Sunday, June 30, 2019

Mother

I've held off on this one for a week now, but my mother died last Sunday.

It was unexpectedly expected.

While she had been ill off and on for I'd say three years, she never truly recovered from a hospitalization she had last October.

I'm trying not to blame Spo for my mother's death, but as I was having b'fast with he and Someone when I found out she was taken to the hospital - well, it clearly adds up to his fault.

But that admission just kind of cascaded a few other rounds of setbacks.

So this last Sunday, she and I met with the nice folks from the same Hospice organization that took care of my father. She opted to be cared by them as well. We figured we would have a few weeks at their facility where people could come by, etc. I notified all my sisters of the fact and left my mother so the staff could get her ready for discharge.

I had barely walked in the door from that 20 minute drive for door to door, when they called to give me the news.

As you'd expect, I was sad at the news - and still am - but unsurprisingly (well, maybe not to all of you), I went into work mode.  I made calls to my sisters, my mom's nephew and nieces, I called any number of my mother's neighbors and friends, including her bridesmaid, who yes, is still alive and kicking it too.

I called the funeral home as well and started that process.

As it was a Sunday, there was not much else to do - well, that could be done. But those tasks kept me busy and occupied. The hardest and most emotional part was telling 710, who had been working out in the yard and missed all of this.

So, while sad, I was also at peace with much of this. I had spent a lot of time navigating my mother's health needs since my father died almost five years ago. I was well-equipped to handle the news, just for my being there for the gradual decline, the fact that I had been at the hospital almost daily since her last admit, and my chosen profession.

There is also the unknown, but assumed. It is my assertion, that once she opted for Hospice and she knew I was comfortable with her decision (I had been hoping she would but wanted to have it be HER decision), I think that was it for her. She knew she would go.

And true to her word - she waited until she was alone. Weeks before she told me she would go when no one was around, meaning any of her kids.

Yes, I had some qualms with the hospital and funeral home since then, so in a way I am still coping by doing tasks, though many of them have switched over to one sister who is the executor of the estate. I handled the medical portion.

And this last Friday, we cleared out her independent living apartment. They were "nice" enough to give us 30 days, but we had it finalized before the end of the month.

My last planning is her celebration of life. It will be more up than a memorial and way more up than a funeral. The beauty with that is, you don't have to do it immediately. People can be in better frames of mind. I'm hoping it will be nicer and less emotional.

....and I'm providing an open bar, so..............there's that.

I'll probably have a follow-up to that, but I won't eulogize my mother here.........not now. Maybe in a few weeks.

Thanks in advance for all your thoughts.



(btw......the image is from 1961.  Those glasses are still in my parent's house)



Song by: the Police

Saturday, June 29, 2019

Saturday

Saturday.  Nothing political about these posts.


Jungle Doggie

Good thing we bought a new sofa.................for Sophie!

I was at my sister's house yesterday.  I got Boomer love. Lots and lots of Boomer love. 

And I went to pick up Shep at daycare.  Siggie (left) was still there. I missed my cousin, but Siggie was still there.........along with a photobomber cutie. 

Soph likes the higher perch to look down up on her so-called inferior. 



Song by: Fall Out Boy

Friday, June 28, 2019

Half as Much

Hello.  I'm Blobby.  And it's been 2 weeks since my last political blog post.

{pause for crowd to say, "Hi Blobby"}

In my on-going experiment of posting less negative things (sorry Madge and Mindy - you're making it really really hard!    ......that's what she said),

I'm not really posting about politics now. I mean, I could.

I won't say I'm ill informed, but I read less and less in the paper, on-line, news programs are completely off limits.

It's hard to miss the gerrymandering headline, and it's tres disappointing, if not completely expected.

I missed both Dem debates. I didn't miss reading about them. 

Oh - to clarify, I didn't read about them. I just didn't miss reading about them.

Right now, I'm no happier, but that could be attributed to any number of things. I know I can't keep this up as we move deeper into the election cycle. But for the time being, I'll see what I can do to refrain from poli-posts.



Song by: Patsy Clnie

Thursday, June 27, 2019

Ad of the Month

I haven't been great about doing this monthly, but I promise (don't I always?) that I'll be better.

I did find this one funny - but eating a banana is always ripe (ha, get it?) for jokes.


Wednesday, June 26, 2019

Record of the Month

I figured I'd do a monthly 'what I'm listening to' kind of thing. This could be viewed as a lame placeholder kind of post. And probably it is. But it's my blog! So there!



 I will go on record:  I did not purchase the new Madonna disk: Madame X.  After sampling it via iTunes, I can assuredly say, I shant be purchasing it in the future either. Or checking it out of the liberry for free. It seems, I won't have to worry about having to turn the radio station too fast, as clearly, getting ON the radio isn't happening.

Listen, Madonna claims ageism, but that is a cop out. No one is stopping her for doing what she wants to do - clearly. Because, someone really should. She's claiming ageism maybe because no one is listening to her - and this is a real thing. But it's not ageism.

I attempted to listen to all of her songs on the deluxe version, which you only get a 90 second clip per tune. Folks that is 22.5 minutes of "music".   To be fair, I didn't listen to 22.5 minutes of music. It turns out I could only make it through one full 90 second clip, The  rest were just unlistenable for one and half minutes. I can't imagine listening to 64 minutes of the entire disk.

If Madonna has an issue with age, take it up with Mother Nature. Save, I believe (don't make me go back and relisten.......please, I beg of you!) only one song doesn't have her auto-tuned. And many of those are not slightly.  But full-on Britney.  So Madge, if your voice can no longer sustain "singing", maybe you find another avenue for your art.

And yes, "art". Her big word. "This is MY art....MY vision".  Great for you. But let's call it what it really is: commerce. Or should be. And people are not not buying this release because of your age, hon. If it were good, people would buy. That's the way it works.  Stop deflecting.

Madge and Springsteen's disks came out the same day.  He is still hovering at the top 10 of iTunes. She bouncing from 54 back to 36. But Madonna - Fleetwood Mac's Greatest Hits, which is 31 years old - is beating both your and Springsteen.  Hell, someone name Chung-Ha is above you by 20 notches.  Chung Fucking Ha.

Yes, she topped the Billboard album charts, which is nice for the records books, but - and no offense to Billboard - some of their charts are no longer based on sales. And even with disks, long gone are the days of bands and artists who sold 900,000+ units moved per week.  Madonna had 33,000.  And keep in mind, Billboard is a week behind in sales, so the iTunes download stuff would be a better indicator of how well the Madame X is not doing.

I don't think it's in Madonna's nature to say something she's put out isn't good. She doesn't have to act her age per se, but she should know she's not a black barely adult male from the 'hood.

Maybe the continual eye patch she now wears is from macular degeneration. Maybe the grille are just her new dentures.

Now Madge - THAT is ageism.



Oh - and your comparison to your shitty MDNA album being leaked on-line to rape?  And likening your recent NYT interview to rape?   Sit. the. fuck. down.

Tuesday, June 25, 2019

Midnight Show

I made the mistake Late Night (if there is a website, I couldn't find it) would be a comedy.

Maybe it's supposed to be, but I can tell you, I smirked once. No laugh.

If it's not supposed to be, then I went in with the complete wrong mindset. I have a feeling it was to be a comedy, but it never quite got there.

The movie belongs to Emma Thompson, hands down. She had an incredibly strong performance, especially when considering with which she has to work. Then Amy Ryan. Then John Lithgow. Then a fire hydrant. Then Mindy Kaling.

I always figured Kaling was funnier than this. Her Office written episodes always stood out. Her own Mindy Project show never quite measured up. And then there was that horrid Ocean's 8 thingy.  She was just as unnatural here as she was in her Project show.

If played as more of a drama (or even a satire), the movie kind of works, except there isn't quite enough depth. It tried too hard to be the Devil Wears Prada Moments, and there it falls totally flat.

The real problem is the humour, or lack of it. The attempted humour. I get the jokes that don't land because they weren't supposed to as part of the plot narrative. It was the ones that were meant to be funny - - and still weren't.

The least plausible thing about the movie of course was the reverse #metoo event. (semi spoiler coming).   The always great Ryan, as the boss, would have never let this ending work. She would have rightly terminated the contract of the person of which she was already looking to fire. The second least plausible item was Kaling's character's hiring to the show as a writer. Even as a "diversity hire", just about anyone else off the street would have been a better selection.

While the movie has only been out two weeks, it's already in limited theaters and limited times. As there were only FOUR of us in the theater, it does not bode well for week three.

You might want to catch this one on cable. You actually might have to, since, well.....tick tick tick.....




2019 Movie Count / Goal: 08 of 15


Song by: the Killers

Monday, June 24, 2019

My Music Monday

Another 'new' song / band, neither of which I've heard.

This is actually new though. Love Fame Tragedy is a side project from Bastille and the Wombats, both of whom I know very little about. The new faction does not even have a website.

The song, "My Cheating Heart" looks as if it was only released 14 days ago. So, it is new!

"My Cheating Heart" just kind of hooked onto me immediately. It has the right amount of rock and pop in it to make it accessible to multiple folks - assuming it gets the exposure.

Sunday, June 23, 2019

Nil

It is one of those days.  I had nothing planned, nothing queued up.

Look at this way, my thought the other week of slowing down this blog hasn't quite happened yet. But this was a post about a non-post.

I still win.



Song by: the Cardigans

Saturday, June 22, 2019

Signs

Once again - dogs and cats......living together. Not just Sophie and Shep......but mainly.


Our neighbor, Bobbi, left this on her telephone pole. 

Shep went to see her and left with a new toy.  Spoilt. 

On a walk, in the ever present rain. 3rd rainiest Spring on record. 

The new ottoman is hers. Rarely is there room for my feet.  As it should be? 

Golden Rule. 
Oddly enough, this isn't Henry. But I loved him just the same. 

Shep at Nana's.  Loungin'. 

Morning Milk.........on her ottoman. 

Siggie!  ...at his Red Hot Photo Shoot. 
psssssst.......the secret is peanut butter.  He's so damned cute!

Going Home. 
I rank this as one of the best pics I've taken of Shep.




Song by: Five Man Electrical Band

Friday, June 21, 2019

Wisdom

Yesterday was dentist day - as you can see. It was also full panel xray day too, not just the shitty bite-wings.

Afterward, the hygienist / xray tech said, "you've had your wisdom teeth out".   Ummm....yeah.  Twice.

Well two different sessions - years apart.

Internally, I started laughing at thinking about the second go-round. Honestly, they were extracted within a matter of minutes. My friend Jon came back to take me home.

On the way back, he was nice enough to take me to the pharmacy to get my pain meds. He sat in the car while I ran in. Naturally, there was a line, so I waited.

Customers and their children just looked at me. Stared, actually.  I smiled and nodded, as I am a nice guy, who might have been under the influence of anesthetic.

Meds in hand, Jon drives me to my door and goes on his merry way. I go upstairs and immediately go into the bathroom - and burst into laughter.

Due to the my mouth being pretty much numbed up, I felt nothing. No pain.

I also didn't feel the blood and saliva just seeping out of my mouth, into my goatee, down my neck and onto my shirt. Covered, I was.

Even in this state, I immediately flashed back on those pharmacy folks thinking I just came from  feasting on unicorns and drinking their blood in the Forbidden Forest.

Jon played it perfectly. Never once saying a word. He had a nicely worded messaged on his answering machine before he got home, if he could hear it between my laughs.

The recollection made being in the dentist chair a not so bad experience.



Song by: Delerium 

Thursday, June 20, 2019

Stadium Love

First off, and I've said it before: I read most of the obituaries most of the days. Sundays are a drag because there are SO many of them. I mean, how many bodies are they keeping on ice just to hold off to till the Sunday announcement.

I tend to gloss over the ones that start out, "went to home to the Lord". That' never going to end well for me. And clearly, it didn't end well for them either.

I also try to figure how people die, which is usually by the "in lieu of flowers....." section. I do like the ones who just say they died from an addiction. Just call it out - let people know it's an issue that need attention, even if it's in line 7 of an 8 line obit.

But the other day, this one was out there.   I. Loved. It.


First off, I love Stadium Mustard, so.......there's that.  But I love love love how his family are almost afterthoughts in this obit.

I have almost no doubt (hey baby, hey baby hey....boys say, boys say) that the deceased pre-wrote the sucker.

....and he died from heart disease.........I'm guessing, and that the hot dog on which he placed that mustard were beef.



Song by: Metric

Wednesday, June 19, 2019

Only the Lonely

My comic reading in the news paper has gone kaput.  Once Foxtrot and Boondocks went away (this was eons after Calvin and Hobbes went bye-bye), and Doonesbury was put on months and months of reruns, I limited my reading to Speed Bump and Bizarro.

Doonesbury came back, but I never picked it back up. Allegedly Boondocks is coming back. Even the new Bloom County I didn't bother with.

Way back when we lived in Columbus, on a lark, I read Apartment 3-G. It was hilariously stupid. I was never a Golden Girls fan (I know, the one gay guy who didn't care for it), but I remember a bit from it that made me laugh.

Dorothy:  "Apartment 3-G. I haven't read that for 30 years...."
Blanche:  "I'll catch you up...........it's later the same day......"

True that. Slowest moving storyline ever.

I was never a Mary Worth person. I'd say "because I'm not 50+", but I am. 710 reads it just out of habit, but he reads all the comics I think. So now and then, he'll read me a storyline - this last one being about and elderly person being taken for all her money because that's what happens to old people. I think she was catfished.

And so you know Mary Worth is for old people, she'll let you see for yourself......








Yes, apparently 1980's music now equals old-timers.   {sigh..... and.......well......fuck}.

In my heart of hearts, I know 80s is considered "oldies" to some generation. And not so deep down, I know people my age area allowed to move into the same independent living facility where my mother went last year. And sure, I'm 'falls risk', but I don't see myself as Mary Worth old.

....and for the record, the woman in question did find companionship with one of Mary's friends....


....and yes, this is older than the Motels, so, I feel slightly better.




Song by: the Motels

Tuesday, June 18, 2019

Twelve Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming to the Canyon)

Second movie in a row that is a documentary - at least of sorts.

Echo in the Canyon is about the Laurel Canyon music scene in Los Angeles going from about 1964-69.

The impetus for the subject came from a little known (never, to me) 1969 movie called Model Shop. Apparently it takes place in Laurel Canyon and it got the head of a record company and Jakob Dylan exploring the music of the time.  As if the it needed discovering.

Don't get me wrong - you know my love of music. But some of it seemed so forced when the actual stories were so much better. The music scene of the time was so incestuous, but collaborative.

I loved the stories about certain songs and bands, and they had representation on screen. There was some clear omissions even in discussion (Joni Mitchell). I get that some might not have wanted to be part of the project, being on screen, but to leave out some truly influential artists was wrong.

When someone (I'm blanking) talks about 'Dylan" and Jakob Dylan says they'll have to be more specific - trust me, they don't.  Jakob, you had one marginal hit and 23 years ago. When someone speaks "Dylan" it's your father, or Dylan Thomas.

Had it been a strict documentary on these artists (Beach Boys, Byrds, Association, Mamas and the Papas, Buffalo Springfield.....) it would have been A+, but Dylan (Jakob, that is) had to make it about him.

He rerecorded some of the songs in question. And he and others (Beck, Regina Spector, Fiona Apple, Snore-a Jones) had to play them live.  This worked well twice - one with a recording (Mamas & Papas "Go Where You Wanna Go" and one live (the Byrds' "Goin' Back").   The latter surprised me more because Beck and Dylan did well, but I found out it was a Carole King written song. I had no idea.

So save those two songs, the rest of Jakob's interpretations came out sounding like "One Headlight" redux.

I love Jackson Browne, but he seemed out of place here. He might have been influenced by the artists, but he didn't contribute what you thought he might or should.  At least with Tom Petty, he put all the references into context.

I don't know if this is a run out and see movie for any of you. I figured it wouldn't stay in our local art house theater short of this opening week, though Rotten Tomatoes gives it a very high rating.

Almost halfway through the year; almost halfway through the goal.



2019 Movie Count / Goal: 07 of 15


Song by: the Mamas & the Papas

Monday, June 17, 2019

My Music Monday

I'm way behind on 'new' music. As you've all read here before, I'm no longer a radio guy - even XM.

You've all heard my issues with XM too, and they still stand. Different stations, but each station has their own play list (in same order) that they do for weeks on end. And when you play an 'alternative' song on the 'alternative' station 4,209 times, but every other station is playing it to begs the question:  "is it alternative?"

That all said, I've been a bit tired of the music on my iphonepod. I need to purge it and add all new stuff, or just bring on 1000 songs I don't have in rotation.

Until I do that, I have been listening to XM more - though mostly Fresh Air. But I have been listening to "Alt" Nation. I think I have heard enough good enough "new" songs to get me through the next few weeks of MMM.

"New" has been in quotes here, because some of these are from not 2019. Such is the Interrupters' "She's Kerosene", which is from 2018.

I know nothing of the group. I dig a decent ska vibe, and most who try it cannot pull it off. This song does. Though, hearing the song on the radio, I'd have never guessed the lead singer was a woman.

Sunday, June 16, 2019

Site of the Month

I might have skipped this segment last month. I dunno - and too lazy to check.

While Twitter is not a new Site - far from it - Orenthal James Simpson being on it, is!

That's right, acquitted murder, convicted felon and Dingo Boot pitchman, OJ Simpson.

Like a moth to the flame; like passing an accident on the highway; like having to sample Madonna's HORRIBLE new album on iTunes, Blobby just had to take a look.

Blobby has a Twitter account but never knew exactly what to do with it. I'm not as hot at Gus Kenworthy and not as funny in 140 280 characters as Anna Kendrick.  I'll look at some things here and there, but post?  November 2011 seems to be the last time I posted.

Anyhoo......so I typed in @therealoj32 and this is what I got



So, while the top tweet is HI-larious, it also links to the actual OJ site.......which, if you take a look (and unless I'm missing something) is the same screen name.


I clearly don't know exactly how this all works.  You can't have two accounts with the same handle, right?

I don't know what OJ is going to 'get even'.  Is he going to go after Ron Goldman's villainous mustachioed father?  Are Judge Ito or Marcia Clark going to be safe from the tweets?  WILL Cuba Gooding Jr. withstand the scrutiny of that OJ tv movie??  How will the late Leslie Neilsen fare?

The "fake" OJ page is going to be so much better anyways.   (I think I'm leading with the best post too.)






Saturday, June 15, 2019

Shed Some Light

Another week.  Another post of your favourite recurring players to this blog.

Shep Stink Eye

Shep at the Cleveland Museum of Art. The outside part, obvi. 


At the vet. Shep has allergies, which is affecting his paws. Poor guy. 


Petey didn't mind the vet. Shep? He's very nervous - shakes, and as you can see, sheds. 
I picked the wrong day to wear black pants. 


Soph turns 13 today. 
She's still a stalker when she wants to be. 

Shep and his overseer. 
Just as it should be. 



Song by: Shinedown

Friday, June 14, 2019

Sunshine, Lollipos and Rainbows

Listen, I'm not saying my proclamation of saying I'd be blogging "good news" is the cause of Sanders-Fuckabee stepping down from her job - but honestly, none of you can prove otherwise.

So I'm taking the credit.

Short of assassination, there is possibly nothing that can make me happier than this news.

.....well, maybe a sweeping incurable, painful and deadly virus that infects the entire administration - past and present.  That would make me happier.

And on the same day that Cryptkeeper Conway is recommended for termination. Oh, she won't be. But honey - this is your LAST job. Unhireable.  I think that's a word.

Good things come to positive people, people.

Look. Just three days into a good news blog cycle and I'm already reaping the rewards.

You can all thank me later.  Or now.  Your choice.



Song by: Lesley Gore

Thursday, June 13, 2019

12 of 12

So I'm doing my 111th 12 of 12.

Normally it is 12 pictures taken on the 12th of the month. Since I only post once per day, you get my images the following day. All pictures taken with my iPhone. Click images to enlarge, if you choose.

Created by Chad Darnell and picked up from, what I can tell, any number of random bloggers who then link back to him and vice versa. Chad is no longer doing this, nor is successor coordinating the linking of other 12 of 12'ers anymore. Now it's just myself - that I know of.....as it's the only blog post he's still doing......for now.  

I still continue to do this, because of all my consistent post topics, I actually like this one the most.

04:43.   Getting ready for A.M. dog walk

05:00.  Shep's Poo. 

The vet needs a sample - so I got to collect it before 05:00.  Yay me!

06:15.  Tie day. 

I don't always wear one anymore, but now and then. I don't care for this pattern much, but love the colours. 


06:35.  First computer / clinical app of the day opened. 

07:45. Different office building . First meeting of the day. 

09:00.  Dropping off Shep's poo sample. 

09:30.  All these mobile orders - and none of them mine. 

It would have helped to hit 'order' after I chose my selection, but why quibble over who was right?

11:58.  Two minutes to the meeting start and where IS everyone?

12:50.  Lunch. BiBiBop.

Only the third time in almost four year that I've left the hospital to have lunch "off campus"

16:50.  Doggie pick-up.

None of these are mine - yet in another way, they're all mine!

17:15.  Mixed Messages. 

Mike will tell you I sent him 'this' picture the day before. I sent him a similar one, yes. But for this to officially be 12 of 12, they have to be taken today. So I retook one. 

19:30.  Grocery Day. 

710 gets them, I unpack them. And those blue plastic bags?  Cuyahoga County is banning them as of January 2020.  Honestly, it will be more cumbersome, but I'm glad they're forcing my hand to bring canvas sacks to cart my stuff home. 


You Baker's Dozen:

21:00.   (She's my) Cherry Pie......and lots of whipped cream. 



That's all on this topic until July 13th.