Conversations With A Woman 2.0

...where your coffee cup was...

When I was in high school, I had a beautiful 1973 Monte Carlo. It was burgundy with a white top. It had swivel captain's chairs. It had an AM radio and I installed an FM converter so I could get the good stations out of Dallas. It was the coolest car I've ever owned.

About the time I got that car, I met these 2 kids, Jonathan and Jeanette. They were twins and they were geeky Pastor's kids, but they were nice and had a weird sense of humor like I did, so we quickly became friends after they moved to town from Atlanta.

As kids often do, we came up with a game that made no sense what so ever. We designated the road that went around Jeanette and Jonathan's house as "The Triple "J" Drag" and we would drive around this little circle with them sitting on my hood and us singing "Black Coffee In Bed" by Squeeze at the top of our lungs. Why? Well, refer to the first sentence of this paragraph.

I've been friends with Jonathan and Jeanette since we were 15, and today we are all 38. Jonathan likes to point out that I am SO MUCH older then they are since I'm 26 days older than them. Yeah - RIGHT! ;-)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JONATHAN AND JEANETTE! Here's to another 23 years of friendship! I love you and miss you both!

:-)
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I've come to the conclusion that there are some things that really concern me that other's just say, "Eh?" about.

For instance, have you heard about the big cloud of sand from the Sahara that is floating toward the US? I don't know why that both fascinates me and unnerves me, but it does.

The other night I got home at about 11:00pm and the moon was rising and it was red. It was beautifully eerie looking. However if you really think about it, the reason it was red was because the air was dirty.

Why has it been so dag-gum hot lately in the US? I was looking at weather.com yesterday and the temperature was 95, but the heat index was 104. Geez! The Atlanta area is one of the cooler areas in the country, too!

I feel like I'm starting to sound like Andy Rooney, so perhaps I'll wander off for now!

:-)
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Ahh Sunday...a day to feel totally at peace. I have always been a big fan of Sunday - the unhurried pace of it - the mellow slide into the new work week.

When I was growing up the daughter of a single working Mom, my Mom rarely cooked, but when she did, it was a nice midday meal on Sunday - and by midday I mean about 3:00-5:00. To this day, it doesn't feel right unless I'm a having a nice meal on Sunday.

Mom would sleep late on Sunday, wake up and stare out the window and drink coffee for an hour, wander down the stairs to read the paper and watch Charles Kuralt on CBS Sunday Morning, slowly back upstairs to do her morning ablutions, then finally about 12 or 1, she would begin to cook.

If Mom had not already pre-planned what she was going to cook, her cooking experience would start with standing in front of the pantry and the refrigerator taking a mental inventory. Sometimes I would be sent to the store to pick up something, but most the time not. Mom liked to challenge herself by using what was currently in the house.

Then Mom would turn on Public Radio and hope for the Sunday edition of "All Things Considered," "A Prairie Home Companion," or "Car Talk" and usually 2 hours later, a wonderful meal would have been created.

That is one of the memories of my Mom I hold dear - a house that smells wonderfully yummy, the sounds of Garrison Keillor telling a hilarious story with Mom chuckling to herself and as I go to the kitchen for a Mason Jar of iced tea, the smile on my Mom's face as she sees me.

What I wouldn't give for another Sunday like that...
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My Sister is celebrating the anniversary of her 29th birthday today!

My Sister is one of the most amazing women I know. I am grateful beyond explanation to have her in my life.

I love you, Sissy! Happy Birthday!

:-)
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G called me and left an intriguing message on my cell that she had a funny story to tell. I called her this evening and this is the story she told:

Some scandal rag had published that Rob Thomas (of Matchbox 20 fame) was gay and that he had a sexual relationship with Tom Cruise and was becoming a Scientologist.

Rob Thomas' reply was this:

First of all, I'm not gay. Even if I were I wouldn't think of Tom Cruise. Brad Pitt? Definitely, but Tom Cruise, no way!

Secondly, how DARE they call me a Scientologist!

G was right. That WAS a funny story!!!

:-D
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..."Life's been good to me so far."

The week leading up to my birthday and following it was wonderful. My friends and family took really good care to recognize my birthday. My friend G took me out to dinner at Pappasito's and then to the park, my sister sent me some beautiful jewelry that she made herself and my brother in law picked out the card, my step-mother sent me a purse and cosmetic case and filled the cosmetic case with fun samples of cosmetics, my "other" Dad sent me a beautiful card and some money, L & G took me to dinner at PF Chang's and gave me a monitor and some cash, Jef took me to lunch and gave me a subscription to my new favorite magazine, "Real Simple" and I got lots of phone calls and emails. I truly felt (and feel) special!

Jef and did our lunch thing yesterday as he had company all last week. We went to one of my favorite places called the "Raging Burrito." Afterwards we went to a really nice used CD store called "Ella Guru." We both found some really cool stuff! After that, I dropped him by his house and headed to L & G's house.

G and I decided that we wanted to go get our nails done and I needed an eyebrow wax - BAD!! The place the G goes to is in the mall, so off we went. They were having a very slow evening so we sat right down in one of the spa pedicure chairs and they went to work on us. I was on sensory overload because I had one lady working on my feet, another lady working on my hands and still another working on my eyebrows AT THE SAME TIME! Not only that, but during all of this sensory overload, they are trying upsale me on every damn thing. They wanted to wax my lip, and upgrade my manicure to a "super" spa manicure and upgrade my pedicure to a "super" spa pedicure and not being very happy that I continued to say, "No, thank you."

The lady that was working on my eyebrows said something to her co-workers in their native tongue and everyone stopped, looked at me, and started laughing. If the woman had not done such an amazing job on my eyebrows, I probably would have been pissed. However good eyebrow people are really hard to find, so I let it slide - Yes! My eyebrows look THAT good!!!

So, today finds me at home with the kitties. It's grey and overcast outside and even though I've been awake for only 2 hours, I find myself wanting to take a nap. This "sitting in front of a monitor reading and writing" thing is quite strenuous, you know!

Yep - life is good.

:-)
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...but I still considered him a friend and will miss him terribly.

Fellow bloggers - have you ever started reading and commenting on someone's blog and as a result felt like you had a connection with them and therefore you considered them a friend? I had that experience with MrBob over at "Just a Middle Aged Guy."

Unfortunately, MrBob has had some health challenges and has felt it best to stop blogging until further notice. He actually did this on 6/18/05, however I have stubbornly continued to visit his blog almost daily in hopes that he would be there. Alas, he has not. It makes me very sad that I have to accept that he's no longer in my "blogosphere" - at least until his health improves.

Isn't it interesting how the words that we place on our blogs can affect so many in so many different ways? I think back to the months leading up to the Presidential election and of all the blogs that had something to say about their candidate of choice and his opponent. I think about the blogs that I have read that have literally made me weep because the person's pain seeped so eloquently through their typed words. I think about the people who truly are gifted in their ability to tell a story that has you laughing out loud.

Yes, there are those that espouse hate in all of it's ugly forms on their blogs. However for the most part, we are regular folks sitting quietly in front of our monitors as we reach out to the world and reassure ourselves and each other, that we are not alone.

Thank you to all of you who's blogs I have had the pleasure of reading. A special thank you to all of you in my blogroll over there on the right, as you touch me daily with your wonderful humanity. Last, but certainly not least, a big mental hug and a heartfelt "thank you" and "get well soon" to my friend, MrBob.

:-)
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I have always loved the 4th of July. One reason is because it's right after my birthday and it's like the whole world is celebrating with me, and secondly, because I grew up in a small town that made a HUGE deal out of the 4th. There was a big lake in Granbury called - you guessed it! - Lake Granbury and there was a public beach near the downtown area and they shot off the Fireworks Display on the opposite side of the lake.

One memory that has been popping up in my brain lately involves a boy named David. David was a handsome kid in my class that also lived in my neighborhood. I met up with David at the public beach and we decided to enjoy the fireworks together. Since every square inch of the beach had a butt planted on it, and it was a scorching Texas night, we decided our best bet was to watch the fireworks from the water. We waded in and chose an area that when we sat down, the water was to our shoulders. I sat in David's lap and we kissed between "Ooo's" and "Ahh's" It's such a sweet memory that makes me smile to this day.

What are some of your favorite memories of the 4th of July?

Have a safe and happy 4th of July, y'all!

:-)
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I'm told that this happened 38 years ago:

It was a hot and balmy night in Dallas, TX. Dad had found a John Wayne movie on TV and had just gotten into it. Mom came into the living room and said the immortal words, "Jim - It's time!"

Without looking up from the TV, Dad replied, "Can we wait until the movie is over?"

Needless to say, that was not an acceptable answer to my Mom. (or me, for that matter!) LOL!

:-)
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