Just Another Manic Monday

Six o'clock already, I was just in the middle of a dream
I was kissin' Valentino by a crystal blue Italian stream
But I can't be late 'cause then I guess I just won't get paid
These are the days when you wish your bed was already made

It's just another manic Monday
Wish it was Sunday
That's my fun day
My I don't have to run day
It's just another manic Monday.

Have to catch an early train, got to be to work by nine
If I had an airplane, still couldn't make it on time
'Cause it takes me so long just to figure out what I'm gonna wear
Blame it on the train but the bus is already there

It' just another manic Monday
I wish it were Sunday
'Cause that's my fun day
I don't have to run day
It's just another manic Monday.

All of my nights why did my lover have to pick last night to get down
(last night, last night)
It doesn't matter that I have to feed the both of us, employment's down

He tells me in his bedroom voice
"C'mon, honey, let's go make some noise"
Time, it goes so fast

It's just another manic Monday
I wish it were Sunday
'Cause that's my fun day
I don't have to run day
It's just another manic Monday

I wish it was Sunday
'Cause that's my fun day
It's just another manic Monday.

Things I Truly Believed Were True When I Was Younger

1. Up is up and down is down.

2. Life is hard.

3. Love will keep us together.

4. All parents love and protect their children.

5. Bad things only happen to bad people.

6. Lots of money will make a unbearable job bearable.

7. All bosses will treat you fairly.

8. If you work hard enough you can overcome anything.

9. All people are basically good.

10. The sun rises every morning and sets every night.

Things I Truly Do Not Care About

1. Anything Rush Limbaugh has to say.

2. Michelle Obama's eating habits.

3. Justin Bieber's hair.

4. Fashion Week. Is it over?

5. Just who was D. B. Cooper.

6. The Prince of Wales son's wedding.

7. Any of the "stars" on the TV show The Jersey Shore.

8. What is happening in Bristol Palin's life.

9. What happened in David Carradine's death.

10. Using a product that makes my eyelashes grow so longer, thicker, and darker that people think I have two centipede lying on my eyelids.

Things I Truly Think Smell Lovely

1. Babies after they have been bathed.

2. Limes.

3. Cilantro.

4. Line dried laundry.

5. The interior of a new car.

6. Cinnamon.

7. Beef steak cooking on a grill.

8. Hot asphalt on a summer day.

9. Newly mowed grass.

10. The world after a rain storm.

Things I Truly Find Soothing

(Remember, click to enlarge.)
This painting. So peaceful, so calming.

Things I Truly Could Live Without

1. Music playing everywhere; Malls, both indoor and outdoor ones; grocery stores; restaurants; gas stations; elevators; and other public spaces.

2. People who talk too loud on their cell phones.

3. People who talk in movie theaters.

4. Most politicians.

5. Cauliflower.

6. An electric toothbrush.

7. Television news.

8. Television in general.

9. A wristwatch.

10. Mosquitoes.

Notice Anything Different?

Back in January I decided to change the look of my blog and have be been playing with Blogger's templates  trying to find a new look that I liked.  Today I accidentally hit a button I should not have and lost not only my old design but my Echo commenting system. I am not sure how to get Echo back online right now but I am working on it. Be back in business as soon as possible.

Yellow Moon

Follow your inner moonlight; don't hide the madness.
-Allen Ginsberg

(Definitely click on image to enlarge)

Yellow moon, yellow moon,
why you keep peeping in my window?
Do you know something I don't know?

With your eye so big a shiney
You can see the whole damn land
-Yellow Moon, The Neville Brothers

It's Slammer Time

Little Sally Pumpkinhead was in Tiny Bear On Crack mode last night. She was trying to kill all her toys, bluff charged and barked at Duke several time in an effort to get him to play, climbed on the furniture, daring me to tell her to get down, and grabbed pillows off the couches and then raced around the house with them. I finally did the only thing that calms her down when she gets like this- I brought her car crate inside and set it on the floor in the living room. She eyed it balefully and then quickly went and laid down on her bed. Instant peace....for about 30 seconds.

I went in the kitchen to load the dishwasher and when I got back she had pulled the mat out of the crate and was frantically trying to kill it by furiously whipping it around. When she saw me she dropped the mat and ran over and got in her bed. I put both the mat and her in the crate and shut the door. She laid down and stared at me with a "how could you do this to me" look in her eyes. When I glanced her way a few minutes later she had curled herself in a ball and was lying there with her eyes open watching me. I figured all she need was a short time out so I went over and let her out of her crate. She looked at me and then trotted to the kitchen to get a drink of water.

While she was getting a drink of water I went into the bedroom to change into my pajamas and when I walked back into the living room Little Sally Pumpkinhead was standing in the middle of  it with the crate mat in her mouth whipping it around even faster that before. When she saw me she dropped the mat and ran over to her bed but Duke was already there so she stood with her back paws on the bed and stared at me. Just to see what she would do, I asked her where she was suppose to be. She hesitated and then sat down on top of Duke. I laughed and called her to me. She came and I sat on the floor and let her climb into my lap. Sometimes when she get like this she is overtired and just needs to be cuddled. This was one of those times and as I petted her and scratched her ears I felt her body relax and she dropped off to sleep. Finally, the doggie storm was over and all was calm.

No Time Left For You

Another beautiful morning with the high today expected to be around 70F/21.1C, yes 70F/21.1C! I plan to go outside and do two things, first, rake up tons of sunflower seed husks that are scattered around the bird feeder and most of the side yard and, second, take my book outside and read while soaking up the warmth and sun. Who knows, I may even take my bike for a spin.

Speaking of books, I just finished The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements . I know it sounds boring and scientific but as the subtitle states it is really the story of the people behind the discovery of the  elements and the creation of the Table. The writer also give the best explanation of how atoms, electrons, and shells work that I've ever read. This book sparked a deeper interest in Quantum Mechanics for me so I went out and bought The Amazing Story of Quantum Mechanics: A Math-Free Exploration of the Science that Made Our World. This definitely my kind of book, a study of Quantum Mechanics without the boring math part of it. I don't need prove just a simple explanation.

But instead of reading it I've started reading Angels of Destruction, a book of fantasy written by Keith Donohue author of The Stolen Child. I don't know why I've  turned from nonfiction to fiction but when you think about it, both have to do with the imagination. If it wasn't for our ability to dream the term "scientific advancement" would be a phrase no one would use or even understand. Maybe my leap from hard science to fairy tale wasn't really a leap but a tiny shift in perspective. After all, science is, in its own way, magical, too.

Walking In Rhythm, Moving In Sound

Just got back from walking the dogs on this beautiful morning. The snow is gone outside of town except for tiny areas sheltered from the sun. Good thing they are still there as my dogs got overheated and found those areas of snow very refreshing. Saw a lot of evidence of animal life on the trails we walked. There were deer hoof prints deep in the now frozen dirt, coyote scat scattered about, and dark mounds of freshly dug earth piled up by one industrious mole. Animals like humans always follow the path of least resistance. And in a moment that caused my heart to sing I unexpectedly heard the call of a Meadow Lark.

Spring is coming, people. Spring is coming.

Happy Valentine's Day

Hello young lovers who ever you are
I hope your troubles are few
All my good wishes go with you tonight
I've been in love like you

Be brave young lovers and follow your star
Be brave and faithful and true
Cling very close to each other tonight
I've been in love like you

I know how it feels to have wings on your heels
And fly down the street in a trance
You fly down a street on a chance that you'll meet
And you meet not really by chance

Don't cry young lovers what ever you do
Don't cry because I'm alone

All of my memories are happy tonight
I've had a love of my own

I've had a love of my own like yours
I've had a love of my own

(Read about Josephine Baker here. See her at age 20 in a color clip (yes, color) from the 1927 silent movie La Revue Des Revues here.)

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

I've been following the latest chapter in the Linsay Lohan saga. It has been kind of hard not to since it has been all over the TV and Internet. I can only say that it is a tragedy, not a earth shattering tragedy in the sense of hundreds dying in an flood or avalanche, but a tragedy just the same.

Linsay Lohan could have been the next Elizabeth Taylor, another child actor who had the beauty, charisma, and talent to make that great leap across the chasm between being a child star and adult one but instead she headed down the same path Drew Barrymore traveled. The question is, does she have the strength to step off it before she reaches the end? If not, instead of the next Elizabeth Taylor or Drew Barrymore she will be remembered as the next Barbara Payton.

Let's Get Romantic About This Bone Chilling Cold

Maybe then it won't seem so bad.

Love born
In wintertime warms
This heart of mine
With dancing fires
Of sweet desire
We've found our winter love

Ice cold
As fallen tears grow
Me chilling fears
Of loneliness
How could I guess?
We found our winter love

Now
The world is warm, warm
Through cold and storm
We found a fire
Of sweet desire
We've found our winter love

We've found our winter love

We've found our winter love

It's Cooooold Out There Today

Our bird feeder and bath are getting lots of visitors this morning. In addition to our usual Sparrows, Finches, Nuthatches, and Grosbeaks we are seeing Robins, Flickers and Red-Winged Blackbirds. The Flicker and the Blackbirds are coming up from the river. When my husband went out earlier to fill the feeders and change the water there were only three birds waiting for him. Now there are 20 to 30 birds out there. Bird communication is very efficient.

Super Bowl Hangover

As usual the Super Bowl was more about the commercials than the game itself. Most of the ads had a "been there, done that" feel to them but two were outstanding in in different ways.

Best Commercial- Tiny Vader

What can I say except, cute.


Worst Commercial- Tiny Thinking

I can not believe Groupon let a fourteen year old boy make their advertising decisions for them.

It's A Kinky Kind Of Day

And he's oh, so good
And he's oh, so find
And he's oh, so healthy
In his body and his mind.
The Kinks

'Cause he gets up in the morning,
And he goes to work at nine,
And he comes back home at five-thirty,
Gets the same train every time.
'Cause his world is built 'round punctuality,
It never fails.

And he's oh, so good,
And he's oh, so fine,
And he's oh, so healthy,
In his body and his mind.

He's a well respected man about town,
Doing the best things so conservatively.

And his mother goes to meetings,
While his father pulls the maid,
And she stirs the tea with councilors,
While discussing foreign trade,
And she passes looks, as well as bills
At every suave young man

'Cause he's oh, so good,
And he's oh, so fine,
And he's oh, so healthy,
In his body and his mind.

He's a well respected man about town,
Doing the best things so conservatively.

And he likes his own backyard,
And he likes his fags (cigarettes) the best,
'Cause he's better than the rest,
And his own sweat smells the best,
And he hopes to grab his father's loot,
When Pater passes on.

'Cause he's oh, so good,
And he's oh, so fine,
And he's oh, so healthy,
In his body and his mind.

He's a well respected man about town,
Doing the best things so conservatively.

And he plays at stocks and shares,
And he goes to the Regatta,
He adores the girl next door,
'Cause he's dying to get at her,
But his mother knows the best about
The matrimonial stakes.

'Cause he's oh, so good,
And he's oh, so fine,
And he's oh, so healthy,
In his body and his mind.

He's a well respected man about town,
Doing the best things so conservatively.

Fair Food

I used to think one of the worst things to eat at any carnival of fair would be this:

Deep Fried Twinkie

But, no, that would just be dessert for this:

Photo taken by Tara Shannon

Groundhog Day

Taken by Aaron Silvers, 2005 (http://www.mrchompers.net/)

"Here Ye, Hear Ye, Hear Ye!

Groundhog Day, February 2, 2011
Punxsutawney Phil was raised from his burrow
By the call of President Bill Deeley.
He greeted his handlers, Ben Hughes and John Griffiths.

After casting an inquisitive eye towards thousands of his faithful followers,
He proclaimed that the Steelers are going to the Super Bowl!

Back to the business at hand...
He surveyed his surroundings carefully and found that there was no shadow around,
So, an early spring it will be."

Thank God, it is -10F/-23.3C right now with a windchill of -24F/-31C. An early Spring would be greatly appreciated.

Bunker Hill And Angels Flight

If God had intended us to fly he would have given us railways.
-Michael Flanders


My husband and I lost our satellite TV last summer when our neighbor's trees finally reached the height where the branches were interfering with our signal. We switched to basic cable (crappy) and joined Netflix. I spent an hour creating a play list and after buying a wireless Blu-ray DVD player we were set up to stream tons of movies from Netflix to our television set.

Now, I am a big fan of black and white movies from the 1950's and especially of the genre known as Film Noir. I like the fact that most of them are filmed on the streets of Los Angeles or other towns. They are a peek into the past, showing us what the cities they are filmed in looked like at that time, how the people dressed, what cars they drove, where they shopped, and how much things cost. Sometimes I am concentrating so hard on what is happening in the background of theses films I have to rewind the movie and listen again to what I missed of the story.

Below is a list of movies I watched last week along with information about where some scenes were filmed and other tidbits about the movie:

1. The Turning Point (1952) Los Angeles, Bunker Hill neighborhood and Angel Flight.

2. Cry Danger(1951) Los Angeles, Bunker Hill neighborhood with a very cool trailer park.

3. Private Hell 36 (1954) Los Angeles. Directed by Ida Lupino, staring Lupino and her then husband Howard Duff and written by her with her ex-husband Collier Young. It also has Duff and Lupino's baby daughter playing Duff and his screen wife's baby. It was a family affair.

4. Johnny Cool (1963) Los Angeles, including hills above it and Newport Beach. Staring Elizabeth Montgomery before she married Darrin.

5. Plunder Road (1957) Los Angeles, including the freeway and other small California towns.

6.The Sound of Fury (1950) California and Arizona. Lloyd Bridges plays a very bad man. Based on a true story.

7. Hell's Half Acre (1954) Honolulu, Hawaii, back before Hawaii was a state and when you needed a passport to visit from the mainland.

8. Cry Vengeance (1954) Ketchikan, Alaska with cool airplanes.

9. The Big Boodle (1957) Havana, Cuba before the revolution.

There is a reason for the order in which I have listed these movies. As you can see the first five movies take place in LA and the first two movies take place in the Bunker Hill neighborhood of Los Angeles. The Bunker Hill in these movies no longer exists. Bunker Hill started out as a rich section of the city but by the mid 1950's it was considered a slum with a majority of the original homes and apartments nothing but flop houses. In a misguided attempt at urban renewal the city had every building on top of Bunker Hill leveled and by 1969 it was all gone. I find that a crying shame.

Bunker Hill, 1900. All of these buildings in this photo are gone.

The Turning Point is the first movie on the list because in addition to being filmed in Bunker Hill, it has scenes filmed on and around Angels Flight, an incline railroad that traveled up to Bunker Hill from downtown Los Angeles. I fell in love with Angels Flight after I got a glimpse of it on TV in the movie The Glenn Miller Story. What can I say? It is just cool.

Angels Flight in 1960.

Angels Flight was almost destroyed in 1959 but public outrage saved it. In 1969 Angels Flight was dismantled and put in storage for 27 years. In 1996 it was reassembled half a block south of the original site but with a new track and system for hauling the cars up and down the line. So in reality Angels Flight died when the old Bunker Hill did. At least we still have images of Bunker Hill in these films even though they are images of ghost people walking around ghost streets in a ghost town. As I said, it's a crying shame.



For more photos of Bunker Hill buildings go to On Bunker Hill. This side bar on this site includes a list of many of the films shot in the Bunker Hill neighborhood.

For more photos of Angels Flight go here.