Return of the Jedi

Hello! Good to see you again, old pal. Life is busy. School, work, holidays. I need a vacation. Thanksgiving was great! I wish I could've stayed in Dwarf a little longer, but visiting with the Philadelphia Gastrights was worthwhile. Mommaw was up to her normal stunts and hilarious as always. She is my hero. I aspire to be as cool as she is someday.

Someday, when I'm awfully low, and the world is cold (that will be the next month at work, did I mention that I hate..well...I can't mention, but just know that I hate) [Resume song], I will feel a glow, just thinking of Doog, and the way he looks tonight. (Note to reader: I just looked over at my beautiful husband and he was making a kissy face at Bori Cat, who is laying beside him. Sweet.)

Sweet potato casserole, broccoli casserole, macaroni casserole, mashed taters and gravy, turkey, ham, corn, beans, rolls, 7-layer salad, stuffing...delicious Thanksgiving feast prepared by Mommaw and some other Cornetts. Instead of saying a prayer this year (since no one was around to say it; our give-gracer was stuck in Ashland), we went around the room and said what we were thankful for. Mommaw said she was thankful for her family. I find it hysterical, however, that minutes prior she was heard recounting a past dinner with her brother, The Animal, and due to that dinner, listed multiple reasons why she did not invite the poor chum to share in our feast. "Well, I would invite him, but I'd have to invite Nell. The man is 72 years old and he has a girlfriend. She is awful. Have you met her? You should've seen her when we were eating at the church after E's funeral. Nasty. She had food all over her face, and she kept right on talking. I couldn't look at her, she was making me sick! And she mumbles when she talks, you can't understand a word she says. Now, B told one of them boys that he wanted to come to our house for Thanksgiving. I told them they'd have to drive down there and get him cause I ain't about to have dinner with that Nell!"

Nailed it! Got an A on my homework tonight! [Do happy dance!] Mind you, only 2 A's were given. Holler! At least I know I'm still good at something. Work has been driving my spirits way down, it's good to get a pick-me-up!

Upstairs in the bed, but my journal is downstairs. I have a list of things I want to write about. Will have to divulge next time. Now, I think I may go watch an episode of something on tv and hit the hay before midnight! If you see me tomorrow, remind me to celebrate life: food, laughter, and companionship! Don't let work get me down!

Grout

Well, the grouting in the bathroom is finally finished. It only took 2 months after the tiling job for me to get in there (with the supervision and help from Carol) and get it done. I am so happy to have that out of the way. Now, we just have to put the rest of the bathroom back together. New sink, vanity, mirrors, light fixture, ceiling, and the door frame. I'm pretty sure that I will not be doing any of this, but my pocketbook sure will!

Sure will be in for it next semester. I am officially enrolled in 3 graduate courses for Spring 2011. Yes, Doogie, laugh it up and make fun of me for crying about my 3 Public History courses, as you have been taking 3 or more courses every semester since enrolling in laaaaaaw school. I get it, law school is hard, or maybe it's just full of a bunch of whiners. At any rate, 3 classes next semester! Eek! Soon, I will have my MA, and I will rule the school! (And then I will have babies. You know, I'm baby obsessed.)

Obsessed with dinosaurs. As Doogie put it today on our work commute, "You could break into Marc's room at 2 o'clock in the morning, wearing a devil's mask and carrying a torch, and he'd just shoot out of bed and start rambling, 'Uh, Uncle Doug, did you know that tyrannosaurus-rex is bigger than the average house?" The kid is non-stop, motormouth, dinosaur trivia, full-throttle from hi to bye!

If Christmas was tomorrow

If Christmas was tomorrow, 95% of those on my Christmas list would be with presents! Yes, this weekend I nearly finished up all of my Christmas shopping! With the help of 2 beautiful, fantastic ladies, I scoured the stores of NKY and found perfect gifts for those on my list. I have a pretty big list, but I don't mind. I love hunting for Christmas presents almost as much as I love seeing the faces of those opening the gifts. Isn't it wonderful when you secure the best Christmas present ever?! That's how I felt Friday night when I bought Boomer's present. Can't wait til she opens it! There are only 5 people left on my list and I'll be done! : )

Done Christmas shopping for myself! Friday I bought my own Christmas present. A fancy new camera! It is awesome. Look out, I'll be capturing images of your smiling face at every opportunity. Check out the pictures here, why, they are taken with my new camera. My personal favorite is the one to the left...the little girl in the Santa hat on her bicycle. She is super cute. She got mad at her sisters and slung her hat and bicycle to the ground at one point. Kids are hilarious.

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!

Well, I finally have some free time to write a blog! Hooray for getting done with homework and staying up past 10 o'clock. I've had a busy few days since we last met. I ventured down to Dwarf last weekend, and, as always, it was a hoot! I traversed across 16 counties on my journey to the center of earth and back again: Kenton, Boone, Grant, Scott, Fayette, Clark, Powell, Wolfe, Breathitt, Perry, Knott (to a baby shower), Leslie, Clay, Laurel, Rockcastle, and Madison. When I wasn't out gallivanting around the state, I was hanging with the Beetle and learning more about that wonderful lady!

Mommaw and Papaw only dated 3 weeks before my Pap asked Mommaw to marry him. According to Beetle, she "didn't know why she said, 'yes' but she did."
Aunt Unique entered a Raggedy Ann doll and a cat toilet paper holder in the state fair on separate occasions and won blue ribbons on each. Beetle made these items, not Unique!
Beetle's favorite meal to cook is soup beans, kraut and wieners, cornbread, and fried taters (and if that ain't country, you can kiss my toe).
Beetles favorite meal to eat is chicken and dressing casserole.
The first time Beetle saw an African Amereica was when she was visiting the state capitol and was around 8 years old. Her little brother was so intrigued by the little boy, that the boys proceeded to rub each others' heads, checking out the different textures of their hair.
When Aunt Unique got married, Beetle stayed back at the house to cook the wedding reception dinner: chicken and dumplings, mashed potatoes, green beans, cornbread, and she even made the cake.
Beetle's family didn't get electricity until she was a sophomore in college.
When Beetle first moved to Dwarf, there was no road to Combs Branch. You had to park your car at the mouth of the holler (hollow) and ride a horse and sled the rest of the way (1950). She also couldn't believe where she was! She had to keep looking up for the sky to make sure she was still on earth. She wasn't used to being surrounded by such mountains!
Making a popcorn ball was a process. Beetle's family grew their own popcorn. You popped the corn using an iron skillet. Once you heard one kernel pop, you put the lid on and pop the rest. Since there wasn't an A&P to run to, Beetle had to trade goods that her family raised to a family down the road to get molasses (they grew sugar cane). Once she had her molasses, she could make a popcorn ball. They used butter churned by Beetle herself.
Once upon a time, when Beetle was young and all her babies lived at home, she woke up with a migraine. She said to second youngest babe, "You boys better be good today, I have a migraine." The babe translated the message to his little brother, "You better watch it. Mother's on the warpath!"
The first date Beetle and Pap went on was to the movies. "I don't remember what we watched. That was a long time ago!" They went on a dollar: $0.40 for each movie ticket and $0.10 for each coke. I asked if they did 1 coke and 2 straws, but you know Beetle don't play like that! "No. We didn't have 2 straws. We each got our own coke."
When Beetle was the ripe old age of 11 years old, she cooked lunch for her entire family every summer day while they were out working the farm. She did her cooking on a coal and wood stove. What kind of supper did an 11 year old cook, you ask? Why, soup beans, cornbread, and fried taters. She even made dessert: wild berry pies. Where did Beetle get the shortening to make her pie crust, you may wonder. Why, they rendered lard from their hogs (trust me, you don't want to hear about the specifics of that process)!

You need to meet my Mommaw. She is awesome!

The Doug Bear Returns

Hooray! Doogie is back from his trip to Louisville. I am so happy. I may be able to sleep tonight. Last night, he was gone, and I could not for the life of me get any sleep. I woke up every half-hour until 2:30, when I finally gave up and slept until 6:30. Every time I woke up, I had a different verse of Desolation Row stuck in my head. You don't really want to try to go to sleep with, "They're selling postcards of the hanging" running through your mind, especially since you spent every Saturday for the first part of the year working a Lynching Photography exhibit. I swear, I still have emotional problems due to that experience. But Doogie is back and tonight I shall sleep like a rock or like a BC.

BC and the boys hate me. Now that the furnace is working and the radiators are keeping the house moderately warm, the boys sleep in their own bed (the guest bed in the guest room, which is the warmest room in the house). Bunch of jerks! This is why I want to adopt a new kitty and forget about the rest of the ungrateful heathens. I want to adopt Mr. Rabbit from the Kenton County Animal Shelter. He is so cute. He is a BC twin! I have 4 cats too many, but I bet you want to adopt him, right? Come on! I'll pay the $35 for you! And I'll even go to Sam's and buy you some food and litter for the little fellow. Oh God, I have to stop looking at this picture, or I will cry. I love him.

Scut Farkus

If you look closely, you will see that boy on the bike is Scut Farkus. I saw him on my way home from work yesterday. "Scut Farkus! What a rotten name! We were trapped. There he stood between us and the alley. Scut Farkus staring at us with his yellow eyes. He had yellow eyes! So help me God, yellow eyes!

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Christmas focus

Now that Halloween is over, it is time to focus on Christmas, the most wonderful time of the year. I've already done a great deal of my Christmas shopping, but really, I'm never completely finished! I love Christmas shopping, too bad my wallet does not. I also love Christmas movies! I watched my first Christmas movie of the season Monday night: The Christmas Cottage. Yes, Sammy Winchester was in it, and no he wasn't a bad ass like he is in Supernatural. He was just a little dweeb, but that's what Christmas movies are all about: dweebs finding love in their heart (not just for hot chicks, but for their Mamas and fellow townspeople) and discovering the true meaning of Christmas. Obviously, it was cheesy; I cried; and I loved every minute of it! Not to spoil the movie for you, but, THEY SAVED THE CHRISTMAS COTTAGE, thanks to a dear old crotchety man.

Man, I am so excited! Tonight we are going to go see Bob Dylan in concert! How awesome! Yes, I have seen him twice before, but it's Bob. I have a strong feeling within my heart that he will open the show with Leopard-Skin Pillbox Hat and his encore will be Desolation Row (or is that too depressing for an encore?). I guess his encore will be Like a Rolling Stone or All Along the Watchtower. Whatever it is, it shall be epically wonderful. Oh, Bob, please play everything from the Another Side of Bob Dylan album. If not everything, at least play Black Crow Blues or I Don't Believe You (She acts like we never met). And please, Bob, please giggle in the middle of the song like you do in the studio recording. That's my favorite part! What a cool life I have. Yes, so it sucks sometimes when work and school get me down, or when people are fartknockers, but overall, life is good!