Kristen’s Blog

On Thursday, I went to see MR speak at the Eudora Welty Library in downtown Jackson.  MR is the editorial cartoonist for the Clarion Ledger.  I have the hugest crush on him.  I know that it is silly, that we both are married, and that he just had his 3rd son, but I do.  I think he is so talented, witty, and perceptive.  Anyway, when I found out that he was speaking, I had to be there.

I asked everyone in the office if they wanted to go with me - it was during the lunch hour.  I secretly hoped that no one would so that I could be by myself.  I got lucky, no one did.  The library is 6 blocks from my office, but it was 101 degrees, so I drove.  And there were no available parking places.  People were making them up.  It was crazy!  I found a spot across the street and hiked over.  Only after I started walking through the grass instead of the sidewalk did I realize it wasn’t grass, it was an ivy groundcover.  I didn’t want to be late, so I forged ahead, sandals and all.

When I got to the meeting room, I took a seat on the aisle, about 3 rows back.  Standing at the front of the room was Marshall.  I couldn’t quit smiling.  I laughed at things that I’ve read him say before, I laughed at cartoons I’ve seen before, I acted like an idiot.  And when it got time for question and answer, I didn’t say a thing.  How could I?  My face hurt from smiling so much.

What do I love about Marshall Ramsey - his sense of humor and his perspective.  He is spot-on in his portrayal of life and politics in Mississippi and the South.  He is syndicated, and his national cartoons are awesome as well.  His blog http://www.clarionledger.com/misc/blogs/mramsey/mramseyblog.html is what got me started in my obsession with him.  I’ve seen his cartoons for years and always appreciated them, but his blog takes them to a new level.  He discusses the whys and hows behind the cartoons.  The blog is just over a year old and celebrated its’ 3000th post on Friday.  I get most of my local news from MR’s blog.  Robin gets a lot of his as well.  Sometimes one of us will be telling the other a story, and we’ll say, “You got that from Marshall Ramsey’s blog,” or “I see you’ve been slacking off at work and reading Marshall’s blog.”

Robin has actually talked to MR - he got MR’s newest book autographed for me at Christmas.  He bought a copy and took it down to the Clarion Ledger offices, and MR signed it. 

I didn’t speak with MR after his speech.  Jackson doesn’t have many celebrities, and for me, MR is it.  I don’t want him to lose that star luster.  What you want to bet I run into him at the grocery store now?  There is nothing that shoots a star back to earth than seeing them with tooth paste and toilet paper in a shopping cart.  I’ve probably cursed myself.  Great.

If that happens, I’ll have to turn my obsession towards someone else.  I wonder if John Grisham ever comes to town…

One of my most favorite people, Sarah, gave me The Sorcerer’s Stone on CD.  I absolutely loved it.  The guy that reads it, Jim Dale, is phenominal!  He does all the voices.  They are all different and give life to the characters.  I actually cried when Dumbledore gave Neville 10 points and Gryffindor won the House cup.  I felt so proud of Neville.  I’ve read the book several times and seen the movie even more, and I never cried until I heard Jim Dale’s rendition. I bought The Chamber of Secrets today and can’t wait to start it.

Since the last time I posted, many things have changed.  I no longer have a Niefew, I have a Lil’ Fatso aka Caleb Allen.  Yes, Brandy is having a boy.  He hasn’t made it here yet, but he’ll be big enough to start for the Saints on Opening Day.  Two weeks ago, he already weighed 6 pounds 2 ounces.  Laurel weighed 6 pounds, 6 ounces at birth.  Caleb has two more weeks to go before he is born, so he will probably top off at over 9 pounds.  My poor sis!

I’ve also made a new really good friend.  Her name is Holly.  She is one of the nicest people I have ever met.  She is more like me than anyone else I know.  Okay, okay, like me except for the nice part.  I’m very, very glad that I’ve met her.  (No, it is not lost on me that another Holly is/was my doppelganger, but this Holly is not from east central Mississippi.)  By the way, Brandy asked me today if I had heard about some disorder whose symptoms include irritability - she asked because it made her think of me!

Also, I’ve started painting again.  My first project is a self portrait.  Robin laughed because I’m blocking out my face with white paint against a colorful background.  He said I had the skin tone correct.  Poor Kisten!  Poor, poor Kisten.

I’m posting now because Robin has my e-mail finally set up.  So now send e-mail to my robandkriskris account all you want.  I can check it again!  I have 426 unread messages.  Partly because I got a lot of spam on my blog.  I came here to check it, and started reading my old posts.  I miss posting, so I’ll try to be better about it now.  I have a hard time looking at a computer when I get home from work - especially typing.  I know the urban legend is that the QWERTY format was invented because ABC made the typewriters jam.  I’ve realized over the past few years, as my hours of typing per day have increase dramatically, that QWERTY focuses on the left hand very, very much.  I’m having tendon pain in my left forearm because of it.  Our friend Billy uses another typing convention, but I’m not sure if i can learn another convention and be as effective/quick as I am now.  Oh well.

And you wondered why I named this category “Ramblings.”