NIPSA

Not in Public Site Areas - NIPSA.

My flickr account was reviewed by their staff and marked "safe". I am good at moderating my own content is what it means. HMMMM...is that like being boring? Maybe I will add some unsafe shots just to mix it up a bit so I can be on a watch list.

Good Word

One of my favorite words. Try to use it over the next few days.

quag·mire
Pronunciation: 'kwag-"mI(-&)r, 'kwäg-
Function: noun
1 : soft miry land that shakes or yields under the foot
2 : a difficult, precarious, or entrapping position : PREDICAMENT

Not Just Another Monday

I woke up today to discover the passing of 2 folks.

Bill I didn't know - I knew his wife though. Last week I received an email about Bill falling on his driveway in a freak accident and hitting his head. He spent several days in a drug induced coma but didn't make it. Hard to send your husband to get the mail and not return to you.

Kelley. I did know Kelley. And I knew that today was coming. Kelley has battled a nasty beast - breast cancer that metastasized into her bones. When I first met Kelley about 6 years ago, she had already been through a great deal and the cancer had already settled in her bones. I won't go through the details about how difficult the years have been for Kelley dealing with the broken bones and the treatments. It isn't what Kelley was about - not by a long shot - and she wouldn't like that at all. When you were with Kelley you were with her - regardless of the pain she was in or how bad she felt - she was right there with you never complaining. I hope no one will say she lost her battle with cancer because she didn't. She is someone who beat that disease - because she lived and she did so on her own terms even with the worst of what she endured - she made choices. And she lived with great joy.

So here I sit with strong coffee on one side and the Newman on the other side showing me quiet love. I have sneezed no less than 10 times during the course of these writings - thanks, pollen. I have a meeting today that is an important one. I should be brushing up on the file. I am sitting here fighting the urge to sink into the melancholy hole and wishing I could inject caffeine directly into my veins and wondering where the morning has gone. And the friggin ants are back in the laundry room. I can mark spring with the return of the pollen and the damn ants.

I am lucky really. I have these amazing amazing friends in my life - my girl fight clubbers. We have gone through some shit together. Some heavy shit. When we leave each other be it in a large group or a small one, we say love you. We say it all the time - on the phone, in emails, texts & in person. It is always there. Always known. And sometimes it is with an accent because we don't separate love and funny. But we have learned to enjoy life - the day to day moments. And that is what life is really about - the day to day moments. And I suppose that includes the return of the ants and the passing of people.

2 Great Flicks with Guns

Watched "The Departed" last night. Great flick and worthy of the Oscars it won for best picture and best director. I like to watch movies before I sleep - a wind down from the day. WOW - this movie kept me completely on the edge of my seat but it was worth the stress on my heart. My favorites were Leonardo, Martin Sheen, & Mark Walhberg . I liked other folks too, but these guys were my were just my favorites. Jack scared me - a lot - part of his job. Martin Scorse did a great job telling the story - except for that closing shot with the obvious in the frame. (Spoiler alert) Didn't need to see the rat. I wish I had seen the flick on a big screen ....gotta get one of those soon. Real soon.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Earlier in the week I watched "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels".
This movie came out in 1998. It appeared in Brad's tiers of his favorite movies - don't remember which tier but near the top. So I thought - "hell, I am gonna put that on my Netflix list." So I did. And it arrived. I watched it. AND I really liked it! It is a well told story with funny throughout. If you are squeamish - you should know there is a bit of violence in the flick - but it is necessary part of the story so get over it. And I really enjoyed the ending - it wraps things up as they should be! And Guy didn't use a rat in his closing shot. That was a good move. Martin should have followed his lead. shout out for Brad - good one!

"Being Julia"

You probably all were smart and saw this film when it actually came out. I just saw it. Really great flick. High on the enjoyment rating - at least a 4. maybe creeping towards a 5 (the best).

"Being Julia" stars Annette Benning who is outstanding in the role. And it is a well written piece. Do I spoil it for you? I think not - just get it. No, just do it. Especially if you are an actor and a woman who has been dumped at sometime. A great way to get even (not really a spoiler just a teaser). Just get it, will ya?

1 for Newman

I watched from window today as Newman approached the trap with the wet cat food...the one he did time in yesterday. He put about 8 inches between him and the trap but kept looking and smelling. Trying to work out how he could the food but not loose his freedom. He looked and smelled some more - never entering the 8" free zone. Finally he turned and walked away. 1 for Newman.

Free Loading Guest

I discovered recently I have freeloader in the yard. I hired a professional, John, really good guy- today to give me the news. It's an opossum. I was completely relieved at this news! Seems so much better than the options that creep me out about in town living. There haven't been any horror movies about possums to freak me out or any baby eating possums that I know of. I don't even like saying or writing the name of the animal that won't be named. I don't like raccoons or squirrels either. Opossum suits me fine for an invader. And John will take my possum alive and relocate the guy - that's the way they do things. Another reason he is a good guy.

Today was our first day with the traps. There are 2 - one with burned marshmallows which look yummy- just like you would roast on a fire. The second one is loaded with canned cat food. If you know me - you know about Newman and you are probably a little worried or just curious. Well, nice John talked me through opening the trap and how to reset it. So sit easy, reader. Newman spent the early years of his life living in a parking lot forging and hunting for food so he will taste most things and I wouldn't be surprised to find him eating marshmallows.

I only had to wait 4 hours to find Newman in the trap with the cat food & on his back with his paws in the air and PISSED. I laughed as I sprung him free - only his pride was wounded. He shot out of the trap and ran for freedom. I finally coaxed Newman into the house for some food and a little R&R. Hopefully he has learned his lesson. We'll see. Perhaps we should take bets on the number of times I free Newman. And will he go for the marshmallows?

The View from My Porch

Cherry Snow....

Saturday - March 17th - IMPROV

The Road to Fun is Paved by the 485...
(Bill, Duke, Adam & Leigh)

~ AND Visit the Orphanage
(Bill, Duke, Adam, Leigh, Katrina, & Dewb)

8:00 pm Harold Teams - 485 & the orphanage
9:30 pm Einstein Meets Elvis
11:00 pm Knucklebones ~ Open to All to Play - FREE


Tickets are $5 and you can see both shows for one $5 investment. Ask me about 2 for 1 tickets! For directions & more information, click onto Jackpie Theatre. Jackpie is located within the walls of the Relapse Theatre on 14th Street.

Fan mail for Carrie Fisher

I just read an article on CNN.com that makes me LOVE Carrie Fisher more than when I woke up this morning. I have always liked Carrie Fisher. She always seems to call things what they are and isn't afraid to laugh at herself. And she reminds me of my friend - the late great - Beth Jones Kraft. I loved Beth and her candid honesty. She was one of the great funny ladies that influenced me early in my young adult life & career. I digress - what a surprise. But Carrie gets that transfer of affection because she shares a spirit that Beth had and I admire.

She has recently joined TCM's "Essentials - Movies that define what it means to be a classic." The article goes onto talk about the bad movies that Carrie made and how they won't appear on Essentials. Carrie talks about the fact that she chose to do some movies because she wanted to go to the location. Who can blame her? If given the chance to earn money AND go to Australia AND work in a film - I would sign on the dotted line and get my bags packed. I mean have done some bad ones for no pay and shot in the ATL.

Quote: "I've made films that are so bad there are cutaways to ashtrays for no reason, and you think there's going to be a meaning to the ashtray later on and there isn't," she says. "Oh, I've made some unbelievably bad films," she repeats, then audibly shrugs. "But you know, that's what we do. That's a career." Here is the article in full.

She sees the good and the bad as part of her journey. And she isn't afraid of bad hair ideas. I can't call them do's because they shouldn't be done.

4.8.5 Launches

Four Ate Five - Improv by Bill Seybolt, Adam Lowe,
Duke Corey and Leigh Hays!

Saturday - March 17th
8pm - 485 & the Orphans (485 plus Katrina, Sean & the Dewb)
9:30pm - Enstein meets Elvis
11:00pm - Knucklebones - open to all who want some fun on the stage - no experience required.


Tickets are only $5 and you can stay ALL night for one low price.
www.jackpie.com for directions and details.

It is gonna be some green fun - I promise.

Motorcycle Diaries

Recently watched "Motorcycle Diaries". It is a well told story about a trip that changes one man's view. Now this one man happens to be Che Guevara - a Marxist Revolutionist who in 1959 joined Castro's movement. And the story is about his experiences traveling in Latin America in his early 20's. Throughout his travels he meets impoverished people and those encounters shape his future as a revolutionist. Gael Garcia Bernal stars as Guevara.

But you don't really need to know all of that to watch and enjoy the movie. This is one of those movies where I really wished I had a fabulous home movie theatre because there are really gorgeous shots of Latin America. Enjoyment Rating: 3.5 barks.

Purely Pleasurable Purchases

With the recent lottery pot in excess of $300 million - I have been thinking about what would I buy with my winnings. Now there is of course the obvious - pay off the mortgage and the bills and the do good portion of the proceeds. But what I really wanted to know about myself was - how would I choose to squander just a bit of it???? The purely pleasurable purchases is what I was seeking to discover about myself. I didn't count the beach house or anything like that because they are assets and really investments.

For me it would be the perfect purse - all of them. And the perfect pair of shoes to match the purses. And then they would all need a good home - so I would build them a kick ass place to hang out until it was their time to go out. And I would even put in a great chair so I can just sit in there and visit with them.

So - what you purely pleasurable purchases for yourself be???

Delectable Indeed!

Wednesday for lunch I had the pleasure of returning to Muss & Turner's for my second AMAZING meal. I am going to go ahead and tell you on the enjoyable scale - 5 barks plus a wagging tale. AMAZING I tell you.

My most recent meal involved 1/2 a Ruben sandwich and cup of the day's soup which was white bean & vegetable. The corn beef is incredible - the best I have found in this City. I am not a girl who usually eats the pickle offered with her sandwich but at M&T - I LOVE the pickle. You have a choice of 4 pickle flavors. My favorite is the "new cucumber". In fairness to the other pickles - I have not tried them. My friend & I split a sandwich and they gave us each our own pickle - not a quarter or a half - but a whole pickle each. Their sandwiches are a plentiful; take some one you like and share.

The desserts - OMGosh. Again - out of this world and tough to make a decision. Even if you are stuffed when you leave, at least take a cookie home. You will thank me later. I promise.

One day soon - I am going to go back and try the Chocolate Elvis.

HOT

This brings a whole new meaning to seeing the 'hot' light on at the Krispy Kreme. It is actually the result of a foul up on a news report where someone didn't read the fine line on this ad when they pulled the picture off of the internet. I imagine someone is looking for a job now. Click here for more details. Your next fund raiser won't be the same with these doughnuts. SHOUT out to Bill for forwarding this to me for us all to ENJOY.