2010/01/30

Muscle-Bound Jocks

DaGoddess @ 04:53

There’s something to be said about a man with muscles. I’m not talkin’ Ahnold-type of muscles…but…you know, like law enforcement/military muscles. The kind of guy who’s retired and still works out. Yeah, that kind.

Don’t normally let my head get turned by that sort, but every once in a great while, it’s a joy to behold.

Rowr.

Just sayin’.

There may or may not be photos forthcoming.

2010/01/29

Starstruck

DaGoddess @ 07:50

I never don’t approach someone I admire. So it surprised me that last night I failed to approach someone I thought was present at a concert. Someone who is amongst my top three “Oh my God! It’s fill in the blank!” Yes, I thought it was “him” and he’s very distinctive in his look. I was speaking with another photographer and he said he’d had people coming up asking who the guy was. I’m pretty certain it is who I thought. And if it is…if he’s here in town…I will find him. Yes, I must. This is one of those rare RARE opportunities and I MUST meet him. If only to fall at his feet and let him walk all over me.

I don’t get like this often, but it’d be totally worth it in this case.

Sigh.

2010/01/28

Winkability

DaGoddess @ 12:48

I do not possess the wink gene. Oh, I can wink just fine. But what I can’t do is wink in a way that stops someone in their tracks and makes them look at me in a whole new light.

I want to be able to do that. I just don’t have the power. And I kind of think that sucks.

However, if there is to be any consolation at all in this disappointing discovery, I have been told that I have the sweetest eyes…that I’m calming…relaxing, even. I guess if my eyes are capable of only one power, that’s as good as any, right?

Do you have the wink gene?

2010/01/26

Have You Seen This?

DaGoddess @ 16:43

You probably already saw video.

Watch it again. For me. And for those who serve.

2010/01/23

Just Down the Street

DaGoddess @ 04:00

We’ve had a lot of rain here in Vegas. Over a four day period, we had more than last year’s total rainfall. This, of course, means the mountains got snow. Wanna know how close the snow was? I drove down the main cross street for about two miles and took the following photos yesterday. The day was wonderfully temperate; I was running errands in jeans and a t-shirt. Yes, I had a jacket with me — just in case. But it totally wasn’t needed. While I was pulled over, there were a few raindrops, but nothing major. That’s supposed to hit again this weekend. I have places to go and things to do. I CAN’T beg off like I did on Thursday when I was supposed to go see Eric Sardinas. Eh. I had a headache and didn’t feel like bothering with stupid drivers. I don’t get to do that tonight.

Apologies for the darker photo on the bottom. The clouds were fighting me. But that…that’s just slightly off to the southwest of where I was standing. The first shot is west of where I was. Both are part of the Summerlin/Summerlin South area. Yep, that’s pretty much where I live these days. Cool, huh?

Snow by the house

Over to the south

Well Done, Conan

DaGoddess @ 01:43

Conan did it up right. Except for that douche Beck (but that’s a personal assessment of an artist I really don’t like, which has nothing to do with anything else).

Anyhow, for a final show, I really think Conan O’Brien did a bang up job. He could have told the network to fuck off, but he took the high road. “I did it my way, with people I love, and I do not regret a second. I’ve had more good fortune than anyone I know, and if our next gig is doing a show in a 7-Eleven parking lot, we’ll find a way to make it fun.” Sure, there was plenty of grumbling beforehand and it was all merited. Still, in the end, the show was funny, which is exactly as it should have been.

Tom Hanks, Neil Young, Billy Gibbons, Ben Harper…and a photo of Tilda Swinton. Doesn’t get much better than that.

Oh, and Will Ferrell’s hair? Slightly longer and wavier than mine, but pretty much the same color (don’t ask). “Free Bird” — classic ending. I flicked my Bic, didn’t you?

NBC, you blew it.

2010/01/22

Fingers Crossed

DaGoddess @ 04:00

Keeping my fingers crossed for the Smokin’ Knights as they head to Memphis and face 170 other performers at the International Blues Challenge.

Karl

Smokin' Knights

And the last one here, well, it’s probably the most artsy of all the shots. Normally I don’t go for these images, but I liked this one for some reason.

Karl of the Smokin' Knights

2010/01/21

Pain Relief

DaGoddess @ 19:33

Sometimes you need a pretty little something to make you feel better. I’ve had a raging headache for two days and the only thing I’ve accomplished is editing a couple photos, including this one.

Paper bark

2010/01/18

Home Again, Home Again

DaGoddess @ 00:25

Five and a half hours after my plane landed in Vegas, I’m finally home. No, not because of any horrible delay or anything, but because Buster had a meeting right after picking me up and I waited in a very crowded and loud sports bar for that hour. (Sort of bummed the Chargers lost, but that’s how it goes, right?) Then we had a few drinks, got caught up on everything, and then…then we went and had an awesome dinner at a little Thai restaurant that was packed. The food was sooo good! I’m kind of wishing I could have eaten about 100 more egg rolls.

San Diego was great. Got to see my folks and both of the kids. Got to hang with friends and listen to incredible music. Pretty much how every trip should be.

I’ve already unpacked. Now it’s time to venture into email-land. I’m afraid of what I might find. I had such a small window of internet opportunity, I know it’s going to be crazy.

By the way, when did Matt Damon start working for Southwest? The guy in charge of boarding was a dead ringer for the actor. Funny thing is, I actually find that a more believable role than him as Jason Bourne. (Never thought of Damon or Affleck as action heroes anyway.)

And how are you? Really. I wanna know.

2010/01/15

Complicated

DaGoddess @ 09:27

Oh my God. Life as we know it has come to a screeching halt.

Little Dude likes a certain radio station and we had it on in the car as I was driving him to school this morning. Avril Lavigne’s “Complicated” comes on. I started singing along and thinking how apt the words were. Then I realized what I was doing. I was singing…and agreeing with Avril. Um…hello? No no no no no no no no no no no no. Except, yeah. And it’s even funnier because Buster says I’m complicated. I think he’s complicated. Well, shit. We’re human beings. Aren’t we all complicated? Yes. But it’s stupid that Avril would be on the radio, that I’d be singing along, and that I’d be nodding along…

San Diego’s been great thus far. Slept on my flight here, got to pick up LD from school, did a little grocery shopping for my mom, took LD to school yesterday, went to see my mom’s paintings on display at a show, got LD from school, took him to a concert to see some of our all time favorite performers (94-year-old Honeyboy and our friends), got home late, and just dropped him off at school again.

I’m hoping to catch up with Mojo this afternoon. I tried calling her yesterday, but neither my mom nor I have heard back. Maybe today…

Got a link to an article about the of Carvin guitars and amps. He died at the end of December at the age of 94. The company’s headquarters have been just down the street for years. LD and his scout troop have been there for a tour. Makes me sad to think we’ve lost another pioneer in modern music. I know we can’t live forever, but it seems to me that it’s wrong for someone to reach a certain point in their life, to know all they know, to have seen all they’ve seen, and to still have that joy…and then biology says, “sorry, time to go.” Sometimes I think we miss out on the true meaning of life because we simply don’t have enough time.

Now I have to dig into the hundreds of emails awaiting my attention. I have some writing to do. There’s also photo editing. And…always something going on. But that’s fine by me.

Two and a half days to go. Lots to cram in. I’m off! (With any luck, I’ll be able to update again…if the neighbor’s signal holds out.) Hope all of YOU are doing well!

2010/01/14

Chicken!

DaGoddess @ 04:00

Chicken chicken chicken

Chicken, chicken, chicken
Lay a little egg for me
Chicken, chicken, chicken
I want one for my tea.

I haven’t had one since breakfast
And now it’s half past three

Chicken, chicken, chicken
Lay a little egg for me

(Pre-written with love)

2010/01/13

Decisions, Decisions

DaGoddess @ 00:19

I’m stuck trying to decide whether or not to take the computer with me on the trip to San Diego. I really don’t want to have to carry more than absolutely necessary, but damn if the computer doesn’t come in handy at times, right?

It’d be different if my camera bag had a compartment for the laptop. However, it does not. So, this means I’d be checking luggage and then trying to figure out how to carry my purse, my camera, and the computer onto the plane together. You only get two carry-ons.

I’m also debating on whether or not I need to redo my hair before I leave. I tried to highlight it (which is hysterical because I can’t reach/see the back to do it properly) and then did what I do every other time I attempt this: I went with a second all over color. I’m not thrilled with it. I really should have just gone to Walmart and paid $25 for some quick highlights. Yes, at least one of the Walmarts here has a salon in it.

Then, I’m reviewing my clothing choices. Looks like lightweight shirts are in order for daytime stuff and maybe just my coat added for the evening. I’m thinking I can get away with three tops and two pairs of pants. Shoes are another issue altogether. Ugh. Making that decision even more difficult is the fact that I’m currently sporting blisters on each of my little toes. I got these new shoes (on sale at Target…with my gift card — thank you, C & R!) and wore them yesterday, which resulted in unfortunate friction. Blech. I hate blisters. Also, do I take my tennis shoes or just go with the boots and then the comfy woven heels (that happen to be slowly deteriorating and makes me wish I’d bought a few pair of these things when I had the chance)?

Finally, I’ve reached that point where I’m really struggling with whether or not I do the whole camera upgrade. I know, I know…I’ve been talking about it for months. It IS a necessity. But something keeps stopping me from doing it. Besides money, I mean. I do have a chance to get it and pay it off over time…but should I?

Project Runway starts this week. We don’t have cable here. I mean, we get 13 channels, and Lifetime isn’t one of them. I’ve seriously considered begging for the slightly expanded package, but then if we get it, wouldn’t I just be spending time in front of the TV that could be better spent going out and doing things?

I hate not being able to make up my mind.

Oh, the one thing I HAVE decided? I’m taking my new Bra Baby with me to San Diego to give to my daughter. I was so excited to have finally found this damn thing and then I discover my bras don’t fit in it. Yeah, I know! Even without the little ball inside, I can’t cram the bras in without damaging the underwire. So, Mojo shall reap the rewards. She may not realize it yet, but taking good care of your bras saves tons and tons of money over the years.

And that’s it. I don’t know if I’ll have a chance to blog again before Sunday night. If not, have a great weekend!

2010/01/12

Cowboy Graffiti

DaGoddess @ 06:53

That’s what I got runnin’ around my head tonight…er…this morning. Met a cute cowboy last night.

Shut up.

It’s not like that. But somehow that doesn’t stop me from remembering a time when it might have been. Sigh.

And he sang a song I liked. Even better, I asked him if he was a fan of a once-red-hot-team and he not only knew who I was talking about, he was, indeed, a fan. Swoooooooooooon worthy at every level.

I have to admit that this whole cowboy thing goes way back for me. Back to when I was a kid. I admired those who worked with cattle and horses and sheep and chickens and hay. But by 8th grade, I was drawn even deeper into that world by a boy named Ray. He was in my class. He wore a cowboy hat every single day. And dirty boots that he’d tried so valiantly to clean before school (after mucking stalls and feeding an array of animals all before the crack of dawn) but were just too well-covered with muck and such to ever be pristine again. Ray loved to write me poems. He’d write down all the lyrics to all the country songs he knew and then sing them to me. He didn’t care who heard. Mostly, I didn’t care either. His remarkable lack of self-consciousness made his presentation that much more endearing and welcome. Sadly, I don’t know what happened to him. Yep, I’ve even expanded my comfy little FB world just to see if I can track down the boy in the hat who made me smile. No such luck yet. I’ll keep trying though.

So, yes, the seeds of cowboy lust were planted long ago and have grown tall and golden. I peek through every now and again and watch quietly. Until last night. When I stomped my ass through, cheered, and then boldly conversed. Neener, neener! I grew some balls. Or I just borrowed the ones from the freshly castrated bull in the corner or something.

A photo? You want a photo? Perhaps I’ll grant you just one. Maybe.

Cowboy Devin

Cowboy Devin

Let me know if you think the colors have been off lately. I’m working between two computers and the color profiles aren’t quite level yet.

2010/01/11

Rubbery

DaGoddess @ 10:10

Being the increasingly bad-worse-most-horrible-ever blogger that I am, I’ve decided that this quick look inside my head is an adequate substitute for actual content. New genuine simulated content for your pleasure…that’s, apparently, how I roll these days.

I found metallic rubber duckies at Michael’s for $1/each. I love ducks. I used to be the Duck Lady. I’ve been without ducks (other than my What the Duck duck) for months. I now have three little duckies to make me smile.

There’s a corner in my bedroom that I love with all my heart. It’s up near the ceiling. Somehow the way the shadows fall in that corner makes me sigh. The wall is blue. A deep night-time blue. With the shadows, there’s just…something…awesome. The mini constellation of plastic stars barely touches on the edge of the shadows and that also pleases me. The stars aren’t mine. They were already here. They’re just a little bonus.

I hate the book I’m currently reading. But, it’s my excuse to be bitchy and grumbly. Pretty lame, huh? Still, I’m sticking with that explanation.

The previous book I read was so good, perhaps there’s no way any other book could follow it.

I need to get one of those long snappy lighter thingies. Somehow it never dawned on me that this jar candle I have would be difficult to light once it got down to a certain point. My hand isn’t small enough to effectively get in there.

I have a stack of photos to mail out. Yes, there are those of you who will be happy to know that I’m sitting here, blathering on about rubber ducks, candles, bad attitudes, and books all the while NOT mailing items that should have been mailed ages ago. You’ve been extraordinarily patient and I’m grateful. I haven’t forgotten you. I’m just lame.

Speaking of photography, I went to a fantastic seminar the other night and felt myself becoming inspired all over again. I also ended up with a great little dinner afterwards and a personal serenade from one of the best lounge singers in town. (He’s not very lizard-like, but some of his moves are straight out of a SNL skit. Oh, and the guy is a total cross between two former boyfriends. Weird, huh?)

Oh, while we’re on the subject of former something-or-others, I was sitting at the movies one evening and was struck by the notion of how much I really enjoy looking at George Clooney despite the fact that my ex isn’t entirely dissimilar in appearance. How is that possible? I certainly don’t look at my ex and think, “wow! I let that go?? What the hell was I thinking?” No, I look at my ex the way many of us do and think, “eh.” So why is it that I look at Clooney and kind of have to wipe the drool from my face? Where the hell are the Hardy Boys when you need such a mystery solved?

I don’t suppose logic has any place here on the blog these days.

Like…here’s the perfect example. Ladies, you know when you get those inexpensive earrings (the shepherds hook earrings) somewhere and they’re held onto the card by those little rubbery bits on back? Now, most people I know throw those things away. I always have. It never dawned on me to use those as earring backs. Not until about ten days ago. Go figure. I managed to save one set of the things for some reason and I finally decided to see if they would keep my left earring from falling out (I don’t know why it’s always the left earring that falls out, but it does, and these things? They totally prevent that from happening). And so yesterday, while at Walmart, what did I spy on a rack? A package of those little rubbery bits. Hello! I never would have thunk it.

I’m not exactly sure why I have felt the need to share all this in one big mental purge, but there you have it. Again, nothing logical about the content or presentation. And I’m really grateful you stopped by and stuck around long enough to read this.

God, I hope you still love me as much as I love you.

Big Mama

DaGoddess @ 04:00

I have to finish editing about a million photos. I have more of Big Mama to do, which makes me smile because she’s a delightful woman. She’s sassy, sweet, a helluva singer, and really funny. Until I get all the photos done (including the rest of the Sin City Sinners), I figured I’d get this one posted and get started on the daunting task in front of me.

Big Mama