Football..........and PMS......but football guys....

I have a GREAT football story. But first I gotta rant about PMS for a moment.

I have a new syndrome to announce! AMS. As opposed to PMS. Just when I thought it was safe................. it hit me BAM. WTF?

The PMS thing SHOULD have been happening last week when I went traveling with my not-my-boyfriend/man-friend/man-ho AND his two teenage kids AND my child-who-doesn't-like-to-travel. But ya' know what? I was "polite". I wore a smile. I kept my mouth clenched shut when I had nothing nice to say. (Good advice from my grandmother).

BTW, texting to your girlfriend about the lameness of boys, is a good way to avoid arguing with them in LA traffic.

So I'm thinking I simple PUT OFF the PMS. I tried to trick it but it had the last laugh.

And did you know that there is NO PMS unless you're around men??? It's true. I'm convinced the PMS is actually the irritation that MEN don't appreciate all the effort you go through to be civil during these lovely hormonal changes. I swear..........that's it!

OK. On to the football story (because that is one thing men do appreciate).........

So I went to my first pro football game last Sunday! AND I liked it!! The Chargers v the Chiefs. Yup. I was there.

LT ran 85 yards RIGHT TOWARDS me, to score yet another touchdown!!! I was sitting behind the goal, along the Chiefs sideline. Yup. Sure was.

I was the crazy nut in the sea of Chargers fans, with the #1 FAN finger thingy, bouncing up and down, and high-fiving every stranger sittin' around me!! Yup. That was me.

For those of you who don't watch football (like me a week ago), LT is short for

LaDainian Tomlinson, the Chargers running back who's breaking every kind of record.

I must also tell you that ONLY MY SON could make me a football fan. Many a man has tried.....and tried........and tried. My son's obsession/enthusiasm for football has done it for me. I sure didn't see that coming. Or the AMS.........

I'm listening to my iTunes and guess what song just came on? "You Could Be Happy" from Snow Patrol, that's what.

This week doesn't feel like it included the shortest day of the year.

The best candy ever

He said, "This is the best candy ever."

I said, "I like Yorks too. Gimme one."

He said, "The wrapping is like you and the candy is like me."

I said, "What?"

He said, "You're the wrapping around me, and when I grow up I'll bust outa the wrapping and be on my own."

I said, "Indeed."

The Hanukkah Bush

Dear Daddy........RIP.......ummm.....I mean.......MIP,
Are you "moving in peace"? My life moves. on. There are so many things I think of to tell you. I imagine picking up the phone and hearing your gruff old voice. I would say, "Hi Daddy". "The boy" and I finally got our Christmas Tree.........I mean Hanukkah Bush yesterday. He's so excited about Christmas and Santa (yes he still believes or at least he wants to.....) and decorating the tree and getting presents...........and the traditions. He seems to know how special it is to have two parents that love him and take care of him and sit for hours doing homework with him and play games with him. He seems to know we're the stable force under his wings.
You would say, "I stopped getting Xmas trees a couple years after you left 'cause it seemed silly to do it all by myself". Yes I remember. I would ask you, "Do you have good memories of shopping for the tree, putting it on the top of your car, dragging it into the house, putting the lights on, and sitting back to watch me put on the ornaments?"
You would probably say, "umm.........sure". And you would probably mean it. Even though you seemed bothered by the whole thing. Even though you were tired from working 6 days a week and taking care of me all by yourself.
Ya' know what daddy? I do the same thing with my child. This whole holiday thing is a bunch of extra work, isn't it? I procrastined the tree thing and hurried him a bit through the decorating tonight. And I will be sure to tell him that I hold these memories close to my heart.
Ok. I'll let you go. I'll talk to you soon.
And you'd say, "goodnight then".

It always seems like a good idea....at the time

Martinis are fun. I think.

The traditional Martini has always reminded me of b&w movies from the 50's, of cocktail parties when EVERYBODY smoked. But now we've got Martini bars where suddenly pomegranite is a commonly used word.

Last night, I attended a Holiday Party at a local Italian restaurant, which has such a Martini bar. It seemed like a good idea to follow up the party, by walking 20 ft. to the bar and begin ordering drinks that smoke. (At least the drinks get to smoke.)

It didn't seem like such a good idea after my 4th drink (two of which were the above Martinis).

I was tired before I even got there. I had bandaids on my chin (from moles removed, not from cutting myself shaving), and I just wanted to curl up at home........in my sweats & UGGs. Thus began the pleading with my party buddies to take me home. (I left my car at home so I could drink.............which also seemed like a good idea...........at the time). And ADD a neighbor of mine who I nicely invited to join our group, who became horribly drunk. Ugggghhhhhh.

Soooooo, today was spent doing nothing. Nothing productive. Nothing much of anything. Is it time for some more Ibuprophen?

A mother's job

I will look at this picture when I feel like a bad mother. Isn't it so easy to look at other parents and KNOW what they should or shouldn't be doing.

blogging withdrawal

It's been 2 whole days since I blogged. (I think I need a confessional).

I have been at my laptop the last 3 nights and had to actually refrain myself from blogging. It's like a friend that you talk to every day and somehow you have MORE to talk about than with someone you don't talk to very often.

I have so much to tell you; where do I begin?!

Holiday Card Pic time

I went to the beach yesterday with my friends to take pictures for our "Holiday" cards.

What a great excuse to get my ass to the beach.

Totally awesome sunset.

We picked a spot in Shell Beach where hundreds of Pelicans live. Amazing site but smelly.

I took a pic with munchkin in the summer of 2005 and I've been wanting to take another just like it. The growth of my child is simply fascinating to me.

Remodel update

My house remodel is actually making progress. It's MORE of a mess than ever.

We ordered the new cabinets!! I bet my dad would say..."that's more than I paid for my first house!!". The old cabinets are getting ripped out and the whole house is covered in white powdery stuff.

The contractor-construction-guy-man-friend ripped apart the back wall of my kitchen to prepare for the moving of the sink location and exposed the icky insulation. There were roots IN the insulation. It wasn't wet anymore but it was at one time. EWWWWWW.......

The backside of my house was painted this morning........YES, on Sunday morning. It's good to "know people".

We have a HUGE dumpster in my driveway. I "invited" neighbors and friends to add stuff 'cause it was way bigger than I needed. OMG. They totally filled it up.

We've spent hours at Home Depot looking at lighting stuff and flooring and appliances, but I walk out of there more confused than ever.

The Fountain

I saw a movie last night called The Fountain. I had heard bad reviews but it was the only movie showing when we could go and still get back to the babysitting in time so we went (and I love a good run-on sentence once and awhile).
Basically it was a bad acid trip. That's what I'm thinking now although I was enjoying parts of it when it was happening (kind of like an acid trip which always seems to turn into a bad trip eventually).
Hugh Jackman was cool to watch. Bald and creepy. On the other hand, Rachel Weisz was lovely and creepy.

I DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!

I did it!!

I DID IT!!

I DID it!!

I did IT!!

Blogged EVERY day in November. I said I would and I did.

Am I surprised? Not necessarily. Not totally. But a little.

I averaged about 5 blog posts a month this year.............until November.

Setting goals is an interesting task. Small, attainable goals; that's what everyone says to do. That's what I tell people to do. But I don't always take that advice myself.

Having a task that I MUST do, makes me think of school. It's been 13 years since I went to school. I spent about 26 yrs of my life going to school. I was beyond burnt out when I finished. I've never wanted to go back.

What goals have I set for myself since getting out of school? I don't often set attainable, specific goals for myself.

I'll create a budget for myself and then never really stick to it 'cause who can plan for the damn car repairs or the water heater that goes out, and who really wants to restrict your grocery bills or the dinner out to celebrate your friend's promotion.

I don't want to set a goal unless I'm going to achieve it. Completely. Fully. I don't wanna tell everyone I'm going to start going to the gym 4 days a week. I probably won't do it. I'd rather go to the gym for a few months and then SHOUT it to the world........I did this HUGE thing.

What's next?? Maybe I could set a goal that I will do sit ups for 10 min. every day. If I can BLOG EVERY DAY, I could do that, right?

One small success at a time.

SHOUT OUT to every NaBloPoMo participant. Rachenbo says it best.

Another list

5 things I've noticed about the other NaBloPoMo bloggers:

1. There are a lot of Heathers
2. There are a lot of blogs about knitting and cooking
3. There are some heartbreaking and inspirational blogs written by people suffering from health issues
4. There are a lot of people who didn't post every day
5. There are some cool, good looking blog headers and blogger (mine) is not one of them

10 things I feel thankful for..........right now

Let's see if I can come up with 10 things that I truly feel thankful for..........at this moment in time (when I'm not feeling particularly thankful)

1. Chocolate ice cream
2. My love for pictures; taking them, making albums with them, telling a story with them
3. My smart, sweet, sleeping child and his ability to fight off a cold
4. My warm, cozy bed
5. Friends to laugh with
6. A job to go to tomorrow
7. A trip to SD next month to plan and look forward to
8. A houseful of boys that put up with my assumption that they can read my mind
9. A book to look forward to reading when I'm done here
10. A blog to write a list of things I'm thankful for............so I remember to be thankful

Ohhh nooo...........I have 11 things. I'm thankful that they're are only 2 more days of NaBloPoMo.

Things I haven't done and things I've learned......in Nov.

Since blogging EVERY day in November, I haven't:

*Stayed out past midnight (I have seriously left parties and run home to blog)
*IM'd with a friends (even though I can see them online and haven't talked to them in awhile) 'cause it's too close to midnight and I gotta get my blog post done
*Gone to flickr most every day and browsed through pics for hours
*Left my laptop at home while going on vacation

I learned:
*I enjoy a challenge
*I can pull blog post topics out of my ass............at the last moment............and be proud of my post
*That I am still impressed with Dooce's ability to post entertaining blogs almost every day
*I can completely forget about posting pics to flickr, or checking my myspace (which is only important because I miss keeping up with my teenage buddies)
*That I enjoy reading random blogs about people looking for fullfillment and hope in their daily struggles and crazy lives.

My rigorous schedule today (& that's all you get)

Open eyes, shut eyes, go back to sleep, and repeat until 11 something
Eat cereal, drink coffee, take vitamins
Lay on couch and catch up on TiVo'd programs
Pee
Go back to couch
Talk on phone for post-mortem on last night (whole 'nother post)
Drink more water and pee
Feel son's forehead and ask him if he's feeling OK 'cause there was an evil flu bug going round at Thanksgiving.
Eat leftover yams in bed and surf channels
Put away clean laundry piled on bed so I can see the TV better
Start some laundry to clear a pathway on floor in bedroom
Eat lasagna in bed but gave up 'cause the roof of my mouth feels like I burned it
Drink some Airborne and pee
Watch Thank You for Smoking, feeling chilled but hoping it's just paranoia and I didn't actually catch the evil flu bug.
Put Wayne to bed
Drink more water and ............you guessed it.
Blog and have nothing to say but this

skiing vs laundry

The parents and auntie & uncle are all huddled round the calendar.The annual kids ski trip is being planned.

Cindy: "What? Heather? You're not going?"
Me: "Ummm. No. But my son will go as always."
Cindy: "WHAT? You're not going skiing?"
Me: "Let's review last year. Everyone kept saying.........don't worry about it, you don't have to ski, and then 5 seconds later........come skiing, you'll love it, just one morning.........then the next day............come skiing again, it won't be so hard this time. Ohhh you don't want to go.............don't worry about it, you don't have to ski, and then 5 seconds later..........YOU don't want to go skiing? HOW come? It'll be fun, come skiing.........."
Cindy: "WHAT? HOW come you don't want to ski?"
Everyone else in unison: "Remember, she was complaining the whole time about her legs and ankles and every other body part?"
Cindy: "WHAT? You should come. It'll be GREAT. Take some vicodin and come skiiing!!"
Me: "OMG"
Cindy: "Seriously HOW come you don't like skiing?"
Me: "Tell me something you don't like to do"
Cindy: "Laundry. I hate laundry."
Me: "We should do some laundry. COME ON. It'll be FUN. Take some vicodin. Let's do some laundry!!"
Cindy: "So you're going to stay home and do laundry??"

the proverbial truck

It feels like I was run over by a truck. I'm tuckered. Tired. Exhausted. Pooped. Draggin'. Comotose. I didn't see it coming but I should have. I guess I wasn't really looking. Just "crossing the street" today and BAM.
2nd weekend of traveling and family and talking and listening and hugging and crying. Lordy.

So many pics

I took so many pics and received so many pics today, and it makes me HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY. Not only did I take some nice one's yesterday and today, I received pics from both my sisters today!!

My sis in Mexico figured out how to upload to kodakgallery and had some of her Europe trip to share. Yippppeeeee. Then my other sis uploaded her pics from the SD Wild Animal Park where she took a tour and fed Giraffe's and Rhino's!!

Big Bird Day?

Just in case my hands are too water-logged from dishes or I've convinced myself that I really can drink wine, I'm posting this NOW. A few minutes past midnight on the night before. It's not cheating dammit 'cause it IS tomorrow; I just haven't gone to bed yet. One perk of being a night-owl.

7 days to go..................

My secret holiday Yams recipe

I can't tell you how many people have said to me (in a confessional, whispering tone), "I don't normally like yams but yours are great!! How do you make them?".

Finally the secret recipe.

1) Buy lots of yams...........in the produce section. Not canned. Not sweet pototoes.
2) Preheat (or don't preheat) oven to 400 (or anywhere between 300-450).
3) Bake 'em for an 1 1/2 hrs (or when the house smells really good or whenever you remember to take them out).
4) Scoop out the insides into a serving dish.
5) Mush them together with a fork (or a spoon or whatever works).
6) Put Marshmellows on top and put them in a hot oven and WATCH them until the Marshmellows are GOLDEN BROWN.

3 produce bags full should feed about 20 people with leftovers for the next day.

Seriously folks. Canned yams are kinda gross. And I'm not sure why anyone wants to add butter and brown sugar when they are oozing with natural sweetness (as evidenced by the gooey, honey like substance that will be glued to your cookie sheets).

Happy Turkey Day!! Enjoy whatever you're eating and think of at least one thing you can be THANKFUL for this year!!

UPDATE:
After posting this I went on my merry way to read blogs. I choose Dooce first. Read the last line of her post today. FREAKY. VERY VERY FREAKY.

Britney & Paris?! Ohhh come on.............

Britney & Paris are BFF?? Seen partying together?? It's just too much for me. Next they'll be honeymooning with TomKat. I'm just so thankful they got married already. Sheeshh.

And Britney's got long 'ole extensions in her hair. Who would do that (wink wink to my bud)??

Anyhow that's all I gotta say for now. I need to eat food or I'll melt into nothingness.

9 days to go..............whew.............

Free Hug Campaign

You've probably all heard about this by now but it seemed worthy of a blog post.

http://freehugscampaign.org/

You can watch the inspiring video on the website above or on youtube.com. I received the video via email months ago. Then I saw it on Oprah. Then I saw it on youtube.com. I can't see it enough.

Just a guy offering FREE HUGS. One man's way of making the world a better place.

(I tried posting the video directly from youtube but it hasn't posted yet and I'm going to bed and can't wait any longer)

daddy's tree

I sat today with the Live Oak tree planted in memory of my father. Some of his ashes are there. His running shoes are there. His pipe is there. It's been 7 months today.

I visited with my aunties this weekend. Visited and talked and listened and hugged and cried and laughed.

Family is exhausting that way.

Note to self: drink lots of water and sleep, not necessarily in that order.

The Secret Life of Bees

I’m reading a book called, The Secret Life of Bees, and the opening paragraph had me hooked.

“At night I would lie in bed and watch the show, how bees squeezed through the cracks of my bedroom wall and flew circles around the room, making that propeller sound, a high-pitched zzzzzzzz that hummed along my skin. The way those bees flew, not even looking for a flower, just flying for the feel of the wind, split my heart down its seam.”

The imagery, the feelings, the storytelling, the poetry………….makes my heart sing.

Sue Monk Kidd then writes, “The bees came the summer of 1964, the summer I turned fourteen and my life went spinning off into a whole new orbit……….”. “Right now it’s enough to say that despite everything that happened that summer, I remain tender toward the bees.”

I love the word TENDER in that last sentence. As I’m nearing the end of the book, I realize that no other word could be used to describe the meaning of the bees in her life. I can’t tell you anymore about the book because it would spoil it. You must go on the journey with this girl.

One reviewer writes, “This is a remarkable novel about divine female power, a story that women will share and pass on to their daughters for years to come.”

I recommend that you read this book (even if you’re not a woman) and stick with throughout the first few chapters. You must go through the dark days to get to the light.

DAY 17............will it post?

Dear wireless router,
I am visiting your house for the next few days. I hope you will be kind to me so I can continue to do the NaBloPoMo thing this month. I've somehow managed to post EVERY day and it would be so disappointing to stop now.

I'm going to post to you now and then continue writing so I can stop holding my breath.

Whew........it worked. DAY 17 is safe. I so appreciate your cooperation! I can continue breathing.

I've come to visit my sister (your owner) this weekend. You've always been there for me but I was still a bit nervous being out of town during the NaBloPoMo contest. I've read a few other NaBlo blogs during my adventures on the randomizer and there are tales of out of town visits with dial-up only. OMG. Can you believe some people still have that old system?! Well........yes........we should have compassion for them. Not everyone is as lucky as us to have wireless routers like you.

Anyway, thank you for being there for me. I'm listening to the quiet of the ranch right now. The stillness is quite loud actually. Have you ever noticed that? Yes.....I suppose some of that noise may be the traffic on HWY 154. I'm just happy that the Peahen (that's a female Peacock) is not making that screeching sound. Apparently I'm sitting in her spot on the patio and last time I was here she freaked out and circled the house making the most horrible sounds.

I must warn you I'm going to NAME DROP now. It's not often (or ever) that I get to do that so I'm feeling the need to take the opportunity now. ELLEN DEGENERES is selling her ranch next door (meaning a 10 min walk from door to door). She's been talking about it on her show, so it's not a secret anymore. She even showed a tour of her house (last week I think) on her show. Interesting place and a crazy amount of remodel in her 2 1/2 yr residence. I guess it would have been 2 yrs ago this month that I met her here at the ranch. My dad and son and I saw her and Portia walking right up the driveway. She was quite neighborly and mostly had a million questions about the horse thing; do they need those blankets at night if they're not in the barn, how come some horses get to stay in the barn while others are outside? I'm sure they learned a lot about horses and I hope Portia gets to continue riding. She was so excited about it. It was nice to meet them for a few hours that day because I found out she IS as funny as she is on TV. She's got a quick wit and seemed to be constantly thinking up her daily monologue. I wasn't surprised about this, nor was I surprised when I heard she is constantly working and rarely sits down. It seems the ranch life here is probably too quiet and remote and the security is nonexistent.
Yes.......yes.......router..........I agree, it's a quiet life here (YES.........I'm still talking to the damn router). I'm more of a town girl myself, but it's great place to visit!!

babies

Babies are wonderful..............when they're not yours!! And this one was sleeping.............in my arms!! I could hold him with one hand (while I used the other to take a pic with my new phone ;-).

This amazing little boy is 6 weeks old and it feels like I've waited forever to meet him. He's the first child of a friend of mine, an x-worker, an x-boss, and a current client. He's a big man with a big voice with a darling wife and they've made this amazing little being.

Blogster, Blom, Blogaman

One of the crazy NaBloPoMo bloggers, Rachenbo, came up with a list of TYPES of bloggers. I think I'm mostly a BLOGSTER but throw in some BLOM and BLOGAMAN for good measure.

She also had a rant about a THEME for your blog or the absense of one. She says we don't HAVE to have a theme but she obviously wishes we did. After some thought, I've decided ramblings IS a theme. I ramble about my life and my observations and like to throw in a reason to giggle as often as possible.

I love to write and considered a career in it for about a half a second in college. I like to structure a blog post with a theme. I like to tie it all together with a conclusion. But I’m not a “writer”; and by that I mean, I haven’t been trained as one, didn’t major in it, or try to make money doing it. As it turns out, I went in a completely different direction and became an accountant (back to the structure thing). Being a writer (or photographer, which I also pursued for a second), feels way too vulnerable.

Anyone who knows me can attest to the fact that I use a lot of animation in my voice and body language. I’m more a stand-up comic than a writer. When I was 7 or so my mother thought I’d be a mime or an actor. I can’t stop being ANIMATED even if I tried (which I have; it was a dreadful couple of minutes).

So thank gawwd for BLOGGING, which allows me to do a little writing. It’s a challenge to rely on my words only (and maybe a font change, a color change, or even some CAPS). But it’s just a blog, just a journal, for whoever (including myself who) has time to read it…………or not. It's important to have a "witness" (or many witnesses) in life but sometimes you must be your own witness. Part of that growing up thing.

HAIR (note to self: create category called HAIR)

This is me. This is my hair. This is my hair after blow drying it. NOT a good look. There is only one reason I don't wear a hat every day and that reason is my CHI Flat Iron.

There are fifty million gels and sprays for de-frizzing the hair. My Silk Therapy was the one at work on the left side of my hair in the after shot. You can see it's a LITTLE bit better.

There is NOTHING that takes the place of my CHI flat iron, not even other flat irons.

I know I have spoke about this many times before. I apologize. I was drawing a total blank about what the hell to blog about on DAY 14. But it's a worthy cause. I will be adding a category called HAIR. I wonder how many there are. If I blogged about my hair everytime I cursed it, I would have to blog about it EVERY DAY.

Visitors

My x-roomie from '02-03 called me on Thurs. and said "can I come visit?". Um........OK......uuhhhh, ya' know I've got a remodel going on and the house is even more of a disaster than usual? No problem she said. Of course as I started cleaning the house I realized how totally un-baby-proofed my house had become. An 11 month crawls on the floor for gawd's sake. OMG.

She stayed two days, which I decided was a very nice amount of time for a vistor to stay. The coffee was made in the morning when I got up, the dishes were done (my current roomie/dishwasher liked that), and she took some of her stuff that has been in my garage for 3 years. SO THERE to all my friends who said she'd never come back for it!! Some dusting was done, my floor got picked up, AND let's not forget he chirping smoke detector (see Sat. night blog post)!!!

That's the kind of visitor you want isn't it? I don't have too many visitors but was quickly reminded how you're life has to kinda stop when you've got them and there is a need to entertain. Oh........AND we went to the beach, which I hardly ever do even though it's only 10 min. away.

My sister, who lives in Mexico, and I were talking yesterday about how our family aren't the "visiting" type. She has threatened to stop coming here until one of us goes there. Now the thing is............many of you may have family that comes to visit you often. Do they stay too long? Does your mother or mother-in-law criticize your cleaning habits, your parenting skills, or your eating habits? I've heard about these type of visits and I don't think I'd want that either.

Throughout the years I've thought many times about my non-visiting family. It used to hurt my feelings. One time I was talking to my dad about it and he said........"my parents only came to visit me a few times". A FEW TIMES in his whole adult life. I realized at that moment that it wasn't a sign of their love (they're always there for the times of crisis and the Sunday phone calls are common). You just get the family you get. For better or worse. AND you get to make friends.........lots and lots of them.................some will even come visit.

Stranger Than Fiction (or Cheese & Broccoli......I can't decide which)

Why do movie previews always do that?? Why does the preview show all the funny parts (or use editing to create funny parts that aren't even there), when the movie is serious or depressing or heavy?? The Family Stone did that. The Weatherman did that. The Break-Up did that. And mostly, Stranger than Fiction did that. Do they think we'll only go see it if it's a comedy? Do they have to trick us into seeing a drama with life lessons that are good for us? Kinda like cheese melted all over our broccoli so we'll eat it?

Will Ferrell, Emma Thompson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman, & Queen Latifah are the man reasons for seeing Stranger Than Fiction. Emma is amazing in her dark, British way. Dustin is less cartoonish than he's been lately. Maggie is more wonderfully likable than she normally is. The Queen has too straight and small a part but lovely. And Will is a ton more serious than usual but I personally think it suits him. I've never noticed his sweet, soft, lovable eyes before. Stranger than Fiction has some very funny parts. But it's definitely not the goofy type movie's that Will is known for, and I'm not sure the previews reveal the true nature of the movie. And even though I feel tricked, I liked it! Cheese on Broccoli is good, dammit.

On the other hand, the other movie I saw this weekend was The Break-Up and I'm glad I rented it with my magical Blockbuster-in-the-mailbox club. It really wasn't funny. It was depressing with no redemption. We get a few seconds of Vince Vaughn's charmingly quick and witty dialogue, and then we get two characters arguing for another hour or so. Ok......so we get some Jennifer nakedness for about a second too. But mostly, we just get that awkward voyeurish feeling of watching a couple argue about stupid stuff. We could have video-taped our own lives if we wanted to see that!!

I guess the Broccoli wasn't cooked enough for me (I actually like vege's cooked well and yes I know they're not as good for me). I guess you can't fool me into liking hard, microwaved Broccoli, even if you spread cheese all over it.

Two more favorites

Long Beach Pier. Sept. 2006.

Sunset shines on Crab Encrusted Halibat over Garlic Mashed Potatoes, with Bok Choy and Asparagus.

We chirp no more

I have a sledgehammer and a smoke detector that is facing it's demise. This is no ordinary smoke detector. This particular one chirped (that sound when the battery's going dead)............in my garage/internet smoking lounge..........for perhaps a year. Yes I said a year. It wasn't until yesterday when my x-roomie came for a visit and said "what is that noise?" that I realized it was still doing it. Seriously. And before the day was over she had found that smoke detector........in a box, with pictures.
I either drowned out the chirping sound with iTunes or I developed a tick and no one bothered to tell me.

Two of my favorites

I love these pics.

I took them with my new Nikon Rebel,

at my annual scrapbooking retreat,

in San Simeon,

last month.

And on the 8th Day

This NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month.........I think is what it stands for) is CRAZY and WONDERFUL. Why, you ask, would joining a group of crazy bloggers in a contest to blog every day in Nov, be a good thing? Mostly because of the Randomizer. I scroll through this amazing group of over 2000 bloggers and I am overwhelmed with stories, images, information.........

I could have scrolled through Blogger blogs anytime. Blogger has this same feature. But when I did it a few times, I was bored reading about people I had never met or wrote of things I didn't find interesting. HOW could I have been bored? I'm not sure anymore. What is it that makes the NaBloPoMo Randomizer experience so much better?? The only difference is that I am connected to these people in one way for sure.

This post is becoming long winded. What I wanted to say is that I'm totally captivated by reading all these different blogs. I've read about parenthood, traveling in Turkey and Italy, stories of a scrap-a-holic, gluten-free diets, a woman who talked on the phone with Gloria Steinem this week, voting issues in other states, colds and flu's, and quitting this damn contest 'cause their busy lives must take precedence.

And if the Randomizer wasn't enough, there's a crazy blogger who REVIEWED about half of all the blogs. They haven't gotten to my blog yet (it's in the R's) but someone named "The Crap-o-Rama" has voluntered to do our those. WOW.

There is a bit of pressure but I'm taking one-day-at-a-time. Always a good lesson. And I'm a bit worried about overloading my readers, although I'm only sure about a very few readers (thanks Mom for being my lone "commentor", for who else is the best supporter and witness of your life?!)

I just signed up for this free site meter thing to see if I can track visitors. And where did I learn of this site? None other than fussy.org (one of the organizers of this NaBloPoMo contest thingy).

conversations

Earlier this evening.............
"Mommy? Come throw the ball with me."
"I'm doing my hair and it's almost your bedtime".
"You never play with me anymore. "
It's not the first time my son has said this to me lately. My heart actually hurts when he says this to me.
Later..........
"Get in bed. Light on or off?"
"Either way"
"Sweet dreams and............I'll play basketball with you tomorrow. K?"
"K"
"Now make mommy happy and go to sleep".
Guilt works both ways.

A few days ago, with the other guy in my life.........
"I like your hair better red"
"I knew you'd hate it"
"I didn't say that"
"It'll lighten as I wash it"
"I can't call you strawberry shortcake anymore"
"How 'bout blackberry shortcake?"
"How 'bout chocolate souffle?"

This morning, IMing with my lunch date............
"Did I tell you I colored my hair brown?"
"Good thing you told me so I can recognize you."
Later at lunch...........
"I miss your red hair"
"I know, I know. I asked to have highlights on top. I gotta get it fixed."
"He can't call you shortcake anymore"
"OMG, that's what he said!"

And one more conversation with "the other guy in my life"................
"You're X-wife and I look alike"
"What? No you don't"
"Yes we do"
"NO. YOU. DON'T."
"ya huh"
"na huh"
"She's got light, freckly skin and her hair color is like the color mine was 2 days ago. We look alike"
"Quit saying that"
"just sayin' "
"You better quit sayin' 'cause you're gonna lose weekend visitation rights with your bed"

Sharing my bathroom

Have I mentioned lately that sharing a bathroom with my 9 yr old son continues to amaze me?? (I could look back in my "parenthood" category and probably find at least 5 posts about my son's bathing experience.)

This is what I sound like after my son has taken his shower and/or bath:
"OMG.........look at this bathroom." Squish Squish. "These towels are soaking wet for criminy sakes". (OK......so sometimes I use other words). Ouch Ouch. "These stupid batmen are going in the trash mister 'cause they're not in the basket". "Oh man......you emptied this shampoo bottle; that'll cost you about $4. You are soooo lucky it was one of the cheap ones". "And what the he^^ is on the mirror; it looks like the Febreeze". "um.........NO......you are not cleaning this up right now; it's past your bedtime". "Jezuzzz...........I just needed to go pee".

I almost took a picture of the disaster that is my bathroom after his bathing experience...........for his scrapbook............and for this blog. But dammit, I just needed to pee..........and a dry, flat surface to walk on.

P.S. Guess what I figured out the other night?? The nightlight in the bathroom has ONE purpose. So my son can't tell me, "I missed the toilet 'cause it was dark".

ramblings and run-ons

I simply don't have time to blog right now. I'm late for beddie bye time. It's 11:11 and I must go. I put off a work project until tonight and instead fiddled about this weekend doing who knows what.

Wait...I know.........I went to a kid movie, which I haven't done in ages 'cause my kid doesn't want to see them anymore but was pressured into going 'cause his friends wanted to go and so I took them all. Flushed Away was a cute and action packed movie.

And.......I did my part to help with the construction of the basketball hoop (one of those big 'ole freestanding things) by getting the sand. Too bad I couldn't actually pick up the 70 lb bags of sand. My son did it. He's 9 yrs old. Note to self: go to the gym and lift weights.

And.......I met my boyfriend's dad and xwife today. Did I just say boyfriend? Shit. Very nice people and we're all excited about "the boyfriend's" new pad, just across town. And did I mention that I gave him my old bed? I have weekend visitation rights and I so enjoyed those rights this weekend.

OK. I did it. I posted for the 5th day in a row. Whew.............

Zits

Do you ever read the cartoon Zits? I seem to find the trials of a 14 yr old boy and his parents totally relatable. What does that mean?

Can you read the cartoon? I don't have time to fiddle with it now.

OH MY......................the pressure of this blogging-every-day-thing!!!!!!

more bed walking

continued from yesterdays post...............

1st night (last night) on the Tempur-Pedic Memory Foam DELUXE was just fine. Not great yet. More bed walking required. My munchkin (who's not much smaller than me now) and I walked, ran, wrestled (he pinned me every time), and played football on my bed tonight!!

The foreground of my pic is the handle of my vacuum and I left it there as evidence that I actually HAVE a vacuum and I do use it on occasion.

Every 10 years

Every ten years you're supposed to get a new bed, right? Or was it 7? Not sure but it was coming up on 10 years with my faithful, good quality bed and it was the perfect excuse to get a brand-spanking newTempur-Pedic memory foam bed! I've got a friend that owns a bed store that sells 'em and I've talking about it for a few years. TODAY was the day!!

Spending a bunch of money on a bed is a guilt-free experience 'cause the darn thing is going to last at least a decade, and a good quality bed saves me from oh-so-many neck spasms which leads to chiro's and massueses and headeaches and painkillers.

I'm very excited but also nervous about the first few nights in a new bed. It can be hard to get used to a new bed, even when it's a good one. The interesting thing about the foam beds in that you need to WALK on them to break down the "starch" (I'm not kidding). My son and I did this today. Who knew I was going to get a quad work-out too!!! (Imagine trying to make footprints in damp sand).

And to prove how very excited I am, I woke up at 6am today and started preparing my room for the new bed!! I had to clean underneath the bed, and vacuum up all those nasty little dust bunnies that give me nasty little colds. I also decided it was a good time to move some stuff around in my room and that involved a whole lotta' cleaning.

To be continued........................

National Blog Posting Month

Did you know it's National Blog Posting Month?? I didn't either until I read about it on emdot's flickr. I have decided to join these crazy bloggers in a pledge to blog EVERY DAY in November.

You can read all about it here.

Not sure what the heck I'm gonna write about EVERY DAY but I can't wait to find out.

I'm considering today a "freebie", an introduction, a title page. I wonder how long it'll take me to buy the book, No One Cares What You Had for Lunch:100 Ideas For Your Blog.

New format.......Yipppeeee

Well isn't this nifty?! A new format for blogger. The best part is that I can finally have CATEGORIES!! (The call 'em Labels but they seem more like Categories to me. ) I always wanted 'em and was jealous of other blogs that had 'em but I had not given up hope.

The new format, called "beta", has been available for awhile but I was too afraid to try it 'cause I've tried new templates and it screwed up my formatting and I lost all my website links. Uggghhh. And then I had to beg website designer friends to help me and that's no fun.

The only bummer so far is that my links (My Favorite Websites) don't open in a new window anymore. One of my neato website designer friends taught me how to add the html verbage to make that happen but it's not working now. Mmmmm........I'll have to work on that.

Anyhow...........hopefully you'll enjoy the Categories section as much as I will. I've always wanted an easy way to go back and see how many times I've talked about the same thing or what movies I've rambled about.

I'm such a wannabe neato website designer.

dreams (more)

I wrote about dream analysis a few nights ago here.

Last night I wrote in my dream journal, "dolphin using his tail to tell me to follow him. before that, like watching a video, a man was swimming after a woman he loves".

I remember thinking..........."dolphin" will have a cool meaning. I don't even remember what time it was when I awoke, which is cool too, 'cause it means I'm not thinking about it too much. Love that!

Anywho............here's what dream moods says about dolphins:
To see a dolphin in your dream, symbolizes spiritual guidance, your intellect, mental attributes and emotional trust. Utilize your mind to its capacity and you will move upward in life. Alternatively, it suggests that a line of communication has been established between the conscious and unconscious aspects of yourself. Dolphins represent your willingness and ability to explore and navigate through your emotions.

Brothers & Sisters

Maybe I'm a sap but I love a good story about a dysfunctional family.

I TiVo so many shows from Weeds to Lost to Desperate Housewives to Ellen......... I usually don't even try new shows..............BUT Sally Fields and Ron Rifkin and Calista Flockhart and Rachel Griffiths and Patricia Wettig. WOW!!

For those of you not TiVo-ing your tele, Brothers & Sisters is on Sunday nights on ABC at 10pm Calif. time.

The "ensemble cast" is fabulous but Sally Fields is the best I've ever seen her!! She's real and sweet and funny. You can see from this picture that she has age lines and all! Her face actually moves when she's talking.

There have been 5 episodes already but START WATCHING NOW 'cause hopefully it'll be around for more than one season.

Here's what you've missed so far:
Tom Skerritt played the dad for one episode. He had a heart attack and falls in the pool. After his death we find out that he had a mistress (Patricia Wettig) for 15 years and embezzled money from the family business. His wife (Sally Fields) learns of the mistress in episode 3. In his will, he names the oldest daughter (Rachel Griffiths) as CEO. Calista, the other daughter, is a raging Republican with a TV show, and has conflict with pretty much everyone else. Sally Fields brother is played wonderfully by Ron Rifkin, and heads the family biz as the CFO (a jewish accountant.......surprise!).

Dreams

I recently found this site about dream interpretation. It's a simplistic way to analyze your dreams but hey........you're not paying $100/hr either.

What I learned from paying therapy rates for dream analysis is that your dreams are NEVER to be taken literally. For example, if you're dreaming about giving birth, it's probably about "giving birth" to a new idea or phase in your life.

And for those of you who say, "I don't dream"..........STOP IT. You do too.

I started keeping a pad of paper and pen by my bed and although I resist at first, it soon becomes a habit (like visiting the bathroom in the middle of night and being only half awake).

So first you put the paper and pen close by. Then you write a few words; places, feelings, people. Don't try to write complete sentences or long stories (I swear you won't be graded).

The other night, I wrote, "Ballou kind of bear with music. powerful. little scary." I don't really remember the dream now (I didn't want to wake myself up enough to write more). But when I looked up BEAR, on my new favorite website, it said this:
To dream that you are being pursued or attacked by a bear, denotes aggression, overwhelming obstacles and competition. You may find yourself in a threatening situation. Alternatively, bears symbolize the cycle of life and death and renewal. It may signal of period of introspection and thinking. The dream may also be a pun on "bare". Perhaps you need to bare your soul and let everything out into the open.

mmmmm.........interesting.

Another night I wrote this, "ship broke in 3 parts. i'm in middle. children on one side. parents on the other. "
Dreammoods.com said this about SHIP:
To see a ship in your dream, denotes that you are exploring aspects of your emotions and unconscious mind. The state and condition of the ship is indicative of your emotional state. If it is a cruise ship, then it suggests pleasant moods. If it is a warship, then you are experiencing feelings of aggression.
To dream that you are sailing the high seas in a ship, denotes that you are standing tall in times emotional turmoil.
To dream that a ship crashed or is sinking, suggests that some aspect of your life is out of control. You are expressing some fear or uncertainly within your emotional state. You are afraid of losing something close to you because of certain difficulties.

mmmmmm...........VERY interesting............

Then there's the night I wrote, "walking on stilts".
To dream that you are walking on stilts, indicates that you are feeling insecure. A situation or relationship is unstable. You are doing your best trying to balance various aspects of your life.

WELL............there you go. All that and I didn't even write a check.

Last year at this time

This pic is from last October. The costume my kid wore was some sort of Ninja. All previous years were superheroes, except for the first few years when I got away with Pooh and La-La.

Today my little man informed me today that all I need to buy for his costume this year is a baseball hat with so&so's name on it (I can't remember who but the name sounded familiar). The names of the current baseball and football "stars" all sound familiar to me now. I hear about them every day.

What a difference a year makes.

My son also informed me this week that none of his socks fit him. I gave him a pair of mine. They fit.

Last year at this time, I was working a zillion hours a week for a high-tech firm. This year I'm still pushing papers around a desk, but in my living room with an increasing wardrobe of sweats and slippers.

Last year at this time, I was spending hours on the phone with my dad, always trying to console and help and listen to him lament about the loss of his business (aka his life), and deal with the decision making and paperwork involved in the transition to the new owners. We were planning a vist for the last week of the year & he was excited. He was relieved to have "something to do" during a week when he couldn't go into work. He was actually excited. It was a good week.
I always had much to report to him on my daily struggles and victories.................as a woman, as a mom, as a friend. He called me more and listened more and had more to say...........than ever before. This year, at this time, I'm making the decisions and doing the paperwork involved in the end of his life, and feeling grateful for that job because it helps keep him close to me.

Last year at this time, I was happily single. I enjoyed and appreciated the simplicity. My life was full with friends and family. This year at this time, I'm attempting to navigate a relationship while hanging onto my peaceful world of simplicity.

What a difference a year makes.

SLO Lightening Bolts

SLO Lightening Bolts
Originally uploaded by YardSale.

Picture courtesy of a fellow SLO resident.

We don't get this kind of show very often on the Central Coast. It lasted a long time too.

Would you apply for this position?

JOB DESCRIPTION:
Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work in chaotic environment. Willing to work variable hours, including evening, weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities. Travel expenses not reimbursed.

Extensive courier duties also required.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
Must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule. Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair and stuck zippers. Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks.

Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5
Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION:
Virtually none. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you.

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE:
None available. On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION:
Get this! You pay them! Offering frequent raises and bonuses. A
Balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that
college will help them become financially independent. When you die, you
give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary
scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS:
While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition
reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered;
this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth and free
hugs for life if you’re lucky.

Quotes

I LOVE reading inspirational and/or funny quotes. I love that SO FEW WORDS can so much.

I just found this website of daily quotes and this one too.

I love this quote by Jon Stewart
"The Internet is just a world passing around notes in a classroom."

And don't we love "PROVERBS".
After the game, the king and the pawn go into the same box.
Italian Proverb

"Out of clutter, find simplicity. From discord, find harmony. In the middle of difficulty, lies opportunity."
Albert Einstein

Good 'ole Albert Einstein. He seemed to place NO LIMITS upon himself. He was a cool guy, if for no other reason than the HAIR. (My father, also named Albert, would have had the same hairdo if he had let it grow.)
I'm taking Al's advice and FINDING SIMPLICITY. I've started a list of SIMPLE PLEASURES:
++ ice cream cake
++ clean sheets
++ chapstick
++ long hugs
++ fabric softener
++ ice water

to be continued.................

How I knew I was on a cruise

I knew I was on a cruise because...........

* there was A LOT of food
* i was swimming in ocean water....in a pool
* everyone was drinking by noon
* my hair was frizzy
* we had our own personal maitre d', who put my napkin on my lap every night for dinner
* there was a karoke bar, a disco, a casino, a coffee bar, and a duty-free shop next door to each other
* i drank too many rum and coke's to count and I still wasn't drunk
* i was unsteady on my feet and I wasn't drunk
* the boat was a' rockin' and they still came knockin'
* there was a lot of yummy food
* my cell phone said "searching..........." for days
* when I got off the boat, there were Mexican trinkets everywhere
* there were towels shaped into animals on my bed everynight..........along with a mint

And this how I know I'm HOME from my Mexican Cruise:
* no one is putting my napkin on my lap for me
* no one is serving me dessert
* my cell phone is ringing
* i have to watch the clock, not so I know when to eat, but to make sure I pick my child up from school
* i have 100 pictures to edit and download and upload and share on kodakgallery
* i got on the scale
* i went to the gym
* there is work to be done

Catching up

I just love this pic! This sweet little cowgirl was one of the 30 or so fabulous people I spent Labor Day with at The ranch. It was fun as expected and I did all those things I talked about doing in my last blog post!! And you know what??.............it took a week to recover. I went to bed early every night and took a few naps for good measure.

Of course, gettin' up early for school kicked my butt too.

I'm gettin' used to the school schedule and my munchkin has risen to the challenge of 4th grade. He's got a male teacher for the first time and the guy's into sports. He DIGS him. My little man is ALL about sports these days; watches Cold Pizza every damn morning. Cartoon's are long gone. My advice is not to bet him on any baseball or football game.

In addition to the school thing, my life has been busy with my kitchen remodel (which is of course turning into a house remodel). Hell must have froze over 'cause I am the least likely person to do a remodel. Pics on my flickr of course.

I also throw in some work now and again. And I'm still busy with my dad's estate stuff. He seems to be hangin' with me less frequently these days 'cause I think he's at his old work place; the business he ran for 40 yrs. "His" employee's think so too. I've had intense dreams the last two nights about my mother. Sept 12th marked the 29th year of her passing. In some ways, it seems like yesterday. Time is funny that way, huh?

In other news.......as previously blogged about, I regularly procrastinate some dreaded task with yet another dreaded task. I think I was avoiding the mess that is my kitchen, dining room, game room (previously known as the TOY room, and the site of the future office space), and living room, by cleaning my bedroom. It always seems like a good idea to clean. BUT then I start pulling out furniture to vacuum up those pesky dust bunnies (in this case they were large floppy ear'd rabbits). As I was doing this I had this nagging feeling that there was something about this task that was BAD. By the evening I was sniffling and sneezing. OH YEAH..........I remember now.............I get sick when I vacuum months of DUST build-up. I tried to fight it for a week and awoke this morning with an earache. And since I'm boarding a big 'ole cruise ship next weekend and didn't think congestion and earaches mixed well with sea sickness, I got me some antibiotics today. Oh yes I did.

Note to self: next time you find yourself digging behind furniture, first try one of those new allergy medicines!

How does Brezsny know? This week's horoscope is particularly foreshadowing. I always find him insightful but he seems to have a crystal ball this week.

Capricorn Horoscope for week of August 31, 2006
If you were at the Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert right now, you might be racing your souped-up tricycle through a miniature golf course-style maze while dressed in a superhero costume, after which you'd enjoy a sushi dinner served on the naked belly of a good-looking clown. Or maybe you'd be exploring the benefits of a short duration marriage to a temporary soulmate selected for you by a seven-year-old girl deity sitting on a neon green plastic throne surrounded by a circle of flame. Since you're probably not at Burning Man, however, you've got to find other ways to carry out your astrological mandate, which is to enjoy semi-crazy acts of liberation you'd normally never try.

I must say that I've been tempted to partake in Burning Man a few times but have not stepped off that particular cliff yet. 20 years ago I would have done it in a heartbeat. Since then I have mostly settled into a comfortable zone of mature, responsible, boring behavior. BUT I am seriously regressing every year (Capricorn's are known for this behavior which further supports my belief in astrology). I figure I'm somewhere in my mid 20's now and will be READY for Burning Man in a few more years.

In the meantime, I am off to my sister's ranch to try "semi-crazy acts of liberation". It won't be hard seeing as I'm joining at least 30 friends and family for the Labor Day craziness that only the ranch can provide. Drinks and no driving. Backyard pool fun (my sister's yellow lab let's us use her pool as long as we throw the ball for her...........constantly). Quad running without valley tourists. Hiking acreage in hopes of spotting deer and wild turkeys but not mountain lions. Driving the mule with a wine cooler in my lap (the kind of mule that has 4 wheel drive) to the river for kayaking and skipping rocks. Bonfires and smores. The opportunity for "semi-crazy acts of liberation" are endless!!

For "immature" audiences

For those of you not watching Weeds, the greatest cable series since 6 Feet Under and Queer as Folk, here is a link to one of the funniest moments on TV (or cable or whatever ya' wanna call it).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWzOQTFwRBE

For the entire episode (Season 2, show #3):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1anAxtvGCPA

And to catch up...........................................

For a review of Season 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltideBDx6VI


For Season 2, show #1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFAib3VlXhI
and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9QnKoxl-lA

And Season 2, show #2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLEWVKbsaMM

WARNING: adult content and graphic language!

ENJOY

some may say

"Stand by Me" & "Under the Boardwalk" are a couple of The Drifters' famous songs from the '50s. I danced to these songs tonight, while The Drifters performed live at the 10th Anniversary for the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center.
You know these men have stories to tell. The oldest living original Drifter, Bill Pinkney, sang and boogied for us. He told us "I just turned 81 and while some may say.....I'm 81 and holding......I say, I'm 81 and moving on". What a cool guy. Oh the stories he could tell...........
During the evening, while taking a smoke break with my former coworkers (I worked at the PAC from '97-'00), we talked with The Drifters manager. She said, "Bill is an amazing man; he was a pitcher for the NY Blue Sox Baseball team, that's the Negro leaque ya' know, and he's a highly decorated WWII veteran". Oh the stories he could tell...........

remodel begins

remodel begins
Originally uploaded by Heather's Shot.

I promise you, here and now, that I won't post every single stupid change I make to my house. I promise not to describe every single type of cabinet or tile or flooring I choose.
It is however a HUGE deal that I am changing ANYTHING about my house, let alone most EVERYTHING about my kitchen and dining room and living room and family room. After 13 years in this house, I will admit, it feels GREAT to be making my house more functional and nicer to live in.
For more pics of today's progress, go to my flickr.

annual retreat

San Simeon
Originally uploaded by Heather's Shot.

This weekend I am heading to my one of my favorite places; my annual scrapbooking retreat in San Simeon. People make the funniest faces when I tell them this. "Scrapbooking retreat"?? How weird is that? I tell you here and now; it is not weird at all!!

First of all, the key word is RETREAT. 8 women gather at a lovely house on the beach in San Simeon. We are pampered and loved on for 3 days, by the homeowner and her neice. We are fed the most yummy homecooked meals. There are mints on our pillow each night and the most crafty handmade gifts laid out for us each morning.

We have our own spot at a big ole table for scrapbooking, where we spread out our scrapbooks and pictures and stickers and pretty papers. We all bring CD's and share our various musical favorites. And then of course, we TALK and LAUGH, uninterrupted by the daily grind of life. There are women I only see once a year so there is much to catch up on. The passage of time is noted. (My first retreat was in the spring of 2000. I had never been away from my son (he was just 2 yrs old); oh the preparations that I made for his first weekend away from mommy.)

THEN there is the massuese who comes on Saturday, who "works me" like no other. There is shopping in the massive inventory of scrapbooking goodies (I can always find a sticker for absolutely every occasion). There are the walks on the beach (the same beaches my mother hand picked rock after rock for her crafty projects) and sunsets to enjoy. There are naps to take and pictures to take (oh yes..........we take pictures). And before you know it, it's Sunday afternoon and it's time for goodbye hugs. I am rested AND I have pages and pages of scrapbooking done. My son awaits my arrival to check out each page I have completed. There are occasions to remember and stories to tell. That's the magic of pictures.

saying goodbye

I watched the SUNSET for 60 minutes on my drive home from SB tonight. WOW.

Rewind a few hours before the sunset……………
Saying goodbye to the house
34 years of images, sounds, smells, & stillness
Time in each room
Absorbing the images
Listening to the laughter and the tears of past years
Each room echoes in emptiness
Full of memories

The STILLNESS
My childhood home, my sister’s home, my mother’s home, my father’s home
No where else is there such stillness

Giving back
The shells and rocks
To the earth
Swinging on the swing
The fog rolls in
Thick fog with salty ocean air

There are piles for donations
The dumpster’s full
The Uhaul’s traveling home
The car’s packed and waiting

Dad come with me now
The new owners have new memories to make
Dad come with me now
I need you still
I need you always
Hold my hand
We have new adventures ahead
Bring the stillness with you

Vegas again?

Since my last post on Monday July 24, I've been a bit busy and by that I mean BUSY.

Jul 25-28
*sort thru 87 emails
*update my check register (and by that I mean, figure out how much I spent in Dallas and how long it'll take me to get out of debt)
*work on bookkeeping client
*deliver some Mary Kay product
*respond to emails & let people know I wasn't ignoring them
*drive Wayne to baseball camp
*print a zillion escrow docs for my dad's house, sign 'em, and fax 'em somewhere
*answer phone calls re: my dad's house from realtor, gardener, escrow agent, horse corral renter and make about a million decisions
*while doing all of the above, watch 5 days of TiVo’d programs
*pick Wayne up from baseball camp
*get hair cut and colored
*play baseball with Wayne
*go out for drinks with friends
*re-acquaint myself man friend
*meet with new bookkeeping client
*work at another client’s office
*pick up Wayne at friend’s house and take 3 young rowdy boys to Mickey D’s
*forget to write down my hours for bookkeeping clients
*print more escrow docs, sign ‘em, & fax ‘em
*make more decisions about my dad’s house, talk to everyone about it
*pay dad's bills
*go out for more drinks, discover the Key Lime Pie Martini, & spend time with man friend
*do laundry and pack for Vegas


Jul 28 – Aug 2 (VEGAS BABY)
*get my son on an airplane
*walk thru casinos and show son all the games he CAN’T play
*share hotel room at Excalibur with friend and her two daughters
*see Mama Mia (excellent talent)
*walk thru casinos
*breathe in lots of second hand smoke
*sit poolside and drink $13 Pina Coloda
*walk thru casinos
*buy lots of stuff
*breathe in more second hand smoke and some first hand smoke too
*see Mystere (amazing, amazing, amazing)
*get tattoo
*walk thru casinos and buy more stuff
*take calls from realtor & make more decisions about my dad’s estate
*watch Volcano erupt at Mirage
*pass out on hotel bed
*go to Titanic exhibit
*walk in Vegas heat
*be thankful for A/C in casinos
*eat at $25 buffet
*take more calls re: dad escrow etc.
*give son too-much-money-to-count to play at arcade and win 7 stuffed animals
*make up song with friend that goes: “let’s spend some more money, money we don’t have, money we haven’t made yet……………….oh goodie more stuffed animals”
*sit poolside with another $13 Pina Coloda
*watch tattoo wash off
*hang out with 15 yr old X-sister-in-law (my son’s aunt), her mom, and my x-father-in-law
*spend more money at the arcade at NY NY
*walk thru more casinos
*pose for pictures with Thunder Down Under stripper guys
*drag everyone to the Shark Reef aquarium at Luxor (loved it)
*pass out on hotel bed
*buy more stuff & sing song (see above)
*pack for leaving and wonder where I can get another suitcase for stuffed animals
*watch 3D iMax movie called Deep Sea (very, very, very cool)
*get son on airplane
*get online, catch up on blogs, flickr, emails & myspace (save pic of us with strippers & upload to my flickr)
*pass out on my bed

Aug 3-4
*sleep 'till noon and leave son waiting at baseball camp
*sort thru 66 emails
*work on bookkeeping clients
*respond to emails and let people know I wasn’t ignoring them
*print escrow docs, sign ‘em and fax ‘em
*answer calls about dad’s estate and make more decisions
*start on piles of laundry
*start watching 5 days of TiVo'd programs
*go out for dinner and drinks
*re-acquaint myself with man friend
*meet with new bookkeeping client
*print LAST of escrow docs, sign ‘em, & fax ‘em
*pick up house and mop bathroom floor
*try to fill in timesheet for last two weeks
*start uploading pics to kodakgallery.com
*talk to friends & family, and tell them I still love them even though I haven’t called
*go to dinner & drinks with man friend
*do more laundry
*plan for trip to dad's house tomorrow to pack shit since I haven't managed to do it all (& renting back house for 10 days to complete task)
*read blogs
*BLOG

weather report

I just spent 5 days in Dallas. It was ridiculously hot and humid but that's expected, huh? Why is it so hot and humid here? The humidity is currently 72% and will be 100% at 5am. WTF is with the humidity? The high today was 95 and inside my house was 90. I was dreaming of that A/C pumping like in TX. I went grocery shopping instead. Thank gawwwd for big 'ole chilly grocery stores.

Why, you ask, did I go to Dallas in July? Did I lose my mind? Well, maybe. I joined about 40,000 women for the annual Mary Kay Seminar. I'm guessing I've never been surrounded by so much estrogen in my life! The most interesting part of these seminars is hearing the women telling their stories. Most of them are rags to riches stories but what strikes me is the common thread that all women seem to share. Women struggle with the same multi-tasking life!

I had never been to TX and was looking forward to hearing the southern drawl. I ended up talking with so many women from all over the country, from Louisiana to Minnesota. So many accents. I said "totally" and "like" alot so they'd know I was from CA.

Good luck ya' all staying cool.

Dear Blog

Dear Blog,

Hello? Yes; it's me. I know it's been a long time. I've been so busy..........not blogging. Yes I know I'm usually "busy" but this time I've been away from my computer/my friend. I've missed you but I had places to go, people to see, & things to do (or was that: people to do and things to see?;-).
I was gone for 5 days last week, and I'm leaving for 5 days again soon, and then I'm home for 5 days, and then gone for 5 days. I'm seeing a pattern here. In between all that travel has been work and fun and sleep and food.
I have so much to tell you but most of it will have to wait........until another time..........or another place. Just know that I think of you often and I won't be gone for long.
I have pictures. I share a lot of them on kodakgallery.com so if you haven't gotten my million links and you feel left out; lemme know for gawwd's sake. I also post a few to my flickr.

XXOO
Me

Sand

I said, "you've got sand in your ears".
My son said, "I've got sand EVERYWHERE".
I replied, "If you had gone swimming, you'd have sand in your buttcrack too".

I had to educate my son because he doesn't have much experience with the beach. It's only 10 min. from our house but we rarely go. I know you think we're crazy, but I've got plenty of reasons........um I mean excuses. First, it's either foggy and cold, or it's hot enough for me to sunburn in 30 min (after I apply the 50 SPF). And the water is cold except for maybe 2 days outa' the year. Fog does scary things to my hair, and I get the kind of sunburn that hurts for days and then itches.

And YET I had fun tonight...................at the beach, with a bonfire, bbq, smores, good company, and SAND. I had sand in my food, in my shoes, in my eyes, and I haven't even dug into the rats nest that sits on my head. Summertime is COOL.

My daddy's birthday was today. He would have been 89. He loved his house by the beach. He didn't mind the fog. I miss you every day, daddy. I will enjoy the beach and the fog, and LIVE each day to the fullest. For you. For my son. To honor the life you gave me.

What happens in Vegas, is quickly uploaded

So I'm not sure what Vegas pictures I'm goin' upload to my blog or my flickr yet 'cause I'm frankly not as bold as Dooce.com. Lifting your skirt up on the Vegas strip at 4am or visiting male strip clubs may not be for everyone.

However, I tried to find a cool pic of the Cirque du Soleil show I saw. It just opened and it's called The Beatles LOVE. It was an amazing show. It's a must-see for anyone even remotely aware of the importance of The Beatles and that time in our history.

Needless to say I had FUN and blew off some steam, in addition to spending boatloads of money. Whatever happened to the $2.99 buffet?

Updates and more

Correction to my last post: "THE WIZARD SAYS GO AWAY". That was my son's line in the play tonight. He had another line that was added but I can't remember all of it. The things actors put up with. Jeez.

The play was so good. I can't tell you how impressed we all were. I have no idea how they remembered all those lines. Obviously I never considered a career in acting.

My horoscope (which I faithfully check each Thursday at http://www.freewillastrology.com) says: This would not be a good week to cast a curse on God in revenge for what you think are his mistakes. Nor would it be a favorable time to draw blasphemous cartoons of saints, or pretend that atheism is any less of a faith-based belief system than religion. In fact, if I were you, Capricorn, I would utter a few prayers, purify your motives, and do some really good deeds--just in case there's even a slim possibility that divine help is abundantly available to you right now. (P.S. From what I can tell, there's more than a slim possibility.)

I sure hope my horoscope lets me know WHEN it is a good time to draw blasphemous cartoons of saints. And for gawwwd's sake (not to be confused with cursing the big "G"), how will I "utter prayers and purify my motives" this weekend in Vegas?? I think I'll cast a curse on Brezsny now.

The First Time

I just spent a few hours helping to paint the set for my son's Wizard of Oz play. I've NEVER painted a set. How FUN to paint something that only needs to look good from FAR away. My munchkin is playing the "gate guard" and his one line is "Go away. The wizard does not want to see you" or something like that. I will of course video tape the whole thing and keep it for the E!True Hollywood Story.

Let the Ramblings begin.... My week has been so weird so far. Monday morning started with my left eye watering, and watering, and watering. I took a Claritin but it didn’t stop the flood gates; just made me ADHD (I swear I’m such a cheap date). I got no work done ‘cause I couldn’t sit at my computer long enough to do anything. Plus the light from the computer screen was actually bothering my eye and it was starting to ache. By 5pm I called Sandy since she’s worked for an opthamologist since the beginning of time. “Typical patient”, she said, “doesn’t call until 5pm”. She, of course, said I probably left my contact in too long, which she has warned me about a zillion times. But did I listen………oh nooooo; after 15 years of contact use, I think I’m such a smarty pants.
Tuesday was spent with more eye watering, and begging rides from friends to get me to the doctor. He gave me some drops with a wonderful anti-inflammatory steroid and antibiotics. The sunlight is “bad” for my eye, so I’ve closed all the blinds and I’m now living like a bat. I have to wear my glasses for at least a week, which so doesn’t fit into the Vegas weekend coming up, but dark casinos and nightclubs do. ;-))

Today was spent in my bat-cave, talking with every family member and working on my dad’s estate, with the tiniest bit of work thrown in. Tomorrow I gotta go to the laundromat ‘cause I blew up my dryer and then Fri. is off to my “what happens in Vegas” weekend. Wish me luck getting some work done.

Good advice

My horoscope this week:
"Race car drivers say that if you're heading toward a wall," writes philosopher Jonathan Zap, "don't look at it. Instead, look at where you want to go." That's good advice for you in the coming week, Capricorn.

This reminds me of the lessons I got from my father when we went miniture golfing. He told me to look at the ball, and then as I swing, look at where you want the ball the go. I'd rather think about the ball than "heading towards a wall". Ouch.........the wall makes me tense up and squeeze my eyes shut. Which reminds me of the car accident I was in a year ago, where it helped that I was watching the road ahead of me and unaware of the guy barreling into the back of me. So not only can you not control what's coming up behind you, but you can't control where the walls are. You must look at where you want to go and your body will follow. Good imagery for the roadway of life.

my twins

I met "my twins" in highschool. I was 16. I could barely tell them apart back then. We have been good friends for 25 years. WOW. How time flies.

This weekend I went to Chico to celebrate Linnea's wedding reception. She and her hubby had a son two years ago, got married a year ago, and decided it was high time to have a party.

It was a beautiful party at her friend's house, which happened to be a walnut farm in Chico. For more pics, check out my flickr.

Admiring the tree

We planted a Coastal Live Oak at my sister's ranch in honor of my dad at the memorial services we had last weekend. We buried a pair of his running shoes and his pipe with the tree.

A friend of my sister's was on her way to visit her this week, and told her my father's spirit came to her. She said he kept telling her she needed to stop and get a tree to take to the ranch. He told her to get a big tree that would be good for providing shade after a good run. She didn't know about the tree we planted or that he was a runner.