ON PHOTOS ~ Festivals...

08-15-2004 -Phish "Farewell" Fest - Coventry, VT

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ON BLOGGING ~ My Blogging Bible...

When you stop by here during the week and don't see a new post up that day, it is for one of three reasons:

1. The rest of my life got in the way and I just didn't have time
2. The previous post is something I feel deserves an extra day of attention
3. I couldn't come up with anything to write about

I always applaud people who put their priorities on the real world over the blogosphere so #1 is A-OK. I also believe in the power of promotion - giving your words an extra opportunity to be seen is A-OK too. But having a blank slate when it is time to post? That is just plain annoying. And it sucks the joy of blogging right out of me.

I've posted before about a brainstorming technique I use every now and then to kick writer's block. But today I want to address the benefits of a blog journal. I have limited time for blogging - just like you. So I don't like to waste that time sitting around wondering what I could write about. Wouldn't it be nice to have a book filled with post ideas to refer to in times of blankness? Well, I have one. My little spiral notebook with different colored sections is my blog bible.

In my journal I write down all of my ideas - good or bad - that pop into my head at all hours of the day or night. Sometimes it is just a snippet of a phrase that might make a good post title. Other times it is a broad idea for a big series. I write down sites that I think might be helpful or useful someday. I take notes in there from online conferences I attend or tips I read on other blogs. It is a catchall for any and every thought that might make a great post or teach me how to blog more easily.

This collection of ideas makes it easier for me to get out of a lazy moment or writing slump. I take things a little further and plot out posts for the upcoming month. I enjoy flipping through my blog bible and reviewing these random thoughts of mine and slotting them into a day where they might actually have a chance to be born for the blogosphere to discover. It also saves me time each night when I get home. I don't have to come up with an idea. And I don't have to go pick one out. I just look at what I suggested for myself for that day - and I write it.

I rarely follow a month's plot fully. I am forever switching posts around because I'm not really into writing that one - but the one for next week fits my mood just right. Or I don't have the accompanying photos taken for a planned idea so I put it off until I do and write something else from the list. My monthly post plots are a guide, and a safety net each night. But to some of you, that much planning might feel constricting or unnecessary because you like spur of the moment or don't keep to a regular writing schedule.

The most important tip I'm trying to convey here is that capturing your random thoughts and ideas can be a big help in saving time or to get you through a rough patch of writer's block. How you collect them is up to you. Find a method that works for you and put it to the test.

ON FUN ~ Puppet Love...

In my most recent Monday Movie Meme post, I mentioned that I have a thing for puppets. As I look around my immediate surroundings at this very moment, I can see one sitting across from me. And I'm in our family room. My puppets don't stay stashed away.

Now don't misunderstand. I'm not a freak with a collection of puppets surrounding me in every room. I just happen to have a very sweet looking goat puppet with dangling legs who sings the funniest version of "The Lonely Goatherd" from The Sound of Music that you ever did hear each time you make its mouth move. It sits next to the TV near our DVD collection so I feel it is appropriate decoration. Andy has long learned to overlook such things.

My collection of puppets is largely due to my mother, who embraces all things bizarre and encourages their development within her children. Andy made the mistake of mentioning to her how the tree frogs keep him awake at night every time we visit their home. Now every year he gets something frog related in his stocking or for his birthday. No more frogs please Mom! So of course it makes sense that when my mother found a comedic Sound of Music singing puppet, she bought it as a treasured gift for me. She recognized my rad puppeteer skills from an early age.

I have always had a flair for the dramatic. I'm just not very talented. Which is why puppets are a big draw. When I was a little girl, I would put on puppet shows for my very patient parents who were seated at the bottom of the stairs. At the top was a dutch door. The top portion would be swung open to signal the beginning of the performance. I would then drag my little brother into the act - not because he had any talent whatsoever but because I needed the extra arms - and we would put on a grand puppet show, scripted entirely by myself. Since my brother couldn't read yet, it was up to me to feed him his lines, as well as coordinate the movement of his puppets and get him to be more into the characters. Honestly, I might as well have done things myself - he was more trouble than it was worth. It was not uncommon for these shows to end with him chucking a puppet over the door and send it tumbling down to my parents' feet.

I used to love to make sock puppets, decorate brown bag puppets, try to maneuver marionettes and create more convincing ways to make them move. I still have some of those old creations sitting in a basket of stuffed animals in our guest room. I notice that our young overnight guests are always drawn to these puppets too. There is just something about having an expressive outlet I guess.

If I see puppets in a vendor cart or toy store display, I can't help myself. I must drop everything and play. I don't care what they are - animals, people, creatures - plain old socks. It isn't their look that draws me in, but the possibility of making them come alive with whatever features, mannerisms and voice of my choosing that gives me joy.

When traditional puppets are in short order, I have been known to convert regular items into my mouthpieces. One Christmas day, with the magnificent vocals of Phantom of the Opera blaring from my parents' stereo (I am assuming the soundtrack was a gift - why else would that have been playing that day?) as I lounged on the floor in front of the fireplace hearth, I reached up and grabbed a few of the large soldier nutcrackers that my mother had put out as festive decorations for the season. These nutcrackers make terrific puppets, especially for opera singers, let me tell you! I entertained my family for a short while with that performance and it is still a requested routine. Make the nutcrackers sing, Molly!

Finger puppets are a special weakness - I have a friend and former co-worker who mailed one to me recently at my office to help pass the day. They are so compact, simple, affordable and fun. One for each finger is more than my heart can bear to wish for. But let me tell you, flipping off an unruly caller on the phone with a pink elephant on your middle finger is a great stress reliever, so I'm fine with just one finger puppet if need be.

I love them. All shapes, sizes, styles and designs. And I will confess, if I could get away with being a freak and decorating my home with puppets I probably would. But in an effort of great restraint, I only keep my lonely goatherd puppet on display in the family room. My mother knows me well, puppets are the gifts that keep on giving in the Bumble household. I like to torture the cat with the puppet goatherd's singing every now and then, or to make Andy chuckle. Spontaneous puppet shows are the best kind, after all.

ON BOOKS ~ Because Life Isn't Always Just A Fantasy...

Image courtesy inevernu via Flickr

I am just wrapping up the book Let Us Now Praise Famous Men which is a non-fiction account of the tenant farmer's lot in life in the mid-1930's of Alabama. It is like nothing I have ever read style-wise and is at the same time breathtaking prose and mind numbing frustration. Let us now praise the fact that I am almost done! But I am glad for the knowledge and know that the images and moments with the families involved will stay with me forever. That is why I enjoy non-fiction reads - the impact that things just naturally tend to have when they are real. Just like how I always prefer to see the documentary to the fictionalized "based on a true story" portrayal.

My first exposure to non-fiction was in the form of biographies and auto-biographies for book report assignments in grade school. It was much more interesting to learn the details about these people in one of those books as opposed to flipping through the encyclopedia or some made up story featuring a historical figure. I liked to read their words. Their first hand account. See the world through their eyes whenever possible - via quotes, letters and diaries.

I have became especially interested in adventure accounts. People who shared their personal stories of survival, of discovery and of the human spirit. Disaster on snowy peaks or stranded ships. Lost hikers and brave explorers. The more dangerous and incredulous the faster I read them.

I also love books that share the good deeds of the world. The ways people have given of themselves selflessly for the benefit of so many others. Doctors, teachers, caregivers, rescuers, public defenders, counselors. It inspires me and generally sends me seeking out other books about the particular field or location involved.

I am less interested in evaluative research - one writer's collection of facts and their interpretation of how they impact us. Their interpretation makes it subjective rather than objective and it tends to blur the line of non-fiction for me. It makes for entertaining fodder and food for thought, but often times it leaves me annoyed - looking for less words from someone so wrapped up in this topic that they can't stop talking about it ad nauseum.

One of my favorite kinds of non-fiction is the true crime genre. In Cold Blood did that to me. Though it reads so much like a story at times and there is plenty of opinionated observation from the author to blur that non-fiction line again, the subject matter is just too enthralling to pass up. Why do horrific crimes grip us so strongly in books, film and television? Why do we instinctively look at car accidents when we creep past? Who knows. But give me a good true crime accounting and my nose will be buried in that book until it is complete.

Memoirs are my favorite genre of all but I separate them from the non-fiction category. Less clinical, more lyrical.

So many readers get lost in the world of fiction - but non-fiction can pull you in just as strongly and show you parts of the real world you'd likely never get to see otherwise. Here are a few that I've enjoyed. Can you add any suggestions for my to read list?

Among Schoolchildren - Tracy Kidder

Flags of our Fathers - James Bradley

The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea - Sebastian Junger

This I Believe: The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men & Women - Jay Allison

Midnight In The Garden of Good & Evil - John Berendt

Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace, One School at a Time - Greg Mortenson

In Cold Blood - Truman Capote

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic & Madness at the Fair that Changed America - Erik Larson

The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century - Thomas Friedman

Rachel and Her Children: Homeless Families in America - Jonathan Kozol

Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster - Jon Krakauer

Between a Rock and a Hard Place - Aron Ralston

Touching the Void: The True Story of One Man's Miraculous Survival - Joe Simpson

The Assist: Hoops, Hope & the Game of Their Lives - Neil Swidey

The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game - Michael Lewis

The Last Best League: One Summer, One Season, One Dream - Jim Collins

The Teammates: A Portrait of Friendship - David Halberstam

ON MOVIES ~ The Big Draw...

Feature Presentation...

MONDAY MOVIE MEME

Molly looked around for a weekly meme about movies and did not have any luck. So therefore she decided to start her own! Andy will play along as well - hopefully you will too. Go to your blog and create your own post on the topic, linking back to us in your post, then come back and leave a link to your post here in our Comments section. If you don’t have a blog, just share your response in the Comments section.

This week's movie topic is all about Animation...

Everywhere I go lately I hear nothing but "buzz" about the new Toy Story installment. One of the first dates Andy and I had was to see the original Toy Story, which we both loved. But usually, Andy isn't a big animated movie fan - I think he thinks they are kid stuff. Which means that I end up watching a lot of them by myself or with rent-a-kids. Here are some of my favorites. Share on your blog movies whose drawn, digitized or old school clay figures rock your world, linking back here at The Bumbles. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!

• Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) - Is it wrong that my biggest memory of this wasn't the originality of animation interacting with real actors but the fact that it was really trippy to watch this after a night of teenage partying?
• Toy Story (1995) - As a child who grew up creating magical worlds with my stuffed animals, dolls and toys, this movie went straight to my heart. It is fantastic fun and it amazes me the two layers of entertainment it provides for kids and adults alike.
• Team America: World Police (2004) - I have a thing for puppets. LOVE them. Especially ones that swear and have torrid sex scenes while saving our country, courtesy of the creators of South Park.
• The Lion King (1994) - This might just be my favorite Disney movie ever. I am still amazed by the story, the emotion, the music, the rich voices, the visuals - and the fact that young children aren't scarred for life by the stampede scene.
• Bambi (1942) - Aside from the Sunday morning Davey & Goliath claymation TV show, Bambi is the first animated anything I remember seeing. I saw it in the theater on a re-release when I was a little girl and watching cartoons come to life on the big screen left me forever in love with animation. And against hunting - no matter how necessary. I'm a big softy.
• The Incredibles (2004) - Top notch Pixar innovation and a hilarious story filled with action & adventure. Also proof that a 2 hour cartoon can be a huge success.

 Do you have a topic to suggest to the Monday Movie Meme? Or would you like to guest host? Let us know in the Comments section or send us an e-mail.

ON BLOGGING ~ Twit Or Tweet...

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Welcome to our weekly BlogAnon meeting where we confess a particular blogging sin and turn to you for support, suggestions and that blogging bond so we know we're not all alone. Don't be shy. Read along and let us know if you identify with us this week.

Whenever I log on to Twitter I get the song "Rockin' Robin" stuck in my head thanks to all the tweet, tweet, tweetily deettily deets in the chorus. No offense to Bobby Day, but thankfully I don't Tweet all that often. I feel like a social media failure and I'm at a crossroads.

I have shared my Twitter experience, to try to learn what this fad turned legit outlet is all about. And I have had a lot of great experiences. I have also had some struggles. It is not unlike blogging in that regard. But I don't have time to become a part of a meaningful community everywhere.

I only have so much of my personal time to give to the cause of developing online relationships. And no - I don't mean love connections. I mean collaborations of ideas, introductions to new things and the building of friendships - real, not virtual.  I want more than a big list of followers I don't know.  I'm all about quality - not quantity.  I didn't like the popularity contests in high school, and my small but loyal circle of friends from those days has a much stronger bond than any wall of followers ever could.
 
Gwen @ Chew & Digest Books played a big part in making this Twitter experience more personalized by introducing me to Mixero. Mixero is a program that takes your Twitter account and presents it in a very cool, orderly way that makes viewing and filtering information from Twitter so much easier. It lets me do all kinds of fantastic things such as cutting out all of the noise of responses to random people I don't know and conversations I don't care about. I can choose to read only the person's actual tweets. I can set up a tray of groups that then allows me to select which member's tweets I want to scroll through on their own instead of sifting through the entire set of everyone's all together. Less of the good stuff gets lost in the shuffle.

My love for Mixero aside, I still can't muster up the energy to visit Twits often. Yes, I know. Twits is not exactly an official term. But it's what I can't help but say in my head as I read about mindless details of everyone's day. There just aren't enough serious tweeters out there. Half the time they are just links to posts that I have already seen via my feed reader. Plus, I personally never know what to tweet about. I don't want to share minutia and I don't want to do only self-promotion. So what am I supposed to do? I am supposed to interact and build relationships while competing with a bunch of other people for attention via quick hits.

I have found that I prefer to be verbose. I prefer to write blog posts that break all rules on length convention. I prefer to spend my time blog hopping and delving into a blogger's heart and soul. Rolling up my sleeves and having a conversation that digs deep. I do use Twitter to test out blogs that are new to me - since most everyone tweets their post links. And I like to participate in group activities or Tweet-ups to meet other like-minded twits...er folks.

I'm not abandoning Twitter. It serves a purpose. Just not one that lures me in like it seems to do for others. And not for nothin', but any big time site that needs another program to filter and make the experience usable isn't going to attract and keep the older, non-techies like moi. If Twitter looked like Mixero from the get go I would have fallen hard and fast. But even that shine has worn off a bit.

What am I missing about Twitter? Do you use any social media outside of blogging? How do you find the time? What purpose does it serve for you? In relation to bloggers, are Twitter and Facebook just a way to solve the interactive restrictions of blogging?

ON FUN ~ Andy Town...

You have heard the term "Man Cave" before I am sure.  Usually a basement space that has been claimed by the man of the house as his own little spot to do with as he likes.  A shrine of favorite things.  Things that often the woman of the house won't allow anywhere else.  Man Cave sounds so primitive, so grunt-worthy, so completely manlike in its lack of creativity.  We prefer the term Andy Town for the little slice of our basement that Andy has created for himself.  Since he's out tonight playing softball, let me give you a tour. Off we go down into your typical basement...

Our collection of Wheaties boxes with Boston related sports teams greets you on your walk down, to let you know that you are entering a fun place.

Watch out! Don't trip over the cat. Tedy is a constant escort into Andy Town. He is a boy kitty named after a Patriots linebacker after all - he fits in down here just fine.

This is what greets you as you turn to your left at the bottom of the stairs. I am convinced that Andy has placed these items very strategically to deter my entrance into Andy Town, knowing they are two of my least favorite things: The Three Stooges and The Jeter Cup.

If you can get past the decoys, you will see on your left The Chair. This is a chair donated to the cause by my father, who upgraded his old recliner for a spiffy new one. This wasn't going to sit in our family room so Andy made it the centerpiece of Andy Town. This is where some serious music listening takes place folks. Do you see all of those CD's? That is but a fraction of the sprawling collection. Andy doesn't believe in i-pods or MP3's. He wants albums, tapes and CD's with cover art and liner notes that he can hold on to and examine while he listens to tunes.

And here is the view from The Chair. A boring stairwell wall in a basement converted into a forever growing collage of Concert Boy's music and memories.

Here is a closeup of some of the wall - it just happens to represent some of Andy's favorite things. A snapshot of his dearly departed old kitty and best pal Elvis is in the top left with the American flag beneath. Then we have Bob Marley, Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan images.  And to the right is a snapshot of the Red Sox winning the 2004 World Series along with former Bruins great Ray Borque hoisting the Stanley Cup (albeit for a different franchise).  Flanking the sports area is a winter photo of a farm near our old apartment and an eclectic collection of beer caps.

Whenever I come down here looking for Concert Boy, his sidekick Tedy is usually perched right above him on The Chair, absorbing music lessons.

On the other side of that wall of CD's is the dart board. There is plenty of room back here to throw from the official distance and the big wooden board with the colorful beer coasters keeps the heart of Andy Town safe from stray tosses.

And while you're up - grab a round of frosty ones out of the beer fridge tucked under the stairs. While I'm down here I might as well settle into The Chair and listen to one of my favorites...

I know. I'm such a geek. Tedy the cat seems to prefer tunes to spoken word listening. Guess I'll leave Andy Town to Concert Boy. Everyone needs their own special space after all. Even when they do stay out past their bedtime after softball ;0)

ON BOOKS ~ Networking In Your PJ's...

I love education. I truly do. That is what I majored in. I had intended to teach for a living, before a shortage of jobs got in my way. I enjoy nothing more than learning new things and helping others to experience the light bulb effect whenever new information "clicks" magically for the first time. So whenever I find an opportunity to learn and share, and I don't even have to leave my couch, I am so there.

Our blogger friend Terry Kate is an ambitious lass. She is like a plant that bubbles over from too much water - she is so full of ideas and connections that there just isn't time and space to hold all that she has to offer. I like to lasso her in and hitch a ride on her creative train. Which is now open to all bloggers and authors via the Book Bloggers & Authors Online Conference taking place over the weekend of August 6th and 7th. It is an ambitious and active lineup of panels for your listening pleasure online with the opportunity for call-in questions, forum postings and networking galore.

The goal is to help book bloggers hone their skills and learn how to work better with authors towards the common goal of bringing in the readers. Instead of seeing each other as separate entities, this conference encourages both sides to put their minds together during panel discussions and interactive contributions from registered participants to learn from each other and find better ways to be effective. Topics range from approaching publishers, to interview skills and the art of reviewing. There are also panels designed specifically for bloggers to improve their skills in things like social media and time management.

A selection of committed author panelists are:

• Supernatural Fiction best seller of "On The Edge" writing team Ilona Andrews
• Memoirist and author of the new Fiction release "How Clarissa Burden Learned To Fly" Connie May Fowler
• Urban Fantasy writer Stacia Kane of the Chess Putnam series
• Fiction writer of the Lumby series Gail Fraser

The conference requires a $15 registration fee and provides access online to the forums and panels. If you are interested but not able to listen live due to summer weekend plans, your registration allows you archive access to all of the panels through the end of August at your leisure, as well as continued access to the conference forums which extend throughout the month as well.

I will be there with bells on and strongly encourage you to do the same. I am still reaping the benefits from the last online conference Terry Kate put on back in the Spring. I can't wait for this one and to be a part of her community to plan future installments. Go on over and register - you won't regret it.

ON MOVIES ~ Boredom Blues...

Feature Presentation...

MONDAY MOVIE MEME

Molly looked around for a weekly meme about movies and did not have any luck. So therefore she decided to start her own! Andy will play along as well - hopefully you will too. Go to your blog and create your own post on the topic, linking back to us in your post, then come back and leave a link to your post here in our Comments section. If you don’t have a blog, just share your response in the Comments section.

This week's movie topic is all about Antidotes for Boredom...

Forgetfulone is a scrapbookin' momma extraordinaire. And she is also a bit movie buff. She plays along on a regular basis here, and decided to step up to the plate and be a Guest Director for the Monday Movie Meme! All Guest Directors get free reign here - including choice of topic, first dibs on selections and creative freedom of format. Without further ado - here's Forgetfulone's debut...

July is National Anti-Boredom month, and in honor of that, what are the movies you turn to when you're bored? You know... those movies that pull you in and keep you from feeling bored. Those movies that keep you focused and attentive no matter how many times you've seen them? If you're feeling bored, what movie(s) are you going to pop into the DVD player?

Shawshank Redemption - 1994

Madagascar - 2005

The Patriot - 2000

Join in and share on your blog movies that break up your boredom blues, linking back here at The Bumbles. If you're curious what our choices are, hop on over to Forgetfulone's blog to find out. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!

 Do you have a topic to suggest to the Monday Movie Meme? Or would you like to guest host? Let us know in the Comments section or send us an e-mail.

ON PHOTOS ~ Kiss Me Like You Mean It...

09-14-2008 - Nath & Jess' First Dance -Mystic, CT

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ON BLOGGING ~ How Those Free Offers Cost You Time...

Image courtesy Eole via Flickr

When I am at work, my e-mail system is beautifully organized.  Messages go into their appropriate folders right away because I need to easily retrieve and reference them.  Junk mail is almost non-existent so that I can see the important info. I need without all the mess.  Any spam that gets through the firewall is sent packing sternly.  And every client or vendor that I deal with is represented with a current address in my address book - no guess work or digging.  All of this is in place to maximize my time and allow me to be more efficient in my job.  So why is it that my personal e-mail was such a disaster?  Is the time in my personal life not as valuable and important?

My personal e-mail address book had become so unreliable that I was banking on my e-vite account to keep track of all the current addresses for friends and family.  And whenever a blogger would leave a comment with their e-mail address displayed, I would just save the message in a general folder to have a place to refer back to when I needed the information.  But of course I would then spend forever scrolling through enormous amounts of saved e-mails in that folder trying to find the person I was looking for.

Each morning I get excited to log in to my personal e-mail and interact with all of the comments people have left on our blog, or in various discussions on Goodreads or via direct messages from friends and family.  And each morning I was having to filter them all through a mass of crap.  My "New Messages" folder was always overflowing - with very little of the stuff I wanted to see.  Most of it was free offers, reminders, sales pitches and information that I no longer considered important.  I have spent the last 3 weeks unsubscribing to everything from my dentist to stores I rarely frequent.  They all get me on a list somewhere along the way - and they all have terrific things to share.  But they get in the way with what I want to see.  I don't really need to know about upcoming offers ASAP.  Half of these places I don't even frequent anymore.  And the rest I know exactly how to contact when I need them.  I didn't realize I was on so many mass e-mail lists until I started unsubscribing or blocking them.  After a few weeks of doing so, I have been rewarded by a nice and concise "New Messages" folder greeting me each morning.  I don't overlook the good stuff anymore because there isn't any useless stuff to sort through.  Get in, interact and move on.

I also decided to bite the bullet and organize my address book.  I spent an afternoon one weekend going through saved e-mails and creating entries in my address book for each sender that I needed to record.  Then I deleted all of those random messages that I had been storing for the sender's address alone.  Wowee!  My entire system was beautifully unclogged.  If I want to e-mail you now, I just go where logical people do - their address book - not sifting through pages of messages.  And while I was creating address pages, I also added each of them to a Group for ease of future searches.  I've got a Bloggers folder, a Family folder, a Friends folder (not that bloggers aren't friends - you know what I mean) and a Work folder.  I am a big believer in clustering things.

Which leads me to my final point.  Folders.  Not just as Groups in your address book.  But to hold messages in your e-mail overall.  It just makes it easier to find them later.  But it also frees up your In Box.  My biggest stressor is opening e-mail and finding an In Box filled with random information.  It overwhelms me and makes me want to click away to something else.  But when I approach it orderly - things improve.  I open the message, read it, and then file it.  It either gets deleted or saved.  And if it is saved, it must go in a folder.  I like to make up fun names for my folders - it makes me smile.  But I also like to be logical.  Makes life easier later.

These simple steps have made my mornings with e-mail sooooo much nicer.  I know when I open it up, what I want is all that I will see.  If something unnecessary finds it way in - I unsubscribe or block instantly.  It gives me more time to read, respond right away and filter for the future.  Because to me, interaction is the key to this online world of ours.  A few hours getting my e-mail all cleaned up leads to countless hours of building community with all of you in the blogosphere.

ON TRAVEL ~ Bumbling Good Time...

On our long weekend trip to Philadelphia, I made sure that we visited lots of historic sites, caught some baseball and visited a museum or two. But despite all of my good intentions, it seems that our little Bumble really had the best time partying. First, he wanted to check out the one of a kind wine bar at OUR HOTEL:

Then he wanted to hang with Andy at some outdoor bar seating to catch the active night life streaming past our table:

The next day he pulled us away from educational attractions to delve into a bible of beer:

Then of course he took in a few beers at the ballpark - just look how giddy he is:

On the way home he insisted on stopping for a game of darts:

And we couldn't drag him out before he had one more for the road:

It is no wonder that so many of my photos from Philly are blurry. Following that Bumble around is like trouble waitin' to happen.

ON SPORTS ~ At The Break...

 This is absolutely the suckiest day in sports.  Did you know that the day after baseball's All-Star game is void of sports?  No baseball games.  The World Cup is over.  Golf tournies don't start until Thursdays.  NASCAR is on the weekends.  Football training camps haven't opened yet.  Basketball and Hockey are in their off-seasons.  All you hear are crickets out there if you are searching for sports.  Which may be a day of celebration for all you sports haters.  For me, it is time to take stock of my fake baseball team and find a way to win our Fantasy Baseball League.

I shared with you a few months ago how this is my rookie year in this league - the only girl battling toe to toe with nine boys - Andy included.  I don't know any of these guys aside from Andy.  But they are becoming quite familiar with me.  I have been at or near the top of the standings consistently so far.  I gave up my lead in May, only to be saved by my fantasy baseball stud Roy Halladay's perfect game.  That is an actual term, not an exaggerated description.  A perfect game means that you don't give up any hits or walks to the opposing team, no one on your team makes an error, and you pitch a complete game shut-out for the win.  It is a very rare occurrence in baseball's history with only 20 overall.  They are worth a boatload of points and allowed me to make up some huge ground on the Commish.

The Commish is not that friendly Michael Chiklis character that comes to mind from that TV show before he turned all bad-ass in The Shield.  Our league's Commissioner is named Phil.  Phil is a very happy fellow who loves music and sharing the tunes he records from live shows wherever he goes.  Andy met him through an online music site and Phil decided it would be fun to start this fantasy baseball league.  When Phil puts on that Commish hat however, he gets a little nutty.

The Commish likes to brag.  He loves to revel in his success and is not shy about pointing it out.  And he will pounce right on someone else trying to knock him down a peg or two.  It is very easy to push his buttons and it is entertaining to watch him respond.  Needless to say he told me to mind my own business and worry about my own team when I snarked at his overtaking my lead.  In fact, he spouted off guarantees of victory and runaway leads over my humble efforts.  So of course it is driving him crazy that I continue to hang around - like an annoying little gnat that won't go away.  My team's pressure on him, always lurking nearby, makes him do some kooky things to hold that lead, to his strategy's detriment and my sideline delight.

So as we gear up for the second half of the season, I crunch some numbers, research some options and cross my fingers.  I look forward to the challenge and hope that my staff comes through for me.  The trading deadline is approaching and needless to say, I won't be dealing with the Commish.  Think of him as the Yankees and me as the Red Sox.  They don't trade with each other, and they both duke it out at the top of the AL East standings each year.  The Yanks won the trophy last year - and I'd hate to see them repeat.  And just like I want the Sox to be victors this season, I'm hoping just as hard for SOX Girl to win it all.  If that happens, I may not get a Duck Boat parade like the real Sox - but you sure as hell know I'll figure out a virtual one for all of you supporters ;0)

ON FAMILY ~ Lucy, No...

This is Sweet Lucy. Lucy Lu. Lucy No. Little One. She was born with a genetic heart condition that cut her young life short this past weekend at the age of 2. It was very traumatic, for her and for us, and for her surviving brother Tedy, who has the same condition. But beyond the sudden pain and fear, there were good things to hold on to. She was outside where she most loved to be when the massive clot paralyzed her hind legs. We were home and at her side right away. Able to bring her to emergency care to alleviate that pain quickly. And in the end, after our heartbreaking decision, she graced us with her trademark purr and a kiss before she left this world.

We have loved and lost a collection of kitties during our time together. And it never gets easy. How could it? It sucks. There is no easy way. Finding them already gone leads to lots of questions and hope that there was no pain. Being the one to guide them out of this life feels unfair and backhanded while they look at you so trusting. Watching them suffer from declining health feels guilty. And losing them to unforeseen forces is cruel.

Lucy and Tedy were rescued from a feral neighborhood cat by a friend because the rest of the litter didn't survive. A year after we brought them home we learned why - this matter of their hearts. Never once would you know that Lucy had a bum ticker. She was all movement or all sleep. An eternal kitten. She would awaken from a dead sleep to the sound of paper rustling. Bleary eyed and with bed head she would appear, begging for a wad of paper to be flung across the room for her to chase. And chase she would - launching over her lazing brother in mid-stride, crashing into furniture while sliding past her target. Batting it around better than any soccer pro. And when it came to a stop she would pick it up in her mouth and trot it right back to us to throw it for her again and again - the fetching cat.

She had a favorite felt toy that would appear magically in random parts of the house - on the stairs, in the basement, outside our bedroom door, next to the bed. It would let us know where she had wandered during her day while we were away at work. Lucy Was Here.

She was constantly leaving paw prints on the TV, nose prints on the windows, and tattered pieces of our couch in shreds from her scratching. Her middle name quickly became "No" because of the mischief she couldn't keep herself out of. "Lucy! No!" was a common refrain in our house. She was named after Lucille Ball and her crazy but well intended antics - and she lived up to her namesake quite well.

But more than anything, she was sweet. She hated to be picked up and placed in a lap - wriggling away as if she was being smothered. But you wouldn't feel rejected for long. Under her terms she would come bounding back, tail sticking up proudly and trotting lightly on her paws. Up into your lap she would land - when it was her idea there was no stopping her from a snuggle. She licked and licked and licked - fingers and blankets - while kneading away. And then she would curl herself up into a tight, warm, furry ball like a potato bug - snug against you for the night. Because you couldn't bear to make her move - so sweet.

She packed a lot of punch into her small little body and her ailing heart overflowed with love for everyone she met. She was the official greeter and enjoyed being where the people were. She was a valiant hunter of small critters, many of whom we rescued again and again. She never turned down her brother's requests for a bath, regardless of how tired she was. She knew how to climb up into and back down from trees all on her own. She loved our daily routines. And that is why it is so hard to overcome her death. Because she was such a large part of every part.

We love her. We miss her. We want her back

ON MOVIES ~ Hidden Gems...

Feature Presentation...

MONDAY MOVIE MEME

Molly looked around for a weekly meme about movies and did not have any luck. So therefore she decided to start her own! Andy will play along as well - hopefully you will too. Go to your blog and create your own post on the topic, linking back to us in your post, then come back and leave a link to your post here in our Comments section. If you don’t have a blog, just share your response in the Comments section.

This week's movie topic is all about Overlooked Movies...

Goody, goody, goody.  I get to help out the beloved Bumbles and share some of my favorite films I am pretty sure most of you missed.  Oh, hi! I am Terry Kate - book blogger and filmmaker of Romance in the Backseat.   Nice to see everybody!  So here is my Guest Director version of the Monday Movie Meme.

Movies You Might Have Missed.

Fill us in on the great films you have discovered that most viewers don't know about.  Take an opportunity to share your gems to enhance our Neflix queue, linking back here at The Bumbles Blog.  And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!  My choices for you are below...




Red Violin
I have often said if I had directed this I would die happy.  It is a flawless film - there are subtitles and don't expect it to be fast moving, but a beautiful tale.



Pillow Book
Subtitles again, this is a mind blowing erotic film.  Well, to be clearer it has erotic elements.  Ewen McGregor is young, lithe and full frontal.  It is a gorgeous and moving love story



Double Happiness
Awesome little Canadian film that discusses a culture clash and dating.  Here is a clip for your viewing pleasure:



Shall We Dance - Japanese Version ONLY!  All other impostors must be ignored!
This movie is so lovely and so charming you will never regret having to read subtitles or miss J-Lo.  I shudder to think of the other versions.  Okay I am a film snob - sue me - but this is a film to fall in love with and no one I have ever shown it to was disappointed.



If you have seen any of these share your thoughts and any comments, I am so honored to be a guest here, so thank you Bumbles.  Thanks readers too, I hope you enjoyed my list.

Terry Kate
- Romance in the Backseat
- RITBS Blog

 Do you have a topic to suggest to the Monday Movie Meme? Or would you like to guest host? Let us know in the Comments section or send us an e-mail.

ON PHOTOS ~ Shopping & Commerce...

07-31-2009 - St. Lawrence Market - Toronto, Ontario

click photo to enlarge

Visit

to post or VOTE for this (Bumbles) or other interpretations of this week's challenge

ON BLOGGING ~ That's What Friends Are For...

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Welcome to our weekly BlogAnon meeting where we confess a particular blogging sin and turn to you for support, suggestions and that blogging bond so we know we're not all alone. Don't be shy. Read along and let us know if you identify with us this week.

A couple of months ago, I cried out for a Blog Buddy, because I needed a boost. And the first to answer my call was Jehara. So when you see me refer to "my Blog Buddy, Jehara" I am not using the term just in the sense of an online friend. I am using her official title. She is responsible for keeping me accountable to my self-professed blogging goals. And that is no easy task.

Every two weeks, we meet online via Google Chat and share, complain, learn and energize. We can also spend our time just talking about family, friends and fun - but before we sign off we each must tell the other a goal we have set for ourselves to be accomplished by the next time we meet. Sometimes they are big goals - the announcement of a grand idea - that by verbalizing it, it will make it a reality. Forcing action. Sometimes they are simple but tedious - organization, purging, implementing a tool. But they are always goals. To keep us thinking, active and improving.

We don't always meet our goals. Sometimes they are abandoned - with reasons given. Other times they evolve. I may struggle with why a certain concept didn't go as planned, and Jehara will provide input that adds a different perspective, opening a door to an even better idea. Or I might share information with Jehara that leads her to a different conclusion - contrary to the originally stated goal. But always, we encourage each other in our goal's pursuit. Jehara has talked me into sticking with a concept that I thought had run its course. Without her Blog Buddy role, I would have abandoned it long ago. She has also taught me that goals should be manageable - not unrealistic pages full of ideas to try and cram into a short window of time. Baby steps lead to less discouragement.

We both look forward to our chats. It is nice to have another person to talk to on a regular basis who "gets" the blogging world. Holding each other accountable for goals is our main job. But building a friendship across time zones is the bonus. Before signing on to be each others Blog Buddy, we didn't know each other well. Now we keep each others secrets before the big reveals. I know what she's hoped and worked for before it ever appears in the blogosphere. And the same is true of me to her. And we also know those things that never see the light of day.

I highly recommend that every blogger find a Blog Buddy. We've talked blog design, technical issues, functional improvements, organizational tasks, post ideas, networking, concepts, focused ideas for the future, traffic, names and logos. And we've also talked TV, movies, books, weather, mottoes and spirit. We laugh, get tough and whine. And we always keep our dates. That's the best part of all. Someone on the other end to count on, no matter what.

Do you have a blogger that you enjoy reading? Or one that you have chatted with directly before? Why not reach out to them and create an official Blog Buddy arrangement? Do you think it would be better to have a Blog Buddy you already know well or someone you don't have much of a relationship with first? What is stopping you from having a Blog Buddy? Pair up with someone here in the comments, in Bumble Town or send me an e-mail if you are too shy and I'll do my best to match you up with someone.

ON FOOD ~ Ode to Reese's...

Image courtesy quinn.anya via Flickr

I am a pretty healthy Bumble. Three years ago I quit smoking, cut out soda almost completely, learned to eat vegetables instead of fried food, joined a gym and lost 25 pounds. That was a royal pain in the ass. It still is. Which is why I believe in the reward system. Every night, after a long day of work and a sweaty work-out at the gym I come home, kick off my sneakers and grab a handful of mini-Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Without guilt. Nothing but joy is allowed during reward time.

I have always had a sweet tooth. Fudge. Ice cream sandwiches. Chocolate chip cookies. Brownies. Butterscotch. Hell, even super sweet juicy fruit like pineapple will do the trick in a pinch. But I've always had the softest spot in my heart for Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Friendly's makes a yummy Reese's sundae. There are chocolate peanut butter pies. Reese's Pieces at the movies. But no combination of chocolate and peanut butter is as perfect as Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

I was horrified to learn that several bloggers out there in other parts of the world had never heard of them before. Weren't familiar with the friendly Reese's cursive logo on the orange package of the big cups or foil wrapping of the minis. Had never peeled the inner paper wrapper gently away from the crimped edges of the cup. Did not know about the thin but firm layer of chocolate. Or the smooth and dense filling of peanut butter hidden beneath. The travesty.

I prefer mine at room temperature but have been guilty of licking the melted remains off of the mushy wrapper on a hot day. They don't ever taste the same after they have melted and hardened again. That is a total bummer. A re-hardened bag of mini-cups is the most disappointing thing ever to occur in the world of rewards. So, during these hot summer days you will find my stash in the vegetable drawer of our fridge where they stay cool but not crunchy. Plus, the orange label of the Reese's bag blends in quite nicely with the lonely bag of healthy baby carrots that disguise their existence and ensure they are not gobbled up by others not so deserving of the reward.

ON FUN ~ Jack's Tree...

This is Jack's Tree. Jack is the son of our good friends from Maine. We spend a weekend each summer with them at their lake house. And they come down to visit us here and there when there is a gathering going on. On one such trip down, for a football playoff party we were having, they came bearing a gift. Because they had spent Christmas in 2007 visiting family in Chicago, they did not get a Christmas tree for their home. Not wanting to disappoint young Jack, they bought a small potted tree for him to decorate leading up to their holiday trip. And because they did not have a nice spot to plant it in their own yard, they brought it down to us.

Jack's Tree did not come with any instructions per se, so we just left it sitting very festively by our front porch dotted with snow through the winter. No one told us that it should have been moved inside and cared for there. The soil in the pot froze, just like the ground we planned to eventually plant it in. This was not proper treatment for a little pine and the poor thing was in trouble when the Spring thaw finally came around a few months later.

A little research told us that Jack's Tree was an Australian Pine, which is nearly impossible to kill and very hearty in our region. Provided it did not die from our neglect before it had half a chance, it would grow to be quite large and attractive. We picked out a spot near the back of our yard where it would have room to grow and recover and crossed our fingers.

Jack's Tree spent the next few months turning brown. We felt almost foolish watering it - it looked so far gone. But we are stubborn Bumbles and so we kept apologizing to Jack's Tree and giving it water while brushing dead needles away. We got up the courage to ask the landscaper we hired to build our patio whether he thought Jack's Tree had any shot. He pointed out new growth and said that it would probably pull through despite our mistreatment.

A year after our gift of Jack's Tree arrived, it had finally turned green again. But it was so thin that it looked just like Charlie Brown's Tree instead of something young Jack could be proud of. We hoped it had put down its roots well enough to make it through another winter and that this one would treat it more kindly.

Jack's Tree survived its second winter and didn't shed nearly as many needles as it had before. In fact, it actually started to fatten up. We would check on it each time we'd come back to tend the vegetable garden that kept the little guy company. And we stopped worrying about it heading in to this past winter - its third at our home.

This Spring, when I lamented over our barren and pitiful gardens, the one bright spot in our yard was Jack's Tree. He has grown bigger, greener and more lush. He is coming into his own in his spot in the world. Some day we will look back at photos of our yard and marvel at how small he was. Just like we do when we revisit older photos from our summer trips up to Maine. Where young Jack was so small and we marvel at how much he has grown.

Getting toys and clothes and books and baubles as presents is always exciting. But they don't carry as much meaning as a tree from a young boy to plant and grow, that will be here to please the eyes of someone else long after we are gone from this Earth. So thank you Jack. We think of you each time we visit your tree. And we are really happy your tree is as stubborn as we are. Because I'm not sure we could have fessed up to killing your gift.