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January 31, 2003
"Bucs"ing the system...BYO SuperBowl
Okay, It's late I am tired and I have to wake up tomorrow and.....do stuff. I will finish this one later....and I can't wait to tell you about my brief sabbatical to Florida.
Posted by mermu at 12:44 AM | Comments (0)
2nd Annual "I've Got It!" (aka Epiphany party) or That was one Hot Tamale!
So the Epiphany is now almost a month past. I had such a good time at it that I decided to have a Super Bowl party...which I will mention directly after this entry. OH I hate when I wait so long to write something. The freshness is gone...it's like getting a twinkie when what you really want is homemade chocolate chip or oatmeal.
I had a really great crowd of people...friends from different sides of my life. I think they all enjoyed each other in at least some capacity and that makes me feel like I had a great party. Rhett kept giving me grief the whole night about being a good hostess. Damn! Like my mom, Rhett has figured out that being a good host is a real priority with me. It's a piece of my Southern cuture that I am loathe to give up. Hospitality. I must have soaked it up in the water in Texas because, while my mom can stage a good party, she doesn't have that same attitude. And just like Mom, he uses my hospitable instincts to his every advantage. I think perhaps he should never meet my family...they would probably get along famously and I would be forever plagued, teased, and overlooked in favor of male charms.
For the party I ended up with a ton of food. I bought a coupla things and made chili, spinach rolls, Peanut Butter Blossums, and a homemade Strawberry Shortcake. I just had to use my cake plate I got for Christmas and I wasn't in the mood for punch. Everything turnded out really well. The shortcake was really easy but yummy. I also made a Texas Sweet Onion pie...well actually three of them. They were I think the biggest hit. I found the recipe in my Texas Cuisine cookbook I got for Christmas. The food went over really well...especially the sweet onion pie. Nothing burned and every thing tasted pretty scrumptious if I do say so myself.
The Epiphany is my chance to give presents to my New York friends. I am poor and I like the idea of giving things I have made. Small things that friends might actually use and enjoy. Things I put time and energy and good karma into. Unfortunately I don't know how to make a porsche. This year I made wine charms and tamales. The charms were cute but I am not sure how functional they will turn out to be. The rings were a little big and I worry about the colorfastness of the beads used. The tamales I think were great. I am so glad that I have that piece of my grandmother to share. My kids, future generations not yet dreamed, will never meet her, but they will know her love and artistry when we make Christmas tamales together. I will laugh my ass off when they complain like my cousin Diana used to about making them and wearing a hair net. I guess it's a Like Water for Chocolate thing. I had about 17 people there. Each unit (couple or individual) got a dozen. I think everyone liked them although I guess no one ever tells you the gift you made sucked. I did hear through the grapevine that even my Mexican friend conceded I made the better tamale this Christmas.
My tree was a sight to behold still. A month later and it still looked like it had just been cut. It was almost painful having to take it down. And not just because it was a damn big tree that had to be cut in half and pruned and taken to the sidewalk in pieces.
So my second Epiphany party was a success and I am well on my way to having a practiced tradition. Now over, the tree and all the trimmings were discarded or put away for another day and the season is now a memory.
Posted by mermu at 12:25 AM | Comments (1)
January 30, 2003
Bi-Polar, Still "Brr!" but loving it
Literally a few hours (or was it the next morning) after writing the entry entitled "Brr" it was a balmy 30 degrees and snow began falling slowly, silently, and serenely to the ground. My immediate thought was "Wow! I love winter"....
At dinner tonight with Rhett, the Billy Joel song "New York State of Mind" came on. Rhett doesn't like Billy or Elton for that matter (although he claims diversity, Rhett usually only goes for the harder rock and an occasional dance tune on the radio) but for this song we both listened in silence. Perhaps we were in a NewYork State of mind sitting in a quaint little cottage restaurant in New Jersey. It made me realize once again how content I am to be here....though Texas is so far away. If the two places were neighboring, I think the space would be so crowded the world would buckle from the weight of all those people looking to claim their piece of heaven.
Posted by mermu at 11:58 PM | Comments (0)
January 29, 2003
Jr's Rationale
So Jr. got up in front of all the important people to read an essay that his close friends and advisors wrote. The polls I've read so far seem interesting. A majority of the people think he did okay on the speech but an overwhelming majority have reservations or think we should not create a war with Iraq. My stance on the issue remains the same: "Where's Osama bin Laden?" Was Jr's tough talk post 9-11 just bullshit? I thought we were gonna get him "dead or alive"? And don't even get me started on N. Korea. (We know these people have weapons and yet they 'aren't a threat at this time'.)
It seems just like a child's does, Bush's attention span is limited and constantly diverted to other schemes. Here's an interesting stat. Bush's approval numbers have slipped to the low 50's recently. They are 15 points lower than Bill Clinton's were during his impeachment.
As for me, I am still with Jessie Jackson. "Stay out of the Bushes!!! "
Posted by mermu at 09:25 AM | Comments (2)
Brrr !
Okay, there's not much time this a.m. but I find that I really miss the blog so here is a quickie. I can say without a doubt that this winter is the first time it even entered my mind that I may not be cut out to be a native Nor'easterner. This is supposedly the coldest winter in ten years or so. Now, I love the cold. And snow is still like magic. And it's really cool to see the Hudson River so frozen that even the $6/ride ferries can't do any business. But it is really cold. I mean REALLY Cold. One morning it was 5 degrees with a windchill of -25. That's NEGATIVE!!! Damn.
The cold plays on people in certain ways too. I miss that time just walking to and fro on the street where anything or anyone can cross your path. These days people are just huddled in their scarf and mitten cocoons, fighting the wind and psyching themselves out that "it's really not thatcold.
I do think that once I survive this winter (and I will!) I will truly be considered a New Yorker...even though I still live in Jersey.
It's supposed to warm up later this week too. I think the forcast is low thirties.
Posted by mermu at 09:18 AM | Comments (2)
January 27, 2003
Updates and stuff
Hey yall, I'm not dead or crazy...well not dead. I've just been busy....like my godmother I guess. Lots of fun stuff to tell you about. Here's some teasers...I'll try to get to them this week.
2nd Annual "I've Got It!" (aka Epiphany party) or That was one Hot Tamale!
Sandy Beaches and a 24 hour Train Ride
BYO Superbowl
What's up Buttercup? I'm an Entreprenuer Baby.
Posted by mermu at 01:09 PM | Comments (2)
January 13, 2003
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve started at my house. Rhett and I with a bottle of wine left over from the "No Turkeys Allowed" party. (Truth be told there was turkey in the Stuffed Grape Leaves I made. I can spill it now. Real meat is just so fattening). The night promised to be fun. We made it to the city way ahead of time. We had an hour or so to kill before we were to be at Roxie's party and hoped to stop into a nearby establishment. Strolling down 9th Avenue we were unsure as to whether we would find a bar or restaurant that would serve us without doubling the price or charging a cover on the hottest night of the year. It didn't take long before we found Rachel's, a beacon of hope with a small sign promising no outrageous upcharges. Using Rhett's charm and my tenacity we scored seats at the bar even though there was a wait. (They were serving dinner guests at the bar as well. We just wanted a few cocktails.) Soon we met Marilyn, aka Miss Kitty because she looked like the Gunsmoke Madam, and her intended, Glenn. Miss Kitty and I were kindred souls from the start. She also planned an Epiphany party. Miss Kitty and Glenn were somewhere in the valley of their early to mid-forties. In the throes of a freshly committed relationship, Miss Kitty showed off her ring and Glen smiled contentedly. Young lovers with older souls, I could tell they still had that initial passion that comes ample in any new relationship and yet they seemed to convey such an acceptance and comfortability with each other. Maybe it's a symptom of later-day relationships. They didn't seem phased by any of the crap that plagues fresh love in couples in their twenties and early thirties. Roses that are used to blooming know how to make the fragrance last.
There was also a very bizarre family at the bar. Man, Woman and Child. Woman looked drunk and at her wits end. Seems she had married and bred Complainers. Glass Half Empty types who "couldn't find anything we like on the menu." Puh-lease. We were having a groovy time chatting and before I knew it Rhett bought a round of shots for our bar pals and a few couples sitting behind us on tiny two-tops near the chilly front window. Seeing Rhett's generosity to strangers...I couldn't help but be a little proud. Generosity. A must have for any suitable companion. In fact, it's one of the first attributes I requested in my little online dating profile. Rhett seems to have the principles of Generosity to a T. I wonder how he would fare with the rest of those adjetives that, when put together, should comprise my ideal man...
After our communal shot of New Year's Eve cheer we were pals with Irene and Scott, Nancy and Paul. One big happy family toasting the past and well-wishing the future. There was another Scott waiting for his beloved wife and mother-in-law, Helen. He held a bouquet for each of them. Making it to Rachel's just in time for Mr. Butler's patronage, this Scott revealed he had been born under a blessed star. His good fortune? Having such a wife and MIL. (To all of you naysayers: The wife and MIL weren't there yet, so he wasn't sucking up.) This Scott was a real Gentleman. Flowers for the wife and MIL? Now that is points. After a brief chat with me, he informed Mr. Butler how lucky he was to be escorting me on this night of nights and handed me, Miss Kitty, and Nancy flowers from the two bouquets. His blessed ladies arrived and he bestowed his slightly amended bouquets.
Before I knew it, Rhett and I had split an entree of this amazing Pecan Crusted Chicken dish, downed a few Martinis, and it was 11:30. Two Thousand Two was expiring in a rush and we were missing Roxie's party. A quick call to Roxie and we agreed to meet on the corner of 9th and 57th so that we could all make our way to Central Park for the fireworks which would be displayed and witnessed without the mass of tourists and hangers-on who flock to Times Square en masse. We met Roxie's partiers in time to lose them in the mad rush to CP and made it to the entrance of the park with moments to spare before midnight. Before leaving Rachel's we enlisted Nancy and Paul to join us in our mad dash for midnight and a new year's birth at the park. Visitors from Ohio who had come up to see the New Year's Eve New York sights pretty much on the spur, they had no plans at all. From that crucial New Year's Moment to lodging for the night, these intrepid travelers were flying by the seat of their pants. I am both impressed and apalled.
We were barely inside CP's gates when 2002 expired with a whisper and a kiss full of sincerity so airy and light like a "what if" promise. Two Thousand Three emerged with the muddled booms and vibrant lights of fireworks peaking through twig-trees. We were chilled new lovers each of us searching for the warmth of fortune in our lives and hearts. Friends and Visitors full of optimism for an uncertain future.
There are some moments that should be remembered, however distantly. I wonder what I will remember of this one. Will it be the smell of night? The feel of crisp air against my cheek. The look in someone's eyes. The thoughts in my own? Perhaps it will only be a vague notion of twinkling lights amidst the giant trees. However I remember, I feel certain there will be something about that night that will last. A tiny glimmer of recognition or memory that will remind me of my youth, no matter how addled or uncommunicable I end up in the withering years.
After CP, our little clan made it back down 9th Ave to Rudy's where we met Miss Kitty and Glen and partied for a few more hours just to make sure this new year felt welcome. We had a great time with these Stranger Friends. They didn't seem to mind too much that I extoled the virtues of some of my favorite Christmas presents from Mr. Butler and my Tamale-making expertise.
Soon we were ready for our first sleep in 2003. Rhett and I invited Nancy and Paul to bunk at my house. I felt like the original proprietor of "la Quinta" except my Mary and Joseph had no Child of Light. I wouldn't have felt comfortable doing that without Rhett. Yet another reason to be thankful for his presence. The next morning was sleepy and contented and blissful in it's own quiet way though some may have been more groggy and perhaps not as clearheaded as they might have preferred. I was in good and lucid spirits. The night before, pre-Rudy's, we decided I would be the DD of Paul and Nancy's car. I think such required sobriety helped me alot in the end. I didn't miss a beat at Rudy's and I wasn't missing a beat this New Year's morning. Paul and Nancy awoke, dressed, visited as they sipped their coffee and went out to greet the city before making their way back to Ohio and Reality.
I have no idea what the future holds for any of us. I doubt I will ever see Nancy and Paul again. Rhett and Scarlett are, well, Rhett and Scarlet and we all know how that movie ended. It doesn't matter really. I will light my candle, blow it out and say goodnight with a sincere and deep wish that 2003 offers each of us, together or separate, something pure, full of hope and beautiful.
Posted by mermu at 02:25 AM | Comments (3)
January 12, 2003
Wild Winter Dating...
Welcome to "My Innermost Thought". I promise to make it look prettier. I intend to update you soon on the great New Year's Eve I had and even clue you in on the Epiphany Party. For now, here's a quickie. I spent some of the evening trolling around the online dating service to which I have subscribed. My subscription ends in about 10 days. Due to this George Bush Economy I don't think I can afford such frivolity anymore. Truthfully, I have of late, not had too much trouble meeting people in person anyway. As far as the online thing goes...I don't think I am very good at it. It's been almost three months and I have yet to meet any of these guys although I have gotten a few interesting emails.
For all of you fans of Mr. Butler: Don't go getting your panties in a wad. I too am still a fan. But's its wild winter dating. And you know how cagey Rhett was in the movie. The real thing is just as charming and just as wiley. And just like Scarlett, I have an independent streak. "As God is my witness, I will never go hungry again." Though I promise not to make a dress out of curtains.
So tonight I am window shopping for horseflesh. It's not that I'm necessarily interested in buying one but a girl can look, right? I notice a coupla things.
1) There are alot of guys that are considered 100% matches with me that shouldn't go near me with a 10-foot pole. How can a Conservative be my 100% match? Just goes to show you, computers can't take the place of a real Yenta.
2) The number of guys that submit pictures with their arms around ex-girlfriends (at least I think they are exes) is really amusing. Don't these guys ever take pictures without chicks? They do a good job of trying to cut out their features and such but you can't miss that whispy bit of hair, that curve of a slender waist. It makes emailing them a message feel a little like a buzzard circling, landing, and feasting on the just-dead. "Nice Guy looking for True Love". Who says they didn't already have it and just screwed it up?
3) Sadly, I don't think I am going to get to date a midget. I should lower my tallness standards but I just can't do it. Dating Rhett has spoiled me in that regard at least. It still would be great to have that midget story. But truth be told, I am no "user". I can't just date a person solely for the story...or can I?
Posted by mermu at 11:42 PM | Comments (1)
Innermost Thought
First, thank you to all of my pals that let me know this page is screwy. I tried doing Movable Type by myself and well, this is what happened. Thank God for B-i-Ls with some technical knowhow. Second...My blog has changed. Since I gave the Tex in the City moniker to my Entrepreneurial Business Endeavor with my partners I needed a new name to for the blog. For the time being I have come up with "My Innermost Thought". The URL is Http://www.mermu.net/ithought. Yes, I know I have more than one but I am trying to learn focus for the following year. So please change your bookmarks ladies and gents...I know it's not "designed" yet, but the content will be there..and hopefully it will be easy to navigate. At one point my fabulous Webmaster will transfer all old Blogger entries and comments to the new page and I will just keep a link on this one referring to the new place. Hope you like it!
Posted by mermu at 11:02 PM | Comments (2)
January 09, 2003
Testing
Allright..did I make movable type???
Posted by mermu at 05:29 PM | Comments (1)
January 01, 2003
NYC 2003
Rhett and I had great New Year in the city. We happened upon a bar on 9th avenue called Rachel's and the night's festivities sort of took it from there. We didn't have to worry about a thing. I will go into more detail later...Some of the highlights were: midnight in Central Park watching the fireworks through the trees with Rhett and Nancy and Paul from Ohio, meeting Marilyn who I am sure is some kind of soul sister to me. (We are both having Epiphany parties. Hers is called the WiseGuys party.)
Posted by mermu at 11:15 AM | Comments (5)