Another rainy day... but, I like rain better than the endless never melting 6 month long snow of Germany...

Not much is going on in my life- thus nothing to write about.  I am just trying to make it through the days and get everything done.  I try to go to work a couple of hours early so that I can do some things before the children come to school at 8am.  I leave after work and go to physical therapy for 3 hours and I get home with about an hour to an hour and 30 minutes before it is bedtime... to just do it all over again.   My knee still hurts A LOT!   I know it is because, I'm standing on it too much, doing too much.. but, hey.. no choice when you live alone and are the only one working.   I'm out of sick leave and was already out of sick leave and not being paid when I got back to Italy-- so, I really don't have a choice.   It's the way life is sometimes.   That's when being a grown-up isn't always as much fun as you thought it looked like when you were a kid.    No time for knitting.  (Oh, I see that my blogger is going to do the 'you can't make paragraphs' hissy fit again?   Please forgive me for the 'run together' sentences- I can't do anything about it.)     I go off base to an Italian physical therapy place.  It's interesting the differences between the place that I went to in the states and here.  Some things are the same and in some ways they 'baby' you way more here.  I was surprised about that.  My knee is able to be 'straight' much more than it was a month ago.  I'm proud of that.  I can now walk 'up' stairs in a normal way.  Going downstairs is still done the way that little kids do it- with the same foot leading on each step.  It's not safe any other way at this point.  It will come in time though.   I had no idea that a 'knee replacement' changed things this much.   It's been a learning experience.  I am looking forward to being able to 'walk' at my normal pace again.  I was not a slow rambling walker. Ok, it seems that I can at least 'number' my paragraphs (to a degree) and that at least can break up the sentences making it easier to read.   I did buy some new yarn the other day.   Yes, the person who went a month in 'no pay' status... bought new yarn.   Sigh.   Oh well, I haven't bought anything since I got back except for:  food, gasoline, and paying for my physical therapy sessions.   A question for you.  Do you mostly like rainy days?  Or do rainy days make you remember sad times?  Or Make you wish that you had other things to do?  I sometimes think that 'everyone else' has all of these wonderful home moments... you know like on the commercials... putting puzzles together around the fireplace, wrapped in afghans, laughing/joking with each other, smiles across the room, and drinking hot chocolate with their nearest and dearest around them.   The truth is... there is probably either people at home alone (like me) with house cleaning and laundry that needs to be done or in a house full of people... with loud tv's blaring from the other room, kids throwing toys at each other, people wrapped in their own thoughts... wishing that they also had something fun to do -- just like me.  What songs do you like to listen to on rainy days?  Here's one you might not have ever heard.  I found this song (album:  Face Up in the Rain) when I was living in the Philippines in 1990.  I saw the CD and read the song titles and bought it-- having never have heard this guy's name.   I was quite pleased with my 'mystery' album/cd.   The guy had a nice voice and wrote this song and many others on the CD.  His name is:  Michael Tomlinson Here are the song lyrics and I'll try to find a youtube video of the song.  If you go to this website you can hear the song:  (click on the listen button) I've Got Dreams (name of song) http://www.michaeltomlinson.com/face/face04.htm

I Can Name that tune in.... uh, 3 minutes?

I've  been listening to this 'Music CD Collection'....  I got it several years ago when I bought it from this guy selling them on the subway in Seoul, South Korea.   

I was innocently minding my own business... thinking about how many stops were left before my destination.   When, suddenly a guy comes though the opened door, sets up his 'shop' (a portable CD player and a box of CDs) and proceeds to turn is boom box on playing snippets of various songs.   He speaks some (in Korean of course) and plays another song selection.   This repeats for a few minutes and then he bows and offers up the CD's for sale.   *Just like those late night tv commercials in the states... except for the 'bowing of course'....   How could I resist?  The collection is of 8 different CD's all by the original artists.   I don't remember the price... but, it was DIRT CHEAP!   

I have to admit that during my first time to work in Seoul, South Korea... that I had purchased the same sort of item in Cassette tape form.  (Probably the same guy?)    I had never listened to any of these CD's all the way though.  I just like to support the 'little guy' trying to earn an honest living and anytime anyone was selling something that 'I would actually use/want' ... I would buy it.   Even if it was a package of Korean envelopes.  *They don't come with glue on the envelope flaps. 

So, the other day, while arranging the music collection, (uh, putting it up after I found some more music cd's in a box that I unpacked.)  I decided to put this in my Jeep and listen to it on the way to/ from work.

Now, while the songs are all by the original artists... the collection of music is shall we say ... like a 'shuffle mix' that probably NO ONE in the world would actually own all of these songs in one music collection.  *OF course... there is one person:  ME!!!   ha ha

The combination is strange.   Some are big hit songs... "Walking on Sunshine" (hit from the 70's or 80's) and some songs... remind me of music that my grandfather would have played on his guitar with his friends and my uncles when I was a child.   SOME old stuff.   Some things are either the 'B SIDE' songs or maybe... I just didn't know the music...because there is such an odd mix of music... it's fun because you just never know what song is coming to play next.    A lot of the songs- I haven't heard in years... and don't tend to be the ones selected to be put on those Music CD collections that represent certain eras... like "Hits from the 70's" and the such.   Even if they were playing on the radio a lot.

I like a variety of music and it's been so much fun listening to these songs on my drive to/from work.

Today, I heard one of my favorite songs... a slow dancing song... (of which I haven't had a chance to do in years; sad to say)... "Stand by Your Man" or as a date told me once as we get up to go dance to that song ... that's a "BELLY RUBBING SONG"... When I gave him a quizzed look he said... "You can slow dance... real slow and close and NO BODY minds or thinks you are pushing the limits."


If you click on the photo- you can see a larger image and can maybe read the songs.   Do you recognize any of the songs?

Oh, I can't wait to get to Volume 6... I see another song that I really like:  Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

ooh... baby... another slow dancing song... too bad... there is nobody here to dance with me right now.