ICE ICE BABY

The weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful...

(...or something like that. I didn't feel like googling.)

My east coast people have you been outside? I hope the answer is no because its nasty out there. This morning i was awakened by a persistent "tap. tap. tap." - the sound of ice hitting my window. When i finally roused myself from slumber and peeked outside i was greeted with the vision of of once naked branches now clothed with a solid layer of ice, the street and sidewalk slick with the material. Had this been Monday morning i would have been *$&%^@^# but since it was Sunday, i just fell back in my down festooned bed, snuggling further in the covers. Yummy.

As much as i hate weather like this - there is something awfully cozy about being shut up inside the house because of it. My house is one of my favorite places to be, and its great to have an acceptable excuse for not leaving it. I did have things planned to do, fortunately they were things that weren't pressing and can easily be rescheduled for a day that's less inclement. The ice has given me a delightful excuse to bail on a few activities, a boon especially since one of the things i was cajoled into doing i have a sneaking suspicion was going to be a date in disguise. Eww. Now if the sun comes out and melts all this stuff i'll be stuck at square one. Then again, i may get some blog fodder out of it.

Anyway, with nowhere to go(for the moment), and nowhere planned to go(for the moment), I decided to give it a go at blogging again. You know without any gimmicks or parlor tricks to try and hide my ineptitude. Unfortunately I don't have much to talk about, but hey - when has that stopped me before? I do feel rusty though, so excuse me if it goes astray...

I'm feeling a bit contemplative this morning. Perhaps its because its the end of year - reflection being a natural side effect of watching another revolution around the sun come to its conclusion. Perhaps its because the day is so grey and with the grey i tend to mull more than usual. Whatever the reason, the quiet and lazy morning has caused a bit of sturm und drang to swirl inside me. This year has been a melange of ups and downs. The ups have been very very good. The downs sent me flying. I'm sure i'm not an exception. We all have our own war stories that we could share. The human experience is fraught with good and bad. I'll probably revisit this topic and expand upon it as the new years looms ever closer(or maybe not) - but through it all i've discovered that i'm a lot more resilient than i knew. And that's a good thing © Martha.

So today is the winter solstice! Did you know that? I've been looking forward to this day for weeks. Why? Well, even though it indicates that its officially winter, it also marks the end of the days growing shorter. From now until June 21st, the amount of daylight we experience will increase. Today will be the shortest day of the year, followed by the longest night. Beginning tomorrow the days will grow longer in length. Initially the difference will be negligible, but slowly surely, those increments will add up and before you(or I) know it - we'll be driving home from work, the heat of our grand celestial furnace upon our faces. I'm excited. Of course i'll still have to trudge through winter, today being a harbinger of things to come *grits teeth* - but its this knowledge that makes things a bit more bearable. At least for me. Seeing as i'm a dyed in the wool solarbaby(remember that movie? HATED IT.) i'll take what i can to make this most dreaded part of the year not suck...too much.

Boyz II Men - Let it snow

I KNOW YOU NOT GONNA SING THAT SONG!

Today's challenge is a special request (by someone who REFUSES to comment hmpf) and really a no brainer in my estimation. We're going to pit Minnie Riperton and Trina Broussard against each other to see who rocked Inside my love better. The original can be found on Minnie's 1975 album Adventures in Paradise. Trina's version can be found on the 1997 Love Jones soundtrack.

Laden with double-entendres, innuendo and a sexy ambiguity - "is she talking about this...or that? Nah...she can't be. Listen to that angelic voice. Oh wait..." - Its explicit without being vulgar. Yet and still as sublime as the lyrics are, this is another song that I recoil at the thought of listening to it within in earshot of either of certain other adults. Namely my mother and father. Other songs in this category include, but are not limited to: sexual healing, reasons, you sure love to ball, and i'll make love to you(wanya's extended i'lllll maaaake loooove tooo youuu at the end especially cringe inducing.)Color me immature, but thats the way it is. I know sexy times occur with everyone, but as far as i'm concerned it doesn't with my parents. They don't know about that there stuff and they never will. I was a special delivery from the ornithological society. You may be shaking your head at this, but i don't care. Allow me my illusions.

Anyway.

A few months ago my mom and i were heading out to ikea, listening to the local R&b/Classic soul radio station, and this came on. Before i realized what i was doing i was singing along. lol. I'm sure my mother did not want to hear her daughter warbling "will you come inside me/do you wanna ride inside my love?" but by the time i was cognizant of what i was doing, it would have been a bigger deal to stop singing and change the station, because it would have drawn attention to the awkwardness. I gallantly pressed on to the end of the song. Actually now that i think about it, she didn't seem to be moved one way or the other. I probably was the only one freaking out. Naturally.

SCHOOL BOY CRUSHES

Continuing with yesterday's theme of the original vs the remake(yes i'm still on this until i get some inspiration) I present you with All I do is think of you. The original composition is from The Jackson Five's 1975 LP -Moving Violation - their last for Berry Gordy and Motown. Troop's version is found on their Album Attitude, released in 1989. Weigh in por favor.

Jackson Five:

Troop:

(fun fact: creepy willie tried to make me listen to his walkman so i could hear this song(troops version), because he likeded me. That was a long bus ride lol. *shudders*)

SETTLE THIS PLEASE:

In the on going battle of originals vs. the remake

Which version of Ribbon in the Sky is better:

Stevie Wonder:

OR

Intro:

Don't be afraid to give your opinion. We are all friends here. :-)

...Of course if your opinion is wrong, i will clown you. ;-)

(hmm i may do this all week, until my mojo arrives in the mail fed-ex special delivery)

HOW MUCH IS THAT MOJO IN THE WINDOW?

I left my (blog) mojo in el segundo...and since then my blog has been in a holding pattern, stuck at the crossroads of wack and suck. I know you see it. To all of the good folks that deign to read this thing: i'm heading to costco to buy some more, in bulk. Heavy gauge, two-ply. In the famous words of Ahnold: I'll be back!

Until then, i bequeath you one of my favorite jams: