I Ain't Afraid of No Daleks

Idiot girl forget to buy kitty litter--not a good thing to forget to buy, so I have to go back out to the shop. (martyrd sigh). After going to the shop, I'll hit the trolley bus to Lake George for some ice cream, then come home and relax for a bit. Cheers.

Tagged again by Tardisgurl.

What Five beauty or personal care products could you not live without?
Soap, shampoo, deodorant, razor, face powder

What’s the worst hair care mistake you’ve made?

Using the bottle of shampoo/body wash the nurse in hospital gave me, and forgetting to pack a hairbrush to brush out my hair, afterwards---I had that David Tennant with bed hair, un-curried Shetland pony, just-stuck-my-finger-in-an-electrical-outlet look, for days and days!

Favourite make-over programme?

I don't watch make-over shows (no tele), but I used to watch the American version of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy every chance I got.

Who would you want to do your makeover?

Carson Kressley and the Queer Eye Guys--they always make me laugh and smile. Fun!

Favourite discount clothing shop(s)?

Label Shopper, Fashion Bug, TJMaxx, K-mart.

Favourite posh clothing shop(s)?

Kohls, Peter Harris (plus), J C Penny, Talbots, Completeoutfits.com (I've had my eye on a 3 piece duster set in black/blue...waiting for it to go on sale, ha-ha.)

Other favourite clothing shops?

Walker's Farm, Home and Tack, Double M Western Store. Used to shop Tractor Supply Company, but they've changed they're selection and it's pretty much catering to the chav redneck, prostitute-cowgirl, pre-teen set now. Also, there's far less women's wear, as the men's wear department is crowding it out, these days. I used to also browse at Orvis and Abercrombie and Fitch (BEFORE they became "trendy" and were still an outdoorsy store), but they were priced a bit to upscale for my budget, mostly. Oh, and Carl Murphy's Clothing Store and Tack Shop in Fair Haven Vermont-- (interesting shop-- ladies fashions (used to buy mum blouses, trousers and decorative hair clips there when they had a sale on), outdoorsy clothing, jewelry and posh hair clips, decorative throws and bed quilts, AND riding breeches and horse womers, all in one go), there's a shop in Lake George that sells really cool sweaters and jackets and such, with an outdorsy theme, and also I like Woolrich.com.

Last time you went to the hair salon? What did you have done?

Around Easter. The shortest haircut I'd ever had in my life--a very, very short shag you might call it, I suppose. That's the name of the hairstyle, btw, not a quickie in the storeroom.

What’s your "must have" possession(s)?

A really comfy pair of boots for walking, my computer/DVD/CD player, some good music-- CD, tapes or records, Dr Who stuff, horsey stuff and some really good books to read.

What's you most posh possession(s)?

Price-wise, my computer. Non-price wise? I really don't own anything posh any longer, that I can think of...my few "antiques" aren't worth much. I have a Bestwick Shetland pony, and that decorative hand-painted fox hunting wall plate from Saxony. Cant' think of anything else, really. Most of my possession were bought from boot sales and consignment shops, and church sales, discount department stores and the like.

Favourite pop songs at 18?

Wow, 29 years ...well, I used to listen to America's Top 40 religiously, so this shouldn't be too, too hard:

Sad Eyes by Robert John
Babe by Styx
Still by the Commedores
Heartache Tonight by the Eagles
Pop Muzik (I forget who sang that)
Do You Think I'm Sexy (Rod Stewart)
Heart of Glass by Blondie
Tragedy by the Bee Gees
What a Fool Believes by the Doobie Brothers
and (a hate to admit this) "Rise" by Herb Albert

I didn't like this song initally, but it eventually grew on me, then I got so I hated it---it's My Sharona by those one-hit wonders, The Knack--had a college roomate who played this song over and over an (god help me) over again, to the point where I literally was dreaming about it. It's a bit rude--well, it was extremely rude (for the 1970's--nowadays probably not at all), so as you can guess, it was a big it with my peers.
S

Ummm--what else can I remember? Disco was still very big...

Le Freak
Hot Stuff
Bad Girls
Good Times--that was THE party song for about 2 years.
Ring My Bell
I Will Survive
Don't Stop 'till you get enough

What pop songs did you think were uncool, when you were 18?

I HATED the Pina Colada song! Wasn't real fond of Reunited, by Peaches and Herb, either.

For some reason I found the "No More Tears" duet of Striesand and Summer a bit annoying, as well, though I don't remember why.

Well, got through my shift last night and managed to go to the store--where I promptly forgot to buy shampoo. Dang. I've just about enough left out of my present bottle for this morning, but no hope for it, have to go to the shop and buy some more, after work.

A long work day ahead. Especially since I'm still ill...still have that pain in the kidney area, and a touch of nausea besides...the beginnings of another kidney stone? Or, maybe it's just my wonky stomach again. Trust me, I'd rather it be the stomach, by a long chalk.

Well, I'm not going to a doctor, today, I'm going to work today, come hell or high water. I will say that my employers have been very understanding during my illness, and that has indeed been a blessing. I don't work there 'cos of the $9 an hour, or for the non-existent benefits, ha-ha. I don't work there 'cos I love my job. I work there 'cos they are flexible....not to the point where one can get away with a lot of stuff, but they do get that some of their staff do have to work, with a long term chronic illness, and they are lovely about allowing for sick days and doctor's visits....especially if you do your best to make up your days/time off.

Normally my new schedule is 10 to 2, but I'm going to see if I can manage the full 10 to 4 shift--my health will decide that, of course. I do fell quite rubbish and run-down today, which seems to be the rule instead of the exception, these days. I wish they'd pin down what my illness is, exactly--they seem to fluctuate from this to that--last summer the doctor ws sure I was in congestive heart failure, and he was, appparently, wrong. I know my kidneys aren't great--no signs of failure yet,thank God, but that's my most likely scenario, in the end...runs in mum's family. It's what my mum and my great-gran both died of. Unfortunately lately, the infections and viruses seem to be taking over my body of late, to the point that I'm really getting fed up about it. I want my life back--it wasn't much of a life, I'll grant you, but at least I did have my health.

A nice morning, hot sunny day ahead. May go to Lake George beach tomorrow, if I'm feeling any better, that is. Or, perhaps to the Lake George laundromat--again, depends on my health, and also the weather...if it gets too hot, there's no way I'm lugging a heavy laundry bag down past the boatyard to the launderette! Great day for the big Travers race. No big-time horses this year, as far as I know--but I missed the Kentucky Derby this year. I will always remember the 2006 Derby though---out of that big field, I picked the first and second finishers! But, that is deeply marred by the horrible injury suffered by Barbaro in one the other races of the triple crown. I genuinely believed that Barbaro could be our next--if not Secretariat, certainly our next Native Dancer or Whirlaway...I watched him run in a race prior to the Derby, and he left me mezermerized with his dignity, his power and what we horse nuts fondly call, "the look of eagles." Barbaro was the first horse in a long while, that I'd seen with that look--a horse that KNOWS it's great...they don't have egos like we do, of course, but there's an intangible something that comes along in a rare while, that marks a horse as a champion among champions--and I sincerely believe Barbaro was one of them. You should have seen me bawl my eyes out, when I heard the news of his horrible accident, during the race! I was genuinely devastated. A true tragedy..and in incredibly brave horse. If an animal could ever be noble and brave, I'd slap that title on Barbaro.

Despite valiant efforts by vets and horse alike, Barbaro just wasn't able to recover from his awful leg injury, and was later euthanized--yes, I cried again. I haven't felt as much love for throrughbred racing since. They race them too young! Those horses you watch are literally babies! I horse doesn't fully mature until it's around 7 years old. They're racing 1 and 2 year olds--a "year" being January 1st--so a one year old may be as young as 9 or 10 months, or as old as a year and a half--babies! And you wonder why race horses break down so much? It's cos they aren't fully developed yet!

Keep getting a Windows update pop-up that wants to re-start my computer, pesky thing. I'd thought I'd set the update time to 4am, so I don't know what that's about.

Flame didn't want to wake up this morning..she was so sleepy, she didn't hardly touch her food...another bad night for me, and I think my tossing and turning kept waking her up. She's very persnickity about bedtimes--she used to whinge at mum, if mum was staying up too late. Flame gets genuinely upset if I'm not in bed by midnight, or if I toss and turn too much and disturb her beauty sleep. She's sitting on my computer tower right now, dozing. Charlie's sprawled at my feet like a big ol' furry ginger and white beached whale, and Boots is having himself a wash in the sunbeam on the floor.

Well, have to shower and change and force myself to eat some breaky. Bacon and eggs, methinks. Have a good day, all.

BARBARO:

I was looking for information about a town in Vermont, when a news article about a town of the same name (but in a different part of the nation) came up. The headline gave me such a fit of the giggles. Well, you may not laugh, but I found it hilarious...tho' the subject WASN'T funny.

It was about a crime in a small town: MURDER-SUICIDE TAKES PLACE IN HAMLET

(A "hamelet" is what we yanks sometimes call a town so small, it's too small to even call a village)

Talk about life immitating art...

Tomorrow (Saturday) is the big Traver's stakes horse race in Saratoga, drawing punters from all over the US and internationally, as well and various minor American celebrities and the US equivilent to Lords and Ladies--the Vanderbuilt-Whitney's and other old (and new) Yankee money. It is touted at America's oldest stakes race, dating from 1864. It's not unusual to see Kentucky Derby horses--including Derby winners--racing in the Travers. (see below) Some of the greatest American thoroughbreds of all time: Baden-Baden, Whirlaway, Man O' War (the greatest American race horse of all time--even greater than Secretariat), Secretariat and Secretariat's son--General Assembly, Gallant Fox, Seabiscuit (Ironically, part of the film was shot on the very track where this great horse lost in the Travers), Native Dancer, Affirmed, Easy Goer (I was there for that one). Some won, some didn't. The trophy--donated by the wife of Man O' War's owner--Sam Riddle, dates back to the 1920's, and was made by Tiffany's. A gold-plated replica is Presented to the winner each year, by a member of Riddle family, and, while the winner is still in the winner's circle, and artist is already on the grounds, painting the wining jockey's colours on a special statue near the paddock area. There's even a quirky tradition, that the previous year's winner, get their stable colours painted on a canoe, tethered in the pond in the infield--the canoe dates back to 1926!

A party atmosphere takes over the track, and it's literally one of the biggest attractions of the summer, in all of upstate New York. Since the 1970's, it's been nationally televised by ABC (American Broadcasting company) sports, live late Saturday afternoon...the race usually runs last or near-last, around 5pm, Eastern Standard Time, or 10pm or 22:00 in the UK. In the last two decades, Cable TV sports giant, ESPN, has also televised the race.

LAST YEAR'S TRAVER'S STAKES RACE AT SARATOGA RACE COURSE (as I recall, it was pissing down rain)

THE 2006 TRAVERS STAKES

Worked a few hours on the night shift, came out the door of the office building, and what happens? The bus roars by! Or, as I said under my breath, the bucking fuss. So, a good 40 minute wait for the next one, so I went home, grabbed my shopping bags--which I'd forgotten to take with me (the grocery store I went to, gives you 10 off your bill, for each of your own shopping bags that you use--so I saved 40 cents that way...and helped the environment, too, of course.

However, I found that it cost me one dollar at the store, to cash the two dollar and six cent check that Medicaid sent me.

My landlord reassured me that they believe me about the roaches and the smell and other things the neighbours have been blaming on me--apparently, one of them even tried to fob off the cat beer smell and the cat pee smell in the hall on me--which frosts my britches, 'cos I don't drink beer (not my favourite beverage in the world) and my cats NEVER leave the apartment...the few times Charlie has wandered out into the hall--out of curiosity, he's turned tail and trotted back inside when I ordered him to. He's a good lad, my Bonnie Prince Charlie. He even let me Hoover him again, yesterday (poor guy is shedding like mad with the change of weather).

I was sitting on the porch waiting for my bus, when a cop drove by, slowed down and gave me the once over. Lovely. I though he might stop and question me, the way he looked, but he just went on. Seems the city police will be watching the "undesirables" in my building now--nice how I've come down in the world, where I can't sit on building's front steps without being watched by the police. I suppose on the flip side of the coin, I should be thankful they are there--but, sorry, it makes me sad, knowing that's the kind of neighbourhood I live in, now. 3 years ago I lived in a place where I never had to lock my doors...now this. Sad.

The traffic was all tied up, up the road. The city police and the county sheriff's are doing a road block check--setting up a corridor of police in the middle of the road, both ways, checking for drink drivers, drugs users, expired New York State inspection and/or vehicle registration stickers, cracked windscreens, bald tyres, broken headlamps and tail lights, making sure people are observing the seatbelt, mobile phone, and child safety seat laws...they do this about once ever few months, in various locations. The city just passed a very unpopular law which now bans smoking inside cabs within city limits--ridiclous! I know it bothers some people, but with my having a dad who massively smoked Pall Mall's for years and years--his lifelong nickname was "smokey", I figure the damage has already been done to me, so why kick about smoke in a cab--where one can usually open a window?

Dinner is a cheap frozen pizza. I HAVE to have that pork chop tomorrow, before it turns. Want it, but too, too beat to cook tonight. Too tired to even make a ham and cheese sandwich. I'm going to shower and hit the sack early. I'm almost too tired to eat, truth to tell. I feel really wrung out, and have a deep throbbing pain in the area of my right kidney, at the moment, which is making me even more tired.

I cut my front bangs tonight. The Shetland pony look is all well and fine for David Tennant, but it's not my cup of tea. So, I grabbed the kitchen shears and took a stab (not literally, of course) at making it a bit neater--not exactly a straight cut, but...meh, close enough. Wish I was good enough to do my sides, as well. But a haircut isn't in the budget. As it is, my plans to have a day out, next holiday weekend, may be a bust. We'll see. After nearly a whole year of almost total confinement in this little apartment, I really wanted to get out and about a bit more, this summer, but at least I can still get in some swim time, for one more week--figures, I finally find my swimsuit, and there's only one more week left to the summer season up here. Sod's law. Still, it's only $2 to go to the beach and back, think I can manage that, perhaps. Not that I'm a beach type of person, but I can always take my lunch with me, go to a nearby park afterwards, and sit and watch the carriage horses clop by, and see the boats out on the lake.

I will keep trying stuff to fix the 'puter for a little while longer--but it seems the more I try to fix it, the worse it gets--I'm so devastated over the loss of my sound! Thanks to a dear friend, I still have the portable DVD player...but, losing my realpayer--meaning a big chunk of my Dr Who DVD's (which only play on the 'puter for some reason), I'm just shattered, really I am. Music is such a big thing for me--lifts my spirits, inspires me when I'm writing, makes the time go by faster. The Dr Who DVD's always made me feel better, and also gave me a needed lift.

But, I realized that the way all this stress and loss was making me feel, was worse than just not using a computer at all, any more...which is bad, for me, being totally isolated from the world and my friends. Only someone who has been alone, will truly know what I'm talking about, I suppose. I find over and over, that most human beings have little circles they belong to--don't even realize they have them, unawares, they take it for granted that EVERYONE has these circles of friends, family co-workers. I mean "circles" in the physical sense...people physically "there" in your life. Not everyone has this, but time after time, I come against people who just don't "get" it, not at all--it's like it's totally beyond their ken!

Well, have to try and finish supper. Want to blog some things..have to think about what, I suppose. Have a good Saturday everyone. xx