68

I had been thinking about where I had been; the adventures, escapades that brought me here and thinking….”what was I thinking?”But tonight I am thinking… I have some amazing tales. Some I will never mention again and some I am thinking “Bloody Hell that was fun”.  It is true I have romanticized some but that is the sanity in me coping with what was surely something very wrong. 

To all of you who wonder if you ever cross my mind…. You do and I hope you are happy.  To you who I first smiled at while we were both at the post office…. That day was one of the best. Just know that!

On to more serious matters.……

If Lucas Ian Mac Gregor-Bells marries Ilena Abigail Hatcher-Sutton and they have a baby Phoebe Ann. Is her name really going to be Phoebe Ann Hatcher-Sutton-Mac Gregor-Bells?  Then she marries Mickey Joseph Lewis-Pepper does she become Phoebe Ann Hacher-Sutton-Mac Gregor-Bells-Lewis-Pepper?  Then she marries Jacob Austin Howe-Lough-Given-Stanard.  She is now become Phoebe Ann Hacher-Sutton-Mac Gregor-Bells-Lewis-Pepper- Howe-Lough-Given-Stanard. When does this madness end?  Girls!!!! Either keep your last name or don’t.  Do like your great great grand relatives and use your last name as a name for your child. The chances you are the last remaining heir to an ancient line of nobility is slim; and if that were the case your husband would take your last name.

On another note I saw the Guinness truck turn into the parking lot of the First Baptist Church down the block yesterday.  When I attended there we did not drink beer. I may have to start attending there again. I am sure it was not for the Sunday morning service but maybe Sunday night?

Finally, to all of you people in Texas who claim that the heat of 111 does not bother you but the cold of 68 freezes you unto death; please explain this. You spend 92% of the dreadful spring/summer/fall season in Texas in your homes with the air-conditioner set at 68 and 92% of the winter in your homes with the heat set on 78. Uhmmm…..Why is it ok to be 68 in your home and not 68 outside? 68 is 68 no matter what time of year it is inside or out!!!!!! It makes NO sense!!

I am setting out to gather golf door prizes. Cheers!

Notes to a theater critic

I decided to attend a movie yesterday 

and as I was perusing the list of available film choices my eyes wandered to the reviews of the theater and once again a people did not fail to cause me chagrin.  The review was quite lengthy and went on about how the theater is packed with people mostly teenagers. The place is noisy the kids are loud and obnoxious even during the movie. The facility is filthy, the staff is rude on and on it went. I had to stop, back up and see if it was actually about the place I was going. It was. I attend this same theater at least twice a month and have never encountered this problem. As I was starting to feel Twilight Zoned the vast expanse of this person’s anger dawned on me. They went on a weekend; probably to the opening of some long awaited blockbuster film.  I do not ever go to a movie on a Friday or Saturday. Shaggy and I used to go to a 10:00PM movie every Sunday night but it was never crowded or loud. Most sensible people were at home in bed dreading their Monday morning commute. So to the overwrought, probably 60 something, on a date human who wrote the review…

1.  They have movies every day of the week starting in the morning around 11 and continuing until well past 11 at night. If you do not want to be surrounded by teenagers, date on a Monday.

2.  Those huge blockbuster films play all day usually on several screens all week long.

3.  It is easier to sit back and relax, become swept up in the film, live anther life for 2 hours in the peace of a private showing which can happen any other day but the weekend.

4.  You will NOT receive a prize for being at the opening of a film on Friday at 7. What you will receive is exactly what you got.

5.  You criticized the place for squarely doing what they do.

6.  Your chances of not breathing in some ill persons nasty germs are greatly diminished.

7.  You are not a spectacular human because you can brag at brunch that “yes I saw that movie already” . Really? You saw it? You heard it? You experienced it? How can that be when you were sitting in a noisy theater surrounded by obnoxious teens that probably did not turn off their social devices and were causing distractions?

I had a private showing yesterday. Just I and 8 other people occupied a room set to seat 120 it was fabulous!

As I watched the pre-show entertainment a Taco Bell advertisement appears and it is two teens in a car. The girl takes a bite of her Dorito taco and the shy young lad leans over, not realizing it, kisses her and she tastes like a Dorito; he is thrilled and surprised. She grins. It was cute, but then not. 

The thought of some marketing genius now creating Cool Ranch, Zesty Salsa and Kansas City BarBQ flavored lip gloss for Lancôme is disturbing. 

I remember my teen-aged boyfriend being heartily surprised after kissing me to discover my lips tasted like cinnamon and just to be sure he would quickly kiss me again. Do I want him to associate me with a bag of chips of a juicy red wrapped cinnamon candy?

You horse people may get this. Yesterday was one of those days when you are saddled up and your horse is so energized he cannot stand still and just prances in place and in circles because he can contain himself no longer.  You ask for a walk and he skips. You let him have his head and the gentle lope you hope for is now a staccato of long legged hops. He shakes his head, he plays with the bit, and the wind has become his dance partner. It is not gusting or blowing but seems to be performing a Paso-Doble with you. That was my day, except I have no horse. But it was the best day I ever had with Face. He was an Arabian with a very fluffy tail, which was flagging behind him all that afternoon.

It is a Nutella on toast morning. How has your day started?

Poker Night Apron

Meanwhile back along the parade route….. I was scouting out the best location for myself when I noticed a group of Ladies and men setting out what appeared to be a lavish buffet of assorted fruits, vegetables, cheese, crackers and other goodies. Then I heard someone ask if anyone wanted another Mimosa. That is when I noticed the red solo cups in everyone’s hands and the bottles. 

I soon also discovered what was in the cooler directly in front of me, enough champagne to toast every student at the University of Alaska. These people came not only to support the marathon runners and walkers and parade but they came to have fun.  They shared their food with everyone who grabbed a blanketed patch of grass to sit on.  I decided the most entertaining spot to be at was right where I was.

I seem to be on a Robert Redford escapade. I have watched The Great Gatsby,

 Indecent Proposal,

 Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

 Spy Game 

is waiting as are several others including Clam Bake with Elvis.

I saw Horatio yesterday. I have not seen him in probably a year. He was making the turn into Home Depot. Death by nail gun, hammer, suicide by ladder…. I will not know.

As I was driving out to Crescent Bend I had to pass through the area that is under construction. Since I was going so slowly I thought I would check out the men. Much to my surprise there was neon green vested specimen walking behind a piece if construction machinery with a remote control box in his hand.  I had never seen this before and thought WOWSER!!! 

This stirred in my memory visions of me in a park playground in a sandbox with miniature construction equipment. My favorite was the excavator, loading scoops of dirt into a dump truck my brother would drive off with. Good times….

Speaking of Home Depot…..I think I will go buy some soil and some plants. What will you plant today?

Have you ever spent 15 minutes explaining something to someone only to realize after 15 minutes they still did not get it and were just not hearing you because they had formulated their own idea of the one you are trying to get across? Not that I have a problem with a melding of ideas. I had a goal and a project. Yes I said had; the moment for it passed.

I was invited to a “Poker Night Birthday Party” I explained I do not play poker so it was suggested I could stay in the kitchen working the food, barefoot.  I have just the perfect pink apron in the drawer of my buffet table; thank you Grandmother….hahahaha  This will be fun!

Fiesta Jazz

I was at work Friday helping with two very skittish dogs while they were being inoculated against kennel cough.  I was asked to take some photos to improve their chances of being adopted.

 So I got on the ground and starting shooting random shots hoping for the best. As one of the girls sat down and cocked her head at me Les squirted the Bordetella up her nose. But at the same exact moment the dog snorted, a stiff breeze blew across her and I took a breath. Needless to say I inhaled the Bordetella.  

Bordetella is a genus of small (0.2 - 0.7 µm), Gram-negative coccobacilli of the phylum Proteobacteria. Yeah that is what I thought too. Or….. any of various small, gram-negative coccobacilli of the genus Bordetella, some of which are pathogenic in the human respiratory tract. It includes B. pertussis, the causative agent of whooping cough.

My lungs had filled with fluid in 15 minutes and I was coughing like a drowning victim. Les called the vet and he had never heard of people ingesting it. Well, it was not like I did it on purpose!  In another 30 minutes I was sneezing and had a runny nose.  It was well over an hour and I was wheezing and coughing. This went on for almost three hours and then I noticed it was easier to breathe and I was coughing less. By 7:00 PM I was breathing normal and was no longer suffering.

The long term effect of this so far has been an uncontrollable rage at the stomping and jumping of the people above me in the town- home. They had shattered my internet connection at total of 16 times in 30 minutes.  It was Sunday evening and I just wanted to cap off the weekend with a movie, a bowl of buttery popcorn and a powdered donut in peace.  My next angry outburst was TWC

 for their inadequate system.  I am very sure my tirade would have made Pirates cringe in fear.

Outside of all that; my daughter Lovey and I attended a Casino night fund raiser for a local Lions Club and had the best fun! She won a Silent Auction item and I…. well I just had fun. She had never played roulette so we started out there, much to her disappointment. She wanted to play Black Jack. So after about 30 minutes we waltzed over to a table and played Black Jack the rest of the night. We proceeded to build our empire as she called it.  I will say that once she figured out the roulette table she loved it.  I did bid on a date with Mayor at the auction.  Lovey and I then got in a bidding war with three other people over a 30 minute flight with a pilot in a little something, something aircraft. We backed out at $600.

There was more adventure on Saturday as I caught some of the marathoners at a water station, then photographed a parade. 

The 2013 Fiesta Especial Promenade & Parade which is part of Fiesta Especial® 

Fiesta Especial® is an official Fiesta® San Antonio event created for children and adults with physical, cognitive and developmental differences and the family and friends who love them.

Later in the afternoon I headed over to Schertz to grab some photos of Absolute Jazz.  

What a wonderful afternoon listening to the velvet voice of Ken Slavin and The Jazz Protagonists and many other local jazz artists. They had wine tasting, beer and food.  

I hope everyone else had a fun weekend!

Crazy Pills

My cat, Scarlet just attempted to put her beak into my cream pitcher. Has she lost her mind? Two days ago she drug a gallon size plastic baggie with dog food for my daughter’s dogs off of a shelf and out into the kitchen from my pantry and proceeded to rip the bag and eat. Goblin is eating the sticks in a dried flower arrangement in the guest room and then hacking them up. I just found that on the rug in that room. This morning he jumped on my bed with all the grace of a rhino; made his way to a spot near my head and proceeded to noisily clean his face.  Who is giving my cats crazy pills?

I opened my new wine last night, poured a glass, turned Pandora on to my Adam Lambert (do not laugh! I love him) station because I wanted to dance. After 6 Daughtry, 3 3^rd Eye Blind, a few Nickleback, 1 matchbox 20 and 2 songs by One Republic I finally heard from Adam Lambert. Maybe if I had asked for Daughtry I would have gotten more Adam. Pandora also had some of the crazy pills.

Back to the wine. People!!! This is one of the BEST cabernets I have ever had. I got my dark fruits; black cherry slithered through all levels like ivy on a trellis, sprinkled in the begging reminding me of cinnamon on a cappuccino was the cocoa. It showed up again at the finish lightly dusted over smooth licorice ice cream and to my surprise a lingering cherry.

Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!!  I have a meeting in 5 minutes!! Late 

Apology to Quentin

Quentin Tarantino slipped through the room; gliding just a mere 3 feet from me as I sat enjoying a deliciously cold, crisp martini near the fireplace.   I was not star gazing I was just enjoying the moment. Not really paying attention to who was around or moving about. I was making friends with my surroundings, admiring with curiosity the thousands of albums that filled the enormous bookcases on both sides of the fireplace.  I had shifted my gaze toward a movement when there he was.  I then realized where I was. The evening held more surprises.

Crisp Chef’s Focaccia started us out along with a bottle of Rocca di Montemassi Sangiovese. That was followed by a house salad, eggplant parmigiana and the frothiest cappuccino I have ever enjoyed. The meal was delicious.

2010 Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet was the greatest surprise. Sorry Quentin. It was a gift from my daughter’s business associate and it came with a story. He arranged with the concierge to purchase this specific bottle of wine for me.  This became an all-day adventure for the concierge. After contacting 3 of the larger wine shops and a couple specialty shops he was finally told that this wine is brokered into a few restaurants in Austin. The concierge then spent quite some time calling restaurants in Austin until he found the exact requested bottle. He then drove to get it.  This bottle of wine is now very special to me especially because it involved an adventure not only for me but everyone who was associated with the quest for it.  

From the reviews I have read on it this cab has all the qualities I love in a cab. Black cherry, cocoa, earthy spice and leather all layered between more dark fruits.

  Let the weekend begin!

Supreme Tomato Court

When you drive less distance for work I have noticed you have less opportunity for observing.  Maybe I should find at least one errand to run each day.  My morning walks do not offer me the range of adventure either.

However I am curious about this craving I am having this week for tomatoes.

Tomatoes are a member of the nightshade family.  Many nightshade plants are highly toxic and others are edible.  The plant can grow anywhere from 3 to 10 feet tall.  The stem is weak and they often grow across the ground spreading their vines over other plants.

The tomato is a fruit. But according to the American Supreme Court it is a vegetable.  The tomatoes went to court?  I cannot even imagine why this was necessary.  A Tariff Act in 1883 required a tax be paid on imported vegetables. After the testimony of 2 witnesses and 3 Dictionaries the court decided that based on the way it was used it would be classified as a vegetable. For the entire story see Nix v. Hedden.

The tomato is native to the Americas and was spread around the world shortly after Spain started colonizing the New World. It was being cultivated well before 500 BC.  They first appear in writing in 1544 in Italy where their uses were discussed in a book and they were called pomi d’oro or golden apple. In 1692 tomatoes show up in a cook book in Naples.

The plant was used mostly as an ornamental shrub. 

They come in many colors; red, yellow, orange, green and purple to name a few. They contain lycopene which is loaded antioxidant properties and is vital t bone health. Lower total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides are a benefit of tomatoes. They help prevent unwanted clumping together of platelet cells in the blood. Rich in Vitamins A, K, C, and B6 to name a few they also are source of manganese, fiber and folate.

I must agree that a crystal bowl of brightly colored tomatoes placed on a counter or table is lovely.

 There is also something very primitive about popping a tiny tomato into your mouth, chomping down on it, and as it ruptures feeling the juice and seeds flow over your tongue. Mmmmmm

Lady Tamara is off on a grand adventure today.

Happy  Tomato Hunting!

Mommy Tiger

I discovered last Tuesday evening much to my chagrin that there was a tear in my skirt where one of the biases cut pieces attaches; Right over my left butt cheeck. I am guessing it had been there all day, and yes you could tell if you looked. Joy! It is now in the sewing pile and I will fix it tonight.

Have you ever wondered about the word chagrin? Where it comes from? What exactly does it mean? I have for years.

CHAGRIN – a feeling of vexation, marked by disappointment or humiliation   -  French – from about 1650 – chagraigner –sadden from Od French graignier  - grief, vexation – from graim – sorrowful

I have been fussed up over what to hi-light in Artz this week. I came across a painting titled “Death and Taxes”. Which I thought would be appropriate for today; as it is tax day. However, I could find no other pieces of art with that theme. The movie “Meet Joe Black” has a death and taxes theme running through it. Movies are art. That is two days. Is there an Uncle Sam poster out there with him pointing and saying “I want you to pay your taxes?”

My daughter, Shaggy’s, roommate, Pete, in California got into a bit of trouble with his landlord back in November that finally caught up with him a month ago so they were evicted. My daughter being the warrior Princess Child she is of course landed on her feet and found a place to live. Now Pete at the same time lost his boyfriend who is best friends with Shaggy’s boyfriend. Needless to say it has not been an easy few months for Pete. Unfortunately Shaggy and Pete work together so it is strained and uncomfortable. Well on Friday Shaggy lost phone service. She was on a plan with Pete.  Yesterday she received a message via facebook from Pete’s mommy. It said she had terminated the phone service and if there were any problems she would show up to my daughter’s work place and show her how things would be.  Shaggy told me this last night. Yes it sounds threatening to me too.

 I, mommy tiger, as Shaggy calls me, told her to report the message to Team facebook as abuse and a threat. I told her to block them both and not respond or reply to any further contact from them. His mommy???   Really??? 

   Is Pete still in 4^th grade? His mommy is going to come down to the school yard? This mommy tiger just woke up after a sound sleep and am about to sharpen my claws bitch!

 Twitch cow just twitch!!!!

I shall resume my search for tax art.

 Have a lovely, tiger-less day!

Catty Critic

Why when some dogs escape their yard, kennel, confines do they feel the need to head away from home and out into the unknown. Is there no loyalty? They trot or run away from food, water, shelter without a second thought. Is their home life so horrible? Are thy mistreated?  Does it smell better down the road? Are they looking for a girlfriend? Is there someone grilling flesh 6 blocks over?

I was not criticizing your photos. I was suggesting that 217 of one event with a shot every 3 seconds of an entire show were a bit much for your site visitors to take in. I was careful how I said this because I did not want you to perceive it as criticism and yet you did and for the past 3 days you have criticized my photos in a hurtful way.

 I did not comment on the quality, or subject matter, or anything else. I simply said 28 shots of a girl eating in the food court were a bit uninteresting. 14 shots of the entrance gate was extreme 49 shots of two knights at battle was while exciting for me probably not so much for your visitors. I suggested you simply had too many. My shots were ripped apart by you. 

I did not do this or that or those or where was this? Did it occur to you that I could only be in one place at one time and perhaps the shots I took of the said shows were not clean and clear? You yourself said that you often have out of 200 shots 12 that may be good. 

I am curious will you call with again some criticism today? Are you a Leo by chance? If you do not like the bloody photos do not use them! It is not like you paid me for me them. Bloody Hell !!!!

I will be photographing Zombies tomorrow at 8 in the morning. Very excited!!! Cheerleaders, Zombies and muggles will be running through the park. How can I mess up a zombie shot they are supposed to be ugly?

 Maybe this is more my forte. Maybe I can be zombie paparazzi. They would not complain.

Have a glorious weekend.