Another poem

5 Favorite Grammy Performances

I couldn't let the Grammys come and go without sharing my 5 favorite performances from Grammys past. These are all moments I can remember loving while watching live and that have stuck with me over the years. I'm hoping for a few more performances this year to rival these wonderful memories. C'mon , Adele!

#5 - Mariah Carey - Vision of Love

This isn't the strongest vocal from Mariah and she's visibly nervous. This was her first Grammys and I can only imagine what it would be like for a new artist to perform in front of the global audience. She's almost unrecognizable from the Mariah of 2012 - physically and vocally - but her sense of humor was there from the start. At the end of the performance, the look she gives the dress strap that kept slipping off her shoulder cracks me up. This is the Mariah that I adore.

#4 - Melissa Etheridge and Joss Stone - Cry Baby/Piece of My Heart

At the start of this performance, I was looking forward to Joss Stone, who I have liked from the start of her career. Not that I didn't like Melissa, but I wasn't as excited about her. But when she came out and started Piece of My Heart (one of my favorite songs ever), I may or may not have popped up off the couch and screamed "You better sing, b----!!" - and she did.

#3 - Aretha Franklin - Nessun Dorma

Filling in for an ill Pavarotti at the last minute, Aretha ignited the crowd with a unique and soulful take of this aria by Puccini. This is a legendary moment in an even more legendary career. She keeps promising an entire album of operatic covers, and maybe someday it will happen.

#2 - Pink - Glitter in The Air

This was only 2 years ago, but it has become one of the most memorable performances of all time. When watching this live, it was so unusual and unexpected that it took my breath away. Watching it now, even knowing what is to come, it's like watching a dream unfold. Not long after this performance, Pink injured herself recreating it for her tour, falling on a crowd divider and requiring a trip the the ER. The mix of beauty and danger is hypnotic. 

#1 - Deniece Williams - God is Amazing

Best known for the pop hit "Let's Hear It For The Boy" from Footloose, Deniece Williams is a stunning vocalist. She defied the wishes of her PR team to perform this gospel song - they wanted her to instead sing her current single. The audience is in the palm of her hand and she takes them to church. Remember that this is a live a capella performance - who would dare this today with the world watching? Furthermore, who can even sing like this today? I will trade all the Katy Perrys, Keshas (I refuse to type the ridiculous "$"), and J-Los for another Deniece Williams. But sadly, there can only be one. 

I remember watching this in 1985 and being overcome with emotion. It wasn't religious fervor but a  kind of musical madness that swept over me. I link this moment with the start of my fondness for the soprano voice. This performance also cemented my love for R&B and gospel music. I could watch this constantly and have heard it a million times now -the audio track is even included on one of her best-of CDs - perhaps the finest live vocal performance I've seen. I have a joke with a old friend -we say that the four things you must do while singing to get the audience to like you are: go low, go high, repeat things, and get loud. She is teaching a master class in this method.

New Release Tuesday

Some great new things this week!

1)  Kelly Clarkson has a new CD out - not her strongest effort im my opinion but a good album from Kelly is better than most others these day. The highlight for me is a bonus track on the iTunes Deluxe edition called "Why Don't You Try" that sounds like it was ripped from the Aretha Franklin songbook. Here's a live performance of it -

2)  She & Him is a guitar/vocal duo with a unique sound. The "She" is Zooey Deschanel, movie and TV star, and I really enjoy her voice. Their new CD is Christmas-themed and they cover many of the usual suspects. Here's "Blue Christmas" - 

3) I'm not a big Puccini fan, but I do enjoy the music from Tosca. Here's a great rendition of the aria E lucevan le stelle by Joseph Calleja - 

4) Jay Brannan is am indie singer/songwriter that really should be at the top of the charts. I love his new song, Greatest Hits, because when read on their own the lyrics are like a poem. I'm copying them underneath if you want to follow along. 

to bitter from sweet
like liquid to concrete
it's tough to digest
life rips through your chest
and just takes a heartbeat

you can't check your pain
aboard the shame train
and maybe i'm out of line
but if you show me yours
i'll sing you mine

[chorus:]
a punch in the gut
some black 'round the eye
there's red from my lips
and i'm asking god why
there's a bump on my head
and a hole in my heart
if there's one thing i've learned, it's
that these are my greatest hits

i don't sing for the rainbow
cuz i taste the rain
they spit "cheer up" and they scoff
i laugh "cheer down or fuck off"
then get roughed up against the grain

you may never be happy
and i still see your worth
someday we'll be less miserable
we'll dye our heads invisible
wrapped up in robes not of this earth
not of this earth
not of this earth
not of this earth

[chorus]

would you read a book if somebody took out all the good pages?
so we did some drugs, gave out some hugs, rattled a few cages
have you made mistakes, let off the brakes? confess uncleanliness
not to feel bad about but to embrace your humanness

[chorus]

Last but not least - THE ZOMBIES ARE COMING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My age on Mars is 21 and that's good enough for me

"Being this side of 40 feels like what I should have felt being this side of 25: in my body, in my heart, happy with my life, and OK with whatever bumps in the road present themselves." - Jennifer Aniston

"Bullshit, Rachel." - Michael Hall

Your age on other worlds

It's been almost 6 weeks since I turned 40 and I think I've finally wrapped my head around it. I tried to avoid the thought of it, as if that might keep it from being real, but having to also get a new driver's license last month really drove it home. Now the picture in my wallet matches what I look like today, for better or worse. However, for the first time in decades, the weight on the card is the truth and not my best guess or wishful thinking., so there's a plus.

I'm not sure if it bugs me to be 40 or if it bugs me to read what other people think of being 40. 

For example:

Let's face it, after 40 you're past it

Of course, this article is talking about writers, but if a writer (who isn't exactly a celebrity and doesn't have to be camera ready or even attractive) can't find success at age 40 or older, then who can? Luckily, I was not the only one to think of that - here's a great rebuttal:

41 Over 40

So if Alex Haley can hit it out out the ballpark with his first book Roots at the age of 56, I guess I have a few more good years ahead. And if I miss that deadline, don't forget Grandma Moses, who became the darling of the art world in her late 70's. Just one thing - please don't call me Grandpa Mickey, or I might throw my walker at you.

Not-So-Extreme Couponing

If you've seen the Extreme Couponing series on TLC, you probably wonder how realistic the actual shopping trips are - sometimes these couponers end up with hundreds of dollars of groceries for under $10, or even for free! In my experience, those kinds of savings are nearly impossible without a lot of time and energy devoted to gathering, clipping, and sorting many coupons, as well as hours of research and planning. 

However, with minimal effort and time spent, you can easily cut a shopping order in half. I get three papers each Sunday, so I have three sets of circulars at my disposal. I save these together by date - in fact, Maggie's sharp eyes have spotted the stacks in some kitty pictures I posted on Facebook. I also save any coupns that come my way in magazines or inside product packaging, just in case.

There are tons of coupon websites that do all the research for you and post the deals, listed by store, as items go on sale or new coupons are released. The ones I find most useful are:

Couponing 101 and The Krazy Coupon Lady for national chains

Giant Eagle Deals and Saving in Akron for more localized information

Of course, there are a million others that you may find are better for you and your needs and geographic area. 

I've gotten many commonly used items for free - cat food, toothpaste, shampoo/hair care items, even skin care and cosmetic products. There's about 20 bottles of body wash as well as many toothpastes and deodorants  floating around in various cupboards throughout the house. These are items that will get used eventually and do not expire for many years. Of course, lots of store shelves are empty by the time I show up, but I have enough success to make it worthwhile and keep it fun too.

I check the websites once a day - it takes maybe 5 minutes, if that - and gather any coupons that look worthwhile. I live within 2 miles of just about every store you can imagine, so it's easy to stop by and pick up the best deals. Here's what I went shopping for tonight:

2 toothbrushes - these really should be replaced fairly often

Coffee - my mom likes a cup every now and then

Cranberry juice - also for my mom

Toilet bowl cleaner - I wanted to try the new Scrubbing Bubbles One Step kit and I had a high-value coupon

An all-purpose seasoning - I like these for finishing a dish before serving or on salads and in canned soups for an extra kick

...and some Breathe Right strips - I don't need these but with coupons, the store will pay me to take them, so why not?

Here is what I brought home:

And here is the receipt for the transaction:

As you can see, the total dropped from $21.59 (pre-tax) to $9.09 (pre-tax) or $10.09 after tax. It's like I paid full price for the Scrubbing Bubbles kit and everything was free. I had three coupons for $1.50 off Breathe Right strips (10 pack or smaller), and was lucky enough to find sample packs for 97 cents each. Walmart is one of the few stores to allow overages, meaning they honor the full amount of the coupon regardless if the price paid for the item is less. In this case, they paid me $1.59 to take the strips home. 

Bonus saving - My debit card (from a free account, by the way) gives me 1% back every month on any signature-required purchase. In this case, that's 10 cents. Not much, but because I use it almost exclusively for every payment, it comes to $30-40 dollars each month. Every little bit helps!

So while it's not always a million dollars worth of groceries for 42 cents, there are ways to coupon in a casual manner and save a little money each time. Don't throw those circulars away - try it and see for yourself!

From The Kitchen Of ... Me!

Two standout recipes this week - yesterday I made Pork Chops Hongroise with herbed noodles and green beans, and today's dinner was Red Wine Crockpot Roast with mashed potatoes and corn.

The Pork Chops Hongroise was my favorite of the two - I highly recommend it if you like paprika (which I do)! I made it as instructed by the recipe, with one exception - I broiled the pork chops for a minute on each side at the end, for a little bit more color. The sauce was delicious but you may need to add more salt to taste.

The Red Wine Crockpot Roast was super easy, as usual for slow cooker recipes. I used a cheap red wine - there is never a need to use cooking wine, it's really just oversalted swill and is normally higher in price than a budget drinking wine, plus you have the leftovers for later. The sauce did not thicken up like a gravy, but more like au jus (as mentioned in the recipe) but it was very flavorful and went well with the mashed potatoes. I did add a bit more salt to this at the end, as the meat had soaked up the original amount added.

Scarf - what an odd word...

It's getting to be scarf weather, but sometimes they can be tiresome and simply in the way. I just love this fun and informative video that offers a lot of variations on the basic hang-it-around-your-neck option.