It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood...

.. a beautiful day in the neighborhood.. would you be mine???

(click on the pictures for larger view)

Today was a wonderful day.. freakin'  cold, but somehow it was just breathtaking out there.. so we had no choice... I took you all to the lake and river.. and look how great it looks !!!  The lake's water level are now way above normal.  The drought is over !!    Weather in Hotlanta has gone crazy and today is no difference... it is unseasonably colder for this time of year, and truly quite nipply... but at least it's not raining.  We have had enough rain, I say!!!  Anyway... I couldn't resist taking you all along for a walk.   And this one was a lot more fun than yesterday's outing ;-)   tons of hugs and kisses from me to you fine people ;-)

DaVinci is calling!!!!

Today, I took you to the worst museum exhibit I've ever seen and I do apologize for dragging you guys along.  But as always, you guys didn't have a choice!!  The sucky exhibit in question: Leonardo DaVinci.  Leonardo DaVinci can't be sucky, he is the greatest guy there was, you say?  Yes, he was a great guy indeed, however, the exibit sucked and didn't do him any, non, nada, zip, zilch, no justice whatsoever.  A shame, really. 

At the entrance, we were greeted by this massive statue of DaVinci's famous horse with which he honored Ludovico Sforza.  The exibit only has six rooms and I was so very crushed to learn that we will not see those amazing things that I thought we would.  Not to say that his drawings of the horse, the Mona Lisa, the last supper, the dissection and measurements of the human head, his venture into the human anatomy, his writings and his doodles weren't impressive, but I wanted to see his flying machines, his war machines, his invention of an armored "car", his parachute... yes, all that kind of stuff...Come on! show me the good stuff!, i demand, but instead, we are just looking at drawings that depict his artistic talent and thought process of building a horse and how a human might function.  As usual, we are not getting those cute little audio sets and it just so happens, that (and it never fails) something catches my eye and all you see is a date on the little info-sign. Lucky me, there is a couple with a headset right in front of me.  I lean in a bit and she gives me a look.  To my defense, her look was not clear on whether she felt offended or enjoyed the lean. The look did travel for a moment to her partner.. perhaps just to reassure that he will be there should she need protection.  Just let me listen for one moment... Oh, you are from France, are you?  I disappointingly stepped back and mumbled a few German words to myself before marching on to the next picture on the wall.

We were in and out in about an hour with very little learned, no ooohhhhh's and awwwww's and even less coming from Lewis, who didn't want to go in the first place but was guilted (if that's even a word) into it by moi (that much for my French).  As always though, I need a trinket for my feeble mind to later (much  later!!!) recall this venture. And look at that, we are in luck; a store conveniently placed in front of the exit.  And here too, I have been let down by my expectations.  There was nothing worth enough to be bought by me.  What has my museum-world come to, I ask you?  Into the elevator we go which quickly transports us to the exit-level.  Another museum store and I figured, I give it another shot before walking out into the icy cold.  Nothing.  Come on now. Ah, yes, a coffee mug, which reads "Genius" in red lettering on a black coffee mug.. perfect!!!  But I have to tell you all, our next trip to the museum has got to be much better!!!  Perhaps, we shall travel to New York and see a few exhibits there again.  We shall see... you all will join me once more, won't you?

The Beginning ( B. Y. A. because you asked)

(posting this on Valentine's Day as I was yet again asked to do so)

Her friends have been on her all day already, pestering her to join them on their venture to the clubs this night, which she declined consistently.  Her roommate was supposed to be gone, so she did prepare herself mentally already for a quiet night.  She hadn’t had that for a long time... a bath, perhaps, then a movie on the couch, just snuggled up in a comfortable blanket.  Yes, that sounded like a fantastic plan, which was still being hammered by the voices of those friends who thought that that’s not a way to spend a Friday night.  No… Friday nights were supposed to be spent in cute little outfits that would be paraded across a dance floor until the morning, close to when the sun comes up.  And besides, they want to go to an American club… she didn’t think so…not in her lifetime!!!  Finally, working day is over and victoriously, not having given in to those pesky friends, she went to her car and into the afternoon traffic, while already dreaming on how nice and quiet this evening will be.

The bathwater already running, the air filled with the soft scent of vanilla, towels ready… she can’t wait to slide into the hot water and just turn off that brain for a bit and let those muscles turn to mush for just a little while.  The doors bell…oh no… not the door bell.  She fights with herself whether to answer the intercom and ended up ignoring whoever dared to push the little button and have the nerve to interrupt what was about to take place.  Now a knock… rather loud and harsh… gosh… let’s just look through the peep hole… oh noooooo… oh nooooo… they found their way to her door… damn it…  She opens the door and her lovely friends stomp into the apartment, demanding that she gets dressed as they all will be picked up in about half an hour.  Declining was impossible, so she finally gave in.  She turns off the water, pulls the plug in the tub, sobs a bit as she watches the water rush down the drain.  It was just not meant to be that she will enjoy one weekend just for herself.

They enter the club… a club she has never been to.  It was an American Club and she felt quite uncomfortable.  Her friend comes back from the bar carrying drinks.  White Russian is the drink of choice…great… a club she never has been to, and now drinking an alcoholic drink she never had heard of.  Great night… she is overjoyed that she came.  Not much that can be done now; might as well make the best of it. She takes her white Russian to the edge of the dance floor and actually starts moving her hips and stuff just a tad to the beat of the music.  Okay, it’s not that bad to be here, she will survive.  Finally feeling comfortable with her new friend, that Russian, she takes in her surroundings.   However, one of her friends made her aware of this guy on the opposite side of the dance floor, who has been staring at her for quite some time.  Gosh, now that she knew she was watched, all concentration is turned back on… don’t spill your drink, don’t fall on the dance floor, don’t poke that straw into your eye and certainly, don’t have that Russian get down the wrong pipe and make it come out of your nose… oh the pressure… damn… The pressure was on now!

She has been successful not to cause any embarrassing situations for quite some time, when he approaches her at the table, asking her for a lighter.  What the heck is a lighter?  Ah, yes, fire for his friend, who was in need to light his cigarette.  Finally, contact has been made and now the desperate try to put together a conversation was another task to overcome.  He had a solution for that; he just asked her to dance.  Yes, no words needed when dancing.  The bodies can do all the talking.  So she got up and joined him on the dance floor.  She enjoyed herself a lot.  Funny how one does not need words, but can say so much.  After a few songs, she returns to her table.  Soon after, she was approached by another gentleman, who felt the need to give her his phone number written on a napkin.  She was still quite taken by the dance and its conversation.  And then he, her dance partner, approached her again.  Her stomach made once again, several flips and she laid off the good ole Russian and switched to regular coke… didn’t settle the butterflies, but she needed something to hold on too without getting drunk.  A clear head was wanted right here.   His voice has just been something she has never heard before, couldn’t even compare it to anyone.  His eyes had her mesmerized.  Her night came to an end when her friends where leaving.  He wrote his phone number on a napkin and wished her a good night and left the table.  She got up, grabbed one napkin and left.  He saw that napkin still laying on the table and disappointed went to pick it up, only to find, that it was his rival’s phone number that was completely ignored by her. Yesssssss!!!

They have not spent one day apart since they have gotten together after the first phone call.  Countless hours have been spent in the car (after already spending the day together), talking…making conversations that would take perhaps 30 minutes into four or five hours with the use of a tiny dictionary and outside temperatures of negative Celsius degrees, but it never mattered… she was so very happy.  He was all that she has always been searching for.  She used to wish to marry a Spanish man… a desire built up from those numerous vacation destinations to cities in Spain.  She always looked for a man who can forget what she looked like and challenge her mind…even teach her, a desire brought on by the few relationships she had, where her partners just seemed to lack intellect and so much more.  His smile brought her to her knees each and every time.  He was it… he wasn’t from Spain… but it was all close enough, with a mix of Mexican, Irish, Dutch, some French, English and even a tad of German…  a man she could introduce to her mother with pride and actually not really care what  “mom” will say.  Her mom, however, approved very much so and things just couldn’t get any better.  Every day was in paradise.  Then, the day came when she was told that she is carrying a new life inside her.  He was as happy as can be.  She was as well; however, reality now sank in.  He was not from here… he was only here temporarily.   She couldn’t just pack up her life and take it elsewhere, but that’s what this moment of happiness was pointing out.  This is, how her reality was about to look like.

For the next 2 years, she missed him very much. So much, it drove her insane at times.  This little tiny face reminded her on a daily basis what she had let go.  Those cute big blue eyes with those sickening long eyelashes were the exact copy of his eyes.  Her hair, when born was as black as the night before it fell all out to make room for the new soft red hair, which also reminded of him.  She cried a lot during those years, knowing that she pushed away the man she was searching for, for such a long time.  She felt laughed at by the world, for being so stupid.  Her mother wouldn’t let her forget for one moment, that this was the biggest mistake, not to mention the most idiotic thing she has done thus far.  He had to depart for America shortly after his daughter was born.  He arrived at the hospital to see his little girl.  She has not seen their daughter thus far either, as an emergency cesarean had to be performed.  Not really sure why, the hospital of choice was a catholic hospital, which made no sense at all as she had no religious denomination.  He, however, as she later learned, was catholic.  At the same time of him entering her room, a nurse approached to bring a beautiful little girl to both of their eyes.  That was the last time she had seen him and the first and last time he had gazed upon his little creation. 

2 years have passed and she could not take it any longer.   She had taken out his phone number he had left behind oh so many times, even dialed them up to the last number and found her fingers right away disconnecting the call before it could be established.  But not this time; this time, this phone call had to go through.  She took a deep breath, one last look into those little girl’s eyes and pressed the last number.  She felt almost suffocated by her strong heart beat, which pressed against her chest and lunges, making it so very hard to breathe.  An answer at the other end, one more swallow and words need to come out… words asking if he is around.  To her disappointment, his brother answered and the conversation was ended with the understanding that he would tell his brother that she had called.   Now, nervousness settled in for a while and she asked herself if, perhaps, it was a mistake to call him.  What if he had moved on?  What if he had married someone, maybe even became a father again?  What if he hated her for what she had done?  What if he’d never want to hear from her again?  The phone rings… on the other end… his voice.

A few months later, he arrived at the airport in a country, a city, where it all began.  She is overtaken by anticipation of his arrival…to look into his face, his eyes once again… she had waited so very long for this moment.  She was also worried how his little girl would take to him; after all, this little girl would not allow any man to come near her.  Then, there he is and it immediately felt right again…oh so right.   And those big blue eyes were just stuck on this man who just entered this little girl’s life.  He picks her up and she did nothing but look at him.  She felt comfortable in his arms…as if she knew, as if she felt that this is right.  3 months later, she took her little girl and flew to where he lived.  To give it a fair try this time.  And 3 months after that, just 4 days before she had to fly back to her home country, he sat before her and said that he does not want to let her go again as an unmarried woman.  This time, he wants to make sure that she does not just leave his life once again.  Two days later, they were pronounced Husband and wife.

( For the Valentine's Theme:  19 years ago, on this 14th day of February, Lewis asked my mom for my hand in marriage.. and he did so in German (that was quite impressive!! ha)

When lying becomes a lifestyle

What a life to live when all we have to tell are lies.  Worse yet, when lies become one's reality.  Or is it worse when one knew one was getting lied to, but let naivety take its usual place by pushing logic of that comfortable chair?   Or is it even worse when one knew one was lied to and then be hurt by this behavior?  What is the point in lying?  No, not the "my dog ate my homework"-kind of lie.  More the stabbing in your back kind of lie.  When a meaningful relationship (or what one thought would be a meaningful relationship, a friendship) is stretched across the blade of that sword that slowly digs deeper and deeper into ones rib cage with each lie.  It riddles me, how a person who decides to lie and deliberately hurt a "friend" only to keep peace at home.  Wouldn't the peace have never been in question if honesty would have been implemented from the start?   And then, to keep that peace, the lie has to be carried out to further places.  It needs to stretch as far as it can stretch to avoid the truth to ever show its face.  Why?  What is the point?  Living a lie is the way to go?  No matter how much another person gets hurt by that?  Come on, a person cannot be so heartless.  There must be somewhere a little bit of a conscience, no?  Well, may I introduce you all to my best friend "Naivety" ?

Actually, Naivety has been a pretty loyal companion of mine throughout the years.  A bit weird as my other best buddy is "Logic"...  Naivety and Logic have their own little hierarchy they strictly live by and I shall not dare to interfere.  However, Logic really needs to grow some balls and stand up to Naivety, perhaps even toss it out, I wouldn't mind at all.   But regardless, it hurts a lot when someone, who you thought would be more than just a regular ole friend turns around and out of the blue pushes the sword in and insists on twisting the blade around for some special effects.  What's the gain?  What's the satisfaction of hurting one person only to not be in trouble with another?

It shouldn't have come as a surprise.  The warnings were spoken from those who cared, the signs were there for easy detection.  The eyes didn't want to see,  the ears didn't want to hear and the heart didn't want to believe.  Although, Logic very well knew right from the start that this will happen.. the question wasn't really the "if", but rather the "when", Naivety kicked Logic in the stomach and took full control of the situation.  The only thing Logic could do was sit and watch while Naivety ran the show.  Is there an expiration date  on Naivety???  If so, that date better come up quick.   Logic knew that it was unwise to "trust" as we all know, once you trust you are at your most vulnerable.  To Logic's defense,  there was a bit of a fight between the two of them, but as always, Naivety swung that pretty little scepter... and that was that.   Still, the question remains, what's the satisfaction of hurting one person only to not be in trouble with another?