blaugra

Things I Like Right Now

...along with the sunshine, of course, especially since I woke up to Ritchie Havens' version of Here Comes the Sun. Which is almost as great as Nina Simone's cover version, which for me comes close to  the original, and, well, that's my fave Beatles song. Go ahead and make fun of the fact that George is my fave Beatle.

 
My new owl ring, $12, from Aldo. And this KIND bar. Gluten-free, wheat-free, dairy-free, Low GI and no damn high fructose corn syrup. I would like a case sent to me, please. Thank you kind-ly.

Cauliflower, probably tops the list of most underrated veg, along with parsnips and beets. Carmelized and pureed, and I even ate it for breakfast. I wouldn't recommend that on a regular basis, though. I keep forgetting to pick up more cauliflower. This serving vessel pictured looks like a pickle.

These shoes I bought on sale for $39 last night. They are reminiscient of the big chunk heels I had in the late 1990s. So comfortable. Probably a 5-hour shoe, no heavy walking. My diva Nikita turned me on to them.

 
My brand new collapsible spirit hoop!  I won it, along with a hoop lesson, at this past weekend's silent auction. I won't be doing any fire hooping...yet. I'm sure this will be a passing fancy, just like that flamenco class.

 
This cute jazzy-rockabilly artist with a voice that's a mix of Gwen Stefani and Amy Winehouse, kind of - but way, waaaay better. Thank you for the recommendation, Madam Jeanette!

WHAT the feck am I doing?! In a mood, listening to old Billy Joel...

I feel so splintered apart, like I'm 4 persons in one person, and the four are all competing for my body and mind. Not actually, just like. 

It's just a weird time when I feel like I'm stuck in the middle of this. This is life in the U.S. where we have free will, I can't decide what to do with all this freedom.

I'm not going to get into this now, but this is the first time I've been able to articulate this feeling. Do you feel that way too? 

Spring Tease has hit us and I just walked outside in my Sunday loungewear in my bare feet, and felt the sun warming the front stoop which is concrete with randomly placed slate slabs in it. The warm slate on the winter feet feels really good.

Now I'm typing while listening to BILLY JOEL GLASS HOUSES.  What the efffffff?

If anything signals a drop into an insaniquarium it could be a dip into an old Billy Joel album, right?  I haven't listened to this in forever. But I know all the words, and what songs were on side one vs. side two of the record. And I'm not thinking about 1980, I'm hearing the music now. Take out the annoying overplayed hits like You May Be Right and there are some beautiful timeless songs on here. 

Blame it on Freaks & Geeks. One of my favorite moments in that whole series that I recently watched during one of our Snomageddons, when Apatow used "C'etait Toi" and "Rosalinda's Eyes" in an episode. Since then the songs have stuck with me, and I downloaded 52nd Street and Glass Houses even though I have them on vinyl somewhere in the attic. (ha! get it? Songs in the Attic? that's one I don't have.)

Enjoy this bittersweet gem full of longing and French.  And a long stare at Billy's cool 1980s ensemble. Salty D. looked over my shoulder and said, "He throws like a girl."

beach or bust playlist

I don't care if it's raining, I'm going to the freakin' beach. 

I never understood the "_____ or bust" expression really, but it's something that I used to write on cardboard signs that would be placed in the windows of our cars when going to the beach whether summer weekends in Jersey or spring break in Florida.

I just made what some of you might think is the most tasteless playlist for my drive down the shore. I'll be in the car alone so I don't have to please anyone but myself. Iced coffee, guilty pleasures on the sound system old car stereo with cassette player, bubble gum in every sense of the word. 

Here's the playlist:

1. Ch-ch-check it out - Beastie Boys :  Awwwwww hell yeah!
2. I Wanna Holler but the Town's Too Small - Detroit Cobras : you got that right sister
3. Summer & Lightning - ELO  :  this is amazing when they break it down
4. Fireflies - Owl City : my favorite new song. Try not to be in a good mood!! Check it!
5. New in Town - Little Boots : fun party girl!
6. Today - Smashing Pumpkins : classic non-melancholy non-sadness
7. Here Comes Your Man - Meaghan Smith : from "500 Days of Summer"
8. How Deep is Your Love - The Bird and the Bee : just feels like warm sunshine
9. Golddigger - the cast of Glee :  I just can't help it.
10. Come Around - MIA :  Hotness. Makes me feel ethnic.
11. Under Attack - ABBA :  self-flagellating lyrics disguised by brilliant pop harmonies
12. I Gotta Feeling - Black Eyed Peas :  "L'chaim!"
13. Scene Whore - Holograms : that's me!
14. Don't Stop Believin - Glee cast :   Shut up. You know it's awesome.
15. Party in the USA - Miley Cyrus : This makes me feel dirty. But ever since seeing the Fire Island video I just can't get it outta my head. I'm a dirty pop addict.
16. Girl Can't Help It - Swingin Neckbreakers  : what'd I say after #9?
17. Since You've Been Gone - Rainbow  :  the only thing missing from this song is cowbell.
18. Mr. Blue Sky - ELO  :  best played at level 11.
19. Crimson & Clover - Tommy James  : one of the best summer songs EVER.
20. Slow Down Baby - Christina Aguilera : a message to myself for the GS parkway.
21. Any Way You Want It - Journey : have you seen the new singer of Journey? He's a mini-Steve Perry.  So cute you could carry him around in your handbag.
22. I Believe in a Thing Called Love - The Darkness  :  rawk!

 

Don't thank me for this playlist. Just steal it and send me a note telling me how much it changed your life.

p.s. at least do yourself a favor and go to YouTube (can't embed) and watch this delightful sweet concoction!

Do you wanna touch me? Yeah. Oh, yeah.

I saw this photo in the news today and was, like, wow, THAT'S what Joan Jett looked like last night?  Because what I saw was like a little gray insect with a whiter-than-white dot of a head. 

The horrible seats are not the worst part of Musikfest shows.  Or the fact that we bought our $50 tickets at 10AM on the day they went on sale to the general public, because we were too "cheap" to join the special club that costs an extra $200 for the privilege of buying tickets earlier to get better seats.  Or because the high-priced VIP section in the front was half empty, populated only with people who were related to corporate sponsors and not really into seeing Joan Jett.  Or because it was so bright and sunny at 7:15 when Joan's show started that the jumbo video screens weren't visible. Or the two big freight trains that rolled by on the tracks next to the field.  Or the bugs swarming from the stagnant canal next to the tracks, demonstrating why the venue is nicknamed "Mosquito-Platz" and making me all scratchy today.  Or the two-mile walk to the damn place. Or the port-a-potties that smell like urinal-cake and drunken piss and guys who don't lock the door lock so innocent women with active bladders like me open the door to see one of them peeing. 

No, none of those things are the worst.  Not when I was unabashedly shaking my rump, as it turned

over and over

Please bear with me while I'm renovating.

I know shit is missing and this place isn't very enthralling. So to enthrall you I will play one of my favorite Joan Jett videos.  I am going to a show on Wednesday.  Yeaaaaaaaaaah....

It's on!!!

New Kids on the Block didn't impress me much when they first strutted their Right Stuff, I was a little too old, drunk and hippieish at age 20. 

But, the reunification of the NKOTB - LOVE THEM! (say in a trilly high octave voice)  I can not get enough of Summertime, which is why it is my phone's new ringtone.  Yeah, that's right.

First, study the video.  Then, I will provide analysis.

Donnie is the gang leader and fashionista and probably the most accomplished of the group because of his brother giving him roles and people thinking he was part of the Entourage.  So he's all, "It's on!!" texting, which is very exciting because in their first videos in the 80s they couldn't show anyone texting because those were the days when computers were just black screens with little orange letters because The Net starring Sandra Bullock hadn't been made yet.

Joey - HOLY SHIT, he's SMOKIN.  Swimming by his yacht which is called "HAVE_" - maybe "haver"?  Because he have a lot? 

So these guys are really rich - except for Danny, who does not have a yacht or Benz or helicopter.  He has to get to the reunion on foot.

Although Donnie's in his pajamas on the beach, he's very fashion conscious.  I like his description of the perfect summer girl outfit: "Flip-flops, half-shirt, short-shorts, mini-skirt"  Wait.  Short-shorts AND a mini-skirt?  No, no, no.  Not unless they are those little bike shorts or lollipops that we wore under little skirts so our bare bumcheeks didn't show and then they're not called short shorts. Meanwhile, the girls in the video aren't wearing this outfit.  I know, why must I be so literal?

Then, there's Jon.  I could never tell Jon and Danny apart, and, I'm sorry, but they're not that attractive.  Nothing to do with their faces or bodies but they're just not putting out the hot vibe and I don't think they're very good dancers.  They're always shoved in the back.

So these guys are all romping on the beach with their honeys, and Donnie's acting all, Come and get it baby, my brother is Mark Wahlberg Dirk Diggler!  And then they go to this bamboo cabana orgy and we're treated again to Donnie's idea of summer fashion: "Strapless, Sundress, kickin' back, no stress"  I think Donnie wants to try wearing a strapless dress.  Sometimes strapless dresses are stressful.

The two ugly kids show up late and they just kind of sway in the corner and pretend to know the lyrics and the girls don't really want to dance with them.  But Joey, Jordan and Donnie couldn't very well sell NKOTB as a trio, so those other two got paid a lot to show up and be wallflowers even though they had better things to do.  Not a bad gig, though.

This party is KICKIN!

And then...we have to see the five of them strike a pose while standing in a puddle on a stage.  And Donnie clues us in "I like this part..." he winks.  I think I'm gonna like it too!!  I just hope they don't get electrocuted.

The synchronized dance routine begins.  Oh boys.  Even the hand motions, the easy wave at the end of the routine looks awkward and very, very white.  And that last WHOOAOOOOWOOAAH is kind of painful, I know that's not my Joey's voice.   And check out Jordan's wave-skills when they bust out their own moves.  I think I did that at the bachelorette party last weekend.

my new favorite happy song

sneaking one in

I'm supposed to be packing for our trip to New England but Salty D. is in the shower so I thought I would sneak this in. 

I went to a show last nite, rock-n-roll, baby!!!    I can not recommend enough to anyone who is into it to see X on tour.  NOT a has-been band experience at all.  Totally tight.  Billy Zoom is insane, Exene Cervenka looks like a crazy china doll, and John Doe is a GOD.  And the drummer whatshisname is amazing.  They were TIGHT.

There is one big giant thing wrong with shows today.  FUCKING DIGITAL CAMERAS.  They are stealing the soul out of rock and roll.

Nothing worse than standing behind some little hipster guy holding up a camera over his head and shooting like 75 pictures with the screen in front of your face. Because instead of being in awe of the power of standing front and center, of observing every drop of John Doe's sweat, every glitter of Exene's blue eyeshadow, and every creepy wink of Billy Zoom as he says to girls in the audience "Touch my guitar, go ahead, touch it," instead of that, you have to be a little hipster shutterbug so you can run home and blog about it but in the meantime, your camera screen is in my freakin' face.

Now D. is out of the shower so I have to post and run!

totally smitten with Ms. Deschanel

I am totally digging She & Him.  I kind of hate that their song Why Don't You Let Me Stay Here is the jingle for Urban Outfitters, but, everyone has bills to pay.  And when I listen to it it's hard to not think of the singing in Elf.

The song of my week is Sentimental Heart.  Listen to it all the way through. It's a lovely song.

And how cute is Zooey?  No, wait, she's not cute - she's pretty.  Genuinely, honestly a very pretty person.

Rock 'em Sock 'em

Last nite I was, as my dad would say, "feeling pretty punk" and that does not mean I was feeling pretty and putting on the ol' Doc Martens.  I felt like just sleeping off my depression. 

But instead, Salty D. dragged me out to a country tavern that was hosting a St. Patty's Day party where The Coffin Daggers were to perform. 

Never heard 'em - love 'em now! 

Staggeringly fun and quality.  I believe my exact words to the tavern keeper were "Fucking Awesome, Fred!"  Because his name is Fred.  Some people think The Coffin Daggers are better than Los Straitjackets - wrong! D. and I agreed - damn close.  If you're still not sure you'd dig surfarockapsychobilly, however you want to classify it, check them out.

Rock-n-roll and a Guinness can make things much better.