Now with soundtrack!

Spent an idle Sunday afternoon ... after another lovely Sher-E-Punjab brunch with Meleeska and the Bookstore Maven ... figuring out how to add music to my blog. Playlist/controls at the bottom of the page. Found a site that both makes it easy to upload a playlist and has many of the songs I was looking for. Let me know if anything seems to be misbehaving.

The significance of each:

1) Evolve -- This came out just as I was making a mental 180 and finally figuring out that my life could be what I wanted it to be, not what was expected of me.

2) Free -- From around the same time; the two songs go hand-in-hand for me, for obvious reasons.

3) Girls Like Me -- From the "Valley Girl" soundtrack, like, duh!

4) Bicycle, Bicycle, You Are My Bicycle -- If this doesn't get you in the mood to go tear up the trails, nothing will. "We're on two wheels, baby!"

4) Floorboard Blues -- for one of the best lyrics ever: "It's a fucked-up world but this ol' girl, well, she ain't givin' in."

5) At Last -- for another go-to lyric: "I own every bell that tolls me."


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Did you know there's an anti-torture act in Congress? It needs more support to get it to a vote. Can you believe we need to push for support on this?

From Common Dreams: Since the War on Terror began in 2001, detainees in the "care" of American forces have been urinated on, doused with phosphoric acid, sodomized with batons, had their lungs forcibly filled with water, shipped abroad to even more brutal regimes, and so much worse. That's not my America.

You can click the link below to send your representative a message on how you want her/him to vote:

Tell Congress: My America doesn't torture!

Wouldn't hurt to check out how your presidential candidate stands to vote as well.


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Rang Miz Amy's doorbell last evening. The inimicable Miz Grace answers the door, with huge fake black glasses, a cute little knit cardigan, floaty skirt, maryjanes.

"Nice hipster librarian look you've got going there," I told her.

"Thank you! That's exactly what I'm going for," she said. Turns out she's practicing her part in the school play.

She returned the compliment: "Did you cut your hair?" she asked.

In nearly a month, she's the third person to notice -- or at least to comment, unsolicited -- on the fact that I've gone darker and chopped a good 3-4 inches off.

It even came up recently at dinner with my family. "Either it's too subtle or it's really horrible," I said.

"Oh, I don't think it's too subtle," my brother shot back.

I love that man.

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From her place, Miz Amy and I ventured downtown, met up with Miz Shannon and headed over to Knickerbockers to see the Killigans.

I like Celtic music. I love punk music. I should like Celtic punk, no?

Maybe it was just that I was having one of those "I'm too old" days ... my back so tight and stiff I had trouble even swaying to the music ... and stupidly wearing heels that made my feet scream by night's end.

Even so, I managed to lure a charming gentleman, in full-on biker regalia, who swayed next to me for awhile, whispered an inappropriate compliment into my ear, then introduced himself as "Gascap."

Suddenly we three ladies all had babysitters to get home to -- even me. Plan A was to introduce him to my TWO lesbian lovers, but I was afraid that'd just lead him on.

Sadly, this is the most significant romantic assignation I've had of late.

And, in my hurry to escape, I apparently left my favorite scarf behind. Just a $5 Target knit scarf, an acessory I hope not to need again for a very long time ... but I really like it and am debating whether it's too geeky to call Knickerbockers tomorrow and see if they have it.

Shannon and Amy were grooving away, and that was lovely to see. These ladies deserve a good time!

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My evening:

Gym = Good.

(After Indian brunch, followed by an afternoon on the sofa with cookies, which = Bad, but also Good.)

Old men in tuxes singing doo-wop instead of Jane Austen on PBS = Very Bad. (This is how they're trying to solicit Begging Week donations??)

Scrabulous with Miz K = Very Good. My favorite way to end/start the week!