Yes, my dearest Blogland readers, you are getting a ***BONUS POST*** this week. "Why?" you ask.... Well, it's a combination of the fact that I have today off from work, that I am procrastinating because I really need to be shopping for some new work clothes, and that I had the pleasure of seeing Once at the Winspear Opera House yesterday afternoon (indeed, the same place where I just saw Brian Setzer a few weeks back)!
A friend with whom I used to teach contacted me a few months ago and told me that Once was coming to town, and we just had to see it! Now, I knew that it was based on a movie, and I knew that it was also based on a sweet little tale that centered around music. What I did not know is that it included a song that had appeared on my Pandora station quite a few times in recent months. I kept telling myself that I needed to create a post about this particular tune, but for whatever reason, I would talk myself out of it and post about something else. Perhaps it was just the universe's way of telling me that another, more appropriate opportunity would present itself in the near future. Below is the cover of the playbill and my ticket stub...
I don't know you, but I want you
All the more for that
Words fall through me and always fool me
And I can't react
And games that never amount
To more than they're meant
Will play themselves out
Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice you have a choice
You've made it now
Falling slowly, eyes that know me
And I can't go back
The moods that take me and erase me
And I'm painted black
Well, you have suffered enough
And warred with yourself
It's time that you won
Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice, you have a choice
You've made it now
Despite the fact that there are a million things happening right now, I don't have a lot to say because it is not really my story to share... However, I feel that, no matter what happens, 2015 is going to be a phenomenal year for me. I'm not sure why I feel this, exactly, but I guess you might say that I "See A Little Light"... I hope you all have a safe and lovely New Year!!!
Listen, there's music in the air
I heard your voice, coming from somewhere
But look how much we've grown
I guess I should have known
As the years go by, they take their toll on you
Think of all the things we wanted to do
And all the words we said yesterday
That's a long time ago
You didn't think I'd really go, now
Are you waiting? (I know why)
You're already saying goodbye
Are you ready? (I know why)
I see a little light, I know you will
I can see it in your eyes, I know you still care
But if you want me to go
You should just say so
For the second year in a row now, my boss wrote a check for an incredibly substantial amount for me to give to the family of the little girl that I mentor in Big Brothers Big Sisters. My little sis, Angelica, decided that she wanted to spend most of her portion at Hot Topic, and although I am not a fan of that store or bands like Pierce the Veil, Sleeping With Sirens, and Black Veil Brides, I kept reminding myself that at least I have saved another innocent child from falling victim to the evils of gangsta rap... She even considers herself a fan of The Cure!!!
One item that she really wanted was a pair of Airwalk sneakers. We were able to locate the exact pair of black lace sneakers that she said she had wanted forever (pictured below), but she didn't believe me when I tried to explain to her that Airwalk sneakers were huge when I was her age.
She ended up with a multitude of shirts and accessories (including a pocket watch) when all was said and done, and she was a very happy little girl, indeed!!!
After I dropped her off, I took her Granny (which is actually her great-grandmother) to spend some of the money. What Granny wanted more than anything was a Timex watch that she saw at Walmart a few months ago, and it just happened to still be there.
We also purchased all of the household items that food stamps won't allow them, and she still had money left over to take care of her vehicle registration for next year.
When I got home and was putting together the PowerPoint that I send my boss and his family so that they can see all the good that they are doing, I was listening to my Pandora station, and this song by The Stranglers came on.
The ironic part is that, prior to the song coming on, I was just pondering why some people get to have so much in their lifetimes and why some people have so little... I was also thinking about how wonderful the world would be if more people who were financially blessed would be more like my boss. In a way, I think this song mirrors those thoughts a bit, but in a weird twist, as I was listening to the "...there's always the sun..." part, I realized that things are probably never going to change. Just as the sun always rises and always sets, there will always be the dividing factor of wealth and poverty in the world.
Regardless, what makes my Christmas every year is spending time with Angelica and her Granny and bringing a little bit of holiday cheer their way!!!
I'm off to make some gingerbread cookies... I hope everyone has a lovely holiday, and as your present, I'll include another one from The Stranglers, from when they initially emerged as a punk band, called "Get A Grip (On Yourself)"...
How many times have you woken up
And prayed for the rain?
How many times have you seen
The papers apportion the blame?
Who gets to say?
Who gets the work and who gets to play?
I was always told at school
Everybody should get the same
How many times have you been told
If you don't ask you don't get?
How many liars have taken your money
Your mother said you shouldn't bet?
Who has the fun?
Is it always the man with the gun?
Someone must have told him
If you work too hard you can sweat
There's always the sun
There's always the sun
Always, always, always the sun
How many times have the weathermen told you
Stories that made you laugh?
You know it's not unlike the politician
And the leaders when they do things by half
But who gets the job
Of pushing the knob?
That sort of responsibility
You draw straws for if you're mad enough
There's always the sun
There's always the sun
Always, always, always the sun
There's always the sun
There's always the sun
Always, always, always the sun
There's always the sun
There's always the sun
Always, always, always the sun
Always the sun
Always the sun
There's always the sun
There's always the sun
Always, always, always the sun
There's always the sun
There's always the sun
Always, always, always the sun
Oh, Brian Setzer, how I adore thee so... from your perfectly pomaded pompadour to your black and white Creepers to your sweet little tale about how you have loved "the Rockabilly" ever since you were a young boy playing your guitar in your bedroom late at night to your even sweeter tale about how you played today's song one last time on your Gretsch guitar before they took it from you wearing white gloves to place it in The Smithsonian... you, fine sir, are the epitome of male debonair Rockabilly perfection!!!
Now you, my dearest blogland readers, might remember me mentioning for the past two years that I had been wanting to catch The Brian Setzer Orchestra - Christmas Rocks Extravaganza! However, for the past two years, it has been held at the Allen Events Center in Allen, TX, and on a Sunday night. This year, Mr. Setzer decided to move it to the Winspear Opera House and on a Saturday night. Therefore, I could not pass it up! Below is my pathetic excuse for a ticket stub... (don't even get me started on that):
While the majority of the songs were Christmas-themed, they did play "Stray Cat Strut", "Rock This Town", "(She's) Sexy + 17", and "Jump, Jive An' Wail"; so I will include those today. However, one of my favorites by Stray Cats is "Bring It Back Again", and I'm adding that one, as well. Last, but not least, since I already posted my favorite holiday tune by The Brian Setzer Orchestra, "In the Mood", during one of my Holiday Tunes week, today I'll share "Angels We Have Heard On High"...
I'll also include a few pages from the CD liner notes of their Greatest Hits album that gives a bit of their background... Enjoy!!!
Black and orange stray cat sittin' on a fence
I ain't got enough dough to pay the rent
I'm flat broke but I don't care
I strut right by with my tail in the air
Stray cat strut, well, I'm a ladies cat
I'm a feline Casanova, hey man that's that
Get a shoe thrown at me from a mean old man
Get my dinner from a garbage can
Don't go crossing my path
Well, I don't bother chasing mice around
Well, I'm slinkin' down the alleyway looking for a fight
Howling to the moonlight on a hot summer night
Singin' the blues while the lady cats cry
"Wild stray cat, you're a real gone guy"
I wish I could be as carefree and wild
But I got cat class and I got cat style
I don't bother chasing mice around
I'm slinkin' down the alleyway looking for a fight
Howling to the moonlight on a hot summer night
Singin' the blues while the lady cats cry
"Wild stray cat, you're a real gone guy"
I wish I could be as carefree and wild
I got cat class and I got cat style
I met my mother for breakfast at La Madeleine at 7:00 am. I enjoyed their Eggs Benedict, while my mother indulged in a Strawberry Crepe. As we were catching up, I explained to my mother that the biggest challenge in my life, at the moment, is nothing more than loneliness. In all honesty, it is something that I have battled for as long as I can remember.
I also believe in that theory that, until one masters a recurring problem in his or her life, the same problem will continue to manifest itself over and over until it is ultimately resolved. I am one of those
individuals who has the uncanny ability to feel completely alone even
while (actually, especially while) surrounded by a room full of people. I
have also often felt completely alone while in long term romantic relationships. Despite knowing this, my natural inclination would typically be to find another romantic relationship on which to embark, in essence, to help me avoid my feelings, not because it is what I really want or even what I am looking for at the moment.
So being at a crossroads in my life, where I can revert to my past methods (which obviously have not worked for me) or where I can try something new to cure my loneliness, I have decided to face it head on and all alone this time around. I know now that there is not another human being in this world who can take away the loneliness or who can create the happiness and peace of mind for which I have been searching for what feels like an eternity. The loneliness is something that I must take away myself, and the happiness and peace of mind are things that I must create for myself. Interestingly enough, the more time I spend alone, the more glimpses I get of what it is I am hoping to accomplish.
So to celebrate my most recent revelation, I am going to share a little gem by The Mighty Lemon Drops called "Inside Out", as well as another tune that I also like by them called "My Biggest Thrill"...
Waiting for the last train
Standing in the pouring rain
Thinking, wishing, hoping
that you'll never feel the same again
Lying wide awake at night
Sleeping in the morning light
Doing all these things although
I shouldn't be ashamed of them
You can't stop my heart from turning inside out
Try to stop my world from turning inside out
Clutching on the last straw
Seeing things I've never saw
Must be time I fell
Down to a place I didn't know too well
Waiting for the last train
Standing in the pouring rain
Although I'm starting to break this spell
I know I haven't got a hope in Hell
You can't stop my heart from turning inside out
Try to stop my world from turning inside out
When you've called it a day
You've had things your own way
I guess it's fair to say
I'm gonna make you pay
(Didn't get a chance
Wished inside
Holding on until you draw the line
One step forward
Two steps back
And you're gone, gone)
Waiting for the last train
Standing in the pouring rain
Lying wide awake at night
Sleeping in the morning light
You can't stop my heart from turning inside out Try to stop my world from turning inside out
You can't stop my heart from turning inside out
Try and stop my world from turning inside out
For the second year in a row now, my family has decided to postpone our Thanksgiving celebration until Friday, instead of Thursday, and for the second year in a row now, the person whom we were most accommodating chose not to show up.
So while everyone else was enjoying their turkey meal on Thursday (i.e., "Thanksgiving Day"), I had a VCR-fest instead. Before I get into the details of VCR-fest, I will take this opportunity to say that I miss the stability that I had growing up when I always knew that Thanksgiving would be on Thanksgiving and that Christmas would be on either December 24th or 25th (and if you made it to these celebrations, well fantastic, and if you didn't make it, then you missed out; it seems that everyone eventually figured out a way to make it when they realized that plans were not going to be switched around for them). However, since I don't have a spouse and/or child, I suppose that I don't get much of a say in the matter.
Anyhow, I dusted off my VHS tapes and embarked on some film watching. I started off with Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, followed by Reality Bites, followed by Say Anything, and wrapped up things with Girl, Interrupted.
I guess I never realized what a decent soundtrack Girl, Interrupted actually had. If you recall, at the time the film was released, I was still in my uber-goth phase. However, as I watched the film last Thursday, I realized that a lot of the tunes aren't half bad.
If you get a chance to read the book, I strongly suggest that you do so. It was from the book that I learned that Sylvia Plath was at the very same psychiatric hospital as Susanna Kaysen. I'll include the back cover for you:
In addition to "Downtown" by Petula Clark, I am also including "Angel of the Morning" by Merrilee Rush and the Turnabouts... I always thought that was a Juice Newton song.
When you're alone and life is making you lonely
You can always go downtown
When you've got worries, all the noise and the hurry
Seems to help, I know, downtown
Just listen to the music of the traffic in the city
Linger on the sidewalk where the neon signs are pretty
How can you lose?
The lights are much brighter there
You can forget all your troubles, forget all your cares
So go downtown
Things will be great when you're downtown
No finer place for sure, downtown
Everything's waiting for you
Don't hang around and let your problems surround you
There are movie shows downtown
Maybe you know some little places to go to
Where they never close downtown
Just listen to the rhythm of a gentle Bossa Nova
You'll be dancing with 'em too before the night is over
Happy again
The lights are much brighter there
You can forget all your troubles, forget all your cares
So go downtown
Where all the lights are bright, downtown
Waiting for you tonight, downtown
You're gonna be alright now, downtown
Downtown
Downtown
And you may find somebody kind to help and understand you
Someone who is just like you and needs a gentle hand to
Guide them along
So maybe I'll see you there
We can forget all our troubles, forget all our cares
So go downtown
Things will be great when you're downtown
Don't wait a minute more, downtown
Everything is waiting for you, downtown
Even though Social Distortion has been around forever, it wasn't really until much later that I actually decided to check out their tunes. However, when I finally fell for them, I fell for them hardcore! Yummy... Mike Ness!!!
So, when I was teaching, seeing as though it was a Catholic school, the principal made a feeble attempt, at one point, to get the staff to wear uniform shirts. Every time I put on that lame uniform shirt with the school's logo embroidered on, I could not help but think about how awesome it would look if I could just sew a band patch over it. Upon quitting, I did just that... I sewed my beloved Social Distortion patch on...
Social Distortion recently stopped by the Gas Monkey Bar N Grill in Dallas, but sadly, I did not make it out. In fact, for as many times as they have been through Dallas, I have yet to see them play live.
Today, I will include a few of my favorites (that are not necessarily considered their hits) called "Don't Drag Me Down" and "Under My Thumb" (Rolling Stones cover). I will also include "Making Believe" and "Cold Feelings", but make sure you also check out the rest of their stuff because they are amazing!!!
Children are taught to hate
Parents just couldn't wait
Some are rich and some are poor
Others will just suffer more
Have you ever been ashamed
And felt society try to keep you down, I begin to watch things change
And see them turn around
Turn around
They'll try to keep you down
Turn around [x2]
Don't drag me down
Ignorance is like a gun in hand
Reach out to the promised land
Your history books are full of lies
Media-blitz gonna dry your eyes
Have you ever been afraid
And felt society try to keep you down, I begin to watch things change
And see them turn around
Turn around
They'll try to keep you down
Turn around [x2]
Don't drag me down
Ignorance is like a gun in hand, reach out to the promised land
Your history books
Are full of lies, media-blitz gonna dry your eyes
You're eighteen
Wanna be a man
Your granddaddy's in
The Klu Klux Klan
Taking two steps forward
And four steps back
Gonna go to the White House
And paint it black [x2] Turn around
They'll try to keep you down
Turn around [x2]
Don't drag me
Down
So I have been making a conscious effort to get myself out of the house on the weekends. I don't want to look back on my life one day and regret that I did not take full advantage of opportunities to be a part of the human race, even if I can honestly say that I absolutely despise at least 75% (possibly more) of the human race.
Therefore, I planned a little trip out to Grapevine Mills Mall, an outlet mall that housed a coffee shop where I worked for a few years in college. I have mentioned it in other posts. It was called Torrefazione Italia, and it was inside the Virgin Megastore.
I bundled up tightly since it is ridiculously cold in Dallas right now, and I made my way out to Grapevine. Everything was going well until traffic came to a complete stop. Then I realized that everyone in the lane in which I was traveling was also headed to Grapevine Mills Mall (or at least the general vicinity of said mall).
Since I drove to that mall almost daily for approximately two years, I knew that we were at least a mile or more away in standstill traffic. I also knew that I had to make a snap decision because there was only one more exit before I was stuck in that nonsense of a mess for good.
Needless to say, I did not make it to Grapevine Mills Mall, but I did enjoy a delicious bowl of Tomato Basil Soup and a Chocolate Eclair from a nearby La Madeleine on my way back to Dallas. I was also inspired to try my hand at making some of my very own Tomato Basil Soup from a mock recipe that I found online.
While cooking and listening to Pandora, this very song came on, and I realized that Matchbox Twenty was yet another phenomenal band that I did not appreciate near enough while in my "I'm-so-goth-and-sad" days. Therefore, I will share not only "Unwell" but also a few of their other tunes that I like called "If You're Gone", "3AM", and "How Far We've Come". Oh, and the soup is still not quite ready, so I'll have to tell you how it turns out some other time...
All day staring at the ceiling
Making friends with shadows on my wall
All night hearing voices telling me
That I should get some sleep
Because tomorrow might be good for something
Hold on
Feeling like I'm headed for a breakdown
And I don't know why
[Chorus]
But I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell
I know right now you can't tell
But stay awhile and maybe then you'll see
A different side of me
I'm not crazy, I'm just a little impaired
I know right now you don't care
But soon enough you're gonna think of me
And how I used to be...me
I'm talking to myself in public
Dodging glances on the train
And I know, I know they've all been talking about me
I can hear them whisper
And it makes me think there must be something wrong with me
Out of all the hours thinking
Somehow I've lost my mind
[Chorus]
But I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell
I know right now you can't tell
But stay awhile and maybe then you'll see
A different side of me
I'm not crazy, I'm just a little impaired
I know right now you don't care
But soon enough you're gonna think of me
And how I used to be
I've been talking in my sleep
Pretty soon they'll come to get me
Yeah, they're taking me away
[Chorus]
But I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell
I know right now you can't tell
But stay awhile and maybe then you'll see
A different side of me
I'm not crazy, I'm just a little impaired
I know right now you don't care
But soon enough you're gonna think of me
And how I used to be
Yeah, how I used to be
How I used to be
Well, I'm just a little unwell
How I used to be
How I used to be
I'm just a little unwell
So, I just returned from the Kimbell Art Museum, where the latest exhibit is Faces of Impressionism: Portraits from the Musee d'Orsay:
And although I am nearly brought to tears by the overwhelming beauty and vibrant colors of the large pieces at any Impressionist exhibit, it is always a smaller piece that seems to strike me the most.
The piece to which I kept returning this time was by Pierre-Auguste Renoir called The Reader:
(Yes, that is an over-priced $5.00 magnet that I purchased from the gift shop.)
I just can't understand why most of society despises reading, and Renoir found such beauty in the exact same activity to the point that he captured it using oil on canvas and such breathtaking brushstrokes.
And no joke, as a side note, as I turned the corner, I came face-to-face with the client who not too long ago had the nerve to ask me in a meeting why I wasn't married. I responded: "Well, ma'am, I just haven't found anyone with whom I'd like to establish community property." This time, she asked me if I had ever had the pleasure of going to the Musee d'Orsay in Paris. I just responded,"No"...(because I did not think it would be appropriate to remind her that not everyone has $7 million in the bank.)
So, on my drive home from Fort Worth, as I was listening to 1st Wave, I thought that it would be a fabulous time to post "Words" by Missing Persons.
You might recall from my post about A Flock of Seagulls that I had the opportunity to see Missing Persons at Eden 2000 in Dallas back in the '90s. Today, I will also include another one of my favorites called "Destination Unknown"...
Do you hear me?
Do you care?
Do you hear me?
Do you care?
My lips are moving and the sound's coming out
The words are audible but I have my doubts
That you realize what has been said
You look at me as if you're in a daze
It's like the feeling at the end of the page
When you realize you don't know what you just read
What are words for
When no one listens anymore
What are words for
When no one listens
What are words for
When no one listens
There's no use talking at all
I might as well go up and talk to a wall
'Cause all the words are having no effect at all
It's a funny thing, am I all alone?
Something has to happen to change the direction
What little filters though is giving you the wrong impression
It's a sorry state, I say to myself
What are words for
When no one listens anymore
What are words for
When no one listens
What are words for
When no one listens
There's no use talking at all
Do you hear me?
Do you care?
Do you hear me?
Do you care?
Let me get by over your dead body
Hope to see you soon, when will I know?
Doors three feet wide with no locks open
Walking always backwards in the faces of strangers
Time could be my friend
But it's less than nowhere now, it's less than nowhere now
It's less than nowhere now, nowhere now
Pursue it any further and another thing you'll find
Not only are they deaf and dumb they could be going blind
Dearest Psychedelic Furs: I would like to apologize on behalf of Dallas, Texas, for their incredibly lame behavior at your amazing concert on Friday, October 31st. Please know that I attempted, on numerous occasions, to stand up in the balcony and dance to your splendid tunes, only to be completely horrified as I turned around to death glares from the people still seated on their fat asses in the rows behind me. I was pleased to see that I made it into your Facebook photo (pictured below), and you can even tell that I am literally on the edge of my seat, attempting to show my appreciation for your influence on my formative years, as I am up against the railing and not even aligned with the people next to me. I did finally get to dance to your encore songs, "Pretty in Pink" and "India", but that was only because most of the haters behind me left before you came back out for the encore. If you ever come to House of Blues again, I will make sure to get a general admission ticket and not a balcony seat, so that I can fully express my deepest adoration for you!!! Sincerely, Anastasia M. Ummmmmm, so yes, the concert was phenomenal, but the crowd was embarrassing. I have seen more lively behaviors from attendees at geriatric festivities!!! I even heard a couple, while we were leaving the show, state the following: "I don't understand why anyone would purchase a seat if they want to get up and move around during the show." Really??? Really?!?! Because the last time I checked, it's not unheard of to stand up and move around at a concert, you sadly oblivious and mis-informed concert-goers!!! Anyhow, today, I am going to share with you one of the tunes they played called "Run and Run". I am also including a clip that I found on Youtube of their opening number, "President Gas", and you can even see for yourself how completely dead the crowd was that evening. And check out who is on the synthesizers... that's Amanda Kramer from Information Society (I posted about them a few weeks ago)!
(From The Psychedelic Furs Facebook page: My mom and I are circled in red in the photo.)
Go on get Tarzan, go on get Jane
Go on get Superman, get Lois Lane
Hamburger Mary, she's got a gun
Nothing goes on all the time and she thinks it's fun
Come on run run run run away
Come on run away
Come on run run run run away
Come on run away
Doorbell plays Beethoven, I open the door
Yesterday's there and I fall on the floor
Practicing makeup, she laughs at us all
Hey look at you, she's seen it all before
Come on run run run run away
Come on run away
Come on run run run run away
Come on run away
Come on run run run run away
Come on run away
Come on run run run run away
Come on run away
I'm having this party, so come now, please
It's an open house girl but no games with keys
No jokes in blank humor, lines in blank verse
It couldn't get much worse
There's heroes and villains, Ma B and her boys
Doing the twist, dancing with toys
I've been waiting all night for someone like you
But you'll have to do, I've been waiting all night
So it's that time of year again... time for my birthday! It's tomorrow (October 27th) actually. I'll be 37-years-old. I'm not exactly sure what I imagined my life to be like at 37 whenever I was a child. Honestly, I was always convinced that I was going to die young in some kind of tragic accident; so, I never really pondered what my middle life would entail. However, I don't think I could have planned it any better for myself even if I had tried. Seriously, I have never felt so comfortable with myself and so pleased to be alive. Part of my contentment, I believe, is that I never fell victim to societal pressures to unite with another human being and procreate. In fact, I think wedding vows are completely laughable. C'mon now, you really think you can promise to love, honor, and cherish another human being forever, no matter what the circumstances?!?! I could definitely promise to love someone tomorrow, maybe even next week, possibly even next month or next year. However, I would never parade myself in front of God and everyone close to me (in a fluffy white dress, mind you) and make such a bold-faced lie and then even go so far as to invite the law into my relationship to dictate to me what's going to happen if things don't quite go as planned!! (What do you think a marriage license is folks??? It's very much your invitation to the law!) Ummmmm, thanks, but no thanks... I think I'll pass!!! I appreciate the fact that people can come and go from my life and I from theirs. I think it's so refreshing to serve a purpose in others' lives and them in mine for whatever length of time feels comfortable and then to let one another go. I guess I'm just single at heart, and it doesn't frighten me the way it does other people. I enjoy the thought of being able to do whatever I want whenever I want... now that's what I call living!!! So maybe my idea of life at 37 is a bit radical for some of you, but it works for me. And if this is 37, I can soooooooo do this!!!
That, my lovely blogland readers, is a four-layer Red Velvet Cake that my dearest friend, Cecilia, whom I have known since I was four-years-old purchased for me to enjoy, after she stuffed me full of crab legs and shrimp!!! Soooooo yummy! She even let me sit on her fancy leather couch that gives you a full body massage while I was eating my slice of cake.
Today, I'm going to share some songs by The Sugarcubes with you. In addition to "Birthday" (which I am fully aware is not actually about birthdays), I'll also include "Hit" and "Walkabout". And yes, Bjork has some other fabulous songs, but I will cover her solo career at a later point in time.
She lives in this house over there
Has her world outside it
Scrapples in the earth with her fingers and her mouth
