Wallflowers and Wine

2016 is the year of inclusion.  Meaning Roger and I are working to include our selves in more activities, ergo  being a part of the greater community.  We always go to Winter Folk Festival (yeah I know they took folk out of the title… those fools).  We go to the Florence Home and Garden Show… mainly because the station produces it and I do a live remote during the weekend.  We always go to the Classic Car Show n Shine (though not together – because, I am working it) and KCST’s Classic Car Cruise during Rhody.  The Reedsport Chainsaw Carving Championships (a personal fav). 

There are other things we could be doing: The Power of Florence  (a day the community gives back) Roger is usually working up on my mother’s property at that point.  But me, not as much.  So where am I going with this? My friend Susan this kewl wine and painting thing and thought, “Wow, I’d do that!”  So I did.

Last night, Leigh (my best friend next to Roger) and I went to Wallflowers and Wine... I guess the name of the post kind of gave that away.  My friend Jennifer helped put it together for the Friends of the Florence Events Center (yes the same group sponsoring Dancing with Sea Lions.)  Wallflowers and Wine was led by Florence artist John Leasure, a man with a greater sense of humor than I realized. 

Step by step he lead twenty of us (nineteen diverse women - at least two were professional painters - and one man) through the creation of Sunflowers.  Now  while I have a linage that boast a few good artists, I was terrified I’d shame my grandfather, great grandmother and Joshua Reynolds.  Darn, look at me, I name dropped.  But the reality is I am really happy with my creation and not quite the embarrassment I expected.

We began with working the background – enter the first glass of red wine (Cabernet) – then  it was red (paint) from right top corner to just past mid canvas.  Then it was blue blending with the red in the middle and then downward blending into black at the lower left corner.  As we worked he kept telling us this was the hardest part.  Now I beg to differ.  As I painted on the blue, sweeping into the red I was totally loving the way the blue brush stokes were sweeping onto the red.  I loved it.

He kept saying we needed to “muddy” up the middle.  NO NO NO.  I was loving my bush strokes.  And bloppp his brush was in the middle of my canvas mudding my beautiful sweeps of blue… Into yes a truly muddy mess.  Leigh’s brush was deteriorating and leaving hairs on her canvas. Mine was not as bad, but still there is more texture than I thought there would be, but not necessarily the texture I was going for.  All the while he “muddy” into my red, the beautiful blue sweeping brush strokes that were dyyyyying like the Wicked Witch of the North.  

And then the “hard part” was done.

Why he kept insisting it was the hard part was beyond me.  We painted on our flower centers and then our stems.  In hindsight I wish I would have painted my stems and then our centers, but still it was good.

Then the hard part started… the leaves and the petals.  Now I wasn’t happy with my leaves.  He made us create a wide vee off the stem, then cap each with an upside down vee, followed with a line pained through them.  At the bottom of the first vee we were instructed to take our brush and “start wiggling back and forth”, was followed by my jiggling, and hell why not a little piggling our brushes back and forth in a small manner coloring in the bottom side of the leaf. Then again but on the topside of the leaf.  This was interesting and REALLY FUCKING HARD TO DO.  Can I please go back to sweeping strokes on my background?  Please? 

Leaves done… oh no never never... mine are unsatisfactory at best. 

After we finished our leaves we painted the petals, now this was fun, but I didn’t follow instructions… because have you ever known me to do things by the rules?  Not.  Well okay I did half by the instructions and half not. While we were suppose to sweep up towards the stem when I got to the top part of each flower, the rules flew out the window.  Adding more color and highlights to the petals was the really fun part.  Painting this picture was fun, and really hard in some respects, but it was also very rewarding. 

And voila the picture was done…

Nope, I was still trying to fix my leaves.

And do you know how hard it is to sign your name?

 

I can’t wait until the next Wallflowers and Wine.

Sith,

Cele

100 Things About Me... 2016 - With Pictures

100 Things About Me… 2016 – With Pictures

It’s been a few years since I last celebrated the anniversary of my birth with 100 random thoughts…so I went back and realized some things never change….

1) Snakes, it had to be snakes?

2) And while I don’t think I am a reincarnate of Ragnor Lothbrook, who died after being thrown in to a pit of adders… those English. It is true Cleopatra died after being bit by an asp. To which Indiana Jones said, “Asp. Very dangerous, you go first.”

3) I went back and read my last 100 things about me, wow that was five years ago.  But

   many of those 100 random thoughts still hold true.

4) Some have changed, I have a new favorite vacation spot… Bisbee, Arizona. 

5) Roger and I went there a year and a half ago, stayed at the awesome Copper Queen.   

6) Because who doesn’t want to stay in a haunted hotel? During Monsoon Season?  Oh yeah, my sister in law.

7) We’re going back this Halloween, Rocky is going with… I am still working on getting her to stay at the Copper Queen. Cross your fingers.

8) Ducky made me a lemon cake for my birthday… I am eating it… diet and all.

9) Yes, still dieting, because isn’t that what women were made for? 

10) So far so good, hypnosis was worth every penny

11) I may go back for a booster shot / session.

12) I have reconnected with a dear friend, it’s like we’ve never been apart. 

13) Friends like that are the siblings of our hearts. 

14) Don is like that.

15) Cathy is like that. Even without the nachos.

16) Hmmm, I’ve been reading a lot.  Nothing you’ve probably heard of demons and witches and the likes. They’re entertaining

17) TV not so much.

18) Although my favorites remain pretty much the same as they were five years ago.  Big Bang Theory, NCIS, I haven’t watched much Castle in the past two seasons. Eureka has long since been canceled.

19) I do have some new favorites….FACE OFF, I’ve been addicted since season one

20) Naked and Afraid.

21) Except for the snakes… can’t they do an episode in Ireland?

22) Does Alaska have snakes?

22 – revisited) okay really, it all revolves around snakes.  So what I am saying is, screw the snakes I love Naked and Afraid... but really, would one season without snakes hurt?

23) I have changed my thoughts about Lady Gaga.

24) No, I do not own a single one of her albums… But, I still think the same of  Justin Bieber.. what a waste of space

25) Crosby, Stills, Nash and sometimes Young will forever remain my eternal favorite group… forever eternal, I just wanted to drive that home

26) Meghan Trainor’s Title was my Christmas CD from Ducky, very good

27) Yesterday, out of boredom I took an IQ test.

28) The toilet over flowed in the middle of it

29) I got a 119

30) So I found another one online and got at 132

31) I felt much better.  But Mensa will not be knocking on my door anytime soon

32) Last autumn I bought over 100 tulips, at least 90 made it into the ground

33) For two years in a row not all of the tulips, iris, and lilies got planted in time

34) And with that in mind, more and more I am looking forward to retirement

35) That and the days when I won’t be wasting bulbs and good money

36) I already gave my boss my six year’s notice

37) Okay it was really seven when I told him

38) For years I have forgone joining committees

39) Last year I joined Dancing With Sea Lions

40) While it’s been enjoyable, it has reminded me of why I don’t join committees

41) I did gain a new friend out of the process, Jennifer

42) We go out to dinner about once a month

43) On Wednesday night’s Leigh (still my best friend next to Ducky) and I go out for dinner

44) Mom and I do every other Monday night… tonight’s dinner is at Chen’s

45) Double Mushroom Chicken here I come

46) Roger is stuck in the Valley  (ha ha he left me with the cake)

47) The thought that Donald Trump is a serious contender for the Republican nomination scares the SHIT out of me.

48) I wish everyone (including my Mom and Donald Trump) would read the Constitution, and let me be clear in what I mean, “The Constitution of the United States of America”

49) Hey didn’t Lady Gaga rock the Star Spangle Banner at the Superbowl?

50) Note: I didn’t call it the National Anthem because we all know that our National Anthem should really be, America The Beautiful!

50) I bet Gaga has read the Constitution of the United States

51) My Christmas tree, sans ornaments, is still up…

52) It’s not important… but I didn’t put hearts on it for Valentine’s Day

53) Ducky got me three bags of Valentine Cherry Tootsie Roll Pops and a bouquet of Pepperoni Sticks

54) God I finally married a keeper - that man rocks my heart… and other sensitive places

55) Dudes, my taste buds, what gutter minds.. but yeah he rocks that too!

56) My favorite song is still 100 Years by Five For Fighting, 

57) Something new for me, I now have two live airshifts a day

58) With Harley Youngblood from 7 to 10am on KCFM 104.1am

59) And still mid days from 10am to 2pm on KCST 106.9fm

60) Nope, never tired of playing music

61) Dr Seuss is my favorite quote, one by which I try live, Why try to fit in when you were made to stand out.

62) Dude, words to live and die by 

63) I miss my father everyday, and talk with him often

64) When every I find a penny I think of my Grandfather

65) When I find a dime I think of Ducky

66) He has a hole in the right hand front pocket of his “weekend warriors” (a pair of 501 Levi’s that should have been retired two years ago).

67) Books I’ve read in the past year, Beautiful Creatures (the whole series, plus), The Iron Druid Series, The Wing Slayer Series (oh she’s wicked), The Girl In The Box and Out of the Box Series 

68) Movies I’ve seen… Mad Max which left me wondering how a man riding at the front of a warship across the expanse of the great Simpson Desert not get dirty?  Just asking.

69) Spy with Melissa McCarthy totally funny

69) The Intern, gotta love Robert DeNiro

70) and the Revenant, it changed my mind about Leonardo DiCaprio

71) Hmmm, I know there were more, but just four alone is an improvement for us

72) We go out to breakfast every other Sunday morning,.

73)  I won a bet… well okay I picked the most winners in the family college football bowl pool

74) two years in a row

75) I lost this year, by three games, but I still get breakfast out

76) That includes two slices of extra crispy bacon
77)  Since we last went over the 100 random I have put in a new bathroom floor

78) added tile to the new vanity surround

79) refused to tile the new kitchen, because once was enough… but now I know about

Schluter (I may not be able to spell it, but it gives you nice edges)

80) So I may finish my shower surround… two years later..make that three

81) I am a work-a-holic.

82) I don’t like being one, it’s just a fact of my existence

83) It started when I was 13 and began volunteering at an area nursing home

84) It’s not stopped, but it tears me apart

85) I resent people who have that “I’m Adequate” disposition, especially when they’re not.

86) Who aspires to be adequate? I aspire to be the best I can be

87) To give all that I can

88) Fun Fact:  I try to do at least one good deed a day.. especially on weekends

89) It freaks people out at first, I’m not trying to freak them out

90) I guess that’s a side benefit, but the side benefit I want is for them to pay it forward

91) I want people to be better than they are

92) Which reminds me of want in one hand

93) Yes, I believe in homey adages

94) My matra is, Everyday in Every way my life is getting better and better.  I should write that in a flowery inspirational font... maybe....

Everyday in Every way my life is getting better and better

   (It would have been better but Blogger doesn't offer inspirational fonts.)

95)  Well that’s just part of it, the rest is about losing 2 to 3 pounds a week.

96) Which I’m not, but I am happy with the pounds I am dropping.

97) I am a reverent follower of Fact Check  http://www.factcheck.org/2015/12/the-king-of-whoppers-donald-trump/

98) And I love that they called Donald Trump the King of Whoppers (personally I thought he should have been called the "Liar King")

99) It took me all day to write this, usually it’s taken just a few minutes.

100) I’m not sure what that means.

101) But I will throw in an extra… Here’s to a great 60^th year, I think it's going to be awesome, and that is to what I am aspiring in 2016. Thank you for joining me.

Sith,

Cele

Well, Hello Again

So… it’s been a while, but my friend – Kathy – kind of inspired me to get back into writing.  It’s not like I quit writing, I just stopped blogging.  Why exactly,  I don’t know, maybe I ran out of things to say?  It happens right?  Ideas come in and drift out of thought on a constant basis, but the drive to commit them to permanence hasn’t been front and center.  When I quit blogging, I quit all together. Quit reading my friends’ blogs.  The blogs of those I greatly admire, you know those smart and funny writers of whom I wanted to grow up to emulate.

Writing, on a daily basis, has consisted of segmented word runs limited to 7, 30, 45 and 60 seconds in length – liners, commercial copy and news stories. Yep, that boring.  But I want to try again and if nobody notices, so be it.  The effort must be made and hopefully it will be done with humor, good punctuation and some consistency.  If I work hard enough at it I will actually get the first 100 things about me (since 2011) written.  I’ve just not been that interesting… this despite vacations to Seattle, Arizona, and Las Vegas. Life with a wonderful husband, charming grandson, three beautiful daughters, and my retaliatory pisser of a Bassett, Arlo.  I’ve have acquired four tattoos since my last post, but I guess it wasn’t important to document and share outside of Facebook.  To be blunt, I’ve been boring and apparently uninspired.

So here I jump in, and maybe not on the most positive note…

My favorite event of the year happened this weekend, Winter Music Festival.  Once known as the Winter Folk Music Festival, the new powers that be felt the word Folk limited the range and therefore limited the interest in the festival’s offerings itself.  Last night co-headlining the concert was 1970’s, one-hit-wonder Jonathan Edwards of, Sunshine Go Away Today, fame. Which is an appropriate song, if he could have sung it… but he couldn’t…. very well.  In fact his entire show sucked.  Now this comes from a person who use to sing, cannot sing anymore and recognizes that fact.  Since the release of his sole hit song in 1971 he’s produced eighteen albums with cuts I’ve never heard before.  HE SUCKED. 

Past Winter Folk Music Festivals have featured the likes of the Brothers Four (disclaimer – My Favs – I’ve seen them all four times they’ve preformed at the festival), Barry McGuire (twice and he rocked both times), The New Christie Minstrels (which aren’t new at all but still rocked), John York, Chad and Jeremy (these two were hysterical), We Five (not too damn bad).  And more that are un-remember at the moment.  Each time the house was packed.  Now the Florence Events Center can only seat 457, with the orchestral pit turned into seating (as it was last night)m, with that said, easily the back two rows (if not most of three rows) were empty, not all of the orchestra seats were filled, and there were open areas where sponsor seats weren’t filled.   In years past the house was rocking, people were singing loudly, stomping their feet, tapping their toes with every seat full.  Last night, people sang one song – well okay the refrain.  He was less interesting than my life… and that says a lot.

You did note it was a co-headlining concert?  The Shook Twins were the second bill.  Now I know none of their music... except their song Windows, which I used for their commercial.  We didn’t get to see their half of the concert.  Why you ask?  I got called away on an emergency. The picture is just the beginning as to why.  

Earlier in the evening the power blinked - really hard, causing a small outage of both lights and power to my cable box, causing Roger to wonder what happened to his game when he walked back in the living room.

Apparently the idiot behind the wheel of a vehicle, lost control of said north-bound vehicle at the intersection of 16^th and Highway 101.  I don’t know the circumstances, driver’s name, or vehicle type (and it’s not shown in the photo), but the damage I know.  The power pole was sheered off and rammed into the southeast corner of Maryanne’s Natural Pets (now before you thinking pets might have been injured in the making of this blog, it’s a pet supply store and not a buy a pet type store.)  This caused Central Lincoln PUD to call out crews.  Who needed to shut power down causing an outage from 13^th to 23^rd streets in Florence.  How does this effect Roger and I you may ask?  This require emergency messages to air from 8:10 in the evening until 1am, ergo I had to go produce and schedule emergency notifications for our listeners on both KCST and KCFM.  

So we were rescued (albeit for only the remaining ten minutes of the “concert”), by my boss who needed me to go to work.  While we were rescued from any more of Jonathan Edwards, it did mean we missed the Shook Twins.  This was the group I wanted to see, an up and coming, rising star in the Folk music world. 

Drats!  I hope you enjoy.

Now we are off to see the Revanant, please no emergency text for the next few hours.

Sith,

Cele

If Tomorrow Never Comes…

I’ve always had an affinity for those words by Garth Brooks…

If tomorrow never comes, will she show how much I loved her
Did I try in every way to show her every day                 
That’s she’s my only one
And If my time on earth were through
And she must face this world without me
Is the love I gave her in the past
Gonna be enough to last
If tomorrow never comes

This morning as I opened the door to leave for work the doorbell rang. My neighbor Gary stood their looking lost and gray and the words he spoke didn’t make any sense to me.

“Hey, Calista I hate to do this, but I didn’t want you to find out somewhere else, I, Renee’s gone.”

I was fairly confused, certain I wasn’t making sense of the words he spoke. So I so eloquently said,

“What, no way, Oh mi God. What happened?”  At this point I’m certain I didn’t hear the name right, but this was Gary and he suddenly was not okay, was not holding it together and could make less sense of life that this moment than I.

Yesterday morning Gary had gotten up before 6 and Renee usually followed not long after.  When she didn’t come out of the bedroom, Gary told the dogs, “Let’s go wake up, Mom.”

But, mom never woke up. 

My dear Renee, you will be so missed, the lives you have touched with your laughter and friendship will feel forever the hole of your loss. My tears fall in sorrow and loss - my prayers and thoughts fly with your soul. Thank you for having touched mine, Roger's, and Ben's lives. Be Peace my dear friend, be peace.

I am bereft, she was a lovely person who I never knew well enough, who a always enjoyed, who always was laughing, joyous, and giving.  She was a great neighbor, she was a lovely friend.

Cause I've lost loved ones in my life 

Who never knew how much I loved them
Now I live with the regret
That my true feelings for them were never revealed

I never what that regret to be mine, and yet, Renee is gone and I didn't take the opportunities that life allotted me with this person who offered so much of herself. Renee’s is only the most recent passing in this summer of loss.  In August my Aunt Mabel died of a multitude of illnesses that include – renal failure, kidney disease, and dementia.  Her passing was expected, a blessing, and I had long ago let her know what she meant to me and my life and how she had touched me and made me a better person.

Earlier this summer Marti Martin died.  It wasn’t unforeseen, she’d been battling an extremely nasty form of cancer, Marti had been one of those neighbors that you want to keep forever.  She and her husband, Sweetwater, were active in the tribe, and had held drumming in their backyard after powwows (I would listen to the drumming and singing while gardening a few yards down – it was so peaceful.  Marti died with dignity on August 14^th finally crossed over to her husband Sweetwater, and leaving her 13 year old son behind. 

A week to the day my Aunt Freda passed.  She was almost 90 and until a year ago a very active woman. She led a very active life, survived the loss of her husband, a daughter and her son – and still lived a life of joy.  Then she broke her hip… and suffered a heart attack.  She was an inspiration.

  A week (seriously you can’t make this stuff up) my cousin Janice died.  Now truth be known, Janice is one of my older cousins, lived in Ohio and I’d not seen her in 40 years.  But still… they are dropping like flies.

Doubt that?  Natalie’s mother died the same day.  Then I’m driving to work and I see on the local Napa Store that Ernie Land’s memorial will be held at the Abby’s Pizza Parlour on September 15^th.  I’d not seen Ernie in several months, despite working on the same street – isn’t that a sad comment?  Ernie had passed back in JUNE – where the hell have I been?

Then Ginger Taylor passed.  This is a woman I knew through out my childhood, she and her kids Valerie (whom I still play words with friend with) and Michael (my childhood husband) threw me a sixteenth birthday party.  Ginger was the neighbor who was beautiful, talented artist, a fabulous green thumb and hid her secrets in a closet.  I wanted to grow up to be just like Ginger Taylor.  She died two weeks ago.

I have lived my adult life knowing that tomorrow is not a given.  I have lived my adult life preaching to everyone to not let a moment go by when you can let someone know what they have meant to them, to their life, that they have had a hand in helping them become the person they are today.

So I made a promise to myself

To say each day how much she means to me
And avoid that circumstand
Where there’s no second chance to tell her how I feel.  Garth Brooks / Kent Blazy

In the words of John Edward – take the time to communicate – appreciate – and validate the people you love in your life. And please don’t wait – because tomorrow isn’t a given.

Sith,

Cele

Talk Thursday: Me, Myself and I er… I mean Introduce myself – Ego, Id – Super Ego

Ego - the “I” or self of any person; a person as thinking, feeling, and willing,

Who am I? Darn good question and when someone figures it out, please let me know.  Who am I?  Really, I’m not sure.  I was taught to step up, answer the call, I guess in some respects I am the default or reluctant leader.  I don’t want to be the leader, but yeah, it seems to be where I land.  Responsibilities are taken, because someone has to and I’m the idiot who is ever trying to fill the breach. Sadly it often finds me treading water searching for a sandy foothold and taken all the blame. 

Why do I do that? At heart I am lazy, lust for rainy days next to a warm fire with a book in my hands… usually if I have a book in my hands it means I picked it up to dust… or move it to another place.  But choosing to do something because it needs to be done isn’t the mark of a lazy person.  So now I’m an enigma. Family members are not shocked.

Id - primitive instincts and energies underlying all psychic activity

Sadly oftimes I react and then think.  Which sometimes works well at work. And then I get over loaded by all the things I take on and I become something else.  I become resentful at the lack of understanding, I become resentful at the lack of help.  I regret not being smarter.

And let me just say this, being a pacifist I will state boldly, “Do not fuck with my family and my friends.”  Did I mention I’m fairly non violent, but cuss well.

Super-ego -  that part of the unconscious mind that acts as a conscience

Conflict is not my forte. That is not to say I don’t enjoy a good hearted, healthy debate, but I am a peaceful person. I do not like mal intent, mean heartedness, and ire. If I see the writing on the wall, I will not beat my head against said wall, but instead shut my mouth.  And for that I was recently asked why I choose to be a victim?  I don’t choose to be a victim but I recognize when arguing is futile, when saying what I think, feel, and believe will only lead to more strife with no conclusion – no compromise – no resolve.  I am not stupid.

I am a peacemaker. I am forever on the side of the underdog, unless they are really annoying or hateful. I am patient, I am love, I am true, I am evolving, I try to always be as honest as I can be.  Ergo, let me get this out of the way.  I once wore a size eight (I was almost passing out skinny) now I am just fat.

Super-ego -  that part of the unconscious mind that acts as a conscience

My lines are blurred or Freud had no clue. I do not have a father fixation (he was my hero, but had clay feet) none of my husbands are/were like my dad.  We Ducky is hardworking, salt of the earth – the resemblance stops there. I adore my mother – despite her being real life clueless (and a republican). I am responsible for my own actions, decisions, and intents.  So nee neer nee neener Mr. Freud.  My lines are blurred.  And I am still figuring out what I am going to be when I grow up.

Sith,

Cele

Talk Thursday: Jealousy (subtitled: I Do Not)

This is an emotion or lack of character I don’t get.  What I have I worked hard for, what you have you wanted and worked for yourself, but wanting what someone else has is just a lacking inside.

Double Ex and I split on good grounds. And then he got married. No, problem I did too.  Double Ex walked out on me, walked out on Psam, and walked out on our life.  Which apparently is what he wanted at one time and then didn’t.  Okay, I get that. We remained friends until his wife felt threatened. And then he did something so thoughtlessly cruel. That I can’t take. That I can’t forgive.  Fuck me over, make me a fool but don’t fuck over my kid, literally hand her what she wants and then take it away forever.  That is unforgivable on this plane of existence.

Let me reiterate, I am not jealous. I do not want what is not mine. I do not aspire, dream, or scheme for a life and it’s trappings that are not mine. I do not want to be in the spotlight – and yes I see the irony in that, but also know that people who know my name have no clue who I am.  Sincerely.  The guy who runs the casino in my town will call the station and ask me how I know so much trivia (I do a trivia section during Harley’s show that is somewhat popular) but this same guy will totally ignore or even look through me when we run into each other in a public place. He knows my name, he might even know my voice, but he doesn’t have a clue what I look like.  It works very well for me.  I’ve had my stalker in life, thank you very much, one stalker is enough for several life times.

More than once I have walked into a business to be hailed by my name (hey, I’ve lived here for the better part of 40 years – I have friends) and have someone pop their head up from behind a sales rack and say “Flockhart?”  Who does that?  Since the first time I have replied, “Really?  Do I look like I need to eat a sandwich.”  Hey she’s that skinny, and my butt is that big.  I am not jealous, she’s married to Harrison Ford (who is a hottie in my book) they are married right? I’m married to Ducky Stand On The Grass and he rocks my world. Alls good.  She can’t walk out of her house without being followed by paparazzi, I can go unfettered anywhere I darn well want.  That is freedom.

Hey, she might even be jealous of our freedom and anonymity. If you were her, wouldn’t you be?

Okay, she does have a bikini body, and drats! I miss my bikini body.

Sith,

Cele

Talk Thursday: Sobriety

Too much alcohol and I stick my head in the freezer.  Yes, I know why.  Does it make sense to anyone else?  Probably not, but still twenty plus years later I remember why.  I get happy, I get loud, I laugh, and then I puke for the next three days.  Alcohol and Cele do not mix well.  Ergo, I’ve been truly drunk a whole three times in my life… and that is precisely two hangovers too many. I’m not sure if it is because three is my magic number on the learning curve or because my ex-husband thought he’d be so helpful with my hangover (yes, the night after I kept sticking my head in the freezer… yes, at a party where his ENTIRE store was celebrating a house warming [warm being a very operative word])… Double X decided he’d go get me a chocolate milk shake. 

Mean son of a bitch.  It sounded so soothing, it wasn’t.  I’m such a gullible green horn.

 
I’ve not been drunk since.  The addictive gene runs in my family. My father’s dad was a nasty, nasty drunk, legend has it he once beat a mule to death. Several of my dad’s siblings were alcoholic – my father refused to go there, I pretty much followed his suite.  My mother’s mom as addicted not once, but twice to codeine, and what began with an ounce of brandy a night in between her bouts of codeine addiction became a problem in of itself. The addiction gene runs deep in my family.

To illustrate better my not too tall fascination with alcohol -  I have had two buckets of margaritas (I do like margaritas) in my freezer.  In, what? The last fifteen years.  I bought the last one three years ago, I’ve yet to have one margarita out of it.  Need more.  I bought a FABULOUS case of Cranberry Wine from Old Coyote Winery. Awesome, expensive (for me) amazing stuff – I gave most of it away… as gifts. I think I have two bottles left… three years later.

And Kalhua Cali? Well it is my annual Christmas gift that I make.  I use it for cough syrup.  Hey, it’s really good.

Sith,

Cele