ta da!

big change, huh?

update @2129....so, what do you think? (yes, it's still kinda raining here)

sunday update we'll keep this color for a bit....or until the next rainy night in georgia

a new look...

tried it..didnt like it...
think i'll go to bed and play around with this later...
have a great weekend, darlings!

a few words...

to all my friends over in london...take care, be safe.

or come to the states, the pound is ridiculously strong now.

~~~~~~

i am so not going to look at the sitemeter anymore! (don't ask...)

my calm is wavering...

i'm becoming more and more anxious...

so, instead of dealing with wedding stuff...i'll just focus on:

driveby blogging/commenting

~~~~~~~~~

oh yeah...drop by e@l's place and wish him a happy belated birthday (it was last weekend)! he's marking 50 years on planet earth tomorrow with yet another party! the man has style & grace!

down at the local tonight

the trainwrecks are playing tonight..give'em a listen. murphy's law pub is doing a benefit for the families of the firefighters who were killed over in charleston, south carolina last week. shelley's a rockin chick and also the daughter of a firefighter, so it's all part of a family tradition.

this part of the southeastern u.s. is called the low country, we're close in geography, shared waterways, cultural patterns and dialects...some slight variations in accents, but all very southern. these are some of the reasons we moved down south..the sense of community, the pace..all of the things that make where you live home. our little town...


speaking of rocking chicks, t-shirt-gal gave me a "rockin' girl blogger" award BUT i don't know how to post the logo/award...but i'm excited anyway! thanks, sugar!

back in a bit with even more excitement!

~~~~
back but with even more excitement than earlier...

where to start? as the mad hatter said, begin at the beginning..and when you get to the end...stop

so, plans are moving forward for #3 son's upcoming wedding...i have plane tickets, a site for the rehearsal dinner...and that's about it....oh yeah.. a rental car has been secured...no dress, no shoes, no idea where we're going to stay while we're out there...not sure who's coming to the wedding...besides the usual suspects...but it's only 28JUNE07...and the wedding isn't until 11AUG07...plenty of time ....

so, do i sound calm and in control?

it's wednesday and i wasn't going to post....

BUT, go over to momentary madness/paddy dunn and read today's entry.

a gentle reminder:

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world. ~ desderata

making sense of things...

today is one of those big picture days...which of course, right now, i can't even see, but i'm working on it....or maybe it's just tuesday...

back later....

~~~~~

later:

a bit of work that had to be done...and now free for a few hours...think it's time to catch up on blog reading...i'm kind of behind on my reading...and commenting.

(ok, yeah, i'm at a blog post impasse)

i'll be back....again

yeah, babyeeee...serious drive-by blogging today!

~~~~~~~~~

once again....note to self: do not attempt humor in blog comments...or to take a line from swf41:

"I stared at him for a minute, speechless. Then I picked up his drink and sipped.

Me: "Didn't work. My mouth still tastes like my foot."

back soon...again

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"no matter where you go, there you are."

and that, i think, says it all! and yes, tell me the movie and you win a prize!

who's to say?

a musical antidote to nothing texts

or

the visualization of positivity.

here he is, no curious george...but banana pancakes...




jack has a point..you can always pretend it's the weekend.

nothing original

but, there really isn't anything new under the sun is there?

today is one of those days when words on a page make more sense than those spoken out loud...i can't deal with nuance and tone today. today each word means exactly what it stands for in the context of the sentence...yep, that's right, if i read yellow..it's the primary color, not lemon, not afraid, nothing other than a color...same for every other word...i'm not looking for hidden meaning, archaic usage, urban slang...regular, plain, simple english...if there's more than one definition...we're talking context for the meaning...yes, i was reading william safire earlier

but back to conversation...where was i? yeah, i think i've had all the conversations i can handle today.


~~~~~~~~

a look back...

saturday!

it really feels like summer... it's 7am and already 72F (23C) and will slowly hit 95 (33) by this afternoon...this is a fun in the sun play day/weekend, one of those let's just sit out on the porch, read, drink cold sweet tea and maybe grill some steaks later...

whatever YOU do today/tonight, have fun, enjoy it, revel in it...see ya'll on monday

when sheep go bad...

ok, if ANYONE gets a chance to see this movie PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE post a review and let me know how it was!

yes, that's right, my darlings..it's friday and i'm reading the nyt urban eye/movie review

there will be more ...

~~~~~~
more
(i've been busy, darlings)

so, check this out joe r. lansdale got the link from tony which is a hoot because tony's in the uk and joe is right over in nacogdoches, texas which is a helluva lot closer than england...but anyway, i love the fact that we're all readers and get to share favorite writers all the time...damn, wonder if tony is hip to arturo perez-reverte? just discovered him...he's in spain..great writing "the master of the intellectual thriller" according to the chicago tribune...i'm reading the queen of the south.


~~~~~~~~~~
even more...

just a word on customer service...the fellows who work on my car are just about the most fantastic people in the world! we've been going to the same service station, yep, the guys at the local gas station work on my car, for years...they know our car better than we do...well, anyway...brought it in this morning and said..."Hey! (which ya'll know by now is southern for hello, how are you?), norman, can you change the oil, give it a tuneup if you think it's needed and change the tires, too? here's the keys" Bye! (which means call me later if you have to, if not, we'll have a beer when i pick up the car)...soooo, anyway...mr savannah called me earlier, asked about the car..as in what kind of tires was i having installed...my answer...dunno, round ones? when i told him that norman was talking care of it he said..well, cool..that's fine...no worries..and you know why? because norman cares about his customers, he looks after my car the same way he does his...he and his people do the right thing, charge a fair price and as a result...people are faithful and recommend him..and now all ya'll know...if you're ever here and need some work done on your car...go to norman's sunoco on drayton...

and he's delivering my car to the house...now that's service!

a friday thought for the weekend...

it's long, but he makes a point about taking responsibility and also, about extending kindness to those in trouble or anguish...and i do like listening to his voice...

but seriously, the whole idea of celebrity and the public's right to know seem to have crossed/converged/morphed into some hybrid of insanity/voyeurism that is becoming increasingly more uncomfortable. whatever happened to the idea of personal privacy? or decorum? i'm not talking about illegal acts that jeopardize the public safety, i.e, corruption in government, but personal matters...do we really have to know if tyra banks weighs 165 lbs or 110 lbs? does that make a difference about YOUR weight/obesity/medical costs? i would hazard a guess that it doesn't...or anything about tom & katie cruise...or brad pitt and angelina jolie...do any of you know these people? are they family? why can't we leave them alone? let them live their lives and we live ours...each in that quiet desperation, naw...i can't even steal that line...talk about their work, their abilites in their fields, but not about their personal lives...or just read old knudsen go on about something equally as relevant...but hear craig ferguson's voice! or sean connery...what great accents...

*back later after coffee*

the first day of summer

well, to look outside you'd never know it! we've had massive rains, but fortuately nothing as serious as ellie did in belfast or others here in the states..but bad enough to divert traffic and almost flood my friend's car....and no, i haven't taken any pictures of the water or the major traffic or the accidents or the bizzare items i saw floating past my house...(i'm kidding)

BUT, anyway..i'm back.

enjoy whatever you've planned for this day....the longest day of the year...

wow, that sounds ominous...*shiver*...

i'll be back...i have reading to catch up with/on/do?

~~~~~

1135 addition: ok, it's the overcast sky...the heaviness of the air...it's an almost opressive feeling...summer isn't supposed to start this way!!! suggestions, people! how to banish these summertime blues? ;)

~~~~~~~~

1241 addition: All sorrows can be borne if you put them into a story or tell a story about them. -Isak Dinesen

~~~~~~~~~~~

1656 addition: it's steamy, overcast, hot, hot and oh yeah...did i mention hot? supposed to storm..and THEN be even hotter tomorrow!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
this has been on my mind...(this one works)

sorry to disappoint

off for a couple of days...so nothing new here today or tomorrow...
more than likely.


i'll be back...

and we get to try again...

monday or laundry day new orleans style...putting some red beans on to cook, nothing to do except stir them every so often...perfect for a domestic goddess kind of day...there will be periodic postings today...nothing exciting, probably just random bits of info, so feel free to skip today and come back tomorrow..or take your chances and keep checking in!

bit #1 already!!! look what i found! the car!!!

sunday in savannah...

enjoy your day! i've already started mine the wrong way, so i'm off to try and mend this tear in my soul.

a fairy tale

remember the tribute to jock hunter that bock did? well, bock's posted this lovely fairy tale jock had recorded.

before you do another thing...

fresh hell has one of the most powerful posts i've ever read on her blog today. do yourself a favor and head over and read it.

the game is afoot...

there seems to be bit of a blogging mystery over at mr. warmington's there seem to be clues in the comments...a kate eddowes...

h'mmmm....

i was sad...and now i'm intrigued...

questions...

i've been reading today..blogs/books/magazines...eyes on/hands on stuff...anyway, what came of all this is are questions..about all ya'll...the journalistic who, (ok, that's answered), what, where, why and how...my interest is piqued when i read about someone should be writing, instead of reading (oh yeah, in case, you haven't guessed, i'm not linking to anyone that i'm writing about..they KNOW who they are), what was the betrayal that hardened a sweet soul, the why of living abroad...money is the easy answer...so, how to ask without appearing a nosey old dear...but really just wanting to know more because the mysteries are killing me..or maybe i've been reading far too many mysteries...when i look at the links fellow bloggers post, i see so many i know...the connections/commonalities are like dust motes floating in a shaft of light...the same, yet different..random

and it's only 1316hrs... whatever am i going to do until happy hour commences?

i'll be back...i'm in a mood...

friday foolishness or mac v. pc

i love these commercials...






so what do you work on? mac here ...maybe that's why i like the adverts...

because t-gal asked

t-shirt gal has tagged me to pick 5 favorite songs from the year I turned 18. Since it's her birthday and we all know, every birthday wish is a command....

and the rules will be read by our man from price waterhouse:

1. Go to the Billboard #1 Hits listings (scroll down and you’ll see them separated by decades on the left in the sidebar)
2. Pick the year you turned 18
3. Get yourself nostalgic over the songs of the year
4. Pick 5 songs and write something about how these songs affected you
5. Pass it on to 5 more friends

and with that, here goes ...

it was 1968 narrow that year down to 5 songs? the beatles, marvin gaye, rolling stones, aretha franklin, big brother and the holding company/janis joplin, cream, sam & dave, steppenwolf, the doors, buffallo springfield, credence clearwater revival and those are just some of the names on the list...there are a few more that weren't listed...the beach boys, the temptations, damn...just motown..it was more than enough to keep me dancing and having fun...my birthday is the last day of the year....so even if you look at the hits for 1969...it was a grand time to be young...and besides..everyone still listens to the same music anyway (been to a wedding lately?)...so, i guess i'll never really grow up...i'm listening to marvin gaye in the background now....and hearing it through the grapevine all over again...


but could i pick just five spongs and talk about how the affected me? not at all..every song had a meaning...and so many of them i was fortunate enough to hear in person...the music was part of my life...we were, as grace slick/jefferson airplane sang...the crown of creation and then it all slipped away.


i'll not tag anyone, but if you're so inclined, let me know in the comments so i can read your list...

BTW..the link to Billboard should work now, if you'd like to give it a try

the day after yesterday

have you ever had that feeling that something was about to happen?

that uneasiness that sort of dances around the edge of your heartbeat?

i can't sleep because of it.

an internal disquiet...

evening update:

everyone is fine..spoke with the west coast people and the overseas man...it happened once before while he was away in a very scary place...and it almost wasn't alright...but that's not my story to tell...not now anyway.

thanks for the good vibes and suggestions!

spread the love

today is t-shirt gal's birthday! go on over and wish her a delicious one!

go on...i haven't written anything else yet...

but i will.

i promise.

come back later.

YES!

..today is another day! that alone is reason to rejoice and revel in the wonder of it all

i'll be back!

15:19 update:

the sun is shining, literally and metaphorically, on your savannah...it's a funny thing about vindication..as much as i like to think that i can just be right in an assessment of a situation based on facts, etc and not emotion...to be told "good job, savannah...perfect analysis and summary..well done!" makes me do a happy dance and shout for joy!! YES,YES, YES!!!
(an internal happy dance, of course, not literally)

i'm a kid like that...peer approval is important... right?

i know, come on, admit it..ya'll are going..."yeah, been there, done that..and yeah, rock on, momma!"

monday or day 2

i think i've used this title before...but it sums up today so far...

the name doesn't matter or the date...it's just day 2 of 7 and will likely continue be as grey as the sky right now...

and hot.

so why such a dismal post, savannah? as well you might ask, darlings...(or not, but my interior dialogue does ask such things) anyway,

a couple of conversations during the course of this morning/afternoon that, for the most part, were very positive and uplifting..the types of random exchanges that give you hope for the future..there are, indeed, thinking people out there, fellow observers of life still in possession of critical thinking skills...and then...you get home...

catch the noon news,
read your email,
look at the morning paper you missed...

and

it's enough to make you weep.

3 shootings IN ONE DAY!
stupid emails sent out without checking for validity first...please use snopes.com and check out urban ledgends/myths before you forward anything TO ME!
ok, the paper is just a dumb rag, i still don't know why i take it.

i'm going back to work, it's the most positive thing around me right now.

~~~~~

just so you know...

i've been working almost all day...and now i'm going out to celebrate my mother-in-law's 85th birthday...yep, this is probably gonna be an long party..she likes to close the restaurant down doing shots with the kitchen staff...i'm the designated driver *sigh*

THIS DOES NOT BODE WELL...

today is june 9th...summer hasn't even really begun (summer solstice 22-23 june or so) it's almost 97 degrees farenheit which is 33 degrees celsius for all the rest of ya'll...but do you know what that means in the south? it means..you're breathing IN hot air...it isn't as humid as it WILL get yet...but i mean to tell you...43% humidity you do feel it...all of this to say..it FEELS as if it's over 100... and we're supposed to have thunderstorms...now, i know, i shouldn't be complaining because we need the rain...but hell, sugar...IT'S AFRICA HOT AND WE HAVEN'T EVEN STARTED THE SEASON!!!!

i need a shower and a drink and a nap

and the day started off so well...

speaking of records...or all things past...

a fitting end to friday

philip k. dick

to jock hunter!

if you haven't read bock the robber, check this post out! this is the way i'd like to be remembered: with love and good memories, lots of laughs and a hellva party!

Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez

thanks hill county gal

enjoy marc broussard and have a great weekend!

sweet words...lovely and delicious

thought i'd share a bit that came via the mail today national poetry map...sometimes, i still have faith in us...

the culprit!

picture this bull, but without the rider....and you standing directly in its path as it charged towards you...yep, no wonder mr savmarshpapa had a broken jaw..and he was damn lucky that's all it was!

almost the weekend

yeah, i am an optimist...it's only THURSDAY, i know, but even the local newspaper tells you what's going on in preparation, so....but that's not the purpose of this post...it's this test yeah, not only am i an optimist...i am a sucker for online-discover-the-real-you tests! mr savmarshpapa knows this *hello, dear* so, he sends them my way. so, what did i find out? well, darlings, your savannah is a "visionary motivator..a charismatic leader who loves to creat at the highest level" wow, you might say, who knew? she seems like such a regular kinda gal, but noooo...i am the "ultimate people person" also, the "ultimate politician" it all sounds so bizarre, but there are bits of reality in the analysis...the test is just a series of word choices and i suppose, it could have had a different outcome if my mood had been slightly less jovial/positive, but in the end...there is an underlying truth to it...i do need the interaction...i guess it's one of the reasons, since i work from home and not in an office situation, that blogging has been so much fun....it may be flat text, but there is "reach-out-and-touch-someone" feel to it...(lordy, does my life sound sad or what?) anyway, one of the funnier bits was about "getting the job done" talk about hitting the nail on its proverbial head! "you usually don't like doing the details or grunt work yourself." that is me all the time, BUT i will do the job if i can't get anyone else to do it and yes, it's true, when that happens i wait until the very last moment...but it gets done and i will celebrate with everyone, even the bastards who wouldn't do it for me! yeah, i'm ms right-brain all the way, sugar...my left brain is just along for the ride!

so anyway...take the test...have some fun, besides, we're all just killing time until friday after work anyway!


i'll be back later...i'm geting my hair cut today....yeah, from short to shorter...gotta keep these curls under control!

update: that's done..and no, there are no pictures...but i have an even more pressing problem:

MY IPOD DOESN'T HAVE ALL THE MUSIC I SPENT HOURS UPLOADING TO THIS DAMN DESKTOP AND THEN ON TO (OR SO I THOUGHT) THE IPOD!!

i mean....dammit, it was supposed to be so simple!!! and it isn't and it isn't working and i don't know how to fix it!! (see what i mean, the test was right abut me) and there's no one here to make it work!!

and yes, i really would like some cheese with this whine

update: wow, there's an "ipod & itunes for dummies" who knew?

19.02hrs update: ...damn, no suggestions/helpful hints? ya'll are gonna make me go and buy the book and figure it out myself...damn, damn, damn...

a wrinkle in time

there will be no post on wednesdays from now on.

as you were...

a long time ago, but he's still the one

happy birthday, maninthemoon!

fantastic..and true

wild technology check this out...just absolutely incredible to this mega techno doofus! lots of other fantastic images on this site...

wow

i missed monday...this isn't really a post.

just pretend my name is scarlet

on my ipod shuffle

gotan project, very hip group that takes tango to a whole other level...

if you ever get a chance...

go see kurt elling! he has got to be one of the best jazz singers of this century...a fantastic performer!

talk about playing against type...

dennis hopper, the new spokesman for retirement in america...i'll say no more...

2007 hurricane season has officially begun...

gotta love youtube....found this today

a late review...

so, the neville brothers were exactly what you'd expect...crazy ass creole guys from NOLA, doing what they do best...playing music and having a ball up on stage! they played all their standards which is what all the boomers came to hear and they did them with gusto, but i swear, i wanted to reach up and slap aaron and tell him, "sugar, you could smile and stop lookin so damned bored!" although i'm probably too harsh, perhaps he was just saddened by the fact that they were opening for ziggy marley..instead of the other way around...very few of the students knew who they were, but they knew the songs, at least the kids around us did...i don't know...for me, when they sang about new orleans and said "remember her before katrina" my heart took a twist and tears came...i'd been there right before....but the music made me smile and remember happier times in that place we almost made our home...but that's another story.

ziggy was reggae and it was a one world, one love kind of night...this sound is mesmerizing, but i wonder how many people listen to the lyrics anymore...the words of rebellion are lost in the night, the beat and the smell of smoke discreetly touching your sense memories of other times and places...one world, one love...

it was a graduation gift to the students of the local art college and a gift to the city...30,000 people filled the park and swayed to the sounds...the storm that followed came from the sky and not anyone in the audience. how many cities can make that claim? this concert starts the summer season off and then, one of the last free jazz concerts in the usa is held in our park..it happens at the tail end of the summer weather and brings in the fall...three days of great music, good times and yet another reason to party!

what a great night!

ok...this is the best i can do...it was a great night...i think i took more, we'll see tomorrow...peace out...i am done!

friday or why we do what we do...or not

part of my daily ritual is reading my email while coffee brews (how original i know) anyway, friday always brings mail from the new york times: urbanEye as it's called ... a collection of must-read insights into our urban environment (yawn)..ok, i'm just kidding, but i usually find some bit of priceless info and today was no exception!

an excuse to continue blurfing

~~~
tonight ziggy marley and the neville brothers are playing a free concert here at forsythe park...thanks to savannah college of art & design...so that's where i'll be...drinking margaritas, eating chips and salsa...yeah, we're into theme drinking events...and otherwise having yet another reason to party....this is savannah, darlings..and that's what we do!

~~~~
interesting phenomenon...of late there have been lots of international visitors to this site, other than all ya'll from over the pond and beyond, who routinely inflict this visual punishment on yourselves, but as i was saying...Moscow City, Moscow, Russian Federation, Ji-Paran, Rondonia, Brazil, Morimondo, Lombardia, Italy...Jakarta, Jawa Barat, Indonesia, to name a few...no comments or any length of time spent...how does that happen? did i stop by their sites on some random "next blog" day and now someone is sitting in front of their pc saying "wow, savannah, georgia, usa"? gotta love serendipity...oh yeah..and let's not forget all the .gov sites *can we say "somebody's watching you..."*

~~~~~
and so it goes...tonight has become a potluck supper in the park! the only conditon being...nobody cooks just takeout from the store/shops/restos...