Red meat

Ever seen a 15 lb. burger before? Here it is in all its glory. They served it to us on a silver pizza platter. You can get your own burger in Clearfiled, PA at a joint called Denny's Beer Barrel Pub. You can check them out on the web here: http://www.dennysbeerbarrelpub.com/

Odd habits...

You may not know this, but I visit the Erie cemetery pretty frequently when the weather permits. I don't know anybody buried there, but I love to walk my dog there. Picture this, blonde girl+dog+mp3 player+very loud singing. Strange, I know. Usually I don't get caught singing, at least not that I know of. I have almost been run over a few times though. You would think a speed limit of 15 mph would alleviate any danger, but it doesn't. Ok, now to make it just a little stranger, I like to take photos of said cemetery. Yes, tombstones people. And not of anyone I know, although I think it would be EVEN WEIRDER (if that's possible at this point) if I knew the people in the graves.

LOL, honk snort...

I am now addicted to this Ifilm site. I highly suggest you follow this link and check out a few of these TV clips. DO IT!!

http://www.ifilm.com/tvclips/collection/newsandweather

Make sure you watch:

"Old lady Flashes reporter" and "Best Weatherman ever"

Ramblings

Well tonite's the night. Sopranos is back. What's it been? About 14 years? Feels it. I almost ruined it for myself. Apparently, HBO accidentally posted a recap of the entire episode before it even aired! I went to the site like a crazed maniac and read the first sentence, and by some force within that I conjured up I looked away and left the site. First epsiode, UNTAINTED BY ME.

This day has been a total waste for me, hungover like I haven't been in, well at least a couple of weeks. I'm too old for this shit, seriously. I don't bounce back the way I used to. I laid in bed for over 6 hours today and caught up with the TIVO action. Four episodes of "Boston Legal" that I've been stockpiling for just such an occasion. I always forget how much I like that show until I am watching it. I always had the hots for James Spader among many other 80's guys, eh hem Robert Downey jr. . Still hot even after years of tokin' the crack pipe.

So, you may be wondering what's up with the poem in my last post? I am not a big fan of poetry. Yeah it's true. I love to read, but poetry was never my thing. But I've been in this mood lately, I'm taking a class on Existentialism, and no, not because I'm into self mutilation, but because these things just fascinate the shit out of me. If you aren't familiar with Existentialism, in a nutshell, it's the Philosophy that deals with themes such as existence, and what it means to be a rational thinking being. Most people look at it as depressing, but I find it actually to be quite liberating and even cathartic. I know, suit me up for the straightjacket. Hence, the poem.

Poem from Class

Fatality

The tree is happy because it is scarcely sentient;

the hard rock is happier still, it feels nothing:

there is no pain as great as being alive,

no burden heavier than that of conscious life.

To be, and to know nothing, and to lack a way,

and the dread of having been, and future terrors...

And the sure terror of being dead tomorrow,

and to suffer all through life and through darkness,

and through what we do no know and hardly suspect...

And the flesh that tempts us with bunches of cool grapes,

and the tomb that awaits us with its funeral sprays,

and not to know where we go,

nor whence we came!...

Ruben Dario

In my playlist

"In the Sun" Michael Stipe and Chris Martin

"Monkey Man" The Rolling Stones

"Cowboys are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other" Willie Nelson

"Sample in a Jar" Phish

"Dance Hall Days" Wang Chung

"Maybe Tomorrow" Stereophonics

"The Humpty Dance" DIgital Underground

"I Love this Bar" Tony Keith

"Gin and Juice" Live cover by Dave Matthews and Blues Traveler AWESOME!!!

"Closer to Fine" Indigo Girls

"Blister in the Sun" Violent Femmes

"Luxurious" Gwen Stefani

"Golddigger" Kanye West

"Beverly Hills" Weezer

"The Trapeze Swinger" Iron and Wine.

Daydreaming...

Some things I wish were still around...

Pepsi in the long, tall bottle.

WKRP in Cincinatti.

My grandfather. Both of them.

My first car.

Leaves.

My best friend from first grade.

My best friend from 9th grade.

The tiki bar in Daytona beach. Hurricane Charlie took it.

That receipt from Target I lost last week!!!

Let's Shake it up a bit

Today, South Dakota governor Mike Rounds signed a bill that would make almost any abortion in that state illegal, directly opposing the Roe v. Wade decision from way back in 1973. Now me, myself, I am opposed to abortion in just about every case. In fact there are only a few reasons I can think of where abortion would be the alternate choice for anyone given that decision. With that said, I find myself feeling slightly uneasy about the events happening in South Dakota. A quote from MSN reads:

"In the history of the world, the true test of a civilization is how well people treat the most vulnerable and most helpless in their society. The sponsors and supporters of this bill believe that abortion is wrong because unborn children are the most vulnerable and most helpless persons in our society. I agree with them," governor Rounds said in the statement.

I can't help but feel his words really haven't hit the true heart of the matter. I do believe unborn children need protection, but don't the BORN children of poverty and abuse who grow into unwed teenage parents also deserve some protection? Or at least a little understanding? Are these children provided with the best tools to avoid the need for an abortion decision later on? I know what you're thinking, I am starting to sound a little pro-choice here, but I can't help but think we as a society have failed the next generation. Let's scream from mountaintops about saving unborn babies while the number of children living in poverty steadily climbs every year. These kids have no shot in this life. And when I say no shot, I mean I know a few will pull themselves up by the proverbial bootstraps, but mostly that is just the stuff afterschool specials are made of. Children raised in abuse and poverty are likely to raise children in abuse and poverty.

The bill Gov. Rounds signed today bans almost every kind of abortion except in the case where the mother's health is at risk, but it leaves no room for a rape victim who becomes pregnant to salvage her mental health. I think it's probably pretty easy for Gov. Rounds, SD State grad, to look down his nose at a society, who weren't given as many opportunities as he has had, and decide which of society's members are the most "vulnerable and helpless".

Digit

I could have eaten this thinking it was a sprinkle.

Rested

This weekend has been wonderful. Mostly, I am useless most weekends because I stay out too late and drink way too many brews. But I abstained all weekend long, and aside from the shaking, twitching and night sweats, it's actually been kinda refreshing. Not to mention, class started back up again yesterday. And 8:30 is mighty early for a Saturday morning, but I find that If I'm a good girl on Friday night, I am actually pretty productive on Saturdays.

Friday was particularly great, Anthony was away at camp for the night and I made plans with myself to grab some sushi and hold the remote control ALL NIGHT LONG. No interruptions for crappy HGTV or any other home improvement shows, just good old TIVO action, trying to catch up on shows I have had saved for over 3 weeks.

As I mentioned before, I did the sushi thing on Friday night. Now, most people turn their nose up when they hear the word sushi, but I gotta tell ya, it's my new obsession. My cousin got me to try it in December and ever since I have had a steady diet of it, at least twice a week. Now, I haven't graduated to the actual raw fish variety of sushi. No, I partake in the chicken or shrimp variety and as far as I know, it's probably illegal to serve that up raw. I urge people who are turned off because of the raw thing to give it a try. I buy it directly from Wegmann's.

The Academy Awards are tonight, I am usually not one to watch the entire thing but I just may watch tonight. Jon Stewart is always good and I am actually rooting for "Crash" to take home the big awards and give a good old bitch slap to a couple of cowboys. I thought "Crash" was excellent and a good comeback story for a cool 80's actor, Matt Dillon (Dally to those of you who are old enough to remember 'The Outsiders').