November 8, 2015 by kimicalreaction - 4 Comments

A Thank You Note to the Lady in the Truck Stop Bathroom

A re-post from last year’s NanoPoblano…

Dear lady in the Jaguars jersey in the truck stop bathroom in Eufala, Alabama;

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Thank you for reaching over to my sink from your side of the counter and turning on the faucet for me.

I realize my somewhat frenzied hand waving in front of the taps may have led you to assume I was having a meltdown, exorcizing a demon or perhaps trying to land an imaginary plane.

You had no way of knowing that I work in a place where everything in the bathroom is automated.

There, in order to get soap/water/paper towels, you have to make a gesture within the motion-sensor range of the dispenser.

I’m sure I would have eventually figured it out,

but you took direct action.

Bless your kind and helpful heart.

I’m sure we have given each other a good story.

November 7, 2015 by kimicalreaction - 7 Comments

A Bee in His Bonnet

Someone woke up on the wrong side of the box.

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No matter how much the cats fight, there always seem to be plenty of kittens.

– Abraham Lincoln

November 6, 2015 by kimicalreaction - 7 Comments

Instant Grat Instagram: “It’s Bloody Brigadoon!”

I had all kind of plans for a post today but work exploded and the writing thing never happened.

However…

Thankfully, there’s my phone, Instagram and lots of great memories.

These particular ones are from the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games and Gathering of Scottish Clans last July.

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Beautiful North Carolina mountains and amazing skies.

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Grandfather Mountain and 50,000 Scots and “wanna-Scots”

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Highland dancers warming up

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Tossing the sheaf!

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Sheepdog trials – herding ducks!

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Flags from 80 Clans and 15 Scottish Societies!

“Not the bee upon the blossom,
In the pride o’ sunny noon;
Not the little sporting fairy,
All beneath the simmer moon;
Not the poet, in the moment
Fancy lightens in his e’e,
Kens the pleasure, feels the rapture,
That thy presence gi’es to me.”
― Robert Burns

November 5, 2015 by kimicalreaction - 2 Comments

Three Things Thursday: November 5th, 2015

I borrowed this concept from the lovely Nerd in the Brain, who encourages you to steal this “exercise in gratitude” with “wild abandon” by sharing three things that made you smile this week and “fill your blog with the happy.”

Thing #1: October’s “A Taste of India” Dinner
through “The Learning Tea,” non-profit affiliated with Dr. Bombay’s Underwater Tea House.
I was joined for this event by my wonderful friend, Susan and her 8-year old son, The Coop. As we say in the South, we had a “large” time.

We particularly enjoyed exchanging many fine animal riddles, of which the Coop is a master.

What animal starts with a “c” and ends with an “e”?

D’uh! A Canadian Mongoose!

We chowed on some super-tasty vegetarian Indian food, with a particularly nice whipped cream dessert. The “cherry on this sundae” – all money raised supports a home and room and board for female university students in India.

Thing #2: A belated celebration of my dear friend Heidi’s birthday
at Carroll Street Cafe, which is a charming little place in the Cabbagetown neighborhood in East Atlanta, offering alfresco dining.

They feature $5 tapas and half-priced bottles of wine every Monday, so we indulged in all our favorite dishes: crab cakes, lamb sliders, papas bravas, Jamaican shrimp with plantains and pan-seared scallops.

We ran into a few of Heidi’s friends and had a great time chatting with them and of course, petting random pups, whose owners were walking them down the sidewalk around us.

Thing #3: Giving back at the Atlanta Food Bank
This was a community project set through work, but I actually had a good time pawing through random donated items (snack cakes, canned foods, toiletries) checking for valid expiration dates before passing the “good” stuff forward to box up for people in need. Our group of about 40 volunteers sorted a total of 30,511 lbs of food, which constitutes over 25,000 meals. Pretty impressive for a couple of hours work. It made me feel good to have spent some time actually making a difference for people’s lives.

So, three lovely memories to bring me smiles for weeks to come. Thanks as always, Nerd In the Brain,for your kind inspiration!

November 4, 2015 by kimicalreaction - 9 Comments

Instant Grat Instagram : Blue Skies for Everyone

My new “emergency” blog topic’s going to be a thematic selection from my favorite Instagram photos. That way I can get a blog out super-fast if for some reason my cognitive abilities stutter and fail and I’m desperate for something/anything to slap up for the 30-day NanoPoblano/NaBloPoMo challenge!

And I can share some of my favorite photos with you guys who may have missed them on Instagram!

This week: Blue Skies

Strange how everything below can be such death and chaos and pain while above the sky is peace, sweet blue gentleness. I heard a shaman say once, the Ancestors want our souls to be like the blue sky.”
― Shannon Hale, Book of a Thousand Days

November 4, 2015 by kimicalreaction - 15 Comments

In the Closet

Bam! Jarred awake, Lucy turned to her sister; but Susan snored softly, undisturbed.

Bam! Lucy slid from the bed and scurried through the gloom.

Bam! Flinging wide the wardrobe door, she startled as the bold winds of another world caressed her face.

November 3, 2015 by kimicalreaction - 16 Comments

People are Strange (When You’re a Stranger)

It is important to note that people are also strange in convenience stores very late at night, on any type of mass transit, at Revival Services featuring live rattle snakes and frequently at Walker-Stalker Con.

Oh, and Hallowe’en.

Most definitely people are strange on Hallowe’en.

Mostly “good” strange, though.

People are strange when you’re a stranger…

Faces look ugly when you’re alone…

Women seem wicked when you’re unwanted…

Streets are uneven, when you’re down.

When you’re strange…

Faces come out of the rain…

When you’re strange…

No one remembers your name…

When you’re strange…

When you’re strange…

When you’re strange.

Thank you to the Doors and Jim Morrison for the Spooky-festive and appropriate lyrics, and massive thanks to my bestie, L.C., not only for being her amazing self, but for throwing her annual and wildly fantabulous Hallowe’en Extraganza, which is more fun than anything should be.

From ghoulies and ghosties
And long-leggedy beasties
And things that go bump in the night,
Good Lord, deliver us!
~Scottish Saying

November 2, 2015 by kimicalreaction - 15 Comments

Simply…intoxicating.

When I tell people that I have a blog, they always want to know what I write about.

(Huh? Category? What?)

It’s hard enough posting something/anything with any kind of regularity.

Describing my blog is difficult, perhaps it’s because I’ve never really had a theme beyond its name, Drunk on Life.

In a silly, sappy way that’s totally normal to my nature, that’s how most of me feels – that life itself is intoxicating – a giant glass of champagne, filled with bubbles of happiness,to be tossed back, quaffed, slurped down and savored.

But of course, the reality is that life isn’t always a sparkling nectar.

I’m wildly fortunate in so many ways, and I am truly grateful for all of the blessings in my life. I have a job and my health; a husband, parents and friends who love me; a home, two amazing fur kids, a car that runs, money in the bank.

It doesn’t stop me from bad days and stressful realities the same as anyone: the loss of a friend, feeling exhausted and alone, moments at work when I want to put my hands over my ears and start screaming, painful times when I fight with my husband, my car breaking down in an intersection and thinking I’m going to die, hearing a colleague saying something petty and nasty and unwarranted about me. Maybe it’s as simple as realizing I forgot to pay a bill last month; or it’s just one of those days when I’m a hot, hormonal mess, my jeans won’t zip up, my face breaks out and then my freakin’ dishwasher overflows suds all over my hardwood floors..

or when I try to write something/anything…

and nothing comes out.

Those are the times when instead of crying, I look through the pictures in my phone gallery or Instagram, pull up an old blog post, or scroll through albums on Facebook or real albums on the coffee table and remember wonderful, precious moments with the people I love. Walks on the Beltline with Sue and Laura. Barbeques and Ninja Turtle Burgers. Sunsets on the beach in Rosemary. Thanksgiving and Christmas. St. Patrick’s Day Dinners and Burn’s Suppers and “Screen on the Garage Door” movie nights. Hanging out with our parents. Hanging out with our cousins. Kitty hijinks. Clowning around. Dancing with my husband. Hugs and hand-holdings, a sweet text from a friend, jokes retold a thousand times, grins, giggles, laughing so hard you’re crying. Love.

And knowing that this is what really matters, ultimately, I find myself once again buzzed, wasted, snockered, giddy, tipsy on the life I have and the people in it.

And that’s what I try to share here, with you, the funny, charming, magical and wonderful moments that make it all worthwhile to me.

Cheers, Salud and Slàinte Mhath. Here’s to life.

“Life is a crazy mixture of intoxicating cocktails.”
― Ken Poirot

November 1, 2015 by kimicalreaction - 25 Comments

Nanopoblano: A Month of Spicy Writing with some fabulous Tiny Peppers!

I’m a Pepper, he’s a Pepper,
She’s a Pepper, we’re a Pepper,
Wouldn’t you like to be a Pepper, too?

Yay! It’s November 1st and for me the start of the 30-Day Crazy that is NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) as part of the NanoPoblano (Team Tiny Pepper) bloggers’ group!

I’ve been MIA from writing for the past two months due to a soul-sucking work load that’s left me low on energy and short on words.

To be truthful, I am frightened of committing to NaBloPoMo and Team Pepper.

I’m scared I’ll never be able to write a post Every. Single. Day. for the 30 days of November.

I’m timorous of taking on too much work: I’m panicked that I’ll be too short on time to peruse other Pepper’s posts, I’m petrified I won’t write anything that anyone will find interesting. I’m even apprehensive of being a creative addition to the team.

However…

I’m even more heart-stoppingly terrified to miss out on so much fun!

November 30, 2014 by kimicalreaction - 5 Comments

Peppering with thanks…

I can’t believe that today is the 30th of November.

It’s the last day of NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month), and more specifically, the last day of the Nano Poblano Challenge.

I participated in (and survived) NaBloPoMo for the first time last year. I managed to write every day that November, but I continuously fought writer’s block and time constraints. Although there were a couple of posts I’m OK about, I don’t think it’s my best writing. Last year was all about honoring my commitment and cranking out that post each day, regardless.

This year, I had the tremendous opportunity to be a part of a group of writers called Team Pepper, participating in their own version of NaBloPoMo, Nano Poblano (Very Tiny Peppers). They provided me with some great reading and the fun of different ideas and viewpoints. They helped me overcome my fear of “commenting.” They provided some wonderful writing challenges and some very helpful prompts. Most importantly, they gave an incredible sense of community and support.

This year, the writing came easier. Maybe I was more inspired, or maybe I had more to say, or maybe it was that for once, someone was reading.

Some of those someones are my husband, David and my Mom-in-Law, Linda, who read every post, every single day and gave me such awesome feedback. I love you both.

I have much gratitude for our Captain Poblano, Mark Bialczak for sorting Peppers and herding cats and his support and encouragement.

And to all the Fabulous Peppers (and other Bloggers) who have stopped by, “liked,” made comments, asked questions and made me feel I had something worth writing about and could tell it in a worthwhile way:

Thank you, so very, very much. I am fortunate to have been a part of this.