Feelin’ Groovy January 29, 2008

I’m feeling unusually good today, it being Monday and all.  First off, look at this:

Wil is ridiculously cute in this photo.  He rivals this:

This a blue heeler puppy.  I saw one of these in person Friday night at our friend Jess the Vet’s house.  Her name was Zoey and she was really really cute and she almost came home with us but neither of Wil nor I have the time right now to raise a puppy.  I managed to get some quality girl time in last night, clean the house so that it smells good again, take a walk in the sunshine, go shopping (for toothpaste but it was still shopping), and sleep in both mornings.  It doesn’t get much better then that!

Bitter Sweet Memories January 21, 2008

Wil and I just returned home from a trip to New Orleans.  It was so wonderful.  Our friends Catt and Rob invited us to go since that’s their hometown and I had never been before.  We spent Friday checkin out the sights of the city, eating shopping, etc.  We went down to the 9th ward where the worst of Katrina could been seen and it was still heart renching.  It is amazing that after two years, things really haven’t improved much.  That night, we went to a the Krewe of Tucks ball and I dress like a semi super hero, Catt was a “maid” on the Queens court (a french maid- oo la la), Wil and Rob dressed in Tux.  We danced and drank and ate king cakes till we just couldn’t anymore.  A major highlight is when a marching band comes into the ball room and they do a sort of mini parade with beads and throws.  That was only a taste of what was to  come.  On Saturday, we spent the day at the French Quarter and ate beignets at Cafe Du Monde and ended our journey on Burbon street where we had hand granades and saw a pie lady.  We traveled along the streets until we were at the parade route.  We watched a satirical parade that makes fun of everything Mardi Gras.  I caught a ton of beads, a stuffed toy donkey, some temp tatoos, stickers and a oyster shell with a condom super glued to it and a plastic pearl on top.  It was an amazing trip and I see now why people from New Orleans have such pride for their city.

On a sad note, I got home and was putting my pictures on the computer in order to share them and make CD’s when the computer glitched and erased most of my photos.  My photos from Christmas, New Years, Karaoke, and New Orleans.  I am so sad I could puke or cry or throw the computer out the window.  So I guess enjoy the five pictures that mdae it through the glitch and I will have my memory to keep me company.

**Picture Update**Not only did I erase my pictures by my picture viewer “flickr” will not allow me to upgrade three of the five photos because of their size and they want me to pay $25.  I am really batting zero here.  So, I will put them here instead: 

**Picture Update**  It won’t let me do that either. Walk away from the computer Amanda, just walk away……………

**Yet another update**   I was thinking about the loss of my pictures and how poetic it is that I lost pictures that I took of Katrina damage. I just needed a little prospective.  On our way down, about an hour outside of the city, there’s a field that the US Government rents where a sea of FEMA trailers sit.  Thousands of trailers that apparently have some sort of fermaldihide issue but after 2 years, nothing has been done.  Katrina Gods: take my pictures as a sacrifice and help those that still have so little while I have so much.

Watch out for the deers y’all! January 9, 2008

                    

It is deer kamikazi season here at Sewanee.  As soon as the police department starts its annual deer call, the deer find creative ways to pay us  back.  Male, female, baby deers; it doesn’t matter, they are crossing the lanes with not a thought in their heads.  The classic scenario is night fall, atleast one other passenger, you go to look at the radio station when your shotgun appointed friend yells, “Deer!” You quickly look up to see the ol’ deer in headlights and you do a little break/swerve movement and then, on a good night, the deer hops away to meet its fellow bretheran in the roadside thicket.  One of my coworkers who recently experienced one less deer in this world with one less bumper lying next to it said that it is deer suicide.  Another coworker pointed out that by saying that makes her the Dr. Kevorikan of Subaru drivers.  I wish deer tasted good or that I didn’t feel some guilt at the fact that as humans we’ve torn down nature to make our roads. 

Talking to my ol’ pal Javiera last night about this, that, and Sodom and Gomorrah, she stopped me mid-sentence and told me that my country accent has gotten much, much worse.  I associate a country accent with stupidity.  Maybe it’s reruns of He-Haw or the fact that people like Brittany Spears say “y’all” a lot but I definitly stereotype the accent.  It all started when I taught at Owen Middle School where half the kids wear camoflauge daily ( half the kids are not stupid.)  Now that I live in Tennessee, I am surrounded by thick accents.  By using an accent, I can fit in better and make friends faster.  It’s survival if nothing else.   Maybe the deer should try it…..