Like most weekday mornings, I was listening to the 80’s Alternative channel on Netscape/AOL Radio. Delegatrix always gives me a hard time for listening to the oldies, but its somehow comforting to listen to music of my mis-spent 18, 19, 20 and 21’s, a time when we would go out dancing 5 nights a week (including my first and last attempt at slam dancing) and when we felt like the young lions we deluded ourselves into thinking we were.
The song that brought me down memory lane was a real moldy oldie: The Bruce Springsteen/Patti Smith’s song: Because the Night. I used to just love this song. In anticipation of posting to the blog about it, I decided to go look up the lyrics. After reading the lyrics, I find myself very chagrined — either I’ve been singing a lot of wrong words for many years or there are 2 versions of the song – Bruce’s Version and Patti’s version. Similar, and yet very different. Its enough to make a girl think she’s losing her mind. I could always go back to favorite moldy oldie #2 (and not the No Doubt remake) Talk Talk’s Its My Life. At least I KNOW what the words are to that song, for sure.
by Carollynn on 30 June 2004 My recent frustrations: Most times, I think I get along pretty well in the
world. Most slings and arrows slide off my back with ease. I try not to take
things personally, but when I do, I know I need a vacation, I’m planning to take some vacation time and go to some amazing villas in koh samui. Here are some of
the things that have been bugging me lately:
- People who ask you to do something for them, because they *know* it is your specialty
and then decide that they know how it should be done better than you. - People who complain that they had something bad happen to them because they
didn’t follow the rules. (e.g. people who cross a busy street, except at the
designated cross walks during the designated cross signal and then get angry
at drivers who almost hit them because they are jay walking.) - People who don’t know any real facts or information about a subject, and yet,
insist on talking about the subject and are unable to defend their position
other than: “Well, I know I’m right
I was just reading Cybersane’s blog
and she mentioned that the Big Meadows camp store in Shenandoah National Park
is famous for its delicious blackberry milkshakes. It was then I hit upon a
not so new idea, one that the local and national magazines seize upon whenever
they want to generate free content. A poll of their readers for the best single
food items or food categories across the nation. You’re all well traveled folks
who like to eat, so this should be a wonderful list. So here it is, my first
annual summer time food poll.
Where do you get great summer time food? I’ll start with 3 of my favorites:
- Thick-thick blackberry milkshakes: The Soda Fountain on Glades Road
in Gatlinburg, TN - The best baked beans: Bubbalou’s Bodacious BBQ, Lee
Road, Winter Park, FL — And the Pulled Pork Sandwiches aren’t bad either! - Muffulettas: Central Grocery,
New Orleans, LA
Let the salivating begin!
An American woman of 40 wants to get married, but she is only willing to marry a man who has never been with a woman sexually. After several
unsuccessful years of searching, she decides to take out a personal ad.
She ends up corresponding with a man who has lived his entire life in the Australian Outback. And after a long-distance courtship, they decide to get married.
On their wedding night, she goes into the bathroom to prepare for the
festivities. When she returns to the bedroom, she finds her new husband
standing in the middle of the room, naked and all the furniture from the room piled in one corner.
“What happened?” she asks.
“I’ve never been with a woman,” he says. “But if it’s anything like
screwing a kangaroo I’m gonna need all the room I can get!”
It figures, doesn’t it?- Carollynn
by Carollynn on 22 June 2004 A coworker just came over and asked me if I had my umbrella with me. I said yes, having seen the skies this morning (over cast). So it shouldn’t come as any great surprise that it is now coming down in buckets — but I don’t want it to rain, I’m tired of rain, I want it to be sunny so that I can go skating right after work, I plan to go to an event with a big banner on it, but if it rains it will ruin everything — the rain has ruined waaaay too many skate days, recently. Am I being a whiny brat? Probably, but I’m tired of certain fun activities (inline skating at the B&A Trail) being called due to rain. ARRGGHH!
No, I don’t feel better now that I’ve gotten that off my chest. I’m still pouting like petulant child. And the rain still has not stopped. Guess I’ll go do yoga instead…But I really don’t wanna do yoga, I wanna skate.
by Carollynn on 21 June 2004 This was a busy weekend, and I don’t think I knew just how busy it really
was until it was all over. There was a lot to celebrate, it seems. The two major
celebrations that most people are familiar with were Fathers Day and the Summer
Solstice, each just happening to occur on the same day – Sunday, June 21st.
But I digress; my first celebration began Saturday evening, in Hyattsville at
my friends Bill and Mike’s. It was the first celebratory gathering this year
of the gang who helps to produce Goatman Hollow. The producers hosted a fabulous
cookout, haunted croquet that followed the path of last year’s haunt through
the woods, Goatman volleyball, hot tub Marco-Polo and last, but
certainly not least, an end of the evening ghost story telling in a firefly
enchanted forest. It was truly magical. Merci beau coup for the invite – I had
a ball!
Father’s Day: My father has been gone 4 years now, and I remembered him all
through out the day and wished that there had been more time with him. I think
that is the way we all feel about loved ones who have passed on. My friend Rich
and I went to Blobs Park for a German celebration of multiple things: Father’s
Day, the Summer Solstice, belated May pole and many old world pagan customs, such as hopping over the bonfire to precipitate either a marriage or fertility (we left before this quaint custom began, can you guess why?) Our friend Tim performed with the Alt. Washingtonia , a local German dance/band group. Their performances included traditional slap dances, cowbell serenades, Alp horns and much polka-ing. Tim also celebrated father’s day with his daughter Trystam.
So this weekend was the kick-off for Goatman Hollow, Father’s Day, the official start of summer, the longest daylight day of the year, (the daytime hours are at a maximum in the Northern hemisphere, and night time is at a minimum.) the summer solstice, and Midsummer’s Eve. Here’s what our ancestors may have celebrated during this time of year:
- Ancient Celts: Druids, celebrated Alban Heruin (“Light of
the Shore”). It was midway between the spring Equinox (Alban Eiler; “Light
of the Earth”) and the fall Equinox This midsummer festival celebrates the
apex of Light, sometimes symbolized in the crowning of the Oak King, God of
the waxing year. At his crowning, the Oak King falls to his darker aspect,
the Holly King, God of the waning year…” - Ancient China: Their summer solstice ceremony celebrated
the earth, the feminine, and the yin forces. It complemented the winter solstice,
which celebrated the heavens, masculinity and yang forces. - Ancient Gaul: The Midsummer celebration was called Feast
of Epona, named after a mare goddess who personified fertility, sovereignty
and agriculture. She was portrayed as a woman riding a mare. - Ancient Germanic, Slav and Celtic tribes in Europe: Ancient
Pagans celebrated Midsummer with bonfires. “It was the night of fire festivals
and of love magic, of love oracles and divination. It had to do with lovers
and predictions, when pairs of lovers would jump through the luck-bringing
flames…” It was believed that the crops would grow as high as the couples
were able to jump. Through the fire’s power, “…maidens would find out about
their future husband, and spirits and demons were banished.” Another function
of bonfires was to generate sympathetic magic: giving a boost to the sun’s
energy so that it would remain potent throughout the rest of the growing season
and guarantee a plentiful harvest.
Hmmm, who
knew we crammed all this celebration into a weekend. No wonder I’m tired today!
