Meet and Greet the friends

Saturday we both went over to my friend's house to introduce her to my boyfriend. She and her husband, three children, my boyfriend and I had a delightful time of talking, laughing, and a snack of tea and cookies. Thomas was all grins in his electric car, as it went round and round in circles. His hands were by his side as he gleefully watched us from the moving 'jeep' that was complete with rocks in the back. (he evidently loves rocks). Isabel was all smiles and the life of a party that 5 year olds normally are. Evelyn was, well, as cute as a baby can be. The adult conversation ranged from how we met, remodeling projects, parents with cancer, children, dogs, all the way down to landscaping. It was a wonderful afternoon break, we had to head out so my boyfriend could head off to work.

Sunday we went to church together and had lunch at Sweet Tomatoes with another friend, from his side but now a mutual friend. It was a good lunch, talking about companies, resumes, and internal hiring. Dog shows and whether or not dogs can watch tv were also discussed.

Somehow dogs always make it into the conversation. :) It is kinda cute how that happens.

Cast Iron Dutch Oven

I made pot roast for my boyfriend on 4-14. I took my new toy, a cast iron dutch oven, over to his house, put a roast, onion, potatoes, and carrots in the pot, seasoned with salt (he only had a table saltshaker), a cup of wine, and water. Set the oven on timer and off I went to my 6- hour class. Later that day I received a call saying that the roast was good, just a few things need to be tweaked. He likes baby carrots, new potatoes (I looked for them and couldn't find the small potatoes), and more seasoning. When I tasted it a couple of days later it was too watery, not at all like it should have been. The cut of meat was too fatty (but it was the only one in the grocery store), and there was not enough salt to make the meat savory. On 4-18 I tried to rescue it by making a beef stew, but I don't think that worked either. At least the Goldens enjoyed the fat off the meat. I will have to try again. Hopefully it will be better next time. Any suggestions or a recipe??

Taco Mac anyone?

After my boyfriend took a long ride on his bike up to the GA mountains, I knew he would be pretty tired, and hungry, when he got back. I left him a voicemail asking if he wanted to go to dinner, my treat. After he rested for a while and exercised the dogs, he drove up in his chick-magnet to take me out. Mom was outside watering her newly planted flowers and since they haven't had much time to interact I played the decoy and kept her out front so she would have to talk with him. We talked about flowers, gave him some of the oxalis that was dug up because it was growing in the wrong place, and off we went.

Since Johnny's was closing soon, we decided to go to Taco Mac. It had been a while since we had been there, both of us forgot why the chips and salsa wasn't our favorite (it is the chips). We had agreat time, leisurely dinner, and oh, the stories of his ride! Yes, I was a bit envious, but I know he needs time to enjoy his own hobbies. May be soon we can retrace his drive. I am glad that he has friends he can hang out with and do things with, it shows he is the wonderful person I think he is.

Limerick Junction

Today my boyfriend and I went to the Limerick Junction in Virginia Highlands. I am not sure how he found out about it, but it was a lot of fun. We spent the afternoon together at Home Depot and Target, doing the 'domestic thing' as he says. We dropped the purchases off at his house, he changed into a pair of jeans and a polo shirt, and off we went, right after I bruised my knee teasing the dogs.

We drove downtown with the t-tops out and found the cutest stretch of road with 1920 style houses and a 'Main Street' style strip mall. There were antique shops, restaurants, and Limerick Junction. It was somewhat difficult finding a parking place and turning around was somewhat a challenge but the evening was worth it.

The Irish pub was true to form, quite small, just like I would think they are in Ireland. We had an appetizer of potato skins, he had Shepard's Pie and I had the trusty standby of fish-n-chips. It was a great evening, the food was great, the pub was charming, and the musician was very good.

This is definately an evening to repeat.

Kittens on the prowl

The four little kittens are now moving freely. They have beautiful blue eyes, their ears are perked up, and they have unanimously become explorers of the wild world they live in. They are rambunctions and love to tumble and play with each other. However, they are much calmer when held by one of us, and they are more timid about where they are. They are all strong, healthy, have a good set of lungs (they can meow up a storm when away from the rest of the litter). The only point of concern is that Mercedes wants to stay away, go outside to hunt, and not be inside with the kittens.

Just Looking . . . . . . .

After a few weeks of deliberating about college, expenses, and where I stand financially I decided to go ahead and search for a new job. Christopher helped me polish my resume, I wrote a cover letter, and for one week submitted about 30 resumes. My head is reeling right now with the amount of job interviews that I have scheduled for this week.

Sunday we both woke up early and drove to Perry for the Golden Retriever Specialty show. I drove over to his house, we both got into his trusty chick-magnet, and off we went! It was a nice trip down to Perry and traffic was great. From the time we left his house until we arrived in Perry the temperature fell. It was a cool, windy day and I forgot to wear shoes with toes in them. Brrrr.

The Specialty Show was interesting, there weren't any other breeds around and there were a lot of Goldens. I enjoyed the show, I am still trying to figure out and learn what the different classes are and what is going on. After a while my mind got all bogged down and my boyfriend was off on an errand so I went for a walk. I got lost on the State Fairgrounds and it took me a while to get back. I guess it was ok, we were there to volunteer but there were too many volunteers already there, so I wasn't needed. But I froze on the way back to the building.

After the show we went back home and out to O'Charley's to eat. It was nice to be in a warmer place with pleasant company. When I got home for the evening I took the long desired hot shower, and yes, I stayed in there twice as long as I normally do. I had to thaw my toes!

Harp Class with Louise Trotter

Saturday was a 6-hour master class with Louise Trotter. I thought by this time I would be ready for playing the harp with a class. I didn't know what I was up against. When Louise started talking about chord progressions, minors, majors, tonal scales, and diminished intervals and augmented chords I started feeling like I was drowning. The really fun part was when we were picking out Happy Birthday on the harp. She counted a slow pace and we were to play. I could do that. Then came Heart and Soul. I have never played that on the piano, little on the harp. I do believe I was the only one! She didn't have us play at full speed but goodness, I couldn't keep up! Guess this shows me one thing, back to music theory for me. And more music. I should have more at my fingertips than Danny Boy.

The class was actually very good. I truly enjoyed it, hopefully will retain a lot of what I heard. The information about improvising, working from a lead sheet, and how to play slap bass was great. I hope to be able to incorporate that into my own playing.

Harp Maker's joke: "We can't get any more power out of her! The harp canna take it. The strings are gunna blow"

Half Nelson Journal

“One always finds one’s burden again.” Camus described the plight of Sisyphus and Dan in one sentence. Do the lives of Sisyphus and Dan resemble each other? Yes, they keep finding their burden, or is it that their burden keeps finding them. Just when they think they have conquered their burden, everything starts all over again. It is a never-ending spiral that slowly engulfs them both.

Looking into someone’s life as they are going in a downward spiral is depressing, yet this movie made that journey even more depressing than necessary. I kept waiting for a little bit of hope, a spark of sunshine, but the stone kept rolling back from the top of the hill. In the story about Sisyphus there is the same anticipation, wanting a spark of hope and when the stone reaches the top of the hill it rolls back and everything starts all over again. One can imagine that Sisyphus finally reaches the top of the hill, takes a short break to wipe his brow, and in that instant the rock rolls backward to the bottom of the hill. In a similar way, Dan tries to break his drug addiction but there is always a weak moment when he goes back to the drugs. Not only does he go back, he also tries newer, stronger drugs. In trying the stronger drugs the addiction gains a greater hold on him.

Is it wholly Dan’s fault that he became addicted to drugs? It is a decision that he made within himself but it was a decision that his family helped him make. His parents definitely consumed liquor freely, probably turning the other way when he and his brother became drunk when they were younger. His mother did turn her back on him when he wanted to talk to her. What did he want to talk to her about? Was it about his drug addiction and the fact that he couldn’t control it anymore? Or was it because he was scared, he had almost raped a co-worker while in a drug-induced state? Did he still have his job as a teacher or was he fired? Many questions were raised in the movie that left the viewer to speculate.

Then enters Drey, a young girl at life’s crossroad with many difficult decisions, yet she does not communicate with her mother. Drey’s mother can be likened to Sisyphus because she is raising two children. The first child, her son Mike, is in prison because he sold drugs. When he is put into prison and the mother is probably despondent about it, her second child, her daughter Drey, becomes involved with Frank, the drug dealer, and starts to sell drugs as well. So there is no ray of hope with Drey’s mother, unless Drey decides to change her future by not becoming involved with Frank and selling drugs. Frank tries to open Drey’s eyes that her actions with Dan are inappropriate. The rides home in his car, going to his apartment, Frank can see a pattern developing where Drey can be physically taken advantage of. Dan warns Drey about Frank and selling drugs, how she should not become involved with his lifestyle. Drey is caught in the crossfire of both Frank and Dan, listening to both, ignoring both, choosing her own way. She definitely has fulfilled the old proverb that I had heard all through my high school years. “Sin is a monster of such awful mean, to be hated needs but to be seen. Seen to oft’ face to face, first we pity, then embrace.”

Back to Dan, the main character of Half-Nelson. He had a daily struggle, being a teacher by day, partying and drugs at night. Was that struggle enough for him? He definitely seemed to enjoy teaching and being with the students. In the beginning it looked like the struggle was enough until he tried the newer and stronger drugs. It was at that point when his ‘rock’ began rolling back on him. He lost control of himself and regaining control eluded him. He tried to obtain help from his family but they did not listen. His mother turned her back on him. I believe if he had focused more on his students and the book he was writing, he might not have lost as much control as he did. That is only a theory, and in reality the situation Dan was in may have progressed differently. Do I think the struggle was enough? In the beginning yes, but as the drugs grasped a stronger and deeper hold on him the students and his book were not enough. Sisyphus had acquiesced himself to the struggle. He knew the stone would be pushed up the hill and when he was at the top it would roll back down again. Dan did not have that certainty. He did not know what the future held for him. Sisyphus was happy in his plight, Dan was miserable. There is an amount of happiness connected with the certainty of the future.

Is the struggle enough for me? The daily plight of waking up, getting dressed, eating breakfast, going to work, coming home, eating dinner, studying, getting ready for an identical day tomorrow, and going to sleep. The struggle of balancing the checkbook, paying bills, trying to manage accounts, and somehow ‘get ahead’ of where I currently am financially. The struggle of balancing work, family, friends, and school. I use to think that it was enough until I read Camus and Johnson I started thinking how depressing life is in general, how life is an eternal struggle and there is no way to ease that struggle. Ordinarily I would say that the struggle was enough. But now I wonder if it is.

Is there more to life than the struggle for daily existence? When a baby chick hatches from its egg the process takes a long time. It is an ‘all or nothing’ struggle. If it is not strong enough to break free from its shell it will not be strong enough to survive the barnyard. Watching the process is interesting and can take hours. First the peeping through the shell, then a crack, the hatchling struggles and the crack becomes bigger. Then the hatchling is visible through the crack but it stops. Quite visible is its panting, and exhaustion. Perhaps at that time it is sleeping. It may even be contemplating whether it will see the light of day and be able to run around, free of its shell. Then, a few minutes or hours later, the struggle begins again. Pushing, peeping, struggling, and exhaustion until finally it is free of its shell. Does it get up and run around, excited about its freedom? No, exhausted and unable to exert more strength, it just lies there, resting. A few hours later the hatchling is running around, chirping, bumping other eggs, disregarding their struggle, happy to be free and soon to be starting a new struggle of search for food and water.

Is that how we are in our lives? We struggle, pushing our ‘rock’ up to the top of the hill, being excited about being ‘free’ only to see it roll down to the valley again. We push toward finishing high school, and then there is college. We push toward paying off student loans but we need a car. We almost finish paying for the car then we get married. Finally finish paying the wedding then children come along. Clothes, diapers, braces, doctor bills, vacations, and their college. When they grow up what do we have? A short breather before they get married. We help them establish their home, buy them furniture or appliances. As we recuperate from these financial blows we think there is a breath of fresh air, then grandchildren come along. Who could resist spoiling the little darlings with clothes, toys, and anything their heart desires? The struggle continues. When the rock is rolled up to the top of the hill, it comes tumbling back down. It is up to us to determine how we view the rock as it tumbles back down the hill. Do we see it as a setback in our life? Or do we view it in the light that we are growing, maturing, and entering a new stage of life? As Frankl said, we have our freedom “to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” It is our freedom to choose how we feel about the rock tumbling back down the hillside. So, even though it is depressing seeing it roll down the hill yet once again, may be it is a challenge to see how adeptly I can get the rock back up the hill yet once again.

Half Nelson

This movie title reminds me of the children's book, Miss Nelson is Missing! It must be solely based on the name 'Nelson,' yet possibly because Nelson in both the children's book and in the movie is a teacher. If you have the wonderful opportunity to watch this movie, DON'T DO IT!!!!! My mother decided that she would take a beautiful afternoon and sit down to watch this movie with me. She needed to relax and raise her swollen foot due to lymphodemia, but I could have chosen a better movie. She kept preaching throughout the movie, telling me what they were doing wrong, etc. etc. I finally had to pause the movie and explain that she had a choice of whether to watch the movie or not, I had to write a paper on it and be graded. Unfortunately comments from the peanut gallary were persistant throughout the movie. If only I didn't have to watch it. It was very dark, about drug addicition, inner city schools, and a teacher who was on a downhill slide. Very depressing!

Wild Wings!

Today we went out to Wild Wing Cafe. Easter turned out to be extremely cold for Georgia, so hiking was out. We did take a walk around the Square of Marietta just to windowshop in all the closed antique stores. Is there a better way to save money and shop at the same time? Both of us were indecisive about where to eat so we ended up at Wild Wings. We had hot wings (ok, not too hot but they were to me. I am still a newbie at eating wings - just ask my boyfriend.) A hamburger and ham sandwich later, we headed back home. It was a fun, relaxing evening. Away from the telephone (nope, not one ring on the cellphone), tv - scratch that one, there were tv's at Wild Wings. We had a great waitress, good food, and great company. I would definately want a repeat of this date. It was a lazy kind of date, not much going on, but very nice.

We did have a 'kitten show and tell' since the little kittens, now 2 weeks old, have their eyes open and are starting to walk around. Did you know that kittens do not like to be on their back when being held? They don't see it as the person holding them establishing dominance, they see it as a perfect opportunity to exercise their lungs and get Momma cat angry at whoever is making her baby cry.

Wonderful Weekend, well sorta

This weekend started out to be wonderful, then ended up somewhat disastrous, but urging me to do what I have needed to do for quite some time.

Saturday we went to a little French Bistro and had a wonderful dinner. A few doors down was a pet clinic 'Paws and Claws' and beside it was 'Good Mews' a humane cat shelter. It was quite interesting - there were no cages (ok, a couple of quarantine rooms), tons of cat condos, a couple of huge litter boxes, and cats, tons of cats, fat cats, skinny cats, you name it cats. Even a manx cat! A couple had on collars, the rest were snoozing. Except the two black cats who were racing back and forth and playing with each other.

After a delicious dinner we headed to the movie theater. We saw Wild Hogs. I haven't laughed so much since I saw Little Miss Sunshine. This is a 'must see' movie!!

Sunday I met my boyfriend at his house. He was supervising a grooming session for Belle, Bogey's mom was grooming. Also his friend from work was there, we all went to Chili's for dinner. It was a lazy dinner, we talked and ate and ate and talked and gave the waiter a hard time about needing refills for our drinks. The common phrase "A good time was had by all" could be applied to this evening.

I hitched a ride with Bogey's mom, left my car at my boyfriend's house. The cold reception when I got home and the implication that I was partaking in an unapproved activity was a final straw. It is not necessary to chaperon someone over the age of 20 when they go on a date. It is not necessary to belittle them or to insult them by thinking that they would be someone who would run wild once on their own. Needless to say, today I am going apartment hunting, by the end of the month, hopefully, I will have my own place. Now if I can only get the pay raise that I need .....