the story you've all been waiting for...

Well, due to an overwhelming response from my ...er "fans" here is the story of the voodoo witch and the mean right hook.

It all began last Thursday in the Social Security offices in downtown Little Rock. As I walked in two women and a little girl walked out of the offices. I noticed them but paid no attention to them, as they were leaving. I, being the good law-abiding citizen that I am, came in quietly to the Social Security office and took a number. (For time's sake I will refer to the Social Security offices as SS office from now on...just so there's no confusion.) Almost immediately after taking a number, I noticed that one of the ladies I passed on my way in was now coming back into the SS offices. I noticed immediately how tall she was and how she walked with a ...shall we say, attitude. This woman was told numerous times by a federal security guard to take a number and sit down but she refused. Apparently she had given a wrong address on her SS form and wanted to change it. But unlike the others and myself who were waiting patiently for there turn, this lady refused. I guess she though because she had already been in the office then she was some how exempt from waiting in line.

The next thing I knew, words (not very nice ones) were being thrown around. Oh, and I need to mention at this time that the federal security officer was also in fact a woman. I'm sure why or how but that just makes the story so much better. As the security guard tried to escort this woman out, I saw a very long and very mean fist come flying through the air and land on the face of the security guard. Whoah! I sat there in disbelief and the two women battled it out. One punch after the next. You see, I went to school at a private school in a very small town. I can honestly say, I have never witnessed a real fight before. I didn't know what to do. It was like a train wreck. I tried not to look but I couldn't help it. It was too good not to watch.

It took two men security guards to get this lady off of the other security guard. She was slapping, throwing punches and meanwhile yelling out something I've KNOW I've never witnessed before. She kept telling the guards that she was a witch so they had better beware! Seriously! I mean, I can't make this stuff up, people!

There was blood everywhere! The injury list included busted teeth, mutiple abrasions and cuts to the face and arms and possible a broken wrist belonging to the lady security officer.

Once they got to crazy lady in handcuffs, I saw a sight that should only be seen on movies like "The Omen" or a Jerry Springer episode. The voodoo queen started smearing her legs and feet in her own blood which I might add was everywhere! I kept saying outloud "Seriously?!" Whether it was to myself or to God or to the people around me, I am still not sure. But I still can't believe what I saw. The amount of blood that was on the floor looked like someone had lost a limb.

They called my number. Again, I tried to pull my eyes away from the train wreck but it was impossible. They dragged her, kicking and screaming and most likely casting spells, to the cop car where there were many of Little Rock's finest just waiting for her.

So, does it end there? Um...not quite.

You've now heard my version of what happened which is truthfully exactly what happened. Now you should read HER version if you haven't already done so. What it sad about this whole situation is that someone may end up losing their job because they were trying to DO their job. This lady claims that she was beat by a federal security officer. Unbelievable! Where is the class people? Where is the acknowledgement of your own wrong doing? And in this particular case, where is the sanity in the world anymore?

Read her version here.

Read my friend Ryan's blog about it.

Oh and I can't believe I forgot to mention there was a wig involved. Anytime there is a wig invovled you know it's going to be a good story. (This also applies to men's toupees.)

chaos

So as a person who pretty much has her camera at all times, there are numerous times in the past week that I have said, "Dang it! Why don't I have my camera.?!!!" The past few weeks of my life have been, as the title suggests, absolute chaos.

So, go grab a cup of coffee this is a long one....but a good one.

I think it all starts with a minor incident, Buie's car has a flat tire. You're thinking no big deal, right? He's a man so he can change it. Well, a few months earlier Buie was in a wreck with damaged his bumper causing his spare tire to become...well, unavailable. Seeing that his bumper was now pretty much UNDER his car, there was no way to get to the spare tire. The day this happened I was in Louisiana with my family, and Buie, of all days, forgets his cell phone! He had just left Wal-mart after purchasing about $250 worth of groceries on the hottest day of the year so far. There he was stranded on Hwy 10 with nothing but some change (thank God) to make a call from a pay phone. Of course, I don't answer because it's a call from a payphone. I don't ever answer calls from numbers I don't recognize, right. I mean, come on, people! We live in 2008. It could be a crazy person on the other end of that line...but in this case it was just my husband...(which on that day might have well been a crazy person.) Poor guy. Well, my brother, Craig, who now lives in Maumelle was able to help him out. Thank God for family, right?

One week later....

On a bright and beautiful Saturday morning, Buie and I were piddling around the house getting it ready for company. His parents were coming to see our condo for the first time so of course we wanted it to look nice. I walked outside to my car around 10:30 am to load up my recycling like I do every Saturday morning. (Yes, I am green.) This is when the weirdest feeling came over me. Buie's car was gone. Totally and completely gone. Like, not where we parked it the night before, gone. I thought I was just overlooking it in the parking lot. I scanned the parking lot once, twice and even a third time before I had come to the striking conclusion that his car was, in fact, gone.

Once I had said a few choice words, broken the news to Buie, and HE said a few choice words...I was finally able to laugh about this situation. I mean, come on! Who gets their car stolen from the parking lot of their very own condo! Apparently we do.

Three days later...

I had made a life altering decision to run the half marathon. I have always wanted to run a marathon but I, seeing how out of shape I am, decided that I needed to only run the half, which will be a challenge in itself. Tuesday, the 12th of August, I went for a run...a short run. No big deal, right? Well, after taking a hot shower, I realized that I was in extreme pain. I went from being a big sore to not being able to walk at all in a few short minutes. What in the world! Seriously, I couldn't even lift my head up to adjust my pillow. I had no idea what I had done to myself. But whatever it was, I thought a few pain pills could fix it. I was wrong. Diagnosis: a pinched nerved. And just so you know, those things HURT!

The next day...

August 13th. I will never forget this day. If you're from Little Rock, then you know exactly what happened on this Wednesday afternoon. Long story short a gunman entered our building at work just after shooting the Chairman of the Democratic Party 6 blocks away from my work. We didn't know of the shooting at the time, but we did know he had a gun! What in the world! Let me get this straight: There is a guy in my building with a freakin' gun! Yup. that is an accurate statement although hard to believe.

Thank the good Lord above we all left that day in tact. I might need a few hours with a shrink but at least I'm alive, right?

(To read the article, go here.)

One day later...

I left early from work on the 13th. I was drugged up from pain pills and I was in complete and utter shock. After all, there was a man with a gun in my building. I keep having to say that statement out loud to realize how lucky we all are. So Thursday, the next day, I started therapy at the chiropracter. Now, normally I would not have gone to a chiro doctor because well, I've heard they are quacks. But you're not really thinking about what's quacky when you're in extreme pain. Thankfully, my chiro was able to accurately diagnosed the problem as a pinched nerve. I've had a week and a half of therapy and I'm almost back to normal. Well, as normal as I can be, I guess.

One week later...

This one is my favorite. Let's just say it involves a disturbed voodoo queen and a mean right hook.

Read HER version here... I'll write about my version on another day. This blog is already long enough to wrap around my head twice and that's pretty long.

Until next time...I'm crossing my fingers that nothing else will happen. But in case something does, I'm bringing my camera everywhere with me!

cb photography

So... I'm kind of a wishy washy person, if you don't know me. I can never make up my mind about ANYTHING. I think I like something but then two seconds later I'll change my mind.

For a while now, I have been calling my little photography business "Blue Hammock Photography." I had a logo designed by a friend for "the blue hammock collections." It is a great logo, I must say. But it just doesn't work for my photography needs. When people see Blue Hammock, my name is not associated with that...so for your photography needs, I will be known as something very original, CB photography. Yes, yes, I know. This is what I started out calling myself and yes, this is what I am going back to. Don't worry though I will still keep the blue hammock collections for my stationery line, landscape and still life prints. Maybe one day I'll have a cool website up.

But until then you can keep up with me on this blog...and yes, I am back taking pictures from my wedding break! If you need family portraits this fall for your holiday cards, just let me know!

Email me at carabeth.buie@gmail.com