What will become of "October Road" on ABC?

Hooray!

October Road is coming back!!! So happy that I had to do a Happy Dance..................

I hate getting hooked on shows that I feel do not have longevity, but I did get hooked on "October Road" on ABC. There was talk of it being canceled and some folks did campaign for its survival. Although late as ever, I just found out that the show will be around for the next season. There are few shows that I watch on a regular basis (Grey's Anatomy, Girlfriends, Brothers and Sisters and Desperate Housewives), I fell for this show because of some of the intriguing actors. While watching the show, there is a young actor named Slade Pearce that plays the character of Sam Daniels. He reminds me so much of the young actress Natalie Portman. At first I thought that he might be her younger brother, but I found out that she is an only child. But their resemblance to me is startling especially when I compare his acting to hers when she played the character “Marty” in the 1996 movie “Beautiful Girls,” which I have on VHS.

Another interesting character to me from that show is Physical Phil who is played by Jay Paulson. I feel that he has the most beautiful intense eyes, although I think his character is very loopy. Playing the main character, Nick Garrett, Bryan Greenberg definitely shows that a change in hairstyles definitely increases an actor's hotness quotient. I encountered him in the movie “Prime” first before I saw him in “The Perfect Score” Those wavy bangs gave such the impression of dorkiness and also made him seem heavier, but it served the purpose for that character because he gave such a good performance, I did not know that he was the same sexy actor in “Prime”.

Dreaming of open waters, Consumer lusting, and Manual labor during the Memorial Day weekend...

While going through some old bookmarked links, I found out that Virgin Threads decided to change to Stars and Infinite Darkness (www.starsandinfinitedarkness.com). After being hit with an infringement suit by Virgin Group Ltd, owned by Richard Branson (Virgin Records, Virgin Mobile, and Virgin Airlines), the owner Jason Lang, later changed the site's name. I do not feel the name does the site justice, but I think it conveys his sentiment regarding the situation. I am not sure if he settled out of court, or just threw in the towel, but the site is still rocking. I am cheesing on these dolly earrings made by Tuco and Blondie (Margaret Armalas). I do remember having one of these tiny dolls that I called Lolly, during my childhood. Somebody had given me one as a gift and she had a lot of adventures riding on my brothers' Matchbox race car sets. Although cute, I mainly see them for the younger set. Meanwhile I do want these golden leaves Liv earrings, but will have to wait till the budgets gets back in shape before I can claim them.

Memorial Weekend usually signifies to many, the beginning of summer, a weekend for shopping, traveling, and to enjoy Barbecue. My new neighbors started their partying on Friday around 8 pm, and did not quiet down until after midnight. Usually for me, I see it as my spring cleaning weekend, but I will be working this Monday. I much rather spend the Saturday and Sunday cleaning up the house, painting and landscaping the yard. Then maybe later I might host a nice get together in the backyard on Memorial Day, or to escape the after party cleanup, sometimes I enjoy myself in somebody else's yard. Unfortunately the ex never saw it my way, so we did not host much during that time, although I have done so several times since I became a homeowner.

A couple of times during the last several years, my buddies and I were blessed to go on The Fantastic Voyage Cruise during the Memorial weekend. There are no other cruises like those annual cruises and I am sorely missing the fun we had on those trips. Currently, none of our finances right now can accommodate that trip, so I am landlocked for the time being, although I do have access to the Detroit River. So instead of chilling out on the deck, basking in the tropical scenery, enjoying late night buffets, grooving to jazz/old school hip-hop, I am going to be putting in some manual labor on Saturday and Sunday. However, I also plan to attend the Black Business Expo at Cobo Conference Center this Saturday. Hopefully I can make some contacts and also get some concrete ideals on increasing my income, and building a viable business. Then maybe I can “Party with a Purpose” with the extra income I hope to be blessed with in the future.

I pray that everyone has a safe and fun Holiday.

Dealing with exodus and homestead options......................

A close relative informed me that she will be following her fiance to another state next year. Inside I was knocked for a loop, but I am happy that she would be making a new life with him in a new place. She had already expressed a desire to live somewhere else, so I expected her to leave, but not so soon in the future. Folks are leaving Michigan, and sometimes despite my hope for Detroit, I can't help but wonder if I am missing out by not joining the exodus now. As I drive through the city, there are so many houses for sale, along with abandoned/empty houses that are boarded up, to the point that it is scary. I have heard and read so many accounts about properties being stripped of the pipes and wiring. When my reliable neighbor quietly moved out in March, the house was invaded and the front screen door was stolen off the hinges within three weeks. After a while, I could tell when the person who was illegally entering the house was coming because my dogs would start barking at 3 am on a regular basis.

While driving through Grosse Pointe Farms on Moross Road last month, I was so surprised when I saw the number of the houses south of Mack for sale. Seeing them, I was reminded of the serious/shaky economic state of this area and Michigan. There is a corner house that I have adored ever since I was a teenager that was also for sale. I remember seeing a Sunday newspaper profile on the homeowner some years back and she had a lovely garden. When I excitedly told an friend who lives not too far from the area that if money was not a problem, I would jump on the house, she somberly reminded of the property taxes, which she should know after experiencing a jump in taxes. That brought me back down to earth, but I still seriously would consider that house if I was blessed to be able to afford it. However, after checking for it online recently, I doubt it is still on the market. But look what $103,900 can buy you in Grosse Pointe in comparison to what $97,500 can buy you in Detroit! Two bathrooms along with 800 square feet, and impeccable landscaping. All jokes aside, I like that house too, but two teenagers and two dogs would not fit in it. For the same price in Detroit, I could get more square footage, (2,172 sq ft) but unfortunately, not the same satisfaction and peace of mind.

The Forgetful Gardener...........

I let my garden go somewhat last year. But with the rains we received last week, the ferns are coming up like gangbusters. Oh how I wish that I could send pics of them to a friend that gave them to me! I hate that my camera is down because I want to document the growth of them and my two clematis vines. As much as I ignored them at the end of last summer, they are growing vigorously much to my amazement. Since I planted the clematis back in the spring of 2003, I have forgotten what type they are, but I am still looking at some new ones sold by Wayside Gardens.

I like the Clematis Ville de Lyon, and Clematis Patricia Ann Fretwell. Right now I envision them growing intertwined together up the post of my porch. I had put in a huge border marker for the front garden section of my lawn during that spring, but now I know that I was too ambitious back then, and I will move the border up about two feet. Regarding the curbside portion of my lawn, I have given up trying to grow grass there. The area is too shady, and I am tired of fighting with the little kids down the street when they ride their bikes over the section. So I am going to try to find a source of free wood chips or mulch being offered on Freecycle or Craig's List to cover that area up. Any offers or suggestions?