I lost someone!

 I've lost a follower!

I have no idea who decided I wasn't interesting enough or funny enough or whatever it was that I wasn't for them.

I mean, I will get over it...

eventually.

*******

Mondays are strange when you no longer have a 9-5 or in my case, a job that had hours based on overseas time zones. That was then and this is now and I am not complaining. The MITM hasn't stopped, he's just changed professions. Fortunately, it means he's no longer in deepestdarkestafrica or figuring out how to find a way out of other places. Another thing I won't complain about. Back to Mondays (Lordy, I just had to look at the date on my MAC to make sure it WAS Monday), the start of the week, I guess, although when I was employed, it always seemed as if Sunday began my week thanks to time zone differences. I commiserate with everyone who's still punching a clock. (I do miss the paycheck.)

***********

I got nothin' else right now, sweetpeas. I think it might be dinner time.

Sunday not in Savannah

 Today started off with a request for coffee that was IGNORED which, of course, set me on a downward spiral. OK, that is a bit overly dramatic, it just meant I had to get up and get my own. Anyway, after I got over my hissy fit pique and had settled in to read the paper and sip my coffee, life became far more palatable (and I became far more human).

The MITM had the foresight to purchase some really lovely breakfast cookies for breakfast, so I had to indulge in some really delicious oatmeal cranberry dunkers with white chocolate drizzle from Trader Joe's. They're called dunkers because they're made for dunking in your coffee without breaking apart. A small thing you might say, but at 8:00 in the morning with your first cup, it makes a HUGE difference. Sundays around here are either a big breakfast spread or a catch-what-you-can-and-be-happy-there's-something-to-eat sort of thing.

I'm sharing this because it's Sunday and I want to get back in the habit of blogging with more frequency because I miss hearing from all y'all!

*******

Here's a first day of school pic of Big Girl Matrix!

Big Kid Chaos asked me not to take a photo this year because BKC is 10 1/2 and has set boundaries that I will honor.

Maybe there'll be a photo at another time, but for now, know that BKC is happy and enjoying 5th Grade.

Here's what the MITM did to pass the time while it's Hella hot outside.

 Barack posted his Summer Playlist on Spotify, so the MITM decided HE should make one! It's over 50 songs and he calls it his Summer Cookout Playlist.

I'm not linking to his Spotify account (because I don't know how), but here's the list:

SUMMER COOKOUT JAMS

• California Love – 2Pac, Roger, Dr. Dre
• Love and Happiness – Al Green
• Is This Love – Bob Marley
• 24K Magic – Bruno Mars
• Chunky – Bruno Mars
• I Like It – Cardi B, Bad Bunny
• This is America – Childish Gambino
• Brick House – Commodores
• Cupid Shuffle – Cupid
• The Humpty Dance – Digital Underground
• September – Earth, Wind & Fire
• Can’t Hide Love – Earth, Wind & Fire
• Shining Star – Earth, Wind & Fire
• Da Butt – E.U.
• Doing it To Death – Fred Wesley & the J.B.’s
• You Know How We Do It – Ice Cube
• Cave Bitch – Ice Cube
• It Was a Good Day – Ice Cube
• Summer Breeze – The Isley Brothers
• For the Love of You – The Isley Brothers
• Night Train – James Brown
• Out of Sight – James Brown
• Cold Sweat – James Brown
• Make it Funky – James Brown
• I Got You (I Feel Good) – James Brown
• Alright – Kendrick Lamar
• Celebration – Kool & The Gang
• I Blame You  - Ledisi
• All Night Long – Lionel Ritchie
• Never Too Much – Luther Vandross
• Got To Give It Up – Marvin Gaye
• Family Affair – Mary J. Blige
• Real Love – Mary J. Blige
• Before I let Go – Maze, Frankie Beverly
• Doo Wop (That Thing) – Lauryn Hill
• Love Rollercoaster – Ohio Players
• Fire – Ohio Players
• The Way You Move – Outkast
• Flash Light – Parliament
• Kiss – Prince
• Shoop – Salt N Peppa
• Down for My City – Soul Rebels
• Sweet Dreams are Made of This – Soul Rebels
• All I Do – Stevie Wonder
• Do I Do – Stevie Wonder
• Master Blaster – Stevie Wonder
• That Girl – Stevie Wonder
• I Wish – Stevie Wonder
• Superstition – Stevie Wonder
• Get it Up – The Time
• Wobble – V.I.C.
• Rock Steady – The Whispers

Somehow during his studious musical compilation, he stumbled across a youtube video he had to share with me and I absolutely must share it with all y'all!

I'm hoping that as it cools off, things will sort of go back to some form of normalcy...

but I ain't holding my breath!

Tuesday and the day after gumbo

 On Sunday, the MITM decided that he would make a sort-of-seafood-but-with-hot-sausage gumbo, which was delicious! We had a sort of let's drive across L.A. to pick up ingredients morning, but with a tight timeline because we had pick-up duty from the first day of school before 12:30. If you know anything about drive times in Lalaland and the variability of freeway driving conditions, you'll understand how even with getting an early start, we weren't sure how much we'd get done before we had to pick up Big Kid Chaos aka BKC (who no longer wants to be called BigBoyChaos). I must admit that trying to do this after only having a SINGLE CUP OF COFFEE was, to say the least, pretty damn stupid. After getting the hot sausage (20-minute drive) and getting back on the freeway to go across town (literally another city near the beach) to the absolute best seafood store in L.A. county (it is great, but it's one of many really good places, just the closest to where we needed to be by 12:30. I mean, this is Los Angeles and damn near everything and anything a cook might need is available). The ever-thoughtful MITM happened to see some lovely chocolate chip cookies for sale, so he bought some for me because he knew if I didn't have something to eat ASAP he would be in HELL for the rest of the drive. The final stop was a grocery store where he could get additional fresh ingredients for the gumbo. In and out because I stayed in the car, so there was no additional shopping going on. (Hey, I had cookies and my phone, so I was more than happy.)

We did get everything picked up and arrived at REDACTED to pick- up BKC just a bit too early, so we ended up having to get out of the pick-up line (pick-ups are tightly scheduled because the school is on a residential street and it's insanely narrow) and drive around a couple of blocks to kill some time. I'll spare y'all my own observations about some of the parental antics we witnessed, but 

SWEET MARY SUNSHINE

some of the parents at REDACTED need to read the Parents Handbook about pick-up procedures and protocols regarding the neighborhood. (I know, the next thing I'll be saying is "Get off of my lawn!") We finally found BKC in the "big kids pick-up area" a bit further down the block. The final stop was a spur-of-the-moment one at Trader Joe's for baguettes for hot sausage sandwiches for lunch!

I should probably include his recipe, but he'll have to write it out because his is slightly different from mine and this post is all about HIS sort-of-seafood gumbo. If you like the idea of shrimp, oysters, and Louisianna Hot Sausage, you'll like his gumbo. If you aren't ready to do a LOT of prep work, you might want to try another recipe! 

You've been warned about the work, but trust me on this one thing, it is so worth the time and effort! Plus, it's a good excuse for either a beer or a glass of wine while you cook! And, of course, more while you eat!

xoxo

Happy Birthday, Liz!

 August 13, 1926, was the day my Mama was born in New York.

She was 62, just a few months short of her 63rd birthday when she died on June 20, 1989.

Our eldest son graduated from high school and I turned 40 that same year.

Today.

As a good friend said to me earlier, (grief) Hits us differently on each anniversary or birthday.

Today I know that's true.

I love all y'all!

Happy Birthday, Big Girl Matrix!!

 TODAY SHE'S 10!