Rest In Peace

The most golden of the Golden Girls is gone.



We will miss you, Sophia! Sigh.

Am I the Dense One?

In yesterday's New York Daily News, an article discussed Project Runway and interviewed Christian Siriano, last season's winner. In something that I found particularly odd, the writer noted that Siriano had a signature catchphrase: fierce.

Then the writer parenthetically tells us that it rhymes with "pierce."

Is this a widely held secret? Do readers of the New York Daily News commonly have difficulty with diphthongs? Or do people so rarely use the word "fierce" that they don't know how to say it? Finally, if someone is going to continue into the third paragraph of this article, he is likely a fan of the show already and will be aware of the correct pronunciation of "fierce."

Of course, I suspect that "fierce" is more rarely used than "pierce." After all, pierce can be something you do to a body part. Or it can be an old car or a former President. You can also "pierce" the sky, etc...

Maybe there is an inside joke. I have casually watched the show, but some tall, blond, German woman keeps annoying the crap out of me. And that is fierce, but in a bad way.

Do Not Touch The Trim

I returned from Kentucky this past week, already missing God's country when the wheels of the jet touched down at JFK (the airport, not the fried chicken store in Brooklyn).

Much to my delight, I discovered several episodes of "Squidbillies" saved on the DVR. Until a couple of months ago, I never even knew the existence of this program. It is a cartoon that plays late nights on The Cartoon Network. It is an adult cartoon. And when I say adult, I don't mean naughty, I mean for grown-ups. And since I go to bed early when I am in Kentucky, I didn't get to see any episodes while I was there.

In general, I don't enjoy cartoons very much. The Good Nurse, on the other hand, is a cartoon junkie. Just when I thought we had found some common entertainment ground, he confided that he is not a fan of "Squidbillies."

But many of us are! So if you happen to be up late at night and want to see how hill-folk live in the Appalachian foothills, give it a gander! Or record it and watch it later. But remember, it is a cartoon and not to be confused with real life. Mostly.

You Just Lost Me, Senator McCain

He really did seem like a better Republican that George W. Bush. But with this announcement from last week, McCain has lost all my confidence and even my vote. Since I live in New York, my vote would be washed away many times over, regardless, if I pulled the McCain lever. However, surrounding himself with the minions of Bush and Cheney is shooting himself in the foot.

What the hell are you thinking, Senator? I just returned from "flyover country," the mainstay of your electoral potential. People there still appreciate George W. Bush, but consider Cheney to be one step removed from the Antichrist. And you're hiring Cheney people? A Karl Rove protege?

Get your head out of your ass. If this is truly your judgment in action, then you deserve to lose. At least Obama resigned from his church after his pastor said stupid things. Conversely, you embrace that which disgusts your now-lost core supporters.

Waiting for the Phone Call

It's after midnight here in Scottsville, KY. I can't seem to get to sleep. It's not because of any worries I have for me, but rather the nephews--Jake and Jack.

You see, Jake's best buddy, his Grandaddy, is on death watch at the hospital in Bowling Green. Doctors told the family today that it is just a matter of hours. Since my brother is working, his wife might get the final call at any moment to go be with her father to say a last goodbye. When that call comes, I have the heartbreaking task of going to get the nephews to bring them back to Momma's house.

Jake and Jack were here with Momma and me today at Momma's house when the call came in that Mr. Hinton had taken a turn for the worse. As soon as Jake heard the news, the color drained from his face and the beginnings of tears welled up in his precious eyes.

No finer man has this county produced, I am sure, than Mr. Hinton. As well, he is one of the most handsome men anywhere. And since Jake was born, Mr. Hinton has been the kind of grandfather that I wish all children had the opportunity to have. From fishing to hunting to farming to talking about the weather and just being a gentleman, Mr. Hinton imparted love and devotion and class to Jake. Because of his grandaddy, I believe Jake has developed maturity and compassion and personality far stronger than his age would betray.

Seeing a boy cry from minor injuries, either physical or emotional, never really shakes me up. I think we all agree that those kinds of injuries are fleeting. But knowing that Jake will very soon face a loss, the likes of which he has ever known, is tugging at my heart already. As I mentioned earlier, he is losing a best friend--and a wonderful grandfather, all at once.

I will soon lay my head back on the pillow and pray for peaceful slumber. My prayers will also include Jake and Jack, as well as all their cousins and my sister-in-law and Mrs. Hinton. Times like these must come to pass. But the pain will last much longer than a skinned knee or a lost ballgame. Sometimes pain like this never goes away. But I will be there for the nephews, to help them remember all the good things that Mr. Hinton brought to their life and how a part of him will live on in them forever.

You Can't Swing a Dead Cat...

...but I can.

Or, at least that was my first chore upon arriving in Kentucky on July 4th. It seems that somehow, a stray cat had curled up and died under the deck that leads from Momma's back door to her cement pond. Momma had alerted me a couple days prior that "something stinks" outside. Only through the eagle eyes of Nephew Jack did she come to learn that the cat was not her cat, Scarlet, but rather a mean, old, ugly gray cat. (Not that gray hair is automatically associated with mean, old and ugly.) Scarlet had been MIA for at least as long as the smell of death permeated air around the house. Momma had feared that Scarlet was the victim. Now she has concluded that Scarlet just couldn't handle the odor, either. So, I retrieved the cat by crawling under the deck. With Gardner's help, we found it a new, final resting place.

The trip to Kentucky was planned at the last minute, on Thursday night, right before a Friday morning departure. With storms in the forecast in the northeast, it just seemed logical to go South for the holiday weekend. So I did. I will return to the Big Apple on Wednesday. In the meantime, I will make the most of being in God's Country.



Completely unrelated, here is a photo of me from my senior year in high school (almost 20 years ago!!!). It was some event happening in auto shop. I don't remember that day, but it looks like I was in charge of serving the beans. With that tie, it must have been a very fun time! So, I'm guessing: barbecue!

I'm Going Crazy Out of Too Much Happiness

The title of this post is a line from a song in a Filipino movie that is playing on TV right now, as the Good Nurse and I are watching a film from his native land. Or at least that's the translation that I just saw on the subtitles.

I often complain (read: bitch & moan) about watching TV with the Good Nurse because he talks to the TV. Yes, talks to the TV. But since this film started playing, he has barely uttered a word. Naturally, I had to ask him about it. Mostly because I wanted to know if he spoke Tagalog when talking to a Filipino movie. Since he is not talking to the TV at all, I may never know.

However, my interest in his movie-watching habits has just been overtaken by my interest in the star of the film we are watching. Back to the sofa for me. I'm sure you understand...