Southerners and the meaning of the finger

When in the South, the finger can take on many meanings. Believe it or not, most of the meanings are gracious and indications of courtesy and greeting. Think about it.

A raised index finger can indicate something like Hey, how are ya' doing?, Wait a minute, please, or I'm ready to order.

If you move the same raised index finger from side to side, while sitting in your car, it could mean Y'all go first, I'll wait.

If you crook the index finger, it means Come here.

If you point the index finger, it means Listen up and take notice; I mean business.

If you point its neighbor =), it means Bless your heart, y'all must not be from around here.

Would you like some whine with that cheese?

Like Wayne said in his recent blog, I didn't misspell anything. I said whine not wine. We live in a world of whiners, people who feel they deserve something for nothing, or their troubles are someone else's fault.

Recent whiners include:

Larry Langford, now former mayor of Birmingham, and his lovely wife, Melva, who was convicted -- unanimously -- on all 60 counts of fraud, taking bribes/gifts, etc. He is black but has called the "race card," saying that nowhere in the state of Alabama could a black man get a fair trial. I would love to know what the black jurors have to say about that? So, who wanted the trial moved to Tuscaloosa and why? Birmingham went easy on Scrushy. Why would you want to leave "home cooking?"

Lane Kiffin, head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers, who has been rapped on the knuckles, for the second time, by SEC Commissioner, Mike Slive, for whining about officiating (among other things). Third time's a charm, Kiff. Just admit that your play calling sucked (we know ours did that day!) and your kicker kicks with a low trajectory. Thank goodness for Mount Cody!

Yellow Dog Democrats. Obama-mania, health reform, Cash for Clunkers, ACORN, Chicago for the Olympics, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, bailout, bailout, bailout. Need I say more?

We will break out the wine (and cheese) after the first election proves that hard-working Americans will stand up and be heard---sending the spend-thrift idiots HOME!

I'm not whining. I'm just saying.....

History Lesson + Fun

Darla and I went up to Richmond to babysit. HA! It was a vacation at the Eason B & B. The weather was nasty and cold the first few days but turned warm and sunny in time for us to get in some sightseeing.



First on the agenda was the Berkeley Plantation, one of the James River Plantations and home of one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence and where Taps was written. Hayes was an angel and didn't make a *peep* during the tour.

The next two days were spent at Williamsburg. We were lucky in that we got the 75th Anniversary Tour of the Governor's Palace. (It's the 75th anniversary of the restoration of the Governor's Palace and grounds.)



We also lucked out in that we were there on a day that a street play was scheduled: Revolutionary City. It was great!




Hayes was probably most impressed by the lady of the house where we ate lunch.

We also were entertained by watching mock trials in the local Court House and had a very interesting and thoughtful tour of the Peyton Randolph House. The tour guide gave his presentation from the point of view of the 27 slaves who worked in the house. The presentation was interactive and thought-provoking and one of the most interesting tours I've been on.

There is still much left to see and do on future trips. Hayes was an angel, and Darla and I had lots of fun with him.

Flying

Had to fly US Air today. Overall, it was uneventful. However, there were moments when I found myself wishing that Captain Sully and his copilot were at the helm.

The flight attendants explained how to use the oxygen masks and the flotation devices. Why---since we were flying over land the whole way? The wind had its way with the plane near landing at both Charlotte and Myrtle Beach. Then we come in *hot* and the pilot pretty much had to jerk us to a stop. Again, at both Charlotte and Myrtle Beach. I'm not a scary flier, but I'm wondering.....

Where are you, Sully?

Fall Days

These last couple of days have been beautiful! The mornings are cool, the skies are blue, and there's no hint of rain. It would be nice to have a day to take a camera and to devote the whole day to exploring and taking pictures of all sorts of sights, both the familiar and the unique. It would be nice to take the convertible on a drive to see the fall leaves. It would be fabulous to take a trip with absolutely no deadlines and to stop along the way at outlets and antique shops.

Pretty fanciful thinking for just a couple of days of nice weather. Hmmm....gotta get out more.

My new and old favorite shows

1. Castle--favorite new show from last year; favorite returning show; favorite lead characters; favorite characters in a supporting role. I just like it! Could you tell?
2. DWTS--even though last week's 3 night premier was somewhat painful, it was a train wreck that had to be watched. Now, on to Week 2! At least Macy Gray is gone. Whew! What a wild card.
3. CSI:NY--The last of the CSIs I'm willing to invest time in. I'll continue to watch it until it goes weird like the others.
4. NCIS--I have always liked Mark Harmon. I still like this show--the new ones, the reruns, the marathons....
5. NCIS: Los Angeles--I think it will be one of the few new shows that will survive. I like Chris O'Donnell, and the pilot aired last spring was GOOD!
6. The Forgotten--I'm willing to give it a chance. I like Christian Slater. Interesting premise--finding the lost. We'll see...

Checklist

I've checked off a few things on my to-do list this weekend, but there are a few things remaining which I will list "in no particular order" (to quote a phrase from DWTS!):
1. dusting (Can you believe I even thought of that? I had to stand on a stool to change a light bulb, and there it is...everywhere!)
2. weeding (nut grass, poison ivy growing up the brick walls of the house, grass growing in the flower beds)
3. pruning (old and out-of-control shrubs)
4. vacuuming then finding someone to deep clean the carpets (or to tell me it's just not worth it)
5. re-grouting the shower (for probably the fourth time...I can't find anything that will stick!)
6. finding someone who knows how to adjust the hinges on my kitchen cabinets (I know, I know....it's been a year!)
7. continue in my quest to go through the boxes, etc., in the attic (I've done a good bit---Audra helped go through things and then take her stuff with her to Richmond---but there's more.)
8. paint patio furniture and iron railings (yep...got the paint, even)

Ok. That's enough torture for now. I've done some required reading this afternoon, made out a test I'm giving this week, tweaked a PowerPoint presentation, and now I'm on to other tasks. Whew! Or maybe not.