Mr. 7:30 PM

"They say that time changes everything, but actually, you have to change them yourself."

-Andy Warhol

This past summer saw a lot of changes and new horizons for me. Some doors opened while others closed. I guess that's life. As summers go, the summer of 2006 certainly wasn't the worst summer I have ever had. One brilliant point was the arrival of a family of Blue Jays, who spent their time in my dead apple tree. There was a couple, and their babies, now it is just the one. He comes home to roost every day at 7:30 PM. I can tell time by the sound of his chirping. He lands in the tree no earlier then 7:28 PM and no later than 7:38 PM, but more times then not, it is exactly 7:30 PM. He is a constant in my life, he is magical. A couple years ago, a small brown duck used to land in my swimming pool every morning at 10:30 AM, I haven't seen her for quite sometime, but I have my new friend, Mr. 7:30.

And oh yes... Elvis Costello

Carly steps up to the Karaoke machine...

Everyday I Write The Book
By Elvis Costello & Sung By Carly

Don't tell me you don't know what love is
When you're old enough to know better
When you find strange hands in your sweater
When your dreamboat turns out to be a footnote
I'm a girl with a mission in two or three editions

And I'm giving you a long look
Everyday, everyday, everyday I write the book

Chapter one, we don't really get along
Chapter two, I think I fell in love with you
You said you'd stand by me in the middle of chapter three
But you were up to your old tricks in chapters, 4,5,6

And I'm giving you a long look
Everyday, everyday, everyday I write the book
The way you walk
The way you talk, and try to kiss me and laugh
In four or five paragraphs
All your compliments and your cutting remarks
Are captured here in my quotation marks

And I'm giving you a long look
Everyday, everyday, everyday I write the book

Don't tell me you don't know the difference
Between a lover and a fighter
With my pen and my electric typewriter
Even in a perfect world where everyone was equal
I'd still own the film rights and be working on the sequel

And I'm giving you a long look
Everyday, everyday, everyday I write the book.

I hit the shuffle on my Real Player the other day, and that song came up. Funny, I hadn't listened to it in such a long time. I now have it stuck in my head, kinda cool though, always loved Elvis Costello. :)

-OndineMonet
"Mr. 7:30"
Berkeley, California
Summer, 2006
7:30 PM

John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment # 131: You Little Devil

"The best way to behave is to misbehave."

-Mae West

Weekend Assignment # 131: We've all got a little bit of a devil inside. Share a (small) moment in your past where you did something less than entirely ethical. I'm not thinking of moments that could, you know, have you tracked down by the police because the statute of limitations is about to expire. Those big transgressions against the law and morality you should probably not reveal here. We're talking about a little bit bad here.

Extra Credit: Devil's food cake vs. Angel's food cake: Which one do you prefer?

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

Oh my, so I have to share my less then ethical side huh? Well, I have to confess, I used to be a real stinker, and I have a weird sense of humor that has driven more then one friend and or lover away, lol, but there are a couple of examples that I am willing to share I suppose. One is a tale on a nose gone bad, and the other is about a movie, and why reading the reviews before seeing it, is a good idea. Let's begin with the nose job...

The Nose Job...

It was a bright spring morning, in 1983, I was working as a proofreader (can you believe it, I used to know how to spell) for an advertising agency in Oakland, California. The department I worked in wasn't big comparatively to the rest of the office, but it did have it's scandals all the same. We had a secretary to one of the VP's who worked in our area, and she was a mean, troll of a little woman. She would give up her lunch hours, in order to spy on the employees. She would sometimes even take photos of folks she caught outside the company in dating situations, just so she could have the joy of seeing them fired. Also, she had a ledger, in which she recorded the times the employees left for lunch and when they returned. It wasn't her job to do so mind you, she simply enjoyed having something to hold over one's head in case she needed a favor. I was never in her cross hairs, because I usually ate at my desk, but I saw a lot of good people get into trouble, all at her doing. She really knew how to stretch the truth.

One day, she came to work with a terrible allergy attack. She snorted, sneezed, coughed, moaned, groaned, snorted again, and generally complained for 6 straight hours. I never minded the noises those afflicted with allergies sometimes have to make, heck, if it's autumn, you will probably hear me making nosey noises as well. It happens. The thing that set me off on the day, all those years ago, was the fact that she must have asked me four or five times throughout the day, what could be done for her malady. I suggested, in good faith, everything I could think of. Hot & Sour soup, Benedryl, a visit to an ear, nose and throat doctor, but nothing was good enough, she had a reason to not do any of the suggestions she asked me for.

Finally, I had enough. She asked me one more time, and that was the breaking point. I slowly looked up at her, and suggested one more thing. "Selma, there is one thing that I hear works quite well for the clearing of a brain, I mean head, it's kind of extreme however, want to know what it is?" I asked. "Yes, Carly...please tell me," said she. "Selma, you simply need to clear the pipes between your nose and your ears, so stick two fingers up each nostril and blow really hard twice. " LOL. Now I ask you, how was I supposed to know she would do it? LOL. She nearly blew her brains out, right there on my desk. Selma came to a few minutes later, and while she was completely pissed at me, she never asked me again about how to cure the sniffles. And somehow, my place in her special ledger disappeared, or so I was told. Tee Hee.

Disclaimer: No actual secretaries were harmed... too much. :)


Free Johnny Dangerously...

I used to have a friend, Jaycee, who would enjoy fighting the good fight... as she saw it. One day, she and I and a few other friends got together to play some board games, and share each other's company. Jaycee was a nice enough girl, but she would get her facts and impressions about things really confused, and God help the person who tried to set her straight.

On one particularly confused day, the subject of incarceration came up, and a recent report about prison conditions in the United States. Well, she became absolutely livid. "America has the best prison system of anywhere on the planet, those lazy inmates just want to complain about everything, take that Johnny Dangerously, for example." Now see, it was 1984, and the film Johnny Dangerously had just been released, and all around were these silly, oversized billboards that read, "Join the campaign to FREE JOHNNY DANGEROUSLY from prison." The billboards made it look as if a guy in jail, was somehow trying to beat the rap. I knew it was a movie, and I also knew that it was a big ad push to get folks to see one of the first ever PG-13 movies. It was a gimmick, but Jaycee wouldn't believe me, and I am afraid I fed into her rage a bit. I admit, I stirred the pot, but I had tried in good faith to let her know what it was about, and she disregarded me as a liberal. LOL. About five minutes into her rage, I handed her a magazine with a proper ad for the movie. It was one of those Emily Latilla moments from "Saturday Night Live." I could almost hear Gilda Radner saying, "Never Mind."

Wasn't I just Evil? LOL

Extra Credit: Devil's food cake... oh yes...Devil's food.

-OndineMonet
"Evil Me"
Summer, 2006

Transitions

"Change is inevitable - except from a vending machine."

-Robert C. Gallagher

Ah yes... change. Sigh. Don't like it... nope... would fight it, but what can you do? Change happens. It's time to replace our cars, which means, in a few days I am going to have to face saying goodbye to my 1999 Saturn SL1 "Angelica." She has seen me through so much, and through it all, she held steady. We had chosen well for our vehicles, I can't say enough good things about Saturn. It's time however, and to be honest, it's like losing a dear friend. Angelica took me to my parents gravesite, the little stay I spent at the "WHATTHE HELL HAPPENED" hospital, and a few other yuckinesses that life has a way of throwing at you. She also took me to see, one of the great crushes of my life, Micky Dolenz, when he held a concert at the beach in Santa Cruz. She has taken me on all my photo jaunts, and too many sweet, dreamy nights at the Marin Headlands, as we watched the sunset over San Francisco. The good times, the bad times, a car is there for all of it. I am just too sentimental for my own good. Oh well, I 'm off to the Saturn dealership tomorrow, to maybe buy two new cars... it's time. It's time. :(

Have You Ever Seen The Rain
By Creedence Clearwater Revival

Someone told me long ago, there's a calm before the storm
I know
It's been coming for sometime
When it's over, so they say, it'll rain a sunny day
I know
Shinin' down like water

I want to know, have you ever seen the rain...
I want to know, have you ever seen the rain...
Comin' down on a sunny day?

Yesterday, and days before, sun is cold and the rain is hard
I know
Been that way for all my time
Til forever on it goes through the circle fast and slow
I know
And I can't stop I wonder,

I want to know, have you ever seen the rain
I want to know, have you ever seen the rain

Comin' down on a sunny day?

-OndineMonet
"Transition"
Fort Point
San Francisco, California
May, 2006

Just Before The Wave Crashed!

"Woah! Hey! It's like a Koala bear crapped a rainbow in my brain!"

-Captain Murphy

If it's autumn, it must be time for the surreal. LOL. It was almost a year ago, that this same bird, or one really similar, or another one completely different, tried to peck through my windshield, while I was picnicking at Fort Point, in an attempt to steal my spaghetti lunch. LOL. Now this guy, is spying on my bag of extra crunchy Cheeto's Cheese Flavored snacks. I like to snack, and heck, sometimes, have whole meals in my car at Fort Point. The view of the Golden Gate is stunning, and the wildlife is, well, surreal. Sometimes, if you are among the lucky, a giant foamy wave of salt water will swoosh up and clean your car for you. LOL. Know what is really surreal? A big wave, with a small fish in it, lands on your car, then a really big or even average sized seagull comes and steals the fish off your car, but not before you scream, because when the fish is coming at you, you kinda think it looks like Jaws! Eeeekk. Trust me... you had to be there!

Look... that bird stole one of my Cheeto's Cheese flavored snacks!

A really upclose view of the bottom of a seagull's foot. Don't see that every day! See, I'm not just informative... I am entertaining! And once, I gave a backrub to a squirrel, so I am also theraputic! ;)

-OndineMonet
"Another Surreal San Francisco Moment"
Fort Point
San Francisco, Ca
September 26th, 2006

50 Questions Swiped From Pat

"Don't ask what they world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who come alive."

-Howard Thurman

I saw a cute meme over at my friend Pat's blog, "Here, There, & Everywhere, 2nd Edition." You know how much I enjoy doing memes, so I thought I might give this one a try. You are about to get to know me better, so pop some popcorn, grab a soft drink, and hold on... :)

1. First Name? Carly.

2. Middle Name? Elizabeth.

3. Were You Named After Anyone? Kinda... that's all I can say. :)

4. When Did You Last Cry? This morning.

5. Do You Like Your Handwriting? Yes, I have always had good handwriting, although I have noticed it has changed a bit over the years.

6. What Is Your Favorite Lunch Meat? Black Forest Ham.

7. Kids? Nope.

8. Would You Be Friends With You? Yes, and I am. Although I don't always have enough time to spend with me. Sigh.

9. Do You Have A Journal? Yep, if you are reading this, then that cat is out of the bag! LOL. I have several, actually.

10. Do You Used Sarcasm A Lot? Yeah... I guess I do.

11. Do You Still Have Your Tonsils? Yes.

12. Would You Bungee Jump? Yes, if I could I would.

13. Favorite Cereal? Special K w/Red Berries.

14. DO You Untie Your Shoes When You Take Them Off? Yes, if they have shoelaces.

15. Do You Think You Are Strong? If I have to be. :)

16. What Is Your Favorite Ice Cream Flavor? Honey/Cantaloupe

17. Shoe Size? Most of the time 6, sometimes 8, but only on my right foot.

18. Red Or Pink? Pink. :)

19. What Is Your Least Favorite Thing About Yourself? My height.

20. Whom Do You Miss The Most? I have a friend that I haven't talked to for a while, I miss him a lot. Sigh.

21. Do You Want Everyone To Send This Back To You? I would love to see others do this meme, but it's up to you, it's all good! :)

22. What Color Pants And Shoes Are Your Wearing? Black pants, pumpkin colored sweater.

23. Last Thing You Ate? Yoplait Chocolate/Raspberry yogurt. YUM!

24. What Are You Listening To Right Now? Melrose Place Jazz CD.

25. If You Were A Crayon, What Color Would You Be? Autumn Mauve.

26. Favorite Smell? Elvis,my cat, his natural body oils make him smell like baby powder.

27. Who Was The Last Person You Talked To On The Phone? Alan.

28. The First Thing You Notice About People You Are Attracted To? The eyes. ;)

29. Do You Like The Person Who Sent This To You? Well, Pat didn't send it to me, I swiped it from her journal. But yes, she is my friend, I like her very much. Hey Pat! :)

30. Favorite Drink? Alcoholic=Apple Martini Non-Alcholic= Coke Classic.

31. Favorite Sport? Baseball... Go A's!

32. Hair Color: Redish/Brown w/ a few streaks of grey.

33. Eye Color? Green

34. Do You Wear Contacts? Nope.

35. Favorite Food? Italian food, in fact I am making my famous 30lb Lasgna even as we speak. :)

36. Scary Movies Or Happy Endings? Scary please!

37. What Color Shirt Are You Wearing? Lt. Blue.

38. Favorite Desert? Cheesecake.

39. Who Is Most Likely To Respond? Dunno.

40. Least Likely To Respond? Dunno.

41. What Book Are You Reading? Writer's On Writing.

42. Whats On Your Mouse Pad? "Starry Night" By Vincent Van Gogh.

43. What Did You Watch Last Night On TV? Deal or No Deal, 2 1/2 Men, Men In Trees.

44. Favorite Sound? Elvis snoring.

45. Rolling Stones Or Beatles? Beatles, of course. :)

46. The Furthest You Have Been From Home? New York.

47. No question # 47

48. No Question # 48

49. Do You Have A Special Talent? I can curl my tongue. ;)

50. When And Where Were You Born? Oakland, California, 6/1962.

Note: Not sure why there are no questions for numbers 46, 47. So, to be fair, if you have two questions you would like to ask me, feel free to leave them in the comment thread for this entry. I will answer almost any question. One rule, the question must be about me. :)

Thanks Pat, that was fun. Click here, to see her answers to these questions. :)

-OndineMonet
"Crimson Patched Longwing"
Conservatory of Flowers
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, California
September, 2006

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Horses!

"It's like nuts and bolts. If the rider's nuts, the horse bolts."

-Nicholas Evans

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Horses are nice. Show us a horse picture you've taken. It can be new, or one from your files. It just needs to have a horse in it. Donkeys, mules, ponies, zebras and quagga are also acceptable, and I'll be impressed if you have a picture of a quagga in your files, being that they have been extinct 125 years and all.

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

Miss Rowell Ranch, 2006, Anna Bavor (L)


I like horses, I don't get a chance to see them up close very often, but every May, Alan and I go to Castro Valley to watch the Rowell Ranch Rodeo Parade. There are always a lot of very pretty horses, and lovely ladies to ride them, such as the current Miss Rowell Ranch Rodeo, Anna Bavor.

Madonna Inn, San Luis Obispo, California

John didn't say it had to be a REAL horse...LOL...so here is a fine example of a fake horse. I couldn't find out any information on it, but I saw it at the world famous Madonna Inn, in San Luis Obispo, California. I bet there is a mysterious tale about this horse and it's rider, but if there isn't I will someday make one up! LOL. How does the title, "Stiff In The Saddle," grab ya? Tee Hee.

Note: Just as a matter of fact, this entry marks my 365th entry on this journal. A year's worth of postings, in a little over 10 months! :) Whew! :)

-OndineMonet
"Love Story"
Cull Canyon, Castro Valley, Ca
Autumn, 2005

Meanwhile Back On Wisteria Lane

"Yes, each new day in suburbia brings with it a new set of lies. The worst are the ones we tell ourselves right before we fall asleep. We whisper them in the dark, telling ourselves we're happy, or that he's happy. That we can change, or that he will change his mind. We persuade ourselves that we can live with our sins, or that we can live without him. Yes, each night before we fall asleep we lie to ourselves in a desperate, desperate hope that come morning...it will all be true."

-Mary Alice Young (Desperate Housewives)

They're back...those desperate ladies of Wisteria Lane. And not just back for their third season...they are back to being the sharp, witty, funny, scary, intriguing ladies they were in the first season, but who were none of those things in the second. I was a fan of this show, before it ever debuted, and as I watched the first season unfold, it only became a bigger guilty pleasure in our house. Yes, even Alan was hooked on the silly goings on in the fictional town of Fairview U.S.A. In fact, we debated the characters many times, on our long drives to our photo jaunts. We discussed who we thought had the best marriage, duh, that was Lynette and Tom, and we even discussed how we, at times, saw our own lives and marriage, played out on the show, with only a little additional melodrama and moments of shocking revelation. LOL.

There is so much you aren't told when you get married. How you can go along for years believing that there is no one else on earth but your spouse, only to glance up one day into the eyes of someone who can drop you to your knees. There is rarely someone around on your wedding day to tell you that when it happens, it will be perfectly normal. They also don't tell you, that as much as you think you might know about the person you marry, you will invariably find out something new, something they have probably kept well hidden. Like they pick their nose, or that they don't just snore...they also drool. LOL. They also don't tell you, there will come times when one, or maybe both of you, will become mind numbingly bored, either with yourself, or with each other. Or maybe they do, when they get to the part of the vows that says, "For better or for Worse." Shrug.

The second season of Desperate Housewives, was a disjointed mess. Characters were added who had nothing to do with the main characters, and most of the shows seemed like filler. You know how that is with TV shows sometimes, it's like they are just trying to get to the end of the season without being canceled, which makes the characters seem empty somehow. It was dry, not really funny, but they one thing that remained strong was the clever narration done each week by the deceased, Mary Alice Young, played by Brenda Strong. But then again, as she said in the pilot episode, now that she was dead, most of her senses had become dull, but not her ability to see. She was now gifted with an incrediable sense of clarity about what was happening around her. She became sharp to her surroundings. And sharp she remained. That's why I decided to tune in last night.

Season three began last night, and I am pleased to say, the show is back to that original magic. It was funny, intriguing, and it even had Alan and I saying to each other, "What would you do?" Especially in reference to the situation with Tom's love child, and the psycho woman who is her mother. Sheesh! What a thing to have to deal with. I'm not so sure I could be as good natured and patient as Lynette is being, but then again, she does need to be desperate, to be a true, "Desperate Housewife." Tee Hee. Happiness and unhappiness comes in many forms, so does desperation, I suppose we are all alone in that we each have to find our own way.

So tell me, do you think Mike will come out of his coma? How about Bree, will she go through with marrying Orson? Will Susan "cheat" on Mike? Is Edie all through with her revenge and scheming against Susan? LOL. I'm DESPERATE to know what you think! ;) And be sure to take the "Which Housewife Are You?" quiz below. The first time I took it, I was Bree Van de Kamp, for the second season, I was Susan Meyer, this season, I am apparently, Edit Brit. I guess I can identify a little with all these ladies. YIKES!

Click on the graphic below to take the quiz. Comeback and tell me how you did!

"Edie Brit"

-OndineMonet

The Trials Of Dog

"Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are a good person, is a little like expecting a bull not to attack you because you are a vegetarian."

-Dennis Wholey

The world we live in isn't always a fair and just one... agreed? So, where do the lines of justice blur? Is it ever ok to break the law, for a righteous reason? Do motives supersede ethics or legalities?

I am thinking about the situation that Duane "Dog" Chapman, star of the A&E show, "Dog The Bounty Hunter," is currently facing. As you probably know by now, Dog, and his son and an associate, were arrested at their Honolulu home earlier this month, by U.S. Marshall's, on charges connected to the 2003 arrest, made by the men, of Max factor heir, and wanted fugitive, Andrew Luster. Luster had been on the run from his Los Angeles trial, where he was being tried on 86 charges of raping three woman, and drugging them with the date rape drug, GHB. Luster disappeared from his Ventura County home in early January, 2003, during his trial, and in his absence he was subsequently convicted of the charges and sentenced to 124 years in prison. When Luster fled, it set off an internation manhunt that included California police, the FBI and also included bounty hunters other then Chapman, who were seeking to re-coop some of the million dollar bail that had been posted by Luster.

During the 5 months after Luster skipped bail, Chapman had apparently made it a personal crusade to bring the cosmetics heir to justice. Duane "Dog" Chapman has claimed to have caught over 6,000 fugitives in his time as a bounty hunter, so I think he must have been aware of the legalities involved. Mexican laws says that the kidnapping on anyone, fugitive or not, is illegal. Period. Dog knew the law, and chose to pursue Luster anyway. The moral pull here is that he caught someone who was a clear threat to any society he lived in. After Luster was arrested in Mexico, the authorities found video tapes, and personal journals written by Luster which included detailed acts of violence he was planning to carry out, some included as,"payback," to the victims who had testified against him in his trial. So here is a question...

Should Duane, "Dog" Chapman be extradited to Mexico, to stand trial on charges of kidnapping fugitive, Andrew Luster?

AOL News, ran a poll earlier today, in which 86% of the respondents replied
"No" to that question. You can find the complete article and poll here.

There is a lot about this case I don't understand. For instance, why did federal marshalls have to "storm" Chapman's home at 6:00 am in order to arrest him? I think that given Chapman's celebrity he would have gone willingly when arrested. In fact, he did go willingly, there was no attempt to flee, so why was he arrested in such a melodramatic manner? Also, why did it take Mexican authorities over 3 years to finally file charges against Duane, Timothy and Leland?

The men are all currently released on bail, until a hearing later this month decides when they will be extradited to Mexico for trial on kidnapping charges. In the meantime, they are required to remain in the state, and to wear a tracking device which limits their movements to daylight hours. Chapman released a statement yesterday, offering the Mexican authorities an apology and an offer to pay whatever fine might be imposed in lieu of jail time in a Mexican prison.

So tell me, if you had the opportunity to stop a dangerous person, but knew up-front that you were probably going to be breaking the law to do it, would you? Tell me about what you think about Dog's arrest, and if you think he should serve time, then tell me how you think you would have handled the same, or a similar circumstance. Should public opinion ever be considered a deciding factor ,in who or what, is brought to trial? I want to know what you think.

L - R Leland Chapman, associate, Timothy Chapman, & Duane Chapman

Andrew Luster, after his arrest in Mexico (2003)

The wedding day of Duane and Beth Chapman (2006)

-OndineMonet
Court TV: Inside The Take-Down Of Andrew Luster

Fugitive Max Factor Heir Captured