RTT: So random I had to do it on a Wednesday

Bonjour mes amies!  We're back from the City of Lights and what a trip it was!  Indy and I had so much fun, despite the rain and cold (yes, COLD in June).  C'est la vie!  I've got lots of blog fodder from the trip, but that will come later.  First I have to do my RTT, but I'm a day late because all that having fun was exhausting and I needed yesterday to rest.  So, I'm really rebeling it up and doing it on a Wednesday.  How random am I?  I mentioned a few things last week before the trip that I'm going to elaborate on.  Are you ready? 

*Why is Wednesday spelled that way?  Or do we just pronounce it wrong because it's hard to say?

*Arf has created a little "Bat Cave" behind a curtain panel in the living room.  It's very odd.  The panel is behind a table and he drug a little blanket from his crate back there.  We didn't know what he was doing, but saw the curtains move every now and then.  One day I decided to investigate and found his blanket and a toy back there.  How weird is that?  Maybe he just needed a space of his own?  We call it his bat cave, but maybe we should call it a "dog cave" instead.

*Indy wrote a letter to the new general who now lives across the street form us.  LTG Hertling took over as the USAEUR (US Army Europe) commander from Indy's good friend General Ham (who is now the Africom Commander) back in March.  Indy decided he had to write a letter to welcome LTG Hertling to the "neighborhood."  He wrote him a very sweet letter and said that even thought LTG is a Cardinals fan and we are Cubs fans, Indy thought they could still be friends.  What a silly boy.  We took it over to drop it off, but the guards said they couldn't accept it and we had to wait for an aide-de-camp to come down from the house to get it.  What?  We had to wait FOREVER before the aide called down and told the guard just to take the letter, which is really what they should have done in the first place.  So, we drop off the letter and go on our merry little way.  Monday, I called James Bond from the train to tell him we were delayed (more on this later) and he tells me that LTG Hertling came to our door that afternoon looking for Indy!  He had a letter for him and wanted to meet him in person.  JB didn't recognize him!  To be fair, he wasn't in uniform and JB doesn't see him on a daily basis.  It wasn't until after the LTG left that JB realized who he was.  OMG, I laughed so hard.  The letter was very nice and agreed that even though Indy is a Cubs fan, they could probably be friends.  I'm sure there will be more to this story.  Stay tuned.

*Okay, my first ever problem with Amazon.  I was so mad I almost couldn't speak.  I ordered some Dr. Brown's pacifiers that specify "colors may vary."  AS there are 7 colors, I figured the odds were pretty high that I'd get a color I couldn't use.  I was wrong.  Of course we got pink.  This is the second time I've ordered something with "colors may vary" and gotten pink.  I didn't worry about the first item because it was something that would never leave the house and Han Solo doesn't care anyway.  A paci will likely leave the house and while I'm all for not stereotyping, I'm still not going to take him out with a pink paci.  I started a customer service chat on Amazon to see if there was any way I could get a different color.  The CSR comes on and I explain the problem.  Take a good look at the paci below and note the color.  Then read the rest.

Okay, got a good look?  So, here's a rough transcript of our convo:

Me:  The paci I received is pink and I have a boy.  Is there any way to trade it out for a different color.  It doesn't have to be blue, just not pink.
(a minute or two goes by)
CSR: That paci isn't available in pink
Me: Well, I'm holding a pink one in my hand and if you look at the item page, it shows a pink one in the second photo.
(another minute or two goes by)
CSR: It's not pink.
Me: Yes, it is, I'm looking at it.
CSR: It's not pink. It's magenta.
Me: Are you serious?
CSR: Yes, ma'am. It's not pink.
Me: What color is magenta?
CSR: Magenta.
Me: Okay, well then, I need one that is not MAGENTA, as I have a boy.
CSR: How can I help?
Me: Let me exchange the pink paci for a different color.
CSR: Again, it's not pink. It's magenta.

At this point I had to end the chat because I was so irritated. I started a new chat with a different CSR and asked for a phone number so I could talk to a person. You have to request a number as they don't post it on the website. I called and explained why I was so irritated and and the CSR apologized profusely and said the CSR should never have acted like that and promised they would ship me a new paci at no charge and that I could keep the pink one and use it at home or give it to someone with a baby girl (which I did). The new one came the other day. It was orange, which I can live with. I have to say this was an anomaly. I've been an Amazon customer since 96 or 97 and have always had excellent customer service experiences including a replacement Kindle in 3 days when James Bond's quit working. I gave the CSR's name (and apparently they have a record of the chats) so I'm hoping this person gets a stern talking to. Idiot.

Ugh, I've written a ton, so I'll stop.  I've got more randoms but I don't want to send you into a coma.  I have one more thing though!  A few weeks back I told you about a Mike & Ike candy I found that looked like a penis and promised a photo.   Here you go:

So, that's my RTT, on a Wed.  Better late than never, right????

Bad blogger!

I've been a bad blogger this week! I even missed RTT! WHAT????? I know! I'm super bummed about that, but we've been pushing hard to finish up the school year a day early so Indy and I can hop a train to Paris tomorrow!  Huzzah!  He's currently finishing his last 2 math lessons while I type and when he's done, we're through!!!!!  What a long year!  When it started, I had no idea I was already pregnant (by just a week or two) and now as it ends, Han Solo is 2 months old! 
I've got a lot to talk about, like the magic CD, Arf's "Bat Cave" (Dog Cave?), a letter to the new General and my first EVER problem with Amazon.com (I've been a customer since 1997!) that came to a happy end, but you will not believe what a Customer Service Rep argued with me about over their help chat.  I'll leave that for another time though (aren't you curious?  Of course you are, so I know you'll come back-I'm clever like that), as I have to do laundry and pack for Paris!  James Bond will be staying home with Han Solo and the dogs and Indy and I will spend 4 fun days in the City of Lights.  Is it bad that the thing I'm most looking forward to is 3 nights of uninterrupted sleep?  :)
I'll see you all next week!  Au revoir!

Happy Birthday to my beloved!

Do you know who's turning 48 today? That's right, my beloved Johnny Depp. On a home schooling board I post on, we have an official Johnny Depp birthday thread that has been going strong all day.

I decided to share a story with them about a little trip Johnny and I took a while back and some of the photos I took while on it.  I'll share them with you too.

So, we were on vacation and staying at a lovely resort.  One morning, after a leisurely breakfast in bed, we hung out on the balcony of our hotel for a while.  Here's my beloved:




Then we went for a drive. Here's Johnny waiting for me to get in:



We ended up at the beach. Johnny knows I'm not a beach kind of girl, so we didn't get in the water, but rather strolled around for a while.



After we left the beach, we went to this funky little garden owned by an artist friend of Johnny's. It's open to the public, but his friend shut it down for a while so Johnny and I could have some privacy. Here's Johnny being silly:



Oh Johnny, you crack me up!



Johnny can be crazy impulsive and on a whim, we hopped on a train bund for Paris. He loves to take me to Paris! He brought along an instant camera. He says he likes the old school Polaroids. He snapped several photos of me while we traveled (if you look closely, you can see me in the photos on the table). He also wrote down poems he composed to express his love for me. They're in the notebook under the photos.



Once we got to Paris, he decided we should explore the city in a new way, so we climbed up on the roof of a building. We had lovely views, but I was so nervous he was going to fall off the edge Be careful, my darling!  (Click to see the full photo)



We checked into another hotel and he (sweetly) made an appointment for me to have a massage and told me to enjoy myself. As I left though, I turned around and caught him staring at me through the window, like he couldn't bear to be parted from me. Don't worry Johnny, you know I'll be back.




When I came back to our hotel room, I caught Johnny practicing his dance steps. He didn't know I was watching. Look how cute he is. He was stressed out trying to remember the right steps.





After an intimate dinner and dancing, we were hot and sweaty (just the way I like Johnny) and decided to go for a dip in the hotel pool. Before we went back up to the room though, crazy Johnny realized he's left something in the car we rented and ran out to get it in his towel! Aren't you glad I was there to catch that moment?



We returned to the room for a nightcap.




Things got a little steamy, and I'm afraid I can't kiss and tell, so I'll leave that up to your imagination.

The next morning, I woke up and found Johnny looking at me lovingly and holding a rose. Isn't he the sweetest???




Whew! That was quite a day. Remind me to tell you about the time we went on a private yacht and cruised around the Med.


Here's a photo I took years ago when we were both much younger. Yes, I made the cake. He likes a girl who can bake you know.



Happy Birthday Johnny!

RTT:The video heavy editon

11 weeks, Keely.  Eleven Weeks.  Why have you forsaken us?  You have time to get a feather in your hair, (for reals, peeps) but not host RTT?  Lame.  That's okay though because we've got Stacy to rebel with.  Rock on Stacy!

*In case yo didn't know, my beloved Johnny Depp is going to be staring in a new movie version of The Lone Ranger as Tonto. Sa-weet!  He's been attached to the project since 2008.  Make that damn movie already!

*Why do they call him The Lone Ranger if he's got Tonto? Doesn't that mean he's not alone.

*OMG, I started back on the 30 Day Shred and all I can say is OUCH.  Jillian Michaels is the devil.  De-vil!  I hate her.  A lot.  Damn her skinny self.

*Defy Authority, Feed the Pigeons

*It's a good thing we don't have CourtTV because I would watch the Casey Anthony trial all day. Seriously, I'm fascinated by the crazy things the defense has come up with.

*Anthony Weiner.  What a tool.  Anyone surprised he did it?  Yeah, me neither.

*Again, how is Robbie Williams not popular in the US????  I want to rock with you Robbie!  Be sure to watch until at least 1:55 (you won't regret it). Stop at 2:40 though because it gets weird after that. If I know Raven though, she'll like the weird. ;)



*Squeeeeeeee!!!!!



*And no, I didn't write (or sing this), but I totally should have, because, yes, this is exactly how I feel about my beloved Johnny Depp (really, you must listen to the lyrics):



*Indy and I went to see Kung Fu Panda 2 the other day and stood in line for 45 minutes.  We got to the register and they sold out.  !@#$%  Indy was crushed, but I promised to take him back tonight.  It's already night here and we just got back.  It. Was. Freaking. Awesome!  I actually think it was better than the first.  Shut the front door!  I know.  Visually, it was gorgeous.  We didn't see it in 3D, but it was still filmed in 3D and had depth!  If you haven't seen it, do so.  Ska-doosh!

*At least he has goal:

And that concludes today's RTT.  Go hit the button up top, show Stacy some love and then link your own RTT.  You know you want to.

D-Day 67 Years Later

The anniversary of the D-Day landings seem to be largely ignored this year, but there are those who will never forget. In the small town of Bedford, VA, they remember D-Day every year. Why, Bedford, VA, you might wonder? Because Bedford lost more men per capita than any other city in the US during the D-Day invasions. When we went to the 65th anniversary Battle of the Bulge Memorial Walk (Dec 09), we were lucky enough to attend a showing of the movie Bedford: The Town They Left Behind. It was incredibly moving and there were many tears shed by those in the audience. This is the trailer for it. If you're interested, it can be purchased at Amazon.com and is also available as an instant download for $2.99.  I don't normally tout movies or products in my memorial posts, but this seems appropriate.  It is an amazing documentary.



 I did a post last year on D-Day with photos of our trip to Normandy.  If you'd like to see them, you can find the post here.   It was a somber and amazing trip. 

Take a moment today to remember all the men who stormed those beaches.  Honor their bravery and be grateful that they were willing to face this almost insurmountable task.   This world could be a very different place if it weren't for them.

Christening!

Han Solo officially received guilt yesterday. By that I mean he became Catholic. :) We had a private Christening in a side chapel of the Heidelberg Mark Twain Village chapel. It was short and sweet and ridiculously hot. Han Solo was awesome. He fussed while I was putting his gown on him and cried a little, but then promptly fell asleep and stayed asleep for the entire thing. Huzzah!   His gown looked fabulous on him, but it's a little large, so we're going to wait a few weeks to get his photos taken in it.  He's been smiling more and more, so I'm hoping to get a good photo of him in the gown smiling.  Here are some photos from yesterday:

 Me and the man of the hour.  Notice my fascinator???  That's right, I'm bringing hats and hair pieces back!

Getting ready to get a holy water shampoo.

With his awesome godparents JAG and Hoosier Mom:

Our sweet little family:

My little man!  Isn't he precious?

We had people back to our house afterward for cake and punch and Han Solo slept almost the entire time.  He's a real party animal, that one.  Best of all though, a true miracle occurred last night.  He slept 7 straight hours!!!  If I'd known that was going to happen, I'd have gotten him Christened weeks ago!

RTT: Star Wars, pirates and revolutions

Keely's still too cool to host RTT (something about a job???), so the super awesome, silver medal winning vintner Stacy is rebelling and I'm joining.


*We were just watching an old episode of Scrubs from 2007, which was all about the Iraq war. 'Janitor' said "If you ask me, we should be looking for OBL in Pakistan." How weird is that?

*I had my  postpartum  check up today.  I do not miss having strangers up in my "business."  Hopefully I won't need to go back for at least another year.

*I took Indy and his BFF Gramsterdam to see Pirates of the Caribbean 4 in 3D this past Friday at the German theater (it played in English).  Tickets for the 3 of us cost $50.  Concession (large popcorn, 2 large drinks-the size of medium in the US-and an Orangina) cost $19 and parking was $9.  That's one expensive movie.   It was totally worth it though.  Johnny Depp in 3D?  Yes, please!

*On the way home from the movie, the news came on the radio (the English channel of course) and they were talking about the newest round of revolts in Egypt.  Here's the conversation Indy and Gramsterdam had:

G:  They should really stop revolting.  More people are just going to get killed.
Indy:  Yeah, but they need democracy.
G:  True.  True.

Once I got over the shock of an 8 and 9 year old discussing democracy in Egypt, I laughed. 

*The rest of the time, they discussed, Star Wars, Legos, Lego Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Lego Indiana Jones.  I thought I would go crazy from all the chatter.

*We had a Star Wars marathon weekend at our house.  The original plan (not my plan) was to watch all 6 movies in one day.  Yeah..that wasn't going to happen.  I suggested 3 one day and 3 the next.  They both agreed, but after 2 movies the first day, we were all a bit glassy eyed (those first 2 movies are LONG), so we opted to stop and watch 2 on Sunday and 2 on Monday (since it was a holiday).  I am so Star Wars'd out.

*I'm still angry at George Lucas for those 3 new movies.  They're just awful.  Sure, seeing how Anikin became Vader was cool, but good grief they're terrible.  He should be beaten soundly for Jar Jar Binks alone.  James Bond and I were discussing the movies (you know, as you do) and he said the original movies seemed more "realistic."  I told him it's because while they are action-y, they're character driven, but the new movies are all about the effects and the wow factor, and the characters are shallow and not well fleshed out.  I'm deep and perceptive like that.

*I found a Mike and Ike candy the other day that looks like a penis.  It's got a scrotum and everything.  I should really take a photo and post it here.  Maybe next week.  <--See, that's my way of getting you to come back, cause who doesn't want to see a candy that looks like a penis?

*The sign is weird on it's own (is this really a problem?), but  read the little note at the bottom.  What an odd combination of things to put on a sign.

Aaaaaaaand that concludes today's RTT.  Click the awesome button at the top to read all the other randoms and/or link up your own.

In Memoriam

His name was Bernard Brown. He was a Specialist (E4) in James Bond's company and his wife Sherrie worked at the Commissary. They were expecting their first child and he was the friendliest, happiest guy you could ever meet. I don't remember him not smiling. He loved football and laughing and went by his middle name because he so disliked his first name, which was Lunsford.  When James Bond's unit (we were living in Heidelberg at the time) deployed to Kuwait in 2002, Bernard stayed behind as part of the rear detachment (people in the unit who run the day to day and liaise with the forward part of the unit). Since most of the men were gone during our company Christmas party, Bernard volunteered to play Santa. He was the jolliest Santa ever. We all laughed when he came in because, Bernard was a big guy (not fat, just big), but had still put a pillow in the suit and looked like an overstuffed turkey. Here's a photo of him holding Indy:

The company came home just before Christmas and redeployed in Feb. 2003 in anticipation of the Iraq invasion.  This time Bernard did not stay behind, but deployed with the rest of the unit.  Sherrie was due in June and while he was sad that he would miss the birth, he felt his place was with his fellow soldiers and hoped he would see the baby soon.  Sherrie moved back to the States to be with her family and gave birth to a little girl, Amber.  Bernard was ecstatic and a soldier we knew said when Bernard got the news he jumped on top of a Humvee and yelled out to everyone that he was a dad.  He was so excited and couldn't wait to  meet his little girl.  The war was in full swing though and no one knew exactly when they would be coming home.

James Bond had fractured both his feet in Iraq and got sent home the day after Indy's first birthday for surgery and recovery.  While we were thrilled JB was home, we still worried about those left in Iraq.  By Sept, after the first in a series of surgeries, James Bond was well enough to travel and flew to the States to visit his family for a few weeks.  Indy and I stayed behind in Germany.  On the morning of Sept 21, our phone rang and it was rear-d looking for JB.  They need him to call in.  They were doing an accountability because there had been a casualty in Iraq.  My hands shook as I dialed his parent's number.  I spoke to JB briefly and he told me he'd call back as soon as he could.   I sat for a very tense half an hour or so, worrying about our friends when he finally called.  He was crying.  Bernard had been killed in his sleep by a mortar attack.  When we hung up, I cried thinking about Sherrie and little Amber, who was only 3 months old and would never meet her happy, smiling father.  Bernard Brown was 27 years old.

Christening Gown

My little man is growing up. He'll be 2 months old on June 4. Coincidentally that's also the same day we're having him Christened. We are so thrilled that Hoosier Mom and her husband, JAG, are going to be his godparents.

When Indy was Christened, I knew I wanted him in a Christening GOWN, not a suit.  James Bond was less than thrilled because, well, he's a boy, but I won out (of course) and bought him a gorgeous blue Christening gown with a sailor collar and sailor cap from a shop in England.  He looked adorable.  James Bond didn't even mind that it was a gown until some lady came up to us after mass and said "She looks adorable!"  JB gave me the See!  See! look and I had the urge to smack her.  I was in church though so I refrained.  I ask you, does he look like a girl?

Anyway, for Han Solo's Christening, I knew I wanted another gown, but have only been able to find ONE blue gown and it's the same one Indy had.  I wanted the boys to each have their own gown, so they could pass them down to their children, but was getting frustrated with the girly looking gowns I found.   I wanted a blue gown, but wanted one that didn't have a sailor collar.  After HOURS of online searching I was lucky enough to stumble on a little shop on ebay.uk (seriously the Brits do gorgeous Christening clothes) that had some lovely boy gowns.  Better yet, the owner is willing to customize each gown (they are made to order), so I sent her a message asking if she could make the gown I liked in blue.  Her response was yes!  Huzzah!  Her name is Mandy and her shop is called First Blessings Christening Wear and her work is amazing!  Not only that, she's quick!  I ordered the gown and it was shipped to me 4 days later!  It is so beautiful I almost cried when I pulled it out of the box.  It's a silk gown and fully lined to protect Han Solo's delicate baby skin.  Want to see it?  Of course you do!

Look at that tiny little bow tie!

It has a matching sailor style hat made out of the blue material, but I haven't taken a photo of that yet.  Could you die from how gorgeous this thing is?  I can tell you that the stitching is perfect and each seam arrow straight.  If you're (or someone you know) looking for a Christening gown (or suit) for a boy or a girl, you need to check out her site.  She ships world wide!

On a funny little side note, I was so impressed with her work, I had to call her and thank her for it in person.  Her husband answered the phone and I could hear their conversation as he was handing the phone off to her.  She asked who it was and he said "I don't know. Some American.  Must be Mrs. Obama."  I thought it was hilarious.  Take a moment to check out her site and ooh and ahh over the beautiful work she does.  It will make you want to have a baby just to buy one of these outfits.

RTT: With a Rebel Yell

She cried more, more, more.... :) Such an inappropriate song, yet it's been stuck in my head all day.  And now I pass it on to you.  Enjoy.

Speaking of rebel, I'm rebelling up with Stacy the award wining vintner (that's a weird word, no?) for yet another Tuesday without Keely.  Let's get on with the randoming.

*Remember 2 weeks ago when I RTT'd that I watch a lot of TV? Yeah, last night it became evident that maybe I watch too much. We were watching CNN and they were talking about the Casey Anthony trial (you know she did it) and they were talking about the specific difficulties each side would have with their case.  For the prosecution they said it would be tough because when they found the remains it was just skeletal, which meant they couldn't provide a cause of death or the secondary charge of child abuse.  In my over TV'd mind thought Sure they can!  Bones and Booth do it every week!  And sometimes they only have partial remains to work with.  An intervention may be required.

*While I'm on the subject of Bones, can I just tell you how upset I am over the season finale?  WORST.SEASON.FINALE.EVER.  EVER.  I feel cheated and hope Hart Hanson (creator of the show) comes up with something that knocks my socks off for the season premier in Sept, to make up for that crap fest they aired last week.  Honestly.  Six years of waiting and that's what we get?  Bastards.

*Also on my list are the Castle and Chuck finales.  I'm less upset over Castle, though the finale irritated me (really, Montgomery was the 3rd cop?  Gah!) I can deal with it, but Chuck? It was great, and would have been almost perfect except for the very last freaking minute.  No.  Just no.  If you watch these shows you know what I'm talking about.  If you don't watch them, what's wrong with you?

*Indy is a bit of a TV junkie too (I know, we're bad parents, blah, blah, shut up, you use the TV as a babysitter too, don't deny it.).  He's very upset that Oprah is ending.  Why?  Because it means he can never go on a "Favorite Things" show.  He's all about the swag.   I'm so proud.

*Han Solo is now 7 weeks old.  He's also much happier than he has been.  He too has a milk protein allergy and reflux, but now the Zantac and prescription formula he's on seem to have made a difference.  He's a really pretty baby (and no, I'm not just saying that, he really IS), and I told James Bond it's a good thing he's so pretty, because he's a complete grump. I call him my grumpopotamus.

*OMG, I'm sick of hearing about Arnold and the love child.  Who cares?  The news media needs to get back to reporting real news (there are still 2 wars going on) and leave the celeb gossip to the rag mags and Perez Hilton. 

*Hey, what happened to the Rapture?  I guess it's a good thing I didn't go out and run those credit cards ups, huh?  Oh, now he's saying he was off by 5 months though, so apparently it's coming in Oct.   Maybe I should run them up then?

*Did you know that Bob Marley used to live in Wilmington, Delaware?  Doesn't that seem like an odd place for him to have lived?  When I think Reggae, Delaware just doesn't come to mind.

*Apparently an Egyptian father named his newborn daughter “Facebook” to commemorate the role Facebook played in the recent Egyptian revolution. Her full name is Facebook Jamal Ibrahim.  I hope when she grows up she rebels against him for giving her such a crap name.  Why do people do that to their children?

*The Code of Hammurabi (1800 B.C.) includes a law that punishes fraudulent wine sellers: They were to be drowned in a river.  I think we should still have this law today.  I hate bad wine!

*Did you know that Abraham Lincoln was the first president to ever be photographed at his inauguration?  It's true. In the photo, he is standing near John Wilkes Booth, his future assassin.  


 *But where is here?

 


Click the cool pic above (now with added wine glass!) to read all the other randoms!

My famous friend (for real)

Oh, I know you think I run with all the big names, but really, I like to keep my life normal. Who wants to deal with all the paparazzi? Oh, sure all the A listers are begging me to hang, but I don't have time for all that nonsense (Johnny, I would walk the red carpet with you anytime though. Call me.)
I do however have some awesome friends who are actually in the music, TV, movie and literature world though. It's true. One of my friends that I went to college with is even a published author of an awesome book you should read. I'll get to that in a minute though. Let me tell you about how we met.
Waaaaay back in 1992, I was a (smokin' hot) sophomore in college, majoring in English and Theatrical design. Dead. Useful. I worked in the costume shop as a sewer, pattern drafter, costume prop maker, dresser and all around Jackie-of-all-trades when it came to costuming (in return for a cut on my tuition-yay for work-study). I even designed a show my senior year (A Street Car Names Desire).
Anyhoodle, enough about me (or not). During that new fall term, we got a freshman work-study student (or two, or three, they obviously did not impress me, because I can't remember) named Michele Feltman. She was a spunky, red head with razor sharp wit and hair longer than mine. This was almost a capital offense, but I decided to get over it and like her anyway.  It was her razor sharp wit won me over. I liked her (despite the fact that her hair was a good 6" longer than mine-okay, okay, I'll let it go)! She was fun! She also ended up working in the costume shop, so we spent a lot of time together (good thing I decided to like her, huh?). Over the next 3 years, we had loads of fun and made some awesome memories. In fact, she was even a bridesmaid in my wedding.
Of course, 16 years ago when I graduated college and moved away, the internet had just been commercialized and few people were on it. There certainly was no Facebook, and sadly, we lost touch. Thanks to Zuckerburg (or his friends, whichever story you believe) though, we hooked up again and chat via FB on a regular basis. She is still awesome (as am I). Her name is now Michele Feltman Strider and she lives in California with her musician/producer husband and is an actor, writer, bon vivant and lover of the crushed grape (of course we're friends) . A true Renaissance woman.
A while back she sent me a draft of a book she had written for feedback (though I was terrible at getting it to her in a timely manner). I loved the it. It is set in Mobile, AL, where we both went to college and where she (mostly) grew up. The characters are real and beautifully flawed, the story entirely believable (always a plus), and her images completely capture the feel of the modern deep South that still holds tight to old school traditions (football and debutantes anyone?).
The book is called Homecoming: A Novella (though I dispute the novella bit) and you really, really need to read it. It is the story of Caitlin, a former beauty queen and reigning Homecoming Queen who has come back to pass the crown on to the new queen at the big game. Caitlin has bucked tradition and gone to a college up north (a Cardinal sin to many southerners) and tried to distance herself from her deep south, how-y'all-doin? past. On her return though, she finds that being away hasn't made much change and must endure her overbearing (frequently drunk) mother, distant (frequently drunk) father, Frat boy (frequently drunk) ex-boyfriend, overly sexed (frequently drunk) younger cousin and a whole host of other archetypal, but realistically drawn characters and forces her to face her past, old wounds and look forward to a future that is very different from the one her mother imagined for her.
This is a really good read, people! You need to buy it, grab a glass of wine or two (Why not? Everyone in the book does!) and indulge yourself in a juicy story that sparkles with Michele's personal wit and humor. What would you expect from a friend of mine?
Homecoming: A Novella is available in paperback and on Kindle and Nook.  You won't be sorry you read it.

RTT: Rock the Casbah

*The title of this post has nothing to do with the post itself. It's just RANDOM! Though I dare you not to sing that song when you hear it on the radio. Or in your head just now. You're welcome.

*Speaking of music (weren't we?), I meant to mention last week that I hope Sir Paul McCartney is happy with his new bride. I guess he just "need[s] somebody to love." Though I hoped he learned his lesson the last time and didn't pick "just anybody."

*I may not crack you up, but I sure crack myself up.

*Anyone know what happens when, in England, a couple who has a title through the man gets divorced? Does she lose her "Lady" title? I'm thinking of Sir Paul and his previous wife. If you know the answer, leave me a comment or shoot me an email. I'm sure I could do some research and find out, but I'm too lazy for that.

*Clearly being pregnant affected my alcohol tolerance level.  James Bond and I cracked open a bottle of 2007 LaCave Gros Manseng wine (made with muscat grapes-sweet, fruity and freaking delicious!) and 2 glasses made me slightly tipsy!  WHAT???  Clearly I need to up my wine consumption.  In the name of upping my tolerance.  Yeah, sure.

*Han Solo was 6 weeks old yesterday!  Holy crap! Where are the days going???  BTW, he is now 8lbs 1oz and 22" long.  My baby is growing!!!!

*Indy graduated from the lower level of Cub Scouting and will be a WEBELOS next year.    OMG, he's not a baby anymore!  He was so excited, especially when then put the "traditional" face paint on him before he crossed the bridge.  Seriously, they cross a real bridge used just for graduations.  WEBELOS wear a different uniform from the other Cub Scouts, and also different from the Boy Scouts.  I think this level is just a ply from the BSA to get more money out of us.

*Indy and James Bond were supposed to go camping with the Scouts this coming weekend, but because of the whole killing of OBL, the Scouts cancelled it due to the "increased terrorism thread" to Americans in Europe.  You see how bad OBL was???  Even in death he's screwing things up.  How evil are you when you mess with the Boy Scouts?  Bastard.

*Indy was bummed about not going camping, so I went to the USO to tour some of the Rhein River castles instead.  I actually booked just the 2 of us because he's gotten far less attention than he's used to from me since Han Solo came along (though still he gets far more than many kids do) and I thought it would be good to have a day that was just the 2 of us.  James Bond is going to stay home with Han Solo and do...whatever.  Indy is very excited.

*Why is John McCain in Pakistan trying to sooth their ruffled feathers?  It doesn't fit with his "rogue" politician ways.  Personally, I think he needs to tell them to suck it.

*When I was typing "politician" I accidentally typed "plotitician."  That is genius!

*You all know how I feel about Angelina Jolie, right? Yeah, you do. So, WHY then does she have to go and do really cool stuff that I have to respect her for?  Damn it all.  This past week she was at Ramstein AFB and the Landstuhl hospital meeting with wounded service members.  I know she does a lot of good things, but this one hits close to home for me and makes it harder to dislike her and hold my never ending grudge for being a home wrecker AND more importantly for kissing Johnny Depp.  Oh, I still dislike her, don't get me wrong, it's just HARDER.

*It's depressing to hear on the news that the Morganza spillway hasn't been opened in "nearly 40 years" and then realize that the last time it was opened was the year I was born.

*Arnold has a love child.  Huh.  I feel like I should be surprised by this, but somehow...I'm not.  Plotiticians!


*Maybe Arnold should have taken this advice:

*And just in case it left your head while reading this post, I'll leave you with this:

Sharia don't like it,
Rockin' the Casbah,
Rock the Casbah
Sharia don't like it,
Rockin' the Casbah,
Rock the Casbah

RTT: TV junkie

Tuesday! Again! Funny how they always come after Monday, isn't it?




*If I ever own a horse that runs in the Kentucky Derby (What?  It could totally happen.), I'm going to name it Pants on the Ground (as in "lookin' like a fool with your pants on the ground").  I don't know why, I just think it's funny.  James Bond said he would name his horse Dead Last.

*Some of the women over on a home school board that I post on seem to be in lust with my sweet Johnny Depp.  They obviously do not know of the long relationship Johnny and I share.  Apparently they are all delusional.  Clearly, I am not.

*WTH is up with commercials being so much louder than the show your watching?  I remember having this issue in the States, but until recently (other than on Disney XD where they try to brainwash your child into buying weird toys by playing the commercials ridiculously loud), we have not had this problem over here.  AFN for some reason now blasts all their commercials and it is highly annoying.  We have to keep the remote next to one of us so we can mute it when a commercial comes on, it's THAT loud.  What a PITA.

*Speaking of AFN commercials, why is James Stavridis all over my TV lately?  If you don't know who he is (and you probably don't), he's NATO's Supreme Allied Commander in Europe (seriously cool title).  He and his wife have a series of commercials about staying healthy and while I don't really mind the commercials, they play them all.the.bloody.time.over.and.over.  It's getting to be a bit much.

*I love The Big Bang Theory!  The show, not the scientific theory, though I'm down with that too.  Bazinga!

*My awesome friend, Cheesehead, who is moving back to the States in a few weeks and making me very sad, came over last week and brought me my birthday present (because of Han Solo's early arrival, we haven't seen each other since before my birthday).  Know what it was?  Season 2 of October Road WITH the 15 minute ending they shot to wrap up the show after it got cancelled.  How awesome is she?  I loved that show, but it fell victim to the writer's strike a few years ago.  She remembered that I liked the show and lamented its demise and the fact that I never got to see the ending.  She's so awesome.

*I'm still bitter over the writer's strike.  Some really good shows got cancelled or were totally messed up due to that whole thing.  What shows?  Aside from October Road (which I fully admit was not that great of a show, but I liked it), Journeyman, starring the delicious Kevin McKidd.  I really, really, really liked that show, damn it.  I can't believe it didn't get picked back up.  Also, there was the whole debacle on Bones with Zack being Gormogon's apprentice, that I still refuse to accept.  James Bond backs me on this.

*That's right, we're TV junkies.

*I need wine.

*My beloved Johnny's birthday is coming up.  I'm trying to decide how we'll celebrate.  Again, not delusional.

*There's a guy around here who looks like a very manly sort of man, but rides a hot pink Vespa.  I {heart} him for that.

*Oh, there's also a weird guy (Indy calls him a hippy) with dreds and a multicolored backpack who rides a bike with crows (LIVE CROWS!).  One crow sits on his shoulder and the other on his arm, which he frequently holds out to the side and the crow will spread its wings like it's flying.  We've tried to get photos, but so far, we haven't gotten any good ones.  Here are 2 I snapped the day we brought Han Solo home though:

The things at the bottom of the photo are my windshield stickers, but you can see the birds.

Okay, that's all I've got.  I'm linking up with the awesome Stacy again, since Keely is still on hiatus because apparently her new job is way more important that hosting RTT.  Lame.  Click the button at the top to see all the other randoms.

The sweetest gift

One Sunday every May, a day is set aside to honor moms and today, I was honored.  I didn't want anything for Mother's Day except to be able to sleep.  :)  James Bond got up with Han Solo this morning and I slept in until 11:30, when they came in bearing breakfast.  Indy insisted I needed breakfast in bed.  While I was eating, I was presented with the sweetest card.  Apparently Indy and James Bond collaborated to write some poetry (Indy told James Bond stuff he'd like to say and JB put it in poetry form).  They printed the poems out on a card with a photo of both Indy and Han Solo.  I cried when I read it.  James Bond said he's not much of a poet, but I think you'll agree that he did a marvelous job writing 2 poems, one from each of the boys.

You're there when I've fallen
You're there when I'm sad
Your hugs are like magic
When my days have gone bad

No matter how big
Or grown up I may be
I'm forever your son
So you can hug me

Love, [Indy]


I know that I'm little
But my eyes they do see
The most beautiful angel
That firmly holds me

With my life I do trust
My future unseen
My love is forever yours
In my crib as I dream

Love, [Han Solo]


I hope you all have a lovely Mother's Day.