Ten Albums That Changed My Life - #3 - The Truth About Love - P!nk

The truth about love comes at 3am

You wake up fucked up and you grab a pen

And you say to yourself

I'm gonna figure it out, I'm gonna crack that code

Gonna break it break it down

I'm tired of all these questions

And, now it's just annoying

'Cause, no one has the answer

So I guess it's up to me to find the truth about love is

This one is probably the most recently released album on my list. It catapulted P!nk to the level status of Madonna in my eyes and she's remained there ever since.  The Truth About Love, to me, was the perfect album from start to finish.  

It's funny, but Blow Me One Last Kiss, the album's first single released ahead of the project, was, and still isn't, my favorite song, but that didn't stop me from buying the record when it came out a couple of months later.  I had really started to like P!nk with her previous Funhouse, and so I was excited for this one to be released.  And once I bought it, that was all I played. 

In all, between iTunes bonus tracks and separate Target bonus tracks, there were 17 songs in all on The Truth About Love, and I loved every last one of them.  From hard rocking, in your face tracks like How Come You're Not Here, Slut Like You,  and Timebomb to the heartfelt and beautifully written ballads The Great Escape and Beam Me Up to the seriously serious Try, Where Did the Beat Go and Chaos and Piss, the ever so sweet Just Give Me a Reason and the irresistibly catchy title cut, there's something here for everybody.  I seriously thought she was a shoo-in for the Record of the Year Grammy, but eh, so she didn't get it.   

There was one track in particular on this record that I especially loved, and virtually anyone who knows me will forever associate it with moi.  That is the album's fifth track and sixth single, True Love.  Just scroll down a bit and you'll see just how much I loved this one.  Oh, I haven't posted this in such a long time, so you're in for a treat here...  

Ten Albums That Changed My Life - #2 - Madonna - Madonna

Partially reposted from John'sWorld, August 2nd, 2003.

After playing the heck out of Everybody back in 1982, I welcomed with open ears the then mysterious singer's second, double sided single, Physical Attraction and Burning Up (which was a much more danceable version than the one that was put on the album). My thirst was quenched for a little while longer. Then, the following summer, that album featuring the now iconic platinum blonde posing youngster with the piercing eyes came out and I was simply in heaven! The people in my family can attest that way back then I knew she was something special.

I remember it well.  Crazy Eddie's on Fordham Road in the Bronx.  I hurried up there in between classes at Fordham University, where I was a student at the time.  Even then, the anticipation for more music from this new, largely unknown artist was huge.  I walked into the store and there she was, plastered all over the wall behind the register.  One of her first iconic photos gave us a first glimpse of a person who would rule the world as no woman had ever done before.  My love affair had begun! 

I'd mentioned in yesterday's post that I had become a lover of dancing by that time, and Madonna made me dance and sing...oh, I got up and did my thing for hours on end.  I loved every single second of this record, and by the time her second album debuted, it had to be pushed back because this one was so popular.  And the rest is history...and hugely my story too!  Here's a favorite track off the record, one that made me wish I had taken up professional dancing.  Here's Lucky Star...

Ten Albums That Changed My Life - #1 - diana - Diana Ross

Yesterday, I was nominated on Facebook to post ten albums that changed my life over ten days.  There supposed to be posted without words, but you know me, lol.  In fact, I thought it would be a great idea to share them here, so then I can delve a little deeper. So here goes my first choice...

Back in 1980, I was a shy, chubby sixteen year old who loved rock and hated disco.  One day, I was at the mall, specifically Samm Goody, perusing albums and came across this one, simply named diana.  I took interest at first simply because I was a big KISS fan back in those days and Diana Ross had dated lead member Gene Simmons for a spell around that same time.  I didn't know too much about her (well I actually did know more than I thought), but I knew it was different to the type of music I normally listened to and so I thought, "what the heck!," and bought it.  Little did I know that it would be one monumental purchase!

During the time of this record's release, there were two huge singles which I'm pretty sure most of you know.  Upside Down and I'm Coming Out have since become two of the crowned jewels in Diana Ross' long anthology of classic tunes.  Both songs are vibrant and uplifting, and most of all, they made me want to dance!  I think that from the moment I put the needle to the record, my body started moving involuntarily to the beat and I was definitely hooked!

Now those who know me in real life know that I've got it when it comes to dancing, and this entire album was the spark that ignited that fire.  I soon learned the other gems on the album, like the dance anthem Tenderness, the groove-aliscious My Old Piano, the sultry, sexy Now (That Your Gone), and the defiant Give Up.  Oh, I spent hours listening and dancing to this one, and I even began to lose a little pudge, too!  

I still call Diana Ross my first diva, and she was.  She and this album were an introduction of sorts to what would become the rest of my life.  Within months I had almost her entire collection and this particular record I've owned on cassette and CD, in addition to that original vinyl.  Indeed, the songs on this album and many of Diana Ross' other songs are a special part of the Soundtrack of My Life.  In fact, I foresee a day of listening to Diana all day long tomorrow.  

In the meantime, here's a grainy video of her performing what would eventually become one of the gayest of gay national anthems, I'm Coming Out...

Song of the Day - Lean On Me - Bill Withers

Sometimes in our lives

We all have pain

We all have sorrow

But, if we are wise

We know that there's,

always tomorrow

Lean on me

When you're not strong

And I'll be your friend

I'll help you carry on

For, it won't be long

Till I'm gonna need

Somebody to lean on

By now,, most people have heard about the passing of singer Bill Withers yesterday at the age of 81, so what other song to post today than this one?  Lean On Me is surely his most iconic song, though he had other hits, and it so fits our world, especially today.  I was only 8 years old when this came out and I remember getting goosebumps when I heard it even then, and it still does.  

There are so many people out there who we are all leaning on these days, just to get through this crisis.  We should all be grateful for that.  Without them, life could be a lot worse than it already seems.

Virtually anyone in the medical field...nurses, doctors, EMT's, and even medical clerical staff are all on the front lines of this war against an invisible enemy.  

We lean on them.  

The grocery store, box store and pharmaceutical workers, mail carriers and utility workers, and even restaurant staff who still come to work so we can at least get a meal takeout, risk their own well-being to serve us.  

We lean on them.  

And of course, there are people out there offering whatever help they can give to those in need, neighbors, the elderly, friends and family.  They offer to buy groceries from a trip to the supermarket, cook a homemade meal, provide some company, an ear.  Playing the part of Mr. Withers and offering support to others.  

We lean on them, too!  

The song gives me goosebumps and so do these heroes of today.  In the spirit of this song of humanity and all of these wonderful people, I'd like to offer whatever I can to help you.  So please, if you know me personally, or even if you don't, and if there's anything I can do to help you, I'm telling you to lean on me.

Here's Bill Withers:

Song of the Day - Bird Set Free - Sia

Sometimes you meet a person who touches you in some way or another, and though you may not consider that person a real friend, you are happy that person is there in your life in whatever capacity.  I'm talking about a person who makes you smile when you see them  and who's company you love to be in, no matter what the circumstances.  I think we've all got those kinds of people in our lives, those in the extended family of friends whom we cherish.  I most certainly do, and today's song is dedicated to one such person who has been suffering for a long time and has finally been set free from her pain.  

Though it is a relief that she is gone, her loss is still painful.  My heart goes out to her family, whose own combination of relief and pain must be so hard to deal with.  I only hope that they, too, will find peace in the fact that she is now in a better place and no longer continues to suffer.  May they let go of all of the anguish they've endured at watching her suffer all of these months, and now finally begin the long, slow process of healing.  Rest in peace my friend.  You will be missed!  

Song of the Day - Chiquitita - ABBA

Chiquitita, tell me what's wrong

You're enchained by your own sorrow

In your eyes there is no hope for tomorrow

How I hate to see you like this

There is no way you can deny it

I can see that you're oh so sad, so quiet

On my way home from work yesterday, I put on my ABBA playlist, just because I can never go too long without listening to them, and suddenly this song came on.  I heard it like I've never heard it before.  You see, yesterday was two months since we lost my sister Chrissy and she'd been on my mind all day.  Without even really paying attention or knowing why, I began to cry, and I cried all the way through the song, my sobs ebbing and flowing all the way until the end.  The release was something I needed.

Chiquitita, tell me the truth

I'm a shoulder you can cry on

Your best friend, I'm the one you must rely on

You were always sure of yourself

Now I see you've broken a feather

I hope we can patch it up together

As I moved on through ABBA Gold, a sense of relief came over me.  My heart's been mending and the tears in the car were the first I'd shed for her in a few weeks.  I guess I was afraid the sorrow had dissapated and I admittedly have been feeling somewhat guilty about it.  But it's still there...I'd just put it on the back burner, as I'm supposed to.

Moving on is a conscious decision that needs to be made, because halting one's life entirely is no way to heal.  It's important to keep living, and still equally important to never forget.   My sister lives on in my heart and in my mind, and even though I've been feeling a lot better than I was even a month ago, I know there will be days and moments, like yesterday, that will bring her spirit rushing back and the sorrow will visit me again.  That's how it's supposed to be!  No guilt because there is no reason to feel guilt.  The way I've been dealing with her loss is normal and healthy.

Chiquitita, you and I know

How the heartaches come and they go and the scars they're leaving

You'll be dancing once again and the pain will end

You will have no time for grieving

Chiquitita, you and I cry

But the sun is still in the sky and shining above you

Let me hear you sing once more like you did before

Sing a new song, Chiquitita

Try once more like you did before

Sing a new song, Chiquitita

After listening to a few more songs, I found myself returning to Chiquitita.  As I read through the lyrics this morning, I realized why the tears had come so out of the blue.  Yeah, the sad anniversary brought Chrissy into my consciousness, but it was the lyrics that brought me to the release of my tears.  In many ways, she was Chiquitita, and I know that in many ways she was so sad and so quiet, with little hope for her own tomorrow, but she is dancing once again and her pain is gone.  In a way, that makes me happy.

I love you Chrissy and I miss you! 

  So the walls came tumbling down

And your love's a blown out candle

All is gone and it seems too hard to handle

Chiquitita, tell me the truth

There is no way you can deny it

I see that you're oh so sad, so quiet

A Thanksgiving Song of the Day - Kind and Generous - Natalie Merchant

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  Today is a special day for taking time to appreciate all you've got in life and to not focus on the things that aren't as rosy, so here are some of the things I am thankful for this year:

I am thankful for have my family, a group of people in this world who love me unconditionally and I know will always be there for me.

I am thankful for my other family, my friends, who bring me love, open ears and open minds, and plenty of good times.  

I am thankful to Vinny, who has brought me an unwavering light into my life, someone whom I can call my partner, and someone who's innocence and goodness I cherish.

I am thankful for my students, past and present, my children, who oftentimes give me my reason for being, for showing me their own appreciation, and for being my family during my daily life.

I am thankful for my coworkers, who bring me some solace in the craziness that is my work life.

I am thankful for having the talent and smarts to do a job I was born to do and affords me the ability to experience some of the best life has to offer. 

There, just writing this all down gave me time to think about all of these things that I am lucky to have in my life.  It's just what the doctor ordered.  Happy Thanksgiving! Now, here's a song I post every year on this day, not only because it fits, but because I love it...

A Thanksgiving Eve Song of the Day - Toast To Our Differences - Rudimental

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, as I've written many times before.  It's a time we don't need to worry about buying gifts or rushing to church or decorating the house.  All we need to do, besides cook and eat, is step back, take a look at what we've got in our lives, and be thankful.  Though it seems this year, both as a society and for me personally, it's difficult to weigh through the muck and strife and find things to be thankful for, but they're there.  I'm going to save my personal thanks for the big day tomorrow, but for now, I am thankful for the colors of life, the diversity among us, and like in this song, I want to make a toast to all our differences...

Song of the Day - Almost Home - Sultan + Shepard

I had planned on posting this, one of my favorite songs ever, yesterday, but I never got around to it.  You see, yesterday was a day that had been circled on the calendar for more than three months.  It marked the end of a three-plus month ordeal of the anticipation of taking care of a dental problem I've had for a couple of years.  Alas, as I awoke yesterday morning, when I was "Almost Home," I was too nervous for my 11 a.m. appointment at the dentist and never came back to it afterwards because I was drugged up and in pain. So anyway, here are Sultan + Shepard with an amazing dance song.  Here's Almost Home...

Song of the Day - Beautiful - Christina Aguilera

Today is a special day for me...and for Christina Aguilera, oddly enough.  You see, I read this morning that today is the twentieth anniversary of the release of her eponymous debut album.  I immediately began thinking of posting one of her songs from that album, but none of them markedly fit the day for me.  Besides, I was never really a big fan of Christina until her classic Stripped album three years later.

Today is the very first one-year anniversary I've experienced since 1988, with my ex Joe.  That relationship went to twenty, and I don't think I'll ever reach that milestone again, but in the twelve years since he and I parted ways, I haven't managed any sort of relationship longer than six months...until now.  

For his own privacy, I won't share his name, but today's song surely relates to the significance of our existence as a couple.  You see, it was one year ago today I journeyed over to Cherry Grove on Fire Island with a bunch of friends.  There was this guy I, and a couple of my friends, had noticed all around that afternoon and evening.  He was there alone and he was beautiful.  I tried not to give him one thought, thinking he was just too beautiful to like me.  I was wrong!

At one point later in the evening, I had gotten frustrated with some of my friends and went of to dance on my own.  That was when he jumped in.  I was surprised, and a little suspicious as to why, but we danced and chatted for a long time...and yeah, he was beautiful!  He liked good music and he could dance pretty good, so that was a bonus, but I still wasn't thinking anything about he and I until he asked for my number.

So I gave him my number and we parted ways, running into one another again on the ferry ride back.  I was nursing an inebriated friend, and he was sitting across from me, motioning me over.  I was still surprised that he was interested in me.  That was when I caught another glimpse of him up close, (and he loves this part!), and all I could muster up to say was "You're beautiful!" 

I've learned, though, in the year that has now passed, that though he is still...beautiful...to look at, but he is even more beautiful on the inside.  I've been spending my weekends and occasional evenings...even a week in San Francisco with a person who is kind, considerate, sweet, and oozing with love for others.  So happy anniversary babe!  Here's to us and here's Beautiful...     

Flashback Friday Song of the Day - Cha Cha Slide - Mr. C The Slide Man

A week ago Monday I was in Paris with a bunch of kids from the school I work at.  It was early evening and we were on our way to a restaurant in the Latin Quarter when we came upon a street deejay playing Cardi B's I Like It.  Well, one of the kids, Nick, started jamming out all by his lonesome and when the deejay caught it, he moved on with the music to entice the other kids to join along.  Cha Cha Slide came on and within seconds, thirty-five kids were jamming in unison to the well-known party tune.  Before you knew it, a crowd gathered around and the whole thing turned into a twenty-minute dance fest.  Here's the original Cha Cha...

Here's a little bit of that fun moment...(sorry about the sideways thing!)

A Thanksgiving Song of the Day - Kind and Generous - Natalie Merchant

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  Unlike Christmas, it is not about what I call the 'have to's' of commercialism that have taken away the meaning of that holiday.  No, this day is all about being thankful for what we have in our lives.  Of course, that's not something we should save for just one day of the year because we all have something to be thankful for each and every day, but at least we have this great big reminder.

I've got plenty of things to be thankful for this year.  I've been having an especially good year and I'd like to take a moment here to reflect a little on the things I am grateful for at this moment...

I am grateful to have had the opportunity to be a homeowner for the past twenty years.  Not everyone gets to experience this slice of the American Dream and I consider myself lucky to have had this beautiful house of mine both as a co-owner and for the last ten years as the sole owner.  I'm proud of my home and after today it will now simply be a beautiful memory of my past, and I am thankful.

I am thankful for all of the people in my life.  Of course, I am lucky to still have my mom young and spry as she is, and I'll be celebrating yet another Thanksgiving with her today.  I am grateful for my wonderful circle of friends who are always in y corner no matter what.  It is always a warm feeling when you have people around you who you know enjoy your company and will always have your back.  I am grateful for my students, who are simply extensions of my own family, the many past and present who I have nurtured and developed lifelong bonds with.  I am thankful for the guy I am currently seeing.  He has brought me smiles for just about three months now, and remembering what it's like to have someone out there like that is oh so nice!

Lastly, I am grateful, as I leave this house, that I found such a new and wonderful place to call home.  Though my last moments here on Vernon St. will be sad and reflective, I know that making this new home for myself will be an exciting venture that I hope will be the beginning of an even more vividly beautiful life.

Natalie Merchant's Kind and Generous has been my staple at Thanksgiving for years.  To me, it is the ultimate thank you song and I hope you will click play and listen to the beautiful and gracious words.  Here's Natalie...

  

Song of the Day - I'll Remember - Madonna

It was just recently that I had to be reminded about today.  Not that I forgot, mind you, but I just met a person for whom this day, 17 years ago now, holds a special place in his soul.  Listening to him talk about it reminded me of how I felt that day, and how passionate I was about it in the years that followed.  But as with most things, with time the memories, and the rawness, faded, and this is something that I need to keep alive in my mind somehow, some way.  Never forget!

The kids in my school are among the first generations of people to not have even been born when it happened and I need to remind them today, to talk about it, to make them know what happened on that terrible day in my city.  I'm pretty sure I'm just going to talk about it from my own point of view.  I still remember that day vividly, where I was when it all unfolded, how I personally dealt with the aftermath.  So I take a moment here to remember and never forget the horrible events of September 11th, 2001 with a song...

Here are a few pieces I've written about the day over the years.  I found that reading them really brought it back to life for me and I hope it will for you too.  Please check out one or two of them:

     

Remembering 9/11

How September 11th Impacted My Life

A 9/11 Song of the Day, With Commentary

Working to Remember and Never Forget

Flashback Friday Song of the Day - Last Friday Night - Katy Perry

Two weeks ago today, my friends Amy, Davide and I went to Gibus nightclub in Paris.  It was my first night in a club in years and we partied hard till the dawn during their P!nk vs. Katy Perry party.  It was a Friday night and we had a blast!  Here's Katy Perry...

Song of the Day - Let's Get French - Coco McQueen

Bon jour!  Well I am back from a two-week frolic through Europe and am basking in the afterglow of a most amazing time in Amsterdam, Switzerland and Paris.  Though I'd been to Paris a couple of times before, I've never experienced the real deal, and am now officially in love with the city, its people and culture.  To celebrate the joys of the last few days of my holiday, here's the fun Let's Get French...

Song of the Day - Into the Blue - Kylie Minogue

Well, I am off!  Jetting off to Europe today and I won't be back for a couple of weeks, so this will probably be the last Song of the Day post for awhile.  So I will say goodbye as I head off Into the Blue...

Song of the Day - Feel It Still - Portugal, The Man

Today's post is a kinda I told you so sort of thing.  You see, a few weeks back and within a day or two of one another, two separate friends mentioned how much they loved this song by Portugal, The Man.  Sigh!  I've got a lot of friends who see my Song of the Day posts, yet don't usually check them out.  I first posted this song, excitedly I may add, way back in March, way ahead of its time on the radio.  This wasn't the first time someone has commented on how much they liked a song that I had previously posted.  Ugh!  I was a deejay for 12 years for crying out loud!  I think I know good music when I hear it.  That being said, if any of my friends are reading this, please...pay attention!  Maybe, just maybe, you'll find something you like from me for a change.  Sigh!  Here's Feel It Still...  

Express Yourself

Note: I have duplicated this post on both John's World and John's Music World, as it relates not only to music, in this case Madonna's Express Yourself, but of my own personal view of the many protests that occurred yesterday.  After not paying any attention to politics for the last 8 years (I simply couldn't deal with all of the crap being said about Obama, as well as the unprecedented obstruction heaped upon him by Congress), I now find myself in the state of mind that I need to speak, and starting with this post, I will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.  

Madonna gave a live performance of this song yesterday, somewhere in D.C., where hundreds of thousands of people were practicing democracy and expressing themselves.  Though she's already been maligned for dropping a few f-bombs directed at our new President while speaking to the crowd, she was practicing the very fundamentals that Trump himself called for during his inauguration speech on Friday...

We must speak our minds openly, debate our disagreements honestly, but always pursue solidarity.

New York City

Madonna and those accompanying her in Washington were not the only ones practicing democracy yesterday.  In all, an estimated 4.6 million women and their allies demonstrated in approximately 670 cities not only here in the U.S., but across the globe (Reuters, politicususa).  People from all walks of life came out en force in places like Chicago (125K), Los Angeles (750K), New York (400K), Boston (250K), Denver (200K), Seattle, Austin, Atlanta, in cities across Asia, Europe, South America and Australia. The list goes on and on.  It was by far the largest protest of any kind in history.

Los Angeles 

Throughout the day the protests were pretty much ignored by Trump and his people.  It wasn't until this morning that he even mentioned it, of course on Twitter, and of course chiding one of his named groups of adversaries...celebrities:

Watched protests yesterday but was under the impression that we just had an election! Why didn't these people vote? Celebs hurt cause badly.

In his defense, though, Mr. Trump added a positive spin just a couple of hours later...

Peaceful protests are a hallmark of our democracy. Even if I don't always agree, I recognize the rights of people to express their views.

Philadelphia

Now I could go on and on about how many of his supporters took to social media to express their dismay and oftentimes outrage over the protests, but that could take awhile.  All you have to do is look to see.  Just as the protesters did yesterday in expressing themselves, so too, do the maligners have the same right.  I just happen to disagree with their assertion that all of these millions of people are simply sore losers who are whining and pouting that they lost the election.  I like to think that I am one of them, even though I regrettably did not take part yesterday.

I accept, as do many of them have accepted, that Donald J. Trump is the President of the United States, and I want him to do well for all of our sakes, but we do have a right to be concerned.  With all that we have seen and heard, and no, not from the "evil" news media, but from the lips of Mr. Trump himself, time and time again, things do not look good.

Mr. Trump's own words have helped widen this divide that we've been slipping into for years now, and for him to stand there on Friday, in front of four former Presidents of both parties, to tell us that this country is full of "carnage" and needs to be fixed only the way he can fix it, to me took a lot of nerve.  His campaign slogan, "Make America Great Again," implies that somehow we stopped being great.  I just don't believe that!  Just take a look at the following graphic:

Regardless of the source, these numbers represent truths.  I don't for the life of me see how they reflect an America that's not great.  Trump supporters like to say that now we're going to know how they felt for the last 8 years.  My question to them is, Do you have amnesia?  Look at the numbers from 2009, when President Obama first took office.  That was the culmination of a different 8 years, where two wars were fought, one under the pretext of the one of the biggest lies ever told, complete enrichment of the oligarchy (remember Halliburton?), and the worst economic times we've faced since the Great Depression.  It's funny that I never ever hear the name Bush come up in any conversation.  Make America Great Again?  Obama did that!

And now we have the promise of more division for at least the next four years as Trump and his largely unqualified collection of billionaires in his Cabinet will methodically dismantle all that Obama has done.  It has already begun with the push to repeal Obamacare.  Just like in the past, we believe that you voted against your own best interests and don't even know it.  That's what has been blatantly shocking about this whole thing.  But that's just how we think and only time will tell. To all of you Trumpys out there, I sincerely hope I am wrong.  Maybe, just maybe, Mr. Trump will work to Keep America Great, but I, and the millions who marched yesterday, do have cause for concern.

Atlanta

Trump said on Friday that he was giving government back to the people.  Yesterday, the people spoke.  They used their voices like so many before them in the times of the Vietnam War and Civil Rights and they spoke.  Loudly.  If I could turn back time just one day, I would have been in New York City with my fellow concerned citizens.  I am proud of those who came out in solidarity and I am proud of them and this country, and for the next four years, we will be watching and expressing ourselves.

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*Check out an impressive photo essay on the Women's Marches held throughout the world yesterday on NYTimes. 

Song of the Day - Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You) - Kelly Clarkson

God, it's been so long since I've posted anything by Kelly Clarkson!  This is why I love music so, though.  You see, this has been a really tough week here in these parts.  My furnace went kaput on Saturday and I was without heat in my house for a full four days.  Ugh, right?  Yeah, well the ordeal isn't over as there may be more to come from that situation (Oh, I am so due for a John's World post!).  

Anyway, back to loving music.  For the past few days, I've found plenty of songs to go with this winter lament, and yesterday I was finally able to post a song that I was really happy to post...Glen Frey's The Heat Is On.  Well, in the two days since I've gotten heat, things have not looked much better/  My pants ripped in class today (a bad one!) and I also am the proud owner of a cracked windshield (Thank you Mr. Truck, for spilling all of those rocks onto Sunrise Highway!).  

So now I found another song to fit my life, and it's Kelly's Stronger.  The way I look at it is, yeah, so I've had a few problems, major ones, but I will get through them and come out for the better in the end.  If I don't look at it that way, then really, what's the sense?  Thanks Kelly!  Enjoy Stronger... 

Song of the Day - The Heat Is On - Glenn Frey

Four days, no heat in my house, but finally, now that the outside temps have raised, my furnace is finally fixed.  Ugh! (Sorry about the Spanish subtitles...just the way my week is going!)