IT LIVES!

billy pilgrim suggested this one to me yesterday... and it is so perfect as a woman's view of the worth of your automobile. I'm going to be singing it all the way to Molalla today. The second song at the bottom was also suggested by billy pilgrim... a sweet finish, if you will. Enjoy !

Yes, as you can see... my clown car lives! Thanks are due to BBC, who has just been an amazing help. I am going to blog about our visit. I'll have photos for you... on Monday. He's really quite an interesting individual, not to mention part time do-gooder extraordinaire.

Today, thanks to the kindness of BBC, my car is road safe again. I'll be so thrilled to pick it up today after work and spend a bit of time visiting with him before I take off... like a rocket in my little "fire cracker" (It's too tame to be called a rocket like the 455 from Kathy Mattea's song.)

From there, I'm going to Sears with a friend who is newly separated, then to diner. We'll drive back to Dumb Potter's Hell and then... the fire cracker and I are off to Larry's for the weekend again. The only other thing I have to say is... what an amazing fecking week!

I hope your week and weekend are amazing too!

What the heck are all of you getting up to this weekend or what happened in your week that you'd like to share?

James Cotton - Rocket 88

James Cotton - Rocket 88
check:
http://www.jamescottonsuperharp.com/


Great stuffs... thanks billy pilgrim for the tunes!

David Lindley (Mercury Blues)

In light of my car troubles... this song seemed to be just perfect.

I was so excited after the concert last night that I could not calm down. SLEEP? Who needs sleep?

BBC is here. He has seen the town... that took about half an hour. He gave me the bed frame... very cool beans. It has some scratches but nothing that I cannot buff out with some good oil. A little elbow grease will do the trick. Then I have to find a mattress somewhere. I'll take a photo and share it when I get that together.

He got a nice camp site on the river in our marine park. Tomorrow he's going to work on my car. We took a brief trip across the river to the Napa car parts place and picked up some spark plugs. We'll meet for coffee in the morning and trade vehicles. He'll work on mine while I go to work.

Cross your fingers that its something he can fix. Otherwise... I am ship out of luck.

Here is one more video. This one of Ry Cooder's has lots of connections for me. Larry is from Santa Cruz. That's where we had our beach house when I was a kid. Its also where I got mono, trench mouth and hepatitis all at the same time!

And well... let's face it, I am currently a woman lusting after a nice running car! So here's a car song by Ry Cooder too.

Ry Cooder - Crazy 'Bout An Automobile

From "Ry Cooder & The Moula Banda Rhythm Aces: Let's Have A Ball", a film by Les Blank taped at The Catalyst, Santa Cruz, CA on March 25'th 1987.


This gem is of the two of them together... and it is divine.

David Lindely and Ry Cooder - Sídh Beag agus Sídh Mór

David Lindely and Ry Cooder - play very nice




Enjoy your day!

FLOGGING MOLLY CONCERT

This was the best concert that I have been to in forever. They sound as good in person as they do on recordings. I chose this video so that you could see them perform as they are. I'll have another for you at the end. Both of these songs were performed.

Max and Blu and I went. We did my usual deal... got a map quest that sent us the wrong way and got lost. (You know the drill by now.) But we did at least make it in time.

But we found our way at last and got parked close enough for comfort. None of us have been to this theater. The set up was great. The bar and over 21 section was upstairs in the balcony. The general area was the lower floor... no seats at that level. Max forgot his ID, so he was banned from the bar and restricted to the lower level.

Blu and I were naturally sympathetic and looked down on him from the balcony as I drank my dark beer and she drank her mai tai. Don't worry... I was the driver, so I was limited to one beer. Once our drinks were done, we headed back down to Max... and could not find him.

I've no idea what the name of the first act was. I missed that part. They were okay. Interesting. They were followed by a great raggae group called Hepcat. See them here:

They were a lot of fun!

Then it was time for Flogging Molly. I was about half way to the stage.As soon as they began to play... the crowd surged forward and I got swept into the mosh area. I am not a mosh person. I was totally separated from Blu and moving toward the stage. About that time I start to see people being flung aside. Max scooped me up and hauled me back to the safe place by Blu. He mussed up my hair and then vanished back into the mosh area. I should have known that's where he would be.

The music was great. People moved like the ocean... swaying and bobbing, cresting and crashing. Very exciting and fun for me. They encourage, even demand that you sing along and dance. So I did.

As usual, when it was time to go home I found my way easily. No more getting lost for the night. I had a wonderful time.

Flogging Molly - Tobacco Island

Pictures of Flogging Molly with the song Tobacco Island.




It was a great evening. I had a blast. It's late and I need to get some sleep so that I can make sane choices at work tomorrow. Sweet dreams to all.

This is another one that's been popping into my head of late.... hope you enjoy it.

Great day at work. No complaints at all. Then it was time for the Monday meeting crap... and the car went down. Drove home fine. Went to leave and the clutch started slipping.

Limped over to StbX's. He fiddled with the linkage and got it to do better, but it is still not right. I can feel it, I was afraid to take it up the hill to the Bear's house, so Boo picked us up and took us there to get Squeaky.

There we found this scary individual! He looks like a dupe... but don't let that one shoe on and one shoe off fool you... he's a pro! You can tell by that mask... one dangerous dude.

Look at that big time raspberry action! God is clearly on his side... er... forehead maybe.

Well... this is some tag team. I can verify that. (They wear me out.)

My car is not well... and tonight is Flogging Molly!!! If I keep saying it, will my car get better in time? Heck no. So I've begged to drive one of the Bear's cars. I will be the sober driver as long as I get to hear and see Flogging Molly. I have been looking forward to this for a long time and I promised Max.

Well, BBC was coming down to help me with my car anyway... among other things. He's coming here to visit and bringing me some stuff he was ready to get rid of... that I can use. Hopefully he can figure out what the deal is and offer suggestions if he can't do it himself. I'm glad to have someone who knows what they are doing (for a change!) looking at it. I'll cross my fingers... please cross yours too.

I hope he gets in some good fishing while he is here too. I'll be working most of the time. Though he can drag Lorn around if he wants. Lorn does not work right now. He likes to fish... I think... his brothers live to fish, but maybe he is not his brother! I best be careful about assumptions.

Well, folk... have a good day. "Don't let it bring you down. It's only castles burning..."

Neil Young - Don't Let It Bring You Down

bbc 1971

MONDAY MONDAY

Another nice weekend at Larry's. Sweet. He sleeps during the day, so I treated myself to a quiet lunch alone. I love hot tea.







We had a nice time. The doctor told him that walking would be good for his back, so we took a hike down the road to an old rock quarry... then up a hill so steep that I was panting by the top, down to the little lake and then back the normal way to his house. Nice hike. Got good and sweaty in the sun shine.


We went to a U-pick farm for the stuff to make a wonderful salad and stuffed zucchini for diner (with pilaf and almonds and garlic bread). His daughter Carrie cooked with me. That was fun. She is a sweetheart. Then we watched videos after diner. Before I knew it, it was time to go home again.



Traffic wasn't too bad. I did not get lost even once! Not even on the way there! I could not believe it. Me... not get lost? What was happening in my reality?


Sadly, this was taken on the way home. :(










Puck wasted no time at all in climbing on top of my car... and settling down for a nap. Only he changed his mind as soon as I looked like I might be going anywhere near his food dish.










Everything was the way I left it. I accidentally took this shot as I got out of the car. But I liked it... so here it is. This is the tree that drizzles weird sticky crap on my car all the time and drops leaves year round. It is horribly messy. I've no idea what kind of tree it is, only that I don't like it. But it is a cool picture.


I had a wonderful time. But I was hardly in my car on the way home when the phone calls started. Heavy sigh. It's so nice and quiet at Larry's house. Call one was from Max who wanted a ride from H R home... adding an hour more to my drive in my scary ill car. Call two was from the poker game he was supposed to be at... wanting to know if I'd seen Max. Several calls back and forth getting all that straight.

I'm "Hello...DRIVING!" Not that anyone cares. Then Nick was hungry and had shopping list information. By the time I got home I was exhausted and wishing I was back at Larry's where it is quiet, peaceful and more.


Back to the real world where I have obligations and work. Ugh. Work.



I hope you all had wonderful weekends. I know I have been absent a lot... and that will likely continue off and on. I'll have my sat. scavenger hunt post up in a day or two... late. Oops. But I am tagging Crazy4 Coens on this post... you're IT! for next week.

Ah... Monday morning it was all I hoped it would be...

WINDS OF CHANGE

Once upon a time there was a girl called Miss Bliss...


Somewhere in time she fell right out of existence. I was not aware when it happened. I was surprised by it when I looked up from a jigsaw puzzle one day and
was forced to admit that she was gone.



I looked up at Max, who must have been nine or ten. His face lit with a childish delight that had long since left me behind. He was striped with dirt. His shirt was torn in at least two places. Neither of his shoes were tied. There was a hole in his cheek that was at least two inches long and deep enough to gape. It was peppered with debris from the woods. He grinned his best cheesy smile and said "I had the best day!"



It hit me then that I no longer had those days. The ones where junk happens and you let it roll off because nothing can touch the feeling of falling out of a cedar tree, crashing through its limbs and surviving to tell the tale.


I was stunned by this.



My son skipped to the bathroom mirror. I heard him say "Coooool..." about his face. I no longer understood how exciting a great scar can be even though I could still recall not wearing a bandage on my stitches in fifth grade so that everyone could admire them.




Miss Bliss would have understood it. But she was little more than a limp shirt that I folded up and put away. No fanfare. No teary good-byes. That was a part of life that had passed by. Bye-bye Bliss!




My life has altered so much of late. As I was gearing up for my long weekend last week I glanced into the mirror and was shocked to see that Miss Bliss was back.


Interesting people have entered my life. Not just Larry... though yep... that's been a major interest. My children have grown into interesting people and when I once feared that I was losing them, I now know that I've gained something wonderful from their adult lives that I never expected beside grand children.


Squeaky is pretty much on his own these days with Lorn to help out. He does not need me and amazingly enough... I am feeling very good about that. Not long ago I worried over what I'd do with myself after he went to college. Now I'm wondering what I'll do with myself after he goes with antisipation, not anxiety.


How odd that I find Miss Bliss smiling back at me from the mirror with that same sparkle and feeling of expectation that something wonderful waits around the corner. I walked outside tonight and a very warm Chinook wind caressed me, the song below popped into my head and I began to think about all these changes and marveled that what I thought I feared was really what I want.

TIME KEEPS ON MOVING AND HERE I AM ALMOST BACK TO WHERE I WAS A BAZILLION YEARS AGO. . .

NEW CATS AND OLD BATS

I am beset by a plague of kittens.

This is the "way back" of my clown car.

Granted... it is an adorable plague if you have to have one. But a problem none the less.




I went to the deli for a mocha... because life never begins before 6 shots... and I'm not talking Tequilla... and these little poops went along for the ride. I was oblivious. .



I came out with my caffiene in hand... smiling for the first time that day. There, under the car next to mine, peeking out for the greatest big eye affect... were these kittens. It took me 45 minutes to capture the entire lot. My mocha was cold and my clothes looked like I was moonlighting as a grease monkey.




I have two old bats in my park that love to make my life a misery. They are good at it.





I get home, after doing my cat rescue to a note on my door. It read:



"Get rid of you cats! Pat and me is tired of it."

(Yes, the grammar made me shudder!)





Pat is a guy a bit older than me. He's okay most of the time. But he is a victim of the old bats too. I don't blame Pat. It is likely he is not involved in the note at all.



So here is the deal. The other old bat and Pat... for that matter... feed whatever stray shows up here. We are at the very end of town and cats are dumped here all the time.


I am also guilty of feeding them from time to time. Anyway, one had kittens on my porch. We have fed her and the kittens and tried to socialize the fur balls. Feral cats are hard to give away or get rid of... so getting them people ready is a big plus.


The current belief seems to be that I have been having kittens just to piss off Old Bat #1. Ah... no. I just want them to be healthy and to find them homes, which does take time. I think she would like me to put them in a gunny sack and drop them off the bridge. She's sort of old school evil like that.


Here is the irony. Old Bat #2 has a bazillion cats that are not fixed and are everywhere. You cannot drive into this park without having to stop for a cat or two. Why is it okay for her to have a bazillion and not for me to try to keep 8 babies healthy long enough to give them to reponsible people who will get them fixed and make sure they have shots and see a vet?


Sheesh!!!!





This is Puck. HE is my only real cat.




Have a great day folks!