November 29, 2006

Serenity Now







Inspired by Leslie's pictures, here are some I took of Lake Ballard in my parents' neighborhood. It is now part of a nature preserve called Hoffler's Creek. But it used to just be a lake in the woods where we would go and smoke and make out in high school.

Oh, and I used to throw things in the lake that belonged to my ex when he would piss me off.....um, guess I didn't really grasp the concept of "littering." But, hey, I apologized and we made nice. Me and the lake I mean...not me and the ex. Anywhoo, it doesn't seem to have hurt the lake any.

Ok, G, time to follow through on your threat of the 100 foot Ferris Wheel....I only hope your pictures come out better than mines did. Better lay on the ground.

The Ladybug Graveyard and other maladies.




I’m THANKFUL December starts Friday. Not that November wasn’t a fabulous month, it really was - just a few too many events and goings on to ever get a full handle on what just really went down in 30 short days. And the fact that visits from the family leave me feeling a little like Ramona Quimby, for weeks after they are over. Ramona P, An 11 year old version of me, rendered voiceless and enslaved to divorcee conversations, gun control matters, and all things “murriage related”.

MURRIAGE: definition; mountain mispronunciation for marriage, except with a lot less romance and a lot more teen pregnancy. Dates involve speeding around Wal-mart in vehicles which featured either enhanced or (oft-times) non existent mufflers.

I’ll begin with the ladybugs that have plagued the city of Covington since the summer. And when I say plagued, I mean with a swarm of Ladybugs of biblical proportions. Apologies were posted at local restaurants, hotels, and stores. “We apologize for the seasonal visitors, please be aware we are doing everything in our power to remove them.” Relatives fighting them anyway they could. Vacuums, shoe bottoms, brooms, and ladybug traps..you name it. I became a ladybug vigilante at night...leaving one light on in the corner of the room at night to draw them in and then sucking them up in the dirt devil by morning (you shouldn't them squish because they stink).

At some point, we made friends. I’d came to see them as fashion accessories and baby cat seen them as protein supplements. We adapt as did the other animals.

My uncle (an authority on all things UVA, Redskin and deer related) states “As the parks service would have it, they brought in the ladybugs to kill aphids that were killing certain indigenous trees and local farming crops. Well they did. Except they made more ladybugs and have upset Covington’s ecosystem. There are swarms of ladybugs everywhere. To make that matter worse Coyotes were brought in to reduce carrion (dead animal carcasses), they are doing that but relieving people of their small domestic dogs and cats as well. “Here Kitty, Kitty” is met with silence in several mountainous homes. And the worst...the worst of that is that there are mountain lions running across the roads along route 220 to Roanoke.”

I wouldn’t have believed it either until my mom’s friend nearly ran over one (mountain lion) in the middle of the interstate.

God help Tidewater if the the Parks Services figures out Norfolk. I’m waiting for an ostrich to pass me in the HOV lane.

My brother was here for a week in which we: seen Borat, walked on the huge ship parked on Waterside drive, ate at Chilli’s (which should be named LESLIE’S as it is Meca), went to beach, an Imogen Heap concert, and concluded the week with a Granby Street trip. Imogen was pretty awesome, although I spent a majority of the time giggling at someone near me who kept saying “HOW MOVING, IMMIE!” To which I responded, “Yeah it’s like watching a live birth”. Borat was funny, but then I pictured Christian Finnegan from Best Week Ever, saying “Leslie, what do YOUR movies say about you?”

Happy Feet Anyone!?

Towanda!!!!!!!

November 25, 2006

If you don't have anything nice to say, come sit next to me

Ok, not sure what's going on, but I have missed a lot of posts. Moon Paparazzi, New Kicks, Home Trip, Our Electronic.....Lamentations (love the ellipses!)..... I check it often, so I don't know how I missed them. I think the time has expired for comments, so I won't, but I wish I hadn't missed them.

Eh....That is all. Everything I was going to post was mean or negative, so I will keep it to myself, and maybe vent offline.

I'll give you a hint as to the topics of my ire:

Four-way stops (not the hardest traffic sign out there, but man, people just don't get it!)

The Mike and Bob Show ( I can barely type it without vomiting a little in my mouth)

November 7, 2006

Moon Paparazzi


It was a full moon last night and I tried my best to get a decent picture of it, but this was about the best I could do. If you COULD see it, it was pretty awesome. I'm hoping it was a sign of impending social change, but in actuality full moons (for me) usually end up meaning someone I know is preggers.

November 6, 2006

Just a reminder...



Tomorrow is election day, it's super important. So go and do it. It's hard to listen to the complainers, when they are usually the ones that didn't vote. It only takes 30 minutes or so. You get stickers, coffee, and usually get to meet some pretty opinionated people that might impact your day. Plus, hello late for work!! Wooohhooo!

November 1, 2006

New Kicks

I've been on a quest for the last few months for some new sneakies. But more often than not, the ones I'd encountered in stores were too busy. I just wanted some brown sneakers. No obnoxious logos, not meant for any other purpose than to walk and maybe stand around at concerts. So I dug back into my younger years, and remembered my favorite sneakers of all time, Simples. I had a pair of the OS Simples in Sand in high school, and my friend Kristy had them in Blue. And since we wore the same size, we'd frequently trade one shoe and be the bees knees for the rest of the day.

They're just trusty, comfy sneaks, and I'm so glad to have some again.