Anniversary

It was two years ago today that I posted my very first blog.

For those of you who know of my bizarre ability to recall dates, know that I didn't really remember that, I happened upon the fact whilst wandering around the ol' blogstead.

Happy Anniversary to me!

6 Weeks

As a rather clumsy child, I had a couple of broken bones in my day. Typically, I was in a cast for 6 weeks while the bone set, repaired and healed itself.

6 weeks does nothing for a broken heart. Maybe someone could invent a cast to help it set?

Happy Birthday to Me

How great the city celebrates my 36th birthday with thunderous force! Thunder Over Louisville is the largest annual pyrotechnics display in North America.

I think it's great to honor my birthday in this way; By creating tons of noise pollution, contributing to such commercialism, destroying the environment, and my favorite: scaring the poor animals, especially the birds.

And the air show prior to the fireworks... simply awesome. How great it is that we honor our troops in Iraq by simulating war here at home.

Three cheers and a Happy Birthday to me!

Purple Sequins

I have recently joined VOICES, a community chorus. We had our two concerts this past Friday and Saturday evenings at the Clifton Center. I joined because I love to sing and I thought it would be another way to introduce new things and new people into my life. I was right on both counts. One of the new things I was introduced to is the purple sequined outfit that the group wears for most of our concerts.

Because I have a bit of an aversion to purple and an even bigger aversion to sequins, I was mortified to have to wear the "cracked ice duster" (as it is referred to within the group). But alas, for your entertainment, here is a photo:

Lovely, isn't it? I was informed later that they aren't even sequins. It is merely lots of purple glitter glued in dots all over. Fabulous, just fabulous.

But the performances went well and I had fun. Fortunately, we are getting rid of these outfits soon because the "cracked ice" material is no longer available. Oh, darn.

That's a lot of Hail!

Apparently, there was this massive storm that happened the other day. It started to rain pretty hard at 6pm as I was walking into rehearsal for my VOICES debut this weekend (more on that later). That's all I knew of the storm until I got home that night around 10pm.

Here are a couple of photos of leftover hail 4 hours after the storm...

And here's a photo 24 hours after the storm:

Obviously, I was fascinated.

The Year of Bourbon

2006 was The Year of Wine for me. I now know some wines that I do like and some that I don't. I can go to a restaurant and order a glass of wine without any assistance now.

2007 was originally designated as The Year of Beer for me. However, recent events in my life have changed 2007 into The Year of Bourbon.

I thank Suzanne for introducing me to Woodford Reserve, Melanie for keeping it in my world, and Molly for recently informing me that coke is a wasteful additive to it. Woodford Reserve happens to be the official bourbon for the Kentucky Derby, or so the billboard at Lexington Rd and Frankfort Ave says anyway, and if it's good enough for the Derby by golly, it's good enough for me!

I know it is a lofty goal... but my plan is to be able to drink Woodford straight by the end of 2007.

Hey... we all need goals to work towards, right?

Things I learned this Weekend and a Tribute to Mel and Her Many Friends

• It is possible to make a conscious decision to not let someone else steal your joy
• A party at Mel’s house can last up to 65 hours
• Mel is the best hostess in the world
• Although she lives less than 2 miles from me, I feel like I am at a resort on vacation while at Mel’s
• People come from 5 different states to attend a party at Mel’s place.
• Mel is a fabulous cook
• 11 women can comfortably fit in Mel’s bed
• There is such a thing as seeing too much of “The L Word”
• It is imperative that you ask permission to open any windows in Mel’s house
• There is apparently a screening process to become a friend of Mel’s, as all of her friends are beautiful souls (click here to request an application). Quite the group of hotties and the most compassionate, loving and lovable folks around. And most can prepare amazing meals to order!
• Mel’s couch is quite a comfy place to sleep
• Mel has two cats, I thought they were called Zeke and Abbey. Apparently their real names are Cat Head and Kitty Face
• An order of hash-browns is now its own food group; recommended to be served at each and every meal.
• Hotlanta can waltz like none other, thankfully she’ll lead… and I’d follow her anywhere.
• Knox can passionately strum her guitar and makes all the girls swoon when she sings.
• I’d pay $50 to hear Boston call me baby just one more time (note from editor: Boston sounds so much better than Peoria, doesn’t it?)
• Derby is merely 4 weeks away

The weekend was much needed food for my soul; Full of love and laughter, fun and playfulness, hugs and head rubs, snuggles and back rubs, great food and drink, great live music- Unplugged in Mel’s Kitchen, and more nurturing folks under one roof than imaginable. The love in Mel's house will carry me for a while.

Thanks Melanie! You and your friends are the best!

Pictures

I make no claim that these are good photos by any means. This is merely a photographic documentary of my first week after Forrest's death.

2 Weeks

A lot can happen in two weeks.

• A loss of life to suicide
• 3 bereavement days from work
• One massive hair cut
• A ten hour visit to Florida; arrival time 8:30am, departure time 6:30pm
• Amazing connections with marine wildlife; birds and dolphins and manatees, oh my!
• One upper ear re-piercing, pierced by none other than me. Buddah now resides in my ear; The Buddha Listens.
• The creation of 30 pairs of earrings, called Kelly's Grief Collection
• Another loss of life, this one to old age
• 3 more bereavement days from work
• 30 more earrings; the second line of Kelly's Grief Collection
• The taking up of a new hobby of running (more like jogging/walking/jogging/walking/walking /walking/joggi...no, walking)
• An overnight retreat into the woods at Otter Creek with my boys
• A 20 hour stay in West Virginia
• A brief reconnect with a dear friend from high school
• One amazing Everyone Loves Kelly party (click here for photos) hosted by two even more amazing friends
• A new tattoo

To sum it all up... Loss and Love and a Life with many blessings even though they may be hard to see at times.

A big thanks to my many friends, some new and some not so new, some near and some not so near, who continue to help me stand.

My New Tattoo

Here's a few facts about the symbols in the tattoo:

• The eye in the center is commonly referred to as the Eye of Ra. However, this is the left eye, which is the known as the Eye of Horus or the Eye of Thoth. In Egyptian Mythology, the left eye of Horus was ripped out and torn into pieces by the Storm God, Seth. Thoth, the God of the Wisdom and Magic was able to reassemble the pieces into the full moon. Horus then gave the eye to his murdered father Osiris thereby bringing him back to life. A couple of side notes about Horus: He was the son of Osiris and Isis; the hawk was the personification of Horus; One story tells of his turning into a solar disc with wings; He was associated with the Living King who is sometimes said to embody both the spirit of light (Horus) and the spirit of darkness (Seth), representing the ever present, eternal universal strife.
• The Winged Solar Disc is the symbol of the perfected soul making its flight back to the source of its creation.
• The wings in my design are patterned after those of the turkey vulture. Turkey Vultures represent cleansing and purification.

Exhausted!

I walk about .25 miles to the bus stop in the morning, about .05 miles to work from the bus stop, then about .25 miles to the bus stop from work in the afternoon, and another .25 miles from the stop to my house. That's about .8 miles. Why am I so freakin' exhausted?

My theory is that part of the new me is a new girly attire, complete with those miserably uncomfortable shoes. My feet, legs, buttocks, and back are killing me today. From today on, I will be one of those women you see in sneakers and socks with a dress on... Until I reach my desk, at which point, much like Mr. Rogers, I will change shoes, and don my new cardigan because it is also freezing in my new office.

I am off to the couch to stare into space for the next 3 hours until bedtime!

The New and Improved Me

I have a new job (I start tomorrow), new friends, and a new persona... I got a little wild and crazy and shed some clothing while seeing my one true love (Ty from Girlyman) on stage the other night (there may be pictures later).

I am shedding old clothes that do not fit anymore (different than the clothing mentioned above), shedding appropriate trash into my new compost pile, and trying to shed old habits in relationships that really don't serve me (or anyone else) well.

Thanks to a string of events including what I like to call "Camping with the Cliftonites" (Clifton Unitarian Church camp-out) during labor day weekend, attending the September 8th InKY Reading Series at the Rudyard Kipling (a monthly event I think everyone should attend) and being introduced to the New Southerner online magazine, now with an anthology in print (which I think everyone should buy), I am also on a new path to lead a more environmentally friendly existence.

My first three steps are as follows... As mentioned above, I started a compost pile, to help replenish the earth, rather than add to the land fill, I plan on riding the bus (World Carfree Day is Friday Sept 22) to the new job through the end of the year, and I am hanging my clothes out to dry on my newly purchased clothes line (my landlord and neighbors are thrilled).

It's nice to meet you!

Where's a phone booth when you need one?

Last week was the week from hell. Our office was relocating. Because we were packing, organizing files, and uncovering 30 years of dust, dirt and grime... We were allowed to dress down. Great! The only problem for me is that I have been interviewing for a new job during my lunch hour upon occasion. One such occasion occured one day last week. Normally, I would have worn nice pants and a blouse and had a jacket in the car. That was not an option due to the nature of our work last week, so I thought I'd leave a few minutes early and change in a nearby McDonald's bathroom. Traffic was exceptionally horrendous that particular day and it took me 15 minutes to get near the McD's parking lot, but it was so crowded, I opted for plan B, which had not yet been developed. After several minutes of driving in the direction of my upcoming interview, I thought I'd change in the Starbuck's bathroom. It was only a block from my final destination. Did you know that Starbuck's on 5th and Muhammad Ali does not have a bathroom? The Galt House, however, right next door does. So, here I go parading through the Galt House carrying a suit... Not a big deal, it's a hotel. I change clothes, have no time to make it back to my car to drop off jeans, t-shirt and tennies, so I cram them into a plastic Kroger bag and stash it in a corner in one of the last stalls and hope for the best upon my return. I make it to my 12:30 interview at 12:27, and all is well except for the distracting concern that the FBI, CIA, or bomb squad might be investigating the mysterious bag left in the Galt House bathroom. I was imagining having to call a friend to bail me out of jail. When I returned, fortunately, everything was as I had left it. It merely left me thinking that Superman had it so easy with all those phone booths available.

I can read!

I have been unable to successfully read a book from cover to cover in over 5 years. I have always enjoyed reading, even as a young'un, but have seemingly had an aversion to it lately.

I set the task before my friend Dott of finding a book that I could make it through. She succeeded, and I have completed two dott recommends books since!
She started me out gently on Hoot, a young adult novel by Carl Hiaasen. I had never read any of his books before, but had always heard great things. This was a perfect start for me, as it takes place in Florida (my origins), it's about birds (my obsession), and is quite humorous(my need as of late).

That eased me in to the next pick, Lamb; The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal Absolutely hilarious! I think this is the funniest book I have ever read. As Christ has to remain pure, Biff goes out and experiences the world and tells the Messiah all about it. While Jesus learns about the Bhagavad Gita, Biff learns about the Kama Sutra, they then exchange lessons. Here's a bit I found immensely enjoyable:

While Biff has been studying the Kama Sutra, he has learned to replicate the illustrations very well. Here, he and Jesus (called Joshua) discuss the fact that his drawings are improving.

"I'm using the calligraphy techniques we learned in the monastery, only using them to draw figures. Josh, are you sure it doesn't bother you, talking about this stuff when you'll never be allowed to do it?"
"No, it's interesting. It doesn't bother you when I talk about heaven, does it?"
"Should it?"
"Look, a seagull!"

Thanks, Dott! I am presently working on my third "dott recommends"!

Graphic Content! Read at your own risk!

Why do I have pets?

You will find no photos here; most of you will be happy about that, I think.

My cat, my beautiful, sweet, loving kitty... Kills other animals. I try to be a good parent and let her do what she needs to do for her own growth, so I turn my head the other way when I see her dining on some lifeless creature. The rules are, as long as she leaves no evidence of what she has done, we get along well. I do intervene if I see her stalking another animal. I usually try to shew the otherwise unaware creature away before it meets is demise. That's as involved as I generally get.

Recently, while out in the yard, here she comes, proud as can be, bringing me a common grackle. That's a fairly sizeable catch for my smallish cat. I stopped in my tracks, trying to decide what to do. I quickly realized the bird was still alive... This upsets me considerably! I then am in a quandary... Do I try to save the bird, is it to late? Will I only prolong its suffering? Much to my relief, Smudge the creature killing cat, paused to look at me just long enough that the bird wriggled free and flew away... Hopefully far, far away!

I have found baby opossums lying around in the yard, not merely "playing" 'possum. I have assumed that she was the culprit, although there has never been any evidence to suggest that... So, I don't blame her outright, I simply remove the carcass from the yard and try to push it from my memory as quickly as possible.

A few months ago, while company was heading out the door, we nearly tripped over a baby opossum that was seemingly strategically placed inside the house in the doorway. Not only was I devastated, I was also embarrassed that my company had to see the remnants!

It gets worse, folks.

Today... Horror of horrors! I am taking a peaceful nap. The dogs are resting, the cat is out doing her cat things, and I am unaware, life is good.
Taci (oldest dog) heads outside and starts barking, Joey (youngest dog) runs to check it out, and begins barking as well ... Nothing out of the ordinary, so I attempt to doze back off to sleep. Taci remains outside barking. Joey, barks frantically for a moment, I am beginning to wonder if I have company, he then quickly becomes quiet and runs into the house and under the bed. As he likes it under there, I am not yet alarmed. I try to relax again, and realize Taci is still barking, yet Joey seems un-interested in the ruckus. That's when I get a little concerned. I hear back-ground noise of dog-licking... One of those things you get use to when you have dogs. Taci is the one who has compulsive licking habits, yet he is still outside barking.
I peer over the foot of the bed to see Joey's butt sticking out from under the bed. He indeed is licking something. I try to look under the bed, it's dark under there and Joey is blocking any available light from entering. I can't see, so I try to push Joey out of the way a bit... He growls at me. Never has he growled at me... I realize he thinks I am trying to steal his prey. OH MY GOD, he has PREY under MY BED! I see legs and a patch of gray fur. I am now FREAKED out. I don't want to deal with this... What am I going to do? I have a dead (hopefully) creature under my bed that my dog is having for dinner!! I head to the door, grab my keys and call Joey (in dog language, that means "Wanna go for a ride").
He finally heads to the door, I am sure I am yelling, although I can't hear myself, Joey's cowering stance is indicative of such. He's confused. Somehow, I manage to get myself together enough to speak to him in excited, non-threatening tones and somehow actually, effectively communicate to him to go get "it"... "Come on, go get it... Joey go get it and bring it outside... Good boy... That's it! Get it... Bring it here.. Come on, Joey! GOOD BOY!" He ACTUALLY got it out from underneath the bed and took it outside. He then begins to EAT this poor innocent baby rabbit . I start gagging and yelling at the same time(quite a feat, let me tell you), Joey is WAY confused now. I somehow got Joey away from the carcass, and was able to pick it up with a plastic bag and pitch it over the fence into the brush pile... Where the opossum graveyard is.
I assume my cat actually was the original perpetrator, and Joey just stole her prize... She was wandering around loudly meowing during all of the excitement. Sheesh! Again, I'll ask... Why do I have pets? Someone please remind me!

Not exactly the kind of company I had hoped for after being awakened from my "most proper of naps".

Meet Roxie!

I am shamelessly promoting my friend Leslie's relatively new website (I'm a little slow, it's been up and running for a few months, sorry for the delay Leslie)!

If you are looking to buy or sell a home, this is the place to go! ...and even if you aren't, it's a fun site to check out. And besides, Roxie's hot!

Have I ever blogged about my obsession with vultures?

Here are some photos I took in June at the Sacred Vulture Tree of an undisclosed location.

How time flies; whether you are having fun or not!

Unbelievably, it has been over two months since my last posting. Recently inspired by the excitement my friend Melanie has been exuding over the creation of her new blog, here I am finally making an entry.

It seems I fell into a pit of depression and mucked around there for a bit. More on that in a future post.

General life update: I wasn't selected for that silly radiology program that I didn't want anyway, although the rejection was initially devastating. Why is it that I seem to want what I can't have and sometimes really don't even want in the end anyway. A friend says it's often all in how we label things in our minds. I definately could use some new labels. Maybe I could simply re-label to say "I don't really want that anyway", and move along.

That sounds good in theory, but I tend to hang onto things so tightly and so long that I smother and squeeze the life right out of whatever the subject may be. Funny, I lack discipline in every area of my life except for clinging to things that are not meant to be.

You know, blogging is so much cheaper than therapy... and often just as revealing for me, or in this case, of me.

For all you Xena fans out there!

Batwoman is a lesbian!!!

DC Comics is resurrecting the classic comic book character as a lesbian, unveiling the new Batwoman in July as part of an ongoing weekly series that began this year.