Moogie Slips Under the Weather . . .

. . . and I don't mean it's snowing or anything like that.

Have you ever noticed that when you're not feeling well, the force of gravity increases tenfold, at least?

Trust me on this one.

The Middle East -- The Big Uneasy

Don't know about you, but I'm pretty uneasy about this situation in Egypt.

And genuinely thankful I don't live in Israel.

This might be a pretty good time to invest in domestic oil exploration.

Like Cleaning Out the Fridge

I've had these for some time and figure it's about time to use them.

This one caught my eye when Younger Daughter worked at a place that very well could've been the portal to Hell and told me about it on the phone.  every.  day.  --

And then there's this -- a timeless, forever and ever truism:

Heh.

Barry the Sideshow Guy, and The State of the Circus

Yes, our Young President has joined the Circus as "BO, the Amazing Rubber Man." 

You can see how his act is adjusting to the message sent by voters last November -- he's learned the error of his Progressive ways and is moving toward the center!  Couldn't you tell from his campaign, or SOTU, or STFU, or whatever, speech last night?

Look again. 

While his words and face might have been coming at you from the smack-dab center of the political tightrope, his feet were firmly planted on the far left platform.  Let's just call him "Stretch," shall we?

Don't buy the sleight of face, folks.  Don't buy it.

Just one more thing -- where does he get off suggesting that our service men and women in Iraq have cause to do anything other than hold their heads high?!?!  What a clueless jerk.

I'm glad that spectacle is over with for another year.  And that Pelosi had to sit in the gallery with the rest of the ordinary Congressfolk.  I'm glad about that.  How do you like coach, Madame ex-Speaker!

Musings on a Dark and Rainy Evening

Here are some musings for ya.

How come the garbage bag waits to break and spill until you've struggled to get out of the kitchen door without an eager dog, it's dark and rainy, and you've already busted a blood vessel trying to move the big green monster trash can far enough away from the house to get the lid to stay propped open so you could've swung the previously unbusted garbage bag into said big green monster on an evening when your blood sugar is running low and you've been understandably a little testy? Trust me, you've been understandably a little testy. Trust me, okay?!?!

And just who busts a blood vessel in the knuckle of her pinky finger anyway? And who ever suspected a busted blood vessel in the pinky finger would smart so much?

Just wondering.

Passing a Good Time

Moogie has "passed" a nice weekend, as they say down here in southeast Louisiana.

I got to catch up on a lot of blogstalking.  I got to lounge around on the couch with Rosie, order middle eastern food delivery, and watch a couple of what I figured to be chick-flickish movies that Pepper wouldn't appreciate.  (It turns out that I think he'd like them both:  Eat, Pray, Love and Valentine's Day.)  I got to leave dishes in the sink without guilt!

Since Pepper took Bouie's crate with them, I also got to vacuum the powder room (usually referred to, with affection, as "Bouie's Room") that has been occupied by a sheddy Labrador retriever's crate since late 2006.  Talk about a filthy, hairy mess!  I put off that chore until today, knowing that it would make me sick.

And I got to sleep until I awoke on Saturday morning!-- no bratty dog begging to go on a walk or an adventure at the crack of dawn!   Then I spent the day at the Quarterly ESGR leadership meeting at recently rededicated Jackson Barracks, headquarters of the Louisiana National Guard, drowned by Katrina's storm surge and the federal levee failures.

How did all this free time come to be, you ask?  Yep, you guessed it: Pepper and Bouie went hunting!  They had a great 3-day hunt.  Bouie got to flush and retrieve quail, pheasant, and chukker.  (I'm still not quite sure about that chukker thing, but Pepper says they're pretty much like big quail, "but more of a meal," so they shouldn't taste foreign or anything.  I'm still not so sure.  This one looks pretty mean!  Are mean birds tasty?)

After we got the truck unloaded and Pepper was starting to put things away, Bouie sat right beside the equipment.  Even though he's pretty well exhausted ( and starving because he gets too excited to eat during a hunt), he was not about to let his dad put that gear back in the truck and go on another hunt without him!

It's good to have them home.  It was a little too calm around here to suit me.  Plus, I had to come home to an empty house guarded only by a quirky security system and a blind 16 year old shih tzu following my wonderful Girls Night at the Hive!

The hunt came up after we had already bought tickets.  Pepper said he'd come home early if I could't find anyone who wanted to go with me, but my wonderful neighbor came through!  When I called to ask her if she'd like to join me for Girls Night Out, her husband said tat depended on whether he had to entertain Pepper while we went to the game.  Heh.  Her husband has a rather droll sense of humor.

And, Woo hoo!  The Hornets stung the Spurs 96 - 72 as we cheered them on!

Right now, today, there's football!  Granted, it's not the Saints, so it's not nearly as much fun as last year, but I think I'll enjoy football while it lasts.  It's a long time -- and a heckuva lot of baseball to survive -- til August.

The White House's Symbolic Fashion and Weight Loss Agenda -- Success!

There's been a lot of internet traffic analyzing Michelle O's fashion selection for last night's State Dinner honoring Chinese President Hu Jintao, who opted to wear a simple dark suit to a black-tie affair.  (Those Chinese.  So . . . thrifty -- and fashion, um, negligent.  Not as bad as the NorKs, mind you, but . . . geez!) 

Many of the fashionistas have criticized the dress, for one reason or another.

Ordinarily, I'm not a big fan of Michelle's wardrobe selections, but this time I have to give it to her.  The color and style were both very flattering to her figure, plus the color red is said to symbolize prosperity and happiness in China, or good luck. 

And we all know how much into symbolism this White House is!

Even though the dress passes Moogie's muster, I'm a little disappointed about her accessory choices.  Michelle just couldn't leave well enough alone -- she had to go and pull something out of the back of her closet to wear as a wrap.  Or perhaps from her spinster great aunt's Palestinian headscarf closet.



The shawl didn't really even function as a wrap.  One might be wise to wear something a little warmer outdoors in D.C. in the middle of January, for crying out loud!  Or, maybe this is part of her "healthy weight" initiative -- eat all the steak, lobster, apple pie, and ice cream you'd like and shiver off that excess poundage.

(The dress also helped her come off as "powerful American woman who towers above puny Chinese leader.  I can squish you with one hand, little underdressed man."  Ah, so!!!  Symbolism, or symbolism?)

Michelle and her handlers really seem to like a black and red combination.  The State Dinner dress was reminiscent of, but not too terribly like, her choice for the 2008 election night victory appearance --

And, fortunately, not nearly as scary!  That "black widow" dress and pose still creep me out.

Moogie Gets Reflective -- and More Smarter

Now that life seems to be returning to normal around Moogie's Mansion (whatever that may be!), I'd like to share a few ruminations that have been rattling around in my head.

First off, our precious granddaughter, Princess Lizzy, turned 3 on January 14th!  Oddly enough, this odd blog also turned 2 on that very same day.  So Happy Birth-iversary to us, Lizzy Lou!!!

I looked back at last year's Blogiversary post, and found it pretty tame and standard.  It was, however, absolutely true in its simplicity.

Nonetheless, I've learned a lot about life, and the blogosphere, since last year. 

Life is mainly about relationships.  It's odd how the human psyche craves relationships.  We may have the best friends and families on the face of the Earth that fulfill us to no end, yet we still yearn for more contact.  We "adopt" pets, we cultivate plants, we name our automobiles.  Even the Cast Away dude made a friend of Wilson, the basketball, and grieved its loss at sea.

Today, we spend hours in cyberspace, both in Social Media and the blogosphere, trading yarns, opinions, and barbs with people we've never laid eyes upon in person, yet feel as comfortable around as the chums we made in elementary school.  That's the spot where I find myself today. 

That's also where I didn't find myself in late December - early January when my routine was discombobulated by the holidays, merriment, serious footballage, and the onset of Carnival.  And I have since learned that the discombobulance made a difference to, and had an effect on, me on several levels.

First off, I missed you guys!  I missed having the opportunity to visit your spots a couple of times a day to catch up on what you were doing and to leave a snarky (or supportive) comment.  I missed having the time to post the fruits of my brilliant discourse and analysis, prodding some of you to leave snarky (or supportive) comments here.  I may not ever say it, but I truly do appreciate your comments.  As many of you have already admitted, I now openly acknowledge that it really does mean a lot for people to take the time to think about what I've come up with and type a reaction or two.  That's a connection that is very, very real, regardless of tactility. 

And there.  That word, tactility.  I wouldn't have come up with that word last week.  I wouldn't have come up with that word because of the Second  Lesson I've learned about this blogging thing.

Bloggers are among the best informed folks around; they're the best researchers, the cleverest wits, unafraid to express their true opinions and duel with those whose opinions differ.  Becoming that type of folk requires a great deal of intellectual work.  And that was another thing I missed during the holiday hiatus -- the intellectual work.  I physically worked my derriere into near exhaustion with important, yet mundane things, like hostessing and housework and feast-making, but I finally recognize that I need more than that to keep my brain on its toes. Use it or lose it is a very real concept.  Probably more so as we age.  It hit me square in the noggin last week when I had to ask Pepper while we were watching a movie what the name of that town is -- you know, the capital of Norway.  Not the capital of Sweden; the capital of Norway.

Today, after just a few days of regular research and blogging, I'd never have to Google Oslo. 

That's pretty much of a major relief in the Alzheimer's fear sphere.

So.  To keep me properly befriended and on my mental toes, I vow not to let my research and blogging slip as much in the future.  Watching non-stop movies in the company of family, and sharing drinks with corporeal friends are important, but the ol' brain needs its daily recommended dose of gritty stimulation, too.

(It probably didn't hurt the mental mush, either, that Congress was in recess and I could shove them into a drawer in my head and ignore them for a few weeks.  Congress is definitely a stimulus, both to lucidity and to the blood pressure.)

Again, so.  Here's to another year rattling around the blogosphere, and to my friends and families, both physical and virtual!!!  Good health, good times, and bon mots!!!!!

Love, MoogieP.

A Man, His Dog, Cold Water, and Lots of Ducks Falling From the Sky

Many of you have read about the hunting exploits of Pepper and Bouie, the Retriever Extraordinaire, and have seen his "calendar dog" photos.  I just know you lie awake nights, wishing you could experience "the hunt" in person and watch Bouie do his thing.

Well, I can't send you there in person, but The Son uploaded a couple of videos to the YouTube that he shot shortly after Christmas, so you can at least see Bouie in action cinematically!

They stick, for some reason, but if you wait a few seconds while that little "working, working" cog-looking thingy spins around and around, they'll resume playing.




And thus we have the main ingredient for Duck Gumbo. 

I'm such a proud Mom!!!

Just Another Week in New Orleans, With Pictures!

Okay -- I have a semi-serious post rolling around in my head, but first I need to get this one out of there so there's more room for reflection.  Bear with me -- this one's gonna be kinda long, but it's mostly for me so I won't forget all this stuff.  Some is kinda irreverent, but it actually happened, so documentation is appropriate.  Some is just fun memories.

This is Grandson#1, all decked out in his new Razorback gear on Christmas Eve at The Son's house.  Heh.

This is Trevor, The Son's lucky puppy, not in motion.  This needed to be documented because it's a rare occasion when Trevor, the lucky puppy, is not in motion.

This is a group of good friends and family at She-Who-Should've-Been-My-Sister's Little Rock home on New Year's Eve after we devoured all the food brought to the potluck.  SWSBMS's other home is in Hong Kong, so it's wonderful when we can all get together on the same continent in the same hemisphere.  You'll note the conspicuous absence of SIL#1.  He and his college buddies had met in Ft. Worth to watch TCU's first BCS Bowl appearance together, without wives and significant others.  Thus, Elder Daughter and SIL#1 spent their first New Year's Eve as a married couple in different states.  Elder Daughter, being Moogie's progeny, devised a way for SIL#1 to make it up to her, however; she persuaded him to secure 4 tickets to the Sugar Bowl from her FIL and went without him, taking her college friends, now living in Upstate New York, and Younger Daughter instead.  And they were Club Level seats to boot!  Clever Elder Daughter.

Here is what midnight in New York looked like on New Year's Eve at SWSBMS's house, and Pepper.  You can tell it's really Pepper because there's a Blackberry in his hand.  Unlike at most of our recent New Year's Eve celebrations, we actually stayed out past midnight in New York, and beyond when it became midnight in Little Rock.

This is what New Year's Night looked like: a 1-1-11 wedding in the Chapel at Camp Robinson in North Little Rock.  The Son was best man (he's the squared-away, handsome one with raised saber).  I managed to catch the precise moment when the other groomsman lowered his saber to swat the Bride on the rear end and shout, "Welcome to the Army!"  The newly-married couple would leave central Arkansas on January 3rd to honeymoon at Moogie's Mansion where the Bride was lucky enough to share one bathroom with her new husband and 4 of his best friends.  The Bride was a very good sport.

Here we are at the Super Dome, getting ready to head inside to watch the Hogs trounce the Buckeyes.  There were plenty of raucous Razorback fans to add to our Sugary spirit.  And there was apparently at least one young lady (at the far right) who looks like she has not been adequately schooled in just what, exactly, a Hog Hat is.

Here are tens of thousands of Hog-callers and the Razorbacks thundering onto the field before trouncing the Buckeyes.

In cased you missed it, The Hogs failed to trounce the Buckeyes.  And that's enough about that.

Before the Big Game, several happy events, and one rather bizarre event, took place at Moogie's Mansion.  We celebrated the 30th birthday of Elder Daughter's college chum with mimosas, brunch and cake.  Cake, both birthday and wedding.

The wedding cake, and tons of other leftover wedding reception fare, was courtesy of the honeymooners, who got the very best guest room and pink roses.

After the Razorback fans departed to return to a soon-to-be-frozen-over Arkansas and other destinations, and after Moogie quickly changed a few beds and cleaned a few bathrooms, two Mardi Gras revelers arrived to join us at the CAMAN Ball -- our first big celebration of Carnival season.  Reveler#1's daughter was ever-so-slightly embarrassed by #1's gleeful immersion in the Carnival spirit.  Can you tell?  R#1's daughter was also less than pleased when Moogie manipulated several eligible young men to dance with said daughter, but she's young and will get over it.

The Ball's theme was "CAMAN Under the Big Top," and the decor was quite festive.

King CAMAN XXXVII enjoyed his entrance and hammed it up for his subjects, also showering them with doubloons of the realm.  Queen CAMAN XXXVII was regal, radiant, and very, very happy.

Following the Ball, the Revelers were snowed out of Arkansas, so their departure was delayed by three days.  We took that opportunity to turn their extended visit into "The Early Winter Eating Tour of New Orleans."  This was one lunch, at Pascal's Manale, on Tuesday the 11th -- Mushroom Ravioli with Crab Alfredo Sauce and Crabcake.  Oh my freakin' goodness! 

The Revelers got the "all-clear" to return home on the 12th, and it's been kinda quiet around here since then.

Oh yeah.  I mentioned something a few days back about ambulances and other emergency vehicles.

While we were brunching before the Big Game, Honeymoon Man meandered into the dining room from the front porch and said, "There's a Viking in a track suit leaning against your fence."  I peeked out the window, and, sure enough, there was a Viking-ish looking guy (or a lost member of ZZ Top) leaning against the fence.  I asked Honeymoon Man whether the Viking needed to talk to me, and he replied, "I don't think so."  I gave it little more thought, this being New Orleans and all.

Twenty minutes later, Honeymoon Man, having been upstairs and having looked out the window, came back down and announced, "The Viking's down."  I thought it prudent to go check on him; one male Hog Fan accompanied me as my protector, fearing that the wrath of a prematurely-roused Viking might befall me.  He took his camera.

Meet the Viking in a Track Suit.

I called to him in a loud mother-ish voice, "Sir?  Are you all right?  SIR?!?!," while also noting his rather battered and swollen face.  Then I hot-footed it inside to call 911.

Here are a few of the emergency responders.  When they finally got the Viking onto a back board and roused him a bit, they asked him the typical questions -- what's your name, do you know where you are.  To the name question, he responded with a strong display of the one-finger salute from beneath the back board straps.  To the location question, he replied, "Pennsylvania."  We're still not sure what happened to him, or who he is, but if he planned on being in Pennsylvania, he definitely took a wrong turn somewhere.

                                                   

Here are the Honeymooners with emergency responders in the background.  They kept the discarded instructions on "how to apply a neck brace" as a souvenir.

After the excitement quieted down, one police officer noticed all the people wearing Razorback tee shirts and told us he really liked the Razorbacks and wanted us to win the Sugar Bowl.  Then he said he really liked "that cheer," too.  Then he asked us to teach him how to do it.  So, with the Viking strapped to the backboard and being rolled to the ambulance, we all called the Hogs along with New Orleans first responders on the sidewalk.  The cop "woop-wooped" his siren at us and waved as he drove off.

Several of the Hog Fans were smokers.  They did not empty the ash tray provided for them on the front porch.  And you know who you are!

It was a hectic, sleepless, delightful week.  And there's lagniappe!  One pair of Fans brought a bottle of wine, another a lovely piece of Who Dat art, and the group of guys brought this delight for the nose and the palate -- 21 year-old single malt!  Ahhhh.  I didn't realize that Pepper had partaken as much of it as he has until I took this pic today; I've enjoyed one tiny snifter, preferring instead to keep it forever and savor it by occasionally removing the cork and deep-breathing the aroma.

So.  Such is life at Moogie's Mansion.  And Carnival season has just begun.

I'll sign off with this pic snapped before Christmas, en route to Little Rock, in heavy traffic.  It just reminded me of all my wonderful Blog Buddies, and a few in particular.  See if you can read the name and home base of of the trucking company.

Heh. 

In Keeping With Today's Canine-centric Theme . . . .

. . . . I found this funny little video.

Heh.

Now, why do you suppose . . . .

Happy Belated Birthday . . .

. . . to our Rosie!  On January 6th she attained the ancient and revered age of 16.  In people years!

These pics were made back when she could still see and get around by herself outdoors.  She used to love to sit on the porch in the sun and watch the world go 'round, and yap at me to prepare her supper faster.

She's still a feisty little thing, despite having suffered several strokes that took her voice.  She's recovered her hearing now and her sense of smell.  She still likes to sniff around the front yard (and our dinner plates!), but I can't leave her unattended outdoors anymore.  She walks in circles, and I'm too scared she'd somehow get under the house and I couldn't get to her.

She may not be with us too much longer, but I'm going to treasure each and every day that she walks around in circles on the bed and wipes her face on me after she eats.

Sixteen years is a long time to love someone.

If she could only tell all the stories she must have on my kids!

Winter and Discontent

I seem to be doing hit-and-miss posting recently!  Haven't even gotten to make my blog-rounds, but life seems to be calming down a bit now.  The last snowed-out houseguests left yesterday and made it safely home to Arkansas.  I'm slowly putting the house back together -- 9+ loads of linens over the last week! -- and I have now decided that while running a Bed & Breakfast may be good exercise, like aging, it ain't for sissies.

We've also had some uncharacteristically cold weather around these parts -- below freezing!  This is what greeted me this morning while forcing the 16 year-old shih tzu to go outdoors:

The Naughty Children Fountain may be icy on the surface, but they know how to keep the water flowing!

I'm not sure New Orleans birds know how to ice skate!  And check out the gardenias buds hanging out over the frozen water.  That poor bush is really confused.

At least the pipes have stayed intact.  KNOCK WOOD THREE TIMES!!!

I'm still trying to keep myself from throwing up over that wretched display of "look at me!" and "you should dial back the rhetoric" last night presented by the Young President (perhaps we should call him the Great Healer now that he brought Congresswoman Giffords back to consciousness with his very presence), so I won't even go there.  And here I thought he did a pretty poor memorial performance at Ft. Hood.  Egad.  At least he didn't distribute tee shirts to the mourners in uniform at Hood.  (Funny, until I googled "tee shirts at Tucson memorial" I wasn't aware that so many people were just as appalled as I was by the souvenirs of a Day with the Obamas.  There must be many great minds out there.)

I do find the blame-slinging in the Tucson slaughter intriguing.  We certainly couldn't hold Islam responsible for the slaughters at Ft. Hood or at the Recruiter's office in Little Rock, but we certainly could blame everyone on the right from Sarah Palin to bloggers for setting off that fruitcake in Tucson.

I guess I went there, huh.

Oh well, maybe I'm back!

Ooops.

Perhaps I meant Pluck the Ducks instead of damming some Beavers.

And they did!!  Those Auburn Multi-mascots did it!!

SEC!!!!!

GAME DAY! And Among Moogie's Many Talents . . . .

A quick howdy just to let you know that I'm still alive, even though I might be draggin' a bit by now  --

Moogie was quite busy over the weekend.  Among her many roles, at the CAMAN Ball she was -- "Circus Sideshow Madame Moogie!  She sees all, knows all!  Come, learn what the future holds!"

I tell you what -- I can do a pretty good evil eye and grin!

Life is nearly back to normal -- the last of the houseguests are snowed out of Arkansas and get to stay at least one more day, so we'll have friends to help us watch the Auburn Multi-Mascots dam the Beavers. 

War Eagle!!!

Running a bed and breakfast is good exercise.

Fast Times at Moogie's Mansion

I'm in recovery from the Sugar Bowl experience.  The voice is MIA.  Thank you for the condolences, but my head is still held high.

Twelve Hog Fan houseguests have departed, linens changed (mostly), towels washed (mostly), bathrooms cleaned, and Hog Fan houseguests have been replaced by 2 Carnival revelers in town for tomorrow night's CAMAN Ball.  It is officially Carnival Season as of yesterday; we had the first Crawfish Monica of the year last night and the first piece of King Cake of the season this morning! 

Speaking of the CAMAN Ball, I need to head downtown to help with decorations. 

So, I'll leave you with this little bit of PC fanaticism that I ran across.  Egad --

Maybe I can sleep some and do a real post in a few days.  I'M TIRED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sugar High! Wooo Pig Soooieee!!!!

There's some Wooo Pig Sooooieeing going on in the Big Easy!  Twelve houseguests have been fed in shifts, most have headed to Champions Square or the Quarter, kitchen is cleaned up, the Entergy HQ building adjacent to the Dome is flying the Arkansas state flag, and we're gearing up for a Sugar High in mighty fine seats!



Oh yeah -- there was the incident that required a fire truck, an ambulance, 2 Police cars and an Inspector, but I'll save that for another day.  Good times, and strange, at Moogie's Mansion!

Let's go, Razorbacks!!!!!  WPS!!!

2011!

Happiest, healthiest, and most prosperous of happy new years to one and all!

Only 1 11/12 years until 2012 elections!

And there's FOOTBALL on the horizon!!!!

Woooo Pig Sooooieee!