No, you come on!

I cannot seem to get over this commercial. I had a Pom (Micky) and if he'd had a human voice, I'm sure this would've been the one. Yay, Dolce!

Panic Mode

I looked at the clock and it said 7:54. Through the slats of my blinds, I could see the sky was overcast, as it has been several mornings in a row. I rolled over, gave CruiserDog a little snuggle, smiled and said to myself....."I love Sundays like this."

Then my eyes flew open and a sense of panic took over and made my skin crawl. I'd said that exact sentence yesterday.

Yes-ter-day.

Uh huh - that's how I began today.

Somehow I got myself into high gear, got ready for work, took CruiserDog outside for a pee and made it to work only 15 minutes late.

Why can't I move like that everyday? I mean, I could really get into sleeping until 8:00 everyday.

Wacky Wednesday

I'm not sure if it's lack of sleep, a hangover, or if the stars are aligned in such a way to just make me crack up everytime I turn around today.

This morning, I received this joke from KP's father's email, who usually tries to shock me by sending pictures of semi- or totally nekkid, ginormously well-enhanced women. But this time he sent a run-of-the-mill joke to my email and it made the Diet Pepsi switch directions in the back of my throat and come out of my nose with laughter. Here it is:

Just wanted you to know that I had a car crash today, no-one was hurt, but I ran into the back of a guys car. I felt even worse when the guy got out - he was a dwarf!!! As he surveyed the damage to his car he was getting quite heated up and emotional. Eventually he came over to me and said in a loud voice "I AM NOT HAPPY" "Which one are you then?" said I. It didn't seem to help.

If that isn't funny enough, get a load of what happened later on as people found that I had forwarded said joke to their inboxes. I got mucho replies saying "Funniest joke in ages!" and "I just cried laughing." Apparently the joke was a hit. (I pride myself on not forwarding jokes that don't literally make me laugh; I'm considerate that way. You're welcome, my email friends.)

Then after lunch, my boss who is traveling today, sends a quick response: "Damn, I hate to hear about that. Glad u r okay." WTF?

He either was having another one of his days where it was a good thing he was out of the office or he has completely lost all sense of humor. I emailed back "you do realize that was a joke, don't you?" In a short time, my phone rang. It was da boss. I could hear his embarrassment over the phone! He had apparently only read the first line of the joke. I certainly hope he pays better attention to his wife! A little while later, I heard from a person he had seen earlier in the day. "Are you okay?" The laughter continued on my part.

It was like I had posed my own experiment or something. Maybe like that game we played as kids where you whisper something in your friend's ear and they pass it along and so on and so on, until the last person ends up with a totally different message. I'm sure there was something psychological-ly there.

Oh - and speaking of psychological......(first, let me state that the following story is of a very personal nature, so co-workers of mine who happen to read my blog, please don't embarrass me by throwing this out willy-nilly at the next company party, k?)......

Last night, Boy Toy J (I so want to call him BTJ, but that just sounds like a serial killer in the midwest) came over after work for a very late dinner and to once again kiss-up to CruiserMel. (heh, it's still working) We hit a bottle of wine pretty hard, cheered at how hard Cleveland was trying to win the game, laughed a ridiculous amount to old "Will and Grace" episodes and eventually ended up, um....how you say?....enjoying eachother's company around 2:00 in the A. All was going swimmingly (I love that word) until I must've done something magnificent because the following exchange occurred:

Boy Toy J: God, that's hot.

CruiserMel: *snort*

Boy Toy J: What did I say? What's so funny?

CruiserMel: Sorry, I was just thinking of Paris Hilton.

Boy Toy J: Gee, I didn't know you were into girls.

Needless to say, the mood was lost for a few as we had to compose ourselves.

And that's the way the day has gone. So far. And there are still 6 1/2 hours to go. Woooo Hoooo, Wacky Wednesday!!!!!

Tagged by Golightly

...and that's a good thing, too, because I was having trouble once again coming up with anything interesting to blog about.



But first let me say to the Cleveland Cavaliers:



GET WITH THE PROGRAM FELLAS. YOU DON'T HAVE TO WIN (OKAY, MAYBE YOU DO - ONCE, PLEASE), BUT CAN WE PULEEEZE GET A SENSE OF COMPETITION GOING HERE?



Okay, I'm better now. On to the meme that Golightly tagged me with. (Oh boy, I hope none of you are grammer teachers out there, because that sentence sucked.)



Here's the dealio: Each player starts with 7 random facts / habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to write their own blog with their 7 things as well as these rules. You need to tag 7 others and list their names on your blog. Remember to leave a comment for them letting them know they have been tagged and to read your blog.



My 7s.....



1. I have so many pairs of black shoes, they won't fit into the shoe thingy in my closet, so they just pile up in a corner of my bedroom. The funny thing is....I actually wear about 3 or 4 pairs over and over again, yet I find myself always looking for the next black pair to buy.



2. Remember white jeans on guys? I loved those so much. I wish they'd come back into fashion.



3. I don't like doing shots. I think they are waste of good liquor.



4. The outside of my house was painted last week. I heart it so much. I have to walk outside several times a day to just look at the house. From the street. Yeah, my neighbors think I'm that crazy cat lady on the block. And I don't have a cat.



5. I have to go to the State Fair of Texas twice during it's 3 week run in the fall. Once to see the exhibits, do some rides, go to the petting zoo, watch the sheephearding dogs and the pig races. The other time I go is for a feeding frenzy, usually with my friend, L. My personal favorites are the Fletcher's corny dogs, the funnel cakes (at a particular food pavillion only), the homemade diet root beer, and the chalupas at Jack's Mexican Food kiosk. Then I top that all off with another corny dog. I can hardly wait until September rolls around again. Gluttony isn't pretty, but it's fun.



6. My friends E & CJ went to see David Cassidy this past weekend in Atlantic City. (Might I add, CJ wins the award for best husband ever?) Knowing they were seeing my first love and I wasn't, just about killed me. I had a dirty dream about him Sunday night. (No, not CJ.) The dream was about the sexy 21 year old David Cassidy, not the mid-50's David Cassidy. But either one would do.



7. I have a love/hate relationship with catalogs. I don't really like shopping malls, especially if I need a particular item, so I rely on catalog and internet shopping quite a bit. As a result, the catalogs that litter my mailbox can be mountainous. I hate that. But I can't live without them, either. How would I buy more black shoes?



Okay - I'm tagging: Dezdemona, Sassy Blondie, Just Tug, Lindy, KP (because she really really needs to do a blog entry for God's sake), Circe, Sassy One.

Boogity Boogity Boogity!

It's here! The NBA Finals begin tonight.

San Antonio has a dog in the hunt. So does Cleveland. Dallas, alas, does not.

But I'm not bitter. I'm just torn.

Spurs or Cavs? Which will it be?

The Spurs could be adding another championship to their dynasty.

The Cavs could make franchise history.

As long as it's great basketball, it's a win-win situation for CruiserMel.

The only sad part: can I wait another season to hopefully see my Mavericks in the finals?

Testing 1-2-3

My oh my, has it been that long since I blogged? I know some time ago, I promised to blog at least a couple of times a week and here I am, barely coming in under the wire. I shouldn't be able to call myself a blogger. *hanging my head in shame*

First off: in case you guys haven't checked the comments from my previous posting, I've got something to say.

You people rawk. Hard. I appreciated each and every comment you guys (and girls) left for me. I've taken every remark under my consideration - and believe me, I've been considering. Hard. For a whole week. I know many of you think I should jettison J yesterday, but as my friend K says: if we didn't give people second chances, we'd all be very lonely.

One thing you should know about CruiserMel....I believe in second chances. (Hell, in the past, I've believed in 102nd chances...but I'd like to say I've grown since then and I plan on stopping at single-digit chances from now on.) That being said, Boy Toy J still has his tail firmly wrapped under his very cute ass and sometimes it's difficult not to crack a smile at how hard he's trying to get back in my good graces.

We spent a good part of the weekend together in all sorts of situations. And I was watching.

Friday we ran boring errands and then I got to meet his son. Believe you me, if I was a little younger, oh say.... 9 years old, that boy would be mine. Mine, I tell you! He was adorable and I loved watching the interaction between father and son. A girl can learn a lot from watching that. We did the single-daddy thing - dinner and a trip to WalMart to buy something for little BT, Jr. I was just along for the ride (okay, the buffalo wings, ya got me) but we had a fun time. I accused Boy Toy J (the elder) of using this precious child to work his way into my heart , but he didn't get my humor. Evs.

The next day, we had planned on going to see a couple of bands at a bar. A perfect opportunity to test his promises.

The club had two tribute bands performing that night. (I'm sort of new to this tribute band stuff...but it's basically a copy band that does only music by a certain artist.....and sometimes in full regalia. It sounds cornier than it is.)

I was excited about the first band, a Journey band. We sang, we danced and had a ball. There is something to be said for slow-dancing to a Journey ballad.

Boy Toy J was more excited about the second band, an Iron Maiden band. Iron Maiden. I'm embarrassed to say I was even there. And I didn't know a single song they played. I suppose they were good, but I lost the hearing in my ear the moment they hit the stage.

I stepped back and kept my eye on J. He was in his element and had some cocktails under his belt. If he was going to F up, this would be the night. Admittedly, I expected a shout-fest afterwards, with me doing the shouting. But it didn't happen. J was attentive and caring and when he noticed I was grimacing from the ear pain, he offered to go towards the back of the club just to be with me. Happily, I sent him up to the front - mostly so I could test him. Was that mean? I wasn't trying to set him up, but I figured "why the hell not?" and the payoff was a pleasant surprise. He was thrilled that I'd let him be a kid for a while or so, but as soon as it was over, he was right by my side being a gentleman.

Success.

So far, at least.

So - Boy Toy J is still in the picture. But he knows he needs to walk the walk for CruiserMel and his feet are on thin ice.

I wonder how long I can get away with this?

Weekend Update On The CruiserMel Broadcasting Network

Hiya people, I trust we all had a nice extra day off yesterday to honor our Veterans who have given so much, sometimes their lives, for us. My neighborhood hosts a nice parade and ceremony and follows up with a really fun block party. By my count, there were probably close to 200 folks, young and old, who came to one or all of the activities. All this under threat of imminent rain storms. But when all was said & done, everyone was dry, except for CruiserMel, who was covered in strawberry snow cone syrup. I am now the Snow cone Queen aka SuperHero to the Kiddies!

Alas, there is a Boy Toy J story to be told. It's not exactly romance and roses, either. I guess it had to happen, but so soon? Then again, J doesn't do things in moderation....he's pedal to the metal most of the time. We've discussed that in this here blog already.

Sooooo - I invited him to join me and some coworkers for happy hour Friday and he shows up with a bag? A BAG? No subtlety there. Aw, what the hell, he may as well have clean clothes since I was probably going to invite him to stay anyway, so I rolled with it. That night was fun - we had someone there who we used to work with and had fun catching up on her life. My first words to her were "Wow, you look like an American Idol," and come to find out - she's now singing! In public. Yikes, maybe I'm a little psychic. I mean, I never knew she sang. Pretty cool.

Then Saturday was a nice day of just running errands and hanging out with J. It was nice. Nothing special. Nothing un-special.

The Sunday of Memorial Day weekend is my favorite day in motor sports. I mean it's like my Super Bowl or Final Four. I plan this day. First, there's the Indy 500 and then Nascar's longest race of the year, the Coca Cola 600. It's 1100 miles of left turns, baby. And I pride myself on usually watching as many of those 1100 as possible. Until I can't stand up without getting dizzy.

I thought J knew this. I'm certain I covered this in our interview, um first date. And he played along nicely for the Indy race. But then he decided beer was his drink of choice, being a sporting event and all. So he picked off at least 7 or 8 of MY beers (okay, I don't drink beer, but I was the one who bought it!). By about lap 50 of the Nascar race, J was pretty buzzy and not as interested in the roar of the engines as he was earlier in the day. (I, on the other hand, had sat through hours and hours of Spanish soccer the day before and didn't complain even once, though I really wanted to do so.) He thought this was "ridiculous" and was stunned when I wasn't interested in going out or *gasp* changing the channel. So he left.

I admit I was pretty perturbed and miserable for awhile, but in the grand scheme of things, I got to watch my race in peace. So, it was a win for both of us, right?

Um, yeah. I hit the bed around midnight, only to be awakened at 3:14 by the phone. J was drunk and lost, but clearly closer to my house than his own. I gave him directions. (stupid? crazy? sucker? I'm not sure yet.)

He showed up 1/2 hour later, very drunk, and with a friend I'd never heard of or seen before. Excuse me?! The friend looked like someone you'd find on a bench, passed out at the bus station. I kid you not. There would be no further sleep for CruiserMel that night/morning, fo sho. I mean I've got some nice things in my house and I kinda like to keep them!

I'm standing there in my robe and slippers, just dumbfounded. Then J starts doling out MY beer and MY Weller. And I lost it. Totally lost it. And one thing you need to know is CruiserMel RARELY IF EVER loses it. And it was like J thought this little bitchfest was a game, egging me on. And you know once that dam is broken, it's balls to the walls, folks. I am a redhead after all.

I hated the person I became at 4:00 am Monday morning. I still hate that person, but I do feel a bit justified. Am I wrong?

The friend got a ride home finally, but it wasn't over. At 6:30 I had to start showering and dressing to help set up for the neighborhood party, right? OH HELL NO, J wasn't having any of that. But he was still helping himself to whatever booze he could find in the casa.

I was able to swipe his keys and hide the liquor without him seeing. When I left for the events, I told him to sleep it off and I'd be home in a few hours. It may have seemed like I was holding him captive, but honestly, he would've been calling from jail if I didn't do something drastic.

Fast forward until 3:00 in the afternoon - I came home and he was indeed sleeping it off. When he got up, he had the hangover from hell (and it looked like it, too - heh) and I didn't even offer an aspirin to him. Heh, heh. He felt rather sheepish and ashamed of his behavior and though I can't say I was warm to him, I wasn't the cold bitch I'd been a few hours earlier. Hat trick heh! I think I just didn't have the energy, to be honest. I sent him on his way, tail firmly tucked under his butt.

I'm not sure what to think or do yet. He's admitted that he's got issues with getting enough sleep and blames his A.D.D. or hyperactivity or whatever. (He was working on about 5 hours from Saturday night.) And introducing a day (and night, too) of non-stop alcohol consumption into that equation just isn't a pretty picture, no matter how you turn your head to the side or hold your mouth just "so." I'm pretty sure I should cut this one loose, like a fish that's just not quite right, but for some reason, I'm buying his story. (Note to self: he IS in retail and this could all be a sales pitch, so beware CruiserMel.)

I just don't know what to do, how to react, where to turn, aw hell, I don't know ALOT right about now.

There you have it. Another Boy Toy J story. You didn't say you wanted to read just the fun ones. Be careful what you wish for.

Hmmm. Interesting line there, huh? Maybe I should listen to my own advice.

Any Requests?

I'm noticing this pattern with my little blog. Apparently, I take requests. That's cool, too, because there are days when the CruiserBrain cannot think of anything to write about here and I understand the addiction that is reading blogs, so I'm pleased to take ideas from my precious readers from time to time.



Lindystars and (Not-So) Pregnant In Texas have all asked for more Boy-Toy J stories. I am nothing, if not accommodating, so here's what's happening:



Remember how I said I was trying terribly hard to overlook the things that have, in the past, caused me to turn-tail and head for the hills? To be honest, I'm doing my level best, but every now and then one of those stupid little things rears it's head and I have to stop myself from doing a U-turn.



But this one trait has me verging on the edge of crazy at times. He's hyper. I mean, H-Y-P-E-R. I haven't used that word to describe a human being since I was perhaps a pre-teen, and then it was usually in regards to my friend, E. Rather, "hyper" is usually used to describe a miniature poodle, tap dancers or fleas. Certainly, I have never used that word to describe a guy. Guys are usually described by me as "that lump on the sofa that eats every bite of food in my house" or "the one who farts."



Boy-Toy J is just plain hyper. Maybe it come from being in retail / sales. Maybe it comes from a high metabolism or too much caffeine. I suppose he could actually have undiagnosed hyperactivity disorder. Whatever the reason, there are times he absolutely must be reined-in and told to shut the F up already!



I've found just the best way to shut him up and chill-him-the-fuck-out. Sex.



No, really. There is scientific proof this works. I've learned to buck up and offer my services at any time. I'm helpful that way.



It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make. That last sentence wasn't actually written to be funny. Let me explain.



I found myself slinking into my own home at 3:00 in the morning today. I say "slinking" because I had of course, left practically every light in my house on, including a very bright front porch light, that if anyone knows my routine, I usually turn off by 10 or 11, even if I'm not calling it a night. As I pulled the CruiserCar into the driveway, I felt as if there was a neon sign with a big red arrow pointed at me that said "A Slut Lives Here."



But back to the real sacrifice - I have to wake up for work by 6:30 or 7:00 to be on time. You do the math. Scratch that; I already did the math for you - that's like hardly any sleep at all! So, I've been draggin' ass all day at the office. I lingered over the composition of a simple 3 paragraph letter for at least 20 minutes, and even complained that my teachers in 8th grade probably should have never passed me along to 9th grade.



However, if it can help out my fellow human being, I am willing to face this challenge head on to provide this service to hyper Boy-Toy J. Don't say I'm selfish, because obviously I'm the most selfless person I know.

A Very Good Day, Indeed

I was sitting at the office today, thinking of you, my sweetie-pies. Yes, not only do I work for a living, travel the world, love my CruiserDog, occasionally offer my yard to passing duck couples, and have a boy-toy, but I actually think of y'all. I know, I know.

I was feeling like it was time to post a new blog entry, but what would I write about, I asked myself. I could write that directly after posting the pictures from my most recent concert, I took to my bed with tonsillitis and my boss actually asked me "What are you, thirteen?" I could write about how I have to get up in front of a mess-o-neighbors tonight and present our neighborhood association's budget for 2007. I could write about boy-toy, J. I could write about how Jessica and John have broken up (FINALLY).

But none of that seemed too blog-worthy.

Then I got home and to my utter glee I found a couple of packages containing some swwwweeeeet bootleg copies of concerts done by T the G from a mini-tour he did on the east coast in early May, before heading out with The New Cars. This was a last-minute tour that included Jesse Gress, Tony Levin and John Montagna (not sure of the spelling), that if I'd known further in advance, I would've certainly cashed-in some miles and flown cross-country to witness. A rare treat, indeed for my east coast Toddhead friends. Lucky sons-of-guns.

I'm not exactly sure where these bootlegs actually start - but they are board recordings and they are clear and wonderful, full of lots of Todd on guitar, digging deep into his vast catalogue, and there's even some fantastically clever, typical Todd banter. Good stuff, I tell ya.

Toddheads are a sharing bunch. We believe in paying-it-forward. We don't trade stuff that could actually make Todd money, but if it's something that cannot be bought, it's fair game among the network of like-minded fabulous folks. Today I got a total of 5 shows on cds from my friends S in New York and S in California. (4 Todd shows and 1 Kasim solo show) All this for the price of sending out a couple of copies I had in my collection. And so it goes on down the line.

Toddheads rawk. And some even read this blog. So, if you recognize yourself here, I'm sending out a virtual CruiserHug to ya.

You Asked For It......

After receiving a few (okay 3) emails from some of my shy readers who refuse to leave their published comments and one special request by Sassy Blondie in the comments section, my arm is successfully twisted. To my surprise, y'all actually wanted to see more pictures of The New Cars show I saw last Friday night. There's not much more I like to do than talk about my Todd and his new role as lead of The New Cars, singing not only classic songs like "Hello Again," "My Best Friend's Girl," "Candy-O," "Moving In Stereo," along with more than I can possibly recall right this second, but they are also bringin' it on some new songs, written in the Cars' 80's style. So here you have it - ladies and gentlemen, The New Cars!!!

I love this picture of Todd in darkness with a single spotlight on him. I think he was singing "Drive" here, usually sung by Kasim when he's not off gallivanting in Europe with Meat Loaf.

Awwwwwww, this one's cool with the colored lights. Love me some Todd. Can ya guess?

This lefty is Elliot Easton - one of the original members from way back. After he broke his collarbone last summer in a close-shave bus incident, he actually played a couple of shows before they pulled the band off the road so he could have surgery. They hit the road again after a few weeks and he played like nothing had ever happened. Now, if only my elbow would bounce back that well....

If you've ever attended a sporting event (usually baseball), you have probably heard a song that goes "I don't want to work, I want to bang on the drum all day...." No, it wasn't a Cars song. Guess again. I'll wait. ...... It is a Todd song. Uh huh. This is the band playing it on ukuleles and conga, Hawaiian style.

Todd wails it a little later on in the show. Red is a good color on him, donchathink?

This is Atom Ellis, filling in for Kasim, quite well, thankyouverymuch. It's been said he looks quite a bit like original Cars member Benjamin Orr....and he does. Sorry the pic is so dark. As he said to me after the show "Yeah, I step in wherever I'm needed." ....and my mind went off to a dirty place.

Here is a laminated sign we got from a shuttle bus that moved people from the casino/hotel to the performance arena. It makes me mad that they air-brushed Kasim's image from the promo photo, but the least they could have done was photoshop Atom's picture into it. No worries, Atom did a quick scribble of himself, carefully avoiding where Prairie Prince had signed previously. Also - Todd's autograph is on the left side, but it's in ball-point - so you need to take my word for it.

I just realized I haven't posted any close-ups of Prairie Prince (drummer) or Greg Hawkes (keyboards), but let me brag here for a second - I was too close to the stage to see over the monitors, so my pics of them are weird. But they're in the pictures from the other day's posting.


And......this is my prized vintage handbill from a 1978 Utopia show in Austin. Yeah, I was just a kid then, but I had great taste in music. 1978 was when I first saw Todd live (at the Dallas show) with Kasim playing bass. And we know where that's led. Check out the ticket price: $6.00!!! The good ole days! When Todd was signing this, he said "I see Kasim's been here already". Yeah, catch up, Todd.



I think that's enough for y'all. Believe me, I could go on and on, but it might be akin to having to sit through hours of someone photos of their baby. You can thank me later.

Travel Ghoulies and The New Cars

Well, hiya! How was everyone's weekend? I missed you so!

Did anyone else suffer the travel ghoulies like CruiserMel did? Oh hell to the yeah, it's gotten to where I'm not even surprised anymore by my missteps in travel. It sometimes even gives me the giggles.

Friday morning came and I was almost too excited to be driving because I knew in 12 hours I would be seeing my Todd Rundgren with The New Cars. It had been since November since TNC had toured, and frankly not many expected they would tour ever again, after the lousy management last time around. But they've switched companies and perhaps they might get a little more PR in '07. I've had Todd up on a pedestal since I first heard him singing "Hello, It's Me" on my radio as a kid and though I've come close, I've never actually met him, but let's just say I was determined to change that, this time.

I should've taken heed in the fact that of the 4 of us who had bought our tickets together, two had to cancel. But CruiserMel was determined to make it to a place named Kinder, Louisiana at a casino, and L was still going to drive in from Houston and meet me there. So yay!

I dropped CruiserDog off at his Aunt CE's and hit the road. Then the A/C in the CruiserCar acted up - but I was still not daunted. Thirty miles outside of Dallas, I saw the flashing lights of one of Texas' finest. She wasn't stopping me for speeding, a broken taillight, or a dead body hanging out of the trunk. No, she stopped me for not having a front license plate. Lamelamelamelamelame. Wench. And I didn't mean to laugh when her trooper hat blew off and she had to chase it into a ditch. The giggles were about to give me a stitch in my side as I drove off with my written warning.

To add further stress to the situation, something was wrong with the starter on the car, so every time I stopped, I was faced with the question of "is there a rental car place or mechanic nearby?" It happened 3 times in the six-hour drive. But CruiserMel was still undaunted.

I got to the hotel, met up with L, whored-up, had a cocktail, and headed to dinner and the pavilion. It was showtime! And it was tons-o-fun! I found my way up to the stage and took some amazing photos, too. It was so much fun that I can't even think of a better word than "fun."

When the show ended - I insisted L & I go around back to see if we could find Todd and get some treasures signed by T the G.

I did not go all that way (again!) to just be happy with seeing Todd on the stage. I had a mission and had suffered that awful drive, so I deserved dessert, dammit.

First we saw Atom (the bass player who sits in for Kasim when he's with Meat Loaf) who graciously signed my stuff and visited for a little while. He looks amazingly like Benjamin Orr who was the original bassist for The Cars. Amazingly! When I'd seen him in November, I thought he was cute - but his hair's grown out and he's, well - whoa!

Then Prairie Prince came out and signed my stuff - and I think L got a little crush on PP, but shhhh, don't tell her I told you so. He was funny and charming and we were impressed that he was so humble, seeing as how he's played with the likes of Jefferson Starship and The Tubes, along with my Todd for so many years.

Then - there he was. Todd Rundgren. I didn't have time to get nervous, thankfully. He was all sweaty and wearing his "11" shirt from Spinal Tap. And he was very sweet and nice and it was a good visit. He signed my vintage Utopia handbill and upon seeing Kasim's autograph said "I see Kasim's already been here." (hee) Then some handler beotch came and hurried him along. Even he didn't look like he was ready to go to the hotel. *sigh* By then, CruiserMel was walking on air!

We met up with some folks I'd met in an online Todd forum at the bar in the casino. Great new friends! We exchanged some stories and before too long - here comes Atom and Prairie! Girrrrrrrl, I was out of my mind with glee when we found ourselves hangin' with da boys. And it even got better when Greg Hawkes (The Cars' original founding member / keyboardist) came in, ordered a martini and joined us. The only ones missing were Todd and the other guitarist, Elliott Easton. Pity for them.

That's Prairie, L, CruiserMel and Atom. Cute, huh? Ummm, hummm. *okay, J will never ever know about this blog, just sayin.*

This is Greg & CM. Fantastic man! The sounds he pioneered in the 80's with the keyboards still send shivers up my spine. And I told him so. He probably thinks I'm a nutball. And he would be right.

The next day, CruiserMel and L parted and I drove home with a wicked hangover and very little sleep. It was a beautiful drive through a wooded east Texas and I enjoyed seeing the little towns and Dairy Queens along the way, as opposed to the interstate highways I'd taken the day before.

But because state roads take longer, I missed watching Steve Nash that night. Whattadrag.

Oh well - there's always tonight!

So - what did I miss around here?

Talk About Shooting & Scoring! Wow!

I realize Todd Rundgren is an acquired taste. I'm no dummy. I know some folks won't even give him a listen, but at least you guys let me worship T the G occasionally here. I respect that and hope you respect my right to express my opinion on other stuff, too, no matter if you agree or disagree. Rodney King said it best: "Can't we all just get along?"

That being said, let me share with you what I've been watching for a few years that fascinates me to no end.

I don't fancy myself much of a sports girl, but I do happen to like car racing and the NBA.

Last night I was watching a playoff game - Phoenix Suns vs. San Antonio Spurs, to be specific. I'm not picking sides - so chill out my little San Antonio readers - because frankly I like both teams, but truth-be-told, if the Dallas Mavericks were still in the hunt, I'd be their biggest cheerleader. But that's for another year.

Trying to do some ironing while the game was on, before too long, I found myself enthralled by Steve Nash's playing as usual.


Have you seen this guy in action? He's like a little Energizer Bunny, if you can say 6'1" is little. Once you train your eye on #13, you will practically see contrails coming off Mr. MVP. He's all over the place! He hops. He ducks. He skips. He is amazing!

And kinda cute. Just my opinion.

Next game Saturday night. ABC. 7:00 pm central time.

Annnnnnnnnnd I'm outta here to go see The New Cars (natch with Toddly) Friday night, somewhere in Louisiana. And there will be a casino involved. And my friends S & L. I'm doomed. But what a way to go!

And I'll be home in time to see Steve Nash work his magic on Saturday, too! Bonus!

Happy early weekend y'all!

A Couple of Updates

Some of you may be wondering about my little duck couple. Well, they did indeed hang out at CruiserMel's house for a few days. Though I am totally grossed out by the mess they left in the yard (and so is CruiserDog), I found myself searching for my little fat feathered friends Saturday afternoon, when I couldn't find hide nor hair, nor feather, of them. And I never found them. It made me a little sad, honestly. I loved watching how they interacted. And how he would always have her back. Just so presh.

Okay, enough about ducks.

It's time for braggin' on the new guy, J. Um yeah, I'm still blushing over here. I find that funny for me to be like that. I guess it's just so refreshing to not have to listen to a bunch of life-draining hum-drum like "My day at work sucked, I hate it there" or "So let's talk about how crappy George Bush is doing." I hate that.

J is a very positive-thinking person. He leaves all negativity outside when he's talking to me. I mean, we've only dated a week or so, but other guys I've dated early-on seem to want to just have someone to vent to, and since I don't see a PhD behind my name, I don't really want to be that person so early. Am I wrong?

He actually talks about stuff he knows interests me. Like music, which tickles CruiserMel completely pink. (Oh come on, you didn't guess that I happen to live and die by music?) We have fun trying to convince eachother to the other "side" of popular music. He is more old-school hard rock and though my tastes range from 80's new wave and pop all the way up through current Grey's Anatomy-ish music, I left my hard rock days behind me in high school, where they belong in my opinion.

But I must say it makes for lively debate. And he's trying, really trying to be open-minded about some of my stuff. Like John Mayer. Completely on his own, he went online and got some of J-May's songs because he trusted my opinion (and telling him Johnnie is wicked on the guitar didn't hurt). Unfortunately, after giving 5 songs a listen, he wasn't convinced. But he gave it FIVE songs before he gave up! Oh well, you can't win 'em all. But he is diggin' The New Cars, with my beloved Todd manning the helm, and as you know, that is the way to my heart.

And you know what he did? He went to the Heaven & Hell concert Thursday night. I had no idea who that was, but apparently it's Ronnie James Dio (he's alive?) with the original members of Black Sabbath. He went alone, though he said he'd get me a ticket. No thanks. I would've been painfully miserable and would probably be found in the parking lot cutting myself with a broken beer bottle to avoid sitting through that. But here's the kicker: the guy was thinking of little ole me and bought me a tshirt. Have you priced tshirts at concerts lately? It's a really cool shirt too, and not the biker girl baby-doll tank top, because we all know that would've just ended up on CruiserDog after I sweetly said thank you while rolling my eyes into the back of my head in my mind. He's figured out my style in 3 dates? AND - he made me six, that's six mix cds of music he thinks I'd like. Not just what he likes, but what he thinks I'd like. "I wrote down the song names because I can tell you're a track girl." On the nosey! Some of it is actually very good and some not-so-much, but geez, what effort. Seriously adorable.

You're out there thinking "Cruiser, who the F have you been dating all your life that this all comes as a breath of fresh air?" And I would have to say to you, "Apparently guys that don't get me."

I offered up cooking dinner for him in exchange for hooking up a VHS to DVD recorder that was giving me fits. I mean, you know we girls don't have that gene. He came over and got horribly dusty crawling behind my armoire and untangling cords and got the mutha working. My hero. My duck. AND he liked my cooking and had seconds. (Of course, Central Market did the cooking, but hey, I was busy holding the flashlight and watching his backside as he worked electronic miracles. Heh.)

Now, if I can just not F this up. I wonder if Central Market gives a discount on buying ready-prepared meals in bulk.

*Sassy Blonde: Yes, he's got a brother, but he's taken. And doesn't live here anyway. Phooey.

We Won't Call It A Meme, Okay ThatGirl?

I was tagged by ThatGirl to complete this thing. I'm calling it a thing because she hates the word meme. Who could blame her? It's a weird word. Who the F made that up? It's silly. I'm not ever sure how to pronounce it.

So here's the thing:

A - Available or Single? Pretty much.
B - Best Friend? Several, just call me blessed.
C - Cake or Pie? Pie. Chocolate, lemon meringue, apple, pumpkin.....oh doesn't matter.
D - Drink of Choice? Diet Coke, with or without Weller.
E - Essential Item(s)? Photos, iPod, flat-iron, hair dryer.
F - Favorite Color? Green.
G - Gummi Bears or Worms? Never had a gummi anything, but I'd choose bears. Worms are gross.
H - Hometown? Dallas, Texas.
I - Indulgence? Airfare, concert tickets, cruises, blackjack, pizza, cds, single-malt scotch.
J - January or February? January, so I can get over the holidays.
K - Kids? Not that I'm aware of. Heh.
L - Life is incomplete without…music.
M - Marriage Date? No, I don't think I'd take a date to my marriage.
N - Number of Siblings? One, a terrific older brother.
O - Oranges or Apples? Apples served with cheese.
P - Phobias/Fears? Being murdered, flying.
Q - Favorite Quote? All the world's a stage and we are merely players. (or something like that)
R - Reasons to Smile? Friends, puppies, cute men, blogs, Fridays.
S - Season? Summertime.
T - Tag Three? Lindy, Dezdemona, Williebee -please? For me?
U - Unknown Fact About Me: I'm a fantastic housekeeper - the reason it's unknown is because it isn't true.
V - Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animals? I don't discriminate - I'll eat almost anything.
W - Worst habits? Drinking, smoking (shhhh, don't tell), taking naps, too much television
X - X-rays or Ultrasounds? Dental, elbow, shoulder, some female stuff you don't want to know about
Y - Your Favorite Foods: Pizza, patty melts, Tex-Mex, Triscuits, Wisconsin cheddar
Z - Zodiac: Cancer / Moon Child

ThatGirl, there ya have it, my San Antonio blog-buddy. Happy Weekend, everyone!

A Whole Mess-a-Sumptin

Oh, my dear chitlins, I'm so sorry to have worried all y'all. I got some very sweet email messages from some of you, concerned that yet another blogger had bit the dust. But not CruiserMel. I just nibbled at the dust a little bit. And I want you all to know that I'm feelin' y'all, really feelin' y'all. Thanks for the concern, but actually there was no reason to fret, sweetie-pies.

Let's see - what has kept me from da blog? Oh yeah - a guy. Let me write that again, because it just looks so great. A guy. Oooo, gives me shivers.

I'd actually forgotten that when I met him, I completely forgot to give him the wrong phone number, as per usual, and so imagine my surprise when J called me last week. My brain went all numb and asked itself: "Self? You gave your real number to a guy you met in a bar?" Um, yeah. But I remembered that he was really cute, at least in my buzzy state that night. So I decided to give it a whirl and was pleasantly surprised when yes, indeed, he IS really cute! Anyhoo, um yeah, I'm blushing. And I'm actually trying to keep an open mind about all the usual stuff that I seem to be able to find undesirable, such as: he doesn't drive exactly the kind of car I like, he's too hyper, he's too young (yeah, he's young!), he lives 30 minutes away, he lives in a apartment, he's divorced, he's got a kid, he likes heavier music than I do, he gets speeding tickets, blah blah blah. What's important is the guy seems to genuinely care about CruiserMel. Yikes.

Another reason I've been neglectful is what I've learned today was not my impending death, but rather an upper respiratory infection that kicked me to the curb on Monday and left me there to rot until this morning. I didn't even feel like reading your blogs, much less write on mine. Mucho apologies, my friends.

Yesterday as I was propped up on the sofa with CruiserDog watching CourtTV, something caught my eye in the backyard. At first I thought it was a squirrel, but CruiserDog lost his friggin' mind by barking so loudly that I had to investigate. Apparently, this is what goes on in my backyard during the workday.

WTF? I don't have a pool or live near a creek. I have no idea where they came from, but they waddled around the yard for a couple of hours. They let me get right up near them to feed them some bread. They followed a squirrel around like he was their friend. It was too weird. The guy let the little woman eat until she was as wide as she is long and he just stoicly looked around for predators. Isn't that the sweetest? I like a man who lets his woman eat like a pig. Come to think of it, they may have hung around that long because I'll bet she couldn't take flight with that load of cargo on those hips.

So that's about all I have for all y'all this time. I promise to post something in shorter time next time around. A week is way too long to be away from ya.

*smoochies to the guys* *hugs to the gals* Have a great one, whatever "one" that might be.