fairy unicorn princess in midway!

Not even the nearly-constant rain could dampen spirits at Susie King Taylor Freedom Park in Midway, Georgia, this afternoon!

Just look at that smile on the face of the birthday girl!

Chloe and her friend, Leela, had taken a break from the playground to do a bit of coloring.

Both girls were rain-soaked, but neither cared!

This was a party!!!

I almost took crayons in hand to color, but I went to chat with others instead.

When I returned, Michael and Alyssa had taken my place!  

I know the saying: You move it, you lose it!

I still sat down and talked with them for a while, though I never got around to coloring.

In the background are Melinda and Christina, both wearing pink as though they had coordinated that.

I doubt it! 

And just what was my first niece fiddling with back there on the table?

That was no ordinary table, it was a nachos bar and I made sure to get a nice helping of most of it!!!

Underneath all that nacho cheese, ground beef, black beans, jalapenos, and salsa is actually a bed of tortilla discs.

It was totally fantabulous!!!

In fact, I was so into that Mexican treat that I almost missed the singing of "Happy Birthday"! 

I saw that Matt was lighting the candles and I tried to hurry and get my camera pulled up and ready...

but the snap just missed Chloe blowing out those eight little flames!

At least Aunt Chelsea was right there with cousin Annaleigh, and so was Grammy and Christina!

Anthony's mom, Tonia, was in her wheelchair and had a great view! 

Then it was time for cake and ice cream!

Silly me, I forgot my lactaid, but I still had a piece of that tall cake! 

I liked the puffy unicorn plate - isn't that cute?

And the cake was so very good that I even ate most of the icing - I did!

Then it was time to open presents, of course!

And was that a familiar face on the woman in the white T-shirt?

Sure enough, it was Kaleigh Cobb, down from Charleston with her fiance, Mac!

I'd spoken with them and Michael while I ate my nachos and it was very nice to get to know more about both of them.

They'll be going to the Savannah Bananas game tonight, if the rain lets up.

Back to the opening of the presents! 

Specifically, the opening of the Minions bag of goodies from me!!!

Here, Chloe paused to read the card.

Why?

Because her Grammy said so, that's why!

(smile!)

Next, she pulled out the book, which I had not even shrouded in tissue paper.

Nope! 

"Creature DIScomforts"!!!

What's this???

A book she'll never see anywhere else, full of beasts and words she's never seen before!

I just -LOVE- this expression on her face!!! 

(smile!!!)

Finally, she reached for the last item...

and it was in wrapping paper!

Oh, joy!

"I love to tear off the paper, " she said!

I'm so glad I remembered she liked that.

When she revealed the little fancy suitcase of art supplies, she held it up high - there were even unicorns on the outer design!!!

Grammy will let her open it later - no need to lose any of the pieces inside!

What a great party!

Later this month, it'll be their turn.

Leila and Alyssa will be 12.

Can that possibly be right???

Yes, yes, it can be and yes it is.

They are so different from each other!

Leila even commented that she wished she could have her own birthday party, but when you're a twin, that doesn't happen until you're grown and on your own. 

As for me, I have been wearing my yellow unicorn tiara ever since I first put it on at the party!

Isn't it gorgeous?!

And now I have two tiaras!!!

And see that little pink unicorn ponytail holder at the end of my braid?

That was in the 'treat bag' that all the kids - even me! - were given by my first niece!

She always spoils me by making sure I get one of those, too.

Muchas gracias, mi cara!

time to play like doc frankenstein!

"Ooohhhh, science!!!"

You got it! The time has come for a bit of AA and AAA down in Georgetown, and I was once again allowed to bring the inanimate to life! BWAH HA HA!!

"Well, happy 5th anniversary of doing that, you mad scientist!"

Thank you, thank you very much, dearie! I was there at noon30 to start popping batteries into the backs, feet, and heads of Dawn's indoor ghouls. I even brought my own tweakers from my days as a CTM in the Navy! 

"Well, look at you, being all prepared to throw down with the best of them!"

Let's just say that after nearly two decades of having their battery compartment lids removed and replaced, some of those screws have become a bit more cantankerous than the bodies they power. I know my tools have pointed tips that can still pile drive when needed.

"And where those particular little goblins and clowns waiting for life to begin again, or were they already ready to track their prey and clang cymbals and laugh maniacally?"

Darn tootin' they were ready to rumble! Dawn was still working, so I was digging the monsters out of the bin under the table and sticking it to them. The monkey took a bit of finagling, but I finally succeeded in getting his arms aligned so the cymbals would be able to touch. Those four, plus two more stage left, took about 25 minutes.

"Really? That long? And how many did she have that needed batteries?"

Oh, the entire dining room table top gets covered in them! She did a few this time, but mostly it was my hands doing the slap and tickle with the beasties. They get new ones every year, too, so that means a bit more time involved, but at least the newer ones get up to speed a bit faster. Even so, I reckon it took almost three hours to get them ready for the BYOP coming on October 24th.

"That's almost exactly a month away! Why so early?"

As Dawn says, it's all dependent on the Koz. Whenever he decides to fetch all the bins out of storage determines what timeline she needs to be on. This year, her new boss has had her out of town a lot, so he went ahead and emptied out the storage earlier this week. Then he occupied his time at night reworking the wire harnesses for his outside ghouls - long story, suffice it to say he'll not be accepting help in the future with taking them down. So, as he says, since he was having to have his hands on all of them anyway, he went ahead and powered them up. In other words, that task is done. He was already in the process of hanging them when I arrived.

"So I see. Does that mean you won't be needed anymore to help set up for the big shindig later?"

Oh, no, I'll be back tomorrow, along with some of the other women. Dawn has recruited us to fill the goody bags with witches' warts, rat tails, monster scabs, ghost poop, and pumpkin teeth. Should be lots of fun! I am usually enlisted to help Chris on battery detail for the second outing, so it'll be a nice change to do this craft work. 

"Poop and scabs and what???"

BWAH HA HA!!! Don't be so literal, g'friend! Chocolate chips, licorice, Toast Crunch cereal, mini-marshmallows, and candy corn - treats, not tricks!

"That looks like a definite treat right there!"

Oh, yes, it was! Luncheon on the back porch, overlooking the canal and enjoying the slight breeze with Dawn and the Koz! She made Reuben sandwiches on marble rye and they were absolutely divine!!! In fact, I've come home with the halves of both of their Reubens, so I'll have another meal to enjoy them. Thanks, y'all!!!

"What a lovely break that must have been from handling monsters!"

It certainly was, but then it was back to the "AA Meeting", so to speak. One of my fb friends posted this t-shirt and I thought it was cute and saved it for today. "Hello, my name is Todd and I'm a battery." HAHAHAHA!!! Totally appropriate!!!

"Nice pun for sure!"

Okay, just came home to drop off the Reubens. Off to Sandfly I go!

smitty wanted a party this bday!

He even gave everyone fair warning that an increased cost would be involved for dinner, as his choice was Miyabi's for his birthday.

Even so, we all still agreed to come, except the young ones... then they changed their minds and came anyway!

After all, Addison and Becca never pay for their meals!

 

So, off to the Japanese steakhouse we went, and there was even a nice cake for the birthday fellow!

Oh, my mistake... that was a RICE cake!

The chef even wrote "HBD 66" on it for Smitty!

All it lacked were candles.

(smile!)

Here's the chef making the shrimp appetizer for all of us.

I'm so glad I can eat shellfish!

My guess is we each got two shrimp, served as six pieces.

Meanwhile, the zucchini and onions were still cooking on the grill.

They smelled so good!!!

We had received our miso mushroom soup as the first course.

Then came the crisp salads, loaded with ginger dressing - yum!

I ate my salad, and my dinner, with chopsticks and was the only one who decided to dine in that fashion.

I swear it tastes better without metal utensils!

(smile!)

 

No one commented on my use 

of chopsticks for eating, either.

Then again, it could be that 

the girls on the side did, 

but I couldn't hear them.

Or, it could be they weren't even 

aware, as they were on the 

opposite end of the huge table. 

I'm not even sure that Robin and Laura saw that I used those wooden sticks.

Then again, they were raised as sisters and are usually rapt in conversation.

Tony was engrossed in having sake with his meal, and Jimmy likely didn't see.

 

I think Smitty noticed, but he knows 

I was in Okinawa for two years, 

so I think he expected it of me.

As for Mark, he really had a limited view.

I know he was more attuned to the 

difference in the size of his Michelob 

Ultra compared to Smitty's Asahi.

LOL!

Anyway, after the first, second, and third courses, we got a generous helping of vegetables... and an even more generous slab of that rice cake!

Then we watched as all the meats were cooked by our entertaining chef!

A steak for Laura and another for Jimmy...

a fish for me... 

scallops for Smitty and Mark and Tony...

chicken breast for Mary, with mixed chicken for the other women...

plus shrimp for me, Smitty, Mark, and Tony.

I had enough left over to use for two more meals!

I'm so glad Smitty chose this for our S&K Friday Fiesta!

Happy bday 66, dear brother!

(smile!)

what a reunion at the patio!!!

Stella and I had arrived first.

I wasn't even sure if the party on the patio would come to pass, but I had made the choice that morning that we would be at the patio at 5 PM on this first sunny afternoon in days!

We were there about ten minutes early, just hanging out and hoping.

Then we heard it: Terry had turned on the speakers!

Rock music stirred the air!

Then Susan opened the back door and stepped out... 

with Coco close behind, but moving slowly...

until she saw Stella coming across the patio...

and justthatfast, the two dogs made a beeline for each other like friends who'd been apart too long!!!

What a glorious display of love and friendship!!!

They played and played!!!

That was well worth getting carried away by sand gnats for thirty minutes...

I'm so glad we finally had this party on the patio!

every day, every day i write the book...

Yes, I cribbed that post title directly from the 1983 Elvis Costello song.

Not that it particularly pertains to this photo.

The only book I write in every day is my journal, which I keep to jog my memory from time to time.

The photo, however, was an entry in Dawn's Guest Book II, which I forgot to record back in May.

Everyone who stays overnight at the home she shares with The Koz are to write in that book, and that includes dog sitters!

To make up for my lapse, I had promised her one of my scribble flowers, so there it is!

I even brought my box of crayons so I could do it up right!

I added many of the highlights for that ten-day stay, including the parties on the patio, with goslings and without.

I spoke of the Banana Ball game on ESPN as a special treat!

I even mentioned the musical at Savannah Country Day during my stay!

Some of the many movies I watched on their channels were listed, too!

And of course I talked of special moments with their crazy dog!

I managed to fill a page and a half in their guest book.

I think Dawn will be quite pleased!

(smile!)

vacay in georgetown with a footlong...

... chili cheese Coney! Hahahaha!

Just a little sexual innuendo to brighten the day!

I had not had one of these Sonic creations for years, so after the S&K Friday Fiesta at Texas Roadhouse was canceled due to crowds, I stopped in.

I didn't want to eat it with Stella around, so I sat in my car in Dawn's driveway.

Stella has a habit of lying on my foot, or touching it, to make sure I don't get away.

In my car, I could drink my Cherry Lime-ade in peace - aahhh!

As for the hotdog and the tater tots, they were okay, but I'm just not into fast food.

Then again, I had my first meeting with my new nutritionist this morning.

Alyn Rosales is down in Hinesville, so we had a Video meeting, with her spending an hour with me.

She wants me to eat three snacks a day, as well as three meals, being mindful of having more fruits and vegetables.

Cherries and limes are fruit... though I doubt either are truly in that Sonic drink!

Anyway, after I had dined, I went inside, knowing full well that "party on the patio" time had passed us by.

Still, I took Stella onto the back porch, to "wait for the party" to start.

We were out there thirty minutes!

No Coco ever came out, and I convinced the ridgeback that we hadn't missed it and they had decided not to do it.

Then I took her in and fed her and she was okay with the little lie I'd told.

That's no doubt due to me letting her chase the geese this morning.

We'd both noticed the adult geese up on the bank.

Of course, it had been impossible to ignore them, as they were all five honking up a storm right there!

So, while we were on the back porch, I encouraged her to go after them.

Hey, why not?

I knew they would be well out of her reach, and they were well away from the water, so there was no fear of Stella getting scum all over her.

Plus, she had been so patient during my video appointment - she deserved to have a bit of fun!

That was fun for both of us!

(smile!)

vacay in georgetown, with rain and no birds

Into each life some rain must fall...

but yesterday the weather song said that would be over the weekend.

At some point overnight, that all changed.

Well, let me amend that: the weekend will be wet, but also today.

Fortunately, it was only the morning that was soggy. 

 

That was good, as I was a bit tired after playing Goldilocks with beds.

That's usually my one peeve on vacations: the bed.

I am so spoiled by my latex mattress!

So, the first thing I did was changed the orientation of the bedding, so I could enter from the right and sleep on my right side. 

That was on Monday and seemed to work well...

but Tuesday night found me tossing and turning so much...

that I even tried their bed to finish the night.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, no.

So, last night, I flipped the mattress over, so the bottom was now on top.

That worked much better!

I'll have to remember to do that when I come in June for more Stella time.

 

I next caught a 2 PM matinee movie over at the AMC.

For whatever reason, they had "Normal" back on the silver screen, and I made sure to see that new Bob Odenkirk film!

He doesn't look like a bad-ass, but he sure does well with those roles!

This time, he's a substitute sheriff for a small town with a big secret.

Think western with a healthy shot of Asian martial arts, set in winter.

Really entertaining, and a great ending for my A*List!

I'd started it off with the one on Tuesday, remember?

"But what about that one in the middle," as Otto would say.  

I didn't actually go to that, but I did want to acknowledge it, as I'd seen it on April 30th with Sherry Giddens.

It was her treat, as she is a member of Angel Studios and they gave her two tickets to do with as she wanted.

I was glad to see it with her... but this "Animal Farm" was definitely a Seth Rogen vehicle, as I suspected it would be.

Still, as he did with "The Muppet Show" recently, he kept it true to the original (which is why I'm glad I recorded it to enjoy over and over!).

Good for him!

As for the party on the patio, we were the early birds this time! 

No other birds of any kind joined us, but we did have Susan and Terry come, bringing Coco for the play date with Stella.

Ken even wandered over from next door and hung out with us!

And there was not a drop of rain since the early morning, so the patio furniture was nice and dry.

What nice weather, so comfortable, with no mosquitoes or gnats around!

Perhaps the geese had eaten them all?

One can only hope!

As for TV tonight, I have my usual shows: "George & Mandy's First Marriage", "Ghosts", and that dingbat "Elsbeth".

That will keep me busy after I wash dishes!

(smile!) 

vacay in georgetown, where stella awaits

Ah, another Sunday morning of basking in the sunshine as the chimes gently swayed in the breeze!

 

Hahahaha!!!

 

I was talking about my Saturn!

 

Here's the ridgeback, doing the same.

 

She prefers lying on the pine straw.

 

As for me, I was in one of the rocking chairs, letting my tootsies enjoy the warmth.

 

Ah, such a nice start to the day!

 

After the play downtown, I was back in time for the party on the patio.

 

Susan and Terry were both amazed at my timing!

 

Stella was thrilled, and even more so by the crane that had come to visit the canal.

 

Just follow her line of sight, looking just to the right of the tree reflection.

 

How about this shot?

 

I snapped it after Susan fed the fish, so the crane had moved to seek dinner.

 

Such a tall, long-legged bird it was!

 

I didn't see it catch any fish, but I left it alone, as did Stella and Coco.

 

Good dogs!

 

Now, it's time to add to my vacation film festival while here!

Today, I've had "Monsters, Inc.", "Rush Hour", and "Gemini Man".

Such a smorgasbord!!!

(smile!)

vacay in georgetown with birds and bananas!

Day 1, Friday

I checked in to Stella's Place about 3 PM.

I had been concerned about the light rain having an ill effect on the afternoon gathering, but it did not!

There's Susan, giving the Rhodesian Ridgeback some love.

She was also trying to distract her from some visitors in the canal.

Such a lovely little family, aren't they?

It's a pair of geese, with four goslings!

The quartet of little ones are so very young that they just have fluff instead of feathers. 

Coco got hold of one of them last week and carried it in her mouth, but didn't hurt it.

Glad I didn't witness that!

Stella and I stayed at the party on the patio with the neighbors for an hour.

That means she still had an hour until her 7 PM dinner bell would chime...

but I made it early for this first night.

It's a special recipe!

One scoop of dry food, four or so green beans, and a heaping tablespoon of pumpkin is what the doctor ordered!

That bit of fiber prevents her anal glands from needing to be expressed by the vet.

A little bit of fiber is good for all of us!

Just ask these two!

Miyah and Chloe both enjoy salad, especially the way it's made at the Olive Garden.

That's where I met them for dinner after their visit to Venita, who is still at Memorial Hospital.

I'm glad I still had a Friday Fiesta with family!

Thanks, Christina, for thinking of me, so we could share this late meal together.

Then I went back to Stella, and watched "50 First Dates" on Comedy Central.

Earlier, I'd watched the back end of "Night At The Museum at the Smithsonian" and the middle part of "Pulp Fiction" on Nickelodeon and FX, respectively.

I don't have access to any of those channels at home...

so this is definitely a vacation!

(smile!) 

Day 2, Saturday

So... today was rainy.

As I tried to explain to Stella, I still cannot stop the rain.

She really does not like to get wet.

Perhaps her breed's homeland of Rhodesia was a drier country before it became defunct in 1979?

All I know for sure is this: to get her to go out and pee, I had to resort to throwing dog treats into the yard.

Seriously.

Even when the precipitation was a mist, as it was in this photo in the late morning.

She was most unhappy about it.

She was even more unhappy when her play date with Coco - i.e., the party on the patio - was canceled due to rain.

She proceeded right then and there to pitch a barking and whining tantrum that any three-year-old child would envy.

Seriously.

Still, I was able to enjoy my vacation anyway!

The cable channels gave me "Up" and "The Bourne Ultimatum", then "50 First Dates" and "The Devil Wears Prada", all with no political 'mercials.

Hallelujah!

Then ESPN surprised me with a little baseball action!

Well, kinda sorta baseball, in the form of the Savannah Bananas taking on the Texas Tailgaters at Kyle Field.

That stadium seats 102,000 people... and it was sold-out!

It was also the largest crowd yet for Banana Ball.

And the home crowd was able to watch their Tailgaters win, too!!!

Good game out there on the diamond... and much more enjoyable to me as it didn't have all the shenanigans and noise in the stands.

(smile!)

today, i had a party on the patio

Oh, did you think the party was for me?

No, no, no! 

It was for Stella and Coco.

Every day, at 5 PM.

It's the only time either dog gets to socialize with other dogs, so it's important.

I'd gone home earlier to give Stella a break and to take care of the mail and such.

However, I forewent the Friday Fiesta to make sure I'd be in Georgetown on time.

Sure, I got to socialize with Susan and her husband, Terry, on the patio behind their house.

We listened to WRHQ as we chatted and swatted at sand gnats and discussed Mick Jagger's age.

I don't know how it started, but I did my spiel about him and Keith Richards, then said they would both be 74 this year.

Lol! Susan is 71 and she knew they had to be at least ten years older than her!

She was correct, of course.

Perhaps I would have done better using the information learned from "Sad Animal Facts".

Take this one: "An alligator's brain weighs less than an Oreo [cookie]."

As Brooke Barton cites in the prologue, a 400-pound alligator has a brain that weighs 8 grams.

Lets make the units of measure coincide, shall we?

Then, a 181,600 gram alligator has a brain that weighs 8 grams.

That's a much scarier fact, isn't it?

It certainly shivers my timbers.

(smile!)

The weather, however, isn't scary at all for the next seven days.

Warm, warm, warm, with blue skies all the way!

Yes, I do believe I will regard this as my post-surgery vacation.

It won't be a stay-cation because I'm not at my house.

And I will be waking up somewhere different, as I did this morning.

"Post-surgery vacation" - I do like the sound of that!

The fact that I'm dog-sitting is simply one of the activities for this trip.

Very nice perspective, right?

Now, I have movies to watch: "Indiana Jones And The Ark Of The Covenant", "Monsters, Inc.", and "Point Break".

Sweet dreams for me! 

bday9 party for miyah!!!

Here she is, the littlest girl no longer, being regaled with song by the wait staff at La Parrilla of Pooler!!!

Who are all those people around her at the table?

Those would all be members of Anthony's family: his mom, a sister, three brothers, and their spouses, fiancees, and children.

Seriously, there must have been at least 20 of them there!

The first niece and her family all had to sit at another table.

From the wall, that's Leila, Uncle Michael, the birthday girl, her Grammy, and her Mama, my dear Christina.

On the other side of this table was Miyah's Aunt Chelsea (holding AnnaLeigh), Uncle Dillon, her sister Chloe, and her other cousin, Alyssa.

Off to the right of Chelsea was Pop-pop (i.e., Matt).

There was just no way to get him into the frame - I tried!

I actually sat on Matt's right, at the end of this table, across from where Anthony would have sat (but he didn't make it in time).

Here's the nine-year-old birthday girl opening the gift bag from me!

Unicorn-emblazoned blank book for poems and songs and drawings!

Plastic ruler with Medieval artwork including a beautiful Unicorn!

Even a Unicorn change purse!!!

She loves Unicorns!!!

Ah, yes, a girl after my own heart!!!

I'm so glad I ventured out to Pooler for this party!

If not, I would not have known the seemingly-endless construction on I-16 had, at last, come to a close.

There's even a dedicated lane for entry from I-516, instead of that horrid left-hand merge that's been there for years.

Plus, there are new, sweeping, exit lanes for I-95 in both directions, making the transition easy and safe.

I just may make more trips to Pooler now... during the day, that is.

Thanks for having this 3-hour party at 1:30 PM!

Daylight all the way there and back!

Safe travel conditions for all party goers!

(smile!)