Honey

I did something this morning that from the outside seems like no big deal, but from the inside it hurt like hell.

Before I moved to Denver, I threw away or gave away all of my plants, except for a peace lily named Honey. Honey rode across the state of Kansas in the backseat of my car to take her place in my new living room. For several months, Honey thrived, but then one day, I noticed she had started to wilt a bit and some of her gorgeous green leaves were turning brown. I trimmed off the dead leaves and waited. She bloomed for about a month and then started to wilt again. I repotted her and put her on the balcony for some sun. Still no improvement, in fact, her condition got worse. I trimmed her back as much as I could and managed to save two new sprouts, but the new sprouts never took off. Yesterday I finally admitted that Honey wasn't coming back. And I cried.

Crying over a plant may seem extreme, and let's face it, it really is a bit wacko, but Honey was no regular plant. She was the last plant from Teddy's funeral six years ago this week. As I took her to the dumpster, I whispered a quiet good-bye and let her go.

Murmur of an echo

pen·sive [pen-siv]
–adjective
1. dreamily or wistfully thoughtful
2. expressing or revealing thoughtfulness, usually marked by some sadness

A kctl update for Spackler

Don't send out a search party quite yet, Spacks...I'm here, just very, very busy at work. The Year of the Terri is coming along swimmingly. I have managed to do one new thing each month so far:

January: pub crawl on Colfax
February: attended KU/CU basketball game
March: saw a frozen dead guy
April: found my way through the Wash Park area without getting lost
May: went to Vegas

Coming attractions:
June: first Red Rocks concert (John Butler Trio)
July: spending a week in Alaska
August: seeing John Hiatt and Shawn Colvin in Vail

Not all the events are earth shattering, but they were all new and that's what counts!

As for Memorial Day, two of my bestest girlfriends (and their boyfriends) came to visit...and I can honestly say we had a great time! We were a bit crowded, even splitting everyone up between Dawn's place and my place. Julie McCoy, Cruise Director (aka Dawn) went into overdrive planning the weekend. It rocked. Friday: Coors (short) Tour followed by a pub crawl through Golden and dinner at the best BBQ place west of Kansas City; Saturday: Boulder Creek Festival in Boulder and then The Rio for margaritas and lunch ending with dinner at Dawn & Mark's; Sunday: took it kind of easy with brunch and Bloody Mary's in the morning before heading downtown for the afternoon; Monday: BBQ at D&M's house before I took everyone to the airport. I miss these girls so much we could've just stayed inside for three days and I would have been thrilled.

I tried my best to be Julie McCoy, Jr., but it's harder than it looks!! I'll get a bit more practice when another friend comes to town in June.

And another man?! What are you talking about Carl? You know you're the only man for me!!

The World Awaits

Anxious, excited, full of hope

You cross from child to adult

Courage, determination, full of pride

The world awaits

Happy Graduation, Sierra! You're going to do just fine at this grown-up thing...I promise (hell, if I can do it, anyone can!). I know you're both scared and excited about the changes that are coming and that's totally normal. Your life is wide open and there are great things in store for you. All you have to do is go get the life you want and refuse to settle for anything less. And since we've got the same stubborn blood in our veins, I know you'll do just that. Love you, Terri Lynn

...

I feel I should say something about Jerry Falwell's passing, but I'm not sure what to say, nor how to say it. I can't say that I'm glad the man is dead, that would make me a horrible person, but I can say that I'm glad the world will no longer be subjected to his twisted, narrow, bigoted views.

So, I guess a simple 'Rest in Peace' will have suffice...and it is my sincerest wish that since he didn't learn it during his years on Earth, I hope his God is able teach him the meaning of the word 'tolerance.'

Vegas by the numbers

• Bloody Mary's drank: 2
• Hours spent at the hotel happy hour (daily): 2.5
• Free drinks at said happy hour (daily): 6-7
• Omelets eaten: 2
• Cameras forgotten at home: 2
• Trips to sports books: 2
• Money won on Kentucky Derby: $60 and $120 (unfortunately, not won by me)
• Elvis impersonators: 4 (including Dirty Crotch Elvis and Orange Oompa Loompa Elvis)
• Accidental Elvis impersonators: 2 (including a cabbie named Larry)
• $5.99 steaks ordered: 3
• $5.99 steaks eaten: less than half of each
• Upset tummys after $5.99 steak consumption: 3
• Trips to Freemont Street for shrimp cocktail: 1
• T-shirts bought: 3
• Times denied drinks at Margaritaville because it doesn't open until 11am: 1
• Times telling the hostess "but like Jimmy Buffett says, it's 5 o'clock somewhere...": 1
• Hours spent people watching from the rooftop deck of Margaritaville: 1.5
• Cute Boys met: 4
• Cute Boys serving as kctl's personal guide to Vegas: 1
• Rides riden at the Stratosphere: 1
• Times screaming like a little girl on ride at the Strat: 5
• Pocket knives lost: 1
• Hours spent at the rooftop bar at the Strat: 3
• Cute Boys kissed while enjoying the view: 1
• Times telling strangers that Cute Boy and I had just gotten married at The Little Chapel of Love: 3
• Times strangers bought "the newlyweds" drinks: 8
• Times "the newlyweds" felt guilty: 0
• Pictures of "the newlyweds" on strangers cameras: 3
• Bartenders who looked like Lurch: 1
• Minutes searching for rental car in parking garage: 30
• Bellagio fountain shows watched: 7
• Miles walked up & down The Strip: 25
• Blisters received: 1
• Times porn was offered: too many to count
• $8 beers bought at New York, New York: 3
• $8 beers bought at The Bellagio: 2
• $8 beers bought at Caesar's: 2
• Drunk guys doing a back flip off of a mechanical bull: 1
• Noses broken by drunk guy doing a back flip off a mechanical bull: 1
• Cab rides taken: 4
• Beer glasses stolen because it said 'Hefeweisen': 1
• Snoop Dogg spotted: 2
• Lion cubs seen: 2
• Pool games played: 1
• Pool games lost: 1
• Bad 80's Hair Band listened to: 1
• Trips to the ATM: 2
• Fee for using the ATM: $4 each trip
• Freaky homeless guy sightings: 5
• Most money won at video poker: $25 (on a $2 bet)
• Times "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" said: 6
• Women walking barefoot on the strip: 2
• Barefoot women washing their feet in the fountain at Caesar's Palace: 1
• Beers drank: infinity plus one
• Dips in the hottub: 1
• Naps taken: 1 (Dawn called it a nap, but she just flat passed out...oh well, toe-may-toe, toe-mah-toe)
• Trips to the 'burbs: 1
• Drives through the Red Rocks Nat'l Forest: 1
• Wild asses spotted: 0
• Times singing "Viva Las Vegas": 8
• Shocks given by toy electric gun: 1
• Hours laughed at the look on Mark's face after being shocked by toy gun: 4
• Drunk dials: 4
• Hours slept in 3 day period: 6
• Trips through security at Vegas airport: 2
• Phone calls from Cute Boy since landing at DIA: 2

And I can't wait to do it again!!!

Bright Light City, part duex

Christ on a cracker am I tired!!!!!!!!!!

Vegas details to follow...(sorry, no pics of Brad or George) but damn, a great time was had by all.

Bright Light City

Riddle me this: This weekend, what will George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and lil' ol' me have in common?

Answer: Vegas, baby!!

Yep, Dawn, Mark and I are headed to Vegas this weekend for a change of scenery...which just happens to be the same weekend they are premiering "Ocean's 13." I will come back with a picture of The Pretty if it kills me. I'm soooo going to jail for stalking. And it will be totally worth it.

I mean, look, they're already waiting at the airport for us...

"Bright light city gonna set my soul

Gonna set my soul on fire

Gotta whole lot of money that's ready to burn

so get those stakes up higher..."