And so it goes. And so it goes.

It's Friday. Amen and hallelujah and all that good stuff. Recently, Shannon said to me "I don't understand how you do all of the things that you do" Neither do I. I used to be better about etching out some me time on the weekends, well that seems to have gone right out the window. Damn dating. Takes up me time. To be honest, I can't even blame it all on R. He's pretty much the most un-demanding person I've ever dated. It's me. I'm taking the blame on this one. Last night I even had a dream that I was late to guitar class. I had this dream on a Thursday night. Class is Saturday morning. WTF Of course, once again, I've booked myself all up. Here's what my weekend looks like: Tonight I'm head vol-ing the Battlefield Band/Liz Carroll show at Old Town - this is immediately after work. After that I'm going out with R. Tomorrow I've got guitar class at 11, followed by meeting Shannon at the Lillstreet Art Center for the Open House, followed by Chris' graduation dinner at 5:30, followed by maybe picking R up from work at 11. Sunday I have to clean the house, run errands, do laundry, and meet up with Shannon to help her with the wedding invitations. I'm getting tired. This year I've already added the board of directors thing and guitar classes to my impossibly ridiculous schedule. Something has got to go. I'm just not sure what. Right now German class is the front-runner, but I'm not 100% sure on that. Sigh. Being busy is busy.

How can you not laugh?

Sometimes, I laugh when I shouldn't. Like last night: I'm reading aloud in Deutsch Klasse....."blah blah blah......nachschicken" I stop then, "Nachschicken!" (pronounced properly) teacher looks up at me, puzzled look on her face. Then I say "Nachschicken!!!" (pronounced Knocks Chicken).** Then, I laugh. I laugh so much everyone else laughs. With me, mfers, not at me. Sometimes I don't laugh, out of fear: Once I attempted to learn the tin whistle. I say attempted because I was hot for teacher, and therefore all learning went out the window. Especially when he said things like this: "No. Von, blow harder. HARDER. There, just like that. Now blow more evenly. Bllllloooowwww slllooowwwweeeerrrr. Good. Perfect. Just like that." I didn't laugh, wanted to, and ended up spitting all over my tin whistle instead. I laughed about it for about 3 hours afterwards. **Nachschicken means forward. I know. Weird. Not even close, where you could guess. Not like I'll ever forget that word now though.

Two down

Chords A7 and D are now my bitches. Ok, not really, but I was working on the muscle memory side of it yesterday. I'm awesome that I even practiced. Hopefully I can do it again sometime before Saturday morning. Corey Haim died. Yes, this is a big deal to me, as I was going to marry him someday. Well, when he got clean, and made some $$, and of course I would have to triple-bag that. (Lamblets better not be reading this blog!!) But still. What girl my age didn't want one or both of the Coreys? I waffled between the two, but I think my heart pretty much belonged to Haim, especially after the whole icky wierd Feldman/Michael Jackson thing. The only grown up thing to do is stay up late tonight watching the DVD of "Dream a Little Dream" that Shannon bought for me years ago. Sigh. Perhaps I'll write him a song, one that only uses the A7 and D chords.

Surprise, Surprise

Things I found surprising this weekend:

• I didn't realize how much I missed something, until I got it again.
• Guitar is hard. Not just hard, but fucking hard. Ouch, there's a small blood blister on my finger.
• There is a song written by Hank Williams that has my name in it like three times.
• Reading chords was impossible for me, and I felt stupid (which I found surprising) BUT
• I have the greatest musician friends in the world, and the amount of outside of class help I'm going to get is amazing.
• I didn't hate TheBrother's TheFiance. As a matter of fact, I liked her. As much as snarky, evil, bitchy old me can like a 22 year old chick who got engaged 5 weeks after meeting TheBrother.
• I didn't hate seeing R two days in a row. Probably won't make a habit of it, but I didn't hate it.
• Even John Prine is annoying after three and 1/2 hours.
• I don't hate the band Elbow. I wish I did. I don't. The hipsters, they will not break me.
• We convinced a 44 year old women that Mennonites come from Menonia, a very small country between Germany and France.
• Receiving a gift from a co-worker was both surprising and a huge mood booster. Sure, she bought the earrings for herself, but never wore them, and thought of me when she stumbled across them. They are Phillips head nail heads. I adore them, put them on immediately. The gift and the thought were surprising.
• I don't believe how much I cry when I watch the Oscars. Me? A crier? For shame!!
• Home-made fried chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, gravy, salad and wine with a good friend was the very best way to beat the Sunday blues. (Not surprising, but the meal was soooo good, I had to mention it.) To visit this awesome cooking friend of mine, go here.

Here's to......me

Yep, I'm raising a glass.....to MYSELF.

Tomorrow I start my Guitar 1 class at Old Town.

I'm excited and nervous all at the same time. Got my official song book, got VonDad's wicked awesome guitar all newly strung and tuned and shined up and stuff.

Don't got? The ability to read music. Or follow directions very well.

But I have drive, determination, and guts.

And, I'm cute.

Betcha

Betcha didn't think I was going to post today, did ya? Well, I wasn't! But then I noticed I've posted every other day this week, so why not keep it going. Then, I realize I am having a shit-tastic day at work. And the office smells like poo. So, there you have it, your post for the day. Carry on my way-ward friends. There'll be peace when you are done.

I wanna laugh while the laughin' is easy

Many many (like, a bagillion) years ago, we made a video for my dad. This video (VHS, people!) was part of the gift of the cam-corder he was getting for Christmas. I pretty much hate the silly play we did, but at the end there was a photo montage of VonParents and all of us kiddies. This is the song I remember most and best from that montage. I'd never heard it before, but after we gave Dad the video, I remember watching the end over and over and over, obsessing over this song. Guess what? The lyrics are as relevant to my life now as they were in 1987, when I first heard it, and I'm sure they were relevant in 1973 when this tune first broke. Sometimes, at least when it comes to music, I'm an old soul. Enjoy: Life, so they say, is but a game and we let it slip away. Love, like the Autumn sun, should be dyin' but it's only just begun Like the twilight in the road up ahead, they don't see just where we're goin'. And all the secrets in the Universe, whisper in our ears And all the years will come and go, take us up, always up. We may never pass this way again. We may never pass this way again. We may never pass this way again. Dreams, so they say, are for the fools and they let 'em drift away. Peace, like the silent dove, should be flyin' but it's only just begun. Like Columbus in the olden days, we must gather all our courage. Sail our ships out on the open sea. Cast away our fears And all the years will come and go, and take us up, always up. We may never pass this way again. We may never pass this way again. We may never pass this way again. So I wanna laugh while the laughin' is easy. I wanna cry if it makes it worthwhile. We may never pass this way again, that's why I want it with you.' Cause, you make me feel like I'm more than a friend. Like I'm the journey and you're the journey's end. We may never pass this way again, that's why I want it with you, baby. We may never pass this way again. We may never pass this way again. We may never pass this way again. We may never pass this way again. guess what I'll be buying on iTunes later?