Hair Dyeing Murderer

When I was younger, our preacher made the comment that a woman who would dye her hair would just as soon commit murder. Well...I wouldn't go that far, but I am helping Lyn do the whole tri-color business that I claim to not like. It has grown on me, though.
At the same time as the above preacher made that statement, his son, who later found fame and fortune in Hollywood and the environs, where according to his dad before this, everyone was going you know where in a really big handbag, got into trouble teaching my brother a song in the parking lot during VBS. Did that run on sentence run the right direction? The song my brother learned which had nothing to do with VBS was sung to "At the Cross." The words however were "At the bar, at the bar, where I smoked my first cigar, and the nickels and the dimes rolled away. It was there by chance that I split my Sunday pants, and now I have to wear my everydays."
I'm being paged to the salon...

Exit 143

If you have any reason to drive on I-40 between Memphis and Nashville, you must stop at Exit 143 and have cinnamon buns. I personally like the ones which have been sliced and then rebaked until they are cinnamon crutons, but hey, that's just me. Scott and I rode the bike out this morning while it was still only in the 90's for buns and coffee. We'd ridden about 100 miles and were still back by lunch time. That's the way I like to do it unless we are going to actually do something on the other end before we come home. Lunch in Lynchburg maybe. Or a museum in Alabama.

I bought a new phone today. It is pretty plain Jane, but in a couple of weeks we are updating our service so we can IM on the phone. How cool is that? Lyn and I are excited and will probably be the only ones to use it, but since we can't IM at school, it will be a big help when we are trying to do banking or doctor stuff long distance. Lyn and Aaron's phones can play music, arrange your schedule, and wash and fold your laundry. I wanted a speaker phone. I'm such a cheap date.

I just made one of my once a year's. Mannicoti is in the oven. I will usually make lasagna once every six months or so, and buy it once a month - but once in a great while I'll fill the little tubes or the big shells with cheese-y yumminess and we will all eat until we are cross-eyed. I should have made it last night, because Aaron has to work tonight, snoreville. Just 35 more minutes to wait!!

Went to the half price books store the other day (well, twice.) Lyn and I bought about $40 worth of $0.99 books. I threw in a couple of Janet Evanovich's (not of the numbered ones) on CD so I'd have something to read while knitting. I made a couple of spur of the moment purchases which have turned out to be surprisingly good. I read Easier to Kill by Valerie Wilson Wesley and I have Where Evil Sleeps left to read. They are about Tamara Hayle, a young black private detective in Newark. She's smart like our gal in Janet's books, but a little more level headed. Not enough to make the book boring though!

Lyn just informed me we only have 14 minutes left on the timer. That means time to slice sourdough bread and make tea. Don't you wish you were having supper with us?

Brylcream Trip

You know how a little dab'll do ya? Well that is the type trip we had. A little dab, but it was worth the drive. Scott had a little of his usual travel anxiety, but it was minimal enough not to really get to anyone. He made it down to the beach with his bum ankle once and enjoyed the surf. He sat and watched us from the pavilion the second time and had a bonus watching for the Blue Angels.

Aaron and Lyn really enjoyed the ocean. Lyn and my brother must have more of the primordial soup in them than I do, because it seems that they are never so truly relaxed as they are in or near the water. I believe Aaron has a healthy dose, too. The weather was cooperative right up to the last minute in Mobile where we watched a cool lightning show over the USS Alabama as we drove into town.

The town of Flomaton will forever be linked to jokes about the origin of its name and uses of a flomaton or whether or not aliens brought flomatons from space. The general consensus is that it cannot possibly be a real town, but some product from the 1950's to regulate water flow.

Lyn took some spectacular pictures and she and Aaron will fully chronicle the trip at some point in the future. I'll reproduce it here as soon as they cough it up.

Anyone else finished Harry Potter yet? I know you haven't gotten it yet, Reagan. I will say I thought it ended the way it should end; I shed copious tears; don't believe everything you hear from the rumor mill; and none of us would want all our secrets out in the open.

Back to school tomorrow. I find coming in "a really close second" in job interviews is not as comforting as some would hope it would be. I have come in second to a couple of people that knowing I was second to THEM was very disturbing. I only hope it is because I know them much better than the interviewers after working with them for several years. I also hope I don't lapse into bitterness and give up. I finally have figured out why I've been so unhappy in a job I enjoy. I was incredibly busy with meaningful work until the decision was made to hire the politic person for the position I'd been groomed for over five years. Since then, I've not been given jobs with meat or meaning any more, and I find that very disheartening. I hate not having meaningful work every minute I'm at work. So, this fall, I intend to make something up to do to benefit someone every week. Call it Not So Random Acts of Kindness. But, hopefully, I'll be able to do it in such a way as not to be recognized as doing so deliberately. I'm open to ideas from the panel. The one person who reads this from my school is not permitted to comment about this to anyone but me. You may come up with ideas to suggest, but you may not repeat this to anyone. Besides, you should be on your way back to school or something else significant, anyway!

Everyone have a good week. Nothing happens to us which does not eventually have positive meaning for us if we will let it. I intend to let it happen.

Sleep is Elusive

Did I use that right? Meaning sleep gets away from me easily? I'm so sleepy right now I feel like I could crash for a week. By the time I get up, wash my face and brush my teeth - I'll be wide awake. Then I'll turn on the TV to lull me slowly unconscious, but since I have become addicted to Scrubs, I'll get involved in the story and stay awake until the last 5 minutes when I promptly fall asleep and miss the ending. I didn't see the end of Burn Notice Thursday night - asleep on the couch. They say the longer you are married the more like your spouse you become. I was sort of hoping for being able to read people better instead of falling asleep during the movies. When I do get to sleep it is no guarantee I'll stay there. Usually one or two nights a week I'm awake at least an hour or so in the middle of the night. There is some strange TV going on at 3AM.
Speaking of movies, we went to HPOOP last night. Aaron said he felt it was probably the best Potter movie so far. He had heard the adaptation was not as close - and that was borne out. They didn't mention Uxbridge banning Harry from Quidditch forever, and I missed the moat the Weasley twins created leaving Hogwarts. In all, I don't think we hated dear Delores enough. I also thought the kids were slighted in the Ministry scenes. They fought much harder than was portrayed. I do think not meeting Neville's parents in the hospital was covered adequately if not too imaginatively. Scott, Gene and Lyn were pleased. Now, we only have to wait 6 more days to find out who gets what in the end. Like LOTR and Star Wars, I'll be sad to see it end. I think Jan Karon is getting us ready for a parting as well and I just can't stand it.
Gene is here, we've had fun so far. I have to tell a funny on him. At the movie last night, Lyn and Scott had already gone in, Gene and I were getting drinks, Aaron had yet to arrive. As Gene and I got to the ticket takers, one of them said to me, "I know you, don't I?" Based on who he was with, I said I was Lyn's mom, he responded that Lyn was awesome, and the other ticket taker said much the same about Aaron. I thanked them and said something mom-like, and Gene pops up and says, "I'm their uncle!" We just laughed and walked on in the theater, leaving them in the dark!
Getting down to the wire now. School starts in 8 days. We are going to try to squeeze a trip in to the Gulf next week. If anyone knows of a hotel which might have vacancies...please advise! We just cooked this up Wednesday after church. Any good places to eat from the Ladies of the Club?
I lack 3 chapters of The Hobbit. I've read it at least 5 or 6 times. It is such a great yarn. I love picture of Tolkien on the back of the $.99 paperback I picked up at either Great Escape or Goodwill. He's laughing and crinkly eyed and it just makes you want to pinch his cheeks. No wonder CSLewis couldn't resist him!

Who's Your Daddy

Burkett, my brother, and I were talking the other day about ancestors. I'd taken Daddy to Decatur, AL to meet Burkett and my nephew at Burkett's new boat. While we were there, we took a trip around Decatur to look at a few family homes and cemetary monuments. We started talking about how hard it had been (and will continue to be for at least another generation) for our family to EVER have had a five generation picture.
My grandfather was born in 1865 and died when my mother was 15 in 1935. He was one of the few people in the county who could read. Mother remembered the KKK coming to the farm and trying to burn the barn because her family had "Aunt Sally" living with them. Aunt Sally was a former slave, (not of theirs! - Mother was mortified to find out a great grandparent had been given a slave as a dowery) - but to Mother, she was just another family member.
My dad's father was born in 1880 and fought in WWI. He was injured in France by AIRCRAFT fire. My mother's brother served on a ship which brought several soldiers back from France arriving in the US on Armistice Day in 1917, which may have included my grandfather who spent a year in a French hospital. My uncle was already in his 30's. My grandfather came home and around 1918 began working as a brake repair man on the L&N Railroad despite being paralzyed on his left side.
When you start talking about my great grandparents, we're looking at the 1830's - 1850's. In our family, you only have to go back 5 generations removed from me to get to relatives who fought in the Revolutionary War!
Lyn and Aaron were lucky enough to know all four grandparents and one great grandparent. I had one grandmother who didn't like me much and a grandfather who died when I was two. I was always jealous of my friends who had grandparents, but it didn't occur to me it was because they were still making out and making babies into their late 40's for the women and their 60's for the men. Can you IMAGINE a baby or even a 5 year old at this point in your life with no washing machine or indoor plumbing or a refrigerator? I am a spoiled weakling.

To celebrate the 4th...

I forgot to use my inhaler this morning. I've relied on that little gizmo for the past few weeks to breathe without sounding like an old fashioned screen door opening and closing. It is 5:30 and not only am I breathing, I am doing so without rasping, wheezing, coughing, or sputtering. Truly a day to celebrate!
As for Independence Day, we will celebrate that Sunday when everyone is off at the same time. Hope you have a wonderful 4th!