impending death

Somehow THIS seems a lot more relevant than THIS to me. The constant deaths of innocent people is a lot more important than this one man who has ruined so many other lives. When will it end? That's all.



The means of defense against foreign danger historically have become the instruments of tyranny at home.
– James Madison

Dear Snow,

Dear Snow,

Thank you so much for your recent appearance at our home. We really enjoyed your visit. However, we really were not expecting you back so soon. And while we enjoy short visits this is entirely too much. I'm afraid I am going to have to ask you to leave for a bit. You can come back for a day or two at a time, but you are starting to effect our ability to work, play and live life normally. I can now snowboard in my front yard, but I would much rather be skateboarding. Thanks for your understanding.

Best regards,

Smoooochie

You can see photos of it all HERE. I'm sure there will be more after this current blizzard is done.

What Abby Said...

READ AND LISTEN!!

If anyone is in the area I highly suggest checking out this band. They are really quite enjoyable and yet another reason for me to take a trip to the SouthEast.

My Elfster!!

I just got this awesome CD from my sweet friend Mynxie. She got my name this year. She is the bestest EVAR!! Thanks, Mynxie.

I'm a quitter

I quit my job. My last day of work was today.

BUH BYE NASTY MANAGEMENT!!! SO LONG AND FAREWELL!!!

WooT! I'm taking off the next 3 weeks to chill and figure out what's next.

2006- a summary

A shout out for Mynxy for reminding me about this meme. This is a good one to do each year, compare to the last, and plan for the next. So, here is my list.

What did you do in 2006 that you’d never done before? I learned to carve both front and backsides in a bowl. Visited Seattle. Deskunked my dogs. Snowboarded. Cooked a Tandoori Turkey.

Did you keep your new years’ resolutions and will you make more for next year? Yes. I did. Yes. I will.

Did anyone close to you give birth? A LOT of people did. What was in the water? I think the count is up around 10 at this point with still one on the way.

Did anyone close to you die? Thankfully, no.

What countries did you visit? I only traveled domestically.

What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006? A really decent ollie. A maid.

What date from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? January 19th, 2006. We drove through a blizzard to Casa Bonita to celebrate Bronte’s birthday. April 1st we moved into our beautiful house.

What was your biggest achievement of the year? I paid off both my credit cards and my car. That’s pretty big.

What was your biggest failure? I bought Dan a kilt that he looks super sexy in, but he doesn’t like it because it’s still stiff.

Did you suffer illness or injury? Nothing major. I nearly broke my tail bone snowboarding and then got pretty banged up skateboarding. It was worth it.

What was the best thing you bought? My skateboard. Definitely my skateboard.

Whose behavior merited celebration? The American people for kicking the Thugs out of office. IMPEACH BUSH NOW!!

Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? The Bushistas

Where did most of your money go? My children. I suspect it will remain that way for years to come.

What did you get really, really, really excited about? Paying off my debt! WoooooT!!!

What song will always remind you of 2006? Transformer by Gnarls Barkley

Compared to this time last year, are you:
happier or sadder? Happier
thinner or fatter? Fatter
Richer or poorer? Richer

What do you wish you’d done more of? I’m a broken record. I would have skateboarded more. I can’t skateboard enough. I need MORE!!!

What do you wish you’d done less of? Putting up with morons, both personally and professionally.

How will you be spending Christmas? With my boyfriend- he’s my sexy Santa. WooT!

Did you fall in love in 2006? Nope. I stayed in love!

What was your favorite TV program? The Deadliest Catch, Top Chef, Project Runway

Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? Yes. I do.

What was the best book you read? Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Offce

What was your greatest musical discovery of 2006? Lupe Fiasco

What did you want and get? My house! I love it!

What did you want and not get? A different job.

What was your favorite film of this year? Little Miss Sunshine!!

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? My Hootie took me to my favorite restaurant.

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? A job where I am appreciated. That’s the one thing missing in my life right now. Well, and a maid.

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006? Nice jewelry is key.

What kept you sane? The Danimal and skateboarding. No joke.

Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Keith Olbermann. GO KEITH!!!

What political issue stirred you the most? The B.S. in Washington.

Who did you miss? My grandmother. I always do. I always will.

Who was the best new person you met? I finally met Annetastic in person.

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006: Listen to people when they tell you who they are and believe them.

Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
“And so they kick, push, kick, push, kick, push, kick push, coastAnd away they rolledJust rebels without a cause with no place to goAnd so they kick, push, kick, push, kick, push, kick push, coastSo come roll with meJust a rebelLooking for a place to beSo let's kick...and push...and coast”

Recently Said in My House

"Dan! Stop skateboarding in the house!"

"Geoffrey, Stop skateboarding in the house!"

"Bronte! Stop rolling through the house on your Heely's."

"Don't tell that I was just skateboarding in the kitchen."

Proclamation of Thanks!

I’ve been trying all day to decide if I would post about the various things that I’m thankful for. It seemed a little cheesy to talk about all that I’m thankful for, but even though I am thankful everyday for these things I don’t really share it with the general public. So, rather than just saying these are things that I’m thankful for in my life I’m proclaiming my thankfulness to the world.

WORLD, LISTEN UP! I AM MOST THANKFUL FOR THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE AND THINGS-

1. My sweet children. They are the light of every day and the motivation behind most of my determination.
2. My most amazing boyfriend, Dan. He’s without a doubt the most perfect person for me to spend my life with. He is my echo and partner in all things. Quite simply, I love him.
3. My dogs. They (like my children and boyfriend) keep life very interesting. And unlike my boyfriend and children give the best puppy love evar!
4. My dear friends, both near and far. I never would have made it this far without them. I hope I tell them all enough that they know who they are and how much I love them.
5. My beautiful 1886 Victorian house.
6. My debt free life. O.K. nearly debt free. I still have that darned student loan, but the auto and the CC debt from the ex are GONE!!!
7. My skateboard. It gives me hours and hours of joy. It’s my zen.
8. My mother and my father. In their own crazy ways they love me and let me know that I matter. It’s important to know that you matter.
9. A Congress that has a Democrat majority. While the Democratic Reps and Senators might be just as big of assholes as the ones they replaced at least King George and the Bushies don’t get a free pass anymore. Now if we could just get that fucker impeached I’ll have that to add for 2007.
10. Dan’s family.

The Word

One of my favorite blogs has something to say. READ IT.

Cape Town would be a lovely place to get married, actually

South Africa has given gays the right to be married. In most American states domestic partners, regardless of the length of time together, can't even get insurance benefits on one other the others plan. Good job America. Way to lead us into the future! :P

My NeeNee

It’s the ninth anniversary of my grandmother’s death tomorrow. This occurred to me regularly over the course of the last few weeks, but today is the day I realized it. There is a difference between having the knowledge of something and actually realizing it. Today I realized it. It hit me full force and I’ve been fighting tears off and on all day.
I don’t know what to say really. What is there to say about someone you loved as dearly as I loved her? There is no words that are adequate. She was my mother, my best friend, and my echo. I will miss her always.

Answer for Kirrrrt

Geoffrey and Bronte in their helmets


Kirrrt was asking me about skateboards for his boys in a comment down below. I started typing out an answer, but it got long enough I felt like it deserved an entry of it’s own. His question was:

“I have a question about skateboards. The ones I bought my boys have crappy little white wheels that barely roll. Do I need to upgrade the boards (better than the Wal-mart el-cheapo model) or can I upgrade the wheels?What should I be looking for in skate wheels for a 6 and 7 year old?”

As a mother who skateboards I have a little experience with this. The answer actually involves a few questions, but really it’s important to buy the best board for your child, yourself, or anyone that is going to really ride. After all, it’s your money AND it’s your loved one.

1. Have your boys worn out their skateboards? This is a pretty easy question to answer. Are they chipped up on the nose and tail? When you spin the wheels do they stop spinning or not spin at all? If the answer is no and the boards aren’t being ridden you aren't going to want to get anything other than a Wal-Mart board. Why pay money for something that is going to sit in the garage most of the time? If they are using them and having a lot of fun riding then invest in a good solid board. You can get a good blank deck at most skate shops for about $25-30. You can get away with fairly generic trucks, but make sure that the bushings are swapped out for something soft. Bushings are CHEAP (maybe $3) so it’s worth it. Also, make sure that you have some decent bearings. They don’t have to be the top of the line, but bearings are what make the wheels roll smoothly so they are important. Now, on to wheels.

2. With regard to the wheels the most important question is what surface do they skateboard on? You are going to need to get wheels that match the surface because if you get a soft wheel on the street you will need new wheels every two weeks. If they are in a skate park (Atlanta is about to get a new Woodward park!!) and the surface is "wood" then you are going to want to get a wheel that works for that surface. Here we need soft sticky wheels for the park because it's like ice. So, when you are at the skate shop ask them what they recommend for the surface that your boys are skating.

3. How much do you want to spend? You can get blank decks at your local shop or even on eBay for pretty cheap. Then build it up. The good thing about a skateboard is you can swap everything on it out if you wear it out or it doesn’t fit your need anymore. If your kids really like skateboarding invest a little bit upfront and then you can upgrade as they get better.

4. What are you riding? I’m not joking. Get yourself a board (longboards are really fun and super easy to learn) and go out with them. Skateboarding is a very bonding sport. I feel like I am a lot closer with my kids since we started boarding together. Trust me on this one.

Lastly, and MOST IMPORTANT start this rule right now while they are young.

NO HELMET, NO PADS, NO SKATEBOARDING!!

EVERYONE falls and at some point everyone hits their head and it can be very serious if a helmet doesn’t take the majority of the blow. Whether they are on a $15 skateboard from Wal-Mart or a $175+ custom board do not let them ride until they have on their gear. My eleven year old knows the rules and he’s take a number of falls where when he got up said, “I’m really glad I had on my pads/helmet.”

Well, what do you know?

All I can say is "It figures." This doesn't surprise me. It just gives further proof that the agenda was there well before the war. WELL before the war. It also confirms that for the entire Bush administration the neocon 'theories' have overshadowed reason, logic and most importantly FACT. Great. That's just great.

WHOA!

Ted Haggard. Alright, let’s examine his statement here briefly. He was merely contacting Mr. Mike Jones for a massage and for meth that he threw away. According to the reports that I’ve read this is what he’s admitted. He admits that he purchased illegal drugs from a male prostitute that he contacted after getting the prostitutes number from a website that advertises gay prostitution. First of, WHOA!! Is this covered in Sunday School under the section about repenting for your sins? Never the less let’s get back to the facts.
This man is a minister of a 14,000 (that’s THOUSANDS) person church and somehow the general populace is supposed to believe that not ONE of them is a massage therapist? Or knew of a massage therapist he could go to if he was legitimately interested in a massage? And by my recollection of growing up in Colorado Springs there are MANY licensed massage spas in the city. In fact it’s home to one of the best in the country (and it's AMAZING!!) So, rather than spending some of what I imagine to be a pretty hefty salary at a spa near his home he drove for over an hour to meet with a male prostitute he found on the internet for a massage? I don’t know about anyone else, but I call bullshit on that defense.
Secondly, crank is not pot. It's not something you just purchase on a whim. You don’t go from being a Christian fundamentalist role model who has never done drugs EVER to purchasing methamphetamines with no intent to use them. Why would you? Why would someone who is “model Christian” even think it would be alright to purchase an illegal substance from a prostitute secretly? What part of that is even remotely something a good citizen would do much less a holier than thou evangelical leader? Again, after weighing the basics against common sense I’m going to have to call bullshit on the defense.
Shadenfreude indeed, my friends. Shadenfreude indeed.

O.K. This wsn't really taken on 1/7/04. It was taken last night. I have BANGS!! Yay!  

Day of the Very Much Alive

Today was a cultural day for us. While Danimal slept off the muscle relaxer (his back is fortunately not fractured, but is badly bruised) the children and I went to the library. Geoffrey is starting to do research for a collage that is based on his heritage. We got a number of books about Native Americans, African Americans, and Mexicans. Bronte got a Shel Silverstein book, an Anansi tale and a couple books about dragons. Then we came home, picked up Dan and headed to Boulder.
When we got to Boulder we headed for the Fiske Planetarium. They were having a couple of cool programs today. Both were Mexicano origin. The first one was a program that combined traditional Azteca dancers and music with the creation stories that the Aztec had. They told about the 4 suns that came before the one we have now. Since it was at the planetarium they could project the various images up on the ceiling and have all sort of stars and things going on while the narrator was telling the stories. Then the dancers, who are a local troupe, would come out and do a dance or songs that were relevant to the story.
When they were done we went for dinner at Illegal Pete’s, watched some freaky street performers on Pearl Street, looked for a LaCross padded shirt for Dan. We went over to the new 29th Street Shopping area in Boulder just to check it out. While walking back to the car we ran into Dan’s parents. We chatted for a bit with them and then went back to campus.
The second program was a celebration of La Dia De La Muerte. The musicology department at CU brought in some ethnomusicologists from UNAM and they played their traditional instruments (many that they made) and sang traditional Mexican songs that were relevant to the Day of the Dead. A professor at CU was reading poems first in English and then in Spanish that were all about the day of the dead and then they would play. They were all wearing traditional skeleton masks so it was spooooky. They had people dancing, too. One of them made Dan dance with her, so he danced with the dead tonight. haha! The program was really beautiful and it made me really proud of my Mexican heritage. Click on the link above and check out the "traditions" tab. It’s pretty interesting how the one main tradition has so many different sub-traditions throughout Mexico.
I think we all had a really good time. The kids seemed to really enjoy it and it was really good research for Geoffrey's "Heritage Collage."

Weekend Surprises

On Saturday night we were fortunate enough to be given some really awesome hockey tickets to see the Colorado Avalanche. To make it an event the Danimal and I decided to surprise the children by not telling them that we were going. About 30 mins before we left I told them to go change into warm clothing because we had a surprise for them. Of course there were a lot of questions, but I gave no answers. Secretly a cab was called and the children were given further directions, “Go stand outside and keep an eye out.” “What are we looking for, Mom?” “You’ll know when you see it.” Up came the cab and off we went.
Rather than just going to the game we went to dinner (on the boss) at Brooklyn’s which is right next to the Pepsi Center here in Denver. We ordered drinks, apps, and then a full entrée for each of us. Despite our best efforts to kill some time (as we got there earlier than expected) we were still ahead of time. I ordered coffee and then went to the ladies room. When I came back to the table a Styrofoam cup of coffee was at my place setting. I’m not going to waste time being apologetic about this but that’s just fucked up. We spent $92 on dinner and I got a freakin’ Styrofoam cup?!? I asked the waiter about it in a joking manner and his rebuff was, “You get what you get. We only have about 20 cups here.” Are you kidding me? So, that will be the last time we’ll go there. Whatever. It didn’t ruin the night.
We went out of the restaurant and Bronte wanted to know where the cab went. We pointed to the arena across the street. She wasn’t excited. Her mood and expression changed though after we got settled and the action on the ice started. All in all the kids had a blast and so did the adults. I can’t wait until we can go again. Next time I’m holding out for a real coffee cup though. Haha!

By the way, a note to Brooklyn’s. The next night we went out to dinner at Duo, spent $22 less on dinner and I got an actual china cup. So FACE!!!

what to say

With the upcoming state elections I'm not really sure who I'm voting for yet. But I can assure you there isn't a chance in hell that I'm voting for THIS GUY. What in the hell? Eliminate the last semester of high school for "men?" Is he fucking kidding? Yeah, my vote is NOT going to Rick O'Donnell. I want my son to go through all of high school. Every day of school he can get before college to help prepare him for life. I want him to have every day possible to prepare him to think for himself so like fucknuggets like Bush and his sycophants like Rick O' here don't make it into office ever again is key. Yeah, so I know who I'm not voting for.

My Daughter is a Poet

Here is a poem my daughter wrote. She's a budding poet at the age of 8. Can you tell I'm proud?

The Princess Mirror
by Bronte W.

When the
Princess looks
In her magical mirror
A forest jumps out
Animals jump out
A party jumps out.
The Princess looks
In her magical mirror
She runs in the forest
She plays
with the animals
She has a party
In her palace
Magical Mirror
Magical Mirror

Dan will kill me for posting this.

I posted this on a private site, but I keep coming back to it giggling. It's just to funny to me to keep private though.

Today after test driving a very cool old car the Danimal and I were driving back home. He was fidgetting and then says, "My front leg hurts."

WTF? His front leg? I started giggling.

"I MEAN my left leg!! My LEFT leg!! It's in front when I skateboard." haha!! I had a completely different image in mind. Even so, just shows how much we skateboard. We don't do left and right any more. It's a front leg and a back leg. I guess if he says "middle leg" I'll know what he's talking about.

*snicker*

Only one word works in some situations...

There are moments in life where all you can do is say, “fuck” because quite frankly they are the kinds of moments that your brain can’t really wrap around easily. They are moments where you just are stunned and not sure what to do so that seems like a really good starting point. Last night around 9:30 was such a moment at my house.
Max and Lily, the boxers who we live with, tore threw the house and out the dog door. Max was first and then seconds behind went Lily. Moments after they went out the most ferocious snarling and growling began. It was nothing like I’d ever heard from one of my dogs. Dan went to the door and looked out. He quickly slammed the door shut and turned. “Fuck! Fuck! They have a skunk!” He grabbed the block to the doggie door effectively locking them out and within seconds it was evident that the skunk had sprayed.
“What do we do?” was repeated many times. They were locked out with an either very injured skunk or a dead skunk and we were going to have to figure out a solution to not only getting rid of the wild beast, but cleaning up our now very smelly “attack” dogs. After determining it was, in fact, dead Dan removed the carcass from the yard placing it in a trash bag. I looked up the solution to the smell and called the vet. Both agreed that 3% hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and dish detergent mixed into a solution are the only thing that really works on dogs or people. Dan headed to the store.
I think we finally got to bed around 12:30. The smell in the house was still overwhelming. The dogs still were not completely scent free after 2 washings. The deck was bleached but still pretty smelly.
I’m still sort of thinking “fuck” but that’s life. It’s funny and gross and overwhelming and you just never know what it’s going to bring along.

I *heart* Danimal.

Just in case anyone was wondering...

I love my boyfriend. He's awesome and he takes good care of me. He bought me some of these so I can not get bruised any more while trying to pursue my goal of dropping in before I'm 38.

Yeah, I really love my boyfriend.

Open letter to Mr. Bush

Dear Mr. Bush,

You’ve said that American shouldn’t trust the Democrats to run Congress. That being said I have a few questions for you. Should we trust the wire taps you are using arbitrarily to spy on innocent Americans? Should we trust the prison guards that are presently torturing people who are supposed to be protected under the Geneva Conventions we signed? Should we trust C. Rice~ a woman who doesn’t seem to be able to read clear titled correspondence or listen to people directly telling her that we are about to be attacked? How about us trusting Senators like Mr. Foley? Should we trust Rumsfeld? I hear other people in your own administration and even your wife don't trust him. Or maybe we should just trust you, Mr. Bush. After all, you only lied to us about WMD and about your motives to go into Iraq. Isn’t trusting you and your cabinet what Valerie Plame did? Yeah, so on that note I think I’ll pass on listening to you, Mr. Bush, for advice on who I should trust or not. I did not vote for you or your cronies and will continue to everything in my voting power to get your kind out of office.

Signed,
V.W.
~”dissent is the truest form of patriotism”- Thomas Jefferson

I love this man. He's my hootie.  

Some of the Rules I Live By

Live your life as if everything you do is going to be on the front headlines of the newspaper. If you wouldn’t want it there then don’t do it. If you aren't ashamed of it then who cares who sees what is going on in your life?

Always let the people you love know it. Never let someone you love wonder how you feel. Life is too short and those people are too important.

Fuck the bastards. If someone can’t be supportive of me through good AND bad times then they are not a friend. They might be a useful acquaintance, but that’s it.

Know all the rules so you know how to break them when you don’t agree.

Don’t live by other people’s standards and don’t compromise my own.

I am the queen of my universe and the at the center of my stage.

In Remembrance- Sept. 1, 1933-Sept. 13, 2006 

This just in....

Radio Shack has officially won the "Shittiest Move In Corporate America" of the Day Award. Or maybe it's the "We have electronics but no balls award." I don't know. What I do know is that I've lost even the most remote (heh..that's punny) interest I ever had at shopping with them. I never have really shopped at Radio Shack. I think I went in a about a year and half ago because I needed to replace a radio antenna. I just don't foresee myself going in again after this. How is it that they couldn't take a few minutes to lay these people off in person? What a loser move. Good going, Radio Shack. Maybe that's why you are still a shack and not even a shed or a garage yet.

So, how DID we get to this point?

Alright. It's really hard to keep track of all the dealings in Washington that have summed into a body count of 2639 U.S. soldiers, but here is a really great summary of part of it. A really important part of it. The part that outlines some pretty big, fat lies that the Bushistas don't want you to remember. READ IT!!

And since I'm feeling a little pushy just go ahead and bookmark that blog. It's a keeper.

Telepopmusik makes me smile

It's not new, but...

I brought you something close to me,
Left for something you see though your here.
You haunt my dreams
Theres nothing to do but believe,
Just believe.
Just breathe

Blame this rant on Rummy

I read this just a bit ago and here is what I came up with.


Here's my take on all these old coots in Washington. They don't have anything to lose at this point because they are fucking old and falling apart (Cheney is seriously going any minute and Rummy already looks like a skeleton) so they use their power to test their cockamame theories. If the false theories by some crazy miracle work then they end up having a grand legacy. If they fail then they don't give a shit because they'll be dead in a few years before the poo hits the fan anyway. Ultimately, they aren't basing anything they do on knowledge or fact or experience, but rather theory and belief. They want it to be true that their god/power/psychosis has made them right they move ahead on false pretense. And there’s an old saying in Georgia, I know it’s said in Georgia, that “you can want in one hand and shit in the other and see which fills up faster.” Perhaps that is a good saying for them to move to Texas. Either way, that is where we are, our “leaders” with their hands full of shit and still insisting that they are right. Our country was built on a solid foundation that's been eaten away by greedy fuckers who want to prove that their beliefs and theories are the right ones. *sigh*

Alright. That's all I have to say for now.

Annetastic loves Devo! 

Thai Fried Rice

I'm not really sure what it is about the words "Thai Fried Rice" but they make my sweet Max into a very vocal bucking boxer. He responds by saying his very boxery "woooooohhhwooohwooh" and then hops around like he's on the PBR. Gooo Max! THAI FRIED RICE!!

sitting in the dark

Ain’t technology grand. We had a big thunderstorm a little bit ago and lost all power. Yet, here I am writing a blog. It’s kind of fun to be in my 1886 house using only candles to see by. I suspect this is how it felt back when the first owners of the house lived in it. Although, I suspect they had a few more light sources that didn’t require electricity in the house than what we have. I need to go buy more candles.

On another note, my legs are sore. Geoffrey and I got up and were at the skatepark by 7:15 and didn’t leave until sometime after 11. All the practice I’m getting in is really helping though. I actually am getting the idea of how to do turns in the bowls. Fun times.

Smile Maker!

I have a little challenge for all of you that read this. Here is the challenge and from where it stems.

Today I went for a little walk. When I was done I stopped in at Whole Foods to get some raspberries. The man behind me in line placed a chocolate bar down and only a chocolate bar. So, when it was my turn to check out I paid for his chocolate bar. I told him that everyone deserved a little free chocolate now and then and I hoped he had a fantastic day. I love to do this now and then because it makes my day to make someone elses.

So, the challenge- In the next couple of days treat a total stranger and report their reaction here. You can either be discrete about having paid for it or tell them that you’ve paid for it but either way do it. It doesn’t have to be expense (the chocolate was less than a dollar.) It’s really a lot of fun to treat someone that might take the inspiration and pass it along.

A poem for the "President."

Percy Shelley wrote this along time ago, but I think it's appropriate today. I would like to dedicate it to Mr. Bush.

OZYMANDIAS of EGYPT

I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said:—Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert.
Near them on the sand,
Half sunk, a shatter'd visage lies, whose frown
And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamp'd on these lifeless things,
The hand that mock'd them and the heart that fed.
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains: round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away.

I feel too icky to blog...

I was trying to work on a blog post about the fantastic time I had at the Bloc Party show on Monday, but the week’s chaos had gotten to me and I haven’t been able to really find good words for it. It’s been hard. A very hard week. I don’t want to whine about how hard it’s been so I haven’t posted anything. Here’s a quick synopsis of my immediate thoughts.

My ex-husband is a selfish bastard that doesn’t really consider his children in his life plans. Therefore instead of having a nice visit at Christmas they will get 4 days with him. I wish he would have some sort of epiphany of some sort, but I'd probably win the lottery before that would happen.
It sucks to feel distanced from a friend. It really just sucks.
It’s awesome when you can reconnect with an old friend. I got to do that this week and I am happy she wrote me back.
I love my dog and hope he lives a very long time. It will devastate me when he goes.
Work isn’t worth what I put into it emotionally. I need to disconnect the pride in my work with the bullshit I put up with. I work very hard and am not accepting excuses for not paying me for it.
Tea is good.
There is no way in hell I’m giving that jerk money for childcare when his girlfriend (who wants MY children to call her mom) is taking care of them. If you want to be called “Mom” you don’t get babysitting money.
I am very lucky to have the boyfriend I have. While I never would have thought initially that we would be so compatible I cannot imagine all the fun and happiness I would have missed out on without him.
I cannot wait to get my new skateboard together and go for a ride at the skate park. I haven’t had a short board in such a long time. I cannot WAIT!! I cannot WAIT!! I am going on the horseshoe!! WooT!
I don’t like being taken for granted.
I wish I didn’t feel like I’m about to throw up. Migraines suck.

100 Smoooochie facts

Go ahead. Count them. There are 100.

I took this idea from Mynxy.
I didn’t start out being allergic to cats. I had one until I was 6.
The smell of milk disgusts me.
The first time I ever had Chinese food was in Yucaipa, CA
My first skateboard was handmade. It was purple with a spider on it.
I love eating berries.
I believe in power underwear.
I like room temperature water.
I nearly died of asphyxiation when I was 14.
My last tattoo hurt worse than I expected by a LOT.
I’ve never cared for the Sex Pistols.
I enjoy how it feels to have my legs waxed.
Orange juice without pulp is as wrong as chocolate bagels.
As a rule I don’t like other people’s children. I love mine more than anything.
If I am home alone I prefer to sleep w/ a nightlight.
Trivial Pursuit is my favorite board game.
I hate to play cards.
I don’t get enough sleep.
I don’t let relationships go easily.
I’m not fond of wearing clothes.
I believe in God.
I’m a particular eater. I like good food done simply.
I dream of owning a spa.
I love to dance. Once I get started I don’t like to stop.
I love to give presents.
I’m very selfish.
I want what I want.
Everything about eggs is disgusting. Even the way the word sounds.
I don’t like making exceptions.
I love to kiss for hours.
I love the way YlangYlang smells.
I’m super sensitive to scent. It’s important to smell good.
I love to wear skirts.
I believe that patience is only a virtue to people who think they will live forever.
I try not to have regrets, but I still do.
Coca cola is good room temperature.
I once had the police called on me for spraying the neighbor’s dog w/ the hose.
I am hard on my tailbone.
I used to walk a LOT.
I had never taken care of a baby until I had one.
I don’t like going out on my birthday.
I think bald is sexy.
I think skinny is so NOT sexy.
I can fold a load of towels in less than 5 minutes.
I like my CD’s alphabetized and in date order.
I like my books kept the same way w/ fiction and non-fiction separately filed.
I believe in road maps to achieving my goals.
I want to try burlesque.
I would never take a job where I was required to wear pantyhose.
Cinnamon gum is my favorite flavor of gum.
I have a very low tolerance for blatant stupidity. If you don’t know something, make an attempt to find out. If you just don’t know and don’t care that you don’t know do not interfere with my space because I have no problem letting you know that you are an idiot.
I refuse to shop at Wal-Mart or Sam’s Club.
I don’t like to be cold. It hurts.
I look horrible in all pastels except for pink.
I love my skateboard and like my snowboard a lot.
I’m pretty good at algebra.
I love creating spreadsheets.
I like my feet to look good.
I love my friends fiercely.
I like tea a lot. Hot, cold, room temp it really doesn’t matter much.
I’m in love.
I like to play.
I really don’t like minivans.
I can be a snob about certain things.
When I was 6 I told my grandmother that I only wanted brown children. I got them.
Civil disobedience is sometimes a requirement.
I love bats. They are so cute and fascinating.
I think Gwen Stefani is a fun person even though I’ve never met her.
I know how to use power tools.
I love to have my photo taken.
Country music nauseates me.
I still buy into love songs.
When I was young I wanted to be a star. The kind in space. Not in Hollywood.
Cotton candy is the best food ever invented.
I can’t imagine owning any dog but a boxer. I do think Boston Terriers are cute, though.
I have two fake teeth because I was born without permanent ones.
I love a bargain, but only if it’s something I really will use.
I know a lot about finances, but don’t always use the knowledge well.
I’m allergic to eggplant.
I love political science and history. They are fun!
I lived in the same house until I was 24 years old.
I didn’t meet my father until I was 27 years old.
I have a lot of scars.
I realize that police officers are necessary, but I don’t like them very much.
I have no interest in visiting Hawaii really. There are too many other places that intrigue me.
I fight fires and clear up bullshit for a living. Very little glory in that.
Ham and cheese sandwiches are super tasty, but they make me sick to my stomach.
I have 7 e-mail accounts.
I do not want a Blackberry EVER.
I am obsessive about wearing sunscreen if I go outside.
I have little patience with a lot of talk and no action. Put your money where your mouth is and take action!
I don’t like jasmine tea. It tastes like A&D ointment.
I excel at written and analytical exams.
I am very worried about the Constitution.
Even though I really enjoy most vegetables I could never be a vegetarian.
I love to celebrate Halloween.
I don’t like gin because it tastes like juniper.
I saw the Osmonds when I was 6.
I bruise easily.
It took me 2 weeks to come up with 100 things.

Soul Food & Sunshine Enemas

The house is being warmed by the comforting scent of “soul” food. Not the Southern traditional food that I completely love, but rather vegetable latkes and some fried zucchini and yellow squash. Food that is good for my soul and healing for a wounded ego. I guess it’s my ego that it wounded. Perhaps a better description is my work ethic that has been wounded. So, anyway, I’m making comfort food because I got my 6 month review at work today.

The good news is that my boss recognizes that I go above and beyond for the job and said that I do a great job at all the various roles I have at work. I am a trusted employee that makes the work place a better place to be and that my coworkers like me. That made me feel like despite a few bumps along a very hard path in developing the payroll and H.R. department my hard work was not in vain. The position has basically grown from me being a glorified receptionist to HR manager. The bad news is that I haven’t really brown-nosed enough to get a raise. Even when I do get a raise it won’t be as significant as other people where I work because my job is more secure than theirs (because no one else in the company knows how to do my job) so they get paid “hazard” pay for being in a more precarious position. Mind you he wouldn’t have a second thought of firing anyone if he thought they weren’t performing including yours truly. I was foolish enough to think that if I busted my ass day in and out, holidays, weekend and even on vacation I would get a raise. I was foolish enough to think that if I excelled at my job it would be enough. Well, it wasn’t so pull out the sunshine enemas! I’m going to bullet proof myself and bide my time with a smile. Then watch the bastards fall.

The house smells even better than when I started writing this. I might even treat myself to a beer! Comfort food rocks.

GOLDEN!!!

I've said on my blog a number of times that I have a hard relationship with money. I'm doing great personally, but then there is that mothering part of me that is like "Shoot! How do I teach them all this stuff?" I have the SOLUTION. They even have summer camps specifically for girls!! Woohoo!! I'm stoked.

a quick little rant

Until every parent of a child in public school signs a petition requesting that both Congress and the President agree to put as much into public education as they do into other people's wars I am not selling another goddamned piece of wrapping paper, candle, frozen pizza, coupon book or any other piece of crap fundraiser swag the school might think will generate a little revenue. And when they ask me to I am going to say no and suggest the following. Have an open house at every damned school in the nation and ask for signatures to petition the meatheads in Washington to actually have the balls and foresight put the education of American children at the top of the list. Thank you, I'm done with my rant.

Parking Nazi Logic

We had been in our new house for a couple of weeks and for whatever reason I ended up leaving the house a little bit after 8 a.m. one Thursday morning. I had a ticket because it was street sweeping day and I didn’t realize it. So, I had the ticket and forgot. Four days before it was due I remembered, wrote the check, and mailed the $20 fine to the City of Denver. No worries. It was postmarked before the due date.

Three weeks later I get another fine. This time it’s a late fee! What? A twenty dollar late fee for something I postmarked 4 days before the due date and which should have only taken a maximum of 48 hours to get to the right office? I called the City and they said that they didn’t get the check into their system until the 26th. That was 2 full days AFTER the due date so my payment was late. The woman wasn’t budging. FINE! I paid the $20. My simple $20 parking ticket had now turned into a $40 fine.

I just opened a collection notice on the $40 I already paid and that they actually show being paid on the notice! Now, just how is it that they can charge me $20 on $40 I’ve already paid????? And what recourse do I have with the City government that has now charged me $60 for a ticket that was initially only $20? They show that I paid the money right on the collection notice. They are just charging me for collection. How are they having to do anything to collect money they already collected? I’m so angry and confused. Fucking parking Nazi logic.

Ramblings about history and the present

Childhood memories are often the remnants of stories told by parents and grandparents of their youth. In many ways it’s the stories that we hear as children of their past that root us in our family and our sense of belonging. I know that the stories that I heard of my grandparents and great-grandparent still are important and relevant in my own life. They give me a perspective of where the world has been that help me compare it to where the world is now.

When my grandparents were in their early twenties the World War II was about to take place. The world had seen atrocity before, but was naïve to what was about to come. I think somehow being told by someone who experienced it rooted me in the idea that it was real and that all the images that I saw in books and on film were real. It was a perspective that rooted me in history. I knew it from first hand accounts.

Today as I watch the way the Mideast seems to be crumbling into chaos at the hands of the power hungry it scares me. It scares me a lot, because I know the history and I know how a simple event can tumble the whole world and all the tensions into massive war. I know that it was real, and I know that people really died. I know that what is happening in Iraq and now in Lebanon are real and that people are really dying and it not only saddens me but scares me. I do not want those kinds of stories to tell my grandchildren. I don’t want them to have to be rooted to whatever tragedy we are about to experience, but what history never gave me the lesson on how one person can stop it.

Scentses....

I’ve been putting off writing a blog post, and I’m not sure why. I keep thinking that I need to figure out a topic, but really that will come if I start writing. It always does and then I end up erasing the nonsense that I’ve written before and have a nice little post. Acually, I’ve been working on one post, but it’s taking a long time so I just need something in the mean time.

The sense of smell. I’ve been thinking about this topic for awhile now and trying to figure out what I want to write about it. You know, for me it’s just about as important as my sight. It’s a big part of my memory and my connection to people and places. It’s a big piece of recollection for me. If I see something and there is no particular smell associated then I only have my sight and maybe some sort of sound to connect me. But if there is a smell, something specific, it makes the memory go from being very flat to making it pop and become real again. I can remember the way my grandfather would smell after he showered and first opened the bathroom door. The steam from the shower would collect the scent of his shaving cream and deodorant and push through the house. It puts me there and I can remember him so much more vividly. There are so many people I remember this way~ by the way they smell as much as by their face or the sound of their voices. I don’t know if it’s this way for everyone, but I’m glad it’s this way for me. I like that a scent can invoke a memory and make it real again. I have some really enjoyable memories that are just that much better because of it.

See, just starting to write always ends up in a decent blog. Weird, but nice.

saying one thing a lot

It's hot. Really hot. I was never this hot when I lived in GA because they believe in A/C. It's really freakin' hot. Ridiculously hot. It was One Hundred and THREE today. 103!!! That is hot. Really just dangerously fucking hot. It's just hot. Damn. It's hot. I hope I remember how damned hot I am right now when it's like 10 degrees this winter, because it's just hot. Damn. It's hot.

Question of the Day...

Comments are not only welcome on this, but required.

Is it wrong to hoola hoop naked with a borrowed hoola hoop? What about if it's your own hoola hoop? Have you ever hoola hooped in the buff?

haha!! This whole idea makes me giggle.

The good, the bad, and the ugly

The Good news- Our national deficit is “only” $296 billion dollars which is about ½ what it was a couple years ago.

The Bad news- We were supposed to have a surplus in the trillions by the projects made before Bush took office.

The Good news- Gitmo detainees are getting their Geneva convention rights as prisoners of war.

The Bad news- The fact that we ever denied them the rights at all in our “war for democracy.”

The Ugly- 847 more days of the Bush Regime.

thinking aloud

What is it about loving and emotions in general that don’t go away as easily as saying “I don’t feel this way anymore?” Life would be much easier if it worked that way, but emotions are such sticky illogical things. It’s not about controlling the actions that the emotions might evoke. We can avoid someone, but that doesn’t mean loving them has gone away. I think even when we’ve moved on for whatever reason the emotion is fully capable of being there. It’s emotion void of action. I don’t think it requires action, because if we did then when someone we love dies we wouldn’t feel love for them anymore. Anyone who has had someone they truly love dies knows that this isn’t the case at all.
Maybe I’m rambling about something we’ve all analyzed. If that is the case then why are we conditioned to feel hurt when someone we love still has feelings for someone else? If we had looked at emotions logically wouldn’t we rationally say, “It’s normal that they still feel something” rather than have our own feelings hurt? Or why are we so surprised when we have feelings of love, hate or whatever for someone we haven’t been around in ages? I am not sure that we do analyze it carefully. We are socialized to think that emotions go away if we ignore them. I need to think more about why. What is the purpose of this idea that emotions just go away? Do they just go away for some people?

I can’t stop thinking. That’s as absurd as saying for me to stop having emotions.

Time as a commodity

“Nobody sees a flower - really - it is so small it takes time - we haven't time - and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time.” -Georgia O’Keefe

In our everyday rushing lives time has become such a valuable commodity. We rush to and from work spending more and more time there. Work takes up a lot of those irreplaceable minutes. So many of the things we do are rushed. Microwave food, drive thru meals, 30 minute workouts, etc. We are obsessed with time and we’ve completely forgotten how to invest it as a commodity into something as important and rewarding as friendship. I read the other day that people have fewer close friends than they did even 20 years ago. Why?

It does take time to be a friend. Attention to the details that take time that cannot be replaced by anything. There really is no replacement other than taking the time with a person to become a friend. Perhaps this is the difference between a friend and an acquaintance. One of them is willing to take the time and know and remember the details, and the other simply either hasn’t had the opportunity or doesn’t want to. Isn’t it worth it though? I cannot think of a better resource in my life than my friends when I need support or love or listening to. I love that I can make my friends feel better or be there for them when they need me. It’s all about time and spending the time to be a friend, listen, learn and really examine the smallness and detail. It takes time.

It's not all about work. It just can't be.

place holder

I have a couple of really good blog posts at home, but well, I’m not at home. So, in lieu of something profound and interesting I’m going to post something I find amusing. On my work e-mail I have been getting a lot of spam and for whatever reason the program we use doesn’t have a very good filter. In fact I suspect the filter they have in place doesn’t even work just like the hyperlink button, “insert picture” and numbered list functions don’t work. ANYWAY… I get some funny spam. Most recently these are the “people” I have gotten spam from-

Kneeling C. Indignantly
Sudanese H. Tuneless
Takeoff A. Dispaired
Wrongheadedly A. Hosed
Freshet M. Dadaism
Maxflies T. Depravity

Personally my favorite is Wrongheadedly Hosed. O.K. That’s all. Thanks for reading my placemarker.

Happy Independence Day 

Independence Day thoughts

The celebration of Independence Day brings to mind parades, houses decorated with flags of all sizes, fireworks and barbeques. It is a day to remember the Founding Fathers of our great country and of all the men that followed in the beliefs that they risked life and limb to define and secure. These were all men that believed in the principles set forth in the Declaration of Independence and then later solidified in the Constitution of the United States. It’s easy to call them patriots.

The beauty of the country we live in is that the men and women that question the government when they believe it isn’t following the foundation set by the Founding Fathers is that we can also call them patriots. They are doing their duty as citizens to create an open society where debate is welcomed and even required. This Fourth of July I am reminded of one great patriot that did just this. Frederick Douglass is that man, and despite the issue he was speaking about being much different than the one we face today the words he spoke on that Independence Day so long ago still ring true.
“Go search where you will, roam through all the monarchies and despotisms of the Old World, travel through South America, search out every abuse and when you have found the last, lay your facts by the side of the everyday practices of this nation, and you will say with me that, for revolting barbarity and shameless hypocrisy, America reigns without a rival.” ~Frederick Douglass - July 4, 1852
On this Independence Day I am ashamed of the barbarity the Bush Administration has propelled our country into with its paranoid ideology that is full of lies and deceit. We are the hypocrites of the world when we say we are trying to spread democracy into countries like Iraq, Afghanistan, and throughout Central America. Yet in our very own country our phones, internet and bank records are secretly being watched by the government, when anyone who dares challenge the “thinking” of the current administration are called unpatriotic or worse “traitor”, and when women and mothers who have lost loved ones in this war of lies are ridiculed for publicly mourning and speaking out against what changed their lives forever. Yes, we are hypocrites and barbarians in our comfort and apathy for not holding our government true to the foundation that the very basis if this country was founded upon.
I love the principles that my country was founded upon. I admire the men and women who have risked and sometimes given everything to defend it- even the hard to swallow patriots that dissent. Thank you, Mr. Douglass, all these years later.

my garden

My fingernails are dirty. I have been working in one small bed of our garden. There is a gratification in knowing that I am doing the work and have a plan for each little section that our yard will eventually be divided into. I get much more satisfaction from this kind of domesticity than I do with knowing that my floors are sparkling or that all the laundry is done. It’s just a little work and a whole lot of stress relief.

It's not the germs. It's the people with the germs.

Let me start by saying that I am not anywhere close to being a germaphobe, OCD, neat freak. I don’t freak out if my kids give me a sticky kiss after being out playing and sweating all day. I don’t have some major breakdown if I have to touch the toilet seat to lower it or if there aren’t ridiculously thin toilet seat covers at a public bathroom. And yes, I do follow the 5 second rule when it comes to important foods like candy, etc. There is a level of germs that I think is healthy and to be expected. So, this post isn’t about all of that really, but all of that was to sort of give an idea of my comfort with germs.
That being said what in the hell is wrong with you nasty fucks that don’t wash your hands after using the bathroom? YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE. Turn on the water, get a little soap and WASH.

OKTHXBYE

Mountains out of mole hills...not really

The world is a wonderful place. Here are a few tiny reasons why-

- My children love me and still let me give hugs and kisses without being embarrassed.
- THIS VIDEO is amazing and is a voice from the past saying something so dead on and applicable today. (thanks Abby and Mickey for sharing)
- A good friend of mine came to me because she needed a little boost. I was able to help.
- My boyfriend loves me completely.
- A couple of big projects at work have come together successfully and are just about done.
- I have a number of people that I really look up to in my life and am glad that I can call them friends.
- I am starting to work on a plan for our landscaping and I think it’s going to be a really amazing garden when it’s all said and done.

Maybe those aren’t exactly tiny reasons after all.

I've said it before...

but I'm going to say it again, because I'll be damned if it's not worth repeating.


READ THIS BLOG

Relationships are hard

Relationships are hard. Even relationships with “things” that we use everyday. The relationship that I constantly am challenged by is my relationship with money. My attempt to gain a strong and good relationship with money is not only fueled by my desire to be comfortable, but also by my desire to create a good start for my children so they don’t have the struggle learning the basics and beyond.
My earliest memory regarding money is one of immediacy and lack of. I think I was around 5. I was very young. My grandmother had mentioned that I needed a new coat at some point so the next time we were at the store I saw one I loved. Being the girl that I am I felt that I really needed this coat. My grandmother said that we couldn’t buy the coat because we didn’t have enough money right then. I was heartbroken. I begged and pleaded. I cried, but alas we didn’t get the coat. She said that we could come back and get the coat later. We did come back. She knew how much I wanted THAT coat. We went back as soon as she had money for it. The coat was gone. Since that day I remember thinking of how if I wanted something I needed to get it then or it would be gone. Obviously, money played a big factor in that disappointment and how I dealt with money. It was most definitely a defining event in my life.
After my divorce and freedom to guide my own finances the fear of things being gone if I didn’t get the immediately was added to with the fear that I wasn’t in control. I am afraid that my children have witnessed this “bad” relationship that I have and I’m sure it’s affected them in some way. My job as their mother is to fix that AND give them a positive idea and knowledge of dealing with money. I don’t want them to think of money as a way to gain “things” or feel the immediacy that lost left in me. I want them to think of money as a tool that they can use to gain wealth, secure their present and future, and of course to provide the things that they want in life.
There are a lot of pieces and parts to this puzzle. Earning money, taxes (yeah they have to learn this one don’t they?), saving, investing, credit, debt, etc. It’s a lot. It’s a whole lot and it seems that each of the parts has so many little pieces that it’s almost overwhelming. The advantage is that I have years. Years to explain to them all the various aspects as they grow and see me regain a good relationship with money. Years for them to experience the earning, taxes, savings, loans (because college isn’t free), etc. with me to at least give them some piece of whatever I’ve learned.
I realize now how important learning about money is. I wish I could have learned this lesson back when I was growing up, but I think it’s key that I’ve learned it at all.

Smokers will still go to bars...

July 1st a smoking ban hits the state of Colorado. Specifically-

“A law approved by the Legislature in March bans smoking in most public places but exempts casinos, cigar bars, the Denver International Airport smoking lounge and private workplaces with three or fewer employees.”

A lot of bar owners are up in the air and upset about this measure saying that it’s going to hurt their business. I beg to differ. I don’t go to certain pubs because of the smoke. I don’t like it. Now that they will be smoke free I will be going. A lot of people who don’t like smoky bars will now be able to go out and get a pint without having to deal with smoke in their faces. Also, the people who smoke at a bar are not there because they want to smoke. They are there because they want to drink. They can still grab a cigarette outside like they already have to at work, but they will still go and grab a beer after work or on the weekends.
In addition to this argument there are a LOT of other cities in the country that already have this ban that remarkably still have bars that are making money and successful. In fact it’s now up to 13 states that ban smoking and that doesn’t count the various cities in other states that have banned it.
This ban is awesome. I love it. I can now go out and enjoy my food, beer and company of friends without being infested with the odor of smoke. I can go out dancing and not feel sick for days because of my allergy to smoke. I can take my kids to restaurants and not have our meal ruined because someone has lit up at the table next to ours. Smokers are still allowed to smoke. Business owners will get the same business and potentially more. It’s all good.

Work to live, not the other way around

We live in a nation of over-achievers and it seems the only achievement that leads to is being miserable. Working not only our 40 hours a week, but then overtime both at work, at home and often even on vacation. What kind of madness is this? Is it any wonder that people are angry and rude in our society? The longer and harder I work only to have mistakes chastised and berated make me seriously doubt the choice to work extra to get ahead. I don’t feel like I’m ahead. I feel like I’m out all those extra hours I could have been having fun and enjoying my life. I work with a guy that “gets by” on his 40 hours a week. He doesn’t make a lot more than he did when he started, but he seems to be happy and he still has a job making enough money to support the rest of his life that he actually allows time for. I think he might have the right idea. Work to live not live to work. I seem to have let that get lost somewhere in my desire to make more money and get an office. I got the office and the money, but I seem to have lost the enjoyment and little bits of the “live” part.
I realize I’m rambling. It’s 3 a.m. and I’m awake stressing over work. Yep, I think I may have lost the point somewhere, but am on the verge of finding it once again.

one of my favorites

When I have been asked to name my top favs for music there are a few that always spring to mind. David Sylvian, Beastie Boys, Bob Marley, and always, always Sade. I put "Lovers Rock" on this morning and I'm on my third repeat of it. Her voice and the content of her songs always make me smile, bring a tear, make me want to sing, make me dance, and always make me remember the feel of being in love and of having my heart broken. She's just about how life feels a lot of the time. It's good.



I want to cook you a soup that warms your soul
But nothing would change,
nothing would change at all
It's just a day that brings it all about
Just another day and nothing's any good

The DJ's playing the same song
I have so much to doI have to carry on
I wonder if this grief will ever let me go
I feel like I am the king of sorrow,
yeahThe king of sorrow

~from the King of Sorrow by Sade

I'm not buying it!

I keep seeing these ads for these Crystal Light packets that are made to just be added to a bottle of water. The whole marketing angle is that everyone needs to drink water everyday and these make it taste better.
Alright, first off if your bottled water tastes bad then something is either wrong with your water or something is wrong with your bottle. You need to figure that shit out before you end up in the hospital with some crazy bacterial infection. Trust me on this one.
Secondly, if you add something to water it’s not water anymore!! If I blend lemon juice and sugar or sugar substitute with water what do I have? That’s right! Very good. I have lemonade. Lemonade is not water. If I add a tea bag to my water I have made tea. Again, that is not water. So, by adding this chemical concoction that taste like whatever flavoring they’ve added the water then becomes “Fake Nasty Chemical Flavored Beverage” and that is most certainly NOT WATER!! If it really "gives you the benefits of water" then where to the calories come from? From the CHEMICALS!!
Sorry, Kraft, go sell that shit to all the Barbies of the world, because I'm not buying it!

Flickr Sets

Alright everyone. So, Abby has created sets of photos based on the days events. I still haven't uploaded any photos but when I do I'll post the link.

Click here to see our Seattle trip.

So freakin' funny

I have no idea what we were laughing about, but I love this photo. Damn, it must have been really funny.

Update re: Afternoon 1

So, I said I'd post the video where Abby and I were serenaded by the homeless man. She has it up on Vimeo. Check it out.

I think I'm almost recovered from the trip now. That's good. Time to start planning the next adventure. That is a good distraction from how poor I am now that I'm done with vacation.

Also, big news at work. My assistant is now full time AND I got an office. No window, but it's an office and I can work in peace without a distraction every 5 mins! WooT!

The Last 24 in Seattle

Our picnic was at a great park called the Gas Works Park. It’s got the most amazing view of the city. Despite some delays w/ getting there once we did our timing was perfect. Just after dinner the sun was setting. It was reflecting off the skyscrapers across the water and boats were out in plenty. I got to meet Heeeysos, AnnG and The Beige One and Anne’s boy, Steve. It was a lot of fun.

I think we all had enough fun that once we got back to the hotel we just chilled. I blogged a little (see the last post), Abby went through all her gazillion photos of the day, and Anne hung out while we watched a couple movies. It was very chill and sort of a good end to the evening. Abby stayed up until I have no idea when and then was up early Sunday morning to catch her flight. She made it to SFO without a hitch and had coffee with Mynxy and then flew home.

When Dan and I awoke we packed our things and then checked out of the hotel leaving most everything in the bellman’s room so we could go to Banya5. Oh, lovely, lovely Banya5. After spending 2 ½ hours at this Russian bathhouse I felt like I needed to rush back to Denver and open one exactly like it up here. The steam bath, sauna and then various “baths” were just what I needed to relax me completely. Then it was all topped off with a honey & salt scrub. Can you say “Delight?”

After this we were both just in the mood for taking it easy. I searched my purse and makeup bag for Anne’s phone number, but couldn’t find it. So, we sat down and I searched again, and again. Still no phone number. Turns out I left it in my backpack back at the hotel. So, I was hoping she would call and we moved on back to Pike’s market. We mostly browsed and then decided we should hit the Aquarium rather than trying to rush and take a ferry ride. On our way there Anne called. I missed the damn call. DAMN!!!

The Aquarium is under construction. I’m sure that it will be lovely once it’s done.

We decided to get a bite to eat and then head back to the hotel. We walked and walked finally getting to the hotel and picking up our bags. Sure enough. There was Anne’s phone number, but no time to see her. Damn! Damn! Damn! I called and we chatted until our car came to get us. And then off to the airport.

Our trip to Seattle was a lot of fun. I’m so glad I got to see Anne finally and hang out with Abby again. It had been a really long time. Now I’m plugging away at work wishing I would have taken a lunch break, but feeling like the 2 days I took off buried me. I am an American worker. Vacations never last long enough and work is always more than 40 hours a week. Even so, retreats like this past one help. A lot.

Drunkie isn't always fun the next day

I don’t know what to write about last night. It’s 10 p.m. tonight and my brain is still fuzzy. I didn’t drink THAT much. Just the combination was bad, bad, bad.

The best thing to say is that we went to dinner at Ivar’s. It was delicious. I had two glasses of pinot grigio with the appetizers & dinner. Then we caught a cab to go to karaoke.

The cab driver was phenomenal. He was a big black man from Somalia. When we got into the cab he asked where we were going (of course) and we told him Beacon Pub on Beacon Street in Beacon Hill. He said, “Beacon Pub?” we said yes. He said, “Beacon Street?” we said yes. He said “Beacon Hill?” and we said yes. Then he sang out “Beeeeacon Hill!” So, we sang back, “Beeeeeacon Hill!” We chatted with him about where all he’d lived in the US and about where we lived. It was a good ride.

When we pulled up to the pub it was a bit iffy looking. Somewhat dive barish, but we went in and there were people singing. We got some “Lucky Brand” beers and Anne and Abby went through the books, picked out songs and we waited for their turns. They sang. I danced. We drank. At some point Dan came back to the table with some shots. I had one. Then we had another. And eventually I had another. The beer and the shots were FUN!!! And then we came back w/ Mr. Beacon Hill as our cabbie. We did some drunk dialing. It was fun.

Then I came back to the hotel and vomited. Yep. I got SICK! Big time sick. Throwing up until 4 a.m. kind of sick. I felt really bad about keeping Dan and Abby up. I felt even worse that today I was really horribly hungover and not really able to do anything other than seek out cool spots on the sheets.. I didn’t get up until 5 p.m. and that was only after Annetastic gave me some AlkaSeltzer (thanks Anne!) and I rested some more. Man, I hate being hungover. Dan was so good to me. He’s a good boyfriend. A really good boyfriend.

I got up for the picnic we planned. I’ll add that info later. By the way, Abby is adding photos on Flickr like a mad woman. You should check them all out.

so....

a lot drunk....

linkie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvdJlSam9XA

Space needles, Moons and other interesting things I did today

I’m considering mooning someone from our 2nd story window. It would be easy enough considering the position of the bed and the window. I’ll let you know what I decide later.

After lazing about this morning we were finally all ready to go have breakfast at about noon. We walked to a little dive restaurant/bar called “5 points.” It seems all big cities have something called 5 points and Seattle appears to be no exception. The food was really good particularly the bacon. The bacon was delicious. I need more.

After the good bacon we walked. We walked to the Space Needle and EMP. We didn’t actually pay to go in and see anything because quite frankly I don’t think we were that interested and they were both pricey attractions. Instead we looked in the gift shops, watched people riding amusement park rides, children playing in fountains and wandered through gardens that made me long for a more moist climate in my own gardening space. All the while I was mauing on some fine cotton candy. Then it was getting sort of late so we headed down to Pike’s market. We walked, and walked and walked. It’s a long way from the Space Needle to Pike’s. A very long way. A really, really, really long way. We made it. My left knee hate me. But we got some coffee, chatted, and Dan bought me some flowers. We shopped and I ended up buying some fruit, Dan bought some salmon for the picnic tomorrow and Abby bought a lot of stuff. I think she’ll eventually blog about it, but right now she’s busily sorting through the 414 photos she took today. That is the actual count. She’s not joking around when it comes to taking pictures, people. By the way, you should check out her blog, too.

By the time we were done so were my feet. That’s what I get for wearing 4” wedges to walk around Seattle in, but dammit I looked GOOD doing it. Now we are recovering and getting ready to have dinner at Iver’s. Then later…karaoke. And NO, I’m NOT singing.

(I did moon someone, btw. The glass was really cold on my ass.)

Cirque de Adventure

Around 6:20 Dan and I set off on an adventure to go see Cirque de Soleil. Tickets in hand we headed for the bus stop just a block over from our hotel. Waited for about 10 minutes and boarded a bus headed for Redmond’s Marymoor Park. We were on the bus for about 40 minutes when I began to worry whether or not we were ever going to get there. It was fine since the show didn’t start until 8:00 but it seemed a long fucking way. It was a long fucking way really. Anyway, we finally got there and the bus driver gave us some information on how to get back. He didn’t charge us for actually riding. I now wonder if he wasn’t thinking, “You’ll need the cash I’m saving you for your cab fare.”

Off the bus and onto the sidewalk there was the tent just a block or so away. We begin walking. 10 minutes later. There it is. The tent. Just a block or so away. I’m not sure how the tent seemed closer than it actually was but it did and we ended up getting a good deal of exercise on our way to the tent. I’ve decided that tents are magical things. They can be farther away than they appear. They can hold more people than you’d expect. They make a child’s eyes gleam with wonder and excitement. And in last nights case they can try and make ordinary sized adults fit into seats designed for a 5 year old. Now maybe I’m just being a little bitchy here, but if I pay $80 a ticket for a seat to a show I want that seat to somewhat fit my ass. I’m not a big woman and I was SQUISHED!! I can only imagine how the 250 lbs woman next to Dan felt. It didn’t help my enjoyment of the show to be crammed into the seat like I was one of the acts. The show was entertaining and typical Cirque. Perhaps I need to be done with it because after the 5th show I’m starting to compare them and last night was no Quidam.

Now the adventurous part. The show was over. It was 10:45. The last bus was at 10:38. Uh... TAXI!!! We called a cab and dealt with the taxi nazi. Walked to the place that we had indicated we’d be and waited. Twenty minutes later we were still waiting. The wait was lovely. Cool but not cold night. Frogs croaking in the background. Cars zooming past as we wait, and wait, and wait. We call again and get a much nicer agent. As she’s talking to Dan a cab goes by slowly. He hangs up and the cab passes us. Slowly. It keeps going and then we are left. It begins to drizzle. Now at this point there really isn’t much to do but laugh about being stuck out in the boonies in the rain waiting for a cab. So, we do. Then the cab comes back with passengers. We call again. FINALLY!!! The cab shows up just as it begins to do a little more than drizzle.

Our cab driver was from Bulgaria and was very happy to see us. Somehow he seemed to feel responsible for our situation and was fairly apologetic that we were damp and in the cold. He offered us a lot of advice on good things to see in the city and discussed the weather, closing of bridges, and Paul Allen’s quirks. It was a fine ride back to the Hotel Max despite the weird smell of dung in the cab.

By the time we got back, I was starving having not eaten since lunch. We stopped in at the Red Fin to have some edamame, sushi (I didn’t eat this) and some teriyaki skirt steak. It was quite a lovely end to a little adventure that now doesn’t seem quite the adventure since writing it out.

Seattle Afternoon- Day 1

A true vacation is a beautiful thing and I think part of the joy in it is that you don’t feel like you have to get up in the morning. Not that you lounge in bed all day or that would even be a very good use of time, but the idea that you CAN stay in bed if you want is a very powerful one indeed. One I am enjoying this morning at 10:30 a.m. I’m still in between the sheets waiting my turn to take a shower. I’ve been awake for an hour, but just haven’t managed to get out of bed.

Yesterday after we all showered and got ready we left for a little adventure. The plan was to make the 1:00 “Underground Seattle Tour” that Abby’s father had highly recommended. I think the advantage of our hotel is that most things are in walking distance. We left the hotel on foot and made our way down Stewart Street coming upon both a good coffee joint that had fairly cheap and delicious coffee AND and ATM, which is also equally important to having fun. Our walk took us down first avenue which is where Pike’s Market is. The draw was too great. We had to look in. Dan was the first to say he was hungry and so we decided we might as well go in and delay our tour to 2:00. After only looking around for a minute Dan and I decided the BBQ joint was where we wanted to eat. Abby looked a bit longer and ended up with a crepe. Deeeelish! Gullets filled onward to the Underground adventure.

The Underground Seattle is a little bit of a “misnomer” as you find out on the tour. It’s actually the “old” Seattle that was built after a great fire destroyed the first one. Then because it was at tidal flat level they “fixed” it. So, basically on the tour you are taken around seeing the old street level that is now underground. Anyway, this is what we bought $11 tickets for and quite frankly it was worth every darned penny. After purchasing our tickets we had about a 30 minute wait for the tour. We were approached by a homeless man who wanted to sing to us in exchange for money. He was quite honest about needing the money for beer. Abby documented a portion of the event that I'll link to when it's up. After our homeless man serenade we went on the tour. Again, it was really worth the $11 it cost. Our tour guide, Jim, was well rehearsed and knew his stuff on random questions the group had.

After the tour our legs were a bit weary, but we made our way back to the hotel to take a rest and get ready for the nights adventures. That’s right. Adventures. More about those in the next post…

Seattle- morning one

I woke up this morning slightly hung over and in Seattle. The room was very dark when I awoke with grey soft light working its way between the blinds and the frame of the window. The sheets are heavy good sheets and I didn’t want to move. Then the phone rang from across the room. I hopped up so it wouldn’t disturb anyone else, but knew that it did. G was on the phone and he was upset. His 10 year old voice on the edge of tears because he was teased about a failure in making eggs. We worked it out a bit and then he handed the phone to B who was less than interested in talking on the phone. We hung up. It was still dark in the room but the sounds from the street were creeping in and waking us more and more. It was obvious that the working world was moving about and doing what it needed to do.

Eventually, Abby made the decision that we needed some food after I mentioned pancakes. I shuffled around and found the menu, turned on a light and saw my section. “For the Egg Averse” I ended up with a bowl of yogurt, nuts, granola and coconut w/ a side of fresh fruit and some sort of bread thing w/ a sauce. Needless to say the last was barely touched. I don’t like unknown sauces on my food. Abby had some eggs and potatoes. Dan had coffee. Well, we all had coffee, but he only had coffee.

My head still hurts. I’m glad it’s grey. Less chance of a migraine that way. We are going to head down to the Seattle Underground tour in a bit and check out that tour. Then tonight is Cirque and who knows what else. Who cares? It’s a vacation in a city I’ve never been to before. Everything is new and different and adventurous.

One more thing before I hit the road...

Just a little reminder to Mr. Bush and his misled administration!

You can get the shirt HERE

Seattle

We are headed to Seattle tomorrow for a well deserved vacation. It's my first trip to Seattle in memory. I think my grandparents went through there with me when I was very small. I don't remember it. I'm going to take a lot of photos. Fun times.

damn dog owners

Alright. Anyone who knows me knows that I love my dogs. They are like babies to me. They are sweet little beings that depend on me and would give their lives to protect me. Max is my baby boy and Lily is getting over her issues and becoming very dear in my heart. Even so, they are dogs. I don't pretend that they are anything other than dogs. They act like dogs. They sniff other dogs butts, eat grass and vomit, and do whatever doggy things they might feel like doing. So, when they are in "people" situations I keep them on a leash so they don't apply their dog sensibilities. I wish this bitch today would have done the same with her dog. I was nearly bitten by her border collie because she chose to not have it on a leash despite there being a very strict leash law in Denver. No apology, no scolding of the dog, and then didn't put the dog on a leash. Next time a situation like that occurs the dog and the owner are getting a taste of pepper spray. Damn dog owner.

another post about mountains...

Tonight driving west I noticed that the mountains were paper cutouts of themselves. The fading sky highlighted the lavender, deep purple, and nearly black shapes layered darkest to lightest. It truly was “purple mountains majesty.” It was a beautiful day. A very beautiful day.

By the way, THIS is a really great blog. You should read it.

If you live in the mountains...

This will probably be a boring post for any readers that don’t live near the mountains or wilderness of any sort. However, I do. I don’t live as close as some people, but that is my choice. I choose to live in the city. I choose to live in the city because I like to live in the city with the various things a city affords. I deal with the bad parts that I’m not thrilled about like the bums, crime, and noise. Many Coloradans choose to live in the foothills or in the mountains because they enjoy being in nature and the peace and quiet that affords them. Many of these Coloradans understand that living in the foothills or mountains means that they will encounter a part of nature called “wildlife.” I don’t mean squirrels or chipmunks. I mean bears and mountain lions. Yes, those are found near Denver because this is their habitat.
So, where is this going? Well, it’s those other few Coloradans that don’t really grasp the “bad” part of living in or near the mountains. They believe that because they own the land that the nature is theirs and even the parts of nature they don’t like will respect that. Sorry, but it doesn’t work quite that way. In short, I’m so fucking sick of these morons in the news who are shocked when their family pet gets eaten by a predator. WTF? YOU LIVE IN THE FUCKING MOUNTAINS!! MOUNTAIN LION!! Why would it be called a “MOUNTAIN” lion if it didn’t live in the motherfucking mountains? If you live in the mountains there will be mountain lions and maybe even bears. They don’t quite have the ability to “get” that they are on private property. If you live in or near the mountains do not be shocked if your family pet becomes dinner. It happens. It’s part of the nature you moved to the mountains for. Don't kill innocent animals that are doing what their instincts need them to do. They hunt so they can survive. They search for food IN their own environment. If people choose to move there then they need to accept all of the nature including mountain lions in the mountains.

Max, the dog

I don’t know what has gotten into my Max tonight. He’s so lively and full of energy. It’s hilarious. He’s been playing with all of his toys since I got home and doing his silly little boxer growl. WOOO-WOOO-WOOOOOO-WOOOHOOOH! Perhaps it the cool rainy weather. I don’t know. I just know that right now he’s got his big saggy dog that has lost it’s squeekers and is running around the house tossing it about. I love that crazy dog.

4 weeks of worry

My children left today to go visit their father for 4 weeks. And while I realize how important it is for them to visit that doesn’t make it any harder. It would be very hard to send them to visit someone I like and trust, but to visit him. It’s hard. Very hard. It’s trusting my most precious possessions to the one person in the world who was the most dangerous person in my life. That sounds dramatic, but drama aside it’s true. There is nothing to be done. That’s their father and it’s his right and until he does something foolish enough to have it taken away. I can only hope that never happens despite my dislike for these times away from my babies.

Cable sucks my money...

And for what? Why do I have cable? I spend so much money a month for however many hundred channels to only end up watching MTV2. And dammit even that isn't worth my hard earned dollars. My migraine was more interesting than the new Red Hot Chili Peppers video, and I've seen this "live" Kanye joint waaaayyy too many times. So...fucking...over...it. However you know I'm going to keep paying for it because I like 3 shows I can't get with an antenna. Damn them.

cured

I pulled out a Cure CD the other day and was reminded about how much I love them. I need to get my collection all on CD because I have most everything on LP and it's not accessible. In the meantime I'm going to just enjoy the bit that do have on CD.

"i've been looking so long at these pictures of you that i almost belive that they're real i've been living so long with my pictures of you that i almost believe that the pictures are all i can feel remembering you standing quiet in the rain as i ran to your heart to be near and we kissed as the sky fell in holding you close how i always held close in your fear remembering you running soft through the night you were bigger and brighter than the snow and screamed at the make-believe screamed at the sky and you finally found all your courage to let it all go remembering you fallen into my arms crying for the death of your heart you were stone white so delicate lost in the cold you were always so lost in the dark remembering you how you used to be slow drowned you were angels so much more than everything oh hold for the last time then slip away quietly open my eyes but i never see anything if only i had thought of the right words i could have hold on to your heart if only i'd thought of the right words i wouldn't be breaking apart all my pictures of you Looking So long at these pictures of you but i never hold on to your heart looking so long for the words to be true but always just breaking apart my pictures of you there was nothing in the world that i ever wanted more than to feel you deep in my heart there was nothing in the world that i ever wanted more than to never feel the breaking apart all my pictures of you." -The Cure

Educating my children outside of school

I was driving along in my Jeep and realized that there are a number of things that I need my children to know that school isn’t going to teach them. Things I don’t want school teaching them, because I don’t know that the schools really get it. I missed out a lot because I spent a lot of time in school learning only what they wanted me to learn. I didn’t get it from my parents because I don’t think they realized that school wasn’t going to teach me these things or realize I needed to learn some basic things to cope with the adult world. I had to learn a lot of lessons after I left home and while I had a lot of book knowledge that didn’t do me a lot of good when I needed to do laundry, cook dinner or most importantly manage my money. I’m going to be blogging off and on about the things that I feel I need to teach my own children. What I think I need to teach them, what I know they need to learn about the world as it is today, and I hope getting some feedback from my readers on what they know and have learned that might help me in this crazy attempt at preparing children to be adults.

Head Space

I snatched this idea from my friend Abby’s blog. I do realize that some of these are pretty transparent, but even if you think it’s about you don’t ask. I’m not telling. This is a lot harder than I would have thought. I have to list things I’d never say to the actual person. What wouldn’t I say? Anything to my children is out, because they know down to the bone how much I love them and how they are the light of every day I’m alive. Anyway, here it goes:

The Rules:
* List ten things you want to say to people, but know you never will.
* Don’t say who they are, use people only once.
* All who read this can choose to post in their own blog (no have-to’s for memes, please).

My list:

1. Your child looks just like Squiggy from “Laverne and Shirley.”

2. I never would have made it without you.

3. I never thought we’d be close, but then life is full of awesome surprises. Our friendship is one of the brightest spots of my adult life. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

4. I will never forgive you. Not for all you did, but for everything you continue to add to it. I know that someday they will get it, too.

5. You never had my back and I doubt you ever will. You make bad decisions and then can’t even own up to the consequences. You are weak and don’t deserve my respect.

6. It really hurts that our friendship has never been as important to you as it has always been to me.

7. No matter how much time passes I still love you and wish things had been different. Timing is everything.

8. I hate being indebted to you. It makes me feel insecure and like a failure.

9. You’ve given me reason not to trust you. Still, I can’t help but be drawn into your sense of life and fun and be encouraged and inspired by it.

10. You gave me so many gifts (tangible and not) that I still enjoy. Thank you.



The good thing about this list is that no one reads my blog so I won't be getting a lot of questions. WooT! I'm so sneaky. haha!!

Minutia

This morning after parking my Jeep I was walking along the sidewalk to my building and I noticed a little chickadee in a pine tree. He was doing a little dance. Then I noticed the female nearby. He was doing a little mating dance for her and she was certainly checking him out. I didn’t linger, but it was fun catching their little courtship.