Monthly Archives: March 2010

Miscellany

Hello and goodbye

Tomorrow is the first day of Spring – Spring I tell you! For those of us here in the potato state, this means mornings spent scraping windows will soon be a thing of the past. Those bare branches will soon blossom, and blooms will spring from the thawed soil.  Good days are ahead … 

Yet for my mom, a few friends, and me, tomorrow will be bittersweet. Tomorrow, you see, we’ll be heading to Dixie‘s to help clear out her things.  We’ll be going through boxes and taking inventory; we’ll be sorting things to give away, and things to sell. And with every turn, we’ll be reminded our friend is no longer with us.

I’d like to say I’ll be fine.  I’d like to say I’ll be able to march right in there and do what needs to be done without so much as a tear. But alas, strong of heart I am not.

People, in an attempt to be helpful, have suggested thinking of the good times we had. Unfortunately, that’s precisely what gets me into trouble. Tomorrow I’ll not be wanting for happy memories … and with each memory, a tear is sure to fall …

For I’ll miss the laughter that filled those walls … I’ll miss the parties … I’ll miss meeting with friends and the best mimosas ever … I’ll miss lounging about in her backyard,sipping some libation she attempted to make light, just for me … I’ll miss seeing her latest horticultural discovery … I’ll miss hearing oh, hello honey … I’ll miss my friend.

So yes, for a few of us, tomorrow we’ll say hello to Spring; but we’ll also say goodbye. We’ll say farewell to a place we’ve known all too well.  We’ll close the door one final time. And with memories of old tucked deep within our hearts, we’ll head out toward something new…

My life

Play that funky music

Jules, over at Pancakes & French Fries, recently posted a few of her favorite songs. Then she asked us to join the fun … which got me thinking …    

I’m not so much a music connoisseur. Oh sure, I might pretend … after all, I love music.  Loveit.  But much like everything else in my life, my playlist tends to run amuck – there’s no rhymn or reason.  I’m a little bit throw-back, a little bit country, a little bit soul…and on and on it goes.

Even more ghastly than this hodge-podge of music selections is the fact that I’m not big on artists. For most of my life, unless it was Frank, Dean, or Bing I hadn’t a clue who sang what – nor could I care. It’s only been the last few years that I’ve begun to pay attention – and only to better find songs on iTunes. Yes, I’m just that pitiful.

And don’t even get me started on concerts.  I rarely attend a concert - and there may be a reason why …

Take the John Mayer concert I attended a few years back. I went with a guy I met at work and several of his friends. The seats were awesome – three rows back from the stage, right smack-dab in the center. I haven’t the slightest who opened that night, but I’m thinking they were at least on their way to being great. After all, people seemed pretty darn excited. Or maybe it was just the beer. I don’t know. I don’t even know if I liked the music or not.  All I know is their bass player was shockingly skinny – sickly, even. And I had an overwhelming urge to bustle up on the stage and feed him some meatloaf and mash potatoes. And then, you know, get him into rehab.

Of course, that may not have been the issue at all. I am the one that got stuck on the school bus riding home from kindergarten and thought the high schoolers were all drunk.  So I’m probably not the best person to judge. Maybe he’d had the flu for a week – or maybe he was just like the girl I went to High School with who had an overactive metabolism. She was like six foot.  She could eat anything. And she was toothpick skinny. When she turned sideways she was often mistaken for Flat Stanley.

But I digress …

So, John Mayer eventually made it onstage. About halfway through a friend of the the guy I was with said, “Amy – get ready!  He’s gonna throw one of his picks!”  I looked up to see this guy with a pick poking out from his fro. I was mortified. For the love of God and all that is holy, why would I want some strange man’s hair pick? I’m sure I don’t have to tell you, but he wasn’t planning to throw his hair pick … but his guitar pick. Which, I was so relieved at my good fortune that I completely missed the souvenir that landed a few inches away.

I guess we can’t all be musicians. We can’t all be roadies. Sometimes it’s just best a girl stay home with her books …

Miscellany

Happy St. Paddy’s Day!

I don’t know about you, but I’m woefully unprepared for any sort of celebration. There’s nary a corned beef or cabbage in sight … no Guiness. Not that I like Guiness, mind you. It makes me gag. But it seems the festive thing to do … and that, my friends, is how I roll …

Maybe I’ll try a different stout this year – Epicurious just happens to have a great Irish Beer Guide.  Perhaps I’ll study up.

Or, perhaps I’ll eat pizza, drink water with a hint of lime, and call my ”Kiss me, I’m Irish” napkins good.

However you celebrate, may it be a good one … and as you head out on your way, an Irish blessing (oddly appropriate for Idaho):

May the frost never afflict your spuds.

May the leaves of your cabbage always be free from worms.

May the crows never pick your haystack.

If you inherit a donkey, may she be in foal.

Miscellany

Happy what-have-you-day!

March is a funny month. The skies clear, the sun ventures forth – and just when we’re ready for shorts and picnics, it snows. It can be a tad depressing, really; so to compensate, we’ve created a slew of holidays.  Yesterday, for instance, was National Pi Day – or, my personal favorite, National Potato Chip Day. Mmmmm, potato chips.

I have a friend who celebrates Daylight Savings Time.  The whole family stays up playing games and watching movies; then they change their clocks at the appropriate 2 AM.  Personally, I think it’s a splendid idea – except for the fact that staying up past my bedtime makes me nauseated. It’s all fun and games until someone throws up.  

Speaking of holidays, today is the Ides of March. So happy death-to-Julius-Caesar-day!  Or, for a less macabre approach, Happy First Day of Spring (according to the Roman calendar). 

It’s also Dumstruck Day … which, I might add, I am feeling a bit.  Of course, it’s also Everything You Think is Wrong Day. Granted, if you have teenagers, you may experience this day on a regular basis.  But today you can embrace it – celebrate even!

So here’s to you … and Monday … and turning silly, unusual, everyday things to celebration …

Cheers!

Miscellany

Crisis of the curl

After approximately a full pot of coffee, a half a cup of hot chocolate, and a few almonds thrown in for good measure, I mustered the courage to visit Walmart.  Desperate times call for desperate measures.  You see Walmart – of all places – is the only store I’ve been able to purchase Curly Sexy Hair without ordering online. Since I’m not so very fond of shipping fees nor Walmart, I tend to try new products ad nauseam.  Typically, said products make my hair too smooth and limp or it looks something akin to this …

Yowza!

I don’t think I need to tell you, this is bad.  Very bad indeed – even for a writer.  So, when I can take it no more, I trek to Walmart.

Such was the case today. Only when I reached the hair care aisle, Straight Sexy Hair had replaced Curly Sexy Hair. Apparently you can’t get away with curly hair even in Walmart. 

*sigh*

It’s a sad day my friends, a sad day …