A Bright Sunny South…
“Dad?” I asked over the phone. “Are you at home?” “I sure am,” my father replied cheerily over his cellphone. “I didn't have to work this morning.” Dad can still be kind of wary about what I will ask, though, and I could hear it in his voice. “Will you put out my Cokes, cigarettes, and my two Helen to-go plates?” I asked impetuously. “I will have them out on the porch in a few moments,” my father replied. I noted what a beautiful day it was south of the Mason Dixon line this morning as I drove to my parent’s house. The trees are literally about to burst open with new leaves any day now...
Source: The 4th Avenue Blues - March 8, 2014 Category: Mental Illness Authors: Andrew Quixote Source Type: blogs
Two Well Traveled Souls…
<------Have you noticed the many American Indian names for many towns in Alabama? This was the stronghold of the Creek Indian Nation way before the encroaching white colonists, soldiers, and settlers arrived. Well, two well traveled souls, mother and father, are headed to my sister’s house in Alexander City. They just have left my humble abode. “You sure you don’t want to go?” my father asked about this surprise journey once again. “Your sister is cooking dinner.” I will say this that my sister is a very wonderful cook – in the grand tradition of my father’s mother my sister has carried on the torch.. ...
Source: The 4th Avenue Blues - March 8, 2014 Category: Mental Illness Authors: Andrew Quixote Source Type: blogs
Not Her Kind of Movie…
A few months ago, when mom and I saw The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, I noticed that she had slumped over in her chair towards the end. I put two fingers to mom’s wrist and could get a pulse. I laughed so much inwardly. It just wasn’t my mother’s kind of movie or her cup of tea for that matter. I had to concede after the movie was over that it was indeed a boring film in honesty to my mother and I am a Tolkien fanatic! (Source: The 4th Avenue Blues)
Source: The 4th Avenue Blues - March 8, 2014 Category: Mental Illness Authors: Andrew Quixote Source Type: blogs
Better Cornbread Means Bigger Smiles…
Today we had an interesting mish mash of things for supper. Helen’s cornbread gets better and better. It was a tad bit crumbly as you can see, but tasted delicious. We also had a cube pork cutlet, squash and onions, colored butterbeans, creamed potatoes, and the broccoli is underneath all that crumbly cornbread. Not pictured is a bowl of fruit salad. You know my father. He has to have a “salad” at every meal. This meal definitely wasn’t photogenic and I hesitated to upload it on the blog. (Source: The 4th Avenue Blues)
Source: The 4th Avenue Blues - March 7, 2014 Category: Mental Illness Authors: Andrew Quixote Source Type: blogs
The Computer Room Command Center…
This is where I spend a lot of time these days. These two computers and their peripherals are my pride and joy. My brother and father affectionately call it the bunker. (Source: The 4th Avenue Blues)
Source: The 4th Avenue Blues - March 7, 2014 Category: Mental Illness Authors: Andrew Quixote Source Type: blogs
The Lookout…
We are not talking about a thieves' den lookout here. I am also glad it wasn’t Maggie looking out for that iceberg near Titanic as she would have severely dropped the ball even worse. “Full speed ahead, Captain!” I saw the X5’s Xenon high-intensity discharge headlights as it pulled onto my street. The throaty sounding V-8 rumbled to a stop at my curbside. The car let loose a cheerful chirp as dad locked the car and headed to my front door with my medications in his hand. “Papa’s here!” I said loudly to Maggie who jumped off the bed, flew into the den, and got on the couch so she could confirm this sighting....
Source: The 4th Avenue Blues - March 7, 2014 Category: Mental Illness Authors: Andrew Quixote Source Type: blogs
For My Furry Faced Professor and Very Good Friend Who Indulges in the Hobby…
Pipe, I still do indulge in the hobby at times. Actually, quite often these days. Cigarettes can seem so barbaric, uncivilized, and harsh compared to imbibing in the burley leaf tinctured by some unique taste or smell. A favorite time for me to smoke my pipe is after a good and nourishing meal. I will recline back in my Lazy-E-Boy recliner, turn on the television, and relax as I draw on my pipe. Is there any other smell so heavenly other than the smell of burning pipe tobacco? Cigarettes can certainly make you smell like an ashtray. We no longer have an avenue to buy pipe tobacco in this little to...
Source: The 4th Avenue Blues - March 7, 2014 Category: Mental Illness Authors: Andrew Quixote Source Type: blogs
Midnight Phone Calls Can Be Foreboding…
I had been asleep for about an hour last night when the phone rang. It was my doting father reminding me that my injection is this morning – such a harbinger of good news. I tossed and turned for another hour ruminating upon the morning to come before I could go back to sleep. I opened my eyes several hours later to the dark of my cozy and cool bedroom. It was 6:30am. The first light of dawn could be seen on the eastern horizon. Maggie sleepily followed me into the kitchen as I got some grits to boiling. I scrambled six eggs of which Maggie got three scrambled and plain. I ate mine with sharp cheddar cheese.&...
Source: The 4th Avenue Blues - March 6, 2014 Category: Mental Illness Authors: Andrew Quixote Source Type: blogs
Say Goodbye to the Mexicans and Hello to the Italians…
“100 percent chance of rain tonight,” my mother told me over the phone. “Mrs. Sandra said she won’t be able to make it tonight to the Mexican restaurant.” “I am going to get two of those Little Caesar $5 dollar hot and ready pizzas,” I replied to my mother. My mother said that sounded good. I know she will be hungry by this afternoon. I’m already getting hungry myself as the afternoon grows shorter. “I’ll be over at 6:00 tonight with the pizzas,” I told my groggy sounding mother. (Source: The 4th Avenue Blues)
Source: The 4th Avenue Blues - March 6, 2014 Category: Mental Illness Authors: Andrew Quixote Source Type: blogs
A Shakespearian Like Tragedy…
I wonder if Shakespeare time warped forward and borrowed some of the Charlie Brown complex from Charles Shultz when he wrote some of his tragedies? I was reading The Homeless Guy’s blog post tonight and it deeply depressed me. I need to let him and his blog go their direction and I will go mine as well. Is there no hope for the guy? In Alcoholics Anonymous there was a saying about insanity – insanity is doing the same things over and over and expecting different results. He is definitely insane by that definition. Will this great tragedy have a good ending? Only if family steps in to help the guy. He ...
Source: The 4th Avenue Blues - March 6, 2014 Category: Mental Illness Authors: Andrew Quixote Source Type: blogs
Au Revoir Dear Friends–Till We Meet Again…
Aren’t I just so melodramatic? lol If you don’t hear from me for a few days then this movie trip kicked my posterior. I am very nervous and apprehensive about this venture in the afternoon for some reason. My ever impetuous mother called a moment ago to ask me if I still felt up to it – us going on this trip. I put on a brave face and told her I was fine and that I looked forward to going. Secretly? I have gigantic butterflies in my stomach something fierce. It is going to be a big job for me. I will have to take care of all the details like driving, movie tickets, concessions, and getti...
Source: The 4th Avenue Blues - March 5, 2014 Category: Mental Illness Authors: Andrew Quixote Source Type: blogs
Slurping a Large Chocolate Shake…
I managed to sit through what would normally be called a “chick flick” today. In all seriousness, though, About Last Night was a decently good movie. I enjoyed it and so did my mother. I just felt a slight bit uncomfortable in the several graphic sex scenes, but it was a romantic comedy with an R rating so that should have been expected. I took mom wherever she wanted to go today. We ate supper at the Chic-fil-a and had a dessert at Sonic. Mom then wanted to go to the bookstore so we drove over to Books-a-Million where my mother proceeded to find $50 in books she wants to read. All-in-all, the trip was a su...
Source: The 4th Avenue Blues - March 5, 2014 Category: Mental Illness Authors: Andrew Quixote Source Type: blogs
Zero 7–Destiny
(Source: The 4th Avenue Blues)
Source: The 4th Avenue Blues - March 4, 2014 Category: Mental Illness Authors: Andrew Quixote Source Type: blogs
The Day After Grocery Day is a Good Day Indeed…
A good day indeed! Breakfast this morning is what is called by Marie Callendar and company as “grilled chicken alfredo bake.” I didn’t feel like messing up the kitchen by preparing an elaborate breakfast this morning. I am being lazy. Running my dishwasher this morning would have also been a aural travesty as the damn thing is so loud – I can’t hear myself think over the infernal contraption. I cooked Marie’s meal for 7 minutes in the microwave and then sprinkled sharp cheddar cheese on the top to get it all melted and gooey. The cheddar cheese really kicks it up a notch. The smells have already roused Maggie f...
Source: The 4th Avenue Blues - March 4, 2014 Category: Mental Illness Authors: Andrew Quixote Source Type: blogs
Movie Goin’ Folks…
Mom started last night about us going to the movies. Later, when dad was over, he was asking me if I could handle all that pressure – the social pressures involved with such an endeavor. He knows even the simplest task like buying movie tickets can be an anxiety riddled thing for me. “I’ll be fine,” I honestly told my father. “As long as there are no surprises.” I’ve just spent 30 minutes talking to my mother on the phone about what movie we should see. We both decided on the romantic comedy About Last Night which got three out of four stars from my favorite critic. “A fresh take on the 1987 f...
Source: The 4th Avenue Blues - March 4, 2014 Category: Mental Illness Authors: Andrew Quixote Source Type: blogs
