I am off to Texas for the week. When I think of Texas I think of the scene from Peewee’s Big Adventure when Peewee calls Dottie from a payphone in Texas:
Pee-wee: Hi, Dottie, it’s Pee-wee!
Dottie: Pee-wee? Where are you calling from?
Pee-wee: Texas!
Dottie: Huh?
Pee-wee: Honest! I’ll prove it! [singing] The stars at night are big and bright…
Texan Passersbys: [singing and clapping] …deep in the heart of Texas!

It was Saturday morning and I had to pick up the clothes strewn around my bedroom. The best thing to do, I find, is put on some music and try to forget what has to be done. So I went over to my CDs to determine what I should listen to: Hank Williams and Nick Cave are too sad, already listened to too much Loretta Lynn, don’t feel like Dusty Springfield, it’s not a Ricky Nelson day, Monkees are better in the afternoon, Shakin’ Stevens reminds me of H, Edith Piaf reminds me of the French, that leaves ELVIS. I popped in the 3rd disk of the Complete 50’s Masters. I noticed there was a song called, I want to be Free… it made me think of Davy Jones and so I immediately programmed it in (Track 21). I look out my window/ and what do I see?/ I see a bird/ way up in the tree/ I want to be free free/ Free – ee – ee – ee/ I want to be free/ like the bird in the tree. The song is from the movie, Jailhouse Rock; however, unlike most other Elvis songs, this one hasn’t been played to death. The song sounded fresh to me and I played it over and over. Once the room was cleaned, Lisa and I went to run errands. Even though I left the CD in my stereo, it still played over and over- in my head. Lisa finally said to me, “If you don’t stop singing that song I am going to pull this car over and bludgeon you with the nearest object I can find.” She scared me into immediate silence but it is now the very next day, and I am still trying to stifle this rather innocent seeming song from endlessly looping in my mind. If it is not out by the time I leave for Dallas tomorrow, I will take drastic measures and listen to the Colgate commercial Jingle.
Side Note: My favorite part of Jailhouse Rock is when Princess Summerfall Winterspring slaps Elvis and says: How dare you think those cheap tactics would work on me!
Elvis replies with a sneer: Them ain’t tactics honey, it’s just the beast in me.

I am finished with the first season box set of La Femme Nikita. I tried to spread it out and make it last. Sadly, it was like chocolate– I couldn’t resist. The show resonates with me and I somehow find myself relating to an anti-terrorist assassin. It must be my persecution complex and constant feeling of isolation. At any rate, I hope the second season is released shortly… I NEED MY FIX!!! When I told Lisa I was on the last episode of the last dvd, she said, “Now you can watch the Monkees first season box set I bought you.” I am sorry Lisa, but the Monkees aren’t going to deliver the ANGST and STURM UND DRANG I crave… I want the second season of La Femme Nikita! (And you guys thought I was kidding when I said I was addicted to heroine!)
My eHarmony membership expired yesterday. Four months and about $150.00 yielded nothing but (as my mother would say) agita. Maybe next summer I will try again. As it is, I am feeling content in my current state and don’t feel much of a need for companionship. I’ve found that the end of summer usually ushers in a new found respect for my singularity and a craving for solitude. Of course, it could just be Seasonal Affective Disorder.

I have issues with…
society
excess
sex
men
domination
Take Word Association Test

I had a dream last night that I was sitting in a fully lit movie theater. A man walked over and sat down next to me. I turned to look at him and was surprised to find it was Donny Osmond! He was wearing the same outfit Enrique Iglesias wore in the video with Anna Kournikova. I smiled at Donny and told him that when I was a little girl back in the 70s I used to sing his name over and over. He was very friendly and interested! He leaned in very close to me and I felt an intense connection…Me and Donny Osmond! I couldn’t believe how lucky I was and then suddenly my alarm went off ending this lovely dream.

Saw Le Cercle rouge at the County theater last night. It starred my two favorite French actors: Alain Delon and Yves Montand. It was really interesting and I enjoyed it. The jewel heist seemed to be done in real time— every step filmed. When Yves finally appeared on screen as the hallucinating drunk, I didn’t recognize him! Alain Delon looked beautiful, especially with his 1970’s ‘stache. Did you know he is still alive? I thought he died. In fact, according to IMDB he made 2 movies with Charles Bronson!?! Yeah, I saved the titles to my ebay search favorites list. Delon also portrayed Zorro in a film made in 1974. Zorro is another favorite of mine. I absolutely loved the Zorro series broadcast back in the early ninties on the Family Channel with Duncan Regehr as Don Diego Vega. Juan Diego Botto portrayed his mute man-servant, Felipe. Apparently Botto is now a big star in Spanish language films.
My eyes feel like they are bleeding. It’s from staring at my computer monitor all day long. Years and years ago, when Windows 95 made its debut, I remember the start up screen remiinded me of the sky with all the pretty little white clouds. Now the sky reminds me of the Windows start up screen.

Have I ever mentioned that I have a thing for men with facial hair?

Tucked back in the far reaches of my memory banks is a surreal image of Rip Taylor painted green. Yes, you read right; Mr. Confetti dyed sea foam green. It hits me at strange times, when I’m trying to remember where I placed my keys or searching for the perfect synonym… Bam! Rip Taylor painted green. What the heck!? Am I recalling a childhood dream? Or is it an actual memory of some TV show or movie? Home on a Saturday night, I decided once and for all to get to the bottom of this unusual recollection. Turns out it is a memory of an old Sid and Marty Krofft kids’ show called, Sigmund and the Sea Monsters. In it, Rip Taylor portrayed Sheldon the Sea Genie. I wish I could find a picture of Rip painted green, just to see how it compares to my mind’s picture. It is quite a relief knowing that it is a memory from a TV show and not some weird dream prompted by a repressed childhood fetish. (Of course that might explain the recurring dream I have of Charles Nelson Reilly…)
Isn’t it crazy how some TV shows just infiltrate the mind and the memories get all jumbled? I swear to God, as a child, the next-door neighbors were two guitar-strumming, hippie chicks who would sing to me and show me their “chuckle patch,” a bed of flowers that smiled and laughed. That memory is actually of a tv show called the Magic Garden. You see, it isn’t just the druggies from the 70’s who experience flashbacks. The surreal and hallucinogenic TV programming for kids back then induces flashbacks too.

Lisa and I were sitting at a picnic table at the Italian-American Festival eating funnel cake (to hell with Atkins!). Lisa pointed out a little old man who was walking toward us. “Oh, Donna, look at that little old man– all dressed to the nines– a true Italian!”
“You are right , Lisa, that little old man is cute, all dolled up and — wait– THAT’S SAM BUTERA!”
He walked right over to the funnel cake stand and bought a coffee. Lisa pushed me to go over and ask to have my picture taken with him but I resisted. Later Lisa said, “It’s too late now but he would have been so happy to have a girl ask for his picture AND you would have been able to add it to your collection of famous old-fart pictures” Why did I hesitate?
The show was great. Sam Butera and the Wildest played mostly Louis Prima songs and he mentioned some funny moments with Louie. He had a trumpet player that looked like Wayne Newton circa the late 70’s when Wayne wore the little mustache. Wow! Why don’t guys like that sign up for eHarmony? I guess they are too busy shagging Vegas showgirls.
I started a round of applause. During the introductions of the band members, Sam said, “We play old music– none of that horrible new stuff…” Well, I couldn’t help myself; I was just started clapping and hooting and the audience followed my lead— they started waving around their canes and applauded! Yeah, it was a fabulous night!

I’m gonna go and see SAM BUTERA perform tonight!!!!! He’s playing at an Italian American Festival in Jersey. Tomorrow night Joey Dee & the Starliters are performing (Sitting in the la la waiting for my Ya Ya a huh ah!). Sadly Lisa is working on Saturday but I may venture out alone to see Joey.
Exciting stuff!!!