I’m lazy.. Without a doubt.. I need motivation.. I seem to be missing that lately. Or maybe it’s just my ADD creeping in.
I’m trying very very hard to not give up on the blog.. But somedays I look and although I see that people read it only a couple people actually comment.
It’s not a private blog. Feel free to share it. Feel free to comment. I’m here to amuse you and make an ass of myself really!
I’ve actually been writing the same blog since Friday. It’s a laundry list of sites that support me and I want you to check it all out. But life got in the way!
I’m gonna run that tomorrow.. It has a new special pic by Jaws too that he gave me last week..!!! It’s perfect for it!

I’ve been stimulated by reminding myself why I moved here. Who else but me could take a shoulder injury and turn it into a time to hang out in my area and see new things..

So back to my reality..The blog is time consuming.. But it’s what I love.. I went to college to be a writer. English major..Can you tell by all the bad grammar?.. Yeah it’s called dropping out after three years of randomly pissing the time away..A move I absolutely regret. I should have finished the minor in photo.. At least that would have been completing something. My procrastination doubled with others make one really no such luck kid..
Which brings me to Maia
How could she even think that she didn’t take after me! HA!

I was and am so proud of her. University! Scholarships! Etc…. She is a good kid.. But she is mine. And ADD runs on both sides here.
She ended up creative more than nerdy. More artsy fartsy than scientist.. And I can’t blame her on it! Though I hope it’s skipped a generation..
Her dad has two BA’s in music.. I’m a writer.. What were we thinking?
When Maia took an interest in the sciences I wondered where she came from. I hate all that stuff. In fourth grade she informed our vet she wanted to be a real doctor.. Then she went back on that and wanted to be a vet. For awhile she wanted to study physics and math then back to science and vet finally realizing it needed to be a lab based biology. For a week it was forensics and then finally genetics. Never anything but science.
A trip to CalPoly though was thwarted when she realized cool views are still in the middle of nowhere. Maybe the attention span thing was already in effect there.
My dad was a little unthrilled with her there.. It was a long drive for her to not want to go. Or even look at the school he graduated from and was thinking about.. She wanted to stay in the car.. I could have killed her for that actually.. I was disappointed.
She never waivered on science..it was always a nerd field she chose.

THEN..
She discovered art.
A minor in art is ok, right?
Then she wanted to change that to major.. A double.. Then the chem. class pissed her off..
Then the trip to Italy with the art class.
I saw this coming.
On Friday Maia dropped science.

I am not disappointed. I’m sad she had such a long time dream to discover she didn’t enjoy it at all. I do Blame her ADD for it and was worried about that all along.. I wonder had we kept her on ADD meds past 7th grade would she have been a valedictorian.. Super genius or what?
I let her be herself and make any decision she chooses.
She isn’t hyper just ADD. So the meds would just help focus.. Then again she should not choose a path where she needs stimulants to focus anyway.
And she just can’t do science it annoys her now.. And frankly I think it’s too enclosed for her and I think she is making the right choice based on her personality.
BUT
And this is a huge but.. I will not allow her to keep quitting like I did.. She has goals and she needs to stand her ground somewhere.. I am no less proud of her as an art student then I was at her being pre-med.
She loves art so much her new major is Art history with a goal of Doctorate. She wants to concentrate on either a museum curator or professor for college.
She also in doubling her major with a degree in communications.
Since she has been at the radio station at college she found a niche.
And honestly that niche might pay better than a teacher. Either way I did offer her a cooking with ramen cookbook.
She isn’t choosing a career based on money just love. And she might be penniless and have to marry rich. BUT she is following her heart.
How many of us worked dead end jobs or got useless degrees. How many of us don’t do anything at all that we love. How are we to judge a kid who chooses their own path instead of one chosen for them?

In the last few days I have fielded many a question from concerned friends. I assure them she will be ok.

The radio station is NPR by the way.. She is formally being trained to run an NPR station at age 19. Well that is the age she will be when she is station manager. Yes, last week Maia applied for the job formally to run the station starting spring of next year.. The youngest to do so. And with fingers crossed I am hoping they choose her. She is already the asst. station manager.. This intern position actually pays.

She will land on her feet and she is padding the fall. She feels as if a huge weight has been lifted. And she is ten times happier than I’ve seen her since semester started.

I will no longer be telling stories of my kid the pre-med.. Now I will tell stories of a kid thoroughly engrossed in the study of history and art. A kid who will love ramen and rice ..A HAPPY kid following her heart..
She is no longer an extension of her parents she is doing her own thing.. And she is an artsy fartsy kid…
I think I would have been disappointed had she did her degree to not disappoint us. And hey who knows she could get a job at a huge university and make buko bucks and show us all up.. We are told time and time again that these jobs don’t pay and are worthless. WTF????? They aren’t useless they are needed. Without curators and teachers we have kids not learning the arts at all.
Maia’s heart is telling her to love what has been given to us in the real world.. Look past the computer screen and see the big painted pictures.
I’ve just been handed a key that unjades the puzzle a bit…

OK everyone and their dogs have done blogs with car washes..
including Marty I think.. But whatever.. My post has a surprise ending really.. No not really but I promise it will be painless.. And I get ice cream so there!.

My car is filthy inside and out.. and here is the nuttiest part I am cleaning it before I drive to go get Maia’s stuff at college this weekend..
Cause I am just blonde that way.

The kids really didn’t want to go but I assured them it was going to be fun as we scoured the house for every quarter we could find… i assumed it was gonan be at least 4 dollars in quarters to vacuum Eloise the beast!

So bribes work..
and within minutes we were at Tasty deluxe..

Jack got two ice creams cause.. Ummm I was not driving him home cause we were already out and I am a bad mom that way and I wanted him to stop being mad he chose the wrong ice cream and the girl already made it..

I got my usual.. black cherry flavored soft serve,, It has flavor burst pumped in the vanilla cone..

We drove toward the speedywash place from there taking the back way so we had time to lick our cones I guess. Insert your own dirty jokes ok!

Hey look the new Stray Dog billboard.. June 17th is getting close!!!!

We pulled into the car wash and headed straight for the vacuums with my little plastic bag of quarters.

I almost almost done licking that cone.. awww Chester.. I forgot my dog.. He’d finish my cone for me…

As you can see winter dirt is all over my mats!

OK quarters in lets vacuum….

Let’s not forget the kids!

Yes they helped after that.. Cost a couple extra quarters though when Jack dropped his ice cream on the floors of the backseat..

awwwww my vans on a new clean floor mat!

Time to go in!

Pick a wash any wash! I chose the “Super Plus”

And away we go….

Then it starts….These pics show what I supposed to be the super wash.. I am noticing a big component missing in all these pics…See if you notice it missing too!

Yup soap.. Machine must have been broken and now I am being washing with just clearcoating and what looks like a smidgen of foam.. To keep from fuming or worrying I play with the radio…Great selection to choose from but nothing that said “Car Wash” music.

Then we leave and drive slowly through the dryer…It has a number display so you go slow and get a full minute of dry time.

And the finished still dirty product.. It was like washing with a water spray and wax..

I called the number when I got home to tell them it was out of soap and the number has been disconnected.. I hate being screwed..But hey I got a blog out of it…
and it was almost entertaining..I’ll find a new place without a lake view.. Bummer..

But I don’t want to leave you all bummed about my dirty ass car..
So the day before I had gotten a cone..I was sitting at my desk and I stretched… cone in hand ….and felt a light tug.. I look over to see Chester stretching to lick my cone.. He had succeeded and seriously I am not licking the cone after the dog!
so Chester gets a cone!

GO CHESTER!

Music Thursday!!!
Wooohooooooo…
Again I missed last week.. So we are behind a week.. But we will give you a kick ass Thursday today!

As I said this is about the music.. Not my wording… So enjoy!
SONG PICK OF THE WEEK
Metric “Youth Without Youth”

Yea the singer is twenty kids of hot too!

OK time for a flashback..
I was going through my old shows to share with a DJ in Spain who has been listening.
He got back to me on a pick I had chosen on my very first ever “All things powerful that POP” show.. I had referred to a song as maybe one of the best pop songs ever.. Clearly timeless.
Maybe you agree..
Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel “Come up and see me (Make Me Smile)” I had quite a crush on Steve as a preteen.. And into my teenager years.. I‘m not sure I think he aged all that well though..he kinda looks like an aged version of the governor on “Walking Dead” now..

Steve Harley now
He was the originator of the Phantom role with Sarah Brightman in “Phantom of the Opera”
This is him in 2011.. Well I guess for 60 at the time he looks good..but the song is really really boring to me.

My last two flashbook vids must be played together..
When I was thinking about what constitutes a perfect pop song.. It’s not just the hook.. It’s the timeless ability to picture the song not just listen to it in your head.. Envision colors and emotions.
Remind yourself that the lyrics are not your current situation BUT make you think about them in a way that you totally understand..Damn I hope that never happens to me!
Feel it!
Then picture instance in your head where you feel like writing a seventies style movie of the week and using these two songs..
And at the precise moment when the man confronts his lying lover, and her blowing up the relationship, 20 women dressed like wonder woman run buy.. In boots no less.
And behind them ten men are doing karate!
Then we all rollerskate!
I bring you my contenders for the two best pop songs of the seventies!

As a total bonus I found this 90’s version of the guys re-doing their big hit!!!

************************************************************************************
Now to the “Secret Weapon” highlights!
When I turned on the play this morning
This was playing!

and the rest of the “SW” highlights so far this morning!

Enjoy all the music that deserves to be heard.

Bonus Photo!
Jaws The Cabbie posted this pic to my Facecrack with him drinking out of a cool “Boris” designed Gidget mug!

You can get one here!
“Secret Weapon’s printfection merchandise! with Gidget and SW stuff! “

And extra Bonus.. hopefully next week I will post a pic of me drinking out of a Jaws one.. Which you can get here!
“Jaws the Cabbie’s printfection merchandise! “

People ask about the cemetery
I have no standard answer..
If you are a friend of mine on FB you see more cemetery than you do here.. And that to some is alarming and it scares them.
Fear of the unknown is common and allowed and I can’t control your fear.. Only my own.
I know my comfort zone and sometimes I need to go to it.. Daily.
And that is the cemetery.
It’s quiet and I can pray without interruption. My kids know to let me just talk to the angels while sitting there if they go with me.
Sometimes I just need to talk to my friends and they are not buried anywhere and I think they hear me there. Real friends. Not imaginary ones. Tammy and Gene…

It’s not a new thing for me. I grew up catholic and the churches all bordered cemeteries. I used to wander forever during masses. I may have been a weird little kid but I wasn’t brooding or doing strange things so no one questioned it.. It wasn’t like during mass I was out slaughtering small animals while my parents prayed for inner peace.. My inner peace was outside with the dead..OK yeah that does sound a little creepy.. But as a very hyper child it was very calming and I still use it as a go to. At 14 when I started taking pics that was where I went. Other people did rubbings and I took pics.
I think cemetery fear is really all in people’s heads. Unless you are in New Orleans or an episode of the walking dead I really don’t think the dead can hurt you. And if they are still there they might actually be lonely and look forward to my visits.

The local cemetery has this huge statue of Jesus and a Mary and another one I have no idea of who.. I call her the angel. She could be Mary Magdalene for all I know.

Or the angels I talk to could be real estate agents in a way and are dying to sell me a plot!

For now in this world of chaos I need this break.. I need to go there..I meditate in my own way.. it relaxes me and I feel at ease.
Sometimes I feel so alone as a grown up with just Jack and Dyl that I just need to talk. And talk I do.. Sometimes I sit and talk and talk and talk.

I feel bad for those who call when I haven’t spoken to a live person in a day and they get an earful.
A week ago I talked on the phone (about a new show for Woody Radio) in the cemetery with my friend Todd who I have been in cemeteries with in real life. It was there I found “HOPE” … Yes I did, on a tombstone.. What does that tell ya?
I joked with him it was like old times..the magic of cellphones!

Last week Woody (yes Virginia, there is a woody of Woody Radio) made the joke all my profile pics taken in there were sad and morbid..So that afternoon I went in and took some happy ones.
One in particular I am changing to my profile pic here!

He was not even slightly amused at my warped humor.. But then again who is?

I give you….Cemetery girl.

I took a couple weeks off because of a fricken shoulder injury..
At first I thought it was just a pinched nerve.. But it was affecting my typing and my personality.. which is already raw lately..
Last Friday I gave in and went to the chiro doc clinic Whitney used to work at.. It has a PT center not just adjusting so I knew it would fix me..
At first I thought this little guy who looked like a cross between the Beaver and Ferris Bueller could not fix me.. But it was kinda sorta and easy diagnosis..It’s my Deltoid Muscle.. Pinching crap.. Pretty painful injury to say the least. Been four weeks of wanting to scream hell. That pain chart where they pick between 1-10 was on a 9 for me almost all the time.
Happy to say right now it’s a four.
It was most awesome to hangout with the Whit!!!
I really missed her and during winter we just don’t play as much..
Unfortunately today she informed me she has strep so I will be solo at the rest of my PT visits:(

So Friday Dr Curran advised four to five visits for this injury so I made appts for Monday Wednesday and Friday of this week.
I had met Whit prior to the visit cause she sorta had shit to do after but we did get coffee and donuts prior and I was happy..
This time we decided it was a trip to get weeners! But after!

I was on the phone.. Yes bad gidge.. shhhh.. Don’t tell..We pulled up to the house and I made her say hi to the one and only John Borack as I pulled out of her driveway.. Then I left him to his own driving to work hell and headed off to my visit. I think he wants to be a fly on the window of my car for these Whit trips..
This visit started off with ten minutes of Electric stim applied directly to the muscle to help it contract I think..
Or move..
Or something.. I have to trust them..
Whit and I discussed cute boys and music.. Then it was off to learn my new manipulation exercise.. Which involves tilting my head and stretching a few times a day..
I can honestly say I am a sickly little shit in bad health and handle that all well but I am a pussy with back pain.

When it was all over we headed for a quick trip to the most god awful painted candy store ever..

Where I scored Razzles and Zots.. And that taffy that according to Whit tastes like chalk..
We were reading the flavors and she remarked they should just write chalk next to all of them…
I also scored two Champagne cupcakes..To be consumed at lunch!!!!

We hit a train that seemed to be as long as the town of Chesterton itself…

Where while we waited some skinny bitch tried to give us free herbalife coupons.. Didn’t the founder of Herbalife die young?

Bank and then weeners!

The Port is a Chesterton landmark.. Been there since the fifties.. makes it’s own rootbeer and has amazing shakes.. I had never been been wanting to go!!!
We pulled the car up.. She teenager girl working the cars brought us the menu but forgot the shake menu.. Soon we had that too and we were all about the shakes..
I got the Blueberry Banana and Whit got the Cherry!
And of course we went with the Coney Chili dogs! With cheese!
The menu also shows Mexican food.. we had a laugh about that..I’m KISS menu lover.. Keep it simple stupid! Minimal for more money.. really DUH…

As we waited for our order we watched a group of people on bikes order a few things yet unpack their own food to eat on the picnic tables…
Damn health nuts.. It’s a drive in!!! Go eat at a health restaurant.. Or stay in Chicago! This is spring.. This is Indiana and we eat meat and not healthy!
I’m so mean to the seasonal livers out here!

Soon our Chili dogs were served and the shakes were to die for..
We can get kinda well cheeky when together and the pics show that!
The dogs were good.. But I am not a fan of sliced cheese on my chili dogs but the chili was so good…It’s something they are famous for and I agree it’s pretty awesome..

When we were done I pulled out the cupcakes..Whit is more of a eat it all together cupcake eater.. And I am a licker.. I proceeded to eat maybe the best cupcake I have had in years slowly and with precise licking movements…
Wow..
The frosting was amazing.
How could the cupcake top that!
It did..
Smooth and not dry and seriously.. This cupcake rocked.. I must have spent five minutes licking the frosting in slow light tongue flick..Much like a prize ice cream cone dipped in chocolate!
Yea.
Oh yeah
Total heaven..
Which made Whit laugh like crazy.. I guess I need to get a life!

Soon our date was over and me and my candy headed home..
The carhop collected the tray and I drove my date home…
and we hit a train again.. this one I swear went all the way to Gary!

But I can guarantee there will be more cupcake picking dates!

While I wrote about the cupcake this song played on the “Secret Weapon”
Yeah life is good..

This morning I woke up and that old song “I’m an adult now” was in my head.

I was having this dream about Maia coming home from college and we go to pick her up and she hasn’t packed one darn thing and expects to bring everything home in laundry baskets and plastic bags. In an open air pick up truck!
The reality of it being barely after 6 am was killing my head.. When does summer start? I don’t wanna get up and take on the world.

My shoulder is still killing me three weeks later. I need to be able to install a pull up bar on the bed. I lean back and look out the window .. It’s ugly out.. Can’t the boys call in sick?

I found after all year the less time with Dylan the better in the morning. So basically I dress him and feed him and put him at the bus stop. I actually hide when he brushes his teeth and some unintelligible insults about how mean I am usually pop out of his frothy mouth.

We get in the car to go around the corner and REM is playing “you can’t get there from here” and I laugh.. Yeah no shit.. I drive the car 6 blocks to go across the street to avoid crossing without a stop sign.. And we drive to avoid getting run over by errant middle school moms and dad who aren’t awake yet but yapping on cellphones.

It’s Wednesday though and I want to move forward with the day!

Yesterday was interesting to say the least..
It was freakingly ugly and rainy out. I had shoes to return to Wal-Mart for Jack with shark faces that light up.. You can never tell if they really fit with all that plastic crap on them. So we needed a size smaller and I needed a trip to the bank.. Though I really did think the bank trip was useless and actually will do no good actually.. Long story .. Really boring..

So I did however see cool things downtown so I did park and walk around..
I figured this might amuse Marty…

I added this to my FB.. And it quickly ran the gamut with what to serve with it.. Rice pudding.. Maybe serve this on bread. Bread pudding with rice pudding instead of custard for dessert and a beer..

The courthouse has a sort of something this way comes kinda vibe and I was digging it!

But the most exciting thing downtown was this…

Some guy opened a taqueria downtown and I really thought I would try and get a burrito as big as my head there..
I asked him if he put cheese on it.. Or red sauce.. NO.. I was intrigued a real bean and rice burrito.. yay!!!
Then it came in a little to go container and I took it home.. It was kinda pricy too 7.99.. More money that that Chipotle chain..
I open the box and there was a big fat as burrito ass big as my head covered in red sauce and cheese. Yuck.. Stripped that part off and it was rather tasty.. But not 7.99 worth of tasty..
Didn’t bother with a picture cause I was disappointed..
We’ll keep trying..

I had to go to jack’s school later and had a great meeting with his teacher’s. All is going well. And they informed me he is signing his real name on his papers. WOOOOHOOO.
But do people really have real names?

So I end today with a new feature for Wednesdays…
Wednesday is hump day…
So I will end each Wednesday with a humpable pic..
Then after I found one for me.. I felt I was ripping off the men who read my blog..
So one for you

and one for me….

Happy Humping day!

Bonus Video

I could not think of anything to blog today. NADA
I was in the shower singing Heath Ledgers version of “Can’t take my eyes off of you” From the movie ‘Ten things I hate about you”
and it hit me…

I needed to do a survey.. NO Better yet I need to find a fan to ask me all the questions you all been wanting to know or maybe not know.. or just are secretly afraid of me and will read anything I write..
SOOOOOO
I emailed one of my super fans and said.. Hey no holds barred ask ten questions.. No limits just go for it….
That reader is Jimmy Jaws! The cabbie extraordinaire..

And remember I said anything..I will answer as fairly as possible…

And if any of you guys feel the need to ask me questions anytime.. just ask..

So here goes

1.) How would Jack, Dyl and Maia have responded to my ideas on child control…(straight jackets,leashes, Hannibal Lechter masks) what would be the nature of their revolt?

Oh they would so hate you! Dyl threatens me with the cops everytime I take the kindle or the game boy away.Maia used the CPS ploy once..Jack I am not so sure..Maia might actually have these plans for her brothers anyway.
And back in my day leashes were the norm..
nowadays not so much.. And kids need them more.

2.) Ever get the impression that you woke up on another planet…and not a very nice one…I’ve been thinking about Marion Zimmer’s ‘Darkover’ this morning myself…

Every damn day..WTF…seriously.. Jack was outside playing yesterday and Jack asked why would Dyl wanna do something stupid like that… I explained back in my day kids went outside for this thing called air.
I realized we live in a strange version of brave new world
Everyday I wonder if happiness exists and is there a pill for it.
But as the day progresses and I get more coffee in me I relax a bit and realize this is our planet we are just no longer on the same planet waves in which we were kids. When the planet started die we allowed creeps like Zuckerburg to create a false sense of security in the FB planet.
I somehow blame that Gore guy for alot of this but wont get all political on you..
I think differently than a lot of people I know cause I have this vivid imagination.
but unless I wanna end up like Mel Gibson I keep my thoughts to myself..
The important thing to do to survive on our new planet is to make sure you do not hook your heart up to false securities as facecrack.. You will survive as long as you remember how to love and feel.

3.) Do the neighbors ever have to come over and pry you off of the ceiling like they do me when I over do it with the coffee?

NO.. but we’ve had coffee together and it gets wild.. HA.. no I know when to stop.. I have a godawful stomach and I will puke if I overdo it.
BUT…
I have had a friend tell me I shouldn’t drink so much coffee before I yap on the phone.

4.) How much coffee does it take to initiate a complete psychotic break…with me it’s about a pot and a half…

A pot will do me in…I really do try to do no more than 4 cups at a time and no more than 8 in a day.

5.) Would I have ever had a chance with you back when you were young and hot?

Totally loaded question..
As a reader of my blogs James you do understand I was shallow right?
So did you have a job? Were you in a band? And how long was your hair?
Hypothetically it isn’t a no or a yes.. I didn’t know you..
I had requirements too.. Must like books..
But seriously James.. You might not have even liked me.. Say we went out for coffee in North Beach.. I made you pay for everything and I was a total bitch.
I think you got off easy!
and to be totally honest.. I didn’t get asked out a lot so I probably would have said yes as long as you didn’t try and show me your machete collection first..

6.) Got any naked pictures of you from back in the day? (so lonely here…)
HA.
NOOOOOOOO
I’m not even sure anyone saw me naked… Really was nothing to shoot a pic. at..
anorexia.. yeah that’s really attractive naked..
so noo..

7.) When Jack and Dyl wake up confused and freaked out over their very first wet dreams…what will your advice to them be?

What’s that line in the James Joyce book… First it’s warm, then it’s wet then it’s cold…

8.) Does FPS Russia get you hot? (some times I worry about you Gidge…)

No I’m not his type.. He has hot skinny Russian young girls to ogle over.
OK I am lying yes.. He is really freaking hot!

9.) Do you think a book of my ‘Peoria’ stories would have a chance, once I’ve written enough of them?

Honestly with all the damn blogs out there.. I am thinking books have taken a really large backseat.. And yes my blog is to blame too… No write for money write to fulfill your writing dream and blog it.. People want free and they don’t care anymore.
But they are great stories and I wish you would blog them.

10.) If you saw a cigar chomping bat wearing a gimme cap fly past your window, would you blow it away with your .410?

Nope.. I’d put the kettle on and start a pot of coffee.. Or two pots really…

Thank you Jaws!

My Mother has a saying
“Whoever invented terrible two’s hasn’t made it to 3 and 4 yet” well for that matter 5 and 6…Seriously Mother knows BEST.
She once told me that her mom cursed her by saying I hope your kids love hi-jinx as much as you did.. Yea she got me and Glenn .. Go figure!
Then one day a couple years back she apologized for the tenfold curse laid upon me.
Karma and then some.
I once used my diaper to repaint my room and my stuffed monkey.. Jack put a lump of shit in the VCR.
I used to cut church and get 7-11 slurpies till it was over by pretending to go to youth group..
Maia used to leave for catechism and sit outside our alley for an hour every Monday for a month pretending she was going. I would have seen her across at the Family Express.
And Dyl..

Man oh Man

Then there’s Dyll wooohoo then there’s Dyl..
(Come on sing along to the theme of Maude)

So this weekend.. WOW..
Dyl seems to be regressing to a whiny 2 year old daily..There is only sooooo much of the high pitched noise he makes. BUT it gets worse. He tries to emulate Jackie’s meltdowns by flinging on the floor and flopping like a fish!
Only problem is He does not have Autism and he makes eye contact to see if you are watching. At that point you hold his feet down say stop it and walk away. Ignore. Etc.. It is important that I do not blow up and give in.. I am not sure what he wants to achieve with all this but he IS NOT getting it.

Saturday was no different than Friday and Friday no different than Thursday etc…
Jack wouldn’t turn on the upstairs computer for him so he made some growls and grunt and then proceeded to dump out an entire bucket of toys all over my bedroom floor!
I walked in to total disaster and the first thing I did was step on a lego boat. I picked up the lego boat and yelled about how bad it hurt the feet and put it roughly down on the footboard of my bed. I was stupidly thinking once a lego thing is built it stays that way.. Nope.. Put it down a little too hard and of course all the pieces go flying! Everywhere.
Took almost an hour to get all the pieces out of the blankets they landed in.. Lego pieces are small.. And much like a domino effect they all fly off..

I am not into all this lego stuff.
It takes up too much space on my floor..
And it hurts my toes.. But jack loves it.. And at that moment absolutely hated me.. Which in turn set Dyl off even more.
All while watching my expression.
So I pick up Dyl and go to set him on the bed to take a time out.. All while his limbs are flinging everywhere.
Mind you I have a pinched nerve in my left shoulder for about 3 weeks now from coughing during that flu and it really really hurts.. So my grip on Dyl is not good and his leg gets away from me and kicked me right in the face as I set him on the bed.
Great on top of the lego disaster now I have a big fat lip!
At this point Dyl realizes he is in deep doody and stops.

The difference between Jack and Dyl at this point is Jack and a meltdown would be so far gone at this point and he wouldn’t care.. Dyl Stopped.

All I had wanted to do was take the boys to Valpo to see books at Barnes And Noble and get more ice cream.

We left an hour and half past the time I said we’d go.. BUT DAMMIT we went… Jack didn’t do anything wrong he wanted his books.

It was beautiful but cold out. We had to bundle up even though it looks 60 degrees out.
. It was maybe 38.

The farm fields were still flooded form the storm and looked a lot like rice fields. Ok maybe even deeper.. I did take the back way and had a few roads I needed to be careful on due to down trees and water. But all was good.
There is this little train bridge we drive under, past the prison that I get all excited about.. I wish I had my Nikon with me but after Dyl had the temper issues I was not gonna monkey with extra stuff today.
So I shot it with my cellphone for you!
Through my dirty windows..

We got to McDonald’s for the first part of day out with mom and of course it was a clusterfuckaliscious experience.
They forgot our drinks.. And other people’s whole orders. In fact the manager was so bad he actually told a worker to wipe off the mayo a customer didn’t want.. Customer brought it back.. Thank god.. That was utter bullshit. He went to get my coffee and forgot so I was standing there like an idiot.. All I got was coffee I wanted my damn coffee. He was doing other things so his employee yelled to him did you forget to get her coffee.
She got my coffee. What a jerk he was..UGH. Not again.. Screw McDonalds I don’t care if the boys like it.. It’s no fun.

When we got to Barnes and Noble I was so specific about the fact it was not gonna be a long trip.. OK it was 45 minutes.
Jack no longer wanted the books we went for and Dyl was done within minutes.

Jack thinks differently than others and although this is rather clever I did not give in..He asked me how much both books cost with tax. 13. Something. So then he wanted to go to Wal-Mart and apply that amount to a Lego! Ummm NO.. This book combo was a treat for doing well on a book report.. There is no LEGO REWARD for doing good on school work you actually really waited till the last minute to do!.

So I explained to him that its 20 plus miles to B and N.. And that cost me gas and wear and tear. So I subtracted the amount of gas and an hourly wage for driving him there and it would turn out if he didn’t get the books he would owe me money.
All this time a woman was staring at me.. So I apologized for doing this in a public place but sometimes his autism takes over no matter where we are. And she looked at me firmly and said she used to be a special Ed. Teacher.. She was now a “real” teacher.. And I really should learn some patience.
I smiled nicely and said.. Gee I am soo glad that you get “real” students now.. So the patience thing didn’t work? Glad you don’t have to take them home at night.. All while smiling.. I didn’t let her skinny ass ruin my day..
I then informed Jack I was buying my own book and Dyl’s and we went to the counter.
I knew He’d follow eventually.. He did with those two books.

After that we got in the car for a little talk and then off to grab me a burrito at Chipotle.. Which I grabbed to go.. Too pricy though for what it is.. I need a real taqueria still.

Then of course.. MY REWARD!
COLDSTONE

Today I was getting a like it size in cake batter flavor with sprinkles mixed in!
The boys both got cotton candy with butterfinger chopped in!
Then to the car to eat driving home and back under that lovely bridge!

We were home long enough for Jack to strip his clothes off to his boxers and get in bed with his game boy.(he hates clothes)
When I got a knock on the door!
It was a little boy who explained he rode the bus with Jack and wanted to see him.. He had two friends with him.. so I got Jack back up and shoed and sent them all in my back yard to play.
It didn’t matter that this kid was feral.. And I saw not a grownup in site.
I asked the boy he said his grandma walked him up so she could go to the store. Then said to stay a bit then come home. He knows who the other boys were.
Jack has never had a kid knock on the door and it made his day. Feral kid or not. Jack does however ride the special bus and I was a little worried that this kid was special ed and left to wander to strangers houses.. But grandma must think we are ok.
And this made Jack happy.
That is all that mattered.

The little boy had left his Jack behind so after trying to get the direction of the house out of Jack I brought the coat back in and attached a note to it saying thank you for making Jack’s day here is our phone number for a play date.
Yea I could go errrrr feral kid might show up all the time.. But at this point Jack has friends and that is all that matters.. And they played nice.
Jack got on the bus this morning with the coat and happy to have a new friend.. Fourth grader. Named Daniel.. Who lives someplace near us either direction.

I learned a few things this weekend.. A. ignore Dylan.. and B. posts about my kid always teach and enlighten me when on FB.
I am always hesitant to post personal stuff..BUT.. My personal stuff about Jack lets other’s see there is light at least at Jack’s tunnel. And he actually gets a kick out of reading all the comments.
One in particular came from a long time friend who told me that.. Get this.. And wow I never thought of it this way.
Jack has Autism.. He is not autistic.. In the same way a person has cancer, they are not cancerous.
I like that..
My cynicism and sarcasm added what if your star sign is cancer.. Can you then be cancerous???

Speaking of Cancer signs.. My oldest.. Yes a cancer..Had her big station concert this weekend. I was told I needed to let her do this alone.. I was kinda uninvited…
She had her own camera to get pics of it and she was gonna be too busy..
So I did laundry and cleaned..

It never fails…. Domino effect of rotten attitudes in kids right???

I leave you with a request for prayers for loved ones going through a hard time.
Please send them well wishes and good thoughts

Also one of my fave singers from my youth passed away yesterday.
A singer with the cute dresses and awesomely almost dirty songs…
And the coolest red hair.. I met her once and she was beautiful.. And nice.. And I had the most wonderful straight girl crush on her. I still have the autograph.
As a 17 year old I thought she was soo much older and wiser. Now I realize she was only 7 years older than me. as we get older we get closer in age to our idols..
Rest in peace Christine Amplette

Woooohooo thank god it’s FlashBack Friday right?
I am actually at a stunner with what to write about.. I know you all like my stories but what story should I share this week.. It’s supposed to be spring. But how springy should I write when its rain and snow mixing outside.
Then I thought of Seattle. How even in april we had snow. We had snow the weekend that Joe drove the truck to Indiana..Almost a foot! He left the cascades and a storm to beautiful fields of spring and shorts weather all the way here.
Then I thought of the cascades!
Yes I will tell you a story about the cascades!

There is no denying I am a bitch.. A creature to be reckoned with..Don’t argue and expect to win etc.. Right?.. No not really.. But put the idea of me being pregnant and grumpy and working all the time and you will see I needed to really be angry and vent a lot!
It was the beginning of spring break and I had plans.. Work in the yard, See a book signing with Ridley Pearson, and eat out with Maia and get ice cream. I was also almost 5 months pregnant and really high strung.
Everyone in the house was driving me nuts.
Joe was at Microsoft then and worked ridiculous hours.
I was not happy. I was having an awful pregnancy. Was hardly eating and losing a ton of weight. I had a couple days off and I wanted to live. Have some fun and try and forget how sick I was.

Arguments happen..
And I am slightly irrational.
Three hours later I was in the middle of the cascades mountains on holiday.. With Maia.. And my cellphone didn’t work out there! HA!

As soon as everyone left for work I went online and found a cute motel with train cars I had actually saved in my faves to go visit sometime in the future. I called them and booked a caboose!
And soon we were packed and ready for the long drive to Cle Elum.
“We got the NP caboose!… “
We booked 2 nights at a midweek special. It came with breakfast in the morning and Cle Elum was quite the beauty spot in the middle of spring.

OK now for some backstory..
Cle elum resides next a town I had visited along wince I had first moved to Seattle in 1994. When I had moved there My brother and I call had weekly calls about a show on called “Northern Exposure” . I was moving to a town called Redmond where the lot they filmed the show was in. But all exterior shots were filmed up in the Cascades in a town called Roslyn. Next to Cle Elum.
When I first got off the Plane my brother immediately started on about how they ran into people from the show at a local pancake house in town. He was above and beyond the moon.. He had been there a full day ahead of Maia and I to help with unpacking and Maia and I flew in when things would be easier for a 4 month old baby.
The next February we took a trip to Roslyn and got to see all the stuff but no filming was done that day. And in the summer the set was torn down and an auction was had to rid of the props. “Northern exposure” was no more. But we still visited Roslyn if and when possible as it is a fun little town. I also scored lamps from Shelly’s apartment and a lamp from somewhere else we never quite figured out.. My brother has that one.
Some of the people lived locally or had moved there and over the years we’d see John Corbett who at the time was part owner in the Fenix Underground.. Barry Corbin lived by my work and the one that played Marylyn was in Target a few times and was very nice yet quiet like her character.
The one that played Ed married a local caterer and I know people who saw him at catered events helping out. His dad to me was a legend.. His dad in real life played “Nitti” in The Untouchables” .. Billy Drago.
So there ya go.. I feel bad sometimes that it is mostly forgotten except for the diehard fans.

Maia and I used the time to take pictures of old churches in Roslyn. I took her to the world’s most awesome cemetery there and took many a pic of her lying across tombstones. We ate down home good food.. Visiting a museum for phones and just had a breather from Seattle.
You ask … what makes the cemetery the best in the world?
It’s old.. And separated out by nationality..
Seriously.. German, polish, English Irish and then Masons!!! Yes Masons aren’t a people I guess!
HA!
I wish I still had those pics. But they were lost along the way.

We did call home and leave a message we were fine. And at one point they answered at home and we were told they thought we had gone north to Canada or Clark’s cabins where we usually vacation with the bunnies.
Nope..
And at the end of two nights we were sad to have to go back to civilization.

We did however have to stop in North Bend where they filmed “Twin Peaks” and they have this awesome outlet mall where we rang up a credit card kinda a lot. I needed baby things right??? And shoes…
There is a lesson to be learned but I am not sure what it is…

I found some old pics of the auction I took.

And here is the waterfall from “Twin Peaks”

And here to send you off today is the lovely Janine Turner..Whose character “Maggie” was how my dog got her name.
She revisited for the first time in 16 years.

I bought a Roku box at Christmas time..
It makes your TV play internet..And get this it has TuneIn radio on it.. I get to play woody radio in my bedroom without hooking my phone up or leaving the laptop on full blast.. Much louder much more fun.
I prefer TuneIn over the other apps for listening to internet radio.. This one is pretty decent and I’ve tried a few.
That being said.. I wrote my blog in my head as I danced around my office in my wonder woman underwear digging through my dresser for a clean pair of skinny jeans and a t-shirt..
And now I am dressed and all danced out.. Maybe…got a bowl of rice Krispies… And ready to blog..
And for the curious minded. I eat my Rice Krispies in a fiestaware bowl with a banana copped up in it and lots of raw sugar.. With almond milk…Not cause I am a health freak.. But I am allergic.. As in hives kind of allergic to milk… And yes I am allergic to bananas..BUT hey I love bananas.. So bite me..

Keeping Thursdays pretty simple with music Thursdays.
I’ve decided to make it pretty standard form with a history lesson if you follow along and then end with the bang of the Weapon!
I’d love feedback on anything you’d love to see or in this case hear!

So let’s get this party started babies!
Breaking this up into three categories from now on.. Song pick of the week.. Flashback and SW.. So enjoy…

This week’s song to check out is by a band featured before.. The new album is next month and yes I have tickets to see them at the Metro in Chicago on June 19th!
This my dear readers is Fitz and the Tantrums..
Get up and dance will ya?????

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Ok today’s flashback is a history lesson…

Yeah you are all wondering who this Twink is….
John Alder is his real name.
Well he had a huge hit with his first band the Fairies.
This was a huge hit for the Fairies.
Yes Bob Dylan did it too.. But the Fairies version was the one I love..

Twink went on to join the Pretty Things..
He is the one in the hat with the cute faces:)

Which brings us full circle….

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And now on to a “Secret Weapon” Threesome!!!!

The singer in this next vid should look a little familiar.

And of course this will round it all out…
This is Metric’s version of “Don’t think Twice”