Bas-e-boru!

My BIL's mom always cracked me up around baseball season - little Polish knitter,eating cheese and drinking tea, making her afghans and boxy sweaters out of cheap-ass Red Heart crap yarn all the while watching her Yankees. Her beloved, wonderful 'Yin-kiss'. I have to admit that I've always enjoyed the sound of wood on leather too, as a small white projectile is launched into outer space (or at least the parking lot).

My work buddy, R and I talk baseball a lot and he thinks it's funny that I know so much (or anything, for that matter) about the game. Obviously, he's never sat with a little old lady from Krakow and a ball of yarn, as she critqued coaches and players alike. He's not the history buff that I am, either - just finished a great bio about Sandy Kofax - such a mensch!. I was really happy when he (R, not Kofax) invited me to play on his team this summer. they play twice a month and the best part is the locale - Yes - Lynx effin' stadium (or whatever they call it now. A real field with other guys (yeah there's only me and another person with boobs...well, except for the occasional man-boob, I suppose but I digress) who love the game.

The sad fact is I realized how much older I was than R when we talked about our all time baseball hero and I blurted out "the one, the only, Bill freaking Lee!". R (who's Cantonese) asked 'is he Chinese?' Man, I laughed so hard the IT freaks I work with popped their heads out over the tops of their cubicles like some giant game of whack a Mole. Where's my mallet, boys, where's my mallet?

AWOL

Guilty - yup, it's my middle name but hey, I've been bbbbbuuuuuussssyyyyyy
I took a (lucrative) contract with(UFD 0unnamed federal dept)and haven't a moment to think since January. Then, I got a nice little gig with some small business people (which has led to 2 more - on top of the UFD gig). Don't even get me started about the time I spend dodging my weird neighbor who claims that she's my soul mate - yeah, about that - NO! That's a quote straight from her mouth BTW - who says that about somebody they've known for 2 months????? Someone needs a hobby...

I've also knit a pair of socks a week since the start of the year and have discovered the guilty pleasure of self-striping yarn - no counting rows at all!!!!!

In all of this, we've had a winter that is so close to where I grew up that I can honestly say that this is the first winter since I left home that I do not feel homesick. Snow banks too high to see over and slippery, alpine roads. This week held its own surprises, though. I looked out of my office window this week and right in the middle of the field that doubles as the local snow dump, a large, deep puddle has grown. AND right in the middle of this large, deep puddle - a pair of mallards!!!! Yes, honest to goodness ducks!!!! As in Quack, Quack, Quack (or Coin, Coin, Coin, pour les Francos) And to think that my business partner has been taunting me with claims that winter will last for 6 more weeks. I say nuts to that, there's ducks in them there puddles!

We're here for a good time, not a long time...

I was so good to myself - didn't touch my laptop all weekend...stayed away from the temptations of the web for 48 short hours...only to wake up to a full plate of work (Must do! Must do!) and some terrible, terrible news.

Our much beloved Wille P has shed this mortal coil. The inspiration for Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, the singer-songwriter that melted many a February chill with his soul-wrenching lyrics and hard rock mandolin stylings is gone. His recent heart trouble was just a blip, we knew - he'd be back on the road as soon as his doctor okayed him for travel. H'd be loading in and out, just like old times. he wasn't going to leave us, ever.

He had the best smile in the world and a huge heart. I was fortunate to have had a conversation with him at the last show I attended and was overwhelmed by his modesty and shyness. "I'm glad that you liked it', he had replied to my babble, "I liked it , too'.

He could light up a stage, a room or a heart. He was like a dear friend to many of us and we will miss his presence in our lives. He leaves behind a rich musical legacy that we fans will be forever grateful for and I have a suspicion that he will be in the side lights of all Fred shows from now on, replacing strings and smiling that little boy grin,listening to Fred's tall tales and laughing along with us, just a step away from our hearts.

Nashville says "what's the big deal with all this Blog stuff, any ways????"


Sharing time

I’m going to be delivering a session on building a business blog and was wondering – do you have a favorite (business) blog (or even a non-business one that is so extraordinary that you can’t help but get excited every time that you read it)? It’s time to share it! Send me the link to the blog and a short paragraph about the content, the author(s) and why you think it rocks. I’ll put you name in a draw for something cool (maybe tote bag-related!?!). There will be prizes!

Ta very much!

Shang-a-wha????????

So, I’m sitting here trying to run off a report…but you know, my mind does wander…. And I ended up singing along to Shangalang by the Bay City Rollers – yeah, just cuz my mind wanders doesn’t mean that it goes any place that you’d be seen dead in.
It all started innocently enough with an episode of Little Britain and a sketch with this couple with a sick child in hospital – David Soul comes in and meets the family, leaves in a huff; David Essex is apparently waiting outside to be next in for a visit. Slip forward a few more sketches and we’re back in the hospital room with Les McKeon sitting there singing the tune. K the elder was amazed that a) I knew the ‘guy’ and the song and b) that I actually remembered something (my memory is still struggling some days but apparently it’s getting better).

OMFG to think that I actually can say that I know about the BCFreakin’R?!? I blame my dear roommate at school, Tina (whose last name I also remember now in some freak rush of “Ohmylordwhatarethesefactsdatesandnamesdoinginmyotherwiseemptyhead?’. She was a huge BCR fan when we were in 6th grade and played her records over and over again. I wasn’t too keen but a good roommate is hard to find. She was also the only girl in school who was taller than I was/am - she had to be at least 6'1" (remember, this was 6th grade. We were what? 11 or 12?)

Unfortunately, I have an excellent musical memory (even after slapping my noggin around in 3 vehicle accidents – yeah, 3…). I can still play Lightfoot tunes from memory and I learned them when I was 6 or 7…Thank God my memory’s coming back but why the BCR ??? Couldn’t it be memories of seeing Joey Ramone squiggle (he didn’t really walk, it was more of squiggle) away from a club one night when I was far too young and impressionable? 1234Ever, my dear friends, 1234Ever.

In homage to my all-time heroes, Joe, Mick, Topper (best drummer of his era) and ever-talented Mr. Simonon - here's something that has cracked me up for some time

Just had some bad (?) news about my favorite event... but it looks as if there maybe a light at the end of the tunnel (Get it? Fred Eaglesmith? Tunnel? Ahhh fergit it). North Bay may just be the new home of the festival which is really weird because last week, K the elder & I were saying "wouldn't it be nice if it was in North Bay - it's so much closer than Cobalt". Don't get me wrong, I adore my little corner of heaven up on Loon Lake but the drive takes up almost half the weekend...
and in homage to the man, here's possibly the best picture that I took this summer



Now, it begs the question - WTF are people doing with that much clam juice? Egads!

Looking for a quiet port to hang out in, I pulled out a classic Dr Thompson work and have bunkered down for a good mind meld (my my my haven't I become polite in my advanced years?!?). *Sigh* I do miss that man... Is there any joy deeper than a well-written treatise?

In knitting news, the past week has been very productive (knitting between calls and meetings - it's like having a full scuba tank in very deep water - breathe breathe breathe ahhhhhh! Fight off another shark, skim over a manta ray breathe breathe breathe)
I've pulled off an item that's been on my knit list for years, Tubey (gotta get a photo of it)
I keep knitting stuff and gifting it before I take photos, then I forget that I made it (bless this head injury and all who sail in her) so then I forget that I've got knitting to post...it's a vicious cycle. All I can say is that there are a hell of a lot of socks and sweaters out there, just waiting for someone with a decent camera to take a picture of them

Anyone else going through this?