i'm up, you're up*

 36/365
*unless you know cedric, the entertainer's routine about holidays, you might not be laughing already

wake up call at 04h30

get up, have some coffee and then, we'll talk

i could hear that and i wasn't even holding the phone. there's something about overseas connections that make people yell into the phone to make sure they're heard and you're awake, as if the damn phone ringing in the first place in the damndarkmorning wasn't enough to wake the dead. but i digress...

where was i?

it's still good news in deepestdarkestafrica, but there are some very, very unhappy campers who thought that the gravy train of corruption money was still going to be making daily visits to their offices. now that the MITM and his krewe have been assigned to the new project, the corruption tap has turned off. the unhappy campers are whining and have opened a can of worms that will rapidly turn into a big ole can of whoopass very soon!

monday, monday

damn, my posts are appearing later and later every day!

what's a woman to do?

i am being replaced!

yep, it's true.  i will no longer be working for the MITM!

MITM: don't be so sure, missy!

(i never should have given him posting authority.)

The Doc arrives tomorrow to begin his training period before the MITM leaves.  i'll be out of the loop come wednesday.  you know, i've quit two hundred and forty-four times, but like, michael in godfather 3, they pull me back in. this time is different and i'm not sure what i'm going to do with all this spare time!  (yeah, right. MITM)  one thing i won't miss is the 03h00 wake-up/start time!  i suppose that i'll still be on call for a few months, but big deal, right? doesn't everyone always say that when they've been replaced on the job?  i think since it is The Doc who's replacing me, i'll probably take his calls.

so, forget my title, right now, i'm just mom and one of my little boys is coming home for a visit! i have things to do! menus to plan, groceries to buy and a guest room to freshen up!

ever have one of those days?

34/365
(i have to put it at the top or i'll forget)

where to start? 

perhaps the mad hatter was right...

begin at the beginning

and when you get to the end,

STOP.

now, it's about trying to figure out where the beginning begins.


(i'm going to post this as it is and finish it later.)

~~~~~~~
 
it started with an early morning call from deepestdarkestafrica well, no worries, we'll just move on from there. it was bad, bad, BAD news that turned into (14 phonecalls later) very, very VERY GOOD news.

now, y'all will get the followup on yesterday's strange happenings.

in the comments, bill wasn't sure why i'd posted the clip from apocalypse now. it's because in business, like in war, you have to be careful of what you wish for...
 
too dramatic? 

i don't think so, mr. deckard. 

the MITM and his IRL krewe now have a NEW bigass project. it was one they didn't want, but knew that if it were offered, they'd be on it like white on rice.

and now they are. 

so, that's the good news. the other very, very, very good news? well, about 2 years ago, The Doc (aka #2 son) had expressed interest in working with the MITM, but nothing was available that suited him, so everyone filed that bit of interest away, knowing that once the opportunity arose, he.was.in.


today, that call was made.

the best invention e-v-a-h

ear buds, sugar!

i'm sitting here listening to lake street dive on my sweet MAC while the MITM is on the phone absolutely raging either at someone or about something! because i'm only catching glimpses of him in my peripheral vision, i can't be sure. like me, he gestures A LOT!

we'll see what it was that has him so animated.



~~~~~~~~

i think i've shared my love of this magazine, right? well, if somehow it has escaped y'all's exploratory urge, check it out. you can thank me later. this edition has some lovely literary voices of the south as part of national poetry month! there are also a few links with information about Miss Harper Lee because tomorrow, sunday, april 28th, is her birthday. she will be 87.

~~~~~~~~~~~

if y'all aren't following (american) football, then y'all need to stop reading now, at least THIS section, maybe now's the time to go check out deep south magazine. i'll be here when you get back...
anyway, we've been following the nfl 2013 draft picks. here's a peek at day 3. the saints are looking at a good year. they're strengthening  their defense. and they needed to after last year!

and Coach Payton is back, baby!

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

btw, in case y'all were wondering, it was a good thing that had the MITM so animated. i can't share the details yet, but it has to do with deepestdarkestafrica.

sneaking in a post

and yeah, i'm counting it!

today was a wait mode sort of day and it kind of got away from me.

so here it is 21h56 and i'm finally sitting down to post.

we won't go into the insane pressure i've put on myself today about this, but...i think you get the picture.


32/365

31/365 so far, so good

holy moley, but i am stuck for inspiration today.

*sigh*

i'm cleaning house, for goodness sake!

*sigh*

~~~~~~~~
remember the challenge mr moose and i had set for ourselves about reading all of the books we had planned on reading, but hadn't, before we bought any other books? no? it's OK, it happened or rather it didn't happen in the way we had envisioned. the one thing both of us realized was that there were books we had in our TBR* stack that you couldn't PAY either of us to finish. one comment that i took to heart was from Charlie:

Whatever you do, Sav, don't rush through these books to meet the deadline—that's cheating yourself of some mighty fine reading.
Or maybe these are just the books in your TBR pile and you plan on reading just a few.
Whichever, it's a great way to begin 2012.

it's also one of the things that since his passing has remained with me and has become part of how i try to live my life, a sort of paraphrasing:

don't rush through life and cheat yourself of all the fine things it has to offer.

so, the books are still in a few piles and i've added more since, but i'm reading at my leisure and enjoying it all the more. (note to self: send the secret life of words to mr moose)

~~~~~~~~

(this has been a work in progress today. just so you know.)

i picked up three dozen oysters a bit ago and the MITM is now shucking them. we'll sit down to select singles on the half shell, served with pickled radishes or garlic aioli or maybe, just tabasco.  crackers will be on table, too, just in case they're needed. i think we'll be drinking a fume blanc...but it could be an ice cold stella...

we'll see.

a bit blurry because i was hungry!

*to be read

why, thank yew! thank yew very much!

the lovely roses has nominated me for a most wonderful award! i am honored and humbled by her kind and generous nomination, but most of all, by her continued friendship and support!

the award comes with a small request and that is to answer the four questions listed and then to pass the award along to those bloggers who recently touched/moved/inspired YOU!
 

1. If you could change one thing in your life, what would it be?     
absolutely nothing! change one thing and that changes everything and then where would i be?
2. If you could repeat any age which would it be?
another one of those trick questions! i'm enjoying them as they come and can't imagine doing any age over again...although, there was a 2 year span back in the day...
  3. What really scares you?
HEIGHTS! i think i can deal with anything else, but being high up makes my knees buckle.
  4. If you could be someone else for a day, who would you be?
 i would be the MITM because then i might understand why he thinks the way he does and why he can't seem to understand how i think... 

~~~~~~~~~ 

so there it is. grab the pic and the questions and then nominate another blogger or  bloggers who've recently touched you! i nominate the following and really do hope they'll particpate!

kevin musgrove

lulu labonne

miss scarlet

UB

and

bubba aka mapstew

come on, you know y'all want to do it!!

xoxoxo 

30/365

29/365 almost a month

softshell crabs!

they were delish!  the MITM made the aioli recipe that anne burrell suggested, but found it wanting. next time he'll use this recipe. we didn't take pictures because as the MITM said, "i'm hungry now can we just eat?"

what else can you say to a hungry man besides YES?

(waiting while all y'all finish giggling like schoolgirls.)

anyway,  this week has started quietly around here which is given the nature of his work is not only surprising, it is a bit un-nerving. when things go a bit too smoothly, i start waiting for the other metaphorical shoe to drop!  we'll see...

~~~~~

april 21 was cicLAvia day
out in lalaland and cap't chaos, Stretch, The Kid and BBC were part of it! i'm pretty certain BBC wasn't riding a bike, but this is the only picture we received!

BGM, super nana and mr. matrix were at the beach enjoying a dip in the sea! gotta love the sunshine state.  (i'd post a pic, but for some reason my smartphone is behaving in a very dumb way.)

UPDATE:

the other shoe did drop. *sigh* we are losing our edge here, people! wtf has happened to american business acumen and attention to detail????  no wonder we're losing our place in the international marketplace! 

my phone finally decided to share BMG's beach picture!

wearing super nana's beach hat, but the sunglasses are her own!

please mr postman...

super nana needs your help! she's asked me to share this here with all y'all in hopes that you might help the kindergarten children she's working with now get a feel for the larger world outside of their neighborhoods. most of the children have no idea what the four seasons really mean! so, if you can please help!

"Far away (as in not LA) Facebook friends: I am working with a Kindergarten class these days. They are doing a unit on the seasons. I thought it would be nice if they got some postcards from around the world explaining what the season is like in different areas. If you are so inclined please send a postcard to:

Mrs. Chauff and Mrs. Del Prado's Kindergarten Class
Visitation School
8740 South Emerson Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90045

Please make sure you note your city, state (or country), the temperature, and your favorite season!"

come on, you know you want to do this! xoxoxo

and now, the sunday baby pictures!

eating, reading, same thing

BBC listening to ODB

28/365 

part 2 or the real 27/365

this is just one of the reasons why i love living here on the plantation.  fresh seafood, baby, any time you want it. this is the end of soft shell crab season, but we scored a really good deal at a local purveyor of all this aquatic. (no, i'm not sharing my source!)  tomorrow i'm fixing anne burrell's soft shell crabs served with garlic aioli, a mesculn and thinly sliced zucchini salad, lightly drizzled with homemade pickled radishes and purple onion. 

here's her recipe.

~~~~~~~~~~~

today is our work free, stress free, no housework, let's have an adventure day!

and so far,

it's going according to plan!


xoxoxox

what a day yesterday was

26/365

no good deed (or fun day) goes unpunished.

the MTIM has been working since veryveryearlyinthedamndarkmorning to unravel a major problem at work.

it has been really intense around here.
he is not a happy camper.

i'll be back on track tomorrow.

i promise you.

i should have told y'all this earlier...

no real blog post today.

we played 18 holes today.

we are tired.


BUT IT WAS HOT DAMN FUN!!

The day after

Fred Rogers often told this story about when he was a boy and would see scary things on the news: "My mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.' To this day, especially in times of 'disaster,' I remember my mother's words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers-so many caring people in this world."

I found this article about how to help children deal with scary events on pbs via media matters on facebook.  There is much in it for all of us to remember right now.  

When I heard about the bombings in Boston, I immediately turned on the news. Sitting so many hundreds of miles away, the fear/anxiety/sadness gripped me until, as the MITM said, my shoulders were hunched up and tears were streaming down my face.  

He turned the tv off.

Later, as we sat talking, the MITM reminded me of what I know to be true. This sort of terrorism, although initially frightening, only serves to piss us/me off.  No matter what the sick, demented rationale the idiots who planted these bombs have, they are cowards and fools. Sadly, it's either going to be a warped understanding of religion or a misguided understanding of the American Constitution that is behind all of this. 


But either way, 

IT IS WRONG.




 

 

tales of the city or a life not lived, but damn, it would have been interesting

so, i promised i would tell all y'all about the life we've never lived and today seemed to be that day...

the map is the historic district of my little town. it's where the MITM and i lived for the first 12 of our now extended stay in one place. about 6 years ago, we moved from the left side of the district to the right side of the district.  mere blocks, my darlings, in fact, only a dozen or so and you could almost say, right down the same street! but i digress...

anyway,

our loft had been right on the edge of the entertainment (bars and restaurants) section of the district, so we used to be out and  about a lot.  all of our friends knew that if you needed a place to rest, all you had to do was knock on the door (it was a big, old heavy steel door) and come on in! ours was the after party place. all well and good for a decade or so, but then, it was time to move on to a bit more refined sort of entertaining...and honestly, it was nice to not be party central EVERY.DAMN.WEEKEND.

we moved to the other side of the district and proceeded to hold court in a 2 story house that had been built in 1872. for 2 years and ONLY 2 years, it was the location for small parties, grand parties, but just parties at home and in those  2 years the rumor mill was a churnin'. you see, when you aren't draggin the streets in my little town, people start to talk...

oh, honey, i heard he left her/she left him...
he's living in paris/ she's living in paris...
he moved to morocco/she moved to morocco...
they went back to california!
no, they moved to new york!

this is just the stuff i remember hearing about my so called life. what's really surprising is that folks i knew casually were ASTONISHED when they saw me and then had to tell me how they "never believed" the stories about our marital discord and breakup (of course, that didn't stop anyone from spreading the stories)! the MITM had some of the same experiences, except that it was usually single ladies lamenting his "return to the marital fold." (return? he never left, but hey, i get it, he wasn't available)

you can imagine what's been going on since we moved all the way across town to the southside! i mean, darlings, we are THIRTEEN WHOLE MILES from the district!

so, when i ran into a woman i hadn't seen in ages, her asking if i was in town for a visit was both funny and true! anything south of gaston is considered not in town!  hey, i was guilty of it, too, when i lived downtown.  i just rationalized it by saying i was saving gas by combining all of my south trips.  now, i plan trips downtown the same way. what goes around, right? but, from an economic development point of view the historic district, because of tourism, IS the cash cow that funds a lot of the services, development and is the base of the economy here, but it ain't the tail waggin' the dog, if y'all get my meaning, but try telling that to those who live north of gaston. there's a reason that my little town was saved from the wrath of sherman's march to the sea during the civil war and it has to do pride of place that still exists here. (there are two things that i must say here and now: 1. i love my little town and that's why i live here. 2. i REFUSE to call the civil war the war of northern aggression)

my experience is nothing new and i know that. anyone living in a small town knows what i'm talking about. living in the south adds another dimension only because we're all natural born storytellers around here whether you're from here or came here (another distinction made around here). it must be something in the air that encourages the imagination...

or maybe it's the sweet tea!





23/365

what's happening on the plantation this sunday

hey, it's the last day of the Master's Tournament and this is NOT our theme song because the channel ain't changing!  just the sound during commercial breaks.

cedric, the entertainer, is a favorite of ours, so i hope y'all will have laugh!


now back to the golf channel.



22/365

FUBAR*

that was yesterday.

OK, only part of the day and not really for me.

OK, a little part of it was.

the MITM was in houston when it all started. you know how it is with traveling, everything is just moving right along and then...

BAMM!

hell.in.a.handbasket.brothers.and.sisters.

late flight arrival which meant his departure was delayed. no big deal, right? most times, absolutely! this time? that was just the beginning of a series of delays both at the gate and then on the plane. it all resulted in his arrival in ATL and subsequent arrival in SAV an hour later. (medical emergency supply) now, flight delays are part of travel and we all accept them, but what isn't part of flying is receiving a SMS while you're sitting on the tarmac waiting for a gate saying stop at starbucks and pickup a coffee and a muffin because we have to wait for AAA.  fortunately, SAV, while it is an international airport (how that came to be is another fun story, i'll share later), is rather casual about "the loading/unloading zone" in front of the airport and since the MITM was only gone for a few days his luggage was carry-on, i was waiting on the departure level  (another reason why i love my little town).  so, good travelers that we are, we sat on a bench, drank our coffee, talked about his trip and waited.

and waited.

and waited.

ok, it was only 45 minutes.

it was the battery.

(i knew something was wrong with the feel of the car and had decided i would take it in this week.)  it was only a few months out of a 3 year warranty, so we got a new replacement for half the price of a new one!  anyway, it's all taken care.

minor inconveniences, i know, but at the end of a series of mishaps...we were glad to hit the road and finally hit the plantation! 

the story of our imagined exciting life will have to wait for another day.



*Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition
21/365

friday!

the MITM comes home this evening. 

good news here from the left coast. super nana, mr matrix and BGM are coming to visit this summer!

more later today...

i have laundry to fold!

(next post will be about the exciting life people think we lead)






20/365

Thank You, Unknown Mami!

same love

yesterday, unknown mami posted this video and the lyrics. check out the link above for the lyrics and her blog while you're there.







19/365

well, butter my buns and call me a biscuit

finding time.
thanks to our pal, debra, i signed up for the daily good and receive an email from them daily (hence their name, right?), anyway...this one made me slow down and read it carefully. take a moment, take a breath, and then, slowly exhale. it's a good, thoughtful read.

~~~~~

update re my magical mystery medical malfunction (don't ask me where THAT came from, my fingers took on their own life for a second). new asthma medicines and a reminder that i need to take better care of myself! (good thing i quit smoking, right?) as much as i love living here on the plantation, there is just too much damn nature around! all the trees and gorgeous plants, while pretty to look it, is just too much pollen concentrated in one damn space! but, it's just too lovely to leave.  every place has its own regional malady, i suppose, so it could be worse. in a few days, the new meds will do what they're supposed to day and i'll be fine. so what if i sound like lauren bacall again.

~~~~~

most of you already read leah, but if somehow, she has escaped your gaze, go there NOW and read her recent entry in the 365 challenge. spend some time, you'll be glad you did.

another old blogger/new site to check out is thomas m hewlett. you might recognize his picture...

some more funny stuff that will make “You look about as happy as a tick on a fat dog.”

~~~~~~~~

the MITM is on the road again for a few days, but only one time zone away, so my work day isn't starting at 03h00 and i'm happy about that!  i did think i was going to get to sleep in today...*sigh* but again, it's a cush job and i ain't gonna complain.

and now, for the latest cute baby pics:

BGM and the nyt

BBC and the kitchen sink

think one day that these two will find this blog and wonder wtf was their grandma thinking?




18/365

Happy Birthday to The Dancing Lady

when she was a little girl

today

The Dancing Lady celebrated her birthday yesterday!  and i think there will probably be more festivities this coming weekend!  cheers to her and for her! she's the best!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to THE DANCING LADY!

17/365

16/365 a bit of a cheat

no, not that sort of cheat!


i'm not well.


i have fallen victim to the savannah crud. this is a regional malady that seems to make the rounds during the early spring and if untreated, will linger in your lungs and re-appear at the most inopportune times until summer.

every year, it's the same thing, the pollen count rises and you think it's just allergies. sometimes, that really is all it is and you're fine. but then, there's that off year (like right now) when it creeps down and makes a bed in your lungs and sucks on all those fine little bronchial tubes like a bedbug feeding at midnight.

i'm going to the doctor.

the best thing from yesterday

"Do not let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace."  ~ H.H. The Dalai Lama 

while i waited in line i ran into an old friend i normally only chat with on that other social media site. bless her heart, but after the initial, "hey, girl, what you doin?" convo, she told me what i had sort of figured out already, she and her long time partner had broken up and it.had.been.really.difficult.  it happened a couple of years ago, but she was just now feeling secure in who she was again.  this really is a little town and even though i hadn't heard any gossip, when a couple is no longer seen together, well, it's sort of a given that they ain't together no mo'  (i think i told all y'all what happened when the MITM and i moved from one side of the historic district to the other and then he went back to deepestdarkestafrica for a couple of months, right?*) anyway, she needed to talk and i listened. sometimes, that's the best thing you can do.  i saw the image and words above and sent them to her. now i'm posting them for all ya'll, but especially for me. 

 

***************

 lake street dive

the music was fun/loud/lyrical/soulful/swinging/jazzy/rockin' and even more. if you haven't already, go back and check out the links  on youtube i've already posted.  the weather was perfect for a saturday noon concert, the gnats were put and bothersome, but only for a little while. the one downside was the amplification of their sound.  lake street dive doesn't need a heavy sound system, their sound is powerful enough to fill the covered pavilion used for their set. after the set, the 4 musicians were selling their cd's (yes, we bought them both) and chatting with the audience. the group is straight out of brooklyn, ny, via a LOT of different locales, and have been together for 9 years. they are even more powerful and dynamic in person as their youtube videos only hint at.  it was a treat and a real pleasure to have a moment to chat with them in person.  






 

*let's just say, the life people think we live is far more exciting, than the one we really do live!



15/365

saturday

i'm not sure where to start today,  sweetpeas.

remember when i told i was starting to feel poorly yesterday?  well, i ended up sitting on the sofa almost the whole damn day and only rising for meals (which the MITM so thoughtfully cooked) (risotto for lunch, darlings!) anyway, meds and rest and lots of fluids and sleep.

but then, the dreams last night where a sort of follow-up to the dreams of the night before. not horrible nightmares, just very strange and chilling. i was going to recount them, as UB did his, but as i type this....*shiver*

i'll just let it go, for now!

we're going downtown to the ships of the sea museum to see my new favorite group, lake street dive, with Big Shelly and Miss K!

i'll be back with a review and probably a story or two.

to be continued

14/365

some day, one day, saturday!

we're going to see this group on saturday!

*********************

the MITM is feeling soooooo much better today! a trip to the clinic did the trick. it was a big ass sinus infection and the meds are kicking those little boogers (snickering) right on out!  he's feeling so much better that he's fixing lunch for us right now!

today is probably going to be a drive-by blogging day...

i'll be back!

****************************

 

*sigh*
*double sigh*

i'm not sure what has happened, but now i feel like i am sinking into a black hole. i think i'm just really,

really,

really 

tired.

the MITM, has rebounded and is back at work! of course, he's not traveling right now, so life is much easier and he need only make a few calls, answer a few emails...

13/365

i forgot to tell all y'all

we did it!

finally!

we made the jump to smartphones and y'all were so right! i'm so glad we did.

now, i guess you noticed that i didn't say iPhone. the carrier we've been using gave us such an incredible deal on a plan that att absolutely could not beat, so we stayed with t-mobile them and i'm now the proud owner of a smartphone.

i'm still a dumb operator, but i think i'll master a few more of the applications available on this lovely communication device.

from what i understand, the iPhone will be part of their line-up, so i'm guessing at some point we'll be, once again, totally apple/MAC based.

but until then, i'm having fun with my android phone.

***************

some new pics of BBC and the Kid, and BGM

first time on the big kids slide

The Kid and her new braces

captain chaos and BBC

super nana & her BGM easter basket

***************************

if you're interested and will be in pasadena on 07 april, check out petrea's blog!

Long Live the Doo Dah!

12/365

the real 11/365

Darling I just got a bajillion whiny emails saying I have not updated this since they invented sliced bread... You would not believe how insane my life has become. I prostrate myself in sorrow and beg thy forgiveness..

I am totally exhausted with making meals, learning to speak Japanese, just generally being a slave to my husband, my day starts with the dawn patrol from 3am to never. I am avoiding recapture. life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get.

I swear on the bones of my ancestors I will write something that makes sense soon. No, really! What do you mean you don't believe me?.


many thanks to ms scarlet  (check out the link when you're in a pinch.)

blogging light

the MITM is not feeling well.


i'm going to be busy, so today's post is content light.


i'll add to this if i can.


11/365

10/365 update or you asked for baby pictures

BGM at easter brunch

mr. matrix and BGM find the easter eggs

cap't chaos and BBC at the beach

the day after april fool's day

is the day you think of all the funny things you could have done, but didn't.


next year will be different!





10/365