Saturday, December 31, 2005

Is It Time Yet?

The Eve Approacheth...
n I'm stayin in with Dick Clark's Rockin Eve TV pahty. Even if he's not at the pahty...

I was gonna sleep this am., til a bunch of heavy equiptment, trucks, n bulldozers decided to noise up the whole street! They just spent the entire day excavating (rippin the heck outa) the neighbor's entire yard, n water was gushing everywhere... they must've froze the drain pipe or something... They used to have such a nice yard, too! So much wasted mowing n raking...

Oh well, I'm tired already anyhow, n only 5:30!
My puter's still very messed up n diff to navigate anywhere, until probs are cleared up, obviously infected with somethin, See commentz under "I want my 2 bux" post... this is very bad, n timin couldn't be worse... don't have 2 hours to check my email... n outa patience!
Tryin to make some food, but this bugger just ate up days of my life waiting for things that won't work ... amazing I even got to this post page today...

I've had enough aggrivation for one year,
Time to turn the calender page n get on with it!
"It" being a better life...

Happy New Year Everyone!

Friday, December 30, 2005

Lost N Found

I found my $2 dollar ticket!
Thankz to all of ya for the well-wishes n prayers helping to turn my luck around.

What gets me irked is, I'd looked in that particular pocket spot a minimum of ten times the other day... the one I knew I'd put it in after I'd bought it, when I wasn't wearing the jeans.
It just seemed to magically re-appear tonight while I was folding clothes! The only explaination I can guess is a ghost must be toying with me! I'm certain I looked inside n scraped inside that pocket with my nails. I'd given up looking.
Isin't that always when the best stuff happens?

Yay! What a relief! Now I feel I can end this year on a positive note, even if it's just a very small one... sure beats the zippo...

Wednesday, December 28, 2005

I Want My 2 Bux!

How unlucky am I this week?
Guess I just can't wait for the year to be over!

After weeks with zero lottery hits, I finally matched the mega-ball number, only to discover my ticket missing from the place it should be! I musta done a mill things yesterday between driving all over town, store errands, n other stops. I had to replace a printer cartridge, make lots of copies, write letters, go through bill records, and had stuff all over the tables. I finished, put it all away, then started sorting what to put in the garbage for the following am pick-up, n finished loading barrels about 1am.

Then I grabbed a shower and rinsed out the dusty clothes I'd had on, after checking pockets. I don't remember putting the tix under the magnet where I always put 'em. I didn't realize the AWOL fluke factor until the re-run of the late news came on, n I heard the Mega-Mills numbers. Wow, I thought, my recently changed number matches on the ball spot! Cool, there's 2 Bux... hey, where is that tix...?

I finally said nevermind I neeed zzz's at 3am, then resumed the quest all morning, all for a lousy 2 bux! I went through the rubbish n mail pile I'd thrown away, the printer cartridge package, the copies, all the things I'd sorted n read, re-checked all pockets, n re-traced all places I'd been on the premises.

I remember who sold it to me, putting it in my designated back pocket, but don't remember taking it out, or putting it up in the "spot." I was interrupted with many calls during the day, n was pretty distracted through those conversations, during which times I could easily move stuff n not remember, because I'm focused on listening and reponding, not my movements, (I do putter alot).
All I can figure is, It fell out of the pocket at some point on the road somewhere. I can't believe I was so careless with it, to let it be lost. Of course I haven't lost a loser tix yet all year! I wanna cry over my 2 bux this week! Guaranteed losing a tix won't happen again...

Thank the Creator it wasn't matching all the numbers...
That woulda been meltdown time!

Sunday, December 25, 2005

25th of December

Hope everyone's holiday went well. I made it through mine OK.

Happy Chanukah
Merry Christmas
Happy Quanza
Now for the after the party challenges...

Friday, December 23, 2005

Tag, I'm IT Again!

It just took me forever to do this. My lame excuse is, I'm very distracted lately...

I was tagged at MBI. If ya wanna ya can copy n inject it with your own answers, n post it up. (Have fun). (or not)...

... 10 years ago...
I worked at Burger King, hung out with Bruce n James locally every week. I was many pounds lighter n in very good muscle-tone. My children were in High School.

... 5 years ago...
I worked in software manufacturing, I got almost zero sleep. I spent every week-end traveling to visit my Mom, who went through Chemo and radiation all year, then died in Nov. I cut up all of my credit cards.

... 5 Yummy Things...
dark-chocolate, Ellen's banana Bread, my homemade muffins, my Nanny's rolls, hamburgers

... 5 Things I Know By Heart...
lots of lyrics, chords for guitar, mandolin, n violin, food safety rules, who my friendz are, what I don't want to do

... 5 Things I'd Do If I Had Lots Of Money...
pay off all debts, buy several rural acres for a small farm, setup an art studio n gallery, open several businesses, hire good people I know who deserve better jobs

... 5 Places I Escape To...
home, books, movies, blogland, outdoors around the village

... 5 Things I'd Never Wear...
Fur, rubber wet-suit (allergic to latex), neon orange, dread-locks, earrings

... 5 Fave TV Shows...
local News, Nightly News, AFV, Lost, ER

... 5 Things I Enjoy Doing...
learning, thinking up new concepts, art projects, Sci-fi Films, playing instruments just for myself

Yep, I'm really having trouble with quizes this week,
need more zzz s...

N Jolly Holly all!

Thursday, December 22, 2005

The Holiday Blues

It finally got up above 30 degrees today. Nice n warm compared to yesterday! I went out while the gettin was good to get errands done.

Everywhere I went incredibly exhausted employees were encountered. Little businesses were deserted. Items were marked way down. The ten restaurants I drove by were empty. Townee's just aren't making enough profits to cover the jump in energy n heating costs. Everyone knows it's going to be a challenge getting through the winter this year. It's going to hit the temporate economy accross the board.

I talked to a dear friend from the old baby-raising days who lives up North yesterday. She sent me an adorable reindeer in the mail this year. Her advice for my depressed timbre was to get to sleep early n resolve to start singing as soon as I wake up in the morning.

She used to be one of my best audiences, n I used to do guitar n voice, kitchen-gigs for her n the kids when her electricity'd been shut-off due to non-payment. Ah, the good ole daze...
I used to love it when I could get all the kids to sing along, it was great entertainment. They all developed their fav "Snaggle tunes" for requests. They'd always tear-up for "Puff the Magic Dragon" n "Laura n Tommy."

Usually though, I have zero morning voice these days.
Arthritis makes it difficult to play strings in the cold. Basically, I wish I could wake up that way...

I did have a pretty good dream last night, about hangin out with Paul McCartney again. I really like those ones. It's the first opimistic dream story-line I've had in about a year!

Nothin like the Holiday Blues settlin in...
I was invited somewhere for Xmas day, n I'm convinced I won't be able to tolerate being in a room full of happy people this year. I blame my inability to deal with my intense stress to quitting all the things I used to do to deal with it n chill-out.
I just don't chill anymore. It's cold enough already!
Today's the shortest daylight day of the year. Hopefully my Holiday-Seasonal Affective Disorder starts clearing up as the days lengthen.

Saturday, December 17, 2005

I've Got Ssooo Many!


................ Bluesy Lyrics to:
"Bad Habits" by Bruce Marshall
...
... I drink alot of coffee, champagne, beer, n wine
I got a habit of cussin n another one of lyin
I like to bet the race-horses, n play the Numbers too
I like to eat to much of that Texas Barbeque...
...
I've got so many bad habits, killin me by degrees.
I start out walkin n I wind up fallin down on my knees...
...
Ya know I smoke a little reiffer, n I like to snort cocaine
I jolt Taggerin gin, n smoke cigarettes in a chain
I got a pretty women habit, ya know those fine legs upset my soul
The only habit I ain't got is: that one called self-control!
...
I've got so many bad habits, killin me by degrees.
I start out walkin n I wind up fallin down on my knees...
.............................................................
...
Well, I used to have some of those in the tune, way back. I've just spent years correcting many naughty habits, most to do with destructive behavior. I'll no longer drink coffee or soda, smoke, or consciously do anything to another person I don't want done to me. I rarely drink, n haven't been drunk in years. I'm not lazy n exhaust myself working on chores n projects in stead of relaxing. I try to be tolerant n non-judgmental of other people n their beliefs. I could never steal from anyone, or ignore a person that I see can be helped by me. I had to think for a week before I could do a post on this one!
...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!
This is a challenge game of tag, via blogs:
the Castle of Nanninburg
the Secret Garden
...
.... Instructions:
- I tend to edit instructions to be more clearly stated... I should've been a repair manual editor...
Once I wrote instructions on how to make a PB & J sandwich as an assignment. It was 500 words, n got an "A."
...
A.) State your Subject:
...
* 5 BAD HABITS THAT I NEED TO REVEAL TO THE WORLD *
...
- Now, why would I want to tell everyone my bad habits n send 'em cringing hand over open mouth...? Because embarrassment is joyful! Actually, ya don't actually have to list the worst ones, just the ones ya can live with revealing! -OK?
...
B.) You're supposed to "tag" five others by name to do the same, at the end of the post.
- I won't because I don't usually pass along chains, but I'll say if ya wanna do one on this subject, take your time, then tell 'em I sent ya! There's no curse warning to follow your "tagged" list (yet).
...
C.) List them.
...
Let 'er Rip:
...
1.) I waste electricity by sleeping with the TV on a low volume, directly in front of me all night long! No timer used, no silence wanted... The white noise it provides usually keeps my damaged ears from ringing loudly and waking me up! Without TV sound, it takes me hours to fall asleep, n I'll wake up repeatedly because of my ears. I like the sound of quietly speaking voices and soundtracks. I can't sleep to the radio because my brain has to follow the music as though I were learning, or practicing it (I'm a musician)!
...
2.) I run the TV and computer simultaneously, n then have both in my attention's background while I go do other things like food prep, mail sorting, gathering needed project supplies, n making notes or lists. Although the TV is on, I seldom look at it, except out of the corner of my eye, and listen. The electronic devices are shut off during the day at the same time, for quiet time. Sometimes everything is off all day long, although since 9/11, I pay daily attention to news n have become a news-junkie.
I take very simple things, n make them very complex with layered information. Nothing is simple here... (in my brain).
...
3.) I prefer silence around me when I'm on the phone... (This is the same answer as Ellen's #2).
Before I pick up on the ring, I turn off the TV volume. I hate when I shut off something I really want to see like the weather report on my way out the door (impt: I have to decide if I need the wiper fuse in or not before I start driving), just to pick it up for a telemarketer!
Sometimes I'll forget to turn a show back on because I get sidetracked on projects n miss something I'd waited all night to see. I miss alot of what I'd planned to see because I can't effectively rush people I care about off the phone, n the volume is off while I'm listening to them...
...
4.) I mentally edit n rewrite almost everything I read. This Tag game I decided was worth the re-write for fun! Peeve: I hate it when I've just posted a comment n find an uncorrectable typo which changes the intensity n meaning of the text. GRrrrh! I want to correct my errors!
FYI: All the dropped "g" endings, "ya," and "n" characters in my blog-text are totally on purpose! I'm playing a blog-character here...!
...
5.) I spend far too much time blog-reading every night when my puter's working. It's far too entertaining to ignore! I really should concentrate more time on projects n writin, n save the blogs for last, so I'll get more work done, (but that's no fun).
...
...................~~~~~~~~~~~~.....................

Whew! Ellen's right, I figured out a ton more things to add to the list, but five's enough, "Oh well!" All done. I managed to squeeze a few extras in there n that's only the very tippity-top of the frigid iceburg that's still the big secret. I also refer to the weather in almost every post, n if ya haven't guessed, it's freezin in here!

Monday, December 12, 2005

Uni-d (you-need)

My ancient design here began as a simple little Val-day card drawing, then was recycled by cropping the head, enlarging, combining it with another eye ("I") design, then ultimately it was layered over a different background (not shown here) and made into t-shirts a couple years back. It may look familiar to my nieces...

It's alot simpler than my painted in color examples. I was searching for another old piece, still unfound, when I bumped into this IP version (in progress) in a file. The scan isin't cleaned up on it here, oh well... just thought I'd call on one of my Uni s for luck today...

Friday, December 09, 2005

ThunderSnow

I was scared outa my mind twice today.
...
Right now I'm feeling extremely grateful to be typing on my machine finally! I just spent most of my afternoon n evening contemplating how I was going to get done what I'd planned to do before Xmas without a monitor. No bux to replace it for a long time..., no presents produced, no art programs, no pix, no card printing, no E-bay plan, no research, no reading, no e-mail, n so very alone!

How long would it take for ya folkz to realize I was involuntarily ex-communicated? What would I post from my friend's or the Library's 'puter to explain my ongoing lack of blog-participation?
What chores would my boredom drive me to get done in the emptiness?
....
Right in the middle of typing a version of these words below into a post during the storm today, my monitor died!
...
ThunderSnow
Weather Alert! This is one of the strangest weather days here in awhile......We've had snow, then rain, then all the week's snow so far melted completely! Then bright sunshine shone through my window for almost two whole minutes! Then suddenly, the clouds moved back the other direction, wind shift from North to Westerly and a visable swirl of dense cloud-cover darkened daylight again. The windows have now suddenly all fogged up, n heavy snow just began spitting sideways past the door...

The wind is howlin through the trees over hurricane force out there right now! It's so loud I can't concentrate. The gusts are long duration, and constant.NECN is reporting Gusts up to 60 mph in Nantucket, n 50 mph here. It's amazing the power's still up...

Bombogenosis
In the middle of the state, a bank of high Cumulo-Nimbus are thundering through like a summer - - - - -
........
Blank LED screen... No Power! Online, box still on, no way to hit the draft or publish button, no way to shut down. I tried tab, enter, n alt, enter, couldn't hear anthing happen, jiggled mouse in the dark clicking everywhere, no luck. Then said never-mind n performed the improper shut-down. Checked wires, plugs, Surge bars, no luck. Still no power to monitor!
...
Right after that I was very distracted with some loud thuds.
...
Winds were later reported up past 70 n 80mph out there today, n I believe it! It seemed like a Micro-burst experience must feel. I wondered if this is how the-end-of my-world-storm feels... The house was shaking n felt so fragile, like during hurricane Bob...

In the Kitchen through a small, unfogged spot I could see out the front window that my little deck tree's lights were still lit. How ever, both trees were knocked over sideways n thrashing wildly against the railing in the howling wind n snow that was plastering n instantly freezing itself everywhere !
- Now ya need to understand that when I transplanted the six-foot-spruce to the large barrel, I put eighty pounds of additional soil in there... That's a pretty heavy base to knock over!
Thank goodness the railing held-up, I'd tied enough slack to the power cords, n I'd covered the electric plugs with water-proof plastic...

As I watched the wildness out there I saw a trash can lid from the sheltered spot under the stairs fly up n out into the woods! I waited next to the frig for a long time waiting for the winds to die down, I made a cell call, then finally about 4 pm, just before dark it was safe enough to go out n pick up the trees. There's another 4 or 5 inches of drifted n crusty snow to shovel now.
...
After bemoaning my holiday fate without my machine's further assistance for hours, realizing I hadn't printed needed pix or enough cards yet, I pretty much gave up to life without it. I'd pretty much need a whole new plan, n new manual designs, back to square one... I went to disconnect n pack up the monitor.
One last time I put the power adaptor plug back into the interface n I was so surprized to see it light up n save me from despair! Maybe it just needed to be reset, as my daughter suggested to try. Whew, I'm SOooo relieved! Praise the Creator, my plan is still executable!

So I made it through this very scary storm, n so did my machine, n my blog-life continues on this week... but before I go online to post this, I swore I'm going to print out everything I need to get the holiday projects going out first!

Thursday, December 08, 2005

Give Peace A Chance

"... Life is What happens
while you're making other plans"
......... -John Lennon

What happened is, I gotta carry him inside as I continue to live, because he hadta go to forever-land...
I never planned it this way at all!

John's written a description of my life. At heart, I'm an artist, musician, n writer because of the early influence he had on me.
I've never been predjudiced because of the loving attitude he lent. I've always been anti-war, supporting the views he displayed during the Viet-Nam era.

"Make Love, not War" -John Lennon

He wrote my fav quotes. I've made artwork with his words of wisdom. I'll never be too shy to create work from live-model nude figures. I see nothing wrong or unnatural with the form our creator gave us, though the tree of knowledge n society's taught us to hide it. I choose not to throw it at those who don't want to see, but he was really public with nudity. It was John's attitude which formed so much of mine.

Flashback ... When I was three, I learned to sing the Beatles song,
"I Wanna Hold your Hand" from start to finish, n sang it non-stop, over n over along with my Big Bro's '45 vinyl record. The first tune I ever learned to sing of my own accord.

I sang it so much, Bro got sick of me singin it. He frizbee-d the disk out the third-story window, where it landed on the driveway pavement across the street. There I found pieces of it, smashed to bits, n as three-year-old, to see it broken, broke my heart!
Now the thought upsets Bro too, cause
"Love Me Do" was on the other side, n today it'd be worth a Mill-Bux... Temper never pays off, listen to John about Karma!

I aspire to find Peace, myself, but still find anger in my heart toward his assassin, for taking away the future music still trapped in John's soul. I wouldn't be as good, or as determined a person that I am today without his example ahead of me. Guess I'll hafta wait til I see forever too before I get to meet him.... "Imagine!"

Tuesday, December 06, 2005

Fluff

Was out busy shovelin for the second time this week today! We got between 3 n 4 inches of pre-holiday fluff here before lunch-time.

Last night before it started comin down, I got my little deck trees all dressed up with lights. Ran out to do errands, n the stores were pretty busy for a Monday in this town, took awhile in the lines. There were fragrance tables everywhere, which I'm very allergic to, so today I've got one doozey of a head-ache n havin trouble doin thangz... now that I've alot to do in little time n need to think. Generally feelin ickky all day. Hopin this ailment clears up soon.

I'm all done at the store for the holiday, now it's all home-work n workin with supplies. I may soon join the too busy to post routine myself. Back on the anti-histamines.Seems when I have time either the machine freezes up or blogger is down again!
Workin into the wee hours all week... no end in sight!

Just fluffy white crystals n my head-ache...

Sunday, December 04, 2005

Watch Me Pull a Bit Outa my Hat...

OK, well... I had a request for a peek of some art...

Here's an old, black n white, hand-rendered painted-drawing design I put together circa 1995. It's comprised of many separate elements which were then arranged together. The original completed poster size was about 19 by 11 inches in proportion, then shrunk down to format size. This version has been computer altered with a size and a color-filter.


Original Artwork by Snaggle Tooth "Montgomery and Marshall"

Bruce and James original live music inspired this hand-rendered composition in a cassette-cover-size format.This piece contains subject elements out of the song lyrics, such as "If Dreams were Money," "Snakeskin Boots," "Goin' Fishin," and "Walking Cane." Some other references include blues harp, country-blues slide, mean guitar, music Staff, Detroit Shuffle, and many more known by first-hand experiencing the music.
Yes, I could be known as a walking ad for this Duo...
Note: These are the same guys I put a pic of previously:
Friday, October 28, 2005 Good Ole Daze
..................................
Only about an inch of slushy, sticky snow here today. Nice n chilly out too. Supposed to get another large snow-storm by Tues. in southern MA. I went out to clean the truck just for fun, n so it won't be too much ice to free in the am. Also finally made a new milk-jug bird-feeder for out the window n filled it up so the kitties will have a good window show the next few days.
I'm not ready for the Jolly Holly at all yet! I just found most of the things to use for decs n projects yesterday, all packed away in odd places, tough to get to things in here, packed n stacked so tight in this little place. Started cleaning n cutting project things last night. At least I have lots to work with here.
Time to put in lots more hour-age, though...

I knew I shoulda put lights on the deck trees last Fri, had to find those lights... was still nice out then, but now it's under 30 degrees n snowed all day, now that I've found the lights! So I'll wait til I can move tree buckets again. will prob freeze in ice overnight. BBbbrrhhhHH!