Rocket Surgeon: A person with less-than-stellar aptitude. A mixture of "rocket scientist" and "brain surgeon" This phrase describes a person who is neither.




Friday, July 23, 2010

Five Question Friday

This is a fun little thing from My Little Life's Blog at fivecrookedhalos.blogspot.com
 I thought I'd participate today. 


1. What were your school colors?


My school colors were and are (since I'm still in my home town) green and gold.  Football season here in this Texas town is a sea of green and gold on Friday's.....lots of spirit.   But the elementary school colors where I work are blue and white.


2. What's the best compliment you ever received?

The best compliment came from my wonderful cousin Susan who told me she has realized how unimportant material possessions and acquiring stuff really is, and that she learned that from me.  That made me so happy.  Stuff is just stuff, and it's not ever going to matter after this life.  We shouldn't focus on it.  I hope at my funeral, someone says I didn't care about "stuff".





3. Do you buy cheap or expensive toilet paper?

I like to think I buy the good stuff.  Kleenex Cottonelle is my preferred brand, Charmin my husband's.  Once, when a little short on cash, I bought a generic brand.  J-Dub went out and bought Charmin and said he wasn't about to use that John Wayne toilet paper.
Whatever that means.......




4. Have you ever had a surprise party thrown for you? Or have you had one for someone else?
No, and no.  And would rather not.




5. What is one material possession that you "can't live without"?

This is a hard one.  I'd like to believe that I could live without most everything material.  I'm really attached to my computer in my day to day life. However, I'd hate to not have a Bible, (if I was left after the rapture or something) that would be tragic to me.  And then there's books.  I love books.  Maybe I'll just say my library card!  That way I could get on the computer there, read the Bible, and check out books.

The Life of a Roadie

So begins my life as a roadie.
Chapter 1.


J-Dub had his first drumming gig in the big town of Lefors, Texas yesterday evening.
So we borrowed a trailer, packed up the drum set, and headed down the road about 12 miles to a dot on the map.

We've hit the big time now, baby!!
I've always considered myself to be a small town girl, but soon discovered differently.
This little playing gig was to celebrate the town getting high speed internet, and pert near the whole town came out. 
This town is the kind with no stoplights and where dogs roam the streets at their own free will.  But like most small towns, it had some of the nicest, most accomodating folk around.
We met up at the Pirate's Cove, a little burger joint.
It was right next to the Court House.


They set up an awning for shade........


but the wind insisted on blowing and caused quite a commotion throughout..



There was a fiddle player, a bass player, a stand up bass player, a guitar player who remarked "Lemme git my gitar."  There was of course a handsome drummer, and then this instrument showed up as well.


A wash tub bass. I learn something new everyday.




The crowd gathered up.
Even a young girl with her bitch dog with teats nearly dragging the ground arrived.  The girl had a posse of kids carrying a passel of puppies for the mama dog, I guess in case they got hungry.



The music was delightful.  I attempted a few photos, but sat too far away from the band.  I didn't want security roughing me up, and I'd rather blend into the shadows anyway.  I did venture out to take some photos but I ended up sitting in a sticker patch and then standing in an ant bed, so I quickly made my way back to the safety of my chair by the pickup.

J-Dub played wonderfully.  The group had never rehearsed before and did a great job considering.  They played both dance hall music and gospel songs.  I tapped my toe and swatted flies and thoroughly enjoyed it. 

I made a little video on my phone,  it's total crap and the best I can do.  See if you can hear the drums.



Remember the wind blows here.  It's not my fault!



I take full responsibility for not being able to tell how wonderful the drummer is due to my poor videography skills!




When it was over, we got free burgers out of the deal.
Then we packed up his gear and headed home to unpack it.
Weeee!

Monday, July 12, 2010

Befuddled Me

My sister and her 2 hoodlums have come to town for a visit. 
So we took our other hoodlum niece and went to see "Despicable Me" at the movies.  I think it just gave them more ideas to become the worst villians in the universe. 

Put these three girls together and they're vile.
On a good day.

We were walking to our car after the movie was over, and I was dragging up the rear of the group, moseying along, window shopping at Bealls.  When I got to the car, I climbed in the passenger seat, and pondered where the rest of the group had disappeared to, since I was the last of our party. 

I looked out the windshield and saw this man, woman, and boy huddled together staring back at me.

 I glanced around the vehicle and noticed unfamiliar cups in the cupholders, unfamiliar bags on the floorboards, unfamiliar everything. 

And in one gazillionith of a millisecond, I realized I was sitting in the wrong black Tahoe.

I saved the owners the humiliation of throwing me out of their car with my lightning quick ninja skills of bailing out and running away.

Three vehicles down, my sister and nieces sat in the "real" car, waiting. 
"Where have you been?" my sister asked after I climbed in panting.
"Sitting in the wrong car!" 

Boy, did we have a good laugh at my expense.

Friday, July 9, 2010

A grandmother's love

My niece Ashlynn went away for church camp for a week filled with fun, games, and God. 

After returning she told me some stories, one of which she said she won a cookie in chapel because she was dancing the most.  She said, "I am known for my moves."  So I asked her to show me some of them.  I must agree that she is known for her moves, kinda like Elaine on Seinfeld is known for hers.
Her camp counselor captured a picture of the group walking, and in Ashlynn's case dancing.

This camp trip was the first time she has ever left my mother (whom she lives with) for an extended period of time with anyone besides family.


I'm not real sure my mom, her Grand, missed her at all.  I couldn't tell by the facebook posts she wrote on her wall each day
 "I can't wait to see your precious face." 
 "I miss you sooooooooooooo much" 
 "I'm counting the hours until you come home"
 
Then the moment arrived.  Grand was the first one to arrive at the church to meet the bus.  The bus pulled into the parking lot with loud music blaring and children singing and shouting.
 
And Grand was on the move.
 
 
 Faunching at the bit to get her hands on her little girl
.
But there was singing and praying and last minute talking taking place on the bus.
Finally after seventeen or eighteen agonizing seconds, the doors swung open.

And out climbed our little camper. 
Eagerly waiting to run into the arms of her dear Grand whom she hadn't seen in a week.
But wait......

.....not yet
......what's this?
She needs to get in the church
She has to go pee.
In a bad way.


But then after the important matters have been taken care of, into her Grand's arms she falls.


Home at last.
Home at last.
Thank God Almighty she is home at last.

Monday, July 5, 2010

Birthday Cousins

Happy Birthday to my ten year old niece Hannah Elizabeth.  A girl possessing smarts, perception, athleticism, grace, charm, and the only red hair in the family.



And my one year old nephew Maxx Shane.  A baby with eyes like blue marbles and happy go lucky heart.  I'm looking forward to watching you grow up.


Love you both,
Auntie

Saturday, July 3, 2010

It's Almost Like a Hallmark Card, Almost.

My firecracker of a mama turns sixty some-odd years old today!  Sixty-seven to be precise.



She's still as beautiful as when she was 16. 
I'd prove it to you if I could, but she covers her face whenever she sees a camera pointing in her direction. 



What can I say about my mom? 
She loves dessert.
She hates her picture being taken.
Her toenails are red, always.
Her lips are pink, always.
Her family is the most important thing in her life.
She has made sacrifices and done without so that we could have what we thought we needed at the time.
She will only use blue ink.
She taught me never to go to the grocery store without make-up on because I never know who I'm going to run into.
She talks alot.  I mean ALOT.
She loves to sleep.
She hates rice, it reminds her of maggots.
She uses her cruise control in town.
She's a wee bit gullible, just a wee bit.
She's loud.
She sits at Christmas with only 2 or 3 presents, but finds joy in watching her children and grandchildren open 200 or  300 each.


She's extremely generous, but doesn't let anyone push her around.
She loves pink.
She hates brown.
She speaks her mind.
She works in bail bonds.
She keeps her lipstick in her bra.  It's shocking the first time she pulls it out in church, but after 3 decades I've become immune.

So in honor of her birthday, I wrote her a little song. 
Because like Loretta Lynn, I'm a dadgum songwriter. 
This is my public songwriting debut, but I had to steal the melody, because unlike Loretta Lynn, I really don't have an ounce of talent. 

So everyone sing along to the tune of Jolene by Dolly Parton!

Annie, Annie, Annie, Annie
We celebrate you on your special day.
Annie, Annie, Annie, Annie
Like Burger King, today, you can have it your way.

With toenails red and lips of pink,
I wouldn't ever want you to think,
that I don't love you mom, because I do.
So I wrote this little song to show,
how great you are and I hope you know,
the love you've shown to me means everything.

Your beauty's seen by everyone,
with a heart of gold and a flapping tongue.
With ivory skin and eyes of emerald green
(I stole that line directly from the song...it fit nicely.)

Your kids are placed as number one,
A pedestal you've kept us on,
even when your praise we don't deserve.

You did without so we can have,
the things we thought would make us glad,
But things don't really matter, we know that now.

You love all people, jailbirds too.
They'd be locked up if it weren't for you.
The benefit of the doubt you give to all.

Your happiness is passed around,
from here to there all through the town,
wherever you go, your love goes with you too.

You are unique, you're one of a kind.
You aren't afraid to speak your mind,
You're sunshine on a rainy day, Mama.

Enjoy your cake and ice cream too,
and know that the thoughts of you,
are thoughts of love and adoration too.

Annie, Annie, Annie, Annie
We celebrate you on your special day.
Annie, Annie, Annie, Annie
Like Burger King, today, you can have it your way.


HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAMA!!