and here it is, saturday already

how'd that happen?

i missed a day?

wasn't it later than that when i put up my last post?

or had i started it on thursday and posted it yesterday?


days are running into each other. mornings start just as nights are ending and sleep hasn't even begun. the weekend is no longer a goal it's just part of the process that seems to have no result/resolution in sight. i'm not sure when all of this started to happen around here, but it seems a sort of devolution is occurring. it's miss daisy. it's as if i'm watching gloria swanson in slow motion, but at 86 not 46. really old, not playing old. my mother didn't live this long. i didn't live with this slowing down on a daily basis. i feel as if i live on high alert all day and never stand down anymore.

there is a fear that hides right behind my eyes.


i can't be the one.
i will be the one.



i know it.

because it's not always about me...or you

there are many good people in the world. we all know this, but sometimes, ok, many times we forget that. i know i do, and lord knows, i am the biggest pollyanna evah, but to the point. go visit eolai. he's auctioning one of his paintings to help support the Rape Crisis Network Ireland, and St. Patrick’s Hospital & Marymount Hospice.
we all need to do what we can wherever we happen to be, so as our friend bock said, if you can't bid, post the link on your blog. i would add and do what you can where you are.

because sometimes, it's all about what other people need!


have a great weekend, my darlings!




(13 days)

nothing today

yes, it's true, all ya'll are on your own today. nothing here. nothing left. nothing to say, except for this:




23,24hrs update

i stood outside and looked up at the night sky and there it was, the crescent moon, like a smile just for me. 14 days until. . .

wrong tool for the job

from deepestdarkestafrica



feel free to add your own caption.

I had to put ya'll responses up:

Blogger scarlet-blue said...

I'm rubbish at caption contests...!
'Who ate all the tools?'
See.. told you so...
Sx

Blogger dive said...

Hee hee, Savannah! I don't think that actually needs a caption.
xoxox


Blogger Lulu LaBonne said...

Ah - that'll be a crocodile clip, we use them all the time to hold things together.

Blogger Mr. Moose said...

look at those snappers...


Blogger B.E. Earl said...

Not only is the CrocWrench durable, it's adjustable so it's good for just about any job.


Blogger Jimmy Bastard said...

It'll end in tears.. crocodile tears!


Blogger underOvr (aka The U) said...

"Do your gums itch?"


Blogger Ponita said...

Take a big bite out of your workload with the Giant Alligator Clip.


Anonymous mark said...

I wonder if they used reverse threads on this fitting?

Blogger PI said...

What's the difference twixt an alligator and a crocodile?
No really -I want to know.


Blogger Ponita said...

@ PI Hard to tell from that pic, but the difference is easily seen in the shape of the nose.

Alligators have a shovel-like U shaped nose, whereas Crocodiles have a pointier, A shaped nose.

Either way, they have lots of big pointy teeth and can snag you and rip you to shreds in no time.

Blogger Madame DeFarge said...

I too am useless at captions, or too late, having had all of mine used already. But the credit crunch must be affecting alligators if they have to take proper jobs to pay the bills. Eating people doesn't pay as well as it use to.

ya'll are too grand and too funny for words! the MITM sent the pic this morning. it is real and was taken yesterday. he also said that this croc isn't the only animal acting strangely there. the water levels are far lower than normal and have caused hippos, cape buffalo and obviously, the crocodiles to roam in to places they aren't normally!

things remembered

dr. maroon did a short piece on air navigation that was in actually about foodstuffs he remembered from his childhood (at least, i think that's what he was talking about, one never knows with the doc). anyway, that's neither here nor there, is it? but i digress. i did comment on a few remembered foodstuffs that now in retrospect i wonder, "WTF was my mother thinking feeding me junk like that?" before she died, my mother lived with us. (yep, are ya'll noticing a trend heah?) so the coconut krewe had grandmama lovely to cook for them. they remember all the neat dishes she used to make FROM SCRATCH for them! oh yeah, no franco-american (please explain THAT to me) spaghetti ever crossed the coconut krewe's lips when grandmama lovely was around. *sigh*

(back on track, savannah, don't get maudlin.)
(not today.)

tang? what the hell was that about? we lived in california! we had FRESH oranges in our back yard! fresh lemons! why did we need frozen lemonade? and then there was kool-aid! talk about sugar highs...wonder bread - white bread in all of its bland doughy splendor. i'm starting to gag just thinking about it. i know i've probably suppressed all the other delightful delicacies of my youth, so if ya'll think of any others, please feel free to leave a comment...

i'm wandering down memory lane today, sugars, it's going to be a bumpy ride!. (all due apologies to bette davis.)

the day after oscar

he had me at hello.


yes, i fell in love with the oscars again last night! the show was fun and what made even better was live chat with a bunch of other bloggers over at earl, the green guy's place! but seriously, miss daisy loved the show, i thought hugh jackman was a perfect host and, it was fun again!

i like falling in love again.


but now, i'm going to bed.
i'll see all ya'll later.


update 10.40 in the morning...

moving slowly, i've left some comments somewhere and haven't even answered all ya'll yet...

i will.
today.
i promise.



eventually.


1616 update

i feel like the peter finch character (howard beale) in network when he was being chasitzed by ned beatty's character (arthur jensen) after this morning's excursion with miss daisy...

You have meddled with the primal forces of nature, Mr. Beale, and I won't have it! Is that clear? ... That is the atomic and subatomic and galactic structure of things today! And YOU have meddled with the primal forces of nature, and YOU...WILL...ATONE!

yes, darlings, this is my life today.



and after so much fun last night.


*sigh*

last night in cork and other places

was awards night...

the irish blog awards were held. go give a look and congratulate the winners!

and then there was jimmy in glasgow. definitely, congratulate him!






it's grey and cold today. a movie day in anticipation because ya'll know what happens tonight! miss daisy has been preparing for days.

This business will get out of control. It will get out of control and we'll be lucky to live through it.

so there it is/here it is...the beginning of the weekend. days run into the next when i don't have an assignment. most of my recent work has only taken a day or two at the most. nothing major right now, just the house and miss daisy.


the great ennui is descending...

don't look for me.

forever young

thank you, dee dee

~~~~~update



dear scarlet has posted some very funny (and sometimes very strange) commercials. i thought it might be fun to post another one of my favorites today which means yes, i am avoiding doing other things!

~~~~~~~~you know what's next

movie day here at coffee bluff! oldies, but goodies...

rebecca

which will be followed by notorious

yes, movies from another time for miss daisy, but i do have to admit my own fondness for rebecca

and there are the netflixs that have arrived.

i suppose i should open them.





but, somehow, i know they won't be as grand.


~~~~~~~~~~~questionable update

ok, i'm kidding. it isn't questionable, it's just a question:

who's posting from the Languedoc-Roussillon region? in Montpellier? my favorite french wine is from there! domaine gardiés, 2004 les falaises. i'm sighing right now...we drank our last bottle last year. anyway, whoever you are, find jean gardiés and tell him hello from his friends in savannah!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~more commercials that make you say really?





i never understood why someone thought these were funny or effective...(yeah, yeah, i know...bears, shit, forest...)

remember to dance!

a very special thank you to his girl friday for posting this link over at bock's place! if ya'll will recall, mr. moose first turned us on to this happy dancing a year or so ago! i think it's time again!



don't forget to click on view in HD for the absolute best picture!


~~~~~~update

great, now i need an electrician to come and figure out why sockets don't work. or can i shut off the power to the house, unscrew the face plate and take out the socket and replace it myself? yes, i am serious, i don't mind appearing the fool with all ya'll. but i do like to sound as if i know what i'm talking about at the hardware store!

~~~~~~~~~~oh yeah, another update



yep, the latest from gmail labs not that i send drunk midnight mission statements to the entire firm.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~avoidance update

it's true. today i'm blogging to avoid doing some work. actually, it's not even work. it's...i'm almost embarrassed to tell all ya'll.

sigh

i can't. it's so insignificant.






i have to hang some artwork in the freshly painted breakfast room and kitchen and i can't decide what looks best.

i know days seem to mesh together, but...

it seems as if jimmy is right, people are disappearing from cyberville. most of the bloggers he spoke of had left a reason why. so then, i looked at my blogroll and started checking on those links i haven't visited in ages...and poof...so many were completely gone or gone private or just even worse, just stopped posting. on some i left a comment asking/hoping the writer is ok. i wish i knew. . .

anyway, i'm getting far too maudlin.


but, yes, i really do wonder. and yes, i am just that sentimental. i need a taste of fine single malt... ae wee swally

missing in action

that might be me on wednesday.

still no landline and no word on the mobile re when the damn repairs will be completed. oh yeah, when i did have a signal i checked online and yes, there is still a "customer generated service request" attached to 920-asif. anyway, the net has been a hit and miss, so i'm writing this now, who knows if i'll have a signal later or tomorrow.

yeah, new world, my ass. . .

the kitchen looks divine!


i'll be back...i hope


(i see that blogger ate my replies to some of your comments...i promise to answer all ya'll!)

~~~UPDATE

i have a signal, but still no landline! today, is att's last day. i will accept nothing less than full restoration of service and a full apology for their ineptitude!

the kitchen looks even more gorgeous today than it did last night. dan, the painter man, is coming back today to do another coat on the accent wall, but he assures me it will all be finished today. i want to go out immediately and buy new appliances, but i won't...i may just tear out pictures and tape them to the existing stuff and just pretend i did! ;) (i think i'm flying high on residual paint fumes...)

and it's supposed to rain today!!!



~~~~~~~1436hrs UPDATE

WELL, WELL, WELL! it's all good now, my darlings! the landline has been serviced, my connection is secure and miss daisy is talking to miss lulu and not humming! and, the kitchen is 1 coat away from being totally done! i think i'll do (ok, the machine will do) some laundry while i wait for the paint to dry!

cocktails anyone? ;)

~~~~~~~~~~~~1526hrs UPDATE

next time ya'll are driving and/or are stuck in horrendous traffic, just remind ya'll's pampered self, it could be worse and in many parts of this small, blue planet, it is! yes, sugarpies, i just got off the phone with the MITM and he's safe in the capital again. because of a missed flight, he had to drive from one part of deepestdarkestafrica up to another part of deepestdarkestafrica...in the deepdamndark of the night! threats/possibilities of banditry, bad drivers, wild animals, not to mention roads that would make your worse driving story seem like a slow carriage ride through the park were all packaged into a 6 hour descend into road madness. to his credit, he never complains about this drive! but i know all of the misery he sees around him wears on his soul. *sigh*

more drivebys...

things are never easy, but somehow, always interesting. miss daisy and i spent a good portion of the day out and about. we did our best to help stimulate the economy, but not too much. bless her heart, she took me to lunch, ok, i drove, but she paid. the painter had suggested we stay out of the house for a few hours (she's old and i'm super sensitive to odors.) when we got back home, the smell was slight, the house was cold, but the trim and prep work was done and ready for the actual painting to be done. nice and easy, right? but noooo, i had no phone service, no internet, nothing. and to top it off, we have really poor cellphone reception here! you literally have to go outside and keep moving until you get a good signal! are you getting the picture? yeah, dark, cold and i'm trying to contact the phone company to report a problem! i hate automated service. anyway, the net is working, but the phones aren't...figure that one out. same provider, too. and yes, i checked all the phones. everything is plugged in. i unplugged the cordless phones and left only the hardwired landline in and still nothing! so we'll see what the rest of today brings...

but, before i go, i have to tell ya'll one thang! go over to boxer's and see the absolute hottest movie trailer evah!

love & happiness

~~~~~update~~~~~~

so, the painter is returning today. yes, the kitchen is on its way to turning into a lovely vision of domesticity or at the very least, it will no longer be a shrine to hideous wallpaper...i mean, really? clumps of ferns? in colors that really do not exist in nature? (and no, do not ask for a picture of this unsightly wall covering, it hurts me too much to want a record of it floating around in cyberville) perhaps, after it's gone, i'll feel less aggravated and more my serene self...

the proust questionnaire

many of you may have received this on facebook recently. i was tagged by our good friend, kim, of the rambling bearded one fame...the funny part was that i'd just read the very same questionnaire in this month's vanity fair and, as i told kim in my response, "now there's a great blog post!"

so after yesterday's exposé, i give you. . .

You may have heard reference to it on Inside the Actors Studio with James Lipton, or read a sampling of questions given to various individuals in the back of any given issue of Vanity Fair. The Proust Questionnaire was made famous, not invented, by the French writer Marcel Proust and was originally designed to be a form of interview, or even a social game, that revealed to people their true selves and the inner personalities of those around them.


1. What is your idea of perfect happiness?
knowing that it doesn't exist and reveling in the joy i do have.

2. What is your greatest fear?
only one?

3. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
my tendency towards vulgar language when i'm upset.

4.What is the trait you most deplore in others?
pomposity.

5.Which living person do you most admire?
i've never thought about "one person to admire" so, i guess the answer would be there isn't one.

6.What is your greatest extravagance?
books. no, wine. no, flowers...maybe all of them.

7.What is your current state of mind?
relaxed.

8.What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
virtue.

9.On what occasion do you lie?
when i need to protect someone.

10.What do you most dislike about your appearance?
right now, my hair...it's growing out...too long to be short, too short to be long.

11.Which living person do you most despise?
despise? no one, that would be giving someone too much power over me.

12.What is the quality you most like in a man?
kindness.

13.What is the quality you most like in a woman?
kindness.

14.Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
"fuck, goddammit, shit"...just like that.

15.What or who is the greatest love of your life?
the MITM

16.When and where were you happiest?
more times than not.

17.Which talent would you most like to have?
i really do wish i could carry a tune.

18.If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
i'll have to give that some thought. ;)

19.What do you consider your greatest achievement?
my four children.

20.If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?
i will die. after that, all bets are off.

21.Where would you most like to live?
i'm living there.

22.What is your most treasured possession?
a carved camphor chest my daddy bought in china before i was born.

23.What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
despair.

24.What is your favorite occupation?
pleasure.

25.What is your most marked characteristic?
my levelheadedness.

26.What do you most value in your friends?
kindness.

27.Who are your favorite writers?
today?

28.Who is your hero of fiction?
adam dagleish

29.Which historical figure do you most identify with?
i do not.

30.Who are your heroes in real life?
educators.

31.What are your favorite names?
what a foolish question! mine, the MITM and our childrens

32.What is it that you most dislike?
cruelty.

33.What is your greatest regret?
i try not to have any.

34.How would you like to die?
in my sleep.

35.What is your motto?
fuck'em if they can't take a joke!

eryl was kind enough to pass this award to me. now the rules are simple, as there is only one: In return I must tell about a few things that I love.

my fountain pens. yes, it's true, they are my deepest passion. holding a pen, in fact, the very act of taking one out of the zippered pocket of my purse is a treasured ritual. fountain pens are a reminder of a slower time for me, of course, ink cartridges and not a bottle of ink does make them far more portable and convenient, but the smoothness of the nib on good paper doesn't distinguish between bottle or cartridge. i always use classic blue ink, a broad nib for serious writing and a medium nib for everyday writing. i have a special pen (yes, i stole it from the MITM) (but it isn't your diplomat, dear) that is just for signature signing on official documents. it's a slender, deep blue metal mont blanc with a very discreet gold nib. using that one makes everyone slow down because the ink has to dry and it is just so damn serious looking. i also have to take it out of its case which does heighten the drama. but i digress *sigh* anyway, i've been trying to find a really nice box to put on my desk to keep the ones i'm not carrying neat and safe from pen thieves. i'm also looking for a better way to carry my pens in my purse since i tend to have at least 3 or 4 or more in my purse at any given time. my current BPF (best pen forever) is a neon green lamy with a really broad nib! i've learned to keep a cheap ballpoint in my purse for people to borrow because nothing ruins a pen faster than someone who doesn't know how to write with a fountain pen scratching across the page, totally causing your nib to become misaligned! (shivering at the thought of that ever happening again) but yes, i do love my fountain pens.

my thumb ring. i wear this very cool ring on my right thumb. it's silver with a coiled design on the top. i gave it to the MITM many, many years ago. even though he hates wearing jewelry, he did wear it a few times and then gave it back to me and asked that i wear it for him instead.

so i do.

all the time.

no matter what else i'm wearing.

or not.


my books. if you're a reader, this needs no explanation. if you aren't, then there is no explanation.

my favorite genre is the mystery. low brow, you might say, but no, i beg to differ. you'd be surprised at the amount of research that goes into a well written mystery and how much the serious reader can glean from the artfully crafted tale. i'm fond of regional mysteries, actually, regional fiction is equally as captivating. (i'm going into book lover babble now...)

hats. do i really have to explain this to all ya'll? i live in the south...i wear hats, i adore hats, i love hats. my favorite thing about visiting london and paris are the glorious, gorgeous, big brimmed, wide brimmed, feathered, veiled, for every occasion there is a hat, hats! yes. ask the MITM. there was an entire moving box filled with my hats...

these are some of the things i do love. now, the next part of this is to ask the question...

what do you love?

please tell me,

dear hangar queen

sweet manuel

lovely leah

boxer gal-pal

perfect pat

so, snag the award if you'd like and tell me what ya'll love!

friday the 13th

the post that was scheduled to appear today regarding things i love will appear, more appropriately, tomorrow. today will be more drive-by posting.

for cap'n chaos and the coconut krewe



~~~
have you ever felt as if you were the only one who didn't get a joke/reference/sarcasm and no one was kind enough to explain it? or maybe, it truly is a cultural difference between americans and everyone else? (except for dive who always explains things for us colonials) are we just so non-nuanced in our speech that everything just goes right over our heads?

or is it just me?

~~~~~
this is funny!

~~~~~~~~~
there is absolutely no way to explain to all ya'll just how tired i am right now!!!!! there has been an in miss daisy's mind setback and i am nurse/cook/secretary/driver and all around go to girl! sigh.

look for me tomorrow.

a few things i've stumbled across

quotable women...

yes, a great collection of wise words, funny words, truthful words and words that sadly, we sometimes remember hearing, but never who said them.

life itself is the proper binge. julia child

you will do foolish things, but do them with enthusiasm. colette

and the trouble is, if you don't risk anything, you risk even more. erica jong

you must do the thing you think you cannot do. eleanor roosevelt

and then there was the conversation i overheard between miss daisy and her very best friend, miss lulu (who lives out in lalaland)...

well, miss lulu, we have so much to be thankful for. we've seen so much, done so much and here we are...damn good shape for two old ladies!

these two women have been friends since they were little girls in new orleans. they stood in each others weddings, baptised children, stood together during wartime, buried husbands and shared all the times in between. i think this is probably the first time they haven't lived in the same city ever so, there it is or rather there it was...my day, that day, this day...

why not seize the pleasure at once? how often is happiness destroyed by preparation, foolish preparation! jane austen


so, on friday, i'll write about the things i love, as requested by our dear eryl!

~~~~~~
update:

for a good time call, no i'm kidding, carry ya'll's darlin persons over to this marvelous podcast by my two favorite musical madmen, istvanski and howesy!

and another:

playing here tomorrow

who knew?

well that had to be the easiest examination and diagnosis in medical history! i think we waited in the waiting room longer. anyway, miss daisy is doing fine. her delightfully ancient orthopaedist (you absolutely have to adore an old silver fox who wears kahki bermuda shorts and knee high black socks!) checked out her film, then examined her spine and then to my delight said, "well, miss daisy, when did this happen?" she answered, he replied, "do you feel better now?" when she answered in the affirmative, his response was, "good, keep active, don't lift anything heavy and give your daughter-in-law the rest of your darvocet!" (ok, that last part didn't happen...) so there it is, no surgery for her and no feeling sorry for herself!

we will be drinking wine with lunch and dinner tonight!

with cocktails at 1700hrs, of course!

jungle boogie

ok, not really...

yesterday was spent in the ER with miss daisy. she's fine, not to worry, but we're going to be a bit busy tomorrow and probably for a few days. it seems herself has a compression fracture of the middle vertebrae...mid back. it is painful, surely, but not life threatening or ridiculously indisposing, just certain movements are painful. so, today she's swimming in a darvocet sea of bliss and i am not. i was going to post the x-ray here, but i can't seem to find it on the cd the radiologist gave me... it's one of those wtf moments. there are a gazillion files on the disk, but not one that just shows up as a film when i view the disc contents...anyway, hopefully, the orthopedist will have a solution that will be faster and easier for her (and me) than bed rest and letting it heal on it's own for 5 more weeks...

and yes, the MITM and the coconuts krewe already know and aren't just reading about it here! ;)

thanks for all the input yesterday, i'm working on an exit strategy after a project i'm involved in is completed.

apologies to daphne

last night i dreamt of city hall...

yep, there i was strolling down the marble halls again. high heels clicking along the corridors, clipboard clasped to my breast. yes, i was ready for council once again. i haven't thought about those days in ages, but there i was the me of then, but the time was now. the details of the session are unimportant, but the idea of all it is very telling for me. politics has always been at the core of my being and for a few years, it was my career. so it is something i regard very highly and that is to be of service to the people.

i'm at a crossroads right now, i've been involved with a group for a very long time now, but i realise that the goals and issues i deem important are being circumvented for personal gain. not financial, but that most common and base of all reasons public recognition without concern for the work that needs to be done. we aren't talking about paid work here, darlings, everyone is doing their service on a volunteer basis. the work, the turmoil, the interpersonal machinations of colleagues i used to get paid for dealing with, i now do for free. i have enjoyed being part of the rejuvenation of my little town, but i think it's now time to step away and concentrate on my real work....and miss daisy.

the MITM is supportive, but he thinks i'm should walk away from it all. he also knows that i am about to hurt someone!

metaphorically, of course...

anyway, so what would you do?
stay?
go?

or my favorite: do a white paper on the need for dissolution of the existing organization and its re-emergence as an official city department?

what i do without these 2?

Blogger MJ said...

*moves to front of crowd and yells drunkenly up at Eric*...

Play Layla! The PLUGGED-IN version!


Blogger Boxer said...

**shoves MJ away from stage and screams "ERIC!!!!!"

Blogger MJ said...

It's only a matter of time now before the panty-tossing begins.

validation!

i found this at the lovely and talented shan's place!



happy weekend, sugarpies! xoxo

thursday

so, the plantation is going to be overrun by workmen today. carpenters, installers and followed by painters. yesterday, it was the garage repairman - the automatic opener was no longer automatic, but it is now. now, i know i have a laptop and i can work anywhere, but that ain't always the easiest thing to do when people are working in your house. we'll see how much work i do...


i think it might be a drive-by kind of day....

~~~~

i am not a happy camper. a series of things have occurred that are now raining on my parade! nothing serious, just inconvenient. not too much i can do about any of it, except, just deal with what needs to be done. i did find my ipod, so i can avoid the humming miss daisy while i'm working. but i digress, anyone know a discreet way to ask someone to do something for someone that you shouldn't have to ask them to do because they are related to the person that needs the thing done?

make sense? *

~~~~
another random thought - seasonal candies...i've just unwrapped a valentine dove dark chocolate heart. sweet delicious love that slowly melts in your mouth and there's a fortune inside to read...

first one: remember your first crush

do you? i do, his name was stanley and he wore glasses!

second one: listen with your heart.

this is dangerous! far too easily swayed and far too easily broken. i'm more a listen to your gut kinda gal.

third one: linger over chocolate.

like love, this is an absolute true thing. if you rush, you miss the nuance and delicacy of flavor, the joy, the sweetness, the deliciousness of desire slowly satisfied and then, there's just the loveliness of chocolate.

because as my 4th heart said: chocolate always loves you back.


*captain choas, mr. moose and supernana need NOT respond!!!!!

you may not like coldplay, but these lyrics...

When you try your best, but you don't succeed
When you get what you want, but not what you need
When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep
Stuck in reverse

And the tears come streaming down on your face
When you lose something you can't replace
When you love someone, but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

And high up above or down below
When you're too in love to let it go
If you never try you'll never know
Just what you're worth

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

Tears stream down on your face
When you lose something you cannot replace
Tears stream down on your face
And I...

Tears stream down on your face
I promise you I will learn from my mistakes
Tears stream down your face
And I...

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

watched young @ heart today with miss daisy. the lyrics take on a new meaning when they're sung/spoken by an 86 year old man after the death of a friend. next time you hear the song, listen with your eyes closed and you'll know what i mean.

for leah:

tango tuesday

monday wrapup of superbowl sunday XLIII

the cardinals lost.

je suis très triste.