You're Invited

We’re just about to throw a party. There is so much that one must prepare for when welcoming guests into your home: menus, decorations, and the guest list.

Oh yes, the guest list. You have to invite plenty, because you never know for sure who will show up at your doorstep. Invitees this year run the gamut from dormouse to destroyer.

It goes without saying that we have some friends who will do everything in their power to pump up the volume and transform our humble home into to swirling sensation. Cristobal, Sally, and Edouard have the capacity to turn any boring evening into a total blast.

Then there are those who we love, who will blend into the background. You could almost sense their waning energy the moment they make their way into your neighborhood. Kyle, Vicky, and Laura are all pleasant, but even if they screamed throughout the night, they wouldn’t wake you from a sound sleep.

Of course you can’t forget to invite the dreaded couples. You know the ones….Love one, but the other half is a complete blowhard. Dolly & Ike and Hanna & Gustav fall into this aforementioned category. The ladies are really sweet, but the guys…sheesh! Both of them are nothing but hot air and we’ve got enough of that here in South Florida.

Wilfred, Teddy, Paloma and Rene have been invited, but I think that they might be cruising around Cozumel. While Nana & Omar would love to drop in and join in on the fun, they seem destined for the Bahamas. Josephine & Marco on the other hand are almost certain to make their presence known in a big way.

Our own Debby Downer, Fay, is likely to show. It’s not that we don’t like her, but she does have a habit of raining on everyone’s parade. This year I’d really rather not get drowned by her special recipe of retribution.

There is one other who, though I’d like for him to show, also kind of scares me the most. Arthur is the practical joker of the group. Just think of Paul Lynde in Bewitched. He just loves to come at you from so many directions that your brain is left spinning with thoughts of where he will strike from next.

So the partying begins June 1st. Yes, hurricane season is upon us. Who from the guest list will show up? Who will wreak havoc? All I know for sure is that we have six months of watching the Weather Channel ahead of us, wondering when Big Bertha will pummel us.

Geek Chic

Yes, it is now fashionable to be a geek. Inspired by actors in television shows such as Chuck and Reaper, technological hipsters have come to the forefront of trendiness. It is now cool to be considered a geek. They can even be transformed from the misanthropic to the swarthy on Beauty and the Geek.

Geeks can easily be spotted in their natural habitats: technology stores and internet cafes. You will not recognize them by telltale markings like spots or stripes. No, geekis americanis is recognized by its somewhat disheveled appearance, as if they awoke from a long night of online surfing and threw on a number of items from the pile next to the best (they love to layer).

Like most popular prey, they tend to run in herds. Careful, though, for they can be spooked by even the slightest flirtatious smile.

Geekdom--contrary to popular belief--is not located in the Realm of Nerd. You will find no plastic pocket protectors among its denizens, which include Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg.

Being a geek has become so popular that rednecks and metrosexuals are flocking to the internet to learn more on how to become the geek next door.

Leading the way in this new fashion trend are four unlikely trailblazers...the boys from Big Bang Theory: Leonard, Sheldon, Howard, and Rajesh. From Howard's belt buckles to Sheldon's shirts, they are setting the stage for geek wannabes around the country. I ask you...who doesn't want to wear a Green Lantern or Periodic Table of the Elements tshirt?

I know I do...Though secretly, I'd rather have Sheldon's flying bats tshirt...but its been discontinued! Dammit!!

At What Point…

do I begin to wear dress shoes and white socks with shorts.
do I choose Lawrence Welk reruns over watching American Idol.
do I start the morning by scanning the obituaries.
do I enjoy it when someone calls me a “hot daddy.”
do I consider six hours sleep to be a full night’s rest.
do I accept that I am no longer Peter Pan and have gotten old.
do I figure out the meaning of life.
do I alter my diet, according to the teeth that remain in my mouth.
do I remember more details of my childhood than what happened yesterday.
do I drive 30mph on the interstate.

Aging is inevitable. It is through grace that we age with dignity. It sets us apart.

I have learned many valuable lessons (many of them the hard way) over the years.

So at what point…

Do all of my dreams come true?

Fascinating...

There are so many things in this world that hold the capacity to fascinate:

• pollen-laden flowers
• sea shells rolling onto shore
• leaves turning color
• clouds in the sky

Babies can shift their entire focus to one thing for hours. Notice the look in their eyes upon the discovery of their own toes. The world around them melts away into the background of consciousness.

I still have a child's eye. It hasn't been lost in this darkened attic of adulthood. It remains fresh; sensitive as an iguana's tongue.

Recently, I've noticed something. You see, working in a bank, I handle plenty of money on a daily basis. Take a close look at our paper (or should I say linen) money. The newer engravings of the presidents/officials cast some eerie effects. If you count enough money, you will begin to notice the eyes--they stare back at you. More often than not, it is a benign gaze. But at times, there is a demonic glare looking up, haunting you, taunting you.

Some have said that "money is the root of all evil." I'm not so sure they aren't far from the truth.

Fascinating.

Mickey & Mom

Born in 1928 (the same year as Mickey Mouse), no one epitomizes the magic of Disney more than my mom.

She is Mary Poppins, Snow White, and Dumbo's mother all rolled into one.

Happy Mother's Day!!

Mickey & Mom

Hot Trannie Messes

Some of the Blue Ice softball team took their enormous talents to the bowling lanes for the semi-annual league fund raising event.

It's pretty amazing what my "sisters" will come up with in the name of fun. Now, many of you have seen us regaled in Easter bonnets for a softball tournament, donning neon blue wigs for last season's bowling tourney, or combining their superpowers for Halloween.

Today's team was comprised of the incomparable (left to right) LaQuisha, LaTiqla, ShaNeNe, Fatima, and Ho Ho. The Hot Trannie Messes came in 5th out of 20 teams, not too bad for the Sorority Girls of Bethune-Cookman (you never know what you will find at Marshall's). Gotta love a group of friends who just know how to have fun.

Next up....

Sunday's softball game versus the FlaminGoGos!!!!!

Around the Bloc

We've wandered deeply into a most historic presidential primary season. Still alive and vying for supremacy three candidates who would in turn, if elected, become the first woman, first African-American, or oldest first term elected president of these United States.

At varying times, the campaigns have appeared genial, opportunistic, biased, out-of-touch, and downright ornery. Pandering is the norm, even as this country faces the worst economic crisis in decades and a continuing war that has now eclipsed the Revolutionary War in duration. "Major addresses" lead to non-substantative proposals. Or, as John McCain put it during a recent town hall meeting on healthcare..."Get out and walk. Watch your diet. That's the best insurance."

Throughout this process, I've made some interesting observations:

• Pundits declared that for North Carolinians the economy was "overwhelmingly" the deciding issue. They failed to mention that Sen. Obama won with 91% of the African-American vote.
• I continue to hear people say that the protracted Democratic race is bad for the party. Personally, I'd rather have the most exciting convention in my lifetime, than listen to an anointed candidate (John McCain) attempt to remain relevant.
• Speaking of John McCain, did you know that 25% percent of Republican voters in Indiana and North Carolina cast their ballots for other candidates? I can't help but wonder if those same voters will sit out the general election.
• Senator Obama has yet to win a major state...Seems to reason why his electibility is being questioned.
• If uniting the country is so important, why hasn't Barack Obama fought to have disenfranchised voters in Florida and Michigan reinstated? Oh right, they are major states that he probably wouldn't win.
• With Florida in mind, the Democratic primary (which isn't going to count) had a record turnout of voters. Nevermind who won or lost. Because of Florida's leapfrogging of the system, candidates did not campaign in the state. That means no appeances, no bus tours, no fly-ins, and, most important of all, no annoying political ads. If it were up to me all campaigns would be run this way.

Enough of the politics...forget Red State vs. Blue State...Red wine & blueberries are much more to my liking this evening.

Cinco de Mayo, Oh My!

Whoever said bankers were stuffed shirts and conservative.



Here I am for Cinco de Mayo, dressed for a fiesta.

Game Day Grumpy

Since Thom is back home, I really should put up something new, rather than the recent wah wah wah about spending the week by myself. Currently, we are both on the sofa, laptops in their usual location--on our laps, of course--and nothing special is coming to mind.

I'm tired and grumpy. My softball team played only one game today, and lost in heartbreaking fashion. Being down, we scored 8 runs in the fourth inning to take an 11-6 lead. This lead lasted until the top of the last inning, when our defense surrendered 10 runs. Uncharacteristically, our usually tight defense (we give up an average of 7 runs per game) succombed to error-itis. It was ugly, and so is my mood.

Hopefully, this is a wake-up call and the team will come back stronger the next time. It's all about mental toughness, and right now our team is struggling with the cerebral aspects of game preparation. Some people thrive under pressure...others cave in (choke).

It's been suggested that I'm not playing myself as much as I should. There is truth in that statement. But when I'm concentrating on lineups, player moves, scorekeeping, and coaching my own mental preparation is lacking. It's difficult to come of the bench to deliver that big hit in a clutch situation.

So the kids must continue to learn from their errors without daddy rescuing them.