just me and my boys

Ya gotta sing it, a'ite? Otherwise, you're not going to get the reference.
This has definitely been a day of birthday for me!
I had been looking forward to the ghost stories with Bonnie Blue Tours for a couple of weeks. Bonnie had graciously invited the NK! group for a free tour, in exchange for promised reviews on various sites (though any tips would be most graciously accepted). Then, she had decided to open the invitation to a group of folks on facebook, too. Sah-weet!
This evening, I headed downtown early, with an agenda for activities on the westside, south of Oglethorpe. I snagged a parking spot in one of my favorite places, then decided to see who else might be down for a meal before the walking tour. The NK! webmistress and the baseball girl were!!! We all met at a Japanese restaurant for a very leisurely meal in their front window, sharing the champagne, tempura, and sushi with passersby. Well, maybe not exactly - but they were free to watch us having a good time! I could have had bubbly, but opted not to, as the evening was warm and ethanol can sometimes make me hotter than I want to be.
We met the rest of the group in Johnson Square, with time to spare. Our guide had been stricken with laryngitis, but had gamely brought her fellow along to serve as a megaphone, if needed. As it turned out, she did VERY well with her storytelling, not requiring his aid after all. Bravo!!!
There were fifteen or so folks there for the ghost walk, a goodly number - not so many that anyone felt on the fringe instead of in the midst. Bonnie told us the enchanting story of the Pulaski Hotel and little Gracie Watson, regaled us with the antics of the frisky James Habersham, Jr. at the Olde Pink House, shared the sad tale of the child-like giant, Rene, and his playground. There was also talk of a kitty cat ghost and the voices of laughing, happy children! She finished in Wright Square, having led us on a rectangular path through five of the squares, with the tale of the hanged woman. Most excellent! Even though I was familiar with three of the tales already, she made them feel fresh and had a different spin and a positive air. Hardly surprising, as I know her to have a lively sense of humor as well as membership in MENSA, Philo Cafe, and Drinking Liberally!
I finished my evening dancing! Barefoot Booyah had a gig at fairly new place on Broughton. Again, as I know I've mentioned before, I'm a bit partial to these two fellows, as one is a nephew-in-law, but I am deservedly proud of them and their music! They mix some of their originals in with classics by Dylan, the Stones, and Van Morrison. You should give them a listen some time! Maybe I'll even see you there the next time I'm out dancing to their tunes!

i can't drive... 55!!!

Woohoo! Sammy Hagar can't drive me now!
hahaha!
Today has been a very nice start to my new year. The peace Guy accompanied me to the Jepson for a new art exhibit I had been waiting to see. I had attended the talk by the artist, Sarah Frost, on April 25, prior to going to the chemistry nerd trivia.
I had time to briefly explore her exhibit, "Arsenal", prior to her lecture on that Thursday a month earlier. I had read of it in the Winter issue of the quarterly magazine I receive as a member of the museum and had eagerly anticipated seeing what she would do with the space the Jepson had allotted for her work. My brief encounter with the white paper weaponry displayed in the small area had left me with one thought: I want to see this with the peace Guy.
So, when he had asked what I wanted to do on my birthday, I told him: see that particular exhibit with him and have lunch at RolyPoly. I also told him what I had done last year for my birthday; he had given me a look that I am still not sure I want to understand. (At least he understood not to say "poor dear" or such as that. It was my birthday and my choice of how to celebrate it. I wanted to do so alone and that is exactly what I did. Well, mostly. I had deliberately asked for one of my "trip to Italy" travelmates to be my waiter for dinner; he was marvelous, as I had known he would be, keeping an eye on me and making light, fun conversation along the way, leaving me feeling perfectly spoiled by the time my meal was done. Thanks, Nate!)
Being the loving person he is, the peace Guy agreed that we would do what I wanted to do, but he would buy my lunch. Good! Perfect! Fine with me!
(smile!)
And it was a very good day! We had gone to the Jepson and both slowly walked along both sides of the towering triangular display of starkly white weapons, hung at varying heights on nylon strings. Knowing the guns of all types were made of paper was not consoling, especially as I had told him these were working models, capable of firing paper munitions. Nor was the thought of these weapons having sprung from the minds of young boys of any consolation. Thank God the display was in a fairly small room or it would have been too overpowering.
Afterward, we went in search of shiny objects, as it were. Shiny objects with elaborate markings would be a good counterpoint to the the exhibit we had just left. "Silver from the Rizza Collection" was perfect! Old, solid, heavy - definitely what we needed! He told me stories about similar pieces in his family and we took our time admiring the many emobssed and engraved serving pieces and servingware.
By the time we were done, it was time to get some lunch! Off to the cool sandwich shop where I had dined last year on Thanksgiving Turkey! This time, I chose the Greek Turkey and he had the Thai Hot Tuna... but we ended up eating half of the other's wrap, so we had the best of both worlds. Yum!
Then I drove him to work, as his car was still in the shop. I returned home and thanked each of my fb birthday well-wishers. I know, I probably could have done a status update for a blanket "thank you" to all. But, that is not me. I wanted to make sure each of them received a personal thank you from me for taking the time to acknowledge my special day.
Then I headed downtown! I had been invited to trivia at a place I had not yet been for gaming. I had mistakenly thought the place served food; nope, they used to, but no one liked it. So, they had a policy that if you wanted to eat there, you were welcome to bring your own dinner. Not having any with me, I went in search of some.
I settled in at a Scottish restaurant just down the street from the trivia site. Nice! I wouldn't have far to backtrack after my meal! Even better: I had not yet dined at Molly MacPherson's, so this would be a new experience!
I had the special of the evening, a variation on fish and chips. The blackened tilapia was quite nicely grilled and quite attractive against the steamed green of the broccoli. New potatoes, boiled and parsleyed, and a doughy biscuit were fine staples to round out the meal. Very good! Truth to tell, though, the bagpipe music was getting to be grating by the time I finished my meal, so I probably won't return. Maybe I just needed some beer-muffs?
(smile!)
Then back to the Irish (foodless) pub for trivia with folks from Liquor Posse! This was a different game than I had played elsewhere with them, but I liked the variation. Rather than have each team present separate answer slips for each question, each team would submit a single answer sheet containing all of their responses to the queries. The TJ (trivia jock, a'ite?) would then grade the responses and then let each team know their standings. This game, too, had only three rounds, rather than four. But the thing I really liked was this: the last question of each round was a music question! He would play a song snippet, then you would have to tell him who sang it and what the title was. I had arrived about half-way through the second round; when he got to the last question and played his little piece of it, I knew immediately what it was! Def Leppard's "Too Late for Love"! Woohoo!
And the beauty was this: no one else in our group - which was about eight or nine people - even had a clue. They wrote it down because I was so convincing, even going so far as to sing some of the song for them.
And I was right! Woohoo!!!
Then, for the music question in the third round, I knew immediately that one, too! Diana Ross this time, singing about being "Upside Down"! I tell you, that was a big dance tune back in the day!
The group again took my word for it and submitted their playsheet. I had to leave to pick up the peach Guy from work, but I heard the next day that I "really know my music!" and they had won that round. Yeah!!!
Nice birthday!

and there was even a cake!

I certainly had not expected that a birthday cake would be included with dinner!
I had gone to Bill's house for dinner, to make my apologies yet again for Sunday. You see, he and I were to have gone to the ball game together, using the box seat tickets of the baseball girls duo. Then, I had an opportunity to see my stepmom and her two grandsons that same day, so I took it! Next thing you know, I had turned it into a family affair, using some of my season tickets, inviting my eldest brother and his clan as well as my first niece and her bunch. The more, the merrier, right?
But Bill and his dog got left out, when all was said and done. My phone had died prior to the game even starting. Not good. I could use other phones to contact my family members, as their numbers are prior to my cell phone days. But I did not know his number. Not good. I did look for him several times, and even left his ticket with the box office. Not quite good enough.
So I had arranged a dinner with him, being careful to not say anything about my birthday. He suggested dinner at his place, so I could have a little time with his therapy dog. Cool beans!
I brought two bottles of my lovely stash from the monks of San Sebastian. After all, I had been in the wrong and I wanted to try to make things right again. Knowing him to be a fan of vineyard products, proffering two bottles of my favorite lovelinesses should at least be a good start! I brought the Castillo Red, a rich and dry wine that still spoke of muscadines, and, of course, the grapefruit-tinged Blanc du Bois. Truly, I regard that wine as treasure!
I was greeted with a hug and a tail wag, so all was good. Then we chatted for a bit on the porch, sipping a glass of the red, admiring its color and taste. Good! Chillin' with a friend and vino!
We dined on a Mediterranean-style grilled chicken salad, easy on the feta. (I had lactase!) And, of course, Castillo Red - very nice! We eventually even opened up the second bottle, to enjoy with the birthday cake and, later, while relaxing in the back yard, post-meal. And we admired the lovely artwork he had hung in the dining room, the lovely piece of himself he was gifting to me.

You see, he had told me in October, at his annual Feast of Saint Francis of Assissi, that the multi-media piece was mine. I had openly admired it, telling him that I had wanted it for years, but knew I could not afford it. And he told me it was mine. He had a policy with himself: if someone truly loved one of his pieces, then he would gift them with it, knowing the child of his creative muse would have a good home. I knew nothing of that policy or I doubt I would have spoken of my love for "Ocean, Tumultuous". That is my name for the piece, not his.
And he gave it to me. Just like that. At that very moment last fall. He said he would put a mount on it, as it was still easel-bound, but he would get a mount on it so I could hang it in my house. I had tried to tell him that he was being too generous, that he could sell it instead. But he had insisted that it could never belong to another since he knew I loved it so.
And now, he had the Ocean ready to come home with me.
Today.
This very evening.
In time for my birthday.
Incredible.
It now occupies the place of honor in my living room, greeting myself and every guest of my home with each opening of the front door.

Thank you, Bill.

see, i do listen to you

A dancing crab! That's just one of the many gifts the bfe showered upon me tonight during dinner at one of our favorite spots. He said, "The wind-up waving crab makes me smile. You need an entity to put your hopes and dreams into - let Col. Crab help you out!"
The little crab was not the first gift brought out of the blue, though. (Bag, that is. You'll get it soon.) There was a theme linking the presents and I needed to figure it out, he said as he began pulling out presents. First, for my creative side, came a kit to build my very own crazy foam frog. But, as he said, the frog "needs a friend" so he also gave me a foam kit for a lovely crab with pipe cleaner legs and googly eyes. Very sweet! After all, don't we all need friends to share life's adventures?
Next, a package of shark tattoos, for my "bad-ass" side. Yo! Or maybe that should be yo-ho-ho? Hahaha!

After the scary sharks came the silly dancing crab. Then, something he had bought for the ensemble, but was unfamiliar with. The sailboat consisted of two metal die-cuts with a magnet in the middle. Termed a "screen saver", the purpose is to keep birds from crashing into plate glass windows and doors. Still, it tied in with the theme, even if he termed it "??!?".
Knowing my fondness for animated films for kids, he had searched out "Saving Nemo," not realizing he had the name wrong. When he (understandably) couldn't find it, he bought the next film with a title he knew I would like: "The Reef". Wonder of wonders, I haven't seen this one before! Yea! He added a trio of plastic sea creatures to play with before, during, or after the movie. Nice!

When he saw this metal fish, he said it spoke to him and was "the inspiration for all this." He knew glass would not do, as I am a klutz and break fragile objects. He is also very familiar with my collection of colorful wooden fish, some rather whimsical, others more true to nature. So, he had seen this unbreakable piece of ocean-inspired art and thought of me.
See, he does listen to me. What a very nice way to show it, too!
Maybe I can help him with his biology lessons so he doesn't mistake frogs for aquatic life. (smile)

Later, he even treated me to the improv comedy show at Muse Arts Warehouse and we enjoyed the show together, writing lines on dialogue slips, yelling out words to be worked into story lines, cheering and applauding! Fun, fun, fun!!!

thrice blessed!

I have just returned from yet another outing with my first niece! Incredible!!!
This makes the third consecutive day of spending time with her!
THAT is pretty magical, truly. Sometimes, we go weeks without seeing each other, even though she lives but seven houses down from me. But she is married, with children, and with jobs, so she doesn't have much time available for herself.
She is a young woman with responsibilities to others.
And I totally get that.
So I enjoy my time with her that much more, knowing she has others also calling for her lovely self to come brighten their lives.
I totally get that, too, as I am one of the ones desirous of her company.
But I do try to be patient.
And that patience has been rewarded amply!
On Saturday, she and I drove over to Bluffton, just the two of us! She had never been to Cheeburger Cheeburger, which is a shame as she is such a fan of hamburgers, so, on this day when we had just enough time between her engagements, we bopped on over across the bridge. Nice move! We both totally enjoyed ourselves, her with her laden cheeseburger and me with my portobello dream. Oh, and fried pickles, too! Then we had to race back home so she could get back to her regularly scheduled (i.e., overbooked) life.
Yesterday, Sunday, I was able to spend time with her again. Then again, you already know that!
Today, she and I went to an early showing of the Blue Sky movie, "Epic". Yeah!!! I totally enjoyed the battle of good versus evil, as did she. What a nice way to pass a few hours in the heat of a May day!
Definitely a birthday treat for me!

family, friends, tequila!

What a blue sky day for an afternoon of baseball!
The weather was quite nice, too: low 80's, with a bit of cool breeze to keep you from feeling too hot. It was family day at the ballpark, so all kids received a ticket for a free slice of pizza and soda. Nice! Of course, there were plenty of other treats to tempt the kids, but at least part of the wallet could take a break!
I had invited my stepmom and her two grandsons (my helf-nephews, if you're keeping track of such things) to accompany me to the game and was really looking forward to seeing them. Life has been incredibly hard for them lately, but we won't talk about that here. Suffice it to say that life was improving, she had contacted me to suggest we get together some Saturday morning or Sunday afternoon and I had seized, with both hands, the opportunity afforded me. A chance to visit with her AND my low country nephews AND share a Gnats' game with them? You betcha! And what a wonderful surprise that my younger half-brother could join us, too! As my stepmom said, we had Daddy's first-born (me) and youngest (Mike the mechanic) sharing time together - rather rare, I tell ya.
I had then invited other family members to join us for the outing. My middle little brother I had thought for sure would be there, but was not. My eldest little brother and his wife weren't able to make it, either, which was understandable, given the short notice and the fact that they have a teenaged son on their hands. And my middle bother's son had a barbeque to attend with his girlfriend at her folks' house (so that relationship seems to be moving along nicely for him!), so I'll have to visit with him some other time.
But my first niece came! She and my stepmom got to share pictures of kids and get a little caught up. They even talked about the burger joint in Bluffton that we all have now been to and swap favorite toppings! A little while later, her two foster kids were able to join us, then we all had three innings of free baseball! When the game did come to an end, the four kids all ran the bases, a special treat offered by the ball club on these Sunday game days. Cool beans! The kids thought it was fabulous to get to play on the same field as the Gnats and we got a kick out of watching their smiling faces rounding the bases. SUCH a fun day for all of us!
Then we all said our goodbyes, but first made plans for the 15th, a Saturday game followed by fireworks. Woohoo!
I returned home and was joined shortly by the peace Guy and the librarian. She and I took off for dinner at a new place, Blowin' Smoke Southern Cantina, as neither of us wanted to cook or clean dishes. Yeah! It was even a new-to-me dining experience! We only had to wait a short while, then snagged a table inside. Actually, I say "inside", and technically it was, but that's just because the walls had been rolled up to enjoy the breeze. Nice, right?
She had driven, so I decided to have a cocktail: the Signature Honey Jalapeno margarita. I know - sounds just crazy enough to be good, right? It was, too! And if my phone had not died on me right after reaching the ballpark, I would have been able to take a photo of it for this space (as well as all the missed shots of family at the game). No worries, I'm sure I'll be returning here in the near future. (And I have an upcoming game in two weeks for new family pics, so all is right with the world!)
I dined on the Caribbean Stewed Chicken Plate - GOOD choice! The shredded meat was jerked and topped with pineapple salsa - so very moist and tasty! The Roasted Corn Salad was palate-cleansing and simple, being mostly fresh corn with finely diced fresh tomato. The Black Beans were a bit bland, but I used them in my self-made tacos with the chicken and they worked quite nicely there!
I had a nice visit with the librarian and we were able to chat about things in her life. She is the same age as my first niece, so I usually enjoy her company. She mostly needed someone to give her an ear and a reality check; the tequila and I obliged.
Overall, a very nice day of un-birthday or pre-birthday or whatever it is I finally decide to call all of this.
Yep, life is GOOD.

red chimney in the Garden

Today's birthday celebration was a luncheon in a new place. No, wait, that's not quite true. The building itself is not any different than it was the last time I dined there, but the name and ownership had changed. Once, it was Muther's Old Timey Bar-b-que; now it is called The Red Chimney and has gone by that name, and these owners, for five years. Hard to believe that much time has passed!
I had the pork rib sandwich special of the day. I found out the sandwich was full of the meat taken off the ribs - no bones! It came with a drink (I had unsweet tea mixed with lemonade) and one side. I chose the green beans and added some fries. Then, just as I was closing out my order, the cherry winked at me. I swear, it did! And that's when I SAW the pineapple upside-down cake slices, mixed in with the lemon pound cake and some chocolate thing. Pineapple upside-down cake. So, I would not be dining alone after all!
I took my time with the lunch, tasting the four house barbeque sauces, chewing each bite thoroughly and savoring the flavors. The folks who ran the place didn't try to rush me, allowing me to dine on my own time. I didn't realize until I was leaving that the place was supposed to have closed at 2 PM. When I finally was sated, even going so far as to get a "to go" box for my slice of cake, the time was about a quarter of three. Oops! But the man who was clearly the owner was quite pleased that I was so obviously enjoying the meal that he had settled in on the porch with some friends to just wait for me to finish. Very nice!
The meal had been too much to allow room for dessert, so I waited for a while to enjoy the cake. A good move on my part! Topped with carmelized, crushed pineapple, and that lone, winking, maraschino cherry, the cake was rich and very satisfying to both my palate and my soul.
Glad you could join me, Sam.

I finished up the evening with the Sand Gnats, on as pretty a night as one could hope for! I was joined by two of my favorite men, the inimitable Mr. Willie and my middle brother, on a warm summer's night with a light, cooling breeze and a clear sky. Ah, very nice, indeed! And my boys of summer won the game, too! Such joy!
Such a balm to my soul to watch as the sky darkened to a deep blue and met the dark green waves of the trees below. The beauty of that sight always reminds me to breathe again, to calm my outlook, and to remind me that life is about these small moments spent with those I love.

lunchtime adventures!

I decided to NOT have lunch at one of the fastfood joints near the exit, so I had wandered toward Kingsland's downtown in search of something different, something new to me.
Found it!
The Lunchbox is a brand-spankin'-new eatery! I think it had only been open for two weeks when I stumbled upon it. A small place, it serves Southern cuisine for breakfast and lunch. They hope to open for dinner, but hey, first some revenue needs to come in, a'ite?
I had tasty corn nuggets, sweet enough they could have doubled as dessert, easily. Pop a dollop of ice cream on them and that would be a scrumptious end of any meal!
The fried shrimp lunch special was my choice, with green beans and mac-n-cheese as my sides. Yeah, I know, but I had my lactase with me on this visit, so I was good. I'm very glad to have had that enzyme handy, too. It would have been a shame to miss out on that creamy, cheesy, pasta!
I had arrived at the tail end of their lunch period, but you would have never guessed it from the way they treated me. I was allowed to have a leisurely meal, chatting with the waitress about Virginia and Williamsburg and Yorktown, her one-time stomping grounds. We also chatted about Savannah and Saint Augustine, two of her favorite places to visit these days.
Closing time was listed as 2 PM. I left almost an hour after that and they had allowed other diners to come in while I was still eating. I guess that was just a "suggested" closing time.
I think I'll wander back in this direction again sometime. The laid-back, casual atmosphere is a welcome break from dusty, hot roads!

dinosaurs, dinosaurs, dinosaurs!

I had not consciously planned an afternoon with ancient creatures, but what a treat from my subconscious mind!
I had arrived at Downtown Disney in search of a cool place to pass some time during the humid afternoon. The cinema had a film starting at the right time, one I had not yet seen, so in I went. "The Croods" was such a fabulous story!!! I had not expected to be so touched, but I was, ending up sobbing in the darkness as the end credits rolled and all the families there made their way out. Fortunately, I was sitting off to the side and way down front, so no one really noticed me sobbing. I think.
Anyway, I had a chance to read the end credits and found out that John Cleese had helped write the story. Very nice! I do so love his sense of humor and several of the bits in the movie had struck me as rather British-veined. I guess that was because they were! I especially liked the Belt on the boy, the Belt that would, at key moments, dramatically say: "da da DAH!!!" Very funny!
But the part that got me choked up was near the end. The teenaged daughter had been at odds with her dad the whole time, fighting him about going outside the cave, fighting him about seeking new things, fighting him about ... well, the usual stuff that teens fight about with parents. Then, just when they seem to be working things out, he dies. And there she is, on the cliff, blowing into a conch shell in mourning, being joined by her family all doing the same death keen.
Very poignant scene. Really got to me.
So, like I said, I stayed in the cinema, reading most of the credits and watching the extra little animated bits and getting myself under control. It helped greatly that everyone else had left, so I didn't feel self-conscious about crying at an animated movie. It also helped that someone I really liked had a hand in writing the story.

So, afterward, I had hoped to ride the hot-air balloon. Be a Character in Flight with the lovely, talented Tinkerbell! Alas, 'twas not to be. Storm warnings had grounded the balloon for the rest of the afternoon and evening.
No floating amidst the clouds with my favorite fairy on this day.
I had a Wetzel dog while I wandered about, taking pictures of the tethered balloon. That was a VERY good hot dog! I highly recommend it! Juicy, flavorful, and wrapped in pretzel dough! I didn't even bother putting mustard on it and it was GOOD.
I then meandered about the area, taking in the sights, people watching. You know, the usual things one does when simply passing time. I bopped into the LEGO store, too, which is a definitely fun place. You can even play with some of the toys while you're there!

Eventually, though, I decided to have an early dinner at T-Rex. Beat the crowd, you know? Because this place isn't your ordinary eatery. Oh, no! It's practically a museum, filled with animatronic entertainment!

As I dined, I sat beside the beast at the top of this post, a beast which would graze and roar and sometimes look right at me! The ocean scene lay to my other side while dining. Isn't it so very lovely?

This was not my first time in this so-called Prehistoric Family Adventure, but it was my first time eating there. The bird and I had roamed among the beasts on our visit to Orlando two - or was it three? - years earlier. On that visit, suppertime was in full swing and the place had a VERY long line of waiting diners. No way we were going to add to that line! How lovely to have finally had the chance to sink my teeth into the Pangaea Pasta while sipping a Raptor Rita and being serenaded by a triceratops. Fabulous fun for kids of all ages - including 55!

moonfish

Yesterday I celebrated the nearing of completion of the 55th year of my life by selecting this new dining experience, making it also part of my new year's resolution. What better restaurant than one which specializes in seafood? And such a beautiful name, too!
Moonfish is located in the southwest portion of Orlando, the Buena Vista area, so it was quite near my vacation site. With my $50 gift card firmly in hand, I went in search of fabulous dining and FOUND IT! The dining room was already full, but there were several cozy tables in the lounge and I selected a two-seater near a window. Nice! It was also at the far wall of that area, allowing me to leisurely scan the walls and enjoy the artwork scattered there.
The waitress must have sensed that this was a special evening for me and she was spectacular! Attentive, but not smothering, generous and helpful without any smidgen of patronizing - she was perfect for my extended-birthday celebration! Oh, did I like the cheese-garlic butter bread? How about another loaf? Isn't that szechuan vinaigrette the best dressing? Spicy, but not overly so on that bed of beautiful greens with beets and meaty tomato. Yes, quite a good, unique dressing!
But what really seemed to get her attention was my order of the Chef's Mixed Grill. That marked me as a serious diner, unafraid of higher prices and willing to place my trust fully in the chef's hands. The dish was described as "Chef’s selection of two fish oak grilled and served with Thai Style Stuffed Shrimp & Scallops" and was priced in the mid thirties. I hoped one of the two fish choices would be the corvina listed on the night's menu, but I have a one-eyed chef friend who I trust with food choices and decided to extend that trust on this occasion.
Ah, well met, my dear, well met! Expectations boldly exceeded! Not only had the chef selected the corvina, without me even prompting the waitress for him to do so, but there was also an enticing bit of salmon gracing the plate! Such a lovely aroma, too!

The broiled shrimp and scallops were smothered with breadcrumbs and lump crab meat - ooooooohhhh! My, my, my! Chunky hunks of broiled zucchini, yellow squash, and carrot added a splash of muted color and sweet flavor to the far side of the plate. All in all, it was almost too pretty to eat! A bowl of steamed white rice was the final addition to the dish, a palate cleanser, so to speak. Divine food, fit for the angels!
I ended up making three meals of that night's repast. This morning, I dined on the rest of the bread and the filet of corvina for my breakfast, and lovely it was! Then, this evening, I finished off the rice, covered with the remaining scallops and crabmeat, and accompanied by the rest of the broiled vegetables. Now, I am sated once more and grateful for the chef's choices for me.
Thank you very much!

rollin' rollin' rollin' RAWHIDE!

Hoorah! Another supercool odometer reading!
I was returning from my bff's house, where I'd had the definite honor of watching her talented daughter dance SIX TIMES in Saturday's recital. Woohoo!!! I loved every minute of it!
I also was treated to an early birthday celebration (maybe more on that another time) and what was surely the best Mother's Day that I've had since 2000.
Seriously.
Back to the story at hand!
When I realized that my odometer was about to hit a triple repeat of today's date, I acted quickly to make it memorable! To be cruising down a major highway, or veer off onto a side road and follow where it led? Well, lemme tell ya, ol' Robert Frost would be quite proud of me for choosing the path less traveled. Sure he would have!

I even had lunch at a restaurant that was brand new to me, satisfying my 2013 Resolution yet again. Sah-weet! The little place was called Pepper Jack's Deli and Grill, a homey-looking place in Portal, and the chicken tenders were quite tasty and moist! The location was good, too - right across from the high school and even sporting the school's colors and mascot. Nice!
The only down side was the detour added about three hours to my trip. Yikes! How so? Well, at some point, I must have wandered to the north, because I ended up near Statesboro before I caught the error in my internal compass. Ah, well, the weather was great, I had no time table to keep, and the car still had plenty of gas. No worries!

you've got to wake up every morning, with a smile on your face

... and show the world/ all the love in your heart." - Carole King
That was one of the first songs I did in karaoke, but it's been in my life since I was a teen. Her album, "Tapestry," was one of the first six albums I owned, and it was played over and over on my little GE Wildcat Turntable. Picture that, if you would!
This weekend has been a most excellent beginning of my birthday celebration! I had thought I was going up to the northwestern corner of the state to finally, finally, get to see my preppy Goth girl dance, up front and personal instead of just on video. I did get to see her dance, but the weekend was SO much more than that. Thanks, BFF! <3 Let's start with Friday, shall we? We shall. After a rather uneventful drive up, I arrived to find that there was to be a rehearsal that evening. Off we went! The Goth girl danced a little bit, but mostly it was the little kids doing the practicing. After almost three hours of sittin' and watchin' other folks' kids, we were ready to go and hungry for dinner. Hey, it was already after 9 PM! China Panda to the rescue! I had the House Special Chow Mei Fun - yummy! One more restaurant to satisfy my 2013 resolution!
The next morning, we were up early - for me! - so we could arrive on time for the recital. This recital was in honor of the Tenth Anniversary of the dance school, so, rather than be held in its usual location, this site had been obtained to accomodate the extra folks expected for the nine-hour celebration. No, no, not nine straight hours of dance! My goodness, the kids would collapse, not to mention the parents! The recital was divided into three presentations, each about two hours long, with about 90 minutes between each.
Fortunately, the Goth girl's dances were all in the first presentation! She was in six dances, too! For five of them, she was part of a group, with that group swelling from just three others to containing all of the students of the dance school. My favorite, of course, was her solo dance to "Crystallize" - so graceful, so smooth, so very beautiful! Here's an example of two dancers for that lovely tune:


The rest of the day was spent noshing on Georgia caviar, watching "Oblivion" with my BFF and sharing tears during it, and then... BIRTHDAY SURPRISE!!! Woohoo! My BFF, the Goth girl, and the girl's boyfriend chimed in to sing me "Happy birthday!" as a huge beach bag of goodies came my way!!! Wow!!!

A bubble-wielding sword! A bottle of silver tequila, bedecked with ocean-hued glass beads! A beach towel dragon to stay close to my side and ward off undertoads! Witch's brew soap! And even suncreen!


The next day, I had the best Mother's Day that I've had in over a decade, as we rose early and went to the Georgia Renaissance Festival. Ah, such merriment we had! The Tortuga Twins! The Mud Show! Ded Bob! The porkchop on a stick! The steak on a stick! The corn on the cob on a stick! The fantabulous bread pudding made from glazed donuts! And, of course, the jousting and the knights and the horses!!! Oh, my, my, my!!!
Now, for some TIVO'ed episodes of "Big Bang Theory" with the Goth girl, then to bed.
(YAWN!)
What a glorious birthday weekend... two and a half weeks early!

keep yer chin up, chickadee!

The old Brit professor sent this one to me and it's a hoot! I sure hope my job search will be a much easier situation!

My job search:

1. My first job was working in an Orange Juice factory,
but I got canned. Couldn't concentrate.

2. Then I worked in the woods as a Lumberjack,
but just couldn't hack it, so they gave me the axe.

3. After that, I tried being a Tailor,
but wasn't suited for it -- mainly because it was a sew-sew job.

4. Next, I tried working in a Muffler Factory,
but that was too exhausting.

5. Then, tried being a Chef - figured it would add a little spice to my life,
but just didn't have the thyme.

6. Next, I attempted being a Deli Worker,
but any way I sliced it, I couldn't cut the mustard.

7. My best job was as a Musician,
but eventually I found I wasn't noteworthy.

8. I studied a long time to become a Doctor,
but didn't have any patience.

9. Next, was a job in a Shoe Factory.
Tried hard but just didn't fit in.

10. I became a Professional Fisherman,
but discovered I couldn't live on my net income.

11. Managed to get a good job working for a Pool Maintenance Company,
but the work was just too draining.

12. So then I got a position in a Workout Center,
but they said I wasn't fit for the job..

13. After many years of trying to find steady work,
I finally got a job as a Historian - until I realized there was no future in it.

14. My last job was working in Starbucks,
but I had to quit because it was the same old grind.

15. SO, I TRIED RETIREMENT
AND I FOUND I'M PERFECT FOR THE JOB!

a different kind of mae day

Before I forget about it, let me tell you a little bedtime story.
Last Saturday evening, I happened to be home and turned on the television. Let me just say that's not a common occurence on a Saturday night for me.
So, I'm channel-surfing, trying to find something to entertain me and I stumbled upon this show about the legendary Mae West. Only this show is on a station I rarely include in my searches: it's a PBS (Public Broadcast Station) special.
But, hey! It's about Mae West! This could be good... and so my finger ceases its pushing of the remote control buttons.
And you know what? It was good.
I watched the whole thing.
She was featured in various clips, but the focus was on the remembrances of men who had known her and loved her and worked with her. The documentary was titled simply: "Mae West...And the Men Who Knew Her". You could tell from the men's voices that they had loved this independent woman of the 1930's and '40's, when women were not usually bold and brassy and burlesque.
So, the next morning, I mention it in my texting with the bfe.
"Mae West?", he texted. "That's funny. The Eagle scout and I were talking about her at the bar that night while waiting for the NK! dinner."
That is funny.
Nice coincidence!

and THAT's the truth, mister!

And now for a little light humor, during this week of Final Exams.

In ancient Israel, it came to pass that a trader by the name of Abraham Com did take unto himself a young wife by the name of Dorothy. And Dot Com was a comely woman, broad of shoulder and long of leg. Indeed, she was often called Amazon Dot Com.

And she said unto Abraham, her husband, "Why dost thou travel so far from town to town with thy goods when thou canst trade without ever leaving thy tent?"

And Abraham did look at her as though she were several saddle bags short of a camel load, but simply said, "How, dear?"

And Dot replied, "I will place drums in all the towns and drums in between to send messages saying what you have for sale, and they will reply telling you who hath the best price. The sale can be made on the drums and delivery made by Uriah's Pony Stable (UPS)."

Abraham thought long and decided he would let Dot have her way with the drums. And the drums rang out and were an immediate success. Abraham sold all the goods he had at the top price, without ever having to move from his tent.

To prevent neighbouring countries from overhearing what the drums were saying, Dot devised a system that only she and the drummers knew. It was known as Must Send Drum Over Sound (MSDOS), and she also developed a language to transmit ideas and pictures - Hebrew To The People (HTTP).

And the young men did take to Dot Com's trading as doth the greedy horsefly take to camel dung. They were called Nomadic Ecclesiastical Rich Dominican Sybarites, or NERDS.

And lo, the land was so feverish with joy at the new riches and the deafening sound of drums that no one noticed that the real riches were going to that enterprising drum dealer, Brother William of Gates, who bought off every drum maker in the land. Indeed he did insist on drums to be made that would work only with Brother Gates' drumheads and drumsticks.

And Dot did say, "Oh, Abraham, what we have started is being taken over by others."

And Abraham looked out over the Bay of Ezekiel, or eBay as it came to be known.

He said, "We need a name that reflects what we are."

And Dot replied, "Young Ambitious Hebrew Owner Operators."

"YAHOO," said Abraham.

And because it was Dot's idea, they named it YAHOO Dot Com.

Abraham's cousin, Joshua, being the young Gregarious Energetic Educated Kid (GEEK) that he was, soon started using Dot's drums to locate things around the countryside.

It soon became known as God's Own Official Guide to Locating Everything (GOOGLE).

That is how it all began. And that's the truth.

sunday composition

First, let me say this: I do not know the folks who live here.
I was simply taken by the interplay of the colors. The small red picnic table and chairs. The white of the popsicle-stick fence. The washed-out green of the house, the lush green of the wisteria foliage, the new green of the tree. The dangling violet clusters of wisteria flowers.
Very nice, n'est-ce pas?
I had noticed this as I waited for the physicist.
At the time, I had gone to his door to find him still asleep, having risen early (2 AM!) to watch Jack Benny (!) on his cable-less television. He had intended to set an alarm for our luncheon, but had not or had slept through it or whatever. I leaned against my car, facing away from his domicile, and drafted the message "what a putz" into my phone, perhaps to send elsewhere later.
Then I took a fresh breath, looked up from my phone and across the street, and saw this collection of colors and shapes and lines, begging to be captured.
And so I did.
Then I raised my gaze to the message for me.
I was exactly where I needed to be.
If he had been ready to go, I would have missed the heart in the sky. I would have overlooked the beauty right across the street.
I would have missed all of that.

Coincidences are funny things.

con amor, desde el cielo

As i was waiting for the bfe to join me for lunch and a play, i lifted my eyes skyward, as i so often do.
And a message from beyond was written for me.
A message of love, still, always.
I had noticed the swiftly racing clouds earlier, rain makers leaving town for other environs, racing, racing to arrive on time to the next area due for a soaking.
Now, there was a message writ for my eyes! Could I capture it forever, to share with others, to read again and again? Would the message dissipate before i could even open my phone and take aim?
Oh, please!!!
Please stay for just a few seconds!
And the message did, barely managing to maintain its integrity, to preserve the delicate lace doily of a heart occupying the massive portion of sky above me as the air swirled around it.
I don't think Mama knew how to tat.
Maybe it was crocheted from those stray wisps of water vapor...
for me, from her, as another Mother's Day apart draws near.

doo doo doo doo, doo doo doo, doo doo doo doo, DOO, doo doo doo doo doo

Here's one from the bunny peacock, while nestled in his natural habitat.

(Hey, it just seemed to be the right one for the job!)

WHAT CAUSES ARTHRITIS?

A drunk man who smelled of beer sat down on a subway next to a priest.
The man's tie was stained, his face was plastered with red lipstick, and a half-empty bottle of gin was sticking out of his torn coat pocket. He opened his newspaper and began reading.

After a few minutes the man turned to the priest and asked, "Say Father, what causes arthritis?"

The priest replies, "My Son, it's caused by loose living, being with cheap, wicked women, too much alcohol, contempt for your fellow man, sleeping around with prostitutes and lack of a bath."

The drunk muttered in response, "Well, I'll be damned," then returned to his paper.

The priest, thinking about what he had said, nudged the man and apologized. "I'm very sorry. I didn't mean to come on so strong. How long have you had arthritis?"

The drunk answered, "I don't have it, Father. I was just reading here that the Pope does."

MORAL : Make sure you understand the question before offering the answer.

here's a quarter, call someone who cares

My ex-sister-in-law's mother sent this in my direction and I thought it was too funny to keep to myself. Enjoy!

Lawrence , Kansas, December 12, 2008: (true story)

A Kansas farm wife called the local phone company to report her telephone failed to ring when her friends called - and that on the few occasions, when it did ring, her dog always moaned right before the phone rang.

The telephone repairman proceeded to the scene, curious to see this psychic dog or senile lady. He climbed a telephone pole, hooked in his test set, and dialed the subscriber's house.

The phone didn't ring right away, but the dog moaned and the phone began to ring.

Climbing down from the pole, the telephone repairman found:

1 . The dog was tied to the telephone system's ground wire with a steel chain and collar.

2. The wire connection to the ground rod was loose.

3. The dog was receiving 90 volts of ringing current when the number was called.

4. After a couple of jolts, the dog would start moaning and then urinate.

5. The wet ground would complete the circuit, thus causing the phone to ring.

Which demonstrates that some problems CAN be fixed by pissing and moaning!

Poor ol' dog!

so many places to go!

The next time you want to have an adventure, consider these travel destinations!
Oh, and I'll be sure to send you a postcard the next time I visit any of them!


I have been in many places, but I've never been in Cahoots. Apparently, you can't go alone. You have to be in Cahoots with someone.

I've also never been in Cognito. I hear no one recognizes you there.

I have, however, been in Sane. They don't have an airport; you have to be driven there. I have made several trips there, thanks to my child, friends, family and work.

I would like to go to Conclusions, but you have to jump, and I'm not too much on physical activity anymore.

I have also been in Doubt. That is a sad place to go, and I try not to visit there too often.

I've been in Flexible, but only when it was very important to stand firm.

Sometimes I'm in Capable, and I go there more often as I'm getting older.

One of my favorite places to be is in Suspense! It really gets the adrenalin flowing and pumps up the old heart!

benny, baby!

Yesterday, the faculty reading roundtables and teaching groups gave brief presentations on their preoccupations over the course of the school year almost ended. Some groups had a hand-out, some had a powerpoint presentation, some had both (mine did). But two of the groups contained the same thwarted thespian, the same entertainer of the masses and would-be center of the world.
Well, maybe not that last part.
Then again...?
The thespian presented a slide show for his teaching/grant-writing group. Using humor, he likened his exploits in search of financial aid with those of Jack Benny. The slide show may have lasted a bit long, but all in attendance, myself included, definitely were entertained!
For his next act, for the reading roundtable, he made use of one of his team mates to serve as introducer of the physicist he was bringing to life. He made sure everyone understood just what a skirt-chasing, egotistical, immoral, boor Richard Feynman was as a person. I actually guffawed when he was introduced and started his spiel, but I was alone. Everyone else, in particular every woman there, was glued to him and his performance. Incredibly, they all seemed to be taking him to be the genuine article! Could it be that they mistakenly believed him and this other physicist to have the same personality?

me: Quite entertaining presentation today!
bfe: Thank you! Which one, Jack Benny and denial or Feynman. I bet Feynman.
me: Actually, i liked the Benny better. Feynman was such an ass.
bfe: I agree. Feynman... he's not very sympathetic.

Well, at least he and I knew better.

surprise! It's May day!

As her son's seventh birthday approached, his excitement was reaching fever-pitch. As usual, Tommy was allowed to invite about a dozen kids who live on their block.
The morning of the big day, a woman called to say she couldn't make the party. The mom must have sounded confused, so the woman added, "I'm Tommy's teacher."
The woman paused, then said, "Didn't you know he'd invited me?"
"No," the mom said, "but you're welcome to drop in later for a slice of birthday cake."
After another pause, the woman said, "Did you know he asked the entire class...33 children in all?"
The mom gasped, thanked her, hung up and turned to Tommy, who was fairly bursting with glee.
The mom asked why he had done such a thing.
"I always wanted a surprise party, Mom! Are you surprised?"