The Case of the Missing Decorations

When we began hauling out the Christmas decor to plaster our new Pitt house with holiday tack three years ago, we discovered that some of our favorite stuff was missing. We searched everywhere but no luck. Last year we looked again but gave up assuming that the box either never made it onto the moving truck or never made it off. We got over it....BUT then Halloween came this year and the lovely non-scary decorations were pulled out. Alas, a box, of our FAVORITE things could not be found. This box was here last year...but it had disappeared. Now I ask you, what is going on here? If this keeps up we will be decoration deficient.

Thanks...

While jogging this morning and contemplating turning the house into a Christmas wonderland I thought about what a nice Thanksgiving we had with our girls...I am thankful for so many things...

...thankful for my Pat, my love and partner for life

...thankful for my two wonderful daughters who I love more than life itself. Two journeys
that began at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta continue to blossom and grow.

...thankful for my brother, Bruz, who I love and who always amazes me.

...thankful for Kristy and Diana, my sisters by choice.

...thankful for my pal Katrina who never judges me when I am grumpy and is always there.

...thankful for all the experiences that have made up my life so far; preparing me for changes and challenges and moving forward.

...thankful for all the wonderful people I call friends.

...Oh, and thankful for at least one half of a fabulous Bama over Auburn football game. I am sure all the Auburn fans are thankful for the other half.

A Connecticut Yankee in King Roy's Court....

We attended a realtor event last night and Lennie Rosenbluth was there! Who the heck is that you say...Well he played for the Tar Heels on the 1957 NCAA Championship Team coached by Frank McGuire, and he is at least a 100 (not really, but close). His wife must be a realtor.

Well, when the event was over everyone went to the bar to continue...whatever. Several of us began talking with a man at the bar who was from, you guessed it, Connecticut. Naturally the conversation turned to basketball and of course he had to confess that he was a UConn fan. After the booing subsided our broker, Randy, informed him that we (Pat and me) were bulldogs...it got a little confusing at this point because I had just said how lovely Connecticut was...The man asked me if we were alumni...I'm thinking, huh? I went on to say, "No just him", pointing to Pat...at this point the man said, "And New Haven is a really nice place too". I agreed, but was quite confused. "When did he", pointing to Pat, "Graduate from Yale"? "Yale"? I said, thinking where in the heck did Yale come from. "Yeah, Yale Bulldogs". "Oh no, Georgia Bulldogs" I said. The man looked puzzled as though he had never heard of the Georgia Bulldogs. If that doesn't put things in perspective, I don't know what does.

What did I tell you.....

....Michael Bloomberg and Joe Scarborough are thinking about an independent run for the Presidency and Vice! Veeery interesting I say. I am ready to abandon the idealogical left and support pragmatic politics. Bloomberg comes out of the progressive Republican politics in New York and Scarborough comes out of the South but is fed up and turned off by the current political sideshow called the Republican Party. Change!? Oh yes, it is time for change. FLUSH I say and FLUSH it good!

Presumed Intelligent

I have finally figured out what went wrong...why didn't Obama counter the ridiculous rhetoric of the WRRRIGHT prior to the election? Silly, not born in America, man; you thought most people would know that the teabag crowd was ill informed and really did not know what they were talking about. You presumed those who voted would figure this out....huh?

News from the Pitt

I know there are those of you out there who are just dying to know the news from Pittsboro. Well, let's see...The Neighborhood School/Pizza Takeout has morphed into an Italian Restaurant, Bella Donna's. I think the little school is still there too. We have ordered takeout and it was really good. We missed the Street Fair this year because we were in Atlanta, but understand it was as good as ever. They have put a temporary roof on the Courthouse and taken down the scaffolding. It looks a little bit better. The county is still deciding what to do. A Japanese takeout is going to open soon and most are very excited. (there are very few fast food places)

The political situation is grim, at least from my standpoint. The Dems lost all contested seats on the county commission, and Bob Etheridge is behind in the vote for the 2nd District Congressional seat. There will be a recount but it does not look good for Bob. So much for the Blue State euphoria I have been in for the past two years.

Katrina and I made a pledge on this blog back in January that we were getting in shape....well we have persevered. We can count on one hand/paw the number of times we have not exercised. Walking became "wogging", and now we are jogging! Four Miles! Many (maybe 70) pounds have been left on Pitt asphalt. We are not finished, 15 more pounds!!! This could explain the lack of posts...too tired.

Pat ran the car, aka Shamu, into a pole of some sort last Sunday and smashed the entire front. He blamed it on the sun. Good thing we have good insurance.

Our homeowners association is at it again; war has been declared on solar panels. Since we have all been transported back to the 19th Century we must remember that energy conservation does not exist.

Football...I'm outta here!

Cam Newton being allowed to play for Auburn last night was bad enough, but the "second coming" reception he got by the fans was just a bit ridiculous. (I wonder how many of those adoring fans are also fans of Beck, Limbaugh, & Palin.)

Here's the thing...anyone who thinks Urban Meyer and the gator nation would get rid of someone as good as Cam Newton if something were not terribly wrong, hasn't been watching SEC football. Yes, the charges of stealing, cheating, etc are allegations, but like Georgia and UNC, Auburn should have kept Newton on the bench or in the locker room until the mess was sorted out.

This is NOT like the Duke lacrosse scandal!!!! CBS announcers were ridiculous in their over the top effort to minimize the seriousness of the situation. If Newton had left Florida I could see how people might say this was a setup....but he was kicked out!!!!!! Mississippi State has nothing to gain by making public their belief that father Newton was shopping his son...too many people, too many allegations.

Bama better do really well next week in the Iron Bowl, especially during the first half when Auburn is crippled.

OFF Year elections...

I have many things to say about the outcome of the 2010 off year elections, but here is THE most important thing to come out of this mess...RAND PAUL. He is not really a Democrat or a Republican...HE is the one person best articulating the reason for the results. People better be paying attention. Our political system is ripe for the emergence of a third party movement like never before.

It's not 1998...

...but I still have hope that sane people will vote next Tuesday. This election will go down as one of the most complicated in our history. The polls are wack, the political parties have lost control of the process, the media is more concerned with entertaining than informing, a huge number of people will vote against their interests and not realize it.

You knew I would have something to say...

...I am not sure why I have been taken to the "Pitt" again...but here I am. As usual Katrina gets to sleep on the couch and I have to stay on the floor.

Jane keeps saying we are going on a trip but I am not sure where. I am evidently leash impaired. I got to go jogging (yes, Jane is jogging...pant) and I just cannot control myself. Bolting is my thing and no one seems to like it. I have to say that I am really tired of hearing Jane moan about her arm sockets. And she continues to gripe about my Mom's refusal to train me to walk on a leash correctly.

Well, the trip was to a wedding in Atlanta. I think that's where I used to live. Cool!! Pat put the seats down in the back of the car and Katrina and I had a really big space to lie down. But you guessed it, Katrina sprawled out right in the middle and I was crushed up against the side the whole trip.

I guess my Mom was doing all the wedding stuff since I did not see her until Sunday. Jane and Pat kept leaving us and when they would come back there was always talk about being over served...what the heck? When I am over served I don't rub my head and moan.

It must have been a good weekend because I heard Jane say "What a great diner, even though I didn't get a barn star". "It was really good to see everyone, they all looked great" while I gobbled down my breakfast and Katrina's too...he, he.

Brink & Emily T do Virlie's

A fine time was had in the "Pitt"... Brink and her pal Emily made a pit stop in THE "Pitt" on their way to Atlanta. Natch, Millie was left for us to take care of (I am sure she will have something to say about that later). Brink refused to drive Em by the really picturesque parts of town like the Wash & Fold but we did take in Virlie's for a fine breakfast. "I'll have a sausage biscuit, hash browns, and a biscuit", Em told the waitress who stared at her with a puzzled look...we just acted like all was normal.

The Clarence Thomas "thing"

Back in the Fall of 1991 when classrooms were not "cableized", I thought it was a great idea to take my US History classes to the library, oops.... media center, to witness the confirmation hearing for Clarence Thomas. Several other teachers joined in and to the media center we went....

It was a great opportunity for students to see the confirmation process as it happened. The Senate Judiciary Committee was discussed, the Constitution was consulted, i.e the students were prepared to understand what they would be observing.

It must be pointed out that the empty seat on the Court was that of Thurgood Marshall, the first Black Justice. Marshall had made a major contribution to society in his role as an attorney for the NAACP when he argued Brown v Board of Education before the Court in 1954. It seemed that he should be replaced by an equally talented and intellectual individual. George Herbert Walker Bush was President and it was taken for granted that the appointment would be an individual whose mind was to the far right of center. Woe was them...the Judiciary Committee was controlled by the Dems...Biden, Kennedy, et al. They would balk at a conservative appointment, but if Bush nominated the one Black conservative, the liberals would be in a conundrum. After all, how could they vote against a Black man? Intellect and judgement played no role in the appointment of Clarence Thomas...he was after all Black the Republicans reasoned. The American Bar did not recommend Thomas, virtually no one and no group proclaimed him qualified to fill one of the 9 most important positions in the free world.

You are wondering about taking the kids to the media center...oh yeah. Well, a woman who had worked with Thomas at the Federal Office of Economic Opportunity, Anita Hill, was testifying when we arrived and you all know what happened...coke cans, Long Dong Silver, pubic hair. YIKES! What were their parents going to say? I was freaked out but the students seemed unfazed. They watched and the committee was not swayed by Anita's testimony accusing Thomas of sexual harassment especially after a poll showed a slim majority of Americans believed Thomas over Hill. Thomas was confirmed by a very narrow majority and I realized that we had entered a new phase of decency when it came to TV. Well, the point of this is that Clarence Thomas' wife, Virginia, left Anita Hill a message on her office phone on October 9, 2010 (Hill is now a professor at Brandeis) asking Anita to apologize for what she had done to Clarence 21 YEARS AGO! What the heck? Oddly enough, on the same day, the New York Times ran a front page story about Virginia Thomas' active participation in the Teaparty movement and how absolutely unusual this is...or rather how unethical this is...or inappropriate...or how no one can recall a spouse of a Supreme Court Justice being a political activist.

We followed this confirmation in class and one of the students was the niece of Virginia Thomas. Thomas is a nonentity on the court. He has never asked a question in open court. He has ALWAYS voted with Scalia and Alito...he should never have been confirmed. Anita Hill will not apologize.

Is there a dramatic misalignment of the planets????

I have tried not to think too hard about the current political situation due to the likelihood that my head would explode...but I cannot remain silent any longer. What in the hell is going on!!!??? Christine O'Donnell makes Sarah Palin look like a Rhodes Scholar. As Christine said to her opponent Chris Coons during the Senate debate in Delaware..."The First Amendment? Separation of church and state is in the First Amendment? The First Amendment"? She has claimed in every speech she has made that she is an expert on the Constitution and will make ALL her decisions as a Senator based on the Constitution. Who is this person? And more importantly who are the people who vote for her? She defeated an intelligent, rational Republican who would have represented the interests of Delaware in the Senate.

Joe Wilson, the Alaskan Republican candidate for the Senate, has a posse of thugs to "guard" him. A journalist was "arrested" by this posse at a public school where Wilson was hosting a town hall. The implication here is that a politician can have people who wish to ask questions of a candidate ARRESTED and detained...maybe in China, maybe in some banana republic, maybe in Iran. And , oh by the way, he thinks the East German solution to immigration/emigration problems during the Cold War (aka THE BERLIN WALL) is a great idea for the US to adopt.

Sharron Angle, Republican running against Harry Reid, told a group of young latinos that some of them looked Asian to her....huh?

People better wake up before election day or they could wake up on November 3rd and find the government turned over to border line maniacs.

Some poignant thoughts for a troubled time.

The Old Spice Man !!!

My goal is to not know who Snookie is and certainly not to be able to recognize her.

Steven Slater is NOT a hero!

Just where is John Boehner's tanning bed in the nation's capitol?

Why doesn't Debbie Riddle's (member of the Texas State Legislature) upper lip not move when she talks?

I never thought I would be caught dead at...

GRACELAND! But there I was with Pat gawking at the "Jungle Room" and listening to the never ending Elvis recordings. After getting Emily settled we went to Memphis to spend the day before flying back to RDU. Did we really want to wallow in Elvis memories? Oh, why not. Expecting to see really weird people wearing sequined jumpsuits, we were very surprised at the "normal" appearance of the throngs braving the 103 degrees. Never having been a fan of "The King" I was rather complacent about the whole thing, but found myself appreciating the life and accomplishments of Elvis. There is no doubt that his existence is significant, not only musically but socially as well. The historian David Halberstam noted in his work The Fifties, that Elvis appearing on the Ed Sullivan Show and Brown v The Board of Education were the most significant social events of the 20th Century. There you have it....and the Seventies decor is really cool.

If you've never driven a large truck through Washington DC, you should!

The moving is over...and I mean it this time. Regular readers of this blog are familiar with the many moving adventures of the Serkedakis family. However, the perfect storm of moving took place last week with Em and Brink moving AT THE SAME TIME! We had to create a flow chart in order to know where we were supposed to be through the process. Pat flew to the Atl, secured a truck, loaded Brink's stuff, drove back to the Pitt...Another truck was needed for Em..."stuff" was taken off Brink's truck for Em and other "stuff" was put on Brink's truck. Second truck was loaded in Chapel Hill. Millie and I set out for DC driving the big truck after a practice run through "the Pitt" (after all, the traffic in "the Pitt" does resemble DC traffic). Meanwhile Emily, in her car, and Pat driving the other truck head back to Atlanta to spend the night. Millie and I brave I-85 north...I sitting on a large pillow and the Millster on her bed. It was a bit daunting at first, but it was pretty cool being a truck...until I had to turn left off the Key Bridge onto M Street IN THE MIDDLE OF GEORGETOWN....horns blowing and the crunch of a car and the truck. Oh well, no one stopped and the horn blowing subsided. Upon arriving at the new home of the Brink, the movers were informed that I was not backing the truck up under any circumstances...so they backed the beast up and of course wiped out some stupid mirror much to the chagrin of the building manager. Pat and Em? Oh yeah, they left Atlanta and headed for Batesville Mississippi (where the hell is that you are asking...GoogleMaps). Returning the DC truck became a real adventure since we had no idea where the place was. The GPS could not identify the location which was of little concern to Brinkley Richard Petty as she speeds through the streets of Arlington, weaving from lane to lane with me following in her car. I suspected that she was lost when we ended up in the Pentagon parking lot with signs posted everywhere..."NO TRUCKS". I knew it was only a matter of time before we were stopped for being terrorists. We finally stopped at a gas station and asked where Old Jefferson Davis Hwy was, the woman replied, "well that's complicated". Oh really!? But we did find it and you can be assured we won't be back. After "helping" Brinkley getting her place set up, I flew to Memphis, rented a car and drove to that Mississippi mecca, Batesville to assist in the settling of Emily. Pat and I then flew back to RDU to collapse for several days.

Update from Millie

Boy, has today been great! Jane took me for a walk this morning without Katrina. She wouldn't get out of bed. That tells you what a princess she is. We got to the top of the neighborhood hill and I got to be off leash! Can you believe it? I ran around and came right back when Jane called...she was very proud. She even took me up Fire Tower Road, but I got really tired. Natch everyone wanted to know where Katrina was, sigh. I got to meet Jane's friend Archie Cross, he was watering his new trees and let me drink out of his hose. The walks here in the "Pitt" sure are different than in VaHi. We saw rabbits, lizards, a snake skin, a turtle, AND a HORSE! I freaked out and started barking at it. Jane said it was just Surprise and that she was nice.

When we got back I helped Jane with her garden...we watered and weeded and moved some dirt. There sure are a lot of damn things in the yard according to Jane...she constantly mutters damn squirrels, damn weeds, damn bugs. I stuck right by her side the whole time. I'm sure that made her real glad. She didn't call me a damn dog once.

Mom, if you are reading this you will be proud to know that I spotted a deer right by the fence and started barking, of course Katrina acted like she was the one who saw it. We ran out barking like rabid dogs and boy that deer took off. Jane was really excited about this and gave us cookies.

Katrina and I got to stay at home by ourselves for hours this afternoon and there was no damage! Quite a day for a city dog. You better get me soon Mom, I kinda like it here in the country.

As I stood in the shadow of the United States Capitol witnessing the inauguration of Barack Obama I was sure we were entering a new era; an enlightened time. Things were going to change. I was not totally naive, I knew there would be those who would not accept a Black man as President, but I never dreamed that two years later we would be witnessing behavior and rhetoric reminiscent of the 1950's. If you are a White person and think you are being discriminated against or that Blacks are racists, why don't you try to imagine a member of your family being lynched with no judicial recourse. Why don't you try to imagine not being able to use a public restroom, send your children to a "White" school, stay in a hotel, get treatment in a hospital, eat in a restaurant, go to college, sit on a bus, vote, hold public office get a job...do just about anything. Think about the fact that if you actually tried to do any of these things you would be beaten, arrested, maligned, fired, KILLED. Give me a break. Because your lazy son did not get into the "college of his dreams" it is not necessarily because a Black person took HIS PLACE. The right is always pointing out that life is not fair...so, life is not always fair. Racism is a real problem that our society needs to address in a mature manner...Mad Men's new season begins tonight against the backdrop of the murders of three civil rights workers in Mississippi in 1963. Tune in in case you forgot what REAL racism is.

Stuck Up!!??

I don't think so. I am reserved and well behaved! The nerve she has calling me stuck up. Here's what I have to put up with. Last night Pat and Jane went out to dinner to celebrate Diana's birthday. They left us here thinking that all would be well. Oh no, the minute they got out the door Millie started trying to get me to do bad things. I went back to the closet to escape, but there she was licking me, wanting me to chase her around the house. I knew this was not what we were supposed to be doing so I just stayed there. What does the wild one do? Starts taking Janes' shoes out of the closet and playing with them. I knew then that it was only going to get worse. Millie found her bag with all her stuff in it and proceeded to take everything out...the toys were fine and I thought I could probably play with some of them, but then she got her dog shampoo out, took it into the den and started chewing the top off. Yes, the entire bottle was leaking onto the rug and it was all over Millie. I just got on the couch and pretended I did not see any of it. When I heard the car come into the garage I knew there was going to be trouble. When Jane came in she noticed that All of Millie's toys were strewn everywhere. "How cute, Pat, look Millie got her toys out of the bag". I just shut my eyes. Then they began to notice the torn up paper, the shoes..."what has gone on here?" Jane said, and it wasn't her quiet voice. THEN SHE SAW THE SHAMPOO! It was all over. I fled to the closet with the intent of never coming out.

Millie here...

...I have been left in the "Pitt" again. What can I say? Katrina is so stuck up, she thinks she's better than me. I am going to show her just how good I am you'll see. I like it here but there are sooooo many rules. Jane is a little bit on the fanatic side about the stupid yard. There are areas I am not supposed to go charging through...good grief, it's outside. We went for a walk this morning and I must have been doing something wrong because Jane kept speaking to me rather harshly. I just like to walk pretty fast and I love to shift from side to side, this really makes Jane crazy. I guess she still remembers the time I caused her to trip over me and fall flat in the street. Boy that caused alot of screaming. I have noticed that Jane still has a scar on her knee. I will try to be better tomorrow.

Mom, I hope you find a place for us to live in Washington soon because I miss you.

Way to go Roy!!

Roy Barnes has overwhelmingly won the DemocratiC nomination for Governor of Georgia. The Republicans have a runoff which will pit two conservatives against one another. Each will try to move to the right of the other...maybe they will move each other so far right that they will no longer exist in the world as we know it.

My Brink had something to do with this victory, and her great boss Chris even more. Good work guys.

And, oh by the way, Brinkley is moving again. Later...

Shirley Sherrod shafted

The right wing has once again made fools of themselves...and the lemmings have followed. Ms Sherrod has worked for the Agriculture Department in Georgia for more than 25 years. She made a speech before the NAACP earlier this year where she recounted an episode that took place 24 years ago. She spoke about a white farmer who came into her office seeking help to keep his farm. Shirley told how she felt the man had a rather "superior" attitude and she did not want to give him the maximum help at her disposal. She thought about all the Black farmers who had lost their land and resented it. This is where the right's coverage of this story ends....A Black racist in the Obama Agriculture Department. O'Reilly, Gingrich, Hannity, et al; "She must resign"! "She must be Fired"! Had these lunatics listened to the entire video they would have heard the point of the story she was telling the audience...her attitude had been wrong! She DID end up helping the family and realized that ANY racism was wrong...she had been wrong! This incident happened 24 years ago, not yesterday! The wife of this farmer has come forward today to say that Shirley Sherrod helped her family save their farm. Why are these people so mean? Why do they look only for the worst in people. It's the 21st Century for crying out loud.

Atticus Finch to Uncle Jack (Scout listening in the hallway)

"Why reasonable people go stark raving mad when anything involving a Negro comes up, is something I don't pretend to understand..."

Can't help myself.

I came to the conclusion sometime back in the winter that I would not write about Sarah Palin and deer again. Well, I can't stand it...there is too much pent up rogue rubbish and bambi bunk.

I think I have come to terms regarding deer in my garden. I see them as pruning rather than destroying. The mums that have returned from last Fall have been carefully nibbled on so that I have not had to worry about remembering to keep them cut back until the Fall comes again. See, isn't that a much more healthy attitude than wanting to trick them into going to the carnivore place on the edge of town? Katrina and I counted 35 of them the other day on our walk and about half were babies with little spots. The number has DOUBLED!!!!!! The funny man next door has placed motion sensitive devices along his fence that turn the radio on when something goes by. No problem, the radios are tuned to NPR so when they go on (and they do about 100 times a day) it's at least something interesting. I am sure that it is only a matter of time before there are hundreds of the darlings lined up along the fence to listen to "State of the Nation" and "All Things Considered".

The rogue one has been taken over by some powerful entity. This is quite disturbing because she is actually being controlled, scripted, and managed. There has always been a tendency in American politics for powerful forces to find a "front man" to place in power so that they can be controlled. Think William Henry Harrison, Franklin Pierce, William McKinley, Warren Harding, Calvin Coolidge, Ronald Reagan, and of course W. When Sarah endorsed Karen Handel in the Georgia Republican gubernatorial contest tomorrow, Handel's poll numbers surged.

"I've looked at clouds from both sides now..."

From up and down and still somehow
It's cloud illusions I recall
I really don't know clouds at all

Atlanta and Jackson's Creek have become a place to visit.

We are home...Two years have passed since we lost our minds and moved to the "Pitt". Pat has immersed himself in the local real estate market and seems to really like it. I am the color commentator and file organizer. We make a good team. The office voted to give Pat the annual "Morale Award", which is given to the agent who is most positive and helpful. It was quite an honor. We love our office and have met many great people.

We have learned almost all the shortcuts to everywhere and there are only a few restaurants in Chapel Hill we have not frequented. Glass Half Full remains our favorite even though it is expensive. We are ready to start working our way through Durham eateries. Last night was to be our trip to the much acclaimed Magnolia Grill on 9th Street, but Megan, our dinner companion, had to go to Greenville to procure a liver (she is the adorable UNC Resident we sold a condo to). I can assure you that when we reschedule our visit to the MG we will not order liver.

Abraham, Martin, and John....June, Bea, and Faye

The Afterlife has become a bit more interesting. Diana's dear mother, June, has joined Bea and Faye. Bea has not stopped gushing about how happy she has been all these years because Diana came into Bruz's life. I am sure by now June wants to say "okay Bea, I get it". Faye is excited that another wordsmith has arrived and June will be convinced that martinis make everything look better. We miss our Moms

The other three are horrified at the state of things in the USA.

Okay, okay.......the "Pitt" is back.

"Life in the Pitt" has been on vacay but is ready to return. There is no clear explanation for the absence. I suppose life in the Pitt was no longer a novelty and reality did not seem so interesting. What was I thinking?

The Chatham County Courthouse catching on fire, leaving a burned out shell in the middle of town, seems to be the point where "Life in the Pitt" was faced with a depressing reality. Why this fire was not quickly put out remains a mystery to me. It burned for almost 30 minutes before firetrucks arrived. This may be Pittsboro, but Chatham County has equipment. After all, there were a gazillion firetrucks and other equipment in the Christmas parade back in December. I loved this building. It was beautiful and as you drove into the "Pitt" from any direction it stood tall and proud in front of you. It took your attention away from the strange things that line the road. The town did pull together to support the businesses "downtown", and there is a commission looking into what will be done, but it makes me sad. The statue of the Confederate Soldier is still standing and many are concerned that it will be taken down...need I say more?! A woman crashed her car into the chain link fence that surrounds what is left which made news and there was speculation that the John Edwards' sex tape was in the courthouse ( no worry it wasn't), but that is about all the excitement to report.

"Life in the Pitt" goes on....

St Mary's over Nova!!!!!

One of the best played basketball games I have ever seen! The St Mary's boys are ADORABLE! After watching sloppy ACC ball all season it was great to see the game like it is supposed to be played.

...and you thought I was crazy calling the Cinderella for St Mary's

Two Fingers and a Thumb says "how ya doin', how's your mama".

There is an unwritten rule here in "Blue Heaven" ........when passing someone on the road you give the "wave"; thumb extended, first two fingers raised. If you are the driver you simply perform the move with the rest of your hand on the steering wheel. If you are the walker it requires raising your arm, extending your thumb, raise the first two fingers, and give a slight wave.

My brother informed me about the "wave" when we moved here and I have honed it to a fine art as Katrina and I perform our daily trek through the "Pitt". There are many in our neighborhood who do not understand the "wave". Most likely these people come from colder climates where people passing each other have perfected the fine art of ignoring those they do not know and they do not care about their mama.

I have made it a goal to "wave" at any passing car or person. Some reluctantly return the greeting, some hesitate but smile, many know the rule, and many just stare forward. Fire Tower Road residents, however, all perform the "wave" with enthusiasm. Several even toot their horn as they pass just to say Hi. No one in our neighborhood toots.

This morning a car that I did not recognize was coming up Fire Tower as we were coming down and I gave the "wave". I was a bit surprised when there was no return "wave" as the car zoomed by....it was a white woman.

Battle of the Blahs 2010

What a difference a year makes...Last year Carolina students put off Spring Break until the Tarheels put The Blue Devils away. This year the matriculating crowd could not get out of town fast enough. Meanwhile over in Durham, K Ville was filled with Dook students camping out for tickets to the Saturday showdown. No one at that end of Tobacco Road gave a thought to fun in the sun.

I had hope that the Tarheels would rally and at least put up a fight...maybe even pulling off an upset. Not! Now the heels are playing on Thursday in the venerable ACC Tournament, an unheard of event. I still have hope.

St Mary's has made it to the Dance!! If you read this blog you may remember my support of this team last year early in the season. They fell short, but are in this year. They will be my Cinderella!!!!!

Ahhhhhhh, Finally.

The "Pitt" has finally warmed. The frogs in our ponds are chirping (or whatever you call their noise, it's too cute to be croaking), the birds are flying around like fireflies establishing their territory and staking out nest material, things are busting through the thawed ground seeking the sun.

Yesterday Pat and I took one of our spontaneous little day trips to the beach. This time we went to Emerald Isle...sat for hours listening to the ocean and soaking up those mind clearing ions. We discovered that Swansboro NC had a(n) historic district which we found delightful! Great dinner at the Icehouse with a table by the water. I think we will go back.

I am at peace with the Tarheels.

Thanks to our wonderful friend Julie, we had great tickets to last night's game against Florida State. This year you can get tickets anywhere. The Dean Dome took a long time to have a respectable crowd but those that were there were real fans. There was tremendous support for Roy and the boys. Everyone seemed to accept the fact that this is most likely the worst basketball season ever...but there is nothing to do but remember past glory and know that it will get better. Based on the fact that the team does not seem to see that dribbling and passing do not put points on the board, I cannot see a good showing in the Tournament. They will most likely play the Thursday game for the first time ever (I think).

Emily and Kate were there and they stayed to the bitter end to take part in the Carolina tradition of singing the Alma Mater and fight song. They do not have tickets to the last home game against Miami so this was their last Carolina home basketball game...you can bet that I am shedding a few tears. The loss did not seem tragic, it was just being a part of the Carolina tradition.

And by the way, they wore ridiculous silver uniforms...turn the dome Blue? Roy, what were you thinking?

"Rising Blue Cross bills stun N.C. families"

That is the headline in the Raleigh News and Observer this morning. Well, who is surprised at that? Meanwhile the Republicans are dithering in the meeting at Blair House today and those not there are whining about the TV coverage. They continue to put forth the misguided assertion that the American People want to start over, the American people do not want whatever the Democrats want; but guess what they are wrong!!!!! They have no idea what Americans want they are to quote Congressman Wiener of NY... "The Republican Party is a wholly owned subsidiary of the health care industry".

The tide is shifting away from the lunatics who have gotten all of the attention lately, but the Fox crowd can not hear it because they live in an echo chamber.

Alexander Haig to God...

"I am in control."

I'm not going to say anything about the Tarheels.

Rouler Les Bon Temps!

Hope everyone is having a great Mardi Gras! I still shudder thinking about the times we went to New Orleans for the celebration...remember Carolyn? The "Pitt" celebrates with an annual event. It was held last Saturday at the Chatham Mill and Pat and I went. I can tell you that it was too bad you were not there. It was an event to remember. Everyone was dressed in the most outrageous outfits you can imagine. I think most of Chatham County attended and a great time was had by all.

Remember 1998?

In 1998 following the impeachment of Bill Clinton and the "trial" in the Senate the conventional wisdom was that the Dems were going to be taken to the cleaners in the off-year elections. It was going to be a blood bath. Democrats were jumping ship and it seemed the end of the party of Jefferson and Jackson was eminent. Guess what, it did not happen...Democrats GAINED seats in the Congress and Clinton's poll ratings went up!!!!!! Get ready for a repeat. There are people who are paying attention and realize that the party of NO (aka republicans) has become ridiculous. I am following Nate Silver and though he is not as optomistic as I am, he is not digging the grave of the Democratic Party. Next November people will go to the polls and vote against these "nattering nabobs of negativism".

an evening with the politicos

Here in Chatham County where politics is the favorite pastime there is always something going on. Tonight Pat and I went to the mayor's house for a fundraiser. The guest of honor was Bob Etheridge our Congressman. He is in a pretty tight race this year which is a bit unusual for him. He is a Democrat and most of the district is on the conservative side, so we know that before November he will be painted as a socialist, or a communist, or a Hitler lover...perhaps a martian. He is a very nice man and deserves to keep his seat. We will help!

It was a very interesting gathering. The Speaker of the NC House, Joe Hackney, as well as our state senator Bob Atwater were there. The most interesting person we met was a man who came up to us, introduced himself and we carried on a long conversation. His name was Bruce Ladd and he told us he had moved to Chapel Hill from DC. I of course asked him what he had done in DC. He told me he'd have to kill me if he told me... I was intrigued. Finally he said he had worked in the Nixon White House and for Donald Rumsfeld. I must have looked surprised because he explained that he had been very impressed with the Democrats in Chatham County when he moved here and that the Republicans seemed to be out of the picture. I googled him when we got home and found that he had written several books and had authored the Freedom of Information Act! He HAD worked for Rumsfeld when he was a congressman and had worked in the press office for Nixon. Considering that one of the books he has written is Crisis in Credibility, I would say he became skeptical about the US Government.

It was a great gathering and we are glad we were included.

Bye Bayh!

Evan Bayh has announced that he will not seek a third term in the Senate. Babbling heads on TV are making this sound like the death of the Democratic Party. I say see ya! Bayh is THE most BORING politician since John Quincy Adams (though he, John Q, did swim naked in the Potomac.) Evan seems to have been the perennial middle of the mush politician to be on every short list of every office known to man...but never picked. He opens his mouth and the audience nods and snores.

His father Birch, was a casualty of the 1980 conservative onslaught bringing about the defeat of the most liberal Democrats in the Senate. It was the beginning of the end for the progressive movement. These liberals were not prepared for the onslaught of the slash and burn campaigns that would become the norm for the Right. The Republicans took control of the Senate for the first time since 1954. Gaylord Nelson, Frank Church, George McGovern, Warren Magnuson, Frank Culver and Bayh all went down to defeat. The campaigns were riddled with slander and innuendo. I sat in shock in our little condo in Atlanta watching this happen...even Herman Talmadge of Georgia was defeated (NBC had declared him the winner very early in the evening).

You would think that Evan would have wanted to fight the mean and nasty people who had defeated his Dad...but no, he has not stood up to the thugs from the right and now he caves. Find a good progressive to run against whoever the Repubs put up....I wonder if Mike Pence will take back his announcement that he won't run for the seat.

follow up....Does Bayh want to run for President on the Republican ticket? Certainly sounds like it to me. it would be a real race for the dullest of the dull with Romney.

Finally!!!!!

The Tarheels look like a basketball team!!! Toe to toe with Duke! The Dean Dome is rockin'! Even if they do not win at least they are playing a good game. Like I said, there is always the ACC tournament.

palinistics

New rule....if you are a liberal and refer to other liberals as "retards" you are insensitive and should not be able to hold a job in the federal government. If you are a right wing radio personality who loves Sarah Palin you can call liberals "retards"...that's the "new" definition of satire.

"How ya liken that hopey, changey stuff now?"

Obama is a jerk for using a teleprompter, but Palin can and does write her talking points on HER HAND! This must be a carry over from high school.

WHO DAT!!!!!

I have not cared about professional football in years....since we had season tickets to the Falcons a couple of years in the early 80's. And I must admit that I did not care about or follow the games this season. But the Saints have brought real life drama and soul into the Super Bowl this year. New Orleans is a city that I love...I love the grit, the energy, the history, the music, the uniqueness, the river...everything. The Saints are New Orleans. The owner could have pulled the team out of the city after Katrina, but she didn't; she stayed and fought back. None of that "it's a business decision" rationalization. The city needed the team and the reward has come! I will be pulling for the New Orleans Saints today as if they were the Tarheels playing for the national championship (and we know that's not happening). New Orleans will celebrate whatever the outcome...anyone want to take a road trip?

An afternoon spent on Pandora in the 3rd dimension.

Avatar does have a message and the plot is familiar...Dances With Wolves would sum it up. Do not go to see it expecting a revolutionary story line and denouement, see it to experience an unbelievable feast for the eyes. It is a milestone in cinematic art. Not to see this film would be like shunning the French Impressionist painters in the late 19th Century and refusing to view their art. Fantasy films are usually not appealing to me, but this is an altogether different experience. Pandora and its indigenous beings become real...you want to go there...you want to know them.

After Graduation...

Our sweet and wonderful Emily has been accepted to join the Mississippi Teacher Corps! We are very proud but will miss her since she will be sooooo far away.

The Tarheels are not going to make it to the dance.

They could win the ACC tournament....I can still hope.

The Sex Tape's...

...future has been decided right here in the "Pitt" today! Perhaps now you will believe that this is a happening place. Andrew Young (John Edwards' lackey) appeared in court today in Pittsboro and was ordered to turn over the infamous pregnant sex tape.

The "Pitt" has been on vacation in a place where there is no snow and all the people read the NY Times.

I must say there is a great deal of catching up to do.

The Tarheels have dampened my spirits...my winter entertainment has become a nightmare. What has happened? Well, of course I have an opinion. For whatever reason Roy is not connecting with the boys. Maybe it is the pain medication he was taking after his operation, maybe he longs for last year's group, maybe he is looking past this year to next, or maybe he isn't the coach everyone thinks he is. (right Carolyn) At any rate the lack of b-ball excitement has gotten me down. I used to be able to shift my enthusiasm to Duke when they were doing better...but no more. After having paid a gazillion dollars to UNC I can no longer support the K man and his thugs. Ga Tech will become my team...I will recover. By the way, living with Pat when the Bulldogs are having a fairly good season and there are only 2 ACC teams in the top 25 is hell. Though our annual ACC vs SEC basketball war has cooled since we moved here.

Katrina and I have renewed our walking commitment and are once again tackling Firetower Road. We WILL be in shape come the summer! There are several updates from the Firetower. Rex, the Lab that looked like Katrina was killed. Everyone seems to miss him especially his owner who refuses to accept the fact that he is dead. The Bottle House has been adorned with raccoon skins and tails. Naturally they have all been placed in "artistic" locations among the collection. A freezer, many more interesting rocks, bottles, and bicycle parts have been added as well. One morning as we were walking down the hill two men were walking up with shot guns and I wasn't real sure what to think. They were going squirrel hunting I was told. That was certainly a new experience.

The "Pitt" has seen two businesses close in January; Archie's Appliance Store and Beggars and Choosers. B and C was an antique, vintage clothing, stuff store that had been here since the 70's. It was a landmark and people were quite upset, but you have to buy things in these stores for them to stay in business. This stupid economy has got to turn around.

Then there is the political situation. It has put me in a super funk. I will deal with that in the next post. It will take a great deal of energy.

The snow that I thought was so cool last week has become a menace. Our house sits at an angle where the sun does not hit the front in the winter. The 15 inches of snow that blew up against the garage and then became the South Pole was still there this morning. Though it is sunny and warmer no way it was going to melt, so I have been loading up the sled with the huge chunks of iced snow and hauling it to the gutter where the sun does shine. Fun times in the "Pitt"

January is over and I will come out of my hibernation and face the world again.

It is freezing

WaPo what's in/what's out...

The Washington Post has published its iny outy list and I must say I am amused. Much of it I find clever and amusing, some of it is refreshing, but much of it I do not "get." I suppose I have reached the point (aka "the age") where I am totally out of it when it comes to pop culture. Who in the world is Rosamund Pike or Justin Bieber? I am comforted to know that Hall and Oates are in...I know them! I was a bit disturbed that leggings are out since I had just decided to get some. Platform sandals have been declared out and that upsets me because anything platform makes me taller. I was pleased to see that Liz Cheney and SarahPAC are out. I am looking forward to a 2010 without them, though I cannot imagine that that will happen. Some things never change...bacon is still in and so are cupcakes (trucks, not stores). It appears the AP classes are out so it is good that I have retired.