Monthly Archives: January 2009

What I did on my hiatus

THE USUAL SUSPECTS

Gangleader, a.k.a. Soartstar

Gangleader, a.k.a. Soartstar

On New Year’s Eve, the gangland mastermind pictured here held a party at her house in beautiful Edgemere for the purpose of strong-arming me for the grand total sum of $9.00 in American money. Great food was served along with champagne and the conversation was relaxed and easy, as if among friends. Only later did I realize this was merely a ruse to get into my purse. She was aided and abetted by other gangsters that include:

Gary Got Bucks B, known miscreant and card sharp

Gary Got Bucks B, known miscreant and card sharp

She was Lynne Morin when I bagged groceries for her father and now she's an elusive criminal figure that lives on a rural estate

She was Lynne Morin when I bagged groceries for her father and now she's an elusive criminal figure that lives on a rural estate

Tall Ed, notorious in certain circles for taking your money as well as your girlfriend, he's been known to be armed and dangerous.

Tall Ed, notorious in certain circles for taking your money as well as your girlfriend, he's been known to be armed and dangerous.

Unknown willowy blonde who dislikes Scatology

Unknown willowy blonde who dislikes Scatology

George the Greek, has houses and cars and no visible means of support; works in tandem with willowy blondes

George the Greek, has houses and cars and no visible means of support; works in tandem with willowy blondes

GOING BOWLING

The Ultimate Webmaster has a fast pipe and whipped me through the technology paces on his mothership of Apple products but couldn't manage a Pokes' victory

The Ultimate Webmaster has a fast pipe and whipped me through the technology paces on his mothership of Apple products but couldn't manage a Pokes' victory


On Dec. 30, I went up to Stillwater to see the Ultimate Webmaster to work on the blog and some other tech issues I have integrating my new i-Phone with my laptop and desktop. It was a business trip and I’m taking it off my taxes, I don’t care what anyone says. We actually worked. We did. Really.

It was good to see Tom and Brenda in Stillwater; I would have preferred a bowl win on top, but it's OSU after all.

It was good to see Tom and Brenda in Stillwater; I would have preferred a bowl win on top, but it's OSU after all.

In between, however, we stopped to watch the Oklahoma State University cowboys get their asses handed to them by ducks from Oregon. Joining in the Poke Choke “Wait Until Next Year” celebration were two old and cherished friends from parts nearby.

CHRISTMAS WITH THE GRANDKIDS

My daughter and her family came to Oklahoma for the holiday from Tucson and they all but brought Christmas with them because the grandchildren are six and eight years old and that’s the perfect age for the wonder of Christmas. We got to do a little of that at my house on Christmas Eve when Santa pulled off a technological stunt to bring his surprises from Arizona right into my living room while the grownups prepared to bring Christmas cheer to a family of five that were in dire need of assistance (thank you Kristi and Robin at Mayflower Congregation).

GK, my younger grandchild, got a Nintendo DS, much to her surprise after leaving a secret message to Santa in Ariz.

GK, my younger grandchild, got a Nintendo DS, much to her surprise after leaving a secret message to Santa in Ariz.

My grandson Parrish got Bakugan stuff from Santa

My grandson Parrish got Bakugan stuff from Santa

Although my son in law brought his family to Oklahoma this year as a result of the bad health of one of his brothers, I was glad because I got to see them all. In fact, I got more of them this year than I usually do and I was very thankful and grateful to my daughter and her husband for making those arrangements. They have Christmas Eve with me before going with Rebecca’s mom to midnight mass at the Episcopal Church and then they toddle down to Mom’s house for Christmas morning when I get to see them again.

Mom-A-Tron home for Christmas

Mom-A-Tron home for Christmas

This reminds me of how proud I am of my daughter who has the blogging fever like her father. While their homepage has been on the blogroll at right for some time now, she also has her own blog: Mom-A-Tron and I visit it often because she’s so funny and eco-serious.

HAS IT BEEN SINCE THANKSGIVING?

Mom cooked a holiday dinner for us

Mom cooked a holiday dinner for us

My mother had a quiet Thanksgiving dinner of Cornish hens rather than turkey for a couple of her friends and for me and my sister, Susan, who also lives here in town. I took a full plate of food to a shut-in some of you know as MCARP, who I believe was afflicted with the dreaded fuzzy blanket and i-Phone fever at the time.

My sister Susan came out of hiding to have holiday dinner on Thanksgiving with Mom, Mom's buddies and me.

My sister Susan came out of hiding to have holiday dinner on Thanksgiving with Mom, Mom's buddies and me.

Sister Susan seemed more relaxed and happy than I’ve seen her in a long while and she chatted during the holiday meal with humor and intelligence. I can only guess the meds have kicked in for her just like for her siblings. We made it through the meal and afterwards without firing weapons at anyone, including Mom and her friends. I’m sure Mom was giving thanks for that as well. For myself, I was giving thanks that Obama was elected despite the votes of these former Hillaryistas and the entire red army of votes in every single county in this misbegotten state.

NOTICE

Please adjust your contact lists appropriately: I will no longer receive email at my old msn address; my new email address is [email protected] .

AN INVITATION

Last, but not least, there will be an Inaugural Ballz celebration at my house on Jan. 17, the Saturday before Obama is sworn into office. It’s BYOB since I don’t drink, but there will be food, poker playing and a finale you won’t want to miss — the burning in effigy of the current Worst. President. Ever. Before that, we’re going to throw shoes and shoot BBs at the life-sized image I’ve had ever since Oz scared the hell out of me one April Fool’s Day a couple years back. I may take a shot or two with the BB gun at Oz now that I think of it, but likely not. Think 7:30-ish and you can come and go as you please.

Blogblah

Blogging Buddies

MCARP’s Three Fourty A.M.

Swimming in Love

Swimming in Love

MCARP has a new “infatuation”, a teen crush that he’s all hush-hush about because it’s about him and not the anonymous her. Of course, he also has a dream about drowning that wakes him up. Calling Sigmond, Calling Dr. Freud.

Getting Loopt on Technoerotica

Flibbertigibbit
I follow her on Twitter and I read her blog and I’m one of the boys she’s left behind (I’m L2 in fact), but now we’ve all been left behind by her love for her new 3G phone fueled by raises and bonuses in the oil and gas business.

MindOverMary with LongRydeHome

MindOverMary with LongRydeHome

Longrydehome

KO starts the year very perky and then goes to Eureka Springs, Ark., spontaneously and gets elliptical again talking about the joys of being in a new town where no one knows your name.

MindOverMary

Baby sister does the holidays with panache: one drunk girlfriend falls face first off a barstool at their favorite watering hole and her son in law gets in a barroom brawl over the unwanted advances of an endangered pipsqueak towards his wife, sister and motherinlaw at the same bar. Only Mary could make this sound like a fun time and make me laugh about it.

News that interested me

Tiny Diamonds linked to Mammoth Extinction

This is a New York Times science story about how meteors may have hit North America 13,000 years ago and caused big changes, including the extinction of Mammoths and Sabre Tooth Tigers.

In Iraq, What Comes Next?

This is a Washington Post feature by Oklahoma City’s own Anthony Shadid about Christmas in Baghdad.

Hollywood Trimming its Sails in Economic Windstorm

The Los Angeles Times is freaked out over layoffs at the movie studios and the looming SAG strike.

Cold Front to Push Through Town

This is The Daily Oklahoman’s upcoming weather story.

Happy New Year!

AND NOW A WORD FROM YOUR SPONSORS

Personally, I just wish you'd do as I ask and shut up

Personally, I just wish you'd do as I ask

Tomorrow is the official re-launch of Blogblah!, and after posting nearly every day for three years (since Sept. ’05), there have just been some updates and some tidy-up tasks. I hope all four of my readers like the changes. There will be tags and a better attempt to use photos.

Speaking of photos, you should be able to click on a photo and see it full size without ever leaving the site; click again and come back to the page where you left off. Kool, eh?

You can already see the Archives area changed and that I’ve added my Twitter feed. You can follow me around at Twitter.com, by the way, and I’ll still be named Blogblah.

Sometimes, I’ll even post short items from my new 3G phone while I’m out and about.

I’ll have to say ’08 was a pretty crappy year for me on several levels and I’m looking forward to changes for the better in politics, my own life and in general.

Things will go better if you do as I ask

Things will go better if you do as I ask

I do not LOL and you can keep your cheeseburger. Cedar plank salmon for me, if you please.

You put me close to the ceiling at your own peril. There will be blood.

I’ll blog when I feel like it.

This year seems pretty much like any other to me. Cats will remain in charge and humans will do their bidding.

that is all.