Holy Water

by Big and Rich
for those of us who've misplaced our halos

Somewhere there's a stolen halo
I used to watch her wear it well
Everything would shine wherever she would go
But looking at her now you'd never tell

Someone ran away with her innocence
A memory she can't get out of her head
I can only imagine what she's feeling
When she's praying
Kneeling at the edge of her bed

And she says take me away
And take me farther
Surround me now
And hold, hold, hold me like holy water
Holy water

She wants someone to call her angel
Someone to put the light back in her eyes
She's looking through the faces
And unfamiliar places
She needs someone to hear her when she cries

And she says take me away
And take me farther
Surround me now
And hold, hold, hold me like holy water
Holy water

She just needs a little help
To wash away the pain she's felt
She wants to feel the healing hands
Of someone who understands

And she says take me away
And take me farther
Surround me now
And hold, hold, hold me
And she says take me away
And take me farther
Surround me now
And hold, hold, hold me like holy water
Holy water

I'm Moving On

by Rascal Flatts

I've dealt with my ghosts and I've faced all my demons
Finally content with a past I regret
I've found you find strength in your moments of weakness
For once I'm at peace with myself
I've been burdened with blame, trapped in the past for too long
I'm movin' on

I've lived in this place and I know all the faces
Each one is different but they're always the same
They mean me no harm but it's time that I face it
They'll never allow me to change
But I never dreamed home would end up where I don't belong
I'm movin' on

I'm movin' on
At last I can see life has been patiently waiting for me
And I know there's no guarantees, but I'm not alone
There comes a time in everyone's life
When all you can see are the years passing by
And I have made up my mind that those days are gone

I sold what I could and packed what I couldn't
Stopped to fill up on my way out of town
I've loved like I should but lived like I shouldn't
I had to lose everything to find out
Maybe forgiveness will find me somewhere down this road
I'm movin' on
I'm movin' on
I'm movin' on

Moving on. I can relate. I delayed as long as I could, but I have to be out of the apartment by the end of the month. I'm taking off work tomorrow to pack and clean as much as I can... doing some more of that each evening... and holding a garage sale Saturday. When it all comes down, I will do the best I can and then just get on with my life. But I discovered something when I was first starting the packing, and it disturbs me.

You see, when I first moved into that place, it wasn't an "I," it was a "we." It was me, my girls... and Little Bit's father. Things were pretty bad between us. He was in trouble with the law, though I didn't know how badly. He was in trouble with drugs, though I didn't really know how deeply, or rather, didn't allow myself to know. But still. The move was supposed to be the turning point, the beginning of our new life together. Without getting into some excruciatingly painful details, I will just say that it didn't work out that way at all. He never even spent one night in our new home, and suddenly I found myself even worse off than I had been when I met him. And now I'm packing things. Finding old letters, old pictures. His workboots, some clothes, his tools, all the things we moved in, expecting he'd be there to use them. And surprisingly, it hurts. Fresh pain, long after I thought it was behind me. True, it will never really be behind me until I talk to him and tell him it's over. I'm not sure I can, even though I am 99.999999999% sure that it is. But in the meantime, long past the point I thought I had gotten over it, here it comes again. Not missing him, necessarily, though I suppose I do miss the feeling I had when he and I first got together - the feeling of being cherished and taken care of and rescued.

Wow. That sentence was a rather disturbing revelation. Okay. And again, moving on.

So, back to "here it comes again"... Not missing him, necessarily. Just the feeling of helplessness, of failure, of not being enough or doing enough or whatever it is that keeps getting me into this kind of situation over and over again. The feeling of, "it wasn't supposed to be this way." I didn't sign on for this, you know... me and my upper-middle class, Catholic school, honor roll, scholarship life... And then I get angry... resentful... And I hate feeling that way.

I am so ready to get on with my life.

The Kind of Girl I Could Love

Note: Ladies, don't we all, at least once in our lives, want to be this?

The Monkees

Girl, you look mighty good to me
And I know that you've got to be
The kind of girl I could love.

You've got the sweetest pair of eyes
And your kiss would be paradise
The kind of girl I could love.

You do something to my soul
That no one's ever done.
If you're looking for true love
Then let me be the one.

Girl, deep in my soul I'm sure
And my heart has no doubt that you're
The kind of girl I could love.
The kind of girl I could love.

Sometime in the Morning

The Monkees

Sometime in the morning
A simple thought may occur to you,
And you hold her,
And tell her all the things you never told her.

Your love has shown me things
I never thought I could see;
I didn't know It could be done so easily.
Now I know
You're where it is for me.

Sometime in the evening
You're sitting there by the fireside
And she'll touch you
And you'll realize how much you

Never knew before,
How much you couldn't see.
You didn't know
It could be done so easily
Now you know
She's all a girl could be.

Now in her childlike eyes
You see the beauty there
You know it was always there
And you need no longer wear a disguise.

Sometime in the morning
You'll just reach out and she will be there,
Close as the summer air.

Sometime in the morning, she will be there.
Sometime in the morning, she will be there.

Whaddya Wanna Do With Your Life?!?!?!?

Tonight is our “Meet the Candidate” event at school. It’s part of my group project; we’re doing an analysis of the gubernatorial candidates, comparing their values/positions to those of the social work profession (Governor Goodhair, just give up now LOL). Tonight was supposed to be a forum, where all or most of the candidates would come, speak, answer questions, etc. Instead, we have one candidate. The Green Party candidate. Still, it looks like it’s going to be a lot of fun.

We’ve been slogging along on the research paper, and once this semester is over, if I never again lay eyes on any of this information, it will still be too soon. But I say that every semester, with every paper and project.

We created a nice little program for the evening, and it includes the candidate’s bio. I guess I didn’t really pay attention the first time I read it, but when I was reading it within the program, I zeroed in on something I hadn’t seen before. You see, the candidate was born in 1973.

I was born in 1973.

(Now, the fact that he has celebrated or will celebrate his 33rd birthday this year, while I am a remarkably well-preserved and vibrant 40, is something we’ll just have to overlook for now…) So yes… this candidate and I were born in the same year. He’s running for governor. I’m running away – from creditors, from responsibilities, from commitments, from disappointment, from my past mistakes. Same span of time, wildly divergent lives and accomplishments. But then again, I’ll bet he doesn’t have three beautiful, brilliant, charming daughters.

Then again – he’s young, a lawyer, politically active, and idealistic. So maybe if he’s willing to settle for beautiful, brilliant, charming stepdaughters… LOL

I've Been Bodysnatched

At least, that's what my family is going to think.

I have a budget.

I have a budget. And I'm using it.

Mind you, I didn't come up with it on my own. Cole did that for me, and the sap in me says I don't know what I will do without him, but that's a worry for the future, not for today. Now, it's not pretty right now. I'm a few hundred dollars in the hole, and that doesn't count a major upcoming expense. But as Cole pointed out, once I know where I'm at, we can figure out where I need to be, and begin to plan on how to be there. And sure enough, this week we've already identified ways for me to cut some expenses, and bring a little bit of extra money in. Of course, nothing as funny (or fun!) as earning twenty bucks LOL but at least things are approaching being under control.

Under control. Yep. Bodysnatched. Definitely bodysnatched.

Twenty Dollars

On their wedding night, the young bride approached her new husband and asked for $20.00 for their first lovemaking encounter. In his highly aroused state, her husband readily agreed.This scenario was repeated each time they made love, for more than 30 years, with him thinking that it was a cute way for her to afford new clothes and other incidentals that she needed.

Arriving home around noon one day, she was surprised to find her husband in a very drunken state. During the next few minutes, he explained that his employer was going through a process of corporate downsizing, and he had been let go. It was unlikely that, at the age of 59, he'd be able to find another position that paid anywhere near what he'd been earning, and therefore, they were financially ruined.

Calmly, his wife handed him a bank book which showed more than thirty years of steady deposits and interest totaling nearly$1 million. Then she showed him certificates of deposits issued by the bank which were worth over $2 million, and informed him that they were one of the largest depositors in the bank.She explained that for the more than three decades she had "charged" him for sex, these holdings had multiplied and these were the results of her savings and investments.

Faced with evidence of cash and investments worth over $3 million, her husband was so astounded he could barely speak, but finally he found his voice and blurted out, "If I'd had any idea what you were doing, I would have given you all my business!"

That's when she shot him.

You know, sometimes, men just don't know when to keep their mouths shut.

Swayin' to the Music

Okay, so here's the deal... a few days ago (in fact, on my drive home from Dallas) I heard the song "Slow Dancin'," performed by Seals & Crofts. (Croft? I dunno... Johnny Rivers did it first, I think.) It was sticking in my mind, because it's such a pretty song, and also because I haven't gone dancing in so long. I can't even remember the last time I slow-danced, or rather, the last time I slow-danced and it didn't involve my kids. So the song was on my mind already... But read on after the lyrics, to see what happened next...

Slow Dancin'

It's late at night and we're all alone
Just the music on the radio
No one's comin', no one's gonna telephone
Just me and you and the lights down low

And we're
Slow dancin', swayin' to the music
Slow dancin', just me and my girl
Slow dancin', swayin' to the music
No one else in the whole wide world
Just you, girl

And we just flow together when the lights are low
Shadows dancin' all across the wall
Music's playin' so soft and slow
Rest of the world so far away and small

When we're
Slow dancin', swayin' to the music
Slow dancin', just me and my girl
Slow dancin', swayin' to the music
No one else in the whole wide world

Hold me, Oh, oh, oh, hold me
No never let me go

As we dance together in the dark
So much love in this heart of mine
You whisper to me, hold you tight
You're the one I thought I'd never find

Now we're
Slow dancin', swayin' to the music
Slow dancin', just me and my girl
Slow dancin', swayin' to the music
No one else in the whole wide world

Slow dancin', swayin' to the music
Slow dancin', just me and my girl
Slow dancin', swayin' to the music
No one else in the whole wide world
Whole wide world


Okay... so there's the song, really pretty, hope at least some of you know it and were hearing it in your head. Because now comes the part where I do something that might well make it impossible for you to ever hear it the same way again. Here's how it happened.

I have no idea what kind of conversation was going on in the cubicle next to mine. I think it had something to do with clever ways to measure "employment" with some of our more... errrr... interesting clients. You know, the usual jokes about how they can be "independent pharmaceutical sales reps" or "personal attendants." And somehow the conversation degenerated from there (not exactly a far stretch), so that as I came around the corner with my purse slung over my shoulder, I was just in time to see my supervisor do an imitation of a pole dance (minus the pole). Let me tell you, no matter WHO your supervisor is or what he/she looks like, you never want to see that. Trust me. You just don't. So anywho, I have this image of pole dancing stuck in my head, plus the sound of this song floating through my mind, and... well...

Pole Dancin'

It's late at night and I'm at the bar
Just the music playing loud and hard
We're all drinkin', no one's gonna go home,
Just all these dancers and the lights down low

And they're
Pole dancin', swayin' to the music,
Pole dancin', those half-naked girls,
Pole dancin', swayin' to the music,
A bump, a grind, and a little twirl,
Topless girls

And they're just dancing naked when the lights are low
Women prancin' all across the stage
Music's playin', they're all good to go
Wish they were dancin' in an iron cage

Well they're
Pole dancin', swayin' to the music
Pole dancin', those half-naked girls
Pole dancin', swayin' to the music,
A bump, a grind, and a little twirl

Tease me, Oh, oh, oh, tease me
No never let me touch

As they writhe and wriggle in the dark
So much strain in these pants of mine
They shout "last call" and it's the end of the night
Now it's off to see if a hooker I can find

'Cause they were
Pole dancin', swayin' to the music
Pole dancin', those half-naked girls
Pole dancin', swayin' to the music,
A bump, a grind and a little twirl

Yes, friends and neighbors... a mind is a terrible thing.

A Word to the Wise Iraqi Insurgent

In the very near future, a blonde, brilliant, beautiful, bold, ballsy, brassy babe of a broad is going to be in your country, working hard to keep up the spirits of American troops.

I know your group tends to like to kidnap American contractors. So here is my advice to you.

Don't go after this one.

For one thing, in addition to all the other qualities I listed above, this chick is tough. She can take you. I'm not kidding. She'll kick your ass.

But for another thing... she has friends. There are certain kinds of people in this world that you really don't want to piss off, and I'm pretty sure that a redhead-Italian-witch-sister is someone you don't want to mess with. Just because I've never gone sky-diving before, don't think I won't steal a parachute and enlist the help of my favorite pilot for one very special mission. And if you don't think I can do you some serious damage without ever even laying a finger on you... well, just ask the little girl who tried to cut in front of my daughters in the bumper car line at the Santa Monica Pier a few years back. I bet she's still in therapy. I promise you, if you lay one finger on her, then when you get done with her, you'd better forget about your higher reward, 'cause Allah won't even recognize you, and those 700 virgins won't have anything to work with, if ya know what I'm saying.

Yeah. That's what I thought. Just move on, honey.

One more note...

One more thing, and then I think I'm done for the day... (come on, aren't three posts enough?!?!?!)

Joe was giving me a rundown of his agenda for the training/conference/meeting/whatever. Well, now I know more than I ever wanted to, about what engineers do for fun. Because tonight, he gets to go to...

Oh, I can barely stand the excitement...

He gets to go to...

A SOFTWARE LOADING PARTY!!!!!

Be still my beating heart.

A Beautiful Day for a Drive...

Good thing it was, too, because I made the super-evil-stupid drive to and from Dallas again this weekend. And I'd do it again, in a heartbeat, for the reason I did it today.

A few months ago I got back in touch with an old friend from high school, one I had lost contact with way too long ago. Somewhere along the way, he informed me that his company was sending him to Texas for an annual meeting of some kind. I live in Texas, so of course, he wondered if we could catch up while he was here. Where in Texas was he being sent? Of course... Dallas.

Now, I grew up in California, which is a pretty tall state. Texas is about as wide as California is tall. And at the time, the hour-or-so drive to San Francisco from home seemed like such a looooooooooooooooooooong trip. But now, I apparently think nothing of a four-hour hop in the car to see good ol' Joe. We didn't get to spend a whole lot of time together; in fact, I think the drive was about twice as long as the conversation. But the conversation was important, so it was well worth it. Let me give you a teeny-tiny bit of backstory, so that the significance of what he said this morning, might hit you like it did me.

Joe and I were good friends in school, though I wouldn't even venture to give some measure of our closeness. Just the good-friends-and-that's-it that I was with a couple of guys I knew at the time. But one thing will always stick in my mind above all else. See, Joe worked at the gas station, loved to work on cars, and was therefore probably mistaken by more than one person for just another gearhead. But I knew better. He was so much more. For one thing, he was a terrific friend. I could talk to him about anything, for hours. For another, he was quite protective of me, and that can be a really good feeling for a young gal like myself. And for another, he was full of surprises. One evening he called me from the station, and told me to look outside at the sky. He had noticed a gorgeous sunset, and wanted to share it with someone he knew could appreciate it, and he thought of me. That was just the kind of guy Joe was - is.

So anyway, over the last few months, he and I have caught up. We've done a lot of reminiscing about the past, and not so much talking about the present, or the intervening years. This weekend was for talking about the present, mostly. I was filling him in on the state of chaos my life is in right now, and on what I'm doing about it. At some point I said something about what I would do "when I get my act together," and that's when the old Joe kicked in. He told me that I needed to just purge that sentence from my vocabulary. He told me about times in his life where he was always waiting for this to happen and then everything would be fine, and then waiting for that to happen and things would even out. He said if I live too much in the past or the future, I forget the good things about the present that are going on around me... He likened it to sitting in traffic, in the middle of a beautiful sunset, so busy worrying about the best route to get home and what needed to be done there, that the sunset passed unnoticed. I can always count on Joe and his sunsets to bring me around.

It got to be time for me to leave, and I hugged him goodbye. It's funny how the years can melt away sometimes, because suddenly it felt like I was seventeen again, completely safe in the strong arms of someone who delighted in playing the part of protector. And then on the way home, the radio hit me with "In My Life" and got me thinking about the past... and about the present... and about three little girls who make up my world and my reason for living. Everything else is just details. In my life, I love them most. And I'm grateful to Joe for the reminder, to stop worrying about the future and start appreciating what I have today.

For the Divas

A few years back a good friend of mine mentioned that she loves the song "When I See You Smile" by Bad English. As many songs do for both of us, it has a memory/emotion attached to it - it makes her think, not of some long-ago boyfriend, but of her older (at the time, her only) daughter. With that in mind, I have a couple of songs for you...

In My Life
by The Beatles

There are places I remember
all my life, though some have changed.
Some forever, not for better.
And some have gone, and some remain.
All these places have their moments
with lovers and friends I still recall.
Some are dead and some are living.
In my life I love them all.

But of all these friends and lovers,
there is no one compares with you.
And these memories lose their meaning
when I think of love as something new.
Though I know I'll never ever lose affection
for people and things that went before,
I know I'll often stop and think about them.
In my life I love you more.

Though I know I'll never ever lose affection
for people and things that went before,
I know I'll often stop and think of them.
But in my life I loved you more.
I love you more.
I love you more.


Holdin' You
by Gretchen Wilson

I don't need whiskey to drown out the pain
Or some old umbrella to hold off the rain
Don't have to cross over a river of tears
All that I need is right here

Holding you holds me together
When holding on gets just a little to hard
When this tight rope I travel
Begins to unravel
and I feel like I'm falling apart
Holding you holds me together

You know life's a freight liner on
A runaway track
But I'll take the ride knowing
That you'll bring me back
No fate's too uncertain no distance to far
As long as you're here in my arms

Holding you holds me together
When holding on gets just a little to hard
When this tight rope I travel
Begins to unravel
and I feel like I'm falling apart
Holding you holds me together

Whenever I hold you tight
This crazy world of mine falls right in place
Whatever the trouble is
You find a way to give back what it takes

Holding you holds me together
When holding on gets just a little to hard
When this tight rope I travel
Begins to unravel
and I feel like I'm falling apart
Holding you holds me together

What's the Heck is Going On?

Yep, friends and neighbors, lots of posts lately of song lyrics. What can I say? Tumultuous times, lots going on in my mind, some of which I'm actually keeping to myself instead of publishing for the whole world to see. Some of it I can share though - for instance, while I am supposed to be doing some packing right now (since I have 5 days to be out of my apartment, and not one bit of packing even begun, and the weekend full of other activities including a PITA drive to Dallas to see an old and much-missed friend), I am instead blogging. Afterward, I will go by the apartment to grab a few things, then go eat Chinese food, before going off to spend the evening with a not-yet-shipped-off Keira. (YAY!) Unfortunately for her, all the things I'm not babbling about here, she's going to get an earful of tonight. Oh well... that's what you get when you make friends with me and then turn out to be my separated-at-birth-but much-prettier-and-emotionally-stronger twin.

So anywho. The songs. Some of them significant, some of them just ones that I've been hearing in my head lately, although I'm sure if I analyze them closely enough I'll figure out that my head is trying to tell me something. Three of them favorites of lo these many years, and one that I first heard recently, but it caught my attention and held it.

And of course, I can't figure out why all of a sudden the posts are showing up so low on the page, especially when an individual post will still lay out correctly. Ah well... such is life, and those of you who keep up with me, know to scroll down...

So. I think I'm off to grab some clothes for work tomorrow, swing by 888 Chinese Restaurant, and then head on up to the Wyndham. See y'all tomorrow, I'm sure.

Haven't We Been Here Before

by Styx

Haven't we been here before
Footsteps lead down to the note on the door
That says I can't stay here anymore

And haven't we felt this same way
Sure in our hearts, but afraid just the same
To say I can't stay one minute more

You might think that it's hopeless
Beyond our control
But that's not necessarily so
Can't you see there's a chanceFor the daring young soul
Who's finally learned to say no
No, I won't be misused
Ignored or refused
And I won't just give up and let go

So tonight hold me close to you
And don't give up what's important to you
And as time rolls on
Nothing can stand in our way

And I believe if we learn from the past
We'd say haven't we been here before?
And I believe if we open our hearts
We'd find keys to unlock every door
Dark would turn into light
We'd be strong
We'd be right

So tonight hold me close to you
And don't give up what's important to you
And as time rolls on
Nothing will stand in our way

And I believe if we learn from the past
We'd say haven't we been here before
Oh, and I believe if we open our hearts
We'd find keys to unlock every door
Hearts could change overnight
We'd be strong...
We'd be right
So stay with me now
The future is ours
And we'll be the ones who go on

What About Me

by Moving Pictures

Well there's a little boy waiting at the counter of the corner shop
He's been waiting down there, waiting half the day,
They never ever see him from the top
He gets pushed around, knocked to the ground,
He gets to his feet and he says...

What about me? It isn't fair
I've had enough, now I want my share
Can't you see, I wanna live
But you just take more than you give

Well, there's a pretty girl serving at the counter of the corner shop
She's been waiting back there, waiting for a dream,
Her dreams walk in and out, they never stop
Well, she's not too proud, to cry out loudS
he runs to the street and she screams...

What about me? It isn't fair
I've had enough, now I want my share
Can't you see, I wanna live
But you just take more than you give
More than you give...

Take a step back and see the little people
They might be young, but they're the ones
that make the big people big
So listen as they whisper:"What about me?"

And now I'm standing on the corner, all the world's gone home
Nobody's changed, nobody's been saved
And I'm feeling cold and alone
I guess I'm lucky, I smile a lot
But sometimes I wish for more than I've got...

What about me? It isn't fair
I've had enough, now I want my share
Can't you see, I wanna live
But you just take more than you give
What about me?
What about me?
What about....me?

Brown Thumb

Okay, so I'm feeling a little down tonight, and IMing with a faraway friend, who has (possibly only half-jokingly) suggested I come be his girlfriend for a while. And while the idea of being a kept woman has its appeal, I can unfortunately not meet his needs. You see, my primary responsibilities would include housekeeping... and plant care.

Now, anyone who knows me well is already rolling on the floor in hysterics over that prospect, but for the uninformed, I'll explain why hilarity ensues at the mention of housekeeping and plant care. For one thing, a housekeeper I am NOT. Cole actually finds it quite amusing when I have a chore at his place, and after examining something from multiple angles, approach him with a sheepish smile and ask how to work it. (Cases in point, a short ladder and a TV tray. Don't ask.)

But the plants... now THOSE are the real funny story. You would think that I would have a gift with plants; Nana was a genius with roses, and they still bloom bright in Gram's yard. But noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo... instead, I had to inherit my mother's Brown Thumb. Yep, the opposite of a green thumb. Mama pulled some pretty tricky moves. Oh sure, there are a handful of people in this world that can kill cactuses or ivy like she did. Hurricane Miah managed to kill an ivy in our apartment - between her and I, the poor thing didn't stand a chance. But Mama? Mama achieved something that few on this planet have ever done.

She killed a plastic fern.

Yes. A plastic fern.

The fronds turned brown and fell off. If I'm lyin' I'm dyin'. And those, dear friends, are the genes I inherited. Oh, I inherited some fun ones too. The singing gene. The appreciation for purposely bad and/or silly movies gene. The dancing gene. The booty gene. But why, oh why, did I have to inherit the planticide gene?!?!?!

Into the Mystic

by Van Morrison

We were born before the wind
Also younger than the sun
Ere the bonnie boat was won
as we sailed into the mystic
Hark, now hear the sailors cry
Smell the sea and feel the sky
Let your soul and spirit fly into the mystic
And when that fog horn blows
I will be coming home
And when that fog horn blows
I want to hear it
I don't have to fear it
I want to rock your gypsy soul
Just like way back in the days of old
Then magnificently we will float into the mystic
And when that fog horn blows
you know I will be coming home
And when that fog horn whistle blows
I got to hear it
I don't have to fear it
I want to rock your gypsy soul
Just like way back in the days of old
And together we will float into the mystic
Come on girl...

Talking to the Moon

One of my favorite songs, by one of my favorite singers, for someone I miss...

Talking to the Moon
Don Henley

When the hot September sun down in Texas
Has sucked the streams bone dry, and turned the roads to dust,
In the sleepy little towns down in Texas
The shades are all pulled down, the streets are all rolled up.

And the only thing that breaks the silence are the trucks a-passing by,
And late at night on the front porch swing you can hear a mournful sigh.
And the lonesome whip-or-will cries to the stars above.
He was calling out for his lady love, she's been gone so long.

I was just talking to the moon,
hopin' someday soon that I'd be over
The memory of you, too hard to hold.

And the wind across the plains
Is all that now remains.
You know the night shakes loose the names,
but they never quite go back the way they came.

So goodbye, rodeo,
It's a long, funny way for a man to go
And never change, never change at all.

I was just talking to the moon,
Hopin' someday soon that I'd be over
The memory of you, too hard to hold.
I was just talking to the moon
Hopin' someday soon that I'd be over
the memory of you .

Springtime for Who?

Driving home tonight, I saw a billboard by the highway that said, "Re-Elect Our Mayor." The thing was, it wasn't referring to the mayor of Houston. It was about the mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin. Bit of a controversial fellow, too, which made it even more odd. And then, as it is wont to do, my mind started to wander.

See, I wondered how many New Orleanians currently living in Houston, cared enough about going back to care who their mayor was. And they must be the ones who paid for the billboard, right? (No, I'm not that naive...) But the idea of the citizens of New Orleans rallying behind their mayor for a return to their city just struck me as so... well, so... so Broadway Musical... Suddenly I could picture it clear as day... thousands of people bursting out of the Astrodome in perfectly choreographed steps, shuffle-ball-changing across the Reliant complex. The leading man and leading lady leading the crowd (of course - why do you think they're called "leading"?) in song...

The water's receded, our city'll be fine
It's time now for us to get ourselves in line
No fussin', no fightin', no cussin', no beggin'
And the man who can do it is our own Ray Nagin...
*tappity-tappity-tappity-tap*

Oh yeah. I'm a-goin' to hell. But me and Mel Brooks and Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick are gonna have a great time there...