New Adventures

My friend, Debbie Meyer said that it was going to be a “Magic Week” this week and she was right. I start a new adventure tomorrow. And as my friend, Charnell Lucich said when she started her new adventure, “Time to jump in with both feet and hit the ground running.”

Check this site out… Brain Speaker

Brain Speaker is a blog by one of my good friend’s (Rita) brother, Mike Kalush.

Brain Speaker

Mike Kalush

I’m going to ride my unicycle across Colorado this August 2012! To Bring awareness to being a single parent. It will be a 500+ mile ride. I’m hoping people will share stories on this blog about themselves as a single parent or a story of a single parent they admire. During the ride I will be blogging daily. And I’ll be blogging while I’m getting ready for this adventure. I promise to make it fun! Please follow me! Email me a story at Mikekalush@gmail.com! Peace.

Here is why Mike is doing this…

WHY am I doing this?

Well… I’m NOT asking for money donations or anything like that! .. just stories of about you or someone you know who is a single parent and going it alone. We forgot about SINGLE PARENTS! It’s a tough life to be one. I am blessed to be happily married for 25 years. I have 8 sisters and 6 are or were single parents! Not by choice. But then again, who knows, they’re all a bit nuts. But I love em. Also with so many men and women at war these days, I know there are a lot of women and men raising their kids alone. It’s a hard job even with a partner! So I decided to bring attention to the SINGLE PARENT! Not through some trashy reality show about teenagers having babies! But by doing something different. Crossing this great state of Colorado and over the Continental Divide on one wheel. Symbolic of always having to keep balance and by the way, there is no coasting! 

So I admire those who did it! How did you do it? I want to hear from you. email me at Mikekalush@gmail.com with a story.

What a great thing to be doing. Single parents don’t have a telethon to raise money or awareness for them, so by Mike doing this can bring awareness to some people the better.

So take a look at his blog. And if you are a single parent, e-mail Mike at Mikekalush@gmail.com with a story so he can share it while on his journey. Let see how many people we can get to follow Mike on his unicycle ride across Colorado.

Thanks for doing this, Mike. I an looking forward to reading your posts during your journey. Good luck and have a great adventure, Mike!

Song for the Weekend — I’m Not in Love

I didn’t care for this song when it came out in the 70’s. But as I have gotten older, I have learned to appreciate some of the music from the 70’s that I didn’t understand back then.

“I’m Not in Love” (1975) by 10cc is one of those songs.

The beginning of this song sounds “spacey”. Then I always thought the woman whispering in the middle was strange. I have the song in my music library and it’s one of the songs from the 70’s that I play often. I have heard the song in some movies and on TV. Most recently, the song was featured on Franklin & Bash, episode “Pilot” (2011). Mark-Paul Gosselaar was singing the song in his car after talking to his ex-girlfriend. it was pretty funny. I would have to agree that this is a good song to sing out loud to while drive.

10cc (Picture from last.fm)

Side note:

Official 10cc Fan Club Website

I Smell Cake — Recent Deaths

OK, I don’t go searching the web to see who in Hollywood or what famous people have died recently. I get these notices and see news about them passing when I am on the Internet.

Here are some of the recent famous people who have died:

June 20 — Painter and sketch artist LeRoy Neiman. I love his artwork.

Frank Sinatra by LeRoy Neiman

June 19 — Actor Richard Lynch, one of the best “bad guys” in movies. I really did not like him in the movie “Steel” (1979).

 

June 17 — Rodney King

 

June 11 — Actress Ann Rutherford, who played Andy Hardy’s girlfriend Polly and was in Gone with the Wind

 

June 8 — Actor Frank Cady, Sam Drucker on Petticoat Junction, Green Acres, and The Beverly Hillbillies.

 

I know death is a part of living, but when you grow up watching some of these famous people, it a little shocking.

R.I.P.

 

Laugh for the Day

You know how much it boggles my mind on who creates things like this and how it gets around to people. Here is one that I’ve seen a couple of times.

Have you seen it? And… Can you read it?

 

25 Random Facts

I’ve had my blog for a couple of years now. But I thought I would share 25 random facts about me:

1. I have lived in MI, KY and TX.
2. I group my M&M’s by color before I eat them.
3. I never thought I’d be putting this much thought and effort into a blog.
4. I can only eat peanut butter and grape jelly sandwiches.
5. I’m in my 40s.
6. I have a “thing” for left-handed people.
7. I’ve learned to appreciate quietness over busyness.
8. I like eggs, but I can not eat the fresh eggs from my cousin’s ranch.
9. I can spend an hour or two watching videos on YouTube.
10. I spend way too much time organizing my iTunes library.
11. I don’t/didn’t get the obsession with Twilight or Harry Potter.
12. I like the color red.
13. I do not like grocery shopping — stores too big, too many people!
14. I’m over Starbucks coffee.
15. I like to dip my popcorn in ketchup.
16. I am terrible speller. Sometimes I type a word and even spell check has no idea what I’m trying to type.
17. I miss living by water.
18. I stepped on a rake when my dad was planting a tree in our front yard when I was a kid.
19. I like milk products, but they don’t like me.
20. I don’t like horses.
21. I miss going to drive-in movies.
22. I am still in contact with some friends that I went to Kindergarten with (more than 40 years.)
23. I don’t read the manuals to new gadgets or equipment that I get.
24. My music tastes are VERY wide. Sometimes I listen to 60’s music, other times classic rock, other times some Elvis Presley.
25. I have seen Jurassic Park on my iPod over 50 times. I know the movie so well, I can listen to it in the background and know where they are in the movie.

These are just a couple of things about me and my crazy world.

 

Song of the Day — Build Me Up Buttercup

I was up late the other night watching one of those TimeLife music infomercials. They were playing songs from the ’60s Music Revolution. One of the songs that they played was “Build Me Up Buttercup” (1969) by The Foundations.

 

 

Two things that I found out when I heard and saw this song.

1 – The Foundations were a British soul band.

2 – The lead singer is from Barbados. Once again, I thought a white man sang this song. (I am not a racist, it doesn’t matter what color you are. I just had an image in my mind of what the lead singer looked like and it was the opposite.)

I have done this before with other songs. I just have an image in my mind on what the lead singer looks like, it surprises me when I find out what they really look like. I thought B.J. Thomas sang “Build Me Up Buttercup.” His song “Hooked on a Feeling” sounds similar. Don’t you think?

Another song that this group sang was “Now That I’ve Found You” (1967).

Here are the lyrics to the song, just in case you want to sing along.

Build Me Up Buttercup

Why do you build me up (Build me up)
Buttercup baby just to
let me down (Let me down)
And mess me around
And then worst of all (Worst of all)
You never call baby
When you say you will (Say you will)
But I love you still
I need you (I need you)
More than anyone darlin’
You know that I have from the start
So build me up (Build me up)
Buttercup, don’t break my heart

To you I’m a toy
But I could be the boy
You adore
If you’d just let me know
Although you’re untrue
I’m attracted to you
All the more
Why do I need you so
Baby Baby
Try to find a little time
And I’ll make you happy
I’ll be home
I’ll be waiting beside the phone
Waiting for you
ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh.

Why do you build me up (Build me up)
Buttercup baby just to
let me down (Let me down)
And mess me around
And then worst of all (Worst of all)
You never call baby
When you say you will (Say you will)
But I love you still
I need you (I need you)
More than anyone darlin’
You know that I have from the start
So build me up (Build me up)
Buttercup, don’t break my heart

I need you (I need you)
More than anyone baby
You know that I have from the start
So build me up (Build me up)
Buttercup, don’t break my heart

Check this out… Elvis Mosaic

I am an Elvis Presley fan, so when I saw this, I had to submit a picture. I was hoping that they would use my picture. What it is, is a collection of pictures submitted by Elvis fans to create and Elvis Mosaic picture. First, here is the mosaic that was created.

From Elvis Presley website.

Elvis Fan CD Song List and Mosaic Design Revealed

June 15, 2012

Thousands of Elvis fans from around the world made their Elvis fan declaration by voting for their favorite Elvis songs, uploading their photo for the Elvis fan mosaic, and ordering their Elvis fan t-shirt. Now, we are excited to announce the song list that you the Elvis fans chose for the upcoming CD and reveal the fan mosaic that you helped to design.

Here is the picture I submitted.

I had blogged about this picture before. This picture is from the Elvis in Concert (March 13, 1998) at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Michigan.

My picture was used and is located on the following. My picture is on the bridge of Elvis’ nose!

his photo can be found here in the printed mosaic:
Row: 58 Column: 56

(Click the URL below for a direct link.)
http://fanmosaics.com/~YaT

How cool is that! This mosaic is even being used on the “I Am An Elvis Fan” CD cover. Now, I just have to save enough cash to buy one of these posters and CD’s.

Side note:

And if you are a fan of Elvis’ music, check out the songs on the latest CD.

“I AM AN ELVIS FAN” CD Song List

Over 250,000 votes were cast by fans in over 20 countries to compile the first-ever Elvis Presley fan-created album. The top voted songs will comprise the song list for the 21-song collection that will be available both digitally and in stores starting July 31. The cover of the release will feature the Elvis fan mosaic that was created by thousands of Elvis fan photos. The songs that will be featured on the album are…

1. Don’t Be Cruel
2. Heartbreak Hotel
3. All Shook Up
4. Jailhouse Rock
5. Blue Hawaii
6. Viva Las Vegas
7. In The Ghetto
8. Suspicious Minds
9. Memories
10. Can’t Help Falling In Love
11. The Wonder Of You
12. Always On My Mind
13. Welcome To My World
14. Guitar Man
15. Kentucky Rain
16. An American Trilogy (live)
17. Burning Love (live)
18. Suspicious Minds (live)
19. (There’ll Be) Peace In The Valley (For Me)
20. How Great Thou Art
21. If I Can Dream

Oh great, another show to get hook on…

Did you see Dallas on TNT tonight? I wasn’t planning on watching the show. But I got all caught up in the trailers that they were showing all week. Then I found my pictures that I took on my road trip to Southfork Ranch in Parker, Texas with my friend, Debbie Meyer in 2009.

2009 – South Fork — the front gate in Parker, Texas

2009 – South Fork in Parker, Texas

Well, I’m glad I changed my mind and watches the 2-hour season premier.

Dallas (2012 TV series)

The plot of Dallas, 2012 series is:

The series revolves around the Ewings, a wealthy Dallas family in the oil and cattle-ranching industries. It will focus mainly on John Ross Ewing III, the son of J.R. and Sue Ellen Ewing; and Christopher Ewing, the adopted son of Bobby Ewing and Pam Ewing.^[6] Both John Ross and Christopher were born during the original series’ run and were featured in it as children. Now grown, John Ross has become almost a carbon copy of his father, bent on oil, money and greed. Christopher, meanwhile, has become a lot like Bobby, in that he is more interested in the upkeep of Southfork Ranch, much like his father and his late grandmother, Miss Ellie. As an additional point of contention, Christopher is also becoming a player in alternative energy methane clathrate recovery. (from wikipedia.com)

The main cast of the show is:

• Josh Henderson as John Ross Ewing III, the grandson of Jock and Ellie Ewing and the son of J.R. and Sue Ellen Ewing as well as the heir to Ewing Oil since his father is supposed to be President and CEO of Ewing Oil. John Ross is a carbon copy of JR.
• Jordana Brewster as Elena Ramos, the daughter of the Ewing family cook, ex-girlfriend of Christopher Ewing and the current girlfriend of John Ross.
• Jesse Metcalfe as Christopher Ewing, the adopted son of Bobby and Pam Ewing and the biological son of Sue Ellen’s sister Kristin Shepard and Jeff Faraday. Christopher is a carbon copy of Bobby.
• Larry Hagman as J. R. Ewing, the eldest son of Jock and Ellie Ewing, the father of John Ross, and the rival of Cliff Barnes. JR is proud that John Ross is a carbon copy of him.
• Linda Gray as Sue Ellen Ewing, J.R.’s first wife and the mother of John Ross.
• Patrick Duffy as Bobby Ewing, the youngest son of Jock and Ellie Ewing and the uncle of John Ross.
• Brenda Strong as Ann Ryland Ewing, Bobby’s current wife.
• Julie Gonzalo as Rebecca Sutter Ewing, Christopher’s girlfriend (and later wife).
• Callard Harris as Tommy Sutter, Rebecca’s brother.

(from wikipedia.com)

Right from the start of the show I was yelling at the TV screen. I was cheering for Bobby and Christopher. Then I was booing JR and John Ross. Then I was shocked with all of the twists and turns during the first 2-hours of the show!

I can’t wait to see the old cast on the show. Dallas wouldn’t be Dallas without Charlene Tilton as Lucy Ewing, Ken Kercheval as Cliff Barnes,and Steve Kanaly as Ray Krebbs,

But probably the best thing, next to seeing JR acting like JR was the opening credits of the show and the famous theme song from “Dallas.” It’s one of the best TV theme songs ever. (Click here to see the video of Dallas – Season 1 and 2 (1978-1979)

So, I’ll be in front of my TV next Wednesday to watch “Dallas” and cheer and boo my favorites on the show. Now if they would only bring back Knots Landing I would be a very happy, happy person!

Side Note:

Check out the other sites for Dallas:

• Official website
• Dallas at the Internet Movie Database
• Dallas on Twitter
• Dallas on Facebook
• http://southfork.com/
• Southfork_Ranch

Song of the Day — All Around the World

I have always been a fan of the song “All Around the World” (1989) by Lisa Stansfield. But the other day, I found a version of the song by Lisa Stansfield and Barry White that was done in 1992.

 

 

When I heard this song, I had to find the video to see them sing. Two amazing artists singing a great song. I only wish that their were more artist like Barry White around to sing.