Cathy-On-A-Stick

Near Smack-Down at the Decatur Book Festival

2011-09-05T12:09:00.000-07:00

Cathy-on-a-Stick bumped into Drag Queen Cleo at the Decatur Book Festival this past weekend. DQC brings her/his/? own fan along for cooling purposes. Cathy-on-a-Stick had a fan, too. Which she uses for her own purposes.

Fortunately for Drag Queen Cleo, I subverted that purpose, just in the stick of time..

When (Inanimate Object) Worlds Collide

2011-08-08T08:57:00.000-07:00

I grabbed Cathy-on-a-Stick and whisked her off to Vicky Alvear Shecter's book launch for her newest release, Cleopatra's Moon, at Little Shop of Stories. And honestly, I had such a fabulous, fun time, hearing all about Cleopatra's daughter, Selene, and meeting new people! In fact, Vicky brought along Drag Queen Cleo, and of course, I introduced Cathy-on-a-Stick. At which point, COS may have mumbled something about "this town not being big enough for the two of them."

I'm not sure if Drag Queen Cleo heard that remark. But then it was picture time, and DQC sorta raised her arms in COS's direction, kinda waving about a spear-like thingie. Which was sorta, kinda awkward, what with Cathy-on-a-Stick's obvious deficiencies in the appendage area.

I figured it was best to get the heck out of Dodge. (But thanks for asking us, anyway.)

The Tale of Cathy on a Stick and the Three Bonsai

2011-06-06T11:29:00.000-07:00

Cathy on a Stick went to the Monastery of the Holy Spirit to look for a Bonsai gift for her dad.

This Bonsai was too short (and WAY too expensive).

This Bonsai was too fat (and way too expensive).

This Bonsai was just right (and heavily discounted).

You Want Talent? I Got A Stick With Plenty of Talent

2011-05-17T15:10:00.000-07:00

Can you tell that's a ticket for America's Got Talent? See Sharon. And Piers.

Yep, the whole crowd came to the ATL to tape a show in April. And me and Cathy-on-a-Stick were there, whooping it up! You'll probably see me on TV, come this summer. But you won't see Cathy-on-a-Stick. Because Holy Howie Mandel!

That AGT crew was not putting up with any foolishness. Which makes me wonder why we just don't send those guys to our middle schools for a couple days.

Winning a Trunk Full of Goodies, Courtesy of Critique Groups at Springmingle

2011-03-01T11:57:00.000-08:00

Yeah, that trunk was full of cool writer-ly stuff. But you know Cathy-on-a-Stick. It's not wicked cool till a pic drops in for a mug shot.

(Was that really bad? Or so bad that it was good? Please use the sandwich method if you'd like to critique.)

Wheee! Alliteration! (Okay, A Tongue Twister)

2011-01-17T08:16:00.000-08:00

Cathy on a scarfed Stick, sitting on several snowy stumps, smiling.

(She skipped the swing set. That's just being ridiculous.)

Bopping Around in Bethlehem

2010-12-17T13:40:00.000-08:00

The week before Christmas is a jolly time to dash over to Bethlehem. Cathy-on-a-Stick joined me to help send out cards. Honestly, she wasn't much help. She's lucky she didn't get mailed herself.

And then I had to stop so she could take a closer look at this upcoming event.

Guess I'll be heading back to Bethlehem.

Mi Birthday Es Su Birthday

2010-10-21T14:18:00.000-07:00

So the pics-on-sticks gathered around the birthday laptop to celebrate, thanks to the Beneficent Mr. Hall. I guess it's true. Sometimes you feel like a nut. Sometimes, you don't. (Don't Even Ask Cathy-on-a-Stick couldn't make it. I'm not sure why. But there's a good reason why she's called Don't Even Ask Cathy-on-a-Stick.)

Psychic Opporstickities

2010-10-13T07:52:00.000-07:00

I just had a feeling that Chip Coffey, psychic and medium, would be an interesting show. So I brought Cathy-on-a-Stick along, hoping to get some kind of psychic reading. To wit:

Would she ever find the Stick Guy of her dreams?

Were there any little toothpicks in her future?

What about lucrative job opporstickities?

Cathy-on-a-Stick didn't get any answers yet. But I'm seeing something...hold on, it's getting clearer. Ah, there it is. Cathy-on-a-Stick Coffey Stirrers.

Pardon Me Boys! Is This the Cathy-on-a-Stick Choo-Choo?

2010-09-10T06:40:00.000-07:00

She was very well-behaved on her train ride. She sat demurely in her seat.

She charmed Ed, our train car attendant. (Who said she was very pretty. Oh, Ed, flattery will get you...)

To the Georgia/Tennessee line.

Pardon me, boys. She came down the line. Now she'll wash up and smell fine.

Where, Oh Where, Has Cathy on a Stick Been?

2010-08-31T08:13:00.000-07:00

Finally. Cathy-on-a-Stick is back. But I feel I should offer a brief explanation.

See, it's not like I haven't been going places, doing things, seeing folks. There was the Eiffel Tower in Paris ("Just a beeg, giant teenker toy," said COS in a very bad imitation of a French accent) and the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona ("Mad cows chasing ID-iots," said COS in an even worse imitation of a Spanish accent) and the Great Sphinx of Giza ("If I wanted sand and heat, I'd go to Tybee," said COS in what I guess she thought was an Egyptian accent).

Alas, Cathy on a Stick did not join me. She had fallen (and she can't get up) behind a small chest by the kitchen door. Whilst looking for an errant M & M, I came across COS, dusty and prostrate on the floor. She had some interesting, not to mention unladylike, things to say about that, too (in a passable imitation of a Southerner having a hissy fit).

And now it looks like it could be awhile before she gets to go on a trip with me.

I sent her to the corner.

Sticking Around at Springmingle

2010-03-02T12:13:00.001-08:00

Amazing author, Jane Yolen, has written 300 books or more. 300. That's a lot of books.

But even amazing authors seem to take a shine to Cathy-on-a-Stick. And politely sign one of their books, even though COAS forgot to add that little sticky note so that the amazing author would know what to write.And just like that, I had an amazing idea! What if Cathy-on-a-Stick could post little notes on books? Like this note on the chapter "A Day with Joe and Bill," from the 1936 reader, Everyday Life.

And how's this for a name? The Sticky NoteBook. (Um, sorry.)

Three's a Crowd at CNN Radio

2010-01-04T13:58:00.000-08:00

So there we were, me and Cathy-on-a-Stick, waiting to do a CNN Radio interview. (Yeah, you heard me. An interview. On CNN Radio. But that's not the story here...)

Do you have any idea the security over there at CNN? It's serious business. I'm not sure what the guy thought when he checked my bag and came across Cathy-on-a-Stick. But I put a tag on her, just to be on the safe side.

Then, out of the blue, Anderson Cooper showed up! He wasn't on a stick, but he was still looking mighty fine for a miniature cardboard guy. Pretty much perfect for Cathy-on-a-Stick.

And then, wouldn't you know it? Wolf showed up, horning in on the Situation Room. C'mon, Wolf, didn't anyone ever tell you?...Two's company. And three picture peeps are just ridiculous .

Over the Interstate, Through the Traffic, To Uncle Jimmy's House We Go

2009-12-07T07:03:00.000-08:00

Cathy-on-a-Stick would not be happy till I took her picture with the Thanksgiving turkey.

Both of them.

(P.S. If a sis-in-law asks you to hold Cathy-on-a-Stick for a minute, you should probably refuse.)

If It's Monday, It Must Be Monks

2009-11-09T07:05:00.000-08:00

So, Cathy-on-a-Stick hung out in the Julia Thompson Smith Chapel on the Agnes Scott College campus, watching the monks from the Drepung Loseling Monastery do their thing. Namely, creating a sand painting (called a mandala). Those monks were so focused on the task at hand, they didn't even notice a pic-on-a-stick, sneaking in to take a look. But did I get a pic of the monks with your favorite pic-on-a-stick?

C'mon, people. There are some things even Cathy-on-a-Stick won't do. (But she thought about it.)

Here's a few photos of the monks, deep in sand and creation:
Visit their monastery, if you're in the Atlanta area. (Yes, the Atlanta area. Who knew? Now, you do! Tons of details at www.drepung.org)

Tales From the Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-29T10:45:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, there was a little cutie known as Cathy-on-a-Stick who wanted to spread a bit of Halloween cheer in the neighborhood. Namely, she wanted a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch. But this particular little pic-on-a-stick had a bad, old back (and totally lacked in the opposable thumbs department). So, she was gonna need a hand (and thumbs and back and let's just throw in 20 bucks while we're at it).

"Who will help me get a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch so that all the neighborhood kiddies will be delighted on Halloween and not throw eggs at my house?" she asked.

"Not I," said Oldest Junior Hall, dashing out the door to (possibly, but highly unlikely judging by the look on his face) work.

"If only I didn't have this camping thing!" said Juniorette Hall, peeling out of the neighborhood in the car formerly known as Cathy-on-a-Stick's car.

"Are you kidding?" said Juniorest Hall, who certainly did not need to shout over the phone when he added, "I'm not coming home from college just to get a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch!"

"Wait. A. Minute." said Mr. Hall, looking around and noticing that he was the only one left. "Fer crying out loud," he sputtered (I'm paraphrasing here, for the sake of the kiddies).

And that is how Cathy-on-a-Stick got her pumpkins. Cathy-on-a-Stick also asked, "Who will help me carve the pumpkin?" But that's another story (with a not-so-happy ending).

She's the Birthday Girl-on-a-Stick!

2009-10-21T08:45:00.000-07:00

Technically, those flowers are for me. But you know Cathy-on-a-Stick. She's a little stick-centered.

Some of Us Ran for a Good Cause. Some of Us, Not So Much

2009-09-25T13:13:00.000-07:00

Look at all these young folk, just about to bust to run that 5k in the rain in the town the Dawgs built. It ALWAYS rains in Athens, Georgia. And, girl, don't they warn you. It pours, man, it pours. (That could be a song.)

I guess Cathy-on-a-Stick is more of a watcher than a runner. (That arch isn't very good at keeping pics-on-a-stick dry.)

(But thanks to all the runners who raised money for St. Jude's Children's Hospital!)

Bargain-Hunting

2009-09-17T13:29:00.000-07:00

When I saw this deal, I dragged Don't Even Ask Cathy-on-a-Stick inside to buy me five dollars worth of good luck.

Don't even ask what they said.

What Happens When You Buy A Famous Author's Book

2009-09-10T18:48:00.000-07:00

This is Jon Scieszka. He's written TONS of funny books. Like The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs. And The Stinky Cheese Man. And the Time Warp Trio books. And you can get a great deal on his latest books, Knucklehead or Guys Read.

He was very happy to have his picture taken with Cathy-on-a-Stick. (Don't pay any attention to that look on his face. That's his "extremely happy" expression. Trust me.)

It's What's For Dinner

2009-09-03T08:20:00.001-07:00

Just got a call from the Juniorest Hall (Oooh, a little poem for your enjoyment!) which reminded me that Cathy-on-a-Stick saw an awful lot of deer on the campus where Juniorest Hall now resides.

You have no idea how fast a deer can sprint when the dinner bell rings.

Photo Shoot Hi-jinks (Not a Pretty Picture)

2009-08-25T13:17:00.000-07:00

Sorta Working Cathy-on-a-Stick snuck into a photo shoot. First, she tried on shoes. (Those stilettos were murder on her bunions!)

She played with all the make-up. (The fake eyelashes were a bit much, I thought.)

She pouted because she wanted a sophisticated up-do. (The hairdresser said she didn't have the right "product" for Cathy-on-a-Stick hair.)

Finally, it was time to get dressed. (Anybody seen that Size -28 yellow sheath dress with all the avant garde writing on it? Or was that a Juicy Fruit gum wrapper?)

Take Me Out to the Ballgame!

2009-08-20T12:26:00.000-07:00

Finally made it to a Gwinnett Braves game! And saw Tim Wakefield pitch for the Red Sox. And watched as the Braves whupped Boston (but what can you expect when a team is named for footwear???)

Not sure what Cathy-on-a-Stick is watching (but what can you expect when you sneak in without paying???)

Are You Ready for Some Football?

2009-08-12T07:04:00.000-07:00

Sorta Working Cathy-on-a-Stick headed out to Brookwood High School to see the Atlanta Falcons scrimmage! Okay, mostly she was looking for Matt Ryan. And she found him. But he was kinda busy, so we skipped the chat up.

Tons, TONS, of folks there. So crowded, even a stick couldn't squeeze through.

So, we grabbed our big Number 1 fingers and went home. But not exactly to work.

Can You Say Tax Write-Off?

2009-07-27T12:02:00.000-07:00

Sorta Working Cathy-on-a-Stick came along for the ride. I told her to mingle, but she didn't want to stick her neck out.

Interstate Exit Shenanigans

2009-07-22T09:46:00.000-07:00

We stopped at some random I-16 exit, pulled into a gas station, and found Mosely's Farm next door, where llamas, and geese, and goats, and a rhea joined a few cows. This bull wanted a taste of Cathy-on-a-Stick. Can't say I blame him. She's finger-lickin' good.

Would You Rather...?

2009-07-17T09:36:00.001-07:00

Be squeezed by balls? (Oh, c'mon. They're Bocce balls.)

...Or a big brother?

Seafood + Alligators = Crab Shack

2009-07-14T11:42:00.000-07:00

Cathy-on-a-Stick was in the mood for some great seafood, so we zoomed down the Tybee Road to The Crab Shack...where she almost fell into the pit of alligators. Maybe it's just me, but I don't get the connection between a restaurant with all kinds of crab dishes on the menu... and a watering hole filled with alligators. Unless I've been eating alligator meat all these years...

At the Margaret Mitchell House

2009-07-07T17:58:00.000-07:00

Cathy-on-a-Stick and Scarlet O'Hara...I'm sorry, but I really can't tell which is which.

Finding Fireworks on the Fourth

2009-07-05T17:20:00.000-07:00

Cathy-on-a-Stick finally found some fireworks on the Fourth. (Gee, that's a lot of f's.)

It wasn't easy, what with Mr. Old Poot refusing to go anywhere around crowds of fireworks-loving folk. But the rockets red glare showed up on the drive home, blasting over a neighborhood lake which happened to be on our way.

Oh, there were other fireworks on the Fourth. But I didn't think you'd want to see Cathy-on-a-Stick, trying to light Mr. Old Poot's um...we'll just call it fuse and leave it at that.

Don't Even Ask at the Jepson

2009-06-29T09:59:00.000-07:00

You can ask about the Jepson. It's a very new, very modern museum, designed by Moshe Safdie, and it's part of the Telfair family of museums. If you're in Savannah, GA, you should take a look.

When I looked around for Cathy-on-a-Stick, she'd found a new friend. Personally, I thought that guy had the big head. (Just because you're in the Jepson...)

One Pic on a Stick to Another

2009-06-26T09:57:00.000-07:00

Cathy-on-a-Stick couldn't wait to take the tour of the Telfair's Owens-Thomas House in Savannah. We happened to be there during Juneteenth, a time to celebrate freedom from slavery. I think that explains the big poster of the fellow in the garden. A big poster on a stick. Cathy-on-a-Stick had to have a picture with him. You know what they say: Like calls to like. Or is it stick calls to stick?

That's What You Get For Sorta Working at the Beach

2009-06-23T15:50:00.000-07:00

See Sorta Working Cathy-on-a-Stick. See the wave.

Sorta Working Cathy-on-a-Stick did not.

Sticky Sighting of Miley Cyrus

2009-06-22T14:49:00.001-07:00

Cathy-on-a-Stick heard that Miley Cyrus was filming a movie at Tybee Island, so off we went to check out the end of the beach where our superstar was supposed to be. I knew inquiring minds would want to know...

But no Miley.

I thought "This is a job for Working Cathy-on-a-Stick"! We pedaled our bikes to another area of the island and spied a whole bunch of trucks and jeeps and trailers and Hollywood stuff. Unfortunately, the security guard spied us. "Move along," said the guard. More than once.

As I was not psychologically prepared to wrestle over my inalienable right to sit on a bike while holding a stick on a public street, I moved along. But not before I snapped this pic. Miley's there, folks. Right behind Cathy-on-a-Stick. You'll just have to take my word for it.

Here Comes the Bride (with a Stick)

2009-06-19T11:38:00.000-07:00

My cousin's first-born son got married (Whee!) and off I went to Tybee Island to share the joy. Cathy-on-a-stick popped in to express her best wishes. She squeezed into a pic with the proud parents...

A snap with the groom (Cathy-on-a-Stick may have repeated that joke I distinctly told her NOT to tell at a wedding)...

...And there's the beautiful bride. I know exactly what she's thinking: here I am, a new member of the family and I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings so I'll go along and have my picture taken with a pic-on-a-stick, 'cause no one will see it anyway.

Good luck with that...(Best wishes from Cathy-on-a-Stick!)

Pool Party

2009-06-11T19:43:00.000-07:00

So, yeah, Cathy-on-a-Stick took a little dip. There she was, bobbing up and down, doing the backstroke and showing off her stick-thin figure. Until some kid thought she was a popsicle and tried to take a lick. She's a survivor, though. Cathy-on-a-Stick...takes a lickin' but keeps on kickin'.

Crashing A Book Tour

2009-06-08T08:38:00.000-07:00

Sorta Working Cathy-on-a-Stick joined me at a fab book tour at Books for Less in Buford. I told her to behave, but that's like saying, "Don't put beans up your nose" to a five-year-old. Cathy-on-a-Stick wrangled her way into a shot with Deidre Knight, author and owner of the Knight Agency. Too bad Cathy-on-a-Stick didn't think of that other saying: what goes around comes around. (Thanks to author Shannon K. Butcher for the cool, corded bookmark. Shannon had nothing to do with roping Cathy-on-a-Stick. She managed that feat all by herself.)

Looking for Mr. Gopher Tortoise

2009-06-06T17:35:00.000-07:00

So, there we were, walking the Gopher Tortoise Loop at Reed Bingham State Park, looking for the elusive beasts. I suppose, being Gopher tortii, they'd burrowed into the HUGE big holes we saw, dotting the sandy terrain. You would think that Cathy-on-a-Stick could just scoot down that Gopher Tortoise hole and check it out, but nooooooo. Apparently, there are some places Miss Too-Good-To-Go-Down-A-Hole won't go. I call that Wussiness-on-a-Stick.

South Georgia Gnats and Golf

2009-06-05T08:29:00.000-07:00

While I was busy cheering Junior's play in a South Georgia golf tournament, Cathy-on-a-Stick took my cart for a little joy ride. She claimed she was trying to escape the gnats. I decided a quick escape from the tournament director was in order.

Why Cathy-on-a-Stick?

2009-06-01T15:20:00.000-07:00

I wish I had some brilliant reason for Cathy-on-a-Stick. But I've been sitting here for five minutes now, trying to think up a good answer. And you know what? I got nothing.

Except that a stick going places is lots funnier than me going places. All right, yes, technically, most of the time, it will be me going places, bringing Cathy-on-a-Stick along, and taking a picture or two.

I mean, she's a stick, y'all. It's not like she's going anywhere without me.