Merry and Bright

Nothing like a little Holiday Graffiti to get things off to a great start! Exhibit "A", people. The graffiti wall in the McInerny Garage. A work that evolves each time Paddy returns home. Word to Paddy and the boys: I will be painting over it and tagging with "Madge Rules". My colors: metallic bronze and black and, perhaps, a little teal thrown in for good measure. Watch for it.



Paddy's visits are always a whirlwind of activity. Navy leave is fairly short -- barely 10 days including travel time. And direct flights out of Jacksonville can be spendy. So, we usually opt for the cheap-transfer-in-Atlanta-AirTran-Specials. Due home on the 16th, he arrived early morning -- 3 am -- on the 17th. The flight out of Atlanta was delayed -- as usual. Look! Exhibit "B": There's my boy, I caught him smiling. Relentless pursuit with a camera.



Hurricane Nora arrived on December 23. The two younger siblings had barely 4 days of crossover. Exhibit "C". Enthusiasm meets restraint. Emotional restraint, that is. Restraint is not a word that Paddy usually applies to his love of tattoos. He continues to tax my motherly understanding with an unrelenting application of permanent markings to his body. Perhaps, if he was an aboriginal warrior it would make more sense.

To the right, ladies and gentlemen, witness Exhibit "D", one of the more recent markings on his elbow. (Yes, that is an elbow--ouch!) It appears to be a Ring Wraith with amazingly preserved dentures. Forensics also indicate a nose job gone terribly, terribly wrong. But it takes a mighty big man, or a man completly secure in his masculinity, to sport chartreuse as an accent color. Interesting choice of color. Two more images were added over the duration -- NONE included a banner proclaiming "Madge-Rules." You're killing me, Paddy! Perhaps next year.


It was a whirlwind visit-so fast even the camera can barely catch them in action.







Paddy and Friends. Winter leave. They're home from school.
He's on military leave. Rules.
Time restraints.
Must sign in by 11:59 pm on 12/27/05.


So there was a bit of anxiety about getting out of town on time.



The holidays ended as they began -- in a whirlwind: Paddy left on December 27. Nora left the next day, on her birthday, December 28.

Suddenly silence.

May your days be merry and bright.