I'm not talking about him being a pair of pants. I'm talking more about the cool, hep cat (STFU if you mock me for using that term) sort of guy who loves a certain kind of music and who charms all the women. That's my son. To a "T".

Little Dude loves everything old and somehow makes it all new and fun again. From cartoons to music to movies to cars. If we lived in the 50s, he'd be that guy who walked the line between greaser and all American boy and he'd do it well. He'd be Fonzie -- after he reclaimed his leather jacket and ditched the blue one he had in early Happy Days episodes and then after he became friends with the Cunningham elders.

LD's Brendan Fraser in Blast From The Past -- not as seen by Alicia Silverstone's Eve character, but by the other women in the nightclub, even though Eve eventually falls for him, too.

Forget the conventional definition of hipster one would find over at Wikipedia. This is MY world and I reject their definition for my own.

Anyhow, LD has redefined what cool is and I'm so proud to see him turning into this young man. Nope, no little boy to be found here anymore. Just this young man. Time flies all too quickly.

In other LD news, that little pre-casting headshot thing on Saturday? We got the call yesterday. They want him to come in for a reading on Sunday. I'll be out of town, but his dad has agreed to take him. His headshot? Probably the one with Kiwi the kitty. It's the most recent and it's rather nice, if I do say so myself.

I'm sitting here thinking how much this child has grown and how he's no longer too shy to attempt things that used to scare him and I'm thinking I should be singing "Sunrise, Sunset".

By the way, I may be a terrible mother for saying this, but I now love my three hundred times more now than I did four weeks ago. Why? Because I no longer have to hear about starwarsstarwarsstarwars. These days it's all about the hunky Indiana Jones. Hey, I did say once upon a time I regretted not having his middle name be Harrison. Aside from all presidential soundingness of it, I happen to like me some Mr. Ford. And I'm super extra grateful that we can enjoy movies together for a change. I've never been so happy. Well, okay, a couple of times, but those involved 1) a new camera and 2) a ticket to a special concert. (Notice how these are all post-talking-kid)

WTF were you thinking? I don't like the endless carols from November through (let's face it, there's seriously poor planning on many people's parts here) January. Do I need to hear this crap in May? No.

I don't care that you've changed the words to the song. It's still a damn carol and I'm really beginning to loathe you for foisting it upon me at the most non-Noel time of year.

So, basically what I'm saying, Verizon, is: bite me. Any glimmer of a chance you had at me using your services is now a "moo" point. Yes, I'm quoting Joey Tribbiani. That should tell you something. Bite me, bite me, bite me.

Verizon, you're officially on my shit list.

Insincerely,

Da Goddess

Woo hoo!

Now America knows, too.

Soldiers’ Angels founder Patti Patton-Bader was named “America’s Favorite Mom” in a primetime television show Sunday night on NBC. Sponsored by Teleflora and hosted by Donny and Marie Osmond, the show highlighted fifteen outstanding mothers who had distinguished themselves in categories ranging from Working Moms to Military Moms and “Non-Mom” Moms.

Humbled by the honor, Patti is thrilled to be able to use it to continue the Soldiers’ Angels mission of “May No Soldier Go Unloved.” As the grand prize winner, she will receive $250,000, a set of household appliances, and other valuable items. Patti hopes to apply the winnings to her plans for a small ranch that will allow newly returned soldiers to relax with their families after deployments.

“I really am lucky to know so many heroes in my life,” said Patti, who herself has two sons in the Army, one currently deployed to Iraq. “Whether they are the troops who serve our country or the amazing mothers here on this America’s Favorite Mom program, I am honored to be in the presence of such inspirational people and also am humbled to know that America thinks the same of me.”

I met Patti two years ago at the conclusion of Soldier Ride (photos) and she is a warm, gracious, amazing, beautiful spirit -- inside and out. I can't think of anyone more deserving of this honor than Patti Patton-Bader.

Here's to Patti and Soldiers' Angels!

Little Dude felt lots better yesterday, but remained mostly quiet and happy to lounge around, watching movies. Good thing, too, because I ended up in tons o' pain. Weather and too much walking/carrying supplies did me in. As I said though, we watched movies and giggled over general silliness, talked about how special Soldiers' Angels is and what a great job LD did for them on Saturday, and basically enjoyed hanging out together.

I'm such a lucky mom.

On Friday, I took a bunch of quick photos for a friend and the flowers above came from that set. Today they're a pretty distraction from pain and frustration.

Gator's not happening for us tomorrow.

Fudgesicle. LD's very upset. He says Soldiers' Angels NEEEEEDS him. I told him they also really need not to get sick. Or have him throw up on people. Reluctantly, he went back to bed with little fuss.

We'll probably spend the day watching movies and taking it easy.

Poor little guy.

Turns out it was a great decision all the way around.

Little Dude was happy to be helping out a good cause and he turned out to be a fantastic salesman. They were selling beads and he would wander the crowd, gathering money like it was growing on trees. He even ended up selling to a friend of mine who doesn't spend money on these things. Ever. Yep, the eskimo bought ice from LD.

He also ended up having a head shot done by a group who were looking to cast kids in two new shows locally. Little Mr. Reluctant finally gave in and something tells me he could have a chance.

Lots of photos to upload.

Lots of rest needed. Especially if LD's going to charm everyone again.

Yes, this was taken today. Yes, it's May. In Southern California. It was cold enough that LD was wearing a long sleeve t-shirt and a long sleeve flannel shirt. At 4pm.

Global warming, indeed.

By the way, the rescuee pictured here wasn't in any danger, but LD felt it necessary to rescue the puddy tat anyway. Poor Kiwi.

...

Yeah, that's what everyone else said.

Jones claimed he and his friends used shovels to dig up the body and removed the corpse's head with a garden tool, Adkins said. Jones also revealed he and the other two boys took the severed head to the juvenile's home, where they used the skull as a "bong" to smoke marijuana, the officer said.

It's bad enough these kids are stoners, but using a skull as a bong? WTF??? How on earth did these sick little shits come up with such an idea?

I won't even bother to ask where the parents were. I just want to know these kids are getting some major counseling.

Found via both Jodi and The Fat Guy.

Okay, so maybe it was brunch at Coco's and we spent most of our time discussing the pros and cons of pbase vs flickr. Whatev. We laughed, we cried, we scared off other customers. Maybe it was the dummy at the head of the table. Or maybe it was the frequent references to fast glass, which apparently some heard as fast "ass".

I had brought with me a list of items I need to feel completely ready for anything thrown my way. On that list was a 70-300mm (or 75-300mm or even the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS -- the f/2.8 being really fast glass) lens. Now, these lenses can run anywhere from $159 to over a grand, depending on which series it's from, whether or not it's a fixed aperture, and a few other things I won't bore you with. One of the very kind gentlemen with the group said he had such a lens he'd be willing to sell me. My friend, the gear expert, said she'd happily take a look at the lens and evaluate its condition, etc. She's picking it up tomorrow and I'll be taking it on a test run this weekend. If I like it, I can have it for about 1/5 of what it'd cost brand new. ONE FIFTH. Uh huh. This is one of those lenses that start at over $1000.

At this same gathering, it was determined that I can do without an external flash for the time being (whew!) since I've become so comfortable with adjusting my popup flash's exposure. I also have a rather inexpensive diffuser I can use if I need, but it hasn't been necessary thus far.

I thought I had a line on a monopod, but that turned out to be a dead end. Le sigh.

Still, I considered how much money I'd be saving by not having to get the flash and I can apply about $100 of that to the lens purchase and the rest toward the monopod.

Thanks to a very kind someone (if I told you who, you'd never believe me -- I'm still in shock), I now have the monopod and a great quick release locking ball head. I also have a new camera case that accommodates larger lenses as well as one smaller one. I figure if I need more than two lenses, I'll just use my clip-on pouch and haul that along. Two other items were purchased: a lens cleaning kit (d'oh! didn't have one) and a remote so I can actually be running around, adjusting a scene, then SNAP! Photo done. It'll also be a blessing when I'm attempting long exposures, which I'm hoping to do quite soon (borrowing a tripod).

You know, I have this small bit of guilt when I'm buying gear. That is, until I realize that this is simply an investment in my future. And again, because of a last minute infusion of funds, I was able to pick up more much sooner than I thought possible.

I'm giddy as a schoolgirl as I contemplate the new lens purchase. My fingers are crossed that the lens is perfect and produces a quality image. We shall see. Fingers. Crossed.

Oh, and more about that dummy later.

All photos taken with the 35-135mm lens. Since I couldn't shoot the stage with flash, everything's been edited more than I generally prefer. Still, I was happy with most of the results, although I'd love brighter lighting in venues across the board.

Lots of fun was had by all. The band was great and the music was rockin'. Even the opening act was good. Unfortunately, there was some sort of "sticking point" with the camera during the first part of the evening and all my early shots had to be scrapped. There was just no saving them. Sure, if I'd shot RAW, maybe. But I didn't because, to be quite honest, until I get myself Photoshop CS2 or CS3, there's really no point. The adjustments I can make with Canon software don't do nearly enough and Paint Shop Pro XI doesn't handle the files as well as I'd like.

I felt horrible that the first part of the evening's product was crap, but at least I didn't give up. Whatever the problem was with the camera (I had everything set properly -- I checked 3 or 4 times -- but the camera wasn't cooperating), it resolved and life went on.

There was a special significance in photographing the drummer. Not only is he a friend, but he's an inspiration. Picture this: California, 2007. A man -- no spring chicken, mind you -- gets the opportunity to realize a lifelong dream of playing with an internationally recognized act. His successful business can be run by his wife, sister, and son. He jumps at the chance and has been having the time of his life ever since. This wasn't where his life was headed 20 years ago when he was an addict. It wasn't even where his life was headed after he got clean and sober. It was more a case of an unrealized dream gnawing at the very fiber of his being that caused him to grab those sticks and start playing every chance he got. Sounds a little familiar, no? Substitute sticks for a camera and a back injury for the addiction, but don't even try to substitute that passion... It doesn't matter what form it takes as long as it drives you.

I keep telling myself if Dave can do it, so can I. He tells me the same thing, which is very cool. And he has echoed what many others have said about the universe giving you what you need once you give it a chance.

All in all, I'm fairly happy with the photographs and I definitely think the lens purchase was worth it.

Anyhow, here's a post that MUST BE READ.

Because of our American military, America is blessed not to be ‘war-weary’. However, instead of facing a barrage of bullets, missiles, bombs, and suicide-murderers, we have an onslaught of the MSM telling us ‘we are bad Americans. We are killing all these really nice people. Those nice people hate us because we are in their country. Let’s all sing kumbaya* and then no one will be war-weary’.

Hat tip: Pam.

Friday -- all day -- begins the weekend-long grand opening of the new Borders store in National City. There'll be music and book signings and all sorts of prizes handed out. Meet Oliver North and Ingrid Croce and a host of others. I think I might go Friday just to get some free candy and to see Little Dude's eyes pop out of his head as he gets a load of the size of the place. Book stores are like toy stores for the brain, you know?

Saturday and Sunday are our big days around this house. Gator By The Bay! Big time fun with great music and good people. Oh, and there's food, too. LD and I are doing double duty, working with the blues society and Soldiers' Angels. And we have to squeeze in time for photos and music enjoyment. It'll be a long weekend, but I'm packing my pain pills and planning plenty of breaks to save my back.

So now that you know where to find me, are you gonna stalk me? If so, bring presents. Or at least buy me a drink or a nosh.

I'm including an old photo after the old post, too, cuz you haven't had enough of those picture thingies lately, have you? (Surly -- at 6am -- without any alcohol...this is why I'm considered a "catch".)

Contrary to popular belief, Cinco de Mayo is not the date of Mexico's freedom from Spain (that occurs on September 16.) Cinco de Mayo is the celebration of Mexico's victory against the French in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.

Old Town San Diego held its Fiesta Cinco de Mayo last weekend. [ed. note: there was another celebration this weekend, too. Funny how they seem to do it year after year at the same time.]

You can do a little celebrating yourself with some tasty food and a little cerveza.

Click below for a yummy Pork Empanada and Chipotle Salsa recipes. Enjoy!

Pork Empanada

Filling
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 12-ounce pork tenderloin, trimmed, cut into 1/3-inch pieces
1 jalapeño chili, minced
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons sour cream

Dough
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup Masa Harina (corn tortilla mix)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, cooled
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon water
2 large eggs

Chipotle Salsa (see recipe)
Sour cream

For filling:
Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork, serrano chili, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon and allspice to skillet and stir 3 minutes. Add lime juice; boil until almost all liquid evaporates, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Mix in sour cream. Season with salt and pepper. Cool.

For dough:
Butter 2 large baking sheets. Mix flour, Masa Harina, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Stir in melted butter. Whisk water and 1 egg in small bowl to blend. Add to flour mixture; knead in bowl until smooth pliable dough forms, about 2 minutes. Working with half of dough at a time, roll out on floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Using 3 3/4-inch-diameter biscuit cutter, cut out rounds. Reroll scraps and cut out additional rounds for a total of 12 rounds per dough half.

Whisk remaining egg in small bowl to blend. Place 1 tablespoon filling in center of each dough round. Lightly brush edges with egg. Fold dough over, pressing edges with fork to seal. Place on prepared baking sheets. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with plastic wrap; chill.)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Brush empanadas with beaten egg. Bake until light golden brown, about 25 minutes. Serve with Chipotle Salsa and sour cream.

Chipotle Salsa

3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce (sold at Latin American markets)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

Combine all ingredients in medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Makes about 3 cups.