Laissez-Faire

I just watched Enron the Smartest Guys in The Room. I confess I snoozed through part of the documentary, nonetheless, it was really a great watch and horrific at the same time. At times as I was watching it, I thought if this was a fictional movie who would believe it? I wouldn't. I would think that certainly with the eyes of the SEC, investors, analysts, employees, accountants, shareholders, auditors, etc that SOMEONE would figure it out and or report the crimes being committed. It is astounding what they did and the number of people involved in committing the crimes and/or covering up their deeds. For me what I find so completely unforgivable is the employees AND retirees who lost everything. Not the traders or most of the executives - not so worried about those guys - but the people who really didn't have a clue what was going on or were completely dependent on their salaries and their retirement funds from Enron. The middle class folks I worry about. I wonder how they will handle their retirements - particularly those who were in their retirements at the time it all happened.

Since about the age of 24 or maybe 25, I have been slightly obsessed about retirement funds. I don't know where this need to be fiscally solvent in my seventies emerged from but it just is in me and I accept it. I don't anticipate any expenses in my retirement actually coming from social security so in my head I don't plan on those funds being there for me. If there are funds from SS for me, then I will get a boob job or a butt lift or something crazy while I am tooling around with my blue hair in some hot convertible.

The movie reminded how strongly I feel about adults being responsible for their own selves in all things. I am all for everyone having the right to manage their own retirement funds. This includes the funds used to put into 'our' social security. I would rather be responsible for myself. But I know that our funds are really paying for folks who are in retirement now because they were told there would be SS for them.

Laissez Faire has always seemed like a really great idea to me on most things - from a state level to a personal one. Let me keep my money and save it my way. If I screw it all up, my fault. At the very least, I would like an option. An option to do it my way.

sleeping Duo

sleeping Duo
Originally uploaded by heighlo.

Dynamic duo....snuck in and took this before they could pretend they didn't like each other...

Saturday at the 'Pie

8pm - 485 & the orphanage

485 - Leigh, Bill, Adam & Duke

the orphanage - Leigh, Bill, Adam, duke, Katrina, Dewb, Sean

COME CHECK things out - it is some good fun and only $5 for the whole night!!!! Stay for the 9:30 show too - Einstein Meets Elvis. AND at 11pm is Knucklebones - Atlanta's Improv Mixer! Come play or just watch and this one is free.

www.jackpie.com for directions to the Relapse Theatre on 14th Street. See you Saturday!

MOVIE Review - Sssssss

A few weeks ago I was working late on the computer - trying to get some real estate listing photos down loaded. I like to watch movies while I do this sort of thing because there is a lot of waiting while the photos down load. I scanned through my on demand free movie selection. I choose to watch Sssssss. Boy was it fun to watch!!! Made in 1973 by Bernand L. Kowalski, the film stars Strother Martin, Dirk Benedict and Heather Menzies.

The plot is pretty predictable but that is what makes this whole genre fun for me to watch. Crazy scientist, Strother Martin, hires Dirk Benedict, college student, who falls in love with Heather Menzies, who is the daughter of the crazy snake scientist. Crazy scientist had a specialty and passion for snakes - including his beloved Harry, his pet snake. College boy is given shots to turn him into a snake with the brain of a man. College boy thinks the shots are venom to help up his immunity while he works with the crazy scientist and all of the poisonous snakes. All the while college boy falls in love with daughter. The opening has a note that the cast and crew worked with real snakes including poisonous ones. I would not have been in that film.

One of the joyous moments in the film is Snake boy in the county fair. The previous college boy assistant who is one of the crazy scientist's earlier and failed experiments is snake man. Awesome fun!!!

Movie was directed by Bernard L. Kowalski who has a long list of credits - beginning in 1957 on television and include: Rawhide, Mission Impossible, the Untouchables, Perry Mason, CHIPS, Baywatch Nights and many more. Movies - Night of the Blood Beast, Hot Car Girl & Attack of the Giant Leeches are also included in his credits. WOW!

Dirk Benedict looks about 18 years old in this film. We love him from his days on Battlestar Galactica and then A-Team. And you gotta love someone who had a few episodes on Love Boat as well. He is in his 60's now - hard to believe - and still working on projects.

Easter Possum

I let Dagny out this morning. She went completely bonkers with a bark reserved for live things. I knew without looking that last night we had caught our possum. Indeed on the side of the yard was the little guy in a trap. He had polished off the cat food left for him. MaryK is right - they are Cah-ute!

I thought that perhaps there was some great meaning with the possum arriving on Easter Sunday. But I think it has more to do with the fact it is cold out and the little guy was looking for a warm place - under my house.

The possum will get a new beginning today. He will get relocated in a witness protection program where he will get to live in a world where possums are welcomed. I am happy for the possum and his new life.

Possum 1 Newman 2

Peeps & Passover

Here is a ridiculous site....Peeps for Passover. Here is a teaser picture - the 5th plague - disease in livestock. check out the link for all of the plagues. I love too they have used the EASTER bunny peeps for passover.

Hot Posse Breakfast

Met some of the hot posse this am for a impromptu breakfast. We were at Highland Bakery on Highland Ave in Ponce Highlands. They have the best carrot cake of any place I know of in the city. Today's HP was Mel, Mitchell, jlu and me. I took some pics and here they are. Somehow I left without shots of Mitchell's beautiful face - but I did get a good one of her food. I love these ladies.




We were moved from one table to another...they incentivized our move with a cinnamon bun. We would have moved without a bribe but certainly happy to oblige with the demolition of the bun. Before I could pull out my camera, we dug into treat so there is only an after shot. YUMMY.





We all ordered versions of the breakfast sandwich. The bread on the left - rosemary garlic wheat (YUMMY!).

The other one is Mitchell's jalepeno foccacio which looked yummy.







This is just some silliness.....

Clermont Lounge

Clermont Lounge made Wikipedia. You can read all about it on I Saw It On Ponce.

Giving the Bird

I got the bird today. The dead one in the backyard. Newman - I am assuming - is responsible for giving me the bird. I believe this to be his retaliation to being stuck in the possum trap.

Yummy in my Tummy

On Monday, I made my first trip to Belly General Store. I had never been there which is sad because I live very close to the Belly. But thanks to MaryK. for educating me on the place that has olive oil bagels and CUPCAKES!

I had a sesame seed bagel which are my favorite. I added bacon and eggs to the bagel. The bagel was out of this world delicious. Like no other bagel I have ever experienced. I also enjoyed a good cup of coffee. I just enjoyed mine straight up - black. They have lots of other good choices in the coffee arena so they can totally whip you up a latte or whatever you desire. I am thinking of the Rosemary bagel - RIGHT now. Wondering if I could talk the dog into driving down there to pick one up for me.

There is a lot of other great stuff in there too - like Meyer's Cleaning products and good chocolate. They also have a great section of nostalgic candy like Sugar Daddy's. There are pastas and cheeses and things like that too. An amazing array of sandwiches are offered too. Me - I am excited about the bagels and a place that makes cupcakes AND you can get a cupcake card - and your 13th cupcake is free. I am glad cupcakes are back.

Detour

today is one of those days where i just don't have any motivation to do anything heroic - like heading up in the attic to pull out my spring clothes, or to actually put any clothes away or clean out the guest room for the furniture that will arrive when the delivery company announces the date. nope it is one of those days where i have done what had to be done but did it with little joy or even frustration. just full of nothing. i have ideas about what i should be doing around the house to purge and tidy up for spring and be a responsible homeowner. the ideas just seem to be ideas and not sure i can convert anything into action today. i will get something started today. lately starting things around the house is easy for me - it is getting them wrapped up.

the dog is snoring on her bed which is not helping to propel me off the couch and into the land of chores. i have spent a few hours on the computer doing some RE work. there is more i could be doing. today is not one of those days to do the coulds though. today is a day where i need an injection of direction and energy. a voice to tell me and inspire me to do something towards heroic or respectable movement. i have started washing some laundry and will change my bedding b/c that is one of my favorite things in the world - clean sheets. the cat will be annoyed as it will displace her for 5 minutes and she is queen of the bed. hopefully she will appreciate the efforts when i am done.

i did get frustrated - actually pissed - off earlier today. one of the things i had to do was put a for sale sign in a client's yard. cute house in cabbage town. i drove down to the house from a different direction than usual. a chance to see something new. but it led to me getting pissed off at the city of atlanta department of transportation. i love cabbage town - it is small neighborhood loaded with charm and really great houses. you can still find shotgun houses and there is yummy architecture - influenced by the victorian era - details on the houses as well as homes with 12' ceilings. the streets are narrow. parking on one side of the street makes the street wide enough for one car to drive down but certainly not two and probably not even one suburban. many of the streets are one way and some streets or sections are unpaved. charming place to be.

today though it was one of those annoying moments that made me cuss. the DOT is paving streets. now paving and fixing streets is a good thing. i support it and try to be patient when i incur it. and even though lately it seems to be they are repaving everywhere i seem to be traveling, i am all for the progress. but today - i was detoured on Carroll Street into the neighborhood. all fine. but once in the neighborhood, my detour route was impeded by MORE DOT people fixing MORE roads and putting out MORE detour signs in the path of the detour path. it was a fucking disaster with all of those trucks and one way streets. i don't understand why in the world would they not do one street at a time. and why would they not finish one street before starting another one? And certainly when you are doing the main street - Carroll St - would you not wait before you shut down the detour routes? it seems so simple. but i am not in charge of the DOT.

i am off to the land of productivity. the land of action. the land of finishing something i started.

~~~Update~~~i actually scrubbed down the laundry room. this is a pretty major task and not something i would normally point out b/c you probably don't want to know about dirt and stuff. but since i had trouble getting started it was great to end with a splurge of activity. started and finished.

Marshmallow Man

Yesterday afternoon I found Newman in the possum trap on the side of the yard. Originally this trap was the one that had the burned marshmallow in it. On Friday, John added some wet cat food to this trap for the possum hunt. Apparently Newman only learns one trap at a time because in he went. He ate all of the wet cat food during his incarceration and somehow got marshallow all over him. I have been cutting out marshmallow out of his fur since yesterday. Washing him isn't going to happen and I am trying to brush some of it out but he doesn't enjoy that at all. Luckily he has long hair and I am easily able to cut the matted pieces out and this he doesn't mind too much.

Possum 0 Newman 2