Quirky

      I've been wracking my brain trying to figure out what to talk to you guys about. I've got some things going on in my life, but noting that is very interesting. It seems when I started writing this blog quirky incidences would happen to me that needed to be told, like the one entitled We Were Never. Or I would come up with hair brained thoughts that stayed with me, like Package Design 101. After a whirlwind December and January that I really don't care to recall, life has settled down again. Trust me, I'm glad about that. We are settling in to new jobs and a new life in Savannah. The stories will come, trust me.

      Until then I've found some rather interesting pics I thought you all might like. Take this one for example...

      Do you think that person lost a bet, or, I don't know, plans on robbing a bank? I would hope not, but what other reason would one have for wearing a chicken/rooster hat with beak in public? I'll really accept any answer here. :)

      Okay, now that you've absorbed that one let's try this one on for size?

      I really don't have words for that one. The car doesn't have a license plate on it either. Why doesn't that surprise me?

      Okay, those didn't do it for you? Let's try this one...

      "Testing one, two. Is this thing on???"

      Let's try this one on for size!

      Honestly when I saw this I smiled. If those kids had red hair I would've thought this could've been my brother Shawn and I. I know there was times he had the crazy thoughts like this guy seems to be having. Don't do it! Don't do it! Of course, if the roles were reversed the same thing could've easily happened!

      One last pic, I promise!

      Have you ever felt like you've been in the wrong place at the wrong time? And can't you just hear someone yelling, "On your mark, get set, GO!"

      Did any of these make you smile? Did you have a sibling relationship like the one above? Do quirky things happen to you on a regular basis?

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Olympic Dedication

      It seems like I've been talking waaay too much about me lately, and not nearly enough on everyone else. Its hard to write about anyone else though. I mean, I could make some things up. That could be fun. But I really don't think it'd make for good blogging material. So I've decided I'd talk about some other people. 

      Like the Olympians.

      Every four years I rub my hands in anticipation for the Winter Olympics. I absolutely love the winter sports. If you know me, you know I'm the hockey girl. My second book's hero is a hockey player. But I digress. 

      Every athlete has a story, and every story should be told. 

      I admire the time and dedication they put into their sport. Their compassion so palpable. And even though they are competitive until the end the sportsmanship displayed is heartwarming. 

      I like the Winter Olympics better because I can relate to them more. I used to love skiing (cross country.) My brothers and I would sled constantly, pretending we were bobsledding. Don't even get me started on hockey. I could go on for days. :) And I love watching figure skating, ski jumping, and snowboarding. 

     

      The training these guys and gals have to endure must be so intense. Then I wonder how many falls they have taken, how many times they've broken bones. I wonder what it feels like to ski at unreasonable speed with reckless abandon. Or what it would feel like to fly through the air knowing gravity is working its wonders and will bring you back down to earth fast and hard. What's it feel like to have a whole country rooting for you? What does it feel like to have a gold medal placed around your neck?

      I only know what it feels like to sit on my couch and root for these athletes. Each and every one is an inspiration. Each and every one had a goal and set out to accomplish it. Some will win, some won't. In my book though, they are all winners. 

      I was originally going to not watch these Olympics because of their opposition of gays. But then I realize that it is not the athletes that come up with this shit. Why punish them because of more bureaucratic crap? 

      Do you like the Winter or Summer games better? What is your favorite winter sport? Do you accomplish the goals you set for yourself? Do you reward yourself for hitting those goals?

Weekly Planting Information (W.P.I.)- The secret to fertilizing plants indoors is to apply small amounts of fertilizer as the plant grows. Without new growth, the plant has a limited need for more fertilizer. During the winter when light levels are low, a plant’s need for fertilizer reduces. During the summer when light levels increase and the plant is actively growing, its need for fertilizer increases. 

A Day at the Museum(s)

            I will say it is strange going from Podunk to city life. If you truly know me you wouldn’t think I’d like living in the city. I was born country and always have had space. Neighbors have been few and far between, not inches away. The Charmed One always believed that deep down I was a city girl at heart. To be fair, if it was a big city I’m not sure I could do it.

            Since Savannah is not a big place I’ve gotten along nicely so far. I never would’ve thought I’d like taking the dogs out for walks, but I do. It gets my blood flowing. And I get to see wonderful sights like this one…

            This morning after our walk the Charmed One says, “What do you want to do today?”

            Hmmm. Well, I did hear an advertisement on the radio that intrigued me. I did a little research and presented my idea to Charmed. We ate, showered, and headed out to Super Museum Sunday!

           I know many of you aren’t familiar with my new city so I’ll try to give you little bits and pieces here and there. Savannah is a city that is filled with history. Founded in 1733 there are many houses, inns, and businesses that are filled with back stories. Some of that history has been preserved, and places here and there have been made into museums that have been in operation for many, many years.

          So for Super Museum Sunday participating museums open their doors from 12-4 and give tours for free. These are condensed from the normal tours, giving people a taste of what that museum has to offer. I picked out two for us to go to. We ended up hitting five. J And we had a wonderful time.

            Yeah, it wasn’t like the movie A Night At The Museum. The only thing that came to life was your imagination with the way people lived their lives a hundred or more years ago. It was wonderful. We started off at the Andrew Low House. Mr. Low was a cotton guru back in the day. There was at least one piece of original furnishings in each room, which is amazing. We then hit the Flannery O’Connor house. Flannery was a writer. She wrote many short stories and was a three-time winner of the O. Henry Award and winner of the National Book Award for Fiction. She lived only 39 short years. The next was an accident that we stumbled upon, and a real treasure. The Owens-Thompson House was a true gem, with a cute garden, and carriage house that taught of the slaves that were kept there at one time. The architecture in that home was brilliant. Next we hit the Telfair Academy, which was a home transformed into an art museum. We rounded out our museum tour with a visit to the Jepson Center which had more modern exhibit styles of art, for adults and kids.

Telfair Academy

            All in all it was a day that carried beauty all the way around.

           I learned so much about some of the more visited places in the city. Now when we get visitors I have a better idea where to take them! I think the last time I visited a museum was years ago, for a school field trip.

            Next weekend is the Irish Festival! Did I tell you I’m really liking this city life? J

Do you live in the country or city? When is the last time you visited a museum? Have you heard of Flannery O’Connor?

Looking Pretty

      Hello, everyone! I hope this finds you all in good spirits. Really, I do. :)  And did I tell you that you look pretty today? You do, so pat yourself on the back for a job well done. 

      What's that? You think I'm buttering you up for some reason? Nah. Why would I do that? Well... there is this one tiny matter. You see I'm working ten hour days, and trying to keep up with a one week class. So I'm extremely busy. That is why this rant will be extremely short. All I can say is I'm sorry. While working hard hours I'm also trying to improve my writing by learning how to craft an opening chapter or prelude to my book. My muscles are fatigued from the job and my mind is on overdrive from the class. Maybe the following pics, some of my latest on Instagram, will make you forgive me a little? 

      Let's start out with this one, taken today (Wednesday.) Isn't this one of the cutest flower faces you've ever seen?

       Okay, if that didn't do it for you maybe this one will. I took this the other night. 

      The fog was so thick in the above picture that you couldn't see the crosses at the top of the steeples. 

      This next pic there is no fog. Or flowers. Just beauty. 

      I took all of the above pics from my cell phone. And all can be found on my Instagram page. http://instagram.com/kellywatson28 

      Care to join me? Do you forgive me a little? 

      How many hours a day do you work at your job? Do you like your job, or just work it to make ends meet? Are you on Instagram? How do you take most of your pictures?

W.P.I.- The tree in the last picture is a Live Oak. They are found all throughout Savannah, many draped in Spanish moss. They can live for centuries, (one down the block is over 300 years old!) and are evergreen. They can grow to be very tall and wide. I love their crazy twisting branches! They provide great shade. If trees could talk I'd love to hear the stories they'd tell!

Death of a Car Salesman

            I’m going to talk about something I can’t stand. I detest it, as a matter of fact. I would use the H word, but I H the H word. J Cornfused?

            I sold my vehicle, Alexis. (If you read the last rant you know we name our vehicles.) It was named that because I said my next vehicle would be a Lexus, get it? Haha. My intentions when I moved were to work within walking distance, but that hasn’t happened. So my search for the next vehicle has started.

            And I H it.

            I H everything having to do with it.

            Normally I am a jovial person. I try to smile a lot. I try to be pleasant. I try to see the happy in people. If I don’t see it sometimes I even try to bring it out.

            That all changes the minute I step onto a car lot.

            Nice Kelly disappears into the abyss. Don’t Rub Me The Wrong Way Kelly appears, and there is nothing anybody can do about it. After our last car excursion Charmed One told me I wasn’t allowed onto another car lot and that suited me just fine. But Charmed is gone for a few days. And I found a car I like at a dealer not too far from here. So Kelly put on her big girl pants and went to the dealership alone. Grr.

            Let me just say this…

            I would rather have all my teeth pulled with no Novocain.

            I would rather have a Brazilian wax.

            I would rather have a nail driven through my finger.

            I would rather have a lot of horrible things done to me than to ever deal with a car salesman. (No offense if any of you are!) Its just I hate being pushed. And as soon as that salesman pushes- Kelly does pushing of her own. She pushes her chair back and leaves. You see there is no car made that is worth me losing my cool.

            I came this close to losing it at that dealership. And after I left I got even madder. (Could be the Irish in me?) Charmed comes home later in the week. Maybe then…

            What is something that you cannot stand to do? What torture would you endure to not do that thing? What do you drive? Want to sell it? J

Adios Podunk

            I’m writing this a little early, although you won’t be able to tell. Usually I’m pressed for time, so I write blogs the night before they are published. This one though is being written early so I will have it done and ready. Because chances are we will have no electricity Wednesday. That’s right, my peeps. I’ve moved even further south and I still am going to get hit with an ice storm.

            Ta da! Finally the blog I’ve been promising. J

            The Charmed One and I got the rug pulled out from under us nine days before Christmas, when Charm’s employer decided it was no longer necessary to employ Charmed. It came out of the clear blue and left us shell shocked, to say the least. Even though we kept busy the next couple weeks the weary feeling stuck with us. Part of the reason for that weariness was because we had just signed the papers on a condo in Savannah. Suddenly we were toting the note on two homes.

            All of our Christmas decorations and presents were in Savannah, so we headed there for the holidays and hit the job searches hard. That was difficult because during the Christmas/New Year’s holidays a lot of the powers that be in business are on vacation. It just so happened that Charmed did get a couple of interviews, and even little ole me got one.

            We headed back to Podunk to start packing and preparing to leave. We figured we would have until at least February before there was any action on the house. Shortly after New Year’s our realtor notified us that she had an interested party. Long story short it all went through and we had to be out as soon as possible. That made for the most hectic two weeks of our lives that I don’t ever want to have to deal with again.

            You see, we downsized. A lot. And there was only two of us to handle the whole move. I think we did awesome. I cannot tell you the amount of trips we made to Goodwill. We were on a first name basis with the employees there! And, the dump too. Not on a first name basis with them. :/

            This whole development has been such a learning process. One thing I learned is that I’m happy with a smaller place. I cannot tell you the amount of food that I threw out because it was outdated, everything from oatmeal to pasta. I nearly got sick to my stomach when I realized how much was bad. One good thing about having a smaller place is that we don’t have room for all that food, so we won’t be wasting as much.

            We liquidated nearly everything in a two to three week period. I had to say goodbye to my lawnmowers, weed eaters, and a side business. I said goodbye to plants, containers, and birdfeeders. We said goodbye to our SUV, Big Bessie. (Yes, we name our vehicles. No, I don’t want to hear about it!) We said goodbye to many things that were with us for many years. We just couldn’t use them here. Besides it being a learning process it also deemed to be very bittersweet. 

            If you follow along regularly you know we tried moving earlier last year. It didn’t go through. This time we did it a little differently, and it almost ended up a disaster. At times we almost lost faith, but we persevered. Like I said, it was a learning experience. I learned that things probably do happen for a reason. Before Christmas we were almost two lost souls. Now we are where we want to be, getting settled in and starting new jobs. The Podunk chapters of this book of my life are past. Now it is time to start new. We start our Savannah lives.

            Possibly in the dark.

            Because of a freak winter storm.

            Because Kelly is here now.

            Finally. J

Have you ever downsized? When is the last time you moved, or have you been in one place for a long time? Is this whacky winter weather driving you crazy?

W.P.I. - My new job is at a local garden center. I’m excited to start and learn some new-to-me plants. Charmed and I joke about my interview lasting 15 minutes. Charmed had seven interviews with one company before being hired. My orientation lasted 15 minutes. Charmed’s orientation lasts 15 days. In another state. I’ll take the plant life any day! We are now living in planting Zone 9. Stay tuned and I’ll give planting information on Palm trees! J

P.S. - I will still continue revising, writing, and submitting queries. That is my true love! 

In My Opinion

PLEASE!

      I know I promised you all a rant about what has been happening over the last month. And I know last week I told you it would be this week. It will be, but not today. :) I need a few more days to process and recover. So please, stick with me. I promise you Thursday's rant will be all about my crazy life. Thanks for being patient with me!

      Being a writer I will blog about books every once in a while. I don't do it all the time because I'm not a fast reader. Or writer. :) Especially of late. As a matter of fact I'm still reading a book that I started a few weeks ago. That is why I'm going to turn the topic around here. 

      Let's talk about music, shall we? Yes, music. As I write this the Grammy's are only an hour away. Usually I'm not into music awards. There seems to be too many of them now-a-days. That's only my opinion. I'm watching tonight though. I've been more into music this past year. There are a few popular songs that I've used with writing my stories. I'll be interested to see if any of them win. I will also be pulling for anything going against the song Blurred Lines. That over popular, over played, over hyped, one hit wonder of a song needed to go away before it even started. Again, just my opinion. Hope I didn't lose anyone there. :)

      I guess I'm just full of opinions lately. Some of my friends think its the northerner in me. Some think its the Irish. Who knows? All I know is I hope some peeps that I like win. Like Lorde. I love when someone new comes onto the scene and blows people away with their voice. And she's so young! I love it.

      Of course, I also love Pink. 

      And I like Imagine Dragons. 

      All of the singers nominated are so crazy talented. I think there really are no losers. Well, with the exception of that one... hehe.

      Do you watch music awards? What kind of music do you listen to? What is one song you absolutely cannot stand? :)