8.29.2009

Day 4 Tribute to the South


Topic? There are so many I couldn't choose just one! If you read my blog every now and then you'll find that I often have random blogs. I write about a lot of things at once, and now is one of those times. So maybe on my day 4 tribute I'll write about 4 things that make me smile or laugh about the South. Here we go!

1) The Cooler Theory. This may sound odd at first, but let me lay the situation out for you. You see, on the West side of the US, he who throws party supplies the party. Ok ok, not in EVERY situation. But, most of the time, if you want to have a little schindig, you buy some beer, wine, some snacks or food, you know, the works. Not so in the South. You see, people are smarter here I think. Or maybe more considerate. But if someone is going somewhere (where you can drink), you pack your own parachute baby. Coolers abound! You pack that baby full of Ultras (or in Lynn's case, Miller Lite), some ice, seal 'er up, and hit the road. There is no "oh we'll just have what they have" mindset going on. Nope. BYOB ATT. (the att stands for All The Time). It was strange at first, but now that I think about it, what the heck have we been wasting our money on this whole time?? The next time Ashley and I have people over for a football game or whatever we are abiding by the Southern Cooler Theory. So be prepared!

2) Classic Rock. Before moving here, I was naive and I was uneducated --- in rock n roll. I grew up on Hall n Oats, James Taylor, and ToTo. These are great bands. But Ashley grew up on The Allman Brothers, Steve Miller, The Doobie Brothers, and Van Halen. I mean I thought I knew rock n roll, but not until I moved here. Rock n Roll is Mid Life Crisis on a Friday night at Durty Kelly's. Rock n Roll is 97.1 radio on the way to work. Rock n Roll is not Hall n Oats. I am now educated, thanks to Danny and Ashley. Thanks!

3) Spanky and Buddy. Aka dumb dumb and freak. (just kidding, Patti). But seriously, these animals are weird, but yet they make me laugh or smile. Some times both. Spanky is a Shih Tzu, and lazy as I have ever seen. He will not go to the bathroom without Patti's supervision. He will not go up a stair without a kick in the ass. He sucks on the strangest things (noses of stuffed animals, the occasional rouge pair of underwear, you know, the usual things). He is always perfectly maintained, probably due to his wild life style (hardly). He snorts at weird times. But despite all of that, there is something about him that keeps you coming back. Maybe it's that he's a great cuddler. Or maybe because he only has one eye (he was rescued). I haven't pinpointed it yet, but deep down, I like Spanky. He's not all that bad!

Now Buddy - oh man, we've got a weird one here. Buddy is on his last days, and we are all convinced he is delusional For instance, this morning, he thought he was taking a dump in the litter box. What he didn't realize is that it was actually a pile of Ashley's swimsuits. Doh! Or how about when he walks upstairs he doesn't realize why he isn't moving.......his claws are caught in the carpet. Buddy, it's been a good ride. But you can't sleep in file cabinets anymore. And you can't jump up on to my laptop and rip out 4 keys. Buddy I think it's time. Wait, what's that? You caught a mouse?? You are still alive? You ate your food and both of the dogs food?? How do you do it, Buddy? These are questions we ask ourselves every day. He lives. He is 17 (which in cat years is about 185). It is amazing. He is all fur and bones, no meat. But the legend lives on friends. Buddy continues to yell so loud in the morning that Patti can hear him from 2 stories up. He annoys, he claws, he smells...but Buddy is still a great cat. My guess is that he'll he live until somewhere near the age of 35. Just a guess.

4) And then there's Taffy. You knew I was going there. This little dog makes me laugh, give out undeserved treats, talk in funny voices, smile, and take stupid pictures (see below). She is smart and has the personality of a TV reality star. Taffy is hilarious. Her under-bite is epic and her energy is unsurpassed. Can she speak? Yes. Can she play dead? Yep. Can she shake? Uh uh. How about a high 5? You bet. She does it all! You have to meet this dog. I never thought I would like Shih Tzus, but have come 180 degrees. I love this dog! And so does every single person who comes in contact with her. (Don't let the secret out of the bag, but Ashley and I are going to sneak her in to the car when we leave town.....do you think they'll know??)

Stay tuned for Day 5 Tribute. Also known as Tear Jearker 2009. Until then, Ashley and I are hitting the road tomorrow. It has been a tough week, and although tonight's food was great, it was equally as hard to say "see you later" to friends. I am refraining from "goodbye". . .because guess what? No one is dying. We will be back in 3 months. And we will see the family in Oregon in October. This is just Ashley and Alex starting our lives together. It isn't goodbye. It is we love you and we will see you soon. Because that is exactly what will happen.

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