potpourri

- Work has been quite demanding this week in a lot of ways, so not much coming out on the creative front.

- I'll get back to posting Holy Week stuff this weekend. Still have photos from Easter Vigil to clean up, as well as some thoughts about my experience with Lent and Holy Week.

- Feeling sad tonight at the loss of a dear childhood/college friend, Gregg Fulkerson. Gregg was among the most talented people to come out of my hometown. He was an amazing, extremely talented singer-songwriter/musician who will be missed by many. My heart goes out to his entire family, especially his son, Carter. He was one of those people that I've known my entire life. While I love living in Colorado, it's times like these I wish I was back in The South.

- Chances are as great as not that I'll begin my day shoveling show tomorrow. Wet, heavy snow.

- Off to bed in hopes of starving a cold that is lurking.

- Weekend, come quickly.

love/hate

5 things I love today:
- my friend Nadia's new book
- wooden knitting needles
- my boots
- a fantastic blazing orange sunset
- espresso at home

5 things I could do without:
- seeing people walking their dogs toting around clear plastic bags of dog sh*t
- milk that goes bad too soon
- beets
- too-small parking spaces
- legalism

spring fever

I worked from home today. At lunch, I went out and pulled some weeds. It was 80 degrees and wonderful. I am so ready for warm weather to be here to stay.

Saturday I fly to Birmingham, and then Monday AM head to the beach. I couldn't be more ready for it. And I couldn't be much more unfocused and distracted from my work. Normally work from home days are the days that I get mountains of work done. But today was one of those days that we had server problems off and on, and I fielded more customer complaints than usual. Combine that with my lack of focus and it's clear to see that I have miles to go before I sleep.

Maybe a quick lap around Washington Park will help me gain some focus. Can't hurt. Think I'll try it.

in memory

Jimmy P. Clifford
September 8, 1938 - March 8, 2008

We buried my Daddy on Tuesday. It still doesn't seem real. Saturday night I received a phone call from my brother that I'll not soon forget. It was a shock to all of us. Twelve hours later I was at the airport, on my way to Tennessee.

We've done this drill enough times that I planned the funeral on the plane and had a list of pastors, pallbearers, and songs by the time I was on southern soil. Folks in our hometown were super gracious, providing us with places to stay, childcare, and plenty of fried chicken and sweet tea.

While it was sad, and I still feel like I've been punched in the stomach, there were some funny and some surreal moments. Maybe I'll write about some of them in detail in the days to come. But, oh, the stories I could tell.

Like the lady who apologized for missing the funeral due to a monthly dog grooming appointment. And the dog wears little girl baby clothes. But he is a boy dog.

Or the close-talking man who I don't really know who asked to be a pall bearer not long before the service. I had to delicately turn down his request - because he had asked one of my brothers, who told him to talk to me because I was making those decisions. Yeah, thanks.

Or the cousin who had his camera at the cemetery and wanted family pictures.

Can't really top the preacher who mentioned (and not just in passing) my parent's separation in the course of the eulogy, though. Coulda gone all day with airing that, I think. Maybe I'll send him a therapy bill, cuz that's just bringing up too much old baggage.

We're 0 for 2 in the parent department now.

farewell, my friend

one of my wise people passed away this morning.

yes, without some sort of divine intervention, we knew it was coming. no, i didn't think it would be today. and it's totally jacking with my faith in that how-much-does-one-family-have-to-take kind of way.

i know this doesn't mean that God has disappeared from the scene altogether, but it kinda seems like it. and i'm not in the mood for a "she's better off" lecture at the moment. maybe i'll post later about the huge hole that's left in our hearts.

right now, all i can think about is Kate Campbell's song, How Much Can One Heart Hold?

darkness on the edge of town

well, its official. we've hit that time of year when I go to work in the dark, and come home in the dark. suck.

blew out my flip-flop

sadness. the best flip-flops ever. gone. busted. going out with tomorrow's trash. i guess any footwear that lasts a decade deserves a rest. RIP red merrell flips.

brrr

death by snow

I promise that if I ever decide to kill myself it will be after I have spent twelve hours working for The Man and then had to drive home in a snow storm.

morning toddy

life has come to this. think hard before choosing to work for The Man.