CARNIVAL TUESDAY.... And Real Life Strikes Back!

Make mas', not war!












Guess what she was wearing in front?



Sean was in love with these dimples...














So that was Carnival. We got back to Chaguanas on Tuesday night, and I had just slipped my feet (Oh! De agony of de feet!!) into a basin of hot water when they got the Las' Lap truck started up with David Rudder's "Hallelujah". So off we went again, into the road, until we just couldn't take it any more. Midnight, all Trini stopped moving. The government complained that as few as 20 percent of Trini kids made it to school on Ash Wednesday in some areas... And the other 80 percent sat on the couch and rubbed the feet of their errant groaning parents.

On Thursday I gave TWO lectures at two different trade schools (my voice held out... just!), juggling a middle boy who wasn't feeling well with other factors of real life. It was fine. Carnival will keep me for a long, long time. Next year, when I am sheltering under an English bus stop watching the rain fall, I will try not to be jealous of all of you who didn't play mas' this year and WILL next year!

CARNIVAL MONDAY!

I took a meelion pictures, but working on my laptop to upload them to blogger is proving beyond me right now.... I have to use a DIFFERENT PROGRAM! To edit the pictures and make them smaller. Y'know? Less pixels.

Would you believe that this is the only picture of me on my camera? Must get more. And not posing. "Here, take a picture of me, but I have to pretend not to notice... wait, let me take my shades off..." And my hair looks like nothing. Will be sure to get sexy pic of hair.

Tomorrow is the day for putting on our entire costume (headpieces!)




I have some more, really good pictures, but you'll just have to wait for them!

I can hear the music truck coming...

Today is J'Ouvert, meaning "The Opening" or "The Beginning". If you would like to hear about last Carnival, go back to last February 2nd-6th or thereabouts. And please, search "Trinidad Carnival" and check it out!

I should be playing J'Ouvert, but I pinched a nerve in my neck this week and this year, I am playing "Pretty Mas". So trying not to overdo it. Yet. Will overdo it later today. J'Ouvert is nasty mas: mud, grease, paint, sweat. Pretty mas is bikinis, body glitter, makeup and sweat. And that's where I'll be as soon as I can get Rachel and Beans to wash their mud off and get pretty!

Theresa, we miss you.... Go on, post some pictures from year-before-last and get in the mood. You'll be here next year, okay?

We are going to dance all day today and tomorrow, and I am going to look like a million dollars because Debs made me a whole new top that FITS and is SKIMPY and Beans brought gel inserts for that extra-boob look. Some of us need help, y'know?

I can hear the music truck coming....

Carnival Weekend Begins...

With a SEXAY new haircut (pics soon, I promise), the Annual Carnival Friday Nite Fete, the discovering that my Sexay Costume Bikini Top does not fit and needs adjusting, purchasing of BODY GLITTER and such....

And, I have a niece. She is beautiful and will obviously grow up to be a diva, arriving as she has early and just in time for the Greatest Carnival On Earth!

Welcome, Princess!

Hair Today....

Gone Tomorrow!

Now, before you have a cow: My hair grows like a weed. And it's been getting in my asscrack. It's time for a groovy Carnival 'Do!

I'm Back....

Hello! I had a wonderful, rejuvenating, love-filled weekend. It was a bit like a slumber party... Claudie (Aunty Claudie grew up next to my Dad, and her son was my very first ever boyfriend. We were one year old. He had these sweet ringlets. Now, he has a son with sweet ringlets.) and Marylou and I giggled and they bossed me around in the best way possible. We shopped, which was not my intention "You make sure and wee wee at the airport, honey, cuz we are going STRAIGHT to the mall." "Focus! Focus! What's on the list?" "List? I wasn't going to shop this weekend, remember?" "Aaaak! Honey, you need a list. Get a pen. Here, use mine."

The result was that I got great and sensible clothes on sale so that when we go to England I will not freeze. For someone who wasn't going to do any shopping I seemed to acquire a lot of luggage!

I had a ball at Vicks' wedding: "You. Twenty minute nap. Coffee at three o'clock, then get dressed." I got to the house early, and everything was so gorgeous. Flowers, lanterns, SUSHI BAR! Great wine, great people. I like hubby's family. His sister made a tearful speech, "The most loving, thoughtful... *sniff*... wonderful man..." Everyone else made a speech saying "... At LAST!" I am so happy for them both.

It was refreshing not to be the responsible adult. I am used to being IN CHARGE all the time. It's not that I am a control freak, I don't think, but it has worked out that way. Having a weekend where I had no decisions to make beyond "Sugar?Milk?" was absolutely wonderful. I think Claudie and Marylou realised that I was incapable of making any major decisions so they just fed me and took me where the sales were and showered love and appreciation upon me, so now I feel revitalized and well-dressed.

And there's nothing like feeling revitalized and well-dressed!

I'm Off..

Going to a wedding in Foreign. Have nothing to wear! It's outdoors, and I will probably freeze because I only own strappy little numbers. And strappy little shoes. But I shall forge ahead with courage and dance all night to celebrate my childhood friend and Godsister. Congratulations Vicks!

Oh, and Primary Five's art project on Wednesday? They got a random name (boy/girl:girl/boy) and had to make a Valentine's card for that person. They all said AAAAARGH NOOOOOOO Miss do we HAVE to??? But then they got into it in a big way and glitter was everywhere. Some of them said "Hey, I have YOU!" and some were very secretive and hid their cards and I got to deliver them in secret. "No, no! Walk the other way first!" So there is great intrigue now as some people got very sweet, loving cards from SOMEONE and WHO COULD IT BE? I am not telling! Poems were written, flowers were drawn and hearts aplenty. Everyone got a card. Awwwwww!

Happy Valentine's Day, my Eye In Da Sky.... See you in 7 days.... And happy Valentine's Day to all of you out there. Hope it's real!

I Just Wanna Thank....

... Tash, for plying me with wine and food at the end of last week; the Straightener Guy for being reasonable; Papa Bobby for bringing jumper cables; Ernie for picking me up on the road so I could make it to yoga yesterday; the last guy who hit my car for being honest; Fatima for knowing that something was wrong even though I was "Fine!"; Sharon for being there; Scott for dealing with the Straightener Guy and lending back Sean's truck so I would have some wheels; Sean for posting my fender bender adventures all over Facebook so that everywhere I go people step out of the way; Russell for telling Sean that I would be the worst person to give the roller cooler to to pull for Carnival because someone bong to bounce mih; Rachel for going carless tomorrow; Mum and Dad for sending me to my God-Sister's wedding this weekend in Florida; Diana and Mikey, Miranda, and assorted others for babysitting; The Splendid Vet for making a house call even though I wasn't even home, to take care of my ailing doggie; and all of my kind friends and cheerleaders, who made a not-so-good week into a Perfectly Fine Week.

Thank You.

Just Another Manic Monday

You are not going to believe this. Remember how I was in a fender-bender hit-and-run last Monday? Well this morning my battery died. Just like that. And I had to buy a new one, cuz I didn't have the bill for the other one on me. And then this afternoon, I was rear-ended. But the guy stayed, and paid. So, not so bad. I luckily got to work really early before these mishaps, and was mega-productive, too.

So do I have a sign hanging on my car that says "Kick Me"? Or what? Is someone trying to tell me something?

And the passport office? I hate them.

But in a totally peaceful, non-violent way, because I made it to yoga.

OM

Where Did My Pictures Go?

Huh. I am seeing a bunch of "X"s these days where once there were cute pictures of me and mine. I will have to replace them I guess.

Chas is in the kitchen making a banana-condensed milk-nutmeg thing that he learned from Tash's son, but WITHOUT THE BANANA. Yes, we have no bananas! He started out and then could not find any. So it's basically condensed milk in a bowl. I am pretending I don't know. That way they will tidy up after themselves to hide the evidence. I can hear Max saying "ME! ME!"

It's a great day to be home, the breeze is cool and blowing the chimes just right on my little bedroom patio. I have been pottering around today putting things away and cooking stuff we love. Yesterday afternoon after Saturday School/Taekwondo we made crepes with strawberries, a special teat for being an awesome family and surviving the week. Sharon came over with Mikey and we put the boys out and drank wine and didn't wash the dishes. Livin' on the edge!

Anyway, Girlblue tagged me for a meme, and I didn't do that one. I am going to do this one instead. Cuz I am too lazy today to think of 20 interesting and little known things about me. You probably know them all anyway! So you can do this one, or that one, if you're looking for a good meme. Check out Girlblue's Blog, she's done a few cool ones lately!

The Rules:

Answer these questions, USING ONLY ONE WORD! Copy and change the answers to suit you and pass it on. It’s really hard to only use one word answers. Be sure to link to the person you received it from!

1. Where is your cell phone? Kitchen
2. Your significant other? Africa
3. Your hair? Looooooong
4. Your mother? Supportive
5. Your father? Loving
6. Your favorite song? ..... That one's really hard. Can I buy a vowel? Okay, "Sultans of Swing" at random....
7. Your dream last night? Interrupted
8. Your favorite drink? Tea
9. Your dream/goal? Living It
10. What room you are in? Bedroom
11. Your hobby? My Job
12. Your fear? Illness
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Supported
14. Where were you last night? Asleep
15. Something that you aren’t? Insured
16. Muffins? Blueberry
17. Wish list item? Warm Clothes!
18. Where you grew up? Trinidad
19. Last thing you did? Hydrated
20. What are you wearing? Rags
21. Your TV? None
22. Your pets? Snuggly
23. Friends? Awesome
24. Your life? Full
25. Your mood? Relaxed
26. Missing someone? Yes
27. Car? Luxurious
28. Something you’re not wearing? Shoes
29. Your favorite store? Bookstore
30. Your favorite color? Green?
33. When is the last time you laughed? Lunchtime
34. Last time you cried? Recently
35. Who will resend this? Dunno
36. Favorite vacation? All
37. One person who emails me regularly? Theresa
38. My favorite place to eat? Home

Friday, I Love You....

I had planned on coming home EARLY, and you know, ironing and eating sensibly and whatnot. But then one of Sam's buddies' moms called and invited him over and WHILE I was on that call Tash called and invited the rest of us over so I said "What the heck" and we hung out in town till bedtime. It was fan-jolly-tastic! Tash did everything and fed us and I sat around like a lump and drank Paul's wine (thank you Tash and Paul!) while Chas and Max played in the pool with the other boys, and then we picked Sam up and came home. It was a great way to end the week. Or THE week, or the WEEK, however you want to put it. I am glad it's over.

My Aunt, that's my Uncle's wife, Ina, who my brother lived with for years in England while he was being eddicated, is terminally ill with cancer. She has known for some time but yesterday my uncle finally sent out an email to say: This is it, folks.

I may not get to see her, I may not arrive in England in time. Ina was the one who, when I was puking all over with morning sickness, fed me and did my laundry for most of my pregnancy with Chas. I was working while Sean did his pilot's license and I don't know how I could have supported us without her help. She was one of the first people to hold Chas when he was born, and the very first person I left him with while Mum and I popped into town. I feel so sad. We didn't always see eye to eye, I think our personalities clashed, but Ina is someone I admire greatly and will always be grateful to. She has five sons. Five! Plus my brother from the marvellous age of thirteen, and several others. So glad we visited them in May.

I got my car back today, YAY! It looks like new, and was not greatly expensive. The damage was to the fender and bumper. The lights, door, etc remained unscathed. So it was a simple job, especially for the Inlaw Family Straightener Guy who is used to seeing much worse damage. Yeah, you know how most families have a Family Doctor? The Inlaws have a straightener!

Long Time No See!

What a WEEK! I don't even know where to begin. How about at a random spot in the middle? Okay, and we'll use bullets for further disclarity. (Word!)

* Mum had her Grand Exhibition Opening on Tuesday night. Months of ... no, years of work culminating in a show which has received critical kudos and applause. The Exhibition continues for the next two weeks at the Art Society Building, Federation Park. If you drive into Federation Park from Maraval and continue towards Marlin's swimming club, it's the white building on your left. Go. It's an amazing show.

* On Monday a person (I use this term lightly) broke the major road (Tragarete Road!!!!) and slammed into my fender. He got on bad, and I asked him to meet me at the St. James Police Station since arguing in the road may not be the safest thing to do nowadays. He disappeared. Poor man, karma is gonna get him. As my friendly policeman said, "Terrible things are happening these days, Ms Eye In Da Sky." Gesturing at my mangled fender: "This? Is a very small thing." Tomorrow I will probably be writing a nice cheque for the straightener dude. And I will get my car back. Yes, I gave his licence plate number to the police. And the insurance company.

* It has been raining (in February!) and the traffic has been horrible.

* Chas fell out of a tree on Sunday afternoon, and no bones were broken. I took him to an acupuncturist on Monday after school, as he had been complaining of headaches and was stiff and bruised. She speaks with a strong Korean accent and it was a really interesting experience for us. She explained everything she did. Chas walked out of her office totally healed, and went back on Wednesday for a massage and to make sure all was well.

* My business has a buyer and I am wrapping it up over the next few weeks... sad, but happy.

* Sam spent one of his math tests staring out of the window and doodling, and his teacher is devastated. He will get a really bad mark for that test and is cross about it, but I am really glad it has happened now. There are few oppourtunities for Sam to learn consequenses like that.

* Art with the kids has been going well at school and I am SO enjoying it.

* On Saturday Sam had a Soccer Tournament, (they WON!) Max had a Taekwondo Grading, (Yellow Belt!) Chas had S.E.A. lessons and then jammed some tunes by his buddy who has a cool electric guitar, ( I went along and we discussed picking techniques: Christopher uses a pick, Chas a Spanish finger-picking technique. They are both terribly serious.) Then Max went to the movies with a friend and Sam went to a birthday party and later we ALL went to Kelli and Brett's house where they fed us burgers off the grill. All except Sam who was full of party food. The boys all hung out inside with Brett who is an animator and owns Eye Scream Animation, and they learned a thing or two. They are all going to be animation guys when they grow up now. Kelli and I sat on the porch and talked till nearly nine o'clock! Gosh! It was good.

* Oh, and I locked my keys (and my phone, too) in my TRUNK. The height of ridiculous. Luckily, it was so hot I had left all the windows down an inch. I poked a stick through and tweaked the lock, and we got in. After trying a dozen other things of course! Then, two nights later, mum and dad did the same thing but they weren't so lucky. They had to borrow Judy's car and drive home for the spare keys.

* On Sunday we got stuff done. Sam and Max vacuumed the car, Chas did homework, I did 753 loads of laundry and cooked and baked and I feel slightly better organized. One night this week the boys and I AND mum and dad all got home late and hungry and I said "Haha! We have lasagne!" And it was good. When the fridge is full of healthy snacks and frozen meals, I feel like everything is cool. I don't have to wonder what to cook when we get home hungry.

* My To Do List is a mile long.

* I have a Carnival Costume!

* Tomorrow is Friday!!!!! Yippeee!