Sundown

The bad guys got guns, so the good guys got guns.
The bad guys got bigger guns, so the good guys got bigger guns.

They lived in fear and arrogance and prayed to a mythical god for answers because knowing there was a plan would make sense of the senseless.

And they sorted everyone into victims and perpetrators because it was easier than looking in the mirror and stating the only plausible explanation:

"I AM TO BLAME.

I think in terms of us and them instead of brothers and sisters. I think I am more important than my fellow man. As long as I value myself, my people, and my things above everyone else's, there will be no peace."

They all armed themselves and invited their own destruction instead of loving each other so that all would thrive.

They were a foolish lot and the earth sighed in relief when they were all gone.

Happy New Month Eve!

No more moustaches, no more blog alarms, no more pretending pumpkin pie has no calories...November's coming to an end. And with her, the end of NaBloPoMo 2013. I came, I posted, I have a list of blogs that I didn't have time to write this month.

Will I ever?

Perhaps a book...

Blog Posts I Never Wrote. Make people pay for something they probably didn't want to read in the first place. Brilliant!

As always, thanks to the four of you for your unwavering support. And as your payment, I leave you with this...



A little Sally Field Camel Toe! :)

Burger Night

Norfolk's a small town once you tap into the social grid. We like to bill ourselves as a city and we do have a small city vibe with arts and entertainment and a technology undercurrent. Many who see her true potential as untapped wring their hands and wonder how to keep the vibrant artistic and/or educated youngsters or how to attract more, but some of us think she may be just a-ok as she stands. These things have a way of working themselves out. I wouldn't want Norfolk to get too popular. Then I might have to wait in longer lines to do the things I enjoy. :)

But I digress...

One of the things I love about Norfolk -- and one of the things that makes going to the grocery store unshowered and disheveled so darn inconvenient -- is that once you tap into the grid, you're likely to run into friends everywhere.

Sure enough, Girlfriend and I met another couple for dinner at a relatively-new fancy shmancy restaurant that happens to have discounted burgers on Thursday nights. Delicious burgers at that! And we weren't there too long before two of our friends walked in, followed by two others. Granted, I was wondering why I hadn't been invited, but that's beside the point. ;) How great to be able to see some missed friends and check in and throw some hugs around! I may run the risk of running into people at Harris Teeter when I'm looking my worst, but it's worth it to always see a friendly face when I stray from home.

Norfolk, you're gonna be ok. Keep striving to be better and we'll keep showing up.

Damn, those were some great burgers! I can't wait to go back. :)

Do do do do do do do dooo do do do do

The highlights of the last 24 hours have included maniacal high-pitched dog barking, dog vomit, dog licking, a clogged toilet, a rear-ending (of the vehicle sort) with a little whiplash, a malfunctioning parking garage pass, and some court testimony. I'm sore and a little worn out -- physically and emotionally.

And then...

The soothing strains of Vince Guaraldi's "A Charlie Brown Christmas."

Ahhhhhhhhhh...........

Everything's going to be OK.

But what a slew of emotions this TV special brings about. I remember watching it at my paternal grandparents' house. Which means it was probably shown on Sunday nights in the 70s. We were often there on Sunday nights. Much to my grandfather, Charlie's, chagrin. He'd scoot his rocking chair up thisclose to the TV and cup his right ear so he could hear "60 Minutes" while everyone else in the room tried to speak quietly or not at all. Having since suffered the frustration of people talking through one's program, I now have a better understanding of his position -- both literal and figurative.

I'm guessing he watched Charlie Brown with us as well. He loved Charlie Brown and had some of the original comic collections from the 50s. I loved flipping through them.

Group dance scene is on. :)

Am I the only one who feels guilty about religion when I see this? Such conflict. It was all so much easier when so many of us dutifully went to church and believed the stories... Linus' speech still gets me square in the heart and soul, but...

I'm not sure where Christianity fits into the fabric of my life anymore. But since I was raised by a village of Catholics and Lutherans, it's still in the tapestry -- even if the tapestry's up on a wall, as a family heirloom.

Too many thoughts. And I want to shut this thing off and watch the show. So, until tomorrow...

"...and on Earth peace, goodwill toward men."

Yeah, yeah, yeah

And so it's happened. I have to blog, I want to go to bed on time (in 14 minutes!), and I have NO IDEAS. I've been surfing the net and facebook for much of the evening to see if something catches my eye, to no avail... And for much of this time, there's been an undercurrent of one small white dog obsessively

lick
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(it'd be great if I got paid by the word)
lick
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licking the couch and a blanket and her foot and nearly any other surface she comes across.

My brain exploded about 2 hours ago.



She really is sweet and cute. Approximately 2% of any given day. She began this day at about 4:50am, barking loudly in the same frequency as nails on a chalkboard. Brain was severed at that point. I had recovered from the barking by about 5:20, when I got out of bed, only to discover my dog ralphing as I was about to get into the shower.

Why do they hate us?

Happy New Year!

After a week of pimento cheese, crackers, smoked gouda, crackers, brie, crackers, turkey, dressing, Ocean Spray Jellied Cranberry Sauce, homemade breads, chocolate pavé, multiple bottles of red wine, and so much pumpkin pie that I eventually convinced myself it was a vegetable in order to live with myself, I went for my lunchtime run today.

Whoof.

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one person to dissolve the fat bands which have connected them with butter, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separation of one's mouth and fork, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that she should declare the causes which impel her to the separation.

I'm doughy, tired, and out of shape.

And I'm thinking I should get a jump on my New Year's Resolutions as a result. Herewith, my list of 2013 Resolutions (upon which additions may be made in the future):

1. Get more sleep.
2. Eat better.
3. Run more.

Soooooo simple. Except that means I should be in bed by 9pm. Rather, asleep by 9pm. Someone break the news to Rachel Maddow. One of her viewers has to go sleepy-time instead of watching her show. And it all starts there for me. If I get an appropriate amount of sleep, I'll feel more compelled to run and will make better food choices.

So really, this is all Rachel's fault. And Obama's. But the election's over, so the daily political commentary isn't as dire and/or funny.

Now if I can just get someone to hide my phone so I don't stay up past my bedtime playing Words with Friends.

Wish me luck!

QI.

Toto, You Don't Smell Like Vomit Anymore!

I spent the better part of today doing laundry, knitting, and preparing myself mentally for re-entry into My Normal Life after a few days out of town. So if you're looking for something interesting, keep walking. :)

We arrived home late yesterday from our Thanksgiving trip to three breathing dogs, which was our primary goal. Our teenaged dog-sitter and her friend were gone, replaced by evidence of a Category 1 teenager tornado and an all-consuming odor of sour dog vomit -- whose source we could not locate. Thus began a few chaotic hours of sniffing, searching, scrubbing, vacuuming, and mopping.

And yet, 24 hours later, trace amounts of sour dog vomit smell persisted. It seemed to be localized to the little brown dog, but since she isn't one to throw up, we're still not entirely sure what happened. The larger spotted dog has been known to toss some yellow bile on occasion, but to my knowledge has never tossed it directly on the brown dog nor has the brown dog rolled around in it.

Brown dog just got a bath and the smell is finally gone.

A nanny-cam has been added to my list for Santa.

What Dorothy Said

Even though I had a fantastic Thanksgiving in the mountains with my girlfriend and her family, there's no place like home.

Leftover Blog

Peas Steve Schmidt beer Santa Dad Daddy Mom Moo Girlfriend Lavallette the a an by amongst Bodhi kickball hair surgery Norfolk So anyhoo running pumpkin.

:)

Some leftover words from old blogs. Because I'm out of town and not really in a position to spend a lot of time on this. Remember, it's NaBloPoMo -- it doesn't have to to be good, it just has to be posted. ;)

Hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving leftovers!

Thanksgiving Socks

I'm thankful for a wonderful day, in a beautiful locale, with kind people who welcomed me into their home and fed me an enormous amount of delicious food.

I'm thankful for the opportunity to spend time with one of My Person's most important people -- her grandmother -- and to have watched them bake together.

I'm thankful for my mom, who no matter how far away, always seems to be on at least one page with me at all times.

I'm thankful for good friends -- ones I see frequently, ones I see infrequently, and the ones I only see online.

I'm thankful for health and happiness and employment and money to cover my needs.

And I'm especially thankful for My Person. For who she is. That she lets me love her and for her love of me. And for the SmartWool "Thanksgiving Socks" that she gave me last year and that with the ones I gave her last Christmas, we formed a tradition.

I'm thankful for the past, thankful for the present, and thankful for the prospect of a future.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!