At 2:01 today I was...

contemplating cleaning out the fridge.

I ended up grabbing a pear and a BonBel and shutting the door. Maybe tomorrow...

kxx

At 2:01pm today, I

was performing the enviable task of cleaning cat puke off my bedroom floor. Thanks for the gift, Tazzy. I can hear you all now... "Stop effing posting about your glamourous life, Karen. You're making us all green." To that I reply, never.

kxx

My dad is in Dominica right now

That's not the point of today's post (and for those of you not aware of my family history it's Dominica (do-min-EE-ca), nothing to do with, not pronounced like or anywhere near the Dominican Republic). Very few people have heard of it, let's move on...

So my dad is there visiting family and again I have to bring up his travel and accommodation plans.

First, he left for the airport on the red-eye. No problem booking a cheaper 6am flight but there is a problem with how he got to the airport. Driving a good friend to the airport is the test of a friendship at the best of times. Driving your neighbour to the airport for 4 o'clock in the blessed am is just not on. The guy who lives next door actually drove my dad and his wife to the airport at that ungodly hour. And he had to work the next day. Well, later that day. Who does that? Would you even ask? I will mention that he's Portuguese only to explain this point... I think the willingness to do this is a combination of age and ethnicity. I asked Scott if his dad would have ever asked or offered the airport run to someone who he only spoke to to pick up his mail while away and the bark of laughter made the cat jump off the couch.

Next, he's on this trip for 3 weeks. "Wow!", you think. "Three weeks in a hotel must cost a fortune! The Kayes must be loaded!". You're so wrong. Because he's staying at his sister-in-law's house. To clarify, his brother passed away 5 years ago. And before you think what your're thinking (dirty minds), he's staying there with his wife and just... well, ick. The problem is just staying nearly a month with someone you don't really know all that well and haven't seen in ages. Wouldn't it be every kind of imposition there is? Seriously, I'd be hard pressed to offer my house for 3 weeks even if I was out of town.

Does that make me mean? Am I a bad friend? Personally I think that a little distance keeps a friendship fresh. I mean how can they miss you if you won't go away?

kxx

So I'm going to write my autobiography

Okay, that's not true. You actually have to do interesting things to warrant an autobiography but I was thinking about what the title would be, as you do. Also, who would play me in the inevitable movie adaptation (Jada Pinkett-Smith and co-incidentally wouldn't the whole family come out to watch her work on the very same day I go out to see the filming and Will and I would talk and... where was I? Oh yes, the autobiography...).

So I was thinking that the title would be cheeky yet reverential and wise. Like "Karen: The Untold Story of a Woman, Her Life and Loves". Too much? I agree I went a bit overboard with that one. I may have my own blog but I'm not that creative right off the bat. It took me years to come up with an email address that was more interesting than karen.kaye@whatever.com. Plus, I've had a very short life (so far) with laughably few "loves". And of course this blog makes it difficult to come up with anything "untold". You guys even know about the most humiliating episode in my recent memory. And I can't believe I just linked to it. Again. You know what? Yes, I can.

So anyway, the crux of today's blog is, well, I have no idea. I was having a blank spell and the resource I use for bloggy ideas said to "write the first line of your autobiography". Then all this happened. Yup.

 kxx

At 2:01 yesterday I was...

... well, actually I was er... peeing. But when I came out of the bathroom, this was what greeted me.

Nice, eh? Scott took me out to Perth for a pub lunch for no reason. We had emu burgers (not a typo) walked around, went to some antique shops then came straight back home. Sweet day with a sweet guy. These are some of the perks when neither one of you works full time.

kxx

My journey to see Journey

So I bought these tickets months ago and I only found someone to go with at the last minute. Thanks Nicole! But honestly... Who wouldn't want to see Loverboy, Pat Benatar and Journey all together on one bill? I mean really! It would have been a steal at half the price. Three bands of my childhood together? They weren't even my favourites but they were played all through my youth that I couldn't help but want to go.

I don't want to bore you if you're not interested (remember my Wicked post?) but I have to go on about it just for a bit. Let me start with the opening act, Loverboy. Pretty short set and I have to say quite unintentionally hilarious. The lead singer Mike Reno has not aged well and could barely move across the stage. In fact, he seemed to be using the mike stand as a cane for much of the performance. Poor guy looked a bit like a pot bellied middle aged dad doing karaoke. The only times he moved from his spot was to get a drink which I'm sure was laced with Pepto and not bourbon like the old days. And I think he may have taken a huff out of an oxygen tank at one point. He wore a bandanna and sunglasses and at the end of his set he wrung out that sweaty square of cloth and threw it into the audience. In the old days that would have caused a riot but everyone in my section let out an audible "EWWWW!" We sure have grown up.

Pat Benatar was next. Holy hell, she was good. She had great rapport with the crowd and told us a lot about the songs before she sang them. Her husband has been her guitarist and she delighted in telling us many times that they were married 34 years. In that industry she may as well said 340. Incredible. She looked young and gorgeous and could still hit the high notes. I knew many more of her songs than the other 2 bands so I enjoyed her the most. I'll never forget learning the choreography to the Love is a Battlefield video and dancing in Kathy's basement.

Last was Journey. I knew going in that Steve Perry the lead singer wasn't with the band anymore but I had no idea who would be taking his place. Wow, was I ever surprised and impressed with the guy they chose. And how did they choose him, you ask? Fricking YouTube. Unbelievable. And was it ever nice to have someone who could jump around and hit the high notes. So much energy. Plus, I have 2 more words for you: Confetti cannon. Here's the band explaining how they found him: So in all, the concert was excellent. My throat is sore, my legs ache and I am happy. What else do you want for $65? kxx

At 2:01 today I...

Was trying to figure out how to get Google Maps back onto my iPod after their latest "update" took it away from me (as well as YouTube but I got that back too). After about 20 minutes of faffing about I finally figured it out so I'm happy again.

If you're anything like me, you get lost (a lot) and rely on maps and gps for everything even getting around your own city to places you only go infrequently.

Here are a couple of getting lost stories. I have tons of them but these illustrate my ineptitude perfectly:

I had to go to Toys R Us and I got there with no problem but in telling the story later I likened the aisles to being like a game of piñata where you are spun around and around. When I got out I drove for kilometres in the exact wrong direction until I realised I was going east rather than west.

Then there was the time I was going to pick up Scott at work. I was a pretty new driver at the time so I kinda freaked when I got to the exit and wasn't aggressive enough to cut in. I zoomed past the exit thinking I could just take the next one and turn back onto the highway but you know when you make plans and God laughs? I had to call Scott from the airport to tell him I'd be late. Very.

What happens most often is that I can never remember how to get somewhere I only go once or twice a year. My mind is too chock full of other things like the name of the doctor from the Love Boat (Dr. Adam Bricker played by Bernie Kopell) or the exact number of cast-on stitches I need to knit a perfect hat (72). I can't have the directions to the Rideau Canoe Club taking up valuable real estate. I mean really.

So that's what I was doing at 2:01 today.

kxx