No, not men decked out in wigs, lipstick and sequins...I'm talking about those sometimes difficult and often taken-for-granted items we know as Automatic Transmissions.

In October I bought a new-to-me 2005 Mercury Sable with 40k miles on it. It was a good price, in good condition, but out of factory warranty. With my 1998 Taurus, (virtually the same car) we had few major problems with it; just inconvenient little things requiring inexpensive DIY repairs...until, of course, last year when the poor thing literally fell apart.

Friday, while driving my husband to the train station, child riding in the backseat, I felt that tell-tale "clunk." The transmission started slipping out of gear. As our ride continued the problem got worse until I could not drive out of first gear. I doubted I'd even make it the 3 miles home...so I put on my hazards and coasted 2 blocks up the street to an AAMCO station. THANK GOD they were still taking customers that late in the day, their neon "OPEN" sign like a beacon of hope on that cold and blustery afternoon.

I knew that in a pinch I could loan my daughter my gloves (she forgot hers!) and we could walk the 2-3 blocks in the freezing February air toward the train station and take a cab home, but the owner of the AAMCO would have none of it. He noted my car would be in the shop for a few days (fine w. me, because I have the fallback of the Rockin' Van) and since my house was on his way home, he'd drop us off.

After further testing (and I trust this shop b/c I have used them before for system flushes for the Taurus) the Sable needs a rebuilt transmission.

Damn!!!!

I was disappointed with the news, but then...I was considering how it is merely an inconvenience, not a tragedy. We are in the fortunate position to be able to pay for the rebuild without worrying about it impacting our food purchases, prescriptions, heating bills or mortgage. Thanks, busted tranny, for making me grateful for the safety nets in my life.

I have noted my interest in spa treatments - from massage to coffee wraps, facials to saunas.

However, despite the fact that their facilities look incredibly luxurious and relaxing, I don't think I'll be "treating" myself to this service anytime soon:

(from the Juvenex specialty menu:)

GYNO SPA CURE: Try this ancient remedy that Asian cultures have known for centuries. Utilizing healing herbs to irrigate the vaginal passage to restore optimum health. Available for the first time in the U.S.

30 Minutes ‑ $75 - 12 Sessions for $750

Make it in gingham? Somehow I thought it was more fun if you make it in bed?!

(Oops,did I say that?)

As a family, we watch dramatically less tv that the average Americans. We choose our shows thoughtfully and deliberately.

My 8-year-old came running up to me tonight, after her bath, swaddled in her purple "cozy" (one-piece footy pajamas) and asked, "Mom? Um, is that Runway show on tonight?"

I didn't know what she was talking about. After pausing a moment, I thought, "Oh PROJECT RUNWAY?"

"YEAH! Can I PLEAAAAASSSSE watch it?"

So she plopped her chubby lil' butt down on the sofa to take in a rebroadcast of the Project Runway all-cast review show. Following it,the latest episode came on - the Chris vs. Rami showdown. I really wanted to let her watch, but its bedtime so...she'll have to catch a repeat showing. I have to go to bravotv.com to find out when the episode is re-run in her allowed viewing time. So far she has some very well-tuned assessments of the final four designers and their work. I'll have to assemble some of her critiques in a future post.

I enjoy the writings of author (and Catholic priest/lecturer/professor) Ron Rohlheiser. I was feeling quite conflicted the other dayafter reading about various people in the entertainment industry. Thankfully his most recent article reassured me (excerpted below.)

Without naming names, there are people (or more specifically, certain young women)  who have such talents, intelligence, great personal style, and yet at times they resort to such crudeness and vulgarity when expressing themselves publicly about various topics. In large part, this is why I eschew Hollyweird and related industires in their entirety. And yet, I love pop culture so much, often its hard to look away.

Although I am strong in my faith and worship, I am far from what anyone would dub a "Church lady." I embrace an eclectic variety of subcultures, styles, aesthetics and points-of-view. What is difficult for me, is that a certain crowd looks at me suspiciously because I am a Christian; others don't feel I am Christian enough.  I do know that I personally never judge someone in a condemning way (except in snarky light-hearted comments, of course!) Rather, if someone's  "edgyness" is too much for me, I just move on. I am grateful to Ron for articulating some of these ideas here - you can read more at http://www.ronrolheiser.com

Of Artists, Freedom, Reticence, and Sanctity

2008-02-24

Nobel Prize winning novelist, Doris Lessing, once suggested that George Eliot could have been a better writer if she hadn't been so moral. That highlights a painful and interesting paradox. Sometimes depth and sensitivity are in tension with creativity and freedom.

When I was child, our Catholic catechism told us that after Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit "their minds were darkened." But that isn't exactly what scripture says. It tells us rather that "their eyes were opened." Lessing's comment highlights what is at stake here...

Artists are often characterized by their freedom, their willingness to push edges, break taboos, and feel themselves free from the psychological and moral restraints that hold the rest of us. But that is only half of the picture. In another area, aesthetics, where their sensitivities are the most keen, they are anything but free. In their own way, artists are also very uptight. For example, a true artist is incapable of defacing a beautiful artefact and feels hurt when someone else, in callousness, destroys something beautiful. A real artist would be congenitally incapable of drawing a moustache on the Mona Lisa, even while someone less sensitive could do this casually, thoughtlessly, and perhaps even as joke. Sensitivity can make you uptight in a healthy way, just as lack of it can make you free in an unhealthy way...

...There is a moral artist and a saint inside each of us too and, whether we are awake to that or not, sometimes it can make us feel wonderfully free and sometimes it can make us feel like we are the most uptight persons in the whole world.

I'm on a total Philly kick (which is morphing into a "why-I-don't-live-in-Philly" kick...) with my entries so I thought I'd keep this train wreck stumbling forward.

My brother-in-law works at a Philadelphia TV network affiliate station. His wife, my sister, sent me this clip of a competitor station who had the wise-acre idea to air their own home-grown morning talk show with sub-par on-air talent.

Many local stations have similar offerings these days. In fact, back in the 70's and 80's Philly had some interesting shows, including "Dialing For Dollars" with the late, great Jim O'Brien. I'll have to expound on the Local Talk Show Theme in a future post.

On one level, I can sympathize with the blushing Lori Wilson, because naivete isn't a malevolent quality; but in this case, it's a hilarious one!

The scene: the show hosts are talking about mis-heard lyrics. Unfortunately for Lori, some dopey producer typed-up a viewer comment that should not have been aired:

While searching for my beloved IDEAL jingle, I came across yet another iconic series of retro-Philadelphia tv commercials. These are beyond precious for the use of South Philly skanks, er,  ladies of all shapes, sizes, and hair-dye brands as "spokemodels" for a pseudo-swanky men's clothing store.

Check out the gal in the yellow dress on the right - BABY GOT BACK!!! "hot damn!"






Mmm,  now they are in bikinis...




Look at the COIFFURES!!!Better yet, check out the tipsy blonde, second from the left.

Since the title of my blog is Philly Expatriate, I think its about time I do a bit of reminiscing, Delaware Valley-style!

As a kid,  prior to cable television, the few children's shows besides Captain Kangaroo and Sesame Street appeared on UHF stations. These same stations also broadcast a large portion of their commercials for local businesses.

One shop, based in South Jersey, not far from Atlantic City, ran an iconic commercial with an absolutely unforgettable jingle. It was for IDEAL - at the time, a discount clothing store for women that was housed in (no joke) a Quonset Hut! I wish someone would post the actual film/video that accompanies the jingle, because in the haze of my memory, I recall rather glamourous-looking models hauling down the road in rather large tail-finned automobiles, presumably on their way to shop for polyester pants suits in the tent-store.

It's not a fancy salon - its nothing but a Quonset hut - but!
If you've got a passion for fashion, and you've got a craving for saving,
Take the wheel of your automobile and swing on down to...IDEAL!


While you listen to the jingle you can read more on the topic of Ideal.

As per usual with my luck these days, my "day of relaxation" was not particularly relaxing.

First off, apparently the coffee, guarana, green tea and kola nut in my body wrap yesterday injected enough caffeine into my system that I slept horribly last night. (But, on the positive side, my thights DID look much firmer!)

Then I dragged my overly-tired arse to yoga this morning and could barely do half of the "exercises" the Yogi had in mind for us today. We were ALL moaning and groaning doing these torturous "toning' exercises for stomach and hips...not a "namaste" feeling radiating from me after that!

Finally, I went for my facial at the spa, and began to explain to the technician that my skin was uncharacteristically dry and chapped in areas - a combo of wind burn/cold dry air, and over-use of benzoil-peroxide-based products for breakout prevention. She would no sooner apply a product - even if it was labeled for "sensistive skin" - and it would begin to burn into my skin like some sort of etching acid! Yeow! She kept trying a product then resort to wiping it off when it would burn. So I left the spa with little improvement in the appearance and texture of my skin. At least the arm/should/neck massage was successful.

...because tomorrow I'm partaking of my THIRD spa treatment THIS WEEK.

Well, I justify such (relative) extragance this way:

1.) It has been one of the most brutal Chicagoland winters in recent memory, in terms of amount/frequency of snow. And if its not snowing, then temps are usually hovering in the single-digits - teens if we are lucky. Last week I wrecked my back and arse twice shovelling heavy, slushy snow. THIS weekend I fell three times on the ice slick also known as our driveway. I am just plain old BEAT UP at this point!

2.) My spousal unit neglected to celebrate St. Valentine's Day by purchasing an extravagant Day At The Spa for his wife...so I'm buying it for him/me...just one-day-at-a-time.

3.) We got our tax refund. THANK HEAVEN for electronic filing and direct deposit!

My green coffee body wrap was so wonderful today. I had never been to this particular spa/salon, even though I have walked past it in my hometown many times. I am certainly glad I indulged today, because they have a lovely facility, reasonable prices, and one of the more extensive treatment menus that I've seen.

Tomorrow is most likely the oxygenating facial which is supposed to "brighten" the face, although that Aveda Elemental Nature Facial for Self Renewalsounds pretty damn awesome, too...