Yikes!

I have missed more than I had thought!

Captain Chaos had a BIRTHDAY on November 11th and I forgot to post. I have no excuse, but I did wish him a Happy Birthday! 

He's a funny guy!

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Here's to all y'all with all our love and affection for the kindness and generosity you've given us

throughout the years, but especially this one!

Happy Holidays, Loveries!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUPER NANA!!

Last year, super nana, Mr. Matrix, and Big Girl Matrix were celebrating her birthday in Paris! This year we're all together and will celebrate in total Krewe fashion because y'all, we do know how to party.

So, please join the MITM, the Krewe, and me in wishing our sweet girl* 

One of my favorite super nana photos!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

*She may not be blogging anymore, but super nana still reads this blog, especially on her birthday!

Are you still dancing?

To Earth, Wind and Fire, of course!

Every time I see those words, I starting singing/humming the song. (chair dancing as I type)

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So here we are, October 3rd! I'm in Burbank and super nana just asked me, "Why aren't you blogging?" I had no good answer (or even a bad one), so here I am! We're still nomads (I'd say Bedouin, but I'm neither Arab or North African, and sweetmarysunshine, I'm the last one who wants to be accused of cultural appropriation) and actually still enjoying it. Looking at real estate in Lalaland is an adventure, especially when you're from this place and remember what it used to be. 

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California, and Los Angeles specifically, has seen a monumental rise in homeless population for a variety of reasons many of which have existed for a long time. Part of the problem can be traced to the closure of mental hospitals under then Gov. Ronald Reagan and on into his presidency and the Republican controlled Senate. Check out this link from Salon Magazine:

https://www.salon.com/2013/09/29/ronald_reagans_shameful_legacy_violence_the_homeless_mental_illness

(Seems I've forgotten how to do a hyperlink!)

But that's only a part of the problem. The disparity between rich and poor has grown incrementally and is startlingly apparent in areas far removed from the traditional "Skid Row" area in Downtown L.A.! Campsites along major streets and under overpasses are common sights. Seeing tents pitched in alleys behind what would be considered middle class areas is no longer surprising. And yet, with all of this real need for housing, we have empty luxury apartments that are written off by developers or priced far beyond the means of working people. To be clear, here, as in far too many places, people are living paycheck to paycheck and one misstep can end up in an eviction or foreclosure. Too often it's not even a misstep, it's an unexpected expense that sends a person or family reeling out of financial control. Seeing campers, cars, SUVs, and camper trucks lining residential and industrial streets 24/7 is a sight not expected in a city that has a budget that dwarfs COUNTRIES is beyond startling. Los Angeles is trying to address this issue, but it may be a case of too little, too late I don't know. What I do know is that there are people working to solve these problems and they are in the public and private sector. Throwing money at the problem isn't the solution. Like any other problem that occurs when you're dealing with people, we're looking at a multi-pronged approach. Providing housing must be coupled with providing needed services to those who need them. I know that this is an issue for many cities, not only here in the USA, but in other countries. I also know I'm starting to ramble/babble, but it's only because this city, my city, has changed so much and is so different, I feel almost lost here.

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Now, back to me and the MITM. Given all that I've shared (and believe me, I cut out a LOT), we have nothing to complain about because we have options and living on the street and pushing a shopping cart isn't one of them. 

And for that, I am grateful.

******

This is how this post had started before I realized just how ungrateful I sounded:

After living in 2600 square feet in a single family house with a HUGE garden, looking at an apartment less than half that size stacked/surrounded by dozens of units is a tad off-putting. 

It looks as if given the MITM's schedule, things won't be settling down until sometime during the first quarter of 2020. April will mark one year back in Southern California and the beginning of yet another chapter here in the city, my city, Los Angeles! 

Do you remember the 21st night of September?

So long to summer even if it's going to be 93 here in Lalaland! I can never resist this song in September, but then, like so many, I danced to Earth, Wind, and Fire then and still do now!

So, here's our update:

The MITM and I are still enjoying our nomadic life and rediscovering the city we both grew up in. The Krewe is still happy we're out here, so that's a good thing. I don't miss Hurricane Season in the Southeast, nor do I miss the "should I stay or should I go" feeling that so many of my friends in SAV are experiencing. Bugging out during an evacuation isn't fun, nor is it easy, but staying and the hurricane worsens is even harder. I wish my pals in Georgia and Hope (who isn't blogging now) in the Carolinas, the best of luck and that Dorian takes a BIG turn out into the Atlantic and spares them the devastation inflicted on the Bahamas!

Right now, housing in SoCal, like so many other places in California, is scare and EXPENSIVE! So, as much as we'd like to stay in the city, we're looking outside of the basin and have expanded our search to places within an hours drive from here. I am not as happy about this, but we shall see...

The MITM is still unsure when he'll be going back to deepestdarkestafrica, so we have time to continue our search for a permanent location because as y'all might remember there are 40 or so boxes of books that need to be moved and NOBODY wants to move those more than twice (in to the moving van, then out of the moving van)! At least, nobody who's doing it for free!

So, there you go, a brief, but pretty accurate update. I promise not to let 2 months go by before I blog again!

Now, off to catch up with all y'all!

xoxo

A new film by BGM and Mr Matrix

Technology and creativity in the summertime!

BMG wanted to make another film, so Mr Matrix helped her do her storyboard and then BGM made her movie. We got to see the raw footage before editing and all the other things that go into a movie were done. She had fun making her vision happen!

Our Official Welcome Back to California!

6.4 earthquake in Ridgecrest, California!

Ridgecrest is 2 hrs and change away from Burbank (were we are right now) which is how we measure distance here by time, not actual mileage (140 miles), so we felt it as a rolling motion. We were here during the Northridge quake which was a 6.7 and we sure as hell felt that one INTENSELY. The epicenter was in a remote area, but still populated. There has been damage there, but as of now no reported deaths or injuries. 

There have been and will continue to be aftershocks across the area. Y'all might see or hear about the earthquake via the news, but know that the MITM, the Krewe, and I are OK! 

xoxo

For Lewis

For our friend and fellow blogger, LX (I can never get the umlaut to work over the X)!

A short story from the MITM

I had a dog when I was a child.  A Black Lab.  She raised me.  We went everywhere fearlessly, recklessly and playfully.  We roamed South Central L.A., her running, me on bike, on scooter and on foot.  We knew every short cut, every alley, every fruit tree, every place to see something wondrous.

She died when I became a young man.

I had a dog for sport when I was a young man.  Another Lab.  A great hunter, retriever, and water dog.  I was taught to hunt at a young age and as a young man thought I was the best hunter of all.  Thought I was invincible.  The Lab knew otherwise.  He kept me from making a fool of myself many, many times.

He died when I became a man.

I had a Rottweiller when I had a family.  She helped my wife and I raise our kids.  She was loyal, loving, strong and valiant.  She fought off the things that go bump in the night.  She protected her house and her family.  She saw the children through their teens.  She died the day my sister passed away from cancer.  People said my sister must have gone to the hood side of heaven and needed our Rotty with her.

I don’t know about that, but I like the sound of it.

I’m now an old man.  I bought a dog.  A Brittany Spaniel.  I told this dog that she would die with me.

I died.  I don’t know what happened to the Brittany that sat with me through the weakness of age.  I haven’t seen her since.

Damn, it's June 24th!

All right, here we go:

Staying with super nana for a few weeks and then back to the Captain's place.  

Yeah, I know, why haven't we found a place of our own yet, right? Well, sweetpeas, I would like to move only ONE MORE TIME and not just take any place and end up moving again, so we're taking our time. We've moved more times than I want to remember (it's close to 20 now) over the half century we've been married, so I am in no rush to move again. We downsized the contents of our 2500 sq ft house and what's left is in storage (including 40 boxes of books), so I am REALLY in no rush to unpack any of what's left, as in the contents of a 26' moving truck.

The MITM has turned into an urban farmer because super nana and Mr Matrix have fruit trees in the backyard. So far, he's made Peach Cobblers. Today, he's making Peach Jam! He's planted basil and Italian parsley. Mr Matrix has planted Dragon Chilies. (I've just watched.)

There will be pictures later. 

Maybe even today!

xoxo

Checking in

It's been a whirlwind around here, but we're good. I'll blog about what's been going on this weekend.

Left Coast Update

Things I've learned about moving across country:

1. Write ALL of your passwords down in a secure place and keep them with you.

2. Don't ask me why that's important.

3. MARK all of your boxes with the contents as detailed as POSSIBLE.

4. Don't ask me why that's important.

5. Make sure you carry your phone charger with you at all times.

6. Yeah, that's right, don't ask me why that's important.

7. Plan ahead for help at both ends of the trip.

8. Ask the MITM, The Doc, Capt. Chaos, and Mr Matrix why THAT'S important.




There will be more, but right now, I need a beer!

Getting out of Dodge...or Savannah, to be precise!

Yep, it's true the MITM and I have sold our house here on The Plantation and we're moving back to LaLaLand aka Los Angeles. The house was on the market for only ONE DAY when we got an offer from the first couple that saw the house! We had, in addition to their initial viewing, 2 others before the offer was made. We countered and they accepted, so after the inspection and appraisal, we are done. I really thought the house would be on the market longer, but I was seriously wrong!

I could not have picked a better day to fly out, APRIL 1st also known as April Fool's Day, but it ain't a joke, I have a ticket and I will be leaving on a jet plane at 11AM on Monday. The MITM and The Doc (who arrives the day I leave) will drive out on the 3rd and probably be in L.A. by Saturday. They've done the drive before, so are confident they can cover the 2,465 miles/3967km in 36 hours or so.

We did a big purge and sent a LOT of things off to auction, so we've automatically downsized in terms of things, but even with all of that there are STILL a LOT of boxes EVERYWHERE in this house! Book boxes are handy because the size is uniform and makes packing a truck easier, but SWEET MARY SUNSHINE you can end up, depending on the size of your library, with quite a few! (We have 40 *I stopped counting after 20* according to the MITM) Then there was the kitchen...*sigh* Y'all know how much we both enjoy cooking and entertaining, so you can imagine what that packing event was like!

Don't even get me started on the closets. BUT, if you haven't gone through your own clothes in over  a year, I suggest you do so ASAP even if you aren't planning a move. Marie Kondo (google her) is right, if an item doesn't spark joy, LET IT GO! You'll be happier and even better, the clothes you aren't wearing can be used by someone else who needs (or wants) them! 

(Take a moment to read a hilarious account about the Marie Kondo "Tidying Up" method at Victoria Elizabeth Barnes)

Also, if you don't have a document shredder, GET ONE and use it routinely on any piece of paper that has personal identification on it! You will thank me for this one little piece of info later. Some cities offer document disposal/shredding free of charge once a year, so check and see if yours offers this service. I never did, so learn from my mistakes! Of course, we still have a multitude of boxes of paper we HAVE to keep for personal and professional reasons, but that's one of the joys being an adult, right? *sigh*

Here's one pic of the "Great Room" as the realtor called it after we'd removed artwork, decor and packed.

This was taken during the early stages of packing. It looks really different now! I think there are more pics on the MITM's iPad, but trust me it's just bare rooms with stacks of boxes in them. I'd post the one pic he took of the garage that's also filled with boxes, but it's just a bigger space with even MORE boxes and wrapped art work leaning against stacked boxes!

One of the things I've learned during this process is that we should only keep those things that have meaning and/or real use. Memories will always be with us, generally speaking, so keeping a "thing" but not using it serves no purpose. But even after saying that I know we've kept items that have sentimental value only to us and that's the difference. Sentimental value is personal and has nothing to do with monetary value or even usefulness! So, yeah, I'm keeping the handprint in clay The Doc made when he was 5, and the misshaped camel Captain Chaos gave me, and the handmade books super nana made in grammar school, and yep, even the cute birthday card Mr Moose gave me years ago! 

We'll miss Savannah and we'll miss our friends here, but thanks to social media and phones, we can stay in contact. We'll just be in another destination vacation spot! 

I hope our news was worth the wait and now y'all understand why my blogging was so intermittent!

Back to packing. xoxoxo

Watch This Space!

There will be news 

~SOON~

(To be clear, it has nothing to do with the Mueller report)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DOC!

The Dancing Lady posted this on Facebook, so I figured it was OK here, too!


HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DOC!

He's one of the good guys and one of the hippest guys around! Join us in wishing him the ABSOLUTE BEST BIRTHDAY EVER!!

xoxoxox

Still the one!

March 8, 1969

Happy 50th Anniversary 

I couldn't forget to share this today! Also, it's really hard not to blog when there's something to celebrate! xoxo

Seems we're taking a brief hiatus here...

Things are taking a turn for the better (to be sure), but it means that blogging might have to take a backseat for a little while. Now, that being said, I might totally ignore what I just said and blog every day, but I truly think that ain't gonna happen, but I need to just put it out there for all y'all, just in case it seems I have disappeared.

That other social media sites are easier to handle right now because it can be a hit and miss proposition using only small amounts of time, you know like taking a break from some intensely tiring work or just needing to step away and hang out.

Anyway, I'll be back eventually.


xoxoxo

What Big Girl Matrix did on a rainy day

FYI: Mr Matrix told me how this was done and the explanation is in the comments!

Today he's 7!

From this little guy

To this big guy!

Happy Birthday, Big Boy Chaos!!

Flat Stanley on the Plantation!

On Sunday, Tim Footman aka cultural snow wrote a piece on Tomi Ungerer, a name that was unfamiliar to me until I read the piece. Seems that Mr Ungerer was the illustrator for the children's book "Flat Stanley" by Jeff Brown. Why is this important? Well, loverlies, Flat Stanley is visiting the Plantation and will be returning to Big Girl Matrix tomorrow after all of his adventures visiting us!

Yep, BGM and her classmates each sent a copy of Flat Stanley to a relative to dress/decorate in clothes that "appropriate for the weather you live in" and take pictures of him doing things around and about wherever they live. BGM asked that we take pictures of what SHE likes to do here which is hang out at OUR HOUSE! Not for Flat Stanley would there be the usual tourist haunts in our little town because all the real fun takes place here! Forget the historic squares, the river, City Market, and the horse drawn carriages! Nope, it's all about music, baking & pickles, and a ride around the block in BGM favorite blue wagon!

Flat Stanley is rather formally attired for hanging out at home, as he's wearing a tie and long pants! I gave him red Converse because anyone I know who'd be wearing a dress shirt and a tie in our little town would HAVE to be wearing tennis shoes! 

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Somebody got a haircut!

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I spend a little time looking back at old blog posts after doing the 10 year look back post and ended up reliving February 2011. Even with the MITM sitting right across from me it was a palpable return to that difficult time and how all y'all rallied to my side. I read a few of my posts and the comments out loud, and we were reminded of the generosity of spirit and kindness you shared so freely. It will always be remembered. xoxox

It was 20 years ago today...not really, we're talking 10 years

The lovely Ms. Scarlet and the ever so delish Jon came up with a delightful meme for all of us who still blog (albeit only occasionally around here these days)! A look back from 10 years ago on your blog. It's February, so this month in 2008 I somehow managed to put up 13 posts.

We were still living Downtown in the Historic District in a house built in the late 1800s. I used to blog from the library/office/guest room that was on the second floor. The neatest thing about that room was that it faced the street and from the side window, the Savannah River. I couldn't actually see the river (it was, and still is, about 40 feet below street level), but I knew it was there. When there were fireworks displays, I could see and hear them!

So what did I write about in those 13 posts? There had been an explosion at the sugar refinery that made national and world news that even though we weren't near it, we felt and heard the explosion. Some of y'all had heard about it and were concerned.

Captain Chaos had gone to Sweden to work on a movie, so his sweet dog, Ghost Faced Killah stayed with me! The Captain also started a blog while he was there to document the experience! The MITM was in deepestdarkestafrica and then he was home, but soon to be gone again. At some point during the month, while he was here (thankfully), there was an attempted coup in the country he'd just left and it was the only time I actually said its name. Fortunately, his colleagues were safe and their whereabouts transmitted to the necessary people.

Fat Tuesday came and went, the Super Bowl happened (the Giants beat the Pats), we had (yet another) fun night celebrating with family and friends around the big round table that was in our dining room. We did a LOT of entertaining in that house! It was perfectly suited to parties and being Downtown didn't hurt in the least bit!

What's most interesting to me was the great support y'all gave me during a difficult time I was going through that February 10 years ago. Some of the bloggers are no longer online and I miss their words. Some are on that other social media site, so at least we can still keep in contact. What's really wild is that others have drifted over to Instagram, so I still see words and pictures from them, but I miss them here in Blogville!

So there you go, that was a bit of 10 years ago. If you're so inclined, all of it is available to read here on the Blog Archive! (see sidebar) Scarls and Jon were right, it is good to look back every so often!

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I received these yesterday, so I have to share them with all y'all!

After days of rain and cold, being outside again is perfect!

Valentine's Day shopping and yes, she choses her own outfits!*

Big Boy Chaos is going to be 7 on the 15th of this month!! Big Girl Matrix has to wait until August. I can't believe how big they are already. It seems like yesterday we were welcoming them into the world.

*super nana told us that BGM announced before she entered the room, "You might find my outfit shocking, but I think you'll like it."

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Peace and Love to all y'all! xoxox

It's never too late later to say...

THANK YOU!

For all the lovely birthday wishes and hopes for a Happy New Year. I've been more than lax in reading and writing since my birthday, but I do wish all the best for all y'all in 2019. Lord knows 2018 was a bitch and a half damn near everywhere on this planet!

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So, on we go moving towards the next year, moving ever closer to our pitiful end as a species  (wow, that's depressing) achieving a far more positive and fruitful experience between today and December 31st, 2019. But it's becoming increasingly more difficult to keep a positive attitude in these uncertain days. It's not only the politics of life here, but the more personal day to day difficulties that seem to wear on a person. 

My little town is a military town. We have Coast Guard families that are looking at no pay and no idea what's going to happen to them next. This is, according to the Guard, the first time in American history that serving military has not been paid while in service.* (It also extends to retirees who depend on their Coast Guard pensions.) Food banks here are already under stress because of a 26% poverty rate, so adding families that need help is adding more pressure to already pressed agencies.  Looking at the national news and seeing people standing in lines to receive a sandwich from a restaurant or seeing bags of food being delivered curbside to TSA workers in Miami is heartbreaking and also, frightening. Frightening because what happens when the food banks or private charities can't help any longer, what then? That's just food, what about poor people whose landlords get rent subsides from the government being evicted for non-payment of rent? Same goes for those who can't pay their rent because they aren't getting paid. What about them? Mortgages foreclosed on for non-payment? Medical treatments suspended because government payments are uncertain or for those who can pay, the question is how will they without an income? Missed payments on utilities? How many utility companies will let payments slide because of the shutdown? (Which of course bring to mind the fact that the White House has not paid its water bill during the shutdown, but DC decided not to shut them off.) Credit scores, that are the basis for so many transactions, being ruined will not have an asterisk attached that say it was because of the longest shutdown in American history and that the fluctuation was an anomaly and should not be considered. No, it will remain there long after the shutdown ends. So much of what is happening here will have repercussions we can not even begin to imagine. The repercussions will be felt far beyond our borders because global economies are intertwined far deeper that the current administration seems to understand.

Sometimes, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is all you can say!

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On top of everything else, this weekend two things happened (OK, quite a few other things happened, but I'm only talking about THESE two right now) that made me peeved**. The incident in D.C. that occurred between a group of Catholic school male students and a Native American Vietnam Vet once again showed me that white male privilege is so deeply imbedded in the psyche of America that these juniors and seniors are being called boys and need to be excused while black boys of the same age are shot down because they were thugs/criminals/threatening MEN, not boys. I applaud the Catholic diocese on Covington, Kentucky for saying that they will handle the situation and investigate what happened. We shall see what transpires next.

The other has to do with American Football. All y'all know this is a diehard New Orleans Saints house, so that part doesn't need any further explanation, BUT, the playoff game this past Sunday was totally beyond belief in that there was a missed called that TOTALLY cost the Saints the National Football Conference (NFC) Championship and their rightful place in Super Bowl LVIII in February! I know that everybody who reads my blog isn't as crazy about (American) football as I am, but Sweet Mary Sunshine, the missed call was seen on TV, called by every single commentator who saw it, the Rams player who caused it, and get this even the NFL (National Football League) office called the Saints coach to tell him it was a missed called and a mistake! Damn, damn, damn, and yeah, that pissed me off. I'm done with football until next season. I didn't watch the American Football Conference game (AFC), the Kansas City Chiefs v. The New England Patriots (Pats) because I didn't care. I won't watch the Super Bowl*** either because as far as I'm concerned the NFL has a history of bad calls and I hate the Pats anyway.

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Happier note (too late I know) here are some recent pics of BBC and BGM!

I think he was channeling Peter Pan from the top bunk!

No clue, except she's wearing the Elsa costume I sent when she was 3 over her pj's!

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It's Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, so I'll leave y'all with these words: 

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.

*“Today you will not be receiving your regularly scheduled mid-month paycheck,” wrote Admiral Schultz. “To the best of my knowledge, this marks the first time in our Nation’s history that service members in a U.S. Armed Force have not been paid during a lapse in government appropriations.”

** I say peeved because how I really felt/feel tends toward vulgar and incendiary language.

*** The Super Bowl is the game between the AFC and NFC championship winners. I put this here, so that those who don't follow the game sort of know what I was talking about. Also, the Pats suck big time!