Welcome to Bossy’s Ear Worm, which features songs currently in Bossy’s headphones. Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.

The Stranglers, Golden Brown.

Bossy doesn’t even know where to begin with this tune from one of the original punk rock bands on the English scene, The Stranglers, recorded on their 1981 record, La Folie. 1981 folks.

Okay, let’s start here: it’s a mix between Amadeus Mozart and carnival, delivered in the world’s greatest combination of time signature that jumps from waltz to 4/4 classic rock.

There are so many vocal/melodic elements in here that are reminiscent of bands like The Doors to XTC, but what really gets Bossy is the fleeting guitar soloist, whose tone is so surreally distant-dance-hall, warm and jazzy, almost like Wes Montgomery.

And the harnessed drums, which don’t make their appearance until halfway through the tune, are light-handed enough to capture something magical while managing to swing.

The whole thing: cogs in a wheel.

23 days until Bossy leaves on her Spring road trip, council. That’s the final answer. Bossy finally committed to a departure date — Tuesday, April 6th — and is moving full steam ahead, where steam equals the sizzle you hear is Bossy’s brain deep-frying.

The above photo represents iCal, the calendar program Bossy has been utilizing to work on her (No) Book Tour itinerary. Bossy will be announcing exact cities and dates within the upcoming week.

Speaking of which, if you did not fill out this quick and easy form, you are not officially signed-up for Bossy’s trip — which means you won’t get the emails regarding meet-ups, you won’t be listed on the map or links list, so please go to that form now!

Bossy wants You!

So every day nearly every day, Bossy will use this space to report her spending and missteps, along with cheap recipes, savings tips, and suggested tricks and goals.

Bossy has become obsessed with this online radio station, Eclectic 24. Bossy never really got into the whole streaming music thing before, but sister mercy, what a convenience if you can find a station you love — and do the young people still call it a station?

In the case of Eclectic 24, the name says it all — they broadcast a great range within the general category of Alternative, from classic tunes to jazz to fresh-off-the-press releases — and do the young people still have presses?

But the best part about Eclectic 24 is it’s free. Bossy tends to listen to music through her headphones while she works, and cooks, and jogs, and breathes, so Bossy’s biggest challenge is not growing too weary of the songs in her own library. Streaming Eclectic 24 solves this problem.

So why is this post here in the Poverty Party section? you may be asking yourself. Because Bossy falls in love with a few songs every day, and then downloads those songs for $0.99 a piece, and a few times $0.99 equals $2.97 times seven days a week equals $20.79 times five weeks a month equals Step away from those headphones, Bossy.

You are looking at the house directly across the street from Bossy’s mom’s house. Bossy has been staring at this house a lot this week, because Bossy and her mom have been sunning themselves on her porch steps like lizards in the unseasonably warm East Coast weather.

One of the reasons Bossy was sunning herself instead of, say, securing sponsorships for her upcoming (No) Book Tour, or raking her garden beds, or vacuuming dog hair, or collecting material for more interesting blog posts is because Bossy is still recovering from her recent leg surgery.

The above is the first page of images that appear when Bossy googles blood clot — which just happens to be the reason Bossy is having difficulty recovering from her surgery. In fact Bossy is currently sporting four blood clots!

You are looking at a blood clot. Or maybe you’re looking at a bunch of cherry lozenges railing toward the back of Bossy’s throat. Perhaps Bossy should use a different picture to explain:

Most blood clots are fairly gelatinous and are reabsorbed by the body very quickly, but Bossy’s clots are special because her clots are organized, which means they form into rock-hard masses that live directly under the skin and are extremely sensitive. But only when Bossy is walking. Or standing. Or moving or sitting or working or sleeping.

Anyway. Back to Bossy’s mom’s house and her front porch steps and Bossy sunning herself like a lizard in the temperate conditions:

Living in the house across the street is a family with three toddler boys. Let’s get a closer look:

And it just so happens that these three toddlers are triplets. Except Bossy’s mom can never think of that term, so she calls them The Three Twins.

That surgical sponges look like Twinkies.

Blah blah Spring blah. This snapshot brought to you by the Blogger’s Association of Boring Seasonal Photos, of which Bossy is a lifetime member.

Bossy doesn’t know why she gets so annoyed at the sight of these early Spring bulbs. Maybe because they just beg to be trampled under another foot of snow.

They spend ridiculous amounts of memory card space trying to get that perfect self portrait of them and their offspring.

This virtual peek is brought to you by Ashley. She makes up words. And this is her blog.

Do you have a blog and want to be featured in the Just Like Us photo album? Email Bossy your jpg today! And don’t forget to include a caption describing what you’re doing in the photo.

Meet Thomas. He lives in Virginia. His life began over, completely, a handful of years ago. And this is his blog.

Where’s Bossy’s Gays at? If you’d like your blog featured, please email Bossy today! Because linky lurve is the new Safe Sex!

Welcome to Notes from a Far-Flung Correspondent, which features the weekly interests and musings of Bossy’s Son, who is currently enjoying his sophomore year at Columbia University in the City of New York.

This week: Random Occurrences.

Hello from el infierno interminable Midterms Week! After a week and a half of being buried by midterms and essays, I’m just about as fried as a person can get. So, in exchange for a well-woven tale — and yes, I understand that my posts thus far may not necessarily have been tales nor well-woven — I present to Bossy’s Council four random thoughts from the vaults of my camera phone.

Thought #1 -– Spring has sprung! A few days of warm weather have brought the huddled Columbia masses yearning to break free from the libraries out onto The Steps. Sure, daytime class attendance may be down, but at least spirits are up!

Thought #2 -– Towards the end of last semester, I hit the lottery! Sort of. More specifically, my name was selected at random along with some fellow students and one professor to attend a New York Knicks basketball game at the Garden, free of charge. Granted, the Knicks are just about as good as my fifth grade team, but it was still a blast to go.

Thought #3 -– Sure, midterms may be stressful, but as long as I have this picture on my phone, a hearty chuckle is never far away. (Thanks, Pop.)

Aaaaaaand Random Thought #4 -– For those of you concerned with my culinary escapades, fear not -– Thursday night potlucks are alive and well.

Bossy’s daughter is all Talk to the Hand. But Bossy thought you should know Bossy’s daughter was just cast as Dorothy in the local theater’s production of The Wizard of Oz, running later this spring.