Happy Anniversary, baby....

Our 14th wedding anniversary was March 28th.

I didn't mention it before because I didn't want to be swamped with the expensive gifts I knew you'd all want to send.

Anyway, Sweet Man and I decided to wait and celebrate last night by going to a concert of 70's groups. The show was great! Ambroisa performed all their hits....like "That's How Much I Feel" etc. Edgar Winter (who knew he was still alive?) performed "Frankenstein", "Free Ride" and "Tobacco Road". He put on quite a show. Marty Balin~who created Jefferson Airplane and then was also in Jefferson Starship~ performed "Miracles", "Hearts", "Runaway", "With Your Love" and some other song I can't remember. He was awesome! Bob Welch of Fleetwood Mac also performed a couple of songs....."Ebony Eyes" was one of them. The concert was at the new Riverwalk Amphitheater in Montgomery.

Here are some pictures....

Only in Alabama would you find a sign like this
right next to a new(ish) baseball stadium...

We were some of the "first members of the general public"
to use this new tunnel to get to the amphitheater.
Can't you just sense the excitement Sweet Man was feeling?

A section of the new, not-quite-completed parkway leading to the theater

We go there when the gates opened at 6:00
Isn't the grass pretty?

Sweet Man zoomed in for this shot of the stage.
I love the location of this place.....right on the river....
(I don't know for sure, but I think Knology was a sponsor.)

We got kinda bored waiting for the show to start and decided to
try taking a picture of ourselves.
Sweet Man was holding the camera, so he has the dreaded Pissy family
"neck thing" going on....
(Gabelle and Little Pissy know what I'm talking about.)

.....so we took another one.
I tried to tell him this wouldn't turn out well.
*sigh*
At least you have a good view of his nasal cavity.

I wanted to go up to the stage and take pictures of the performers like everyone else was doing, but Sweet Man begged me not to....

So I didn't.

That was my anniversary gift to him.

I said I'd take pictures today....

...and here they are:

These are the yards of my next door neighbor and a couple of houses

up the street from me.
It will take years for my yard to look like that....

Monster Kimberly Queen fern that I've had for years...
(upper deck)

Some of the pots I planted and
the sickly brother of the monster fern
(upper deck~the small boxes have lavender which is supposed to get 2 feet tall.
the pots have geraniums and various other sun loving plants all mixed together)

A couple of pots on lower deck...
(guess I should have swept before I took the picture, huh?)

My geraniums that never stopped blooming all winter...
(covered patio)

I saved the best for last....
my favorite pink hydrangea
(front porch)

I'll post pictures of the plant's progress in a month or so.

Try to contain your excitement until then.

Why couldn't I have been born rich?

Not super rich.

Just rich enough to afford a gardener.

Since I'm not rich and none of my relatives have offered to "lend" me their gardeners (*cough* Gabelle *cough*), I spent all Sunday afternoon at Lowe's garden center selecting flowers for the containers that will be on my decks, porch and patio (Sweet Man was playing golf. Don't ask).

Our deck at the old casa was at ground level, so we had flower beds all around it with lantana, heather and dwarf crepe myrtles that would come back every year.

Here at the new casa, the decks are much higher...probably a half story or so off the ground... so container gardening it is. Y'all know how much I love color and flowers and just generally having everything around me look pretty, so it was killing me to look out the French doors in the dining area and see sad, empty pots with old dried out dirt and leaves.

trunk of the rental car filled after Lowe's trip

I love love LOVE verbena!
I bought an entire flat of various colors.

these are all new to me, but are all supposed to be great for full sun.

We shall see....

Today Sweet Man and I re-did the flower bed right in front of the front porch area. There were some boring shrubs there. We replaced them with white azaleas and purple heather. Then I spent the rest of the afternoon planting pots and pots and pots of flowers. By the time I finished, it was too dark to get decent photos.

I'll take some tomorrow if I can still move.

"Potted Momo"

*No Maltese were harmed in the taking of this picture.
Humiliated maybe, but not harmed.

Guess she showed him.....

Now I'm not saying I've never been pissed off at my husband before, but this seems a little extreme......and messy....really messy.

A Brazilian housewife was convicted and sentenced to 19 years in prison Friday for killing her husband, chopping his body into small pieces and frying it. Rosanita Nery dos Santos, 52, drugged her husband in his sleep, then stabbed him to death two years ago in Salvador, about 900 miles northeast of Sao Paulo, said police spokesman Idmar Bonfim.

She then hacked Jose Raimundo Soares dos Santos' body into more than 100 pieces, which she boiled and fried before hiding in plastic bags beneath a staircase in her house, Bonfim said. He said police discovered the body parts after receiving an anonymous phone call.

Bonfim said the killing was either part of a black magic ritual or an attempt by the wife to collect life insurance worth about $34,000.

Citing testimony from the woman's relatives, he said she may also have committed the crime "to avenge many years of humiliation from her husband." He did not provide further details.

Santos denied killing her husband but said she chopped up his body, Bonfim said.

"She claims masked assailants entered her house, killed her husband and then forced her to cut up the body and fry it because that would prevent the stench of a decomposing body from alerting neighbors," he said.

(source: AP)

I also wonder: what kind of knife did she use?

why did she boil him first?

how much cooking oil did it take?

how big was the frying pan?

how long did it take to fry all those pieces?

what did she do with his bones?

Oh...one last thought....seems like an awful lot of work for $34,000.00.

T...a...r...g...e...t

We finally have a Target within the proximity of Hell. It's in Dothan, a 30 minute drive away. Sweet Man and I went there today for the first time (it opened two weeks ago....I restrained myself and let the crowds die down a little before going).

While I was in the check out line buying these....

(Yes. I bought six pairs of reading glasses ($1.00 each).

I had to.....some asshole stole my perscription reading glasses right off the table at Captain D's last night. I loved those frames. They were big and black and so cool. I hope whoever stole them gets killer headaches trying to wear them..... the dumb ass....)


The woman in line behind me was writing out her check.

She asked the cashier how to spell "Target".

Seriously.

I must really like y'all....

'cuz this is one of the worst pictures of me I've ever seen.
Much less posted.

My new Summer 'do

(I'm going to have it like this through the summer and
then let it grow back out some for the wedding in February.)

I've decided that this is my best side....

p.s. I am NOT fishing for compliments, Hotlipz!
I honestly think I look like shit in these pictures and I don't want anybody to say anything about how I look. The pictures are just so ya'll can see my new hair.
So don't even start with me!!!

This post is brought to you by the letter "L"....

for "Lortab".

Because until I took one 30 minutes ago my jaw hurt so much I felt like crap.

I went to the dentist yesterday afternoon. He continues to tell me that he can't determine what exactly is wrong.
Maybe it's an infection?
He gives me a prescription for Penicillin and tells me to take them accordingly for two days. If the pain doesn't get better, let him know and he'll refer me to a specialist in Dothan.

*sigh*

Okay.....

I hadn't taken any Lortab since the one I took Sunday night. Sweet Man is afraid I'm going to get addicted to them or something. I've taken a grand total of three since they were prescribed to me over two weeks ago, so I don't think he needs to book my room at the rehab facility just yet.

Anyway......

I am SO tired of telling y'all nothing but bad news and boring shit about my health, so finally~here's some potential good news:

Looks like we should be closing on the sale of the old casa sometime in April!

YEA!!!!!

I cannot tell y'all how wonderful that would be!

If /when it happens, we can get the yard fenced for the boys and possibly have some landscaping done in the front yard.

Happy days!

...and in news I'm-not-sure-how-I-feel-about: looks like I may have to quit my jobette with the lab.

I know.

No more DNA stories to share.

After doing our taxes it appears that I earn just enough to cost us money.

Since I only work for the lab an average of 5 times a month, it's not worth it.

I don't have to decide yet, but it looks like that's the way it's headed.

Damn!

I'll really gonna miss all those hos, deadbeats and drug dealers....

Anybody want a very part-time job with a lab?


p.s. I got my hair cut Friday. It's pretty short.

A giggle for Monday

(I got this in a forward today from Suzy. My apologies if you've read this before. )

I want to live my next life backwards:

You start out dead and get that out of the way.

Then you wake up in an old age home feeling better every day.

Then you get kicked out for being too healthy.

You enjoy your retirement and collect your pension.

Then when you start work, you get a gold watch on your first day.

You work 40 years until you're too young to work .

You get ready for High School: drink alcohol, party, and you're
generally promiscuous.

Then you go to primary school, you become a kid, you play, and you
have no responsibilities.

Then you become a baby, and then...

You spend your last 9 months floating peacefully in luxury, in spa-
like conditions: central heating, room service on tap, and then.

You finish off as an orgasm.

I rest my case.

I took a Lortab....

and I'm WIDE AWAKE!

Is that supposed to happen?

I thought they put you to sleep?

Oh, well....at least my jaw doesn't hurt anymore.

Or my head.

Apparently I have become a walking disaster since the tornado.

Aside from my arm and the anxiety, I've been having trouble with that same tooth I went to the dentist about over a month ago.

$150.00 later (and this is AFTER the co-pay)...I'm still experiencing shooting pain followed by waves of pain through out my jaw. Good times!

I'm going back to the dentist this week, and either he does something to fix this or I'm going to find a dentist who will!

...and in "the most stupid thing I did today" department....

Sweet Man and I were shopping in TJ Maxx. We were trying to find two more valances to go with the two I'd already found there. I lift my head up and turn to tell him something and
WHAM! I hit my forehead on the corner of the glass shelf! DOH!!!

I now have a knot on the right side of my forehead the size of a quarter.

It hurts.

I feel dumb.

and now I'm afraid to cross the street by myself because I am apparently a danger to myself and probably others.

Oh, now that the eBAy nut has finally paid, I plan on telling y'all all about that.

That is...unless I incur another injury or health problem before Monday.....

I do! I really do!

Even though I've never been there....


HAPPY ST. PATTY'S DAY!!!!

It's Wednesday, right?

I think it is....because LOST comes on tonight...doesn't it?

Things have just been so crazy here at Casa de Pissy that lots of times I'm not sure what day it is...

(and this has nothing to do with forgetting to go to Geneva to do the DNA collections that one time.)

Anyway, even though I'm on two different drugs for anxiety, I've been feeling anxious lately....just a sort of overall free-floating anxiety.

I'm sure it's because of the tornado~DUH!

Either way....it's not a great feeling to have.....

So I've made an appointment with my doctor.

*sigh*

It was time for the "big spread" anyway.

And just so this post doesn't get anymore rambling and boring~here is a list of things that have been going on lately.

Besides what y'all already know about, of course:

1. Sweet Man has lost 19 pounds since mid January when he quit drinking wine.

2. I, on the other hand, have probably gained 10 pounds since the tornado. Because comfort foods are...well....comforting. (I'm thinking about eating a donut as I type this...)

3. We got the news on Monday (the 12th) that the repairs on my Beetle might be finished by April 1st.My poor little car the day of the tornado

4. I don't think I told y'all that it was towed to Montgomery to the VW dealership for repair. It's not only getting the windshield and window replaced, it's also getting a new paint job.There was even glass in the air conditioner vents...We don't have any pine trees in our yard.

5. Because of the Beetle being in Montgomery, I'm driving a rental car. It's an '07 Nissan Altima. You push a button to start the ignition and to turn it off.

6. That freaks me out. It just feels wrong somehow....

7. I've been involved in an on-going battle of emails and ebay messages with a "buyer" of an item I had listed.

8. All I can say is: it's a good thing she lives on the west coast or there'd be some bitch slapping going on.

By one of my friends.

Not me.

I don't get into physical altercations. I'm too old.

But I'm not above encouraging physical altercations when someone has pissed me off as much as this crazy bitch has....

Just PAY FOR THE SHIT ALREADY and be done with it!

....ahem.....

9. Our insurance company is going to pay me for "lost wages" for the two afternoons I couldn't work at the salon because of my "injury" as a result of the car accident.

10. Due to this, I have informed Hair Guy that I am to be referred to as "the manager of the salon with a $75,000.00 per year salary" when the insurance company calls.

So, what's been going on with y'all?



P.S. Did anybody see the NBC nightly news tonight? If you did, the community college which was shown and where the displaced EHS students will finish the school year, is the one where Sweet Man teaches. And the elementary school where the displaced grade school kids will go, is the one up the street from me.

Chicken-Spinich-Pasta Bake

I know I'm scaring y'all with all the cooking I've been doing lately.

I scare myself sometimes.

But in what I refer to as "my other life" (first marriage....good little Army officer's wife) I loved to cook and try new recipes.

Here in the new casa I have this awesome kitchen and plenty of time on my hands, so I've become sorta interested in cooking again.

This is my latest effort.....recipe taken from the February issue of "Southern Living" magazine.

Prepped and ready for the oven.
(Yes, I use store-brand products sometimes.
I know you're surprised.)

Fresh out of the oven...

YUM!!!!
(It was even better the second day.)

This recipe is great because it's basically a meal in itself. All I did was add a salad and some garlic bread to round out the meal.

Little Pissy and her fiance were here this weekend and they loved it too.

....and to kill whatever appetite those pictures may have given you....

here's a picture of my arm today:

Don't you love the way the bruises have turned shades of
green, purple and pink?

Pretty!

p.s. Sorry for the crappy picture quality (of my arm).
I took the photo myself .....it's the reflection in the bathroom mirror.

The hits just keep on happening.....

Yeah....that's my right arm.

Sweet Man and I were in a minor traffic accident today on our way to lunch.

Some dumb ass talking on his cell phone ran a stop sign and hit our truck.

He hit us on the rear passenger side...

I was on the passenger side with my elbow on the arm rest when we were hit.

Arm slammed into truck door=3 hours in ER,
xrays, sling, elevation, ice/heat, 48 hours rest, and Lortab.

At least my arm isn't broken.

That would have really pissed me off.

Our truck is ok....minor damage to the wheel well area.

I promise my posts will get more cheerful eventually!

Cupcakes!

I need this t-shirt!


I've been obsessing over cupcakes for a while now....

They just make me happy for some reason.

These are some of my favorites....





Maybe I should take a cake decorating class and make some fancy ones of my own....

The Aftermath

I'm sure y'all have seen the pictures on television....heard the commentary....read the stories in the newspapers and on the internet.

But really....when you live here....when you actually see it in person...when it's down the street from your house....when you know the people affected....there aren't words to describe the devastation in Enterprise.

My son-in-law is a photo journalist. He came down here Friday night from Atlanta and was at the high school at dawn Saturday morning to take photos.

Here are some of his images.







As I sit here typing this, a local news report on television stated the damage in Enterprise is estimated at 350 million dollars.

All I can think about are those 8 kids who were killed, their families, the 719 families whose homes were damaged and/or destroyed and the 11 acres of woods behind my neighborhood that are gone.

I think I'm going to be sad for a long, long time.

Pissy's OK!

Hey Everyone,

This is GaBele posting for my mom. I'm talking to her on her cell right now and she wanted me to let ya'll know that they are ok. The tornado went through our hometown this afternoon (Enterprise, Alabama). The new house is fine, and they are fine. Both of their car windows are busted and there are lots of trees down. They feel very lucky. A few miles away, houses are leveled along with our high school, where they are still airlifting students to nearby hospitals and trying to free students from debris. As of now, there are 8 fatalities at the high school.

She doesn't ask this much, but whatever your religious beliefs are, she is asking for you to please think of these families during this scary time.

They don't know when they will regain power (the whole town is without power and is also under a curfew) but when they do, she'll be back to update.

Thanks alot,
GaBelle

PS> Here is a link to a story about it from an Atlanta news station that has a team on their way down there.

http://www.wsbtv.com/weather/11139752/detail.html

and another: http://www.11alive.com/news/article_news.aspx?storyid=93095