The Arrival of Fall

The Arrival of Fall
Brings forth change
A change of season
Of summer moving to fall
A change of scenery
From leaves of green
To leaves of golden brown
A change of the spirit
A chance to reflect
On times gone past
And those still to come

© Amy Lynn 2001

Honey, I'm Back!!!

*Grabs broom*

Goes to sweeping up the place... *cough cough*

I got side-tracked it seems which for me is not too hard to do. ;-)

Will have to perform a resurrection...

Merc

Random Travels & Other Things...

It's been an interesting week.

It started last Sunday morning with me deciding instead of going to church as I normally do taking a brief road trip into Oklahoma in search of the "Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa". Actually it's not 'IN'  Tulsa but just right outside of it in Catoosa,OK but who cares... *details,details ;-) *  The reason I needed to locate this place is because Duran Duran are playing a gig there on August 15th & I gots me a FREAKIN' ticket!! *Hell Yeah! Big shout-out & much thanks/love to Miss Marie... it was 1 of my bday presents :-D *

Just a brief history lesson: Both of my parents and quite a number of my relatives were either born in, raised in and/or live in Oklahoma so I know some parts of the state well. *this comes in handy later on... well, sort of ;-) * 

Do you know where we are?...

Now I'm fairly good with getting to the places I need to go & know where I'm going most of the times anyhow... I've NEVER been to Tulsa, *well, scratch that* I HAVE been to Tulsa lots of times to visit my grandparent's but I've never actually DRIVEN in or to there before. I figured that it wouldn't be TOO hard of a drive but I ended up getting lost 3 times *technically 2 cause i missed a blasted turn that i KNEW i should've made but oh well...* 

I started my car, popped a DD cd in the player *had to have some driving music, ya know... ;-) * & headed out toward Grove, OK. The drive started well enough & went fine 'n dandy UNTIL I was suppose to make a turn left and head to Afton. Instead, I messed up and turned right(1st mistake) ended up clear to Bluejacket, OK . *WAY off course*

I did know better than to do that *No, really I did... ;-) * but that turn off to Afton is tricky & I guess I wasn't paying close enough attention. Anyhow, I turned around in Bluejacket, left there & got back on the right road again... So, I made it through Afton(finally) and headed toward Vinita. That's when I got so lost I'm surprised I EVER made it out. Some blasted way I got turned around and was going north when I should've been going west. Long story short... I FINALLY figured out which way I was suppose to go to get to Chelsea, OK. 

I was headed toward the right direction and made it ALL the way to Claremore *which is about half way to Catoosa or a bit more* when I decided I had had enough driving/getting lost/frustration that I turned around and headed home where I once again got turned up-side-down in Vinita and took me forever it seemed to get myself home. 

I DID get home that day.... I know some are probably wondering why I just didn't take the Turnpike to get there & the reason for this is because I don't want to: A.) not too comfortable w/ getting on & driving it & B.)  having to pay the blasted toll booths

Spinning a compass to choose your way...

On Wednesday(this past one), I decided that I try once again to see if I could find that blasted venue. I started & off I went. This time I made it ALL the way to the place with no problems whatsoever. *score :D * Didn't get lost once. *go figure*

I am WAY psyched for my Duran show to get here. Don't know quite what to expect seeing as how I've NEVER seen Duran Duran play live before. I do have a few songs that I want(and if I don't get 'em then they can't leave until they play 'em... you hear that JT! ;) )

I also am the proud new owner of a smartphone that has GPS... which I may need before this coming week is over with. :) I'm gonna try n take as many pics as I can possibly get away with too(let's just hope they turn out decent *fingers crossed*)

~Merc

short n sweet...

Decided I'd share a poem I wrote awhile back...  enjoy. :-)

Merc


"Past, Present, Future... "

The ghosts of my past
Haunt reality's present
Awaiting the cast
To a grave accent
Of future's line of descent
A spiraling mess

© Amy H 2005

Ordinary World

*Just a Note: This was suppose to be posted on and for July 20th but I had a hard to finding just the right words to express how I was feeling/felt so it's a little late.*

But I won't cry for yesterday... There's an ordinary world...

Somehow I have to find... And as I try to make my way... 

To the ordinary world... I will learn to survive...

My birthday was yesterday(on the 19th) & has become for me now a bitter-sweet affair. It's been 2 years since my 'Ordinary World' was turned up-side down on it's axis... I'm still trying to get my bearings straightened out. I'm never quite sure where this road/path is ever going... but we shall see. I have a special song for today & it's 'Ordinary World' by Duran Duran. "Why that song on this day?..." well, you'll have to just read on about it to find out. Never did I think or ever consider that there would be a day where this song would resonate so strongly with me. I mean, I have ALWAYS loved it & thought it was a well-crafted pop song. And now it has alot deeper meaning for me.

Still I can't escape the ghost of you...

Having such a good memory is often a blessing but sometimes it's a curse... 

I remember what happened as if it had occured today. It started with a party to celebrate life & ended with an unexpected good-bye. For my bday in 2010, I threw a little get together with friends/family. All was fine & dandy(or so I thought)everybody had a great time... my Dad shot off a firework that nearly took my head off (it was by accident, honest ;)). Lots of laughs were had, I got my favorite pizza plus a bday cake.What could be any better?.... When the next day rolled around, it started out as any other normal day. What I did not know was that that would be the VERY last day I would ever see my father.

 

My Dad died suddenly on the 20th of July. So this day has not been easy for me. :-( 

*i love you daddy*

For my Dad's funeral, I chose 3 songs that were to be played during the service. The 1st being "The Journey" by The Oak Ridge Boys (one of my Dad's favorite groups)... The 2nd was "Haven of Rest" sung by Glenn Payne & Guy Penrod(a favorite gospel tune) & the last song was Duran Duran's "Ordinary World". The reason I picked that Duran song was kind of a selfish one. At the time, it was the ONLY thing getting me through & I really needed to hear it. The song really is beautifully written & conveyed exactly what I was feeling... *thank you simon*

But nobody knows what's gonna happen tomorrow...

Last year's bday(in 2011) was a REALLY rough one since it would be 1-year since I lost my Dad. I never had any time to process my father's passing as I was too busy looking after my Mom & planning the funeral... I STILL haven't gotten use to him NOT being here. But then again, that's the way it is. For my bday last year, I decided that I wanted something special. I had a bday cake & put Duran Duran on it. :-) I didn't have much of a party, only a few friends over for some cake.

Truth was I didn't feel much like celebrating... :-/

But there was one thing that happened(stood out shall I just say) on this bday. A silver-lining amongst the clouds... 'Twas a very special bday present I would receive that would make that day unforgettable. :-D

I shall state it here(in case ya didn't know already ;) ) that I have Had & STILL DO have a Major(and I DO mean MAJOR :-D) crush on one Mr. John Taylor, the bass player for Duran Duran. 

Anyway, back to July 19th 2011...

I was not a particularly 'happy bday' girl this day. I was having a hard time with my dad's death and I had also gotten bored so I decided to go 'n lurk on Twitter for awhile. Well, lo and behold... Mr. Taylor just happened to be on at the same exact time & was a tweetin' away. I had decided to (just for the hell of it really) tweet John and ask him to wish me a 'Happy Birthday' not really thinking that he would EVEN see much less reply to me. But to my ABSOLUTE astonishment he granted my wish and gave me the tweet I had requested. 

I was FLOORED to say the least... Actually, my 1st response was to do a 'WTF' double-take at my Twitter timeline & my 2nd was to burst into tears. *yes, John Taylor made me cry*

I have to say that it meant/means a HELL of alot to me that John did that. He probably had no idea at the time just how special a present that was for me & how much better it made me feel. It is a gift that will ALWAYS be treasured too considering that I put it in a frame. *i'm weird, i know ;-)* 

my bday tweet all framed up... :-D

It's so hard to accept the fact you're gone forever...

After just 2 years... it's still hard for me to grasp the fact that my Dad is really gone. Death never seems easy to understand. We just have to find a way to carry on & cherish those special to us... And btw, I am still learning to survive.

much love, 

Merc

In closing...

I want to give a special shout-out/thanks to some peeps.... *ya know just in case they read this, yeah like that's ever gonna happen... ;-) *

To Duran Duran: Thank you for being a part of my life...  

To Simon LeBon: I want to thank you for writing "Ordinary World". You gave us music fan's an amazing song and please know that that song has, does & means alot to us.  

*saves best for last... ;-)*

To John Taylor: umm, what to say... I'm not sure if I can express this right but I shall try. I want to personally(well, as personal as I can ever get anyway) Thank you for giving SO much to us fan's through all the tweets you do. You don't really have to tweet us but I'm very thankful & happy that you do... PLEASE know that getting that Bday tweet last year from you meant EVERYTHING to me. You made me feel VERY special on a day when I really needed it. Again, Thank-You! for doing what you do...  *much love & hugs*  :-D

Is There Something I Should Know? pt1

*Please, please, tell me now...*

It's been an interesting time being a Duran Duran fan these past few weeks & months. They have released their 13th studio album(see: All You Need Is Now), received good album reviews from the press(that's a shocking surprise!) & played some important gigs as of late(see: SXSW, Coachella, David Lynch-directed concert "Unstaged", etc...).

Having finished up a "mini-tour" of the States, they were getting prepared to launch a world tour. To kick it off, a string of dates in the UK.  That is until "Lady Destiny" decided to change up the game and throw the "Let's let Simon's voice go kaput" card out on the table to be played. Apparently, he has ended up with an acute case of laryngitis. DD shows have been dropping like flies, one-by-one & at the last minute(in some cases). Now, the news seems to be (it's been kinda hard keeping track ;)) the UK dates have been postponed/canceled & are in the process of being rescheduled for later.

*No-no-Notorious*

When the news was breaking across the DD fan community, it seemed at first, that there was nothing but confusion about what exactly was going on. One minute... it seemed the show was on, the next it was off. With that the fan's started getting restless and when that happens in this fan-dom...  y'all better Watch Out!! ... because it then becomes: cue-up the speculation bombs & run for shelter. To me, this fan community seems to thrive on nothing but drama(but I'll get to that later...).

Now, I know... the band are not always great at getting us information when we need it but I think they DO try their best (or at least I'd hope so... ;)). Perhaps they need to work on having better organizational skills. *don't look to hire me just yet cause I can't find anything at the present time... LOL! ;)*  

note: here comes the fun stuff... y'all might wanna take cover now ;)

Do You Believe in Shame?

I debated somewhat on writin' this topic. There's already been quite a bit of discussion on various DD boards/Twitter/Facebook etc... but I thought, "what the hell, why not throw my 2 cents into the ring?" . Everyone else & their brother has... guess I might as well too(besides Duran Duran ain't gonna read it anyway so I'm safe, I think).

Now what I'm about to say, some ain't going to like... but I need to say it.  *rant time*

There are some DD fans that NEED to have their dog-gone fan card revoked or at least suspended for a time being.

Of what I've read/seen: Anger, blame, frustration, sadness, love, sympathy & understanding -- are the emotions that have been expressed so far. Now ALL of those feelings are justifiable to a certain degree but THERE are those(ya know who you are too) that have went too far. 

Ok, I think this is a good breaking point & I'm gonna stop right there cause it's 4am. I still have quite a bit left to say about the situation, fan's/band's reaction, etc.... anyhow I'll get to those things in pt 2 later on this mornin' / today.

peace out,

Merc 

ps : to simon, john, nick & roger - howdy!! (ya know just in case... ;))

Memorial Day 2011

This Memorial Day has a different feel for me than in times past.

For some, this day/long week-end is a day to just get away. To go out on the lake(if weather permits).... have some friends/family over & crank-up the barbeque grill for a cook-out... maybe hit some shopping sales... But for many others, it is a more somber occasion. A time of remembrance and reflection.

In times past, I just thought of Memorial Day as the "long-weekend" type holiday. Although, I did take note to remember those that served their country... it never seemed that important to me.

I mentioned that today feels different to me... First off - because yesterday(May 29) was my father's birthday... not an easy day. For those unaware, my dad recently passed away suddenly without much warning almost a year ago. So it has become a somber day of remembrance for me... and  secondly located about 30-35 miles just north of me is Joplin, Missouri. If you haven't heard by now (what rock have you been hiding under) an F5 tornado hit downtown Joplin, Mo., a place I'm quite familiar with. It's been hard to see the news/pics & barely recognize places I know so well. My prayers have been many for Joplin & it will be back stronger than before.

So, today we honor those who have passed on, those who were taken so abruptly without much warning and especially those who have made the greatest sacrifices.

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends -- John 15:13

Much love, Merc