Still Working on a Dream

For two weeks, I've been waiting for today. It's the launch of Bruce Springsteen's new album, "Working on a Dream." Rolling Stone gave it four stars. It is highly anticipated and the buzz is that it is his best since "Born to Run." I've heard snippets of every tune and I am frothing at the mouth to hear this CD in full. So I order it from Amazon to arrive today. I pay extra for it to arrive TODAY. Then it rains or something in St. Louis and UPS sends me a cryptic message: "Package delayed due to Exceptions." Okay, that sounds slightly pornographic when taken out of context, and quite ominous. Still, I don't panic till I call UPS and they tell me that Bruce will not arrive today, and he may not arrive tomorrow.

So now I have to go to Virgin, buy the record and the bonus DVD that comes with it, and when my expensive package finally arrives next year, send it back and get a refund.

All a girl wants is her Bruce. Is that asking too much? We are in the middle of a recession, I want a job but can't seem to have one, I want to lose five pounds but can't seem to shed the weight no matter how much cardio I do (old age, thank you), I want Prada, but don't have a job hence no Prada. Can't I at least have my BRUCE?

I do not know how, but somehow George W. Bush is to blame for this one, too.

The Day I've Been Waiting For

Madame Secretary, please go kick ass. The World is waiting. Do your thang, lady.

A W-less World

In just a few days there will be no more W for bloggers and comedians to make fun of or complain about. My God. I'm going to miss that. We had so much fun. I said to my boyfriend last night, after chuckling about a joke David Letterman made about Dick Cheney," I'm sorry, but here's the downside: Joe Biden jokes just are not as funny as Cheney jokes," to which my often-prophetic boyfriend said, "Oh honey, give Joe time."

W and Cheney provided tons of comedic fodder. Maybe Joe will, too, as he can be a bit rough. Then there is Obama; he's one smooth guy, which may work out well from a job standpoint, but as a chuckle-inducer?

Everyone says Obama is so eloquent, an accolade I still do not agree with (his speeches still bore me, shoot me, but there I said it), however, I can count on him to pronounce words correctly as he's, you know, smart. Maybe in his first few days of office he can say "terrorists" funny or mangle "nuclear," just for old time's sake. Or, if he really wants us to wax nostalgic and give us a good laugh he can just, in a press conference, start to say something, then pretend he lost his train of thought and go, 'Ugh," and say "Ugh," a bunch of times.

Of all the laughs I am going to miss having over W, the biggest is that Letterman will no longer show his "Great Moments in Presidential History." Gee. I'm getting teary-eyed just thinking how much I will miss that one. It was a nightly laugh seeing clips of other Presidents make powerful or poetic statements, then we get a clip of W stumbling across a sentence . . . hold on, I'm getting teary-eyed again just thinking of those fun, fun, memories.

In case I get too nostalgic, don't worry, all I have to do is thing of New Orleans. I'll never forget or forgive Katrina. The disaster was not his fault, and the local and state government deserve their share of blame, but for me, it represented our lowest moment in American History. How he won twice is beyond me. But, let me take this opportunity one more time (I'll see if I can squeeze it again before Tuesday) if you voted for W once, much less twice, you owe this country an apology.

Or as W could have said (as it is believable) in a press conference, "You owe the Americas an, ugh. Ugh. You know, an, well you should, ugh, say you're sorry. Apologize. Yeah. That's it. Okay." Cue a smug smile at the camera. Fade out.

Happy New Administration!

Oh Glorious New Year, full of Hope, full of Audacity . . . lacking almost completely in George W. Bush! We are down to the final days of his administration. Good-bye, Condi. Come out, come out and you know what I'm talkin' 'bout. Good-bye Dick. Whadda Dick! Good-bye W, you crossed-eyed arrogant cowboy. I'm not going to miss hating you.

Hello Hillary! My (hopefully) Madame Secretary! It's like your die-hard fans got what they wanted after all. You may not be our President (once more with feeling: sigh) but we still have a Clinton-influenced White House. And I'm loving the rumors that Bill will take over your seat. I don't think it will happen, but it's fun entertaining the thought.

Hello Obama! You weren't my first choice, but you seem to have made all the right moves. I was really angry when you made Biden your VP, but in retrospect, the world needs Hillary as the SoS right now.  Also, can I just say: Whoa. I would not want your  job. Who would? That W has left you one hell of a mess. I wish you the best of luck, because we all need you to have luck. In fact, Luck may be the only thing that saves our butts at this point, thanks to how badly things got screwed up in the last 8 years.

I start every year full of hope and resolution. The resolutions fall away, a reflection of my own personal failures. Sadly, the hope ebbs, too. This year, we have a new start, individually and as a country. As Republicans have pointed out, Hope is not a strategy, but it's a relief to feel hopeful again. So here's hoping to a wonderful, fabulous 2009. If nothing else, Bruce Springsteen has a new CD coming out this month, and that is something to dance about.