Get the firing squad ready. I do believe I just may be criminally liable for the statement I am about to make.

“I like Mondays.”

In my defense; however, I think I have just now realized why I specificaly like Mondays. It is a totally self-inflicted survival technique I have honed over the years. I think I have successfully programmed myself to head off the Pavlovian response to the Monday alarm clock terror. I may do an infomercial about it, I haven’t decided yet.

OK…you know as well as I that Monday is just going to suck, right? I think I have built up a resistance to it. I always do something very personally gratifying and selfish on Mondays. I have been doing this sub-consciously apparently, for a long time. I realized it when I stopped at Belly, this great little deli/country store in the Highlands this morning for a fresh bagel. (Yes…incredible bagels made fresh every morning..in the SOUTH…who’d a thunk it?) Anyway..instead of grabbing and running with it, I sat there and ate it and chilled.

Then I went next door and bought some great new shoes at Bill Hallman. I gotta give shouts to Bill. Local designer and operates THE coolest stores in Atlanta. I would be clueless about how to dress if it weren’t for him. I snagged some off the chain Tsubos this morning there.

http://www.billhallman.com/

These are just pretty shallow examples. I suppose I would be making my point better if I said that I simply treat myself nice on Monday. I cut myself some slack. I find my humour. I find the kid inside and tell him that shit is gonna be ok. I look at it as a new start. This is how I prepare myself for the climb toward Friday. I inevitably start abusing myself the rest of the week. I start thinking about the fact that I should be doing everything better, faster, and smarter than I am. Being an Aries aint all fun and games, as it turns out. Shit, I give the pups treats everyday. Maybe I should do the same for myself.

A reflection everyday on one of your good qualities or finding an angle of humour in something that is really bothering you. Imagine you are watching yourself operate through someone else’s eyes. Offering a kind deed or word to someone you know really needs it can be a good karma and mood booster.

I really went into a black hole the middle/end of last week. Maybe it was some kind of fucked-up, post birthday depression nonsense. I hate it when I allow myself to go there.

I’m gonna try to make everyday more like Monday. That sounds weird as shit, doesn’t it? Works for me though. Kinda like looking at everyday as a fresh start, I suppose. I’m gonna try this. OK..this is actually very cool, as I have thrown it out here for everybody to see. If I’m a morose asshole on Thursday, just slap me around like a bitch and remind me I wrote this today, Monday April 17th, 2006.

*****Elton John "Daniel"

One more...speakers on.

The Burning Spear show at the Variety last night was a blast. This guy grew up in the same small town in Jamaica that produced Bob Marley. He has been recording since 1969 and is a big disciple of Marcus Garvie. It was sorta funny seeing a bunch of white folk jumping around to some of his musical pokes at Babylon, but hey...everybody was into it and were having fun. Great vibes, lots of love, and second hand ganja smoke made for a fun evening with the posse.

A big ol' ham is cooking in the kitchen and Dorothy Love Coates, Mahalia Jackson, and Aretha Franklin are singing in the house and the yard. The pups are resting in their favorite spot under the canopy of the big ligustrum shrub out front. The sun is shining bright as can be. Life is good here on this sunny southern Easter day.

The First Annual Ghetto Egg Hunt begins shortly here in Edgewood. There are eggs with all of our initials on them. If you find an egg with another person's initials, they have to do something special for you. If you find your own, everybody else has to treat you to something. Marc dyed eggs all afternoon yesterday. What great memories that box of Paas egg dye and the smell of pots of colored water with vinegar brought back!

Happy and blessed Easter to all my "peeps"!

******Aretha Franklin "Precious Memories"

It's all fun and games, but think about it. Think about what Easter really means. Whatever your faith tells you, this time of year in the northern hemisphere is a time of renewal and hope. The ghetto Easter egg hunt Marc, Chanda, Rob, and I are plotting tomorrow will be a hoot and a holler, but a moment spent contemplating the real meaning of Easter should strike a chord.

Mahalia is all the church I need tomorrow. My grandma Jessie made sure I "straightened up and flew right" as Mahalia testified on the Motorola in the background. Sing it Sister Jackson. Sing it Sister Jackson, because you always hit home and your testimony will resonate today and tomorrow. Sing it tomorrow everybody, and move on up a little higher, feel me?

Imagine that..."always howdy, howdy...and never goodbye". Sister sees the same heaven that I do.

Love, T.

Move On Up A Little Higher

One deem morning
Soon in morning
I'm gonna lead on the prose get me a crown
Some morn evening, wait in the evening,
Late in the evening
I'm going home live on high

Soon as the feet strike Zion
Lay down my heavy burden
Put on my robe in glory
Going home one day and tell the story
I've been coming over hills and mountain
Got drained fromt the pristine fountain
Your know all of God's sons and daughters that morning
Will drink that all healing water

And we gonna live on forever
We gonna live on forever
We gonna live on up in glory afterwards

O Lord, I'm going outside sing sing in beauty
March all around God's altar
Gonna walk down and get higher
Go fly Lord and never fall down
I'm gonna move up a little higher

Gonna meet Old man Daniel
Gonna move on up a little higher
Gonna meet the Hebrew children
Gonna move on up a little higher
Gonna meet Paul and Silas
Gonna move on up a little higher
Gonna meet my friends and kindred
Gonna move on up a little higher
Gonna meet my loving mother
I'm gonna move on up a little higher
Gonna meet the Lily of the Valley
I'm gonna face with the Rose of Sharon

It will be always howdy, howdy,
Will be always, howdy, howdy,
Will be always, howdy, howdy, and never goodbye

O will you be there early one morning
Will you be there somewhere on the altar
Will you be there O when the angel sing call arose

God knows I'll be waiting
Yes, I'll be watching somewhere on the altar
Well I'll be waiting
O have a beautiful, yes golden

Well, well
Soon as the feet strike Zion
Gonna lay down my heaven burden
I'm gonna put on my robe in glory
I'm going home one day, tell the story
I've been coming over hills and mountain
I got drained from the pristine fountain
You know all of God's sons and daughters that morning
Will drink that all healing

Meet me there early one morning
Meet me there somewhere on the altar
Meet me there there
O when the angels sing call arose

The experiment was a glowing success.

A Peep and a miniature Cadbury Egg have been crossed to yield the ultimate other Easter miracle.

Marc, the brains of the Doghouse, has an interesting throw down about the origin of the tradition of Easter eggs over at Rules. Seems they were just part and parcel of the wacky pagan Spring fertility rites in Eastern Europe. Pretty interesting.

I'm coming out of my three day funk. I feel a resurrection coming on.

******Burning Spear "Zion Higher"