Weblog 263
February 27, 2011~ 12:00 am
My GOODNESS, this year is flying by! (Though not this winter season-- it's hanging in there, clutching us in frozen fingers for dear life.) I'd like to see a few flowers pushing through the white stuff soon....
If I had any eyeteeth left, I've gladly give one of them to see a single crocus. I enjoy winter, but enough's enough already. I'm still feeding the squirrels and birds at work, this past week even donning BOOTS when I leave the house-- knowing I'll have to cross piles of melting snow and muck in order to reach the picnic table and spread the feed underneath. It's one of my greatest pleasures to step out the back door at work after I've settled in while it's still dark outside, and be greeted by a cardinal who loves to sit on a nearby high wire and serenade me. (I swear it recognzes me) -he calls, and I answer him.
Those songs have been getting pretty rambunctious recently, his trills always out-doing my own: if he starts with one pattern repeated 4 times, and if I answer with MORE than four...he goes CRAZY.... TRILLING and repeating and warbling until I'm sure he'll pass out up there, out-doing himself. LOL!!! (They're very competitive, you know.)
So even without flowers, these mornings are brightened by red and gray squirrels with their silly antics, cardinals and bluejays and black-eyed juncos, who LOVE the snow. (Sometimes the little juncos burrow right down into it so I fear they'll suffocate down there, but UP they pop, hopping and chubby, circling the feeding area and trying to make some inroads with those greedy squirrels claiming the central chow site.) They usually get a shot by early afternoon-- and with the energetic way they peck, I'm certain they're still finding seed down inside the frozen blades of grass the squirrels must have missed. They do a funny little 'scratch and hop backwards' as they eat....and it's the damnedest thing to watch.
Wayne and I had pizza night with my daughter's family on Friday and after not seeing the grandkids last weekend, it was fun to be in their company again. Seven year old Bill always seems to have a 'theme' going. On Friday, he was all gung-ho wanting to talk about horror movies (which he's not allowed to see) --so this has created enormous interest on his part. He kept questioning me about what I knew about the most famous ones: 'Halloween', 'Friday the 13th', 'Nightmare On Elm Street', on and on. I told him, "Bill, horror movies are not for young kids, but someday when you're a teenager you'll see them and have a blast. Teens LOVE to scream together and pretend they're more frightened than they are, but little kids don't quite 'get' that it's just a movie, so it's too scary for them."
"Ok," Bill said. "We'll have a quiz."
And Bill produced a 'test' for me, written on scrap paper with dotted lines that had one letter of the alphabet at the start of each... it sort of looked like the game, 'Hangman'. "Alright. These three lines are the names of the monsters in three horror movies. You have to fill in the blanks, and then I'll grade your paper." (Five year old Kay became very interested because she loves to play 'school', but seven year old Bill looked as serious as a judge.) I had difficulty reading the initial letter on two of the three lines, but when I asked him what they were, he just said, "No questions. Just do the test." LOL!!! (Must have been a NUN in a former life.)
The last dotted line began with 'M'- I could clearly see that, so I wrote, 'Michael' (for Michael Myers in 'Halloween'.) The other two lines were the unreadable ones, so I took a shot and wrote, 'Freddie', for Freddie Krueger, and 'Jason', from 'Friday the 13th'. Bill looked it over and I got a check for 'Michael' and two big X's for the other two. "What WERE they, Bill?" "This one," he said, "is Jason"- (I'd had it on the other line)- "and this one," he said-- writing it as he said it, "is Scream." "Scream is the name of the movie, Bill," I told him. "No, this one is 'Scream'," he said, as serious as could be. Then he wrote, "VERY POOR WORK" on top and drew a line on the bottom with the instruction, "Sign" next to it.
"Who should sign this?" I asked him. "Your parents," he answered. "And bring it back signed next week."
(So yes, right now in my purse is a piece of paper folded three times that I will take with me to Assisted Living so that my 90 year old mother can sign she's acknowledging her daughter did "VERY POOR WORK".) She'll get such a kick out of that... or she won't understand it all all, and pronounce it 'dumb'. LOL!!!
Bill also requested I draw a picture of Michael Myers. (He's clever, that kid. He may not be permitted to watch these films -which I'm convinced other kids at school have doubtless seen, but he'll gather up all the information he can to join in the conversation.) So I drew a guy standing in a doorway, wearing a plain white mask and Bill said, "That's as good as Mom's. You and mom are the best artists I know." (I may not have my stuff hanging in the MOMA... but I'm right up there with MOM.)
To continue in this 'horror vein', Saturday evening Wayne and I DID rent a horror film. "The Last Exorcism"- which looked pretty scary. One thing I will say is the acting, for a film in this genre, was excellent. It's done like a documentary (ala 'Blair Witch') and tells the story of a southern Pentecostal preacher who's lost his faith, yet still performs exorcisms, thinking the ritual and rigamarole really does help people to free themselves from what he's convinced is more of a psychological or psychiatric problem. (Trouble is... the exorcism he invites the crew along to film, turns out to be the real thing). The film certainly has it's creepy moments..... young girl, ugly change. LOL!!!
The house itself has lots of atmosphere. It's an isolated farmhouse way off the beaten path down near Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with lots of dark wood and wide-plank oak floors and low lighting.
The reverend is a totally engaging fellow, who has all kinds of 'tricks' up his sleeve such as tape recordings and fake smoke that will allow the girl and her father to 'BELIEVE' he's casting out a devil, but things get out of hand and begin to become 'unscripted'. The preacher is confronted with real evil and possession after all, and all hell breaks loose.
The ending unfortunately is the most disappointing part of the film, but what leads up to it is definitely worth watching. As I said-- terrific, natural actors all round, great atmosphere --so rent it if it's your cup of tea. (Also............. there will be test. LOL!!!)
March 2, 2011~ 5:15 pm
March came in like a lion....(oh, not the weather.......like the CARNIVORE itself.) I was really bummed out last night. Had a nice visit with my mum after work (and Yes, she signed my paper, and she laughed-- she 'got' it) but when I pulled into the carport and began walking down the steps into the yard, I couldn't believe my eyes. FEATHERS everywhere! -in two piles, one larger than the other.
A hawk had devoured one of the pigeons who hangs around, and the naked UGLINESS of the scene made me cry. My neighbor Lou must have been waiting at his door to tell me what caused the mess I was looking at. He said the hawk grabbed the pigeon from his yard, and the poor thing was able to get away-- but the hawk got to him again on the fence and carried him into my yard and then just savaged him. One of my beautiful rock pigeons I'd been feeding last summer and fall, along with the chickadees and the sparrows and bluejays!
All I could think of was what a haven my yard must have seemed-- asafe place where they could get a meal (until the rodents started to appear, and I was afraid the neighbor on the OTHER side would have a fit, so I quit putting seed out) --and how it had become a abattoir for one of them, the poor thing.
Majestic as they are, I HATE HAWKS. (Yes, yes, I know they have to eat too, but just like teeth that rot instead of being made of something incorruptible.....or childbirth......or the appendix... or conjoined twins) -such things make me wonder about the Creator. I get pissed off!
In fact, after I'd cleaned up the feathers as best I could, trying not to look at the blood specks in the grass, I marched myself right off to bed in short order.
Today (and yesterday) were beautiful, crisp dry days, but that horror has put a pall on it for me. (Are you listening up there? I WOULD'VE DONE THINGS DIFFERENTLY, IN LOTS OF CASES, BIG GUY!) There. That's my M*ther F**king prayer for the day. Amen.
March 3, 2011~ 5:30 pm
Enough sad stuff in here. I like to post links to things that just make my JAW drop, they're that spectacular -- and here's one for 'ya. This has to be the most FANTASTIC BOY'S BEDROOM I'VE EVER SEEN! Click below
.... and just imagine what it would've been like to have THAT bedroom as a kid! Wow!! Boy or girl, that is one magnificent roost! Bravo! (Makes me happy :)
(OH! And I slept in this morning!!) I have TWO alarms that never went off....either forgot to set them... or jostled them on the night stand with all the junk I place on there at night, with snacking and reading.... or..... I got up half-awake during the night to use the bathroom, and like an idiot, pushed the buttons back in out of rote habit. LOL!!! So I awoke just at the time I should have been walking in the doors at work. All's well. Got myself together and I got there-- work caught up now. I tell you, I do this at least once a year, and I feel like 'Alice down the rabbit hole' when it happens.
***
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My GOODNESS, this year is flying by! (Though not this winter season-- it's hanging in there, clutching us in frozen fingers for dear life.) I'd like to see a few flowers pushing through the white stuff soon....
If I had any eyeteeth left, I've gladly give one of them to see a single crocus. I enjoy winter, but enough's enough already. I'm still feeding the squirrels and birds at work, this past week even donning BOOTS when I leave the house-- knowing I'll have to cross piles of melting snow and muck in order to reach the picnic table and spread the feed underneath. It's one of my greatest pleasures to step out the back door at work after I've settled in while it's still dark outside, and be greeted by a cardinal who loves to sit on a nearby high wire and serenade me. (I swear it recognzes me) -he calls, and I answer him.
Those songs have been getting pretty rambunctious recently, his trills always out-doing my own: if he starts with one pattern repeated 4 times, and if I answer with MORE than four...he goes CRAZY.... TRILLING and repeating and warbling until I'm sure he'll pass out up there, out-doing himself. LOL!!! (They're very competitive, you know.)
So even without flowers, these mornings are brightened by red and gray squirrels with their silly antics, cardinals and bluejays and black-eyed juncos, who LOVE the snow. (Sometimes the little juncos burrow right down into it so I fear they'll suffocate down there, but UP they pop, hopping and chubby, circling the feeding area and trying to make some inroads with those greedy squirrels claiming the central chow site.) They usually get a shot by early afternoon-- and with the energetic way they peck, I'm certain they're still finding seed down inside the frozen blades of grass the squirrels must have missed. They do a funny little 'scratch and hop backwards' as they eat....and it's the damnedest thing to watch.
Wayne and I had pizza night with my daughter's family on Friday and after not seeing the grandkids last weekend, it was fun to be in their company again. Seven year old Bill always seems to have a 'theme' going. On Friday, he was all gung-ho wanting to talk about horror movies (which he's not allowed to see) --so this has created enormous interest on his part. He kept questioning me about what I knew about the most famous ones: 'Halloween', 'Friday the 13th', 'Nightmare On Elm Street', on and on. I told him, "Bill, horror movies are not for young kids, but someday when you're a teenager you'll see them and have a blast. Teens LOVE to scream together and pretend they're more frightened than they are, but little kids don't quite 'get' that it's just a movie, so it's too scary for them."
"Ok," Bill said. "We'll have a quiz."
And Bill produced a 'test' for me, written on scrap paper with dotted lines that had one letter of the alphabet at the start of each... it sort of looked like the game, 'Hangman'. "Alright. These three lines are the names of the monsters in three horror movies. You have to fill in the blanks, and then I'll grade your paper." (Five year old Kay became very interested because she loves to play 'school', but seven year old Bill looked as serious as a judge.) I had difficulty reading the initial letter on two of the three lines, but when I asked him what they were, he just said, "No questions. Just do the test." LOL!!! (Must have been a NUN in a former life.)
The last dotted line began with 'M'- I could clearly see that, so I wrote, 'Michael' (for Michael Myers in 'Halloween'.) The other two lines were the unreadable ones, so I took a shot and wrote, 'Freddie', for Freddie Krueger, and 'Jason', from 'Friday the 13th'. Bill looked it over and I got a check for 'Michael' and two big X's for the other two. "What WERE they, Bill?" "This one," he said, "is Jason"- (I'd had it on the other line)- "and this one," he said-- writing it as he said it, "is Scream." "Scream is the name of the movie, Bill," I told him. "No, this one is 'Scream'," he said, as serious as could be. Then he wrote, "VERY POOR WORK" on top and drew a line on the bottom with the instruction, "Sign" next to it.
"Who should sign this?" I asked him. "Your parents," he answered. "And bring it back signed next week."
(So yes, right now in my purse is a piece of paper folded three times that I will take with me to Assisted Living so that my 90 year old mother can sign she's acknowledging her daughter did "VERY POOR WORK".) She'll get such a kick out of that... or she won't understand it all all, and pronounce it 'dumb'. LOL!!!
Bill also requested I draw a picture of Michael Myers. (He's clever, that kid. He may not be permitted to watch these films -which I'm convinced other kids at school have doubtless seen, but he'll gather up all the information he can to join in the conversation.) So I drew a guy standing in a doorway, wearing a plain white mask and Bill said, "That's as good as Mom's. You and mom are the best artists I know." (I may not have my stuff hanging in the MOMA... but I'm right up there with MOM.)
To continue in this 'horror vein', Saturday evening Wayne and I DID rent a horror film. "The Last Exorcism"- which looked pretty scary. One thing I will say is the acting, for a film in this genre, was excellent. It's done like a documentary (ala 'Blair Witch') and tells the story of a southern Pentecostal preacher who's lost his faith, yet still performs exorcisms, thinking the ritual and rigamarole really does help people to free themselves from what he's convinced is more of a psychological or psychiatric problem. (Trouble is... the exorcism he invites the crew along to film, turns out to be the real thing). The film certainly has it's creepy moments..... young girl, ugly change. LOL!!!
The house itself has lots of atmosphere. It's an isolated farmhouse way off the beaten path down near Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with lots of dark wood and wide-plank oak floors and low lighting.
The reverend is a totally engaging fellow, who has all kinds of 'tricks' up his sleeve such as tape recordings and fake smoke that will allow the girl and her father to 'BELIEVE' he's casting out a devil, but things get out of hand and begin to become 'unscripted'. The preacher is confronted with real evil and possession after all, and all hell breaks loose.
The ending unfortunately is the most disappointing part of the film, but what leads up to it is definitely worth watching. As I said-- terrific, natural actors all round, great atmosphere --so rent it if it's your cup of tea. (Also............. there will be test. LOL!!!)
March 2, 2011~ 5:15 pm
March came in like a lion....(oh, not the weather.......like the CARNIVORE itself.) I was really bummed out last night. Had a nice visit with my mum after work (and Yes, she signed my paper, and she laughed-- she 'got' it) but when I pulled into the carport and began walking down the steps into the yard, I couldn't believe my eyes. FEATHERS everywhere! -in two piles, one larger than the other.
A hawk had devoured one of the pigeons who hangs around, and the naked UGLINESS of the scene made me cry. My neighbor Lou must have been waiting at his door to tell me what caused the mess I was looking at. He said the hawk grabbed the pigeon from his yard, and the poor thing was able to get away-- but the hawk got to him again on the fence and carried him into my yard and then just savaged him. One of my beautiful rock pigeons I'd been feeding last summer and fall, along with the chickadees and the sparrows and bluejays!
All I could think of was what a haven my yard must have seemed-- asafe place where they could get a meal (until the rodents started to appear, and I was afraid the neighbor on the OTHER side would have a fit, so I quit putting seed out) --and how it had become a abattoir for one of them, the poor thing.
Majestic as they are, I HATE HAWKS. (Yes, yes, I know they have to eat too, but just like teeth that rot instead of being made of something incorruptible.....or childbirth......or the appendix... or conjoined twins) -such things make me wonder about the Creator. I get pissed off!
In fact, after I'd cleaned up the feathers as best I could, trying not to look at the blood specks in the grass, I marched myself right off to bed in short order.
Today (and yesterday) were beautiful, crisp dry days, but that horror has put a pall on it for me. (Are you listening up there? I WOULD'VE DONE THINGS DIFFERENTLY, IN LOTS OF CASES, BIG GUY!) There. That's my M*ther F**king prayer for the day. Amen.
March 3, 2011~ 5:30 pm
Enough sad stuff in here. I like to post links to things that just make my JAW drop, they're that spectacular -- and here's one for 'ya. This has to be the most FANTASTIC BOY'S BEDROOM I'VE EVER SEEN! Click below
.... and just imagine what it would've been like to have THAT bedroom as a kid! Wow!! Boy or girl, that is one magnificent roost! Bravo! (Makes me happy :)
(OH! And I slept in this morning!!) I have TWO alarms that never went off....either forgot to set them... or jostled them on the night stand with all the junk I place on there at night, with snacking and reading.... or..... I got up half-awake during the night to use the bathroom, and like an idiot, pushed the buttons back in out of rote habit. LOL!!! So I awoke just at the time I should have been walking in the doors at work. All's well. Got myself together and I got there-- work caught up now. I tell you, I do this at least once a year, and I feel like 'Alice down the rabbit hole' when it happens.
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