Weekending Properly

The plan was to make no plans in advance so that we could do whatever, whenever. Brilliant. It was the best weekend we've had in a long time.

On Saturday, we went to the Wye Mountain Daffodil Festival with Leigh & Robert. As soon as we stepped out of the car, we could smell the flower-perfumed air, which, according to Collin, smells like old ladies. For me, daffodils have the distinct smell of early spring in Arkansas. Now, I don't want to say it was a girl thing, but it really was as far as Leigh & I were concerned. Our s.o.'s lumbered along behind us as we ooh'ed and ahh'ed over the many varieties of daffodils and their cuteness while we picked our own bouquet to take home. We accurately predicted that the novelty of a field of flowers would wear off quickly. There were a lot of folks. And they all looked like zombies from a distance. Really.


Hand model, Leigh:


Yellow is a very welcome color:




En route to Wye Mt., we decided that we might as well go to the Heifer Ranch while we were in the area. Perfect timing as Leigh & Robert have never been and my friend Binyon, who is a full-time, live-in volunteer, was available to give us the super duper private tour. (We didn't have to watch the video!) Simply, it was great. I felt a happiness wash over me because it's so lovely out there on the farm.

Binyon informed us that it can get very R3al World in the volunteer's quarters. I believe it. Here's a peek into one bedroom. This is the president of Yemen, hung as tapestry. Someone needs to make their bed!:


Binyon's seedlings, in his room.:


This nanny just had a kid:


These poor male kids got castrated that very day, so some volunteers hung out in the pen to comfort them. Awww, little fellers:


The Ranch has a replica of a Mississippi Delta abode, which is essentially a shack (with no insulation) and an old school bus converted into a living space:












I think we could've stayed on the ranch for the rest of the day, but after a lovely cup of coffee, we headed back into the city to have supper @ Mt. Fuji.



I love it when you spend all day with someone and they ask, "So, what are we going to do next?" The fun continues! Yeah! We went to Leigh & Robert's place to round out the evening with some tequila and kitty time.

Collin popped in briefly. I ended up going home tired & completely content. ATM & I talked about a daytrip to Memphis the next day for fried chicken & to pay respects to Jay.


We did exactly that. We drove to Memphis & went directly to Gus's Fried Chicken. No words, just photos:








I enjoyed what I thought was the best friend chicken & fried green tomatoes that I've ever had. (And in the same day!) Strong iced tea, perfect sides & whole pickled jalapenos. Uhn! I wanted to carve my name on the table & "skate" around on the greasy floor while hootin' and hollerin'. But, since the wait for a table is long & there were folks staring longingly at our table, I settled for a moment of silence, amen. If you find yourself in Memphis and you've got a time (and only if), Gus's is recommended, bygawd!

After lunch, we went to Memorial Park Cemetary to visit the gravesite of Jay Reatard. Even though I couldn't find his site location online, I had read that it was "close to Isaac Hayes's", so I figured if we could find his, we could find Jay's. When we got to the office of the cemetary, we inquired about Jimmy Lindsey's grave location and instead of giving us directions, they just drove us right to it.

Unbelievably, and it made me so sad, Jay Reatard's grave is unmarked. AND, remarkably, it's directly left of Black Moses's grave.





RIP, fellas. I love you, I love Memphis.

A quick visit to Goner Records & Otherlands Coffee & we hightailed it back to Little Rock, so I could nerd out (and nearly OD) on CSPAN. I wanted to witness Congress "working" and voting on healthcare reform. All I can say is HOT DAMN!

This weekend? A perfect 11.



So, what's the best kind of Monday? The kind where you spend the morning with Rachel Maddow, lunch with Gov. Mike Beebe, shooting off the bb gun in the back yard with ATM after work, dinner with KMHD & quality couch time with the cats. I have THE best life.

This morning, I had the honor of seeing Rachel Maddow speak at the Statehouse Convention Center. The event, sponsored by the Clinton School, was one (of two) of the most invigorating & inspiring "conversations" I have ever attended. The only other person that excited me so was then-Senator Barack Obama. I laughed, I choked up & I felt a great civic pride. The entire audience was completely charmed by Ms. Maddow. She is fiercely intelligent and respectful and, well, right. She's right, ya'll. She is one of those people that you want to be friends with, because with Rachel on your side, you can change the world for the better. Her presence actually makes you feel that.

She reminded us all that 45 years ago today, MLK, Jr. gave his "How long? Not long" speech which inspires us to remember why we do what we do and to keep that in focus:

(I'd like to point out that Pres. Obama has used the same speech for inspiration. Great minds.)

KMHD's work hosted Gov. Beebe for a lunch & we (Anne & I) got to go. I didn't realize that the group would be so small, so it was intimate and I think anyone who wanted to got some decent one-on-one time with the Guv'nah. I've seen Gov. Beebe so many times that I'm familiar with his tune, but he's still a really nice good ol' boy and he really does have Arkansas's interests at heart. I'm certain he's secured re-election.

After work, ATM lined up some aluminum cans in the backyard so we could put them out of their misery with the bb gun. After that, KMHD & I went out to dinner and had our first "business meeting". (Ya'll do know that we're opening a boutique hotel in Hot Springs in a few years, right?) It's been a really long good day; it was like a one-day extension to the weekend.

Spent.

This American life.

Gripey Fitzgriperson

I try not to be so outward with my annoyance with Saint Patrick's day, but I still haven't gotten over that one year in grade school where I forgot to wear green, or worse, that one year where I wore the "wrong shade" of green and got pinched beyond recognition. These days, I wear gross amounts of green every March 17, under complete duress, to keep pinchers and creeps (At my work, it's attorneys and the building maintenance crew) at bay. I think the throngs of green beer-drinking hooligans who deck themselves out in Leprechaun hats and "Kiss Me" gear have ruined a perfectly good holiday, too. Nothing turns me off more than someone shouting "Woooooo!" in my face with a tongue that's a sickly green hue.

I prefer my celebrations low-key and with food & friends (shocker!): Irish breakfast (hold the puddings), Irish stew, soda bread & Guinness. Maybe I can put something together for next year. That said, "May the road rise to meet you & the wind be always at your back!"

Masala Grill + Tea House was such a disappointment. It makes me sad & angry when a restaurant serves frozen goods and passes it off as their own. Collin, KMHD & I are certain that they went to the Asian Market, which is in the same shopping center, to get their samosas, naan, and possibly their pakora. We'd know because we've bought these things from the same market! Collin was so close to taking them aside in private and confronting them about it. The entrees left much to be desired and I'm not too happy that we had to purchase rice on the side instead of it coming with the meal. As much as I'd like to give them a second chance to let them get their bearings, I just don't know if it was just a simple bad night. They did have a fantastic mango lassi. I didn't try any teas; while the decor is nice, simple & neat, it really didn't give off a tea house feel and everything was so sub par that I just decided against getting a pot. PASS. There's always Layla's, which, granted, is a different ethnicity, but it's similarities will give you what you need/want.

So, even though it is my aim to "keep it simple", there are so many decisions involved with planning a wedding celebration party. I don't feel overwhelmed & I have the benefit of time, but dang ya'll! How did anyone ever do this? It's so silly with all of the things that companies and St. Martha try to convince you need and then try to sell it to you. Maybe I should just write a list of 'wants' and 'don't wants' and just go from there. And hopefully, because you can't choose your family and we've got a multi-cultural/religious situation on our hands, I hope everyone (including co-workers and friends) will just let ATM & I be ourselves & be totally stoked about our beginning our forever. There's no other way. A-men.

I am so glad the weekend is here. Are you ready to watch UAPB slaughter Duke and ruin most all of the March Madness brackets? Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!

Working Backward

Happy Birthday, Heather!

This evening, some of us are going to Masala Grill + Tea House to ring in Ms. Salley's special day. It's been a minute since I've tried a new restaurant, so it'll be a tiny adventure. Commemorative cupcakes:

ATM is in Washington, D.C. for work, so how do I spend my precious time alone? Baking, making homemade pizza, listening to all of my guilty pleasures, facial mud mask & walks around the neighborhood. I really wanted to do something "wild & crazy" like go to Memphis for a day trip, but since he didn't end up leaving until early yesterday, I didn't think I could pull it off. Just call me Mild Thing.

Our official grilling season began this past Friday evening; Audrey came over for steaks. Saturday, we went to Hot Springs for massages & a late lunch for Andrew's birthday. I didn't get into anything that evening because I had to take ATM to the airport early the next morning. For reasons unknown, his flight was cancelled, so I had to scoop him back up. Even though I was glad to have him back for a little longer, it was a total bummer to learn that I'd have to wake up at 4:45 a.m. on Monday to do it all over again. Mix in a little DST & you've got a cranky, tired whiner. Since I didn't get to go to Memphis, I didn't have too much on the agenda for Sunday: breakfast with KMHD, a couple of easy chores, watch KMHD's kickball game in the evening, make mushroom soup for supper.

Hot Springs:

KMHD on third. She's got her eyes on the prize there:

Weekend before last was hella!!! We had company all weekend long, which is a gas, but it doesn't make it less exhausting. Admittedly, I can be a freak hostess who tries to be "ON" & accomodating the whole time. Friday, Kat & Renee came over so we could attend the Habitat show opening. It is a little weird to be a part of an exhibition, but I had a lot of fun talking to random people & answering their questions. Too, my co-worker Anne showed with her husband & friends in tow. And LP got to go to her very first art opening. How precious. No, really.

(Photo by Renee)

Aaaaaand finally, here is our portrait! It goes without saying, but it is much better in person. Other than the fact that SOLO didn't make the cut, our new light fixture did. Heh. I love it. Kat is really talented. There's no computer trickery, it's all about the lighting. The empty bowl in the foreground? Yeah, that was filled with cat food. We kinda bribed SOLO to be in the photo, but she ate it all and then bolted.

(Photo by Renee. Because guess who forgot their damn camera? Pish. Ridiculous.)

On Saturday, shortly after Kat & Renee took off, we welcomed Mayumi, who was in town to participate in the LR Marathon on Sunday. She did really well! She did the 1/2 last year. I guess that just didn't kill off her body because she did the full this time. Not only did she finish well, she did better than her projected goal time. Even though I am super proud, I'm a smidge envious because I can't run. No, really. Anyway, I think that LR Marathon's medals are so T-A-C-K-Y. You can use that thing as a serving tray.

Sunday was also ATM's birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BABY! Of course, we were so busy that we couldn't properly celebrate, but I think we made up for it in Hot Springs. I'm going to take this opportunity to pat myself on the back & brag, which, I am aware is not polite, but hey, I done did good on the prezzies I got him. A 1-year subscription to Wax Poetics, a personalized & autographed book by John Sinclair, a toolbox, homemade Guinness cupcakes, AND a 50 min. massage.

So, the busyness is slowing down, but our to-do list is mounting. Spring is just a few days away, but that isn't slowing down all of the blooming & sprouting going on in these parts. My seeds are ahead of schedule & I haven't even built our herb boxes yet. We plan to not have plans this weekend, so we can have the freedom to take care of things at the house and the liberty to do as we please. I would like to go to the Wye Mountain Daffodil Festival because I can't imagine being surrounded by so many yellow flowers, but I think I would like that very much. What else is going on this weekend?

Park Hill. So quaint. OR IS IT?

ATM + AMD

Save the date!

Post-work healing

WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN

I suppose I should try to make the first half of this week relaxing, serene & enjoyable because the latter will be a total mess. I've got to go to a conference for work on Thursday & Friday. I usually try to avoid these things, but this year's topics piqued my interest: how to identify armed persons through body language and observation AND tips for dealing with Pro Se litigants. Even if it's not very interesting or useful, at least I'll be out of the office for a minute.

We will have guests all weekend. NO VACANCY. Kat & Renee will be staying with us Friday-Saturday and Mayumi, who is running the LR marathon, will be with us Saturday-Sunday. It's also ATM's birthday on Sunday, but we won't have a minute to celebrate properly. I'm hoping to make it up to him next weekend or very soon.

Electronic flyer!

I'm all kinds of vested in this event: It's work by a friend. AND, we're in the exhibit. AND, we'll be seeing our piece for the first time. AND, it appears the ACAC is coming out of it's weird dark days thanks to Leigh & her brain. Win win win win win! Please come.

Notes & to-dos:

I deleted that last blog post & incorporated it with this one: Fried sage leaves from Ristorante Capeo? Recommended! Too, the best calamari that I've had in Arkansas is from Bella Arti in Hot Springs. Perfectly breaded and brought out piping too-hot-to-touch. This occurred to me while eating Capeo's calamari. It's really good, but Bella's is far superior.

Buy: toilet paper, fresh flowers

Vacancy

Last Friday, I met Robert y Leigh at the Clinton School to see John Sinclair and David Kimbrough, Jr. speak. We were crammed into the hall with a lot of LR's liberal elite (I think I'm joking) where John recited a poem and both men took some questions. Although I'm still wondering if any of those questions were actually answered, it was still a very entertaining time. I actually saw John Sinclair a couple of years ago at the piano bar on 7th street. It was an intimate affair which made it that much more amazing. I have never been a huge fan of poetry & spoken word, but John blew me away with his engaging blues men stories and his three piece backing band. I knew that the event @ the Clinton center wouldn't be like that, but I still wanted to see him. I wish I could've seen John perform at the White Water Tavern later, but I was felled by another migraine. I couldn't even go see ATM dj @ Spectrum.

Lately. Hmm, lately. Lately, lately has been trying. I am completely overwhelmed by my job. It's not the job itself, but the people I share this office with. I sit here wondering how I'm going to write this out, but frankly, I'm tired. I'm just mentally exhausted. I will say this: it is so difficult working for someone who simply doesn't want to deal with the bad apples, who rewards bad behavior & loads up the competent folks with too much responsibility. I am this close to saying, "Yes, I'll learn to do this particular task that is actually not my job. But, all I ask in return is for you to tell me what he (points to offender) does around here to earn a salary." Seriously. Some people here literally do not do a fucking thing. Unless you count wandering off for indeterminate amounts of time, online social networking, moonlighting & talking on two phones at a time work. Oh, see! I'm starting to get all pissed off again! I regret that I allowed them (there's two of them, see) to ruin work for me. I realize it's like this at everyone's job, but shyeeeeeeit. I've been waking up earlier to do yoga before work to combat the stress. I think after I get used to waking up earlier and getting my stretch/pose on, it'll do me well in the long run. I'm still in the "getting used to it" phase. Waking up isn't hard. Getting out of a warm bed is. Too, I crash so much earlier in the afternoon. I usually get my slump around 3:00 p.m. Now it comes right after lunch! I'll suffer through it, though. I'm convinced that it'll work out soonish. So, yeah, I'm that jerkface that works out before work! It's a pleasure to meet you!

Today, Kat and her girlfriend are driving down from Ft. Smith. Tonight, the lot of us will be going to the Arkansas Art Center to redo the opening night (previously canceled because of inclement weather) of the Delta exhibit. Afterward, we're going to Ristorante Capeo for supper. Kat (+ one) will be our house guests for the night. Frankly, I can't wait to do all of this fun, delicious stuff. I need. to have. fun. Speaking of Kat, her Habitat exhibit @ the ACAC begins March 5. I can't wait to see the unveiling of our own Habitat photo! I hope I'm not pulling a bad face.

My daydreams have gotten grander, loftier. I don't just have spring on the brain. I've been thinking of me & KMHD's future boutique hotel in Hot Springs.

Starvist

My favorite, most utilized:

WWWWWAVESSSSSSS

I'm totally in the grips of Winter right now. Everyone, including myself, is crazed & cranky. But, take heed! March is less than two weeks away! It is safe to begin daydreaming about sunshine and daffodils and grilling and camping. But, please, no shorts. Too soon.

A natural side effect of turning into a winter bear is neglecting a whole lot of things including, but not limited to, grooming, laundry, dishes & other housework, remembering to feed the felines in a timely manner, and grocery shopping. And blogging. Even so, I feel I've been very busy lately. However, all other free time is spent under the covers and on the couch, watching the Winter Olympic sports. I've been enjoying them so much. The Olympics are the greatest sporting event of all time! I totally turn into a fiercely freaky-deaky U.S. team supporter. Like in a scaring-the-kitties-from-shouting kind of way. They are such a comfort for me during these trying times. All of that good will (and the hilarious catty rivalries) and competition makes me feel good. Too, wow, Olympians! The literally break their bodies to fine tune their performance and it's amazing to see the competition sort out the best of the best. I tune in any chance I get. My favorite events are ski jumping, aerials, biathlon & speed skating, but I do love to tune to EVERYTHING.

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02-02-2010: About a *fortnight ago, KMHD, Matt W. & myself went to UALR to watch RNC Chair Michael Steele and likely NY Senate candidate Harold Ford, Jr. debate, although I would hardly call it a debate. Essentially, both men gave the audience their talking points, which is pretty damn insulting to those of us who actually keep up with politics. The "highlight", or, the part when I was most incensed, was when Michael Steele said that a million dollars really isn't a lot after taxes. Oh, Michael, don't! After the moans, groans, and the mocking laughter died down, Howard Ford, Jr. asked the audience if anyone had a million dollars? Of course no one did, but Michael Steele then queried, "Who wants a million dollars?" As expected, a few people raised their hands. But, I was pleasantly pleased by how many people did not. I won't get into my views & thoughts on money. Besides it being a rude topic of conversation, it isn't lost on me that my views may not be relatable. It's such a touchy subject, much more than politics or religion, because unlike politics and religion, everyone must deal with money (or a lack of it). Anyway, the scariest part of the whole Steele v. Ford, Jr. charade was the Q&A with the audience. Oh. My. Word. I don't even know where to start. The craziest of the crazy stepped up. Enraged baby boomers (DO NOT GET ME STARTED ON THIS LOT), Libertarians (ugh) & people who start their diatribe with "I stand here in fear of God..." all got to step up to the mic. We didn't get any substantive questions or comments. It was fright.en.ing. Although Harold Ford, Jr. gave good talking points (but, they're STILL talking points), I can't say I'm a fan. I am of the opinion that he needs to stay in Memphis to work & not try to run for Senator in NY.

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02-07-2010: Happy New Year! This is Year of the Tiger! A week before the actual holiday, we hustled on down to Bauxite to celebrate with our cousins & aunt from Ft. Smith. I look forward to a few things at new year celebrations: 1. pho 2. the dragon and 3. egg rolls 4. prayers at the temple . The lady who makes the pho used to own Van Lang, the (former) best Vietnamese restaurant in town. For some reason, she sold it to some Koreans who have tampered with the recipe, so it's not as good anymore. But, I get to eat it at least once a year. We didn't get to say prayers this year as we had our cousins in tow.

Worth the wait:

I've tried & tried, but I don't know how to correct this. Tilt your head & enter the dragon:

KMHD, Loc, An, Vi & ATM:

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02-07-2010: We hosted Super Bowl Sunday @ our home this year. Super Bowl usually isn't my steeze, but the New Orleans Saints, for me, represent the ultimate underdog in a city who has suffered a complete beat down with no meaningful recovery in sight. Or, it would probably be more accurate to say that they are suffering an achingly slow recovery. New Orleans needed this win, so we grouped together to cheer them on. Now THAT was a fantastic game! There were so many high-fives, whoops & hollers, and endless waves in our living room. And if I needed another reason to stand behind the Saints, it would be because of linebacker Scott Fujita. He's got quite the background story (He identifies himself as culturally Japanese!) and firmly stands up for equality for the LGBT community & hot-button women's issues. A football player! He pretty much blows that stereotype out of the water. People amaze me everyday!

The major distraction from the game was the grilled cheese sandwich bar that I set up. My objective was for folks to make their dream grilled cheese sandwich. I bought an obscene amount of cheese of many varieties:

We used only the finest ingredients: bakery-style sourdough & French miche and real garlic butter. But, the key to our success was Leigh's panini press. ZOMG! We had previously given the bar a test run on the waffle iron and it gave similar fantastic results, but the panini press was harder, better, faster, stronger. I'm sad to report that I didn't take a lot of photos. But, I did take a cell phone snap shot of the prototype. It tasted better than you can imagine:

I managed to squeeze in lotsa cuties into our living room to watch the game. We totally watched Puppy Bowl instead of commercials and half-time tomfoolery. Puppy Bowl!:

For the record, I know the nicest, smartest, funniest, coolest, most talented people around! And they're cute, too. The best thing ever is to go to bed, exhausted, with a smile, from having too much fun.

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02-08-2010: I thought ATM was pulling my leg when he woke me up the next morning to report that there was a healthy blanket of snow on the ground. Either the weathermen goofed or we were too distracted by the game to notice any warning of a snow storm. But, yeah, we got a bit of snow, didn't we? I adore snow. And frankly, I don't mind having to stay home for a couple of days because the roads are unnavigable. I got to do some cooking & reading, but, I mostly suffered a toothache. I have TMJ & currently cannot afford treatment, even with the best dental insurance plan. (Hello, healthcare reform!). Despite preventive measures, I suffer a random toothache every once in awhile. It's so painful & I'm rendered useless for a few days. I didn't get to truly enjoy the snow. No sledding, snow(wo)men, snowball fights or snow angels. I just nested on the couch & watched from the window. At the very least, it was very pretty and soothing.

Ghost cat & camelias:

ATM attempted to go to work, only to return a bit later:

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02-12-2010: I visited with the Peeks; we eated homemade pizza & watched the Olympic opening ceremonies. Oh, Canada! (Note: Plan a trip to Montreal and/or Vancouver soonish) LP is one of my favorite things at the moment. Lil pooper:

With dad:

Big sister, Negi:

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02-14-10: Happy Valen-what now? Pish. ATM & I went to down to Hot Springs to wager on the ponies and to get some badly needed R&R. Heather & Zach met us @ Oaklawn for the day. Muchas gracias to them for making the drive & helping us have an ideal afternoon.

Lovely Heather:

Rain turned into snow:

Uneeda some snow downtown Hot Springs!

View from our room:

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You've got until the 28th of this month, but if you haven't, please go to the ACAC & check out their latest art installment by artist Ch3mex.

Opening night, there were matachines dancers:

This mural will be painted over soon. Lookout, ATM!

*Alannah, how's this for working it into the vernacular?

Quickie

1. Our Habitat photograph will be unveiled @ the ACAC art show March 5, 2010. I've been instructed by the artist to "hold my horses". Yes ma'am!

2. Amulets & hieroglyphics:

Nom:

3. Touchedown! We will be having a grilled cheese sandwich bar for our Super Bowl shindig! Leigh, bless her, will be lugging over her panini press, which makes the sandwiches that much better. Too, I had to special order the bread. Because regular Kroger bread just won't do! I'm talkin' sourdough and French miche. Pinkies way out, guys! I already bought "average" cheeses like mozzarella, Colby jack, cheddar, Provolone & American, but aim to get some type of triple cream (St. Andre?) and harvarti and gruyere. UHN! I pretty much have to eat perfectly this week in order to not completely murder (just maim) my self-improvement plan. I pretty much undid all of my hard work over the winter wonderland extended weekend. You can't not! Anyway, in addition to high-brow grilled cheese sandwiches, I'm making a vegetable soup that will be real tomato-y for dipping afore mentioned sandwiches in, homemade hot wings, cupcakes, and...what else? I feel that I need one more vegetarian app to balance it out. Workin' on that.

4. LOST season finale starts this evening. I'm light-medium excited about it. I think I'm more excited about the Chinese take out we're getting to nosh on whilst watching it. Crispy bean curd! Heavenly.