ALPHAWOMAN'S BLOG

How I Spent my Summer - Part II

2011-09-16T05:53:00.000-07:00

Hanging out with the cool kids.

It's unbelievable but it has been 40 years since I graduated from High school. I ask myself daily how is this possible? How did time go by quickly? Was 1971 that long ago? Apparently the answer is a resounding YES.

Recently I have been working with a lot of high school kids at G-land. Kids that are entering their senior years at High School or attending the universities for the first time. Sitting in our Break Room in the trailor out back of G-land I was having a conversation with one of the kids, "A long long time ago in the 1960's......" he began and I started laughing inside my head in an hysterical kind of way. Quickly doing the math, if that had been me at that age taking about a certain era I would have been speaking about the 1920's. If I had had a mouthful of liquid I would have spewed it.

It's all relative, isn't it?

Are the hippies and kids of the 1970's like the Flappers of the 1920's to this generation? The answer is yes.

So I went to my High School reunion on the Fly. I sent in my money. I made my hotel reservations. I made an Airline reservation. I posted pictures on the Face Book page. I grew excited. Then I decided at the last moment not to go and cancelled everything.

Then I jumped in my car and drove the seven hours to be there because I am a wish washy can't make up my mind kind of spacy that way sort of person. I realized I could not miss it.

At the reunion I began throwing back watered down vodka smashes (my concoctions and directions given to the bartender to mix up in the thimble sized glasses).

I ended up downtown with a gang of the Popular Kids dancing at Johnny Angels with the class Egg Head. It was so much fun! It was like we were hanging out with the Cool Kids!

Well, we were.

How I Spent my Summer Vacation - Part I

2011-09-07T05:57:00.000-07:00

ALL ROADS LEAD TO MEMPHIS

Due to circumstances beyond my control, I found my summer beginning with a move to Memphis Tennessee. Actually, not Memphis proper, but a little ole town directly south of Memphis, in Mississippi. But for all practical purposes, it's Memphis.

It began to rain the moment we hauled the moving truck to load our belongings and it did not stop raining for two weeks.

The mighty Mississippi River overflowed her banks in the downtown area. Tourism was declared dead. After all, when it is reported on national television that Beale Street is under water, what are people to think? Where Beale St. meets Riverside Drive was underwater but the vibrant area full of blues, barbeque, horse and buggies for hire, street performers, Elvis sightings, Handy Park, strong police presence, and tumbling spinning phenomenons was just fine.

They neglected to report that!

The major highlight of the move was transporting the cat. I did not have room in my car as it was filled to the brim with the remains of the house. Pots and pans, the sole remaining plant, etc. etc. etc. It was decided that Kitty would ride with Joe. We put him in the cat carrier and off they went.

Five minutes later my cell phone begins ringing. I heard the most God awful cat crying in the back ground. "He is going crazy!" Joe reported. "Hold him, pet him and calm him down!" I instructed.

It was a four hour drive of puking, pooping and pulling over. The cats heart was beating so fast that we thought he was going to explode. Joe took him out of the car at the "Corn Dog" stop before getting on I-40 at 641 South and the cat ran under the car!! It was a sight to see Joe on his belly coaxing the Kitty to come out!

I think it was the worst drive of Joe's life except that one time in Ireland when I had to keep yelling "TO the left!! TO THE LEFT!!"

Joe is my hero. The cat will be drugged the next time we have to transport him anywhere.

My Blog is Being Kidnapped

2011-09-06T19:02:00.000-07:00

Something oh so strange happened just now. Every time I try to log on I get transported to a page trying to sell me an Internet domain! WTF? Hope I sidestepped the shenanigans by deleting some stuff on my sidebar. Think the old blog roll site might be the culprit.

I may have a blog entry tomorrow.

Thursday 13

2011-08-19T12:04:00.000-07:00

Thirteen Things I have in my Knock-off Jimmy Choo Purse

Return to Thursday 13!

1) Five hour energy drink (just in case)

2) Bottle of Ibuprofen (always need with old woman knees)

3) My moleskine (at ready to jot down fantastic ideas or observations)

4) My date book (hopeful and good to keep track of my hours at both jobs)

5) 3 Elvis pens (I admit, I am a pen thief)

6) Small pocket notebook (for the pocket!)

7) Wallet (in case I get pulled over and for holding debit/credit cards)

8) MP3 player complete with ear thingies hanging up on everything

9) car keys

10) lipstick (which I hardly ever wear anymore)

11) extra reading glasses (one of the dash or in my pocket)

12) Stray receipts (always)

13) Cell Phone (never can find it when it goes off at the bottom of the purse)

Brainwashed

2011-07-23T23:02:00.001-07:00

Two weeks into my new job and I am singing Elvis in my sleep.

Nevertheless...... this is rocking. I just did not know at the time. I was too young. And he was too old for me (He was 33 at the time). I thought he was an old man.........

What I love About Living in a BIG City

2011-07-08T10:40:00.000-07:00

I remembered the International Market from the first time we were here. It took me a while to remember where it was located but suddenly I saw it! I crossed three lanes of traffic to make the turn into the shopping center. (Luckily, there was no one to cut off or piss off as I crossed over!)

From the moment of entering into the store I knew I was not in the Neighborhood Krogers! You are greeted by the unmistakeable aroma of fish! When you grab a cart, it is not the average size usually available at the local store...oh no, it has extra room. More like your Club Stores variety.

And speaking of variety! I was like a kid in a candy store. The vegetables were laid out like a spilled cornucopia of exotic colors that had made an emergency landing in the store. Veggies were King! I threw in a seedless watermelon, eggplant, Japanese eggplant, Mexican yams....and on and on.

The aislse were a little more confusing since this is an International Store.

I did not give into temptation and grab Coca Cola from Mexico - honestly, the Real Thing. It is Still made with all those ingredients that are soooooooo good and not cost cutting. I did walk by - but I will go back and my resolve may not be so intact.

I did toss in some cookies that were like biscuits - so good I may eat the wrapper they came in to boot.

I found jasmine rice. Oh, Foodnetwork.com, here I come. First stop, Paula Dean and a recipe for fried banana peppers.

Fast and the Furious

2011-07-03T08:24:00.000-07:00

Driving around the Memphis area is a trip! Everyone, well about 75%, of the "other drivers" on the road seem to be auditioning for The Fast and the Furious. And what is worse, it's contagious. I am constantly reminding my husband that we are going to the park to run! We are not in a life and death situation to get to the hospital! Slow down, quit tailgating, stop being so ANGRY & ANNOYED!

They may not be the worst drivers (that would be anywhere in Florida) but they are the rudest! Yesterday I was on my way home from the Biscuit Bucket. The drive is approximately 10 miles down the main drag in this part of town. There must be about 10 - 15 stop light along the way. The road is also the main thoroughfare to US 78. This translates to a lot of semis. This idiot (they are always an idiot when they pass you and a menace to society when they are in front of you!) comes up in the slow lane on the right and tailgates the car next to me. This is Saturday afternoon,, very heavy traffic. He gets tired of the car not getting the message (i.e., pulling over to let him by) and passes him on the shoulder! I had not seen anything like that in a long long time! The he gets around him and behind a semi. So what does he do? He begins to pass the semi. But there is a car in the left hand lane, the lane he needs to pass!! The driver in the left hand lane drives into the turn lane to allow the guy to get around the semi. Happy now, the idiot drives like a maniac to the stop light where we all meet again. The he turns right. Lord lord, he did yield to oncoming traffic.

I was just glad it was not me next to the semi. I don't know if I would have had the frame of mind to allow myself to be pushed over. I'm not that experienced with the intricacies of driving in Memphis yet.

Not only are they terrors on the roads, they are terrors on the jogging tracks on their silly bicycles. My husband does not understand my intolerance of sharing the paths with these new age Idiots. It comes down to this. One can not wear a MP3 while on the paths because you will be mowed down. They come up behind you and maybe one out of 100 will say "on your left" before they whiz by.

I know it's dangerous on the streets for bicyclists but damn it.....they irritate the hell out of me.

Thursday 13

2011-06-30T07:17:00.000-07:00

Thirteen Things I did yesterday...

1) Got the job at Graceland. It's seasonal but who knows! I am a shining light in retail so I am certain I will become permanent in time. I believe they offered it as a temp thing because of benefits. It does not matter to me because I am covered by my hubs. I am working for the King! Come next week...

2) Found the major library for this county and found several books about fundraising but no Suze Rotolo book about Freewheeling Greenwich Village in the 60's and Bob Dylan. Guess it is going to come down to ordering the blooming book thru Amazon.

3) I went to the Shelby Farms and ran my three miles and am getting slower rather than the desired faster! I took on the challenge of Grandpa's Ridge at the Lake last week and my calves have not quite recovered.

4) Ate left over etouffee and Twinkies.

5) Watched the last half hour of The Food Network Star on a encore presentation - at 12 am! Actually I dvr'ed it and watched Jimmy Fallon. I love Jimmy. Even if it was s re-run from when Arnold got into trouble. The hash tag was "Iwentthere" - hilarious as always. My favorite? "stop singing "I'm bringing sexy back". Bitch, you are the reason Sexy left!"

6) Spoke to my High School friend and almost got to see her for the 3rd time this month. It's incredible because I have not seen her in 10 years! reunions are the bomb.

7) Worked at the Bucket and was actually called in early! I'm so good..

8) Found some sort of voodoo Watkins Pain spray. And my knees were bothering me so I thought I would give them a spray and see what happens. I justified it by thinking it would give me a platform to sell the stuff - by testimony. to my surprise and relief, it worked! very fast. Gotta find a place that sells it cheaper than the Bucket.

9) Made an after work trip to Walmart. Now since living in a much more civilized area of the country, I have Kroger's everywhere I can throw a stone. But at 1030 - no such luck. So I mosey into my local Wally World and they are in the process of restocking and people and lifts and pallets of enormous portions of product are everywhere. I get my Aspercreme (my knees after Grandpa's Ridge are a major concern) and knock off 7-up and a get well card for a pal and head for the check out line. There is not one! It's all self check out. Two young and handsome kids tell me to go ahead of them because I have less stuff. Oh such cute little hunks! Chivalry in the South! Who would have thought it still survives.

10) Took the knock off 7-up home and made my new self created drink "May May's Sunset" coconut rum, OJ 7-up and grenadine. Yummy. Very sweet.

11) Found my way to the new Goodwill Bookstore and found three fantastic cook books! Talk about Good II The book of Cajun Cuisine. The County Fair Cookbook and a James Beard recipes for the Cuisinart. Any James Beard cookbook is a treasure. Score!

12) Thought about straightening up the house.

13) Lost my cell phone somewhere in the house and had to take off to work without it. Found it under a towel on the couch. Maybe today I can more than just think about tidying up the Casa May-may.

750+ Words

2011-06-22T14:31:00.001-07:00

Sometime ago, maybe around Christmas, I found this web site that was for aspiring writers to just dump their thoughts at the beginning of the day. Upon waking from the wonderland of slumber you would amble on over to your computer and just write .. write anything for about 750 words. Then it became a challenge to see how many days in a row you could go. It was great fun while it lasted. I would pour out my dreams as I had almost instant recall that early departed from them. I ran into some problems with the actual content of the dump, but that is a story that does not need telling...but I think I will try and just clean it up a bit and spare you all the details of my vivid dreamscapes.

Today was a humdinger and it is not even over. I worked late at the Bucket and watched part of Jimmy Fallon (man I love him) before going to bed. Joe came bursting through the door and asked me where the heck my cell phone was and why I was not answering it! It was charging in the corner. It had turned itself off because I allowed it to get so drained the day before. Seemed that one of the guys in the office who works with him had a solid lead for me concerning my pursuit to join the ranks of Fundraising. So I had to run over there and get all the info and run home and jump on the computer. Whew...

That done I went out to get my three mile run in. It began raining and I was so concerned about my watch! I did not know if it was waterproof, so I sat under a tree for a spell and then braved the heavy rain and made a mad dash for the car. In other words, did not run today, got soaked and the watch is OK.

Checked e-mails. Nothing.

Got ready for my second interview with Kingland.

Not really certain if I want this job, that is a sure thing I will get it.

Went to Best Buy (Not) and tried to demand my money back for this $99 package they sold me along with my new computer. One of the disc's is empty! They would not refund my money explaining to me it included the software for the virus protection and installation. (WTH!) I was refunded $30 for the disc's. I told them I would take my chances with system restore. The more I deal with BB the more I dislike them.

Off to Kroger to hand over my hard earned money. But I did have a slew of coupons which saved me $10! I had to get 10 frozen dinners for Joe-Joe so he can eat when I go to the Lake House (tomorrow) for the annual sibling gathering in eastern TN.

Check e-mails and the HR lady is handing over my resume and appliction to the "talent acquistion team" to assist...what does that mean? Did she really mean assess? What the Heck, it's a foot in the door I never had until today!

Then the MOD guy calls and we set up a meet for Monday or Tuesday. I will finalize tomorrow. Immediately add "Volunteer at MOD as fundraiser" on resume! Boy, I'm devious sometimes.

I'm making chicken and dumplings and slow cooking a pork tenderloin BBQ also for Joe while I am away. The Chick-n-dump is for me.

Nothing else has aggravated me today.

But it's still rather young.

Close Encounters of the Bucket Kind.

2011-06-21T08:47:00.000-07:00

I have picked up the threads of my past existence, so to speak. I am running again and ran an ugly three miles this morning. But the run was in a fabulous park with several ponds. One of them with flowering water lilies. So I did not get all worked up about the people on bikes (do you have to whizz by so fast without warning! God forbid I dare wear my MP3 and stumble in you path and get smashed)and the young high school kids who breeze by as if they have wings on their feet. Or the old Grandma with her young granddaughter who came around me, running on their tippy-toes, to catch up with her husband. They could never maintain that stride for the three miles around the trail. And it was partly overcast with a refreshing wind announcing the impending storms which will arrive around lunch time.

I am at the Bucket and astonished at how much they adore me! All that time with Heather-be-Thy-Name prepared me to excel anywhere I put on the apron. They are poised and ready to promote me. When I was informed of this, I started laughing. "What's so funny?" I was asked. "Gosh, you gotta know Heather. I'm not laughing because its funny. It's just.....nice, thank you."

While at C-ville I just accepted that the recession and the economy was held at bay. I knew it was because C-ville is a military town and money flowed like honey. I knew the economy chugged along like a well fueled train due to the influx of military families visiting before the deployments and just as I was relocating to the Memphis area, they were arriving in droves to welcome the troops that were arriving home daily on the transport planes. It was a joyful happy time.

But down here! To say it's different is an understatement. The atmosphere at the store is much more guarded and less frivolous. So I adjust.

I still get a tremendous kick from meeting people from all walks of life and from all over the map. Since I am brushing the cobwebs from my keyboard and from that part of my brain that controls my blog inspiration, I may just write a lot about these close encounters of the Bucket Kind.

Stay tuned.

What's The Buzz Tell Me What's Happening?

2011-06-18T09:49:00.000-07:00

After six weeks in the Memphis area I have finally broke down and rejoined the Internet. Using the library and my husbands office got complicated. When looking for a job, a computer and the Internet is a necessity anymore. Not a luxury. Though being off the Internet....I did not read as much as one would think. I didn't watch a lot of tv either. I don't know how those hours disappeared!

I am working part time at the Bucket while I try and find something else. Something that pays a whole lot more and I would have week-ends off. I have interviewed at several Fundraising Charities but my lack of fund raising back ground is a huge deterrent. I naturally think this is BS, but what you gonna do? Asking people to buy stuff and asking people to volunteer and sponsor special needs is very similar. The approach is different, but the technique is the same.

I am disappointed that "they" dismiss me and I am not a viable candidate. So, I have decided to volunteer with the March of Dimes and see what happens.

Today I ran three miles! It was not pretty. It was not fast. But I did it and my knees do not hurt much at all! Hooray! I have been practicing for six weeks. I walked the first three and then I bought a pair of good running shoes and have worked my way up to a steady and slow three miles. I also discovered the Shelby Farms Park, about ten miles from us, which is a fantastic area dedicated to outdoor activities! And as an added bonus, buffalo!

I attended my High School reunion and got to hang out with the cool kids afterwards as we headed downtown and danced at Johnny Angel. The cool kids are now the wild kids who don't know when to quit. I almost did not go. So glad I did.

The family reunion at the Lake House is this coming week-end and I am going to it. Gosh darn it, though, another six + hour drive. I may make a detour and visit my pals in C-Ville on the way to East TN.

That's the Buzz.

I am just a dreamer and you are just a dream

2011-05-23T08:30:00.001-07:00

This has to be the longest I have neglected my blog. Very good reason, I have not set up Internet at my new home and I am at the mercy of the library and their 30 minute limit! Well, I never.

Looking for a job in the Memphis area and realizing how hard that is without a computer. Today I am headed to a job fair for the casino's a little south of here and tomorrow a job fair put on by the local paper.

I have a pretty busy schedule for the month of June. My high school reunion is the first week-end of the month, I have a wedding I love to attend on the second week-end of the month. Added to that, my Aunt is coming in from PA for a visit and two of my cousins will accompany her. I do not want to miss that. Then our annual trip to the Lake house is the last week of June. So, the way I see it, I can't really work!

At least until after June.

Well, that's about it. I have less than two weeks to lose 20 pounds.

N is for NO MORE

2011-04-23T04:29:00.000-07:00

When we moved to this area two years ago I immediately spotted this piece of Americana sitting not two miles from our new home. Although neglected and seemingly forgotten she remained magnificent. She also stood as a daily reminder of a time long ago when families traveled the two lane highways in search of adventure. And everyone in the South knew about Rock City.

This barn, which sat on a hill overlooking highway 79 into Clarksville, was one of less than 100 barns left to lure us to Rock City, a tourist attraction outside Chattanooga.

Sadly, the barn was demolished last year and replaced with a MacMansion.

Progress? Some would say in todays economy this was a sign that the times are getting better.

I think it means that the times are all about a buck.

M is for Morning

2011-04-13T08:28:00.000-07:00

When I was offered the job at the Beverage Company I was told, "And the day starts at 7am." I began laughing because it sounded absurd. Crazy Eddie started laughing too and added, "Sometimes earlier!!"

He wasn't joking!

On the way to a 6am meeting I received a telephone call that it was called off! The nerve!

I pulled over at Keeneland and parked the car and brooded and probably thought about the paper work I could be working on when the sun began to rise.

It was breathtaking! The colors were overwhelming. I found this on my memory stick, I do not think it is the best shot, but it captures that magical sunrise all the same.

M is for Morning.

Check the rest out at ABC Wednesday.

L is for Love

2011-04-08T09:00:00.001-07:00

It's ABC Wednesday again ...on Friday!

From Father's Day a long time ago. My two sisters at the old family homestead a life time and a half ago. Dad getting ready to take them swimming! My Pop was a great swimmer and took a lot of time to teach each of us how to do the Australian crawl the proper way. I was never a good free stylist but no one, not even the boys on the swim team, could beat me in the back stoke. Natural talent from my Pops.

He has been gone for over three years now but when I dream about him he is always young and happy - just like he is in this photo.

Love and Miss you Dad!

Mary

K is for Kilt

2011-03-31T05:59:00.000-07:00

It's ABC Wednesday ...again! This weeks letter is K.

Kilt is not the first thing that came to my mind but when I awoke this morning and realized that I had not posted yesterday (busy working and then working my second job then watching Survivor and Justified on the DVR it was midnight!).

This photo I took years ago while attending the Dublin Irish Festival with my two sisters and their families. The year before my youngest sister and I had made the trek from Lexington to Columbus on the hottest August week-end ever. She had once caught the band The Saw Doctors performing in Boston and they were the headliner at the Irish Festival that summer.

I feel in love with the Saw Doc's that week-end, a band from Ireland who can rock a house! I have seen them numerous times since. Once on St. Patrick's Day in Cleveland at the world famous Agora Ballroom, a vintage venue for concerts.

Aside from my love affair with the Saw Doc's, the men in Kilts were everywhere and the idea was conceived to get our husbands in Kilt's!

No way. But my sis managed to get her husbands male family members in Speedo's....go figure.

Check out this week at ABC Wednesday HERE.

Fact is Stranger than Fiction

2011-03-30T14:36:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I was carrying on and writing about fads and trends and mentioned the MIA/POW bracelets that were worn in the late 1960's and early 1970's.

Out of curiosity I looked on the Internet to see if one could still find those bracelets. In a nut shell, yes you can. I even found a guy selling a cache of the original bracelets from 1970. He had squirrel them away after trying to return the lot to the organization that distributed them. They did not respond to his request to return the unsold portion.

I assume everyone knows what a MIA/POW bracelet is, and if not a brief history. During the Viet Nam era some of the returning service men wore bracelets given to them by hill tribesmen as "friendship" bracelets. The idea was transformed into a way to show support of the soldiers and to demand humane treatment of those in captivity. In other words, for those men who were taken as Prisoners of War by the Viet Cong or who were Missing in Action. The group was called VIVA, a couple of college kids from LA, and they sold thousands of bracelets on simple metal stating the soldiers name, their rank and the date they disappeared.

I found some startling statistics. In WWII over 78,000 are MIA. Mind boggling! But I have heard first hand from my father, a WWII USAAF veteran, that the man next to you would be blow up in the blink of an eye. Gone from the face of the earth. Korea some 8,000 MIA and Vietnam has over 2700 MIA, POW, or KIA unaccounted for. It is a fact that every year these number go down as bodies are recovered or found and turned over to the US.

I found a web site that lists the dates that remains are identified and returned to the US. It's unbelievable to me that they can be identified let alone found! There is a military site that is dedicated to the "Recently Accounted-For". One lost September 15, 1918 found and identified on March 2, 2010. Almost 100 years waiting to come home.

So, with all this information about how there are still groups searching and negotiating for the Lost it was a simple step to purchase a POW-MIA bracelet and help a justified cause.

The bracelet was shipped on March 22nd, I received it a few days later. SFC Donald M. Shue, USSF, 11-03-69 Laos,(from)NC.

I've been wearing the bracelet ever since. Heavy and warm and way too big for my puny wrist, it slides up and down making a sharp clink against my watch and clanking on the desk. It's strange how at home it feels on my arm and I hesitate to remove even when I must.

Today I thought to look SFC Donald M. Shue, USSF from NC up on the Internet and see his story....

His remains had been found and identified on March 22nd. He is being returned to the US and will be in Hawaii until he is officially returned to Charlotte NC and to his family on April 30th. The Rolling Thunder will escort him to his final resting place, as he was a motor cycle enthusiast.

I wonder if when they choose one of the 2500 names of the Lost if they knew? Or if something else happened? Whatever it was, what ever it is, it is a hero has been lost and now found. I will continue to wear his bracelet for the other 1549 who are still waiting to come home.

13 Places Favorite Places to Kill Time

2011-03-24T07:35:00.000-07:00

Spring is in the air and it makes me want to jump in a car and go visit some of my favorite places! Since I am attached to a desk with a ball and chain these days unlike the good old days when I could always plan a side trip whenever I wanted as I cruised the back roads of America, I must visit my favorite spots in my Minds Eye....and here at Thursday 13.

1) Lexington Cemetery - Always beautiful even in the winter. Not only a place of rest for the departed, it is also a arboretum that is constantly changing and always breathtaking. I love to just go sit at one of the lakes and watch the ducks. It's soothing. It may be odd to some, but I always find cemeteries calming and peaceful. I love to take photographs any time of the year. There is a bronze statue of a girl with her palms faced upwards and her head thrown back and it as if she were caught running for joy! I have always wanted to photograph her at night with lightening bugs dancing all around her, but the cemetery shuts its gate before dark.

2) There is an Architectural Salvage place in Louisville on Broadway that I could spend all afternoon browsing around. I can not wait to go back.

3) In Ft. Wayne there is the coolest ever indoor Farmers Market tucked in a old residential part of town called South Side Farmers Market. I love it! If the weather gets chilly they fire up a pot belly stove located in the middle of the "E" shaped building. You can find anything from flowers to hand cream made from bee's honey. The Amish are there with their baked goods. You can find vintage jewelry and potted plants. Odds and ends of everything. Oh, and fruits and veggies.

4) The best kept secret in Lexington was the Book Cellar at the Lexington Public library. I think I stumbled in when it first opened and before they discovered E-bay. I picked up some priceless first editions. It has expanded to the down stairs lobby and houses some fantastic collection of Travel Books and Cookbooks. Always something unusual for sale. You never know if you will find maps from the 1700's or a magazine from the 1950's.

5) Beale Street in Memphis. When Joe finally found out we were heading back to Memphis the first image that popped into my head was fun on Beale Street and those Big Ass Beers! woo-hoo!

6) Lynns Paradise Cafe in Louisville. Every time I spend the night in big L, I meet my friend Cathy at LPC for breakfast. A very popular place in the Highlands, the wait for a table can sometimes make your head spin. But it's worth it. Watch out because on Sunday's you can not get a Bloody Mary until after 1pm. Boo-hoo. Food is fabulous and the whimsical, fun and colorful exterior is a show stopper. Inside the decor borders on fantasy land and most asked for table is a glass covered table that houses a working miniature train. Every summer at the State Fair there is a contest for the most unusual decorated lamp and the winners end up adorning the 50 style tables at Lynn's.

7) Kentucky Horse Park. When I worked for the beverage company this park was in my territory and one of my major accounts. It was so much fun to drive up to the guard and flash my badge and be waved in. Yea baby! I would park and walk around and "check things out". Which of course meant visiting the gift shop (found the coveted Zenyatta tree ornament at the store - they can not be found any where else), the show ring and walking around the hilly beautiful bluegrass checking out the horses from all over the world. I had the best job ever.

8) The Hyde Brothers Bookstore. The moment I stumbled into this old store I felt like I had come home. Books stacked to the ceiling and worn maroon carpets, old newspaper articles and maps taped to the book shelves along with stuffed animals , comic books, and knick knacks, it was like a falling into a technicolor dream. You could enter by the back screen door and immediately descent into the basement where the mystery section and the travel section were kept. My favorite thing was to open books and find all sorts of interesting items used as book marks. I have found European paper money, 1950 Girl Scout memorabilia, flight tickets, train tickets and old newspaper pictures, business cards and holy cards. It was like treasure hunting.

9) Versailles Flea Market. This place exists no longer and it is a crying shame! The occupants were given a 30 day notice to vacate as the shopping center had been sold to a developer and he wanted them OUT. The saddest thing is the deal fell through and the old K-Mart building which at one time was a Treasure House of old stuff looks like a broken down old vehicle. I have found some of the coolest stuff ever tucked away in the many stalls at the VFM. Half of a Coheleach set of Snow Leopards (I keep searching the Internet for the second piece to complete my set), iron skillets, old photographs, scrapbooks, and lots of useful old gadgets that are practically impossible to find! Old flour sifters and wooden rolling pins. A walk through this wonderful living and breathing history store was a great way to spend an afternoon or kill an hour.

10) Christ the King Church - Whenever I was having a bad morning and needed some grounding I would go catch the noon Mass at this church. There is a retired Jesuit priest that said Mass and gave a quick sermon based on the Gospel reading that day and it was always interesting as all get out. Once he told us all about his experiences with exorcisms. I hung on his every word. The last time I slipped in for Mass he was not there. I was very disappointed.

11) Lexington Arboretum. The parking lot sits high on a hill overlooking the walking trails and the meticulously maintained acreage it was the best place to sit and do paperwork on a late afternoon! Also to get out and stretch! Lovely spot.

12) Reeds Orchard - Hidden way down these little bitty country roads, at least they called them roads, they just as well could be trails! is a fantastic orchard in Bourbon Co. I would make the last mile on the gravel rock and pray I did not pop a tire and once I crossed the little wooden bridge I knew I had made it once again. I discovered hot pepper jelly at this far off the beaten path Orchard. The apple trees are fantastic in bloom. The apples themselves are juicy and beautiful.

13) The newest addition to my list Eagles Nest Bar and Marina in Paris Landing. I was instructed to find this place and meet up with some of my college buddies that I had not seen in many a year. The tables sit on a boat dock and there is entertainment and fabulous food. What is better than the sun on your face, boats coasting lazily in to dock, cold beer, old friends and foot stomping music. Nothing. I will go back again and again. Reminded me of Key West...a lot.

So there you go! And there I go if only in my dreams!

You can kill some time by visiting Thursday 13 by going HERE.

J is for A Long time Ago

2011-03-23T05:16:00.000-07:00

J is for JOY! Just look at her face!

I took this picture in 1997 when little B. was a wee thing. We were at the now defunct Garrett Orchard for their pumpkins. And apple cider. And apples. And stick candy. I think she hit Joe Joe in the head with that lolly pop not soon after I snapped this with my trusty Nikon Series F.

As I said, a long time ago!

Check out the other "J's" at ABC Wednesday!

Just Ewwwwwwwww!!!!!

2011-03-19T13:35:00.000-07:00

For some odd reason I was doing that never ending search on the Internet about Fad's. And I was informed that fad's are usually started by teenagers because they are the first ones to discover something new (always looking for ways to be hip) and it if sticks it becomes a trend.

One step further I found a discussion thread about "which fad do you hate the most" and naturally it was teenagers who commented with everything that disgusted them. Some of the response were very funny. Typical teenage stuff.

Teenagers are just fun! That is unless you are raising one, then they are a pain in the keister. I know, I raised one. And before that I was one!

When I was a preteen we had quite a few fads that I remember. In other words, thank God they did not stick. We use to get these little plastic rings from the hardware store, they were called chicken rings and available in many bright colors. I never had any, though I wanted one badly. My parents never went into a feed store. Ever! I was deprived.

And there was this wild fad called collecting Fruit Loop's. It consisted of tearing the loop off the back of a guys shirt! Back in the day the back part of a shirt had a small tab in the form of a loop that people would virtually hank off each other! It made them very angry therefore great sport. It was mainly girls yanking off guys loops. From moving school buses.

God forgive me for admitting to this, but we wore saddle oxfords and bobby socks in high school! Sometimes for a break, we wore bass weejuns, referred to as penny loafers, and knee high socks. Blue. The reason being I had to wear a uniform to High School. Everybody wore the same damn thing. A blue sweater and a white short sleeved shirt with a peter pan collar and a pleated skirt. We rolled them up at the waist because wearing mini shirts was wildly fashionable at the time. The nuns made us kneel down and the hems of our skirts must touch the floor. After we were made to roll them back down we would rush to the bathroom, grab a quick smoke and roll them up.

In college bell bottom's were all the rage. Dr. Scholl sandals too, but I didn't like them very much. The wood was too hard and once I slipped and banged myself up pretty good, so I excused myself on that one. Those cute little Indian moccasins everyone had! And Indian beaded belts. Oh I would love one of those right now. Everyone wore MIA bracelets. I hung out with a very cool hippie crowd. When they let me.

Ah, the good old days when the fads were relatively cheap.

What those teenagers were saying about today's fad's.............. (too funny!)

"Guys in skinny jeans. We already know you have chicken legs that'll snap if you get kicked, no need to show us all.I just find it disturbing."

"hate short - ish tops that dont cover your butt of anything with leggings or jeggings. EWW i mean its bad enough on skinny girls but when big girls wear them!! i mean theres nothings to hold the jiggle back, it just doesnt look good"

"was gonna say those bags! They look like my Gramma would find them cute. Sorry, but those things are just... bluch."

"People that still walk around looking cheap .Wearing crap from rocawear,cooqi, ed hardy, baby phat, phat farm, & anything with baby girl on it.That was like the 90's please stop.-Fake Uggs(Fuggs)lol. Just Ew.!"

Me and the Dude Lebowski

2011-03-17T07:04:00.000-07:00

It's Thursday 13 again and in honor of St. Paddy Day I am listing 13 of my favorite libation concoctions!

1) Blue Moon beer - I can remember the first time I had this delightful orange color wheat beer. I don't remember where, I tend to think it was in Boston, but it could have just as easily been Chicago or Cincinnati as I have bellied up to a lot of bars. But that first time, with the errant orange slice floating in the foam, it was love at first sip. Where ever I go and feel like a beer I ask for it. On tap.

2) Bahama Mama - The first time I had this most refreshing drink was with my friend Debbie in Tampa. (I even think I have a picture of me gazing at in in awe as it was served smoking!!). I immediately asked the bartender for the recipe. It was 99% alcohol with a splash of sour mix and pineapple juice. When I got home I ran to the liquor store and bought everything! I think it cost about $80 worth of booze! Let's see if I remember it all, coconut rum (my subsequent downfall), 151 proof rum, white run, creme de banana and creme de cacao, Galliano, grenadine and the pineapple juice and a splash of the sour mix. Oh baby!

3) Yellow bird - Sort of a sophisticated version of the Bahama mama with Vodka and OJ. I like mine served straight up.

4) Chocolate martini - need I say more?

5) Rattlesnake - in a shot glass. Joe and I once tried to make these and ended up on the floor. End of story. I called them a Snake Bite!

6) Margarita Cocktail- Frozen please. This one time Joe and I went to a Mexican restaurant in Frankfort (one of my all time fav's) and they had a dinner special. Two meals and a pitcher of Frozen Margarita's $14. It must have been a very special special because they never did it again!! A pitcher of Margarita's is about $16. So we basically ate for free. Anyway, I love me some frozen margarita's and the subsequent brain freeze. It's worth it.

7) A tequila sunrise - I no longer drink these. I will say no more.

8) Mary's Mayhem - my own creation! You take some coconut rum, preferably some higher alcohol content brand, and pour a good slug (I don't need no stinking shot glass!) into a cocktail glass filled with ice and add (diet) cream soda. OMG. I have hooked many a person on this vanilla soda coconut concoction! Maybe throw a cherry in there if you are trying to impress someone.

9) Crossfield Punch - Got this fabulous punch recipe from some Baptist teetotalers (and named in their honor) at a birthday party. It was so good. All it needed was a little vodka! Here is the recipe, a can of lemonade, a can of oj, a big can of pineapple juice and some ginger ale. Mis first three ingredients and freeze. Take out and pour in punch bowl and and add ginger ale. Then add vodka when no one is looking - lol! We make batches and then scoop into highball glasses and add the last two ingredients.

10) Strawberry daiquiri - Kind of boring, but when made by my BFF Gayle with fresh strawberries - oh God, I want one now!

11) Egg Nog - Once again my BFF Gayle led me down the road of sin (Lol - hi Gayle) and mixed up one killer Egg nog at her Mother-in-Laws. I had no idea I loved those things! Must have been the good bourbon. Since then I have discovered Southern Comfort Vanilla Spice Egg Nog Mix, which is only sold from Thanksgiving until New Years. And thank God for that.

12) White Russians - What does the Dude and I have in common? White milk mustaches. I have not had one of these for 30 years. I once thought I might be an alcoholic and blamed it on the White Russians. But I wasn't (I think - I guess you might wonder by this post!) but I have carefully removed the words from my vocabulary.

13) Irish Coffee - Hooray for coffee and bourbon and Irish Cream with whipped cream on top. The only way!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Read some other Thursday 13's here!

I is for Ice Storm

2011-03-15T21:00:00.000-07:00

It's hard to imagine the effect of an ice storm unless you have had the pleasure of living through one. I have endured about four of them over the past 10 years. This was a little one that allowed me to walk around my small town and capture the solitude and sereneness that an inch coating will bring.

Everything is shut down. I-75 was closed and people where taken to shelters and waited it out. Electricity went out and everything came to a stand still. It was kind of cool!

Until afterwards when some areas were not up and running for close to a month. Could you imagine living without electric for a month? No radio, no coffee pot, no heat?

My parents went for a week! I, on the other hand, lived in a very new subdivision that had all its "connections" under ground! I was living large that week. That was storm # 2.

Anyway, I have lots of photo's but this one was taken in the graveyard and I would enhance it, but my Photoshop crashed with my hard drive and I can not find the disc, so what you see is what you get anymore!

I is for ice storm and may I never see another in my lifetime!

Is it Drafty in here?

2011-03-15T08:59:00.000-07:00

I have started many a Thursday-13 that has petered out and left behind in the "draft" section of my edit grave yard. It is really is a waste land because so many of those topics sound really interesting and worth a go. For example ....

Girl For Hire - This was s series I was planning and upon closer inspection, I might run with it! I describe all the jobs I have had in my life time. And some career's thrown in there too.

What I want to be when I grow up - This little jewel explained how I wanted to marry a celebrity when I was young. Preferably Richard Chamberlain! I was shocked to tears when I found out he was gay!

The lemonade theory - Interesting. I do come up with some good titles every so often! This one is naturally about "life is never what you expect it to be" sort of ramble.

Potty Mouth - I don't even know where this one was going! It seems I was upset and not allowing myself to shout out curse words.

Pulling Up Roots - another try at a Thursday-13 about all the places I have lived. One of my friends commented that where ever I plant my roots I will blossom. I really needed that. Especially right now when I feel a little panicky about the move and finding a job. It's not as easy as it use to be.

Confessions of a Cook Book Junkie - I loved this series, but unfortunately I had to abandon the series because I never cook anymore! Last week I made a huge chicken pot pie. When I got to the part of making the crust I found I had very little all purpose flour! So I made it with canned biscuits! It was good. Good enough that I ate on it all week! Last night I made my Simple as can be Chili and will eat it all week. Simple but so good. . So good I have sort of an ache in my gut today. It's either my liver, an ulcer or that damn good chili.

15 minutes to Blow - these were some of my best little "write like no one is reading!" After years of blogging I feel like I have so little left. I find myself drawn to Facebook where I do not write much but get to keep up with everyone else. I would have quite a bit to write about if I felt like boring you all along with myself. Every time I work at the Bucket there is a story to tell. The Mall has ended up to be the worst job ever - but I hate to dwell on such negativity and I can make it three more weeks.

To tell the truth, I don't know what is wrong with me. Maybe it's because I never get to air out head anymore. Back several years ago when I was a Road Warrior and always driving some where exotic (not) for the Beverage Company my mind would wander as I drove to some great creative places. Mainly memories triggered by some Zen Like Hypnotic Trance brought on by the country side.

Maybe I just need to take a Road Trip?