Plenipotentiary

I have a question…

(Shawn, I’m looking at you…)

Why are my pictures disappearing? Old posts get a visit, I go to check, and I see big blank spaces with little red x’s.

Wassup with that? Anyone?

Swiped this meme from Sinister Dan at Reasonable Ego (though it’s all over the place at this point). I hope I don’t have a gobsmacking experience like he did. Here we go…

“The meme is ‘Make a Band’, or ‘Make an Album’ depending on who you ask.

The steps are simple:

1. Go to Wikipedia and hit the random page function; this is the name of your band.

2. Similarly, go to QuotationsPage.com and take the last four words of the very last quote; this will be your album title.

3. Finally, go to this link at Flickr and use the third image; this is your album cover.

The results are alarmingly impressive and confirm that the people who made album covers were third rate hacks who never really understood Hemingway and just smoked too much weed.”

My random wikipedia entry was Swanand Kirkire, who is, ironically, a musician. But it’s a cool name.

My quote is, “Do not trust all men, but trust men of worth; the former course is silly, the latter a mark of prudence.” Democritus Greek philosopher (460 BC – 370 BC)

The results:

How cool is that? I’m gonna do it again! Hee!

New quote is, “Television is more interesting than people. If it were not, we would have people standing in the corners of our rooms.” Alan Corenk

I could do this all day, but Eldest Son is expecting me to come get him…

Try this yourselves!

My post was so whiny, I couldn’t stand myself, so I deleted it. Thanks, though, Misty, for the good advice…

I had the rare pleasure of a conversation with my baby brother tonight. He called to ask what the boys might want for [their birthdays].

I spent an hour on the phone with him talking about his life, my life, and what’s going on. It was great.

For those who didn’t read the Grandpa post – I’m gaga in love with my family. We’re weird, dysfunctional, and sometimes drenched in Scotch (Scotch, right? Some are Guiness, vodka… we span the globe). Also musicians. Lyricists, singers, and songwriters.

Artists. Carnies. You know the type. But also businesspeople and diplomats. You also know the type. We’re every family everywhere, with perhaps a little more color. We’re the freak-show made good.

Baby-brother is now a soon-to-be college graduate, family man, master of five dogs, and music producer in LA. He’s writing his own music, too. Soon to be seen on MySpace and the other networking sites. Wow.

I used to sing, and those dreams died hard. I was pretty good, once. Now my mezzo is a baritone, but I could be tempted again by a baby brother with a dream…

Which reminds me of another day…

When I was seven, oldest brother was desperately trying to hold the family together after the death of the middle brother. There was one time when littlest brother felt strong, and rolled oldest brother down the stairs. Oldest brother let him.

We watched him fall.

Baby-brother was everybody’s baby. At two years old, he’d kissed the girl, won all the hearts, and made us all feel better. He was the blond and blue-eyed wunderkind, and we were so proud.

And Big Brother took the fall.

Big brother continued to take the fall for years – none of us ever knew it was happening, though.

Big Brother took the fall forever – he thought of it as his job. He still does it.

Not baby-brother’s fault, by any means. He shouldn’t have ever known. Baby brother was someone we had in common, someone we all could love. He was our common purpose, and a good reason to go on.

What pressure to put on a child. And Big Brother took the heat, with no complaint. (Well, he complained a lot, just not about that.)

I love both of my  brothers tonight. Little Brother, who is making his dreams happen in a way I didn’t have the courage to do, and Big Brother, holding it together in a way I’m not sure I could manage.

Tonight I am again proud of my funny little family.

Was visiting K8 the Gr8 (who I think I’ll add to my blogroll) and spotted this meme. Thought I’d figure out how to put a search bar on my blog, and pull up some old posts. Because I haven’t learned anything else new today.

Search bar added. Wow, that was easy.

This is how it goes:

Post 5 links to 5 of your previously written posts. The posts have to relate to the 5 key words given here

• family: The Huh? Reunion in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
• friend: Still Doing ‘Michael Things.’ God love him!
• yourself: Eight Things. Don’t know if I should meme within a meme, but I think that’s the only post I have where I get so specific.
• your love: Pretty Shitty Vacation. This story says an awful lot about my Hubby.
• anything you like: Politically Correct silliness – a growing concern of mine.

Tag 5 other friends to do this meme. Try to tag at least 2 new acquaintances (if not, your current blog buddies will do) so that you get to know them each a little bit better.

Maybe I’ll tag someone later, but just now, I gotta go…

This guy amazes me. I’ve never seen my home look so gorgeous. This one is called “The Awakening.”

And this one is “From the Beginning….”

Don’t you want to move here to Virginia now?

My father and step-mother came to visit last weekend, for our Christmas celebration. Three weeks into January. That’s how we roll…

They brought Guitar Hero III. The kids love it.

So does everyone else, apparently:

Check out Eldest Son air guitaring along. Cute.

Grandma even makes guitar player faces.

Hubby and Brother jam to “Dead or Alive” (which reminds me of a funny story. My 80 year old Grandmother (in law) was talking about Jon Bon Jovi this morning at breakfast. “He’s a HUNK!” she exclaimed. Hubby nearly spit out his coffee…):

Though Hubby looks kinda bored.

I haven’t tried it yet. I play an actual guitar. I’m worried Guitar Hero will mess with my chops.

That sucks. 28 years old. Really talented. Just had a baby.

He shouldn’t have died. Like Renfro. Scary, and sad.

I’ll  miss him. So will my boys. Knight’s Tale is one of their favorites.

Wow. That really sucks.

His family and friends will be in my prayers tonight.

“Sometimes I can not forgive. These days Mercy cuts so deep. If  the world was how it should be, maybe I could get some sleep….”

Wow. This is a really good CD.

“When we wake we hate our brother – we still move to hurt each other.”

I mean, wow, this is a really good CD.

“What makes me so badly bent?”

“We all have a chance to murder. We all feel the need for wonder. We still want want to be reminded that the pain is worth the thunder.”

This is a really good CD.

“All the demons look like prophets, and I live out every word they speak.”

“Do you know what I mean when I say I don’t want to be alone?”

“I have no fear of drowning. It’s the breathing that’s taking all this work.”

Did I mention this is a really good CD?

My boys are watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Was that Patrick Stewart I just heard? As the ninjitsu rat? In the words of the neighbor kid who (kinda) lives here, “The smart one.” You know, the rat.

In the words of Middle Son… “I’m just asking…?”