Fog and Snow...What Next?

I never thought I'd see the day when I sat around and complained about the weather. Before moving here, the weather never really affected my daily life, now I live and die by it. Enclosed is a picture of the latest and greatest photo of the evil road I just spent 1.5 hrs on to get to work. Yes, I realize I cannot complain as I chose to live in Sioux Falls, 42 miles away from work. But, at the time, there were several factors that led me to make that decision and I don't totally regret it. I live in fear of crashing on a weekly basis, but no, no regrets. What I don't understand is why people burn past me on the road on a day like today, then, a few minutes later they end up in the ditch, tires squeeling, hands on hips as if mystified by their situation. No sympathy. Shite.

Is it fair that I got the answer to my burning Pogues question? No, I myself, didn't go to wikipedia it was given to me by Jon, HE went to Wikipedia NOT me. So, I say yes, it tis fair. The song in question was "Fairytale of New York," the lead singer of the Pogues is Shane MacGowen (HAHA I was right) and the female singer was Kirsty MacColl and she was killed when a boat hit her when she was scuba diving, this was 2000. My memory is so/so.

Here's an example of how checked-out I've been, I didn't realize that Norman Mailer died two days after my birthday. Geez, pull yer head out. I found out today when I was checking a who-died-in-2007 list online.

I love cheese sticks, colby jack is my fave. Num num.

Here's a great website for weather conditions: http://safetravelusa.com/sd/ (but put yer state in there son, it should work just fine). Who am I kidding, no one reads this anyway.

I got the "Kingdom Come" super fantastic insane coffee table edition for xmas this year. I started reading it before bed last night. Now that my puppy settles down with a chew rather than snacking on my face, I can cuddle with a good book before bed again. Since I left NYC in the firestorm of my creation (yet, another regret) I've not even looked at a comic book, reminded me too much of what I call "my old life." But, reading "Kingdom Come" the first chapter, last night was great. I'm not interested in reading all the comics I once did, but I do miss my gal Wonder Woman and couple other key female characters.

I got the new 8gb iPod Nano for xmas. Here's the idea, I want to load my best cds onto my iPods, thus illiminating the need to 1) display and house ugly cds 2) alpha and deal with ugly cds. Man, the interface on the new iPods is fab. I also had no idea that it played video, even though I have a video iPod already, this feature makes me happy, oh joy. So this exciting weekend will include a juant down to my storage room to retrieve some key cds and burn, baby, burn.

I also might go tubing this weekend. I actually went to a sporting goods store last night and bought the appropriate attire (ugly hat, snow pants, skiing gloves). It took quite a while to find stuff that was somewhat cute (the snow pants are and there were on a super sale). I even have Merrell snow boots (yee-haw). I want to try to be more active than I am now, what with work cutting into my time so much.

Speaking of work, I should probably (as my dad says) "gitty-on-the-gitty-on."

See you after a while,
DA with the Beck Rock

Hey SD, Welcome Me Back to Town..

My drive back to mighty SD was another frightening experience. I counted at least 10 cars off the road, and one semi with an engine fire. All this and my evil adversary: fog. Thick, soupy, dirty-water-looking fog. So it was a relief when I returned home, I was actually happy to return home this time. I've not been home for more than two days in the last three weeks (or so). I am a travelin' gal.

I am getting tired of my neighborhood though. I was walking my dog around 6:30pm last night and naturally there was a random yelling god-knows-what to the sky, then to the sidewalk, then to a parked car. I had to cross the street. About an hour later Jason came over and we went to this great new wine bar next door (we sampled two different wines, both reds, good I thought but I'm no wine critic or anything). We got a spot on the cozy over-stuffed leather chairs next to this cool glass fireplace. Ahhhh, then, said random barged into the bar ranting. The bartender (we were chatting with him earlier) pretty much walked away from the guy and came down and sat with us. Which is fine, for a while. What I don't understand is why people out here are so afraid of confrontation? I would've kicked him out on his ear just for being distruptive. But the general rule of thumb is to ignore it, it seems. Annoying. We finally left. Real bright of the bartender, let random guy who isn't buying anything, chase out two paying customers. Why I ougghta..

On another note, the other night I went to the CC Club in Mpls with my bestfriend (Jeff) just to have a tom collins (as no one out here knows what the heck it is or how to make it) when we took a table right next to, dag-nab-it, what's his name? Yes, I got it, Josh Hartnett (hold on while I head out to IMDB quick) so I guess he was in "Sin City," but other than that, nothing I'd exactly call great movies. ANYWAY, he's from Mpls, graduated from South (thanks IMDB for that fun fact), explains why he was in MPLS on xmas day, at the CC Club (which I still love, despite the fact that the crowd is pretty young). We spent pretty much the whole time trying to remember the name of the lead singer of the Pogues (and I will not look it up yet, even though it's bugging me I know I'll remember it, Shane MacGowen I think) but were disturbed, from time-to-time, by these fugly girls crowding around his table throwing themselves at him and asking for his autograph (what is it about autographs, why do people want them?). It was a bit of a buzz-kill so we left and hit Mortimers instead. Plus, sometimes the people that work at CC could learn a thing or two about not being such yelling freaks, if you want my humble opinion (and I mean the big girl in the horn-rimmed glasses and the Simpson's T-shirt, you know who you are). Oh, I almost forgot, Josh Hartnett has no azz (like, where the azz should be is a giant air-bubble or something). Bummer for him.

Mortimers was fun though. The bartender had a great attitude. Jeff goes there and chats with the guy a couple times a month and for reasons unknown to me, he calls Budwiezer Manweizer. Hm, funny one.

I loathe the fog

What? Soupy and scary during my evil drive into work today. What gives? I felt like I was going to swallowed-up by the creature in the black lagoon. Dang. Oh, and today's roadkill count was five: 1) a tuxedo cat, 2) don't know but it looked dog-like, 3) it had feathers, 4) Deer, 5) Deer. And to think, when I lived in NYC I was offended by people spitting on the street.

My puppy is trying my last nerve, she was barking her head-off again today when I left. My mom is going to buy me a tool (http://www.ultimatebarkcontrol.com/super_bark_free.htm) that will hopefully curb the yapping. She only does it when I leave, never any other time. But my neighbors are complaining so it has become an "issue." Seriously, though, I don't understand people who live in dog buildings and don't have dogs. They are a pain in my arse. Plus, the floors/ceilings are so thin I can hear my upstairs neighbor clear his throat when he's in bed and it sounds like he's right next to me. Ga-ross.

Motivation to work is eluding me.

Chelsea Girls

Chelsea Girls (VU/Nico/Lou Reed)

Here's Room 506
It's enough to make you sick
Bridget's all wrapped up in foil
You wonder if she can uncoil.

Here they come now
See them run now
Here they come now
Chelsea Girls

Here's Room 115
Filled with S & M queens
Magic marker row
You wonder just high they go.

Here they come now
See them run now
Here they come now
Chelsea Girls

Here's Pope dear Ondine
Rona's treated him so mean
She wants another scene
She wants to be a human being.

Here they come now
See them run now
Here they come now
Chelsea Girls

Pepper she's having fun
She thinks she's some man's son
Her perfect love's don't last
Her future died in someone's past.

Here they come now
See them run now
Here they come now
Chelsea Girls

Dear Ingrid's found her lick
She's turned another trick
Her treats and times revolve
She's got problems to be solved

Here they come now
See them run now
Here they come now
Chelsea Girls

Poor Mary, she's uptight
She can't turn out her light
She rolled Susan in a ball
And now she can't see her at all

Here they come now
See them run now
Here they come now
Chelsea Girls

Dropout, she's in a fix,
Amphetamine has made her sick
White powder in the air
She's got no bones and can't be scared

Here they come now
See them run now
Here they come now
Chelsea Girls

Here comes Johnny Bore,
He collapsed on the floor
They shot him up with milk
And when he died sold him for silk

Here they come now
See them run now
Here they come now
Chelsea Girls
Here they come now
See them run now
Here they come now
Chelsea Girls

Day One: The Great Blog Experiment

Dear Blog,

You don't know me yet, my name's Danielle. No, not "Dawn-Yell" as my fiesty upstairs neighbor likes to call me (to my face, even). Nope, not "the girl whose puppy never shuts-up" as my downstairs neighbor yells to my management company. Or, the bitchy, mouthy tenant in #302 as my management company (who NEVER return my phone calls) certainly say about me. Nor am I "New York" as the IT guy and his pal call me behind my back (see what happens when you hit SEND too fast when emailing?). Simply, Danielle. (I was called "Black and Decker Becker" once by Steve Roxberg in the seventh grade, that was funny, actually.)

Let me tell you my backstory...I quit writing on September 2nd, 2006 (it was a very bad day for me). I also stopped reading fiction as my ability to concentrate had stolen these two abilites from me. Admittedly, I am still struggling with writing, like many things, it reminds me of a past I'd sooner forget. This leads me to why I finally started a blog: to allow me to start writing again in a non-threatening (hopefully) and non-judgemental (I pray) environment. My writing is foggy. So that is my lead-in. My first post. How'd I do?

Okay, I'm not done yet. I took a deep breath and a long gulp of my nasty watered-down Diet Coke and have decided to continue. Like my journal, I am confident I will be my only dedicated reader, but that is groovy by me. I am not well-versed in the art of reading or writing blogs to write in a snarky or clever way. But I will still tap on...

I am mighy excited about this upcoming holiday. I spent last week in NYC trying to force-feed myself holiday spirit by trudging through the soggy streets of Rockefeller Center. When I lived in NYC I avoided midtown and its stampedes of tourists. Now, since I am a tourist, I gave in. Between Union Sq. and midtown, I plunged head first into shopping hell. Am I done? Pretty-much, just a gift certificate from the Electric Fetus is next, possibly a couple iTunes gift cards and whatnot.

I'm going home to Minneapolis for xmas for the first time in several years. I've never celebrated xmas on my terms so I am quite excited about the holiday. I wish my b/f didn't have to work as spending it with him would be fun. Alas, such are the torments of adulthood.

You see, that wasn't so difficult was it? Truthfully, it was painful, but I will plod along until I shake free of those nasty hangups that have stood between me and writing.

Later,
Danielle Becker
(Yes, I love milk, organic, mind you.)