2010/07/15

Peachy Bliss

DaGoddess @ 04:00

A rerun from August 2002 (which I also reran in 2004), for Pam. Since I’m going to be spending the next 24 hours hanging all over everything my LD has to say…here ya go:

The Peach

4th of July, 2001. I had to work. On the 1st I went to the store to stock up on food to take as lunch. Standing in the produce department, looking at all the fruits and vegetables, I pondered and weighed my choices. I wanted fruit that would transport me to that perfect summer day, complete with clear blue skies, light breezes, warmth, and the sounds of people enjoying themselves. I mean, if I had to be sitting in a hospital surrounded by sick kids, I wanted, in spirit and food, to feel like I was participating in the holiday as much as my imagination allowed.

I saw a stack of plums. Yum. But not exactly the fruit that screamed summer. Apples. Nah….those are available all year. Watermelon? Clichéd. Nah….I wanted something. Something special. And then I spied them.

Georgia peaches. That was just what I wanted! But, how to pick one perfect peach that would be of just the correct ripeness on the 4th. I went over. I inhaled that peachy goodness. I could almost smell the fuzz. I could imagine the first beautiful ripe bite of slightly chilled perfection. I could almost feel the fuzzy skin on my lips and my tongue. I could sense the juices in my mouth meeting the sweet and slightly tart flesh of that peach. I could almost feel the pit against my two front teeth after enthusiastically biting in too deep. Shaking myself out of my stupor, I went about gingerly examining each one. How quickly would they ripen? It was warm…..things ripen too quickly if it’s too warm. What if it didn’t ripen enough?

I spied a produce guy helping a few people select some melon. Dare I ask? I take too much pride in being able to gauge the quality of my foods. It would be cheating, wouldn’t it? Ugh. I went over to the deli counter and bought some fried chicken. It was too hot to make it myself. Plus, this particular store had PERFECT fried chicken and that’s what I wanted. Nothing says summertime picnic like fried chicken if you’re being denied hotdogs and burgers. Standing in line at the deli, I looked longingly at the harvested goods 10 feet away. Decisions. The produce guy was actually kind of cute. Why not walk over and ask for help. Maybe he’ll decide I’m cute and ask me out. What the hell…….why not?

Chicken in basket, I wandered back over to the peaches. I checked again to see if I felt confident enough to choose my own. No such luck. I looked up and saw the produce guy looking in my direction and basically gave him the “oh, my…..what do I do here?” look. He came over. He asked if he could be of assistance.

Looking back up, I said, “I’m trying to find the perfect peach for the 4th of July. I want a peach that makes me feel 100% like I’m in the middle of the best summer day ever from the first bite.” (I’m so clever…not.)

He said, “Well, I’m not sure we have any of those. You’re going to eat this today? When?”

“On the 4th. I have to work. I’m spending 12 hours in a hospital (like my ID badge and scrubs didn’t already give that one away) and am being denied the full festive experience.”

“Okay. Let me see…..” he said, in his nice mellow voice.

I looked at his hands while he was doing this (not for a ring, though none was present, but for an idea of the kind of guy he was) and noticed that he had short, thick fingers. Clean. Strong looking. I watched how he handled the peaches. I watched how he gently pressed to judge ripeness without bruising the fruit.

Finally, he handed me three peaches and told me they were the best of the bunch. He said, “This one is the one that should be perfect on the 4th. If it gets too hot in the next couple days and this softens too much, this one is the next best choice. If it cools off considerably in the next day or so, eat this one. I can’t guarantee the ‘perfect’ summertime experience, but you’ll like how these taste. I promise that.”

I said, “And what if I don’t? What do I get then?”

He said, with a smile, “Come back and ask for Joe. That’s me. I’m the manager. I’ll make it up to you somehow.”

“Thanks, Joe. If these aren’t perfect – I’ll be back looking for you. Might even come back if they are perfect just to thank you.”

“Very good. I work Mondays and Wednesday through Sunday. I’ll be looking for you.”

I smiled and left with my glorious Georgia peaches, thinking about those hands and the taste of summer fruit. I had to eat one peach the next day because it ripened too quickly. One disappeared. I think my daughter ate it. The one that I took to work was exactly everything that I’d hoped it would be. EXACTLY! It was summer in a fuzzy skin.

I’d been so busy at work that I forgot to go back to the store for a couple of weeks. When I went back, I looked for Joe. I didn’t see him anywhere. Not even on his regularly scheduled days. Finally, after two weeks of looking I asked another guy if Joe was around and he told me that Joe had been promoted to a regional produce manager and wasn’t at the store anymore. He’d been given the job on the 7th. It figured.

Oh well. I had the perfect peach.

2010/07/14

Wild Horses…Again

DaGoddess @ 04:15

Let’s just call it a recurring theme. One you should get all comfy with.

PROMPTuesday #114 – I’ve Learned Nothing

DaGoddess @ 03:54

I started this post on the 12th. I had a random list of things that struck me as bloggable, but perhaps not individually. So I was going to throw them all in under the guise of one “real post” (let us all laugh at that one) when lo and behold! PROMPTuesday this week is to make a list! I love her. But I want my brain back. Or at least I want her to knock on the window before she peeks in.

1) Apparently I do respond to the name “Bitch”. Buster and his friends were downstairs on Monday jamming away. They finished a song and were talkin’ smack amongst themselves and then I heard “bitch”…so I walked over to the landing and said, “you called?” They laughed. I laughed.

2) I am funnier than people think. So after responding to “bitch”, I was asked to make drinks. “What kind?” “Whatever.” “Fine, the boys in the band ordered boat drinks.” I laughed at my own cleverness. It’s Jimmy Buffett. It’s funny. Okay, maybe only to me.

3) I need a creeper (the under car sort) to scoot around a stage at this point because my knee isn’t working at all. Evidence of my inability to move is contained in this set. I should have been all around that stage!

4) I should have had my head examined for not buying a car 5 months ago. I can’t find anything decent and my budget is now practically non-existent.

5) I take way too many photos. 631 at a friend’s show. There were, at most, 12 people there by the time I left. There had only been three when I got there. The lighting was too good to pass up, though.

6) I lack the ability (okay, I lack the desire) to group anything on this list in a way that flows.

7) Little Dude will be here in a few hours!

8) I have duplicate songs on a playlist. I see them. I don’t delete one. Why? WHY?

9) Still being sued for eviction on the apartment I left back in November and now the landlord and company that owns the building are playing games. I know the former roommate is out because I saw mention of it on Facebook (the single most evil and beneficial tool on the internet). I’d like to scream.

10) On the 20th, my attorney meets with the insurance company in court so the judge can tell them to do what they were ordered to do in March and maybe I’ll once again be on medications so I won’t feel like crap all the time. Tylenol ain’t workin’.

11) I’m super excited because any minute now the new Crowded House CD, Intriguer, will appear in my mailbox. Oh, and there’s a reissue of Concrete Blonde music out, too!

And I’m done.

2010/07/13

Two-fer Tuesday

DaGoddess @ 04:00

How about some Shelby Lynne?

2010/07/11

Peaceful Weekend

DaGoddess @ 17:58

Yesterday was a semi-relaxing day. Took care of business (check out some cars, dealt with a writer, dealt with other crap) and then went out scouting locations for a shoot with MOBD.

Ended up back out with the wild horses. Found a herd with a beautiful little colt. Spent some time photographing them after checking angles on the remains of a building I want to use for a shoot with a guitarist. Finally decided we’d head up the trail and see what else we could see. We knew there were other horses because we could hear them in the distance. We weren’t prepared for a goodly sized group like we found, including another foal. We pull over and I’m getting out of the truck but there’s this majorly loud hissing noise. I’m looking around and then I see a nice piece of shrapnel sticking out of the tire.

MOBD gets out and we decide we better get our asses back on the regular road and head down as far as we can before the situation gets really bad. If not for the horses, I said, we’d have been stuck so far down the trail we’d have been in big trouble.

So we make our way down the road. I’m watching the tire in the mirror and occasionally sticking my head out the window to make sure we still have a tire at all. All too quickly, we lost the tire. Bah! Nothing to do but hope we can get a signal on our phones. Nothing. But then MOBD pulls out his laptop, gets a signal, sends an email, and we wait. Then we both decide to try to send text messages on our phones. Oddly, we can do that. Finally found someone to come help (yay!) and there’s really nothing much for us to do beyond wait. And take photos. Which we did. Oh, and then MOBD decides to change the tire (the spare was flat, so we needed help no matter what). I’m not much help so I keep shooting.

At one point, we were rewarded with skies so beautiful it made my teeth hurt. Blood red rays spilling out from behind clouds…little bats flitting through the air…nothing but nature all around. It was breathtaking!

A couple people did end up stopping in hopes of helping us. A big truck, but they had nothing to offer in the way of inflating the tire. Still, nice that they stopped. Then a guy in a minivan stops and happens to have a portable unit to inflate the tire. Takes a long time to see any results, but it was better than nothing! And of course, our friends finally arrive with two big portable tanks of air and we’re good to go.

We finished off the evening with dinner and conversation.

Today has been relatively quiet. I was supposed to hear back from a couple people about cars, but nothing at this point. Eh. I’ll wait for LD, he’s my good luck charm anyway. Getting lots of photos edited and will upload later. So much to do! And I’ll probably go out later tonight to see a friend perform. It’ll be good for me to get out. Now, I gotta find some food.

2010/07/09

Live Nude Blogging!

DaGoddess @ 18:29

Or The Anatomy of a Fine Art Nude Shoot

Seriously, I’m being photographed as I type. Sitting on my bed. Nude. I know it sounds weird, but it’s true. The commentary has been pretty damn funny, too. Even funnier was me texting that I should be blogging it. Thus a post was born.

It’s a little disconcerting to be photographed indoors, in my room. I don’t know why. I had absolutely no problem outdoors. But indoors? It just feels weird. I guess it’s because it’s home. Because it’s personal.

It amazes me to think that something like personal space changes the dynamics of the shoot that much. I’m not any more naked than I’ve been in the past. I’m surrounded by the things that make me comfortable and happy. And yet, it actually does make me more UNcomfortable to a certain extent.

Out in the open, in nature, I feel very free. Even with the possibility of being seen by strangers (not that we normally shoot where other people are…at least not very close by…not high traffic places), I’m more at ease with nudity and movement and such being out in the open. It feels more natural. Yeah.

So, MBT shows up and I ask what I should do. “Get naked and get on the bed.” That’s direct enough. And I have no problem with that. Except that I kind of do for some reason. Now, MBT and I have shot together several times. We’ve danced around naked under the moonlight. Okay, I danced, he walked. The point is, it just seemed weird and different and goofy for me. And here I am. About an hour or two later and I’m blogging naked while being photographed. This is funny.

Best part was having him use my macro lens. Nipples and Macros. Macros and Nipples. There’s a blog for ya. Consider it copyrighted already, would ya?

Oh, there was me insisting on using this purple top I bought at the festival. The macro shots of my nipple against the purple…”Gives new meaning to purple nurple, doesn’t it?” Then there was me texting and blogging at the same time. We have photos of actual messages, too. (Don’t worry, my text buddy…your name will be obscured.)

MBT has been scrunched up, upside down, um…injuring his…um…nuggets while sliding off the bed, standing on the bed, and I think he’s going to attempt hanging from the ceiling here in a moment.

Basically, it was one of the funniest things to ever happen here in the house since I’ve lived here. And I know it’s the funniest thing that’s ever happened in this room. Make of that what you will. (I’m such a damn nun!) The thing is, I met the challenge, had fun, and I know there are good photos My Brother (Brutha) Terrell will be able to use. I’m happy with the results. I’m also going to be a hell of a lot more comfortable the next time we do this.

For someone who hated being in front of the camera so much, I’m certainly putting in my hours now.

2010/07/08

Ridiculous!

DaGoddess @ 16:13

It’s 111 degrees in the shade here. I’m not venturing outside for a while. No way. I’m not that crazy. Not even to protest the ridiculousness that is Obama landing at McCarran (again) instead of at Nellis. During rush hour (again). Something about this really pisses me off.

But I’m going to keep my mouth shut and finish laundry. Then I’m going to go see a band. Then come home and edit more photos from Portland. I’m tired just thinking about all of this happening in this heat. Blech.

2010/07/07

Deadliest Catch S06E13 – “Cain and Abel”

DaGoddess @ 23:15

Seems the theme this week was brother against brother. Jake and Josh Harris are cracking under the strain of watching their father, Captain Phil, fight for his life.

Back out on the vast Bering Sea, Sig and Edgar Hansen are struggling to figure out what their respective futures will be — will Sig keep his deck boss or will Edgar opt out, train someone to take his place, and retire so he can heal and spend time with his family? The jury’s still out.

Normally, it’s about this time in the season when we see Monte and Keith on the Wizard going after each other, isn’t it? But so far the only drama there is Keith’s inability to quit a 20+ year chew tobacco habit. Thank goodness he has his daughter, Sienna, who happens to call right after he grabs a pinch. The calendar Bug made for him (and how cute is that nickname?) shows he’s not been very successful in fighting the urge to kick the habit. Stressful job equals dirty habits-that’s what happens when you play a game of with your life as collateral. The other problem Keith has faced is the ice pack. Stressful job equals dirty habits. The other problem Keith has faced is the ice pack. This is the first time during opie season we’ve heard about the pack, but we know how fraught with danger it can be from previous years. Thankfully, the Wizard’s gear is out in open water and the hauling of pots begins.

On the Northwestern, Sig and Edgar are still trying to find balance. Edgar’s in pain. Sig’s actually made a concerted effort to ease up on the crew. And Jake Anderson continues to worry about his missing father.

Wild Bill and his crew on the Kodiak are finally on the crab, hauling in pots in the 5-6-700 range. Until, that is, they reach a bunch that haven’t been properly tied shut, leaving the crab an easy exit. Bill radios in and tries to line up a replacement for one of the crew. I think we can all guess that it’s Clinton Bush who’s about to be cut.

On the Time Bandit, Andy does his best to keep his head in the game. He’s worried about Phil. However, he has a more immediate problem: “Strong currents are dragging down the trailer buoy, making what seems like an easy hook toss a whole lot tricker.” Mike Fourtner, captain-in-training, can’t snag the buoy and it’s causing some amount of amusement and frustration with the rest of the crew. If Mike’s going to command the Time Bandit, he’ll have to redeem himself in eyes of the crew.

Back in Anchorage, doctors review the progress Phil Harris is making after the 12-hour surgery needed to help him survive his stroke, which the doctors say most people don’t survive. His scans reveal serious calcium deposits in the brain, indicating that this has been building for a very long time. Part of Phil’s skull is removed to relieve the pressure in his brain. As tubes are gradually removed and support gently decreased, Phil is able to begin interacting and talking with his sons. Demanding ice chips the nurse has said he can’t have for another hour (until the doctor for his throat comes in to see him), Phil continues to hound his boys. Josh tells his dad that he’s not the captain of this boat — he’s just a deckhand. Even with his head shaved, Phil looks pretty good and there’s a twinkle in his eyes.

Sadly, this progress is exactly what causes everyone around him to start losing it, which is often very common with serious illness and unpredictable futures. Loved ones feel a little relief and all the tension, all the worry begin to take them down. John Hillstrand breaks down crying after letting Phil know he’s loved and cared for (and this is what caused me to start crying, too). Josh Harris is feeling even more pressure to keep everything together — the boat, his brother, all the details that need to be overseen. He gets into it with brother Jake, who is, apparently, sitting back at the hotel getting wasted. At one point, John stands on the other side of the door, a sort of witness to the collapse of Phil’s sons.

Next week is the tribute to Captain Phil Harris. Get out your tissues and settle in for an emotional evening.

Earthquake

DaGoddess @ 17:28

San Diego just got hit. LD and I are emailing back and forth. This is the sum total of our conversation:

LD: we just had a BIG earth quake right now
Me: No way. Are you okay? Anything fall? Anything crack?
LD: Yes way, yes, no, dont know.
Me: Go look for cracks. Start in the bathroom. You have to stand with your back to the mirror though, pull down your pants…
LD: lol

I’m so glad my son is as weird as I am.

2010/07/06

Two-fer Tuesday

DaGoddess @ 04:00

Continuing with the ladies.

Bonus cut:

2010/07/05

So a Blonde Chick Walks Into the Darkness

DaGoddess @ 11:56

Trying to avoid the fireworks crowd and get over to see Curtis Salgado for an autograph or six. In the dark darkness, I didn’t see a ledge. I went falling so hard that my breath was knocked out of me. Thank God I’d put my camera in the bag before my journey otherwise you’d have heard “KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNN!!!” all around the world. The camera would have been shattered. The lens would have been dust. As it is, my wrist was looking scary (things popping out at odd angles) and my one knee was…I’ve seen knees post-op that looked better. Thankfully, I had a couple friends there to take care of me.

And now I’m walking pretty well. Slower, but well. Ice is magic.

P.S. So is the Portland air.

2010/07/04

Protected: What’s a Girl to Do?

DaGoddess @ 13:47

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Happy Independence Day

DaGoddess @ 11:12

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

~ The Declaration of Independence July 4, 1776

Be safe, have fun, and remember that Freedom is tentative and we must be vigilant, that we must defend it. We cannot take it for granted. Nor can we take for granted those who protect our freedoms.

God bless our troops!

2010/07/03

Hello, Trouble

DaGoddess @ 11:04

Lovin’ the festival here in Portland. It rained off and on yesterday, but that did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of the performers or the crowd. I’ve never seen a crowd that large at a festival. At one point, you’d be hard pressed to get a piece of paper between anyone. Music was fantastic and will be fantastic today. Photo ops galore!

Got in lots of trouble, which was fantastic. I don’t text, but I texted my ass off. Only way to keep up with anyone. Old friends. Brand new friends. And oh, the brand new friends. Don’t even get me started!

Okay, one quickie…met a man with Down Syndrome who is an incredible painter, and he dances, sings, does motivational speaking…in short, he’s amazing. I’ll be talking more with him today.
Now off to do it all again.

2010/07/02

Things to do with Little Dude

DaGoddess @ 04:19

As I prepare for my son’s impending visit, I’ve started compiling a list of things we can do.

Without hesitation, I bought some sparklers at the grocery store on Tuesday. You don’t get to play with sparklers in California. I grew up with them in Ohio, but was disappointed to find they were illegal in Cali. That’s just how it goes. Here in Nevada, they sell fireworks in almost every grocery store parking lot. I find that very weird, but whatever. So, I got some for LD’s visit. We’ll go sit out in the middle of nowhere and see what happens. I’ll take my camera, of course.

I think my friends MOBD and MBDT (just go along with this one, okay?) and I will take LD to Utah at some point. It’s not a far drive. I haven’t been there for photographic and exploration purposes yet, so I’m excited about this. (I last went through Utah in 1991 on a trip from Denver to San Diego.)

There may even be a trip to the Grand Canyon.

I want to show LD the beauty of Nevada. I want to wow him. And I want my friends to get to know my very cool son. I wish my daughter could come visit, but that’s not in the cards right now. Perhaps someday. I’d like that.

We must add the wild horses, of course. He’ll be stunned. I may even keep that a secret until he gets here.

Anyhow, if you have any ideas for what we should do, post a comment and I’ll add it to the list.