1001 Posts and all that Jazz

I've created this post dozens of times in my head. I've pondered the ways Ahead of the Wave might come to its natural end. Would my final post pop with a profound bang or whimper out with a pathetic fizzle?  Perhaps somewhere in between?

 1001 posts over five years.....what have I learned? What's different about my life now? Have I grown? Or am I the same person? Furthermore, does anyone care?

 Here's what I know.....
 1. Blogging is mostly fun.
 2. Sometimes I've lots to say, sometimes there is nothing to say.
 3. Blogging can create unwanted pressure.
 4. My truest self comes out on these pages but still, it isn't all me. I hold back.
 5. Fundamentally, I'm very opinionated. And, probably mean. Two people near and dear to me remind of this all the time.
 6. I miss my Mom; a lot. There are still questions I need to ask her and wisdom I could use.
 7. My Dad is a love but he cannot hear. Screaming at him is irksome, beyond belief.
 8. I'm happy with myself and what I believe.
 9. I may want to be eternally ahead of the wave but realize this isn't realistic and not really desireable in the end. Life is short; being buried by the wave at times is what makes each day new.
10. Christmas is my least favorite time of year. In fact this Christmas 2012 was the worst Christmas ever.  That's why there's the day before Thanksgiving; a truly blessed day.

. Much love to all and thanks for reading!

Three Day Weekend

Sometimes it feels really good to do very little except what pleases. This three day holiday weekend has so far been all about a bit of this and a bit of that. In the case of games on the I-Phone, I'll admit it's been a lot of time spent playing Words with Friends, Hanging with Friends, and Scramble with Friends. I let myself play as much as my little heart desired, figuring that I'll slip into my age related dementia more slowly if I challenge my mind with word games.

There was also a trip to church with Dad yesterday which left me feeling guilt-free for the day.

Plus, 3 two mile walks, amazing food (D made halibut, spaghetti, and sirloin sliders), sorting, cleaning, fresh air, sleep, television shows, a dumb Netflix movie (Midnight in Paris), The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy on audio book, and an old fashioned in-the-hand book which I'm loving called Swamplandia!. How does Karen Russell write like this? She looks about eighteen years old.

Plus the weekend will end with an annual tradition planned for later today. More on that in a blog post if I can find the photograph that tells part of the story.

Happy Memorial Weekend!
Happy Birthday Virginia!

Shanghai-ed by her Family

Mom once admitted in a moment of exasperation that she felt "shanghai-ed" into the move from her home to the retirement apartment at Merrill Gardens. I've never forgotten her use of this expression. At the time, I understood by context what she meant but it wasn't until this past weekend that I looked up the origin of the word.  Mary Margaret and I have had some interesting talks about Mom as we've worked like dogs sorting through all the treasures, family memorabilia, and outright junk at their former home this past week.  An emotional journey to be sure.

Right about now, I'm feeling a bit "shanghai-ed" myself. I don't relish another hard day at the task and would much rather lie in bed writing and reading and surfing the internet.

From on line Miriam Webster Dictionary:

Definition of SHANGHAI

transitive verb

1

a : to put aboard a ship by force often with the help of liquor or a drug b : to put by force or threat of force into or as if into a place of detention

2

: to put by trickery into an undesirable position

Origin of SHANGHAI

Shanghai, China; from the former use of this method to secure sailors for voyages to eastern Asia

First Known Use: 1871

"Giving Up the Ghost..."

While on the topic of alternates to the verb "to die"  (see yesterday's post), I remember Nora, our Caribbean housekeeper, nanny, and second-mother to me refer to death as "giving up the ghost". I thought it strange, asked her about it, and in typical fashion after ignoring my inquiries for a good long time, she eventually clued me in on the meaning of her words. She used many phrases unfamiliar to me; derived either from the Bible or her youthful days on the island of Carricaou. I took them all in but it would be years later that I'd understand their meaning.  So it is with "giving up the ghost".

No surprise; Nora's terminology came from the Bible. She was a deeply religious woman and I'd often find her reading the worn pages of my maternal grandmother's Bible (gifted to her by my mother which is a separate story). In the King James version of the Bible, "giving up the ghost" means: a dying breath and is found in both the Old and New Testaments.

I took the phrase about the ghost and incorporated it into my vocabulary, expanding the usage of the term to include the demise of inanimate objects like alarm clocks, radios, car batteries and the like when they'd go on the fritz or forever surrender function.  I remember my dear friend and college roommate, Ms. MBJ loving the phrase but never quite remembering it, referring to it as, "dropping the ghost" on more than one occasion. Good times, all.

Because synonyms for "to die" are as prevalent as synonyms for the jailhouse (see my recent post about Durrance Vile) and because I dearly love the particularly edgy expressions, I'll pour forth here.

Croaked
Bought  the farm
Bit the dust
Went belly up
Breathed his last (much like the ghost, no?)
Departed
Passed away, Passed on
Left us
Checked out
Bit the big one
Went to the happy hunting ground (one of Mom's favorites)
Pooped out
Shorted out

And, jillions of other terms; if you have any interest go here.

More on the term shorted out later; I'm just getting started. I love words.

Durrance Vile

I love words; especially the myriad synonyms for some words.

D talked about one of his (long deceased) aunts tonight; an infamous family member with ofttimes scandalous behaviors who talked of intermittent bits of time held down in "durrance vile". Awesome, no?

This marvelous term is otherwise known as the...
clink,
jail,
hoosegow,
lock-up,
bighouse,
slammer,
brig,
can,
cooler,
pokey,
pen,
cage,
hole,
tank,
or the oubliette.

Sorry, I can't help it. This make me laugh (out loud) and right now, that's damn good.

Oh, and also the joint; a synonym that popped into my head when I couldn't sleep last night.