Week 9 - Sis

Weather report was done by Lisa, so will move to the weekend as my week is pretty routine, like most. Friday we hit the road to go pick up our trial pottery pieces we created. Think now, Friday we hit the road and all the work traffic heading home, yes a great plan. We then took an off ramp prematurely and had to depend on the GPS to find our destination. Turned out to be a pretty part of town and we soon arrived. Well, we were okay with the first results of our efforts and already realized, besides being amateurish, what we would do different the next time. As I had no idea what to do with my piece for now it's a napkin holder. Saturday we ventured out during the rainest part of the day, we were on a roll with picking times to travel. Sunii had done a good job on her scratcher so replaced that. Since it came with a new packet of catnip she was satisfied and high. New socks! Such a simple purchase and brings me pleasure, no I'm not high. I think I'm turning into a shopaholic, I mean to spend an hour and a half at two stores is way beyond my normal limit. To top it off we had to go out on Sunday and grocery shop! I'm so happy tomorrow is Monday and I can rest.

Week 9 - Lisa

March is upon us that means tornado warnings.  The skies turned that dark gray & green early in the week.  It's so eerie to watch the clouds go buy at such fast speeds. Most ATL'ins yawn at the tornado warnings but having experienced them in Chicago and being right in the eye of the storm when the tornado ripped through downtown Atlanta in '08 I keep my "eye" on the news.  However overblown the hype the weathermen broadcast, I like to know whether to pack up, take cover or sit in the bathtub.  So I'd say March came in like a Lion this year.  Not to get all nerdy but in my first picture, I love how my camera picked up the new buds on the trees.  Quite the contrast again the brooding clouds.  We picked up our last weekend pottery projects.  We were both pleasantly surprised with the results. I already have a project cooking in my mind so we will test our artistic abilities once again in about two weeks.  Lastly, I hate purses, especially shoulder bags. Most ladies dream about Coach & Louis Vittion bags.  Me?  I prefer to carry the minimal amount of personal stuff with me at all times; the smaller the bag I have to carry the better.  I love the wallet/phone style whatchamacallits.  So when I discovered a sale while at Kohl's I "had" to pick up a few.  My taste you ask?  The more colorful and playful the better, my mom always looks at my choices and rolls her eyes.  WhatEVA! In closing this week, I will prepare you now March Madness will be upon us come next week.  If you don't care for sports, specifically basketball, you might want to come back sometime in April!  ;>

Week 8 - Lisa

Discovered an outlet for the creative juices at a place called Art & Soul out in Sandy Springs this week.  Spent three hours painting at this small studio.  Our pieces of art, which indeed will be in the eye of the beholder, will be ready next weekend.  A good deal in our minds; included in price is the piece of pottery, as much paint as you need, the facility to do your work, the firing in kiln and the coating to make it microwave and dishwasher safe.  You may stay as long as you like and bring food and drinks if you want.  There were lots of more expensive and larger pieces of pottery we'd like to challenge ourselves with IF the small pieces we did come out half way decent.  Definitely not as easy as it looks.  As the chalky paint does not reflect the colors of the finished tiles.  So you have to use your imagination as you are painting.  Mom created a flower pot and I chose colors to reflect the teal blue, light green and browns to go in my future bedroom for a possible vase, toothbrush or junk holder.  My mom can draw, I cannot!  I'm pretty sure this is a place we'll return too.

Week 8 - Sis

More than a year ago a LARGE underground water pipe broke in the apartment complex entrance. Due to a legal battle between the complex and the county, as to who was responsible being recently settled, the repairs finally began last week. Unfortunately the repairs caused the removal of many pine trees that filled this space. Now of course there is no shortage of trees in Georgia but wondering how the residents in the apartments facing this scene will do in the hot summer days and dusty work days that will occur? Also how many trees produce this weekly amount of junk mail? In order to put off grocery shopping one more day and not having to travel too far, we ate at a Chinese restaurant very near to our apartment for the first time. Food was filling and okay but we're still looking for that Chinese eatery that serves food we love and at a reasonable price. Although the meal wasn't what we hoped for, the establishment was very pretty inside and I love the colors, artwork and furniture. I don't know if this bird is watching and reporting illegal users of this space or if he has his own permit to park here. Hope the coming week is a good one and on Saturday we will be happy with our art work that Lisa wrote about. Pssst, I don't draw any better than a second grader.

Week 7 - Sis

February, forget Valentine's because my birthday, the 18th, is so much more important! I am so unselfish that I share it with a cousin, great-niece and one friend. Yeah, I know there are probably a few others in the world who were born on that day, but I'm talking about MY world. So you can see I was an early Elvis fan when he was young and still a sweet boy. Love the magnets, puzzle, nook gift cards, other gift card and checks, also coconut macaroons, and creme puff on sterioids were all welcomed. The creme puff took me three days to finish, but it was worth the effort. These gifts and greetings started on Monday right through Friday, great week. Oh by the way, since there are eight days left in the month and my SF cup is peeling, you still have time to send me a new one. heehee! Thanks to all who called, sent me b/day greetings, gifts and bought me a really, really puff pastry.

Week 7 - Lisa

Nothing too exciting to write about this week.  It was filled with many pressures that distracted from having any free or fun time.  Spent my week knee deep in building reorganization, blueprints and planning.  My mama celebrated her birthday Friday so we had these ginormous creme puffs.  They were delicious. Oh and Monday was Valentine's Day.  Blech.  In love or out of love, I just never got this holiday.  When I worked for Hallmark I "really" learned to detest the whole saturation of  hearts, overpriced roses, candies, and undergarments.  I became a tad cynical when I had men coming in asking me "sweetly" to help them pick out cards and gifts for their wife AND girlfriend.  Kind of sucked the life right out of my lovemometer if you know what I mean?! So here's to looking forward to a better week 8!

Week 6 - Lisa

All work, no play makes Lisa really GRUMPY!  Saturday I was standing blurry-eyed at the gas pump at 5:50am and I glanced at the digital reading.  $3 bucks!  When did we creep back up?  Aye yi yi.  I try not to pay attention to gas prices cause it's not like it matters; I still have to pour the petrol into the tank to get where I need to be.  <shoulder shrug>  Considering it was a Saturday morning that I discovered the gas hike and I also had to work I thought <insert a not so nice phrase> I am going to get us donuts.  You can always tell come Monday morning that a crew was in over the weekend.  Dunkin' Donut boxes are usually on a table with one or two stale sugar tires still left over.  I cannot remember if it was Wednesday or Thursday but I got a package in the mail with the below Monkey chain from WOOT.  It was a Valentine gift for customers that have been away too long.  Yeah well I guess I've been away awhile cause I'm back to paying $3 bucks for gas!  What do I do with this weird funky looking Monkey keychain? Looks like sunii got a new toy. This long never-ending week has ended with a bowl of Cherrios and viewing of the Grammys for Sunday dinner.  Oh and look, our old friend the sun made an appearance this week.  Check out the purple prism thingies I captured.  I have no clue how that happen.  Science ain't my thang but it's still pretty cool.  The best part of week 6 - PITCHERS & CATCHERS REPORTED TO SPRING TRAINING TODAY!  Let's Go Giants, Let's Go!  ;>

Week 6 - Sis

Gorgeous day low 60's expected, not gorgeous me, but I'm in the high 60's everyday. We had a light snowfall on early Thursday morning that was melted by 5 p.m. No outside activity for me but having the e-book has taken up quite a bit of my time. Really think e-books should come with a disclaimer for seniors. Something like: Warning this devise comes with the following side effects; pain in left hand, particularly in thumb, due to repetitive clicking on arrow to turn pages. Left eye may show strain and become quite red. Sleeping disorders may occur due to the reading of just one more chapter. In the middle of the week, because of my daughter's work hours, I was the one making her minestrone soup recipe for dinner. The daughter failed to inform me that I should cut the recipe in half, with the results being these two jars of leftovers! Started off with the black pot and after putting in the head of cabbage, still having so many other ingredients to add I brought out "Big Red". One leftover jar was taken to her work to share with a couple of coworkers. This loaf of wheat bread was literally a - Whole Wheat loaf since it wasn't sliced. Number one daughter did not pay attention when she picked it up for purchase, yeah. Well suppose I should wish all you romantics a Happy Valentine's Day. Me? I just never got forcing another person to spend money by the use of emotional blackmail.

Message from Dos Dames #7 ~

So Wednesday night peoples hearts started racing a bit faster.  Kids started to get excited, maybe another snow day on Thursday.  The TV weathercasters were a bit skiddish to say how much snow in terms of inches.  We all just knew it was coming and it was suppose to be light but thoughts of January and being house bound for 4 days was definitely on ATL's mind.  And then around 10pm the light flurries began.  Our favorite Weather Gal was on the scene once again.

It turned out to be much ado about nothing.  We had just enough snow to make everything look pretty until the afternoon sun!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6a6N3bjxAI&feature=uploademail

Message from Dos Dames #6 ~

This was the Thursday before the Super Bowl.  We'd had several days of what felt like constant rain and still bitter cold here in the ATL.  The best line from our favorite Weather gal is about 285!  OMG!  When I (Lisa) first came to ATL I got lost on that wheel barrel of a highway so many times.  You think you're driving East and then the signs are saying West, before you know it you're going South and you want to get North.  I've been coming here for about 20 years and I still haven't mastered the "circle!"  It looks simple enough but 285 is EVIL!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCKMECPZ0Do&feature=related

Message from Dos Dames #5 ~

In honor of Christina Aguilera flubbing of the national anthem on Super Bowl Sunday Dos Dames gives you this 2006 Saturday Night Live skit.  Starring my favorite female comedian, the fantastically talented and seriously under-rated, Maya Rudolph!  The SNL alumni sings a hysterical national anthem. She is channeling Beyonce, Whitney and all American Idol contestants into one terrifying persona. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImCWjbAOXKo&feature=player_embedded

Week 5 - Lisa

I'm surprised by the end of the week I did not end up looking like Marty Feldman!  Excel!  Excel!  That is not a cheer motivating you or me to succeed; it's how I spent my week.  Eyes focused on the monitor, pupils dilated, clicking at the keys, calculations racing through my mind.  This is so far removed from the superstar R&B singer or awarding winning female sports journalist I was going to be when I was 10.  Oh well, it pays the bills and trips! We made a Dos Dames decision on Friday night to try and pull off a rainy "Oscar Saturday."  We were going to try and see three, possibly four nominated movies - The Fighter, The King's Speech, True Grit and Black Swan.  We made it through two; Kings Speech and The Fighter and called it quits.  Thoroughly enjoyed them both.  As my mama put it on the ride home, "One guy did not want to talk and the other guy wouldn't shut up."  LOL  At the first theatre, we got a drink and I ordered some popcorn.  The 16 year old bright eyed and bushy tailed lass that took my order could NOT comprehend why I only wanted a small when for $1.00 more I could have the gigantic bucket of popcorn and a keg of Coke.  I politely said no, I'll take the small and she went at it again.  This time I said, "no thanks!"  My mom called me grouchy whatever my bladder appreciated my firm stance.  Between flicks we stopped at Firehouse Subs.  Another first Southern dining experience since moving here.  The last thing my mom or I ever want is full-blown attention thrust upon us in a public setting, so the old man behind the counter with the NY accent who said "Youse ladies eva beens herse befah?", at the top of his lungs was a bit of a jolt.  We both replied we had not and we got, "Wahl, Wahl, Wahl."  Still have no idea what all that was.  He gave us a "tour" of the menu and we made our way down to the ordering counter.  A very alert, fresh face serious young woman began to take our order.  She asked my mom what she wanted.  Mom said a tuna sandwich and then off to the races we went!  The young lady said "Ma'am will that be fully involved?"  WTH?  We looked at each other, we looked at her, she looked at us like what's the problem ladies.  I said, "um what is fully involved?"  In a breaking the sound barrier pace she replied, "mustard mayonnaise tomato lettuce pickle onion cheese."  Count me officially old, who knew the new "everything on it" was now "fully involved!"  This brought on the giggles and once at our table howling laughter.  Along with many bad puns.  I posted a picture of my sandwich on FaceBook and typed - "my new relationship."  I had no clue I had to practice "safe eating."  Call us easily entertained!  My cousin Diane got off the best line on FB when referring to sandwich relationships - "remember cousin it's what's on the inside that counts."  We can NEVER take a joke or story too far, never, ever!  Wasn't rooting for either team on Super Bowl Sunday only interested in winning one of the two pools I was in.  My contribution to the spread was the below Artichoke-Spinach dip.  That's a wrap for Week 5.