For anyone wondering about my recent absense: No, it wasn't due to me being upset or avoiding anyone. My father had another scare this week.

Tuesday morning, I received a phone call from my sister, telling me my father had been rushed to the hospital for what appeared to be a stroke. His speech was slurred, he could barely walk, and couldn't write or operate a computer.

Needless to say, I spent very little time sleeping and even less time online over the next few days.

He, fortunately, is going to be okay. It appears he did suffer a minor "stroke" (in the sense that bloodflow and oxygen to the brain were restricted, due to a partially-clogged artery), but the CAT scans and MRI's showed no damage to the brain, thank goodness.

He was released Thursday morning, and given prescriptions for a blood-thinner and a cholesterol reducer. He sounded like himself the last time I talked to him, and said he was able to walk around again normally.

The incident (as well as the tension and anxiety my sister brought just by re-entering my life) were enough to have me reaching my breaking point. I finally gave in on Thursday and did something I hadn't done in years...

I saw a psychologist.

It's something I've dragged my feet on for a number of reasons (including the fact my last experience with one didn't go so well), but the burden finally became too much. The day to day struggles of worrying about my father were becoming overwhelming, and the latest episode caused so much stress and tension my chest literally hurt. I realized I either need to do something to try to cope with all of this, or I'm going to pull a Fred Sanford and have the big one (and does that make Madonna "Aunt Esther" now?).

So, that is where I've been. Hopefully, things are getting better for both of us.

I do need to work on getting caught up on things, like other people's blogs. And, yes, K, I fixed your link this morning.

That being said, I'd like to close out this post with a couple positive thoughts. Why? Because I need it, and I'm sure you guys do, too.

First off, I'm going to make Elaine jealous!

I've spent the last 10 days enjoying dinner with Madonna. Really!

Yes, it's true. I do live in a fairly small place, and don't have a table to eat at, so I usually eat at my desk. And for the last ten days, Madonna has joined me.

Of course, this Madonna is only 14 inches tall, and just stands there (talk about striking a pose!). She doesn't move (much less dance), and doesn't talk. But she does have the most adorable smile.

Isn't she cute?!

It's funny, I found her on eBay when I decided to try to find something of Madge to have on my desk (to go with my Sherrie Austin stand-up displays and the anime character figurine in thigh-high boots that Michael gave me). Well, I came up empty looking for stand-up displays, but on a whim, I decided "Hmm.. How about a doll?"

Bingo!

So, Breathless Mahoney now has a spot on my desk, right near my monitor. And she may have company soon *puts her finger up to her lips and says "Shhh..." to the few who know who may be coming*

Secondly, I've ranted in the past about rotten remakes (like Jessica Simpson's "These Boots Were Made For Walkin'" and Big & Rich's "Like A Virgin"), but let me talk about a GOOD remake, one I've enjoyed for years - which is saying something, as I'm not a huge fan of dance music (except, of course, for you-know-who).

Crystal Waters is an artist who had bits and pieces of chart success in the early and mid 90's, with her notable hits being "Gypsy Woman" and "100% Pure Love". However, throughout the last half of the decade, very little was heard or seen of her.

Five years ago, Crystal would return with a song that once again put her at the top of the dance charts. The song sampled another very famous song. Now, while sampling is hardly unique (see: "Hung Up"), what IS rather interesting is the song that's sampled...

Crystal's hit song is named "Come On Down". And, you guessed it - she samples the theme song of The Price Is Right!

I actually discovered the song 3-4 years earlier, well before my first taping of TPIR. Mike, needless to say, was surprised when they played "Come On Down" during the audience warm-up before the show. He asked "You mean there really is a dance version of the theme song?!". I laughed and said "Yeah, and I've had it for years!"

If someone had told me about the dance song before I heard it, I would've screamed "Blasphemy!". But I have to admit, Crystal does the song justice. It's very catchy, very upbeat, and is a unique twist on a television classic.

And, of course, it also marked the first time that the theme to The Price Is Right went to #1 on any chart!

If you are curious how this might sound, click here and give it a listen!

Thank you again for all the thoughts on the last post, and all the kind thoughts and well wishes for my father! I'm now going to sit down, enjoy breakfast with Madonna and get caught up on everyone else's blogs.

Labels: Camp Barker, Lil' Maddy, Madge Collecting, Mi Vida Loca