Too cute not to post

Y'all may have seen this before but it is new to me:

Random Kitten Generator
and to be fair,
Random Doggie Generator

How adorable is that?

Dueling Banjos and Squealing Pigs

As evidenced by my last post, yesterday we went to the Aquarium of the Americas. Had a great time...but...

While waiting for the ferry to take us back to the West Bank, an adorable little girl approached me and showed me her new toy from the Aquarium, a stuffed otter. She was probably six years old. She showed me how she can make it move, and told me, "It doesn't like black people. It really, really likes white people." Thinking I must have heard wrong, I murmured "oh." and gave a weak smile (her mother was sitting about 3 feet away from me and her father was sitting about 3 feet in the opposite direction. She then proceeds to tell me "I don't like black people but I really like white people." Flabbergasted, I looked around, and again murmured, "oh." without the smile.

For about 20 minutes, this kid stuck to me like white on rice, talking and talking and talking. J was outside smoking, so he was completely oblivious to what was going on. Molly was fascinated with the kid and her otter, and I couldn't just get up and leave the kid mid-sentence while she was showing me all the tricks her otter could do. By this point I'm waiting for the Deliverance theme to start playing in the background....She mentioned randomly twice more that she didn't like black people and really liked white people.

I feel like I should have said something, but I don't know what I would have said..."Hey kid, I don't know how to say this but your parents are trucker-hat-wearing, I-married-my-neice and never-gratuated-the-third-grade racist idiots."? Maybe a quietly murmured "I like black people."? (I don't think shouting that statement may would have been the way to go either - awkward). I'm pretty sure strangling her parents was not an option.

I don't know how it is in the rest of the world, but race relations in New Orleans can sometimes be touchy, especially after Hurricane Katrina (on all sides). I just can't believe, or maybe I'm just naive and don't want to believe, that those kinds of prejudices are still around and being passed on. These people were young. I know racism is alive and well in some of the older folks (that does not make it right), but I've never met a child racist before, and it bothered/bothers me - she's too little to know better, and by the time she is it's going to take a lot of time and effort to negate those hateful opinions.

What should I have done? What would you have done?

Show Me Yours, Part II

So, we decided to go to the Aquarium today:

View of St. Louis Cathedral from the ferry.

Me and Molly-moo.

Bridget and Molly.

BB and Molly checking out the fish.

Riverboat Natchez.

BB and Molly.

Check it out - he's cleaning the tank with a Shamwow!!!

Show Me Yours Saturday

I posted this on my other blog, but I thought it was appropriate for this one as well.

I heart Book Gossip has started a new meme: Show Me Yours Saturday.
Here's how it works:

Each weekend try to post a Show Me Yours. It can include a favorite food to something about you. Show me the deets and I will show you mine. Key word is show: So show us some snazzy pictures not just words.

I think most of you know by now I live in New Orleans. Since today also happens to be the 4th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, I decided to post a few quick pics of the city I love:




This is my view of the city every morning on my drive in to work. This was a hard picture to get! I drive a stick shift and took this picture in bridge traffic on my way to work - let me tell you that took a bit of coordination! I work in one of the high-rises (I won't tell which one!)









Here's a St. Charles Avenue streetcar. It is the oldest continuously operating streetcar system in the world. The first Mardi Gras parade is held on the St. Charles Avenue streetcar every year on 12th night (January 6).












This is not a very clear picture, I couldn't get close enough to do it justice. It's our first Borders bookstore! The building used to be a funeral home (should be fun at Halloween)... I think that's pretty cool.











This is the ferry that goes from Algiers (where I live) to Canal Street (downtown New Orleans). I have many happy memories of riding this ferry with friends, headed out to the French Quarter. I love that I can just catch the ferry and I'm right there in the heart of the city!
photo credit







This is the Catholic church in my old neighborhood. I was married here and my kids did their baptisms and first communions here. I love this church with it's high ceilings and beautiful stained glass windows. Modern churches give me the creeps.


I know I could have done a lot more touristy pics, but decided to show what I like about the city. Hope you don't mind.... and enjoy the pics!

Readin', Writin', Arithmetic.

Here's the kiddies on their first (sort of) day of school:

Don't they look excited?

(note BB is wearing a skirt/shirt this year instead of a jumper!)

(also note Molly is NOT in Pre-K 3 this year because she's still in diapers - grrr!!!)

So bad but so good...

How is it possible to make blood that sexy?!

Savage World

I never thought we'd be one of those families.

It hurts.

Hi Mommy, here's your ass.

Yes, my two-year-old has handed me my ass. I'm so frustrated! Remember when I bought my last box of diapers? Yeah, not so much. Just bought another box this weekend, damnit! She'll be three next month - grrrr!!! You'd think by my third kid I'd have this in hand. Apparently not.

But, to make everything all better, my friend Hilda over at The Dip Files left me an awesome gift - check it out:

And now it's Present time!!!

Because I'm a good little devil, today I've got a present for my friend Patti @ Sleepless in New Orleans. However, feel free to 'take' this present for yourself in any way you want ;) Ladies, please do not faint. I put in a lot of self control to be able to post this without fainting myself.

http://i32.tinypic.com/2i0ewic.jpg

You won't regret it. hehe I saved it on my laptop and it plays slower so I can appreciate everything better :)

Patti, I hope you enjoyed it! As weird as it sounds, I thought of you when I saw this. Not in a nasty way, but in a 'oh! I have to show her!' kind of way. But please remember that Eric AND his real self Alex is mine. *pulls fangs out*

After I picked myself up off the floor and cleaned up the drool, I knew I had to give Hilda a shout-out:
Thanks Hilda - You Rock!!!!

Slow Down!!!

If you like motorcycles and you're a cop groupie....click here. I think I like this guy - he's tellin' it like it is...and making me laugh.

Dairy Queen

They just opened a gas station near my house. To advertise that they're now open (it's been closed since Hurricane Katrina) they put a giant cow at the corner. It's huge - you can't miss it. My two-year-old is fascinated by it and my eight-year-old is grossed out because they were very realistic with the veins on the udders. I don't get what a giant cow has to do with the opening of a gas station, but whatev.

Looking at that giant cow, then having dinner last night with some friends visiting from Uganda, made me think about my trip there in 2005. One of the places we went was to this rock formation that had old "cave drawings" all over it. Here's a picture of one of the drawings:

And here's a picture of me signing the guest book:

These rocks were out in the middle of nowhere, and yes, they had a little old man who stayed there every day with a guest book (there were drawings on the ceiling above where I was sitting).

Now, these drawings were on a huge pile of rocks (we had to climb to see them) surrounded by nothing. No village, the road to get there was a dirt road that took us hours to get there. BUT, there were some cows grazing nearby. I've never seen a real cow up close before. I wanted to touch it:

See, in this photo I'm a good 5 feet away from that cow. But here's how it went down in my head at the time:

Oh crap, this cow is HUGE!!! I hope it doesn't decide to trample me or bite me or whatever else it is that cows can do...I'm less than 6 inches away from this cow!!! I want to pet it (my arm goes out a a few inches towards the cow and I yank it back) nope, not gonna happen. I can see the headlines now: "American tourist mauled by cow while vacationing in Uganda". They don't have real medicine here! They'd stitch me up without anything for pain! How are they going to get my body home? Bad idea, bad, bad idea! Walk away NOW.

Meanwhile, the cow just stands there, unmoving, through the whole 2-minute episode.

*See that little building in the background - it's a Ugandan Rest Stop (okay, I made that up, but it seemed that way to me). Three walls, no door - just a hole in the ground.... Maybe next time I'll tell you the story about the guard with the bow and arrow....

Thank you Hilda

My friend Hilda over at The Dip Files is getting props from me today...Here's why:

Ladies - for your viewing pleasure - Eric the vampire (aka Alexander Skarsgard)....Oh, right, Sookie's there too (Anna Paquin), hmmm...I hadn't noticed.

Men - don't be hatin', I can see a bit of Sookie's boobie so there's something for you there too!

This post is not about tropical storms, hurricanes, or evacuation.

Yes, yes, I know there are a couple of areas of low pressure and maybe a tropical storm or two, but I'm not going there. You know the best way to handle it when it's that far out and there's nothing you can do for at least a week? Talk about something else. Anything else. It's way to early to be panicking. You people who do that are like the people who find out someone is pregnant and tell them every pregnancy horror story you ever heard. I hate you.

Hmmm... I can't think of a segue, so I'm just gonna dive right in: BB doesn't start school until tomorrow, but Ian started last week, so today was my day to take off and hang out. My original plan was to drop off Ian and Molly and come home and go back to bed. I stayed up late last night reading because I figured, what the hell, right? What actually happened was this:

Up at 6:30, get the kids ready and take Ian to Mom/Dad for ride to school. Take Molly to babysitter. Come home and wash new school uniforms so they're not all crinkly. Vacuum, sweep, and dust. Finish the 2nd book in a trilogy I'm reading. Paint toenails "ho red", color hair and give myself mini-facial. Get a break tag, take BB for her back-to-school haircut (it's cute!), go to Target and buy bookshelves. Go to library and get BB a library card; we both checked out some books. Come home and set up bookshelves, move around furniture to make room for bookshelves. Help BB get her school supplies together for tomorrow.

I love days like today!!!

Best. Trueblood. Episode. Ever.

Someone needs to get me the screencaps.

NOW!!!!

That is all.

Who, me?

Wow - I am the recipient of two blog awards! *blushes* Thanks ladies!

Stalker over at Taunt has given me the Honest Scrap award (check our her 10 things list - it is hilarious!):

and Cecile over at All I Want and More has bestowed upon me the Kreativ Blogger award:

Now, these awards come with strings attached: Honest Scrap must be paid forward and wants 10 intersting things about me. Kreativ Blogger wants seven favorite things and pay forward to seven blogs. I'm going to cheat and combine the two, 'cause that's the way I roll!!

10 things about me:

1. I have been to the equator.

2. I married my high-school sweetheart (we just had our 17th anniversary!)

3. My favorite candy is Cadbury Eggs.

4. My favorite color is blue - I collect blue glass. (does that count as two? No? Shucks!)

5. I love driving a stick shift. Driving an automatic is just not as much fun!

6. I was once fired from a job for not having sex with my boss.

7. I don't drink milk. Ever.

8. Tulips are my favorite flower.

9. When I made my First Confession, I was so nervous they had to bump me up in the line so I wouldn't pee in my pants!

10. I have marched in Mardi Gras Parades.

That's all I got - like it or lump it....AND, I am passing the awards as follows:

Honest Scrap goes to: Hilda at The Dip Files

Kreativ Blogger goes to:

Stalker at Taunt (hello - she did redesign my book blog - that's pretty darn creative!!)

Michelle at Michelle's Book Blog

Julie at Outlandish Dreaming

Pearl at Pearl's World of Books

Vamp Fan Girl at Lovin' Me Some Romance

Mandi at Smexy Books

K. C. at Smokinhotbooks

Now, I know this is a repeat award for many of you, but I'm here late in the game so let me give my props!!!

I'll bring home the bacon but you don't want me to fry it up in the pan..trust me on this.

They say opposites attract, and in my experience, I would have to agree. I usually describe my husband's and my personality like this: If life is a play, J is on the stage, and I am in the audience. He loves attention and performing, I prefer to blend in and observe.

I was observing today - people watching, if you will, and I thought to myself, "I like being a woman." I know, I know, good thing I do - haha. But seriously, I do like being a woman. I like wearing skirts and dresses, and being feminine. Being ladylike if I want to, or having the option to be hard-ass if that's my preference. My favorite color is navy blue, and I like supernatural books, but I also love the color pink and reading romance novels. Sometimes I cry, and that's okay. I like getting my hair and make-up done and watching chick flicks.

I feel like if I were a man, I'd have to be "on" all the time - you know, tough exterior, manly, loves sports. Something about all that testosterone is just ugh. I'm having a hard time explaining it; I was watching all these people walking by today (male and female) and... I just felt happy to be a woman.

I know there are so many places on this earth where it is definitely NOT a good thing to be a woman, and I am thankful to live in a country where being a woman is not a handicap to happiness.

VAMPIRE LOVE

Do What I Mean, Not What I Say

Last week I wrote that I'm not buying any more diapers. I still stand by it. Yesterday we went out and bought Hello Kitty and Dora "big girl panties" (BGP). Molly is very excited and wants to wear them immediately. I explain that she cannot go potty in her BGP and she must tell me so she can go on the potty. Key words in this story: "on the potty".

So, I'm cleaning the bathrooms and she is helping me. We are in the bathroom and she is standing on her potty cleaning the sink (I'm not forcing my 2-year-old into slave labor, she loves to clean, really). I'm suddenly thinking, "whew, this bathroom must have seen a lot of action this week (I clean it every Saturday) because it really smells." Then I realize Molly pee'd in her BGP. Standing on top of her potty.

So yes, she went - in the bathroom, on her potty. Not IN her potty, ON her potty. Note to self: Be more specific when potty training.

This is why I keep him....Update

Today and tomorrow are tax-free days here in Louisiana so parents can buy school supplies. I mentioned this to J, who said, "Hey, if we go to Target and spend $100, that's $10 saved - we could use it to buy lube." "That's not a school supply", I reply. "Sure it is - I'm gonna school you in the art of luuuvvvv."

See - that's why I keep him!!!

Ha - Apparently we should have gone to Wal-Mart!

UnforGIFTable

You know how everyone has personality "quirks", things that you either don't know about yourself, or, if you do, you don't think that other people notice?

Well, I had a double-whammy revelation this week...

Let me start by saying that I like to give gifts. I can't do my Christmas shopping early because I'd end up giving the gifts before Christmas and have to start over again!

With that in mind, here's my story: SIL sent me an e-mail a few weeks ago telling me to expect a gift in the mail. She sounded very excited. Did I reply with a thank you? No. I chastised her for sending me a gift when I was not in a position to reciprocate. I immediately realized what I had done and apologized and thanked her ('cause I know she only sends cool gifts!*)

Then, yesterday, J told me I don't accept gifts well. And I know he is right. It is very difficult for me to accept a gift and give nothing in return. I feel very guilty about it. Which is weird, because I have no problem giving gifts. I like giving goofy, silly gifts for no reason. For example, I gave my SILs Twilight Sweethearts. No biggie, less than $2, just something small that says "I knew you would like this and I wanted to make you smile." But, would I be able to accept that graciously from someone else and take it for what it was? I don't know. I do know that there are several people in this world that I will never be able to do enough for in thanks for gifts they have given me, and I'm sure if they knew they would be upset. But I can't help it - it's just the way I am.

Is this a woman thing? A Southern thing? A Catholic thing? Is this common or do I have issues? I don't know. Is there really anything you can do about it?

*It was a very cool and thoughtful gift.

There's Always One...

Today you get a "vent"....

Jeeze Louise my co-worker is such a bitch! Apparently she is confused and doesn't understand that the phrase is "You get more flies with honey" not "Pile on the shit and the flies will come".

This is the co-worker that, whatever I say it will not be right. I've given up trying to second guess what she wants and just accept that whatever it is will be wrong and I'll have to listen to her condescending diatribe about why I'm wrong. It hit me today that I'll bet she thinks the only reason I'm still working there is SIL(H). That makes me feel bad, because it means no matter what I do, it's never going to be good enough.

Oh, well. That's why I always do her stuff last. And will continue to do so.

.

Naked Sunday

Mark my words, here and now...Today I bought my last box of diapers. Ever. Is Molly potty-trained yet? Well, no. But her 3rd birthday is 8 weeks away, and I REFUSE to have a three-year-old in diapers. Today we gave it a trial run....she took off all her clothes (except her socks) and ran around naked. Did I mention she loves being naked? She sat on everything that had a flat surface (I'm having a vision of declined dinner invitations in our near future) and yelled "naked, naked, naked" at the top of her lungs. Of course, J and I are yelling "potty, potty, potty" right back at her but she was not interested.

BB starts yelling "She's got my American Girl dog! What if she puts it by her vagina?! AAAHHHH!!"

Then, J dropped naked Molly on Ian's bed to wake him up. We should do that every time - he got up right away!!!

Well, she's back in her diaper now, but she didn't have an accident, so I think that's a step in the right direction. The problem is she's not really interested in potty training. She still doesn't tell us when she's got a messy diaper, and if we suspect she does and ask her about it, she laughs and runs away. Next weekend I will pick up "big girl panties" at the store and hopefully she'll change her mind, 'cause she's not getting any more diapers when this box runs out.

Romance Novel

Today is my 17th wedding anniversary. Happy Anniversary to the man of my dreams! It's hard to believe we've been together this long.....

1985: 10th grade, I sat in the front of Mrs. Little's English class, J sat in the back. I always came to class prepared, homework done, adequate supplies, ready to learn. He cracked jokes and hung out with That Crowd.

For Mardi Gras that year, my parents decided to take us to Canal Street for Bacchus. They parked in Algiers Point and we walked to the Algiers/Canal Street Ferry. There was another family with us, and the daughter (whose name now escapes me) was my age. I saw J and his friends getting on the ferry, and told my friend, "Let's move to the other side, we don't want to be around those boys." We get to Canal Street and our parents let us walk around by ourselves for a bit. And who do we happen upon, but J and his friends, drunk, laying on a flattened cardboard box waiting for the parade. I still remember looking at them, trying to decide which way to go, when I heard, "Hey! I know that girl - she's in my English class!" One thing led to another and we watched the whole parade with them. They put us up on their shoulders to catch beads and we had a lot of fun. I was sooo attracted to...J's friend. J's friend and I dated briefly (a week?) but it didn't work out. Which was okay with me because I was attracted to...J's other friend.

J and I developed a friendship, and I used to call him to moan about his other friend and why he didn't like me back and all that teenage drama stuff. We would talk on the phone and I could hear him watching cartoons. He was a nice guy. And then, I decided I was wasting my time on his friend, when the one I really liked was...J. And we started dating.

One afternoon, not long after we started dating, I was sitting in his room and noticed a post-it next to his phone. It said "Potential Girlfriend" and had my phone number on it. And "Potential" was crossed out! All this time has passed and I still think that's the cutest/funniest thing.

We had a few breakups and heartaches during high school and college - to the point he went to California to get some distance between us. We still spoke on the phone, but the physical distance was important, I think, for both of us. And then he came back to me...on my 19th birthday. I was working as a waitress in a bar and when I saw him walk in. I couldn't believe he'd come back to me.

We moved in together soon after that, got engaged, got married, and started a family. And I wouldn't change any of it. Not one thing. I love you, J, with all my heart. Thank you for this wonderful life I'm living. It wouldn't be as wonderful without you.