The 2 am International Shelf

the shelf.
I found it somewhere along the way and had it hanging on the wall in most every apartment I've lived in. The other day while storing the extra Christmas decorations I spotted it. I wanted to hang it on my wall, but the wood was unfinished and it would have stuck out, then I remembered that I had some black stain in the basement, so I took it down there and painted it right away (this all gave me a good reason to use my $10 cordless drill and screwdriver, too.)

I hung it up on my wall and put the things I love to look at on it . My favorite picture of my grandmother, the driftwood that looks curiously like a rabbit's head, an old Mexican doll I found in this house, those Chinese jingling balls, feathers I've collected, my National Audibon Society Field Guides, my magnifing bug viewer, the Five Horned Beetle from Thailand, a horseshoe I found in the pasture where I was training in Florida, little Buddah, and a crazy little picture from Belarus with stones glued on it.)

Then I took this old frame just sitting on my bookcase and two butterflies I've had in an air tight container for the last three years, matted it, glued them in there. And oh, yes, that cute antique spotlight that I have been shuffling around since move number two, took me about an hour to find that sucker.
and it was like, 2:00 in the morning.
Pretty proud of it.

damn good.

Brazilian Girls.
you should be listening to them.

Thanksgiving

blogger is a jerk lately. I have to type all my posts in text editor and then paste them into blogger. W'SUPBLOGGERW'SUP.

I drove to Kentucky for Thanksgiving. My aunt, Joyce and uncle, Royal (yes, his name is Royal. neat, huh?) live there right outside Louisville, in a city called LaGrange about 5.5 hours away.
There's a neat little downtown area with shops mostly antiques and cheesy horse stuff. don't get me wrong, there is an over exposure to cool horse stuff here, too. I want one of those "finish line" watercolor prints so badly!
Anyway, the train runs right through the city. No, really...RIGHT SMACK through the middle of the two lane street where the little downtown is located. Pretty neat, but I had to think of the threat of accident being very high when I stepped closer and noticed the rail bumping and rising with each wheel passing. If that sucker tipped over, people would die, really. It was a great little shopping time. I only spilled my coffee on a few things in that antique store, and don't worry I've learned my lesson because now my jacket smells like eight-hour-old coffee and hazelnut creamer.

Thanksgiving dinner was so wonderful. My aunt and uncle prepared a feast. I really didn't even help, it sorta just appeared there when I arrived. There was a HUGE turkey, mashed potatoes, well I'm not going to name all the things we had. We all know what we have on turkey day. I'll just say the essentials for correctly built "turkey bombs" per "Sweetriver's" standards and one thing you sadly, didn't have: my mom's chocolate surprise.

Aunt Joyce and Uncle Royal also have this neat coffee maker, you get a cup at a time, there's no pot.


Stacy, David and Cory
I got to see my cousin, David and his wife Stacey and their new little boy, David Jr. whom they call DJ. He's totally adorable. Babies kinda freak me out a little though. Not because they're babies, but because they're like little aliens at first. Wow. That sounds really weird. I like babies just fine, alright. But I have more fun with the toddlers & younger set- Zach and Timmy. Way more fun. They like to wrestle and tickle...so do I. I think I'll break a baby.

After dinner, we relaxed in the living room, which is not short of Christmas decorations (it's BEAUTIFUL!). You know, when we were shopping in the little downtown, A.Joyce wanted to stop at this store called "Christmas in Louisville" but we didn't go in, not because we were cooked already but because in my mind there was nothing left to buy. Joycie-poo had already struck there once. Really though, it is beautiful.

On Saturday we all headed to Churchill Downs. This is my favorite thing to do when I'm there, so far. (I haven't gone trail riding yet.) Here's a pic of me and my little cousin Joselyn getting ready to head out.

Churchill Downs.

Number ten was a little fiesty sucker.

Number Nine is a jumper in his next life.

the shot I like the most:

sometimes I crack myself up

I was at a friend's house last night. This friend happens to be a Cleveland Browns fan.
Me: "Hey Josh, you better get that mug off your television." (referring to the LARGE Cleveland Browns mug or stein displayed proudly on top of the television.)
Him: "wha?? why?!"
Me: "yeah, because it's probably going to stop your TV from getting any RECEPTION(S)."

It was that time again, and that night a man said this to me. I asked him if he wouldn't mind writing it down and signing it.
He didn't! He was sweeter than a brand new leather saddle.

something from a scrap of paper

Extra time added on to your sentence when sent to prison if you have time left to serve from Juvi.
The convict of endless information. "You've never been to jail?" he asks, surprised.
Circle K curly hair. Harping man.
Harlet talking on, and ON in the background about a two week old story of a man named Tate, A brick. A plate glass window, and the cops she never called.
Her cellphone blinks profusely with intensive intrigue.
Bump. Limpy. Backing my ass up. cute with four sisters. four sisters religious and the nice smile easy attitude.
The spoiled rich metro cutie like Jude Law in "Alfie".

say la vie

The bar I was working at is not the bar I work at any longer. The owner, and my longtime friend Tom, had to sell the place because of many reasons I really shouldn't discuss here. This isn't that kind of blog (not yet anyway).

In the selling process, the papers went through very RAPIDLY because one of the three buyers works at the bank with Tom's wife- he's some big manager guy or something. So a few Friday's ago, right before Halloween (and my birthday) Tom got a call from his wife telling him "You better party it up right because tonight's the last night." Nix the ultimate Halloween party we were planning and also the private party with Filet Mignon the following Sunday. No one could believe it.

It was true. Friday was the last night. Sure as hell the new buyers were there Saturday morning cleaning the place out. Literally. They not only disinfected the place with sponges and bleach, they got rid of EVERY one of the employees. Including me. I'm QUITE sure it was because of the dirty laundry that Tom's wife was airing at her work about the bar. I mean the place was a snow palace (and if you don't know what that means, GOOD.)

At one point on a thriving Saturday night, I got so annoyed that I HAD to ask Tom "SO? isn't it like, one drug dealer per bar..you know, get off my block kind of shit? There's six powder pushers in here right now. SIX!" and they weren't spending any money. They just want to "talk" to Tom. Secret meeting in the kitchen. Secret meeting in the storage closet. Secret meeting in the bathroom (of course). These supposed "SECRET" meetings going on all over the place.

I just step back and watch. I don't touch blow. I never have. No desire. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to come off as a goodie goodie, I have my own likes, but not the powder. And JESUS with the Oxy Cotins!!! WHY THE FUCK WOULD SOMEONE SNORT AN OXY COTIN?! idiots. There. it is that kind of blog NOW.

These people act like complete fools while they are parting. I mean I understand as a bartender I see people at the most raw...DRUNK, I see a lot of the negative side of their personalities as well as the happy when-consuming-alcohol side. BUT. The side that comes out when I see someone parting big is the "I'll repeat that story an (unlimited number) of times until you would have heard fifteen different versions from MY OWN mouth, all in the next 30 minutes. " and then, the Xanex trolls come out. "Xanex?! got any Xanex?!" looking all like Gollum.
And I LIKE these people. Really.

So anyway. We all got fired, and I'm assuming that it is because of the reputation the place had acquired. I was part of that place. Just not part of the special-super-secret-meetings.
It's not HELPING me get another bartending job on that side of town either.

restitution...purrr.

I took Mutch for a walk yesterday afternoon. We walk along the tracks mostly because of Mutch's PPP problem- that's "perferred pooping placement" and also because it's a treasure hunt of sorts, people send ALL KINDS OF SHIT hurling out of the windows of their cars and onto the grass. But anyway...

The sun had just set and it was cold so we didn't go on our "long walk" which includes a stop at the School playground for some swinging on the swings. Although it's much different now, that same playground is where I learned and perfected my "Jacks" skills when I was seven years old.
We went on the "short walk" otherwise known as the "winter walk - as soon as you shit we're going back home, sucker."
Along the way I noticed how wonderful the air smells, and I went over to this tree, stood under it and looked straight up.

It's like fireworks and pumpkin pie.
The next 15 minutes of the walk was good except when mutch finally did poop things took a slight turn for the grody. It smelled SO. BAD. Every once in a while he shits some nasty smelling turds, that leave me gagging like a choking victim on the side of the road- even in the wide open OUTSIDE. So, alright. I'm already sick as can be and now, I'm so totally going to puke all over the railroad tracks. Then I stepped on a dead Squirrel. It MUSHED. I started swearing aloud.

I was totally walking towards home because I couldn't stomach any more jankhity shenanigans with poop or rotting carcases that oozed intestines. I already have bronchitis and it's COLD out.

As I walked up to my front porch to grab that paper that I wish they'd stop leaving me, "what's this?" MORE OOZING INTESTINES. The cat which-attacks-dogs has brought me a nice hollowed out mouse.
Fresh feline restitution.

So I guess I'm going to HAVE to pick up the already dead chimpmunk that has been rotting behind the flower pot on the porch for the last 5 days?? gag. All this and I haven't even got the chance to get the squirrel bile off of my shoe. (commense caughing fit)
That was tough. I usually pick up dead presents by the tail...I tried to pick the chimpmunk up by the tail, but the fur just kept coming out and I couldn't get a grip on it. So I used the newspaper.

Dug the hole. Usual spot. To this date, there are: well, let me just graphically design it for you.

about all those in the area between my house and my neighbor's house. just as I was going to dump them in the hole and cover it, Toots came over to supervise. good kitty. bad timing.

WTF COMMENTS FROM NOWHERE?!

WHAT THE FRICK IS UP WITH THE BULLSHIT COMMENT SPAM?!?!
HOW DO I STOP IT? SOMEONE GIVE ME SOME INTERNET DEET!

Summer says....

"I used to jump at the chance to get a double white mocha thing, but
then I found out they have like 700 calories. I'm not a freak calorie
counter, but damn, I'd rather eat a steak."
she also said at one time:
"I wear a short skirt on a road trip, for the truckers. You know, it keeps the lines of communication open during travel."

unhealthy obsession.

I am here to offically confess that I think that I have an unhealthy obsession to JACK JOHNSON. I can't stop.

If I were in an insane asylum suffering from skitzophrenia and/or multiple personality disorders all they would have to do is pipe in JACK JOHNSON on the speakers in my padded room and I would be centered almost immediately. This is no joke.
I swear, he's making my cold go away right at this moment.

Thanks, Argos (and Dupree) for having me over this weekend. I had a blast! -Mutch.

NYC streets

While I am workin on the rest of the photos, I wanted to post this one, and that one, of that. that. streetfair.

Being in NYC was so great, I almost couldn't handle it without Ridlin.

Thanks for everything, Les...I had a blast!

Elbow Macaroni Mix

Hot off the stove:
1. "Love Like Yours" Buddy Holly
2. "Joe's Garage" Zappa
3. "Amber" 311
4. "I Want You (she's so heavy)" Beatles
5. "Your Body Is A Wonderland" John Mayer
6. "Fearless" Pink Floyd
7. "Jolene" White Stripes
8. "Steamroller Blues" James Taylor
9. "Cockadoodledoo" the rooster sog from the movie Gummo
10. "Sexy Sadie" Beatles
11. "I'm The Slime" Frank Zappa
12. "All of My Love" Led Zepplin
13. "Money" Pink Floyd
14. Rabbit Junkyard scene from the movie Gummo
15. "The Ballad of John and Yoko" Beatles

Canfield Fair: Fashion Commentary

not hot.
hot.

Mutch's Surprise from the fair.

I got Mutchie some BLING at the fair last night too.
He's gotta always be lookin over his shoulder now, because fools be sweatin him with his platnum blizzang.

Here's a close up. And that's no computer engraving either, it's HAND DONE!

Canfield Fair 2005!!

ahahaa! Llama, Llama how'd you get so cute?
Ila and Jet!
Portrait of a horsegirl.
the coach watches...I watched the 4H for a little bit (still way longer than ANY non horse person would) then went over to the draft barns. That's when the batteries on my camera started to die.
I fall in love a thousand times at the Fair.
I like this shot. I think it's a good "county fair shot".

star, star, gee, bee. That could only mean one thing: GET BACK IN. I'm totally going back tonight for the world's largest demolition derby and to take more photos. Have I mentioned that I LOVE THE FAIR!?

This picture was taken about 5 years ago while acting dramatic in the park with my friends in Jackson Square. Recover quickly, sweet sweet nawlins.

Don't even ask why I have been up since 5am. I'm going to the fair now to watch the 4Hers show horses, and take pictures. Enough blogging for now.

Compassion. It makes a difference in my life to be compassionate, instead of defensive.

floods and fair.

It's time for the fair again. Hard to believe it's been a year since these photos were taken.

I love those Percherons so much. I'm passing some time right now, before I leave for the fair with a pocketful of star mints and cash for cotton candy. You know those little round red and white mints that look like a pinwheel? Horses love em. I'm planning on taking my camera also so I'll put some photos up if I don't flake out, but I might.


I really would like to write something about what is going on with me, but I just can't even concentrate because the television is on in the next room and with all of the disaster down in the south, I can't take my mind off of how sorry I am for those people who are left homeless and hungry. I have been to New Orleans many times, and If you've been there also, you know how easy it is to spot the tap dancers over by Cafe DuMonde, or get duked by the old "I bet I can tell you how much you paid for your shoes." by a bum trying to earn what I'd like to think as "dinner money". Nawlins' locals earn their living little by little, which if you think about it is way worse than paycheck to paycheck. I mean, so many people can open up shops selling feather masks and t-shirts that say "show me your boobs". And it's HOT and SMELLY already, without the sewers flowing freely in the streets.

New Orleans is a city unto itself. As soon as you enter the French Quarter, you can literally FEEL the energy in the air. There is so much that you aren't seeing going on right behind the shutters on the tall windows. The sad part is that I didn't really get to go "inside" those neighborhoods where the families have been most ravaged by Katrina very often, maybe once or twice when I stayed with a friend. I can tell you though. Most of the houses, not unlike other areas of the deep south are very rundown and held together with garage doors. These old houses and the furniture in the yard are ALL some of these people have. AND THEY'RE COOL WITH IT, they're joyful, friendly and usually jamming some badass tunes while waiting for the BBQ to smoke. Just trying to stay cool, in all sense of the word. Until now, of course.

They don't have the means to be able to evacuate. Most of them don't even have transportation, I would guess. I would say that all those people didn't stay because they refused to go, I think it's more the fact that they couldn't. I heard on CNN this morning the police department said that some of the cops just stopped showing up for work.

I couldn't imagine being shacked up in some hockey arena waiting. Wandering along in a holding pattern waiting to see if I could piece my life back together, with everything I had known as routine all my life.. totally screwed.

I just donated through red cross. I hope you do too. Perhaps a few more dollars from us regular people can get all those people at least a toothbrush?
In my own private memorial, I carried my favorite little pursie purse today, which I have pretty much retired. I bought it at the French Market. (I TOTALLY did a great job haggling with the dude about the price.) It's not anything huge, I'm not even sure how to explain why I did it, basically just to keep my thoughts unselfish during this time when so many are hurting.

remember the big sunflower plan?

This is all that is left of my "ultimate sunflowers plan" after "the thing we don't speak of" came out and destroyed them. One by one.
However. I cannot complain. I can only curse really really really loud at the top of my lungs as I witnessed the damage. (But I already did that.)

The ones that are there are in perfect placement to be able to see through the kitchen nook window when the blinds are open. so, my plan sorta worked. You can look through my yellow kitchen during the day and see big, bright sunflowers right out of the window.

The sunsets. OH the sunsets.

Homeade tattoo's and a summer day.

I got home from work the other day and the neighbor boys were running around playing in the yard. They seem to like playing around my house and in my driveway, which I don't mind at all...infact I will usually go out and play some ball with them. Because my front yard doesn't have any trees or major landscaping, it makes for some very functional kickball. But they have to be careful...my other neighbor is elderly and will send her daughter out to shoo the kids out of the driveway even.

I was running around with Mutch in the backyard when I heard one of them say "HEY CHRISTINE! WANT A TATTOO?!" from the yard next door.
"PSHHHT WHHHEEEL YEEEEAHHH?" I hollered to them.
All three of them came over. Connor, Matthew and Michael. After all of the jumping and kicking and karate moves showing off their tattoos,Connor shows me all the colors I have to pick from. He's the artist.

"well, what shall I get a tattoo OF?" I asked.
"ummmm. How about a sailboat?, I can draw you a sailboat..oRRR.." he said.
"HM. well how about a bug."
"a bug?"
"yeah! I want a bug tattoo" I said.
"allllright. (thinks for a second) I'll give you a butterfly tattoo!"
"ALLLRIGHT! I'd LOVe a butterfly tat!"

It's a butterfly tat with legs and shoes, and it rules.

Later on, Matthew & Connor's dad (my neighbor) Mike was outside. I told him I got a tattoo and he got excited for a minute because I have been talking about getting inked. He saw it and was all: "THEY GOT YOU TOO?! where the hell did those pens come from?!"
hah.

america's next top model in an ENCYCLOPEDIA one way or another!

hah.
wanna see your horoscope as depicted on "America's Next Top Model"??? On an ENCYCLOPEDIA website?
That's mine. You can scroll to get yours.
Because that's not ODD at all.

"Dreamy Pisces is the exaltation of Venus, the goddess of love and artistic sensibility."
and a hell of an awesome friend. It all started when she didn't know how to spell, so I helped her. She's been helping me ever since ~ .
Have a great time sunnin yur' buns, Sum and J!

i just had to.

it looks rather interesting today... and that shit hurts.

totally missed good shots.

And, uh, shame on me for not getting any photos of my weekend. I just could not place my camera under the threat of sinking to the bottom of the river.

I'll usually hurt myself at some point.

I went on a wonderful canoe trip on the Allegheny River this weekend, it was a 15 mile trip canoeing about 5 miles the first day and stopping to camp for the night on an island (an island because there are BEARS- although it was soon realized the bears can actually walk across seven inch deep water to our island of safety). I listened in the tent with Mutch close by, as thunderstorms rolled through the Allegheny Valley throughout the night. It was heaven.

I had a great time and I was so happy to be there I actually drank a beer (or two) which I don't usually do. I'm just not a beer drinker. But anyway, I had to pee so bad and as soon as we got to a shallow spot with little threat of tip-over, I jumped out. As I took my first step I said to my friend: "so? can you see where it starts to get deeper?"
Even though I had on my velcro strappy sandals with superior traction, I busted my ass as soon as I let go of the canoe. I must've fell onto the biggest, pointiest rock on that side of the river. It hurt so bad it didn't hurt.
My friend replied: "I guess that's your answer."

Look at what a nice bruise I have...it's actually contoured to the shape of that boulder. yes. it hurts.

I got that.

last week.

As my hairstylist was finishing up...
"awh. what do you think about bangs?"
"bangs?" she said
"yup. bangs. but thick ones."
"sure, bangs are good. have you ever had bangs with your curly hair?"
"yeah, I cut them myself a few times. They grow fast."
"alright, bangs coming up."
"blunt cut please...(she measures the sissors up) a little lower please, remember they'll curl?"