thoughts

So, shit, y’all. I’m in Charlotte this week but for a crappy fucked up reason. My dad had a routine nerve block procedure on his back last Friday. It’s a spinal injection of steroids that is supposed to make his back feel instantly better (and he’s had them before) but something went terribly wrong and now he’s recovering from acute paraparesis. This is a slightly less severe way of saying he was paralyzed from the waist down for a few hours. Then he started to regain feeling in his left leg, and then following way behind, the right leg. But…

So the painters have begun work on the exterior of our house. I think this is the color we’re going with: Your thoughts? Today the carpenter is repairing the rotten wood along the roofline (soffit?). He is working directly outside the room I’m sitting in right now. He is latino. He is listening to music. The music is turned up pretty loud since he’s up on a 20 ft. ladder and the boombox is on the ground. He is hammering in time with the music. (I swear I’m not trying to be racist by mentioning that he’s latino. It just…

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing. I’m not sure if I’m going to start using Flickr for all my photos or if I’ll keep updating Zoe and Lucy’s page, but one way or another I need to get my act together again with photos. I’ve been terribly slacko about it lately because I broke my laptop a few months ago — bent the screen too far back and ** crack! ** no more laptop screen. And I usually edited photos while sitting on the couch watching movies. Since I can’t lug my big G4…

The summer I was nine, my parents went to California for a week. Mike and I stayed at our cousins’ house — the Meltsners — which was the best possible outcome for “what to do with the kids” when my parents went out of town. Danny and Scott, who were 1.5 and 2.5 years older than me (still are), ran an insane ersatz amusement park household — insane even by 1978 standards. There was a pinball machine, a pool table, a swimming pool and a laundry chute. There was a long slippery marble entrance hall, perfect for sliding through in…

When I was writing holiday cards, I occasionally said something along the lines of “Hope 2006 brings you all good things.” Thanks to my fancy hieroglyphic spin, Bob said my “2006” looked like it said “ZOOb.” For your special ZOOb wishes, I’m offering you my very favorite recipe for Collard Greens. Southern folklore (which we call “law” down here) has it that Greens, Black-Eyed Peas and Hog Jowls on New Year’s Day will bring good luck and fortune. Also note that a large quantity of greens is referred to as a mess o’ greens. Your mileage may vary. Finally, although…

So, not that it would have been all that big a deal when I was a kid, but never in my life have Christmas and the first night of Hanukkah both happened on the same day. It wouldn’t have made much difference when I was growing up since Hanukkah was a 1-hour long endeavor at night (albeit for 8 days), while Christmas effectively shut down the world and your friends were busy the whole day. I mean, I wasn’t even allowed to call them. My Aunt Brenda (whose birthday is Dec 26) always said it was like the world was…

Y’all. I came up with a new invention (one which I’m sure I’ve heard others talk about before, but this is my blog which means I can make all the egomaniacal claims I want until you call me on it in the comments). Here’s what we all need: A modulated car horn. Need to gently remind that elderly woman in the Dodge Dart that she’s still in a car and the light turned green a few minutes ago, not that it’s a big deal it’s just that you’re a teeny bit late for your pedicure? Give it a light tappy…