Misery

I only have a cold. My temperature is only around 99 degrees. But I feel just plain awful. My head is packed with slime. My voice comes and goes. My body aches and I feel vaguely nauseated.

And I am responsible for making Eddie's grandparents' annual Christmas party happen tomorrow. I am supposed to make a ham, a casserole, and a plate of brownies.

Ugh. Another wave of nausea has just washed over me.

A survey

A survey, ganked from BB


105 Facts About You

1. EVER BEEN GIVEN AN ENGAGEMENT Ring?
Yes. Twice. The second one wasn't until about a month before our wedding, but we'd already been engaged about six months. Poverty sucks.

2. LONGEST RELATIONSHIP?
12 years with Eddie

3. LAST GIFT YOU RECEIVED?
Chocolate and Christmas money from my inlaws!

4. EVER DROPPED A CELL PHONE?
Too many times. My current model doesn't take it well.

5. WHEN'S THE LAST TIME YOU WORKED OUT?
Does the occasional walk I take to blow off steam count? That was about a week ago.

6. THING(S) YOU SPEND A LOT OF MONEY ON?
Eating out

7. LAST FOOD YOU ATE?
Mcdonalds

8. FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT THE OPPOSITE SEX?
Are they nice looking?

9. ONE FAVORITE SONG?
"Heroes" David Bowie

10. WHERE DO YOU LIVE?
Texas

11. HIGH SCHOOL YOU ATTENDED:
Angleton High School, class of 1990

12. CELL PHONE SERVICE PROVIDER:
AT&T

13. FAVORITE MALL STORE:
Call me simple, but I love JCPenney

14. LONGEST JOB YOU HAD:
Six years at the allergy clinic

15. DO YOU OWN A PAIR OF DICE?
No

16. DO YOU PRANK CALL PEOPLE?:
No

17. LAST WEDDING YOU ATTENDED:
Eddie's half-brother's wedding reception, about three years ago.

18. FIRST FRIEND YOU'D CALL IF YOU WON THE LOTTERY:
The Dude Ranch gang: "Hey, let's all go on a cruise this year instead!"

19. LAST TIME YOU SAW YOUR BEST FRIEND:
I have several very close friends. I saw some of them the night of the 21st, in town from Austin.

20. FAVORITE FAST FOOD RESTAURANT:
None. I really don't like fast food

21. BIGGEST LIE YOU HAVE EVER HEARD:
Not getting into that.

23. WHERE'S YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO EAT WITH FRIENDS?
Cafe Annice

24. CAN YOU COOK?
Yes. I fiddled with it some as a child, and seven years as a domestic engineer have made me quite capable.

25. WHAT CAR DO YOU DRIVE?:
A 2007 Honda Pilot. My dream car. It had better be, since I will have to drive it till the wheels fall off

26. BEST KISSER:
My girl!

27. LAST TIME YOU CRIED?:
A few nights ago

28. MOST DISLIKED FOODS:
Green peas. They stink.

29. THING YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOURSELF:
My trustworthiness

30. THING YOU DISLIKE MOST ABOUT YOURSELF:
I am too nervous

32. LONGEST SHIFT YOU HAVE WORKED AT A JOB?:
Twelve hours. I felt like a robot at the end.

33. FAVORITE MOVIE?
So many.

34. CAN YOU SING?
No way

35. LAST CONCERT ATTENDED?
Duran Duran

36. LAST KISS?
Just now, from each of my kids under the mistletoe

37. LAST MOVIE RENTED:
1408

38.ONE THING YOU NEVER LEAVE THE HOUSE WITHOUT:
My purse

39. FAVORITE vacation spot
I have a feeling a Carnival cruise will be it

43. LAPTOP OR DESKTOP COMPUTER?:
desktop

44. FAVORITE COMEDIAN?:
George Carlin

45. DO YOU SMOKE?
No.

46. SLEEP WITH OR WITHOUT CLOTHES?
With

47. WHO SLEEPS WITH YOU EVERY NIGHT?:
Eddie and the dog

48. DO LONG DISTANCE RELATIONSHIPS WORK?:
Sometimes

49. HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU BEEN PULLED OVER BY THE POLICE?
Hmm. Three or four?

50. PANCAKES OR FRENCH TOAST?
French toast

51. DO YOU LIKE COFFEE?:
Yes

52 HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR EGGS?
Over easy.

53. DO YOU BELIEVE IN ASTROLOGY?:
Not really. It's fun to think about, but that's it.

54. LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?:
Eddie's mom

55. LAST PERSON ON YOUR MISSED CALL LIST?:
Probably BB or Eddie or my mother-in-law

56. WHAT WAS THE LAST TEXT MESSAGE YOU RECIEVED?:
BB

58. NUMBER OF PILLOWS?:
1

59. WHAT ARE YOU WEARING RIGHT NOW?:
Black sneakers, grey long-sleeved thermal shirt, pink tank top underneath. Oh and jeans

60. PICK A LYRIC, ANY LYRICS:
"Life isn't standard issue; it's customized," Duran Duran

61. WHAT KIND OF JELLY DO YOU LIKE ON YOUR PB & J?:
Strawberry

62. CAN YOU PLAY POOL?:
a little

63. CAN YOU SWIM?
Yep. I swim well.

64. FAVORITE ICE CREAM?:
cookies and cream

65. DO YOU LIKE MAPS?
Not particularly

66. TELL ME A RANDOM FACT ABOUT YOURSELF:
I scored in the low 700's on the SAT. Nearly all of my points came from the verbal section. I kind of suck at math.

68. EVER ATTEND A THEME PARTY?:
yes, a Grease movie party

69. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SEASON
Fall

70. LAST TIME YOU LAUGHED AT SOMETHING STUPID?
I have a husband and two kids. I laugh at something stupid every day

71. WHAT TIME DID YOU WAKE UP THIS MORNING ?
About 8:30. Not half bad!

72. BEST THING ABOUT WINTER?:
Sometimes, when it is not too hot, and not freezing cold and raining... the weather is nice.

73. LAST TIME A COP GAVE YOU A TICKET?:
About 1.5 years ago.

75. NAME OF YOUR FIRST PET?:
Dooley

76. DO YOU THINK PIRATES ARE COOL OR OVERRATED?:
What gives with the pirate stuff?

77. WHAT ARE YOU DOING THIS WEEKEND??
Not much.

78. BIRTHDATE
11/12/1971

79. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE:
Not sure. I am leaning toward Health Information Management. Lately I have toyed with going to RN school. But the clinical hours would be impossible with my family life.

85. ARE YOU ON A LAPTOP?:
no

87. ARE YOU SMILING?:
No

89. DO YOU MISS SOMEONE RIGHT NOW?
No

90. IF YOU COULD GO ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD WHERE WOULD YOU GO?
London

92. ARE YOU IN HIGH SCHOOL?:
No

93. DO YOU HAVE A CRUSH?:
yes on some aging British pop stars

94. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE NAME?
I can't say, because it is my kid's name, and I don't do that here.

95. WHAT COLOR IS YOUR BATHING SUIT?:
Red/black/white

96. DOES YOUR SCHOOL START IN AUGUST?:
not in school

97. DID YOU GO ON VACATION LAST MONTH?:
No

98. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ON A CRUISE?:
No, but I will soon.

99. DO YOU HAVE A SISTER?
no

100. ARE YOU UPSTAIRS?:
No

101. ARE YOU IN LOVE?:
Yes

102. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN THE HOSPITAL?
Yes. For a week. And it sucked. At least I got a baby out of the deal.

103. DO YOU WISH YOU COULD SEE ANYONE PARTICULAR RIGHT NOW?
Yes

104. WHAT JEWELRY ARE YOU WEARING?
cubic zirconia earrings from stepmom, wedding ring

105. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO AFTER THIS SURVEY?
unload dishwasher, bake cookies for Santa.

My Night as an Almost-Groupie, Part 2

Back in 2005 when we previously saw Duran Duran at the Nokia Theater, Kelli and I considered going behind the building to wait for the band to come out. So that is what we did this time. In damp, 35 degree weather.

A handful of people were waiting in front of a chain link fence. On the other side of the fence was a guard shack, lots of vans and suburbans, and the band's eqipment trucks. All eyes were focused on the back door.

A pair of women who'd made it there before we did said at the last show a hoard of people were waiting, and that the band did step out of their car to sign autographs. Wow. Was I really this close to meeting them, after 22 years? People started fumbling around for sharpie markers, and talking about what they had for the band to sign. All Kelli and I had were our ticket stubs.

Someone asked the guard where the band was. He said they'd left five minutes after the show. Nobody believed him.

A short time later, we saw Simon LeBon exit the door. The stairs coming out faced the opposite direction, so all we saw was the back view of him. One of the tipsy girls in the group approached the fence and shouted, "Simon we love you! Please come over here." A minute later John Taylor came out, and disappeared into the group of vehicles. I could have gone up to the fence for a better view, but did not want to be associated with that drunk girl. I love the band and everything, but had no desire to look as...desperate as that woman.

We waited some more and the James Blunt guys came out and disappreard into the vehicles.

Next we saw a smallish man with a mop of bright blonde hair come out. It was Nick Rhodes, who has been known to be gracious to fans. Several people called out to him, and got no look, no response, nothing.

This is when Stinkin' Drunk Guy began messing with the gate. Security Guy asked him what he was doing, and it was downhill from there. Drunk Guy called him every obscenity in the book, and slurred at him, "You don't even know my NAME!" Finally he left, got in his truck, and parked it not far from where we were waiting.

Then a few cars left. The windows were so darkly tinted that we could not see who was in them.

But we still hadn't seen Roger Taylor come out. By this time the handful of people had dwindled to Kelli, me, two other women, and one quiet guy. Stinkin' Drunk Guy and his Stinkin' Drunk Girl were back at the security guard. Things got loud, and we back away from them, in case knives and guns started coming out. Soon a big bald security guy came out, and he and Drunk Guy had words. I heard the phrase, "Jail tonight," and we backed away from them further.

Drunk Guy left. Kelli asked Bald Security Guy politely where the band was. He gave the same, "Left five minutes after the show," answer. By this time it was just the two of us waiting, nearly an hour, in 35 degree weather. It was time to give up.

As soon as we made it to her van, I saw a van and a suburban rush out from behind the gate. We waved at it, but again, window tint prevented us from seeing who was inside.

I think it was Duran Duran. The vehicles we had seen earlier had probably been the James Blunt band.

Kelli and I were disappointed that the band had so purposely avoided a small group of fans waiting out in the cold for them. It would have taken no time at all for them to even just roll down a window and say hello.

As a teenager I would have thought nothing of it. As and adult fan, I am disappointed.

I'll still buy their albums though. And go to concerts. And maybe even wait again at the back door. Their music makes me happy, and was the backdrop to a lot of happy times in my life. It's hard to give that up.

Bitch and Moan

This is part of an email I sent a friend, my lame attempt at telling her why I was not able to return her phone call from this morning.

Today was insanely busy. I don't know which was the best part; the 30 minute line at the post office, the $175 trip to Walmart, or the dog puking three times on my floor? Or was it re-mopping the floor after my son broke a snow globe and it leaked some mysterious smelly substance all over the same floor?

Oooh wait I know. My favorite part of today was sitting peacefully after bedtime at the computer, and smelling something terrible... dog poop on the bottom of my favorite shoes!

Do I sound a little demented?

Oh and Eddie is sick too.

And I know, I still haven't written the rest of the groupie story.

My Night as an Almost-Groupie

It's immature. It's extravagant, and not-grounded-in-reality. But I can't help it. I have a crush on the former 80's superstars Duran Duran. Countless magazine covers and posters graced my bedroom walls at 13, and now, at a married 36, they are all over my computer. They are easy to look at, charismatic, and talented. At this stage in their career, Duran only release an album every three years or so, therefore I jump at the chance to see them in concert. Since their 80's stardom has faded, one has to wonder how many more tours and albums are in them.

They shared the stage at the Nokia Grand Prairie with a couple of other acts, including James Blunt. I was not very familiar with his music, but enjoyed his set.

Then Duran hit the stage to the screams of their largely 30-something female audience. I was pleasantly surprised to meet a few teenage fans who had been attracted by the Timberlake-inspired sound of the new Red Carpet Massacre album.

Lead singer Simon LeBon growled to the audience that Dallas had been good to him and that we "smelled good."

The first song was the title track, Red Carpet Massacre. Several more from the new album included Night Runner and Falling Down. Then the old hits came coming, Ordinary World, A View to a Kill, Sunrise (from 2004's comeback album Astronaut)and Planet Earth. The big standout song was Rio as the crowd jumped into a frenzy. Bass player John Taylor was really hamming it up with lots of involved facial expressions and sidling up to share Simon's microphone for some harmony. Keyboardist Nick Rhodes was behind a bank of fancy equipment and computers, but, from the look of him on the big screens, seemed more serious than usual. Drummer Roger Taylor and fill-in guitarist Dom Brown just kept playing hard.

After one hour on stage, Simon told the audience goodbye and "see you next year." I was shocked that the show had been so brief. The band exited the stage and fans demanded more with screams and stomping the floor. They returned in a moment with the encore Girls on Film. Band introductions were also done during this song. Simon attempted to showcase amazing backup singer Anna Ross, but was unaware she had left the stage and not returned.

It was a solid, high-energy, well-vocaled show. I guess it was short because there were several other performers.

Kelli and I left our seats and began to head out to her van, but then decided to take a detour.....

Details...

of my trip to Dallas and (almost) close encounter with Duran Duran are coming soon. First I have to recover from a late night and a six-hour drive.

Pushing up Daisies

I was very happy to discover this:
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Chicago Dating

It is something that used to keep me up at night.

Going

I have been insanely busy the past week. I worked as a fill-in nurse for my former employer, for the first time since 2002. I really thought I had given up nursing forever, and, after five years at home, the idea of giving someone a shot made me a bit squeamish. And that did nothing for my self-esteem, to know that I was virtually useless in my former career.

But when the office manager called and said that their two nurses were out with some serious health problems, and could I just come in and give shots, my gut told me to do it. It was strangely... enjoyable. Working in an allergy office is very specialized, with all of the testing, antigen mixing, and following shot schedules. Much of it came back easily, and I had a chance to work on re-learning the things I am rusty on. I hope be one of their regular fill-in nurses again. Eddie seems more willing to watch the kids now that they are a little older.

Tuesday evening was their Christmas party in Houston. It was at a nice Italian restaurant. We all laughed a lot, ate a lot, and soaked in the beautiful setting. We had the entire downstairs dining room to ourselves, and could just get up and warm up at the fireplace as needed. It did not feel stuffy or formal at all.

Wednesday I took stepmom for more medical stuff in Houston. It went ok, and we got home to my dad making us BLT sandwhiches. I loooove to eat stuff that I don't have to cook.

Thursday was work again.

This weekend I took the kids to see Santa and ride the Sante Express train. Every year the business people downtown have Santa visit and give goodies to the children. Then they ride the 'train' which is a decorated trailer pulled by a tractor. The girl was so excited to see Santa arrive as we boarded the train. She kept waving and shouting, "SANTA I am HERE on the TRAIN!'

Eddie worked nights, and now, Sunday night, I can say I am officially frazzled. The kids have been busy messing up the house I am trying hard to recover from a week of me being gone. The girl has also entered the phase where she talks and asks 'why' questions constantly.

But none of this matters, because next Wednesday I am going to see Duran Duran.

I have been obsessed with them since I was 14 years old.

BB's wife Kelli and I saw them in 2005, after their first reunion album. It was an amazing show and we had so much fun. Afterward I told her it was the best time of my life, "Right up there with getting married and having my kids." I had waited nearly twenty years to see them in their original line-up and was not disappointed.