One of my favorite lyrics: “Take the L out of lover and it’s over”. Clever, sexy.
During my senior year in college, I LOVED Martha Davis! Could not get enough of her. Now remember, there was no worldwide interweb in those days, all I had was my MTV.
I was able to see The Motels maybe 8 years ago and life has taken its toll on Martha, but back in the day, she was it for me.
When I studied (which was not often) in school, I teed up two albums on the record player, this one (currently a framed album hanging in my office) and Billy Squier’s Emotions in Motion, both sides one and blasted it while I literally spoke out loud trying to remember something.
Everybody Wants You, Only the Lonely, Emotions in Motion, Take The L, Mission of Mercy.
Sadly, Billy made what can only be called the absolute worst video ever, for the song Rock Me Tonight, which effectively killed the momentum of his career. He did some very good work!
What’s this got to do with anything? Exactly nothing, but it’s me walking down memory lane.
Back to present day, Sunday, February 8, 2026, I faced the second of five days without work (very unusual for me as two days of planned work did not materialize). Not a bad thing, but coupled with frigid temps and snow everywhere, it meant a lot of downtime. Yeah, it was Super Bowl Sunday, but for me, while I do watch the game, all the pregame bullshit holds little to no interest for me. Being a sixty-year crapped-upon Cleveland Clowns fan (I now use the term “fan” very lightly), I have no dog in the hunt. You, by now know the outcome, this is being written the day prior, I did want the coach of the Patriots to do well because he is from the Akron area, having played for a local Catholic school where I know folks and then Ohio State.
This day and the day prior I was able to get a bunch of things accomplished in terms of what I’ll call computer/office work (including here) and really crank up the workouts, but as we all know, I do not do nothing very well (🍸). To address this, I got up very early, dressed casually and appropriately for the weather and hit a big indoor flea market. The gameplan was then to get home, hit the gym and make a super dinner for the Mrs. and I during the Big Game, taco smashburgers.
The outfit featured a cute sweater I picked up on clearance just the week prior and an overall everyday look.
The day was fun! I went to the flea market, mostly a bunch of junk, but I picked up an adorbs blazer, two necklaces and a cuter than cute butterfly broach. I then did some grocery shopping (always love doing that dressed) and hit a Burlington to kill 45 minutes and got the cutest girly, girl dress (where is the warm weather?). Finally, I hit the Rock Hall to shop for something specific for the Cleveland wall in our basement. I met the sweetest person working there and she and I had just the greatest on and off conversations. I also (on her recommendation) picked up a great Diana Ross t-shirt, stay tuned for that. Home by noon, it was a wonderful way to celebrate the Big Game, trying on my purchases before tending to the workout and dinner.
Postscript: the smashburgers were amazing!
This day was followed by an IDGAF Monday, February 9, 2026. I had a fully open day because The Angel Known as My Wife had to work late. But working late means her leaving late. I always stay out of her way to get ready for work, so I was staring at an early afternoon outing, a Monday (many places are dead on Mondays), not really wanting to shop (for blatantly obvious reasons, I need nothing) and the brutal winter which eliminated many, many things I would do with reasonable weather. My kingdom for a beach day!
What to do? I was going to do nothing but then came up with a list of errands that needed done anyway. Drop something here, pick up something there, about six stops all within a few miles of each other. So I did a quickie presentation for this brief outing, less than two hours. The necklace was purchased on the trip described above and that is my Cleveland wall in process. I enjoy picking up one picture here or there as it gives me something to do and feeds my creative need. The little pennant in the photo at right, just off my right hip was my Rock Hall purchase the prior day.
I know I have a huge weekend coming up with my annual time working as a buddy at Tim Tebow’s Night to Shine. It is a prom of sorts for those with special needs and the single most grounding experience, as well as uplifting, one can have. Never, ever complain about your lot in life if you see these souls. Then I get to turn around and walk that wedding dress you recently saw at Ohio Is For Lovers, which is an alternative wedding (LGBT) show. I will be walking in the shadow of the BFF, Sherry, who always makes me look like the ugly stepdaughter to her Cinderella. 🩷
The good Lord has put me on the wheel of great gifts and challenges, ups and downs…
Oh wait, that is life!
4 Responses
Ramble on! Now’s the time, the time is now, sing my song! Or something to that effect. (Not a huge Zep fan.)
Motels had a few decent songs. Good example of a band that exemplifies my belief of: Most bands have at least one or two good ones in them. A whole albums worth is like hitting a walk-off grand slam in the 12th inning. They’re rare. TBH Kandi I’m still reeling from your declaration of “Me and Mrs. Jones” being your all-time fave. Upon hearing that all I could do was sigh and think to myself: “There’s so much work to do with her here to get her straightened out musically. It’s daunting.”🤣 And here I thought, for sure, Kandi’s all time fave is going to be: “I Wanna Be Adored” by the Stone Roses. Whom, it just so happens, hit the aforementioned game winner in their first album. (Then the band imploded.) But thankfully, the masterpiece that is “The Stone Roses”, from the year 1989, lives on. I have to listen to it regularly. Start to finish. Best way to enjoy it.
Kandi your posts remind me of when I was in high school. Every day after school – my bff and I would sit under a tree in my front yard and fold our newspapers for our afternoon paper routes. In that setting we would discuss anything and everything. Just riffing on life itself with all the certainty and authority that two 15 year old pencil-necked geeks thought they had. Once we were talking about TV shows and I said: “Why don’t they make a show about 2 guys like us, just living their everyday lives?” My friend Jim replied: “Because nobody would freaking watch it you idiot! No one wants to see us in our boring lives!” Yeah, I said, guess you’re right.
And here we sit today, thanks to the internet, with the ability to connect with as many “boring” people as we want. I was just thinking this morning…music is better than ever for me. Anything you want to hear is a click away now. I played Fleetwood Mac’s Mirage album all the way through. Hadn’t heard it in years, used to own it, then stumbled upon it again and realized as it played: “Damn, that’s one of their best albums. Way better than “Rumors”. Lindsey Buckingham’s a song writing genius.”
As I read your post today I thought, this is one of hers that will get few comments. Because it’s the kind of boring day-to-day stuff my friend Jim was referring to all those years ago when we were paper boys. So I thought I’d weigh in on a quiet morning to let my sister in our “Sorority of Secret Girls” – know that hey, I liked it. When I still read real newspapers I always read the editorials…lets see what other’s think about stuff. I always come here thinking…”Let’s see what KR is bitching about today. And what she’s wearing these days too. Love the blonde hair – but your best look today is the jeggings and the green (turquoise) top. Cute, cute, cute, and uh, did I mention cute?🤣
So let’s review as I sip…Motels, yeah decent, but mainly due to Martha Davis in her “CFM” heels…(yeah baby!!!)
A nice “Stupid Bowl” reference to an event that used to involve a championship game of football. Sadly, the game itself is now relegated to being background noise for all the real “messages” we lemmings need to hear. I’m happy to report that Grace Palmer, at her eye exam the next day after the game, was asked by her optician: “What’d you think of the Stupid Bowl?” To which, her response was this: “Who won?” That’s a first for me. I had way more important priorities on SBS, namely, wearing my new pink shirt dress! (Again, yeah baby!)
As always Kandi stops along the way to point things out….hit the flea mkt, stopped at her home gym, made dinner for the missus, taco smashburgers which just so happens my wife just recently made. Not bad, but real hamburgers have nothing to be concerned about regarding those things. Then a little shoppping talk which all us girls want to hear. We all love a new cute sweater! A nice interaction with a clerk. All sprinkled with pics because we girls need to know which outfits were being worn and where. Which Kandi you do a superb job of, tip of cap there girl.❤️
Then you take us home with – hey don’t forget how good we have it – thoughts and you’re correct. The problems we girls in T-Land come up against are definitely “First World” challenges.
For the ending you chose a line about hate. Which made me think, man, I HATE the word hate. (Similar to how you dislike the word “journey”) Somebody else’s defo of “hate” is always different than mine. Hate is too strong a word for things people don’t like. It’s too big a jump to me. I’ve made a conscious effort as of late to avoid using it as much as possible. I’ll catch myself about to say it and change to “I extremely dislike that.” “Extremely dislike”. Seems so much more civilized. I’m not a hater. I don’t drink Haterade. There, another rant off my chest all because I read your column today KR😝
And we all ramble on….
All I can do is smile…
Kandi – you’re just a ‘Ramblin’ (Wo)Man’
Saw the Allman Brother Band preform this on the back of a flatbed in the early 70′ at University.
I would identify more as Bob Seger’s “Ramblin’ Gamblin’ (Wo)man”…