Life is like a cup of delicious chocolate coffee... moments from the Man behind the Owl, Carlos Royal

At 3:00 am PST, 7:00 am EST, Carlos Royal, the man behind Molly and McGee,
sat at his kitchen table with a cup of chocolate coffee and talked to 5,000 people as if he "were talking to one person".

This man is truly amazing. His Carlowlisims...simple views on life and this owl
phenomenon have awed and inspired him. I saw one chat room member refer to him
as the Poster Grandpa....and how true that is.

Here are some of his quotes from this morning:

"Molly is the Diva. We are all just along for the ride"

"I get a 1/2 days work done before the world even wakes up"

His coffee recipe, which he stood up and shared with all of us...

Hot water (in the Molly Mug of course)
One BIG cup of Ghiardelli Chocolate (free plug)
One BIG cup of Folgers Instant
One BIG scoop of heavy whipping cream".
Hmmm...delicious...

Regarding his 'high tech" prowess with the webcams:

"I try to keep a healthy lifestyle so my brain stays alert. I'm pushing alot of buttons here and hoping everything goes right. But there is no red light to tell
me if I'm recording".

"My grandson,Austin, will be here at 5:00 am to help me with the videos...(Yes, a teenager, up at 5 am, helping his grandfather...).

Regarding his empty nest: Yes, we have had kids, and many pets..and we are glad they are all gone (he adds just kidding of course)..Donna is a cat person, and they have had over 9 kitties at a time.

Regarding the viewers who worry about the eggs:

"I am not a worrywart. You have to live your life. If you spend 90% of your time worrying, you are wasting time thinking of things that will never happen"

His favorite memories so far include being in the chat room with 20 people, and asking everyone to email their friends so they could get it up to 40 people.

Re: Ebooks, Chat Mods, etc..
"No one is making any personal money here..in fact, people are donating their time and volunteering and it's probably costing them money... so please donate by buying the Ebook.."

My personal favorite:

"I saw a cartoon that said that Molly was on the phone signing a seven figure Reality Show deal. He stops and chuckles, and says "I don't think so".. but if any of those bigshots from Hollywood want to give me a call, I'll be happy to talk to them."

Carlos Gump: Life is like a cup of chocolate coffee...live your life worrywart free. Be Nice. Don't argue.

I just love this man. And that's all I have to say about that.

Angela Barbeisch, Diva on a rant

Why we're Mad about Molly..

Molly the Owl, the internet sensation, along with her husband, McGee, and four owlets have been taking up much of my time lately.

I'm watching people in a chatroom come together from all corners of the world,
observing, commenting and living vicariously through Molly and the care of her owls.

Each of us sees a part of us in Molly.

We see the exhausted Mother, endlessly caring for her chicks..

Her sweetness..her kindess..and yes, she does tend to get her feathers ruffled occasionally.

Let's admit it: we're fascinated watching her rip a bunny to shreds and feed it to her brood. We're content when all have been fed, and Molly tucks everyone away under her wing.

We all want the simplicity of Molly's life, that which nature has bestowed on a certain few.

She doesn't have the electric bill to fret about. She has her youngest,Austin, pouting in a corner.

She doesn't care about the latest political environment or health care issues. She cares about when her husband, McGee, is finally going to arrive with dinner.

Because, for heaven's sake, she's gotta feed these kids!

And woe to McGee if he just comes for the booty call, and no food. OUT he goes.

Wouldn't it be great to be able to call the same shots?

"Honey..all I need is a few rabbits, rats and gophers. No, I don't expect you to babysit, or watch the kids so I can grab an DevOWL Dog, or Hostess Cowl Cake.

I love the warmth this has generated due to the great couple Carlos and Donna Royal of San Marcos California, who set the owl box up.

In this crazy world, it's nice to kick back and watch another Mommy doing all the work, and asking nothing in return.

Sorta like Grandma/Auntie benefits. You watch and enjoy, but then you turn the camera off and send the kids back to Momma.

Molly has helped fill my empty nest with joy. And that's all I'm gonna say about that.

Livin for my hair....

As a woman of a certain age, forces of grey roots descend as relentlessly as the tide. Most fortunately, my good friends at Focus Salon do an extraordinary job of fighting my battles for me.

Sometimes you just want to change your look. So I did.

Most people liked it. But there are things you dread to hear..
"Oh.. you changed your hair." (Silence) (Crickets chirping..)
"Was your hair this color yesterday?"
"COOL hair Mrs. B..you look like my grandma now!"
"I have a great hot oil treatment I can recommend"
"Wow, that's different. Are you going to keep it that way?"

My personal favorite from a male patron at the Library:
"Whoa.. you colored your hair. Does your husband approve of it?"

Just look at Bon Jovi's locks... Gorgeous. Timeless. Any color, any style.

Do you think anyone asked HIM if his wife approved of his hair color?

Going back to brunette now..if the snow lets up enough for me to get to
the salon. About as much chance of that happening as stopping the aging
process. But as Jon says:
Hold on...We're half way there..whoahh ohhh...Livin' on a prayer

I bet Bon Jovi doesn't have to pray for the snow plow guy to get his hair
done.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Diva on a Rant.. by Angela Barbeisch.. February 2010

When did "sick" become a good thing..or Understanding the jargon of your kid's Generation Y- Part 1

Some vocabulary translations to assist you in understanding
those born between 1982-2000

"Sick": anything very cool, admirable or noteworthy of compliment
Example:
"That outfit is sick."
What we call it: A fake reason to take a day off from work and/or
a child costing us $500 for yet another emergency room visit.

"Creeping" and/or "creepin".. to visit/analyze/contemplate on someone else's business
Example: "My mom's been creepin' on my facebook page again and/or MMBCOMFBA"
(online DaVinci Code version)
What we call it: Good Parenting

"tight": anything that sounds perfect or smooth, or entertains melodically or visually.
Example: "That SAW video is tight."
What we call it: "tight"- Pantyhouse that cut off the flow of blood to our abdomens, and/or underwire bras that sliced the midsection like a Ginsui knife.
What our Grandmothers called it: Girdles
"Fronting" and/or "Frontin.." to incite an argument or altercation using one's body language in a menacing or annoying manner. Also, to pretend to be something you aren't to get your way.
Example: "She was all frontin' in my face and I was like, back right the hell off b*!@."
What we call it: One more word:
Example: "ONE MORE WORD...just ONE MORE WORD and I'll give you something to cry about.."
and/or
"Just wait til your father gets home."

Angela Barbeisch..Diva on a Rant Feb. 2010

Moleface..

As a woman of a certain age, I recently had a meet-n-greet with
a Doctor Y regarding the fabulous fifty prerequisite
colonoscopy...

I sat on the uncomfortable exam table while he began to explain the
procedure. So much fodder for another story, but this tail..uh tale
focuses on something extremely different. My mole. On my NECK.

"So, we prowceed to entah the colon area and....(He stops. Stares at me.
My neck, specifically.)

"How long you have dat mole", he inquires with great interest.

"M-mole?", I reply, subtly covering my neck.. "Um, this? I point.
"All my life".

"Hmm...that mole veddy big. Veddy big mole."

"Yes, it is.. I said. Always has been. Sorta my signature look, ya know..."

He continued to stare, and then with reluctance, referred back to the
colon chart.

"Once the camerah is praced in the colon, it begins to"... Turn. Stop. Stare.

"That mole too veddy big. Makes cancer. That mole go when we do
colonoscopy. Snip Snip, gone".

"No snip, snip.."I reply. "No gone. I like my mole."

"NO NO we snip snip and it go away...just like dat...."

And I'm gonna make like a tree and leave... just like that....

Fortunately my little sis is a doc. "Absolutely, under no condition,
do you allow that man to touch your mole. Go to a skin specialist..have
it checked out."

But Maria..why was he so fascinated by my mole?

"Well, what do you think he NORMALLY looks at everyday??

Ahhhhhh...and therein lies the rub.

So..lesson learned..that's why we have specialists. Don't do anything
without a second opinion. You may lose something, like a defenseless little
mole.

Learn your options.

Like Al Pacino said....

"Say goodnight to the bad guy"...

"Say hello to my little friend......"

Angela Barbeisch.. February 2010

ET phone home..uhh...where's the phone..CUT!

One of my favorite shows from the good ole days (GOD's as we call them),was Green Acres. For those who remember, the phone was located on a makeshift telephone pole about 100 yards from the house. To make a call, Ahlivah, Zsa Zsa, Mr.Mooney, or whatever drop-in bumbling neighbor would have to scale the pole, click the handle several times while hanging precariously for their lives...
Yet..they always knew where the dang thing was.
I had a patron at the library last night.. a woman of a certain age,talking about the GOD's, when you had that big ugly black rotary phone on a table...or the simple wall phone with the 400 foot cord that could scale the distance of the home. Sure you spent countless hours unwinding, untwirling and "fixin" the cord, but..damn it, ET could make that call in a NY minute..
This author wonders how many precious moments of time we waste looking for, arguing about, and pulling our hair out over a phone.
"I can't find MY phone!"
"Did you call the 2nd phone from the 1st phone?"
"Do you have the second phone?"
"It was next to where the first phone was.."
"Got it...Hold on.."(engaging tracking device...)
*Beep..*beep*...beeeeep***....*blip*
"I hear it....do you hear it?".......
"The couch....look in the cushions..."....mom...found your bra...no phone...
"Check the top of the microwave...no,no....look behind the cat litter box...wait..it fell in the laundry basket.... "Got it..no, no good, lost charge from being off the hook too long.."
"Going to cell...wait, can't find my cell.... someone call my cell from your cell..."
(cut to a faint ring tone of "It's Raining Men" somewhere in the distance)
"Got it..damn it, one bar left.."....
"Hello...hello sis? Hey..gotta make this quick..only have enough charge for two minutes...can you call me back on the house phone in about two hours?No, not now, it's totally dead...tell ya what, I'll call you back on my cell phone after I find the charger..wait, hold on...I'll email ya..Oh damn...isp is down...

How about I book a plane ticket and fly down there...it'll take less time..

If I had a nickel for every rollover minute I spent looking for the phone, I'd have enough to buy a big ugly black rotary phone.....a telephone pole...and call a realtor to get a penthouse view...

that is, if I can find the phone.....
Angela Barbeisch.. February 2010