holaolah

The Magnificent Seven

I'm back after devoting much time to a work project and mini-vacation in Nashville. What did I miss while I was away?

All the sudden and outta nowhere we started getting concerned about gay marriage again. Forget about Haditha and all the fun in Iraq, immigration reform and our militarized border, there are homosexuals and activist judges out there trying to redefine the family. We must drop everything and discuss this and revel in the diversion. That petty stuff can wait, we've got to stop those wedding bells from ringing.

And it's more than ironic that the devil just might end the world tomorrow.
Another possible sign o' the apocalypse is that Bridgeton is getting some sorta Jacques Cousteau center.

All of these topics and events surround a very significant milestone...  today Nellie and I celebrate our seventh anniversary. In honor of this historic event, here's an MP3 of Merle Haggard's very-appropriate-for-this-occasion-song, "Let's Chase Each Other Around the Room Tonight.mp3

Night Music

I couldn't sleep Friday night. I was nervous for the next day's wedding and I was overwhelmed with sentimentality, love, hope for my life and the lives of my friends, and a little melancholy too. I grabbed my iPod and headphones and made this mix as Janell slept next to me and Donovan dozed off in the bunk above us. It's not perfect, but I fell asleep. So it did its job and that's why I love it.

I'll send copies of this mix to the first 10 regular readers who drop me an e-mail. This is yet another ittle piece of holaolah history that you can experience for free!

TUNA TIME

An Hola family classic!

I'll Only Turn 30 Once Pt. 2

I got home to find a handful of cash for tolls/coffee, a set of mapquest directions and a note, indicating that I had about 10 minutes to get anything I might want that wasn't already packed and get the show the road to birthday paradise (wherever that might be). Upon further inspection I learned that New Jersey, the state of my birth as well as denial (that's an inside joke for you ma), was to be my final destination. My brother's house to be exact, or at least that's where I thought I was going. I was told to do what I was told, so I did what I was told because that's what I was told.

I looked around the place. She packed everything I could possibly want for the weekend (except a face shaving razor, which I went without for the weekend and eventually converted into a beard. That's the origin of my 30th commemorative beard. Interestingly, I couldn't grow one up until a few years ago. Puberty came late to this youngin. Well, face puberty, that's how I should put it.) I threw a few magazines in my weekend sack, decided it would not be wise to fire up the mac and blog, and took a potty break. Noticeably missing from our coffee table when I went to get the magazines was our copy of the Philly NFT Guide. Could this be a clue? Our NYC Guide was still in its place so I knew something was askew.  I also noticed that the cats were well apportioned for the days ahead and that a note for Sherry, their nanny, was on the table. She still has the key because she warmed the place up for us. We still get her Smithsonian magazine and swing by her place when she's away to feed her cat named Penny. I also grabbed my sneakers when I noticed they were still here. I don't know why I thought I'd need them. I didn't . They stayed in my car until I came home from work last night. The directions on the printout said that it would take about and hour and a half to get to my brother's house. I thought about going the way I'd normally go--through the town of my birth--but alas, I decided that the directions would be better because I could bypass some town type traffic and all the windy backroads. I just wanted to get to the good stuff... wherever that might be. I left the house knowing that I wouldn't be back for a few days and that all I had to do was make it to Brent's asap.

Guest Poster: Janell My Belle

Ryan turns 30 tomorrow and while I should be showering him with gifts, he just gave me the best gift ever of fixing our bathtub. He seems to be getting more handy in his old age.

I have big bday plans in store for him and, for the first time, I have been able to keep a secret.

I just want to tell you, Ryan, that I think 30 will be a good year for you because each year with you seems to get better and better. Don't feel like you are having a crisis of old age because you and I both know that you are smarter and sexier than ever before (sorry dad that you had to hear me call someone sexy).

I know that it seems that we are taking longer than some others when it comes to the kids, house, dependable income thing and that it is mostly because of me that we are taking our time...but it will be worth it. I don't go a single day without being thankful for your support and without feeling amazement that we found each other 10 years ago. These next ten will be as eventful as the last ten, with as many struggles and as many triumphs and as many nights of "playing bar" (maybe even more if I don't get a job
soon)...and hopefully we will add a new addition to our family and find a new place to settle into...and who knows what else. Thank you for your commitment to us...I haven't doubted it since I was 18.

So, the girls (gia and sophia for those of you that don't know) and I send our constant love and admiration to you on your 30th. Thanks for fixing our bathtub.

nell

Birthday Crisis Avoided

Tomorrow is my birthday. Janell is planning some kind of a surprise for me. Today our landlord was supposed to come around and make our drain work. I guess it's not normal to have water up to your knees while you're showering. When we got home at 10:30 this evening to discover that the lord never came to the house, Janell was sad. I am putting it mildly. OK, she was really pissed and almost drove over to his house and called him out onto the street for a beatdown.

That's my girl.

For some reason my birthday really hinges on being able to take a shower without all that extra water like we normally have in our tub. I can't figure out why it sucked so much that he didn't show. I guess it just wouldn't have been good for him to come around and fix the drain tomorrow when he's picking up the rent before his vacation. He takes lots of vacations. Anyway, I stepped in and saved my birthday by rolling up my sleeves, googling "tub drain" and getting out my trusty screw driver and Pathmark brand liquid drain cleaner.  Forty-five minutes later I got a kiss for a job well done. Crisis avoided - no unwelcome visitors will enter our flat at any time tomorrow... that is unless we get robbed, which would suck to have happen on your birthday. Potential robbers, please stay away tomorrow, apparently the lady of this house does not need your shenanigans and petty B&E BS tomorrow. I saw how angry she can get when a retired hippie does not keep his word; I would hate to see what she could do to you. This is not an invitation to a challenge, it's a plea for peace. The do not disturb sign is hung on the door. The guard cats have not tasted blood for months and they cry out to the force of night to have their whiskers stained pink once more before the groundhog makes his appearance. You cant say I didn't warn you.

Brother,

Just so you know, there's a picture of Lauren on our fridge and I have to smile every time I see it.
Ryan

Almost Cut My Hair

Light micro-news catchup... Janell is finished with her studio work for a while and she's catching up on her downtime. Right now she's busy trolling the web for new hairstyle ideas for both of us. I'm ready to clean up my act and she's considering bangs. We're so vain, you probably think this blog is about us, don't you? Don't you? DON'T YOU? (insert guitar solo)

If you recently clicked the "my wishlist" that used to be in the upper left column and looked at it and thought I had really stupid and lame-ass taste in cultural product, you're right. I found the error of my ways while walking Father John through the process of fulfilling my Christmas wishes. I told him what to click and then he said, "Oh, OK, I see it. You want "March of the Penguins," a Madonna CD, and a Barbie camera." I had the wrong link inserted in that little rigged up notes link that I made. ( I think that's why Ben left me this comment, he sensed that I really must be cooler than all that. He was probably so shaken by my dissonance that he then developed the app he told me about. I am glad my failure inspires others to action and application development.) I then pointed him to the real list and now he's going ballistic with all that good gift buying glee. Perhaps if he gets me that autoharp I'll compose an ode to his generosity. If you get it for me I will afford you the same tribute. Seriously. I'll write a whole folk-rock opera for whoever buys me an autoharp for Christmas. I will also record those tunes and post them here for your auditory stimulation. You can then forward them to your friends, indicating to them what a benevolent and generous mofo you are. If I become famous because of this, I will not give you the trappings of my fame. I will give you props and say that you believed in me when and tout you among the great people in my life who have give me that leg up when I was feeling most lamed (Kyle, Louise, Crain, Donnybroook, Susan, Janell, Joel, SuperPowers, etc.). My hit single would be all about how you blew an i-pod sized chunk of change on helping me folk rock out. What it would do is this: force me to learn how to play something, learn how to use Garage Band (since I owe you a folk rock opera) and get better at singing. It would build accountability and all of the internets (GW - how ya been?) would beat my bottom if I failed to deliver. Boy, now I am committed. 

extra sour cream and the semester is almost over

Janell, the semester is  almost over. Would you like all of this extra sour cream in reward for a job well done?  You look unimpressed.  You look tired and frazzled. Here, you really need some sour cream, it will help you get your big sculpture done. OK, you're right, we'll pay the  bill and split. You  go back to your studio and  I'll  go home and  throw the  pics of this up on the  site.  If you run into trouble  though it will be because you haven't had your daily allotment of sour cream.  Don't say I didn't warn you.

You Know What Would Be Gross...

...if they made a movie like Sideways, but about cheese. It just wouldn't work. Cheese isn't as intoxicating. It also has a different kind of bouquet. Some people think cheese is smelly. A movie about cheese enthusiasts would bomb/stink. No one wants to see a movie all about cheese. Bad idea. This is what I woke up thinking about this morning. Just thought I'd share. If you're  in pre-production with your epic cheese movie there's still time to kill the project.