Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Play For Today

The first Cure song I ever heard was 'Play For Today' on a radio station out of Seattle called KJET. I was in the 8th grade at Central Kitsap Junior High and I felt that I had just discovered something so wonderful that I didn't even want to talk about it. I wanted The Cure to be mine and only mine (as well as everyone else's that listened to KJET, of course!)

When I lived in Washington I was one of many who listened to goth and punk music. Our schools lip-sync consisted of performances of Devo, The Plasmatics, Black Flag, and The B-52's among others. I thought all high schools were like this. I was sadly mistaken!

When I moved to Goose Creek, South Carolina in 1985 reality hit hard and I realized that not all schools were as progressive as CKHS. The people at Goose Creek High School had never even heard of Depeche Mode and were listening to Sly Fox! I quickly became friends with Carol, the one girl who had spiked hair and said she loved Morrissey! Unfortunately she graduated that year but I found another friend, Chantel, who had moved to South Carolina from San Diego so she was in the secret club of "real" alternative music and things were good.

My junior year some of my friends and I we were downtown Charleston at Colonial Lake hanging out. On the local radio station I heard the first couple notes of "Just Like Heaven" and I could not believe my ears! I had a sense of disgust that The Cure was on the radio... and not even an alternative station! My friends were excited, but I was mad because my secret little alternative world was forever gone. Soon everyone at GCHS knew that the words written on the beloved Pee-Chee folders that I had kept since my school days in Washington State didn't really have to do with some disease... the mainstream now knew that The Cure was one of the greatest bands ever!

Tonight I was reminded of that night at Colonial Lake while watching American Idol. Blake preformed "Love Song" (beautifully, I might add!) and I just sat there thinking about that night in 1987 that pretty much ended my love affair with all-things-Cure. After a little air-play several people at GCHS would be known to say "have you heard that NEW band called "The Cure?" Things were just never the same.

I am still trying to get over hearing This Mortal Coil's "Song to the Siren" on a perfume commercial, and now The Cure on American Idol of all things!

I wish I had all the vinyl that is stored at my mother's house in Charleston. (sigh!)

Monday, March 26, 2007

Medicated

I'm sick of being sick.
I'm tired of taking medicine and miss being able to breathe properly. I can't taste anything so I suppose it's not such a bad thing that I STILL can't find any of those damn Girl Scouts selling their EVIL cookies AND it really doesn't help that a certain someone keeps mentioning that he has boxes of Do-si-do's, Thin Mints and Samoas... My three favorite flavors! Not very nice, I think.

I went to work today even though I woke up feeling like death warmed over. I can't even think straight. I feel like my head is in a vice and I had to force myself to stay at work a whole day. They kept telling me to go home, but I knew that my work would just keep piling up and it would be pain to get caught up. Today was actually the worst of it, I think.

This past weekend I didn't really do much of anything. Just to get out of the house, I forced myself to go to The Devil's Playground on Saturday and yesterday Justin and I had lunch and then went to Jack's Aquarium. On the way to Jack's we passed Sonic and I really wanted a Lemon-Berry Slush. When I lived in St. Louis we had Sonic's all over the place, but in Ohio there are only a few so I rarely get to have my beloved slush's.

I was having TOTAL sensory overload and managed to skip placing our order entirely and drove straight to the window. I don't know what came over me! We were talking and going over all the flavors and I just spazzed out and pulled forward. I heard the guy at the window tell the car in front of us how much their order was and that is when I realized what a dumb ass I am. I told the guy that I was highly medicated and he just was like "mmmmm, hmmmmm... okey-dokey!!" I knew it was time to go home and go back to bed!

Oh! I made a very important decision this week. About 6 or 7 years ago, my friend Jackie and I felt that we were destined to be single and childless forever. We both had a string of bad relationships and were kind of fed up with the whole dating scene. We really thought that we would wind up being the single old lady on our block. You know which one I am talking about... the one that all the kids are afraid of... the one with all the cats? Well, after cat--sitting for several days I have decided that I can NEVER be an old and single cat lady. I have 4 very needy cats in my apartment that like to (in random order throughout the night) stick their wet noses and tickly whiskers in my face while I am attempting to sleep. They actually are very sweet (and NO I am NOT adopting them, Justin!!) I actually don't mind doing it (really!) However, I think I will opt to to be the not-so-single person that may have a couple of pets and kids.

Jackie already went back on her pledge of forever being a single, old cat lady. Her son , Quentin, is now 5!

Friday, March 23, 2007

I Have What?!

I woke up yesterday morning and I felt like the Boo Hag had been "ridin" me all night. I had to pry myself out of bed. I felt that dry sinus feeling you get just before you get a cold. When I got to work my throat was so dry and I could not stop drinking. I felt tired all day and knew that I was getting sick. My co-worker, Pam, kept telling me that my eyes looked "weird"... they were watery and itchy all day. When I got home I didn't feel like doing anything. I didn't have much of an appetite and I had to force myself to eat dinner.

This morning I got up and didn't feel much better. I was pretty lethargic and I actually thought about calling in. I got dressed and stopped by Burger King on the way to work. All I wanted was a humongous drink. I didn't really care about the food at all. Around 9:30 I was talking to Belinda and I made the comment that I didn't feel very well. She said that I should go see one of the urgent care doctors downstairs. I told her that I really didn't want to since I had just started working there and my insurance hadn't kicked in. She said "Pam, we're all just a family here..." I thought that was pretty humorous, but apparently she was serious. She called one of the doctors downstairs and told him I was on my way down. I really didn't want to waste their time, but she insisted.

So... after poking, prodding and swabbing me, the doctor said "No wonder over the counter things didn't work for you... you have strep throat!" Okay, I am almost 40 years old and have NEVER had strep throat. Do adults really get that? He gave me a bottle of antibiotics and said told me not to kiss anyone. Hmmmm.

I went upstairs and tried to work the rest of the day, but I started feeling worse. I could not get enough water and I just wanted to lay down! I finished the most important things on my list and told Belinda that I was leaving. It's WONDERFUL being able to leave work without the threat of being fired or written up for having no PTO time. It's nice being treated like an adult at my job! (are you listening Noey and Tina??)

So, I left work and all I wanted was a milkshake from Steak n Shake. A chocolate one. Not McDonalds... not Burger King... but Steak n Shake! Their milkshakes have little ice crystals in them and I appreciate that. It was worth the drive for the cold chocolatey goodness!

On my way home I stopped at a red light and a question came to mind that I have been meaning to ask. It's just another quirk about Ohio that I just don't understand. Why is it that 9 out of 10 red lights will not allow you to make a right-hand turn? It's the most ridiculous thing ever! Every state I have ever lived in allows right turn on red... why not Ohio? Good thing I had to my throat-coating, ice crystal, chocolate milkshake to distract me from being pissed off about it... even if it had whipped cream when I asked for none!

Geez, it's so hard being me!