soundboard de cheevo

To those of you who know Lindsay Brown, a shocking fact is that she used to have straight hair for just a few years as a small child. Prior to this and after this, she had and still has thick curly hair that I teased her about terribly as a child with names like "Fraz-a-round". It has come back to haunt me as my fine wispy hair holds no shape until it is freshly cut and how I wish I had her beautiful thick hair. When I was 13 I did a self-bleaching with Sun-In at the beach with friends and Linds cried because she couldn't do the same to her dark brown head. How the tides have turned on that beach trip of the mid-80s. We still laugh about that. I wanted to send a special shout out to my sis today because she came over to help me clean up up the house and we looked at old photos, some funny and cute and of course some from our geeky awkward stages. This was a photo she didn't see that I "made off" with and I am really happy I got have so many family photos in...

What is it about guitar cases and cats? They have some magical spell on the critters. I have had multiple cats and multiple guitar cases and it doesn't matter if the case if hard or soft, the cat is instantly drawn to it and refuses to get out of it for many hours at t time. Miles and Freddie actually fought over who got to sleep on this soft case the other night. Fred has been in such a good mood lately and I think it might be the guitar case being empty. He hasn't been bitching or marking anything in days and although I hate the cat hair in the case, I can't help but let him sleep it in. He looks too happy in catnapville to disturb him.

Today was a really nice Sunday. I worked out in the yard all day getting it pretty so that when K gets back from Las Vegas she will be able to come home to a clean house with a clean yard. The Fondrens had most of Jason's family in today and I thought it was really nice that they all a made a point to talk to me, even the little nephew Jacob. I like the feeling that I am being congratulated too. I mowed their yard since I was outside and already sweaty and when Jason thanked me, I told him in was the inner sap in me coming out. Truth be told, I had always wanted to mow their nice flat yard (since I love to mow and trim) and now I had an excuse since Jason needed to be inside tending to fatherly duties. There's was an ice cream cone compared to just the hilly part of our front yard. The baby buzz continues and I am not the only one. Even Mr. sports and outdoors guy Kendall McDaniel has the baby buzz as we were talking about Ben today outside. Miss Mildred is excited about him as...

okay, enough seriousness for one week, now for a some random fun I have compiled my bootyshake top 20 taken from songs released in the past two years. Yes, a couple of these songs are lewd and tasteless, but this is a bootyshake compilation and it's more about the tune than the lyrics. I have been happy to hear jams come back in to radio play. These songs remind me of some of the 1980's classics like Shannon 's "Let the Music Play", Laid Back 's "Ride the White Horse", Afrika Bambaataa and the Soul Sonic Forces 's "Planet Rock", Prince 's "Erotic City", Tom Tom Club 's "Genius of Love", "Jam on it" by Newcleus, Salt 'n' Pepa's "Push it" and of course "Pump up the Volume" by Marrs . Any of you 80's jams fans feelin' this? I know I was roller skating, or wishing I was roller skating, to some of those back in the elementary school day and this new crop is a h...

Since I have been on a baby theme this week I thought I would end it with yours truly. I have so many of these cue ball head pictures and I think this one is the best. I didn't have any hair for a long time. The best piece of trivia I know from 1972 is that Neil Young's "Harvest" was album of the year and other contenders were "Eat a Peach" by The Allman Brothers Band, Nick Drake's "Pink Moon", "The soundtrack to Superfly" by Curtis Mayfield, Exile on Main Street by the Stones, Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars by David Bowie, "Live at Max's Kansas City " - The Velvet Underground, "Music" by Carole King, "Talking Book" by Stevie Wonder and last and most importantly "Free to Be You and Me" by Marlo Thomas and Friends. All in all it was a pretty damn good year for music. "Free to Be You and Me" -- the ultimate 1970's groovey kid album that I got in 1975 as a consol...

photo from rachelhoward.com Yesterday marked three months sans spirits. In a way I don't even walk to write about and make a big deal of it, but on the other hand I think writing is a way for me stay on track so there is no reason to not talk about it. I do miss drinking sometimes and I dream about it often. I will wake up thinking that I did drink and feel like I cheated myself. Lindsay and I have really enjoyed watching the new A&E show "Intervention" and one thing that I have noticed that seems to separate me from a lot of the addicts that are profiled on that show is the fact that I had a good childhood. I never felt like I was getting drunk to run away from traumatic childhood experiences. The simple fact is and always will be that I love to drink and love it too much. After Andrea died I crossed a line with my drinking that I can really see in retrospect. The drinking became more frequent and earlier in the day and I know I was using it as an anesthetic during t...

I don't have one of my own, but I can definitely see where John Lennon was coming from when he wrote that song. I met baby Ben for the first time today with Lindsay and he is amazing. I definitely see Jason Fondren all over his face, especially in the brow. He's got MC's nose and a sweet set of little chimpanzee toes that he actually wrapped around my finger. I hope I am blessed enough to experience one of my very own some day. I always forget how small newborns so it is a pleasant surprise to be reminded how perfect and tiny we are when we enter this world. It's hard not to think about God and how he must still like us mortals that roam his earth to push the reset button and make us feel humbled by such a blessed event as birth. I was telling Lindsay today that it has really has been inspiring to hear and read Waddy and Tim's accounts of Audrey's first month and to see MC and Jason now that they are parents. This is the happiest I have felt since before Andre...

me as a japanimation icon you can make your own with this nifty web site http://illustmaker.abi-station.com/index_en.shtml

... about a little baby that was born who will be my new next door neighbor! Bennett Chandler Fondren June 21, 2005 7 pounds 5 ounces 20" I can hardly contain my excitement that I will be the Aunt that gets to spoil him and the place where he can go to hide out from Mom and Dad when he needs to. Today I was remembering two great next door neighbors I had as a kid -- The Sinclairs and The Goodlings. The Sinclairs house was the first place I remember drinking sweet tea (contraband at my house) and I used to help Mr. Sinclair wash his car. It was something cool like a Comet. Where to even start with the Goodlings. I drank so much of their beer I should start a scholarship fund for one of their grandkids and they never told on me. Good neighbors, good memories. Welcome to the world baby Ben. I am so happy you are here.

I didn't go to City Stages this year because I couldn't stand the thought of entering a port-o-john in gastrointestinal distress. I spent the whole week with what Dr. Armour called gastronenteritis.Something definitely entered me and hung out and partied for about five days. Karen went to City Stages Friday and Saturday and saw Loretta Lynn and Def Leppard (with modified mullets I think). She didn't see Ludacris, but her mom and her friend did -- go figure! The line up was decent, but after trying to enjoy city stages for so many years, few acts are really worth the body odor, bad beer behavior and bullshit that one must endure get anywhere near a stage. The only good year was when I went with Eric McG and somehow we made it to the front of the stage for David Byrne. He was with a big band and the show was great. That is the city stages memory that I hold on to and the rest of the memories that involve sweaty rude drunk people can go down a port-o-john hole. It was actually...

What 1980s song reminds you most of summer? "Cruel Summer" by Bananarama "Boys of Summer" by Don Henley Free polls from Pollhost.com

Get up on this! 

Free to be cancer free. Anderson has been healthy for one year and she wore a special pink sweater to honor the date. 

Saturday morning with the kitters -- The Scratching Post Herald (starring Miles)

The Birmingham Mews (starring Freddie Lee)

I get real sentimental in the summertime. I did this last year and I thought it was because of all the daytime beer drinking, but maybe not. Summer as a kid was such a good time. I have more memories of the summer months I guess because they stand out as such happy times -- no school, staying up late, getting to play outside late and of course Night Swim at the Auburn City Pool. Those nights ruled all other summer nights. I remember music that I was listening to in the summer and especially music that was playing at Camp McDowell's old juke box -- it played David Bowie's "Let's Dance " and J. Geils Band's "Angel in the Centerfold" constantly during my session and those songs will always remind me of summer as will "Tainted Love" that I remember hearing on the way home from that camp session. We first got MTV during the summer. I guess that had to be 1982. We had it before a lot of the neighbor kids and I remember them coming over to watch...

get down brown 

This pictures were taken a year ago. Poor pups. Her head was bald and still had a big betadine stain on it. You can tell she has the black and white blues in the bottom picture. I made her the orange and blue bandana to cover the scar, but she still looked totally humiliated by the experience. There is nothing sadder, or funnier in retrospect, than a great dane coming off anesthesia. I made her a special bed on the couch where she camped out for a couple of days. As stressful as times can get, I am still so thankful for her health and the good outcome of her surgery. When we heard it was cancer, we lept to the worst conclusions and how wrong we were. I will always find it strange that the news of Andi's cancer-free status came one year almost to the minute of Andrea's death. I will always think of Andrea as Andi's guardian angel. She really loved this dog and somehow I will always think that she was looking out for her.

dad in his new canada cap

race rock, a tiny island on victoria bay 

mom never takes a bad picture. it's like a cat always landing on its paws. 

the bluest skies were in the countryside of british columbia 

crosswords in canada beat cross words in canada to our great relief. lindsay and i were together for 10 days and never got in one fight.

dad in good company in thunderbird park in victoria.

brownie loves mounties

car crazy in canada

Today is the first day of the rest of my blog. It is Sunday, June 19, 2005 and I have made the decision to start writing on a regular basis. I am taking the summer off school and have the time to invest in something productive. I know these words are inside of me and I have to find a way to coax them out. Reading Augusten Burroughs books this past year along with other books about alcoholism and sobriety have been an enormous comfort to me and I know I, like the authors I have read about, have a story to tell.

Today marked two years since Andrea has been gone. Not a day goes by that I don't think about her. The days after her death seem like a surreal blur. It still seems unreal to me that I won't see her again or hear her stories and her laugh. I think those are two of the things I miss the most about her. I am done with being angry and questioning God for taking Andrea and her baby. I know she is at peace and that her soul and spirit are very much alive. I loved her very much and will always cherish the friend that was by my side as childhood turned to adulthood. Her fighting spirit, independence and constant loyalty to the underdog were her beloved traits that I hope I can carry on for the both of us. When I think about Andrea I am constantly reminded of the lyrics from James Taylor's "Fire and Rain": I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end. I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend, but I always thought I'd see you one more time a...