Blogger Bunko Bonanza!

Last night, I had the joy of meeting some of Nashville's finest blogger ladies!

Malia of Musings from Malicious and Jamie of BlondeMomBlog got together and organized "Blogger Bunko Night" at Mothership BBQ, home of the naked-Ken-doll-and-Burt-Reynolds Ladies Room (oh, and the food is fantastic, too).

Those who attended:
Aunt B. of Tiny Cat Pants
Bad Bad Ivy
Elizabeth of Harelipfrog and her mother-in-law
Jag/Jamie of I'm About to Be Brilliant
Kat Coble of Just Another Pretty Farce
Nicole of Sitting Still
Rachel of Women's Health News
Saraclark
Tiffany of The World According to TiffSniff

I think that's everybody! Again, it was nice to meet everybody, and Bunko is really fun! Now I know why my sister-in-law always went to Bunko nights at the Seminole Indian Reservation every week. Looking forward to the next get-together...

The Conversation of Two 6-year-olds & a Frustrated Mom...

The following conversation from the backseat on a recent Sunday afternoon...

Mom: "Shhhhh, the Titans game is on the radio."
Girl #1: "I love the Titans!"
Girl #2: "Go Titans!"
Girl #1: "I am a big Titans fan."
Girl #2: "I am the biggest Titans fan in the world."
Girl #1: "Well, I am the biggest Titans fan in the universe."
Girl #2: "Well, my daddy is going to take me to a game."
Girl #1: "Well, my mommy took me to a game. "
Girl #2: "Really? ooooohhh...What was it like?"
Girl #1: "Well, I was kind of bored, but I very much enjoyed the popcorn. Yeah, if there is popcorn and hot dogs, well, I enjoy that."
Girl #2: "Well, my daddy is going to take me to a game, and I'll bet he'll buy me popcorn, too."
Mom screaming, "No!!! Get him!!!!!! Arrrgh...we're gonna lose again!"
Girls #1 & #2: "You're hurting our ears!!!! Can we turn on "High School Musical" now?"

Sweet, Sweet Sissy

This is my sweet Sissy-kitty. She adopted us when my daughter was a year old. My daughter couldn't say "kitty", but she could say "sissy" and the name stuck. I found out awhile later that Sissy actually had lived on the cul-de-sac around the corner, but evidently had enough of her "family" and took a hike. The original owner gave her the name of "Min-Min", and told me that Sissy has had many litters. She's probably about 10 years old. I see many cats around the neighborhood that I am pretty sure are her "kids". Indeed Sissy has been around the block so to speak.

She is the sweetest, most caring cat. She used to watch my daughter when she was a toddler as if she was concerned and protective of her. Now she is pretty much "look but don't touch if you're under 25" thanks to my daughter treating her like a rag doll through the years. Due to my allergies she lives on the front porch. I went to PetSmarts and bought her the smallest doggie igloo they had. Everyone in line laughed when I told them it was for my cat, but I knew she would love it...and she does. In the wintertime, she snuggles up to her blanket inside the igloo all warm and cozy.

The world has "dog people" and "cat people", but I don't have to worry about that. Like a trusted dog, Sissy knows her name, she will come when called for, and when she hears my car coming around the corner, she comes running. It is so great to know that she will be there when I get home, ready to roll on her back and let me rub her fluffy belly.

So today I am thankful for my sweet little Sissy-kitty...my other baby.

I'm a Double-Minded Girl Today

My two favorite teams are about to take the field.

Both are 0-2, so here goes nothing...

Update: Dolphins-13 Titans-10

Well, the Titans still are sucking, but the Dolphins won...so at least half of me is happy.

Mid Week Mania

4:37am--Wake up, look at clock, doze off.
5:31am--Wake up again, look at clock, doze off again
6:00am--Clock radio goes off, Al Voecks reads the news. Hit snooze. Doze off again.
6:09am--Clock radio goes of again, grab remote, turn on News2 morning show. Watch John & Heather for a second with Gerry House talking on radio at the same time. Finally get up.
6:11am--Go try to get daughter to open at least one eye.
6:12am--Blow a raspberry on her belly to try and get her to budge. She throws a hissy fit. Blow raspberry on belly again. She tries to hide her smile. I tell her I'm going to get a shower, and to get up.
6:13am--Turn on shower, turn on shower radio, jump in shower. Yadda, yadda, yadda.
6:25am--Delighted to see that daughter has gotten dressed and is ready to go.
6:26am--Get dressed. Yadda, yadda, yadda.
7:00am--Drop daughter off at school gym.
7:05am--Fight traffic on I-24.
7:50am--Arrive at work. Get coffee. Get Diet Coke.
8am through 4:30pm--Yadda, yadda, yadda. Blah, blah, blah.
4:30pm through 5:35pm--Fight traffic on I-24.
5:35pm--Pick up daughter from after school program.
5:45pm--Go to Wal-Mart.
6:50pm--Fight traffic on I-24. Takes 25 minutes to go 2 miles, due to overturned tractor trailer.
7:15pm--Arrive home. Get mail. Bills & credit card offers. Put melted frozen food in freezer.
7:25pm--Microwave Kids Cuisine for daughter's dinner. Eat a bowl of Sugan Smacks for dinner.
7:45pm--Play bath for daughter. Get on computer. Check e-mail. Check work e-mail. Check favorite blogs. Ponder Jeff Fisher's rant about Billy Volek today.
8:10pm--Dry daughter off. Comb tangles out of daughter's hair. Daughter angry at mother. Dry daughter's hair. Daughter reluctantly gets into pjs while Disney Channel playing in background.
8:25pm--Daughter should be in bed already, but Mom realizes daughter has reading and spelling homework. Turn off Disney Channel. Start mad rush to get homework completed.
8:55pm--Lay down with daughter and stuffed animals so she won't sleep in mom's bed. Turn on Fox17 news to bore her to sleep.
9:10pm--Reply to 4 work e-mails.
9:25pm--Start blogging to wind down. Ponder Jeff Fisher's rant about Billy Volek.
10pm--Switch to News2 at 10. Ponder Jeff Fisher's rant about Billy Volek, and Hugo Chavez' rant about President Bush. Laugh at Chavez calling Bush the devil and smell of sulfer in hell.
10:15pm--Start checking Nashville Is Talking. Notice Big Joe blogged about women liking football. Respond to Joe's blog. Realize I am addicted to blogs.
10:35pm--Watch Sex In The City.
10:46--I'm spent. Prepare to sleep so I can start this all over again tomorrow.

Arrrgh...I need some excitement in my life.

The Greatest Man I Ever Knew

September 17th. Today is always the day that I dread each year. It was 15 (!) years ago tonight that I got the phone call that none of ever want to get. My dad had just left home for a board meeting at the Speedway when--TWO BLOCKS FROM HOME--a car being driven by a drunk (and high, from what I've heard) driver, going upwards of 70 mph in a 35 zone swerved into Dad's oncoming lane and hit him head on. I asked if he was hurt, and Mom said, "No." but it wasn't a happy no. I immediately knew by the tone of her voice that I didn't want to ask the next question. I knew then that he didn't make it. My brother was devastated--he had walked to the accident to see what was going on, and saw my dad's driver's license in one of the officer's hand. The accident had happened just beyond eyeshot of my house, so my mother had no idea of what happened for a couple of hours. Then my brother came back and the officers came to her door.

For the next few hours I was in hysterics. My best friend came and made me walk around my apartment complex to try and calm me down. I was up here in Nashville, and had to figure out a way to get back down to Miami (where I'm from) to try and help with arrangements. Everyone was too tore up to even think. I had no money, so my choir director from church helped pay for my airline ticket. I cried the entire flight down and back up 2 weeks later.

My daddy was my life. I adored him with a love that only a daughter who was her Daddy's girl could understand. I thought I could never live without him. With God's strength and knowing Daddy is watching out for me, I have. Of course my life has never been the same. The jerk who killed him only served 15 months, and has been living his life ever since. Dad's life was cut short so he didn't get to walk me down the aisle, see his grandchildren, ever see his parents & family again, watch another race, laugh at a good joke with his friends, grow old...

Daddy was born in Butler, Kentucky. He helped to build the family house in DeMossville that I would know my entire childhood as "Grandmaw & Grandpaw's" and that still stands today. He graduated from high school in 1954, and served in the Army Reserves.

He and my mom moved to Miami in 1960, and that is where my brother & I were born and raised. My mom still lives in the same house they bought in the early '60s. My daddy always wore his sideburns longer like Elvis, and he still used "grease" in his hair 'till the day he died. He was a mechanic, then a Service Manager at the largest dealership in Miami, and then he started his own business. He had his own garage since the early '60s, and Donnie & Bobby Allison used to work on their cars there.
He LOVED racing. Stock cars, NASCAR, any car...he loved it. He was a Chevrolet man all the way, and he was an Earnhardt fan. He always owned race cars, and worked on them right along with the other guys.

Some of the things about Daddy that are my best and funniest memories...
1) His laugh.
2) His sideburns.
3) His worn out boxer shorts.
4) His love of Budweiser.
5) How all he had to do was look at me and I knew I'd better do what he said!
6) His garage dogs, Harley, Honda, and Shithead.
7) Riding his 3-wheelers across the street by the canal.
8) His fake binoculars to carry booze in to the Dolphins games.
9) Taking me to the Bee Gees concert in 1979 and watching as all of us teeny boppers went nuts, then dragging him to the premier of Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band (poor guy!)
10) Singing to the tune of Old Rugged Cross: "On a hill far away, stood an old Chevrolet, all covered with rust and decay."
11) Reading the paper in his easy chair and falling asleep while still holding the paper in front of him.
12) Eating a half gallon (yes, the entire box) of ice cream. He liked Rum Raisin from Farm Store.
13) Taking us on a trip around all of the Florida tourist attractions. Disney World...
14) Taking me to college.
15) Buying me my first car...the white 1976 Camaro.
16) Cookouts at Crandon Park Beach.
17) Cookouts in our backyard brick barbecue pit.
18) Smoky, the black Chow
19) Going to his 30 year class reunion and wondering who all the old people were when he got there.
20) Dragging him to Olan Mills after my college graduation for the only family picture we ever had taken.
21) Al's Auto Service. The apartment behind the garage. The railroad tracks behind the garage.
22) His friends, Uncle Dee, Tommy, Buddy Ryan, Billy Barnwell, Charlie...
23) His auto parts calendars. (Mechanics will know what I'm talking about.)
24) Taking me to the airport to go back to school/Nashville.
25) Kissing me bye at the airport.
26) Going out to eat every Friday night, without fail.
27) Pro wrestling at the Miami Beach Convention Center.
28) Bowling leagues.
29) Daytona in the infield.
30) His voice. His face. His hugs.

Wow. I can't believe what I am sitting here remembering. How fun! I'll have to journal more of these later.

What remembering all of these things shows me is that even though today is a sad day on one level, on another level it has made me smile to remember the good memories of my daddy. What a man he was. I miss him, but I am so, so, so thankful to have known him and to have had him as my daddy. He was the best daddy in the world.

Back to the Grindstone...

It's hump day for my first week back to work! So far, so good. On Monday, I felt fine until about noon. It is amazing how much walking a person does, even if they have a "desk job". Of course, there is a hugh difference between walking through your house and walking through a large work campus (unless you're Oprah). So, by the end of the day I was taking a pain pill and on my back. Yesterday was rough in a LARGE way, but I made it through without leaving early. Yay for Ginger! Today, I feel much, much better.

Overall, going back to work has been a very good thing. There is only so much blogging, e-mailing, laundry--and don't even get me started on daytime television--that a person can do before losing one's mind. I truly enjoyed being able to spend a few more hours per day with my daughter. It is a time I will always treasure. However, I thrive on being around lots of people and being productive. I truly enjoy the overall atmosphere of where I work, and most of the folks there are wonderful people. Why, I even got to be around some Titans today...and may I say that the view was nice! hehehe

So, I'd say this has been a good week so far. Just two more days 'till I've bagged week one!

World Trade Center

Picture was taken by Jodi in 1995...

9/11: A Tribute to Wade Brian Green

As part of the 2996 Bloggers Tribute to the Victims of 9/11, I dedicate this post to the memory of Wade Brian Green, 42, of Westbury, NY.

Wade left behind his wife, Roxanne, and daughter, Danielle. His parents are Thomas & Wilhelmina Green, and brothers & sister are Anthony, Barry, and Alicia.

Wade was an employee of Thomson Financial Services. He didn't work in the World Trade Center. He was there that day setting up computers for a conference at Windows on the World.

Wade's nickname was the "Gentle Giant". In reading about him, one consistent thread running through the comments of those who knew him was his contagious smile and his kind spirit from the time he was a boy.

In a New York Times article, Wade's mother, Wilhelmina, said he "was a mischievous rascal until his sister, Alicia, was born. One night he stayed up with me when I was feeding the baby and he said, `Mommy, did you have to do that with me, too?"' She said, "When Wade realized how much care an infant required, he decided he would be my helper."

A kindness that he had all the days of his life.

He would always greet his neighbors when he was out tending to his yard. One winter, he shoveled snow from the driveway of a pregnant neighbor. Friends and classmates of the Oyster Bay High School Class of 1976 said he would do do anything for you. Some of the wonderful memories they have of Wade are his animals, particularly his ducks, farming, his dune buggy, riding his motorcycle around the neighborhood, his pool, shoveling snow, measuring his hair loss (funny!), playing baseball at the Allegretti's, playing tuba in the OBHS band, late nights and good old fashion fun.

But most of all his kindness, sense of humor, laughter, and smile.

He told his neighbor about how much he enjoyed reading bedtime stories to his Danielle, and that she was the biggest part of his life. Danielle, you can take great comfort in knowing how much your daddy loved you. He will always be with you in your heart. He would want you to grow in beauty not only physically, but intellectually and spiritually. That will be your greatest tribute. Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might, dear child.

I never met Wade Brian Green. Yet today, he is my hero.

God bless you.

What were you doing on that day?

On the morning of 9/11/01, I will never forget the radio alarm going off, and the dj saying, "Folks, you need to turn on your tv right now and see what is happening at the World Trade Center in NY." As soon as I turned the tv on, the second plane hit. I woke my husband up and made him sit up and see what was going on. It was obviously an attack. I decided to get my toddler dressed and ready to go to Mothers Day Out at church, just thinking that it was probably something that they might be able to eventually get control of. I thought it didn't affect me, so life would go on. By the time we left for the church, all radio stations had stopped regular programming and were broadcasting from their sister network newsfeeds (CNN, etc.) . As we were driving, word that the Pentagon had been bombed hit the news. At that point, I was like, "ok, we are at war!". Our drive was along the landing path for Nashville International Airport. It was an eery feeling watching jets landing 2 by 2 about 1 minute apart. On the radio, it was announced that we were closing down US airspace, and that was why I was seeing this strangeness in the sky. By the time we got to church, people were sitting in the sanctury, a minister was playing at the piano, and it was clear that were in a major national crisis. Then somebody who had a tv on said there were rumors of a bombing at the state department, the crash in Pennsylvania, and basically that all hell had broken loose on our country. At that point, I decided that I wasn't leaving Amanda anywhere. We were coming back home so she could be safe with me. Not at a very large and prominent church that could possibly become a target.

By the time we got home, one of the towers had fallen. I sat there in disbelief at what I was seeing. Then, I will never forget Peter Jennings asking one of his colleagues if what he was seeing was real...that the second building was falling, too. At first it was thought that up to 50,000 may have died in those buildings; thankfully, it was significantly less, but their value and who they were was no less important. I won't forget the scrolling at the bottom of the screen of what high rise buildings in Nashville were being evaucated. Wow, that was hitting so close to home. The closing of high rise buildings in cities all over the country was sobering. How many more were out there that could possibly do this?

I will never forget being glued to the tv the rest of that day, night, and the next day. Finding out about the Pentegon, learning of what happened on Flight 93. The search for survivors, and then finally resigning to the fact that anything now would be recovery of bodies...if bodies still existed. The makeshift boards on which family members & friends posted missing persons flyers on the slim chance that their loved one had possibly survived and made it to a hospital somehow or were even roaming the streets with amnesia.

Since then, I have heard many reports about how to tell your kids about what happened. I knew that my 6 year old was ready to hear it, so I first bought her the 9/11 Graphic Novel (comic), and explained as best I could without scaring her of what happened that day. I guess it helped her to understand that there are people out there who would kill innocent people and their own selves because of the very things America stands for. I don't believe in sugar coating the truth with Amanda. She needs to know the reality of life so she will be prepared for this very different world than the world her parents and grandparents grew up in.

With every anniversary that has passed, and every war report seen on a daily basis, I just pray to God that the mission of stopping the group of bastards who planned the attacks will come to a quick end, and those who did this will be brought to justice.

My beloved Storm

Is it possible to be emotionally attached to a car? This is my beloved '90 Geo Storm. It is usually parked in my yard because I have moved on to a larger, supposedly "safer" vehicle, but I can't bring myself to part with it. Nothing will ever replace the Storm. You see, this is the last thing my daddy ever helped me buy. My dad was killed by a drunk driver in Miami back in 1991. I was Daddy's Girl. He gave me the downpayment money to get a replacement for my '76 Camaro that was on its last leg. Daddy's career and life was all about cars. Stock car racing was his passion. He owned a racing team from the '60s until the day he died, and also was on the Board of Directors at Hialeah Speedway for years. It was in his blood. My dad could look at any car and tell you what year, make, and model it was. Do you remember the Johnny Cash song, "One Piece At A Time"? Well, my daddy built a Chevrolet Caprice for my mom where the front end was an '82 and the back an '83...a one of a kind! He could do anything with a car.

Me and my brother inherited the passion. Brother raced and is a mechanic, and I became a fan. Today, I took my Storm and got the tags renewed after a couple of years it sitting in my yard. I loved driving it again. It has almost 200,000 miles and still runs like a charm. I think I will drive it for the month of September to honor the memory of my dad. He died on September 17th, and this will be the 15th anniversary (unbelievable).

So, for me, I am attached. I am emotional about a car. It will always be special to me, because this car is symbolic of my dad and his love for Daddy's Girl.

This is sad!

When I first saw this posted on NIT, I thought it was a joke.
Steve Irwin, the "Crocodile Hunter", has been killed by a stingray off the coast of Australia. I always thought that he took too many risks, especially in light of him having 2 young children at home. He was fun to watch, and it was refreshing to see somebody so enthusiastic about their job. I hope his wife & kids will make it through this horrible time ok.

Bloggers' Tribute to 9/11 Victims

Somebody came up with a wonderful idea. If we so choose, and I do, we bloggers will be assigned to 1 victim to pay tribute to on our blog. You can go to this site: 2,996 :A Tribute to the Victims of 9/11 if you would like to participate.

35-21...Exhale!

Whew! The Titans finally showed some spunk in yesterday's pre-season victory over the Green Bay Packers. It seemed like they finally got a groove going, even though Coach Jeff Fisher still has a lot of work to do this week to prepare for the season opener against the Jets next Sunday (including the much dreaded cuts happening today).
I think we fans were finally able to exhale. I am so glad the Titans were able to have at least one victory in the pre-season under their belt, and that was the boost of confidence they needed. Now it's time to build on what they accomplished yesterday, and that was finally playing like a TEAM.

Happy 60th Birthday, Luv

Today, 60 is sexy! Barry Gibb, my lifetime crush, has hit this milestone, and he looks better than ever in my eyes.

My crush began when I was 10 years old. It has lasted almost 30 years. In 1998, after meeting just about every celebrity I ever wanted to meet in my life, I FINALLY got to meet Barry in Miami. It was the only meeting that really ever mattered to me when it came to famous people. I will never forget his hug, and how he called me "Luv"...and I melted into a puddle on the ground. Swoon!

At the Tornado Relief Benefit in Hendersonville on the First of May, I was lucky enough to get right up front. When Barry came out, the crowd went absolutely haywire! Well, so did I...my little girl has never seen her mommy act like a crazed teenager until that night. I was screaming "I love you, Barry!" just like all the other middle aged women there reliving their youth. Of course, my daughter looked at me like I had lost my mind. For a few wonderful minutes, I had. It was an exhilarating.

So now my luv, there's "only words, and words are all I have"...to say you still make my heart skip a beat. I wish you a Happy Birthday. May you have many, many more healthy, happy years.