Are we there yet?

Yesterday was a whirlwind.

Have you been to an IMAX theater?  It is a rather disconcerting experience for someone with a delicate at best equilibrium.  Just getting into the theater itself was a trip-it seemed like I'd been transported into one of my online games as I entered the spiraling hallway.  It felt like I was entering a shell (which would have turned the Innocent Bystander ON, as he finds all shells pornographic).  When the hallway opened into the theater proper, I realized that that really was a good analogy-I think I know what the inside of a snail shell looks like now.  I staggered over to the seating area to decide where to sit, which naturally had to be a farking production.  Ronny and Jamie simply found a pair of seats and parked themselves, while Dar and I had to try each and every row like two overgrown Goldilocks, trying to find the one that was just right.  We finally found the PERFECT seats just as the movie began.

I don't think I was really prepared for this particular production.  I knew that we were going to see "Hurricane on the Bayou" but I did no research on the film and I think I was mentally sticking my fingers in my ears and doing the LALALALALALA thing every time Dar mentioned going.  It is actually a documentary focusing on a major problem in this area of the country-our vanishing wetlands and coastal erosion.  I am still processing what I saw and may have more to say on the subject in a later post, but let me just say I took this movie very personally.

In the middle of the making of the documentary, Katrina struck and became an integral part of the film.  I was really surprised at how certain scenes were like arrows through my heart, and was extremely glad that I'm the dikey kinda girl who carries a handkerchief, because I soaked that sucker through.  It was weird-I didn't even realize I was crying.  I wasn't heaving and sobbing all over the place, but I became aware at one point that I had tears just streaming down my face and was afraid to look around because I didn't want anyone else to know what a chump I was.  I guess it was just the brutality of being thrown so thoroughly back into the "storm got that" place that we all were three years ago.  

Ronny, however, was not so touched.  His first words as the movie ended were "Okay you two tree hugging hippies, lets get outta here."  Spoken just like someone who did not go through that storm.  Nuff said.

We left there, and since it was still pretty early, decided to ride over to the Daphne/Fairhope area and check out a Greek Orthodox Church over there that Dar wanted to go to to light a candle for a friend of hers.  We were the only ones there other than the caretaker, so we were free to roam the building and grounds.  After the emotional roller coaster of the movie, it was a nice way to get grounded again.  We wandered around the graveyard for awhile, then decided it was time to start working our way home because I wanted to be back before dark.  We made a detour to Fresh Market in Mobile on the way back, and everyone came out much lighter in the pocket but with baskets of YUM.  (My personal yum?  A loverly chicken breast stuffed with spinach and ricotta cheese and four one of those luscious creme brulees.)

We got home and everyone went their separate ways.  I made my dinner and caught up with emails and such, then decided to walk up to the Shingle Mill to see what's been going on in the 'hood.  I fully intended on just rolling the dice and drinking a beer and coming home, but then Neil showed up.  Seems his girlfriend was angry at him for offering to set up one of those "Donate to my boob fund" tip jars for one of the new bartenders, and his answer to her anger was to come up to the bar and spend his entire paycheck getting everyone up there snot slinging drunk.  He was buying rounds faster than anyone could drink them.  At one point I looked up and he had bought so many rounds that he had his OWN stack of wooden nickels piling up-even HE couldn't keep up with himself!  I guess he showed HER.

The rest of the evening is hazy.  I do remember a stranger coming in, and a conversation about the IMAX experience ensuing, and if I'm not mistaken, there may have been some preaching about the environment and what all you people are doing to MY river going on.  And when I stumbled into the houseboat later and added another creme brulee to the mix, there MAY have been some puking.  In fact, I distinctly remember sending up a "HELL YEAH" to the FLYlady for my pristine porcelain goddess.  In any case, I woke up bright and early and I feel just fine, so I'm going to call yesterday a success.

Now I'm off to get pie ingredients.  I AM the pie mistress of Thanksgiving, and this year will be making 4 pumpkin, 2 pecan, 2 buttermilk, a blueberry, a mincemeat and probably a pink pie for my niece (my secret recipe).  Later, Ronny and Dar and I are going to put up the Christmas lights that didn't get put up earlier in the week because I got the red ass of the weather, and I think we will probably end up doing take out pizza for dinner.  What kind of pie will ya'll be eating this year?

Lagniappe: