Nashville Farmers Market

I took the kids to the farmers market yesterday morning. The pickings were pretty slim though, because I forgot they have the flea market on the weekends so there were only a few vegetable vendors. I normally love flea markets, but a majority of the vendors were geared towards black customers. I would look ridiculous in hip hop clothes. I mean, can you picture me in baggy pants hanging down to my knees? They really need to diversify. I can understand that I am not their target customer base, but I'm sure black people are interested in shopping for things other than jumbo size pants, incense and Jesse Jackson books. It wasn't a total loss though. I did get some good pears and the food court was open so we had an early lunch and went to Bicentennial Mall State Park next door. There was a cute little boy Lea Anna's age that the kids played with. They got to run around and scream like little yahoos with out disturbing anyone and I finally got to visit the World War II memorial. I'm going to take the kids back next time I have a day off during the week. I used to like taking Jazzmin and Adrian to the Torrance Farmers Market when they were younger. They would bravely sample all kinds of strange things that they would normally never even touch if I were to put them on their dinner plate.

Christmas Vacation Photos

Not one to be camers shy, this is a cute photo of Jazzmin.















Is this typical Daniel or what? I came home from work a few days after Christmas and found the remains of my gingerbread house turned into a commando bunker.

Adrian being tortured once again by the Lea Anna and Daniel. I never did convince them that their big brother is not a toy. They did plenty of tagging along after Jazz too, but Adrian also endured three weeks of severe sibling abuse. Suck it up boy - that which doesn't kill you will make you stronger (or scream in pain) !

I have other Christmas photos, but they are spread out among three other disposable cameras. At the rate I'm going they should all be developed by June.

Birmingham Race Course - January 21, 2006

Recently retired racers at the Birmingham track adoption center. View is through a muddy window - muddy because it's in the entry door to the kennel and the dogs like to jump up on it to say hello to people looking through it.

I can't remember this dog's name (most of the dogs have really cool names - like Polka Dot or Spiderman), but she's a racer. Funny how some of these pretty little girl dogs will get out on the track and tear it up.

One of the matinee races our group saw. See the blurry streaks in the curve? The doggies move way too fast for my camera to catch 'em.

A Transmission From Uranus...

FINALLY IT IS MINE!!!

I have finally gotten the Hanzel Und Gretyl album "Transmissions From Uranus!" I waited so long to have that CD... I thought I'd have to suck it up and order off of the internet for $40, but I DIDN'T! Yessssss!!!!!

It was a Sunday (this past Sunday, actually)....

My dear brother, Adrian, wanted to go to Amoeba... I was feeling ever so tired; shitty. But, something was telling...no...urging me to go, so I agreed.

We went straight to the Goth/Industrial section; I wanted to see if they had gotten any H.U.G albums. I was feeling doubtful...but something deep in the depths of my soul told me to check anyway...so I did.

There it sat...nestled between "Sheissmesiah" and "Uber Alles"... Adrain (who was searching through the CDs with me) didn't even have time to glimpse it... before he knew what he saw I SNATCHED it up! He himself has been after the VERY SAME album....I WOULD NOT LET HIM HAVE IT!!!

I clung to it dearly, for fear that the green-eyed monster in Adrian would rear its UGLY HEAD (although his normal face is pretty funny lookin' anyway)and try to steal it from me... Until, finally, I got in line to pay. After parting with $21.43....it was mine. As of that very moment "Transmissions From Uranus" was, and will always be...

MINE FOR ALL ETERNITY!!!!!
Mwuah HA HA HA HA!!!!!

The Dreaded “S” Word

It finally happened. After numerous threats all winter from the dastardly weatherman it is snowing. And it is sticking too, which means I will have to drive in the crud to work tomorrow. It won’t be pretty. Nashville is like Atlanta. All it takes is the slightest dusting and the yahoos will be sliding off into ditches. I would like to tell Leland Statom and Channel 5 that they can kiss my lily white, ummm…feet! I know it is all his fault., I just can’t prove it. On a brighter note at least it finally rained on the Rose Parade this year. I’m still gloating over that one.

The true story of: The Dollar of DOOM!!!!!

Saturday I got $20 from dad and one of my ones was marked 666. What I originally believed to be a joke between someone turned out to be an evil plot by devil worshippers! I had to do laundry and I went to get change so I put a dollar in the change machine, nothing unusual happend, I put a second one in, agian nothing happened. Then I came to the marked dollar and I put that in and I didnt receive change, in fact the machine stopped taking money and spat my tainted dollar right out. Later that day I went to the local game store and gave my tainted dollar and 14others to the cashier. Once I got home I tried to play it but my X-box would'nt read the disc no matter how much I cleaned it so I had to take it all the way back for a refund because I got the last disc and there were no replacments and in the cash that was returned was the evil dollar (because the guy just couldn't give me a 10 & a 5.) I finally decided to get rid of this evil burden by trading it for a hersheys With almonds at the corner store. I was finally rid of it, but it in turn had the last laugh after all. for my choclate bbar was chaulky and flavorless and had a mere 3 nuts :-(

Welcome to the ATL

For the second night in a row there's been an accident at the intersection of Marietta Street and Northside Drive shortly before I've left work. So only a trickle at a time makes it through the intersection; the rest are lined up for a mile or two, keeping me from turning onto Marietta and heading home. Last night I was surprised when someone was kind enough to let me in, and all things considered the accident didn't delay me too much from making it through the intersection. But when I reached I-20 it was slammed all the way to 285. So yeah, what a nice sight tonight: an endless sea of red brake lights - again.

This time no one would let me out. I sat there at the corner in the pink and purple glow of the strip club on the corner for a while before giving up and turning in the opposite direction of the way I needed to go, so I could work my way around the intersection. It's more a feeling of "EW" that makes me uncomfortable around the club than it is fear for my safety, though I probably shouldn't take that for granted, either. We've found shell casings in the parking lot out front a few times.

I wound up on the opposite side of the intersection a few minutes later, after a series of turns. You can't exactly go around the block here, you know? There was still a backup, but at least it was moving and at least I was IN it instead of being trapped. So I sat there and watched a homeless lady - she had a big trash bag so maybe that makes her a bag lady - ask people for money, I'm guessing. The lights went out in the apartment leasing office, so I guess they were closing up. Then the homeless bag lady walked over to the "Now Leasing" sign, untied the bouquet of balloons, and strolled off down the street, trash bag in one hand and balloons in the other.

The Chillins are Gone

Adrian is on the plane, probably halfway to California now. How the house can suddenly seem so empty with Daniel and Lea Anna still roaming around, I do not know. The are definately loud enough. This was the best Christmas I have ever had. Besides having all my kids with me again, we all had a great time in GA last week and I enjoyed seeing you all again. BTW, we keep meaning to thank you all personally but I am scattered brained and keep forgetting to pick up the phone or write a letter, but thank you very much for your hospitality and the gifts. They were unexpected but very much enjoyed by all of us. Gary also said "Thank You" for the cool knife and movie. Now that we have an extra DVD player in the family room we'll get to sit down and watch it soon.


Ode to a dead coffee cup
Oh my ceramic mug, once so white and bright
You took a ride atop my minivan tonight
Strewn across the blacktop,
your journey was not far (.8 miles to be exact)
Smashed into a million pieces
Then ran over by another car

There goes my last freaking decent coffee cup, may it rest in peace.

The Flu is going around

First Mom came down with food poisoning-then I got the flu, then Ipassed it to chela,dad,and now Jazzmin is groaning in her bed suffering. Im not exagerating! Everyone has been sick here. Ihad to miss the first day of class. They usually drop you for not attending the first day, but I spoke to the professor and she gave me a break. Thank goodness! I'm better now but like I said Jazzmin is struck down with this malicious Flu. Well- i have to go now-I have to take down the clothes. One day I hope to have a dryer-I am totally unmotivated to go out there! Anyway-Bye everyone : )

Once Upon a CD Player... A TRUE tale of DRAMA!

Unce upon a time I had a really nice portable CD-player, but, alas, it did not have anti-shock... Though grateful was I, to have a CD player in the first place...this saddened me. I coulde scarce let out a sneeze for fear it would cause the disc to skip, interrupting my musical bliss. Due to lack of funds, I feared I'd be stuck with the shiny abomination 'til...um...for a very long time.
Then one fateful day, my dear friend, Emerald, and I were comparing CD players... She was envious of mine (though there was no anti-shock) because it was shiny and new. I was envious of hers because (despite the fact that was old, you have to hold it a certain way for it to work, and the back button didn't work properly) it had anti-shock. After battling with the pros and cons of both our CD players, at last we came to a conclusion; WE WOULD TRADE CD PLAYERS!

Finally my dark days were brightened by the wonderous anti-shock protection provided by Emerald's old CD player. The best part about the exchange was the strength of the CD player; it's ability to withstand its many...uh...all the times I dropped it on the ground...made it almost immortal. Even when its...uh..."pavement collison" before school one day had left it injured and permanently damaged it would still continued to play music (as long as I didn't remove the...uh..."binding" holding it closed of course).

Though it seemed the day would never come, a new CD player was presented to me in the form of a gift from my father. It was a beautiful, shining black...and had anti-shock! I was ever so happy!!! Though it was hard, I said my good-byes to Emerald's old CD player and packed it away. I now had many...uh...years?...no...months to look forward to with my shiny, new, anti-shock-equipped CD player...

BUT IT WAS NOT SO!!! (Due to another trade with Emerald and its...uh..."complication") I was sent crawling back to the old CD player! (My shiny, new, anti-shock-equipped, black one was now fated to remain in Emerald's clutches for all eternity.) I feared that my many weeks of abandonment would render it...uh....what's a good word?....wait!... I feared that my many weeks of abandonment would leave it's soul broken and dejected... To my utter happiness, it wasn't so. Nothing had changed... We were re-united.

Over our many happy months together, the CD player's age begin to catch up to it... At times I'd have to hit the "Play" button 2...3 times for it to play a disc. There were even times when it would randomly (say...in the middle of Track 9) start the disc over, even though I had not programmed it to "Repeat All." Though I tried to deny it, I sensed our time together was drawing to an end.

Finally... One black day in December (12/27/05)...it stopped working all together. For six long days I went mad with anxiety and frustration... How would I ever replace my treasured CD player?! A CD player that had withstood months...YEARS (even though Emerald had been the one to own it most of its life) of falling on the ground and being jostled around in various bags!!! I was ill-prepared for the cruel hand fate had dealt me...
Whatever would I do....................

Alas, I was granted mercy. My mother was to take my brother and I out for some nice family time. While dining on brownies and Frappucinos at a local Starucks, I expressed my dire need of a new CD player to my mother. I was able to convince her to stop by Wal-mart on our way home so that I could look at their selection of affordable CD players. (I only had 20 bucks on me, so...) Though it was a long, difficult, and emotional process I was able to find a worthy replacement among Wal Mart's many selections.
Though it will take a lot of time and emotional investment, I know I will come to care for and appreciate this new CD player as I did the old one...especially since it has anti-shock (and can close by itself!).

To make a LOOOONG story short: I owned Emerald's old CD player for a long time and had no intention of getting a new one because I'm cheap and didn't see the need for a new one as long as it worked (even though I had to keep it closed with a scrunchie and hold it up-side down for it to work sometimes). Finally, it stopped working and I stopped being cheap, because I didn't want to have to wait 'til I got back to California to get a new one. (Besides, my mp3 player only holds about 15 songs and who wants to be stuck on a 4 HOUR FLIGHT with FIFTEEN songs?........NOT ME!)

Yay, new CD player!!!

...R.I.P old CD player...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oh, yeah... My flight today was aweful. It was crowded and I ended up having to sit between some chic and some dude. So, when I wanted to sleep I had to hunch over the little fold-out desk. I later woke up with a migraine and REALLY bad neck ache...Gr!!!

Therefor, to make me happy you should ALL adopt a fetus. I did and look how happy I am! (wOOt!!!) I adopted a cute lil' poison fetusfrom Fetusmart! Hooray fetus!