Tonight I fly to Chicago. I’ll be there 2 days which is completely doable. Yesterday I met Audra at an Old Navy not too far from where she lives. We shopped for about an hour and then went to Barnes and Noble for coffee. It was the first time she and I did something together by ourselves in quite some time. It was like our old college days when it was just the two of us.

I feel haunted by my to do list. It seems as if I never ever get to the bottom of it. Every week, every weekend, there is something to do. It is never ending. Just once I would like to sit down to write my to do list and find that EVERYTHING IS DONE! My clothes are clean, my bedroom is straightened, my refrigerator is stocked, my bills are paid, my life is in order and I can announce, “Today I can actually relax because I know I have nothing that needs to be accomplished!” Sure, there are many days in which I write out my to do list and then procede to not do a thing but it is always there in the back of my mind, haunting me, making me feel guilty. I guess the best thing is for me to stay on top of it and actually do what I need to do and then at times, I will find myself ahead. One day.

Out and about yesterday, I tried two new food items- Starbucks Mint Mocha Frappuccino and McDonald’s Apple Walnut Salad. The Frappucino was too sweet. If I am craving chocolate mint, I’d rather a York Peppermint Patty. The Apple Walnut Salad was a nice snack but I couldn’t help but think that I could easily make it myself so why would I bother getting it at McDonald’s? Actually, if I am in Chicago, away from my kitchen, I will probably get it again. Tonight is the CBS Special, “Elvis by the Presleys.” I am going to my parent’s house to watch it.

Why am I addicted to LuxuriaMusic.com? Listening to it takes me back to a day in my life when I was very happy. Many years ago, Lisa, Audra, and I participated in a German exchange program. We stayed with German families and every day we went to planned events. There was a particular man I always seemed to spot lurking in the far back. He was tall and had red curly hair with long sideburns. I wanted to speak to him but I was certain he was far too cool for me. One day at a tea party that took place at the Rotes Rathaus, a group of us stood together, sipping tea, when he approached us!
“Fischers Fritz fischt frische Fische” he said with a smile.
I replied,”Rubber baby buggy bumpers”
“Brautkleid bleibt Brautkleid und Blaukraut bleibt Blaukraut”
“She sells sea shells by the sea shore.”
His name was Markus and we became fast friends. After the tea party, he led us all over Berlin. Soon the city became dark and our friends left for their Gastfamilies’ houses. Lisa and I were the only ones left with Markus und his Gastbruder.

“KOMMT!” shouted Markus as he led us deep into the under belly of East Berlin. He brought us to an old WWII, bombed-out, boarded-up building. He pried open the door. Streaming out of this hell hole came sounds reminiscent of LuxuriaMusic. “Groovy 60’s go-go and 70’s Bollywood soundtracks, psychedelia, quirky oddities, retro pop and surf music” It was musc I never heard before but immediately loved. The place was crowded with tons of people shagging and doing the watusi! We hit the dance floor and go-go-ed! The music, the dancing, I never felt happier! Markus disappeared and returned with bottles of beers. He de-capped them using his ocular cavity. Sometime after midnight we left the rave and went back to Markus’s flat. The door opened to reveal a virtual parking lot of bicycles.
“I collect bicycles…It is my hobby” explained Markus as he climbed over them and led us to his living room/bedroom/kitchen. The walls were covered with old playboy centerfolds from the 50’s and 60’s. I suddenly realized that this was probably not a good idea… two girls, two guys, and a very unusual apartment.
“Are you ready?” said Markus with a sparkle in his eye. Oh no! “I want you to record a new answering machine message for me auf Englisch, bitte!” That wasn’t what I expected but I happily obliged. Once finished, they walked us to the U-Bahn station and stayed with us until our train arrived.
Now I listen to LuxuriaMusic and I am instantly transported back to the bombed out building, twisting to my heart’s content.

I missed the first 20 minutes of Elvis. I thought it went on at 9, not 8. Good thing I tuned in early. After the movie, I called Lisa and we gabbed on and on about Elvis. We both agreed that Jon Rhys should have worn lifts. He looked so tiny next to Randy Quaid. Otherwise we gave it two thumbs up and an Elvis knee drop.

I am looking forward to going home. Maybe this weekend I will bake my famous Midori cake. Whenever the lilacs bloom I hunger for it.

Walking past a Starbucks this morning I noticed they are advertising a new drink. It’s a chocolate mint frappucino! I love chocolate!! I love mint!! I love icy drinks! Tomorrow before I catch my cab I will partake in its icy goodness.

I hate to admit this but I have been semi-looking forward to the remake of Bewitched. Last night while I was surfing, I found some promotional pictures and they looked great! The oddest thing is that somehow Will Feral actually looked handsome in the pix. Then I downloaded the trailer. It was horrible. It’s not Bewitched. It’s some stupid tv show within a movie. I am no longer semi-looking forward to seeing it. I am however looking forward to seeing the Revenge of the Sith. Yes, it’s true I hated the last 2 Star Wars pictures. No, I have no hope that this movie is going to be any different. I JUST WANT CLOSURE! I am also curious to see if George Lucas incorporated any of my suggestions I offered after the last movie was released. So my fingers are crossed that the Jedis will shed their robes and don cod pieces, yoda will be replaced with a dwarf and a musical montage sequence is added. I would also like to see the Jedis throw away their lightsabers and engage in a great big dance off. A girl can hope, can’t she?

As I was heading back to my hotel room I thought to myself, “Maybe I’ll just order room service and stay in.” NO NO NO! I dropped off my briefcase and forced myself to leave the room. I went to Portillo’s for dinner and had a pretty tasty Chicken Caesar Salad. Then I went to Walgreen’s and bought two pairs of knee highs. The new Rock and Roll MacDonald’s is finally open so I went in and ordered a vanilla cone. There were escalators up to a second floor and up there they had a GELATO BAR! I wish I had just waited. There was also a lounge area and I sat there and ate my ice cream. It was really nice. Although I don’t get the Rock and Roll theme– there is nothing Rock and Roll about it. Ronald would have been better off calling it the Really Cool MacDonald’s. Much more accurate, in my opinion.

Two weeks spent at home. This evening I head back to Chicago. It’s only for a few days. In a way I am looking forward to leaving and spending some time on my own. Heck, I will be able to see the second half of the Elvis movie crystal clear on my hotel room’s television set.

The Elvis movie was good although it covered the usual ground. Nothing new. Jon Rhys, the fellow who portrayed Elvis, was very good. So was Cathy Manheim as Gladys. I am looking forward to the conclusion on Wednesday. It will cover the movies and ’69 Special time period; that should be fun since I haven’t seen it portrayed in a movie.

I really would have to say that Jon Rhys is one of my favorite portrayers of Elvis. He rivaled Michael St. Gerard’s performance in the Elvis TV series. Curt Russell, Donny Johnson, and Dave Keith were amateurs compared to him!

This afternoon I made a cake for my mom. It was going to be a Midori cake but by mistake I used Lemon Cake Mix rather than Yellow Cake Mix so I had to change gears. Regardless of my faux pas, the cake tasted good.

In addition to the cake we brought my mom flowers and a card. We also went to the local Chinese Restaurant and had an early dinner. At home, Dad made his world famous Jumpin’ Jimmie Joe Java and we ate my Lemon, Pistachio, Cardamom cake. Lisa and I left at around 8:00 so we could get home and watch the Elvis miniseries. Now Lisa is watching Cold Case through a wall of static as we wait for the movie to begin.

Tomorrow I go back to Chicago.

Rockin’ Ron Cade and I are soul mates. Last week I was trying to remember this one Elvis song that I had only recently discovered. I poured through my mp3s with no luck. This morning, I opened my eyes and realizing it was Sunday and time for Elvis and Friends, turned on my silver Panasonic RX-5050 boom box circa 1983. One-Sided Love Affair shot out my speakers. THAT’S IT! THAT’S THE SONG!! Thanks Ron!

Tonight we are going out to an early dinner for Mother’s Day. I think we’ll have Chinese food. That’s what my Mom said she wanted yesterday.

This evening is the Elvis TV Movie I have been anxiously awaiting. I can watch it upstair at my parent’s house but I’d rather watch it at home. Those rabbit ears I bought are crap. None of the stations come in with any clarity. I just checked and CBS isn’t so bad. It looks reminiscent of when I was a little girl and my dad would run the popcorn machine at the same time as when I was watching the TV and the screen would get lines of static running across it. Heck, I know what Elvis looks like, it’s not like I really need to see the picture.

Why can’t I get good reception? Lisa says it is the cable companies. They scramble the signal so you have to subscribe to cable. I wonder if it is just that manufacturers aren’t even bothering to put receivers in televisions anymore.