The guys left for the Ballroom about eleven o'clock this morning for a show that won't start until about eleven o'clock tonight.

The reason they go so early is that it takes about four hours on a good day and, longer in this heat, to get the PA set up, tuned in, ready to rock. Most bands want to show up between two and five o'clock to get their instruments set-up and do a sound check and then leave. They go to their bus or motel to rest, shower and get ready to do a show (whatever that entails for them - sometimes lots of partying :)

That's the worst time for Mark. That time period after the band leaves.......

that means he has four or five HOURS to kill before the show starts. Since our bus doesn't run right now and he is too tight to rent a room most of the time, they sit in the bar, hang out, play pool, and are generally bored out their minds until time to rock.

But, once the show starts and he is making magic behind that mixing console, all is forgotten.

I'm doing nothing today. Yeah, me! Piddling at a little house cleaning, reading, listening to smooth jazz on XM radio. I remembered to order Seth's birthday cake for next Sunday - a triple chocolate cake from Kalico Kitchen. His birthday is actually Wednesday the 25th but he will be at church with his peeps so will do his dinner next Sunday and he has already received his presents - a laptop and a shopping spree at Factory Connection. We don't have to buy school clothes since we can do school in our jammies but I always let them get a few things at this time of year. He did good, he bought two really cool hoodies, a pair of jeans, and a nice polo (dark green and white)for under $100.00.

He requested steak for his birthday dinner haven't decided what else yet .. other than chocolate cake.

I am making seafood gumbo tomorrow, no okra gumbo. I like stewed okra but no one else would touch it.

Zoe came to tell me good bye this morning before she and her Mommy left to go to her other granma's house. She looked so cute. OMG I love that kid.
Last night, in an effort to get her out from in front of the television, I took her outside to play (right before dark). We went for a walk. She found a spot with some loose sand on our walking trail so she sat down and played in the dirt. She loves dirt. Then she laid in the dirt and ran her fingers through it. I showed her how to write her name with a stick. Of course by then she was filthy, so, I stripped her down to her jean shorts and we hopped in the pool together. It was the first time I had taken her in the pool. We had a blast, although she does not like to get her head wet and she wants to drink the pool water. LOL.

If at this point you are thinking, OMG, she has become one "of those" Grandma's .. you are so correct! I tell Mark all the time, I just simply love that girl so much it is stupid.