Tuesday, November 28, 2006

 

Lack O' Cash

One of the best feelings in the world is not having any money. What's even better? Going to your gig on Friday night, going into the office to get your check and finding that it's not in the box. What's really great is being told that they have made a mistake and will have to mail it on Monday. What is truly, truly special is trying to alleviate that panicked, "what-in-the-eff" am I gonna do feeling. There's nothing quite like it. What really is the very best though? Trying to figure out how you're going to hold off paying your bills, being creative with what you've got in your kitchen, and how you're going to make it into meals, until your check finally does come. What can I say? I love it!

Monday, November 27, 2006

 

Pam & Kid

OH MY HELL! Have you read it?? Have you?? I still can't believe it. It just hasn't sunk in.
It seems that Pam Anderson and Kid Rock are divorcing!!!!!!! I know, I know. Please sit down. Take a breath. Yes, I was shocked too.

WHY?? For the love of God, why? Why, why, why, why, WHY?

This is earth shattering. I don't know what to do. I don't know where to turn. What next??
I've lost faith in man and woman kind. I mean, with everything else going on in the world and now THIS? Dear, dear Lord. I'm completely devastated. Things will never be the same.

I don't know if I'm going to be able to finish out the semester. Dear God, please help me.

 

Shoot Your TV

So. I asked small child, "What do you want for Christmas this year?"

His reply, "I don't know."

It's really rare to meet a nine-year-old that answers this question like this.

Then he says, "You know, Mom, I find as I get older, I just don't really want that much stuff."

That's when I fell over and they had to use the smelling salts.

I credit not having a television in either home and him not being barraged, at all hours of the day and night, by television commercials as being the cause of my son's lack of desire in acquiring material possessions.

The problem is is that it makes it hard to make a list for Santa and it makes it hard to make a list for his Dad and I to shop from, BUT it's a problem that I don't mind having. I'll deal.

Thursday, November 23, 2006

 

Thankful

I don't know why we have one day to celebrate all that we're thankful for but it seems that today is officially that day.

I am thankful every day for these:

-My son and I, and every one that we love, are healthy.

-We are loved.

-We have a roof over our heads and food on the table.

-I am able to laugh at life, and that keeps me sane, young at heart and forgiving.


Everything else, good or bad, is fluff. Everything else, good or bad, is what life has to offer and what we do with it, how we process it, and how we handle it, is up to each one of us individually. Everything else, no matter how over-whelmingly great or how devastatingly difficult, is do-able.

Since today is the official day of thanks, I want to wish all of you a happy one.

May you be grateful for your blessings, your lessons, and your challenges not only today, but every day of the year.

Thursday, November 16, 2006

 

Loralee's Life Lately . . .

"Hey Loralee, do you want to grab some dinner with me?"

"No. I can't. I have homework."

"Hey Loralee, let's go get a coffee."

"No. I can't. I have homework."

"Hey Loralee, let's go see a movie."

"No. I can't. I have homework."

"Hey Loralee, let's go shopping."

"No. I can't. I have homework."

"Hey Loralee, did you watch that DVD set yet?"

"No. I can't. I have homework."

"Hey Loralee, give me a call so we can catch up."

"No. I can't. I have homework."

"Hey Loralee, get a life!"

"No. I can't. I have homework."

### The End ###

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

 

GO VOTE! VOTE TODAY! GO VOTE!


Sunday, November 05, 2006

 

Borrowed from Sharon (Who Borrowed from Loralee)

Have you:

01. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone . . . (yummilicious!)
08. Said "I love you" and meant it . . . (every day)
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped . . . (Toooooo scared . . . I fell 25 feet onto cement without a bungee)
11. Visited Paris . . . ( Sigh. I wish.)
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea - from the shore
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa . . .(what? There's no elevator?)
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper . . . (many, many, many, many, etc., etc., times.)
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne. . . (and beer and tequila and wine . . .)
24. Given more than you can afford to charity . . . (I had to cut back because I was becoming a charity.)
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment . . .(Lots of times)
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk . . . (many times, myself included)
42. Had amazing friends . . . (can't do life without 'em)
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country . . .(Yay! Puerto Vallarta! Yay! Cancun! Yay! Cabo San Lucas!)
44. Watched wild whales . . . (in Hawaii, from our condo. Amazing!)
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach . . . (Ahhh, memories of Hawaii, memories of Mexico)
50. Gone sky diving . . . (Never have, never will)
51. Visited Ireland
52. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them . . . (NYC, Carnegie Deli . . . the tables are set up so that you have to.)
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs . . . (many times. Sad, huh?)
57. Pretended to be a superhero . . .(I'm a mom. I don't have to pretend. I AM a superhero.)
58. Sung karaoke . . .(and I've won contests. Shame on me. I knew I would.)
59. Lounged around in bed all day . . . (I do this way tooooo much.)
60. Played touch football . . .(No. But I"ve touched a football.)
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater . . .(yes. They were popular back in the dinosaur era when I was growing up. When I was in my twenties, sat in lawn chair with blanket over my lap and played "footsies" with a cute boy.)
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie . . . (well, my voice has.)
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo . . . (2 when I was 41, 1 when I was 44. I have an official "tramp stamp" on my back.)
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an "expert"
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage. . . (are you kidding?)
85. Been to Las Vegas . . . (many times and maybe planning to go again with some "unseemly" characters that I know . . .)
86. Recorded music . . . (many, many, many, many times and I plan to do it again with someone special very, very soon. Just you wait!)
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date . . . (Mmm-hmm. Even made out.)
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house . . . (My Aunt helped me buy a condo once.)
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents . . . (My Daddy)
93. Been on a cruise ship . . .(Yep. Went to Nassau, St. Thomas and Puerto Rico)
94. Spoken more than one language fluently well enough to have a decent conversation
95. Performed in Rocky Horror . . .(does singing along in the theatre count?)
96. Raised children . . . (still raising my spectacular son)
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge . . . (No. And I live about 45 miles away from it. Very, very, bad!)
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn't have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds . . .(lost 20 pounds when I was 30. Then I lost 45 pounds after having small child. Only adds up to 65 pounds.)
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback . . . (I held someone while they were flashing their backside at me . . . does that count?)
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone's heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone . . .(shattered both of my heels. See #10 Bungee jumping)
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol . . .(didn't like it. Kicked back so hard into my shoulder that I cried.)
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery . . .(two of 'em)
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi . . . (can't get enough of it. Sushi and saki . . .mmmmmm!)
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school . . .(Hell yes! Let's hear it for the mature student!)
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach . . .(If squishing it with your foot counts)
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad
135. Selected one "important" author who you missed in school and read . . .(Orwell, Salinger, Vonnegut)
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you . . . (My CD's at gigs)
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair . . .(several different colors, several different times.)
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident . . .(several but only when I was a younger driver.)
150. Saved someone's life

Saturday, November 04, 2006

 

Pity Party

Yeah. I'm having a pity party right now. It's about my singing career. I know, I know. I need to let it go. I need to move on. Leave the music to the younger people. Change careers. Give it up. Get tougher skin. Become jaded. And sometimes I almost . . . almost . . . almost . . . Ahhhh!
I can't help it. Every now and then I get bummed out. I know most of you have never heard me, but I'm good. Damned good. Letting go of my singing and my career is akin to telling my right arm that I don't need it and that I hate it now. Yep:

"Right arm? Yes. I have something to tell you. I hate you now. Even though I've had you attached to me all of my life and you're a part of me. Even though I'm accustomed to you. Even though I love you and who you are and what you do for me. Even though you help me out and I really need you. I have to get rid of you now cause I hate you. Go away. I have no use for you."

Plus that little flame of hope just does not want to die down. Maybe, just maybe? I keep trying to extinguish it and move on but still . . .

Did you know that . . . . .

I sang back ground vocals, with a bunch of my Bay Area singer friends, on 5 songs in the movie RENT and on the soundtrack CD?

I sang backgrounds on a Celine Dion release?

I've done demos for the writer who's written hits for Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey? (Just two of many people that he's written for.)

I've done demos for the writer who's co-written hits for Aretha Franklin? (Just one of many people that he's written for.)

I've done demos for the writer who wrote "It's Your Love" for Faith Hill and Tim McGraw and "Sin Wagon" for the Dixie Chicks? (Just one of many hits that she's written for many artists.)

sang back grounds in Clarence Clemmons's band? Yes. He's the "big man" that plays sax for Bruce Springstein.

I did a children's album with the back up singer for Santana? Yes. That is him singing harmonies on "Smooth" with Rob Thomas.

I've had people from MCA, Starstruck, EMI and Capitol/Nashville take interest in my singing and Tim McGraw's publishing partner told me that I was his favorite singer?

I've sung national television and radio commercials? I've even been heard in Canada. Actually, a women from Canada heard one of my TV commercials, found out how to contact me and wrote me a letter telling me that I should be famous and did I have a CD that she could buy. Same thing with a man from New York who actually wanted to hire me . . . sadly it was too much of a commute.

I've had many, many people come up and say, "Why aren't you on American Idol?" Ummm. . . cause I'm 46 and the age cap is 26. Can we say age-ism? I say 'ol Simon Cowell needs to start a "Senior Idol" show. I'm a shoo-in.

And let's not forget the comments and the mail, some from friends, but MOST from people that I don't really know but were inspired enough to contact me:

"an unbelieveable voice . . . the best singer I know . . . why aren't you famous? . . . why don't you have a record deal? . . .what a voice . . .you've got soul . . . you're my favorite singer . . . your voice is amazing . . . you are awesome . . . I love your voice . . . you can sing anything . . . what an incredible voice . . .you are most talented indeed . . . you sing like an angel . . . what a gift . . . you have command of so many different styles and timbres . . . you are very inspiring to those who hear you sing and a joy for those who get to work with you . . . I love your voice . . . I expect tohear you on the radio anytime . . . why aren't you on the radio? . . . I'm an instant fan . . . Loralee ROCKS . . . thanks for the wonderful gift of your beautiful voice . . . someone who sings the song and makes you believe it . . . damn, I love Loralee's voice . . .your voice is sexy as shit."

Ahhhhh . . . the list goes on and on.

What is truly sad is this is not just my story. All of my musician friends here in the Bay Area have the same story. They've played with amazing people and done amazing things and yet a lot of them are hardly working or like me are taking gigs like tonight. I made minimum money for maximum work. Now I'm not complaining about the work . . . okay . . . I am complaining just a little . . . but I really need the money and I like the people I work with at this particular gig but . . . come on . . . really . . . how many times can I sing "I Will Survive" or "We Are Family" for drunk people that are kicking the ficas trees, falling down on the dance floor, grabbing our gear or throwing up on the bar?? How many times can I sing "Boogie Oogie Oogie" and make people believe that they should "Get on up, on the floor, cause they're gonna boogie oogie oogie til they just can't boogie no more?" How much longer can I make them believe that I "Waited til I saw the sun, don't know why I didn't come?" and that I, "Left them by the house of fun, don't know why I didn't come, I don't know why I didn't come?" (I know Alex will have something to say about this song . . . . .)

It's all so frustrating. There's so much talent out there and NO ONE will ever hear it. I'm talking AMAZING talent . . . just here in the Bay Area alone . . . and no one will ever hear it. Sigh.

And the ultimate slap in the face?? The creme de la creme of frustrations?? You will never hear me or my friends Melisa and Annie on the radio. You'll never see us on a video and most likely we'll never be downloaded into your i-pod. But rest assured you can hear and see Shakira or that effin Taylor guy, who won Americon Idol last year, every 5 minutes . . . 24/7 . . . every day of the week.

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

 

Have faith . . .

. . . in yourself, Loralee!

Last week I was suffering from such mid-term burnout that I actually considered not going to school every day . . .

Monday: "I'll just call in sick."
Tuesday: "God! I'm tired, I'll just call in sick"
Wednesday: "Man, I'm fried. I'll just call in sick."
Thursday: "What's one class?? So I miss just one class. I'll just call in sick."

BUT . . . I did indeed make myself go . . . yes I did . . . every effin' day. You see, it is so very typical of me to quit in the middle of something. When I got my first car loan, years and years ago, the salesman looked at my application, "Hmmmmm," he said, "One year at college, one year at this job, one year at that job, one year at this other job. Oh, look at this. You've been THREE years at your current job. Aren't you a little over due?" Yeah . . . yessiree . . . I certainly was TWENTY shades of red. I'm good at beginnings. I'm good at endings. Middles?? Not so good. I vowed to myself that throwing in the towel, on this college thing was, is, and will not be an option. So, that is why I made myself go to school every effing day last week.

I asked one of my teachers if there was such a thing as "mid term burnout" and she said that what I was experiencing was very, very common. I, personally, think that it was because the weeks before my exams, I was so nervous and so "jacked up," that my body experienced a serious let down from not being "jacked up" anymore. I'm not feeling it quite so much now. I am, however, overwhelmed because I have 3 papers due in 2 weeks. Along with that I still have to do all of the reading and the homework. Sigh, sigh, sigh . . .

What has seriously motivated me this week is this . . . (I'm going to brag now) . . . my English teacher told me that if I continue to turn in the kind of work that I've been turning in that I am heading for an "A" in his class. And remember that mid-term for history?? The one where my left eye would not stop twitching? The one where I was so freaked out?? I got an "A." Yeah. An "A." I got one wrong on the multiple choice and she wrote on my essay that it was excellent. She wrote that I was one of two people, in the class, who had the highest score on the exam. WTF? HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?? I was completely in shock. I swear I thought that I was going to nab a "B." I truly was shocked . . . albeit pleasantly shocked.

I have always had issues around "not feeling smart enough." I have always felt like I couldn't keep up with people intellectually. I do not know how I got that self image. I do not know why I perpetually held on to that self image. I do know that it has ruled my life for almost 20 years. I do know that these tangible signs of my "not being stupid" have me thinking that I need to re-evalute my sense of what I'm capable of. Maybe I should just have a little more faith in my capabilities??? Sounds good to me. I think that I'm capable of thinking this over and I think that I am smart enough to let go of that old image. How wonderful that I'm not only learning new and fascinating things in school, but new and fascinating things about myself.

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