Yesterday's Big Events

Here's a shot of the beautiful bride and her equally beautiful new Mother-in-Law; my best friend Trish.  The two of them together makes me think there is some truth to the old adage...that we unknowingly look for mates that remind us of our mother/father.  I don't think the groom was too far off his mark!

The lovely outdoor wedding, held at a nearby lake, went off without a hitch except for the fierce winds that eventually blew off the bride's billowy veil before the vows were completed. 

Oh, and there was that minor distraction when the whole bunch gathered at the edge of the lake to take the obligatory family photos.  Just about the time the photographer said "Say cheese!" a couple of the native ducks decided to noisily engage in that "Birds and the Bees" stuff right behind them.  It made for lots of natural smiles and somehow it just seemed fitting. 

In Trish's younger, thinner days, she used to model, so I think she can get away with wearing a hat like that.  She said she paid $89.00 for that hat ::gasp:: and I figure she better find a few more big social events to wear it to, so she'll get her money's (or is it monies)worth.  I may even have to borrow it.

After the wedding, I gussied up my face a little more with some "dramatic" eyeshadow, since they say you can do that in the evening and we headed down the mountain to take in the bands.  Arriving fashionably late...at 8:15...we walked in with the festivities underway and the music rattling the walls. 

While paying our $5.00 cover charge, the bouncer carded Tam and at 32 years of age, she was overjoyed.  I wanted to tell the young man that we were sisters, but thought better of it, not wanting to steal Tam's thunder.  After all, I was looking pretty hot.  ::tongue in cheek::    

We worked the crowd for a bit, hugging and high-fiving my co-workers until we found a suitable view of the stage.  And, OMG, the band..."Fatt Katt" and the something or others were good, damn good. 

They really need to be doing that for a living instead of working for the State with me.   They played Rockabilly type music with videos projected on big screens in the background and it all looked so professional that I couldn't believe I only paid 5 bucks for the show.  Geez....what a bargain! 

I sent Tam to the bar to get me a "Sissy" drink because I am just not used to the bar scene.  She came back with a Pina Colada for me and a bottled beer for herself.  I am sure that the bar tender knew that drink was for her mother because there wasn't a noticable drop of alcohol present in that glass, even when I got all through with it.  

And by that time I was uptight enough that I really needed something to calm me down if I was going to manage to stay for any length of time.   So, she headed back to the bar and got me a Margarita, which did the trick.  I loosened up and I even managed to dance a little.  

Then it was time for the next band, comprised of three of my co-workers. Another awesome experience for the same 5 bucks.  They are just soooo good.  The lead singer has got that whole "Rock Star" look and stage presence goin' on and Tam commented that she thought he was soooo "sexy!"  Just wait until I tell him tomorrow in our morning meeting! 

Anyway, I stayed for the entire show, which was just so interesting to watch and see my co-workers in a whole different light.  But, I had to draw the line when one guy from the band, who just happens to work FOR me, walked up to me with his shirt totally unbuttoned and his hairy chest exposed.  I said....."Button your shirt!  Quick, button your shirt!  For GAWD's sake!  I am YOUR boss!"   

My virgin eyes.    

 

 

Steppin' Out

Oh yeah....this green-eyed Okie gril (as my little brother used to pronounce girl) is ready for a big day and night.  I am getting all "painted up and powdered" for today's special events. 

I even bought new makeup! 

Geez...can you tell it's been awhile since I've been out?

This afternoon I will attend the wedding of  Trish's son, which should be beautiful and full of photo ops.  Then tonight, Tam and I are heading down the mountain to a bar ::gasp:: to enjoy the music of two bands comprised of some of my illustrious co-workers.

I am a cheap date.  One drink and I am ready to go home, but I will try to stay up past my bed time tonight and have a good time among drunk adults.  

If anything, it will make for good journal fodder.     

Attached Advertising

In the past few days, my computer has been taken over by a variety of adware, spyware, malware, and tracking systems which are about to put me over the edge. 

It seems as though my journal entries have taken on a life of their own with links to various places highlighted MY words that I did NOT link.  Of special concern are the links to words such as toys.  I am not interested in getting a TOS violation.  So, it's off to Editor Joe to report the problem while I continue to work on eradicating this awful junk. 

Let's see what happens! 

 

(oh my gosh, now it's not doing it!  maybe it knows I am going to tell!)

Count Me In!

I just participated in this weblog survey as suggested by Patrick.  Pretty interesting stuff for those of us with blogs.  Click on the banner if you'd like to participate in this MIT survey. 

Judith Heartsong Entry

If my hot silver tears created a shimmering path to a pure, brilliant white cloak of safety, I’d let them sweep away the molten black cries of your sorrowful heart; which causes you to spill crimson red in an effort to ease your desperate blues.

 

Read all of the entries in Judith's contest here: http://journals.aol.com/judithheartsong/newbeginning/entries/1469

Happy Father's Day Papa

This morning as I lay in bed savoring the last few minutes of total relaxation before hitting the floor to start my busy day, I wondered what I could write about today to honor my father’s memory, on this first Father’s Day since his death. I searched my memories for the perfect “Dad” story, hoping something would surface that incorporated his humor, compassion and love for his children. But, there are too many. How’s that for a legacy?

While I would say that I found my father to be an outstanding dad and a nearly perfect man, he would honestly share that in his younger days he was anything but that nonsensical description.

Following in his father’s footsteps and certainly somewhat cursed by his Native American roots, he struggled with alcoholism. Who knows if the alcohol was at least partially instrumental in his fight and eventual survival of several life-threatening diseases, including Tuberculosis and Renal Cancer, all those years ago.

If he hadn’t survived those devastating diseases, this story would be much different. A truly sad story, where I would tell you that I searched long and hard for the father that I never knew, only to find that he had died, way too young. Fortunately for me, there’s a different ending and I was blessed to have my father in my adult life for 25 years.

Yes, I found my father when I was about 25 years old.

My teenage parents met in the 1950s at a Clock Drive-In, a’la “Happy Days” restaurant where Mom was hanging out with her girlfriends and my dad was trying to make a meager living. To hear Papa tell it, I was conceived in the back seat of a 1947 Ford. For a variety of reasons, the teenage lovers couldn’t make it work. I would become the oldest of 6 children, living a pretty shabby life while longing for my “real” father to rescue me from a hell called “childhood.”

I didn’t happen and rightfully so. As he would candidly admit, he was in no shape to be a father during that time, since he wasn’t even able to take care of himself. After hearing his stories, I had to agree.

Instead, I had the unique opportunity to get to know my father at a whole different time in his life, as a sober, healthy, young loving father, with two small boys at home that he cherished. By then, he had fathered 5 living children. He said the Creator was giving him the opportunity to“eventually get it right!” and make up for the indiscretions of his youth.

He loved being a father to his lively boys. In the mid 1980s he would become one of the first divorced fathers in his area to fight for and win “joint physical custody” of the kids. The boys lived half their time with their mother, and half the time with Papa; with two sets of clothes and toys. It was a new concept back then, but it worked.

It was amazing to watch and he earned my heartfelt admiration as he took on the challenges of parenting and working full-time, while also assisting me with my little ones. We had big family meals together and we would exchange childcare duties as needed. I was blessed to have the support of my father as I also faced the challenges of being a single parent and working in a challenging field.

The Creator blessed Papa with more parenting opportunities, figuring he still had a way to go in the lessons of Fatherhood. In early 1992, Papa and I obtained custody of Abigail, (his granddaughter/my niece) who was just 3 months old. He and I eventually adopted her together, surely confusing genealogists for years to come. She remained the “apple of his eye” until his last moments on earth.

Then came Bubba, Ab’s 8 year old brother, a personable, precocious kid that we welcomed into the family and eventually adopted. “Heck, what’s one more?” Papa said at 60 years of age, when most men would have rather enjoyed their retirement years. Papa and Bubba developed a strong bond. Bubba finally had the unconditional love and understanding, and a permanent home that he’d lacked for so many years.

So, that’s what kind of man my father was. A true hero in my book.  I had the very good fortune of getting to know him at the time when he was fully interested and capable of being a good father.

Really, I wouldn’t have changed a thing.

Happy Father’s Day Papa!   Soar with the Red Tail Hawks!

Summertime Blues, Part II

This kid has way too much unstructured time on her hands.  I hate Summertime for that reason.  Year-round school would probably be the answer, but this town has been there and done that.  I was devastated when "they" decided to return to the traditional school calendar a few years back.

Last night she and a few little girlfriends got all "painted and powdered up" (one of my favorite sayings from my Okie Aunt Mary) and headed for the movies to see Mr.and Mrs. Smith. After what I went through with Bubba during his teenage years, Ab's propensity for depression and for having a real difficult time telling the truth, I have some serious concern and trust issues going on here. 

I feel a healthy dose of paranoia can't hurt, so I give her the expectation speech and threaten her with her life and again advise her of the fact that this mama is crazy enough to snatch her outta a crowd if she so much ventures one inch off the beaten path, while walking to the nearby movie theatre.  I warn her that there better be no miscommunication when it comes to what parent is picking them up because if I something happens where she "has to" walk home (classic manipulation)...she's in some serious, serious trouble.  I see one of the girl's eyes get big as if that original brainstorm was a consideration at one point and I am sure that idea gets squashed once they walk out the door. They think adults are just so stupid.    Been there and done that myself.

Recent attempts at manipulation has been to not answer "her" cell phone because it was on "Silent" and she didn't hear it.  BS.  I remind her that the only reason she has a cell phone is because I pay for a family plan and the whole idea is for her to be accessable to ME.  I don't care for one minute if she can be in contact with her friends.  So, the last time she didn't answer her cellphone "because it was on silent" I promptly drove to where she was, called off the fun, put her fanny in the car, and confiscated "MY" cell phone for several days.   She's learning. 

Her therapist recently said that raising teenagers is like having a two year old again....You have to watch them every minute and keep dangerous things outta their reach!  I thought that was an outstanding analogy.  Especially fitting  this morning, when I found a box that she's decorated with the words..BOX FULL OF SHARP OBJECTS...containing a razor blade..and some of Papa's diabetic finger lancets. 

Arrrgggghhh!  

More later.

Summertime...and the livin' ain't easy!

For some reason this week, people are just pissing me off left and right.  I am just out of sorts and on edge and it's really not like me.   

Maybe I've had too much on my plate lately, but still, I feel I have had some legitimate reasons for my irritation. 

Have I mentioned that I can not wait to be an "empty nester?"  I seriously wonder what is wrong with those women who get all upset when all the kids have left home. 

I think I will count down the days until she goes to college, like I am counting down the time until retirement. Ab is a slob.  Plain and simple.  And, summer vacation is a nightmare for me, because this child needs an adult to follow her around and say..."Pick this up and put it away where it lives.  Wipe up the mess you just made on the counter.  Why are there popcorn kernals on the brand new wood floor?  Haven't you been told NOT to eat in the TV room on the new furniture?"  What DID you do today besides flop your self in front of the computer and EAT?  Do you think you could do at least one load of laundry today?" 

I know I've got to change my tactics with her and actually give her a list of things to accomplish, since her school vacation is no vacation for me.  Maybe I will leave the computer off until I get home and ensure that she's cleaned up her messes and that the house is no worse than it was when I left that morning.  Arrrrrgggghhhh!  

Then, another thing that drives me crazy is that when I get home, she wants to have her "boyfriend" over.  He's 12 and they REALLY like each other. 

They like each other so much that I have to watch them constantly!  Arrrrrggggghhh!  It's like listening for little kids all the time.  When it's quiet in the game room and I don't hear those pool balls bouncing around, something's got to be up!  Sure enough, despite the rules that I give them each time they're together, I'll find them in a lip lock!   Ab says I am "Overly watchative!" which is her latest word.

Last night I called J out and told him that I was fully prepared to send him home, immediately if he didn't keep his lips together on his own face and his hands to himself.  He finally got the message, at least for that visit.  Thank goodness he doesn't live close enough to sneak over in the day time?  Argggghhh again!

I have her signed up for two summer camp sessions and I can't wait until she goes!   Two weeks into the summer and I am already ready for school to start. 

I am exhausted.   

 

He Beat It!

So, the big news today was the verdict in the Michael Jackson case. Considering my line of work, we sat around the TV awaiting the outcome and placing bets. I felt he’d be found “Not Guilty” right along, and I was right. He beat it.

Please don’t think for a minute that I think he’s not guilty of everything they charged him with, because I think he’s guilty as sin. A verdict of “Not Guilty” does not mean he was proven to be innocent. But, I believe the system worked the way it should.

I believe the DA had a shaky case to begin with when he went to trial, and I am sure they did their best with what they had. Shaky, low-life types make incredible witnesses and they had to be a major detriment to the case.

However, it’s important to consider that there was enough compelling evidence against the man to bring the case to trial. For Michael Jackson and his supporters to say that the DA has a vendetta against Jackson is ludicrous. The law enforcement investigators in this case had information to support the charges that warranted the DA’s prosecution. It didn’t happen the other way around.

For Michael Jackson to pay the millions in “Hush Money” that he did in the 1993 case, one must believe that there was substantial evidence that Michael couldn’t afford to have divulged. You don’t pay millions of dollars to someone that doesn’t have some solid goods on your nasty, wacko self.

If he was truly innocent of those indiscretions back then, he could have said “Come on with it! My life’s an open book anyway!” Fighting for the truth and his reputation last time most likely would have ended it all right then…of course…if he was truly innocent of the allegations.

But instead he chooses to pay millions to an alleged victim and then continues to place himself in questionable situations with children.

What was he thinking? What were those close to him thinking in allowing it to happen? What was Debbie Rowe thinking in producing children for such a “man?” And what kind of parents would allow their children to spend the night and sleep in the bed of an adult male who has many of the known characteristics of a pedophile?

I don’t think it’s over for Michael Jackson. He is not untouchable. He will continue his behavior and the truth will eventually triumph, but....at a terrible cost to his young victims.

Monday Photo Shoot-Red

This is a restaurant/bar in North Carolina, which is housed in an old brewery.  It has wonderful food and an interesting atmosphere, with the red accent colors throughout. (Sorry about the glare...Hope it's not hurting your eyes!