Guest-Hosting on RundgrenRadio.com

Yeah, if you're reading this on or before January 29th, that stupid voice on the RundgrenRadio show that auto-starts when you load this blog, is moi.

I was bestowed with the honor (or was it dishonor?) of guest-hosting for my little bro Dougie Doug last Wednesday night. I interviewed Atom Ellis, the bassist who filled-in for Kasim Sulton during the New Cars tours in 2006-2007. That's him above. Cute, huh ladies?

Atom is a very quick wit, but was a real sweetheart as he took it easy on me, knowing I was a newbie (duh - it was so obvious) at the online radio game. Thank you, Atom.

Of course, if you give it a listen you'll be intrigued by Mr. Ellis. I know I was. He's had a pretty cool musical history and I was glad I had done my homework as he's been all over the place. He's played in some groovy bands. One of his bands was named Psychefunkapus. (Does anyone else want to call that Snuffaluffagus?) He's even played with Link Wray. How cool is that? Wray is considered one of the top 100 guitarists ever. Ever.

And of course, he's played with Todd in The New Cars. He's no slouch.

I had too much fun - especially when the red wine kicked in and I got my DJ groove on. DougieDoug had better look out. I'm not sayin'...I'm just sayin'.

Thanks Doug and Atom - hugs all around!

Say What? *evil grin*

Who's Your Sex and the City Match?

My Result: Samantha

Rrowr! What would life be without you? Brazen, intelligent, and not afraid to say whatever (and we mean whatever) is on your mind, when it comes to being fearless — you're the real thing. While some things that come out of your mouth may make your friends a little uncomfortable, it's fun to stir the pot sometimes and get a reaction. And that's half the reason you do it!

At first glance you come across as quite the wild child, but you're not just a sexpot. Your closest friends get to find out that you've got a big heart underneath those hot, hot clothes and a great head on your shoulders. With that killer combo, there's no way you won't get everything you want. What a firecracker!

Take this test >

Peer Pressure Strikes Again

Okay, so we all know that I got my name because of my love of all things cruise-related. You didn't? Well, yeah. Catch up, okay?

So tonight, under pressure from yet another person who has reminded me of my recent blog-slackin', I sat at the computer and tried to channel my muse.

Unfortch, all I could muster was phonin' it in by way of one of those internet quizzes. So lame, I know, but it's the peer pressure, ya know?

Usually, these things come up with something like "You will be a cult leader" or "CruiserMel will marry John Mayer in 2032 at 3:00 pm at the drive-in." You know, stuff that could really happen.

So okay - really. Take a gander at this. Can you imagine anything more un-CruiserMel-like?

In what alternate dimension would CruiserMel be most comfortable?

In a dimension where... The love boat is the only show that was ever or will ever be made

'In what alternate dimension would you be most comfortable?' at QuizGalaxy.com

Another Year Bites The Dust

2007 is coming to a close and it's time to make some resolutions for 2008. WTF? I hate those things. Resolutions last about a week and ya usually have to pay for them for life, in the form of an auto-draft for a gym membership. So - phooey! I think I'm just going to resolve to continue with the good stuff and jettison all the crapola from 2007. Ya hear me, crapola from 2007? Go on! Git!

In total, 2007 was one helluva year, in a great way. I had more fun this year than I had in some of my college years. Then again, I had to study during those times and that really sorta sucked, so perhaps those weren't the bestest. My 20's were cool, but I was just getting my feet wet. But since I grew beyond my 20's (okay, beyond my 30's - evs) it's been getting better and better. At least that's how I remember it and isn't that what matters? I mean, this blog really is all about me, isn't it? Shut it.

Then again, my short-term memory is probably starting to blur some things. It's all good as long as it looks good from my point of view. So I intend to carry on with enjoying life as it comes along and let the not-so-great stuff run off. I guess that's a resolution of sorts.

I had a helluva week last week, lemmetellya. First there was the Island of Misfit Toys gathering on the 24th and then Christmas with the CruiserMel Clan and that was quickly followed by 5 days of month-end/year-end work to do in a mere 3 days. I was one beaten chica, people.

BUT - there was tons-o-fun to be had, even after the holiday, y'all. On Thursday, I got a call from Doug with RundgrenRadio who was on vacation and wanted me to pinch-hit for him and host the radio show that night. Thanks for the time to prep, Doug. Luckily, I only had to host the second hour of the show - the easy part. Starting around minute 58, I took the helm and we looked back a la New Years Eve special at the past musical guests and played some music by each one and pimped their latest recorded efforts. To say I sounded like a pro would certainly be an untruth - at least at the beginning - but a couple of diet cokes* later and I was ready to usurp Doug's power, change his password to BlogTalkRadio and take over the show for good. Luckily for him, I've since lost his password. Pity. Give it a listen if you wanna. Click over there on the right in the blue box and after Doug does a prerecorded interview and some other stuff (not that it's not interesting, mind you) you will hear yours truly saying "um" and "uh" about 1000 times. I rock. In my own mind.

So - here's my wish for all y'all in 2008: May your days be filled with smiles and good friends. May your days be safe and warm. And may you be healthy and hearty. Big ole hugs comin' your way......

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!

*my special recipe

CruiserDog Must Be Cajun

Okay, I don't know what happened with that SNL video, my lovely chitlins. If I'd known it was actually removed, I would certainly have not teased you like a 9th grade virgin. My bad.

Let's see what's happened since we last met..... oh yes, Christmas and all it's trimmings! Did y'all have some fun and frolic? Was it a white Christmas where you live? Did you get some goodies or just coal in your stocking?

For me? Overall it was great - a couple of days off from the wear-n-tear that is daily living. But nottoomuchtomysuprise, I was disappointed by the gifts I received from my family. Yes, my family. I got two Nascar books and a big worthless die-cast model of Jeff Gordon's racecar. Honestly, what am I to do? How does one express that perhaps enough is enough? Yes, I was a Jeffhead extraordinaire up until perhaps 3 years ago when I got other things to do and grew up a bit. I still watch my round-n-round racing when I get a chance, but the world doesn't stop for a Nascar race anymore. Oh well, I've got a whole year to get that message across in my gentle, yet pointed manner, don't I?

My nephew (14)appears to be the only one with working ears, as he bought me the most insightful gift of all of them. An iTunes gift card. Now, was that so hard?

But, I guess the whole point of Christmas is to be with family and friends and come out of your comfort zone by telling these people how much you appreciate having them in your life. And that did happen. And it was wonderful.

But let me tell you a story about Christmas Eve. You'll indulge me? No? Tough.

I've been a bit stressed lately and decided to pull away from the usual and decided to have some friends over for an impromptu supper of chili and cornbread. Perhaps it wasn't Christmas-y, but perhaps we were like the Island of Misfit Toys - just a few folks who either had no place to go or no place we wanted to go. I admit I was diggin' it and it might become tradition at Casa de CruiserMel in the future.

One of the snacky foods we had was some boudin from Louisiana. (I'd tried it for the first time during my New Orleans trip and practically made love to it upon first taste.) We were gettin' after it way into the night but had left a good portion on the dish when we (humans) went into the kitchen to refill our adult beverages.

Bad idea.

Upon return to the den where we had enjoyed a bit of the boudin on crackers and had unfortunately left said dish of boudin and crackers on a low coffee table, we found CruiserDog lapping up the last morsels of that ricey, spicy goodness.

My first thought was "Uh oh, I hope I can find a good carpet cleaner." Then my thoughts raced to "I wonder how much this is going to cost at the vet."

Luckily, CruiserDog has an iron-clad stomach...and a taste for the Cajun. I adopted him from east Texas, but perhaps he came from way further east, like Louisiana.

That CruiserDog. Always making me laugh. Love ya, CruiserDog. Don't ever change.

Tell Us About Your Balls, Pete

Merry Christmas, my chitlins. And to all, a good night.

Feeling Grinchy or Tiny Timmy?

I may be the only living soul who actually likes doing those "getting to know you" email quizzes. Or at least the only living soul who admits to liking them. The following quiz crossed my path yesterday and since it's seasonal, and therefore different, I thought I'd share my answers with you guys. Also, I'm in Christmas burnout-mode and feeling a little Scroogey, so I couldn't think of anything blogworthy tonight. Feel free to take one or all of the questions on for yourself, but leave me a comment. We share around here. That's how we roll.

Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know your friends.Okay, here's what you're supposed to do, and try not to be a SCROOGE!!!Just copy (not forward) this entire email and paste into a new e-mail thatyou can send. Change all the answers so that they apply to you. Then sendthis to a whole bunch of people you know, INCLUDING the person that sent itto you... 'Tis the Season to be NICE!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper and pretty bows mainly.

2. Real tree or artificial? It's all about the faux, baby.

3. When do you put up the tree? During the Cowboy game on T-giving.

4. When do you take the tree down? When I get tired of looking at it...Jan 1.

5. Do you like eggnog? I do. But only in small doses. Spiked, of course. I mean, seriously! What would be the point?

6. Favorite gift received as a child? My first car - with a giant green bow on top.

7.You have a nativity scene? Yes, but who knows where it is!

8. Easiest person to buy for? My teenaged nephew - electronics and gift cards!

9. Hardest person to buy for? My mother.

10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Cocoa mix with Jeff Gordon's pic on it. Can ya believe that shit? And she's FAMILY.

11. Mail or email Christmas cards? I actually love those dumb Christmas update letters and try to get one out to people every couple of years...but with the way it's sneaking up so fast this time, I may just go with the email idea. Me likey.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? "Elf"

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Dec. 20th. Well, fancy that - today is Dec. 20th. Great.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Enough with the guilt here!

15 . Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Beef tenderloin

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? I have clear lights, but I like both equally. You know, how mental patients like shiny things.

17. Favorite Christmas song? Tied: Little Saint Nick / Do You Hear What I Hear?

18. Travel for Christmas or stay at home? Yes, 2 week cruise through the Mediteranean sea with my sexy sweetheart, winning in the casino, and dining on fine food and wine..... oh wait, that's just in my head. Nevermind. I guess I'll hang around Dallas.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? Yes, if I sing the Rudolph song in my head. It's kind of like figuring out if a month has 30 or 31 days or "I" before "E."

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Angel that my parents gave me when I bought my house. I love her! She makes me cry.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? AGAIN with the presents. I guess sometimes it's a little of both.....and of course, it gets drug out into January, too, depending on which friends I see less regularly than others.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Traffic!

Some Of These Guys Look Familiar

Here's how ya do it, men. This is your public service announcement. You can thank me later.

Apparently, I'm BI Now

Aw, here we go again...CruiserMel disappears for awhile and y'all start talkin' trash about me. Don't think it goes unnoticed either. But I won't take it in a negative light, rather as good PR. There's no such thing as bad publicity. But enough about that, let's talk about me.

Where to begin? Ah yes - Todd.

*GASP* Did I say Todd?

Why yes I did say Todd. Imagine that.

Dat's right, my peeps, T the G came to Dallas to play the House of Blues and I was in Todd Heaven. I'd seen this particular show (well, different drummer) in Vegas earlier this year and let's just say I was a-buzz with excitement because Todd rarely comes around these parts. There were a bunch of friends I know from the int-a-net fan sites who came from miles around, including the little bro I never had, Doug from RundgrenRadio.com and his lovely bride. We'd met back in May at a New Cars show in Louisiana and I was thrilled to have them as house guests.

It was crazy insane and the fatigue I'm still feeling from my "Adventures in Utopia" (you wouldn't understand that reference unless you were a Toddhead, so don't be hard on yourself) has been completely worth it.

I can't tell you a whole lotta details or I'd have to kill you, but it was a whirlwind of fun. Wanna see some photos? No? Well, tough.

Dat's right, my chitlins....that's CruiserMel gettin' her snuggle on with Todd. *strut strut*

And yup, that would be Kas in a couple of the pictures, too. Oh, did I forget to mention him? My bad. Hee hee. *blush*

After their stop in Dallas, the band headed for Austin while my partner in crime, L, and I drove on ahead to New Orleans for just a tad bit of fun. New Orleans is kinda boring. Not much to do there. But we discovered this street called Bourbon and let's just say there was mucho flowing of the spirits (both liquid and voodoo) and most is a blur.

What I do remember is the lights going out in our hotel room, which was haunted btw, going to a bar named Utopia (see above Todd reference), dancing with a guy with a grill, having some shrimp bisque to die for, numerous Skyy & diet cokes, drinking the most loaded daiquiri in history and demanding more vodka be added to it, making out with a complete stranger in a bar (uh, yeah, the daiquiri was kickin' in about that time), getting my friggin' life saved by L as I was completely out of my mind and heading to a dark alley to get more of my make-out on with said complete stranger, and then it fades to black.

The next morning L informed me that I was bi. I searched the history in my brain and said I remembered making out with that guy but what the fuck else did I do after that?!?!?

She couldn't contain her laughter and informed me that "bi" stood for bad influence. Whatever. I've been called worse.

Then we went to Harrah's for a little pre-lunch gambling and I found a magical quarter that quickly went into my shoe and hasn't left there since. It helped me more than double my money in a short time and then we were off to lunch at Mother's (go there, no kidding) and to meet little bro Doug (he drove in from Alabama sans bride to see our next Todd show at the New Orleans House of Blues). Our little family was complete. Awww.

After some pre-show cocktailing and whorin' up, we went to the venue and witnessed yet another awesome show by T the G. Even better than Dallas. Wanna see some photos? No? Well, tough.

I gave Kasim a little token birthday gift, a collectors' item of sorts in the form of a RundgrenRadio.com tshirt, designed by Doug, just for the Texas shows.

He seemed thrilled. Or was that me? Is it getting hot in here?

All too soon, Doug, L and I were back on Bourbon Street, fancy that, tearing it up, eating Lucky Dogs, and carrying on like it was all about us. And it was all about us. Always is. And we tell eachother that all the time, too. It's a family thing, ya know. Deal.

There's way more, but like I said, I'd have to kill ya and you don't want me going off on you, now that I've got da voodoo on my side. Seriously, they've got that stuff down there in N'awlins! Creepy.

LET ME JUST SAY THAT IT WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITE NIGHTS OF MY LIFE. 'NUFF SAID.

Sadly, the sun started coming up and we had to go our separate ways. Eight hours back to Dallas with dirty restrooms, boudin, Doug E. Fresh songs, road hallucinations and all.

Tickets to see Todd: $90
Gasoline to New Orleans: $100
Number of private jokes between friends: 3,612
Alcoholic beverages: 2700

Hours of sleep between Saturday and Saturday: 4
Seeing Todd and Kasim again: Priceless

Dear Santa.....

Product Description: Singing Pizza Elmo
Elmo is serving up some deep-dish delights at his next pizza party. Dressed in an adorable apron and hat, Elmo takes the stage with pizza in hand. Press his hand to hear him sing a silly pizza song as he sways from side to side. During the song, the pizza comes alive--moving its eyes and mouth--and sings along with Elmo. Requires 4 "AA" batteries, included. Measures 11" tall.

Dear Santa:

I'm pretty sure I qualify as a pizzaholic - liking everything from exquisite Chicago deep-dish style to gourmet California Pizza Kitchen and even down to my beloved Totino's - but please, oh please don't bring me Singing Pizza Elmo. I'm not sure there is enough vodka to stop the certain nightmare that is a pizza coming alive, with moving eyes and mouth. In fact, Elmo has always scared me a little. Okay, alot.

I don't care if I've been a good girl. I think I'm more into Chinese now, anyway.

Love,

CruiserMel

At Least My Car Had Doors On It

I had a "Tommy Boy" moment today that took me completely by surprise.

As y'all know, I'm a music lover and damn proud of it. So proud that I tend to play my music at a level just shy of Boeing, especially when I'm in my car. I don't necessarily point, like Sassy Blondie has been known to do, but I don't shy from treating my car stereo as my own personal karaoke machine.

I got off work a little early today, in light of the holiday, and was happily running some errands around town. A little cold front was blowing into Dallas today and the crisp air was feeling pretty good, so I had my windows down a couple of inches. (Though I'm sure I'll be complaining of being too cold within 24 hours of writing this, when it's been 80 degrees up until yesterday and it's topping out at 65 today, well it feels pretty good for a little bit.)

So - there I am, tootling around town, windows down, tunes are blaring and I'm in full-blown rockstar mode. The radio station to which I was tuned had gone to a commercial, so I started hitting buttons to maintain my buzz. I found myself tuned to the oldies station and heard some sweet, sappy Carpenters song from the 70's. "Only Yesterday," I believe it was. Believe? Hell, it WAS that song. And how I knew the words, I'll never know. But I was diggin' it. And I sounded awesome. I was channeling Karen Carpenter so hard, I nearly took up the drums.

At about the third chorus, I felt eyes on me at the stoplight. You got it, a truckload of yard workers were laughing so hard that if I'd known more Spanish, I would've said "take a picture, it'll last longer!" Instead, the blood vessels in my face almost burst and I think I had a heart attack.

Then I figured, what the hell, give 'em a show. I raised my chin a little higher, rolled the window completely down and finished the song with a flourish. Karen would've been proud. So would Sassy.

Soon, though probably not soon enough, my light turned green and the show was over. In hindsight, I don't think I sounded all that much like Karen Carpenter, so I was glad when the truck turned off my street.

.....there's something to be thankful for...... Happy Turkey Day, y'all!

I Wonder If John Lennon Did Laundry

Yes, I'm still alive. Matter of fact, that's actually why I haven't been blogging lately. LindyHor hit the nail on the head in her comment on the previous entry. Indeed, I have been livin' it up and completely reversing any good I may have done for myself during the Master Cleanse. At least some of the good, that's for sure.

I want to share a little video with you. John Montagna was the guest on RundgrenRadio last night. He was a fun guest. Great New York accent. Some fun stories about his times playing with Todd as well as others like Alan Parsons and Eren Cannata. And yes, in case you were wondering he was asked about his laundry habits. Each person has had a different laundry routine - his involves bath gel, his own version of the spin cycle and a window sill. You know you wanted to know, don't roll your eyes at me like that.

Speaking of laundry habits - it's become pretty much my "signature" question. I'm not sure how this monster got started, but it's snowballed now and I'm starting to think of writing a book about musicians' doing (or not doing) their dirty laundry. People have sold books about far-crazier topics than this, right? Eh.....maybe when I'm retired. Meanwhile, it's a fun research project. (Perhaps I need to find a different hobby?)

Anyhoo, about John Montagna.....he's a bass player / singer / songwriter and he's pretty amazing. Get a load of this video tribute he did to John Lennon on Lennon's 67th Birthday last month. Have you ever seen someone play a bass guitar like it's a lead guitar? I hope you're buckled-in. Enjoy!

Ninety-Percent Success

In case you were tossing and turning at night, wondering (and worrying) about little ole CruiserMel and her dally in Lemonland, you can rest assured now. It's over. And I was a 90% success.

Ninety-percent? Did you ask what 90% means?

It means that I made it 9 full days out of 10. Oh I could've gone another 24 hours, but I was plum sick of lemons and cayenne and maple syrup. Being a social outcast had a little to do with it, as well.

I am a social being. I enjoy gathering with friends and coworkers for a meal, a drink, or just to hangout and shoot the shit.

Once I got on the cleanse, I was shunned. I made people uncomfortable. I think I surprised quite a few by my resolve, too. Maybe they wondered if they could do something like that. Maybe they wondered if I had completely gone off the deep end. Finally.

The invitations slowed to a crawl. No more "do you have lunch plans?" No more "what's shakin' for dinner?" No more "wanna watch the game up at the bar?"

So when I was lucky enough to get invited to a couple of events over the weekend, but had to decline, I decided my days with cleansing were over. I'm back on real food now, 7 pounds lighter and feeling good.

Oh, I'll do it again sometime, as it really did make me feel good, look good, and I was in a great mood most of the time - but it won't be anytime soon.

Here's a little side bonus: I successfully gave up my caffeine, Sudafed and Advil addictions! Even now that I can pollute my body in any way I see fit, I'm still free of those nasty things. I'm so awesome, I'm almost sickening, huh?

Thanks to all who were concerned that I was doing something crazier than usual. I'll try to come up with something a little more fun for my next antic. That's a promise!

By Pseudo-Popular Demand

Okay! Okay! Wow - it seems my questions aren't so silly now. I'm tickled, seriously tickled. And thrilled to give you the answer(s)...

The long-time tour manager for Todd Rundgren said that in the early days, she was responsible for the laundry, then she kinda got sick of doing that, (can you blame her?) so she set them loose to do their own or at least to tell them how to dial "laundry service" on their hotel phones. But she did continue to do their socks because they're small and I guess they would get lost.

Funny story about socks and the world of rock & roll:

Mary Lou told a totally unrelated story about an episode back in the 90's while on tour with Todd's band. There were three backup girl singers, in addition to quite a large "big band" behind T the G. They travelled by tour bus. As one would expect, the male hormones on board outweighed the female ones, so the girls ended up in a partitioned-off area at the back of the bus. I don't recall the exact story, but somehow one of the guys (perhaps Todd) beckoned the ladies up toward the front of the bus. When they got up front, there were all the guys, completely naked, except for their socks.

Gives a whole new meaning to "doing the socks" doesn't it?

Then just the other night as I was about to ask Roger Powell (former keyboardist for Todd's Utopia) some uber interesting question about being dressed as bugs in an old video, the show's host, Doug interrupted and told Roger about me asking about laundry and other ridiculous things such as that.

Before I could say anything, Roger starts chatting about how with costumes, there usually is a person in charge of cleaning those - or at least there are interchangeable parts and/or multiples so that you don't have to perform in your own stank. He did, however, say that as for your own personal street clothes, you are responsible for your own stank. He recalled trips to a couple of laundromats during his 12 year stint with Todd. A couple of trips? Eeewwwww.

Then earlier this week as I was perusing the blog of Meat Loaf's sax player, I realized this laundry situation can be serious. Seriously! At the time, Meat Loaf had fallen ill and the band was stuck in a hotel in England for several days and it did not have laundry facilities. The sax player had actually gone out and bought a few pairs of undies (with the weak US dollar), thinking that any day now, they would be in London and could do their skivvies. He was about to freak out. No kidding. Tsk tsk tsk - should've done laundry that other day instead of bending the elbow in the pubs, Dave.

I don't know about the big big stars so - as for David Bowie and his spandex.....we can only hope that fell into the category of costumes, and that there were multiples, too.

Hey, your inquiring minds wanted to know.........I am nothing if not accommodating. Such is life as a rock star.

Who Does The Laundry?

Monty Python has it's Ministry of Silly Walks.

I have a Ministry of Silly Questions. My friend over at RundgrenRadio.com says I have girlie questions.

But let me ask you a question, please? Woops, that was a question.

Let me ask a different question, please? Damn. I hope I didn't use up all my questions.

Okay. Breathe. I am going to ask you a question. There.

If you heard a person being interviewed on the radio or a talk show, and that person has been a rock & roll tour manager for oh, 25 years.....and you had the opportunity to ask said person a question pertaining to her experience as a tour manager - would this be a silly question?....

"Who does the laundry?"

That wasn't so silly, was it? I mean, come on, wouldn't you want to know if Billie Jo Armstrong or John Mayer does his own undies?

See? Not so silly. You're curious now, aren't you?

These are some of the questions I come up with when I call-in to my friend, Doug's internet radio show, RundgrenRadio.

Tonight the guest is Roger Powell, the keyboard player with Todd Rundgren from way back when, when Utopia was in existence. He's played with David Bowie, too. He's been somewhat of a keyboard/computer whizkid inventor, too. I'm not sure - so I'll be listening tonight at 7:00 pm central time and calling in with one effin' ridiculously silly question just to befuddle Doug. I'm a hoot like that, lemmetellya.

And don't call me girlie.