I Want a Dog

I know most folks think I'm a "cat person" and I do love my cats.  But I'm a sucker for a dog as well - we've just never owned one.

I had dogs growing up, but since being on my own and then with 710, it just hasn't been in the cards for us. First it was his work-travel schedule and now it is mine.

710 has never actually had a dog, but he's open to it.

I'm the kind of guy who stops the car in our neighborhood when others are walking their pooches. This way, I get to play with them, love them, hug them, squeeze them, let them lick me - and then leave. The owners get a few minute break where they don't have to watch or care for them.

....and I don't have to pick up the poop.

Man of our neighbors have two dogs. Very few are a single dog family.  If we were to become owned by a dog, we'd only a single canine family.  We already have a dog-cat and I want to minimize any disturbance in that force. And Sophie is a force.

The title image is me with Jake. Sucky picture of me, but he's so damned cute - especially with that tongue. And it's one of the few times you can see his eyes. He's not as lovey as his sister, Lola, but she wouldn't sit still enough for a picture. Diva.

...and no Brett - I'm not pursing my lips. That's a Louisiana backwood swamp-folk trait.

And here I am with Callie.

Another sucky picture of me, but Callie wouldn't stop licking me.  In a post a few months back, I mentioned she and her brother. Since they lost their dad a few months ago, I try to spend time with them, especially when their other dad needs someone to let them out and such. When I'm not traveling, I'm happy to over and do it - and they are very happy with me - as you can see.

Tulley (on the right) is much more reserved, but he's eight years older than Callie. ...and he was Bill's dog and I know I project, but he seems sadder, I think because he misses his dad.  Tulley is a love, but he doesn't lick or kiss.  That makes me sad, but it's always been his personality.  Or doginality

Callie more than makes up for it with kisses and jumps.

So, 710 and I talk more and more about a dog. I don't know what we'd do when I travel, but when I'm home, it'd be all good.  There'd be lifestyle changes and we'd have to adapt to that - so time will tell. I don't want to get our first dog when we retire....that would kind of suck.

But for now, I'm uncle to many 'hood dogs - and that is just fine.



Song by: the Pet Shop Boys

Shopping with Blobby

Yet another installment in the drudgery that is everyday shopping. The camera-phone makes it a bit more fun - though I get looks whenever I take pics of products. Like I care what people think!

I completely own the fact that I'm 12. I've made no secret of that.  And the dirty little secret is - most, if not all, males never progress past age 14 when it comes to maturity or humour.  Yes, they'll deny it - as will their wives or mothers, but it's the g-d's honest truth.

Take a recent trip to Blood Bath & Beyond.......

In certain ways, you have no one to blame for this other than my pal, Morty.

Eons ago, we were all sitting in the house 710 and I rented right after we moved to Cleveland. Morty and gang were there for a visit. It was a Saturday morning and we were kind of nursing hangovers from the night before.   ....and by "the night before", I mean we went to bed for a few hours before the guy who was coming to work on our electric showed up.

I'm blanking on how the subject came up, but Morty is going into detail about "tea-bagging".  Great detail.  Explicit detail, in fact.

That poor electrician left tire marks in the driveway as he fled.  I'm pretty sure he never even closed the door. I'm not 100% he finished the job.

Oh, how we chuckled.

Those were simpler times when urban dictionary did not exist and most people did not know the term.  I don't think the electrician did.

Now for under five bucks he can get a buddy.  And you know with BB&B, there's a 20% coupon - so it's even cheaper to dunk your junk.

Julia

Has anyone else been watching Veep?

I have seen very little in the blogosphere regarding the show.  Even weeks before it comes on, people are going on and on and on about True Blood's return.

I'm so over vampires, I could care less that that crew is coming back, even with the addition of Christopher Meloni.

Anyways, for a 30 minute show, Veep has been pretty fricking good.  ...and I can't say I was hopeful it would be.  I think my fear is that it would be a painful degradation of the title character (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) as she stumbled into situations like George Costanza or her Elaine Benes character. Or worse, that it would be like her hapless character, Christine on the New Adventures of Old Christine.  Mind you, I loved that show, but I always felt so bad for her.

Yes, there are weirdly uncomfortable situations - the ones you kind of come to expect that revolve around Louis-Dreyfus, but at least time they are seemingly more about her staff than her directly.

It is part Old Christine, part West Wing. ....with lots and lots of F-bombs.  And while there is a lot of cursing, none of it seem gratuitous.  If anything you have to believe the West Wing's lack of it was the fiction of the situation. As one battles and spins for power, no one is saying 'egads' and ''drat'.

And while Dreyfus does play the first female vice president, she's no Palin. She is a former senator who ran for president and settled for the #2 position. ...and a seemingly neutered one, but isn't that seemingly true of all VPs?

And it is an ensemble show - which Dreyfus works best with, as history shows, but she's great at what she does and who'd have ever really thought about that from her SNL days?

Yeah, the guy who played Buster, from Arrested Development is basically a similar character (without the hook-hand) and Matt Walsh goes out on no limbs as an ineffective press secretary. It is Anna Chlumsky who shines.  I've think I've only seen her in one thing - and she was like 9 at the time, and it was on cable and I wasn't paying that much attention.  But as the VP Chief of Staff, she is excellent.

I haven't really heard 'boo' about the show at all in the media, so I think it is flying under the radar too much - so it might not be long for this world. If you have HBO, and haven't seen it, use the on-demand feature, I think you'll like it (only one more episode of the season left).  If you don't have HBO - I don't know what to tell you - Netflix?



Song by:  the Beatles

Loud and Clear

I know you've all been sitting on the edge of your chairs, anxiously awaiting a medical update. Relax - just like Frankie say.

I received no call from the doctor's office, just an email telling me they released results on my electronic medical record.

I knew if the doc ok'd that to be shown without calling me, she was either a total idiot or I would be in the clear. ....and it seems that I am.

While the continual high pitch ringing in my brain - yes, it is not really in the ears (or so that key-uuute resident confirmed) - is still there, it's not a tumor.

I'll repeat.  No tumor. No cancer.

Nor is there really an explanation of the hearing loss and the now constant ringing.

As you can see from the report below, nothing is going on upstairs. Yes, let the obvious jokes begin. I'm not breaking HIPAA if I am the one to release my own medical information.

The brain is within normal limits of signal intensity and morphology. Specifically, the brainstem is normal in appearance. There is no evidence of a mass in the region of either IAC or elsewhere in the posterior fossa. No abnormal enhancement is noted in the basilar cisterns, along the course of the 7/8 cranial nerve complexes, or in the region of the inner ear complexes. No abnormal parenchymal or leptomeningeal enhancement is noted following gadolinium administration. There is no evidence of an acute ischemic event on the diffusion study. Inner ear structures appear to be within normal limits on the high resolution axial CISS sequence. No clear evidence of vascular compression. Normal flow void is noted in the major dural venous sinuses suggesting patency by spin echo criteria. There is no evidence of an infiltrative process in the visualized skull base. The mastoid air cells and paranasal sinuses are grossly clear.


IMPRESSION: NORMAL STUDY.

So the impression is that I'm Normal. Not Abby Normal. (key word? 'impression'.)

No ischemia (phew!) - at least that is acute. Ears are normal. No compression. And most importantly, I have grossly clear (oh, those frustrated diagnostic radiologists who want to be writers) mastoid air cells and paranasal sinuses!!! I was losing sleep over that one.

I could let Dr. Spo interpret for me. Yes, otolaryngology is not his speciality, but I'm assuming he had to do a rotation back in his Grenada Med School. He really does not have to weigh-in, as it seems I won't have to have Obama and his death panel decide on my fate anytime soon (that is a joke, people!!!).

I suppose I should talk to the doctor anyway to wrap this up. A week into taking zinc and co-enzyme (the latter of which stinks to high heaven!) and no change in the tinnitus. She didn't promise it would help, but she thought it might. But she also didn't say after how long it might take to make a difference.

With white noise I'm ok, but left alone in bed or with quiet and the ringing noise just permeates my being. It is quite annoying. Still, it's better than anything Katy Perry has ever done.....so I just have to think of that.

The downside of not having the big brain C? Nothing to lord over 710. I can no longer say, "...only 8 more months to live, don't you want to buy me dinner??" I guess I'll have to pay my own tab. Bother!

Also, how easy would have surgery prep been?? - it's not like they would have had to shave my head and you know my thinking: chicks. dig. scars. !!!

I've also been paying into Short and Long Term Disability for years! WHEN do I get to finally use it???

Not having a tumor also throws a wrench into my plans. You've all heard my idea that I get to go first. Well, in the last week or two, I thought I had that all wrapped up - lock, stock and teardrops. But now all bets are off. And if genetics factor in, I'll be hanging around and writing this blog for the next 38 fucking years. ...though my caregiver might have to transcribe it after a while.

Bother, indeed.


Song by: the Cranberries

My Music Monday

Overall, I can take or leave Elton John.  And I don't mean jut the current nasty-ass Elton, who is also the same one that is seemingly for gay rights, but would sell his soul for $1M to play Rush Limbaugh's fourth wedding.

No, I'm talking the 45 year career of Elton John. Admittedly, he's had some good stuff out there, but the amount of throwaway stuff is at a much much higher percentage.

And while there is no accounting for taste (mine included), if I never hear "Crocodile Rock", "Sad Songs (Say So Much)" (and does anyone not sing "Sasson"?), or "I'm Still Standing", again, it would be too soon.

Sometimes John's music would be off the mark for the lyrics, but often Bernie Taupin's lyrics were off ("sugar bear"???).  Now and again, they fired on all cylinders:  "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word", "Levon", "Tiny Dancer" and even "Sacrifice" - though Sinéad O'Connor's version packs much more of a wallop. - are good examples.

Maybe it's odd - perhaps not - that I think they both peaked so early into their careers.  Madman Across the Water was just his fourth album in three years (1971) and the title track ranks as his best performance - in my book.  Hey, maybe you like "Philadelphia Freedom"....I can pass on it.

But lyrically and musically, "Madman" goes together and the pacing and mood just fit.  From the opening to the end, it just works for me.

There is no actual video - though some lesser live performances exist out there.  None of them come close to capturing the studio version.

 

Time the Avenger

It's official - 710 and I are the last two people in North America to see the Avengers.  ...and we did it in 3-D.

I've heard nothing but great word of mouth and what few reviews I've even scanned (but not read) have given the flick high marks.

My rating?  Meh!

I'm a fan of Joss Whedon and the direction seemed fine.  The story was kind of ok (though Whedon is alll about wormholes!) ....but nothing outstanding, though groups like Focus on the Family I'm sure got a stiffy when Captain America said there was only one g-d!.

It is an action-movie, but more action than movie and story.  It seems the action and effects were in place before the actual movie was written. That's just my take though.

Previous posts have mentioned that I've rarely read a comic book and never ever purchased one, and I've never seen the movies of the Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America or any of the Iron Mans.  So maybe I am not their target demographic.

Even in movies like these, I find it hard to suspend my disbelief  - such as Jeremy Renner's character shooting an arrow into an engine from a space ship.  It makes Luke Skywalker hitting an exhaust port two meters wide seem plausible.

As the characters go, I'm not sure Robert Downey Jr is even acting.  He comes across this way in all his movies and interviews. Renner is ok - and is more attractive than I have seen him in the past, especially after he loses those creepy contact lenses  He has nice arms.

For me, Mark Ruffalo can do no wrong....even as mild-mannered Bruce Banner (never saw that TV show either) he was kind of the heart of the movie.  And while this is possible the best thing I've seen Uma Thurman Scarlett Johansson in.  From what I can tell, her special skill is kicking, jumping and shooting pistols at targets or aliens from 80 meters away.  Oooh effective.   Gwyneth Paltrow was her charmless, talentless self....for all four minutes she was in the movie (if she was smart, she'd have given up a salary for a percentage of the back-end gross).

...and I'm sorry, but the eye patch that Samuel L. Jackson wore had more charisma than the man himself. He showed the same phone-it-in-mentality in the last three Star Wars movies and puts more effort into that g-d awful iPhone commercial.

I think there were two issues I had with the movie - one was the overhype.  There was no way to live up to it. Second was the same issue I had with the reboot of Star Trek - since all or most of the characters are coming back for a sequel or star in more of their own spin-offs, no one is in danger.  Everyone will live.  Oh yeah - sorry:  Spoiler Alert!  But it makes for a safe environment where nothing is at stake.

Whomever played the villan was good. I liked him.

And I liked seeing Cleveland. Yes, the Stuttgart scenes were Public Square in the land of Cleves. And much of the big city street battle scenes were filmed on E. 9th St.  It was shut down for weeks last summer and while many things were CGI'd to make look like NYC, those astute enough will see some Cleveland buildings.  It probably helped that I worked on E. 9th for three years and know all the structures.

3-D helped in places, but a few times I though 'whoa, in a year, this CGI is going to look really bad.'

Yeah, it sounds like I'm bad-mouthing the flick and I don't mean to be. It's not bad, but it's not as great as everyone says.  It is a good popcorn movie (though ironically I had none) but if you're looking for true suspense, it's not there.

I found the TV series of the same name to be more fun and inventive.  And it is possible after Elisabeth Montgomery, Diana Rigg may have been my next opposite-sex crush.

The Avengers was one of those shows my mother and I bonded over, though I had to be 8 or 10.  ...how did she not know I was gay then?  After Mrs. Peel left the show and was replaced by Tara King - I was no longer interested.  The movie based on this TV show, also called The Avengers, s-u-c-k-e-d. Do not see.

I'm behind on movies.  This is only #4 for the year and the first one since February. 710 has seen one more than myself - but I had zero interest in seeing The Hunger Games, so he went with friends.  But the trailers have proved a few decent summer movies to see - so we might make the 12 for 2012.


Song by:  the Pretenders

Wash My Hands

I have not posted pics of the new bathroom yet, have I?  The dressing room and refurbished bedroom, yes, but I've been lax in putting before, during and after images - no.

This will be the last of my reno pics.  Like the other rooms, we still have not selected window treatments.

Before: What I called the Linda Evans bathroom.  Globe lights, dark green marble floors, counters and yes - shower walls. ...oh and the gold packaging. 

During: Floor, gold shit and  marble walls are gone. Oh, tub and single sink too - and we uncovered a window they had closed over. 

After: Mirrors. Lights. Artwork. Oh, and the countertop and fixtures. And actually a different wall colour than the during. Yes, we had to have it redone. 

Before:  Nothing spectacular  a toilet and old medicine cabinet.

 During: new floor, new wall, new medicine cabinet.  No crapper. 

After:  new paint, floor, pooper, window casing and radiator.

Before: Beyond that wall and end of tub was a small closet.  That went bye-bye and we could expand the bathroom size and uncover that window mentioned earlier. 

I don't seem to have any During pics. Solly.

After: the end of the counter is about where the end of the tub above was.  The door in the pic above was moved as well. It was about three feet to the right of where it is in the finished room.

Before:  that little closest we took out and the original door to the bathroom. 

 During I: the shower frame and you can still see the original door opening before they walled it off. 

 During II: wall up, tile in - no fixtures, no glass. 

After:  the completed shower.  I should have turned off the lights over the sink, as they are reflected here, but oh well.  I'm too lazy to retake the shots. 

Of all the things in the bathroom, besides the radiant heat in the floor, I LOVE the shower. It was actually supposed to be 8" larger, but with the new walls it wouldn't fit. I'm glad it turned out smaller because it's still large.

So that is it. The last pics of our upstairs renovation project.



Song by:  Meredith Brooks

Cold As Ice

We finally did it.  We made ice cream.

I know - two cooking segments in three days. What's that about??   ....and yes, there is cooking involved in making ice cream.  Well, heating simmering.....maybe not full-on cooking.

Mr. Short Attention Span Theater is taking "credit" for me not cooking, since, well you know, he done me wrong.  ...but that's not really the case. He does not hold that kind of power over me.

We got the ice cream maker about 18 months ago trying desperately to use up a gift card at William-Sonoma. Even that was on sale and barely cost a thing, so we were left with buying vanilla and such.

And even though last year was warm, it was wet. Cleveland was like a rainforest and we weren't feeling it was ice cream weather.

But like I said, it was in the 90s already we decided to go for it. And we kept it simple for the first time out - no crazy flavours or anything.  Just plain old vanilla.  But good vanilla ice cream can be really good.

We started with a full vanilla bean. 

And of course heavy cream.  To us, 1% is like whole milk.  This was going to be interesting. 

Heavy cream. Sugar. Vanilla and vanilla bean.  ...and then you heat (that's the cooking part!)

We chilled the mixture longer than needed, but we think that intensified the flavour. Then it was poured into the maker. ...and then turn on the power switch. 

In about 15-20 minutes we had ice cream. Soft serve, but ice cream nonetheless. We put it in a container and threw it in the freezer and the next day we had a few scoops.  

The flavour was great. I think the heavy cream left a residue on the spoon.  I am just not used to most ice cream probably having that heavy of a cream content. Or at least fresh.  You gotta figure it sitting in the grocery store.  I'm not sure how to deal with this treat when it's missing all the chemicals.

I need to figure out how to get toffee into the next batch.  I'll let you know how it turns out.

And so Mike knows I'm not holding any grudges, he's invited over for ice cream whenever he'd like.



Song by:  Foreigner 

Magneto and Titanium Man

Yesterday was MRI day.

I mean, it's not an "official day", say like International Talk Like a Pirate Day or Arbor Day.  Maybe it should be - as there are more people who get MRIs on a daily basis than do anything for either of those two events.

Just sayin'....

There is nothing to report - in the way of results. I won't see those for a few days. If it's all good, I'll get a phone call or a release of my electronic medical record to me. If it's bad news, I'll be asked to come in and then wait to see the doc for that rousing piece of information.  I've been down this road before with my sarcoma.  I know how it works.

It's been pushing 20 years since I've gotten my last MRI - some things have changed with the process. Some, not so much.

This was not an open MRI, but the same damned closed one I've had before. I'm not really claustrophobic so I was ok, but I can see where folks might not like the experience at all. My nose - as big as it is - can almost scrape the top of the tube I'm in. But this time I had a head protector on, mainly because they were mapping the head and brain - not the leg.

And this time they did the first half without contrast and the last half with - which meant I needed to have an IV.  See?

But before going this far, I was not as worried about results as I was worried about, ohhhh....metal ripping out of my body with the force of the magnet in the actual imaging machine.  With a metal plate and nine pins in my leg, I had to ask 3 or 4 (dozen) times "are you sure???"  Oddly until right before I went in, I forgot all about the Kevlar in my abdominal area.

Yes, since I don't have abs of steel, I went for the implant.  They didn't do a very good job at forming the 6-pack. I should sue!

I know I have a high pain tolerance, but I really didn't want this tearing from my insides out and have to have 710 hear about that whole, "he bled out" description.

But you know, the IV has metal on it. And this time, unlike last, they gave me headphones and I got to pick from a music selection!!!!!!

It's laminated and the overhead lighting makes it hard to read, but you can enlarge it to see.  The selections weren't great.  I went with Guided Imagery and Songs of War.

I kid....I kid.  I don't even know what the former is. And don't want to hear the latter.

It really didn't matter what you picked, because after they hit 'start', you heard nothing but the machine. Those noises were hammers on metal, jackhammers, or a series of noises you hear at the 00:00:13 mark of this Sixteen Candles clip.



Hearing the noise during the test actually made me chuckle because I immediately thought of this scene. I even did, in my head, the line the dorks with jockstraps on their head did.  Lord, I'm a dork.

So, like with my leg, I'm taking some of this in stride and with humour. I mean, what else can I do?  Like last time, I have to keep in mind my way of coping isn't like everyone else's.  So no longer will I answer the phone:  "Hello, Glioblastoma Hotline".

Apparently it is only funny to me. And maybe Ted Kennedy's widow.

...but probably just me.


Song by: Paul McCartney & Wings

Ripe Tomato

It's been a hot few days here and we're still three weeks away from Summer.  We hit a few days in the 90s already - and you know my thing:  I can't complain about that.

My deal - for any new reader - is you can complain about either hot or cold, but not both. I've opted for cold.  And this last Winter didn't even really suck in terms of below freezing temps, but most of you know, I have massive problems getting and staying warm.

And in the heat, I can take cold showers and then lie nekkid on top of the sheets under the ceiling fan.

But it's been too hot to cook. Sure, we can do the grill, but I'm not about to turn on the stove or oven. No way, no how. But there is an alternative.

Gazpacho.

No cooking or heating involved.  ...and no offense to my go-to guys, but I didn't use any of the cooking blogs I normally frequent.  I looked on-line for sure, but making gazpacho can be a little like clearing out the crisper in the refrigerator.

Red Onion. Tomatoes. Cucumber. Celery. Red Bell Pepper. Garlic. Sal. Pepper. White wine vinegar. Olive Oil. Tomato juice.  and some Worcestershire sauce.

Each on-line recipe is / was different, so you do with what you like, what you have and what you want.

It makes a lot for two people, but mostly I was trying it out for entertaining later this summer.  Ina Garten always says never to test new things out on guests first.  Wise words.

I would do stuff differently next time, I suppose.  First off, I wouldn't use the food processor and just hand chopped things a little coarser. It kind of turned out like salsa with tomato juice. Which isn't to say that it isn't good or tasty - it is.

Of course, having the flavours meld together over 24 hours helps.

...and naturally by the time I made it and the second serving a day later, the temps dropped back into the 70s.

Such is life.



Song by: the Jolly Boys (yeah, i don't know this song or group, yet I have it in my music library)
,,

App of the Month

I almost let the month slide without an App of the Month.

I can't believe I haven't done a travel app.  I think the reason I haven't is because most of them suck.  Delta's is sub-par, last time I checked UScare didn't even have one.  Southwest I have, but it's fair at best.

When it comes to air travel United, by far, has the best iPhone application. To be fair, it's not United's app - it was a Continental creation and United took it over when the two carriers combined in early March.

It is the only travel app I consistently use.  I sometimes use a rental car one, and every now and again, I'll use either Marriott.

United has a very extensive applications - and of course, it's free, as it should be.

While I've never booked a flight, I use the check-in feature all the time. And while I don't have any flights tomorrow, I don't have the electronic ticket to pull up to show you. But you can see the 'mobile boarding pass' link.

For fun, I'll use the 'my account' part just to see how I'm doing on my way to gold status.  I don't think I'll be traveling enough to hit platinum this year.  Never say never, though.

What I do use is the 'flight status' especially when I'm trying to connect from flight to flight.  Mind you, United has a great way of updating you via text message, but if you want more info, it will tell you where the connecting flight is coming from, when it will land and when you will board and take off - at least estimated times.  ....and change of gates.

There is the 'more' too.

Admitted this is stuff I never use, but it's there for those who might want even more.  I can't find it anymore, but with Continental, there was a list that told you where you were on the upgrade list.  It also told you if the flight had power - meaning you could plug a device in to charge it, but I don't think that exists any longer.  Pooh.

I am fairly intuitive when it comes to airports and how they're laid out - and in reality, there aren't many major airports I haven't been in by this time.  I have never looked at the layouts in the in-flight magazines. But I realize I'm not everyone, so the maps on the app are not bad - but they're not great.

One does have to use their finger to drag the map left or right and the gates are not that clearly marked. Maybe they show better on an iPad (assuming they have the app), but on the phone it is iffy at best. 

Still as free apps go, and for a travel one, it has been a life saver when trying to book a flight, get on a plane or change planes. I suppose it doesn't hurt that Continental United is my carrier of choice. 

I don't know the casual traveler would use this the way I would, but if your a road warrior, it'd even be worth a cost to use it.  But thank g-d it's free.  They make enough money off of me. 

My Music Monday

While I'm honoured that Don over at No Fooling Me has decided to occasionally do his own My Music Monday, I now feel the need to trademark the name - just to protect intellectual property.  ...as if there is anything intellectual about me.

So, perhaps now it will be My Music Monday™.  Or perhaps Blobby's My Music Monday™, but then there goes the alliteration.

Don might refer to me as "his Blobbyness" or "Sir Blobbiness", I might have to register those names just for safety.

I've been in an Aimee Mann mood lately, but I rarely stray too far from her work. I think maybe her music has been on my mind because I've read she's completed her new disk and will be released in September of this year.

When it comes to live music, there are some songs that actually work better in a live setting than the studio. A few come to mind:  Prince's "Anotherloverholeyohead", Fleetwood Mac's "I'm So Afraid" and Wings' "Time to Hide" are just a few.

Mann's "Going Through the Motions" can be added to that list.  It was released in live version, on her DVD from a concert at St. Ann's Warehouse. A while later the studio version was released on The Forgotten Arm.

Maybe it was because I heard the live version first that I am partial to it, but I don't think that is really the case.  The live version shows more energy and it just has a stronger vibe.

Yes, I have the St. Ann's Warehouse DVD, but don't know how to pull off a song to feature here....and while there are many videos out on the internets from this concert, none of them are "Going Through the Motions".   So unfortunately, you get just the audio player embedded below.

Also weird, that the normal player I use, OpenDrive, isn't letting me upload music to put on this blog, which is bothersome, at best.  So let's see how this works.

I suppose I could have tried to find a Memorial Day song, but I'm not feeling it, let alone know where to start...and like I said, I've been on an Aimee Mann kick lately.

His Blobbiness has spoken!  (oh, just hit the arrow to play)

Set the Prairie on Fire

A year ago this weekend, 710 and I were in Columbus for a  few days of hanging with long-time friends - and eventually the subsequent video. 

We have been together a few other times since, at least in one variation or the other.  Mostly it has been Rebecca, and we definitely need to see the others soon. 

Becca has been in and out of town for a number of reasons, but spending a night or two with us, which has been more convenient to drive to Columbus - no offense to Mort, George or Dith. No that any of them are chomping at the bit to head north. 

I will say, most of the time when Becky has been here lately we stay in, order in and drink in.  

Two nights ago, we were blessed with HBO showing parts I and  II of the Deathly Hallows back to back.  Geek heaven. 

Becky and I are two of the folks who actually think pt I (or what some call 'the camping movie') is the best of the Harry Potter movies.  Yes, we did MST3K pt 2 a little bit.  As much as I liked the second portion of book 7, we did kind of rip it apart a little, wondering why J.K. Rowling kind of never continued using Hermione's time turner - thinking the band of three could have avoided a lot of tragedy.  And limited use of the invisibility cloak? And there is a lot of running where Harry, Hermione and Ron could have just apparated to get where they needed to go.  Hundreds, if not thousands, of lives could have been saved. 

As I look back on some of the books / movies, I'm finding hole upon hole in the storyline.  ...but I digress. ..I think

Rebecca couldn't stay a second night with us, but we did meet her for drinks and appetizers yesterday - hence the picture of the decimated cheese plate.  The Prairie Breeze (cheddar) was really good. 

You really didn't want to see the bones of the eaten sweet chili wings. Oh, and wine.  We all had wine. 

Oddly enough, that was enough for dinner - for 710 and myself anyways.   

I tried taking a pic of the three of us - yes, 710 has been cropped out, as I respect his right to have to live this blog but not be in it to a degree - and oh my, did the lines around my eyes show...and my cheeks. They show here too, just not as severe as that first pic I snapped. Anyways, the hostess came over and took a few better ones for us....like the one below. 

In another week or so, Rebeca will be back. Maybe she will stay with us, maybe not. But either way, I'm assuming we'll meet up with her. Depending on the time of week, maybe others could join??  Yes, it's a backhanded invitation, but it's the only thing they respond to.  (I kid....I kid.)

Soon enough, 710 and I will be odd-men out, and any visits will have to be conducted by us.  I just know it.  {sigh}

Song by:  Shawn Colvin

What Do You Hear in These Sounds

I'm not supposed to bring drama to the table blog, so I've been told. But if I just gave you the boring details, who would stick around for this web-log diary?

No one - that's who!

Yesterday was my big day at Otolaryngology - and yes, it's true, I met Rebecca when she was working there at THE Ohio State University Medical Center - way back in 1988 (?).  So she can spell it - or at least say it.

I'd like to say the appointment went swimmingly well, and in certain ways it did. Of course, in certain ways it didn't.  Such is the nature of my healthcare.

When it comes to health my history goes like this: I go in for appendicitis and get diagnosed with bone cancer. I get one hernia fixed only to find out I have a second....and so on....and so on...

So going in for a hearing test one could only assume the worst, right?  Right!

Well, first off, the Resident was key-uuuuute. We went through my medical history and the recent events of the hearing loss to current day. Then he asked, "what else can you tell me about yourself....?".  I couldn't resist - ".....well, I'm a Leo and I like long walks on the beach...."    At least he laughed.

He told me a few scary things - like out of those who have spontaneous hearing loss, only about 40% of them ever recover the sense. So my earlier assumption of not being worried because it wasn't gradual was way off base.

He also said sometimes they order a scan of the brain "to make sure there is nothing going on up there."  I jokingly replied, "would you care to rephrase that?"  He said, "you know what I mean!".    Oh, Doctor / Patient flirting!

Then he used these devices on me....

....well, the tuning forks, not the ear speculum. The little ear stirrups weren't available.

Actually, it was interesting using the forks and placing them at the ears and on the bone behind the ear - as apparently some people hear better / more through the bone as opposed through the canal. Ya learn something new everyday, eh?

After that it was off to a series of hearing tests. Quite a few of them - some I participated in listening and either pressing buttons or repeating words and phrases at different sound levels. Some I just had to sit there while they tested wave patterns of my ear drums. A lot of beeps, yes indeed.  A few really really loud noises too, now and again.

Then with those test results - mostly normal, with some loss specifically in the left/affected ear -  it was back to see the actual Attending physician. She was nice, but scared me a bit.

Clearly, spontaneous hearing loss is not common and she made it clear that if it were to happen again, to call her directly and immediately - and gave me her personal contact info, and that I couldn't wait a few days to get in to be seen.  Yikes.  ...she even said if I were traveling she'd get me to the nearest center as soon as possible.  Double yikes!

We opted not to treat with steroids at this time. She does want to do an MRI on my brain - which I suppose where the "blog drama" comes in.

In reality, I'm sure there is no tumor, but until she mentioned it, the thought never crossed my mind.  Of course with my medical luck, I"m probably already in Stage IV of whatever I'll end up being diagnosed with.

Nahhh....I really don't believe it is anything. But I suppose I'll splurge the 20% I have to pay for that fucking MRI, which will an ung-dly amount of money. When it was my leg and they were unsure what it was, somehow I knew - or talked myself into worse case scenario (and was right), this time I do not have that feeling at all.

Oh, and I also got some over the counter meds to hopefully control the ringing in my ears. But I suppose if it is a brain tumor, who really gives a shit about the constant high pitched noise in my head?

We'll see.  We'll see.    ..........or hear.  Or, I guess.....not.



Song by:  Dar Williams

Rest of the Day Off

I'm not taking a day off of blogging - obviously, as you're reading this right now.

No, I am actually taking my first day off of the year, other than the mandatory New Year's Day.

I know, I'm a moron.  I get it.

Last year, I think I ended up losing 10 vacation days and I'm probably on track to do the same this year unless I can get it together.

710 and I have not even truly planned our vacation yet, but this weekend we will secure a week of a summer get away. Or two.  At worst, we will do our long week and then figure out 2-3 longer weekends to destinations yet unknown.

Of course, while I have the day off, I won't be lounging around.  Even though my hearing is mostly back to normal, save the constant ringing in my ear, I am seeing an otolaryngologist.  Naturally, I'm guessing they'll tell me nothing since whatever has probably cleared up enough that they won't be able tell me what was what.

I also get to get one of my favourite pairs of glasses fixed. I am finding it easier to sleep on planes, since I'm on them so much, but the other day I bent them. I looked like a dork the entire time I was at my meetings with my specs askew. I have to remember to start traveling with a back-up pair - I'm too blind to be without any visual correction.

I know, I'm exciting - right?



Song by: Neil Finn

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!

Believe it or not, I have not done a Record of the Month since February. There has been nothing out there worth purchasing. There are a bunch of albums slated for release in the upcoming months, so I'm jazzed about that.

One of the disks I've been waiting for - for about six years - is the new disk from Garbage: not your kind of people.

Like an iTunes junkie, I once again bought the deluxe version - 15 songs as opposed to 11 on the regular version.

The sound is new but not new - such is the beauty of Garbage.

Each of their disks is slightly different but has a familiar vibe that go through all five of their recordings.  NYKOP (you don't think I'm gonna write that title out each time I use it, do you?) has a modern day sound and still sounds like they took some pointers from Blondie's 1977 disk,  Plastic Letters .  This is not a bad thing.

I don't know that this disk is better than their last one, Bleed Like Me, but I find it way more appealing than Version 2.0 and even better than or even Beautiful Garbage.

I am digging "Man on a Wire" - it is totally rocking.  Totally meant to be played LOUD (well, when I could still hear........no worries, I'm going to an ENT tomorrow).  Same can be said for "Automatic Systematic Habit".  I am loving that too.

"Sugar" has a nice ethereal feel to it.   You want a dance-like tune?  Try "I Hate Love".  If radio still played groups like Garbage, it would make a really good single.....which is more than I can say for their first radio release, "Blood Like Poppies" - I'm not digging it - at all.  It kind of has all the right elements, but it is not firing on any cylinder for me.   ...and "Felt" feels like something off their first disk. Not a bad thing, just a little too similar.

As for the four bonus tracks, they don't seem so bonus.  That is a good thing. Most extra tracks are total throwaways that you end up wishing you didn't spend the extra dough to get them.  But "The One" and "What Girls are Made Of".  "Show Me" is good.  "Bright Tonight" sounds a little too much in the vein of "Sugar", which was done much better.

Still  with NYKOP, Garbage releases a more than solid disk, which is great. Unfortunately, music trends have moved on in the 7-8 years since their last release - and even back then the industry was leaning towards marginal individual artists who have little to no talent and penchant for auto-tune.

I'm glad to see they can buck that trend while still doing something "old"....and do it with talent.

Good Friend

When I was in the Los Angeles area this last trip, I drove up a bit to see a longtime friend, York.

I know I've mentioned in one post having friends named York, Hillel, Hunter and of course, Denton. There is a Joe and Tom thrown in there too, I suppose.

I think I've mentioned him a few times before, but even with all the other trips I do to California, I have not gotten an opportunity to see him.

Morty and I met York 20 years ago this month !!!!  Can you believe that, Mort?  We were on a lost week(end) that ended in New Orleans.

I've remained friends with York ever since..

He's just one of those people I clicked with - and months, or longer, can go by and we pick up with no sense of weirdness. Not bad considering we've only actually seen each other in person a little more than a half dozen times in these two decades.

When we met, I was very smitten with him. That turned to friendship and has endured. When catching up with him for the six hours we sat around his house, I could see glimpses of why I was smitten.  Being older and arguably wiser, looking back, I can't imagine that would have ever come to fruition.

Ahhhh youth.  Though 28 doesn't seem that young. Well, I would have been 28 at the time, him a bit older.

This pic makes him look old too. He represents much better in real life than in the three pictures I took. I look slightly different in each one - he looks exactly the same frame by frame.

Still, it was good to catch-up. His partner, Stuart, was there when I arrived, and it was nice to see him again as well.  I was supposed to have drinks with the aforementioned Hillel, but my "lunch" with York went on that six hours - and I still had to drive an hour back to my hotel....so Hillel will have to wait until the next trip. He understood though.

Just for shits and giggles - not so much the giggles part - here is York and myself back in 1994 (?) in LAX. I was flying through and he came to meet me between lay-overs. Pre-9/11 when one could still to meet people at the gate.

There is something to be said for youth, but something to be said for aging.


Song by: Matthew Sweet

I'm Not Listening

I am the audio-impaired equivalent of Mary on Little House on the Prairie....or something.

I awoke yesterday morning feeling ok. The night before I had some post nasal drip, but nothing bad by any means. I had no pain, I had no discomfort.  I had no nothing.  ....including the ability to hear from my left ear.

This I found out when my phone rang. I'm a leftie and raised my phone to my left ear to hear absolutely nothing. But you know how you also get that, for lack of better phrase, tunnel effect where noise, and even lack of it bounces of your ear drum - so you know everything works?  I didn't have that. It was more like any sound or white noise absorbed there, going nowhere.

That's not a great explanation, but I have no other good way of phrasing it.

Holding the phone to my right ear, everything seemingly worked well. I didn't panic or anything. I figured something from the flight the day before, or that post nasal drip. Normally there is pain associated with either of those things - oh and no real hearing loss. Well, one time there was loss, but both my ear drums burst when descending into Key West.

Off to the shower I went, but when turning off the water, I noticed continual ringing in my ear. Bummer. That continued for maybe an hour.

Then I picked up a doc who works for me at the airport and told him of my problem. He said he'd check me over when we go to our clinic site.  ....and he did.

Oh, I should mention that last Friday, I did that thing where I whack the top of my head on some door frame. It left a very little, but very painful, contusion on my noggin. I thought nothing of it...well in this scheme of things.  No worries, he ruled out any connection considering the timing of the events.

But both ears looked good. No blockage. No inflammation. No nothing.  Admittedly, this is when I became a little more concerned.

Stepping in the audiometry booth did nothing for said concerns. I sat for 10-15 minutes going through a series of beeps that I heard or think I heard.  And some I apparently did not year at all.

Because I know you all wanted to see my results, there they are: left ear and right.  Allegedly, anything over a 25 is bad.  Clearly, nothing on the left is under a 35 - and goes all the way to 65.  I think Marlee Matlin hears better than I do.

As the course of the day ran on, I found myself situating where I sat and stood so I could see faces and do my internal Julie Brown impersonation ("so I leaned down and said...in her good ear...Debbie, why'd ya do it??")...I mean, stand to the left of folks so I could hear from my right side.

A few times during the day, the constant ringing came back - so I guess there is some sound, right?

The doc had no real words of wisdom for me. He suggested maybe my Eustachian tubes, which would make sense, as that is how my ear drums burst before - yet there is that lack of pain, redness or swelling.

His parting words when being dropped back at the airport, if it isn't better by the time I land tomorrow night (yayy....the thought of the take off and landing in a plane with a bad ear excites me to no end!), then I should see an ENT in short order.

So the irony is, my father, who is stone deaf and refuses to admit it or do anything about it - and the son, half his age, will have one more thing in common, though I won't forgo getting a hearing aid when the time comes - and I'm not saying that time is now.

710 provided little support and less empathy. "Oh, I had that".  Whatever. He asked, "how will you ever hear your kitty purr". I suppose I will feel her, so will sense the rumble....a sort of Feline Braille.

I'm guessing / hoping this will indeed pass.  It wasn't gradual, so it doesn't seem probable that will be long term, as it wasn't trauma induced.

I guess we'll see.  And my sight will be better as those other senses will now become heightened.





Song by: Maria McKee

My Music Monday

I have had "the Lowlands" by Jaime Hanna & Jonathan McEuen along with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in my music liberry since maybe 2002?

I clearly remember it being on a CD of .mp3s, when I took my portable .mp3 player to San Diego for a conference.  Hehehe....so big and bulky but this was before Mr. Jobs manufactured the iPod.

Hey, at least it wasn't a Walkman.

I'm not sure how I came upon the tune. It's not like I'm a huge fan of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's series of Will the Circle Be Unbroken disks. And it's not like I've ever heard of Hanna & McEuen before or since (not that I've searched them out either).

While their two voices, used separately, they don't sound horribly different, but when they sing together, those differences blend very nicely.  TNGDB makes the bluegrass like, but not overtly so.  And like other Americana songs, it tells a nice story.

It is possible the video will look embedded, but won't play due to record company restrictions. YouTube has proved me wrong before, but in case I'm right, you can play the song here. 

10 years later"the Lowlands" still doesn't bore me and it is a song I never skip over.

Outbound Plane

I suppose I could have a better post for this morning - but I don't.

By the time you read this, I'll be on my way to Los Angeles.  Up at 04:00.  Out the door at 04:30 and if on-time rules apply, will be in the air by 06:00.  Eastern Daylight Time, that is.

Sometimes, or lately, I have been getting these early Monday morning meeting all the way out west that  i must attend. Since there is no way to get a flight that lands that early, I must cut my weekend short.

Yes, I could have left later in the day, but that gets me to California that much later body-clock time. And hell, if I have to be in SoCal on a Sunday, I might as well enjoy it and do something.  ....not that I know what that something is.  Maybe lunch or dinner with friends and then to bed.

Oh yes, I'm an exciting one.

I'll make up my day I'm losing. I don't know when or how, but we're going into a holiday in the next week, so I'll take some time to relax and do nothing. ......well, except yard work, laundry, groceries, etc.

So, sorry for the nothing post.  Enjoy the last day of your weekend for me.



Song by:  Suzy Bogguss