Summer Music, Part III

And finally, songs 7 through 10 in my Top 10 Summer Songs...



#7 is Center of Gravity by Yo La Tengo...but, again, no video on You Tube



#8 is Bubble Toes by Jack Johnson



#9 is Freedom of '76 by Ween



#10 is Merry Go Round by Antje Duvekot



Happy summer!!!

Summer Music, Part II

Continuing with my Top 10 Summer Songs, here are songs 4 through 6...



#4 is California by Joni Mitchell



#5 is Tamacun by Rodrigo y Gabriela



#6 is Ventura Highway by America

Summer Music

It's a beautiful Memorial Day Weekend, officially the start of summer as far as most people are concerned. Thanks to a contest created by Surfrider Foundation, I have made a list of my Top 10 Summer Songs. Here are songs 1 through 3...



#1 is Always Feel This Way by Tristan Prettyman



#2 is The Deadbeat Club by The B-52's



#3 is Definition of Love by Don Lennon...but I can't seem to find the song anywhere, so you'll have to look it up on itunes.

If you don't have your health insurance, you don't have anything

The last time I had health insurance was 2004. I've become so used to not having it that it no longer bothers me...until something hurts. Then I panic. My tonsils haven't look right for a long time but I'm pretty sure if I went to a doctor he would tell me that they need to be removed, so I deal. Two days ago I paid $210 at the dentist for a general cleaning and one cavity filled. Yesterday, after a bumpy ride on a parks department trolley bus (a beautiful old thing that was obviously not designed for comfort) I found that one of my hip muscles was hurting, most likely because I was sitting cross-legged on the trolley and tensing all my muscles every time we hit a pothole. So now I'm just praying that my yoga and stretching, along with plenty of ibuprofen, will take care of it otherwise I'll be shelling out big bucks to an orthopedic doctor who would probably tell me to stretch and take ibuprofen.

I've known for a long time that the health care in this country sucks but recently it's starting to anger me more and more. I take my cats to the vet every year for a wellness exam yet I haven't had a general physical exam for almost ten years. I rely on home remedies and advice from my mom, a registered nurse, instead of visiting a doctor. I looked into getting student health insurance only to find that the plans are only offered to students under 30. I'm 31. I'm a natural born worrier so whenever an ache or pain appears I tend to think the worst. I would love to have a general physical. I have no idea what my cholesterol levels are, what my blood pressure is, I couldn't tell you the last time I had any routine blood tests done. I'm not old but I'm not a "young 'un" anymore, it would probably do me well to have a check-up.

Now, I'm starting work at the ASPCA and in the fall I have my second internship at The Animal Medical Center in Manhattan. I'm considered a temp at the ASPCA so, even though I'm working full time, most likely there will be no health insurance offered. All this means that I will be handling scared, injured animals many of whom have been abused or neglected, or had little human contact. The probability of getting a bite or a scratch is fairly high (and believe me, a cat scratch can cause some serious infection). I haven't had rabies vaccines yet, although they are recommended in my line of work, because they cost about $500.

So I'm just sitting and waiting, hoping that whatever candidate ends up in the White House will follow through on the promises of a better health care system. We can't afford to let our country's leader spew hot air and empty promises any longer. I'd cry "Give me health care or give me death!" but I'm afraid that's a little too close to the truth.

Snapshots (Feline Edition)

It's a cloudy dreary day and I need to kill some time before my dentist appointment (fun fun) so what better way than to post a few pictures of my furry purr machines.


The unusual spots frequented by Pandora:

Warming herself in the toaster at my old studio apartment.

Hanging out in the laundry hamper.

The things Puck gets into:

If there's a box, Puck will be in it.

A box within a box? Even better.

A pre-digital shot from my Inwood apartment. Yes, that's the bathroom sink.

Puck has a shoe fetish.

My Music

I only have a few of British singer Kate Nash's songs so far, thanks to my lack of funds, but I plan to buy her album Made of Bricks very soon (hmm, tonight, maybe?). Her voice is clear and sweet with a cockney accent. Below is the cheeky brit pop song "Foundations"...






...followed by her quirky first track "Caroline's A Victim".

Happy Birthday, Arbor Boy!

My world is a better place with you in it. I love you.

Thank you, mom

The mothers who were responsible for making me the woman I am today.

The theme for May over on Blog Me A Tale is Mom's the Word. You can read my story, My Mother, My Friend, as well as the all the great stories from the other contributors. I had no idea that writing a story about my mom would make me so emotional.

Happy Mother's Day, mom and grandma.

New Music Tuesday

Thanks to a Bank of America commercial I found German singer/songwriter Antje Duvekot. The song is Dandelion from Big Dream Boulevard.

The Year of the Dog...and cat...and sometimes rabbits and ferrets

A job posting on Craigslist for an animal care technician at the ASPCA was the impetus that landed me back in school studying veterinary nursing. Now, with only a semester left, I find myself coming full circle. The circumstances being purely coincidental, my advisor recommended that I call the director of veterinary technicians at the ASPCA to inquire about any positions opening this summer. I called the director, I had an interview and I now have a job at the ASPCA starting in two weeks.

Sometimes I believe in karma.