Thursday, August 31, 2006

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

Sunday, August 27, 2006

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...........

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

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.

Thursday, August 17, 2006

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.

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

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

Friday, August 04, 2006

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