2008 February « Irishgoddess’s Weblog

Archive for February, 2008

What are my 10 desert island disks?

February 26, 2008 at 7:31 pm · Filed under Uncategorized

1. The Sound of Music
2. Soundtrack from Brokeback Mountain
3. Tape DTE made for our wedding (includes Tom Waits. The tape still holds up, and still makes me feel all mushy and fond of him. DTE that is, not Tom Waits.)
4. Tape DTE made that I was going to listen to when I was in labor for GMan (includes “Roly Poly” by Riders in the Sky). Love the tape, but hell no, I was NOT in the mood to listen to any music!
5. Bonnie Raitt, Luck of The Draw
6. High School Musical 2
7. Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana
8. Rolling Stones, Love You Live
9. Tape Haus Frau made for me entitled “Vicki’s Tampon Story Sounded Painfully Familiar” (includes Queen Latifah and Monie Love doing “Ladies First”, as well as this one really cool band who does this dream-sequence-type song/monologue and the lead singer is also an actress who was in a movie made in the mid to late 80’s called “The Perfect Man” I think. Wait – I love imdb – it was “Making Mr. Right” and the actress/singer is Ann Magnuson! Love the movie, love her, love the song. Oh, and the band was Bongwater. The song is “His New Look”)
10. Rolling Stones, Exile on Main Street

Now, I know some say “tapes”, but I believe my readership is at the age level where you all remember tapes. And before I end up on the island, I promise I will transfer all tapes to cds.

This is a ridiculously difficult question! When I think of 10 disks I think that I am alone on said island, and thus need to have items 3-7 strictly because they remind me of my life with my loved ones. If I had my family with me, I might instead bring:

3. Tina Turner, Private Dancer
4. Willie Nelson
5. Johnny Cash (early stuff, I think, not his God-years stuff)
6. kd lang – Absolute Torch & Twang would be my first choice
7. Lavender Jane Loves Women by Alix Dobkin
8. Chris Williamson and Meg Christian, Live at Carnegie Hall

Oops – I went one extra there. And again, 7 and 8 aren’t necessarily because music is so wonderful, but because they were very meaningful to me. Some of the music is great, and some of it makes me laugh out loud.

I know I’m missing some other very obvious artists. Lyle Lovett I would hate to be without. Oh, and I have this wonderful album made the summer of 1979 or 1980 or so from the orchestra at Interlochen that a dear friend performed on and gave to me. Mama Cass. Aretha Franklin. Bing Crosby. Celine Dion (kidding!!!). Janis Joplin. Paul Simon. Gillian Welch. Rickie Lee Jones. Maggie and Suzy Roche. Michelle Shocked.

One last thing, since I’m cheating. If I were alone on a desert island I would want a Book On Tape (CD). I would want Beloved, ready by Toni Morrison.

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Prayer

February 22, 2008 at 5:13 pm · Filed under my life

This is how I pray:

“I am so lucky. I am so thankful! How can I have so much privilege? I am so lucky. I haven’t starved. I haven’t even missed a mortgage payment. Because of my family, I ended up in a fantastic, fun, challenging and supportive group of people with whom I work. My marriage is going along pretty well! My kids are, somehow, growing into people that I really admire. GMan is so smart, and so interesting! His friends are just the kind of friends I had when I was his age. Lucy is the most genuinely nice, giving person I know. My friends are so nice. I am the luckiest person in the world.”

I hope it doesn’t sound like gloating. It is said, in my mind, in the spirit of extreme awe and gratitude. How did I get so lucky? I don’t ever want to take it forgranted.

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Blatant stealing

February 20, 2008 at 5:37 pm · Filed under Uncategorized

When I’m an attorney I will sue myself. Mrs. G did throw out the challenge, but it still feels like stealing. But you must know me by now – I love to talk about myself, and I’m not above cheating. So here goes: Ask me any question, anything at all, that you want to know about me, and I will answer it. Anything! I will answer it truthfully! I am sure there are many, many things you’re dying to know about me:

-how many piercings do I have?
-what is my favorite number?
-what is the first gift my father ever bought for me, and how old was I?
-What was my highschool mascot?
-Who was my first boss and did I like her/him?
-Do I prefer working for men or women?
-Who is my secret crush, not including Keith Richards?
-Did I have braces?
-What is the name and type of my first pet?
-When was my first kiss?
-My first heartache?
-My first love?
-What did I say to the nurse during the pushing phase of my labor with GMan?
-Who was in attendance at the birth of my daughter?

Fascinating stuff. Just ask, and I will tell. Oh, and here’s a freebee: Yes, I did inhale. I know there are some of you out there who think you know me (STEVE! LAWYERBITCH!) and thus won’t ask. But you don’t know me… I am a woman (or should I say womon?) of many secrets.

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Picked up at a garage sale

February 20, 2008 at 7:37 am · Filed under good things

I think it is a planter. I haven’t figured out exactly what I want to use it as, but it looks pretty wherever I put it.

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Another small thing I love with passion

February 19, 2008 at 7:34 am · Filed under Uncategorized

$1.50 at an estate sale. I love the fans/wings on the bottom. The color is a soft bluish-green and the entire vase reminds me of my grandma.

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The only Hannukah gift I ever received

February 18, 2008 at 7:31 am · Filed under good things

And I love this little dog with passion. He used to have a white mate, and they’d rock on their magnetic rockers toward each other until their noses touched.

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Celebration that the bad week is over, part 1

February 17, 2008 at 3:21 pm · Filed under anti-whining

The four of us walked over to my parent’s house this afternoon to enjoy the 40 degree weather. While there, Lucy found my car keys in the snow! Score!

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Kite Festival ‘08

February 17, 2008 at 10:40 am · Filed under Uncategorized

And some much needed sunshine!

See more pics here.

P.S. I’m just experimenting with using Flickr instead of posting all my photos in an entry. I swear I’ve seen some blogs have a photo or two that you click on, and it takes you directly to their Flickr set. Can anyone tell me how to do that? Possibly I can’t do it because I’m with TypePad, or because I only have a very basic account with Flickr? Or because I’m dense?

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He’s my buddy, mumsie, he’s my buddy

February 16, 2008 at 4:19 pm · Filed under GMan

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The bad weeks

February 16, 2008 at 4:16 pm · Filed under sad and tired

There are two weeks out of every year that always suck. The first week in October sucks, because my grandma died that week, and several years later, DTE’s dad died that week. Even before his dad died, though, it was always a downer, grim week.

The other week is the one that just ended. During this week people don’t die, but crummy shit just happens. I started noticing this trend about 11 years ago. My parents always go away this week, and I bring in their mail, took care of their dog when they had one, and sometimes even come stay at their house.

The first year I got terribly sick with some weird flu. I didn’t eat for 4 days straight, and couldn’t get out of bed. I have never felt so weak. I was at their house, and can remember just tossing and turning and DTE taking care of GMan (who was two at the time) because I literally couldn’t get out of bed.

Another year, I was again staying at their house. Lucy was a baby and not in day care yet. I left the house with her in my arms, going to the car to take her to my friend who was watching her in lieu of my mother. My ankle somehow turned, I missed a step, and fell flat on my face on the concrete floor of the garage. Only by some absolute fluke was I able to wrangle the baby around so she didn’t also fall; she stayed in my arms and fell on me. I was bruised and scraped and shaken.

At least two of the years DTE and I have been in fights so bad that I seriously considered moving into their house, at least for that week. We fight like any other couple, but not normally to that extreme.

This year it was a series of small events. One day this week I went to their house with GMan to shovel. I ended up losing my set of keys somewhere in the snow. The next day I went over to bring in the mail and got stuck in the driveway. With no snow boots. And no cell phone. Earlier in the week I had to borrow $20 from my sister to put gas in my car because of a snafu that delayed money coming in for another two weeks. Oh, and one morning this week I was so mad at DTE that I asked Lawyerbitch if she’d come to MI and practice divorce law.

Thankfully, the week is over. My parents return home tonight, and the sun shone brightly today. I have to laugh at it now; this year’s really wasn’t so awful. But I’m glad it’s a long way until next October.