Becky's Greatest Hits Vol. II

E-Roc: American Pie ? Isn't that the song about the dad that doesn't play with his kid? Me: I think you're thinking of Cat's in the Cradle , hon. E-Roc (still looking unconvinced): Oh, okay. (Me and E-Roc after an impromptu discussion of the plane crash that killed legendary musicians back in the 1950's.)

This is one of those wonderful Carolina weekends that will not be spent indoors! So glad I left those Christmas lights out on the back deck........

Well, Sweet Jebus, I finally finished On the Road . In the end, it was like assignment reading......a task I had to finish! And still, I just don't get it. I mean, it get that it has some great lines. In some places, it does. And I get that even with the pseudonyms it tells that stories of some interesting characters in our American pop culture history. But when it is considered "speaking for a generation"? Really? If you were a part of the Beat Generation, or even if you weren't but just really like the sentiment of it, would these be the guys you would want as your spokesmen? Men who hold no regard for working to paid, men who step out on their women, men who drink and use drugs with wild abandon, men who spend hours and hours in a Mexican brothel with eyes for underage girls? Because I got news for you, my friends. While all this traveling and free thinking seems really intriguing years after the fact, I guarantee you back in the day you would not have...

How can I possibly be expected to handle work on a day like this?

Who among us readers has not wistfully imagined one day owning a small, cute and successful little ole bookstore? Read this and change your mind. Or not. And by the way, this lady here, my personal hero. My favorite is: If someone comes in and asks for a recommendation and you ask for the name of a book that they liked and they can't think of one, the person is not really a reader. Recommend Nicholas Sparks. And on a completely unrelated note, I am thinking of starting a whole category of posts with obscure titles that only real book/movie nerds would ever get. Thoughts?

One of the most fun things about Super Bowl Sunday.....your kids will love it!

Some days I miss my kid so much I can barely stand to look at his pictures on my desk and on my screen saver. Today is one of those days.....

These days it's hard to be a liberal voter.....a supporter of the President. Especially in an office like mine filled with older Republican God-fearing white men who want to protect their cash and middle-aged white women who don't understand the importance of protecting their own sisterhood. It's tough to wave the flag of the things I believe in: equality, fairness, justice, consideration. So I have to wave it quietly. I nod sagely at the Presidential jokes in the halls and even take the quizes sent around by email that tell us who we should vote for (mine was Obama, of course). But to be completely honest, the last few weeks have had me running scared. Until last night. The previous weeks have been a complete onslaught of Conservative ideals with the early debates and primaries. I watch and listen just to stay in tune to what's up.....even if I disagree. But I was starting to get worried......what if the masses out there actually agree with this crap-ass rhetor...

I'm wearing my red fleece jacket today and totally channeling Juno....without the eggo prego, home skillet!

On this dreary rainy weekend, I am giving On the Road one last shot. Even though all the while I'm reading it, I can't picture any of the images I looked up of Jack Kerouac but can only imagine Michael Fitzsimmons . I'm sure this is an explanation for another time......just like the post title......

How nerdy do it make you when: a) you go looking for people who have been on Jeopardy online b) you find them and become fans of their FB pages c) you actually have favorites in this picture and remember their style of playing, biographical details, turn-out of their games, etc. c) you actually know some of them by name and refer to them in casual conversation with your mate/Jeopardy competitor (i.e. I bet Tom would never say that to me!) This is going out to my favorite Jeopardy nerd and gaming partner for life: TEH

E-Roc hates this phrase: fail. Epic fail. But even he would agree with me on this flick. I had so much hope for this one! I thought it was gonna be like a Hangover for girls! And with Maya and Kristen what could go wrong? And Apatow producing? It's gonna be great, right? Right? Not so much. Even though E-Roc LOL'd to the whole food poisoning massacre, we both agreed it fell pretty flat. What I thought was going to be a cute-girls-gone-wild for the 30-something set became a girl-against-girl-flailing-circling-the-drain pic with a bridal back-drop. As I'm sure most would agree, Melissa McCarthy is once again the shining jewel in this as the Zach Galifianakis counterpart. Can she do any wrong right now? This movie makes me glad my bridesmaid days are behind me. But makes me regret I bought this instead of renting. Oh, well.....

Angela: Where do you learn the things you learn? Me: NPR (My coworker , incredulously, after I explain to her the good and bad parts and the backstory behind The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo .)

Because Katy writes songs like this.... "The One That Got Away" Summer after high school when we first met We make out in your Mustang to Radiohead And on my 18th Birthday We got matching tattoos Used to steal your parents' liquor And climb to the roof Talk about our future Like we had a clue Never planned that one day I'd be losing you In another life I would be your girl We'd keep all our promises Be us against the world In another life I would make you stay So I don't have to say You were the one that got away The one that got away I was June and you were my Johnny Cash Never one without the other we made a pact Sometimes when I miss you I put those records on Someone said you had your tattoo removed Saw you downtown singing the Blues It's time to face the music I'm no longer your muse But in another life I would be your girl We'd keep all our promises Be us against the world In another life I would make you stay So I don't have to say Yo...

I'm not sure what gets on Little Boy's mind and makes him think about songs, but this has been his favorite for several weeks now. He wants to hear it for every activity break......before meals.....after rest time.....before bed.....etc. I think it would make Brian Wilson's hearty happy!

While others spend their entire weekends watching football, planning trips, shopping for one more bulky sweater and awaiting the arrivals of babes, I indulge in my favorite winter pastimes: movies and popcorn with Little Boy, snuggling with my Beardy Man, maybe a little online shopping and of course, reading......lots and lots of reading! My most recent finishes are quite varied and both well worth the time. I found my way to The Key to Rebecca because I so love Ken Follett's other books and am just killing time until the 2nd in his Century Trilogy emerges sometime this year. Being a spy thriller set in World War II it is definitely not my typical pick, but I did enjoy and was definitely engrossed in the last 50 or so pages. I always think it's worth it to read a book like this just for the straight learning alone....I really knew nothing of the Desert Fox before this book. Hey, don't blame me.....point your finger at the fine NC education system! And as for This is Where...

Clearly, my priorities are all screwed up. As we steam ahead toward Super Bowl Sunday with an upcoming weekend of non-stop play-off matches, I become one of "those women" who begrudgingly watch the games with their significant others. I like having fun snacks. I like the commercials. I like watching with company where there are hopefully other women to chit-chat with about anything besides football. Yes, people, I watch football purely for the entertainment value. I pick teams I like based on the personalities of the players and coaches. I like the Steelers because I love Troy's hair and I think their coach looks like Omar Epps . I like the Bears because I love their coach's name: Lovie . I like the Lions because they are the ultimate in underdogs. And there's something else I love..... the touchdown celebration . So if your guy has a good one, chances are, I like that team too. Who doesn't love Aaron Rodgers' championship belt move? How can you not lov...

"This is a country of rich people who pick your pocket to make themselves richer and then blame you for your own poverty." Sheri Lynch on "Bob and Sheri" this morning discussing how our government isn't run by governing but by money. And she ain't just whistling Dixie!

This guy was sitting on my front step at lunchtime. I took his picture and then told him to go back to sleep and he quickly put his head right back down. If E-Roc wasn't all Cat Allergen we could have a new friend. Dumb ole E-Roc......

And I never lost one minute of sleeping Worrying 'bout the way things might have been. Proud Mary by Creedence Clearwater Revival (It might not be fair to call this a "crappy music" selection, but at the moment it fits the bill....)

With Little Boy being sick, it was not the greatest of weekends. So last night I was more than thrilled to sit down and catch up on one of my favorite short-term shows of the moment. I was so rushed to finish some Sunday night chores that I didn't see it all, but it was worth it to make it to the end where Sam Dunn kinda sorta disses the likes of Nickelback and Creed just a little bit. And I love Sam Dunn SO MUCH! He manages to convey just the way most metalheads feel about certain bands and certain music without showing one ounce of disrespect. Why couldn't I have Sam Dunn's job? Or better yet, be his production assistant.....or traveling recording secretary? Call me, Sam. Please!

My sweet lil Chia puppy is trying his best to grow.....it's the little things that go a long way for me......

And here I was thinking it was just a cute way to identify my weird family, but apparently some folks actually identify Jedi as their religion . Not that I'm making fun. Actually, I would say I could more easily support the Knights of Jedi than pretty much any other traditionally accepted religion. But if this decal was really being truthful to my support of The Force, I would identify more as Yoda than Leah. Then that would throw off the whole hetero-themed family I'm trying to display here and delve into other socio-religious issues that I'm not even sure the Jedi have conquered yet. Sigh. So many advances in a galaxy far, far away. I'm sure they have all that stuff figured out too.

John Mayer is playing on both the overhead office Muzak and on my personal office radio. This can't be a good sign for the future.

Happy to see over the weekend how much Little Boy still loves the automatic car wash. Sometimes it's the simple things that do you good.....

One of my old patients (one I had a particular warm heart toward) was found dead over the long weekend in an abandoned house near where she lived. Even though the police will figure out her cause of death in the next few days, I will spend a very long time wondering how she got to the place she did that brought her to an early death. I see in the paper from time to time where old patients/clients of mine find their way to bad places. It never ceases to break my heart. I can only wish and hope the best for her young children.....the ones I had a small part in helping bring into the world. I hope their lives turn out better than their young mother.