The Crab Chronicles

A Day of Crowds

Seems like I've been in crowds all day long, which is weird for a Sunday.

Our church had no Sunday school today, so Michael and I went to church with Jason and Alesia. Jason goes to a mega church up in Gwinnett County, about 30 minutes from here. When I say mega I am not exaggerating. The parking lot alone is bigger than all the parking at Georgia Perimeter College. They run 3 services on Sunday and one or two on Saturday night. It doesn't look like a church. It looks like an auditorium. There was a professional type band, flashing lights, the whole nine yards. I've been in some big churches but nothing like this. Wow.

They have probably a half dozen coffee stations, and there's a Starbucks type coffee bar on the lower floor.Those people are caffeinated, lemme tell ya.

I am not a fan of mega churches, I will admit. I was prepared to hate it. I didn't hate it. It's not the way I want to worship, but I didn't disagree with anything that was said or done.

Baptisms were done onstages, with the folks sitting in little boxes of water and getting fully immersed. Each baptism [there were 3 or 4] was accomplished in about 2 minutes. The minister asked if the person accepted Jesus Christ as their savior and then sort of pushed them down in the water to be totally immersed. Everyone applauded. The name flashed on the screen.That was it.

The sermon centered on the story of Jesus feeding the multitudes with the 5 loaves and two fishes. It asked everyone to consider how you have to allow for miracles and trust God. I totally agree with that.

What I didn't care for was the feeling of being just one of a multitude. In my little church you see the same faces every Sunday. You know people. They know you. There's one urn of coffee for everyone, and that's enough.The ministers now your name.

I also wasn't tickled that there were no female ministers anywhere on the stage of mega church. Lots of guys but no females. This is supposed to be a non-denominational church, so I don't understand that. In my opinion, women have just as much right to preach the gospel as men.

I'm not a mega church kinda gal, but it was an interesting experience.

I told Jason that turnabout is fair play, and he will have to come to St. Bede's one Sunday. That will be a shock to his system. LOL

We went to Kroger late this afternoon to stock up on groceries and it was a zoo. Crowds everywhere. One guy walking around was about 6'5, completely bald, long trenchcoat [it was 65 degrees out], long beard, lots of tattoos. He looked like a bad guy from Matrix or something. I avoided him. He is not a typical Kroger shopper, not in the burbs anyway.

Alesia had some drama this evening with Jason, their first fight, but things got smoothed over, thank God. She handled it with maturity and I was proud of her.

Can't believe Thanksgiving week is here. Wow.

Bad Parrott

This is one of my all-time favorite Thanksgiving jokes.

A young man named John received a parrot as a gift. The parrot had a bad attitude and
an even worse vocabulary.

Every word out of the bird's mouth was rude, obnoxious and laced with profanity.

 

John tried and tried to change the bird's attitude by consistently saying only polite words, playing soft music and anything else he could think of to 'clean up' the bird's vocabulary.

Finally, John was fed up and he yelled at the parrot.  The parrot yelled back. John shook the parrot and the parrot got angrier and even more rude.  John, in desperation, threw up his hand, grabbed the bird and put him in the freezer. For a few minutes the parrot squawked and kicked and screamed. Then suddenly there was total quiet. Not a peep was heard for over a minute.

Fearing that he'd hurt the parrot, John quickly opened the door to the freezer.. The parrot calmly stepped out onto John's outstretched arms and said  "I believe I may have offended you with my rude language and actions. I'm sincerely remorseful for my inappropriate transgressions and I fully intend to do everything I can to correct my rude and unforgivable behavior."

John was stunned at the change in the bird's attitude.

As he was about to ask the parrot what had made such a dramatic change in his behavior,
the bird spoke-up, very softly,

"May I ask what the turkey did?"

HAPPY THANKSGIVING  (Early)

Family and Potter

Wow, I feel like collapsing. What a looooong day. Lots going on.

Mom's cousin Frank, who is like a brother to her, is in town. He came over this morning for a visit. I had been up since 6, getting Michael up for a 3 mile race with his tennis coach, and I set to work straightening the house a bit. mike came back at 9:15. He said the race was fun. He got a tee shirt.

Jason and Alesia went with us to lunch at The Blue Ribbon Grill. We haven't done much eating out lately, due to budgetary constraints. We met a cousin there named Norm Hasty, that I've never met before. Mother remembers going to his parents' house for dinner once when she was in college. Papaw knew Norm's dad and liked him, and Norm's grandfather was Papaw's uncle. The grandfather married my great-grandmother's sister. So there are some double cousins in there. Confused yet?!

If you gathered up a ballroom full of folks who've lived in North Georgia for at least 3 generations, I'd be related to all of them some way.

We had a nice visit with Norm and his wife. Norm builds furniture and does beautiful work. [If you need some beautiful custom wood furniture and you're in the southeast, let me know and I'll put you in touch with Norm.]

The kids got restless because the rest of us were sitting around swapping stories long after we'd finished eating, so they went outside to sit on the patio. It was a lovely day, in the 60's. Most restaurants in Atlanta have patios where food is served, and you can eat out there except maybe Dec.-February. So when we walked out there, Alesia and Jason and Michael were all talking and joking and laughing. They were a happy crew.

Michael told me later he really likes Jason. YAY! He usually can't stand Alesia's boyfriends or guys she's interested in.

The afternoon was pretty quiet. Mike's friend Colton came over.The boys walked down to the tennis court for a while.

I managed to score tickets to the new Harry Potter movie The Deathly Hallows Part I. We went to a 6:20 movie at the Movie Tavern, which is slightly cheaper than the local multiplex. HP was good, but there were some slow spots. The book was so rich and complex, I kept hoping for more detail in the story, but of course it wasn't there. I did wonder how people who hadn't read the book kept up with it all, because it gets a bit complex there.

It was a fun movie anyway and I highly recommend it if you're a Potter fan.

One of my favorite actors is a guy named Jason Isaacs, who plays Lucius Malfoy in the Potter films. He always plays a baddie, in the films I've seen at least. He is dead-on attracive, and just browsing through Google images was a relaxing and fun endeavor. Here he is:

A Keeper?

I don't cook an elaborate meal every night, but occasionally I try to cook a fairly decent one. Last night I fixed a small pork roast, mashed potatoes, and yellow squash. Alesia's boyfriend came over for dinner.

I think I've mentioned that I really like Jason. She has yet to tell me anything about him that sends up a warning flag, and she talks about him constantly.

I asked them to run by and pick up Michael's prosthetic hand the other day from the prosthetist's office, where it had been repaired, and they did that without complaint. The office is near Jason's house. Still, it's a bit of a pain to park in the garage and go up to the professional building.

Alesia had her final night of testing last night at the college, and I was able to drop her off, secure in the knowledge that Jason would pick her up and get her home safely. I was a bit worried about her being alone on campus after dark. I texted him directions. He sent me a text saying he would be leaving at 7 in order to get there ready to find her at 8.

Mother says when Jason is around I am "on" - obviously trying to be charming and funny - which is true, I guess. (The guy she dated about a year ago, D - I about scared him half to death.) Alesia has dated other guys, but this one, as she will tell you in a second, is "a keeper." Now, at 19, I'm not sure she's correct in that assessment, but I see no need to burst her bubble. Time will tell.

In the past few weeks, since they started dating, Alesia's maturity level has gone up about 100%, and she is happy and talking about her future. More importantly, she is home and doing fine. Those are HUGE changes in her from last summer.

I did the mashed potatoes last night in a double boiler, which means you can add lots of butter and sour cream without worrying about them sticking to the bottom and burning. Poor Jason got a little too aggressive in scooping out his potatoes and overturned the whole thing. The water was hot but not boiling. I rushed over and handed him a towel, and Alesia stepped in, too. Jason mopped down that part of the floor and even lifted the incredibly heavy burners off the gas stove and was wiping off the entire stove. Poor guy. We told him not to worry about it - it was just water. I was more concerned about him than the mess.

The really funny thing is, Alesia can just about eat more than him. I had cooked extra. By the time they finished, there was not a smidgen of food left.

Before they left to go over to Jason's house last night, Jason was cuddling Coco - she adores him - and when he put her down, I asked him if he wanted a hug. To my surprise, he said yes, and he hugged me back, hard, and then without asking went over and gave Mother a solid hug.

He is sweet, thoughtful, clearly adores Alesia, and fits in with our family much better than anyone else has, so far.

I'm thinking this guy may actually BE a "keeper"...

Mischief Man

In the dictionary, next to the word "mischievous" there is a photo of my son. He loves mischief. He reminds me of a pixie or an elf sometimes.

As you might have guessed, this hot sauce is his favorite condiment. He takes after his uncle Bruce that way.

So this morning I am haranguing Michael to get it in gear so he can go to school and review his science book prior to taking a test. We were going over the material until 10:45 last night, because I had to take Alesia for some testing over at the college and we didn't get back until 8:45.

Michael was dawdling, as usual. I knew he was up to something.

He gets in the car and we get to school and I happen to glance down at his feet. That little devil is wearing adidas sandals and socks. His school has a dress code. I knew if I let him wear those shoes I'd get a call and have to take him tennis shoes. He argued with me that there wasn't enough time to go home and get other shoes. I pointed out that we live 1 minute's drive from the school. I made him get in the car. We get to the house and he races in to get his tennis shoes. He tells Mother "I almost got away with it!"

Then he insists he is going to take the sandals into school. I nix that idea.

His first car should have a vanity plate that says MISCHIEF MAN.

:)     :)     :)     :)

This morning, Mother told me about one of my relatives [by marriage] and it's a good story, with sort of an O Henry ending, so I wanted to share it.

My maternal grandmother was a Butler, and the family is shown below. Huge Victorian family - Mamaw had about 12 siblings. Mamaw is sitting right below the man wearing glasses.

See the two little girls on the bottom row with the big hair bows? I am pretty sure those girls are Delores and Gwendolyn, whose mama was the oldest sister, Jenny - not sure which person in the photo is Jenny. (Gwendolyn is still with us, BTW.)

Jenny had a college degree and had taught German at Bessie Tift College. I think only two of the 7 sisters actually finished college. Jenny was brilliant, and a very kind person, always remembered by my mother with great fondness.

The girls' dad was a lawyer in Macon. His name was Harry.This little story is about Harry.

Harry came home every night and expected his supper on the table at exactly 7. He HAD to have a bowl of grits, every night. Jenny fixed the grits, or the cook did. They were always on the table.

He also loved Hershey bars, and bought them by the case.

After dinner, every night, he took his legal briefs into his bedroom, put on his pajamas, and proceeded to read and eat Hershey bars in bed. It's a wonder he didn't weigh 500 lbs., but he didn't.

He was the personification of a cold, distant father. He never did anything but work, and make demands about his food.

He was a brilliant man, but fate was not kind to him.

He always assumed that because he was older than Jenny, he would die first. He drew up her will, which left everything to the girls and nothing to him. Well guess what? She died first.

The house and everything they had was in Jenny's name, and so he was penniless when she died, because it all belonged to his daughters. The daughters promptly stuck him in a nursing home. They were not going to fix him grits every night and put up with his demands.

That was the last Mother ever heard of him.

In an ironic footnote, his last name was the same as that of a famous English villain.

The bible says "You reap what you sow." Amen to that.

There are many other stories about the Butlers, and I will relate some from time to time. They could have their own miniseries, they were all so eccentric.

Miracles Happen Every Day

I used to think only nutjobs believed in angels and miracles and such. Age and maturity have shown me otherwise. In order to allow miracles into your life I truly believe you have to talk to God.

Over at Single Dad Laughing's blog he is asking readers to leave comments about something impossible that has happened. The comments left are astonishing, and give me hope. If you're feeling down, go over to his site and check them out.

The recent return of my daughter to my home is just another in a long line of miracles that have touched my life from the very beginning.

When my mother found out she was pregnant with me in 1961, it was a very high risk pregnancy. There was only a slim chance that I would survive. She had had one really tragic miscarriage shortly after she married, and then a number of smaller miscarriages. She couldn't seem to get pregnant and stay that way. My brother was born healthy but then Mother nearly died of a kidney infection after being in and out of labor for over a week.

With me, Dr. Watson told Mother that if she didn't rest in bed the whole pregnancy she would likely miscarry again. Bruce was 2! Try staying in bed with an active 2 year old boy to look after. So Dad borrowed money and hired a maid, and Mother stayed in bed the whole time. She bled the entire time. When I was finally born, the cord was wrapped around my neck and I was coming very quickly. Dr. Watson gave Mother a drug to slow labor and unwrapped the cord from my neck. So I was born a healthy 5 lb. 8 oz. miracle.

I've often thought to myself, why did I defy the odds and make it into this world? Is there some compelling reason for me to exist? I don't have any extraordinary talents or gifts. I finally came to realize, in the last few years, that adopting my children was my purpose in life.

My ministry is to spread the word that there are many, many children in the world that need loving homes, and even without a whole lot of money you can still adopt them and have a happy family.

My friend Stephanie's recent post about what would've happened if she hadn't adopted her children should be required reading for any adoptive parent or anyone who has ever even considered adopting an older child. Less than 5% of children over age 3 are ever adopted. Most go into lives of crime, prostitution, drug addiction, and/or suicide.

So many kids like Michael, who is missing a hand, are considered totally disabled in foreign countries. In India he would likely have to beg. In Kazakhstan he was looking at a future of collecting a government welfare-type check the rest of his life. Being an orphan and having a missing hand meant his future was going to be VERY bleak. Stephanie's kids were headed to similar fates. It's not considered politically correct in the adoption world to say you "rescued" your child or saved their life, but  that's the truth of it, in so many cases. 

Whether you call it something "impossible" or use my preferred term "miracle," the impossible happens every day.

I truly believe there are two worlds we live in, the Seen and the Unseen. By "unseen" I simply mean the world of the spirit. For Christians, it's the Holy Spirit. Maybe you don't believe in ghosts, but if you're a Christian and you take the bible seriously, you have to admit Jesus was a ghost, when he appeared on the third day. So there are inexplicable things in the world.

My dad's uncle, Jake, was told he had severe heart issues and despite the fact he was a binge drinker, and only sporadically sought medical treatment at the VA hospital, he lived for years afterwards. (He was one of the sweetest humans I've ever known, and I adored him.)

The fact that I was able to adopt Alesia, despite the many obstacles, is a miracle. The orphanage director had great hostility towards Americans and was adamant Alesia not be adopted. I prayed, many friends and family members prayed, the missionary Svetlana visited him, Katya wrote him a beautiful letter, and somehow his heart was moved and he signed the papers allowing the adoption just days before he died. If he had not, my daughter would very likely be living on the streets in Russia, with no future.

When Michael came here in May 2007, he knew maybe 20 words of English. He started school a few months later and was able to do most all of the work, with help. In fall 2008, after less than 18 months in America, he tested out of the fourth grade and was put in the fifth grade. How many kids do you know who could do that, in a language they didn't speak for the first 10 years of life?!?

After she was diagnosed with Central Auditory Processing Disorder and received therapy, Alesia's reading level jumped from 2nd grade to about 7th grade in less than 2 years, and she was able to do well in high school despite lacking a lot of basic knowledge. She is very smart, but in Russia she was considered "slow."

As Mother and I struggle to pay bills, and pray for me to find a job or a way to make a living, we try to remind each other about every day that God's ways are not known to us, but all things have a reason. Maybe I needed to be home right now, supporting Michael and Mom emotionally during this very difficult fall. Maybe I wouldn't have had the strength to persevere with all the emotional storms recently if my attention was divided by a demanding job.

God's plans are exactly what we would want for ourselves if we knew all the facts. AMEN

If you are in a situation that you cannot cope with alone, ask God to take your burden. Ask for a miracle.

A "Gig" I Want To Hear More About

OK, I promised to post from time to time about my job-seeking efforts.I saw this on Craigslist and I had to check it out:

Admin (on steroids) - Part time (West Midtown)

Here's the ad:

We're looking for someone special. Really special. Someone who can actually help us accomplish something. This isn't your boring 9-5 job. This is a show up, take names, kick ass, smile a lot kinda job. The kind where you may worry, stress, fret, and wonder. You will also ride high. You will learn and grow. In short, you will have a BLEEPING good, pride-filled time.

We have a great team, and we want a great addition. We cannot--and will not--give this new job to anyone who is not going to bust their hump. If we do that, our company is fracked, and frankly, you wouldn't want to work for us then. Because who wants to work for a company that is fracked?

The role is a mix between general admin work supporting two executives and also ad hoc marketing projects. We have some zany ideas and we need someone to help us research and execute them while keeping us on task for the daily stuff too. Organization is key. So is a great attitude.

If you want this gig, send us your resume and a note and tell us in a sentence or two how you can move the needle.

We promise you a great job working alongside two real leaders who can teach you, and look out for you.

Are you ready for something special? If so, let us know. We love special.

 

Of course, I was intrigued. Who wouldn't be? Whoever wrote this ad has perhaps a Red Bull habit?I sent them BOTH my resumes [writing and paralegaling] and an email I hoped would get their attention.

The ad really intrigued me. "We love special" - me too. Maybe "special" was a poor word choice, though, as my first thought when I read it was special as in rides the short bus to school? Hmm...

Anyone ever heard the word "fracked" before? Me neither. I guess Craigslist is cracking down on bad language, which they need to do, for sure. Is "ass" OK? I guess so. We all know what "bleeping" means, guys...

Let me get this straight, too - I can be a part-time administrative assistant AND "kick ass"? Where do I sign up? Whose asses are we talking about? What kind of shoes can I wear?

And talk about expertise in executing zany ideas - I am all about that. I spent about an hour yesterday writing song lyrics for a song called "High Maintenance Revenge Song." I am thinking I can sell the lyrics to a country artist. Everything rhymes, but it's not as vicious as that Carrie Underwood song about taking a baseball bat to her cheating boyfriend's car. That one alarmed me a bit. (I like Carrie's music but not Before He Cheats. I prefer Wasted. That girl can sing, y'all....)

My level of frustration about my lack of a job has reached volcanic proportions. I spent a great deal of time yesterday scrubbing spots on my family room carpet because it allowed me a physical release on a rainy day [when I didn't want to go to walk] and frankly, scrubbing poo and throwup off the carpet was more fun than reading and re-reading the mostly depressing job ads.

I usually read the ad and it says they need someone who knows every computer program, types 70 wpm, AND they will pay $8 an hour. That's only a fraction over what unemployment pays me.

Most job ads make me want to scream. They often put, right at the end of the ad, that they want someone bilingual. Gracias, for wasting my time. Grrr..... I often want to say I AM bilingual - I speak Legalese. I am also looking for jobs in the legal field, of course. It's just that those are few and far between at the moment for someone with my background. I check out ads for writers, too, but mostly what I see are companies wanting technical writers, which isn't my thing. There are tons of ads for jobs at Time Warner, which is a big employer here in town, but they won't even look at my resume because my degrees aren't in journalism and I don't have any recent journalistic experience. They are not impressed by the fact that I was writing feature stories for The Knoxville Journal when I was 17, and I have the yellowing clippings to prove it. Oh well.

At least, with Alesia working in a perfume store for the holidays, everyone in my family will certainly smell good this Christmas...

Happy Dancing

It has poured rain all day, off and on, about 2 inches according to my rain guage. I certainly didn't feel like going anywhere.

There are two pieces of news concerning Alesia. One, she starts Friday at her new job! She is working in a little perfume store at the mall. She is so excited. I just hope all those perfumes don't irritate her sinuses. She gets headaches just like me.

The second piece of news is that she is provisionally accepted into the Gateway to College program. I called today and they said the notifying letter was in the mail and she could come in this week for her placement tests. That's tomorrow night from 6-8. I wish the tests were during the day.

I supposed I should mention, too, my excitement late yesterday afternoon when Michael and I were able to get the toilet unclogged, without calling a plumber! Big Yay on that one! Saved myself $85 there. It was a combination of Dawn dishwashing liquid, very hot water, and time. Oh, and a lot of plunging. I was proud to not have to spend that money, though.

It seems like since I've been laid off, one thing after another has gone wrong - first a new fridge, then a new vacuum, and some car repairs, too. Why did everything need replacing just now when I have no income but unemployment?!? Grr....

I've had an interesting day exploring the world through the internet.

For instance, my friend Elizabeth is on a wonderful trip to New Zealand, with her hubby, and her blog is fascinating.

I discovered a cool blog called Single Dad Laughing that has some really thought-provoking things to say. I urge you to check it out. I am green with envy, because the dad has only been blogging for a few months and already has a huge following. He's making a living blogging and giving speeches. I wish I could do that...

We actually watched some TV tonight after dinner, while waiting for Alesia's boyfriend to show up. [He didn't show, car issues...] and while I cannot stand the obsequious judges, I actually enjoyed Dancing With the Stars. Alesia was dumbfounded that Jennifer Grey is my age. At least, I thought she was. Turns out she's 50 already. Matthew Broderick, whom she dated for several years, is exactly my age, which is why I was mistaken.

One thing I noticed about the show is that the music is mostly dreadful. I don't know where they find the awful tunes and the lackluster performers, but it's too bad they don't get better music.

That's all the news worth sharing on this rainy Monday. Ciao.

Six Years Ago I Became A Mom

I remember where I was exactly six years ago. I was sitting in a Russian hotel room, worried about the hearing for Alesia's adoption, and how on earth I would handle it. I got very little sleep. The next morning, there was snow on the ground.

In Atlanta, snow is an Event. We have a Snow Event, and the local news stations go nuts. In Russia, it's not worth even mentioning. I had accidentally left my winter coat in the Zurick airport, though, and I had to wear a borrowed coat that was too small. I was afraid the judge would think I was nuts. As it turned out, everyone in the court building checked their coats. Here in the US, you rarely see them [certainly you don't see them often here in the south] but in Russia, coat checks are everywhere.

I remember the judge asking me several times in the adoption hearing if I realized what I was getting myself into, and if I didn't want a different child? Not a 13 year old? She thought I was nuts. The fact that the courtroom featured a huge cage in the corner didn't help. In criminal trials, the defendants have to sit in a scary looking cage and testify.

Did I know what I was getting into?! Of course not. How many women get pregnant with their first child and really know what they're doing, though? God hands you a situation and says "Here is your child" and you just know it, and you claim that child. None of them come with guarantees.

The fact that becoming an instant mom to a 13 year old who didn't speak English didn't scare me is attributable to one thing: faith. I knew God meant for her to be my child.I knew we'd muddle through.

I have felt regret many times that I wasn't able to adopt Alesia when she was younger, during the cute years. However...

Alesia was cute all day today. She was running around helping us a great deal, and getting ready for her big date tonight. she was so anxious because she hadn't seen Jason in almost a week. He hasn't had a car, and he lives about 20 minutes away, so it's understandable. His birthday is Tuesday, so we spent some time this week getting his present ready - a framed photo of the two of them, and a card.

He's invited to Alesia's Gotcha Day dinner tomorrow, but I don't know if he will make it. I am making Alesia's favorite, lasagna.

When I think about the difference between that tiny, painfully thin little girl from 6 years ago, and the lovely and healthy young lady of today, I see God's hand in all of it. I even see it in her recent behavior, because although she strayed far off the path, he protected her. I can see that now she appreciates us, and seems to take great relish in being back with her family.So a negative turned into a positive. Sometimes you have to lose something to understand its importance to you.

The other day I asked Alesia if she could get the front door unlocked and hold Coco at the same time. She looked at me with some annoyance, "Yes, Mom, of course I can. Just think, one day I will be carrying groceries, and a heavy baby, and I will still be able to balance it all while I get the door." I was startled by the baby remark - she's never talked that way before. "You're not planning on babies any time soon, are you?" I asked, unable to keep my mouth shut. "No, Mom, I'm talking about the future." Wow. Talking about the future. That's new.

Even though I am anxious about my job situation, wondering how I am going to buy anything for Christmas, wondering how long Coco will continue to poop and throw up everywhere before she shakes off whatever she has, wondering how to get my toilet unclogged without calling the plumber, etc. I feel a sense of optimism.I have a beautiful daughter, and God is good.

Dramatic Day

Alesia was in her room earlier tonight and she and Michael were talking. She was giggling a LOT. Did my heart a world of good to hear that. She has the most delightful giggle - pure, spontaneuous, and just cute. I hate that word, but I have to say it - cute.

One of my nicknames for her is Giggle-Girl.

We went to see the new film Morning Glory, and I loved it. I was laughing very hard, and there was danger of me wetting my pants. That is RARE. Harrison Ford, who is looking older than Methuselah, was awesome. He should win an Oscar, but they never go to actors in comedies. I was trying to explain to Alesia that when Harrison Ford was young, he was extremely hunky. Yes, I used that word. I don't like "hottie." Ick. No, he was a HUNK. Rent the first Star Wars if you don't believe me. I even liked Diane Keaton in this, and I usually don't like her. Makes me nervous to watch her, for some reason.

One thing I liked about Morning Glory is that the story was fresh. I couldn't see everything coming a mile away. That's what distinguishes the good films from the wannabees, in my opinion.

We watched Edge of Darkness tonight, the newest Mel Gibson movie. While I can't condone his personal life, the guy does make some good movies. Edge is a real film-noir thriller, although I could see the plot points coming a mile away. I liked Ray Winstone a lot in the film, but I had a really hard time understanding his British accent, and his low growly voice.

Drama was not only on the movie screens. Alesia drove on I-285 this morning, because we had to take Mike's prosthetic over to Children's to get fixed. It's about 20 minutes down the interstate. She did fine except for one heart-stopping moment when she didn't notice all the cars in front of her had their brake lights on, and she nearly plowed into the back of a mini-cooper. I was screaming "brake!" at the top of my lungs. She complained that I made her nervous. Yep, that I made her nervous. I have new gray hair...