Threesome?

*yawns*

*stretches*

*sniffs*

Ahhh...the pogey plant is cranked up today and the wind is blowing east, so there is a hint of rotting fish (or as my sister in law likes to call it, the smell of steak and eggs-her daddy was a pogey boat captain) in the air.  *sniffs again, blinks*  But what's that?  Do you smell it?

*nose points judiciously into the air*

*eyes brighten*

Mmmm...Ralph Lauren...Polo...Cool Water...and what's this?  A hint of Canoe and Old Spice? How old school.

Did the men's counter at Belks explode?

Oh, wait...NO!  It did not!

THAT, my friends, is the aroma of all the self respecting lesbians and those of us who don't know what the feck we are readying up for the Melissa Ethridge concert tonight at the Hard Rock.  

My Timberland hiking boots are out, along with my flannel shirt and jeans.  I'm fixing to go wash the new 2010 4x4 Tundra, do some chores and errands, then go meet up with my date for this evening, the loverly Dar (for some reason, today I am thinking Darlinator *snort*).  For one reason or another, we have not had a chance to get together in months, and this little dykefest seemed like a wonderful opportunity to reconnect.  ^^arches eyebrows^^

Before I go, though, a word to the wise:  Do not...I repeat...DO NOT ever publish the words, and I quote "three months to look forward to in one place with reliable Internet".  Take my word for it.  Granted, I was a fool to put reliable and Internet into the same sentence, but still.

So.  Tonight.  Hard Rock.  Melissa, Dar and Derfina.  

That's how we roll.

Alright, already!

So...What have ya'll been up to?

Without overstating the obvious, I have taken a giant (to me) break from the computer, at least as far as blogs are concerned.  Today, for the first time since *thinks back*...Well, really since Europe if I'm really being honest, that I've given more than just a cursory glance to my Blogger dashboard. 

We have done a great deal of traveling this year, and between that and some stuff that is/has been taking up a great deal of my computer time doing research, I have been on mental overload.  That is all coming to, if not a screeching halt then at least a long pause, so perhaps I will come out of my self imposed blogger denial now that I have a full three months to look forward to in one place with reliable Internet.

That is all I'm going to say on that matter in THIS post, SO.

Now, for those of you who check in now and then whose interest has been piqued by the cryptic comments left on my last post (for if truth be told, they were the reason my curiosity was piqued-try getting a message in Japanese in your inbox every morning for a week!) I give you the condensed translation of the last six comments:

"About the [kawaii] child leaving home, stops wanting it seems that to try playing. It doesn't try encountering with that kind of child with the leaving home bulletin board? As for her dinner just being arrogant H you serve in gratitude and the [chi] [ya] [tsu] it is the [ri] do The search [rankungu] superior result of yahoo. New feeling encounter type sight, in eye Nabi like every week very popular opposite nun event in the midst of opening! Because the girl it is registered with summer vacation is increased rapidly, the man now is chance of the new encounter Also the encounter [i] now opposite help! It was times when [onna] buys [otoko]. With this site the system where the opposite support desired [serebu] woman can choose the man freely is adopted. About the woman who supplies success economically the money aspect is rich, but it is to be hungry to love. The one which has interest please Same [hameserebu] being perfection free, is the encounter community which it can utilize. With the result which until now is not, we search the person who is agreeable to your desire. Because the luxurious event which every month cannot be thought is held the encounter is guaranteed Summer the peak! As for the girl with open feeling one person H the eddy eddy which we would like to do the [tsu] which has been done! As for you looking at the [o] ○ knee of the girl, raising feeling, [ne]! Of course, we helping , it is [otsuke]! The [a], to access the rescue section now, the [tsu] Summer the peak! As for the girl with open feeling one person H the eddy eddy which we would like to do the [tsu] which has been done! As for you looking at the [o] ○ knee of the girl, raising feeling, [ne]! Of course, we helping, it is [otsuke]! The [a], to access the rescue section now, the [tsu"

Ya don't say!?!

Help me! I'm MELTING...

Pardon me whilst I melt down here, real public like, m'kay?

Obviously, I've been fighting my own sort of writer's block, and today? Well, I guess today it all came to a head and popped like the zit my life sometimes becomes-but again-self inflicted gets no pity.

One minor prollem has been the fact that my 'major' computer acts all friendly like we are getting along just fine, then all of a sudden it shuts off and eats whatever I was working on, which is majorly depressing. That leaves me stuck with my little netbook, which is all cool and groovy until you want to capitalize something with your left hand, then you are expected to have a mutant pinkie finger that stretches WAAAY over thataway ----> I don't, so I have to stop and THINK whilst I type, which is kinda like rubbing your head and patting your tummy. Must be left brain, right brain conflict-that's what Momma would say, I'm sure. But I digress.

The MAJOR prob, howevah, has been my reluctance to face the fact that YES, VIRGINIA, we are, in fact, back and have been for what? About six weeks now? And I have posted once, I think? (BTW...for some reason, blogger quit informing me that I had comments, so I have not responded to them 'cuz I simply didn't know they were there-soggy!) In any case, I got up today determined to accomplish SOMETHING, and decided to start "small" and do laundry. Now, ordinarily this wouldn't be a big deal, but due to the flood that occurred during our absence, our well was fouled, and despite the two thousand dollar filtration system we have installed, we have been once again fighting fartwater and rust bacteria, both here at the houseboat and at the house (for some odd reason, the rust bacteria problem has never been adequately addressed, in my HUMBLE FARKING OPINION), so despite the fact that I have TWO, count'em, TWO washers and dryers in two separate households, I have to go to a laundromat to wash my white clothes. Now, normally (normal being when the Innocent Bystander is offshore) I keep my laundry done all the time, but when he is home, I can't spread things out in piles on the couch (because he is so efficiently holding it DOWN), so I save most of mine up to do when he is gone (hush-I live on a houseboat-I have enough shorts and tanks to last a month!). Add to this the fact that I have been in denial since we've been back, and it will explain how I did not, until just one hour ago, unpack my suitcase (because I knew I had some treasured white shirts in there that have not yet been subjected to fartwater.) *blushes* Yes, I am that big of a procrastinator. Anyway, I did not just unzip a suitcase, I unzipped so many memories that I was overwhelmed and burst into tears. Sometimes I forget how awesomely I've been blessed in this life, both in the things I have been privileged to do and see, but also by how blessed I have been to have you all in my life, and I do realize how selfishly I've neglected you all.

So. I'm stepping back in, albeit slowly. I just looked through my Amsterdam pictures and realized that we only took TWENTY pictures the whole time we were there-we've been three times now, so most of the stuff we go to see is repeats, which the IB is not inclined to take pictures of, and he is usually the photographer, SO. Mostly we got pictures of Igor trying some of our favorite things ^^groucho eyebrows^^ which is not strictly illegal for iguanas anywhere that I am aware of. We amazed ourselves in that we almost did not even need our streetmaps anymore, as we pretty much either have memorized where everything is by now, or managed to stumble across what we were looking for OR stumbled across things we weren't looking for but managed to find anyway. It was all good.

Our hotel was magnificent. The Banks Mansion is located right on one of the five major canals (the Herengracht) and is about two hundred yards from a tram stop, so it was pretty much centrally located for us. The service was outstanding-it seemed like every time we left the room, someone came in and tidied up and checked to see if we needed anything. Anything, in this case, meant pretty much ANYTHING-this place included a full service breakfast as well as both an in-room mini-bar and a very well stocked 'living room' downstairs, which had a nice selection of liquor, beer, wine and soft drinks as well as light appetizers all day and night, which is included in the price of your room. They also had a wonderful coffee machine that made custom blends at the touch of a button, which was very nice to come back to several times a day as it was very cold and rainy most of the time we were there. We have never stayed at the same hotel twice in Amsterdam, and love to try new places, but I would seriously have to think twice before I stayed anywhere else the next time we go-this place had too many perks and may well deserve a repeat visit.

We always go to the Rijksmuseum, which has many paintings we both love to visit, in particular Rembrandt's The Night Watch. We also always go to a place called Museum Ons' Lieve Heer Op Solder, which translates to Our Lord in the Attic, which is a beautiful church concealed in the top few floors of an historical home that is roughly 350 years old. What always amazes me in these places is that the art and historical objects are RIGHT THERE-they generally aren't behind any kind of protective barriers and there is very little security evident anywhere other than in the room that The Night Watch is in. It just boggles my mind that these three and four hundred year old paintings and sculptures are an arm's length away. We also always take at least one canal boat ride, which are very informative and give you a very broad view of the city in a short period of time. All of these attractions and many many more are all included, as is all in city metro/tram transportation, in the IAmsterdam card. For one set price, you get free or majorly discounted admission to almost all of the museums in the city plus the transportation hop on hop off feature AND coupons to many local businesses and restaurants. They are available in one, two or three day versions, and are WELL worth the price-we paid fifty eight euros apiece for three day passes and they always more than pay for themselves.

One place that is not included is the Anne Frank house. We did not go last time we were there, but we went again this time. It is a very sobering experience if you take your time and try to put yourself in that position, and one of the reasons we don't always go is that I always end up in tears when we leave there. It is THAT powerful.

How do I convey the laughter of running down rainy sidewalks that turn to bikepaths of doom with coffeeshop breath? Giggling over the IB's pronunciation of the street we stayed on (Vijzelstraat-in Dutch, the ij combination is pronounced like a long i, with the j silent, but the IB insisted on calling it vajizzlestrat, a la Snoop Dog. I'm sure it loses some of the humor in translation-but I tried my best to impress on him what a vajizzle actually is. Just sayin'. *wink*)The menus for things that are not strictly illegal for iguanas anywhere that I am aware of, and the variety of flavors and scents of things that are not strictly illegal for iguanas anywhere that I am aware of? (Kind of like going to a wine tasting, only NOT.)

One thing I can and will convey is my newly aquired distaste for what the locals consider an improvement. In an effort to clean up the city, the famed Red Light district has been condensed. Now, we always take a stroll through at least a small section of the district, as it is the IB's trip, too, and I'm all for anything that is going to translate to some bump and grind action of myne own. HOWEVER. Before the 'cleanup', we would walk down these little alleys with the red lights over the windows, and it would be one Playboy centerfold after another-a blonde, then an Asian, then a redhead, then a brunette-all flawless, beautiful girls. Now that they are all condensed, it is more like walking down Bourbon Street in New Orleans, where the most outstanding features of some of the girls are the colors of their bruises. There is no longer a young ho' section and an overweight fiftysomething ho' section and your basic crack ho' section-they are all lumped in together now. SOMEHOW, we ended up walking for what seemed to me like hours around the same four block area. I won't say WHO was directing us, but he had a PENIS, and apparently it was acting as a divining rod for tired out ho's. Anyway, the longer we walked, the more pissed off I got. The last straw was when we saw this not so bad looking working girl come out of her window to negotiate price vs. activity, and I got to see her potential customer. It's all good when it is an even match, but I blew my top when I saw this sweet youngish thing fixing to go get PawPaw's groove on for him. Kinda sucks any pretense of romantic images right outta the park, and I grabbed the IB by the...ARM...and wrestled him back into the real world.

How's that for a start? Now...where is that laundry I was so anxious to do?

See, What Happened Was...

Hmmm. Where do I start when it's been over a month?

*peers out the window at "THE MAN" as they are known around here*

I guess the best way to do this would be to give you the Cliff Notes version first, then I will go back and elaborate as I see fit.

When I left ya'll, I had just made it to MECCA MECCA HI MECCA HIDEY HO Amsterdam all by myself and managed to clear customs and immigration AND find the Innocent Bystander, all within twenty minutes of landing at Schiphol. *pats self on the back ONE MORE TIME* Since then:

We spent five days there, then five days in Barcelona.

We came home to the aftermath of a flood of catastrophic proportions that had happened in our absence, during which mah kitteh had to be rescued from inside our elevated pumphouse (which still managed to go underwater.) It took a week of tromping around in the swamp to retrieve most of our crap that washed out of our yard and our shed here at the houseboat.

As soon as we had the majority of that chit cleaned up, dug out, washed off etc, it was time for Puss, as kitteh has come to be called, to be fixed. I had made her an appointment at the local Humane Society Spay & Neuter Clinic for one week after our return. As soon as we got back from our trip and saw her, we knew we were closing the barn door after the horse got out, but I took her anyway. The guy I made the appointment with had assured me that if that were the case, they would "take care of that little problem." The IB was concerned about her being a little Catholic kitteh, but I reminded him that she is half a trollopy little Episcopalian like myownself, which should explain her condition, and that I think the Pope would forgive her. Sure enough, they ended up performing a second trimester "solution" as well as the actual spay (and an everso fashionable green tattoo as a bonus, and we do be lovin' us some bone-eye, yes? Yes.)

I pick up Puss one day after her surgery, and the river conveniently floods again, trapping both us (if by trapped you mean we had to take the boat to the bar instead of walking or driving the four hundred feet from my front door to its) as well as Puss for the entirety of her convalescence, after which we spend another week digging out and drying up.

The next three weeks are a blur of crawfish boils, barbecues, an overhaul of the motorhome, merryment and mayhem, a funeral, massive quantities of Busch and Busch Light consumption, and a side trip to Pensacola to see *voice in my head reverberates 'THE LEGENDARY'* Joe Cocker at the Saenger Theater (fourth row center, thank you very much-and yes, mah panties were wet the whole time and ALL that implies. ^^groucho eyebrows^^).

Then came the wind-down. That last week when the laughter is brighter, the songs louder, the beer the coldest. When we have to acknowledge that there is a price for all this. The goodbyes are said, the instructions are given, the next trip is planned, and it is pretty much all over but the detox.

Since the IB has been back on the boat, I've been busy going back and forth between here, Gulfport and Mobile, trying to make up for lost time with El Juevo, my mom, and Dar. Now I am finally to the point where I can spend a day or two at home without having to go anywhere (other than taking El Juevo for surgery tomorrow-his vagus nerve stimulator malfunctioned so they are doing a revision in the morning) and I was going to take Dar out for a boat ride, but the river is full of "THE MAN" searching for the body of a fellow that disappeared on Mother's Day. (No, I had nothing to do with this one, for those of you who asked. *snicker*) (One of these officers out here is very dark complected, if you get my drift. Does that make him "THE BLACK MAN"?) (WHAT??? Who else am I gonna ask?) So far *peers out the window* no luck, and I have no desire to go help in the hunt. I am just praying to the sweet little baby Jesus that nothing gets hung up under the houseboat during the night-a three day dead gator is my only frame of reference, and I'd like it to stay that way.

So-that is the short version. I rectom I will sift through some pictures tomorrow whilst they are fiddling with my son's innards and will do some elaborating on the travel portions of this tale, at the very least. Let me know if there is anything in particular you'd like to hear about.

*smooches* to all!

Pro-fun-ditty

*flicks away a cobweb*

*chokes on dust*

*bustles about readying self to sit still long enough to write*

*clears throat*

*looks out the window at the Sheriff's Department boat searching for the body*

*decides tomorrow would be a  good mo' betterer day to re-start blogging*

(Life is what happens when you STEP. AWAY. FROM. THE. 'PUTER.)

We Made It

Just a quickie update to let you all know we made it safely and that I found the Innocent Bystander within twenty minutes of when my plane landed, and that includes going through customs. Our room is not ready, so we are fixing to hit the ground running. First stop, coffeeshop. Second stop, Rijksmuseum. Third stop, hopefully room and shower. Whenever we get a room and have time, I will give a much mo' betterer update.

*smooches* to all!

Down to the Wire

I feel like one of those nervous little rat dogs-you know the ones I'm talking about.  The ones that sit there and shake like little maracas, then pee a little if you just look at them?  I'm just saying-please don't LOOK at me!

Well, last I heard the boat that is supposed to be picking up the Innocent Bystander (that was supposed to pick him up YESTERDAY) was on it's way.  It was due in at eleven Nigeria time, and his flight to Lagos was scheduled to leave at one thirty, so I should hear from him within the next hour or so. If he misses that flight, we are still okay-there is another one tomorrow that will get him there before his flight to Amsterdam. 

Either way, I am fixing to get the birds ready and take them over to Mom's-that way I can come home and do things like dust and mop and not have to worry about someone plucking or pooping all over my nice clean floors.  I also have to take El Juevo to a doctor's appointment and buy him provisions for whilst we are gone, and I need to get a new battery for my little boat's sump pump since charging it didn't work.  We've gotten an assload of rain since last night, and the Little Miss Jackie is sitting mighty low this morning.  I've never actually hooked one up before, but how complicated can it be?  Oh, did I mention it is still POURING DOWN RAIN?

It is going to be a busy day, but that will make the time go faster.  If all goes well, the next time ya'll hear from me (other than Dar, who has graciously offered to chauffeur me to the airport and keep my car at her house so I don't have to pay about a hundred bucks in parking garage fees) I will be officially en route.  I don't know if I will get a chance to post tomorrow-I have a several hour layover in Atlanta, so it could happen.  If not, I'm sure I will update you all at some point once I've made it there, hopefully AFTER the earth has moved!

Verging On

Panic Attack

Hyperventilating

Puking, Vomiting, Barfing, Upchucking, Blowing Chunks

Shitting my pants

Full Body Orgasm

Exploding

Heart jumping out of my throat

Now, that's what I call poetry.  *snort*

Countdown...Or Not?

So my bags are packed, I've retrieved my passport from the safe, I've picked out which red panties I will wear on the first leg of the trip.  I'm minding my own business, surfing the net, and for some reason I decided to check oyibosonline.com, the site for expats in Nigeria.  

Yesterday's news was that the entire oil industry in Nigeria is on the verge of a three day strike beginning Wednesday.  I didn't think a whole lot about it-at most I figured it would mean that the Innocent Bystander's last day or two on the boat would be a lot of hurry up and wait, but no work.  No prollem, right?

Guess again, derf.  Turns out it is a HUGE, BIG HAIRY DEAL.  If they go on strike, that means no helicopters will be flying in or out.  This means the IB would be stuck on the boat until the strike was resolved.  Can we say OHSHITOHDEAR?

We discussed it this morning.  The IB's relief captain is scheduled to arrive in Lagos on Tuesday morning, so if the IB can get a helicopter out they may be able to crew change a day early.  That is if the other captain can get a flight from Lagos to Warri.  If not, I may end up spending a day or three in Amsterdam by myself, in which case we might extend our stay once he joined me.  (Heh.  I said extend.)  This would be a mixed blessing. I really want to go back to the Van Gogh museum and take my time, which he has no interest in. I could take a day trip to Delft or go see the cheese in Gouda.  *laughs hysterically*  There are a few other places I could go hang out and people watch, if nothing else.  I am not concerned about finding ways to stay occupied, but I AM concerned with ANY delay in my getting LAID.  Dammit.

The upshot is I am holding my breath.  There is a meeting scheduled with the government tomorrow which may resolve the issues that this particular strike is to address.  I sure hope so. I had really big plans.

Gone But Not Forgotten

*Pauses to look at the two shiny new followers*  *waves*  *huffs then buffs knuckles and pats self on the back*  *Tries to remember today's topic*

Ahem.  Sorry about that.  I get distracted easily.  Particularly when I think about how long it's been since there has been any positive change in the Beautifulist.  So what if I'm related to one and the other may have felt obligated.  I will take ya'll any way I can get you-the challenge will be to keep you coming back!  *wink*

Those of you who have been with me for awhile know of my EQ/WOW driven interest in roadkill. I pay close attention to all the little dead bodies I pass on the road, evaluating each for quality, in case it might be something I need.  This has been going on for what?  Close to ten years now? 

Well, today, I just want to stop and acknowledge one of these piles of what is left after bumper meets fur.

Every time, for the last three and a half years, that I drive down Highway 90 on my way to town, when I get to the point where I can just see the 84 lumber sign, I look to the right, and I see what I have come to think of as Flat Dog.  I always say, in my head (but sometimes out loud, too) "I see you, Flat Dog."  This poor thing.  I think of it as a 'him' in my head.  I did not see him immediately following the storm (Hurricane Katrina)-it was actually about ten days later-but I think of him as a victim of it, nonetheless.  After the storm, the traffic around here was awful, what with all of the debris removal trucks clogging up the roads, and for some reason, I attribute his death to one of them. 

I guess it is because I have slowly watched his carcass go from something that looked like it once held life to something only I probably recognize as 'dog', but it is very important to me that Flat Dog gets some recognition.  You see, Flat Dog has a whole history in my head, ala Harriet the Spy.  He had a boy, but the boy's home was destroyed in the storm as were many in this area.  Because animals were not allowed in the shelters, Flat Dog had been searching for his boy in the early dawn hours one morning.  In his doggy brain, he was remembering the last time the boy had thrown the ball for him and his body just naturally jumped to catch the ball and never saw the truck veer onto the berm headed straight at him.  It was very sudden.  It caught him mid-jump, and he was frozen in that position forever.  He looked like he died with a smile on his face, like he was for all time chasing after that ball...and that boy.

Who knows?  He could have been a stray that tore up people's garbage and chased little pussycats and pooped on the sidewalks.  But I like my version better.

I see you, Flat Dog.

Short and Sweet

For the record:  Don't insult my intelligence.  It really pisses me off when I'm reading one of my favorite blogs, which has, literally HUNDREDS of followers-it shows them right there on the farking page-and the author makes some facetious remark about their (singular) reader.  It may be a little haha funny if you are struggling for readers, but when you are getting thousands of hits a day on your page(s) it just comes off as false modesty.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled blog reading.

Oh.  A wee bit o' lagniappe:

The Fat Lady Sang

The Innocent Bystander made an executive proclamation: our little experiment in biodiversity is over.  He made me take the nesting box out of the cage.  Ahab (I just can't call her Ahabella-hell, I can barely bring myself to say her) had been sitting on her eggs for six weeks, and was only coming out of the box two or three times a day to take some wicked birdie dumps and grab a bite to eat.  Moby was eating for the both of them and 'sharing'.  We'll just leave it at that.  Once I managed to get the box out of the cage, and the bird out of the box (holy moly was she ever defensive!) this is what was left:

Kinda sad.  All those little potentialities gone to waste.  There is a wee, sick part of me that wants to crack one or two open to see if anything was even trying to develop, but I am trying to resist.  I am debating what to do with them.  I could bury them, like I made the IB do with the first one.  I could just lower them into the river and let her take them where she may.  But that sickie inside of me kinda thinks I should just put them out in the yard where the lions and tigers and bears (or snakes, possums and other egg sucking hound-type animals) can get at them.  Let nature take her course.  Ye olde cycle of life goes on, who's lowest on the food chain totem pole.

Ahab seems to be taking it well.  She spent almost a solid four hours this morning doing nothing but eating.  Then, once that appetite had been satisfied, she bathed.  She is normally a very fastidious little thing, but since she's been preggers, she has really let herself go.  I guess she's making up for lost time now, because so far, she's taken FOUR baths.  All in all, she doesn't appear to be any worse for the wear, other than a little bald spot on her breast, which was to be expected.

Well, I'm off to finger out how I'm going to dispose of these huevos.  Ya'll have a hellova hump day!

Oh, Yes, She DID

I am down to ten days until my trip, and I am absolutely VIBRATING.  Next week is going to be a whirlwind.  I have an appointment on Monday with Dr. Wonderful to get my hips injected and possibly score some 'roids.  I have an appointment to get my roots done.  I was going to get a manicure and a pedicure, but I just can't justify spending that kind of money, so those I will do myself.  I have some extreme turd chasing and chopping to do to get the bird cages ready to go to Granny's, which the birds are very excited about.  I also have to figure out how I'm going to get that nesting box out of the little birds cage without having my arm gnawed off.  I can't believe she hasn't gotten bored from sitting on those eggs this long.

I've packed, and repacked.  I'm debating the roll vs. fold issue with myself.  It is not easy trying to pack for a ten day trip in what really amounts to one carryon bag, especially since I keep telling myself I'm going to dress like a grownup this time instead of wearing jeans or cargo pants everywhere I go.  

Today I am assembling the contents of my toiletries bag.  This takes some planning.  I have to take enough of my hair jism to last ten days, but have to get it into three ounce containers.  I suppose that rather than trying to take things like shampoo and conditioner with me, I can pick those up when I get there.  There are some things, though, that I would prefer to remember to bring with me...this time.

In 2004, the Innocent Bystander and I took a trip to Amsterdam, Paris and Rome.  As I've mentioned in the past, we travel a lot, but we try to economize when we do by using frequent flyer miles, traveling in the off season and taking advantage of city passes.  We do all of our booking ourselves, and the IB does a wonderful job of  'itinerarizing'.  When he books our hotel, one of the things we always try to make sure of is that the room has a refrigerator.  Once we have figured out the lay of the land, the first thing we do is find the nearest grocery store and stock up on beer for the room (we DO have our priorities in order, don'tcha know.)  We also try to save money by getting stuff to make sandwiches so we don't have to pay restaurant prices for every meal we eat, especially in overpriced touristy areas.  This time was no exception.

Our hotel was conveniently situated about five buildings down from the local chain grocery store, Albert Heijn, so we loaded up with beer, bread, and the local specialty, Gouda cheese.  In Holland, you have a choice when you buy Gouda, niewe (new) or oude (old, or aged).  I remembered that I liked the oude, so we got plenty of that.

The thing I forgot, the very important, very relevant thing I forgot about this oude cheese?  It is an excellent BINDING agent, especially when it is eaten almost exclusively for four days.  Despite all the exercise we got, despite all the beer drinking, which was considerable, despite the fact that normally I am one of those very REGULAR folks who have a 'food go in, food come out' system, I did not have a bowel movement for FOUR DAYS.  Zilch, zip, nada.  We were due to leave the next day on a train bound for Paris and I was getting, shall we say, SURLY, so I decided to take the bull by the horns, shall we say, and force the issue.

Now, they don't have Wallyworld in Amsterdam.  You buy groceries in a grocery store, electronics in an electronics store, and pharmacy items in-you guessed it-a pharmacy.  So we find a pharmacy, and I wander around looking for what I need.

May I just say, for the record, that Dutch is a HARD language to learn?  I mean, I do my best, but I am hard pressed to remember the basics-numbers, colors, please and thank you.  It never occured to me that I might need more than that because most Dutch folk also speak very good English.  They don't, however, translate their pharmacy items, so I was having some difficulty finding what I needed.  I looked around, but there was no one in sight to ask for help, so I got in the line at the cash register and waited my turn.  

Finally, I had the attention of the young lady at the till, and I leaned over and quietly stated what I was looking for and asked for her help.  Keep in mind, the line BEHIND me continued to grow, and I obviously had nothing in front of me to purchase, so I actually had EVERYONE'S attention.  She never looked up at me until she heard my request, then her WHOLE BODY perked up and she looked up with interest and smiled, really big.

"A LAXATIVE?" she boomed.  "A LAXATIVE.  LET'S SEE.  I KNOW WE HAVE LAXATIVES AROUND HERE SOMEWHERE."  By this time she's grabbed me by the hand and is leading me around the store.  "OH, HERE THEY ARE!"  She grabs a box and drags me back to the cash register where I feverishly dig a five Euro note out and try to pay her whilst attempting to make myself as small and invisible as possible.  But NO.  This *eyes roll back in head, searching* this human foghorn CONTINUES.  "LET'S READ THE INSTRUCTIONS," she booms.  "WE WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU KNOW HOW TO USE THEM."  She looks up, concerned.  I started to tell her I know perfectly well how to USE them, but she continues on, "TONIGHT, YOU TAKE ONE OF THESE PILLS.  TOMORROW, YOU WILL POOP.  IF YOU DO NOT POOP TOMORROW, YOU TAKE TWO MORE OF THESE PILLS TOMORROW NIGHT, AND SURELY YOU WILL POOP THE NEXT DAY!"  Surely.

I know now that it is NOT POSSIBLE TO DIE FROM HUMILIATION.  But I also know that forewarned is forearmed, and my ass is not EVER leaving this country without a blister pack of Exlax in my toiletries bag, so I'm outta here-I have some stocking up to do.

*smooches*

Paranoia

I am afraid to leave the house, for fear I will be the next wreck of the day.  I am afraid to get excited, for fear I will have a stroke.  I mean, if it can happen to people I read every day, people who are so freaking SOLID in my head, I can't help but think that it could happen to me, too.  So what do I do?

I cook.  And then I eat.  And I feed my neighbors.  And strangers.  I took a pot of spaghetti up and dropped it off at the Shingle Mill on Saturday, and yesterday I made a VAT of chicken curry (with the last of my Trinidadian curry, dammit) and a loaf of banana bread.  I think I have eaten my weight in curry, and my ass feels like I slathered it on with a trowel.  I ate one slice of the banana bread, then realized that if I didn't get it out of the houseboat immediately, I would have to end the day with my finger down my throat.  I took two slices to El Juevo, two to the couple who runs the little convenience store down the road, and gave my neighbors the rest.  I also doled out a little of the curry here and there, but I saved most of it to freeze, because I am stingy, and also because I just don't think anyone around here can really appreciate it properly. I mean, it's not deep fried and there is no LARD in it.  *bitch slaps self*  That was not NICE, Jacquelynn.

I can't possibly keep this up.  I have used everything in my freezer except various and sundry Lean Cuisines, Smart Ones, and Healthy Choices, so there is nothing left to cook.  I am almost out of bottled water.  I am tired of bailing out my little boat (the battery that runs my little sump pump is d.e.a.d. dead, so I am having to bail it out by hand twice a day to keep it from sinking from all the rain we've been having) (it's no fun bailing IN THE RAIN) so I need to go get a new battery.  How do I MAKE myself get in the car?

Eleven more days.  Surely I can make it eleven more days.  Ahhh, my kingdom for a xanax.

Circling Our Wagons

Where were you when you got the news?

Personally, I was sitting in the DMV, minding my own business, when my text signal went off.

Dar: Braja was in a bad wreck.

Me: In Bangkok?  She okay?

Dar: No, it's bad.

Me: How did you hear?

Dar: No, it's bad-lotsa surgery.  Reading now.  Vodka Mom.

Me: I'm at the DMV and can't use the phone.  Details, woman, details!

Dar:  Go to prabhupada.org

So I did.  Now, for the next four years, every time I pull out my driver's license I will think of this day and remember choking back sobs in front of a room full of strangers.  

What is that old saying?  He comes like a thief in the night?  For some reason, that just keeps resounding in my head.  And I keep going back to her blog, and those last couple of weirdly prophetic posts, to reread them, and try to think about this as Braja would, but I just can't wrap my mind around it.  Chaotic thoughts ricochet one right off the other.  Do I pray?  You're damn right I pray.  In fact, many of us, at noon today, will be praying together.  

I spent a great deal of time last night doing searches on ISKCON, Apollo Hospital, India-anything I could think of to try to make sense of this, to feel closer to my 'sister'.  I don't know about ya'll, but I grew up in an era when we didn't have all this marvelous information at our fingertips.  I got the Reader's Digest version of Hare Krishna when I was growing up, the "My child was brainwashed by this CULT" stories.  As far as those stories went, all Hare Krishna followers did was hang out in airports trying to sell flowers and recruiting others to do the same.  It boggles my mind that they were considered EVIL, when I watch something like the video her friend produced.  It is not hard to understand how one could be drawn to a religion whose focus is getting closer to the Supreme Being.  

THEN, as I was getting ready to go to bed, I checked my reader one last time, and found THIS. You guys?  Thirty six is just WAY too young for a stroke.  Please keep Kelly in your prayers as well.  I know I will.

Picture This

I imagine myself sitting here, staring out these windows of mine, trying to paint you a picture.  I have never been accused of having an artistic bone in my body.  *pauses for WAAAAY too long to contemplate THAT* *snorts*  It's okay.  What is the worst I can do?  Mess it up?  No, just not do it justice.  ^^shrugs^^  What the hell.

I create for myself the perfect paintbrush, long, unfinished wood*chokes* handle, bleached almost white with time.  Perfect blonde bristle brush, fine as baby hair.  I mentally twirl my tongue around it, swirling it into a perfectly tapered point, and eye my canvas speculatively.

These trees.  Sycamores, cypress and pines, with the occasional willow thrown in for grace.  They stretch, up up up in all their scraggly glory.  The spanish moss drips in wisps and clumps, like the neglected beards of dirty old men.  Bits of yellowish green and greenish yellow bite through, insisting that these grays and browns of winter are a thing of the past.

There is a mist hanging over the river, that filters the reality of the houseboats, give them a romantic feel.  Someone is burning bits of wood, and pinecones, and probably beer cartons, if truth be told.  The smoke mingles with the mist and clings to my clammy skin.

The river vibrates.  I watch it for hours.  Schools of minnows shimmer just beneath the surface, silvery bright, reflecting the fingers of sunlight that manage to peep through the gloom.  Out of the corner of my eye, the alligator gars break the surface of the water.  I try to catch them at it, but they are usually too fast-I only catch a glimpse of their sleek bodies arcing through the dive. Their beaks are elusive, long, like swordfish, but blunted, fast as lightening.  Did I really see that, or was it my imagination?  Always, always on the edge of vision, they repeat the dance, over and over, playing with my head.

I throw a slice of bread in the water.  Flashes and splashes of blue and orange as the water boils with brim.  The sounds as they hit the bread are like sucking kisses, wet and somehow sexual.  This wakes the turtles, who stick their huge, fistlike heads up, demanding that I hold their bread, so they can eat it at their leisure, free of the pesky fish.  They bite off chunks and gulp it down, soggy bits swirling around them in the water until the minnows surround them to bat cleanup.

There is no stillness, no silence.  The birds outside fight to be heard over the birds inside, the frogs sing, the wind in the branches is susurrous, and I look around, trying to figure out what direction it is coming from.  Then it hits me.  It is coming at me from all sides.  Life, like this river.  I'm in it up to my neck.

The Story Behind The Song

I guess one of the reasons I've hesitated to write this post is because it is really not my story. It truly belongs to the Innocent Bystander, but he won't write it himself, because, he says, he would have to title it "These Motherfuckers". So keep in mind that this is an "as told to" story. Also, please keep in mind that whilst it may be obvious that I/we find some parts of this funny, in all reality a lot of it is quite sad. As a traveler, I try not to pass judgement on the way other cultures do things-different does not necessarily mean wrong. But sometimes when I am pointing and laughing, a great part of me is screaming inside about the injustices of this world we live in, particularly at the inequity of its distribution of resources. The reason I bring this up is that the story behind "The Song" is really the story of the IB's assimilation (and mine by proxy) into the culture of Nigeria.

When he had worked overseas in the past, he never had an opportunity to spend any great length of time in the country he was in (Bahamas, Trinidad, Venezuela) before he had to go to work, but when he went to Nigeria, he had several weeks 'in country' before the boat was even due to arrive. His boss, the Nigerian owner of the boat and company he works for, was a marvelous host. He basically spent the first two weeks that the IB was there as a personal tour guide. He showed him around the company holdings, which we expected, but he was also very upfront about showing him his two nearly identical homes, one for each wife.

Everything was a novelty at first to the IB. The drives through the streets with guards armed with machine guns. The street vendors selling everything from roasted grubworms on sticks to bolts of silk fabric, from nuts and bolts to John Deere motor parts. (There are no stores as we know them-the successful vendors have stalls-the rest carry their wares on their heads.) The way every woman he was introduced to seemed to think he was going to be the man who took them away from all this. The poverty. The begging. Especially the begging.

Nigeria has a reputation for graft, but it really seems to be deeper than that. Virtually everyone wants SOMETHING from anyone he encounters. If someone holds a door open for you to pass through, he asks, "And what do you have for ME, Sir? Just ONE SMALL THING." And then they stand there expectantly with their hands out. It is not just to 'oyibos' (foreigners) that they do this to. This is just how things get done there. One small thing at a time. No matter what it is you are trying to accomplish, you have to remember to factor in 'one small thing' per person involved in said endeavor in addition to whatever the quoted procedure to get said thing done. Every wheel needs a bit of greasing.

The new car smell wore off about the same time the boat was supposed to arrive. That is when the reality of the situation he was in really seemed to gel, and the IB started hauling out the "these motherfuckers" in our phone conversations. I think what really cemented it was this.

The boat that he works on is too small to cross the Atlantic, so it had to be shipped in on a freight barge. The company running THAT ship decided, once they had crossed the Atlantic, that it was too dangerous to deliver the boat to Nigeria, so instead, they dropped it off in Togo, so the IB had to go fetch it and drive it to Nigeria himself, which was a huge clusterfuck, but a pretty typical snafu, all things considered. As he was preparing for his flight, the bossman came to him and handed him two paper bags. They were stuffed full of the local currency. One was to cover supplying the boat with food, fuel, etc. for the ride from Togo to Nigeria, and the other one was for 'dash', which is the local term for the grease that keeps those wheels turning. They needed it all.

He got the boat to Nigeria, and eventually they got all the right hands dashed and got on location. Before the job could start, however, they had to bless the boat. The IB figured it would be pretty much what we are used to as a christening, but it turned out to be a really involved ceremony wherein a group of people from the community came on board and blessed-with singing and chanting and dancing and copious amounts of holy oil-every part of the boat. "Heavenly Father, bless this deck, and the equipment that will sit on it. Keep it free of rust and dents that it may ever be able to do its duty to carry its cargo." And, "Oh, Holy Father, please bless this engine, that it may..." On and on. The generators. The doors. The captain's wheel. The kitchen sink. Literally. Every part of that boat was blessed to the maximum being blessed ability. Including the captain. *wicked evil grin*

So they get the job started, and it became obvious to him the differences between 'oyibo' and local. He is not an overly adventurous eater, so his diet there is pretty much meat, eggs, rice and gravy. The locals who work on the boat eat mostly a concoction of yuca (which we tried when we were in Costa Rica and is actually quite good), beans and bread. Because of the poverty (these guys make the equivalent of something like eight bucks a day, which is a GOOD job there), theft is always a problem, so everything that is given to the crew is rationed (by the owner of the boat). They get five bottles of water a day, a tin of canned milk (which they call 'mik'), and every other day they get a tin of sardines and a can of Coke. I think on the day they don't get the sardines they get some kind of mystery meat in their beans, and everyone gets exactly the same number and size of chunks in their bowl or there is hell to pay. (They do get other stuff, this is just the stuff that gets fussed about the most because I guess it is the stuff they run out of the most.) Most of that stuff that is rationed? They save it up and take it home to their families or to sell. So it is a big deal if they run out and don't get something one day, and they feel they are owed. To them, those rations that are supposed to be nourishing their bodies to do their jobs, are part of their PAY. Never mind that they can eat as much of the staple food as they like. They want what is 'theirs'.

All those years when the kids were growing up and I tried to holy the IB up some? *shakes head* I got NUTHIN' on the Nigerians. I really think that ceremony kinda cracked something in him. Every morning, before work begins, they have a safety meeting. At the meeting they discuss the work planned for the day, the potential hazards involved, how they will avoid those hazards and what they will do if one of those hazards comes to pass. They also air their grievances, say a daily prayer, and finally, they sing the Good Morning, Jesus song, which (accompanied by JOYOUS rhythmic clapping) goes:

Good Morning, Jesus

Good Morning, Lord

I know You come from

Heaven above

The (prounounced thee) Holy Spirit

Sits on the throne (pronounced de trone)

Good Morning, Jesus

Good Morning, Lord

Now, depending on how many cans of 'mik' or sardines are owed them at that point, the prayer and song can go on...and on, and on. They use it as a form of protest. The more they are owed, the longer they pray and sing each day, and the less work gets done. What I really love about it, is that the IB PARTICIPATES. I guess because he can either sympathize or empathize (with him it's hard to tell) (heh. I said it's hard.) with them, he sings right along.

And so do we. Every morning, after cages are cleaned, and before we have our morning munchies, we sing our little song of solidarity, the birdies and I. I don't always get the rhythm right, but I think, with all of our clapping and stomping and flapping of wings, we always get the sentiment right. I hope so, anyway.

Psych

Okay.  I have survived the plague.  I was going to tell you the story of the song today, but I am pressed for time due to an obligation with El Juevo, and I have some pressing announcements, so the story is going to have to wait ONE MORE DAY.  Sorry...MADE YA LOOK!!!

First.  Yes, a woman was murdered who lives on Shingle Mill Landing Road, but NO, it was not me.  Nor did I have anything to do with it.  From what I have been told and have heard on the news, the lady in question was wheelchair bound and that when they found her, they first thought she died of natural causes, but that they later discovered a deep puncture wound on her neck (rumor has it the back of her neck) which is why they are investigating it as a homicide.  The only possible scenario I can come up with to explain why they first thought it was natural causes and still account for what had to be at least SOME blood would be maybe a fall from the wheelchair. They are also reporting that she did not routinely lock her doors.  Robbery is the suspected motive.

FYI for those of you who can't imagine me staying here under these circumstances:  I lock my door religiously.  I can feel a three pound kitteh the minute she steps onto my gangway, so I doubt very seriously anyone could get on this boat without my knowledge.  Not to mention my early warning duck duck goose system.  I also have thirty eight very special ways to say get the fuck out of my house. I have very suspicious neighbors who are aware of everything that goes on in 'the hood.'  I also have a bar full of rednecks overlooking my houseboat who would LOVE an excuse to come to my defense-think of all the free beers THAT would get'em from the Innocent Bystander.  *bats eyes*  Mah heros.

Next.  For those of you who have one Kindle but wish you had another?  If you have an IPhone, you now have a free second Kindle.  You have to download the software from the Apple Application Store (free) and you have to have the latest version of your IPhone (or certain versions of the IPod/ITouch) software installed, but that beats the hell out of spending $359 for another Kindle.  I actually like the IPhone version better than the original because I can turn pages faster AND it is backlit.  This means I can take all my books with me and NOT have to take my Kindle, risking it getting broken or stolen.  It is all synched with your regular Kindle.  Who'da thunk it?  A freebie IN THESE TOUGH ECONOMIC TIMES.  

And last.  A request.  This one is easy.  In the process of downloading said Kindle software to my IPhone, I inadvertently lost ALL OF MY CONTACTS.  Can we say "OH SHIT OH DEAR"?  I'm talking ALL of them.  I know that those of you who know me in person think I am a walking telephone directory, but honestly?  Since I have been out of the workforce and had no reason to keep them in my memory banks, they have been purged from my brain.  Other things (mostly shiny ones) have taken their place, so I need your help.  Family, friends, wyves, bitches, Romans, countrymen-THIS MEANS YOU!!!...I need yo' numbers.  Please email me at derfina@aol.com and send me your telephone numbers and physical addresses, purty please.  I promise that, this time, I will have the foresight to back them up.  If I don't forget.

*smooches*

Copout

Sorry, ya'll.  I know I said you'd get the story behind the song, but it is going to have to wait.  I tried to sit here and write, but my head is pounding and I'm running a fever and I just can't.  I'd send you *smooches* but I don't want to get any on you.  Thank you all for your get well wishes. This dishrag is headed back to the couch.

I'b Sig

Beh.

Everything is such an effort.  *sigh*  

I be saggin', ya'll.  About noontime yesterday I started getting a weird, tickle-ish feeling in one side of my nose.  Kinda like when you get a sneeze stuck.  Only in this case, it is most definitely NOT stuck, but the feeling has persisted, and I have progressed to the snot factory stage with a side of sore throat.  

Where the hell does all this chit come from?  I mean, I am taking in a finite amount of liquid.  I am absolutely positive that more is coming out of me than is going in.  

See, this is what happens when you let your alcohol level drop.  Had the Innocent Bystander been home, my body would have been fully prepared, i.e. a fortress of germ fighting beer, when it was exposed to whatever germ this is that seems to have a preference for RIGHT nasal cavities.  But no.  I have to go and get all dried out.  I might as well have put out a welcome mat and opened the door.  The only upside I can think of is that whatever this is will have run its course by trip time.  Only twenty sleeps to go!

Tomorrow, I will tell you about the Good Morning Jesus song.  For now, I'm going to concentrate on holding down the couch and stimulating the tissue manufacturing segment of the economy.  A hanky is a wonderful thing to have handy in a pinch, but actually using one for THIS volume of snot?  *shakes head*  I think not.