Pokety, Poke, Poke, Poke

The more it rains here, the more I've discovered that umbrellas can be deadly weapons. The traditional umbrella with long metal stem on top can catch you in the gut or elsewhere when people carry it horizontally while climbing the subway stairs. Every time they swing it you hope the distance you've kept between it and yourself is enough! As a rule, most people don't really look out for others when using their umbrellas so often I'm the one that ends up extending my arm to clear the mass of umbrellas around me and then dodging the obstacle of umbrella spokes hoping that your eye won't get poked out! Forget the mace - I'm wielding an umbrella!

Poking an eye out somehow reminded me of a comedy routine Drew Carey did when he was on the original Star Search. Long before his show, he was known as the "Pokety, Poke, Poke, Poke" guy at our house. He talked about a relative that would do that all the time. Of course since he's become "famous" I've never heard that bit. Anyone remember it besides me and my fam?! Anyone remember Star Search? Just checking... Of course I wouldn't have guessed in a million years when I saw him with Ed McMahon that he would be taking over for Bob Barker on the Price is Right. I guess there's just no predicting where life may take you...

I have a friend coming to visit in August and was looking up the schedule for the Brooklyn Cyclones (we are hoping to catch a game out at Coney Island). While searching I discovered that they are having a Sly Stallone night on July 28th - why? Because it it is the 20th Anniversary of "Over the Top"! 30 years for Rocky and 20 years for Over the Top. Where does the time go?! Now Kenny Loggins is in my head - "Meet me halfway. Across the sky..." Come on, you know you were singing too... ;)

Been catching up on the many books that have sat on my shelves for years thanks to my daily subway rides. A few years ago a friend of mine told me about BookCrossing - a site set up where you can register your book online (for free) and then "release it into the wild" (leave it somewhere) for someone else to pick up, register (hopefully) and release once they are done with it. If a person registers it, you can then track where it has gone and read their reviews. You can also get alerts as to where others have released their books in the wild in your area. It is a great way to recycle your books and find new ones.

The first book I released at my local Starbucks. But alas, no one has registered it yet. I just hope someone did pick it up and didn't throw it away! The book was about the making of the Oxford Dictionary. A possibly boring subject but considering one of the main contributors was truly mad (he cut off his manhood in his later years to try and get rid of his immoral thoughts) - it does prove to be interesting and insightful reading.

Preparing to set another book free that I just finished - Lauren Bacall's - By Myself. A GREAT read. Wonderful insight into old Hollywood and the stars that roamed there. All told from Bacall's first hand perspective. I had never seen a Bogey/Bacall film but want to all the more now that I know the "behind the scenes". And although I know that Bogey died - reading about it from Bacall's perspective was heartbreaking. A very insightful book, where she admits her mistakes and never claims to be "better than", just trying to do the best she can.

And what am I reading now?! Another autobiography. This time, it is by Lillian Ellison aka The Fabulous Moolah. So far it has been a quick read and I'm glad that I has seen the documentary "Lipsticks & Dynamite" as she references many of the ladies that are also featured in that doc. If you have any interest in the crazy beginning of women's wrestling I highly suggest watching it.