markings I no longer find necessary. I underline what I find good or useful in some way. I make a vertical line along the side of the text to draw my eye to these parts. I make a little star next to parts I find especially important. I bracket words or terms I need to look up and draw a little magnifying glass in the margins. When I do look up the term, I add the meaning in brackets in the margin.

I have a really hard time reading most things without a pencil in hand. I feel compelled to mark up texts. This part of the reason I have such an especially difficult time reading on a computer screen. Typing notes or digitally highlighting text just isn't the same, for me, as actually writing on a text.

I also like to catalogue my books. I have one catalogue for my books and one for Pic's books. There isn't a perfectly clear delineation between our books, but I already started this system.

One day, far in the future, when I have more time and when we have many, many more bookcases or (better yet) built-in shelving, I'll have a better shelving system. I try now, but our books get so mixed up. We really do need a card catalogue and a system of categorization. For instance, there are times I want a bunch of books on autumn, and I might pull Nancy Elizabeth Wallace's Apples Apples Apples. However, I might also pull that when looking for books on food. Or, when looking for books by her. Or, when looking for books in which I want to specifically focus on the artwork. (By the way, I love Nancy Elizabeth Wallace's books, if for no other reason, than for perusing her artwork.)

Oh, I could so be a recluse, happy to spend my days with my books.

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And, yeah, that took me longer than one minute to type. I was inspired! (And, I babble.)

putting out fires...

...whether you like it or not.

I was recently introduced to this commercial:


"2007 Super Bowl Commercials - Coca Cola, Video Game"
(Yeah, I don't watch the Super Bowl)

And, all I could think was, "Hey, you put out someone's heat source!" Perhaps the trash in the can was only just on fire, but I was thinking it was it was a deliberately-set fire, made to keep some of those people warm. (However, it doesn't really seem like a chilly day.)

(And, yes, I do overthink, um, everything, perhaps.)

psa: thrift sale

Tomorrow, Savers is hosting one of its 50%-off sales on clothes, shoes, accessories and bed & bath items. Books, sadly, are not on sale. That's okay, though, I much prefer to buy my books at Goodwill or at library book sales. (I can't wait to read what I picked up last Sunday!)

We might be picking up some warm clothes for Pic tomorrow.

We're getting to the time of year I really would like to hibernate in my warm bed. Yesterday morning, we woke up and the thermostat read 48 degrees. Yikes! I was, once again, thankful we live inside and also that I could turn on the heat to warm up the condo a bit.

Tomorrow is, of course, Veterans Day, nee Armistice Day. I'm never quite sure how to observe such days, other than send silent "peace be with you"s for those who have fought in and those who have lost their lives in military service. I will never understand war, really, no matter how much I learn about its causes, but I still grieve for those who have lost their lives and for those who have to/choose to partake in such endeavors.

I didn't mean to completely shift there, but I find it interesting that we use special occasions as opportune times for sales. I'm glad I'll be able to buy inexpensive clothes at an even lower price, but I'm not really sure how hosting/attending a sale is observing such occasions.

daydreaming

I only need to get through about thirty-nine more days until I can indulge in a day of complete relaxation. What I'm looking forward to:

* staying in my pajamas all day (unless we indulge in a little 5th St. Bakehouse, then I'll get dressed)
* breaking out a new word puzzle book
* reading many, many books with Pic
* not planning, responding, evaluating, gathering materials for the upcoming days

Of course, about forty days from now, all that stuff in the last bullet point starts all over again. Ah, well.

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When I think about daydreaming (whoa!* how very metacognitive), this song gets stuck in my head:

"daydreamin (the ostrich song)"

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* In my head, that "whoa!" is a la Joey from Blossom. -- Now, I think I've proved I'm entirely too tired to function well right now. Off to bed. G'night.

musical monday

I had to post it at some point, no?


"Patsy Cline - Walkin' After Midnight"

I can't remember the last time I took a middle of the night walk. It had to have been in high school sometime. However, we do walk very, very often. And, certo, I think of this song often (in case you hadn't noticed).

I thank my parents for introducing me to the music of Patsy Cline.

il quest weekend, in five acts

-- photo shoot at Tahoe (with fabulous friends)

-- 5th St. Bakehouse

-- Mamma's Night

-- booksale!

-- Jim Henson's The Storyteller: Greek Myths

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P.S. Half-off day at the Friends of Washoe County Library Booksale Bonanza today. (I thought it was $6/bag day, but it doesn't seem to be so. Ah, well.)

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Edited to add: It was $6/bag day! I wonder when Cardo is going to start having nightmares that our books are closing in on him?

in fair verona

I was reminded of this tonight:


"Romeo and Juliet Trailer"

I haven't seen this in a long, long time. I think I need to watch it again.

And, can I just say, I love Claire Danes? Yes, I can. I love Claire Danes.

sssomebody ssstop me

Oh, no, I'm quoting Jim Carrey (from some movie, although I'm not sure which -- something I've long repressed, no doubt). But, seriously, I'm pretty intent on eating every unhealthy thing we have in our home. Why do we even have such things, when I know I'm bound to eat and then eat some more when I'm stressed?

I'm counting down the days until my current obligation is over while Pic is literally bounding off of the furniture. (Yes, literally.) She just took a tumble off the back of the couch, scraping her leg on a bookcase on the way down. Not a happy time. Not to worry, though, she's okay now. I, on the other hand, am thinking that there's a dish of chemically-sweet candy corn on the counter and perhaps I would like to devour the contents right. this. minute. I, perhaps, am not okay. Ah, well.

Anyhow, speaking of "literally," I have been exposed to a lot of literal movie trailers lately, so I'll share one here. Something to keep my mind off of the TJ's hot chocolate waiting for me in the cupboard. Argh.


"LITERAL Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Trailer Parody HD"

Okay, and a music video I'm pretty sure I haven't shared before.


"White Wedding: Literal Video Version"

Yeah, I should be doing other things. Ta.

election night

Polls just closed here. Well, those in line can still vote and the final counts, of course, won't be in for a while. I'm overly tired and am feeling just worn out by this election cycle. I have now voted in five elections (three presidential and two mid-term years) and I get more and more wrapped up in the process each time. (I should clarify: emotionally wrapped up.)

I was thinking, last Thursday when I voted (we have early voting available here), "Okay. Now, I just have to wait it out until Tuesday, or early Wednesday." I anxiously await poll results. However, I've done all that I'm going to do: I voted. I feel like I haven't done enough.

I've never been good at presenting my convictions. What if there is more information I'm missing? What if, in the instances of elections, there's a candidate I like almost completely? What about the parts of his or her positions I don't like or agree with? When I think of volunteering for a political campaign, I feel a bit anxious. I imagine people from all the other sides berating me and bullying me and that makes me completely uncomfortable. Where do I get these ideas?

So, I'm wondering, have any of you ever volunteered with a political campaign? Was it worth it? If you haven't, would you?

we go out walking

Today, Cardo dropped Pic off with me and she and I took the bus home. After dropping off my too many pounds of books and stuff, she and I headed back out. The wagon is in the car, so Pic opted to take her bike while I walked and we headed down to a familiar, friendly food establishment. It took us about an hour to get down there an about an hour to get back.

Walking with Pic is always an adventure (small though it may be). We stop to look at giant dandelions and collect capless acorns. I was starting to drag by the time we were almost home. I always want to rush and just get back, take off my shoes and relax. No matter how tired she is, though, Pic never minds stopping to observe anything that catches her eye.

Today, by the end of our walk, I was pushing the bike along while Pic, still helmet-clad, was wandering along beside (sometimes behind) me. We were so close to home when she spied a cat across the street we were on and, of course, we had to cross and spend some time with the cat. I tried not to push us along.

When we were ready to go, Pic told the cat, "Be careful for dogs."

"And," I added, "be careful for cars."

Pic had the last word with, "Yeah, and cars. And, be careful for stuff that will eat you."