Day 30: end of the line

end of day

On our last trip to this beach in Veracruz, I was trying to photograph an incredible sunset. When I resorted to regular light, the picture came out too dark - mostly black with brilliant orange streaks, but you couldn't decipher the beach, water or people. Then Samo told me to use the night light and this was the result. End of day looks more like a brilliant morning!

But anyway, this is the end of the line for the 30-day photolog! Hence, a few reflections:

• It took more than 30 days! Due to the impossibility of blogging every single day, I was forced to cheat! Conclusion: next time it should be a 12-day photolog over the period of one month. That would give me some time to consider carefully, or to take random pictures for a few days before having to post one of them...
• I didn't follow the rules of using a picture taken on the day itself (picture above is proof of that!) ... too difficult to be uploading pictures from my camera every day. I gotta work, you know! And we aren't allowed to have cameras at work so that means my photo-shooting time is severely limited. Conclusion: same as above - next time I will take photos for a few days and then choose from those taken to use in a 3-a-week photo-blog.
• Using photos really gets the mind working. I like that aspect of it and it was only because of the difficulty of shooting, uploading, choosing, and posting one photo per day that I got so off-track. Conclusion: same as the above - a 12-day photolog spread over one month should be much more interesting and doable!

But I'll tell you what would really help - having a theme! If anyone has a good idea for a photo-log theme, please advise! That would give the whole thing much more content! I'll think on it too. Meanwhile, hope you're enjoying all the lovely sunsets, sunrises, rainbows, blue skies and rainy days too that come your way!

Day 29 - CLo's an Adult!

coming of age!

Not a self-portrait, not even about who she is, but the artwork is hers - CLo's. And since this is her b'day - her 18th no less! - I've decided to post one of her works...

Of course, today is not her b'day because today is not really day 29 - I've gotten pretty far behind on the 30-day photo log, you see... but the real day 29 was her birthday, and that's what counts!

I've since dubbed it "la triste historia de un cumpleaños no festejado" because the actual moment of celebration never quite got off the ground! There was reference to it... there was a lot of inter-communication about when it would be, what would be done and eaten, and even the hour... but things just kept coming between us and our objective!

NOTE: In this house, we celebrate in a very simple way: somebody makes the cake (or buys it if it's not one of our recipe cakes or if there's no time to make it) on the actual day, then we all come together in the evening, put some candles on it, serve it with or without icecream, coffee/milk, and sit around the table taking pictures and talking about whatever... no big deal, just the family members and maybe a friend or two who happened by... key words here: on the actual day, as in: very spontaneous!

BUT ON THIS BIRTHDAY:

There was the fact that I could not find a chocolate cake, which was the specified wish of the b'day girl, and then the birthday girl herself couldn't be home for the festivities at the hour we had first designated, which of course didn't matter because a) there was no cake at that time and b) I had to rush to the sports center to take the final pictures for my article - the game was announced at the last minute and it was to be the last game of the tournament, so if I wanted pictures I had to be there... and that didn't matter either, since we had no cake! As a matter of fact we figured it was a good thing because Lu could drop me off, go get a cake and pick me up and we'd be back before CLo got home (we thought).... but it didn't work out like that either because a) the game was still in the 2nd quarter when I got there (it was supposed to be ending at that time!) and I had to wait till the end to get the pictures of the teams... and b) Lu couldn't find a cake shop that was open or an open one that had a chocolate cake...

After a few few rounds of TMs in search of cake shops, Lu finally found a cake; by that time, I had my pictures! He came by for me and we went home... only to find that CLo was just getting home too, it was much later than we'd planned, and everyone was either too tired to do the whole cake-thing (it was a weeknight after all), or already asleep! So we put it off till the next day... and by then it was just not the same! Moral of the story: when there's a birthday to be celebrated - DON'T PUT IT OFF! JUST DO IT!

one last note: don't feel too bad for the b'day girl - she has celebrated QUITE NICELY with friends and family THE WHOLE WEEK!!!! The cake might have bombed but the shopping for her upcoming trip and partying with friends have pretty much made up for the lack of our normal routine!

Day 28: The basketball story

getting the scoop!

Technically speaking, this photo should probably not count, since I didn't take it myself - in fact, if you zoom in, you can see me in the picture! Yep, there I am, getting the scoop for an article I'm trying to finish for the school magazine. But it was such a good night! Taking all those action photos... Samo continued where I had left off... Of course, I didn't get anywhere near as good in either my article or the pictures as Mexpat did in her recounting of the Mundialito in Playa del Carmen... but maybe someday I'll get the chance to do something as totally absorbing as that must have been!

The article's about a women's basketball league and how a lot of the women in the league are married to men in the men's league! And even more amazing is how many couples actually met and fell in love through playing basketball!

On the womens' teams you can find mothers and daughters playing on the same team! There are even a couple of grandmothers and daughters!!! And these girls play hard and shoot really well! Too bad I can't upload all the shots... but that would be upstarting the article!

Oh, just one other thing: the article was the reason I let myself buy the camera... so I've got the pictures and the interviews and the info on the gym and how to go about forming a league... now if only I can just put it all together and send it in!

Day 27: There's no place like home

just because

Light and Color - that's what it's all about. And right in my own Home! And you can see Life and Growth! There's a Child (or children) nearby (see the tire swing outside the window?) and there's even a reference to Ascension - which is always nice... going up implies Learning, Becoming...

Okay, enough with symbolism... you can interpret it however you want. The simple fact of the matter is: I like this picture, it's my blog, so I'm posting it here for Day 27. Enjoy the day!

Day 26: Taking the less-traveled path

Scene from a hidden back road

Driving home from work is something I do five days a week. But it's not something I do the same way every single day! Know what I mean?

I have tried many, many different routes to get home over the years, sometimes out of mere curiosity - will this way be faster than the usual way?; will it be more scenic, or less clogged with traffic? Sometimes, I take a different route because I need to stop somewhere first, like the grocery store, or the panadería, or when I give someone a ride home; and sometimes, I must take another route simply because my usual way is blocked and there's a detour.

There's a route that I sometimes take when I give a fellow teacher a ride home. I go through a little town, then get on a small highway which takes me home. As I'm driving down that highway, there's a certain curve where I can turn into the cobblestone streets of another small town, drive through it and get back on the highway to continue home. More often than not, I do this in order to go to a tiny bakery I know there, which has hot-off-the-line tortas de agua every evening about the time I leave work. So I get them still warm. (They also make cuernos de sal and huesitos de manteca that are extremely delicious!)

Every time I connect to the small curvy highway after dropping my co-worker off, as I come to the first big bend, I notice a smaller road connecting to it and looking as if it would eventually lead into the small town of the panadería. I always eye that road and say to myself, next time, I'll try it.

Well, last Friday was the day. I turned onto this little road and started down it. As I traveled, the pavement turned first to cobblestone, then to dirt, and then to a very rough, muddy, hole-ridden path running between huge cornfields. I was driving the Crossfox, which is supposed to be excellent for this kind of terrain, so I wasn't too worried (except for the possibility of rain), and I was curious to see where I'd come out; so I hummed along in second gear for awhile, enjoying the scenery, until I came upon the scene I've captured in the picture above. It took my breath away.

I stopped the car, stepped out, picking my way through the less muddy areas, and took a picture of it, while a pick-up loaded with produce passed slowly by, the two girls sitting on the edge of the let-down tailgate lid stopping their animated conversation to watch me curiously as they swung their legs to and fro from their perch.

I don't know why that house in "obra negra" is standing out there all alone... but I wonder about it. If you click on it to make it bigger, you may notice some other houses way in the background. One of them is also only the shell of a house.

The trip turned out to be much longer in time than I had thought it would be, and when I finally saw the connection to the highway (with secret relief), I realized that I had only advanced about a kilometer in terms of the highway I had yet to cover.

But that house... I'm going to keep my eye on it to see if it gets built. What do you think?

Day 25: The Controversial Tree

It's a Long and Winding Tree

The window in my study looks out onto a huge "Dollar Tree"; that's how the tree in question and pictured above is known around these parts. I love this tree. As I'm tapping away at the keyboard, I just have to turn my head to the left and there it is, its silvery leaves (hence the reference to silver dollars in the name) shaking softly on their branches, making their characteristic rustling sound (almost like music) in the breeze.

The Dollar tree is known for its devastating roots. They are supposedly shallow roots, unstoppable in their quest for underground territory, which means that over time, they break through the foundations of anything built near the tree. There is some evidence of this, as a small section of our patio has been uprooted and we've had to dig under it, chop through the roots there, and close it back up. According to Car, there is evidence that the roots are trying to get through the cement floor of the utility room, which is the closest to the tree. I haven't noticed any bulging in the floor yet, but I'm willing to wait and find out, because I certainly do not want the alternative Car proposes, which is:

Chop down the tree!

NO!! ABSOLUTELY NOT!! ARE YOU KIDDING?? NO WAY!!

So far, I've managed to keep him from doing it, but if the roots start to come through the floors of the house, I don't know... keep your fingers crossed that we find another way to deal with the situation if the time comes!

Day 24: Independence Day?

Caught in the act!

Last week, I missed CLo's triumphant moment - that walk across the stage for the diploma. This week I witnessed the whoooooooooole thing with Samo and shot this picture at precisely the right moment. So, while some were celebrating Independence Day in the States, Samo was celebrating his own particular independence - from Jr. High!
P.S. Just to clarify and balance, CLo got a long mention in this blog on her graduation, but no evidential picture, while Samo gets only a short blurb because, as the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words!

Day 23: Are there any tomatoes in there?

I think it's time to weed!

Okay, I've been letting it go, thinking sooner or later, little tomato plants would pop up, but it looks to me like all I've got here is a lovely mish-mash of weeds!

So, today, I'm going to weed my garden and plant again. Maybe it's the seeds I bought. In addition to planting in my little garden, I planted a few tomato seeds in three different strategically-placed macetas in the house, but nothing has come up in any of them either, so maybe the whole pack was a dud - although the expiration date says 2009. Another problem could be the earth-enricher I used... (abono), which is all natural but maybe too strong to put right over the seeds (which I did)! So, I'll dig up the weeds, mix in the abono lightly and plant again... or maybe, as one student suggested plant the seeds first,

and then put the abono lightly around - as opposed to on top of - the plant-hole.

Wish me luck!

Day 22: Reflections on a concert

José González playing his own music

Anto's friend Moni had tickets to see this guitarrist and since Anto had already gone to LA, she asked me if I wanted to go... and I said sure.

It's been a loooong time since I was at a concert like that. In fact, I don't think I've ever been at one quite like that. I mean, I remember back in the 70's going to bars where a group was supposed to playing - you know, Austin is one of the all-time music capitals of the world, ever since Janis Joplin and even before...

But in those places, - one of my faves was Hole-in-the-Wall - the bar would fill up with people and though there was no one playing at first, there were tables and the bar was ample, and there was pool in the back room(s), and you could generally have a good time while you waited for the group to get there, set up and play. You paid your cover and you drank your beer, but you didn't gripe about not seeing the musicians immediately because other things were going on and you could usually find people you hadn't seen in awhile, or if you felt stranded, you could find a place to sit and just people-watch.

But this place!! From the time we arrived, the musician we had come to see was already there. He was sitting outside on the patio, drinking a beer with a buddy and we introduced ourselves saying how excited we were about seeing the show and how relieved that we had gotten there in time, since the flyer said it began at 9 and we got there at 10. He said, 'don't worry, the show hasn't started yet', so we thought, great, we'll go inside, get a table and have a beer while we wait.

Moni had already paid what I consider a tremendous cover, but she assured me it was worth it - 'this guy is soooooooo goooood' - and I really respect her taste in music. She always finds the most incredible videos on youtube and sends me the links.

So we go inside and to our dismay, there are no free tables. Not because the place is too crowded or too small and already filled... no, the place is quite big, but there are only about 10 tables and they're filled of course. There's a bar in the back corner but it's tiny and it's crowded there and it doesn't look like there are barstools there anyway...

So our alternatives are either: to stand around uncomfortably and chitchat above the deafening techno sound system or sit on the cement floor and get stepped on by people traipsing through to the bar. We opt for neither, go back outside to the patio, but have nothing to do there either - plus it's chilly and wet out there... inside, the music is too loud to be able to hold a conversation for more than 2 minutes, and the bar has nothing interesting to look at, listen to, or do, and as for people-watching, that can only distract you for so long.

Here's something curious: the place is large, as I said. There's deafening techno music bouncing off the walls, and there's a huge empty floor.... so why aren't people dancing??? Don't the people in charge realize that if no one is dancing to that music, maybe they need to change it???? Why have a huge dance floor and lots of people, but no one dancing??

Back inside the bar, first we pull chairs up to the outer edge of the row of tables but it's not a good place because waitresses are constantly having to squeeze by with trays of drinks. Then we ask some people if we can sit at their table (they have 2 unoccupied places) and try that for awhile. Finally, we see other people sitting on the floor so we go up to the front and get settled. I'm thinking, okay, this is good, the concert's about to start and we'll be right next to the stage.

And still I'm wondering why we're all just sitting and waiting! Aren't bars supposed to be hopping with action? Since there aren't enough tables for everyone, shouldn't people be milling around, or better yet DANCING?? Why are we all sitting on a cement floor like that, just waiting...?

So the first act starts 30 min. later and it's a girl singer-guitar-player. She's not at all good, but she has a loyal following there that night who cheer her on and applaud wildly, so naturally there's even an encore! I try to find something good in her performance, but it ain't easy... maybe her voice has a nice tone to it, even if the words leave a lot to be desired.

But when she's finished, instead of the main act being announced - the guy we all came to see, the young Swede of Argentinian descent, José González - we get an even more deafening barrage of techno... and it goes on and on... until MIDNIGHT! Yes, that's right... the main act BEGAN at MIDNIGHT!!!

And still we're all sitting on the floor... which by now is resembling a minefield of spilled beer and cigarrette butts!

Well folks, by that time, I was so deafened by the music that had been forced on my ears for over two hours, and my tush was completely numb from the cement floor, and I was tired just because it was late!!! So, I wasn't in the best disposition to fairly critique the music. To me, although José González has a very nice style (all his songs are picked and strummed, the words are flowing and ballad-type), the sound system wrecked the better part of his performance by distorting the guitar when he wanted to add volume, by completely muffling his voice so that it was impossible to understand his lyrics... I'm telling you, it was a pure and simple case of FRUSTRATION!!

I think what I mainly want to say here is this: if you're thinking about opening up a night club, bar or whatever for nighttime entertainment, HAVE SOME CONSIDERATION for your clientele. Have some class!! Don't drown out all sounds of human interaction by too-loud, body-invasive techno beats if the people there clearly demonstrate that they're not interested in dancing to it, don't open a place and charge a cover if you can't even offer your customers a better place to sit than the hard cold floor, and if on top of that, there's no live music for the better part of the night, and ESPECIALLY don't advertise your main act for 9 pm if it's not really going to start until MIDNIGHT!! According to the manager, whom I searched out when it got close to midnight and we were still waiting, the bands have the say of when they will go on, and it's quite "normal" procedure for them to start at midnight... well, if the main band doesn't want to begin earlier, I think owners/managers should feel a certain responsibility toward their customers and make sure that there are other bands or acts that can play earlier... after all, they do have SOME say about the agenda! If they can't find live groups to play on the bill, they can at least choose better piped in music for the intermission... I mean there's something to be said for having a bit of variety you know!

Day 21: Playing with the camera

posing under the skylight

I've got to stop all this nonsense of nonstop photo-taking. It started out because of this 30-day photolog, which I've totally messed up by now, as I have the days all out of sequence and I always seem to be trying to catch up...

Meanwhile, since we've had some visitors, who brought their cameras, and since we have some new cellphones in the family, each with its own nifty little camera option, and since I just bought the Sony digital to take "professional-quality" pics for the magazine, we seem to be spending an inordinate amount of time snapping, discussing, reviewing, posing for, looking at, and looking for "that perfect picture"! I tell you, it's exhausting, it's stressful, it's time-consuming... yes, it's totally out of control!

But it's fun too! I just read an e-mail saying that life is short, so we should go ahead and take all the pictures we want; better too many than too few... and it least with digital cameras, we don't have all the paper and chemicals since we never seem to end up printing any of the pictures, although maybe one day, we'll choose a select few and actually print them out.

If I ever do sort out all these pictures I (and others around me) have been taking over the last month and decide to print some, I doubt if the one above will be included, even though I like how these guys look standing under the skylight. But this picture was taken on my cellphone, so some might insist it's "technically inferior", and anway, why would I print out a picture of people checking out the picture we just took of them on another camera!

Whew!

Catching up: Day 18, part II (substituting Day 16) - on the way home

country roads...

Well, as I was returning to work after taking off for a quick pop-in at Clo's High School, I decided that this was my chance. Driving along the periférico at 2:00 pm is really enjoyable - there's so little traffic. This meant I could stop several times along the way to try to capture these lovely scenes that are quickly disappearing! It's true. Every week you can see new construction going on at some point on that highway. It's really given me cause for concern! Many of the sites are future housing projects, and that is not nice to contemplate, no matter how nice the architecture (and most of it isn't).

So I took this picture which I liked because of that blue pick-up in the distance. It was a challenge to get it in the right place at the right time but I got it on the second try.

I'm pretty sure that's a cornfield! I'll try to get a follow-up shot when the corn is ready to cut; should be lovely!

Day 20: Sunday driver

an orange-blossomed tree!

Another periférico shot! This one I missed and had to go to the next exit, turn around and come back. You might think that's no big deal, but I can tell you I was a bit worried about doing it as I was driving a distinctive car with expired verification stickers and there was an "operativo" of police (judiciales?) at the entrance to the periférico, stopping cars randomly... (this "operativo" has been going on all over the city at different sites for months now; they are looking for drugs and weapons transports but if they stop you, I'm sure they take advantage of the opportunity to get you for something or other! I hate having to pass that roadblock every day, and it's only one of about 4 that I pass on my normal routes!).

Luckily, they didn't stop me when I came around the second time, and I waited till I was around the bend from them to stop the car and take the picture. I'm wondering what those orange buds are on that tree???

Day 19: Umbrella Girl

Adios, Jefa

A couple of years ago, I dedicated some weeks to searching the internet for a certain 'umbrella girl' I'd seen as Fned's icon during our chat sessions... She was soooo darling, with long wet straggling blond hair, huge dark blue-black eyes and the most woebegone expression on her face under her dripping umbrella. She touched my heart and I wanted to be able to use that picture as an icon in a forum I'm in, or just have for future reference. Come to think of it, I probably would have used it here on my blog had I found it, but alas, it was simply not to be! By plugging "umbrella girl" into the Google search, I found all sorts of girls and umbrellas, and by plugging in 'sad-eyed umbrella girl', the results were narrowed down to a few, but the one I wanted never appeared...

Yesterday, as I was leaving the farewell party for my boss who is going on to bigger and better things, she got her umbrella and walked me to my car in the rain. We hugged, and, as I was clicking the remote key to open the cardoor, she turned to look back at her house, which is nestled in one of the true woodsy places left near Puebla, and sighed, "I love this view of my house." I whipped out my phone and said, "I'm going to take a picture of you in it. Just start walking back and turn around when I call 'Now!'" "But your phone will get wet," she noted. "No prob.," said I, "Just start walking and I'll do it quick."

Once again, I took the picture almost blindly, and once again, the result is more than I'd hoped for! I don't think I got her house in the picture (it's in back of her to the right; you can see the gate if you click to enlarge the pic), but in a way, you could say, I've finally got my umbrella girl!

Catching up; Day 18: She did it! (Graduation Day)

Graduation Girl - Sitting Pretty!

High School Graduation sure has gotten sloppy! No cap n' gown... no formal ceremony, no big deal at all! And this is the Public High School. They're supposed to make a big deal!

I gave up on the idea that there would be a ceremony after CLo went to her "Prom" night a couple of weeks ago, and then had a few more days of school, and then informed me that school was officially out.

But suddenly, this last Thursday, at 11:00 p.m., CLo gets an e-mail from the school Administration office - Please be at the school tomorrow at 10:00 for graduation papers. Dress nice.

That was the first acknowledgment we'd had that her class had really graduated - and even then, it wasn't clear if there would be a ceremony. So CLo called different classmates, who each told her their different interpretations of the e-mail, but in the end it was all speculation.

Of course, I wanted to go see her graduate! On the other hand, how could I cancel my classes at 11:00 at night? CLo said not to feel obligated, because there wasn't going to be anything official, just all the students taking pictures with their friends and getting their certificates. But my brain was working around the problem and I figured out a way to get to see her and take some pictures around 11:00 a.m. This being Mexico, I figured things wouldn't really start till around 11:00 anyway, so I'd be there in good time to surprise CLo and snap some shots of her and her friends.

So I'm heading out of the parking lot from work, and my phone battery is on its last little line, but I risk it to call CLo telling her I'm on my way... then I go for it!

Fifteen minutes later I get a TM from CLo saying: "Ya empezó y nosotros somos el B, así que APÚRATE!".... You mean there IS GOING TO BE A CEREMONY AFTER ALL???? UNBELIEVABLE!!!

Oh no, I'm thinking, will I make it? I need at least 15 or 20 minutes more to get there, park, and run to the graduation site. Oh please, oh please, oh please! But drive safe... get there alive...

As I'm parking the car, I hear the names being called - they're at the M's.... if it was her group (B) her name's already been called... NO! Please let them still be in the A Group...

But no, it was the B group! I missed her walk across the stage to receive her diploma! As I run up to the site, she sees me and comes out to meet me! We hug and shrug and I take some pictures after the fact! Just to show that she DID graduate... See her there??? Just look at that smile! She did it!

Catching up; Day 15: A Well-Trained Dog

Waiting for the command

This is another picture that truly captured the scene, even though I just aimed the camera in the general direction and snapped! Notice how this dog kept his eyes wide open for the shot. Now why can't I do that when someone takes my picture????

Catching up - Day 14

Caught!

This picture was such a surprise! I really love it. I took it the night Anto was packing. Samo was trying to hide behind the bear but I caught him just as he peeked up! And what's really amazing is that I couldn't really see what I was taking! It's so funny how the blinder I become, the better the pictures I take! It's like I can aim in the general direction and I get a great shot! It simply amazes me!

Day 17: Better than reality

View from the living room

I've got a new camera!

The picture above was taken from inside the house, through the glass door, and I swear, the real view doesn't look this good, even with the door wide open.

I'm still reflecting on that... a camera that makes a view look better than reality!

At the same time, there's a picture of me that captured my expression down to the last detail and beyond, and that was rather a shocker!

I suppose in the end, the poor little camera - a Sony and quite nice! - can't differentiate between good and bad... what it does is capture all the tiny details to produce an intensely vibrant picture... but if you're feeling less than vibrant, don't get in the way of the shutter!

I'll keep that in mind... meanwhile, I'll just enjoy getting the feel of this new little tool. The trick is to concentrate on becoming an excellent snapper, while steering clear of being the snappee!

P.S. Sorry I've skipped a few days but, haven't had any time to attend to the blog.

DAY 13: Time out

It's (not) a race against the clock...

I simply don't understand myself sometimes... I mean, am I really this much of a procrastinator? I have so many things to do (you know, there's no time like the present!), things that I actually HAVE to do like GET STUFF DONE... (a stitch in time saves nine!)

and if I don't want to do those things, there are things I COULD do that I don't HAVE to do, but that would be NICE to do, CONSTRUCTIVE things, HELPFUL things, SELF-IMPROVEMENT things, HOME IMPROVEMENT things, BODY IMPROVEMENT things, FAMILY-TYPE things, HOBBY things...

...but what am I doing? Looking for expressions with the word "time" in them to post on my blog!!! Well, I can tell you that there are sure plenty of expressions out there with "time" in them, but the question is not: "Do I have enough time to compile the list?" , but rather: WHY AM I HAVING SUCH A HARD TIME GETTING ON THE MOVE TODAY????

Okay, whatever... I know.... it's high time I get going... but before I go, here's a list ALREADY COMPILED, of time expressions: check it out HERE

Now, what I really wanted to do, was post a list of SONGS with the word "time" in them... but I can't find one already made up... however, I did find this for all you quiz-takers... actually, it's better for people who are learning English, but you need a pretty advanced level of English to do it, so it's a challenge even for some native speakers!

I am still looking for a website that gives you a list of song titles with "time" in them... but I'm running out of time, as you can see on the cuckoo clock above... so I'll leave it for now... if you find a good list, could you take the time to post it in the comments here?

Thanks!... till next time!

DAY 12: Some things never change

Dishes done

Went out and about taking pictures this morning and last night, and the photo of the washed dishes is the best. It looks so homey - so efficient, so warm and optimistic. It modestly proclaims: 'Here are people who have it all together! They cook huge meals and clean up so nicely! Nothing is too much for them! They've got everything under control.'

And if you believe that, you've never spent 1 minute at our place. What I should have done was take the picture last night, when I came home from a concert. The person who's turn it was to wash dishes had received an invite to go out and had left without washing them. The kitchen was a horrendous mess. Did I clean it up? Are you kidding? At 2:00 in the morning? When I had to contend with an irritated husband who wanted to know why I'd come back so late? (which sure made me feel young - yeah, like a 16-yr.-old trying to defend herself to dad!).

No way! I took my pillows and went to get comfortable on the couch. But then the younger generation began to arrive home. They have the right to stay out late, you see! The first one home was Clo, and she went to bed, but then Lu, the awol dishwasher, got home. Naturally, he promised to wash in the morning...

So we all eventually slept, and this morning, we actually did get some work done in this house. Though, Lu did not do the dishes - it was Clo! She did a nice job! And now they're preserved forever, all washed and drying in the morning sun that slants across them through the window.

I keep telling myself things will change; we will get organized around here... I just wish I could believe it!

DAY 11 - It's Buddy Day!

Picnic on a summer day with some of my best buddies!

Whew! You know, it's really hard to keep up with this photo-every-day pace! I'm cheating a bit today because: 1) the photo above wasn't taken today, or even this year, and 2) I didn't take the photo. But cut me some slack because I'm trying to make a point here about Buddy Day.

This morning, you see, I received an e-mail from one of my oldest buddies, telling me it's Online Buddy Day! I haven't investigated to find out if this is true - I mean is it a new tradition to be honored by cyberfriends or something? - but I like the concept of it, so I decided to honor the idea with a mention on this blog. Of course, I wanted to post a picture I took of myself and J-Buddy the last time we got to see each other, but naturally, as I was so pressed for time, I couldn't find the picture!!! What folder did I save it in??? Why didn't I give it a name so that I wouldn't have to go clicking on all those code-numbered photos? (and who can remember what the numbers stand for anyway)??

As I was clicking around, I found the photo above, and it hit me that what it's portraying is precisely a buddy moment!!! I also like the anonymity of the photo, as it could be anyone sitting around that lovely round table outside on a sunny day, enjoying a delicious barbeque meal (hamburgers and grill-baked potatoes as I recall complete with ICBINB). Those who were there know who they are, and anyone who is not probably could have been on another occasion...

Don't you just love delicious buddy-moments like the one pictured above? Remember all those great meals - those great buddy moments we've shared and you've shared with other buddies? Yummy! It makes me hungry to share one with everyone right now!

Happy Buddy Day, you guys!