Tuesdays Being Mondays...

So here I am typing away on an early Tuesday night and one of my friends enlightened me to something that frustrated me a whole lot within moments of it registering with my grey matter. Or is it that gray matter? It doesn't matter how it is spelled; I am peeved bigtime.

Originally this blog was going to be about my Tuesday being a Monday. In the big scope of things; it really doesn't matter. That topic changed quickly!

One of my favorite motivational speakers used to use a line saying "not to sweat the small stuuf". About five minutes ago I did the exact opposite of what Les Brown said way back when and sweated the small stuff when a friend pointed something out to me that I wasn't ready to hear or see. I was getting past my feeling that it wasn't one of my better days. Then this came up. Dang it! I was getting past the fact that my day sucked! Why did it go bad? It was pretty much self-induced. Now I have to get past a new thing. So much for my day or night getting better. I get so tired sometimes.

CD Player - Week of October 17th

So every once in a while I empty the driver side door panel of CDs that have been there for a bit and bring into the car some discs that I haven't been played in a blue moon. This week "Addictions" Volume 1 by the late Robert Palmer made its' way onto the disc player. He left us back in 2003 at the young age of 54 years old after suffering a heart attack in Paris. Way, way too young to go!

Every time I hear one of his songs I think of an amazing soul singer that would not have been out of place on the Motown roster of the 60s. He had a classy and smooth way of delivering a song. I also think of the ladies in his videos that became MTV staples. I think most of us young guys back then barely even noticed the singer in the tie suit jacket that he often wore in his videos. Our eyes were glued to the band. The red lips. The bouncing and swaying that was going on. We didn't even notice that the instruments weren't even plugged in. The songs weren't acoustic. LOL. We didn't care! I also think of the Caribbean island feel from some of his songs. My son H said earlier this week that some of his songs reminded him of The Talking Heads in some ways. It's true when you compare the island rhythms that can be quite prevalent in the material of both of these artists.

The disc has 13 tracks. Starts off with the rollicking "Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor Doctor) from 1979. This is one of those songs that everyone knows the chorus once the song gets going. It's one of those drunken bonfire songs. "Doctor, doctor give me the news, I've got a bad case of loving you" being shouted at the top of one's lungs. Gets the vibe going that's for dang sure.

That's then followed by "Pride". A song with an African or Third World feel. Throw in some Jamaica, Bahamas, Trinidad steel drums and then sway. Then sway some more.

Track 3 is the one that opened the doors to his MTV fanbase and the young male fantasy life. It's "Addicted To Love". This song for many is the prototypical Robert Palmer song. It's pretty darn cool and still very listenable twenty-five years after its' original release.

Track 4 is "Sweet Lies" which was written for a soundtrack of a movie of the same name with Julianne Philipps, Joanna Pacula and Treat Williams. I've never heard of the movie. Lots of Treat Williams' movies went straight to the video store bypassing theatres. This may be one of them. This song is okay. It does feature his vocal stylings but it doesn't really stick out much.

Track 5 is another one of those islands fused type songs named "Woke Up Laughing". I know mentioned ealier H said Talking Heads; I think it sounds more like Johnny Clegg and Savuka. This is one of those songs that reminds me of that band.

Track 6 is "Looking For Clues". I think of this as one of those songs that I identify as being a key Robert Palmer track. It was released in 1980 just as new wave was breaking big stateside. I love the beat. I love the words. The phrasing. The synth sound. It even has a xylophone solo for gawd's sake. How many songs can claim that? Not too many I'm sure. This is a butt moving in the chair song. You can't help but tap your toes as you listen to it. If you don't perhaps meds are needed in the your very near future!

Track 7 is "Some Guys Have All The Luck". Turns out this was a hit back in 1973 by a band called The Persuaders. I heard it for the first time today. Hmmmm. I'm not sold on it. Rod Stewart also covered this song in 1984. I didn't like that version either. Robert Palmer's version is from 1982. Still not a fan of this song. Stewart's version isn't much different than Palmer's version which begs the question. Why Rod Why? Maxi Priest did a reggaefied version also. Not buying that one also. In conclusion it is quite accurate to say that I don't like this song at all. Doesn't make a diff the version; it isn't for me.

Track 8 is from the group Power Station which was called a supergroup at the time of their album release. The group was made up of Palmer on vocals, Tony Thompson from Chic ("Good Times" and "Le Freak") as well as John Taylor on bass and Andy Taylor (not related) on lead guitar. Both from Duran Duran. The track is "Some Like It Hot". The song has a great drum beat. A hard drum beat. One of those songs that you play the imaginary drums to when listening to it. Personally I would have loved them to include "Get It On (Bang on Gong) from the same album on this compilation. But alas we have to settle for this track which is pretty darn good anyways.

Track 9 is from the same album as "Bad Case .." and is called "What's It Take". It's another one of those new world, reggae feel songs sung and played at a faster clip. Once again you are tapping your toes even if you don't know the song. It just has that infectious beat.

Track 10 was Robert's first hit in the States from way back in 1978. The song is "Every Day People". It is one of those smooth songs. Great beat. Nice sax break. Great vocals. It has an upbeat Marvin Gaye feel to me. Another one of those swaying songs. Bravo.

Track 11 is so cool. "Johnny and Mary". Man oh man he did some great story songs. It sounds like "Looking For Clues". Same feel to the song. Not surprising as it came from the same album. Another toe-tapper. He did have that gift.

Track 12 to me is the second part or the continuation of "Addicted To Love". It's "Simply Irresistible". The video brought back the ladies from "Addicted" and the song has a similar structure in styling and structure. It has that same catchy feel to it. The video is brighter. More color. Lots more ladies and Robert Palmer is "oh so cool" in it.

The last track is "Style Kills". It makes me think of techno Simple Minds song but sung by Robert Palmer. It has a very funky feel. A wah-wah sound to it. I believe that this song was added to the compilation as one of those new songs that bands often add to induce people to buy to complete their collection. Okay that's a bit cynical. Sorry. LOL.

All in all I was glad to have "Addictions" volume one in the car this week. It's an excellent compilation!

Thanks

This will be a short blog. It is a way of acknowledging that I spent a very nice evening with my son playing trivia. We may not have known what PICA means psychologically in the bonus round where we tanked but we had a good time together tonight. For that alone I am happy. I may not be so content when I drive him to school im less than seven hours. LOL! But that is parenthood. You take the good with the bad. Smiles!

I Wonder Sometimes...

Okay this is going to be a weird one I think. It's a bit of a reflection of where I am at today.

In about about five months I will hit one of the milestone birthdays. Often when I hit one of these I look back and reflect on things accomplished, opportunities missed and goals yet to be attained. This doesn't necessarily mean some huge thing that I need to accomplish. It may just be something that I need to do to make my life easier.

So today healthwise I have issues. I think many of them are the result of leading a rather sedentary lifestyle in my 30s and 40s. It sure didn't help that I smoked for thirty years. My goodness that is a long time to have such a terrible habit. Glad that I stopped a year and a half ago. My goal between now and year-end is to try to develop some positive trends in my lifestyle. Eat better. Exercise. See a doctor about a couple of things.

Workwise I need to manage my time better. I tend to lose focus and run from one thing to another. I have to prioritize better.

Financially I have to face up to some poor choices I made. I have to right the ship somewhat. I have to remember to spend what I have now and not spend what I will have tomorrow. Pretty much means live within the boundaries of the salary that I bring in. After all I have to set an example in this regard for Harrison to at least see. There will be a financial crunch in the next couple of years. He needs a car and he is going to need more money for Clemson. The free ride at Tech is about to end.

As for myself and my psychological or spiritual well-being. I want to better myself. I want to feel and know that deep within that I am who I am. That the person that I show to the outside world is a person that is beyond reproach. A man of character. A person that has nothing, absolutely nothing to hide to anyone. A person who can be counted on but not a person that is gullible or naive or can be taken advantage of by others. I have to be able to look in the mirror on a daily basis and know that on this day, that day, that future day that I did the right thing. That on that day there is nothing that I did that could have hurt someone's feelings, pride and well-being. This means reflecting on what happened on each and every day. Sometimes that means looking at something from the viewpoint of the other person.

This being said the only way that things will improve, be better and more serene is if I am surrounded by people that try to be this way as well. If a person isn't this way; they can't be a part of my life. I don't want to be afraid anymore!!!

Okay I Just Had To Post

So I woke up pretty early today, stressed out about certain things and at 6am or so I made myself a small pot of coffee. I started to read the news on several websites. Checked out MLB news, my banking website, my local news, what used to be my local news and then what was going on in general in the news. I wasn't planning on typing on here for another week or so but then I came upon a story about last night's GOP debate. More specifically about the comments made last night from the representative from the state of Minnesota.

I'm taking off the gloves now.

This person needs to vacate her seat. This person does not have a clue! While Herman Cain's 9-9-9 tax policy statement makes little sense and I will refute this to the best of my ability in an upcoming blog. The representative from the state of Minnesots came up with this logic in her argument against 9-9-9. " When you take the 9-9-9 plan and you turn it upside won, the devil is in the details". That was her rebuttal.

She came up with that statement as an argument? Get real. Are you quoting Iron Maiden? Exit stage left. Go read lots of books. Preferably books with words not pictures. Take lots of brain-enhancement vitamins. Try to come up with an argument that is based on facts. Try to use logic. Go meet up with the that "genius" from Wasilla. Have her speak to Todd. You speak to Marcus. Then repeat grades one through five. Repeat six through eight. It's okay we know you are in your 40s. Do it anyways! Then repeat grades nine through twelve. Then maybe then you will understand what I learned in grade seven which was "people will never know how stupid you are until you open up your mouth".

That "devil's work" statement from last night took you out of the equation as a person to take seriously in the political process. That statement in itself ensured that you are not-electable, embarrassing to the vast majority of sane-minded individuals and demonstrated zero ZERO none NONE nada NADA intellect and seriousness that is needed in the political discourse. These are serious times and our leaders need to come up with serious answers. A barbie doll would have come up with a better answer. Forget that SC embraced you a month or so ago. This state alos likes the guy that is a homophobe and the guy that never met a donor whose cause he could back 110% with some of legislation.

How effing embarrassing that on the world stage that the accounting firm of Bachmann, Palin and Perry appears on almost daily basis in the political landscape!!!

Taking A Break

Well it has been a few days since I've typed. Just taking a break right now as things aren't going too well for me. I'll be back typing away once the fog lifts and I become one of the yellow faces in the picture. Thanks for reading whoever is reading these.

Mixed CD Continuation...

Well I last left off after track #4 on Sunday evening. I didn't feel like typing after my workday, and my Costco run and my chauffering of the Prodigal Son. To be truthful I am not in a good mood right now. Just one of those days and I will refrain from divulging more because you just never know who reads my ramblings.

Here we go onto the next track on the CD...

5. Down By The Waterfront - Walter Rossi (1980)
One of my favorite homegrown talents. I remember being in my early 20s and at Phantasmagoria on Park Avenue putting on the headphones to listen to the 1st of Walter Rossi's greatest hits packages which was called "Picks". I have that one from 1982 on cassette. I also have a more recent compilation on CD that was released in 1990 called "All My Best". This song appears on both compilations. It's funny I have listened to this song for over 20 years and I've only come to realize now what the song is about. I never realized that it was song about the have nots that live on the wrong side of the tracks or the waterfront in this case. In particular it's about a lady named Babylon who turned tricks to get the money that she needed to leave that life and how one day something real bad happened. I only figured out the subject matter now after listening to the song three four times in a row. The tempo of the song is upbeat and the sax line is peppy. I never realized the sadness of the song.

6. The World I Know - Collective Soul (1995)
Holy eff I must have been really depressed the day I burned this CD. Another song laced with sadness. A song about disillusionment. Homelessness. Suicidal thoughts. Wow. Weird looking back several years after burning the CD. I must have been in a weird place. Song starts off with an acoustic guitar. Then strings. Then the sad, sad lyrics. Then right at the end a splash of contentment, realization and irony appears which I hope is the reason I am attracted to the song. That even in sad or dark times, there is light somewhere. Hope. Joy.

7. Estranged - Guns and Roses (1991)
Oh boy another happy song. Axl Rose wrote this song after his short marriage to Erin Everly was annulled. I started listening to this song when my marriage was breaking up. It's no wonder that I identified with this song right off the bat. I used to listen to the cassette version of this song while doing accounting homework late into the night at the kitchen table. I would listen to the almost 10 minute version of this song over and over. Rewind. Play. Rewind. Play. Rewind. Play. This song and the "So Fine" which was the track before on "Use Your Illusion II" were played over and over. Even today the lyrics touch something down deep inside of me. Isn't that what music is supposed to do? Even if it isn't always bringing you to a happy place.

8. Long Stick Goes Boom - Krokus (1982)
Okay not exactly a love song. LOL. To say the least. I'm thinking that this gives Def Leppard's stripper anthem "Pour Some Sugar On Me" a run for the money for the double entendres. The first line in the song "we all know about 69", Marc Storace was not talking about the year like in the Bryan Adams song. Anyways it is a 5 minute ditty about sex. When you're 20 years old like I was when the song came out that was a pretty big thing. Today singing "long stick goes boom" (LOL) is embarrassing I think. I still like the song so sue me. It's a good driving song. It isn't like I am about to start listening to Roger Whitaker sing "The Last Farewell" when I am driving to work. LOL.

9. Democracy - Leonard Cohen (1992)
So I must have felt guilty after the Krokus track because I went all intellectual with this song. I lived on St. Urbain St. after I got divorced. It's almost like I have to love Leonard Cohen as a result of this. How many songs refer to Tiananmen Square in the second line of a song? Probably no others. Even today 20 years after its' release the lyrics are as timely today as they were back then. I think even more so when you think of the attacks on the democratic process that are occurring on a daily basis in countries like my adopted land. "and I'm neither left or right I'm just staying home tonight." Truer words are hard to find.

10. It's Only Rock'n'Roll (But I Like It) - The Rolling Stones (1974)
Ah the Strolling Bones at their finest. Mick Jagger sneering away. Keith Richard's atypical dirty guitar. A memorable singalong chorus. Damn this song is 37 yrs. old. I'm listening to it now and it still rocks. It still sneers. And I like it, like it, yes I do.

11. Year Of The Knife - Tears For Fears (1989)
I first heard this song while living on Park Avenue with my middle brother Randolf, Shane from NS and Mark from England. I remember buying the cassette of "The Seeds of Love" and playing it in the kitchen and Mark coming by and asking me what the heck was playing. It was so catchy. It was Beatlesque. Very Sgt. Pepper-like especially the title track. Off this album came "Sowing The Seeds", "Woman In Chains" and "Year Of The Knife". The musicality of this album was not something we were hearing much from then. For Tears for Fears this was way more artistic that the sparser "Songs From The Big Chair" This song was never released as a single. CHOM played it though by request I believe. I love this song! No idea what it means. I just like it. Listen to the live version and I guarantee ya that you're bopping to the first minute or so. You can't help it. I swear!

12. Beck's Bolero - Jeff Beck (1967)
Okay time to travel on the way back machine to 1967 to an allstar instrumental rendition of Ravel's classic Bolero. Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, John-Paul Jones, Nicky Hopkins and Keith Moon. What a band. What players. What a version. Jeff makes that guitar cry. Jimmy fills in the gaps. Keith when he has the chance plays like the madman drummer he was. So cool. 44 yr old song. Effing incredible.

13. Thinking Of You - Harlequin (1981)
An under the radar band from Winnipeg. How many bands are from Winnipeg anyways? The Guess Who. That pretty much sums Winnipeg rock I think besides the boys that made up Harlequin. Okay their songs will never be mistaken for "Stairway To Heaven" or "C'est La Vie". What they wrote were catchy 3-4 minute songs that the average Canuck could relate to when they heard the song or songs from Harlequin. "Superstitious Feeling". "Innocence". "Sweet Things In Life". Or this song which was catchy. I loved that lyric "lit another cigarette and waited". I used to smoke. LOL.

14. Before The Dawn - April Wine (1979)
Oh another CanCon song. This one from another Montreal band. This track came from the classic "Harder...Faster" album. This was an album track. Never released as a single. One of the few songs that Brian Greenway sang lead on. He also did the classic King Crimson song "21st Century Schizoid Man" on this album. Many people think that "Before" is called "Laurie Laura Laurie Lorelei" due to the opening lyrics. A true power ballad. You know that genre that became super popular with the hair bands of the 80s. April Wine did it first. They did it well.

15. Double Vie - Richard Seguin (1985)
One of my favorite Quebecois chansonniers. This track taken from the 1985 album of the same name. I have this song from a live CD as well. I would love to see this guy live if they allow federalists to attend his shows. LOL. I always thought he looked like he was related to my Mom's side of the family. The Boules. With the dark hair and complexion he would have fit right in on "Jour de L'An". This song is catchy. I have had unilingual anglophones listen to this song in my car and they think it is pretty catchy even if they don't understand what the dang Frenchy is singing about. They call us Frenchies. LOL.

Okay that's it for this CD. Took me a while to finish this blog. I like the CD. A bit sad at times but quite eclectic. Rock on Rock on.

Mixed CD

So before I go off an a tangent right away, I'm going to talk about the CD I burned way back when...

1. Hallowed Be Thy Name - Iron Maiden (1982)
Okay I guess I wanted to start off the CD with one of those songs that is best played loud and louder. Hide the women and children and bow to the masters of metal from 1982. This song appeared on one of the most classic heavy metal albums ever released. The album in question is "Number Of The Beast" which featured not only "Hallowed..." but also the better known title track from this album as well as "Run To The Hills". Being a heavy metal band they sure aren't singing a boy meets girls theme here. LOL. The lyrics are dark and foreboding and are about a prisoner on his way to the gallows all the while claiming his innocence. It starts off slow for the first minute and then the rest of the song is played hard and fast and Bruce Dickinson sings it, shouts it like there is no tomorrow. Definitely not a first date song unless your gf looks tougher than you in leather. O:)

2. Fall To Pieces - Velvet Revolver (2004)
Okay looks like I was continuing on the morbid theme the day I burned this CD. It must have been an early, early Monday morning. Track #2 is about Scott Weiland's heroin addiction and the effect on him as well as the effect on his relationship with his wife. This was a power ballad and the 1st single released by the band that was going to take over the hard rock mantle from the remnants of Guns'n'Roses. The band featured the great lead guitar of Slash as well as Duff McKagan on bass and Matt Sorum on drums. All three were key ex-Gunners. Throw in Dave Kushner and his punk credentials on rhythm guitar and the aforementioned ex-lead singer of the Stone Temple Pilots Scott Weiland and this band was primed. The song is sad but pretty at the same time. It features what I would call the atypical Slash guitar which is weepy, bluesy and melodic all at the same time. Couple this with Scott's heartfelt lyrics it was destined to be song to get heavy rotation on FM rock stations.

3. Vertigo - U2 (2004)
Well at least I got happier on track #3. Maybe I had a couple of coffees by that point. "Uno, Dos, Tres, Catorce". Huh. WTF. Bono was a child left behind. 1,2,3,14. LOL. I have no idea what this song is about. Try to catch all the words of this song and good luck with that while you are at it. The words that you are singing along to are probably not the words you think that you are singing along to. LOL. Honest to Gawd. Play the song. Put the lyric sheet up. Then you will know what I mean. Anyways the song has a great driving beat to it. Put it on loud. Sing whatever words you want. Yell out "hola" at the appropriate time and laugh to yourself. It is a feel good song. Well it is to me and "no one gets hurt". `

4. Simple Man - Shinedown (2003)
To use the words of one of one of the managers that I best worked with which was “I tell you what”; This CD review is taking forever because (a) I had chauffeur duties (b) I was watching the Tigers beat the Yankees and (c ) I started drinking some beers pretty dang early today. LOL. I remember the reason that I put this on the CD. I was driving up to Montreal to pick up the prodigal son and I was bringing his buddy Aaron with me on this trip. Aaron was H's best bud for the longest time. I brought him (Aaron) to Gatlinburg a week or so after my Mom died to help H deal with things. The next year I brought Aaron to Mtl with me to get H at his Mom's place. I have pictures from that trip. I have to get my printer set up to scan these pics. They tie in so well. Anyways Aaron loved this song so I burned it onto the CD just for him. At the time I liked the song. I didn't know that this was a Lynyrd Skynyrd song at the time. Hey I am Canadian. Shoot me. LOL.

Okay I need a break....I will follow up on the other 11 songs on this CD tomorrow...LOL...maybe

Morning Radio In The Upstate

So I started writing this blog about a half hour ago and then I had an oops moment and somehow inadvertently deleted everything that I had typed in this template. It was like "an oh eff" moment. LOL. So being the determined Schlewing that I am; I will rewrite what I wrote and go from there. Uh oh I forgot how I started the blog. I thought I was being quite witty actually. Well I usually think that I am being witty. I may be delusional. LOL. Now I have to try to remember what I wrote earlier.

I just added this paragraph before posting this blog. The original blog was going to be about the mixed CD that I am listening to as I type. All of a sudden it became a blog on morning radio in the Upstate. This is just my opinion. I know that lots of people listen to these stations here in Greenville. It is their right to do so. I'm going to explain in my own little way why I don't listen to morning radio here.

Okay here goes. I am not the 1st guy to jump on the new thing bandwagon. I didn't get a computer until 1999. I didn't have a cellphone until maybe five years ago. I still don't have a data plan on my phone. I don't have an IPod, an IPad or an IJag. Made that last one up. LOL. I don't have Sirius in my car. I still have an old-fashioned tube type tv. No flat screens except for my computer monitor. There are other things I can add to the list of I don'ts but I will save some for future blogs. O:)

This was going to be about what is in my CD player but it has now segued into something else altogether. When I leave for work in the morning there's no way I can listen to morning radio in the Upstate.

You have the Rise Guys on The Planet. Good music but I am almost 50 yrs old and I just can't relate to the blathering that they do. It all sounds like blah blah and then blah blah some more. More music less talk then perhaps I would listen. They've got 5 people working on their morning show. Good Gawd get rid of 'em all. LOL. Just play the new rock!

You have John Boy and Billy on Rock 101. I'm sorry but while my brain cells are still working I can not listen to what I think is the redneck Republican mindset of the people on this show. I'm embarrassed by some of the characters and subject matter passes for discourse in this part of the country on this radio station. This is the lowest of the low brow humor that I ever heard and personally I think it has some racial undertones and that really freaks me out. I probably lost a few friends and readers with this last paragraph.

Then you have Ellis and Bradley on WSSL. WSSL is the local country music station that originates in Gray Court. LOL. I always smile when I hear that it comes from Gray Court. This would be like a radio station in Pictou County coming from Hopewell (where my Mom lived before she passed) or in the Montreal area from St-Bruno de Montarville (where my ex-wife lives). Gray Court is a little town of 1021 people per Wikipedia located southbound from my house on I385. I actually like some country music now. I have a growing number of tracks listed on my favorites list on YouTube and when I am in a quiet mood I like listening to WSSL. Just not when Beth Bradley is on there though. For my ears her voice is grating. This is purely subjective and won't hold up in a court of law. LOL. That voice and Toby Keith in the morning. Sorry change the station please. TYVM.

Then we have two lite rock less talk stations. At least I think there are two of them. They may be the same station with different call letters at different places on the radio dial. I think they have the same play format just 15 minutes apart. If you hear it on one station you will hear it on the other station 15 minutes later. It just seems that way. They have John Tesh on one of these stations. John Tesh? I always wondered where he went after Entertainment Tonight. Maybe Robb Weller is on that station. I think that is his name. Anyways they play Celine Dion so therefore I can not listen to those stations because my head would explode. To top it off one or both of the stations goes all Christmas 24/7 at Thanksgiving (the American one for my Canadian friends or readers). Christmas music in the last week of November. Shoot me now. Figuratively not literally. LOL.

Okay I know that there is a all news radio station here but I am very wary of happening upon some right wing conservative nutjob viewpoint before I have my first cup of coffee. I can not be held responsible for the colorful verbage that would escape my lips in front of Plain Elementary at 715am if I heard the voices of doom and evil of Hannity, Ingraham or Limbaugh.

There is also a station called HisRadio. I could go off on a tangent or cosine here. Boy oh boy could I ever but I won't as the HisRadio listeners way outnumber little old me in the work parking lot. This is based on a non-scientific count of bumper stickers. LOL.

So this partly explains why I still listen to CDs. The next blog will be on one of those CDs I listen to.

Quick Thoughts on Sports Results...

Okay it is around 630am as I start to hunt and peck on my keyboard this morning. I've actually been awake for the last hour or so as I awoke to the sound of some infomercial on TV. I fell asleep on the couch watching baseball on TBS or TNT. It sure is cold all of a sudden in SC. It's 46 degrees outside. If this continues I will have to turn on the heat. My hi-beams are on. LOL. I had the A/C running two days ago. Only difference will be that I will be paying a different energy supplier over a hundred dollars a month.

It was a sad day to be a Gamecock fan yesterday as they were outplayed and outcoached and deserved to lose. So much for that hype. Time for a change at quarterback. I actually watched most of the game late yesterday afternoon and it wasn't very well played at all. The old ball coach is making some questionable decisions. I'm thinking that we are seeing more of the Washington thinking than the Florida decision-making.

It was a great day to be a Clemson fan yesterday as they totally outplayed VT on the road. They should be ranked quite high this week and deservedly so. It will be hard to read the Greenville News with all the hype for Clemson for the rest of the football season. It can be compared to the Journal de Montreal and the Habs coverage. Complete with coverage of the bowel movements of the key players on the team.

You know what I hate about football is all the BS strutting after a play. Could be a catch, could be a run, could be an interception, could be a tackle. After the play ends all of a sudden a player or two will strut like a rooster. Sometimes they're strutting yet for no real good reason as far as I can see. They didn't have anything to do with the result of play succeeding or not. That's one thing I love about Marcus Lattimore. He completes an astonishing run and he just hands the ball to the referee. No dancing, no shrugging, no backflips. He just hands the ball to the referee. He acts as if he has been there before. Classy! As for the bantam roosters playing football, keep that crap for the farms.

In MLB I wanted the DBacks, Cards, Rays and Tigers to win. LOL. The less said the better. At the least in three of four they were only game ones and not season-enders so hope still reigns supreme.

It seems that the Habs won in Quebec City last night. Who cares as it was a meaningless exhibition game. I wonder why people pay top dollar for these games. They don't mean anything. The rosters are filled with players that won't make the team. Anyways that is sports these days. It's a revenue grab.

I think I need to get back to bed. At least it is warm there.

Tick Tock...

Well when I last left off I was just about to dive into a plate of spaghetti with a mention of being back in a few. I guess I meant 13 hours or so. LOL. I sat myself down to watch a bit of the Tigers-Yanks game and they were in a rain delay and started channel surfing and ended up on "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" on either the Travel Channel or the Food Network. I am not sure what station it is on. The stations are next to each other on my tv dial. LOL. Dial. We haven't those on tvs in how long? Decades I think.

Anyways one is 51 and the other is 52 on that clicker thing that Charter gave me. I am surprised they didn't charge me for that also. Ever look at your cable tv and internet bill. Uneffinbelievable the amount of fees and charges that are buried in the final amount. That bill is just as bad as my cellphone bill from Verizon. WTF are half those things that I am being charged on that bill. Fees, fees, taxes here, taxes there. Started off with a $70 plan and it ends up being over $100 when it is all said and done.

Uh oh I am cranky this morning. LOL. Guess that happens when I wake up at 419am in pain from that sciatic thing that I am going through. I was pacing from the kitchen back to my bedroom trying to loosen up my right hamstring which was completely knotted up. If I am not careful I will have worn spots on the carpet soon. LOL. Maybe I should just start walking up and down the street in the middle of the night when that happens again. Probably tonight the way things are going lately.

Tried to get back online last night but my internet connection was wonky. I called up for help on that 1-800-GET-EFFED number on my bill and I just got more frustrated trying to get to a live person. Man oh man customer service as a rule pretty much sucks everywhere nowadays. When you call up some number and the first thing you hear is please listen to the options as our menu has changed. That is a sure sign that you are about to waste 15 20 minutes of your life pushing buttons on your phone. It is even worse if you are doing this while on a cellphone.

So anyways they reset my connection but my router wasn't working properly so I had to connect directly to my desktop. It wasn't working all that hot. I kept on getting slow and slower page loading and finally I gave up and went back to that Clive Cussler book that I am re-reading. I need to head over to a used book store to stock up on new reading material.

Wow I go off on some strange tangents sometimes. Anyways not helping my crankiness this morning is the fact that I spent my first half hour online paying bills like mortgage, property tax, cable bill, Dell, Belks, Best Buy, etc. etc. Lousy way to start a weekend. LOL.

No big plans today. Want to get the prodigal son to the barber. He needs a trim and then some. I've been bugging him about for weeks now. He thinks I am jealous. LOL. Logical reasoning on his part. O:) Gets that from his mother's side of the family. I should try to get to that used bookstore and I would like to get a pedicure. Oh gawd I just typed that online. A pedicure. That is so not me. I've never had one but given that my feet are in rough shape I figured that they could use a little bit of pampering. I'm not very good at keeping them in good shape. I just looked at them and saw my left one but can't really see my right one as Jynx/Jinx decided to park herself on that foot. She's been hanging out with me a lot lately. LOL. She must know that I buy her food and stuff. O:)

That's it for now. I need coffee number two now.