Monday Afternoon Ramblings

Covid-19 still got us all looking crazy for another week.

Sitting here at home... STILL in shelter-in-place mode, Day 34 no less, in my beloved ATL. And although it has been raining off and on, it has been beautiful out, with temperatures in the 60s and 70s. Go figure... when we were out and about a month ago, it was raining on what felt like a daily basis. Now, the sun shines bright through my windows while I peer out from within.

This picture describes how I've been feeling, and how I feel right now (minus the curse word, lol).

Meal of the Week: I made some bootleg shrimp linguini.

It was good, but needed twice as many vegetables. I cut up about 2 cups, but that wasn't enough. I don't have a real recipe, but I will put up more pics this week. I got two meals out of it.

I don't have a microwave, but I am considering buying one from Amazon or something. That way, I can heat up food a little faster instead of having to bust out a skillet and

Song of the Week.  So one of my coworkers, Lady Niq, likes jazz. I can't say that I care for jazz. Personally, I like songs with words, preferably with a storyline with a cuss word or two kicked in. Throw in a heartbreak theme, and I'm all in. Sprinkle in a fight and some gunshots, and that there is my song!

BUT, I get word prompts all the time, and Lady Niq provided one that intrigued me immensely. The character is very loosely based on Lady Niq. (It is actually my lazy way out: I can use details she provides and add to them).

So I was working on the prompt, and it has stretched out to a 25 page story. And I know I really like a story, or I'm almost finished with it when it starts developing a soundtrack. That is how I know I really like a story. A member of my reading team is beginning to read it, and she is drawn in. She's my favorite critiquer, and if she says it is crap, I may as well just take it outside and light a match to it. So it's a good multilayered story. My goal is to finish it by May 1st. That should not be a problem, since I working on the third draft.

Back to the song.  Lady Niq likes jazz, and she's particularly fond of  flautist Althea Rene. So I've had to listen to some of Lady Niq's music to get a feel for the story character's personality. Now, no way would I even THINK to be interested in anyone playing a dayum flute, but it has grown on me. And it chills my emotions out. Must be something to what they say, how music and words affect your mentality, in a good or bad way.

And the song I really like is "We are One" by Jeanette Harris and Althea Rene. And the icing on the cake is this is a duet with a female saxophone player. How cool is that?



This here is my corona quarantine song. In other words, when I feel blue, I put it on.

And dance around the house as I clean up.

And I feel better!

Man, I got a good mind to order a trumpet and a wig off of Amazon, and play right along with them. LOL.

But on the real, I am getting older... time to listen to more mature music.

Last but not least... Shout out to all the health care workers.

I don't know how on earth I would handle working with infectious patients. But I am learning, from all the stories told by these professionals, that one has to have a love, passion, and calling to the medical field. Not many of us have that. I don't know if I could ever be that brave. So salute to them. They are soldiers on the front lines of this fight, and I know that it is a fight that will be won.

That's it for my Monday ramblings.

Ya'll have a great week... on purpose.