580 Ride

So, you all know how I feel about mattresses on the highway.

Well, today there was not just a mattress on the highway, it was joined by a dresser and a couple of drawers.

I just gotta say, how the fuck do you let a dresser fall off the back of your truck? Do you just think I'll just put it in the back of the truck, its heavy no need to tie it down.

Stupid moron! Now where will you put your clothes?

Oakland Taj

I am reading an article in Smithsonian about the Taj Mahal, you know big white building in India. It is a monument of love, a tomb for a woman who died giving birth to her 14th child. Yes, 14th child, she was 38 years old and her husband missed her so much that he spent the next 15 years building this big white building as a way to remember his favorite wife. Or so the romantic story is.

The pictures of the Taj that we see are of this beautiful white building, white marble inlaid with precious stones and built along side a river. Well, what we see is beautiful, but behind that white marble? Brick and other building material that is not so pretty. I have always wanted to see it, it is on my bucket list and I'll get there someday, but until then there is Oakland.

There is a building in Oakland, that I pass everyday on my way to work. It used to be The Gingerbread House, now I am referring to it as the Oakland Taj. I am not sure what it is going to eventually be, but I will try to document the progress for you.

So, this is what made me stop. Yes, those are marble sink tops. I am picturing portraits in those ovals, but I did wonder about the little holes. Will they be filled in?? Are they going to get little gems put in them?

Well, here is a portrait.
This is what they are doing with the little holes.

Closeup of the decoration going in the little holes.

So while it is bart that blasts by and not a river, it does have a little garden area and is going to be interesting to watch what it finally becomes, I'm hoping its not a tomb of any kind. But whatever it turns out to be, I'll let you know.

in honor o' me little sister

I will try t' keep me blog up t' date

Happy International Talk like a pirate day

We be seeing you soon, me bung hole (look it up, its not a bad thing)

Corner questions

Well got a message today from the baby sister that my blog is woefully out of date. Pot calling kettle black,, me thinks. So with that in mind there is one thing that has been making me wonder for a couple of weeks.

I travel the same route to work just about every single day. I come off the highway at the same exit and stop at the same lights over and over and over again.

At the last light before entering a tunnel there is a person with a sign asking for money. Most days it is the same guy he looks like he could use a hand and once in a while I hand him some cash.

But then there are other days when there is someone else standing on that corner.

What do I wonder about? How is it decided who gets to call that corner mine on any given day?

Is there a lottery somewhere? You put your name in a box and someone pulls it out with and pulls your location from another location? Is it just who gets there first? Are there first fights over corners? Where does the regular guy go when he is not on that corner?

Just wondering.

A is for Adele

Or A-dell as they call her in Alabama.

My beloved and I finally saw the fantastic Adele at the Greek last night. The show was originally scheduled for the Warfield (which was too small) then for the Greek in June, then Miss A got sick and cancelled. Well the wait was worth it. It was a beautiful night, warm with no fog rolling in, almost a full moon.

We made it to the Greek and stood right at the stage and while it hurt my neck after a while, the show was well worth it..

Her opening act was 73 year old Wanda Jackson, former paramour to Elvis (for a minute), former country western star and currently produced by Jack White of the White Stripes. This woman has been making music for longer than I have been alive and I've been around awhile - sad to say.

She was great in her little bollaro jacket with the pink fringe that moved as she shook her booty.

Show started right on time (give or take 5 minutes) Ms. Jackson sang a few songs, the road crew came out and broke down her set and put Adele's set together in less than 10 minutes and out she came. On time and looking, well like Adele.

This is what a concert should be, the performer, a couple of backup singers and a few musicians and nice stage and great music.

There were no dancers, no crazy sets to run around on and no phony overproduced lip syncing.

She was there to sing and did she ever. She was there to interact with the crowd and she really did, as my beloved said she was cheeky. She was there to entertain her fans and we were entertained.

My only complaint was that it ended too soon.

Happy Birthday to you!

August 5th is a special day. My baby sister was born on this day, I will not say how many years ago it was. I will just say it was a good day.

Obviously, it was summer and it was a hot day that turned into a steamy humid night.

I remember my mother was really pregnant and it was a time when pregnant women dressed in maternity clothes. My mom wore lots of A frame sleeveless tops and shorts. I'm not sure if I am making this up but I recall a white top with green circles on it and she wore it with green shorts. I remember thinking she was beautiful.

My older brothers (19 & 18) were just mortified that our mother was knocked up.

My younger brother was mad because he was not going to be the baby anymore and we never let him forget that he is not the baby.

There was a Disney movie playing at the local movie house, I don't remember which one (I'm sure my older sister will remember) I got to see it one night and the current baby was supposed to go the next night, but the new baby decides she is going to come so current baby does not get to see the movie.

Mom and Dad go away and Dad comes back and I remember him making pancakes the next morning, they stuck to the ceiling when he flipped them.

A few days later they came home with a perfect little baby girl. And she was perfect, except for that little cord that was stuck to her belly button. That freaked me out - gotta admit it. Sorry.

We used to sit around and just look at her, all of us. She was a beautiful baby, she was a beautiful young child, she was a cute girl, then she hit her geeky stage, then she became a beautiful young woman.

Today she is a smart, beautiful, athletic, kind, loving woman that I am proud to call my baby sister.

Happy Birthday Suzy. I love you.

Take part of my liver, please

What does your liver do?

I kind of understand that it acts as a filter for your body. One thing I do know is that when it stops working things go terribly wrong and you are fucked.

My beloved's has a first cousin who has a 25 year old daughter whose liver has stopped working.

She is the mother of a 5 year old daughter that had her first day of school today. Rather than taking pictures of her daughter going off on her first big step into life, she is strapped to a hospital bed with a tube down her throat so she can breath.

Her doctor says he has never seen a liver this bad in a person this young. She is not a drug abuser or alcoholic so they are not sure what has caused this.

I have to ask whoever is in charge: WHAT IS THE POINT OF THIS??