Archive for February, 2008
For some reason, my family, friends, and choir kids are fascinated with the things that come out of my purse. I do not understand at all. Maybe you can help.
First, I am a purse-o-holic. We have had the purse discussion before. I have many, but I am not a changer for change sake. Season’s change- purse changes. Big Shindig- purse changes. Change Outfits-who cares? And my purses are very heavy. I need it to balance the weight of MAX! in the other arm……must always be ready when called upon!
I have a very “interesting life.” So, I need to be prepared for a lot of things, I think. I do have to admit, that my high school worker bee, Katie, goes through my purse at least once a week, and sorts out the flotsam and jetsam or the contents would be overflowing.
So without further ado, the list of things in my Main purse this week. ( I always have a second storage purse standing by in case I need something not so heavy- Katie understands this and keeps it in the bat cave always prepared. I should call her Alfred.)
Pictures of Max- in an album and floating randomly. tape measure to measure a choir child if needed. Those little spiral notebooks- 2 used totally and unused slightly.
those big packs of gum, empty. A CD from the CT scan showing my mother’s brain tumor. It was a present from her doctor. The paper he wrote with the name of her tumor. SHARPIES! cell phone huge hair clip and I have shorter hair. Assorted credit cards and money just dropped in my purse when I am in a hurry.
Receipts from odd places…like the restaurant jenb and I ate at the night before the rest of the CB’s came in Dayton. A piece of fabric for this years’ show choir dresses. My dad’s medicine list. Postcards from the school levy. My wallet, and a checkbook. Assorted papers about show choir competitions. A list of all of my family’s cellphone numbers nicely laminated if I do say so myself. A Tide Stick.
No pens….no comb when I really need it. I either have 4 pairs of sunglasses or none. 3 pairs of reading glasses or none. My distance glasses for show choir to see the stage. And assorted lint.
The kids know all this for one reason and one reason only. I CAN NEVER FIND MY CAR KEYS! I never take them out of the car at home, or I’d need a bicycle. So at school, after choir practice, I am always dumping my purse on the floor to sort through things for the keys. Or someone will see me digging and come over and I just hand things out to people, until the keys show up.
YES, I know I should put them in the same place every tiime. I am physically and mentally unable to do so. I have tried since I was 16 to keep track of my keys and it hasn’t worked yet. Whenever I leave a store or restaurant I look like I am trying to pat myself down to start the agonizing process of finding the keys.
I can see the granchildren in the future making themselves plenty of dough playing ,”whoever finds Grandma’s keys first gets $100.”
And speaking of grandchildren…. MAX! is 1 on March 3rd. HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? So if you will indulge a crazed Grandma…a little trip down memory lane.
and the newest ones from the MOVING TRIP.
Thanks for going along for the ride during the past year. It has been beyond my wildest dreams!
And for those who might be in the mood for baby giggles and mommy smooches…
http://gallery.mac.com/cameronwright2/100086
~ MAX! is clickable - - bjw
February 28th, 2008
How do you say goodbye to an old friend? Someone who was there for you through thick and thin, sickness and health, good and bad? The one who helped you through the long week of you grandfather’s funeral, the flu, writer’s block, the Great Blackout of 2003, boredom, and surgery?
You remember when you first met. He made you laugh. He enthralled you. He made your heart race. You couldn’t get enough of him. But now, something is missing.
Like page 163.
That’s right, my friend is a book.
It’s been my favorite book for about 6 years or so. I read it at least twice a year; last year more. But there is only so much a paperback can take. The spine is cracked, the binding’s shot, and the pages are falling out.
But I can’t bring myself to get rid of it. It’s always been there for me, so how can I just abandon it? How can I (gasp) throw it away?
Throwing it out is the reasonable option; I would relegate it to the Island of Misfit Books if I donated it to the Salvation Army or the local library—who wants a book with missing pages? But I can’t just leave it to a life of slow decomposition among used coffee grounds, brown banana peels, and dirty diapers.
I finally broke down and bought a new copy. The same exact book, the same friend, only without the dog ears and faded cover. So why do I feel disloyal? It’s almost like an illicit love affair and I am cheating on my beloved with someone younger.
I once read – and correct me if I am wrong because I am sure I am – that Jewish people consider books friends and treat them accordingly with a proper burial when they reach “the end.” This is a lovely sentiment, but not one that would be looked upon kindly by my condo association, let alone the people living below me. So that, too, is out as an option.
So what am I left with?
Free to good home: Friendly, loving book. Likes sitting on lap, snuggling in bed, laughter, and pina coladas, but please don’t let it get caught in the rain. Needs TLC.
February 25th, 2008
I just realized there isn’t a regularly scheduled post for this weekend and the last one is On Topic only, which is restrictive.
Check out this link.
http://rinkworks.com/dialect/
If you paste in the URL of a blog, it translates the blog into dialect. I tried it with the Bar & Grill and it was quite strange, in a funny way, to read all your comments. Gives me new insight into your thoughts.
There are several different dialects you can try. I think I like blogs best when they’re in the Cockney dialect.
Pictures of a very happy dog on an Oregon beach.
February 23rd, 2008
It’s getting confusing, but this is the only way I know to arrange this.
The Summer Solstice is June 20, 2008.
My house (THE house) is in Hillsboro, Oregon.
CMS , a more traveled CB than I, points out that it’s cheaper to travel mid-week to mid-week rather than on the weekends. Me, all I know is that my boss gets cranky if I take too many weekdays off. What I figure is, you should arrange your work/travel schedule within these guidelines:
The general idea was to have a party on the summer solstice. I vote we arrange matters so that the most CBs can be in one place at one time. I was thinking of suggesting a party on Saturday, June 21st, that everyone who could be there would be there. (That way, K.L. or Cary wouldn’t have to take time off on Friday, and those who had to travel on Friday could arrive at the party non-tired.)
This would mean that some people would be forced to travel here earlier, or leave here later, and therefore might have to (O! the Horror!) pet my dog, put up with my cooking, or explore Portland more thoroughly than they otherwise might have intended.
I don’t know if this schedule is feasible or fun-sounding. Please feel free to amend as desired. I’m throwing ideas out as they come to me.
McB suggested a tequila tasting. I am situated quite close to a Mexican-centered area, but I’m not sure which are the best restaurants. However, if anyone is so inclined, I have just found out that 3 blocks away, in the basement of the former city library, is the “12th best Japanese restaurant in the United States.” I’m not sure how such things are determined, but that sounds pretty damned impressive.
- If you’re coming to my house from the north, you might want to coordinate travel plans with K.L., if she’s available.
- If you’re coming to my house from the south, please coordinate travel plans with OH as I think she’s hoping to get a caravan going.
- If you’re coming to my house from the east, or you’re not sure of the coordinates, please let me know and I will supply you with either a)the location b)some aspirin.
- In any of these cases, could you let me know also so I can arrange bedding, chairing, and ferrying?
The nearest main airport is PDX. If you are planning to fly your own airplane (and frankly if BCB or McB is the navigator I do advise against this), the nearest airport is Hillsboro.
Once you land at PDX you have three choices:
- shop until you drop at all the best Oregon stores until you have to catch your return flight
- call for a ride. The Merry Ferry service is available
- take the Max! out to outer Hillsboro (the blue line) and call for a ride for the remaining 4 blocks
Questions, comments, concerns? My email address is angstriddengoddess at gmail dot com
February 22nd, 2008
If you’re going to Mary’s in June, please say so in the comments, so we can get an actual list going. Pam (eidlhe) had the smart idea to get an e-mail going, but I didn’t want to have a repeat and have emails cluttering up CBs’ boxes like last time- this way it cuts down hassle in the long-run. So just say “I’m going” and we’ll make sure you get on the list. And if you’re a maybe, or just want to know what’s happening, get on the list too.
Thanks!
February 21st, 2008
I like chocolate. A few years ago I would have called myself a chocoholic without a second thought. I ate chocolate in just about any form, and would even eat that nasty grainy cheap stuff it that’s all that was available. Then I became more…. discriminating? Picky? Ornery? Difficult to please? Pick the one that makes you happiest.
I prefer dark chocolate. My preference is at least 65% percent cocoa. I like pure, unadulterated dark chocolate, but if you threw in some cocoa nibs or chewy bits of ginger I wouldn’t complain. But I admit to having a milk chocolate weakness… Hershey’s. I like an old fashion Hershey’s Bar and Hershey’s Kisses.
Which gets us to today’s question. What’s with all the Kisses flavors? And why isn’t the Hershey’s website updated? Wait. That’s two questions. We’ll discuss the first one first. Kiss flavors. I am known for finding the odd flavored kisses and bringing them into the office. I have recently had hot chocolate, cheesecake, dulce de leche, peppermint stick and cherry cordial stashed in my drawers. Today I picked up strawberry creme, orange creme, and lemon creme. I also seriously contemplated the coconut and the vanilla. Almost forgot, I picked up a bag of Trios, which are dark chocolate and milk chocolate kisses drizzled in white creme.
I admit, it I loved it when they introduced Hugs. Special Dark Kisses? I’m in alt. I can understand Almonds Kisses, even though I don’t like big stuff getting in the way of my chocolate. But some of these flavors lately…
What about the flavors we really want? Kahlua or rum anyone? I enjoy the fruit and creme flavors (white chocolate type stuff) but I want orange and dark chocolate, or rich decadent cinnamon and spices. What flavors of Kisses, Hugs, or even Kissables would you like to see?
Question two- the website. I admit it, I’m not the best about keeping a professional website as updated as it should be, but I’m not a dedicated IT or design department. I don’t spend millions of dollars a year marketing my product. They don’t have the spring flavors up. They don’t mention anything about seasonal packaging. The most recent news article is from 2006, but go to the main site and it’s all about “Project Runway” and how they used the products to make outfits. Bizarre.
February 20th, 2008
and the bar and grill was even more crowded than usual. I had just made my way through the mob and gotten the bartenders attention when suddenly …
February 19th, 2008
It’s sunny out!
It’s gorgeous!!
It’s a three-day weekend!!!
I mean, two weeks ago today, I was looking at this:
Today I’m looking at this:
I’m not quite sure what these flowers are (anyone?), but they sure look spring-like.
The people who sold me the house also landscaped the backyard, putting in a lawn and laying out tree bark everywhere else. But the previous owner must have really loved flowers. I saw all these green shoots sticking up from the lawn and thought “wow, I really need to mow this thing.” Upon closer examination, these shoots look an awful lot like tulips starting to come up out of the ground. I can’t mow tulips! It’s going to look pretty bizarre in another couple of weeks.
Okay, back to your regularly scheduled conversations.
February 16th, 2008
Last year, I gave you all hearts a-racing(woo-hoo the Daytona 500 is in three days), sinful chocolate and many Happy Valentine’s Day wishes. How did it luck out that I’m posting on that date again? Cause I’m lucky and procrastinated. Single or coupled, just know there’s no love like CB love. MWAH!!
The weather has been strange for the last few weeks. Up here in the north it’s been windy, cold and winter. Down south it’s been windy, wet and what passes for winter in the south. Out west it’s been windy and too wet. I think in some way, shape or form we’ve all had the kind of weather that makes one want to huddle in bed with a good book.
It’s hard for Scope to hold onto books or turn pages so we’ve been watching a lot of movies. We try to go with a friend on Tuesday nights to watch them on the Big Screen. We’ve seen Juno, Atonement, PS I love you, The Bucket List, Across the Universe, Michael Clayton; a slew of DVDs like 3:10 to Yuma, The Kingdom, Dracula 2000, Jarhead, Notes on a Scandal, Meet the Robinsons, Surfs Up, Bobby.
It keeps us both busy. I cut plastic bags into strips then wind them up into balls. She pets the dogs and together we watch a lot of different perspectives about the world. Regardless of whether we liked them all or not, these movies made it out of the screenwriter’s brain and onto the screen. They are successful. They had an audience.
As Readers, the CBs have a lot of comfort reads; the books we come back to time and again. What about as viewers? The entire concept is subjective. What works for me may not work for you. But as a comfort flick it should soothe and satisfy a need.
Mine is The Rock with Nicholas Cage and Sean Connery. The characters grow, arc and look good doing so. Or in Connery’s case sound good. They bond. With each other, with the world. The bad guys are well motivated if extremely mis-guided. The good guys are flawed. There’s a little bit of something for everyone;violence, romance, justice. While it’s marketed as being an action picture it’s always been about the characters for me. They blow stuff up, get the girl and save the world. They even learn a few things in the process. It doesn’t get much better than that.
While the elephants weep, sneeze, stampede and trumpet, what movie would comfort you?
February 14th, 2008
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