109/365 - SR
The nerdiest of guys - a love of Star Trek and Macintosh in your soul. The sweetest of guys - you wooed your wife with flowers and a knowledge of Merriam and Gosnell gained through specific reading for that purpose. A gem of a man and husband.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
45 x 365 #107
107/365 - DB
You'd laugh as we'd pat your head and watch your hair bounce back into place. You'd dance with us around the kitchen. You'd wipe away our tears as we went back to our real life - the yelling, the pain. "There's always next summer," you'd whisper.
You'd laugh as we'd pat your head and watch your hair bounce back into place. You'd dance with us around the kitchen. You'd wipe away our tears as we went back to our real life - the yelling, the pain. "There's always next summer," you'd whisper.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
45 x 365 #106
106/365 - LB
You took seven of us, twelve through sixteen, canoeing. What you were thinking when you let the keys fall into the river is anyone's guess. You shrugged and proceeded to let us have the most fun teenagers could have in the presence of an adult.
You took seven of us, twelve through sixteen, canoeing. What you were thinking when you let the keys fall into the river is anyone's guess. You shrugged and proceeded to let us have the most fun teenagers could have in the presence of an adult.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
45 x 365 #105
105/365 - AG
You terrified me at first. In your hands, answers to even the most banal questions were made overly academic. But the cat. You were crazy about that cat. From that moment, I knew that when you became didactic, I could always ask about your pet.
You terrified me at first. In your hands, answers to even the most banal questions were made overly academic. But the cat. You were crazy about that cat. From that moment, I knew that when you became didactic, I could always ask about your pet.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
My apartment at night
The pop, pop, popping of the steam expanding the radiator; the hum of the refrigerator as it cycles on; the abrupt snap as the refrigerator cycles off; the Indian guy next door screaming into a phone in the room next to mine; the cracking of the window as the temperature outsides gets colder and colder; the shovel hitting the sidewalk across the street as the night maintenance man clears off the entrance of the senior citizens' home; the labored breath as he valiantly tries to breathe through a plugged nose; the whoosh, whoosh, whoosh of car tires on the snow-packed pavement; the soft groan of an airplane miles and miles above; the kid next door screaming because he doesn't want to go to bed; the slam of a car door; the thump , thump, thumping bass notes from a radio in a passing car; the laughter of the couple across the hall as they come in from a late night out; the blare of emergency sirens in the distance, growing ever closer, ever closer until they stop right outside our window at the senior citizens' home; the low rumble of voices as the firemen exit their truck; the beep of a car horn as someone locks their car for the night; the random cracking of the wood floor as the temperature in our apartment cools down for the night; the rustle of the covers as I pull them up, trying to cover my head, trying to drown out the noises; the sound of my own breath as I breathe deeply and count in my head, ever higher, ever higher; the swoswoooshhing of a toilet flushing somewhere in the building; the thumping as someone opens the front door to our building, causing air pressure to change and every apartment door in the building to move just a smidgen; the screech of a car alarm going off in the next block; the crunching of snow on a sidewalk - maybe a late night dog walker?; the click, click, clicking of a computer keyboard from the apartment downstairs; the beating of my own heart as I continue the count, higher, higher, until the sounds lull me into sweet, beautiful sleep.
45 x 365 #104
104/365 - CC
You sat there, saying nothing, no notes in front of you, listening to the debate rage. You grabbed my copy of the article. You flipped through it purposefully, then raised your hand, and read two sentences. Then you just just smiled. You single-handedly silenced the debate.
You sat there, saying nothing, no notes in front of you, listening to the debate rage. You grabbed my copy of the article. You flipped through it purposefully, then raised your hand, and read two sentences. Then you just just smiled. You single-handedly silenced the debate.
Monday, February 23, 2009
I need to stop watching TMZ
I want to talk about what's going on in my life, but I can't. So instead I will talk more about popular culture because that seems to be all I can talk about.
I find myself increasingly irritated with celebrities who, when asked about the Rihanna/Chris Brown situation make the situation out to be little more than a tiff between friends. Or, worse, say something like, "they're both in my prayers" or "I hope they work it out."
"I'm not going to crucify him," Ne-Yo said. "I'm not going to do that. That's still my homeboy at the end of the day. For it to go to that level was wrong. I won't say who was responsible. I won't pick no sides. I'm just saying it was wrong [that] it had to happen like that, and I'm praying for the both of them."
Huh? You won't pick no sides? A man beats a woman in a car, causing her face to become bruised and causing a stranger to call the police. But you won't say who's responsible? You want me to say that it's Rihanna's fault? Or the person who called the police? Anyone but Chris Brown, right? After the Grammy's, I had a little crush on Ne-Yo, but I'm certainly changing my mind with crap like this flying out of his mouth.
My boy Will Smith said, "This is a time where they need to be left alone, and if they have things they need to work out, work it out," and urged people to "take a minute before they jump on it and judge."
I'll admit it. Men in Black II was on TBS last night. Twice. I watched both times. I heart Will Smith. So imagine my pain when I read this. "IF" they have things they need to work out, work it out? Maybe I'm in the minority here. I worked at a family service agency that ran a domestic violence shelter and ran group therapy for domestic abusers, so it's not like I'm writing something I know nothing about. I think that rehabilitation of abusers is a one-sided rehabilitation. Rihanna does not have to work anything out. She has done nothing wrong. She's the victim here. Don't blame her and tell her she needs to work something out. There's no if in this situation, either. Chris Brown has issues and he does need to work them out. It's not a two way street. Will Smith, you disappoint me.
Ever delightful Kanye West said, "Can't we give Chris a break?".
No, Kanye, we can not. Here's the deal. Domestic violence is a pervasive, awful problem in our society. When stars, who, for better of worse, have achieved the level of role model, use their power to inflict pain on those who are closest to them, it sends a powerful message. This message says that abuse is acceptable. If we give Chris a break, we ignore this problem. If he can get away with it, what happens to the people who aren't in the public eye who are getting beaten every day? Do their abusers go unpunished, too? If we give Chris a break, what does that say to those other young men who hit their girlfriends? It's okay? We'll pray for them? Escalating violence is okay?
Mary J. Blige says, "They're both young and beautiful people, and that's it."
That's it? That's all you can be bothered to say? You, who have a history of abuse, physical and sexual, in your life, can only say they are beautiful? You haven't learned anything in your life that could be useful to say to these people? Are you excusing the behavior because Chris Brown is young? And pretty? Really?
Ruben Studdard (do you remember him? he beat Clay Aiken for the American Idol win about a gazillion seasons ago) said, "I'm still praying for him. Everybody always has something negative to say about everything, and I always try to be positive. They've both made wonderful careers for themselves, and I think they will continue to do so for the rest of their lives."
You go ahead and be positive about this, Ruben. I'm going to be angry and distraught and frankly pissed off. Chris Brown ushered in complicated explanations to small children about what is an isn't acceptable behavior in a relationship. So, I'm sorry, but I'm not going to be praying for Chris Brown. Instead, I'm going to be hoping that the woman he abused can pick up the pieces of her life and grow into the strong, independent woman she deserves to be. I hope the abuse he perpetrated against her has left the shallowest scars that someday she can overcome.
I hope that someday celebrities will be smart enough to understand their responsibilities to the public so that when an event like this occurs, I don't have to feel a knife through the heart every time I hear victim blaming and abuser absolving on my television set.
I didn't intend to sit down and write this diatribe in quite this way. But I'm so angry. I heard a boy at school defending Chris Brown today. He's only doing that because he hears Brown defended by this celebrities. It's not okay. Domestic violence is not okay. That's what these kids should be hearing. Not a defense for punching a woman black and blue.
I find myself increasingly irritated with celebrities who, when asked about the Rihanna/Chris Brown situation make the situation out to be little more than a tiff between friends. Or, worse, say something like, "they're both in my prayers" or "I hope they work it out."
"I'm not going to crucify him," Ne-Yo said. "I'm not going to do that. That's still my homeboy at the end of the day. For it to go to that level was wrong. I won't say who was responsible. I won't pick no sides. I'm just saying it was wrong [that] it had to happen like that, and I'm praying for the both of them."
Huh? You won't pick no sides? A man beats a woman in a car, causing her face to become bruised and causing a stranger to call the police. But you won't say who's responsible? You want me to say that it's Rihanna's fault? Or the person who called the police? Anyone but Chris Brown, right? After the Grammy's, I had a little crush on Ne-Yo, but I'm certainly changing my mind with crap like this flying out of his mouth.
My boy Will Smith said, "This is a time where they need to be left alone, and if they have things they need to work out, work it out," and urged people to "take a minute before they jump on it and judge."
I'll admit it. Men in Black II was on TBS last night. Twice. I watched both times. I heart Will Smith. So imagine my pain when I read this. "IF" they have things they need to work out, work it out? Maybe I'm in the minority here. I worked at a family service agency that ran a domestic violence shelter and ran group therapy for domestic abusers, so it's not like I'm writing something I know nothing about. I think that rehabilitation of abusers is a one-sided rehabilitation. Rihanna does not have to work anything out. She has done nothing wrong. She's the victim here. Don't blame her and tell her she needs to work something out. There's no if in this situation, either. Chris Brown has issues and he does need to work them out. It's not a two way street. Will Smith, you disappoint me.
Ever delightful Kanye West said, "Can't we give Chris a break?".
No, Kanye, we can not. Here's the deal. Domestic violence is a pervasive, awful problem in our society. When stars, who, for better of worse, have achieved the level of role model, use their power to inflict pain on those who are closest to them, it sends a powerful message. This message says that abuse is acceptable. If we give Chris a break, we ignore this problem. If he can get away with it, what happens to the people who aren't in the public eye who are getting beaten every day? Do their abusers go unpunished, too? If we give Chris a break, what does that say to those other young men who hit their girlfriends? It's okay? We'll pray for them? Escalating violence is okay?
Mary J. Blige says, "They're both young and beautiful people, and that's it."
That's it? That's all you can be bothered to say? You, who have a history of abuse, physical and sexual, in your life, can only say they are beautiful? You haven't learned anything in your life that could be useful to say to these people? Are you excusing the behavior because Chris Brown is young? And pretty? Really?
Ruben Studdard (do you remember him? he beat Clay Aiken for the American Idol win about a gazillion seasons ago) said, "I'm still praying for him. Everybody always has something negative to say about everything, and I always try to be positive. They've both made wonderful careers for themselves, and I think they will continue to do so for the rest of their lives."
You go ahead and be positive about this, Ruben. I'm going to be angry and distraught and frankly pissed off. Chris Brown ushered in complicated explanations to small children about what is an isn't acceptable behavior in a relationship. So, I'm sorry, but I'm not going to be praying for Chris Brown. Instead, I'm going to be hoping that the woman he abused can pick up the pieces of her life and grow into the strong, independent woman she deserves to be. I hope the abuse he perpetrated against her has left the shallowest scars that someday she can overcome.
I hope that someday celebrities will be smart enough to understand their responsibilities to the public so that when an event like this occurs, I don't have to feel a knife through the heart every time I hear victim blaming and abuser absolving on my television set.
I didn't intend to sit down and write this diatribe in quite this way. But I'm so angry. I heard a boy at school defending Chris Brown today. He's only doing that because he hears Brown defended by this celebrities. It's not okay. Domestic violence is not okay. That's what these kids should be hearing. Not a defense for punching a woman black and blue.
45 x 365 #103
103/365 - TC
You were a spoiled child who grew into a spoiled teenager who grew into a spoiled man. Your parents still pay for your food, shelter, car, and video games. They love you terribly, but all they do for you is hindering you from growing up.
You were a spoiled child who grew into a spoiled teenager who grew into a spoiled man. Your parents still pay for your food, shelter, car, and video games. They love you terribly, but all they do for you is hindering you from growing up.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
45 x 365 #102
102/365 - JC
You learned how to read in your thirties when you finally got that dyslexia diagnosis that made it all so much easier. You'd come home from work and diligently do those worksheets over and over again. I admired your fortitude, strength, and incredible work ethic.
You learned how to read in your thirties when you finally got that dyslexia diagnosis that made it all so much easier. You'd come home from work and diligently do those worksheets over and over again. I admired your fortitude, strength, and incredible work ethic.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
45 x 365 #101
101/365 - MM
You would turn off everything before you exited the car - the radio, heat, and seat warmers. You explained it as an energy saving method so persuasively that even now, as I leave my car after turning everything off, I hear your voice in my head.
You would turn off everything before you exited the car - the radio, heat, and seat warmers. You explained it as an energy saving method so persuasively that even now, as I leave my car after turning everything off, I hear your voice in my head.
Friday, February 20, 2009
45 x 365 #100
100/365 - SD
Short, dark hair just barely long enough to cover your child-like face. You might have come up to my shoulders, though I might be giving you the benefit of a couple of inches. So when you spoke with authority in that deep voice, I was awed.
Short, dark hair just barely long enough to cover your child-like face. You might have come up to my shoulders, though I might be giving you the benefit of a couple of inches. So when you spoke with authority in that deep voice, I was awed.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
45 x 365 #99
99/365 - ST
My best friend called you his nemesis, but I liked you. You were smart, ambitious, and (ssshhh) really hot. We spent lunch hours together doing our calculus homework, but then you'd go out to the track and set state records in the 100-meter hurdle.
My best friend called you his nemesis, but I liked you. You were smart, ambitious, and (ssshhh) really hot. We spent lunch hours together doing our calculus homework, but then you'd go out to the track and set state records in the 100-meter hurdle.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
45 x 365 #98
98/365 - JA
The sly comments, the eye rolls, and the snarky reading notes were not the only things we shared. We were the only ones willing to disagree. When you left, I knew it was only a matter of time before I would have to exit, too.
The sly comments, the eye rolls, and the snarky reading notes were not the only things we shared. We were the only ones willing to disagree. When you left, I knew it was only a matter of time before I would have to exit, too.
Monday, February 16, 2009
All I do is watch television
I was super excited last Friday to go home, make dinner, and watch the new Joss Whedon television show Dollhouse. We, the people who never do anything social, actually invited people over to our house to watch it. Admittedly, these people wanted something from us (the next season Angel, another Joss Whedon show, which is why we ended up inviting them to watch with us).
First, things that aren't related to the show. Our stupid cable company's signal is totally messed up. We frequently see shadows of things that have yet to appear on screen on our screen. Does that make sense? We get a preview of something 30 seconds away in the form of a shadowy mess overlaid on top of what we're watching. This happens mostly on ABC and CBS, although recently it has taken over PBS (shut up, I like Antiques Roadshow) and FOX. At first we thought it was actually our television set because, you know, the thing is older than me, and I guess we could give it a little bit of leeway because it's old, but we've decided it's the signal because it doesn't happen to ALL the channels and it doesn't happen to the few channels it does happen to all at once.
Our dishwasher is broken. That's unrelated to the rest of this post. Just an FYI. The folks who own the building don't see it as a high priority, but the last time we didn't run the dishwasher for a long time, we got yelled at. Soooo...we'll see how long before they send someone to look at it.
So, we're going to watch Dollhouse. I was pumped. I'm gonna be honest. I was so excited. I love Buffy and Firefly and even Angel grew on me eventually. David Boreanaz was never my favorite actor, but now I even get a bit excited for the rare times Bones is on during a Thursday night (last week it got preempted for some NAACP awards show and two weeks before that it was preempted for American Idol; I'm pretty sure AI is going to preempt it yet again later this month). I used to take pride that I never watched television. This post has me convinced I may very well be addicted.
Dollhouse was . . . not great. I, like most of America, could not figure out what was going on. There's too much. Plus (please don't be offended by this next statement), all white men look alike to me and there are too many white men doing things in this show. Eliza Dushku is not a strong enough actress to pull off all the different roles it seems as if she might be required of her. There weren't even any funny lines or amusing, quick-witted banter, in typical Whedon style.
We also had to deal with the annoying preview shadows throughout the entire episode. And, one trademark Joss Whedon stylistic tendency we were not happy to have return is the inability to regulate sound during the show. We keep turning the volume up until all of a sudden there is rapid gunfire and it sounds like a nuclear warhead has detonated in our living room. When we watch Angel on DVD we always have to have fresh batteries in our remote to deal with this lightning quick, exagerrated change in volume.
I'm reserving judgment on this show. We will watch at least the next four episodes. Firefly didn't grow on me right away and lord knows Angel took at least a season to get into stride. Maybe Dushku will loosen up with the role and show us some Sarah Michelle Gellar amazing emotion. Maybe Joss was too concerned with setting the stage in the pilot and he missed the character development. I can't give up on Joss just yet.
In addition, our friend brought over snacks and we got to spend some time with good people. All in all, I'm glad Dollhouse is around.
First, things that aren't related to the show. Our stupid cable company's signal is totally messed up. We frequently see shadows of things that have yet to appear on screen on our screen. Does that make sense? We get a preview of something 30 seconds away in the form of a shadowy mess overlaid on top of what we're watching. This happens mostly on ABC and CBS, although recently it has taken over PBS (shut up, I like Antiques Roadshow) and FOX. At first we thought it was actually our television set because, you know, the thing is older than me, and I guess we could give it a little bit of leeway because it's old, but we've decided it's the signal because it doesn't happen to ALL the channels and it doesn't happen to the few channels it does happen to all at once.
Our dishwasher is broken. That's unrelated to the rest of this post. Just an FYI. The folks who own the building don't see it as a high priority, but the last time we didn't run the dishwasher for a long time, we got yelled at. Soooo...we'll see how long before they send someone to look at it.
So, we're going to watch Dollhouse. I was pumped. I'm gonna be honest. I was so excited. I love Buffy and Firefly and even Angel grew on me eventually. David Boreanaz was never my favorite actor, but now I even get a bit excited for the rare times Bones is on during a Thursday night (last week it got preempted for some NAACP awards show and two weeks before that it was preempted for American Idol; I'm pretty sure AI is going to preempt it yet again later this month). I used to take pride that I never watched television. This post has me convinced I may very well be addicted.
Dollhouse was . . . not great. I, like most of America, could not figure out what was going on. There's too much. Plus (please don't be offended by this next statement), all white men look alike to me and there are too many white men doing things in this show. Eliza Dushku is not a strong enough actress to pull off all the different roles it seems as if she might be required of her. There weren't even any funny lines or amusing, quick-witted banter, in typical Whedon style.
We also had to deal with the annoying preview shadows throughout the entire episode. And, one trademark Joss Whedon stylistic tendency we were not happy to have return is the inability to regulate sound during the show. We keep turning the volume up until all of a sudden there is rapid gunfire and it sounds like a nuclear warhead has detonated in our living room. When we watch Angel on DVD we always have to have fresh batteries in our remote to deal with this lightning quick, exagerrated change in volume.
I'm reserving judgment on this show. We will watch at least the next four episodes. Firefly didn't grow on me right away and lord knows Angel took at least a season to get into stride. Maybe Dushku will loosen up with the role and show us some Sarah Michelle Gellar amazing emotion. Maybe Joss was too concerned with setting the stage in the pilot and he missed the character development. I can't give up on Joss just yet.
In addition, our friend brought over snacks and we got to spend some time with good people. All in all, I'm glad Dollhouse is around.
45 x 365 #97
97/365 - SA
The kindest face, eyes wrinkled from laughter and smiles. Always quick with a hug and a funny story to make someone else laugh. That made your swift departure from our ranks, without so much as a single good-bye, so much harder than it already was.
The kindest face, eyes wrinkled from laughter and smiles. Always quick with a hug and a funny story to make someone else laugh. That made your swift departure from our ranks, without so much as a single good-bye, so much harder than it already was.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
45 x 365 #96
96/365 - MC
Do you remember when you told me that I didn't know the meaning of hard work because I'd never done manual labor like you? Do you remember when you told me I was fat and I better never look like my ugly mother? I remember.
Do you remember when you told me that I didn't know the meaning of hard work because I'd never done manual labor like you? Do you remember when you told me I was fat and I better never look like my ugly mother? I remember.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
45 x 365 #95
95/365 - JR
You fell off the teeter totter. I got blamed, but when you came back to school you laughed and said that you had jumped off. I still don't really know what happened, but everyone at the reunion said it was all you could talk about.
You fell off the teeter totter. I got blamed, but when you came back to school you laughed and said that you had jumped off. I still don't really know what happened, but everyone at the reunion said it was all you could talk about.
Friday, February 13, 2009
45 x 365 #94
94/365 - DB
You are that person who puts confetti in the Christmas card. You are that person who writes God Bless as a closing to people who are not religious. You are that person with wild, rebellious children who criticizes the behavior of everyone else's kids.
You are that person who puts confetti in the Christmas card. You are that person who writes God Bless as a closing to people who are not religious. You are that person with wild, rebellious children who criticizes the behavior of everyone else's kids.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
45 x 365 #93
93/365 - SA
Everyone had hopes for you. But you got a girl pregnant when she was only fifteen and sold drugs to pay the bills. When the motorcycle crashed, it wrecked everyone's dreams, especially that little girl with sad eyes looking at her daddy in that box.
Everyone had hopes for you. But you got a girl pregnant when she was only fifteen and sold drugs to pay the bills. When the motorcycle crashed, it wrecked everyone's dreams, especially that little girl with sad eyes looking at her daddy in that box.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
45 x 365 #92
92/365 - JK
You used to unhook your oxygen to go get a smoke. This is the image I have of you. You couldn't stop even though it would cause your death. I know I should've felt sympathy for you, but instead I felt for your eight kids.
You used to unhook your oxygen to go get a smoke. This is the image I have of you. You couldn't stop even though it would cause your death. I know I should've felt sympathy for you, but instead I felt for your eight kids.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
45 x 365 #91
91/365 - SL
You are a bitch. That's all. I know I resolved to be nicer this year, but I can't think of any other words to describe your nastiness, extreme sensitivity, and inability to communicate. You made my life miserable right up until the day you left.
You are a bitch. That's all. I know I resolved to be nicer this year, but I can't think of any other words to describe your nastiness, extreme sensitivity, and inability to communicate. You made my life miserable right up until the day you left.
Monday, February 09, 2009
45 x 365 #90
90/365 -RH
You were a kid from the farm wearing your Carhartt jacket and rubber-soled boots. Sometimes we'd catch you spitting chew into a Mountain Dew bottle left in your truck. Your smell is what I most remember - sweat, tobacco, and the sweet cologne of fresh air.
You were a kid from the farm wearing your Carhartt jacket and rubber-soled boots. Sometimes we'd catch you spitting chew into a Mountain Dew bottle left in your truck. Your smell is what I most remember - sweat, tobacco, and the sweet cologne of fresh air.
Grammy Notes
We watched the last hour or so of the Grammy show last night. Here are some things I jotted down on paper as we watched it.
-Who is this Adele? She's been nominated an awful lot.
-As soon as she gets on stage: Huh. She's a nut. I don't think I like her.
-Jennifer Nettles. I'd do her. I love this song.
-Radiohead - huh? Why's everyone love this band so much? The USC marching band has a lot of bass drums.
- That dude who came on and made a speech about how piracy laws should be more stringent and included a gem about a Cabinet level position called the Secretary of the Arts? Obama's gonna be mad at you.
-Justin Timberlake did a "collaboration" piece with some black dude. JT can really sing. When did that happen? How come I've missed his career taking off since his NSync days? Why is that dude talking over JT singing? How rude.
-My husband hates Jamie Foxx "with a passion." I was unaware.
-NeYo is worming his way into my heart. He's quite handsome.
-I'm enjoying the trend of men in dapper hats. Yay trend!
-I would like to rub Buddy Guy's head. BB tells me that Buddy Guy would not take kindly to that. I think Buddy Guy would give me a hug and tell me to go away.
-As soon as Gary Sinese shows up on screen, the boy yells "Lieutenant Dan!" as if he's been waiting to do that his whole life.
-Lil' Wayne has a red piece of cloth (bandana? handkerchief?) in his back pocket. I wait on the edge of my seat for him to call a challenge. "I need a booth review!"
-BB refers to Alison Krauss as "smokin'." I agree. If she and Jennifer Nettles were in the same room with me, I think I would be overcome with lust.
-Who is this Adele? She's been nominated an awful lot.
-As soon as she gets on stage: Huh. She's a nut. I don't think I like her.
-Jennifer Nettles. I'd do her. I love this song.
-Radiohead - huh? Why's everyone love this band so much? The USC marching band has a lot of bass drums.
- That dude who came on and made a speech about how piracy laws should be more stringent and included a gem about a Cabinet level position called the Secretary of the Arts? Obama's gonna be mad at you.
-Justin Timberlake did a "collaboration" piece with some black dude. JT can really sing. When did that happen? How come I've missed his career taking off since his NSync days? Why is that dude talking over JT singing? How rude.
-My husband hates Jamie Foxx "with a passion." I was unaware.
-NeYo is worming his way into my heart. He's quite handsome.
-I'm enjoying the trend of men in dapper hats. Yay trend!
-I would like to rub Buddy Guy's head. BB tells me that Buddy Guy would not take kindly to that. I think Buddy Guy would give me a hug and tell me to go away.
-As soon as Gary Sinese shows up on screen, the boy yells "Lieutenant Dan!" as if he's been waiting to do that his whole life.
-Lil' Wayne has a red piece of cloth (bandana? handkerchief?) in his back pocket. I wait on the edge of my seat for him to call a challenge. "I need a booth review!"
-BB refers to Alison Krauss as "smokin'." I agree. If she and Jennifer Nettles were in the same room with me, I think I would be overcome with lust.
Sunday, February 08, 2009
45 x 365 #89
89/365 - PV
Slender as a whip, running miles and miles every day. You ran away from your family, your painful secrets, your own thoughts. I once asked how you kept doing it, day after day. You told me it was the only way you could keep going.
Slender as a whip, running miles and miles every day. You ran away from your family, your painful secrets, your own thoughts. I once asked how you kept doing it, day after day. You told me it was the only way you could keep going.
Saturday, February 07, 2009
45 x 365 #88
88/365 - AL
Your hands were marked by time - thin, dry skin covering quavering fingers. Your eyes were filmy, unable to focus, drifting away from that which you most wanted to see. Your mind, sharp as ever, quipping pun after pun, causing me stomach cramps from my laughter.
Your hands were marked by time - thin, dry skin covering quavering fingers. Your eyes were filmy, unable to focus, drifting away from that which you most wanted to see. Your mind, sharp as ever, quipping pun after pun, causing me stomach cramps from my laughter.
Cars and Monkeys
A few weeks ago, I got into an accident in my truck. So here are a few transportation and life related notes with no transitions in between because these are just random musings that I refuse to put into a coherent narrative.
1) I keep getting mail from chiropractors and massage therapists claiming that even though I feel fine right now, in a few months time I will get headaches and backaches and it will be the fault of the accident. Then it will be all my fault that I didn't receive acupuncture or a hot stone massage or whatever immediately after the accident when I am in agonizing pain (in two or three months). So. Since these "offers" of free massages and whatnot usually come in tacky orange envelopes with my name spelled hilariously wrong, I have a hard time taking them seriously.
Until I received well over a dozen of these mailers. Now I lie away at night wondering when the back pain is going to start.
2) While driving around the rental car for over two weeks, I learned a new fact. Cars are comfortable. You can lean the seats back and take a nap. You don't have to yell to have a conversation. You don't have to drive at 5 miles per hour when there is even the smallest hint of snow or ice on the ground. You can get more than three bags of groceries at a time because there is a trunk for the bags! Damn. Cars ARE convenient.
3) The rental had keyless operation, which has to be one of the greatest developments in car manufacturing in recent history. I had never heard of this feature, but grew to love it. Basically we were given a fob and told to keep it in our pockets. As long as the key was on our person, the car was operated by buttons. Push the button to start the car. Push the button on the handle to lock the car, open the car, and open the trunk. In the two weeks we had the rental, I never had to dig around in my purse or pocket for a key. I never needed the actual key!!
It raised lots of questions for us, of course. I have never had a vehicle with automatic anything. You guys, I still have to literally roll the windows down in my truck. So I know it's cheap to get my windows replaced and stuff, but what if this feature breaks? Does it cost a small fortune to fix? What if we accidentally left the fob in the car? Would we be able to get in the car again?
4) At some point, my sister-in-law and brother-in-law dropped their car off at our place and we drove them to the airport. They left us with about a quarter of a tank of gas in their car (let's call their car Gump). BB and I were under strict order to start the car every day that SIL and BIL were gone. At one point, Gump's gas light came on so we took him to the gas station and decided to put half a tank in. We thought we'd just put $20 in the tank and call it a day. At $19.60 the pump stopped. We had, inadvertently, filled the entire gas tank. Because putting $20 in Monster would be less than a quarter of a tank.
5) Our apartment complex, full of single folks and young married couples when we first moved in, has now morphed into an apartment complex full of small young families with squalling infants. The hallways smell like dirty diapers and there is always something screaming. It is the best form of birth control we have ever encountered.
6) The family next door must be a family of monkeys. The young child is forever screaming and the dad is forever yelling into the phone in a foreign language in the room directly next to our bedroom at 11:30 at night. I have actually had to sleep on the couch for two nights because he wouldn't shut the fuck up. I am so sick of the neighbors, I am tempted to kick them when I see them next.
7) When we first moved into this apartment, we swore we weren't going to move again within the city of Minneapolis. Recent developments in the state of our complex have made me seriously reconsider this attitude.
1) I keep getting mail from chiropractors and massage therapists claiming that even though I feel fine right now, in a few months time I will get headaches and backaches and it will be the fault of the accident. Then it will be all my fault that I didn't receive acupuncture or a hot stone massage or whatever immediately after the accident when I am in agonizing pain (in two or three months). So. Since these "offers" of free massages and whatnot usually come in tacky orange envelopes with my name spelled hilariously wrong, I have a hard time taking them seriously.
Until I received well over a dozen of these mailers. Now I lie away at night wondering when the back pain is going to start.
2) While driving around the rental car for over two weeks, I learned a new fact. Cars are comfortable. You can lean the seats back and take a nap. You don't have to yell to have a conversation. You don't have to drive at 5 miles per hour when there is even the smallest hint of snow or ice on the ground. You can get more than three bags of groceries at a time because there is a trunk for the bags! Damn. Cars ARE convenient.
3) The rental had keyless operation, which has to be one of the greatest developments in car manufacturing in recent history. I had never heard of this feature, but grew to love it. Basically we were given a fob and told to keep it in our pockets. As long as the key was on our person, the car was operated by buttons. Push the button to start the car. Push the button on the handle to lock the car, open the car, and open the trunk. In the two weeks we had the rental, I never had to dig around in my purse or pocket for a key. I never needed the actual key!!
It raised lots of questions for us, of course. I have never had a vehicle with automatic anything. You guys, I still have to literally roll the windows down in my truck. So I know it's cheap to get my windows replaced and stuff, but what if this feature breaks? Does it cost a small fortune to fix? What if we accidentally left the fob in the car? Would we be able to get in the car again?
4) At some point, my sister-in-law and brother-in-law dropped their car off at our place and we drove them to the airport. They left us with about a quarter of a tank of gas in their car (let's call their car Gump). BB and I were under strict order to start the car every day that SIL and BIL were gone. At one point, Gump's gas light came on so we took him to the gas station and decided to put half a tank in. We thought we'd just put $20 in the tank and call it a day. At $19.60 the pump stopped. We had, inadvertently, filled the entire gas tank. Because putting $20 in Monster would be less than a quarter of a tank.
5) Our apartment complex, full of single folks and young married couples when we first moved in, has now morphed into an apartment complex full of small young families with squalling infants. The hallways smell like dirty diapers and there is always something screaming. It is the best form of birth control we have ever encountered.
6) The family next door must be a family of monkeys. The young child is forever screaming and the dad is forever yelling into the phone in a foreign language in the room directly next to our bedroom at 11:30 at night. I have actually had to sleep on the couch for two nights because he wouldn't shut the fuck up. I am so sick of the neighbors, I am tempted to kick them when I see them next.
7) When we first moved into this apartment, we swore we weren't going to move again within the city of Minneapolis. Recent developments in the state of our complex have made me seriously reconsider this attitude.
Friday, February 06, 2009
45 x 365 #87
87/365 - JJ
I signed your yearbook, I gave you a picture, I forgot you. I ended up at your mom's house (she was fitting me for a bridesmaid dress) years later. She thought we'd been close friend back then. I'm sorry. I would have been your friend.
I signed your yearbook, I gave you a picture, I forgot you. I ended up at your mom's house (she was fitting me for a bridesmaid dress) years later. She thought we'd been close friend back then. I'm sorry. I would have been your friend.
Thursday, February 05, 2009
45 x 365 #86
86/365 - CC
First chair clarinet, valedictorian, head cheerleader, and one of the kindest people to ever grace my presence. I wanted to hate you, I wanted to spit at your perfection, but instead, I, like everyone else, adored you. You made me appreciate the beauty in others.
First chair clarinet, valedictorian, head cheerleader, and one of the kindest people to ever grace my presence. I wanted to hate you, I wanted to spit at your perfection, but instead, I, like everyone else, adored you. You made me appreciate the beauty in others.
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
45 x 365 #85
85/365 - KH
Your wedding dress was blue. Your curly hair danced in the breeze on the day of that ceremony. You didn't want me there, family only you said, but you sent me picture after picture. Your happiness overwhelmed those photographs. I hope it stays that way forever.
Your wedding dress was blue. Your curly hair danced in the breeze on the day of that ceremony. You didn't want me there, family only you said, but you sent me picture after picture. Your happiness overwhelmed those photographs. I hope it stays that way forever.
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
45 x 365 #84
84/365 - DB
Your face, etched with wrinkles. Your hands, scrubbed as soon as you walked in the door, still greasy and black. Your eyes, twinkling as you said, "pass the butter, honey girl." How could you be expected to know all your grandkids' names? I still don't.
Your face, etched with wrinkles. Your hands, scrubbed as soon as you walked in the door, still greasy and black. Your eyes, twinkling as you said, "pass the butter, honey girl." How could you be expected to know all your grandkids' names? I still don't.
Monday, February 02, 2009
45 x 365 #83
83/365 - EH
My first kiss. My first slow dance. My first, but not last, fight about a boy with my parents. My first sobs over how a boy could like another girl. Last I heard you were in jail. I hope it was just a nasty rumor.
My first kiss. My first slow dance. My first, but not last, fight about a boy with my parents. My first sobs over how a boy could like another girl. Last I heard you were in jail. I hope it was just a nasty rumor.
Sunday, February 01, 2009
Wooo and hooo!!
Mad props to Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald. The Cardinals can certainly hold their heads up high after that game.
But Ben Roethlisberger and Santonio Holmes were amazing. Every time you think they're down for the count, Big Ben pulls the Steelers to another victory. Awesome game.
Go Steelers!!
But Ben Roethlisberger and Santonio Holmes were amazing. Every time you think they're down for the count, Big Ben pulls the Steelers to another victory. Awesome game.
Go Steelers!!
45 x 365 #82
82/365 - DL
I understood only about every other word, between the mumbling and the accent. I read your paper, smart and insightful each one, and wished you had the confidence to step outside of your shyness and discomfort and just talk to me. I wasn't judging you.
I understood only about every other word, between the mumbling and the accent. I read your paper, smart and insightful each one, and wished you had the confidence to step outside of your shyness and discomfort and just talk to me. I wasn't judging you.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)