geo-side tracked

Here's my deal: I have a lot of stuff do do between now and next Sunday, one of which is just a general straightening of the entire household. I thought I'd try this speed cleaning exercise, which I had planned down to the minute from room to room, task to task. I usually blow any pre-planning off track as soon as I get home because of the amount of time it takes me to shift from work mode to home mode.

Today was no different. Instead of jumping right into my speed cleaning fun, we jumped right into the car, got a "first to find" and then two others in the lower 9th Ward.

Not the best photos, but I'm still just using my iPhone 3 for some reason.


The Steamboat House

View from the Levee

onomatopeia

After four years of bull runs as a rollerbull for San Fermin in Neuva Orleans, my favorite moment remains the same.

It happens in steps, but very quick steps.

I raise my bat, take aim and swing. There is an immediate thwonk followed by a jump up and a quick waaahh or ouch or damn it that actually hurt. This process happens quickly and repeatedly for blocks on end. This is really explained better visually, but words will have to do for now.

I usually look for the ones who aren't paying attention, walking, or pushing some large ice chest and unable to get away quickly. I hit the gals as hard as I hit the guys, the old as hard as I hit the young and when you complain about how much it hurt, I tell you to get on the sidewalk if you don't like it.

This year there was a gauntlet of rollerbulls about 50 girls deep. Late comers would get through one section and just as they thought they were done, run into my group. Some stopped and prepped for a fast charge. Others walked, pranced, skipped... a handful enjoyed the beating just a little too much.

Well, that's all the bull I have left for today.

Until next year.

seeing red

When I finally finish my journey for the night, I'll go nuzzle myself into the bullpen and anxiously await the sound of my alarm at 5:30 am.

Why am I waking up so incredibly stupid early on a Saturday? The correct response: ¿Por qué no? I even bought a shiny new "fat bat" for the occasion.

So, when I started tonight, I had a fluffy used scarf, some scissors and an episode of Stargate Atlantis that needed watching.


la bufanda

I cut it in half width wise, twice. I managed to some how or another sew the two pieces together using that fancy box stitch. Then I sewed it up lengthwise and, voila! I mean... voilà?



I guess I need to get better at the step by step thing, but seriously... it was that easy. The only thing that threw me off was my pedal coming slightly unplugged and me not figuring that out for 10 minutes. I even very haphazardly added some elastic so the damn things stay up after I take my knee pads off tomorrow morning.



Red fluffy fanciness.

For now, bull go night-night. I need my strength to hit some white shirtnpants, red scarf wearing pansies at 8am sharp.

cure for pain

I have a friend back in town from Las Vegas this week so I raced home after practice, changed clothes and met the girls at Cure on Freret. It's not a bad little place. I didn't know before I got there that they served food, so I was sneaking the leftovers that the girls brought be from dinner in the booth.



We got a round of strawberry mojitos with a heavy pour. Believe me, I'm not complaining. Now that I'm home one drink later and with an incredible thirst for an ice cold water, I think I'm just gonna go to bed.

supermarket social

It took every ounce of mental being for me to get up off the couch, make a grocery list and go to the store. So much that I needed the help of very loud 80's music to stay focused on the road.

Upon my walk in, I ran into Sally (that girl) and had a quick catch up conversation. Right before we parted ways, I saw another familiar face that recognized me first.

I was still on a little bit of a delay, trying to restore mental power exerted earlier in this episode. Ah-ha! Monique's brother.

Later I saw Tom of the Jaws picking out rotisserie chicken. By the time I processed him, he turned away from me. At that point I was on a mission to get out of there as quickly as possible, even with my entry delay. I guess we'll say I supermarket stalked Tom since I didn't get to say hello.

Check out was interesting. I found a not so long line and hesitantly started loading my goods onto the belt. This guy (a kid really) couldn't have been older than 17. It was almost as though he just got promoted from bagger to checker-outer and I was his guinea pig.



He did, however, immediately begin to geek out once he saw the shirt I was wearing. I was being asked about Mario games I've never heard of and he said he used to watch his DAD play the original Mario when he was a kid. Sigh... Sorry kid, but I'm pretty sure I was playing original Super Mario Bros. before you were a twinkle in your father's eye. I wonder if he would have even recognized my space invaders tee.

Finally I saw "camera two" from our wedding, who called me out on facebook for walking right by him. He actually admitted he's never seen me in anything other than a wedding dress or derby gear so the civilian attire threw him off.

Ahhh... living the life of my altar ego.

easy like Sunday, all day

Spoiler alert: productivity did not happen today.

The morning began around 10am by order of the pups. Shortly after was a quick stop in at Molly's where a full game of cards did not even happen. We wound up having blueberry brunch and booze in Midcity where I proceeded to scald my right hand with hot syrup. I realized that ice was the only comfort and finished my breakfast with my left hand and fingers. It was then that I decided that today was going to be a wash.

Fast forward one episode of Stargate SG1 and a Superbowl replay later.

I managed to squeeze in a three hour nap and got a sudden craving for a hot dog. We ate dinner at Rallys since the fridge has posted a "space for rent" sign. We then crawled up the stairs and onto the balcony to watch the fireworks.

Not a bad view at all.



I did at least manage to read the first few pages of my new book, Head First: HTML with CSS & XHTML. As for now, maybe I'll try helping hubby clean up some so I feel just a little bit useful.