I can not get that song out of my head!! I heard it once! Just once and picked up the melody immediately and it just loops in my head until I feel I might go insane!
Then Dan snapped me out of it with this challenge THE Fifteen Album Game. And it goes like this ...THE RULES: Don't take too long to think about it. Fifteen albums you've heard that will always stick with you. List the first fifteen you can recall in no more than fifteen minutes.
It took me seven minutes to make this list -
1) Abbey Road - the Beatles
2) Eat a Peach -Allman Brothers Band
3) Tres Hombres - ZZ Topp. This album brings back memories of the year we road around in Terry's Pinto (early 1970's) smoking doobies the size of cigars and listening to this on his 8 Track!! I recently found out Terry passed away in the early '80's in a car accident. Hopefully, he's up in the sky rolling them up for when the rest of us catch up with him.
4) Home Free - Dan Fogelberg
5) Modern Times - Bob Dylan (love this album! and most all Dylan albums)
6) The Foundation - Zac Brown. Wow - talk about tunes getting in your head!
7) Neil Young's Greatest Hits - Neil Young (too many great albums to consider, so this trumps them all. I recall hearing Harvest and After the Gold Rush being played over and over and over in my brothers room!)
8) Once - Soundtrack
9) Buena Vista Social Club - this album blew me away. Blows me away every time I listen!
10) Nick of Time - Bonnie Raitt
11) White Album - the Beatles
12) Nevermind - Nirvana
13) Pump - Aerosmith (I just love this album!)
14) Let it Bleed - Rolling Stones
15) Exile on Main Street - Stones
This might not really be all my favorites - but these are the ones that popped into my bored head this beautiful sunny afternoon as I sit at a computer listening to the Sound Track of my life play in my head.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Sunday, October 31, 2010
The Rules
Recently I have not had the opportunity to read. I dearly miss curling up with a good book. So I decided to venture down to the local-ish public library and pick up some audio CD's to enjoy when I am driving.
I picked up Tony Robbins talking about something or another. I find I enjoy him much more as an orator than as a writer. Several times I tried to read this book I am listening to and failed. But I'm loving the audio.
I am picking up quite a bit about changing your behavior and little tricks to make yourself a better and happier person. Now you might be asking yourself, "I thought Mary was an extremely happy and well balance person!" And you're right, I am. But everyone could little readjusting now and then.
One interesting section was about rules. Not just any rules, but the rules you make for yourself and thereby inflict them on those around you. I found this "spin" quite easy to apply to real life. Especially if I apply it to other people. I understood at once why Joe is having a difficult time with a certain someone. He does not understand her rules and therefore, breaks them. As much as she dislikes Joe, he must break every single one of her rules. (see how easy this is?)
Is it possible to sit down with some one you are having a conflict with and somehow find out what their rules are? I don't know. But he makes sense and I believe that if you could follow his advice and put into action his behavioral shifts I think you're life might just be less annoying. Better? Happier? If I am less annoyed, I am happier.
Simple.
Take today. I go to Kroger's because I like Kroger. It is a classy supermarket in this town. This area is limited in the supermarket offerings. For some reason the powers that be think that "everyone" just drives into Nashville if they want variety. (I stop here, I learned my lesson in Ft Wayne about city bashing). I pick up the two items I want from the vegetable area and mosey on down the Halloween aisle (1/2 off and tremendous make-down) and pick up some (pukey - but I only find this out later) Kroger brand Indian Corn. The place is packed. Last minute Halloween shopping but it looks like a blizzard might be making a beeline for us with the crowded store and impossible to find a space in the parking lot! So I go to the self check out line and get in the queue. As I stand in the middle area of the two lines a gentleman assumes his place behind me to await his turn after me. Out of nowhere a lady and her husband arrive, just out of church by the way they are dressed to the nines, and get behind the lady at the check out space to the right!
I turn to the guy behind me and say, "Did I miss something about check out etiquette at this store?" He is Mexican and just smiles and nods. Maybe he understands, maybe not.
I realize one of my rules was just broken!!
So life goes on. I understood (not right then but later) that my rules about standing in line at the self check out area is totally different from the people who just left church. They believe in every man/woman for themselves and those who play fair go after them.
The I go to Walmart. Halloween candy is still top dollar. Thank God I stocked up on my Almond Joys at Kroger. I get the items I need and head to the self check out lanes and immediately get one. As I am lifting the 35 pound cat liter out of the basket this woman comes up behind me and gets in my space!! I just ignore her breathing down my neck and swipe my coupon and pay with her shopping cart right up my thigh. As I get ready to leave I see a second lady ignore the queue and rush towards the person next to me and get as close to her as the lady behind me. I look at all the people who obey the rules of etiquette waiting patiently in an orderly line and wonder why some people think they are more important.
And I think that maybe Tony is right.
Right about something.
I picked up Tony Robbins talking about something or another. I find I enjoy him much more as an orator than as a writer. Several times I tried to read this book I am listening to and failed. But I'm loving the audio.
I am picking up quite a bit about changing your behavior and little tricks to make yourself a better and happier person. Now you might be asking yourself, "I thought Mary was an extremely happy and well balance person!" And you're right, I am. But everyone could little readjusting now and then.
One interesting section was about rules. Not just any rules, but the rules you make for yourself and thereby inflict them on those around you. I found this "spin" quite easy to apply to real life. Especially if I apply it to other people. I understood at once why Joe is having a difficult time with a certain someone. He does not understand her rules and therefore, breaks them. As much as she dislikes Joe, he must break every single one of her rules. (see how easy this is?)
Is it possible to sit down with some one you are having a conflict with and somehow find out what their rules are? I don't know. But he makes sense and I believe that if you could follow his advice and put into action his behavioral shifts I think you're life might just be less annoying. Better? Happier? If I am less annoyed, I am happier.
Simple.
Take today. I go to Kroger's because I like Kroger. It is a classy supermarket in this town. This area is limited in the supermarket offerings. For some reason the powers that be think that "everyone" just drives into Nashville if they want variety. (I stop here, I learned my lesson in Ft Wayne about city bashing). I pick up the two items I want from the vegetable area and mosey on down the Halloween aisle (1/2 off and tremendous make-down) and pick up some (pukey - but I only find this out later) Kroger brand Indian Corn. The place is packed. Last minute Halloween shopping but it looks like a blizzard might be making a beeline for us with the crowded store and impossible to find a space in the parking lot! So I go to the self check out line and get in the queue. As I stand in the middle area of the two lines a gentleman assumes his place behind me to await his turn after me. Out of nowhere a lady and her husband arrive, just out of church by the way they are dressed to the nines, and get behind the lady at the check out space to the right!
I turn to the guy behind me and say, "Did I miss something about check out etiquette at this store?" He is Mexican and just smiles and nods. Maybe he understands, maybe not.
I realize one of my rules was just broken!!
So life goes on. I understood (not right then but later) that my rules about standing in line at the self check out area is totally different from the people who just left church. They believe in every man/woman for themselves and those who play fair go after them.
The I go to Walmart. Halloween candy is still top dollar. Thank God I stocked up on my Almond Joys at Kroger. I get the items I need and head to the self check out lanes and immediately get one. As I am lifting the 35 pound cat liter out of the basket this woman comes up behind me and gets in my space!! I just ignore her breathing down my neck and swipe my coupon and pay with her shopping cart right up my thigh. As I get ready to leave I see a second lady ignore the queue and rush towards the person next to me and get as close to her as the lady behind me. I look at all the people who obey the rules of etiquette waiting patiently in an orderly line and wonder why some people think they are more important.
And I think that maybe Tony is right.
Right about something.
Friday, July 30, 2010
My Life as A Mall Rat
My day has been interrupted because I can not get the scanner to work! It works, I just do not have access to the program and my boss has locked her office door! So, my intentions of posting some really old and interesting pictures on FaceBook are ruined.
Being the week end manager means spending lots of boring time in the office doing things that are of no consequence. Like read Time Magazine, post to my other journal my daily grace in small things, have brilliant ideas percolate in my brain (I am working on a big project right now) and listen in to the radio (which only recently I have stopped calling the 'walkie talkie') to all that is going on in the Mall. Stuff like bats flying around the movie theatre, people selling CD's at the Main entrance, lost children and rowdy teenagers. Typical Mall stuff. And every once in awhile I have to respond and make an appearance. Actually, I like to walk around in the evening and experience the night time entertainment. We have 'gangs' of teenagers who congregate here, mainly due to a lack of any where else to go. Sad but true. I once took a telephone call from a concerned mother who asked about a dance off at the Mall.
"A Dance off?" I asked.
"Yes, where one group of kids dance and then the opposing group of kids dance and then they fight."
My fingers immediately took on a life of their own and began snapping a rhythm.
We have West Side Story right here in the South! In the parking lots of C-ville.
Anyway, no dance off, no fighting. Must say I was looking forward to it and slightly disappointed.
There is a tremendous cast of characters at the Mall. Not only the small handful we affectionately call 'the office' but there is Maintenance. Followed by Housekeeping and lastly - the mall cops. We call them Security.
I'm know as MD2 on the walkie talkie, I mean radio. I say "MD2 to Maintenance", they say "Go head" and I say "What's your 20?" and they say, "In the bay" and I say "Do you ever work?" and they say, "Not if we can help it." and then I say, "Well, the eagle has landed" and they say "10-4".
Radio is fun.
Today me and my boss walked to center court to check out if the Maintenance crew had assembled the stage as per directed.
"Oh no, here comes MD1 and MD2". It was funny. Maybe you had to be there.
Everyday I have a rich stew of comical and drama frosted episodes that could be served up as the meat and potatoes of this blog. I just don't have the time nor the cloaking devise to do it justice! Yet it screams for me to tell.
Today a very irate individual came into the front office (of which I continue to occupy due to a variety of reasons) and demanded to see MD1. I knew this guy, as he and his wife had visited last week with a complaint, and I suspected he was back to continue to voice his irritation.
I found MD1 coming down the hall way and told her that she had a visitor.
He landed into her before she could even offer her hand in greeting, "I have a big problem with this gift card program you have. Guess how much my card is worth? it's worth two dollars and fifty cents! I have never used the card, but reading the fine print I see that if I do not use the card with in a year I begin to loose an amount each month. And if I call to check on the balance I loose another $5! This is robbery! Down right robbery! YOU ARE A ROBBER AND A THIEF!"
I was holding my hand over my mouth. I did not know if I should laugh or call for Security! Right then old Mic 1 (Big Guy) emerges from his throne and takes control of the situation telling Mr. Upset about the law and how it was recently changed so that the credit card companies that issue the gift cards were no longer able to charge those type of fees......Everything Mic 1 said Mr. Upset would not accept.
He ended up calling Mic 1 a Low Life and left with threats of getting his son to talk to his Council Member to throw as much negative publicity as possible at us.
When the storm left the office we all shrugged and went back to what ever we were doing.
Later on I hear Mic 1 call out from his office to MD1 "You're a robber and a thief!"
"Better than a Low Life!!"
Tomorrow - Star Wars!
Being the week end manager means spending lots of boring time in the office doing things that are of no consequence. Like read Time Magazine, post to my other journal my daily grace in small things, have brilliant ideas percolate in my brain (I am working on a big project right now) and listen in to the radio (which only recently I have stopped calling the 'walkie talkie') to all that is going on in the Mall. Stuff like bats flying around the movie theatre, people selling CD's at the Main entrance, lost children and rowdy teenagers. Typical Mall stuff. And every once in awhile I have to respond and make an appearance. Actually, I like to walk around in the evening and experience the night time entertainment. We have 'gangs' of teenagers who congregate here, mainly due to a lack of any where else to go. Sad but true. I once took a telephone call from a concerned mother who asked about a dance off at the Mall.
"A Dance off?" I asked.
"Yes, where one group of kids dance and then the opposing group of kids dance and then they fight."
My fingers immediately took on a life of their own and began snapping a rhythm.
We have West Side Story right here in the South! In the parking lots of C-ville.
Anyway, no dance off, no fighting. Must say I was looking forward to it and slightly disappointed.
There is a tremendous cast of characters at the Mall. Not only the small handful we affectionately call 'the office' but there is Maintenance. Followed by Housekeeping and lastly - the mall cops. We call them Security.
I'm know as MD2 on the walkie talkie, I mean radio. I say "MD2 to Maintenance", they say "Go head" and I say "What's your 20?" and they say, "In the bay" and I say "Do you ever work?" and they say, "Not if we can help it." and then I say, "Well, the eagle has landed" and they say "10-4".
Radio is fun.
Today me and my boss walked to center court to check out if the Maintenance crew had assembled the stage as per directed.
"Oh no, here comes MD1 and MD2". It was funny. Maybe you had to be there.
Everyday I have a rich stew of comical and drama frosted episodes that could be served up as the meat and potatoes of this blog. I just don't have the time nor the cloaking devise to do it justice! Yet it screams for me to tell.
Today a very irate individual came into the front office (of which I continue to occupy due to a variety of reasons) and demanded to see MD1. I knew this guy, as he and his wife had visited last week with a complaint, and I suspected he was back to continue to voice his irritation.
I found MD1 coming down the hall way and told her that she had a visitor.
He landed into her before she could even offer her hand in greeting, "I have a big problem with this gift card program you have. Guess how much my card is worth? it's worth two dollars and fifty cents! I have never used the card, but reading the fine print I see that if I do not use the card with in a year I begin to loose an amount each month. And if I call to check on the balance I loose another $5! This is robbery! Down right robbery! YOU ARE A ROBBER AND A THIEF!"
I was holding my hand over my mouth. I did not know if I should laugh or call for Security! Right then old Mic 1 (Big Guy) emerges from his throne and takes control of the situation telling Mr. Upset about the law and how it was recently changed so that the credit card companies that issue the gift cards were no longer able to charge those type of fees......Everything Mic 1 said Mr. Upset would not accept.
He ended up calling Mic 1 a Low Life and left with threats of getting his son to talk to his Council Member to throw as much negative publicity as possible at us.
When the storm left the office we all shrugged and went back to what ever we were doing.
Later on I hear Mic 1 call out from his office to MD1 "You're a robber and a thief!"
"Better than a Low Life!!"
Tomorrow - Star Wars!
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Previously On Alphawoman......
There's a lot of things you don't know about me Continued
Now I remember the number one thing that triggered this lame post; I really like soccer! I'm so happy when the World Cup is on because then I can watch the matches without having to explain myself.
I really really like soccer because I love the way it goes on and on and there is no stopping, even if some one is hurt and has to be carried off the field! Maybe some added minutes at the end, but otherwise there is none of this going on forever stuff you get in American Football.
Now I remember the number one thing that triggered this lame post; I really like soccer! I'm so happy when the World Cup is on because then I can watch the matches without having to explain myself.
I really really like soccer because I love the way it goes on and on and there is no stopping, even if some one is hurt and has to be carried off the field! Maybe some added minutes at the end, but otherwise there is none of this going on forever stuff you get in American Football.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Confessions of A Catholic School Girl
I love that title.
And I love it so much that I have forgotten what I was going to confess. I actually had two things to share. I remember the second.
There are a lot of things you don't know about me. How I find those Amish men that were everywhere in NE Indiana, bearded and long haired with their sweat soaked hats and hand woven tight blue pants, mud and God knows what else encrusted boots, and dirty shirts, I found them very sexy.
For the life of me that image has totally eclipsed the first secret.
And I love it so much that I have forgotten what I was going to confess. I actually had two things to share. I remember the second.
There are a lot of things you don't know about me. How I find those Amish men that were everywhere in NE Indiana, bearded and long haired with their sweat soaked hats and hand woven tight blue pants, mud and God knows what else encrusted boots, and dirty shirts, I found them very sexy.
For the life of me that image has totally eclipsed the first secret.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
These are Few of My Favorite Things
Finding myself with a few minutes to kill yesterday morning I quickly down loaded several songs from MP3 Suites, slapped them on my little device and hit the door for work.
My archaic, though dearly loved, MP3 requires me to shift through the tunes to find what I am looking for. And I was dead set on getting to my latest songs.
As I made it past the A songs then the B songs I was cruising effortlessly into the C's when there it was. I paused as I rushed past and returned and I smiled inwardly, I should have known. I never pass this song without listening to it.
Why I love it so much? I think it touches a nerve - no, not a nerve but an emotion inside of me so deep that a whole concerto of feelings are brushed as I fight back the waves of response and reaction not only the lyrics, but the depth of the raw force of angst bursting out of the songs lyrics.
I was the last person in the world to hear the song. If not the last but close to the last because I heard the song on a television program three years ago, a contest to discover the lead singer for a band of super stars - hence Super Nova. His name was Lukas Rossi and as he performed this Radiohead classic the hair on my arms stood on end. I imagine it is only a two minute version, but I was electrified.
I found the original and ever since whenever it comes up on the rotation of my MP3 tunes I always, never have broken the habit, listen to it at least twice. And each time, the hair on my arms stands on end, and I am electrified.
Number One (#1) on the List of In No Certain Order - My Favorite Things is...
The Song Creep.
My archaic, though dearly loved, MP3 requires me to shift through the tunes to find what I am looking for. And I was dead set on getting to my latest songs.
As I made it past the A songs then the B songs I was cruising effortlessly into the C's when there it was. I paused as I rushed past and returned and I smiled inwardly, I should have known. I never pass this song without listening to it.
Why I love it so much? I think it touches a nerve - no, not a nerve but an emotion inside of me so deep that a whole concerto of feelings are brushed as I fight back the waves of response and reaction not only the lyrics, but the depth of the raw force of angst bursting out of the songs lyrics.
I was the last person in the world to hear the song. If not the last but close to the last because I heard the song on a television program three years ago, a contest to discover the lead singer for a band of super stars - hence Super Nova. His name was Lukas Rossi and as he performed this Radiohead classic the hair on my arms stood on end. I imagine it is only a two minute version, but I was electrified.
I found the original and ever since whenever it comes up on the rotation of my MP3 tunes I always, never have broken the habit, listen to it at least twice. And each time, the hair on my arms stands on end, and I am electrified.
Number One (#1) on the List of In No Certain Order - My Favorite Things is...
The Song Creep.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Road Trip
I am concerned about my Mom. She was not all that well last week when we visited for the monthly Birthday celebrations. She has pulled a lower back muscle doing what all independent 82 year old women do, picking up 25 pound (her estimate) boxes and sweeping snow from the back porch because the birds are all lined up waiting for their morning cup full of bird feed.
Since I am so overwhelmed with working a 40 hour job and then an additional 15 hours at Biscuit Bucket, I am unable to hop up to Lexington so much. When I do and the time between visits is elongated, I am in somewhat of shock at how my Mother is aging. Its rapid.
Dad has been gone for two years now. Incredible how time passes by so quickly. I'm certain Mom is painfully aware of each day that passes. What is so beautiful is that Dad is sort of hanging around the house with her. His spirit is everywhere. She breaks out her box of chocolates each night and eats his piece for him. She does not drink his "toddy" at cocktail hour thought. She draws the line somewhere. But, his presence is every where. Everyday I miss him in all sorts of ways. Driving in the snow and hazardous weather conditions always brings to mind, all those years ago, when he taught me to drive. His instructions ring clear in my head today, as if he were in the seat next to me.
So, I go see my Mom today.
Since I am so overwhelmed with working a 40 hour job and then an additional 15 hours at Biscuit Bucket, I am unable to hop up to Lexington so much. When I do and the time between visits is elongated, I am in somewhat of shock at how my Mother is aging. Its rapid.
Dad has been gone for two years now. Incredible how time passes by so quickly. I'm certain Mom is painfully aware of each day that passes. What is so beautiful is that Dad is sort of hanging around the house with her. His spirit is everywhere. She breaks out her box of chocolates each night and eats his piece for him. She does not drink his "toddy" at cocktail hour thought. She draws the line somewhere. But, his presence is every where. Everyday I miss him in all sorts of ways. Driving in the snow and hazardous weather conditions always brings to mind, all those years ago, when he taught me to drive. His instructions ring clear in my head today, as if he were in the seat next to me.
So, I go see my Mom today.
Friday, February 12, 2010
I've been away too long......
Well, I have a new job and like much of everything in life, it is not what I expected. Nor is it what I was told to expect. After the initial shock of realizing I was starting over, at the bottom, with a salary that does not even rival what I made 20 years ago (because I had a company car, a bonus structure and a gas card for God's sake)and fighting back the tears...I am trying to make the best of it.
After all, it's better than pushing retail frou-frou at people who wander into a Country style restaurant.
Wait! I'm still doing that. Why? First, because I actually enjoy retail and secondly, after two years of not working I frankly need the money.
And so, I promise myself to dust off the funny, and the dark, and the boring, and the silly, and the confessional aspects of my fertile bubbly seven pounds of goo commonly known as my brain and commit to resurrecting Alpha.
Why? Because I miss her.
After all, it's better than pushing retail frou-frou at people who wander into a Country style restaurant.
Wait! I'm still doing that. Why? First, because I actually enjoy retail and secondly, after two years of not working I frankly need the money.
And so, I promise myself to dust off the funny, and the dark, and the boring, and the silly, and the confessional aspects of my fertile bubbly seven pounds of goo commonly known as my brain and commit to resurrecting Alpha.
Why? Because I miss her.
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