Just read in the ABQjournal today that the ancient and well established (though closed for some time now) Ice House strip club in downtown ABQ is getting repurposed.
As a teen oriented arts and entertainment center.
The irony isn’t lost on me.
Thanks, Oh Fair New Mexico, for the mirthful smile this morning.
It is a fine use for that old place, IMHO.
Remember the scandal it caused when the Ice House first opened? Back then we would have never guessed the demise….
Got a great link in email today from a great lady, Jamie Dedes.
Penny Postcards from New Mexico.
It’s an image collection of great old postcards from the great State of New Mexico. I love seeing how places we all know were advertised back in the day.
In fact, I think this one is my favorite.
Doesn’t that look like a fun, convivial place for a weary travel to rest and refresh? Yeah….I know the Bow and Arrow. Over there on Central. I believe they rent by the hour these days?
I like this one too:
Other than the tentative Natives, that’s pretty much how it used to look…I remember strolling around on the tarmac, going out to meet travelers and such.
Wow, good stuff. Makes me homesick as heck!
Enjoy!
(All images belong to USGenWeb Archives Web Site)
Especially a cranky Blues Queen.
I think most Americans either tuned in or saw coverage of Inauguration Day, right? There was that tender moment in the evening where the President and First Lady took to the floor to dance the first dance. (if you were under a rock January 20th, click here for video).
The song the first couple swayed to was “At Last”, performed by, much to my dismay, Beyonce.
Now, I like Beyonce enough for who she is. The lady who brought the phrase “I don’t think you’re ready for this jelly” into the world. Oh yeah, and popularized the word “bootylicious”. Sure, she’s a bard for our times. Or something. She wearies me, but I have a few of her tunes on my iPod. I can’t hate on a lady who writes so much of her own music.
On that special day, however, I personally winced when the camera panned to B and she began warbling the Etta James classic.
I haven’t voiced this much because everyone I seem to talk with was like “OH! That Beyonce was SO wonderful!”
No she wasn’t. It was a special moment, but it was made special not by the singer (no way) but mainly by the sentiments of a kick ass song written by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren.
Given the exhaustion of our country with the previous administration, the notion of “at last” really resonated. It was the perfect song performed by the wrong singer.
I wondered why, on that day, it wasn’t Miss Etta up there. She’s still got the pipes and she’s still out there performing.
In fact, on January 28th, she was performing in Seattle at the Paramount Theater.
Where she said: “But I tell you that woman he had singing for him, singing my song — she’s going to get her a– whipped.”
Oooh, it’s ON now! And I believe the 71 year old lady could do it too, with one bejeweled hand tied behind her tiny back.
She went on to say: “She has no business up there, singing up there on a big ol’ president day, gonna be singing my song that I’ve been singing forever.”
Not sure what set Miss Etta off since Beyonce has been slinging her crappy rendition of “At Last” all over the place, including at least once in the presence of Miss Etta.
I think what galled *me* the most about Beyonce getting up there, was that it was a publicity stunt! Seems Beyonce is working on a movie called “Cadillac Records” in which she portrays Etta James. What a great marketing chance on the national stage.
Opportunism. Great. Makes me like Beyonce even less.
: rolling of eyes :
Personally, though, I think Miss Etta is just ticked that Aretha Franklin got a shot on inauguration day and she didn’t. Just my two cents.
Speaking of Aretha, remember when Beyonce got into hot water with her too?
Doh!
__________________
By the by, Miss Etta who has notoriously struggled with her weight is looking HOT right now thanks to gastric bypass surgery a couple years ago!
Go Etta!! Look at her tiny self!
I went to an “all hands” meeting at work today with the CFO of my company. They had some corporate news and business to discuss so we all dutifully showed up.
Our CFO is a pretty well known guy in the industry. Incredibly smart and articulate. Laid back in his khakis and blue button down. Comfortable in his own skin. Has been with the company since he came out of college so knows our business well. Been here just about fifteen years all in.
Successful C-level officer of a thriving multi-national company.
And he’s exactly one year younger than me.
I wonder, sometimes, if I had worked harder or was more focused on my job or if I actually even made being an executive part of my game plan if I could have gotten there, too?
There was a time, in my twenties, when I was set and determined on rising to the top, or as far as I could get. It seemed that getting ahead was what I was about, so I worked my tookus off, and yes, had some good success.
Then somewhere around age thirty I started to realize that maybe just going to work, doing a decent job, then coming home and having a genuine life were more important.
I look at the CFO, the Boy Wonder, and think “Yeah, he makes a lot of money and has a lot of power…but his life is his job.”
I don’t want my life to be my job.
This is not the most popular outlook given the very success driven area where I live. Actually, the expectation of my former employer that everything you did, you did for the company was part of the reason it was time to leave.
Funny how time mellows my mind.
So maybe I’m not CFO of my employer, but I’m Chief Food Officer for my feline and Chief Administrator of the Smooch to my husband and Chief Artist in Residence at our home.
Heck, for a troubled little girl from Albuquerque, that’s some damn fine success, if you ask me.
Though I’m still negotiating compensation…..*grin*
Yanno, I’m really ticked at the economy. Sure, I have a good job and a paycheck, but I’m finding that saving a few more of my shekels is a grand idea.
“Cash is King!” or so shouts all of the financial hacks who think they know better. Those same ones who told us all to invest in real estate.
Bah!
The problem with this financial austerity is that there are still lovely things in the retail world that entice me. Sing to me. Make me want to break out my paid off credit card and charge, baby, charge!
The latest little gem that’s got my eye is this:
(click photo for specs)
This is Polaroid’s latest entre into the world of photography.
It’s called a PoGo and is a digital camera. But it also has built in an inkless photo printer so you can instantly print photos of your choosing, when you want.
Now…this baby is only 5.0 megapixels, so it’s not wowing the photographic world.
But I love me a Polaroid camera. And by love, I mean LOVE. I had one as a kid. I own several now.
I was a *fool* for Polaroid’s I-zone that made these teeny sticky photos. I carried that thing everywhere.
I have tiny photos ALL over my journals from around the early 2000’s.
Don’t get me wrong, I love my high end camera and the gloriousness of the photos I can take. The depth of detail is amazing.
That said, I want the PoGo bad, because it’s FUN and *boop*, there’s a photo print.
Want!
Here’s the ouchie part.
It’s not available until March and I think will have a price point of $200.
I feel like two hundy is a little high for a Polaroid, but maybe if I’m very good and save my pennies, by this summer I can be shooting and printing and generally giggling over my new Polaroid cam.
My folks taught me that if you want a big ticket item, you gotta work a little for it.
So ok. Back to work. I get paid this week. After rent, end of month bills and credit card payments, there won’t be much left. But maybe I can put away a few.
Damn, I’m so fiscally conservative it makes my teeth hurt.
When really, I just want to be like Animal from The Muppet Show.
“CAM-ER-A!!! CAM-ER-A!!!! ME WANT!!!”
