Make a list of your own

E had this link on her blog and I decided to play along. The ones in plain text I pretty much have no opinion about. I starred the ones I never knew. E will probably be reminding me that some of my starred songs I actually just don't remember.

One final point, the list is fucked because number 100 should certainly be number 1.

-Underline and bold your favorites
-Bold the ones you like
-Strikethru the ones you loathe (these would make terrific torture devices)
-Italicize the ones you consider to be guilty pleasures
-Leave as plain text, any you can’t remember or never knew

1. Physical, Olivia Newton-John
2. Eye Of The Tiger, Survivor
3. I Love Rock N' Roll, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts
4. Ebony And Ivory, Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder
5. Centerfold, J. Geils Band
6. Don't You Want Me, Human League
7. Jack And Diane, John Cougar
8. Hurts So Good, John Cougar
9. Abracadabra, Steve Miller Band
10. Hard To Say I'm Sorry, Chicago
11. Tainted Love, Soft Cell
**12. Chariots Of Fire, Vangelis
13. Harden My Heart, Quarterflash
14. Rosanna, Toto
15. I Can't Go For That, Daryl Hall and John Oates
16. 867-5309 (Jenny), Tommy Tutone
**17. Key Largo, Bertie Higgins
18. You Should Hear How She Talks About You, Melissa Manchester
19. Waiting For A Girl Like You, Foreigner (if I only knew then what I know now)
20. Don't Talk To Strangers, Rick Springfield(just because it's RS)
** 21. The Sweetest Thing, Juice Newton
22. Always On My Mind, Willie Nelson (Michael's mother luuuuved her some Willie Nelson and at the time I really hated this song though I like it well enough now)
23. Shake It Up, Cars
24. Let It Whip, Dazz Band
25. We Got The Beat, Go-Go's
** 26. The Other Woman, Ray Parker Jr.
27. Turn Your Love Around, George Benson
**28. Sweet Dreams, Air Supply
29. Only The Lonely, Motels
30. Who Can It Be Now?, Men At Work
31. Hold Me, Fleetwood Mac
32. Eye In The Sky, Alan Parsons Project
33. Let's Groove, Earth, Wind and Fire
34. Open Arms, Journey (at the time, yes, it was the prom theme, of course)
35. Leader Of The Band, Dan Fogelberg
36. Leather And Lace, Stevie Nicks and Don Henley
37. Even The Nights Are Better, Air Supply
38. I've Never Been To Me, Charlene
39. '65 Love Affair, Paul Davis
40. Heat Of The Moment, Asia
**41. Take It Easy On Me, Little River Band
**42. Pac-man Fever, Buckner and Garcia
43. That Girl, Stevie Wonder
44. Private Eyes, Daryl Hall and John Oates
**45. Trouble, Lindsey Buckingham
**46. Making Love, Roberta Flack
**47. Love's Been A Little Bit Hard On Me, Juice Newton
** 48. Young Turks, Rod Stewart
49. Freeze-frame, J. Geils Band
50. Keep The Fire Burnin', REO Speedwagon
51. Do You Believe In Love, Huey Lewis and The News
52. Cool Night, Paul Davis
53. Caught Up In You, 38 Special
**54. Why Do Fools Fall In Love?, Diana Ross
55. Love In The First Degree, Alabama
**56. Hooked On Classics, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
57. Wasted On The Way, Crosby, Stills and Nash
58. Think I'm In Love, Eddie Money
**59. Love Is In Control, Donna Summer
60. Personally, Karla Bonoff
61. One Hundred Ways, Quincy Jones
62. Blue Eyes, Elton John
63. Our Lips Are Sealed, Go-Go's
**64. You Could Have Been Wih Me, Sheena Easton
65. You Can Do Magic, America
66. Did It In A Minute, Daryl Hall and John Oates
67. I Ran, A Flock Of Seagulls
68. Somebody's Baby, Jackson Browne
**69. Oh No, Commodores
**70. Take It Away, Paul McCartney
**71. It's Gonna Take A Miracle, Deneice Williams
**72. Love Will Turn You Around, Kenny Rogers
73. Don't Stop Bellevin', Journey
74. Comin' In And Out Of Your Life, Barbra Streisand
75. Gloria, Laura Branigan
76. Empty Garden, Elton John
**77. Yesterday's Songs, Neil Diamond
78. Crimson And Clover, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts
79. Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic, Police
80. Here I Am, Air Supply
81. I Keep Forgettin', Michael Mcdonald
82. Get Down On It, Kool and The Gang
**83. Any Day Now, Ronnie Milsap
84. Make A Move On Me, Olivia Newton-John
**85. Take My Heart, Kool and The Gang
**86. Mirror Mirror, Diana Ross
87. Vacation, Go-Go's
88. (Oh) Pretty Woman, Van Halen
**89. Should I Do It, Pointer Sisters
90. Hot In The City, Billy Idol
**91. Kids In America, Kim Wilde (I know this song now as the 80's band we go see played it recently. If I knew it then I would have to strike through)
**92. Man On Your Mind, Little River Band
**93. What's Forever For, Michael Murphy
94. Waiting On A Friend, Rolling Stones
95. Do I Do, Stevie Wonder
96. Working For The Weekend, Loverboy
**97. Goin' Down, Greg Guidry
98. Arthur's Theme, Christopher Cross
99. Through The Years, Kenny Rogers
100. Edge Of Seventeen, Stevie Nicks (Can you say karaoke?)

note to self

k1, p1 k 2 rows

Inspiration strikes at 2AM

So Sawyer had to bark at something about an hour ago. This woke Lilli Munster up and I took her out to pee. It was immediately evident that she was not going back to sleep anytime soon, so I decided to begin a memoir entry inspired by seeing the carnival lights on the way home last night. I had not really thought about any of this in about 20 years. Maybe 25 years. Maybe.

The following is the first draft of 'Carnival".


The Carnival

As I drive home from work at night, I hit an overpass once I have gone from 59 to the Beltway that allows the night sky to become animated with uncommon color. There are flashing bulbs of every color and design matched only by fireworks. I love the lights of the carnival in the night sky. I love the carnival at night.

when I was 16 or 17, I went for a girls night out with my best friends at that time. I think there might have been 5 of us piled into Colleen's Maverick, Colleen, Tina, Eileen, Paula and myself. It was the end of summer and we were out to just have a grand old time. Someone had procured a couple of eight packs of Miller light ponies, and we were on our way to the county annual carnival by dusk.

I remember the five of us actually all fitting in the seat on the Tilt-a-Whirl together. It was a celebration of sorts because Eileen had finally relented and accepted me into the group of locals. I don't remember the five of us being exclusively social before this time. We were a pack of local girls out for the first time with none of the boy/friend regulars, also part of our group. It truly was unique to be out doing something with none of the boys figuring out where we were and just showing up.

There were mass quantities of cotton candy, funnel cakes, corn dogs and let's not forget, beer. Someone's cousin was working the beer concession so of course, there was more to drink than what we had on the way there. We stopped on the side of the road as soon as the night sky was filled with the lights of the carnival rides to drink the rest of our beer stash and dispose of the empties before unleashing ourselves for our night of fun. It was also the night of my first and only drunken tattoo.

As we took a break from the rides to stroll around and cruise for hot guys, someone suggested we play some carnival games. We went booth to booth and threw darts at balloons to win posters, played ring toss to win goldfish, and the best of all, thew softballs for records. I remember someone bringing home Steve Miller Band and someone else scoring Fleetwood Mac. After a fresh round of beers, we came across the tattoo tent.

The tattoo itself wasn't a bad choice . I got it on my left shoulder and it was about 4 inches high. There was a tiger and a sash across it where in my drunkenness, I took everyone's suggestion to heart and I put my boyfriend Michael's name boldly in black scripted letters. The tiger itself was vivid orange striped with black and behind the tiger was a red heart. Then the sash saying Michael. It really was stunning and I felt like such a rebellious bad girl. Truly one of the group for the first time. This was followed by more alcohol, more food, and more riding in the sea of colored lights. It really is one of my fondest memories of that era.

The next morning, I got up as usual and had campground chores to do. First there was the bathrooms, then the firepits and trash, then lifeguard duty for the bulk of the day. It was the lifeguarding where the drunken tattoo became a questionable choice. As my father finished cleaning the pool, He and I passed through the pool gate and I still had a hooded sweatshirt on over my bathing suit. I really was not consciously trying to cover the tattoo, I truly hadn't given it a thought since waking up that morning.

Michael and his dad returned from fishing and hit the pool at about 2 in the afternoon. I had been lazing around sunning for a bit and chatting it up with Stephan, one of our summer residents and a good friend and confidant. Stephan was a couple of years older and he and I developed a thick sibling like bond almost instantly when we first met the summer before. He asked about the new ink and for the first time that day my eyes went to my shoulder. Shit. I had been parading about all day without a clue. I touched it gently and instantly had the memory of the ink flowing off the artist's brush onto my skin. Yes, brush, not needle. Thank God it was fake.

So Michael and his dad came in for a dip. As soon as Mr. Wheeler swam the length of the pool, he got out of the water, dried off and told us kids to have fun while he went in search of a cold one. I knew he was also in search of my dad for some bullshitting. It was after fishing ritual. What didn't occur to me was that he had taken notice of my tattoo.

Not five minutes after Mr Wheeler's exit, I hear my dad on the speaker in the tree. "Inside, now" was all he said.

Out of the pool, towel around my waist, hoodie back on, I ran across the parking lot to the office.

"Let me see it." I had never really seen my dad pissed off. Certainly not at me. If steam could have blown out his ears, he would have looked like many a cartoon venting frustration. I really was puzzled as to what he was talking about. This only infuriated him more as he yanked me into the back room. "The tattoo."

I told him it was fake. He wasn't hearing that at all. He wanted to see it and he wanted to see it immediately. My hoodie was off in a flash. My dad touched my arm. At that point I thought he was ready to beat my ass, something that had never in my lifetime happened. He was reaching for the first aid kit and he rummaged through it for something. Finally he comes out with an alcohol wipe. I knew this would take the tattoo off, and Michael who was still at the pool had.t seen it yet.

I got my dad to give me the wipe and I proceeded to take off the tip of the tiger's tail to prove to him it was fake. My dad was instantly relieved and I was again his little girl. "Go" was all he said.

Mr. Wheeler was sitting at the counter drinking his coke and chuckling as I ran out the office door. I shed my hoodie and towel as I went through the gate and dove into the pool and came up in the deep end standing between Michael and Stephan. Michael and I had been a couple for about a year at that point and he had never kissed me in front of anyone. He was shy and protective. We were naive enough to think none of the adults knew and only many years later was this illusion shattered. Michael, after hearing the whole story leaned in close and hugged me. He then turned my face up to his and kissed me. I looked over his shoulder to see Stephan smiling and swimming off. Michael and I spent the rest of the afternoon sunning ourselves.

art at what risk?

I have already decided I will not be taking the risk, but the idea still begs the question. When you are driving along and you see the perfect photo to accompany a story you either will or have already written, but to take the phot would be nothing short of dangerous, do you ever take said picture?

Discuss.

Tears for what might have been

No, not for the Astros, that would not have me shedding a tear or two.

Lilli Munster shimmied her petite self under the fence.

the ug dykes have a big dog. Bigger than Sawyer anyway. Under she goes not a care in the world. Reminded me of Traveling Matt on Fraggle Rock. Off to the wilds to explore the unknown. So she was staying right out of my reach under the fence. Fucker.

Then she wanders over to the edge of the pool just out of my vision and what I can see from my peephole between the slats.
Inside, put clothes on, go knock on the ug dykes door before 9am. Not surprisingly, no answer even though both their cars are in the driveway.

So I went back inside to our back yard to see if Lilli had come to her senses and come back over from the dark side. Umm, no.

I could see her make her way from the banana palms around the pool to the other side where the big dog was. Not a peep from him and it was hysterical as he was askeered of her.All 2 pounds of her.

Back out the front door and around to the shared sideyard where the gate to the ug dykes' yard is unlocked. I lifted the latch and over trots the big dog to investigate. Still no sound from him and his tail is awagging. Lilli trots close behind. Sees me. Comes running to the crack of an opening so that the gate remains between me and the big dog. Hesitantly, Lilli comes through to be with her own clan.

Woo.

Exhausted.

New project

I know, I know... I am not even done with the retablo (barely started, really) and already there is a new project being launched.

There is an organization here in Houston called AssistHers. They provide care teams for lesbians in need. I think they are assisthers.org if you want more info. I have been crocheting up a storm and just last week on vacation, I finally took my sorry ass down to Y2E to learn how to knit. E went with me and sat and sketched a bit and all in all, it took about 45 minutes.

Anyway, the new project. I want to make throw size blankets for each client AssistHers serves. I can do this on my own and it would take forever. Or I could ask for help and people who want to participate. They have about 20 active cases at the moment. If you knit or crochet and are interested, please let me know. I think the blankets should be done in synthetic because allergies are quite often part of the illnesses dealt with.

If you don't knit or crochet but want to contribute, let me know and you can maybe send a Michael's or Hobby Lobby gift card or some yarn.

I am on a mission.

inspired *and* brilliant

Just wait until I finish my retablo. My brilliance will shine here for all toappreciate once it is done. Maybe tomorrow.

Maybe.

I have been contemplating a site at etsy.com. Anyone heard of it?

Happy Birthday Connor

He doesn't read me as far as I know, but it might be the only bday wish I get to send him today, actually on his bday. My youngest is 15 today!

I'll take immunity, thank you.

I got on the scal ethis lovely back to work Tuesday morning and it didn't budge. No drama or concern, Aunt Flo is visiting y'know, but I just don't feel like changing the template for nothing.

My retablo is stil sitting naked. I have to turn it in on Friday. I have faith in the universe.

I made a wrap from some of the ebay yarn and I have a scarf going from some of it. Then I decided to combine strands to use it to test a pattern for Donna on Crochetcille. It is for a tote bag and I am nearly finished with it. I cannot decideif I will use it or not. I will wait until I get the strap onto it to decide.

Going back to work is going to suck today. Hopefully there will have been an announcement and I can make my countdown official. I bet y'all have forgotten about the mystery countdown.

Yoga beckons.

vacation planning

E has told me it is my turn to pick for next year's major vacation. We have been talking about going to Santa Fe for some time now and I have found the perfect reason to make this my final decision. And it was even an easy sell.

Woo.
Hoo.

Im know E must be relieved to not be stuck in a beach town somewhere having to slather on enogh sunscreen to keep her ass from becoming fried. I am not sure 'enough' is even a possibility. Now she will just have to worry about some exposed areas like her face and perhaps her arms. I am so good to her.

Anyone been to this area and have any suggestions? We will be going late September/early October and likely for 2 weeks.

uh oh...

My disease has just multiplied. I have the illness times 2. We went to Yarns 2 Ewe today and I learned to cast on and knit. Then I was whipping right along and found a purl tutorial online. Then I figured out if I knit a row and then purl alternate rows, well then I have something normal sweater looking.

Woo!

Happy Birthday baby!

DSE, she is so dear and sweet.

We are getting ready to go to Yarns 2 Ewe to sit with the worker grrls and learn to knit. Woo hoooooooo.

Still processing

My creativity is still brewing. That loosely translates to my retablo is still a naked tin sitting on the workbench in the garage.

We went out this morning for a late breakfast to Cafe Artiste. We were planning a new budget in a neutral setting. It was rather productive and enlightening. Let's just say we are striving to be on a financial diet with greater success than our nutritional diet.

That doesn't mean I am dispairing or lamenting the state of my nutritional diet. It is working and on goddess time and I am losing, so no complaint. It only means that I hope for better success with the financial diet. Really it just comes to us communicating about finances in a healthy manner. Doing it together. A new breed of conceptual art.

Creative mind on overdrive.,,

It is a double edged sword for sure. I like all the creativity when it is brewing about. I don't like being less able to focus on one particular project. Specifically, the Lawndale retablo which I really need to get done this week.

I have seen it so clearly in my mind's eye but the tin is sitting out in the garage still naked and untouched.

Manana is soon enough for me...

We are just back from B & N and I was perusing a variety of books. Several were crochet books, no surprise there. I was also looking at a few on altered books and one called the collage Sourcebook. They are dizzying, really. I had a stack of five of the eight I selected to breeze through and took the easy road and selected a scarf crochet book. Of the croochet books, it was the one I would use the most. The others will be on the shelf in time.

I have a gift certificate from a paper/scrapbooking company to use, and I am thinking maybe I will start with the chalks and some letter stamps or embelishments. I can use these things in other mediums, altered books come to mind. I will decide on that after another breeze through the catalog.

We took Lilli Munster to the Bayou City Art Festival today. She is a chick magnet,

rainbow gay and grrly pink

I crafted a sling for Lilli Munster out of scraps of yarn. Really I had no idea what it was going to look like. It might be too ugly to photograph and post. But it is oh so gay and grrly. I might take Lilli out later and give it a test. One of the Yorkie books that came with her says it is important to socialize your pup early with as many people and animals as possible, so naturally we simply must take her out and about.

While sitting on the couch posting, I can look into the glass doors of the tv cabinet and see what Lilli is up too. There are a bunch of toy patterns available at Crochetville and it seems that Lilli plays most with the little scrumbles I have made for her with a scap of yarn. Cheapo homemade toys it is!

Buenos Dias

At 2 am, Nola and Sawyer decided they heard something outside. E got up and let them out, but I could hear Lilli Munster whining and wanting out too. Since I was awake anyway and I am tasked with house training her, I got up to take her outside with the others,

"yes baby, I am going out naked." I went on out and put Lilli in her spot where she promptly went pee. I took her back to the crate and she was quiet for a bit, but as I was laying in bed liistening, her whining increased. E thought it was the squeaky toy we got her, but no, it was Lilly.

I got up with her and took her outside again.

I have stayed up with her and let her crawl all over me on the couch and she just settled down onto the cushion just over my left shoulder. Nola is on the back of the cushion all the way to the left and Lilli tried to go lay with her, but Nola snapped at her. She came running back to the safety of my space.

The integration is going rather well. Sawyer only snapped at her once and that was when she thought she might get a drink from the big dogs' dish. She has gone back to it since, but he only seems to mind it when there is food in the other dish. I have kept Lilli's food and water dishes on the table so S and N don't inhale her food.She only eats about a tablespoon at a time. Yesterday I put her on the scale and the needle didn't even quiver, let alone move, so she has a delicate figure to maintain. That and the fact she is just 10 weeks.

When we were up last night, I scooped her up once she had settled and put her back into the crate and went back to bed with no trouble so I might try that again. Or I might stay up and find something to do. Vacation.

On vacation

Since I am on vacation until the 18th, I decided to respect my body's time clock and go with the flow. That means lieing in bed awake at 230 in the morning wasn't an option. Lilli is pleased to have someone to play with.

She is so sweet.

Welcome Lilli Munster!

Lilli
Originally uploaded by queenmaxine.

Certifiable. That is what e has to say. I called E and asked her if I could bring her lunch today. I suggested Jason's Deli which E agreed to and asked if I would stop at Starbucks, too. I couldnn't exactly say that might be too much to carry, so the plan was set.

I got to E's work and walked into her office with my arms full and promptly introduced e to Lilly. Love at first sight, of course.

change of plans

No knitting lessons today. Nola, please forgive me.


more later...

16 cones

My ebay package arrived today. It is 16 cones of yarn, mostly lightweight stuff, but my imagination is already spinning away the things I might be creating. Most of it is a plain light strand, but some is chenille and some boucle. There is a bit of a musty age smell, but nothing too terrible.

I am considering going to the yarn shop and beginning to learn knitting tomorrow. Maybe. T lost a tire today, so he will take E's car tomorrow and I will take her to work which gets be up nice and early on the first day of my 2 weeks off work.

"2 weeks? how much time did I approve for you?" That was what my boss had to say when I told her I would see her in 2 weeks as she was leaving for the day. Actually I am taking 5 days off which parlays into my return two weeks from today because I switched a few days around.

Woo.
Hoo.

domestic goddess

So I didn't feel like going to the store right now, but I did feel like some fresh cookies or something home baked.

I noticed right away we had about half the needed recipe for standard Toll House cc cookies. If this is the case, the cupboard is near bare, Don't dispair.

1 stick butter softened
3/8 cup sugar
3/8 cup brown sugar
capful vanilla

Cream the above ingredients together.

Mix in 1 egg.

Mix in 1 1/8 cup of flour.

spread evenly into an 8 inch square or other size cake pan you might have available.

Bake about 10 minutes at 375 degrees.

When you take it out of the oven, sprinkle whatever chocolate chips you might have over the top of the pan. Let them sit until the heat of the cookie has melted them, about 2 minutes, and then spread them over the top of the cookie like frosting.

cut into bars and consume.

yum.

yum. yum.