Welcome to the World Jaina!

Jaina Rose made her big entrance to the world today at 12:50 pm in California.



Surfer Girl called just one hour after an extended labor to share the blessed news. Both Mother and Daughter are healthy and doing well. The Father said the experience was "interesting", but SG said she was glad he was there to support her.

I informed Junior Mint that he was now an Uncle (at 8 years old) and he seemed very proud.
The word spread quickly, as I spent the afternoon calling friends and relatives around the country to share the happy news.

Happy Birthday little girl...I know you'll bring many years of smiles and tears to your parents. And as they look into your eyes today, I know they're amazed at the perfection that you are and the potential that you have. I can't wait to see where your mind will take you.

O The Stories We Can Tell...

So the Jimmy Buffett traveling circus pulled in to Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas last Saturday and over 600 of my closest friends showed up for a hellova tailgate party.
The pictures don’t do it justice…

A Parrothead “Phlocking” is something that must be experienced in person…the sounds, smells and weather; yes, Jimmy brought the weather with him.

You gotta understand, that some people dabble into Buffett music for the “fun” songs then find that it goes a lot deeper…there’s some good stuff in the man’s treasure chest. I’ve found pearls of wisdom in those lyrics that have inspired me through good times and bad; and on the road have found some amazing friends and genuinely good people.

Jimmy, you’ve while you may not sit with us in person, you’ve brought a lot of kindred spirits together and forged what some of us old hippie types would call a “movement”.

It’s a good thing.

This weekend I watched Parrotheads unite to raise $2,300 for breast cancer research…that’s what’s called partying with a purpose folks.

Jimmy's setlist was fabulous for long-time Jimmy fans ... he covered Texas songwriters/friends Willie Nelson, Guy Clark, Lyle Lovett and Willis Allen Ramsey. He ended the show with North East Texas Women giving a shout out to the NETWomen he met a long time ago ...

I can't say enough about how Jimmy's final encore of Tonight I Just Need My Guitar with him sitting alone in the spotlight is a perfect tribute for long time fans who can remember him before the big shows.

As Jimmy said before the lights went out, thank you for tonight and every night for the past 40 years, it's been an amazing run.

Is there something (else) we'd be doin' if we could?

Not a chance.

And if you ever wonder why we ride this carrousel,

We do it for the stories we can tell.

(Love those Texas Women)

On The Road Again...

Ok..I’ve been negligent. But I’ve been whooping off with friends in Houston where we celebrated the inaugural concert of Jimmy Buffett’s 2007 Bama Breeze summer tour last Saturday night.

Before the actual concert, my husband son & I met about 150 friends for a weekend of eating, drinking, dancing, a live band, and cooler racing? Yes, cooler racing. There was a rooftop pool party, and jello shots in the parking lot (warning…jello shots go down waaay too easy and pack a big punch).

By the time the Head Parrot hit the stage in Minute Maid Park the Parrothead faithful were in a tumultuous uproar. Jimmy didn’t disappoint. He revved the crowd up early with favorites like Fins, Son of A Son of A Sailor, and One Particular Harbor, I was thrilled that he dug into the old treasure chest and played two songs by Texas singer songwriter Willis Alan Ramsey, The Ballad of Spider John and Northeast Texas Women. There were also new favorites, Cinco de Mayo in Memphis, Bama Breeze and Regabilly Hill. The show ended with a lovely harmony of the Beach Boys cover In My Room and finally a Jimmy acoustic solo to a near silent stadium while he sang Tonight I Just Need My Guitar. The man knows how to work a room…no matter the size.

So, like a band of gypsies we'll go down that highway makin' music with our parrothead friends.
We'll be doing it all again Saturday when this travelin' carnival stops in Frisco, TX. Until then...I'll be hanging out at the Bama Breeze.

Peeps

What is your favorite Easter Candy?
Cadbury Eggs, Chocolate Bunnies ...or Peeps?
Well, at our house it’s Peeps.

Yup…those marshmallow confections garnished with colored sugar. Eat enough of them and you will find yourself bouncing around the house like a bunny rabbit. That’s exactly why my son loooves them

(I think). Perhaps it’s a childhood rite of passage, but even as an adult, I always eat at least one and watch Peep Jousting on YouTube. This year we found a Star Wars oriented one that made us laugh. I fear that many Peeps meet this sad fate of torture through microwaves at a time when we should be celebrating new life. Heartbreaking….

There are a lot of adults that won’t admit to eating the tasty treats, but I suspect that they secretly snag at least one from their kids every year. Maybe just to share a special moment with their offspring or to have a flashback to their own youth…it really doesn’t matter. Millions of the marshmallow confections are sold every year but in the infamous words of my 8 y/o son it’s that sugary sweet aroma that makes me feel soooo good. The only thing better than a Peep itself is a Peep inside a chocolate egg…because it has chocolate, too!
So buy yourself a pack of Peeps…whether to torture them in your microwave or to enjoy their sugary decadence all Spring long…it’s tradition.

The Real Pirate

This answers sooo many questions.

Earlier this week, Rolling Stones guitarist, Keith Richards, (who normally appears dead himself), said he snorted his father’s cremains…mixed with cocaine.

“He was cremated, and I couldn’t resist grinding him up with a little bit of blow. My dad wouldn’t have cared,” he said, adding that
“it went down pretty well, and I’m still alive.”

Hmmmm…let’s pause for a moment to reflect.
Keef has dropped off of the “who’s most likely to die” list, which he admits “has really disappointed him”. So, he pulls out 'ol Bert’s ashes and commiserates his mortality by becoming one with the old man. (I keep wondering how much was pure un-cut Dad?)

Maybe he did bong hits with dear old Mum, just to take the edge off, before ripping into the Urn?

Parting advice to the kiddo’s…don’t do any liquid Grandma…it only leads to the hard stuff.

*On Wednesday, Richards stated his recent comments were made in "jest", and can't believe people took him seriously. He published a comment on the Rolling Stones website stating that: "The complete story is lost in the usual slanting! The truth of the matter is that I planted a sturdy English Oak . I took the lid off the box of ashes and he is now growing oak trees and would love me for it!!! I was trying to say how tight Bert and I were. That tight!!! I wouldn't take cocaine at this point in my life unless I wished to commit suicide."

WTF? Personally, I find this retraction amusing. I think that his Manager probably got a call from Disney because the Pirate's of the Caribbean movie is coming out soon and, they didn't want 'negative' publicity.

Note to Disney...Historically, Pirates have been (arguably) defined as a rebellious, clever lot who operated outside the bureaucracy of modern life. i.e., outlaws, that miiight receive 'negative' attention from mainstream society. This is not necessarily a BAD thing for your movie. The younger folks probably aren't paying attention and the older one's that might not have come to the show otherwise, might decide to check it out seeing that the 'ol boy isn't just playing a "rum-soaked wobbly legged pirate" on the silver screen.

Keith has lived the life of a Pirate, which is the reason that Johnny Depp fashioned his characterization of Jack Sparrow after him…this latest walk off the edge of the map just reinforces that he’s the real deal.
Aaargh!

Two hundred years too late...

I've always been drawn to the Sea, but lived most of my life landlocked with frequent escapes to the water.
Having already been to the Caribbean this year, and with Buffett concert season starting soon, I'm ready to dive full force into the fun and fantasy of the life of a Pirate.
Yes, I've got a Texas heart and a Caribbean soul I can barely control.

So, with 61 days till the next Pirates of the Caribbean film is released, I found this fun quiz so you, too can see how much Pirate you have in your soul...

Jack Sparrow: [to Elizabeth] One word love; curiosity. You long for freedom. You long to do what you want to do because you want it. To act on selfish impulse. You want to see what it's like. One day you won't be able to resist.

What Pirates of the Caribbean character are you? Your Result: Jack Sparrow You are the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow! You disapeared under agents of the East India Trading Company, sacked Nassau port without firing a shot, and you managed to get so drunk that you are now considered a crazy person!
Will Turner
Elizabeth Swann
James Norrington
Tia Dalma
Cutler Beckett
Hector Barbossa
Davy Jones
What Pirates of the Caribbean character are you?

Elizabeth Swann: [to Jack] Curiosity. You're going to want it. A chance to be admired, and gain the rewards that follow. You won't be able to resist. You're going to want to know what it tastes like.

We Are The People Our Parents Warned Us About…

Last night there was a phlocking of a few phriends from high school. We reminisced about old times and caught up about our current lives.


The occasion was because the daughter of one of us is getting married this weekend. Both she, her intended and her sister were there. That didn’t stop any of us “older” folks from cutting loose about who was “hot” or not, who was a gold digger or black widow, who was (un)ethical in business and what we thought about it.

One of us even had the foresight to bring our old school “yearbook” so we could gossip about the indiscretions of those who were unfortunate enough not to be in our good graces or intelligent enough to have hung out with us in our younger days… or stood the test of time with us.

Sigh…time.

Somewhere I took a right instead of a left, and I’m thankful of the phriends that persist in keeping up with me in spite of my windward ways. You are special to me…life is a hellova ride, let’s do it together.

And for AED and AI, I have only one word of advice for your marriage. Patience.

Pirates - At World's End

I can't tell you how excited I am to see the third installment of Pirates of the Caribbean. Who's going to betray who? Can Will emerge in his own right? Where does Lizzy's heart truly lie? Will there be a wedding? Is Tia Dalma Calypso? What is the story between Captain Teague and Jack? Who will die?

The trailer has just been released and has some tantalizing clips, especially if you know about the mythology of the films.

Watch an HD version (720p) here
(please allow time for it to download).

Captain America, RIP

It's a slap in the face of American Patriotism, pure and simple.

Captain America was assassinated on the Courthouse steps by a sniper’s bullet.

The recent storyline is a foreign writer's attempt to force his personal opinion on the current climate in American Politics (i.e., the death of [personal] Liberty) on us.
(Mark Millar is Scottish born & raised, and currently lives in Glasgow.)

Wha??? Captain America has saved the world from those who would destroy freedom of expression countless times since he arrived on the scene in 1941 (just before the USA officially entered World War II).

Steve Rogers didn’t start out as a hero; he was a wimpy guy that didn’t make the cut, until he participated in a secret experiment to create an elite group of super soldiers. Every kid has insecurities, and the Captain America story let’s kids imagine that even the “square” kids can do something important…all you need is an indestructible shield and can do spirit.

While I haven’t kept up with the current “Civil War” being played out in the Marvel Universe, from what I understand, I don’t like it. Superheroes don’t fight superheroes. They are symbolic metaphors, not the personal platform for individual social commentary…seeing a superhero playing the role of social dissident doesn’t feel right to me. Captain America fights for the ideal of a free and democratic society…the greater good; not the selfish concerns of the one. We must “live together or die alone” and “justice for all”.

Captain America saves the world by riding a Nazi rocket to (his apparent doom) in the Atlantic Ocean, ultimately to be rescued by “The Avengers”. Captain America once considered whether being a superhero is worth it (what superhero hasn’t), but ultimately he chooses to keep fighting. Above all Captain America is a Patriot. For him to be gunned down by a mysterious sniper (ala Jack Ruby) symbolizes the loss of the American Dream. I get it, the symbol of freedom lies dying with handcuffs on; but I don’t believe that the American Dream is dying.

If the Captain (aka “America”) is going to bite it, he deserves to go out in a blaze of glory, not some act of street violence. I don’t know about you, but I still believe in America and the fight for Justice, and feel certain that a lot of other folks do, too.

Can Captain America be resurrected? You bet, it is the comics after all..and Marvel is tops in the soap opera department.

Can you tell me where I might find my friend and companion?

Captain will help anyone a friend or a stranger
Now number one without a gun he's bypassed the Lone Ranger
He's a do good who loves apple pie and kisses little babies
He'll guard you against everything from atom bombs to rabies.

Captain America we love you, Captain America you're grand.
~Jimmy Buffett, Captain America,
originally from the album Down to Earth, 1970.

Blue Sun

And you thought you found me because of Firefly...

"Excuse me, while I kiss the sky."

That's ok. I'm a huge Firefly/Serenity fan.

I can do you one better.

Last weekend (2/24) over North Texas there was a REAL
Blue Sun.

No kidding.

Truly, dust can turn the sun blue. But it takes a special kind of dust. All the grains in the cloud must be about the same size and, for maximum blue, should measure about 1 millionth of a meter across. This makes the air behave like a blue filter.

And guess what, there was this weird dust storm that blew threw North Texas last Saturday that wreaked havoc, downing power lines with 60 mph winds, leaving homes without electricity and causing the cancellation of about 300 flights at DFW airport...and turned the sun blue.


The winds caused praire fires and even forced the evacuation of the Fort Hood Army base!

This was an eerie storm, but I am truly one of the priviledged few to experience a Blue Sun.

Take my love. Take my land.
Take me where I cannot stand.
I don't care, I'm still free.
You can't take the sky from me.

Harken: Seems odd you'd name your ship after a battle you were on the wrong side of.
Mal: May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one.*

*Remember the Alamo, March 6