Life Thru The Lens

The gift of Foos keeps on giving

2011-11-15T21:48:00.002-05:00

Hubs and I wanted to change it up this year for Spanky's birthday and give him something more memorable than tangible. With 2 tickets and the truth we were ATL bound. Spanky was exited and the night just kept getting better and better.
As we were walking towards the entrance to the arena, Hubs called and told Spanky that he had been selected as All Conference for his football team and had to be in attendance Saturday at 2 to accept his award.
Level up...
We get inside the 1st band is already on, our seats are ok but of course could be better. We leave to roam around - buy the mandatory tour tshirts, meander back in and the aisle attendant approaches and asks of if we would like to move closer and more towards the middle of the section. That would be a yes mam.
Level up...
Then the Foos ended up playing for 3 hours. Sure didn't seem like it but damn what a show.
Back in the car stuck in traffic once again trying to get out of the parking lot with ears a'ringing. Spanky said, "Mom, I do believe this has been the best day of my life." at least I believe that's what he said.
Happy Birthday Spanky and hopefully there will be tons more best days to come!

So the vid only shows clips of songs. There was no way that I could possibly stand still through a whole song just for the sake of capturing it all. See that's the dilemma I face sometimes. Not a bad one mind you but sometimes you have to decide whether or not to let what's happening around you rest in your head camera or maybe miss a part of the action because you're behind the lens trying to capture the moment. The feelings of being in the moment usually far out weigh anything one could probably ever capture on "film". Yet nonetheless, I couldn't let Spanky's first BIG time concert go undocumented. I settled for capturing snippets for him to watch in the future and be taken back. And yes there is the whole - you can't stand still when Dave comes a rockin thing.
I truly don't even care for videos from fans taken at concerts. The audio is bad and the camera is shaky but hey this all about the memories. I was even gonna dub some studio song over the footage I took but decided against it. But be sure to watch the intro and around 9:33 where they are taking a break...
And no this time I didn't go diving over people to get to Dave (Foo concert 1) or come face to face with him while he was running about the arena (Foo concert 2), I had to act the part of the responsible adult or wait, be the responsible adult - that's what I meant. Shit, I don't know what I was worried about, Spanky's bigger than I am, next time we are getting floor tickets!

Dan Band

2011-10-02T22:45:00.003-04:00

So I was looking for this song...

And found this one.

Couldn't help but post them, The Single Ladies bit reminds me of Christmas soon to be 2 years ago, where that song was worked into a Night Before Christmas skit that a couple of us put on for our department. Yeah. Poor Bargin B was CRYING she was laughing so hard. It was all in the name of fun and not something I want to relive, hell I even had a line from Ice Ice Baby. Do you ever wish there actually was a Men in Black memory eraser thingie? I do.

Defense

2011-09-21T20:44:00.001-04:00

Ball Magnets

What the DPA said - well not quoted word for word...
The Rogers Creek Juniors defeated Lenoir City, 28-0.
The Warriors rushed for 275 yards, led by Spanky with 166 yards on the ground. Spanky also passed for 65 yards. #67 added 63 yards rushing. Spanky and #27 scored touchdowns.
The defense allowed just 60 yards rushing with #62 recovering two fumbles and #61 intercepting a pass.

Warriors

2011-09-13T21:22:00.000-04:00

I love watching these boys play the game.

Run Spanky Run!

Moving forward

2011-08-28T19:08:00.000-04:00

First photo worthy outing since I laid Rebel aside. Olympus rose to the challenge and he barely made it out alive.
Spanky, Wesley, and I had a grand, simple time that afternoon. It seemed like it was just what we all needed.

July 2011 mlsc

They did

2011-08-21T14:45:00.006-04:00

First game of Spanky's ( #29 ) final youth football season ended with a win. It was a tough game and the whole team put their heart into it. Coach Big Tommy's pre-game speech focused on the WE instead of ME. It took that whole team to come away with that win. There are plenty of highlights I could have posted (I'm sure the coaches don't want me to give too much away... ) but this one - with the way #27 extended the ball past the 1st down pole was crazy cool. Defense- in Spanky's words was beast and there were plenty of good tackles made. We are so proud of this group of kids and win or lose they are the best!

Here is #62 T-Rex scoring with a field goal (PAT).

The day the camera died

2011-07-24T21:21:00.001-04:00

The last weekend of June found Spanky and I roaming the University of Tennessee Gardens. It's been one of those places that you pass by on occasion and file away that you will be returning when you find the time. I have a whole list of those places and finally was able to make good on this particular haven.

25 June 2011 mlsc Entrance gate, UT Gardens

25 June 2011 mlsc

And this my friends is the shot that my camera decided to go out with a bang on. We were sitting on a bench taking a rest, enjoying the way the afternoon sun was playing peek a boo with the clouds when I took the final autofocus shot my Canon Rebel will ever see. After doing research-o-plenty on the intranets, a plastic pin that holds the mirror in place decided it wanted to say nah, I ain't doing this any more. Turns out the plastic pin problem is a very common issue with these cameras and to the tune of lots of cash it can be repaired. *sigh*

So I had to dig out my Olympus point and shoot, dust it off, and say hello to a new old friend while grieving the loss of another.

At least it was one hell of a shot.

25 June 2011 mlsc

We did visit a flower garden after all...

Lost in My Mind

2011-07-20T21:18:00.002-04:00

Won’t you tell me my brother
Cause there are stars up above
We can start moving forward

Oh I get Lost in my mind

Thank you NaTron for leading me here, again.

Birds of a Feather

2011-07-06T22:32:00.001-04:00

What not 1 but 2 lyrics websites reported were the words to a Civil Wars song...

Birds Of A Feather

Joy Williams and John Paul White

Where she walks, no flowers bloom
He's the one I see right through
She's the abscess on my lip
The splinter in my fingertip

The actual lyrics...

Where she walks no flowers bloom

He's the wall I see right through
She's the absinthe on my lips
The splinter in my fingertips

Um yeah- abscess on my lip.
Excuse me dude, that shit on your lip has some shit on it's lip.
Wow, where do people get this shit?
And for the record - I'm still standing by "running with the sheep"!

~

Spanky was walking around the house today singing "Gotta give it your best shot!".
I snickered, let him sing it for awhile then calmly said, you mean "Hit me with your best shot"?
Sorry Pat.

I don't know where he gets that from...

Bub still tells the story of when I was about 3 or 4 walking around the house singing "Little bucket of water". He corrected me and let me know it was actually, "Blood is thicker than water"...

And the words "Bub! You made me jump out of my goat" never left my lips either....

Liberace comes to life

2011-05-22T22:42:00.001-04:00

Tonight for your Sunday evening entertainment I bring you soothing sounds, wrapped up in a feather trimmed cape, a' la Ivo Monroe Miller. So talented, the Claire De Lune is my favorite. Of course the I'll Be Seeing You hits my heart strings. We are so fortunate to know such a talented enigma that is Ivo. And he is married to the Island Goddess after all, so that gives him even more cool cred. So without further ado....

Hand That Feeds

2011-05-17T18:23:00.001-04:00

So I get bored sometimes. And I have a long drive to work. And sometimes when I listen to music I choreograph out the whole song in my head. And yesterday Napoleon Dynamite's dance scene popped into my head while listening to Nine Inch Nails. And I had to get it out. And I know nobody watches these lame videos but they help me focus on other things for a little bit. And I feel better. And we will just have to see how long metallicatube let's both the video and music stay up. And I believe that this is truly the music that Jon Heder had in his head when he busted that groove. And if you watch this your wildest dreams will come true.

Interlude Wednesday - Rolling in the Deep

2011-05-13T17:20:00.000-04:00

I normally don't post anything in the top of the charts. I have my own chart and truly I have no idea where this song is in the land of popularity. But I think it must be pretty popular cause I heard it 3 times this weekend in different places whilst perusing Knoxville- once blaring out of VW bug on the strip, once at the Downtown Brewery and once while in a vintage boutique. So yeah, at least in the top 20, right?
This song just rocks.
Go ahead girls put on your knee socks (so you can slide around), short shorts and tube top (ok maybe not tube top) flush the boys from the house, Crank It Up and shake your money maker. You owe it to the World Wide Federation of Girl Power to do this, for the love of all that is pink. If you don't, something sparklie dies and well we can't have that.
Oh and if you are feeling froggy check out some of her other stuff... ie her cover of Make You Feel My Love.
Just Damn.

But I do have a confession.
The line that goes ~~something~~ exactly like this-
Adele sings - We could have had it all,
While backup sings- (You're gonna wish you never had met me)
You're gonna wish you sounds like - Running with the sheep - to me

Glad I cleared that one up.

When Hubs and I first started dating he thought
AC/DC's Dirty deeds done dirt cheap was....
Dirty knees and the thunder chief
true story

Cranberries - Linger - 3rd line
If you, if you could return
Don’t let it burn, don’t let it fade
I’m sure I’m not being rude
I heard - Are you sure you brought the glue

50 Cent - In da Club
Go, go, go Charlotte, It's your birthday
Is actually
Go, go, go shawty, It's your birthday
Who would have figured?

Nine Inch Nails - Wish
gotta listen to your big time hard line bad luck fist fuck
Is exactly what I heard.
I just always wanted to post that line.
AND I got to bold it AND underline it.

Just sayin...

2011-05-05T22:03:00.000-04:00

So
Have you ever found yourself wondering what Spanky would look like standing in front of the Hunter Museum of Art?
No?
What about - what Spanky would look like standing in front of the Hunter Museum of Art on a beautiful June day in 2005?
No?
What about what Spanky would look like standing in front of the Hunter Museum of Art on a beautiful June day in 2005 with BLONDE HAIR?
Yes?
Well, you my friend are in luck!

Just wondering...
Have you ever had a hiccup that sounds exactly like the word - hiccup?
I often wondered why they call those annoying spasms that I OFTEN get hiccups until I hiccuped the other day and well it sounded just like the word. Hiccup. What a weird word. Say it enough and you start wondering if it's real... until you hiccup.

Close your nose...
Going past mile marker 51 north bound on I-75. There is something dead out there and god that cairn just won't quit. Albeit the smell has dissipated from gut wrenchingly pungent to barely uncomfortable but still...

Don't ever...
Step on a big ole fat bloated tick.
That ain't water.
I found out the hard way.

The other day...
Wizerella told me his belly button smelled like Cheetos.

With all due respect...
Please Mr. Neighbor man put on a shirt. And quit rubbing your belly like you just ingested an average size (not a small) midget. And your Superman pajama bottoms are just something I shouldn't know you own. The kids on the bus are scared.

And lastly (for tonight)...

Girls...
Don't EVER be ashamed you can't spit or throw a football properly.

Storm clouds

2011-04-29T21:39:00.000-04:00

Video of Wednesday's sky over our house during the 9 hour storm system that devastated the Southeast. It was scary here at house and Spanky was stationed in the tub most of the night. Hubs and I watched wide eyed as storm after storm kept blowing up the ridge. As I sit here on the front porch posting this there are many people right now that don't have an internet connection to look at the internet, don't have electricity to power the computer, don't have a porch to sit on, or loved ones to hug tonight because this storm took it all away.

It's Kind of a Funny Story

2011-04-20T23:01:00.000-04:00

Yes, I realize that Under Pressure has been interluded twice thus far on my lil slice of the web. Even my anal retentive tendencies couldn't keep me from posting this snippet. "It's Kind of a Funny Story" highlighted Hubs and my evening - and damn my heart is all toasty warm. Not going to say too much about the movie, other than WATCH IT. Like now.

Sighting

2011-04-16T18:59:00.000-04:00

I think Bigfoot is blurry; that's the problem. It's not the photographer's fault. Bigfoot is blurry and that's extra scary to me. There's a large, out-of-focus monster roaming the countryside. "Run, he's fuzzy, get out of here."— Mitch Hedberg

Interlude Wednesday - Carpe Diem!

2011-04-06T21:01:00.000-04:00

To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time

Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old Time is still a-flying:
And this same flower that smiles to-day
To-morrow will be dying.

The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun,
The higher he's a-getting,
The sooner will his race be run,
And nearer he's to setting.

That age is best which is the first,
When youth and blood are warmer;
But being spent, the worse, and worst
Times still succeed the former.

Then be not coy, but use your time,
And while ye may, go marry:
For having lost but once your prime,
You may for ever tarry.

Interlude Wednesday - Get Back

2011-03-30T20:22:00.002-04:00

Parental Advisory - AKA Not good for Miss Lil's ears.

Now that we have a rating, let us proceed.

Shitty day - check
Cold - check
Knowing I shouldn't get stressed out, but do anyway, and it pisses me off, therefore stressing me out more - check
Easy listening music to help me unwind - check

I need to post another disclaimer:
This is in no way an endorsement of Tom Cruise. I really can't stand that wanker. But the above, well, that may very be the best thing he's EVER done.
But it is an endorsement of Chris Bridges and his soothing lil ditty helps the tension slip from my shoulders. Everybody needs a lil more Ludacris in their life. He knows What Them Girls Like. Or maybe I'm just Woozy (Yea but don't trip if I happen to yank a track out). Speaking of tracks, somebody lost a braided one down at Harry's Beer Mart yesterday. It was on the left side of the building in case you wanna go get it.

Simple Things, remember?

2011-03-30T19:46:00.001-04:00

I found that little nugget of joy when I wasn't expecting it after I pulled out of the drive thru at Chick Fila today. I just had to share.
The NEW Heinz ketchup packets. Wow, I was so excited. Bloody Brilliant is the first thing that popped into my head. Not only can you SQUEEZE it, you can DIP TOO! Bloody Brilliant.
I'm a sucker for little food. This was even more enjoyable than the first time I ordered room service and saw the lil glass ketchup bottles.
I was given 2 lil bitty packets. I used one and put the other in my purse to take home and share my discovery with the boys. They were quite amazed, but not as excited as me. But that's ok, it made me smile in an otherwise shitty day.
And yes I just posted about ketchup.
I've been trying to tell you it's the simple things.

Reference

2011-03-28T20:51:00.001-04:00

"Scars are self imposed beauty marks."
Bub

Interlude Wednesday - Spring and All

2011-03-23T21:47:00.001-04:00

So Jeffrey Foucault is the discovery of the week...
The voice drew me in and Natron3000 wouldn't quit till he found the name behind the voice... And I'm glad he didn't.
Then N3000 introduced me to Greg Brown and well that was all she wrote...
Below Greg Brown's words coming from JF's face.

Pretty words put together - To pretty music-
More letters, more journals, more poems to burn; Real heat at last.
At last my words glow.
A two bourbon twilight, fog from God's cigar.
the neighbor's retarded dog chasing the train.
Thanks for the letters you sent back to burn.
Their smoke is as light, and as dark, as your touch.

This made me laugh today ----> "I'm gonna kick him in the ding ding"(BB)
Shit made me smile :) Simple things people - find your joy there....

Moonrise

2011-03-20T18:04:00.000-04:00

Very quick quick glimpse at the Lunar Perigee rise last night, filmed from my front porch. The clouds wanted to hide the her away, so this was the best clip I captured.
Many deemed it the Supermoon of 2011...
Take a look at the Saturday night sky, and you will see the moon in rare form. It will appear up to 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter, especially when it rises on the eastern horizon at sunset, according to NASA. The full moon will reach what is called the lunar perigee, which is the point in the lunar cycle when the moon is closest to Earth. At a distance of 221,567 miles, the moon has not been this close to our planet since 1992. It is called a Supermoon because of the size it will appear at sunset.

Call it whatever you wanna call it, I just called it beautiful...

Intuition

2011-03-14T21:42:00.002-04:00

Interlude Wednesday - GDAAOM

2011-03-09T23:03:00.001-05:00

I would post the pix of the handy work the exacto knife did to the top of my left index finger but I would like to keep Bargain B upright and not have her pass out again.

This all I got to say about these past few days...

My fav from way back was the one below. Years later I would catch Spanky sittin on the couch in between Hubs and I and would start the following ditty. Sure enough Hubs would join in and we would both turn in to face Spanky and ppufftt he was gone....wiping his face off, telling us it's not nice to spit! Only took Spanks a couple of times to realize what was coming when we started that song up.

Lovely day

2011-02-24T21:54:00.000-05:00

Mississippi Mud cake ala Hubs

That's me, somewhere in between the 2. But do you think I'm gonna tell? Not a damn chance.

And Bargain B has jokes... The Anne Taintor image is great, I love it. Although I do find the quote is quite blasphemous and slightly offensive. Thank you, after all B.

Interlude Wednesday - Dreamin

2011-02-23T21:08:00.003-05:00

You just can't beat Mr. Lee. Been listening to his new stuff the past 2 days... And it's finally sinking in.

'Cause every moral,has a story.
Every hand needs a glove.
Sometimes it's for the glory.
Oh, but mostly, it's for the love.
It's the love..
Mmm..

It's the love.
It's the love that pulls me through.
'Cause when they tell me, keep on dreamin'.
That's just what I'm gonna do.

Valentine Interlude

2011-02-14T21:43:00.001-05:00

Hello Loverlies! Hope today was everything you wanted and a little more. I really do want to fight the power and not give into the whole corporate induced - we have to have a day to tell the people we love we love them - when we should tell them everyday anyway - but hey it helps give us something to spend our money on. I can't gripe, I did give my boys some sweets and did receive some scrumptious hugeamongous (yes, that is a word) chocolate covered strawberries and some smell goods. Can't help it - all the red and pink clouded my sensibilities and I accepted my presents with strawberry juice running down my chin.
Yummy.
Yet through all the clouds I do hope that out of the blue, one day in March or August that you do something grand for someone you love - just because.

Cause,

Baby, I'm a fool.

Melody Gardot - damn her voice is like butter on buttermilk biscuits with a side of bacon. Or a chocolate covered strawberry. This might not be THE definitive love song for some but you have to remember that this is V Day after all and if you've never heard this tune before consider this my treat for you.
Enjoy and wipe that juice off yo chin!

Interlude Wednesday - People are Strange

2011-02-09T22:35:00.000-05:00

Searched for People are Strange on Metallicatube wondering if there were any cool covers... And I got a cover. And it just might be cool. It's exactly like what it sounded like in high school when you and some friends were driving around listening to The Doors and everybody was singing along. Exactly. Gotta listen to it a couple of times I guess and then it's funny.
Started this piece this summer after an interesting trip to the store...

Characters - Every town has 'em. They make an ordinary drive to the store mentionable. They make you wrinkle your eye brows and wish you could unsee what you just saw. They make you wonder. They are who they are and you have to just appreciate the fact that they are. It takes all kinds right?
They all have interesting stories I'm sure - war, work, life in general, but I always see them in passing. Never taking the time to know the stories. Always just characters on life's stage.

Creepy Man
Hangs out at the nearby gas station that we frequent at least daily. He just loiters about, smoking outside, never really talking to anyone, at first I would say HI but he would just stare. The Stare earned him the title of CREEPY. You know the guy - you're thinking that he is one of the cashier's boyfriends cause he is there so much - but he isn't. Maybe trying to get a girlfriend by hanging out there? That would make sense - he is always well dressed in his finest biker garb yet drives a truck. He's not soo creepy anymore - there's a new dude to fill that role...
Tongue Dude
Has encroached into Creepy Man's land and I didn't know at first how Creepy Man would take someone else staking claim to his hang out but so far they seem to be getting along. Tongue Dude is really Creepy but I can't go changing their names cause that would just be confusing. While he is talking to and staring at the lady behind the counter at Subway who's making his salad, he's continually sticking his tongue just barely out beyond his lips to make one cringe and then pulling his tongue back in. When LL Cool J does that shit, IT IS HAWT. But not Tongue Dude. It's like he's got the proverbial devil and angel on each shoulder.
TONGUE OUT - Devil says - in his Slingblade voice, mind you, "UuHuM, I'm gonna lick er."
TONGUE IN - Angel says, "Get ye tongue back in yer head boy. I'm too delicate to go back to jail over this shit."
TONGUE OUT - you get the drill... What little hair he has is slicked back, and has hair protruding out from his collar - IN THE BACK. Hunched over a tad and looks at you out of the top of his eyes. Tongue Dude.
Happy Man
We see him at least twice a week walking down/up the highway and he is always smiling. We've taken to waving and smiling at him when we pass by him. You just can't help it. He makes you smile too. That's Happy Man.
Half Naked Man
Driving down the street, off the hill and into the valley something big and white catches your eye. You look over and wish you hadn't. BIG DUDE standing on his front porch in nothing but his Tightie Whities. Sometimes rubbing big belly. Sometimes drinking coffee. Sometimes doing both. But always just standing there in his drawers. Yeah the connotation of sometimes - Spanky and I have seen this sight more than once, caught off guard each time. The first time we looked over and saw it, Spanky had this look of pure terror on his face when he looked back to me. "Momma did you just see THAAAAAAT?" For the love of all that's holy - have you no shame, man? We don't look in that direction anymore and even put our hands up to shield our peripheral from even getting a glance. I feel like getting one of my bras and throwing it out on his lawn as I pass by cause he should put some underwear on those man boobs too. Drive by bra-ing. Go put some damn clothes on!
Sheesh.
Stetson Man
There is another gas station that I stop at every once in awhile out by the interstate on my way to work to pick up whatever I need to start the day. I make my way to coffee pot and there is an older gentleman getting coffee there already. With his back to me all I see is long gray hair under a ball cap, jean jacket that has seen better days, worn blue jeans slightly stained, and black scuffed up boots. Now whatever part of that description lead me to believe that this man was gonna have bad body odor I don't know, but anyway I turn - inhale deeply and prepare to hold my breath. I know - it's pretty shitty of me... but I just can't do BO first thing in the morning or anytime really. He piddles and piddles. Why am I even gonna go behind him to get my coffee if I think he smells to high heaven? Cause it's coffee that's why and guuuuuush, I can't hold my breath any longer.
I step back ready for the assault and ahhhhhh, really? Stetson For Men? Exhale. Smile. Inhale. Blush. It happens to be the man that always speaks to me asking me how my day is going, we chat about the weather, whether Spike gets good gas mileage and the like.
Boy, perceptions are funny things sometimes aren't they? And while all people ARE strange the world would just be too boring otherwise...
I'm certainly not one to judge.
That just makes me wonder if anybody has ever seen me multiple times and given me some sort of nickname to define how they see me?
Crazy Curly Headed Chick?
Mini Cooper Red Light Runner Chick?
Chick who wears her pajamas to the BP?

Is that why Creepy Man stares?

Ice Stars

2011-02-07T22:56:00.001-05:00

Ok Ok Ok so I did have a good time at the Ice Hockey game Saturday night - much to my surprise. We arrived in Knoxville with one of Hubs friends (I shall deem him - Magenta Flame - yes it's a dude, the nickname comes from the paint that adorns the side of his Harley... but I do think that would be a good drag name) and Flame's wife (Flame deems her Lil Angry Asian... that's him not me...) So Magenta Flame or MF for short (hehe... That's pretty good, did you see what I did there?) If you knew him you would agree. But none the less for all that MFer attitude he is a good friend to Hubs and I both and is from the land of hockey, not Canada ehhh, but Pennsylvania and played for years and years. So we 3 got a short lesson on the game so we wouldn't go into it with no prior schooling. But in pure Lita fashion I zoned out when he started talking about plays and got into the finer details. So it isn't just football that I have perfected that skill for *polishing nails on shirt*. There was talk about icing, being off sides, and red and blue lines. Who knows? I just know why they fight and what the penalties are about now. What not to do is as important as what to do, right?
So we arrive at the Coliseum and it is Star Wars night. Had this been 5 years ago I'm pretty sure that this would have been the best night of Spanky's life. Huge Star Wars fan he was (is) and I had to prod just a little for him to have his picture made with a member of the 501st Legion "Vader's Fist" I was so informed. I just called them Storm Troopers but was corrected quickly. Heck even R2D2 was there.
The game starts and boy it sure is fast paced. Finding that lil pucker is hard work. Every time a player had to go to the penalty box Lil AA would say, "Oh, he's gotta go to jail." Gotta love that. Our seats were 6 rows up from the "end zone" - where the goalie is - and when they were practicing those puckers hit that glass (thank gawd for plexi) hard and loud.
So yeah, good times.

5 February 2011 mlsc

5 February 2011 mlsc
Warming up

5 February 2011 mlsc
The scenery wasn't that bad, no tight pants though :(

5 February 2011 mlsc

5 February 2011 mlsc
FIGHT! This was the first one of two fights of the evening. No blood, TG!

5 February 2011 mlsc

They Won! 3-2 against the Huntsville Havoc

Bright Side

2011-02-05T14:12:00.000-05:00

Spanky and I were rolling in Stella heading towards a local eating establishment not over a mere hour ago when it happened. It did. There was a plethora of emotions that flooded me in that moment. Happy? check. Shocked? I was. Elated? yep. White background, black letters of promise, hope, warmth. The sign in front of the Dairy Barn read...

21 days til we are open for business!!!

YEAASSSSS! The Dairy Barn OFFICIALLY began their spring countdown to when they will throw up the shutters and welcome their eager patrons with all sorts of delightful sweet, cold treats. The first sign that spring is truly around the corner. A good day I say.

And as if Hubs wants to prolong the cold weather torture we are headed to Ktown this evening to partake in some wait for it.....

Hockey. Yep. There I said it. Hockey Schmockey. It is his birthday weekend after all, I couldn't argue that much. I did try to wiggle out of it, trust me I did but to no avail. But hey, always looking on the bright side and all that hokie shit that I always say and sometimes practice... I do get to spend time with my boys. Albeit whilst freezing my ass off and cringing at the blood on the hockey players faces from the inevitable fight. Maybe they'll have a shoe store in the arena? No? Well shit.

On the bright side - Spring is just around the corner!!!!!!!

2007 mlsc

Interlude Wednesday - Wish You Were Here

2011-02-02T22:45:00.004-05:00

Call it a case of being in the right place at the right time today.
Call it a coincidence.
Call it cathartic.

I dreaded the end of the month coming for quite some time.
It was just a date on the calendar, right?
Is it really different than any other day?
We've spread the ashes, spoke the words, kept him close in memory.
Closure is what they call that.
At what point is something closed emotionally? When you've loved somebody and they pass on? Is it ever really closed? Not if you ever really loved them to begin with.

It was a year - Monday. I stayed away from the songs that I knew would trigger the tears.
UNTIL I walked thru the door and Celtic Kid was playing Wish You Were Here.
Damn.
Really?
Out of all the songs he could have played.
Leave it to Celtic Kid.
He didn't know - bet he wished he'd played that Lil Wayne/Eminem song though...
Good thing I've broke him in to my crazy mood swings so he didn't freak - too bad.
The song stirred up memories for the Celtic Kid too. Took him back to a totally different place and time. Years ago. Probably felt like he was watching a movie clip of someone else's life running the images through his head. Probably would have seemed that way if he didn't have the feelings to accompany the soundtrack.

So yeah, no proverbial door is closed. There was no magic wand waved about. Just time and more time.
Call it that roller coaster of life and damn what a ride.

Interlude Wednesday - Try a Little Tenderness

2011-01-26T19:11:00.001-05:00

Shuffling into work this morning, Otis was singing to me about tenderness...
Now I've listened to this song many, many times but this morning I was taken back. The memory was fuzzy at first then I whittled it down seeing it clearly - Ducky slammimg around to Otis's words in Pretty in Pink. How could I forget that? Where 80's brat pack movies is concerned - this is a classic scene. It ranks right up there with the kids dancing in the library in the Breakfast Club... Don't you think? Come on, you know you watched those movies - didn't say you had to love em... I do have a soft spot for these classics. Yes, I did go there.
Yeah, Molly so totally loved Ducky as a friend but he wanted more and then things got complicated when the rich and popular Andrew McCarthy sweeps in and wants to date her but her sister is getting married and everyone forgets her birthday. Beat it all Anthony Michael Hall steals her panties and she discovers that she can put on her lipstick by putting the cosmetic between her boobs and applies it perfectly. The lipstick matches the dress her father got her from a thrift store and everyone lives happily ever after the end.
That's the way it went, right Ms. Violet?

And no matter how awesome Ducky dances to this tune - I gotta show you Otis doin what he did so well. Just a good damn tune.
Try it. Tenderness that is. You got to.
And pink IS pretty.

Interlude Wednesday - Tighten Up

2011-01-19T23:06:00.000-05:00

Sheesh... Silly boys.

Play in the Snow

2011-01-15T22:09:00.003-05:00

A little clip of our day Monday.
The video clips were from an 1945 educational Encyclopedia Britannica video on how to play in the snow. There is some bad dubbing in the original - the kids put on jackeweters - and whole clip goes into how to play Foxes and Geeses (I did learn something there - it's like tag I suppose), how to ski and how to build a snowman. That's all apart of the charm I suppose.
Too bad I watched this video after we went sledding...

Snowclusion

2011-01-11T10:26:00.009-05:00

Monday
No work, no school, 8 inches of snow.
Hubs started Spike and tried to back him out; snow was too high, looks like we may be here for DAYS, tromped around in snow, went sledding, dried off, warmed up, ate lunch, headed back out, Spanky made snow angel for me, colored said snow angel, warmed up, Spanky headed out to sled some more, Hubs took nap and I worked on the below photos...

The week after Christmas, Bub and his 2 progenies (Wesley & Jessie) slid into East TN for a visit of epic proportions. While the weather didn't allow us very many outdoor adventures we still managed to have good times and even had a impromptu photo shoot. The kids really put their all into it too...

December 2010 mlsc

Gawd, I love these kids!

Shooter

2011-01-02T22:20:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Tennessee, Patron state of shootin' stuff.

Bob Lee Swagger (Mark Wahlberg) in Shooter

Which is playing on TV right now...
Marky Mark spouted off that line and well my mind went wondering, of course had to watch the old man from "Athens" swipe Marky's hand and call him Gunnie...
Good flick and the scenery ain't bad with the Good Vibrations and all - Lawd help it.

So yeah - Happy New Year!! I had a piece I was working on for 2 days talking about what my heart - figuratively and literally - went thru in 2010 but it was a wee bit on the depressing side and didn't want to start the new year all emo so yeah - Good Vibrations...
This past Wednesday found Bub and I traveling to the WAY too DAMN crowded Smokies. I quickly maneuvered out of the crowd towards the less traveled roads and it was very peaceful there.

Welcome to Tennessee, Patron state of shootin' stuff.

And I did shoot some pictures- that is...

29 December 2010 mlsc

Legendary

2010-12-28T16:29:00.001-05:00

Overheard yesterday-
Spanky and Wizarella were talking in the backseat of Stella while we visited Hubs on his lunch break. Spanky was recanting one of Barney Stinson's (as seen below - on top) famous one liners from How I Met Your Mother.
"It's gonna be Legen -WAIT FOR IT- dary".
They were laughing, repeat, laughing some more, putting different scenarios with it each time.
Wizarella speaks up and says-
"Yeah, I like Barney (pause) and Elmo too."

Mele Kalikimaka

2010-12-25T23:43:00.003-05:00

Last year it was a Christmas rainbow and this year - well you know...
Hope you 3 had a wonderful, magical, splendid, restful, groovy day.

25 December 2010 mlsc

Fra geee lay

2010-12-24T23:49:00.002-05:00

It must be Christmas Eve - You know how I know?

All of our shopping is done.
Spanky opened one more present tonight - a cool wool coat. He wanted to open more - the suspense is killing him.
Spanky has his alarm set for 5:30 in the morning.
We visited with friends, Mr. Reserved and Mrs. Unreserved (aka our local weatherman - names are interchangeable depending on circumstance and T you know what I mean)
Brenda got a chinchilla named Kirby from E. Wow - you ever seen one of those ~~fuc~~ animals? They're COooOL.
As we traveled in Stella tonight "Christmas In Stereo" was playing on WLAR.
I miss Nana real bad.
And Sweet Home too.
I am just so excited to see Spanky's face when he opens his presents.
They say it may snow. I can't wait to see Hubs if it does.
I'm wearing my traditional red satin pj's.
AND lastly a Christmas Story is playing on TBS for 24 hours!
As we were watching it Hubs had to rewind this part and play it again -
It's just after Ralphie's Dad gets the Western Union telegram stating that he's won a Major Award and it will be delivered that night. Sorry I couldn't find a clip - It's laugh worthy.

Mr. Parker: [Reading Telegram and doing a little jig] Tonight! Tonight! It's coming Tonight! Tonight! Tonight! Tonight! Hot Damn, Tonight!

I imagine that's how a lot of kids are feeling right now.

Hot Damn Tonight!

Interlude Wednesday - Day & Night

2010-12-22T11:42:00.003-05:00

We (well I) let Spanky open one of his presents early last night - Ok I really wanted to see Toy Story 3 - and it was calling to me behind its red and white trappings. We were so excited to hear there was going to be a third installment of the toy's adventures but with football and a sojourn to the Pacific we had to wait for the DVD, and last night I couldn't wait any longer knowing it was under the tree. I laughed, I cringed, I cried and circled back again while watching the movie. It was a perfect ending to the trilogy that Spanky and I (too) grew up with.
Toy Story has been a fixture in our household since Colin was a toddler. He held Woody in one hand and Buzz in another AT ALL TIMES. He had all the different size Buzz's but he always went back to the one he could carry in his little hands. There was a Toy Story 3rd birthday party and yes, he was Buzz one Halloween - complete with blow up wings.
Mind you, Spanky is 13 now and all of his toy's have made their way into other small hands or are safely put away in totes awaiting future generations, he was still excited about the movie. Just this past spring I was rearranging some of the totes filled with some of the toys he loved and he quickly grabbed Buzz and Woody and put them safely back in is room.
Last night, I looked over during the movie and saw Woody and Buzz tucked safely under his arm. *Don't give him shit about that - we all get a little nostalgic every once in awhile*
Folks - they do grow up waaaaay to fast.
So anyway before I spill anything else that our teenager doesn't want my 3 readers to know...
The short that Pixar did to go along with the movie left me slack jawed. The animation was uummm I don't know - smooth, fresh, original - just WOW.
And if you haven't watched it yet well, here it is below. I read the comments on the page where I grabbed it from and let's just say a lot of people had a lot of different opinions about the flick. I'll let you make up your own mind about it.
Enjoy...

“Fear of the unknown.They are afraid of new ideas.
They are loaded with prejudices, not based upon anything in reality, but based on… if something is new, I reject it immediately because it’s frightening to me.
What they do instead is just stay with the familiar.
You know, to me, the most beautiful things in all the universe, are the most mysterious.”

Interlude Wednesday - Three Little Birds

2010-12-15T21:43:00.000-05:00

7 o'clock this morning, just got out of the shower and I hear Spanky's voice. Who is he talking to this early? Is everything ok? I listen closer and start to hear a rhythm to his words.

Dont worry about a thing,

cause every little thing gonna be all right.

Singin: dont worry about a thing,

cause every little thing gonna be all right.

He's sitting at the computer, headphones on, singing along with Bob Marley. I start to sway and sing along to myself. The day started happy at least.

And yes I did do away with all the songs on iTunes that Mr. Marley didn't need to be talking to 13 year olds about.

Wish I could have kept Spanky with me today and when I got frustrated - just turn to him and say,

HIT IT....

Interlude Wednesday - Elvis

2010-12-08T13:57:00.001-05:00

Insert your favorite Elvis tune here.
I can't bring myself to listen to anything of his yet, Nana LOVED Elvis. LOVED him.
In her obituary we were gonna put - preceded in death by Elvis - but Pop overruled us.
The Wonder of You - was her favorite. We always had to put Elvis ringtones on her phone for her and when I went to Graceland I brought her back an Elvis tag for her car. She went to see the Elvis impersonators in Pigeon Forge and we even had an impersonator come to her surprise 45 birthday party.
I always would tease her and tell her that fat Elvis was gross and the Black Leather Elvis or Army Elvis was the best. She liked every phase Elvis went through - his voice was still the same.
We have GREAT memories of her. She was a super Mom, Nana and friend.
So go find your favorite Elvis tune and have a listen. I'm sure Nana will be right there shaking those hips and snapping those fingers to whatever you choose. Cause any Elvis is good Elvis.

Interlude Wednesday - So Near and Yet So Far / Discipline

2010-12-01T23:14:00.000-05:00

This is a Lita special... Told ya I make my own damn music videos one day...
This video is slightly serendipitous, everything just lined up at the right time. It was a load of fun to edit the clips to the music.
The first clip is a Soundie and the dude dancing just cracks me up, I based the timing to his moves, so watch him bust a grove.
Trent and dancing? That's just fun with your clothes on.
Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth? It'll never cease to amaze me how beautifully they move together. Graceful and timeless. I wiki'ed Rita and read a lot about her personal life I never knew. She sure did have a rough go at it all, but you sure couldn't tell it when she was gliding across the floor with Fred. I could watch these old clips for days...

Now go forth and enjoy the show!

Interlude Wednesday - Thanksgiving

2010-11-24T20:22:00.000-05:00

This clip defines my off more than on again love of cooking. Just throw some shit together 3 Stooges style and hope for the best.
The day is finally drawn nigh. Happy Turkey Day ya'll. I'm gonna go search for my stretchy pants.

Interlude Wednesday - I love the rain the most...

2010-11-17T06:32:00.006-05:00

...when it stops

I love the rain the most when it stops
We can see the big white houses, yeah, and the docks And we can jump in the river, don't know if the water or sky is clearer But I know that I love the rain the most when it stops Yeah, when it stops
No more grey today, we gonna celebrate You know Miss Sunshine, she starts to paint a perfect picture of this river parade And I know that I love the rain the most when it stops Yeah, when it stops
Well, the dark waves, they start singing together I can't believe this change in the weather I start to hum a child's rhyme And all these boats, they start rocking in time And I love the rain the most when it stops Yes, we love the rain the most when it stops Yeah when it stops
The summer is coming to an end We ain't gonna let that slow us down one bit Til that sunset will start to fade They're gonna drag us screaming from these old riverbanks
We love the rain the most when it stops
We love the rain the most when it stops
Yeah, when it stops
Yeah, when it stops
Yeah, when it stops...

Gawd, ain't that just beautiful. Peaceelujah...

Oh the Wine was Fine

2010-11-15T22:55:00.001-05:00

Just a little late on posting this...
In September the Island Goddess graced the mainland with her cute lil progeny in tow, taking in all the East Coast had to offer. We traveled up the road with Sweet Home's Sweet Mama and went a visiting some of SHSM's relatives and a delightful time was had by all. Just so happens SHSM's cousins have quite an extensive muscadine vineyard and we got the 5 star tour. The view from the top of the ridge at sunset was beautiful. They also sent us home with arms filled with all sorts of wine and preserves. Of course we had to do some taste testing and well they all passed our quality inspections.

21 September 2010 Kaboomkanani

21 September 2010 Kaboomkanani Good day Sun

21 September 2010 Kaboomkanani Goodnight moon

Affliction

2010-11-10T22:39:00.000-05:00

Interlude Wednesday - Tangerine

2010-11-10T00:54:00.005-05:00

Been on a Led Zeppelin kick this week my pretties - everything old is new again - and while I could have pulled out a well known classic, I chose Tangerine. Simple Tangerine.
The music pulled me in to this forgotten goodie. Let's not forget to mention Jimmy Page's double neck 12 string on the high side guitar...
When listening to Led Zepp's records when I was a kid, I thought these guys were from another world or bizarre dimension. The music, Plant's voice, the lyrics. I still get that to this day. The bigger than life, mysterious, on a whole nother plain sound.
Last week our little fam sat down to engage in some quality educational doc viewing It Might Get Loud . A must see for any music junkie.
The Edge, Jimmy Page and JACK WHITE. Dear lord. Jack. White. I'm pretty certain he'll show up one Wednesday too.
So my pretties, go find that missing flux capacitor and travel back to some of your favorites you have forgotten about - it'll be worth the trip...

Shake It

2010-11-06T18:58:00.001-04:00

6 November 2010 kaboomkanani

Interlude Wednesday - Creep / Under Pressure

2010-11-03T00:19:00.012-04:00

So we are told that this is the month for us Americans to be Thankful. So in the spirit of always doing what we are told - Let us be thankful...

a 2fer Wednesday - something else to be thankful for!

Mm ba ba de Um bum ba de Um bu bu bum da de When you were here before, Couldn't look you in the eye You're just like an angel, Your skin makes me cry Pressure pushing down on me Pressing down on you no man ask for You float like a feather In a beautiful world I wish I was special You're so fuckin' special Under pressure - that burns a building down Splits a family in two Puts people on streets But I'm a creep, I'm a weirdo What the hell am I doin' here? I don't belong here It's the terror of knowing What this world is about Watching some good friends Screaming 'Let me out' Pray tomorrow - gets me higher Pressure on people - people on streets I don't care if it hurts, I wanna have control I want a perfect body I want a perfect soul Chippin' around - kick my brains around the floor These are the days it never rains but it pours I want you to notice when I'm not around You're so fuckin' special I wish I was special Pray tomorrow - gets me higher high high Pressure on people - people on streets Turned away from it all like a blind man Sat on a fence but it don't work Keep coming up with love but it's so slashed and torn But I'm a creep I'm a weirdo What the hell am I doin' here? I don't belong here, ohhhh, ohhhh Can't we give ourselves one more chance Why can't we give love that one more chance Why can't we give love give love give love give love give love give love give love give love give love love love love love love She's running out again She's running out She run run run run...run... run... Insanity laughs under pressure we're cracking 'Cause love's such an old fashioned word And love dares you to care for The people on the edge of the night And love dares you to change our way of Caring about ourselves Whatever makes you happy Whatever you want You're so fuckin' special I wish I was special But I'm a creep, I'm a weirdo What the hell am I doin' here? I don't belong here This is our last dance This is ourselves Under pressure Under pressure Pressure I don't belong here...

Um ba ba be Um ba ba be

Frankie Does Knoxville

2010-10-31T12:23:00.004-04:00

The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.

Spanky, Wizarella and I head to Ktown with plans of some spooktacular fun yet at every turn the plans quickly vanished before our eyes. Won't bore you with all the gory details, let's concentrate on what we did see -
In the same place where I shot Spanky's photos last week - A little side show tease of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein to be performed that night at the Square Room complete with a fire breather, a chic on stilts and a 2 piece band.

30 October 2010 mlsc

Yeah,

how cool is that?

30 October 2010 mlsc

Frankenstein's Monster (let's just call him Frankie) on display

30 October 2010 mlsc

A pissed off Frankie starts to, uh - hurt his captors. He does this guy in buy ripping off his arm.

Frankie turns to the guitar player and steals his instrument.

30 October 2010 mlsc

Who knew Frankie was a musician? A good one at that.

See there are a lot of things you can learn about people
if you don't run away screaming from them all the time...

30 October 2010 mlsc

There's a lot of pent up rage in there, I can sense it...

Let it out, Just let it out...

30 October 2010 mlsc

Hear the music, Feel the music, Be the music

Poor tortured Frankie

Didn't stick around for the show - wish we had, looked like it was gonna be a good one - but the monster in the big babies bellies was growling and couldn't be ignored...

Interlude Wednesday - What's a Girl to Do

2010-10-27T00:51:00.002-04:00

All Hallow's Eve edition of Interlude Wednesday - Come on you didn't expect me to let the best holiday ever to go by without at least a little nod, did ya? Yeah, didn't think so.
As promised a creepy ass video (to me anyway).

That vid reminded me of the bicycle riding scene in "In the Mouth of Madness" WATCH and I think that's why it struck a cord with me. Hubs and watched this movie a loong time ago and the I always remembered the bicycle scene but not much else about the flick.

Outside of Marilyn Manson's HUGELY just down right gawd awful disturbing videos I don't know of any other creepy vids, but I do know about some creepy movies. I do love a GOOD scary movie. The whole jump in your seat thing is cool to a degree, but if there is a film or anything that in viewing gives you that uneasy feeling, chills up your spine, an oh shit - this could happen notion, the anticipation yeah, that's what it's all about for me.

Blair Witch Project. Stop with the eye roll. I know the movie as a whole was a piece of shit. As a whole. The pieces of plot (?) weren't cohesive, the snotty nose narcissistic chick, the way it just drug on AND on sucked. BUT the damn clicking in the woods? Cue goose bumps. And the last scene? Check all the above creep out factors.
Flashback - High School. Skipped school with a couple of friends, had my camera with me as always, and we were hanging out at a local cemetery. We started talking about haunted places (hum go figure?) and we loaded up and went to this really old abandoned house right off the highway. Broad daylight mind you. We walked in and uh WOW. So glad it was broad daylight. The creepies were crawling all over me. Just watch the below clip of the last scene of the Blair With Project and you pretty much have a visual of what we saw in that old house. Minus the basement, thank gawd, but there were hand prints on the wall. I say no basement but there was quite a huge cellar area that we could see through the middle of the parlor floor that was mostly gone in a perfect circle. I snapped some photos, developed them and not gonna say what it was in those grainy black and white photos cause I have no idea but whatever it was none of us saw it person. I need to go dig those negatives out. AND what's funny is that Hubs had been in that house the same year as me AT NIGHT and his experience was cut short when the fuzz showed up. No arrests were made - just a "move along now kids"...

So when they could have more or less shot that movie scene in a house I had been in that did it for me.
It's at the near the top of my favorite scary movies list.

Have fun this holiday however you choose to celebrate and don't let the creepies get you.

Birthday Festivites

2010-10-24T21:33:00.000-04:00

22 October 2010 mlsc

Journeyed to Knoxville to do a bit o clothes shopping for Spanky and did quite well. There were several traditions we couldn't pass up on that might have included a HOT NOW Krispy Kreme sign and definitely included a trip downtown to Market Square to shoot some photos.

23 October 2010 mlsc

So shopping Friday and then Saturday was the main event. Paintball. Spanky couldn't wait. With his new paintball gun, camo, 2,000 paintballs and mask he was ready.
We were really lucky this year in several respects - Spanky plays for and Hubs coaches with the best head coach ~~in McMinn County~~ ever, Big T. All the coaches are worth their weight in gold and for that we are thankful. So Colin had told us that he wanted to play paintball or laser tag for his birthday a couple of weeks ago and just so happened Big T said something to Hubs about playing paintball. Hubs told him that Colin was wanting to play for his bday and AGAIN just so happens Big T's sister, sweet D, and brother in law, Big G, have a paintball course on their land. And they call it Hamburger Hill. So Big T sets everything in motion and Spanky gets the best birthday party ever - in his own words. About 15 football players show up and have a ball. They played from 12:30 till they run out of paintballs around 5. We had hotdogs, chips, 2 different cakes, and drinks. The kids barely stopped to eat and all the cold drinks were gone. I would say they will be talking about this one for awhile. And so will Hubs and I. Yeah, we got in on the action also, but that's another story for later too.

23 Saturday 2010 mlsc Hamburger Hill

About half of the paintballin Warriors geared up and ready

23 October 2010 mlsc

So I think Spanky had a good bday and lord knows he needs a good start to his teen years...

Happy Birthday Spanky!!!!!!

2010-10-20T22:16:00.002-04:00

Thirteen. 13. Thir. TEEN.
TEEN.
I don't find it so funny sometimes how time slips away.
We have 4 days of celebrating planned with his friends visiting and saving the free world, eating, shopping, and paintballing. I think there might be something to blog about come Sunday... Fatter bellies, bruises, and new clothes to cover it all up - sounds like a plan.
All in the name of birthday.

July 2010 mlsc Waimea Cnayon

Interlude Wednesday - Fire

2010-10-20T06:55:00.003-04:00

Love that, just love it.

Bruce mostallawesomeness original

And thinking about this song reminded me of some more fire.

I ~~think~~ know my Bruce fascination started with this -

Behold - well - just Behold -

My mother, yes my mother, gave me this album for my 11th birthday (along with a Wham album - go figure - I don't want to ponder on the craziness of all that - don't get me wrong - the I Want Your Sex George Michael was HaWt - though I digress). My mother? knowingly and openly getting her young, impressionable, sheltered little girl an album with a dude's ass on the cover? WHAT?? I'm NOT complaining and I'm glad she did. And if she would have known the type of videos Wham George would make in the future, I sure as hell wouldn't have gotten the Wham album either.
Mind you I didn't ask for either one of these albums but I was glad to get new music. See for YEARS all I had was my brother's album stash and GAWD was I ever grateful for that stash. It shaped my musical tastes and the way I thought about music. Just a couple of years ago I revealed to my brother that I would sneak into his room and listen to all his music while he was gone - cause he had the better record player and the stash. I mean the best stash. Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, AC/DC, U2 came later, Pink Floyd, The Who, etc. etc.. I forgot he was home one day and just went strolling thru the closed door of his bedroom and was heading to the record player when - SHIT! There he was sitting on his bed reading a book. Caught! So yeah, I never told him till a couple of years ago what my intent was.
Ok, back to Bruce. Truthfully, I was a little disappointed with the Bruce album at first (YEAH sue me, I dug the Careless Whispers tune and step ball changed and snapped my fingers to Wake Me Up Before You Go Go). The only song I had heard was Born in the USA and it was just way overplayed on the radio. But then when I was tired of Wham George, I gave Bruce my full attention and didn't look back. I even tired to go back and listen to Wham George and it just felt wrong, like Bruce was saying something I needed to hear and well Wham George just wanted to make sure he didn't oversleep.
So I wore this Bruce and the E Street Band album OUT. Played it like a feign. Couldn't get enough. Cover Me, Working On The Highway, I’m On Fire, I’m Goin’ Down, Glory Days, Dancing In The Dark, No Surrender, My Hometown. Yeah, still know every word. THEN the Dancing in the Dark video came out and that little slut Courtney Cox was pulled up on stage by Bruce and got to dance with him. So I'd practice my best DITD moves and I was sure I could whoop her in a dance off.
Albums faded away, tapes were preferred, newer music came along and Bruce was replaced by Bono and that was a WHOLE nother era. And one of the coolest things ever was when Bruce gave the speech before U2 was inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame. I listened to Bruce gape mouthed at all the cool, funny, allegoric things he had to say about the group.

"Uno, dos, tres, catorce. That translates as one, two, three, fourteen.

That is the correct math for a rock and roll band.

For in art and love and rock and roll, the whole had better equal much more than the sum of its parts, or else you're just rubbing two sticks together searching for fire.

A great rock band searches for the same kind of combustible force that

fueled the expansion of the universe after the big bang.

You want the earth to shake and spit fire. You want the sky to split apart and for God to pour out."

And before that Bono gave the speech that inducted Bruce into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame...

Bruce is a very unusual rock star, really, isn't he? I mean, he hasn't done the things most rock stars do. He got rich and famous, but never embarrassed himself with all that success, did he? No drug busts, no blood changes in Switzerland. Even more remarkable, no golfing! No bad hair period, even in the '80s. No wearing of dresses in videos. No embarrassing movie roles, no pet snakes, no monkeys. No exhibitions of his own paintings. No public brawling or setting himself on fire on the weekend.

Bruce and Bono go down in my history books and are definitely in my Hall of Fame.
So Courtney get ready girl, I've been practicing for years...

I just can't

stand myself...

Up

2010-10-17T17:52:00.001-04:00

I'm tirded

2010-10-16T00:19:00.001-04:00

The quote was an update on Facebook (aka the debil) from a 12 year old (not Spanky). The photo isn't mine - thank you intranets. Thank you Bargain B for that mid week pick me up.
Uh,
To the no son of mine, ... how do I say this?
Please concentrate on your studies. Girls like boys who can read and write. And tie their shoes. And speak words.

Interlude Wednesday - In The Forest

2010-10-13T20:47:00.000-04:00

Satisfy the soul
Birds sing all day long of the mother lode
We can surely let it roll, in the forest

Or as I so fondly refer to one of my favorite places - the woods

I've said it before and I'll say it again...

It is difficult to realize how great a part of all that is cheerful and delightful
in the recollections of our own life is associated with trees.
~Wilson Flagg

Yeah, trees - love em. They are definitely one of life's good things. I've played, sang, laughed, cried, kissed, ran, sat and walked under them. I've hugged em, carved into one, swung from their limbs and rolled in their leaves. Cheerful and delightful times? I would say so.
Alas, Fall is coming down, the woodland sprites are busy shaking the leaves from their limbs and preparing to sing their melodies for the long winter haul. The air is soft and the breezes tickle my skin. It's a season for birthdays, healing, celebrating, thanking and spooking. Halloween, besides Thanksgiving (turkey, dressing, gravy, potatoes - in large quantities - need I say more?) is my favorite holiday and I've got the perfect Interlude Wednesday golden nugget to share on the 27th to get you in the mood for the bestest holiday of the year!

Interlude Wedensday - The Cave

2010-10-06T22:27:00.001-04:00

These guys are definitely my flavor of the month.
Found them on accident, keeping them on purpose.

But I will hold on hope

The Allegory of the Cave - Plato

Socrates: And now, I said, let me show in a figure how far our nature is enlightened or unenlightened: --Behold! human beings living in a underground den, which has a mouth open towards the light and reaching all along the den; here they have been from their childhood, and have their legs and necks chained so that they cannot move, and can only see before them, being prevented by the chains from turning round their heads. Above and behind them a fire is blazing at a distance, and between the fire and the prisoners there is a raised way; and you will see, if you look, a low wall built along the way, like the screen which marionette players have in front of them, over which they show the puppets.

Glaucon: I see.

Plato's words and my words were never meant to mix - so yeah, I have no words. Read the Allegory it's "enlightening"

Dear Fairy Shoe Mother,

2010-10-02T12:08:00.019-04:00

The black fabric pumps with the satin bow are exquisite. The toe is squared off and not pointy. The sole has a non skid surface that I would find very useful. I love the way the bow drapes over the top of the shoe and is very understated. They were moderately priced and I do hope you took full advantage of the buy 1 get one half off promotion.
BUT
Oh, how I hate the BUT sometimes...
They are not my size.
*SOB*CRY*WHeeZE*

DISCLAIMER-

What I am about to say here is not an effort to piss off Fairy Shoe Mother

but only to explain my plight. I don't want to mess up any further spontaneous shoe appearances.

I was somewhat (ok not somewhat - REAL) confused at the appearance of these little ditty's in the backseat of Stella BUT it almost seems cruel and unusual punishment to place a pair of too cute shoes in my car that were the wrong size.
I can look at them.
Appreciate the solid design, smart materials and conservative heel.
I can plan out what outfit would look best with them - the wide leg black pants with the white satin cross button bodice 3/4 length sleeve top - the black pencil miniskirt, patterned tights with the deep red button down and wide collar or a dark pair of jeans, black knit top with a sloppy bow across the boat neckline.
UUGHHH. See this just isn't fair. To have a free pair of shoes staring at you, waiting to be worn and you can't. UUGHH.
Yeah you got jokes Fairy Shoe Mother BUT I do believe Thanks? are in order. Don't want to seem ungrateful after all.

AND I will anxiously await the spontaneous appearance of another pair of too cute shoes - HOPEFULLY in my size the next time!

Karma Kalls

2010-09-05T00:20:00.001-04:00

I've been watching, waiting, anticipating to see if 2 certain individuals karma would come barreling through their front door without even knocking.
I knew their Karma would show - that was the only thing that stopped me last weekend from barreling over 2 Ruby Tuesday's tables to jump on the SOB's back on put him in a choke hold. Once I came to from an ever vivid daydream I got in a very caddy comment and then waited.
I was patient.
And as ever she didn't disappoint.
Karma struck for 1 rotten scoundrel 2 weeks ago in a HUGE way and Karma came again tonight for the other piece of trash (the one we saw at Ruby's) and I was actually there to witness the blessed event.
Now I know for a fact their Karma isn't my Karma and boy am I ever glad of that. Their current bad deeds probably weren't even the dues that Karma came to collect on recently. Yeah they're that shitty.

I played dress up tonight on www.polyvore.com and put together what MY Karma wears whens she comes calling which isn't often (really I don't have a lot of bad deeds to atone for, mind you, maybe just sometimes thinking about strangling a certain SOB). But I do like to think she has impeccable taste and should always dress for a dinner party whilst turning the tables. She is all business and somehow I don't think I would take her so seriously wearing sweat pants and a ratty t-shirt. Just saying.

GIVE HIM 6!!!!

2010-08-29T11:02:00.000-04:00

Spanky scored his first touchdown yesterday!
It was a QB sneak from the 1 yard line and he called the play.
Oh how my heart swells.

28 August 2010 mlsc

Interlude Wednesday - Cool Change

2010-08-25T22:15:00.013-04:00

I'm actually starting to produce pictures/videos of mine and Spanky's sojourn in July.
Exciting isn't it?
The air is sizzling isn't it?
Well simmer down cause this is one hell of a laid back video. Oh and I gots lots of words tonight.

The video

was taken at Polihale Beach (inside of what's known as Polihale State Park, go figure).
The western side of the island - best place to watch a sunset. Over the ocean.
I just had to get there this trip.

From the intranets - For ancient Hawaiians, Polihale was more than a beach.

They believed that the cliffs at the end of Polihale Beach were the jumping off point for spirits or 'uhane' leaving this world. Polihale means "House of the Po". It is said that Po, the land of the dead, lies in the ocean off Polihale. On the cliffs at the end of the beach, you will find the remains of the Polihale Heiau, a temple that was sacred to Miru, the God of Po. From the heiau, they would climb the cliffs to the north, jump off into the sea to get to the mythical Po. There they would leave this life and join their ancestors forever. If there was no 'aumukua', or family of spirits, to receive them, they would wander around the area attaching themselves to rocks and generally causing mischief. That's why it's considered unwise to take anything, such as stones, from this area. You may bring back a wayward spirit itching to get back home.
William C. Bennet visited the heiau during his round-the-island survey in 1928, and described the temple as a four-terraced structure 25-30 yards wide, with walls eight feet thick.

Yeah, there was defiantly an energy there and an overwhelming quite against the crashing waves.
Sweet home sure knew how to pick em.

Now just to get there.

Just past the Pacific Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands (which I did turn into the drive of - I told them I had a need to know and they raised their guns. Ok I get it, we're moving along - hehe) we turn off the blacktop onto the dirt road at the sign that read 4.8 miles Polihale State Park.

The park is literally at the end of the road.
There's no stop sign. The road stops at sand. And ocean.

Now mind you the ride in and out of the park isn't a cushy one.
It's like potholes in potholes in wholepots. I think one website said the road had holes big enough to swallow a school bus. They were only exaggerating a little, not much.
On the right side of the road were tall cliffs beyond State Agriculture cane fields.
On the left side of the road are lots of little pig trails and trees.
A beautiful drive.
There had been a few little cars on their way out of the park so I feel pretty confident that this hunka hunka Jeep will deliver us to our destination safely. So glad we weren't in Spike!
No sign of the ocean and at about 2 miles in we are SO hoping they don't close this bitch up at dark.
I'm watching the sun slowly sink behind the trees and wonder if we will ever see the end of this 4.8 mile road.
We're about 30 minutes or more into 3 miles.
I gotta pee.
Watch for cars, Spanky!

Going forward and side to side and up and down once again I notice there are tracks thru the sand dunes up the hill. Getting closer.
I wanted to make sure I had enough camera battery to totally capture the whole sunset, so we didn't video the way in but we did on the way out, in the dark.
I'll try to post that next week if metallicatube wants to play nice.

I grow impatient about missing the whole damn sunset and veer off one of these trails up the hill and park it at the top.
Yeah there it is.
But it's a long walk thru lots of loose sand so we get all the equipment and head towards the water.
The closest people are like forever away from us and look like little specks. To the left side of us is beach as far as the eye can see. To the right is the spectacular Na Pali cliffs. Where the heiau is. WOW.
We've pretty much got this one section of the beach to ourselves.
I was pretty sure we'd have to wade 4 deep to partake of such a view.
And quite the view it is.
It's just. WOW.
The trip down pothole alley was definitely worth it.
The now subsiding jiggling of my inerds tells me so.
I go get the Jeep and drive down onto the sand not far from where I've set the camera and once settled, I am enamored by it all.
Spanky's running around, drawing in the hard sand, wading the breaking tide, doing heel clicks in honor of Sweet Home and we have a grand ole time.
There are several small fires dotting up and down the huge expanse of sand.
Looks like the show just started at twilight.
The whole night was so surreal and it's just hard to grasp that we stood amongst all this beauty.
Now the deal is - after sunset comes dark. Right? And it's way dark. Probably the darkest place I've ever been. There are a pigbillion stars. And we have to drive off the beach and over some sand dunes to leave - eventually - after I try to count the stars again.
Oh there goes one, make a wish!

The song

is Cool Change by the Little River Band. I picked that particular song to go with the sound of the breaking waves and beautiful sunset for one reason. Sweet Home. We were on the island to say our final farewell to Sweet Home and it did feel like he was all around. Especially when it came to getting off the beach (story on the exodus next week) I'm sure he was just rolling around in the dang sand laughing. Had to be.

The first time I had heard Cool Change was in 2006. One summer afternoon the cell rang and I heard Sweet Home crooning those smooth words over the line from the Czech Republic. It wasn't anything out of the usual to be greeted like this and with a Hey Baby I'm coming home to you!, Sweet Home was on his way back to the US to stay. After we got off the phone I instantly downloaded the song and it became a favorite.

Enjoy. I did.

July 2010 Kaboomkanani

Shelter

2010-08-23T22:13:00.001-04:00

2009 Kaboomkanani

Sittin outside tonight

feelin no humidity

15 hours away from a full moon

what a beautiful night.

Interlude Wednesday - Pork n Beans

2010-08-18T23:53:00.000-04:00

For real.
Not gonna bitch tonight.
Good, right?

Was gonna post my FAVORITE scene from Grease 2 today to continue Bacon's tribute, alas some other time will suffice. Isn't there always a call for a Grease 2 viewing?
I'll try my best not to throw another Shaver fit and leave my 3 readers without musical interludity again.
Weezer - the coolest cutest geekiest band ever. It was hard picking which video of theirs to use. Hell they even get to sing with the Muppets (I sense a theme) with Animal on drums!
Though I do have to say that this video would have been made complete with some Judi Choppin, Kung Fu Kickin, and Ninjee Whompin Action.

Remember kids,

don't go Ninjeein on nobody that don't need Ninjeein on.

Imma do the things that I wanna do

I ain't got a thing to prove to you

I'll eat my candy with the pork and beans

Excuse my manners if I make a scene

I ain't gonna wear the clothes that you like

I'm fine and dandy with the me inside

One look in the mirror and I'm tickled pink

I don't give a hoot about what you think

Interlude Wednesday - Young Guns

2010-08-11T22:54:00.006-04:00

It's funny how when life hands you lemons, you find somebody with vodka......
Youtube decided to get all holier than thou metallica style and muted audio out of one of MY videos that was all set to post today.
Agitated AGAIN- that's me.
Back to the editing board with said vid and hopefully I will find some tunes that big $ doesn't have locked down to put with the vid.
*Just deleted 2 long paragraphs of ranting and even argued the point the other way,
be happy Bacon :).*
So, when life hands you lemons....... laugh and laugh some more.
While I was discovering what metallicatube had done, Hubs was watching Young Guns on CMT. Just in time for my favorite scene. Mind you, we never watch CMT so I didn't know if they would let all the dirty words run like FX or not. Not - seemed to be the answer and they edited the whole scene down to under a minute and it totally changed the whole deal. I clicked search in metallicatube and found the whole UNedited scene. WOW.
This post isn't so much for my 3 readers as it is just for me.
You can watch it if you like but if you are opposed to drug use, foul language, violence, vomit, cute cowboys, horses or laughing at the funniest dang movie scene from 1988 (can you believe it's been that long?) well just move along.
Press play if you want to hop in the way back machine and laugh your ~~ass~~ off with me.
I could quote this ~~shit~~ all day long.

No music today - it's been muted. And this post has been HEAVILY censored and edited. Just sayin.

Butterflies... Yeah

We don't know why, we just feel it.

Hey dog, dog, did you see the size of that chicken?

We're in the spirit world asshole they can't see us.

Till I Rock You

2010-08-09T23:39:00.003-04:00

It's Evolution baby!!!
I'm really not copping out on my whole photography is my passion gig. Yet the passion evolves and swirls and twists and just evolves. Slideshows to present my images, slideshows to present my images that need music to give them life, video with still images, video with still images that need music to tell a story or put you there in that moment. The soundtrack to our life.
So yes, evolution. I knew it was heading in this direction. Felt it coming and didn't get out of it's way. I dabbled a little last year in adding voices over instrumentals, then was commissioned this year to put together a motivational mix cd for the Warriors (Spanky's football team) - I couldn't say no. I always thought the mixes that were played on Saturday night radio were way cool. I started last Tuesday working on the mix when I had free time until late at night. My attempt is basic. I don't have two turn tables and a microphone and am way too impatient to sit and go thru TONS of soundfx. Basic, I said. It ended up being 17 minutes long and had to put the baby to bed and leave it alone. Of course nothing is mine, I just mixed things up a little and resurrected Freddy to sing with Eminem. I "borrowed" from Eninem, Mase, AC/DC, Foo Fighters, Queen, Nate Dogg, and Bizarre.
Maybe the Warriors will enjoying listening to it while doing belly flops....
Here is a small smidgen of the intro...
Listen with a kind ear. Basic. Remember?

Till I Rock You mix mlsc

Interlude Wednesday - My Moon My Man

2010-08-04T23:19:00.001-04:00

Not Whining - Not Whining - Not Whining

I googled angry songs. I contemplated posting L7's Shitlist (my all time favorite pissed off driving song) and couldn't bare the thought of that dirty whore, Karma, paying me a visit so I had to find a favorite cool chill song. Feist, that'll work. Hell, she sang with Elmo on Sesame Street to help the kids count to four. So I'm good right?

The heat coupled with....
an annoying (more like nemesis) carpetbagger that I refuse from 2 moments ago, let get under my skin. Anymore.
And the ADULT football coach that thinks it's cool to pick on a 12 year old.
And people that drive slow in the fast lane.
And bigoted (my dyslexic eye sees that as bigtoed, hehe) coaches that are not there for the kids.
And not being able to find a Bacon Brothers - Guess Again video
And for all the local stores to suddenly stop carrying my favorite knickers and favorite lotion.
And no cool shoes to buy anywhere. All the summer shoes look like moon boots have been cut up and called sandals.
And being doubted.
And evil step sisters.
And green toenail polish.
And lousy contractors and house sellers that put my friend in a bad mood.
And to sit down on a wasper.
Yeah, I did.
Can take your level of anxiety to a whole new level when it's 100 degrees outside.

But with listening to Feist and of course I had to watch Elmo count to 4 - I chilled and I do have a lot more things in my life not to bitch about. I am fortunate. Sweaty but fortunate. I will be glad to wake up in the morning and face the slow drivers in the fast lane because that means I get to have 100 good things for that ounce of bad.

I plan on hiding from Karma when she saunters in wearing my favorite knickers, slathered in my favorite lotion, (toting the testes of 2 rude coaches in her black bucket purse - - - oh Karma wouldn't have testes in her purse you say? Oh yeah! Cause they already had theirs removed years ago! And besides she's my Karma and that's how my Karma rolls...) where was I? Yep, she's wearing cool shoes, humming Guess Again, with some drywall putty and sanding blocks in her tool belt, ready to give me the comes around for bitching like a little girl.

Yeah, I'll be hiding.

Somewhere cool.

Take it slow

Take it easy on me

Interlude Wednesday - Wish

2010-07-28T21:55:00.003-04:00

Wake up my pretties!!!!!!
Things have been sorta sleepy on ye olde blog whilst I've been filtering through lots and lots of photos, adjusted to TN time, fastly became a football widow, cussed, watched Spanky throw the football with wide eyed wonder, witnessed the most amazing sunsets this side of the Mason Dixon, sweated my nickers off, then sweated some more.
Sweating - not very girlie, ehh?
I seriously think that all my (say this " " part in your highest pitched southern drawl)
"oh how I wish spring was here to rid us of these oppressive grey days" chatter has really influenced our climate. Global warming? Nah. Too much wishin and dreamin. That's what ye get sometimes. It still won't keep me from damn near suffocating next winter while wishin and dreamin. Let's not think about that "w" word for now. Let's sit and listen to the katydids, feel this cool breeze as a storm is getting ready to roll through, while wishin and dreamin on something other than the weather.
And no I am not whining about the heat. If I whine then that will just get us a big "w" that starts in September and won't be gone till June. So, no, I'm not gonna wish summer away.

This weeks diddy is a sleepy little tune and brain child of Mr. Trent Reznor. I've never mentioned him here before (well this month I haven't). It's an oldie (not classic in the literal sense, yet, not of this decade) but goodie. And to see this performed live....
oH mY. And that's another something that makes a girl sweat her nickers off.
Just sayin.
Try not to fall out during this lullaby, it will surely rock you to sleep.

wish there was something real wish there was something true

wish there was something real in this world full of you

YEAH "W", TAKE THAT!

Interlude Wednesday - Read My Mind

2010-07-21T00:04:00.003-04:00

The Killers - 1 of my fav groups.

coz I don't shine if you don't shine

ooo
The stars are blazing like rebel diamonds cut out of the sun

ooo
can you read my mind?

Hey ya'll

2010-07-18T04:46:00.000-04:00

16 July 2010 crc

What cha doin?
Gawd ain't he cute? Out of the 2,000 (shit you not) pictures we (yes, Spanky was my apprentice photographer this week) took, I picked this one to share. Sweet Home's Sweet Mama and I passed by him and he was craning his little neck *talking* to us. Too cute.
This week really has flew by. Tomorrow begins the long journey home through the space time continuum and we get shot into the future. I'll edit and start to share the sights we gazed upon next week. Maybe we'll bring some cool breezes with us???

Interlude Wednesday - Wish You Were Here

2010-07-14T04:25:00.000-04:00

13 July 2010 mlsc

I've returned to the land of rainbows with Spanky in tow, missing Hubs and Sweet Home all the while. Returned to bid a final farewell to Sweet Home and feel him all around. Been hanging out with the Island Goddess, went to HEATED yoga with The Best Reverend EVER, Spanky swam on Baby Beach with Jordo The Great, waiting to hear Ivo sing and play piano and have officially been as far as the roads will take us. It's sweeeet and bitter sweet just the same. And of course I have plenty of silly crazy fodder from our adventures that I'm sure Sweet Home is just laughin' his ass off right now at yet we've shared some stories about Sweet Home that we've laughed at too.

I dig my toes into the sand

The ocean looks like a thousand diamonds

Strewn across a blue blanket

I lean against the wind

Pretend that I am weightless

And in this moment I am happy...happy

I lay my head onto the sand

The sky resembles a back lit canopy

With holes punched in it

I'm counting UFOs

I signal them with my lighter

And in this moment I am happy...happy

The world's a roller coaster

And I am not strapped in

Maybe I should hold with care

But my hands are busy in the air saying:

I wish you were here

No doubt about it...

Interlude Wednesday - Clap Hands

2010-07-07T00:42:00.002-04:00

Dun Dun Dun Dun Dun Dun DunDun Tight Pants (clap, clap)

Another musical guest that didn't disappoint. Beck is always good watching and when he performed Tight Pants on SNL well let's just say it wasn't too long after that Spanky knew all the words.
The wrong words that is.
Tried looking the performance of Tight Pants up on the intranets and came up empty until I came across something that said Clap Hands.
Oh, it's called Clap Hands!
Well, shit that makes all the sense in the world! Of course Clap Hands. What a great name for a song! Bub even came over sometime soon after and I asked him if he had saw Beck on SNL and (GET THIS) he said yeah sure Tight Pants!
Couldn't help but laugh in the face of my own validity. He thought Beck was singing about tight pants too!
We then rewatched the gig and sang Tight Pants and clapped all the way thru.
Good times. Good times.

Interlude Wednesday - Blind

2010-06-30T00:14:00.000-04:00

Garsh - Wednesdays sure do come around quick don't they? I started doing this whole music on my photo blog thing for several reasons that I've been meaning to share whether my 3 readers like it or not.
I love music and I love images. In most of my videos the music drives the images and everything falls in place. I so grew up in the MTV VIDEO era, you know that good ole time when MTV actually played videos. I was completely enamored by them - good or bad. I could watch that shit day in night out. Music is important to me - just like taking photos and video.
AND when the two collide??? Well let's just say there may just be on e thing better. And if my images are to a song I enjoy well that's just even more coolio for me.
And making myself post something on Wednesday keeps me thinking. I usually groove to the tunes that are posted that week and they are usually nothing more than just good tunes - only sometimes reflecting my mood. My tastes are very wide and diverse - so you really never do know.
And maybe you might find some "new" music you like to listen to also....
And when I can't find a video to a song
And when my video stock pile grows, I may just start making my own damn music videos.
And then we shall have the return of MTV.

Without further ado -
Nope, never mind got more to say-
(Damn, when did I become such a word whore?)
Bacon, I bet you are lovin on this! Word, word, wordy word word

PLACEBO - this weeks featured artist.
Hubs and I were lazily watching Henry Rollins Tee Off one afternoon and I was just about to fast forward past the musical guest when my trigger finger locked up on me and the music started. I don't think we blinked, I don't think we looked away from screen, I think we had to manually close our jaws from hanging agape. Let's face it musical guests usually suck. Even if they are your fav group sometimes. To us that day Placebo didn't suck. So yeah I dug the whole Placebo vibe and instantly had everything they had to offer. Haven't really listened to them in several months and they pop up yesterday on the iPod and it was all good again.

And yeah I'm sticking with my 1 cutie rule! Or at least one half of a cutie with potential????

If I could tear you from the ceiling, and guarantee a source divine,

rid you off possessions fleeting, remain your funny valentine.

If I could tear you from the ceiling, I know the best have tried,

I'd fill your every breath with meaning, and find a place we both could hide.

If I could tear you from the ceiling, I'd freeze us both in time,

find a brand new way of seeing... your eyes forever glued to mine.

I know I broke it...

Oh Hubs check this out - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVFLgx8o7XM&feature=related
How bout them apples?
Anyone recognize this cover?
#1 rule of Fight Club is...

Drizzle

2010-06-28T22:07:00.003-04:00

August 2008 kaboomkanani

Spike wanted to say HI. I had to indulge him, after all we have been thru. We just went thru a summer shower when this photo was taken and he was feeling a wee bit friskie. A full tank off gas, long curvy roads, Trent, rain, and cool breezes tend to do that to me him.

Oh! OOOOO!
What is that?
That my friend, is a cool breeze!
A what?
You heard me, A COOL BREEZE.
If you live in hell (aka Southeastern TN) and you aren't outside at this very moment feeling this awkwardly wonderful cool breeze gig right now you are missing out!
I'm gonna go roll around in the grass now....

Interlude Wednesday - Tropical Lovin'

2010-06-23T20:27:00.008-04:00

Aloha!
Boy, do I have a treat for you today! This is Island Goddess's husband and my very talented friend Ivo Monroe Miller. He has a cd for sale on www.cdbaby.com , so check it out if you want to hear his other music - all written and performed by him, I may add. This performance was for a Composer's Contest that he was readying for when I visited the island.
The good stuff doesn't get going till about 2:30 into the vid.

OH and I have officially been given my Hawaiian name!!!!!!
Kaboomkanani
Sounds grand doesn't it?
I SO know what the kaboom is for - I like to listen to my music loud, yep, that's it- but Island Goddess can you tell me what Kanani means?
I don't care if it means stinky seaweed, it is beautiful!
So Goddess can we celebrate this name giving by toasting our glasses that are filled with some giggly juice?
Please?

O my mind wanders...

I can feel the breeze now ~

Yep - beautiful rainbows are calling me...

Where Sweet Home is all around.

Now - on with the show!

Words

2010-06-22T22:26:00.025-04:00

9 June Interlude Wednesday post...
Sure we have words we like because of the feelings they invoke and then there are words that we like for the way they roll off our tongue. And further still you combine the 2 and have the best of both. Which reminds me of something (I'll definitely elaborate - cool word - next post).
Maybe not the next post...
But now is the time to elaborate...
My tangent on words reminded me of a poem Hubs wrote many many moons ago. And with anniversary in the air I decided to dig it out.

A WORD TO MY 3 READERS - Hubs doesn't know I'm posting this so don't tell him, he may get shy, say I'm ruining his tuff reputation (hehe) or accuse me of stealing his ~~video~~ poem. Just kidding - Hubs is one of my 3 readers, sometimes, maybe... I think. I also think he will just be fine with it all. He should expect me to do some shit like this after all!

Well babe SURPRISE! Bet you thought I forgot about this huh?

Words

Two words come together if by chance

On going phrases, a glimpse, a second glance

Down in the basement, phrases become connected

Drowsy eyes, first couple of sentences reflected

Miles on a paragraph, a time with a view

Along, walking together on pages anew

Looking out the window, chapters on a face

It seemed easy, the story in its place

The future, the lives, the novel waiting to unfold

A finish to the story of two words is yet to be told.

Hubs

OH OH OH - Can you find the 2 words Hubs wrote about?

Interlude Wednesday - Just Breathe

2010-06-16T23:15:00.005-04:00

14 years and counting.
Seems like another life time when Hubs and I stood in front of the country preacher - that couldn't pronounce my name- and spoke our vows.
The video above is Hubs present from me.
A good bit of the video was taken at Volunteer Landing in Knoxville Saturday night while on our first "air" quotes - date - end air "quotes" in a while. We had fun but it was so hot we were real tempted to jump nekkid into the Tennessee to cool off. Had it been - say, 16 years ago that would have been a guaranteeeeed, but now all those responsible adult thoughts came crashing around us like cement. What if somebody steals our clothes? Dang I really like this skirt, that can't happen. Not to mention what would we do with our phones and my camera. We don't have a towel. That water looks really nasty right there. Is that caution tape floating by? My mascara and eyeliner are waterproof but my hair will look freakishly bad when we get out. What kind of fish swim in here? I wonder if anybody peed in here today? And last but not least - the fear of being dragged down to the local 5 star detaining establishment - nekkid and dirty and wet and fish bitten with piss in my hair and caution tape around my neck wasn't the way we wanted to top off our evening out - at all.
Yeah couldn't tell Spanky about that - ever - at all.
So we sweated along back to Spike's cool air and remembered when skinny dipping was the beginning of our story.
And babe - thanks for the ride home.
Here's to many more. Love you.

Tribute in Black

2010-06-13T23:19:00.001-04:00

I interrupt the regularly scheduled post to bring you a totally unplanned public service announcement.
If you see me within the next week please be advised that hair color is totally objective and well mine is now REALLY black.
So please think of all the Goth or Emo comments you can now, so you'll be ready. I'll give you an example - but you can't use this one again - "What are you trying to do? Pay tribute to Trent Reznor?", Hubs kindly commented.
Think Pretty Hate Machine. I told you black, didn't I?
I like the more mature, thicker, short haired Trent as illustrated below - Thank you very much.
Apparently Miss Clairol has jokes and when the box says Medium Rich Brown she meant BLACK. I'm getting used to it actually - what other choice do I have at the moment? That is until I can get to Jesse to put some brown (or pink hehe) highlights in it.
Ohh Ohh Ohh and Sweet Homes Sweet Mama came by to visit today and she said the color of my hair made my eyes pop. Did I tell you how sweet she is?
So I tried, I have given you a fair warning.......

May 2009 Nine Inch Nails Wave Goodbye mlsc

Interlude Wednesday - Twilight

2010-06-09T20:37:00.005-04:00

And while we are on the subject of Twilight...
Nope - not THAT Twilight.
Twilight being simply just a time of day.
My favorite time of the day.
A time when our piece of earth starts to cool, pushing the long day away, dark settling in for our dreams to find us.

And isn't that just a cool word?
Twilight...
Sure we have words we like because of the feelings they invoke and then there are words that we like for the way they roll off our tongue. And further still you combine the 2 and have the best of both. Which reminds me of something (I'll definitely elaborate - cool word - next post).
Cool words? twilight, undulate (undulation), onomatopoeia, surreal, echelon, and any literary term ~ sonnet, analogy, rhyme, spoonerism (more on that later too) etc... etc...
I could so keep going with all that but we are here on this Wednesday for music, no?
*someone in the crowd heckles* "FREEBIRD! Play some Skynyrd!"
Sit the hell down, this ain't Delilah After Dark!
So yeah... Music.
Dawn Landes's Twilight.
I really do LUV this song and her voice. Can't remember how I found her tunes. But I'm really digging them. Remember to give me some cute shoes, mama needs a new pair Real Bad.

Tonight

In the long, dim light

Streaks of red vein your eyes

Don't you love twilight

Vanilla Twilight

2010-06-07T21:20:00.000-04:00

It's not Interlude Wednesday - 2 days early. It's Brooke and Ethan all dressed up with somewhere to go. Brooke's prom to be exact and I was the lucky one holding the camera. Such a cute couple.
Ahhhhhh, young love. There's just something about the magic of it all.
Vanilla Twilight is their song and here are some of their photos...

24 May 2010 mlsc The Winery and Downtown Athens

Interlude Wednesday - The Mountains Win Again

2010-06-02T06:22:00.002-04:00

Couldn't sleep - got up way too early - I may be writing in Spanish for all I know.
Blues Traveler - gotta love John Popper and that dang harmonica. Hadn't really thought about them for awhile till Saturday night when Spanky saw they were going to be playing in Knoxville at Sundown in the City tomorrow night. Blues Traveler and free? Yeah, color us there. Not a bad concert for Spanky's first, right? Not even gonna tell ya my first concert - in the words of Mos Def - I had a bad experience.
The Mountains Win Again - just a good song.
Now where's my red coat?

Interlude Wednesday - Throw Your Arms Around Me

2010-05-26T21:46:00.001-04:00

With my brain being turned to goo this week from looking at way too many numbers... I turned to Hubs for inspiration for today's song. Without a beat he replied Throw Your Arms Around Me. I had never heard it before so I gave it a listen and instantly dug it. I luv going to see Pearl Jam live and it puts a BIG smile on Hubs face too so that's triple the fun! Thank you babe ;)
Did I ever tell you about when Eddie Vedder "waved" at me? No?
Well then, year 2000, August, Nashville, 6th row, stage right, hot as hell. I had my "trusty" 35mm camera and was shootin away. I get brave and stand up on the arms of the chair. Great view from there. PERFECT shot of Eddie hugging the mic stand. Oh shit he's posing for me! I look around, yep posing. It was the PERFECT shot...
If I hadn't run out of film!
I look down and while I am seriously giving the damn camera a cussing Eddie flips me off.
Which I don't get that shot either but I get down from the chair and Hubs said "Eddie just flipped you off! He was standing there posing, you looked down, guess he got tired of posing and flipped you off!"
Wow.
Just Wow.
The story of my life - run out of film, went digital - batteries run down. And there's nothing worse than running out of batteries, is there girls? ;)
Stay tuned, maybe one day I'll tell you about me crowd diving towards Dave Grohl (with Hubs hanging on for dear life) or running smack dab into sweaty Dave and we just stood there screaming at each other.
Yeah good times.
So shed your skin lets get started....

Look At Me

2010-05-24T23:03:00.001-04:00

Little pieces of Knoxville that probably went unnoticed...

October 2009 mlsc

get up STAND up

October 2009 mlsc

There's power in them flowers

October 2009 mlsc

We are all made of stars

October 2009 mlsc

All in all is all we are...

October 2009 mlsc

Bacon Rocks, Hallelujah

October 2009 mlsc

Or was he?

October 2009 mlsc

Interlude Wednesday - Obvious Child

2010-05-19T18:38:00.002-04:00

Ahhhh summer of 1990 - Days filled with doing the important stuff - swimming, reading, watching MTV and VH1 (when they still played videos). This song always made me happy.

Flash Floods and Tornadocanes

2010-05-17T22:20:00.006-04:00

Amongst rumors of tornadoes hitting the Walmart (YEAAASSS!!!!), reports of flash floods from our local weather man (Joey Cantore - Jim's Italian Cousin) and raccoon's trying to eat their dinner before it got washed away... this Saturday was quite entertaining. In Mr. Cantore's absence I give you Stormy.

-WEEKEND UPDATES, WITH TINA FEY AND AMY POEHLER!-
(Episode 31.16 - Lindsay Lohan - Pearl Jam - 2006 - ©SNL)
Amy Poehler:
"Tornadoes tore across Iowa Thursday night, leaving a path of devastation in their wake. This is just another example of extreme weather conditions that continue to appear with growing frequency. Here to comment is Weekend Update's meteorologist, Stormy Windbreaker."
Stormy Windbreaker:
"Thank you, Amy! Tell me about it. Crazy weather everywhere, but business is booming for the ice cream man, as temperatures across the nation are heating up. Let's take a look. 67 in Pittsburgh today. The previous high for this state is 56. Cincinnati 81, a full 20 degrees higher than the previous high, and Cleveland has literally burst into flames!"
Amy Poehler:
"Do you think Global Warming has anything to do with this?"
Stormy Windbreaker:
"Well, Amy, you could say that, but Toledo, which is very close to all three cities, is -9 degrees. So I don't think anyone in Toledo would agree with Global Warming theories. They're all saying, 'Holy Toledo! I'm freezing my butt off!'"
Amy Poehler:
"What about all these tornadoes, Stormy?"
Stormy Windbreaker:
-shows tons of tornado and hurricane icons to the left and right of weather map behind him-
"Well, Amy, as you can see, there are more hurricanes and tornadoes now than ever before. And, uh, an amazing thing has happend where hurricanes are colliding with tornadoes, forming what we call, 'tornadocanes.'"
Amy Poehler:
"How is a tornadocane different from a hurricane, or a tornado?"
Stormy Windbreaker:
"Well, for one thing, it's developed cognitive thought."
Tina Fey:
"Oh, so it's like a hurricane or a tornado that's smarter?"
Stormy Windbreaker:
"Exactly! Much like the sharks in the film, 'Deep Blue Sea', the tornadocane is learning and adapting. Not only do the tornadocanes cause expected devastations such as blackouts and structual damage, but they also commit more human crimes, like breaking and entering, and identity theft."
Amy Poehler:
"... Identity theft? ..."
Stormy Windbreaker:
"The tornadocane will use strong winds to seperate you from your wallet, and then runs up big charge to Circuit City or strip clubs!"
Amy Poehler:
"Stormy, how can you continue to ignore that Global Warming is a factor here?"
Stormy Windbreaker:
"What? Here?"
-points to tons of scattered random weather (eg: snow, tornadocane, rain, fire) icons on weather map beside him-
"Oh, come on! There could be a number of explanations for this kind of weather!"
Amy Poehler:
"Like ... what?"
Stormy Windbreaker:
"Well, my best guess is that it's the end of days."
Tina Fey:
"Do you suggest we cut back on fossil fuels, or ...?"
Stormy Windbreaker:
"End of days, Tina! Not middle of days. Let's take a look at the five day forecast. Okay, Sunday: tornadocanes. Monday: Snow, rain, and fire. Tuesday and Wednesday: sun goes black. Aaaand on Thursday, it explodes."
Tina Fey:
"You're a terrible meteorologist!"
Stormy Windbreaker:
"REPENT, WITCHES, REPENT!!!"
Amy Poehler:
"Wow. Stormy Windbreaker, everybody!"

Interlude Wednesday - She just wants to be

2010-05-12T19:54:00.002-04:00

Been awhile since I posted, thought I would indulge in a little musical interlude. I miss Mr. Stipe and the Georgia boys. Little birdie told me they are recording again though...

In Bloom

2010-04-28T21:52:00.001-04:00

Green lush, pink plush, powder puff, honey suck

26 April 2010 mlsc Azalea

26 April 2010 mlsc Snow Ball Bush

26 April 2010 mlsc Iris

26 April 2010 mlsc Azalea

26 April 2010 mlsc Bishops Weed

26 April 2010 mlsc Spiderwort

26 April 2010 mlsc Honeysuckle

26 April 2010 mlsc That Smile

Leaving Hope

2010-04-18T22:34:00.005-04:00

Bub came in this past mid week for another round of fishing on the great Hiwassee River. His call Monday night to ensure there was a vacancy on the ole Devil couch for 2 nights got me to thinking how I could get back to the river without waking up at the butt crack o' dawn... A plan was set into motion after our talk on Tuesday night and I guess if you leave it up to 2 conniving Shavers there will be a plan...

I get off work at 4:30 Wednesday. Meet Bub in Benton. I am toting a big pair of socks, a pair of brand new Cabela's waders, and my trusty camera. After a very brisk drive up (and down and back up - cause the drive is just that good) the Hiwassee road we met at Webb Brother's and drove a little further to THE SPOT. I didn't even see the river from where we parked "Oh it's just right over there - gotta go under the train trestle and down a small stream".
Bub lets down the gate to his truck - pulls out 2 pair of felt bottom boots and his waders. We gear up - yes that's right, we - I tuck my socks into my pants and pull up the waders. Now don't get me wrong - I am all about being at one with nature - but there are all sorts of things that left up to my LitaLuck could just go - well - bad. BUT I wanted to be in the middle of river - not on the bank - so you do what you gotta do. So I thought about the 2 things that could turn bad in a heartbeat and decided to adapt and overcome.
To protect my camera from possible fall downs I tucked it down the front of the waders to nestle snugly in between "what the good lord gave me". Worked out quite well actually.
Found myself a big ole whompin stick too to assist my steps.
Snakes. Do I really need to say more? The good thing I'm told by big bro is that the waders hide your heat signature to the pit vipers and they just think you are a log and will (hopefully) swim on by and not curl up at your boot for a rest. Now let's just take a minute to thank all that's holy that I did not come across said pit viper. Heat signature or not - my ass would have went to a hollerin and a stompin.
Just sayin.
Only GOOD happened and not one lick of bad. But see, I could have stood on the bank wishin or got out there doin. Looking back at it now - I just trusted my big bro that I could make that trek and my camera and I lived to tell about it another day. He had tromped thru places a lot more remote and snakey than that. He took me to a place too that the water was low and there was a lot of good westerly sunlight.
He knows that river. Watching him cast and catch and then release was zen. I just took a deep breath and tried to commit it all to memory.
It's times like these outside of the grind of every day life that remind us that we are alive. Alive standing in the middle of the Hiwassee River, sun setting behind the ridge, soft breeze blowing, red buds and green grass and pit vipers and bugs and trout. Thanks Bub.
Took Wednesday's photos and set them to music. Apologize for the quality - it is bad - had to convert it to upload it.

Way Back Machine

2010-04-16T22:50:00.003-04:00

We're gonna flip it and do this up all nice and good - just play along, ok?
I have a special treat this week in that someone else's words other than mine are going to fill in the little hole in the universe I've created. This weeks guest blogger is Leyland Lee Lynn! Ok - well - maybe not - but it IS none other than my big brother - Bub - aka Richard Shaver. Let's give him a big LTTL welcome! I'll be in the cartruck. Take it away Bub...

ASKED TO ENGAGE THE WAY BACK MACHINE

My text read, "Happy Bday baby!".

Sis replied, "TY did you get my email?".

"Uh no... but I'll dig it tonight" I thought.

The lunch break text spurred the after work email check...

There we were.

Sis, me, and Dad, she's 3 or 4, I'm 12 or so, Dad is disinterested and 2 or 3 years from his demise. The picture was of a trio on a sunny day, the text was from the 4 year old now 36 imploring me to spin her the story of the photo, to tell her about it in order to post to her blog in three days time. Damn I don't do deadlines... yet without them I'd never finish a thing. I replied the 27th was a bit tight, I'd think about it.

It's been 30 + years since that pic. She's grown with a 12 year old nephew of mine, I've provided her a niece and nephew of her own. That digitized pic really looks good... better than the Polaroid original. Mom must have wanted that one really badly for some reason and there we were, I'd like to say the memories came flooding back but that would be a lie... I barely remember that day.

It was April or maybe May cool morning bleeding into a hot day. Dad and I rolled early west Watts Bars Dam tailout... gonna test out this new trick, slip bobber fishing, gonna get down deep, get the big-eens... We park in the south parking lot... the looming twin half built cooling towers of Watts Bar Nuclear Power Plant to our northwest. Dad was an Operating Engineer he "operated" the big crane on tower 2 that, by radio he was directed haul mammoth buckets of concrete up, out of sight to him and dump. So up went the tower.

Rip Rap is the name given to the mini boulders of granite the TN Valley Authority used to secure the banks downstream of the Watts Bar Dam. Rip Rap negotiation is an art... a well skilled Rip Rap walker can intuitively see the path down the treacherous unstable artificial scree field. .. it was a cool game to the teen me... it's still fun to the middle aged me. Dad always very efficient and patrician in his decent...to me it's almost a dance.

Minnow bucket on a flat surface, tackle box on another, each aa must find a perch, a proper prop for each rod. We settle, bait up and cast upstream feeding line until the float hits the knot of rubberband we've secured about fifteen feet up from the hook. Drift after drift Dad's float disappears he hooks up. A pound channel catfish comes wallowing to hand. Cast. feed line, drift, reel in, re-cast. Shortly Dad kicks back on the rocks, tips his red hat forward and dozes. I ever persistent keep hard at it for another coupla hours to no avail. Dad must have gotten hot or simply tried of being on granite, stirs and says, "Let's go". Parties over time to head in, 1 one pound channel cat on the stringer. An hour or so later Mom is depressing the big clunky button on the Polaroid. Thus ending the memory.

Fin'

Richard Shaver

Dad, Me, Bub - late 1970's

Bub and Mom always said I was a picture hog. If the Polaroid was out, I had to be in the picture. Boy I was cheesin', just tickled - like I had caught that fish. Not too many pictures get taken of me these days (I guess I used up all my camera juju). Now I'm always behind the lens trying to capture every moment possible. When Bub phoned on my imposed deadline - February 27 - (the 29th anniversary of Dad's death) to read me the piece he had written above, we discussed the magic of photos - how that day wasn't particularly memorable for either of us - how a lot of things are left up to the "adult us" interpretation. I rely a lot on what other people have to say about my Dad. I never make their memories mine though. I have my own (and they were good) and one lone dream where he came to me. That photo of the 3 of us now sits on a bookshelf in each of our houses and Mom's too.
So Bub wrote this for my birthday and I posted it for his.

Happy Birthday Bub

Good Friday, it was

2010-04-07T19:28:00.008-04:00

Last Thursday evening Bub (my brother) and Wesley (my nephew - nick name donned by Sweet Home) traveled eastward to stay at our casa for the weekend. Venison was grilled, tasty salmon was smoked, fish were caught on fly rods - and released, cliffs were climbed, butterflies were chased, rocks were thrown in water (what is it with ~~little~~ boys?), winding roads were maneuvered, mysteries were solved, we pondered what's out this year in pageants (up do poofs, of course), random acts of silliness ensued and great memories were made.
So yeah, it was good.

2 April 2010 mlsc Reliance

in hopes that a fish will rise

2 April 2010 mlsc Reliance

the hands of a master tying line

2 April 2010 mlsc Reliance

Cousins reflecting

2 April 2010 mlsc Reliance
I'll be in the cartruck

2 April 2010 mlsc Reliance

Daffodillies

2010-03-28T01:02:00.003-04:00

A Prayer in Spring

Robert Frost

Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers to-day;
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year.

Oh, give us pleasure in the orchard white,
Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;
And make us happy in the happy bees,
The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.

And make us happy in the darting bird
That suddenly above the bees is heard,
The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill,
And off a blossom in mid air stands still.

For this is love and nothing else is love,
The which it is reserved for God above
To sanctify to what far ends He will,
But which it only needs that we fulfill.

28 March 2010 mlsc

I made that stuff up about the beautiful stars!

2010-03-19T23:45:00.000-04:00

Well it seems we all made it thru being shifted ahead into the future while we slept, there was no call for pinches Wednesday (!), and now there is the first day of spring to celebrate! Have a good one and I hope you soak up all the sunshine you desire (Bacon - don't soak up toooo much!)

Hubs, Spanky and I were heading off the hill this evenin about duskish and I caught this little surprise below. Look on the left hand side of the driveway. It's kinda hard to see. Hell, I didn't even see it thru the lens...

And remember to reach for the stars cause stars don't have arms to reach out to you.
Thank you.

Requiem for a Classic

2010-03-13T12:45:00.000-05:00

12 March 2010 mlsc

In the last 5 years I have let another woman into my marriage. Don't get excited - Not a flesh and blood woman mind you but one that is made of steel, drinks gasoline, purrs to life when you turn her on, and is very dangerous. One might not even find a woman so scandalous at the local bar on any given Saturday night. The woman I am referring to is / was Hubs Harley Davidson Softail Springer Classic - Drew. With a coat of black paint, springer forks and chromed out engine he fell in love. He was so proud when he brought Drew home, he even wanted to share her with me. We rode her many times with much delight. Hell, Sweet Home and Spanky took rides on her and loved every minute of it too. She gave us the freedom of an open road, the wind rushing against you and an escape of the everyday stresses. You only live once was the mantra repeated around her and she reminded you were alive. Some curve balls were thrown Hubs way over the past 2 years and he didn't get to ride her like he wanted to. Which brought us to yesterday - hearing her siren song for the last time as Hubs rode Drew onto a bike trailer of her new owners... A kind couple that will hopefully adore the motorcycle as Hubs did. Hubs was sad. His stomach in knots. He couldn't watch her drive away. Now at least Drew will once again feel the freedom of the open road and the wind rushing against her.
The old mantra replaced with another....

If you love her set her free.

Daddy and Daughters go a Dancin'

2010-02-27T08:10:00.005-05:00

The Quickest Photo Session In the East. EVER.

The February winds were a whippin' and the girls were a freezin'.

Jump out of the car - Hey! - Hey! - You girls look so pretty! - Like the pink tie! - Ok - Stand here - That's good - Stand here - SMILE! - Sit here - Let's get one of you, Mom and Dad -

Ok that's good let's go!

The G clan Captain took the girls to the Daddy Daughter Dance and I got to capture this pre-dance moment for them. Thank you guys - we'll do it again when it's not so frigid!

6 February 2010 mlsc

I Hope You Dance

Lee Ann Womack

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder

You get your fill to eat But always keep that hunger

May you never take one single breath for granted

God forbid love ever leave you empty handed

I hope you still feel small

When you stand by the ocean

Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens

Promise me you'll give faith a fighting chance

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance

Never settle for the path of least resistance

Living might mean taking chances

But they're worth taking
Lovin' might be a mistake

But it's worth making

Don't let some hell bent heart

Leave you bitter

When you come close to selling out
Reconsider
Give the heavens above
More than just a passing glance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

I hope you dance

Well---- Deep Subject

2010-02-23T00:11:00.003-05:00

Beautiful Sunday morning - Bub would beg to differ - almost noon. Spanky and I head out to go exploring over this land that I pay the bank for every month only to look at. This land has been in Hubs family for damn near 70 years, the landscape ever changing from being tilled and worked continually to the under layers of dirt not seeing light in over 10 years. I appreciate it - the history, the love, the hidden relics of long ago hidden under seasons of leaves.While we lend another generation of memories. Pop - Hubs Dad - grew up here on what is is now our land.
I follow Spanky and Prevail down the hill to a newly cleared trail searching for a pile of field rock that I spotted a couple of years back. For the record, I go crazy when I see field rock and tote it to the house if I can to line my flower beds. Small, big, deep orange, white - this rock girl doesn't discriminate. Now mind you this is a steep steep hill. So toting isn't in the cards today, but if we still had the Polaris........
I know I should be coming up on the pile of rocks and don't see the stack but I do see something that pulls me into the undergrowth.
As I grow closer and take it all in I realize it's an abandoned well. Hummm. Never seen this before. My inner backwardness does front flips at the discovery. Like I was the first person to ever see it. There is also the remains of a brick chimney, a foundation and be still my beating heart a big ole orange field rock amidst it all. Can I rig Prevail up in a harness to pull a rock sled, something like the plow mules wore that my Dad used to turn garden with and get this rock and brick up the hill? Huuumm, maybe later. I'm all about reclaiming building materials giving them new life you know....
As for the well, it is well, odd. I'm no well builder but as you see by the photo it is like an upside down funnel narrowing at the top. Now I've never fell in a well nor did I intend to yesterday - but if I had? Tell me just how the hell one would go about getting out of such a "trap". One would just but be S.O.L.. Now I know this design is probably to keep from tempting all the varying woodland critters from quenching their thirst(?) and other reasons I just can't go into right now.... yet when one pictures an old well one may think of the quaint sort that has a box over it, with a little roof and a rollie twistie thing (yes - that is the proper name for it) that lowers a bucket down into the depths to retrieve the water. You know, just like the one from the movie The Ring...

21 February 2010 mlsc

Oh. shit.
I inch towards the well testing the ground and the hairs on the back of my neck stand at attention.
Just like the movie The Ring?
I fully intended to see some sort of deteriorating corpse reaching up to grab me with long skinny slimy fingers looking at me with a cold blank stare ready to take me to the cold dark depths of the oblivion.

Yeah, thank God that didn't happen.

21 February 2010 mlsc

Easin' up on it

Now Pop has told us there was once an old neighboring home place - not on our property, but right up next to it - thru the woods and I guess I just never thought that the remains would still be there. But in this day and age with seat belts and bicycle helmets and condoms I was just surprised to see an OPEN well. I mean why haven't the members of E. A. E. A. - W. A. L. K. (Everyone Against Everything Awesome- With A Leg Kick) come thru and put a cover on this dangerous wet hole?

21 February 2010 mlsc

Looking down into the abyss - No Samara here

I pull out the Crackberry and call Pop.
I tell him my location and he starts recalling the past about the path I'm standing on - it used to be their gravel driveway.
Look to the left and you'll see a twisted tensile fence with 2 strands of barbed wire at the top. That fence was why Uncle Horn joined the Navy during Korea. So he wouldn't have to build that fence.
Huh - that's one way to get out of some manual labor. Uhh, what about this open well?
That's a part of the "Lock's" home place. The well's still there?? We used to drop a bucket into that well and pulley water out of it. The Lock's built a new house down there in front of it and just left the old one to crumble. Aunt Sue used to run down the hill to play with the little Lock girls.
I guess the little "well house" with the rollie twistie thing probably did rot away years ago.
Listening intently to him tell about the fresh water spring near the front of the property, the fruit orchard to the left of that, the pasture fields, the hog lot, the barn, I went back as far a the light breeze could carry me trying to imagine this simple garden of eden.

21 February 2010 mlsc

I've studied these bricks for claw marks and remnants of fingernails

21 February 2010 mlsc

Don't really know what the black thing is. It has a hole on both ends. A telescope? Hubs cracked up when I put it up to my eye and looked at him thru it. He was thinking archaic sex toy. I'm thinking "gerbil chute".

21 February 2010 mlsc

Old fuse box

21 February 2010 mlsc

And here they are!!!!!

The jonquils raising their weary heads!

Under a HUGE oak tree that stood along side the old house

21 February 2010 mlsc

The GREAT Spanky!

Needless to say - yesterdays exploring adventure was more exciting than previous ones -

Talking with Hubs tonight about the well he says - That well was just Creep E. I'm glad that you were the one that found the well and the old home place.

Why?

Cause you'll be the one the haints came after for disturbing their peace not me.

Great. Just Great.

Shadowplay

2010-02-18T22:19:00.003-05:00

2006 mlsc Hollyhock in my garden

OH YEEAHHH.....
Did you see the sky today?
It was BLUE! Beautiful Blue.
Did you feel the sun warming your skin?
It felt wonderful.
Did you see the clouds today?
No? Me either - cause there weren't any.
OH YEESssss! That's what I'm talking about. My pissy ass mood lifted instantaneously this morning on my roll into work when I slipped my hand into my purse ever so gently, roaming around the deep confines - hand shaking from excitement when I felt THEM.
AhHHhHHH.
My. big. black. sunglasses.
I slipped them on with no hesitation, welcoming their feel and relishing in the comfort of the now darkened scenery. I blasted The Killer's - Shadowplay and merrily motored on.
I know we aren't out of the woods yet cause I just stuck my head out of the warm house and was assaulted by the cold. But there is the light at the proverbial end of the tunnel and the equinox is just around the bend. 29 days till spring peeps! AND on a more encouraging note ONLY 24 days till daylight savings time.
Yep, "Bacon" (you know I'd get ye in here somehow) you'll only have to hear the above only 29 more days. And ya'll don't bother with adding one of those cutesie "days till spring" countdown banners on your blog - just stay tuned here and I'll keep you straight.

The Aging of Aquarius

2010-02-08T21:57:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday Hubs!

December 2006 mlsc

We Love you!

BTW...

Who Dat? Who Dat? Who Dat Said They Gonna Beat Dem SAINTS???

Always Look On The Bright Side of Life

2010-02-07T21:24:00.002-05:00

May 2008 mlsc

September 2008 mlsc

February 2006 mlsc

I'm letting my diarrhea of the mouth (actually the keyboard) simmer down... and do what I do better (than write) and let the photos speak for themselves...

Objects in Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear

2010-02-06T11:17:00.012-05:00

September 2009 mlsc
Here the sky was very grey this week figuratively and literally. Although the sky in "Sweet Home's" world was as bright as the islands could offer. So bright and so surreal that the greens on the mountains strained yellow and the rainbows stood opposite the sun reaching out to welcome Sweet Home - home.
Sweet Home left us Sunday night peacefully, quiet, untroubled and totally prepared for another adventure.

"Where the skies are so BLUE, Lord I'm coming HOME to you"

On life's stage Sweet Home had top billing. With his smile and courage he faced the trials and tribulations of life without blinking an eye. Although he may have been sad at times on the inside, an outsider would have never known it. There were no time for tears around Sweet Home as you were reminded inherently that Life Was Too Short for your trivial worries and Sweet Home had it all figured out. With the raise of an eyebrow and a "well there ye go" or a "they law" and then the brightest smile everything was all better. You wanted to be the best for him because he deserved it. You gave all your friendship because he was grateful and he gave 10 times that in return. It doesn't seem as there is anything in this world as big as his laugh or smile. A beautiful soul, a good to the bone person and a Southern Gentleman personified.
Many times I've literally ran to him welcoming him and many times I have stood watching him pull out of the drive or drove away seeing his reflection in the rearview waving goodbye. No visit was ever long enough.
While we will never see him pulling into the driveway again and his body has left us... We do have the memories and for that my family and I are just thankful. Period.
Thankful to have known Sweet Home. Just plain thankful.
Thankful to have laughed with him.
Thankful to have made him laugh.
Thankful for his mother (I'm gonna call her "Stumble in Burger King", wink, wink) for giving us the best friend we've ever known, her friendship and understanding.
Thankful for the "Island Goddess"(yep, that's what I shall call you - I still got bomb dropping to do!) for her friendship, caring and giving unconditionally to Sweet Home.
Thankful for "The Best Reverend Ever" for her being there.
Thankful that the last words he spoke to me was I Love You.
Every tear I shed was followed by the thoughts of him saying, "Quit it" - If something funny happened I saw him bending over clutching his side laughing uncontrollably - When I stepped out of the house into the morning cold I thought of Sweet Home in paradise and the bone chilling cold never touching his toes. Every song I heard this week in my long drives to work reminded me of Sweet Home.
I just told Hubs what song I was thinking of while posting this and how just CRAZY PERFECT it was. He agreed and at Hubs suggestion, I wiki'ed the song (because Frank Sinatra crooned out the original English version) and in 1973 (when Sweet Home had just turned 2 years old) Elvis sang the song in his satellite show "Aloha From Hawaii".
Sweet Home tore down walls for some while adamantly yet silently, without question building other walls to keep those that he questioned on the other side. He simplified and he purged until he was rid of the superfluous bullshit.
And he was at peace with this. At peace. It just makes sense. He really did things his way, EVERYTHING on his own terms.
Yep CRAZY PERFECT.

My Way

And now, the end is near;

And so I face the final curtain.

My friend, I’ll say it clear,

I’ll state my case, of which I’m certain.

I’ve lived a life that’s full.

I’ve traveled each and ev’ry highway;

And more, much more than this,

I did it my way.

Regrets, I’ve had a few;

But then again, too few to mention.

I did what I had to do

And saw it through without exemption.

I planned each charted course;

Each careful step along the byway,

And more, much more than this,

I did it my way.

Yes, there were times, I’m sure you knew

When I bit off more than I could chew.

But through it all, when there was doubt,

I ate it up and spit it out.

I faced it all and I stood tall;

And did it my way.

I’ve loved, I’ve laughed and cried.

I’ve had my fill; my share of losing.

And now, as tears subside,

I find it all so amusing.

To think I did all that;

And may I say - not in a shy way,

No, oh no not me,

I did it my way.

For what is a man, what has he got?

If not himself, then he has naught.

To say the words he truly feels;

And not the words of one who kneels.

The record shows I took the blows -

And did it my way!