Just Have Sex, And Lots Of It!

"On average, an infant laughs nearly two hundred times a day; an adult, only twelve. Maybe they are laughing so much because they are looking at us. To be able to preserve joyousness of heart and yet to be concerning in thought; in this way we can determine good fortune and misfortune on earth, and bring to perfection everything on earth."

- The I Ching

I am not sure what made me think of it, but yesterday I was thinking about a conversation I had a while back, with the mother of one of my childhood friends. It was back in the late 1990's. Alan and I were still living in our first apartment. It was a third floor walk-up that was only one bedroom, but had a view of the East Bay hills, and a lot of charm. It was our first home, in fact, it was brand new when we signed the papers, we got to start brand new, in a brand new apartment. It was paradise for us. We had such a good time, that our land lady used to get complaints of all the "happy noise" coming from our place. LOL. She didn't tell us, until we moved out that she used to have to deal with our neighbors complain about our laughing too much. LOL.

Our first four years were wonderful, there wasn't a care in the world. I think I might have mentioned that people used compare Alan and I to Paul and Jamie Buchman, on "Mad About You." One of Alan's friends came over for dinner one night, and before he went home he had decided to find himself a wife, because he said he never saw two people like Alan and I, who had so much fun together. He did indeed find a girl and settled down a couple years later. It was quite a compliment, coming from someone I was sure would never settle down. But he did. It felt good to be an example of happiness.

After about four years and six months, things began to change for us. It wasn't he and I, it was all the pressures of life that surrounded us. My parents became ill, and it was up to me to care for them. It was a difficult prospect. I knew my father was going to leave us soon, and my mother, well she was always ill one way or the other. Mostly she had a long history of mental problems, which didn't help dad much. I made it all work, but it was a lot of work to do so. Alan had his own pressures where he worked. We began to drift a little, then over the next couple years, as our various pressures increased, he and I drifted a lot. We very nearly separated in late 1997. And the worst thing that every happened to us, hadn't even happened yet.

I was sitting at Starbuck's one day, thinking about how sad the whole life we had, had become, when Penny, the mother of my best friend as a child, asked if she could join me. It had been years since we had spoken, we just hadn't run into each other, but it was a pleasant diversion to see her that morning, so I welcomed the company. I always had the urge to sit up straight when I was in Penny's presence, even at the age of 36. LOL. It was a parent. You should always be on your best behavior when you are around your friend's parents! LOL. Funny, but I still felt like a little person around her, even at the old age of 37.

As we shared about our lives, she asked about Alan. She had met Alan years earlier, and took an instant liking to him. They talked for hours at one of the parties I had given, just after we got married. "He's fine," I lied. "And how have you been?" She asked me. It wasn't as easy to lie about how I was, but I tried. "I'm ok. Just going one day at a time." Penny sat back in her chair, and looked me square in the eye, "Carly, what's wrong? Is there something or someway I can help." LOL. I guess it was a bit obvious at that point. I found myself telling her everything over the next 45 minutes or so, and she just let me talk, and cry and cry, between sips of my grande sized hot chocolate w/raspberry syrup.

She hadn't said a word the whole time... she just listened. When I was finished, she got a big grin on her face, and leaned in close to me to give me some advice. "Carly," she said, "go home, and have sex with that man. Have sex in the shower, in the garden, on the balcony, in the closet, on the floor, and even the kitchen sink! Don't even worry if there is dishes in the sink... JUST HAVE LOTS AND LOTS OF MESSY SEX!" Well, I may have been 37, and married nearly 8 years, but I knew I was blushing. When you are in the presence of a parent of a childhood friend, you don't really think about sex! You know? LOL. I was completely embarrassed, but I was enthralled with her advice. After all, it probably wasn't the worst advice anyone had ever given me. LOL. Although, sex was not ever a problem for us.

"Well Penny, the thing is, we don't really have problems with sex." I explained. "Yes dear, but if you are having sex in the kitchen sink, and it's good, you can work anything out! I know from experience. As soon as you are done, face the problems in your marriage... talk, touch, talk some more." I couldn't say her advice wouldn't work I had never tried it. I smiled at the thought, and when I went home that day, I tried it. I didn't worry about the sink, or if there was anything in it. And later... we talked. In fact, we talked all night and into the next morning. Alan ended up taking a day off from work, I found someone to check on mom, and we just talked. We got over a lot of problems in the months to come. Not because of sex, but because of the new intimacy we had allowed each other.

I guess the conversation I had with Penny was one of those conversations we all eventually have, the ones that reminds you that you are indeed a grown up. That day I went from thinking of Penny as the grown-up, to my peer. I found out that only 18 years separates us. When you are and old married lady of nearly 45, that is nothing. We are now grown-ups together. :) She is my friend, not just the mother of a friend. Her advice, helped then and it helped in 2000, when the "event which shall remain nameless" happened. It helped. It couldn't fix what broke in me that day in 2000, but it was put to use in the sense of allowing ourselves to remember each other. It gave us memories of other times when we worked things out. Sigh. You never know when someone will give you the advice of a lifetime, do you?

-OndineMonet

Vogue Cover May 15th, 1941

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Postermaking

"There is entirely too much charm around, and something must be done about it."

-Dorothy Parker

For this week's Photo Shoot i thought we might have a little fun with the concept:

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Make a poster of a favorite picture. You can make a fast and easy "poster" using the Motivator online application here - just upload or link to the photo you want to use, and then type in your text. Any photo is game. However, as I've highlighted the Motivator before (although not in a Photo Shoot), don't recycle the posters you may have made before.

-John Scalzi

ROFLMAO! I love Golden Gate Park sometimes! Last summer, on a particularly beautiful day, Alan and I decided to go into San Francisco, and have lunch in the park. We chose the grounds of the Conservatory of Flowers to enjoy the day. It was really beautiful that day, and the temperature seemed to bring the fun out in everyone. This guy was no exception. He was walking along, when all of a sudden, he did a handstand. Perfectly I might add. When he landed on his feet once again, he gave a happy little chuckle and continued on. :) Doesn't it just make your day to see someone having fun, and enjoying a carefree moment? I'm so glad I finally found a way to use this photo, it always makes me smile. Thank you anonymous guy... whoever you are!

-OndineMonet
"Too Cute Anonymous Guy"
Conservatory of Flowers
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, California
Summer, 2006

A New Meme, Sent To Me By Suzanne :)

"As every cat owner knows, nobody owns a cat."

-Ellen Perry Berkeley

Oh goody... a new meme. Suzanne, author of the blog, "New Suzanne R's Life," has tagged me to play a 7 and 7 meme. The idea is to list 7 things about myself, and 7 things about my cat Elvis. Sounds like fun... right? Well, the only thing is, I think I have pretty much told you everything relevant about myself, so I am not sure what I might be able to come up with. After you have been blogging for almost 4 years, there's not much new to tell. Hmmm... . As for Elvis, again I might have told you everything there is to know, I suppose I could toss a few lies in and see if you can spot the fibs. LOL. Nah... that wouldn't be very nice of me now would it? Ok, here goes, 7 things about me.

First Me

1. When I was a little girl, I won a penmanship contest, beating out the rest of my class for the blue ribbon for "Best Fifth Grade Penmanship."

2. I am, on occasion, a sleepwalker.

3. I don't snore, and I sleep on my stomach. (Is that 2 things?)

4. I usually blog while wearing only a t-shirt and undies. ;)

5. When they find my horribly mutilated body, they will ID me by the beauty mark I have just above my left boob.

6. I wear a size 7 bracelet and ring and shoe.

7. I have a curved spine. It's shaped like the letter "S."

Now Elvis :)

1. Elvis has one black spot on his right front paw pad.

2. Elvis sometimes wakes me with his snoring.

3. Elvis can't stand a closed door, sometimes to the point of panicking.

4. Elvis can walk backwards... in a straight line.

5. Elvis can drink from a straw.

6. Elvis has to have something under his chin for a brace when he sleeps. Often, he sleeps on a chair with his head resting on the arm.

7. Elvis loves voices, and has been known to play answering machine recordings over and over. Sometimes we call and leave him messages.

Now I am supposed to tag some folks to play along, but this meme is making the rounds pretty quickly, so if you want to join in the fun, please feel free, but be sure to come back here and leave me your link so I know you have played. I would love to come and read your entry! Thank you lovely Suzanne, you know how much I love doing memes! :)

Apropo Of Nothing

"I went down the street to the 24-hour grocery. When I got there the guy was locking the front door. I said, "Hey, the sign says you're open 24 hours." He said, "Yes, but not in a row."

-Steven Wright

I got a lot of emails and comments yesterday, mostly in regards to my last post. Sigh. Yeah, I was in a mood to be sure, it has been, and continues to be, a tough year. I have my moments, but I am doing better today, you guys lifted me back up a good bit. I dunno. I am still thinking about retiring at the end of the summer, but there are some things I am going to try in the mean time. I might cut my blogging days a bit. Maybe just blog Monday thru Friday, and take the weekends for clearing my brain. Inspiration can be difficult, when you feel like you have been in a coma for 6 months. Stupid Fibromyalgia! Anyway, I did some meditation and yoga yesterday, had a nice play session with Elvis, and things seem a lot less stressful. :) Thank you for that.

I drove my car yesterday, for the first time in 3 weeks! I have just been too tired and sore to get out and do things. But the weather was nice, and the temperature was good, so I went to the store and then grabbed a salad for lunch. YUM, salad. LOL. I decided to write a nice long grocery list, so I could get everything I needed in one trip, instead of going in several little store trips. Grocery stores are a lot more fun now, then when I was a child. Stores didn't have flowers or movies or even the gourmet deli sections like they do now. I can't believe I am old enough to remember the good old days of price guns. LOL.

Who knew grocery stores would get to be fun? The flowers yesterday were gorgeous! I saw the Lilly, in the above photo, and I just had to photograph it. Yes, I even take my camera to the grocery store! LOL. Although I have to say, I get the strangest looks when I take it out to photograph a display. I dunno, sometimes I just see stuff that looks interesting... like the dog food. It always looks so darn appetizing to me. Hmmm... that might be something to discuss with Sarah! LOL. Anyway, in a effort to make going to the store a little more interesting, I decided to write my list in French. Why French? I don't know, I guess food just sounds like it would taste better in French. Here is my list, do you know what I purchased?

sauce tomate de 6 bidons

2 remplissages de connexions de clairere (epice de cannelle)

poulet de 2 bidons du thon de mer

1 melange de Cornbread de calendrier de Marie

1 extrait de rhum

5 bananes

creme de 2 bidons de potage de poulet

2ltr. Biere de racine de tasse

boules de 1 coton de bolte

civiere de chat de chat de johnny de sac

1 grande bouteille de MIDOL

2 lances d'aneth de Vlasic de fioles

17 oranges. (Go figure, it's the same in French)

1 eclare de chocolat/fraise

1 sommaire d'opera de savon

It was kind of fun, walking around PW speaking French. It was a silly way to shake off the doldrums I was feeling, just a few hours earlier. And when I got home, Elvis and I had a nice dinner together, and then I gave him his insulin. It was the first time I did it alone. I am doing a lot better with that, I have found my timing, and he is an understanding cat. I don't think I have hurt him yet, but Alan had a difficult time the other day. Elvis hissed a bit, but never jumped or fussed. Like I said, he is an understanding kitty. :) I am going to sleep in today, and when Alan gets home, the three of us are going to BBQ. Right now both of the fellas are snoring the roof off. LOL. Gosh, sometimes Elvis snore louder than Alan. It's too funny! As irritating as the sound of snoring can be, right now, it's a happy sound! :)

-OndineMonet
"At The Store"
Saturday, May 19th, 2007

(Note: Some photos in this entry were taken last December) :)

Restlessness

"Know what's weird? Day by day, nothing seems to change, but pretty soon, everything is different."

-Bill Watterson

Sometimes I simply have too much on my mind to blog. I sit down to the computer, and I think about what I want to say, and I realize there isn't one reason in the world why you should care about the things I care about. How I feel about the war in Iraq. How lame I think the new House and Senate seems to be. Why should you care if I am worried to death about Elvis's health? Do you care that I counted 16 gray hairs on my newly dyed head? What do you really think about my Monday Photo Shoot entries, or my Weekend Assignment efforts? I am not really sure how many folks actually read the posts I put so much time into, although one person did take the time to tell me, in a comment, that my problems where petty this past week. Sorry if my little life isn't quite dramatic enough for you, "Anonymous" next time I will try to break a hip or something.

My writing isn't as good as my photos. I am not lost to that fact, but I think my photography has gotten better since I began blogging in 2003. This year has been a gigantic pain in my ass, as I have seen people come and go in my life, right and left, and I miss them more then I wish I did, but do you want to come by Ellipsis, just to read me whine about it? It's a valid question, because my numbers seem to drop when I write about what goes right in my life as opposed to the craptasticness that has been sitting on my shoulder. Weird. What holds your interest when you read a blog? Is it the positive or the negative?

This coming August 23rd will be my 4th anniversary as a blogger. That is a long time for me. I really wasn't sure that I would last that long, but with every day, came the desire to share some part of me. Good and bad. I think if I laid it all out, I know that I have a pretty good life, and I like sharing it. Do I have problems? Yeah, you bet! It doesn't have to be a part of Ellipsis. My blog is meant as a place to share ideas, and creativity. Sometimes my view gets a little dark, but most of the time it is about life. My life. When I first started blogging, I had no idea if anyone would ever see my photos, or read the quotes I looked up, but slowly, folks did come by. It felt good to have the feedback, not just because it was usually someone either agreeing with my opinions, or enjoying one of my photos, but it was the human contact. I am happy to say, I have rarely deleted a comment, either here on Blogger, or in the days of AOL Journals. I think between the two places, I have deleted a total of 5 comments. That's a good feeling.

I don't know. I guess I am wondering if maybe I might consider retiring as a blogger. Ellipsis was a bigger success than I have ever really planned for, but something in me is restless. Maybe I just need to get to the fall, when I always feel refreshed and renewed. Maybe there are people, places and things you just never get over, no matter how hard you try. I wish I knew. It's like there is this vague message being sent to me, from some far off place, telling me there is something I need to do, or experience. There is something waiting for me... but somehow... it doesn't feel like I can quite get there from here. Where I am now. Something needs to be different. You know? Am I wasting time here? Am I just filling empty time here?

I found out the other day that I am not getting DSL after all. It seems that even Earthlink, considers me a girl from the wrong side of the street. The lines they need in order to make DSL work are not on the side where I live. Sigh. Now I can get Comcast cable Broadband, but I don't want to. Nope. I swore that when I threw my cable box out the window, I would never do business with them again. And I won't. But there lies the trade off. Either I can go to what is currently available, or I sit, and wait, and hope DSL is eventually made available to me. Sigh. But do you really care? And is it petty to consider it one of my problems?

It's my opinion that we shouldn't try to play that game. We all own our problems, large or small. When will folks realize that we can't compare problems or accomplishments. My life is just that, my life. I shouldn't have to apologize for what's going right in it, or feel bad because my troubles don't fall to a certain level of drama or tragedy. But does sharing either make for good blogging? Would you rather read about the positives in a person's life or would you rather read about the same patterns of grief and displacement?

Personally, I read a what I think is a nice variety of blogs, some that make me laugh, some that make me feel less alone, and some that just show me the beauty in life. But I don't know. I just don't know what I have to offer. I guess while I continue to figure it all out, I will just keep doing what I am doing and see if everything doesn't begin to make sense again. I have given up on May, but June is just around the corner. Maybe then, maybe then. Right now everything just kinda reminds me of that old Barry Manilow song, "Ready To Take A Chance Again."

You remind me, I live in a shell,
safe from the past, and doing ok, but not very well
No jolts no surprises, crisis arises, my life goes along as it should
It's all very nice, but not very good.


Why does everything... everything... have to be a trade off?


-OndineMonet
"Weird"
Conservatory of Flowers
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, California
February 14th, 2007
Afternoon

John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment #166: Rock Out

After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music."

-Aldous Huxley

Weekend Assignment #166: Name the three songs you listen to when you totally want to rock out. Note that they don't have to be rock songs - they can be in any genre whatsoever, and from any era. They just have to be the songs that get you pumped up and ready to go.

Extra credit: And name one song to cool you back down.

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

Only three? I could name many more than that, I love rock music, from every decade from the 50's up until now. :) Only three... hmmm... where shall I start?
I know, let's start with the Ramones...

1. Sheena Is A Punk Rocker. By Ramones.

Well the kids are all hopped up and ready to go now

They're ready to go now

They've got their surfboards

And they're going to the discotheque a go-go

But she just couldn't stay, she had to break away

Well New York really has it all, oh yeah, oh yeah

Sheena is a punk rocker, Sheena is a punk rocker, Sheena is a punk rocker now.

2. Rag Doll. By Aerosmith

"Every life has a measure of sorrow, and sometimes this is what awakens us."

-Steven Tyler (Aerosmith)

3. Jazzman. By Carole King

Lift me won't you lift me, above the old routines, make it nice, play it clean

Jazzman

When the Jazzman's testifyin' a faithless man believes

He can sing you into paradise, or bring you to your knees

It's a gospel kind of feeling, a touch of Georgia slide

A song of pure revival, and a style that's sanctified

Jazzman, take my blues away

Make my pain the same as yours, with every change you play

Jazzman, oh Jazzman...

And that is just three examples of different types of rock that I enjoy. I also love the Beatles, Rolling Stones, REM, B 52's. It's really difficult to name just three songs that get me going. :)

Extra Credit: Now when it comes down to something nice and relaxing, again I find myself with a long list of songs and music that bring me a little peace. I think I probably listen to Sting most often for something mellow, one of my favorite songs is, "If I Ever Lose My Faith In You," but I also have some favorite New Age music, by Dan Alvarez and Dennis Hysom, that I listen to when I do my meditation. One especially beautiful song by Alvarez/Hysom is, "Memory of Snow" from their "Ancient Voices" CD.

"It's not that you have a huge canvas to paint on, or a novel length to fill. You've got to tell the story in two verses a chorus and a coda and that takes some skill."

-Sting

-OndineMonet
"Music Store"
Santa Cruz, California
October 14th, 2006
Afternoon

3 Out Of 5

"The point of philosophy is to start with something so simple as not to seem worth starting, and to end with something so paradoxical that no one will believe it."

-Bertrand Russell

LOL. If you click on my blog, as opposed to reading me through a syndication feed, you probably know that I have done a major amount of sidebar maintenance in the last 6 months. I have added some Google Gadgets that I thought would make Ellipsis more interesting to those who visit me, most recently I added the virtual cat "Maukie." If you haven't tried playing with Maukie, stop by my blog in person, and give it a try. :) While you are here visiting, give the Fortune Cookie Generator a try, usually it will provide you with some sort of positive affirmation, but sometimes it will lay it all on the line, such as with the above message it left for me recently. "Stay The Curse." LOL. Well, I guess the better the devil you know! LOL.

Anyway, I am happy with things in life over all, despite this being one of my least favorite years so far. As I was telling Sarah yesterday, there are a few things that continue to hurt my slightly damaged heart, and who knows if this is the best it will get, or if I will one day wake up and not feel that sadness? It's a mystery. Life is a mystery. So, in the mean time, how about a quizapalooza to fill the time? I took all five of the following quizzes, but what I want you to do is to choose 3 out of the 5 quizzes, do them, and then leave me your results in the comment thread for this entry. Simply click on the links below, to be redirected.

1. What Are The Chances That You've Been Abducted By Aliens?

2. Are You A Candy Heart Or A Candy Fart?

3. How Rare Is Your Personality?

4. If You Were Born in 2893...

5. What Kind Of Sundae Are You?

OK, your turn, take the quizzes. You know you want to! ;)

"Being a philosopher, I have a problem for every solution."

-Robert Zend

-OndineMonet

Round Robin Challenge: "Pink"

"One of the most important things for a critic to learn is how to sleep undetected in a theater."

-William Archer

Pink is my favorite color! It has been my whole life, although I am rather fond of green as well, but there is just something about pink that makes me feel happy inside. I am so pleased that someone chose such a happy color to honor. As I looked in my digital photo files for something pink, I realized something peculiar, it seems that while pink might be my favorite color, as it turns out, I have photographed very few things that are pink! Odd. I will have to work on that. I did come across a few examples that represent my favorite color well, such as the picture above of the, Fremont Theater, in San Luis Obispo, California. It is such a pretty theater, especially at night when all the lights are on. The next time I am in SLO, I will have to take more photos of this historic movie house. As a matter of fact, I have been thinking about doing a photo series of theaters this summer. My camera is always on the move... well... as much as I can find the energy for. :) I hope you enjoy the following examples of "Pink."

Fireworks at the Kaboom concert, May 2006.

Pink orchid at the Conservatory of Flowers, summer 2006.

Gorgeous pink/purple cliffs along the Monterey Bay, spring 2007.

Renee, author of the blog, "Ode to the Muse" chose this challenge for us. Thank you Renee, for the fun challenge! Please be sure to drop by her blog and the blogs of all our participants to see their entries for this challenge! And don't forget to drop by the official Round Robin blog this Thursday, to find out the topic for our next round of the challenges!



-OndineMonet

Linking List

1. Renee... Ode to the Muse
POSTED!

2. Karen... Outpost Mavarin
POSTED!

3. Carly... Ellipsis... Suddenly Carly
POSTED!

4. Kerrin... A New Day
POSTED!

5. Janet... Fond of Photograhy
POSTED!

6. Meg... In Quest of the Truth
POSTED!

7. Cosette... Birds of Venus
POSTED!

8. Marie... Photographs and Memories Too
POSTED!

9. Gina... Gina's Space
POSTED!

10. Teena... It's all about me!
POSTED!

11. Gattina... Keyhole Pictures
POSTED!

Your Monday Photo Shoot: The Letter "B"

"A gourmet who thinks of calories, is like a tart who looks at her watch."

-James Beard

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Take a picture of something beginning with the letter "B". That shouldn't be too brain-busting, right?

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

YUM! How about this for a "B" photo? A Banana Burrito, with chocolate-caramel sauce. This dessert is a favorite of ours, whenever we are in the mood to split an after meal treat. Where can you find this decadent dream dessert come true? Well, it is served at Don Jose's Mexican restaurant, in both Castro Valley, and Danville. All the food on the menu is fabulous, but this dessert is really something special. :) It's name may start with the letter "B" but it is definitely an "A" list menu item. :)

-OndineMonet
"YUM"
Don Jose's Mexican Restaurant
Danville, California
May, 2005
Afternoon

My Weekend Of Fun :)

"Even if happiness forgets you a little bit, never completely forget about it."

-Jacques Prevert

Here, as promised, are the photos I took this past weekend. It was fun to have Alan home on a weekend, it is a rarity with his job, so we made the most of it. We did a lot, shook off a lot of stress we have been feeling because of Elvis's diabetes, so it was a good time for us... all of us! I had planned to go over to San Francisco on Sunday to photograph the parts of a clipper ship, from the 1800's, which recently washed ashore on Ocean Beach, but by the time Sunday came around my energy level was simply too low. Sigh. The ship only surfaces about every 20 years, so I guess I will just have to plan on being available again in 2027. LOL. Stay tuned. :) For now enjoy the photos from the chili cook-off from Friday night, where I bought the yummy kettle corn you see in the above photo, the Rowell Ranch Rodeo Parade on Saturday morning and the Kaboom concert Saturday night!

Friday Night...

Hannah, of Java Bob's coffeehouse. She makes the best mocha's!

Hannah also made the best chili of the cook-off! We voted for them to win!

Saturday Morning...

Rowell Ranch Rodeo official website

Miss Rowell Ranch 2007, Amanda Delaplane.

"Chippy" The CHP officer.

Local traffic guy, Mike Inouye, NBC channel 11.

Castro Valley High Trojans Marching Band.

California "Teacher of the Year" Charles Reynes.

Alameda County Supervisor, representing Castro Valley, Nate Miley.

You don't see a unicorn every day!

:) Pretty Horse :)

Saturday Night...

KABOOM! KFOG 104.5

I look forward to the second weekend in May every year, it is a good chance to shake off all the worries and woes, and just kick back and have some fun. We needed that, and it paid off. I was finally able to give Elvis his injection, and I did it perfectly. That was a major weight lifted off me. After I failed twice to inject him properly, I considered not ever trying it again. I think all I needed was to take a step back and relax, and this weekend did that for me. I know it will all be fine now!

-OndineMonet

"Kettle Corn"

Java Bob's

20991 Redwood rd, Castro Valley (510-733-2627)

Illumination Night

"In photography, there is no shadow which cannot be illuminated."

August Sander

I love fireworks. I love photography. But I really love working on my fireworks photography. :) Last night gave me a great opportunity to do just that. It was time again for the annual KABOOM concert and fireworks show, sponsored by KFOG 104.5. Great music, and an awesome extended fireworks show, was just what the doctor ordered. After the Rowell Ranch Rodeo Parade, we came home for a nap, then it was off to the music, and the Marin side of the Golden Gate, so I could get the fireworks, and the skyline of San Francisco together in the photos. Lots of wind made things somewhat difficult, but I was able to hold the camera in place with the tripod, with only a little resistance. The were some low clouds, and some of that famous San Francisco fog to deal with, but I think it adds a little something special to the feel of the photo. Overall I am happy with the results.

I am still fighting a cold, and I am exhausted, so I will probably be paying for my time out with the camera this weekend, but somehow my spirit feels a sense of wellness that it hasn't felt for a while. It has been a good weekend, and hopefully tomorrow, I will meet one more goal I have set for myself rounding things out nicely, and giving me something interesting to share with you. Wish me luck on that, my energy level is low tonight, but hopefully some sleep, and a warm sunny day tomorrow will bring about the energy I need. I can always rest next week. :)

Enjoy!

Here was my favorite song from the simulcast play list.

Shiny Happy People
By REM

Meet me in the crowd
People, people
Throw your love around
love me, love me
Take it into town
Happy, happy
Put it in the ground
Where the flowers grow
Gold and silver shine

Shiny happy people holding hands
Shiny happy people holding hands
Shiny happy people laughing

Everyone around
Love them, love them
Put it in your hands
Take it, take it
There's no time to cry
Happy, happy
Put it in your heart
Where tomorrow shines
Gold and silver shines




-OndineMonet
"Kaboom 2007"
May 12, 2007
Vista Point
Marin side of the Golden Gate

I Know Who You Are, And I Saw What You Did!

"One of my contentions is that bad or inconsiderate driving behavior begins right in our own neighborhoods. We're already speeding on our street or running stop signs, then we take this behavior on to every other roadway."

-Tom Everson

Does it get anymore irritating than this? Alan and I went to the chili cook off in Castro Valley last night, and instead of just being able to park, we have to contend with this! If it had been a case of one inconsiderate dolt who had taken up more than one space, it would have been one thing, but there were at least three different incidents of this within a parking area of about 175 available spaces. That might sound like a lot of parking, but not when you consider as many as 1,000 people usually attend this event. I am all for folks doing their own thing, and driving what they want, but I really believe that if you can't handle the vehicle you own, you need to not be driving it. I finally got into this space, after giving up on two others, but as you can see, my space was invaded on, and the spooky thing is, the car encroaching on my space isn't that big!

Now before you jump on me for being some kind of car bigot, understand, three out of the last four times I was cut off in traffic, it was by a vehicle that was twice the size of my car. Two SUVs and a LARGE/ExtraLONG truck. What is the deal with that? Why does it seem like most SUV drivers, drive like they think the road is just for them? Is it something about the vehicles themselves? Does the gasoline, which you pay so dearly for, have the some sort of VIAGRA it? With national gas prices at an all time high, how and why would you want a vehicle which not only can you obviously not park, but which also costs you a small fortune just to go about town?

I know, I know, not everyone who owns a truck or SUV is as inconsiderate as the folks I saw last night, and in general, most people can handle the their choice of auto, but really, situations like this do seem to be happening more and more. Now I have been cut off by regular sized vehicles as well, but I have been paying close attention since last August, when I was very nearly in an accident, after I was cut off on HWY580, by a truck. I shook off the fear after a few weeks, but now, every time I have to be on that particular stretch of road, I think about that day... and how scared I was. Alan was with me, and all I could think of was, "God please, if this is it, please don't let Alan suffer." I thought of him. Sigh.

It's bad enough when someone makes that kind of mistake, or acts unsafely in traffic, but when you actually park your vehicle, get out, and go about your business without checking to see if you have parked correctly, well, that just makes you a jerk. Of course on the other hand, it's not like the DMV makes anyone pass a test of ethics or consideration, but don't they still make you prove you can park the vehicle you drive? I honestly think that more tickets need to be handed out to those who can't park their cars sufficiently, and then after oh, say, three times ticketed within a year... YANK... goes the license! Because obviously you need more practice. I blotted out the plate number of the cars I photographed for this entry, it's just my personal ethic, but I am really thinking about posting the plate number the next time this happens. Sigh.

Ok, your turn. Tell me what you think. Am I wrong? Am I right? Do you have an opinion about SUVs in general? Do you have a personal pet driving peeve? Opinions, opinions!

-OndineMonet

"Bad Driver"
Castro Village Shopping Center
Castro Valley, California
May 11th, 2007
Late Afternoon

**By the way, other than this situation, we had a really good time. I will have a round-up of my weekend activities, with plenty of fun photos, for my post on Monday.

The ABC's Of Me :)

"Life never becomes a habit to me, it is always a marvel."

-Katherine Mansfield

It's been quite a week, but this weekend ought to be kinda fun. Later tonight, Alan and I are going to a Chili cook-off, then on Saturday, we are going to the Rowell Ranch Rodeo Parade, in Castro Valley, then later in the evening we are going across the bay to photograph the fireworks from the KABOOM concert, and finally on Sunday, hopefully, we can get over to the city to do a little camera time. There are a couple of very special time sensitive things I want to photograph. It has to be done within a certain limited window of opportunity. We'll see.

That's a lot more activity then I have had recently, so I think I might be overreaching a bit with what I want to do, but as you know, I enjoy a good plan "B" just as much as my original ideas. So, with all this coming up, and my continuing drama of learning to give insulin to Elvis, of which I am currently 0 for 2, I thought I would be good to myself and go to bed early. But I found this meme over at Patrick's Place, who had seen it at Robbie's and Wil's,(Hi Robbie and Wil) so I thought I might give it a try as well. Thanks guys! :) Here we go...

The ABC's Of Me

A-Available or Single? Nope, well, maybe. I think Alan is getting ready to throw me back. It never hurts to ask... make me an offer! :) Really! :)

B-Best Friend: H.P.

C-Cake or Pie: Cake please. Especially Black Forest cake. It's my favorite. :)

D-Drink of Choice: Coke Classic.

E-Essential Item(s) My car, computer, CD player, cell phone, and David Duchovny.

F-Favorite Colors(s) Black, purple, green.

G-Gummi Bears or Worms? Definitely bears, especially cinnamon bears.

H-Hometown? Y'all know that one already.

I-Indulgence: Bubble bath. I like lots and lots of bubbles!

J-January or February: February... it has less days in it!

K-Kids: Nope.

L-Life is incomplete without: Music.

M-Marriage Date: October 13, 1990.

N-Number of siblings: Pass

O-Oranges or Apples? Oranges, I love citrus fruit.

P-Phobias/Fears: Spiders, Fire, Needles.

Q-Favorite Quote:

"For every evil under the sun, there is a remedy or there is none. If there be one seek till you find it. If there be none, then never mind it."

-Mother Goose

R-Reasons to smile: Elvis when he smiles. :) Kites, finding a really good photo op without looking for it.

S-Season: Autumn.

T-Tag Three: Nah... if you like the meme feel free to play along. :)

U-Unknown Fact About Me: I think I have pretty much told you everything, but if you have a question for me please feel welcome to leave it in the comment thread for this entry and I will answer it for you. Only one per customer please. :)

V-Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animals? I eat meat, but I really am more of a vegetarian then not. I love my salads. :)

W-Worst Habit(s) I am resistant to change of any kind. I can be a bit rigid.

X- X-rays or Ultrasounds? If I had to choose between the two, I guess I would go with the ultrasound. It can be rather soothing.

Y-Your Favorite Foods: Italian food, cheesecake, salad.

Zodiac: I am a Cancer or Moon Child. I am a true one. Sentimental and romantic to a fault. LOL.

There you go... that is the wonder that is me! :) Care to tell me about yourself? If you play along, comeback here and leave me a link to your entry so I can see your answers. :)

-OndineMonet

"A Reason To Smile"
Berkeley, California
May 10th, 2007
Noon

Steven's Feline Friday: Elvis... The New Adventure Begins!

"You will always be lucky if you know how to make friends with strange cats."

-Proverb

My little boy is home! The adventure with his new health regimen begins! He had a difficult afternoon, as he had to say goodbye to Dr."B" and his two favorite nurses, "M" and "D." Elvis always enjoys seeing them, once he gets to the doctor's office, it's the traveling in-between that he doesn't care for. He is scared of the sound of sirens, and unfortunately there was a fire truck going by just as Alan stepped out of the doctor's office with him. It scared Elvis pretty bad, but it was soon over with, and the office isn't too far away, so they were home in just a few minutes. After a half hour or so of giving us the cold shoulder, he was his same old self. Grinning, chasing his laser mouse, and when it came time for his first injection of insulin, we were much more nervous then he was! LOL.

Alan gave him his first dose, just after dinner. It couldn't have gone smoother. :) Then it was my time with Elvis, as I gave him a treat of two Tbs. Beef and Gravy Gerber's baby food. We will have to keep that on hand now, as it will be a regular part of his insulin schedule. Later on this morning, at around 5:00 am, it will be my turn to give him an injection. Gulp! Actually, I am not worried. He and I will do a little Yoga, have our Wheaties, and then he will hold my paw as I cowboy up, and give him a shot for the first time. :) I can do this?! I can do this! Right?

:)

Here is Elvis, after he came home last night. :)

Dr "B" had to shave his neck a bit in order to draw his blood. :( That kinda caught me off guard a bit. he has to have his blood checked again next week, so it might be a while before he looks the same, but he is being a good sport. Like I said, I am the Nervous Nelly... not him! LOL.

He was a happy little guy last night, just after we took this photo, he got a new red collar, with a heart shaped tag which reads, "I am Diabetic." It was recommended as a precaution, should he ever somehow get out of the yard.

This is my entry for this week's edition of Feline Friday, the day my pal Steven has set aside to honor the cats we love. You can find out all the information you need to play along by visiting his blog, (sometimes) photoblog.


PS Thanks everyone for the emails and comments regarding my previous post. Your good thoughts and wishes really helped a lot! :)


"No life is so hard that you can't make it easier by the way you take it."

-Ellen Glasgow

-OndineMonet
"Elvis In Shades"
May 29th, 2007
Berkeley, California
Late Afternoon

Insert Cat Here

"An animals eyes have the power to speak a great language."

-Martin Buber

It's been a tough week, but it's getting better. Sigh. It all started kind of slow, it was subtle little things. Elvis was just not his usual self. Even as I sit here right now, it's difficult to describe his symptoms. He was his same happy little self, alert and eager to play. He had a good appetite, and he would greet us when we came home, but his afternoon naps where suddenly much longer than usual, and he had begun to lose weight. That was the first big signal we had, that something wasn't right. He had also begun to sneeze... a lot. And with the sneezing came the wheezing and some coughing, then just as suddenly as it began, it all stopped and seemed to be gone. Everything seemed normal again, but at his birthday party Alan and I noticed he was a good bit thinner than he was at his last weigh-in last February. We decided to call his vet, Dr. "B" and tell him what was happening. Dr. "B" said to bring him in last Thursday, early in the morning, for blood work and a urine test. We found out Friday, that Elvis has advanced Diabetes.

It was a terrible thing to find out. All kinds of terrible thoughts ran through my mind about how I was about to lose my best little buddy. Sigh. I was reeling a good bit, when Alan reminded me to do what I always do when something changes in my life, do some research, find out the facts, and educate myself. That is the way forward. So, feeling really lost and scared about what kind of decisions might be in front of us, I went and did my homework. As it turns out, while Elvis's diabetes is advanced, we can get it under control, and help him stay on the right track with an adjustment to his diet, and two injections daily of insulin. We can do that! He will be fine, it just means paying a little closer attention to him when he eats, to make sure he does indeed eat his meals, and when he is done, we give him a shot of insulin, followed by a treat.

Dr. "B" says that a spoonful or two of his favorite baby food or some plain cooked chicken will do fine. Whew! We are lucky, in that there was no damage done to his liver or kidneys, and other than the diabetes, he is in excellent health. He has to do some special exercises to gain back some of the muscle tone he has lost, but we will be able to help him with that, especially now that he will begin to feel like his old self, as the insulin does it's job. The most difficult part will be the first time I have to give him and injection. Sigh. It will be a lot worse for me, than for him. LOL. But I will be learning how to do that later today, and I will be able to deal with it. I have done more than one thing in this life I would have sworn I wouldn't have survived, and in the end, I did indeed get through it.

He has been in the hospital for the last couple days, while Dr. "B" regulates his insulin intake. It was hard sending him off last Monday, with his favorite hat on and his stuffed monkey, "Cap-N-Federick" by his side. He didn't even fuss about being put into his carrier, an event which usually brings about a good bit of protest! LOL. Not this time, he simply gave his daddy a dirty look and sat down on his companion, and said nothing. I think I wished in that moment he would have given me that defiant "NO" mew, which really does sound like he is saying, "NO!"

Alan and I have been alone since Monday morning. It's the first time in a long time, and it was strange to realize how much time we had spent with him individually and the three of us as a family. Elvis is our child. He is a part of every single day, and is a factor in the decisions we make. We take our jobs as parents to this cat seriously. Not everyone does. A point which has caused a good bit of stress lately with a neighbor of ours. There is a responsibility in owning a pet, and sometimes I wish it could be regulated who is allowed to keep a pet and who isn't, but I will save that rant for another entry.

Anyway, Alan and I both have head colds. It is the second one I have had since the first of the year. Apparently when I get stressed out to a certain level, I catch a head cold. LOL. The fact that Alan and I are both sick, at the same time, is another thing which hasn't happened in quite some time. LOL. We have been having record heat in the Bay Area... just making things about as uncomfortable as it can be, but he and I have been enjoying our time together anyway. The other night we ate Stouffer's Macaroni and Cheese in bed, while we watched a spooky movie on TV. Last night it was soup and the very scary Irwin Allen movie, "The Swarm." LOL. There is nothing better than macaroni and cheese, a head cold which produces a fever of at least 101, a comfy bed, and the company of someone you love. I just wish Elvis could have been there also, stealing a bite of the cheesy noodle yumminess. Noodles of any kind make him giggle. :)

Today will be a good day.The temperature is supposed to be 70 degrees. Whew! My fever is down to 99, and we pick Elvis up from Dr."B" this afternoon. We will be fine, the three of us, we will work it out together. It's just another one of our adventures. Right? Oh, and in case you are wondering about the pamphlet in the above photo, well see, Dr. "B" had run out of the pamphlets with cats on the cover, so he gave us the one with the dog, and said, "wherever it says dog insert cat." Hmmm... cats and dogs are treated the same way. That makes sense... I guess. LOL. Elvis would hate knowing he shares something with dogs. LOL. I don't think I will tell him. Nope. Not a good idea. LOL. See, I still have my sense of humor, thank goodness, because I think I am going to need it. :)

-OndineMonet