Mr. Jones and me...

An obvious title for the post, I know, but I just had to do it...you'll see why in a minute. At the behest of my dear friend Dr. (aka "Amy") Canida I have decided to join the 21st century and blog. That is to say, I will blog tonight and probably forget to blog again for the foreseeable future...or I'll become completely obsessed with listening to myself write and do it every day until someone stops me! (Btw I tried to upload the live performance of Mr. Jones but to no avail. Sad face).

In the not-so-distant-past I had the pleasure of meeting the Crows...this is short-hand for what we in-the-know call the Counting Crows. The Crows were nice, old men who happen to put on one heck of a live show. I suppose mid to late 40s isn't all THAT old but compared to me it's pretty ancient. That being said, I found myself lusting after Adam whilst he performed...some sort of rockstar voodoo spell he put on me I guess (or I was horny and drunk/high from second-hand pot smoke?)...no no it must surely be the first reason I gave. It was somewhat disconcerting because, honestly, he's not my type and by that I mean the dreds totes disgust me. How does one keep dreds clean? Do dreds smell? How often is one supposed to change ones dreds? Perhaps sans dreds he might be a decent looking guy? Having to tell him this clearly broke his heart. As you can see in the picture the sexual tension is palpable. Me with my stunningly beautiful hair, sun-kissed skin, UCO t-shirt and bug-eye sunglasses; him with his dreds. A match made in heaven for sure. I had to play it cool and not ask them if they knew Justin or Britney because I thought I might get stoned by the other "fans" in attendance.

It's really a wonder I made it to the soundcheck/meet-and-greet on account of my friend Kim is a crazy ass driver, even in a late-model Mitsubishi! Girlfriend should definitely not be allowed to drive on city streets. The Mitsubishi, whom we lovingly named Marva Jo after an old lady I met in the Denver airport while waiting for my luggage, had very little get-up-and-go. Despite this, Kim managed to "punch it" more often than not leaving me clutching the seat and double checking the tightness of my seatbelt. Kim insisted she was a good driver and it'd been years since she'd even gotten a ticket. I think she was lying. To make matters worse the venue for the concert was in a lovely mountainous setting complete with red rock formations and winding roads with steep drop-offs. Poor Marva Jo and I were at the mercy of a madwoman so we turned up the music and tried to think happy thoughts.

The rest of the trip was fairly uneventful, although I do love Denver and the State of Colorado as a whole. The weather was lovely, the people are nice and the scenery is always gorgeous. Add in a few super-tacky souvenir shops and you've got the perfect city! Oh and some french food from a french restaurant in DIA. Yep, that's the first place I thought of for delish melted brie and fresh fruit. Trust.

"I don't know that guy but he's fine..."

It occurred to me as I was driving to Manahattan, KS this past weekend for Homecoming/Halloween that my followers, if I were to have any, would know nothing about me. What is a blog without an identifiable blogger; someone you can relate to? Who on earth is this "Rhythm Kation" and why is her name Rhythm Kation? The short answer...we all had nicknames in high school that related our given name to some sort of a party or party theme. My friend Elise was not her usual sober and low self (read: drunk and high) and she blurted this nickname out one night. It stuck. Well, it stuck with me anyway. I think I'm the only person who uses the name on occasion. Nonetheless, it is the name I'll shall use to blog mostly because I haven't yet come up with another creative and clever name to use as my blog name.

Okay enough about me and on to the weekend...Manhattan, KS: The Little Apple. It's such a glorious place especially now that it has some of the comforts of a real city like a Best Buy and Olive Garden. Somehow when I went there I didn't really miss those things but now that they, along with other big city creature comforts, litter the landscape I consider Manhattan to officially be on the map. Honestly, as long as So Long Saloon and Aggieville don't disappear, I could care less what else pops up in what the locals call Man-happenin'. Aggieville is like no other place on earth. Dirty, old, smelly bars each with their own version of bar food and special drinks. It's a smorgasbord of fishbowls, fishtanks, $3 pounders, grillie cheesys, fried pickles, cheap chinese, sweet potato fries and, in the case of this weekend, crazy and elaborate costumes. Oddly enough the most-seen costume of the night was a banana. Sometimes there was a monkey in tow but usually it was just the banana walking down the street in all his banana glory. I know you're hoping for a description and picture of my costume but I can never come up with anything I deem creative and original enough to wear by the time Halloween gets here. I know it's the same time every year but without fail it sneaks up on me. I always say "next year" and "next year" gets here and I got squat. This year my group and I went as undergrads - a last minute attempt at fitting in with the masses. I think this was supposed to inspire us to last into the wee hours of the night and drink like we just turned 21. Instead, we were all spent by about 11:00 but continued on thinking that's what everyone else wanted to do. We made our way from bar to bar so our pre-Aggieville, post-game decision to go on a pub crawl remained intact.

Since I started this blog entry over a year ago fast forward to 2012. It took me a minute to remember what the heck I was talking about in the title but then it came to me! I have a vague recollection of leaving the liquor store after having left the bar and then returning to the bar and walking past a guy. I don't remember his name since this was over a year ago, for now we'll call him Paul. Anyway, apparently in my drunken haze I felt that he was "fine." Yes, I do believe I used that specific word and I also believe I said, rather loudly, that I didn't know who he was but nevertheless proceeded to make out with him. A proud moment indeed as I look back and reflect. At some point, Paul and I parted ways - so sad. I believe this parting of the ways came when I decided I was bored and missed my friends, "stole" a bicycle from behind some house and rode it back to Aggieville. Fail. I don't recall if the bike made it back to anywhere but I'm fairly certain I reconnected with my posse and returned home no worse for the wear.

I have been back to Manhattan since this particular visit and remain enamored with the town. It seems as though, for me, it's like a mini-Las Vegas in that each trip is different but also very much the same. In other words, I'm schwasted before the sun sets on the first night, have lost my voice and have removed one or both shoes in an attempt to delay the inevitable face plant in the middle of the street. When I don't go to Manhattan on a yearly adventure I feel there's a void. The friends I laugh so hard with my face hurts and who remind me of classic memories from days gone by somehow seem closer even if I only see them once a year. Perhaps I'll go to Manhattan for homecoming again this year?! I think it's high time I get back there lest they forget me and my crazy ways.

A blog post a day keeps the work away...or something like that

Day 1, Blog 1. I'm new to this but I think I'll get the hang of it soon. I suppose finding a point of focus or general topic to blog about would be goal #1?

I recently purchased a smart car. Not a car that's smart in brains and wit but an actual smart brand car; the little tiny things we Americans liken to go-karts or those red and yellow Fisher Price cars we drove as children. Across the pond they're probably the cool thing to have and can be totally customized and decked out to suit your individual wants and needs - think specialized golf carts but street friendly and safer, though by the narrowest of margins if it weren't for that "Tridon Safety Cell" (in your choice of two colors no less)! It's still such a new concept here that I'm constantly getting looks, smiles, points and hollers when driving. Parents, without fail, eagerly drag their children towards it noting a perfect size-to-height-to-weight ratio. "Look at that car, buddy, it's perfect for you! You could totally drive this car." In all actuality, they probably could given the advances in children's toys. I'm referring to Power Wheels. Where the hell were Power Wheels when I was young enough and light enough to enjoy them?! We had to power the wheels ourselves, forget an electric engine. If you got tired of "Fred Flinstone-ing" it, you just had to stop and wait until the feeling in your feet and legs returned or your tiny passenger volunteered to take over for awhile. Ironically, I think I'd have to resort to Fred's method again should the smart ever break down. In theory, it seems like it might work and be a faster solution to my problem than waiting for AAA to arrive.

Perhaps owning a smart car is my attempt to regain some of my youth and the chance to own my own Power Wheels. It's definitely not as cool as a Hummer or Corvette but it does come with heated seats and a powerful, yet eco-friendly engine. Hearing and feeling the roar of the engine when you first turn it on never gets old. It settles in to a quiet purr and shoots to 60 mph in under 1 minute! I don't even bother street racing because I know I'd leave my competitors in the dust. I'll occasionally humor an old person looking for some excitement and to liven up their daily routine but I always feel a bit remorseful after having smoked them off the line. I chalk it up to pure horsepower and the fine craftsmanship of the smart, not delayed reflexes and age.

Sadly, the smart is not turnpike/tollway or interstate friendly, especially when there's a chance of wind as there often is in Oklahoma...and the world. Tack on the fact that the designers and engineers decided power steering and cruise control were unnecessary and a luxury to be envied by all and enjoyed by none and you've got one hell of a road trip on your hands. They must have known wind would be a issue and factored its affect on the vehicle into the final size of the smart. If it weren't for the teeny tiny-ness of the smart my recent road trip to Tulsa would've been a lot more interesting, and not in a good way. I was all over my lane! A gust of wind here, a semi's back-draft there. It was like a mini-obstacle course just for me with dotted white lines that were a mere suggestion for where each lane should be. My hands remained at the 10 and 2 o'clock position for fear of suddenly taking flight upon a strong gust. Short breaks were few and far between but, if planned correctly, could offer a significant advantage in my pursuit of glory in outmaneuvering this obstacle course. A break gave me time to plan my next move and find the next semi-truck and wedge myself between it and the retaining wall thus defeating my opponent, the wind, yet again. I highly recommend incorporating a smart-based, high-speed driving test for those obtaining their driver's license for the first time. This was much more challenging than any parallel park test or written examination. Add a grumpy, old DMV employee and you've got a test that very few stand the chance of passing. I know I'd feel better if about half the drivers on the road today simply weren't there anymore. It would cut down on commute times and traffic.

Alas, my first blog has come to a close. I could probably ramble on for a few more minutes but I think I then run the risk of no longer being considered a blogger and be more of a novelist and author. I'm not quite ready for that but, make a note, I'm fully prepared to write a book and make a movie at a later date. Let's give it some time, though.

Cheers.