I’ve Got My Boots… Dusty.

Joelle said at some point on May 10, 2008

I’m in Dallas right now visiting my friend and former roommate Nikki. I’m so happy to see her!  I realized I hadn’t seen her in almost five years, so it was high time I took a visit to the land of Bless Your Heart.

So far, I’ve gone to a Cuban restaurant and had the most delicious rum punch I’ve EVER had (red wine, silver rum, spiced rum, pineapple juice, splash of pina colada mix on the rock — mmmmmm!) It was vacation in a glass.  I’ve also been to Target, watched Pride and Prejudice (GFI will be happy to hear that, you know how I feel about corsety period romances), loved on a big fat cat, and the biggest golden retriever I’ve ever seen named Freethrow.

Last night, we went to this “club” called Sting.  I couldn’t possibly express how LAME this place was.  It was one of those club complexes where they’ve got a main dance club, a billiards rooms, a lounge, a restaurant and supposedly… a karaoke bar.  That place was bizarre.  The bus girls kept trying to take our vodka-tonics and they brought us the wrong order of appetizers and never gave us silverware or napkins. And the drinks!  Judas priest!  Heika ordered a vodka-red bull and it was $9.50. NINE FIFTY.  What the hell?  Turns out the one night they didn’t have karaoke, even though it was scheduled on the calendar, was last night.  Hmph!  I didn’t want to sing for you fools anyway.

We left and this friend of Nikki’s, Monk, directed us (us being Nikki, Heika (you may remember her as Macgeezel), Nikki’s friends K. and Monk) to a dive bar in a seedy area. From the outside, we were like, “hmmmm… I don’t know about this.” but once we opened the door, I knew this was MY kind of place.  It was a dive, full of happy, smiling, karaoke-fun havin’ folks.  It was a really good time.  The book didn’t have a lot of the songs I sing, but I found some stuff. I sang… um… “Last Dance” by Donna Summer (the place went NUTS!), “Since I Fell for You” by Lenny Welch, “Someone to Watch Over Me” (which ended up sucking because it was SO high) and then the karaoke host chose a song for me. Ready?  Vanessa Carlton’s “A Thousand Miles”. I know. I was surprised, too.  It actually wasn’t bad, but during the bridge, I stepped on the mic cord and pulled it right out of the base of the mic.  Rock n’ roll, baby!  heh.

We left at last call, but Nikki convinced the karaoke guy to have me sing “Crazy” by Patsy Cline because she loves that song so much.  I don’t love singing that song, but only because at karaoke someone usually has already put it up or it’s just beaten to death.  But she really loves it and I do like the song itself, so I did.  I got off easy, actually, she wanted me to sing “The Rose”.  hehe!  (When we lived together, she’d make me sing that song to her as we went to bed when we’d come home from a night out..  She loves it!  I personally find it the most depressing song, but who am I do dampen her happiness?)

That bar was great, though. What a crowd!  Everything from khaki-wearing frat boys to overdressed chicks (that would be us) to your typical seedy-dive bar types to the dudes from Medieval Times. I’m totally serious.  The jouster guys were there… though not in full regalia. That would have been too beautiful to express.

Today, we’re enjoying some hair of the dog (or Nikki is, anyway… silly vodka!) down at JR’s in the gayborhood. It’s my favorite place in this town and I’m so excited to see my fave bartender Stephen.  It’ll be the same folks from last night and hopefully anyone else I know in Dallas who happens to read this.  (Raven, I sent you a text, did you get it?)

There will be hardly any photos from this trip because I forgot not only my laptop cord, but my phone charger AND my camera.  I am so full of awesome!

Ok, I better go get in the shower and prepare for more Texas.  Yee haw, y’all.

Keen Marketing Insight

Joelle said during happy hour on May 7, 2008

Hire us. We know stuff.

Kathy: if they really want something mainstream they’ll have to ditch the stroke and go all soft focus n’ shit

Joelle: can I quote you on that?

How to Stay Amused

Joelle said at some point on April 28, 2008

I make an active effort to take pleasure in the little things.  One of those little things is the ”How-To of the Day” that feeds into my Google homepage.  It’s rare that I don’t smile at their group of random topics.

Tomorrow it could be ”How to Embalm” and ”How to Make Vegan Pancakes”. You just never know.

We All Love Ella

Joelle said around mid-morning on April 25, 2008 while listening to illasounds - A Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald

Today would have been Ella Fitzgerald’s 90th birthday. She has been my favorite singer probably… well, as long as I have been singing. So, since I was wee.  I wish I knew more about her as a person; I should make a point to since I love her voice so much.  I admire her at every stage of her career, as her voice and style changed with age and times respectively, she always maintained her unique grace and warm tone.  I could listen to her every day… and do, usually.

Ross has put together a really fabulous podcast in her honor. If you’re into Ella, don’t miss it.  And, if you’re into any other jazz, funk, latin, soul, etcetera… check out his podcast, illasounds.  It’s my favorite. 

Hello Dolly

Joelle said in the early morning on April 25, 2008

I can’t remember what I was watching when I thought of this a few weeks ago, but I was trying to remember what dolls and/or toys I had as a kid that I was especially attached to.  I remember having a lot of games, puzzles and art supplies, but as an only child I spent a lot of time with adults. I think I abandoned teddies and dolls at a relatively young age or at least didn’t form strong attachments to them.  Most of the dolls I had were porcelain, frou-frou dolls that were more for looking at than for playing with.  I had a few Barbies that I’d either stripped naked and marvel at the holes in their feet, hyperextending their limbs like the creatures from that bad Charlie Sheen movie about aliens or I’d give them Susan Powter haircuts and make them wear Ken’s clothes.

You know, that’s kind of weird now that I think about it. 

Anyway, the point is I never really had a doll that I clung to, at least not for very long. I do recall a rag doll that I referred to as Dressy Bessy, whether or not she was actually called that is a mystery. She had a little gingham vest that would open and close with a big yellow button (I assume to teach dressing skills) and she was missing a blue plastic eye.  She had little red Mary Janes sewn right onto her feet with buckles that could be done and undone.  And, if I remember correctly, some sort of denim skirt with little underpants underneath that you could pull on and off.  I’m pretty sure I lost those right away since they weren’t sewn on.

There’s a hazy memory of a very tattered white teddy bear with a red tongue sticking out… also missing an eye.  I don’t know what that’s about.

Those are the only two dolls that I remember with any real fondness. The others, like I said, were more for looking at than playing with.  Part of me wonders whatever happened to them and wishes that I’d had the foresight to keep track of those sorts of things. I’m not really a keeper of stuff… or I wasn’t, anyway.  In my youth I parted with a lot of things I wish I’d held on to, not realizing the significance or emotional value they’d have later on. 

Do you have any dolls or toys from your youth that you remember or wish you still had (or at least had better memories of)?