Sometimes A Sneeze Is Just A Sneeze

(I've updated the pictures below with Madonna and the 'coyote')

Cocaine Princess here.

I'm so bored. I don't know whether to laugh or cry. I've been stuck inside the house since July 29th. At this point I think watching paint dry or grass grow would excite me. Maybe not so much watching grass grow since I'm forbidden to leave the house.

What can I tell you? Hmm, well Thursday night we had a massive thunderstorm and all day Friday was no better either. It was raining and hailing hard. It's so bizarre, ever since the town lifted the water ban it hasn't stopped raining. While it was raining I was watching TV. I wasn't so much watching TV as I was trying to. The weather kept affecting the satellite signal. I would be watching a show when the entire screen would go black and across the screen in white letters 'signal lost' would flash. I'm blogging to you about my satellite reception. This should give you a clear indication how bored I am! During my attempt to watch television I sneezed. My sister was upstairs in her room and heard. She came running down and asked, 'did you sneeze?' I said no because I knew she would make a big deal about it. 'I know you sneezed, I heard you. Do you feel feverish?' she asked. 'No. It was just a regular sneeze,' I answered. 'But you have the chicken pox.' 'Sometimes a sneeze is just a sneeze,' I stated.

Today the weather was sunny and hot. (And why wouldn't it be? Mother Nature is cruel. She knows I'm stuck indoors and enjoys taunting me. I can't wait to see what she has in store for winter) The doorbell kept on ringing. 'Have you seen our patio cushions? Have you seen our garbage lid, our patio umbrella? Yesterday's rain/hail storm had everyone's outdoor belongings blowing all over the neighborhood sending people out on a scavenger hunt. Our patio lounge chairs and cushions were rearranged around the yard while one was lodged in the shrubs. The only item that blew away was our B-B-Q cover. It went flying into the hideous creature yard. And the only thing of theirs that was in my yard was Ollie. No Ollie wasn't blown into my backyard. He's been living in between the gargoyle statues. Why? Last week as I was staring out the window waiting for my freedom to arrive, one of the children was holding Ollie while jumping up and down on the trampoline. I don't think the cat enjoyed it very much. It's possible Ollie's just hiding out.

I spent half the day on the phone with Valentina who kept encouraging me to come and visit her. Throughout the day there were so many times I was tempted to bolt but didn't. I'm proud to say the other half of my day was spent being quite productive, that is at being a couch potato. In the early afternoon. I was in a comfy pose on the couch watching TV with a bowl of popcorn in my laps when I felt something in my ear. Good grief it was my sister with the thermometer. 'Got it!' she said. 'What are you doing?!' I asked nearly knocking the bowl over. 'I wanted to check your temperature,' she replied. 'What for?' 'That sneeze yesterday bothered me and I heard you a couple of times sneezing last night. I had to see if your temperature was normal.' 'How do you know I sneezed last night?' I questioned. 'I heard you,' she answered. 'What were you doing, standing outside my door? You know I'm capable of checking my own temperature so why didn't you just ask me?' 'Would you have if I asked?' 'Probably not,' I replied. 'So what's my temperature?' 'Normal,' 'A' replied. 'Didn't I say yesterday sometimes a sneeze is just a sneeze?'

Today also marks The Queen of Pop's Birthday, Madonna. She turns 50! The local music channel had a Madonna-thon airing her movies, her concerts, and various specials in her honor. Like all girls who were Madonna fans I too had a Madonna phase where I emulated her style. Trying to copy the big girls I wore multiple crucifixes and rosaries, plastic bracelets, lace glove, mini skirts over capris and I even wore a pendant that said BoyToy. Among the specials, a Top 30 Countdown of her best videos. Since I have nothing else to blog about until I'm free of the damn chicken pox here are the top 30 videos.

30. Give It 2ME
Got no boundaries and no limits
If there’s excitement, put me in it
If it’s against the law, arrest me
If you can handle it, undress me

29. Beautiful Stranger
Haven't we met?
Some kind of beautiful stranger
You could be good for me
I've had the taste for danger

28. La Isla Bonita
Tropical the island breeze
All of nature wild and free
This is where I long to be
La Isla Bonita
And when the samba played
The sun would set so high
Ring through my ears and sting my eyes
Your Spanish lullaby

27. American Pie
Drove my chevy to the levy
But the levy was dry
And good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
singing
This will be the day that I die
This will be the day that I die

26. Hung Up
Time goes by so slowly for those who wait
No time to hesitate
Those who run seem to have all the fun

25. Secret
Happiness lies in your own hand
It took me much too long to understand
How it could be
Until you shared your secret with me

24. Hollywood
There's somethin' in the air in Hollywood
I've lost my reputation bad and good.
You've got it in your car in Hollywood;
You've got the top down and it feels so good.

23. Deeper and Deeper
Deeper and deeper and deeper and deeper
Never gonna hide it again
Sweeter and sweeter and sweeter and sweeter
Never gonna have to pretend

22. I Want You
To share is precious, pure and fair
Don't play with something you should cherish for life
Oh baby, don't you wanna care?
Ain't it lonely out there?

21. Borderline
Keep on pushing me baby
Don't you know you drive me crazy
You just keep on pushing my love over
the borderline

20. Lucky Star (Fantastic song!)
You must be my Lucky Star
'Cause you shine on me wherever you are
I just think of you and I start to glow
And I need your light
And baby you know

19. Frozen (Amazing video)
Now there's no point in placing the blame
And you should know I'd suffer the same
If I loose you, my heart would be broken
Love is a bird, she needs to fly
Let all the hurt inside of you die
You're frozen when your heart's not open
You're broken when your heart's not open

18. Papa Don't Preach (Remember how the Catholic Church
adored this one?)
The one you warned be all about
The one you said I could do without
We're in an awful mess
And I don't mean maybe-please

17. Human Nature (Great message in this song)
You wouldn't let me say the words I longed to say
You didn't want to see life through my eyes
Express yourself, don't repress yourself
You tried to shove me back inside your narrow room
And silence me with bitterness and lies
Express yourself, don't repress yourself

16. What It Feels Like For A Girl (I really don't understand why
MTV banned this video?)
Girls can wear jeans
And cut their hair short
Wear shirts and boots
'Cause it's ok to be a boy
But for a boy to look like a girl is degrading
'Cause you think that being a girl is degrading
But secretly you'd love to know what it's like
Wouldn't you
What it feels like for a girl

15. Material Girl
Some boys kiss me, some boys hug me
I think they're okay
If they don't give me proper credit
I just walk away

14. Oh Father
It's funny that way, you can get used
To the tears and the pain
What a child will believe

13. Bad Girl
Bad girl drunk by six
Kissing someone else's lips
Smoked too many cigarettes today
I'm not happy when I act this way

12. Bedtime Story
Today is the last day that I'm using words
They've gone out, lost their meaning
Don't function anymore

11. OPEN YOUR HEART
After all these years this song/video is my number
one favorite. (After watching the video I began
collecting artwork by Tamara de Lempicka)
The video created an uproar, religious
fanatics wanted it banned. It's so tame by today's
standards.
Open your heart to me, baby
I hold the lock and you hold the key
Open your heart to me, darlin'
I'll give you love if you, you turn the key

10. Vogue
Ladies with an attitude
Fellows that were in the mood
Don't just stand there, let's get to it
Strike a pose, there's nothing to it
Vogue, vogue

9. Cherish
I was never satisfied with casual encounters
I can't hide my need for two hearts that bleed with burning love
That's the way it's got to be
Romeo and Juliet they never felt this way I bet
So don't underestimate my point of view

8. Don't Tell Me
Don't tell me to stop
Tell the rain not to drop
Tell the wind not to blow
'Cause you said so, mmm

7. Like A Virgin (My Madonna-wannabe phase era)
I was beat incomplete
I'd been had, I was sad and blue
But you made me feel
Yeah, you made me feel
Shiny and new

6. Rain
Rain
Wash away my sorrow
Take away my pain
Your love's coming down like
Rain

5. Justify My Love (I remember staying up late
and watching Nightline. It was the only show that
aired the video un-edited. If anything I found it artistic)
Poor is the man
Whose pleasures depend
On the permission of another
Love me, that's right, love me
I wanna be your baby

4. Take A Bow
Take a bow, the night is over
This masquerade is getting older
Light are low, the curtains down
There's no one here
There's no one here, there's no one in the crowd
Say your lines but do you feel them

3. Ray Of Light
Zephyr in the sky at night I wonder
Do my tears of mourning
Sink beneath the sun
She's got herself a universe gone quickly
For the call of thunder, threatens everyone

2. Express Yourself
Don't go for second best baby
Put your love to the test
You know, you know, you've got to
Make him express how he feels
And maybe then you'll know your love is real

And the number one video........

1. Like A Prayer (Another video loved by the church)
Life is a mystery, everyone must stand alone
I hear you call my name
And it feels like home


Three videos in my opinion that should have made the list:
Erotica
Love Profusion
The Power Of Goodbye

So if any of my loyal readers are Madonna fans, what are your favorite videos? Are they on this list?

XOXOXOXO,
Cocaine Princess

UPDATE:
Someone wanted to see Madonna's images taken from Justify My Love (The Beast Within) - Book Of Revelations) that serves as a backdrop as she recites a passage from The Book Of Revelations. Here are some:

UPDATE:

Here is the picture of Madonna and the 'coyote.' I was only able to capture one steady shot.