Ramble On Is What I Do...

So earlier today I had the best intentions to be super-productive. I was going to do some laundry. Do some home-cooking. Do some work-work. Get my tax documents together.

So the reality of the thing is that I Marc Schlewing aka TC aka the Schliv was not all that productive.

I brought H to work this morning at 8. I got back home and brewed some coffee and then got onto my bank website and checked out my activity over the last couple of days and wondered where the heck 2/3 of my pay cheque went. Verizon, Duke Energy, Piedmont Natural Gas, TD Bank (car), etc. etc. eteffincetera and I am not talking about one of the former lead singers of Chicago.

Then I decided to dedicate the next two hours of my life to reading up, catching up and following up on the only sport that matters when Germany is not playing in the World Cup. Yes boys and girls, ladies and gentlemen pitchers and catchers for my Expos slash Nationals report tomorrow. Hell Yeah!

So instead of being productive I spent half the morning reading up on baseball! Alleffinright!

I then made myself some eggs with some sliced tomatoes on the side along with some whole-wheat toast and read my Greenville News. Surprisingly the editorial page wasn't filled with GOP nonsensical commentary like it normally is. It sometimes gets to the point that I want to cancel my subscription because of that editorial page. It does help me to understand how the eff Jesse Helms represented this state. Okay getting off the sanity soapbox now. Big grin. LOL.

After that I ended up turning on the TV having every intention to put it on an alternative or classic rock station to listen to while I demonstrated superproductivityexpealishous (possible spelling error there). LOL. H left the TV on Sundance and they were running the "John Lennon vs the US" documentary and there went my productivity at 10am. Fascinating documentary. You would have thought that Nixon had more important matters to attend to back then. Interesting what people in power think is important.

After that show I discovered that WGN was running back to back to back "Law and Order - Criminal Intent" episodes. Well three hours of my life were spent watching that show. I never watched it when it was originally aired now I am L & O junkie. They were running episodes out of order as they usually do. One had Chris Noth as the lead detective and the others had Vince D'Onofrio as the lead detective.

I finally got around to cooking. I started and still am in the process of making a homemade albondigas soup (Mexican meatball soup) for H to enjoy after his workshift. The recipe states that it is ready in and hour and half. This is the second time making it and I still am running around the two or two and hlf hour mark on it. The prepping of the celery, carrots, potatoes, meatballs, cilantro, onions, etc. take a little longer than what is called for I think. I know the last time I made this, it was a winner. I thought it was great as did H. J will need to try some tomorrow if she comes over after her workout. I will get her verdict then.

Darn I need to get H. I had more to talk about but I guess it will have to wait til tomorrow.

Coffee, Dirty Towels and Whitney Houston

I'm taking a break from housework and having a good cup of coffee. Have lots of stuff to do around the house after pretty much being away for the last two weeks. I'm pretty sure that my young man's eyesight does not include seeing things that are strewn about. If you ever come over to my house and you're looking for towels, there's usually a pile in his bathroom. LOL.

I'm listening to 97.1 The Drive out of the Windy City this morning. They have a Valentine's Day theme going. Every song being played has the word "love" in its' title. I haven't heard some of these in a while. Case in point toe-tapping along to Paul Simon's "Loves Me A Like A Rock" from way back in 1973 or singing along to the original studio version from 1975 of Peter Frampton's "Baby I Love Your Way". I will have to say that Peter does a much, much better job at singing that song than I do. LOL. I know that's surprising to many.

Sad news yesterday with the passing of Whitney Houston at 48 yrs. old. A troubled soul. What an amazing voice she had! Not my kind of music usually but when she wrapped her vocal chords around songs she made them hers. Her version of the "Star Spangled Banner" at the 1991 Super Bowl was amazing. I don't think I have heard anyone else come even close to matching that performance. Her version of the Dolly Parton penned "I Will Always Love You" in my humble opinion is one of the most powerful female vocal performances ever. I guess it was her time.

Anyways that's it for now. I need to get back to housework. Time to refill my coffee mug

This & That & Meat Loaf Too

Okay I know I haven't been too prolific so far this year with my blog writing. It seems that I have been spending lots of time driving here, driving there and then driving somewhere else. Once I finish writing this blog I will be off driving once again. Back to Mauldin. Then later off to Costco on Woodruff Rd., then back to Simpsonville and so it goes.

With this blog I believe I will match the Habs win total for 2012. I will have to up my blog writing to match their loss total so far this year. These guys should be working for Canada Post or the USPS because they are mailing it since the beginning of the year. It's gotten to the point that I don't even bother checking their scores any more until the next day. That's a reflection of their play. They are playing half-assed, I will follow them half-assed. LOL.

Came back home early this morning to drive H to work and then came back to clean the kitchen a bit. I've got some cooking to do this afternoon. I finally shaved my face this morning. I hadn't in over ten days. It gets really noticeable when I have more on my chin than on the top of my head. Plus the fact that it seems like every colour of the rainbow appears in my beard after about a week. LOL.

I have a mixed CD going right now as I type this. Meat Loaf inspired me to sit down a spell and write this blog. After my shower, the opening bit with the roar of a motorcycle and the piano intro of "I'd Do Anything For Love (But I won't Do That)" came on after a Lisa-Marie Presley track as well as a Mary K. Blige track. Pretty eclectic mix I might add.

The release of the Meat Loaf song back in 1993 was a return to form for the epic type rock songs written by his long-time collaborator Jim Steinman. This song would have fit in perfectly on 1977's "Bat Out Of Hell". Radio and music company people back in '93 wanted them to cut the song down from the original 12 minute version to something more palateable like 5 minutes. Even back then they thought music lovers had the attention span of an amoeba. I don't think I have heard the short versions. I'm pretty sure I have seen the 7 and 1/2 minute video version.

I really wish people would give us more credit. Not everything needs to diluted to the length of a sound bite. This includes songs, news stories, political debates and our thought processes. We're better than that. I hope! LOL.

Back to the song now. Smile. I never knew that the original female voice on the track was a complete unknown at the time. It is a lady from northeast England named Lorraine Crosby who shows up 9 and 1/2 minutes into the song. The lady in the video was Dana Patrick and she only lip-synched her lines. In many live versions of the track you see long-time Meat Loaf touring singer Patti Russo do the female bit. She sure has the voice for it.

Oh man I just noticed the time. I have to get going. I'll type more later.