As The TeePee Squeaks

Festivus

2011-12-30T15:22:00.000-08:00

If you're not a Seinfeld fan, you're not familiar with the fake holiday known as Festivus. It was the creation of one of the surly Seinfeld characters who refused to go along with the commercialized over-hyped Christmas traditions of expensive gifts and maxed out credit cards. "Festivus for the rest of us!" he'd proclaim. Instead of a Christmas tree, he would erect a Festivus pole in the house. The family activities included a show of "feats of strength" where they'd kind of beat up on each other.
But Festivus dinner was the best because the saying of Grace was replaced with the "Airing of Grievances." The best.

So, Gary's used to having expensive holidays, Christmas in particular. He's used to big extravagant presents. He was worried about this year, with his surgery in September we haven't been able to sock away money to buy very much for presents.
He was kinda speechless when I explained that I'm more of a Festivus kind of person. I don't like Christmas gifts, and I get no pleasure from spending a lot of money on things that I know will end up in the garbage. I prefer to have one thoughtful gift that will always be remembered. Think about it; what did you get for Christmas last year? Can't remember?
I got one present, a Kindle, and it was soooo appreciated. I spent a lot of money buying up E books on Amazon and my reading kept me pre-occupied. I've always loved to read but last year at this time I was quite miserable and lonely. The Kindle was with me everywhere.
Gary kept bugging me, "What do you want for Christmas?" And I kept giving the same answer, "I'm really not a gift person. I don't want THINGS."
I felt bad for him, because I wasn't trying to be evasive or difficult. I just didn't want him spending a lot of money on stuff.
On Christmas morning, I got this:

A new fancy Kindle. Good call, Gary.

And since Gary wants a hundred things for Christmas, I gave him this:

There's enough cash there for something really nice. I shopped around for some things that I knew he'd like, but it was all things that a person wouldn't be able to return if it wasn't just right. He's been into the gold mining lately and with that hobby comes requirements for different equipment and gadgets. There's quite a large group of people in this area who are into the mining as well, and they periodically sell off their used equipment. I considered buying up some used mining equipment, but figured a gift of cash would be safer.
He promptly spent it at Sam's Club.

Mental note: don't give Gary cash. He'll use it on a year's supply of paper towels and protein bars.

I Know

2011-10-13T09:10:00.000-07:00

Can't say I've been that busy, just pre-occupied. But that's no excuse!

Since August I've been doing quite a lot and I'll have to get to typing in order to catch up.

Mexico, Kansas City, Vegas, Off Road Races, World Finals, it just keeps going.

I'll start right now.

In August I began tackling a very detailed and complicated "To Do" list. With five bedrooms in this house and only two of them inhabitable, I decided to start cleaning.

The master bedroom got a little touch up, but the real difference was with the other master suite. It was stuffed with spare furniture to the point that if someone stayed in there they couldn't walk. They couldn't really get to the bathroom. And I couldn't clean.
So it was cramped, dusty, and the furniture was everywhere.

I cleaned it up in about twelve hours with Shay's help. Didn't get a "before" picture, but here's an after:

Yes, that's a full-size Monitor Lizard on the bed. Something that Gary had hidden under a pile of stuff in one of the other bedrooms.

The next project was the Gun Room, which had a pile of stuff so big you couldn't open the door. Shay and I tackled that one, pulling out a massive pile of cardboard boxes that turned out to be empty. Every single one. I picked up the gun cases and accessories and put those in the closet. After the large objects were moved I found a wallet. Yep, someone's wallet that went missing during a big weekend two years ago. Gary called him and let him know it was finally found.
The cardboard went out to the trash and the carpet in the room got cleaned up. That enabled me to move Gary's stuff for work in there-- a bunch of spare ATM parts that he keeps here.

The next room was the bunk bed room. It's right next to the front door and most people that walk in don't even know it's there. There was a great bunk bed that had been slept on once or twice by Gary's sons, and it needed to find a new home.

After much campaigning, I managed to get it a new place to live. Now we can move the furniture that is in the trailer out back into the bunk bed room. Eventually it will be another guest bedroom, but right now it will be storage while we gather items for the big garage sale later this month.

And, oh, what a garage sale it will be....

Big Kid

2011-08-01T10:56:00.000-07:00

Shay is 13 years old, but he's nearly 8 inches taller than me. And he hates being 13 years old.

Once in a while, the real Shay will emerge. It's not easy to get him to come out and play, but I keep trying.

Polite

2011-07-19T12:18:00.000-07:00

You know that song, "No more Mr. Niceguy," I'm sure you've probably heard it hundreds of times. I think it's Alice Cooper.
For the past several months I've taken on that attitude. I'm certainly polite 95% of the time, but there are people in my life right now who are finding out how many cuss words I know. People who have been not so nice to me. People who have taken advantage of me, or perhaps have tried kicking me when I was down..... They're also finding out how much and how long I've kept things bottled up. I'm not unleashing tons of anger on every single person who's done me wrong--it's not like that. I'm giving the "What-for" to those who have been sort of picking on me for quite some time and they have continued to do so once I pointed it out to them. I know, I'm portraying myself as a hysterical woman, but it's not that extreme. I'm just not holding my tongue anymore.

And today I let the attitude slip a little on a stranger.

This morning a guy honked his horn at me in an empty parking lot because I suppose he felt he had the right of way. He didn't. We both approached a turn at the same time from two different directions. I didn't stop and let him by, so he honked. Normally I'd just ignore and keep going. Today I put the car in park, shut it off, and opened my car door. Empty parking lot, with just the two of us there, and I fully intended on walking over and kicking a dent in the door of his little Jeep Cherokee. Instead I asked if there was a problem. He declined to answer. He just gestured at me like I was holding up traffic. All the backed up traffic in the empty parking lot of a closed grocery store.
People who honk for no apparent reason (as if they're a good samaritan preventing a traffic accident) are really a pet peeve. There was actually a study released last year--printed in the AAA magazine I believe--that said there is rarely if ever an accident avoided by someone honking their car horn. Horns are generally used to piss off other people driving.
If an accident is truly being avoided, it's because the driver used defensive techniques like braking and steering. No time to honk in those situations.

So, this gentleman wasn't skillfully avoiding a collision, he just wanted to be an ass.
And I called his bluff.
I didn't scream and yell, stomp around, pull a gun or anything---I just didn't ignore it and shrug it off like I normally do.

Let that be a warning to ya!!!

Yeah, right.

Cat Scratch Fever

2011-07-06T13:16:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I didn't know that Ted Nugent plays a concert in Laughlin, Nevada every July. I had no idea! Found out by accident, really, and we excitedly drove the 90 minutes up to Laughlin to enjoy the show.
What a great show--if you're Republican! Ted has a way with words, in between his songs--and his political views are more than just a little to the right. It's funny how easily he will say something insulting about the French people, right on stage in front of an audience of thousands. And he mentioned several times that we need to get the idiots out of the White House in 2012.

We met some of Gary's friends for the concert, and fortunately I brought enough pairs of ear plugs to share with everyone. It was loud, loud, loud. We were in the 12th or 13th row, quite close to the stage and the enormous speakers.

When "Uncle Ted" came out for a couple of encore songs, the security guards loosened up and let people walk up to take photos at the stage.

Great show. Lots of entertainment!

Meeting With The Boss Lady

2011-06-28T10:27:00.000-07:00

This gave me a laugh. Gary and his boss on the bow of the boat, as we're floating down river at sunset. Obviously talking shop....

Eventually I had to interrupt.

Once In A While

2011-06-28T10:24:00.000-07:00

I get a pretty good panoramic photo:

Too Hot

2011-06-25T08:04:00.000-07:00

Can't windex the car windows during the day, because it's so hot the windex dries immediately. And burns a nice smear into the window...
Can't pull the vehicles into the garage to do this, because, well....

So the car windows get spruced up after dark:

They certainly looked good last night:

But we'll see what the daylight reveals!!

Beh Behs!!!

2011-06-24T07:05:00.000-07:00

We were entertained by a mama duck and her babies up on the river Monday. Turns out, they really really like potato chips.

Tuesday Afternoon

2011-06-22T10:33:00.000-07:00

Off work: 5pm.

Arrive at home: 5:10pm.

Boat loaded, hooked up to truck: 5:25pm.

Swim Suit grabbed, House locked up: 5:30pm.

Launching at nearby launch ramp: 5:40pm.

And that's Tuesday afternoon in Lake Havasu.

Not Ready

2011-06-22T10:22:00.000-07:00

It happens every year. We know it. We know it well. We just don't accept it too readily.

Baja 500, The BEST Ever.

2011-06-15T15:47:00.000-07:00

I finally found a partner in crime who loves the off road races as much as I do.
Gary was recruited to help with the timing of the race at the Start/Finish line with me, and it was cute to see his excitement build as he realized he would be a full fledged SCORE official at the historic Baja 500 race.
We get down to Ensenada, Mexico a day or two early when there is a race so we can have some time to explore, eat, shop, or whatever. Then we have a day where we're kind of wandering around while the racers get checked in. We get the paperwork at the end of the day and we put them in our computer for the next day's race.
As I walked around with Gary, showing him my favorite spots in Ensenada, I kept expecting him to say, "Well, okay, I'm bored let's find something better to do." But that never happened. In fact, he said a couple of times, "This is so fun! I'm so glad I got to come with you!" I certainly agreed!

I really liked that he appreciated the view that I so appreciate every time I'm there:

I celebrated when it was obvious he had the same love for churros as I did....but together we discovered Churros Rellenos....which is stuffed churros. Stuffed with chocolate. MMMMMM....

And like I do, Gary will take the time to check out a cool new race truck:

And laugh about the little things in Mexico that you just wouldn't see in the U.S.:

That's an upside-down seven for the Lobby button...

But then when it came time to score the race, he was more than willing to be there in the middle of the night, waiting for finishers.
We had music playing on his I Phone, we laughed at the spectacle around us, and we were overjoyed when someone finished the grueling race...

I've never had so much fun at a race.

I'm On A Boat

2011-06-15T15:29:00.000-07:00

Gary and I have been getting to know each other, and one of the things I found out about him is his love for the lake and going out on his boat.
Since I've worked in the boating industry around here (mostly part time) for several years, I'm surprised I didn't know him before. Or see his boat....

Oh. My.

What a beautiful ride. We managed to take the boat out in May for the first time, and we spent the entire day in a cove by ourselves. He snorkled, I relaxed.

Well, I played with my camera, too.

We managed to get out again with a couple of friends, but it was more like a rescue mission. They'd gotten several miles downriver in their boat and it quit on them. So we dragged out Gary's Laveycraft and pulled their day out of the dumps...

They were good passengers. I was the stewardess. I served Fritos and Doritos. At one point we were on the beach near the London Bridge, enjoying shade and laughing at the parade of boats going by. I remarked that there are probably only a handful of people in the world who could say they sat on a boat under the London Bridge that day. And we'd be included in that handful.

And how many people can say they were parked next to this BAZILLION DOLLAR boat that da? Probably not many.

One side of the boat says Lick. The other side says This.

How many people can take a serious photo like this? Not many, I'm sure.

Uncommonly Cold!

2011-05-03T20:55:00.000-07:00

We camped a few weekends ago with some of Gary's friends from California, and after a couple of weeks of 80 degree weather it suddenly turned chilly.
Really. Chilly.

The rain rolled in with wind, the campsite became a refuge, and we huddled inside the enclosed trailer with the awning outside shielding the BBQ from the rain.

Of course we were able to stay entertained.

Around 10pm the rain quit and we were able to have a campfire outside.
See the blue? It is from an additive that Lynn put in there. It burned blue, orange, and green.

The next morning was cold, but not so cold that we weren't going to get out and enjoy the desert. We bundled up and hopped in the Rhinos for a ride.

The evening included some night excursions into some abandoned mines (yes, they do say you're not supposed to do that...) and some socializing around the colorful campfire once again. But before all that, we got out the weaponry.

Yeah, I hit some targets....

Early Sunday morning we were up before everyone else, probably because we went to bed at a reasonable time and we were anxious to get out and enjoy the nice weather.
Gary got impatient, he decided to be the wake-up call:

Don't worry, they did similar things to us as we struggled to get to sleep the night before!

While the boys cooked a big breakfast on the grill I took some blossom photos:

Then we hit the trails once more. We were determined to find some new unfamiliar places, and we certainly succeeded there. We took Grey Eagle Mine Road and found ourselves poking around in lots of old mine claims and long forgotten trails. Very cool!
The photo ops were cool, too:

By the time we loaded up the toys and started heading home, it was nearly 80 degrees again. The cold stuff was a nice departure, but we live in the desert for a reason; we like the heat!

A Metaphor

2011-04-29T16:01:00.000-07:00

I remember the chilly day that Tracy and I rode our three-wheelers up into the mountains to explore some new trails, and we discovered a 30-foot tall saguaro cactus. It was so fortunate that I'd already developed a habit of carrying a camera with me ALWAYS....

You'll have to click on the photo to see me. I'm standing at the base of this giant.

I think it was 1996, or maybe even 1995. We had our little house on Daytona Avenue and we didn't have our son Shay yet.

Fast forward to 2011. Gary and I went up into the mountains one day, and I insisted on climbing up to see the huge saguaro. What I found was a pile of sticks, down in the bottom of the canyon. My huge cactus had fallen and dried up into nothing.
I later dug up all the photos like the one above, so I could show Gary what the big deal was. The pictures were a shock, I didn't know that I looked like such a baby face back then! I was a child! And here I was, next to this healthy, vibrant cactus reaching for the sky.
Now here we are in 2011. Not a baby face anymore. And my giant cactus friend is a memory. Ah, a metaphor.

Been Busy

2011-04-29T10:55:00.000-07:00

New job has been keeping me preoccupied, the new guy is a welcome distraction, and as usual this time of year has all kinds of events and activities that I try to keep up with.
This week the Desert Storm boating event is here in Havasu, and it is an interesting collection of high dollar boats and so much money it makes you want to throw up a little....

Gary took the day off so he could hang out with me. He just didn't realize that all the hanging out would be on Main Street during the boat show. ALL DAY!!!

Boss Tony did some interviews.

We had the boats on Main St from noon till 9:30 pm, must have talked to hundreds of people. Also got to catch up with a lot of old friends, which was very nice.

By quitting time, we were DONE!

Glamour. Intrigue. Chores.

2011-04-03T20:39:00.000-07:00

Organized the pantry:

And fixed the landscaping:

Made some yummy food in the pressure cooker smoker:

Watched a pretty nice sunset at the beach:

Finally sat down to relax late on Sunday:

The dogs joined us:

Cool Sunset

2011-03-29T18:22:00.000-07:00

We drove up to the mountains to see the sunset from up there on Sunday, it takes about 5 to 10 minutes to get up to where you can be completely away from all the houses and streets....

It's The New Guy

2011-03-21T22:17:00.000-07:00

"Hi. I'm Gary. I'm new here."

Well, I'm not THAT new, I've been around for a while but I just haven't been on the blog. So here I am.

I'll tell you a little about myself.

I have a desk. But no desk chair....
Actually I have a chair but it's in the garage or something.

I like to use the grill...

And I like to help cut up vegetables when we're making dinner...

I like off roading...

And sometimes I do things on the streets with the Corvette that I shouldn't....

I always make sure I open the door for Shawna...

And I'm pretty good about washing my own dishes...

We get along pretty darned good!

That's about it.

Mexico!!

2011-03-21T22:02:00.000-07:00

I went to Mexico AGAIN! And made it back alive AGAIN!! Woohoo!! Beatin the odds!!

Here are some photos:

Weatherman's truck. He's talking to my boss Jim

/

Carl checking out the awesome banner of the race course map:

The view from our beach-side breakfast table, the day before the start of the race:

My breakfast. I think it was called the American or something like that:

The day before the race, the Contingency row is set up with vendors and race products. Thru the center of the street is a line-up of race vehicles awaiting their tech inspection. In order to race they have to pass inspection. I've seen racers wait in line half the day, mostly because some of these races have over 250 entries. They've ALL got to be inspected by one small team.

This is looking the other direction on Contingency row.

This is actually a photo from last year's race. I stayed at a cute new hotel right by the Start/Finish line. Everything was so new, even the lawn chairs on the balcony had their price tags attached.....

The same chair, one year later:

Instead of sitting out on the balcony, the chair was now inside my not-so-new room and half the chair was missing. The top half. But the tag was still attached.

Well at least I remembered to pack my Kindle. I read outside next to the newly filled swimming pool!!!!!

Race day. The motorcycles are lining up for their start at dawn.

The Trophy Trucks begin their start about three hours after the last bike leaves the line:

Sometimes the celebrity Trophy Truck drivers have their celebrity girlfriends there at the Start line to watch them leave: (it's Jesse James' girlfriend Kat von D)

So while they're out toiling and struggling in the desert, I'm in an air conditioned motorhome scoring with both a clipboard...

And the computer...

And at the end of a very long day we put all the numbers together and figure out who the winner is....

This Is Funny

2011-03-08T13:18:00.000-08:00

But this sticker makes it just a little bit more funny:

I saw this truck as I was pulling into get a cheeseburger at In & Out.

Cali is On FIRE

2011-03-02T06:50:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the shenanigans that they pull in California with their smog and stuff, we have awesome sunsets.

AWESOME!!!

How To Score a Jet Ski Race

2011-02-28T07:08:00.000-08:00

This is a waterproof GPS type antennae that our crew constructed. It is suspended underwater a couple of feet with buoys underneath the Start/Finish line:

It is connected to a computer with special software, via waterproof cable, on the boat:

Then each jet ski is outfitted with a little transponder, and every time the jet ski crosses the Start/Finish line, the transponder communicates with the antennae below.

Here's the Start/Finish line....

As the jet skis (or boats, as the racers call 'em) do their thing on the course, we are on the boat next to the Start/Finish line, watching the computer to be sure it is communicating with each transponder. Also, we're keeping a hand-written record of the race numbers as they go by. That's a good thing, because you never know when someone's transponder is gonna fail to "blip" as they go by us. And in a 300 mile race, with 10 mile laps, you're gonna want to count every single lap. Sheesh.

In the past, our scoring was entirely by hand on clipboards, and that meant a lot of writing. Three people would be stationed on the boat, with their clipboards, logging numbers. Then we'd spend HOURS afterward counting up everyone's laps. HOURS. Really. Now with the computer and transponders we can merely verify the numbers as they're posting. Genius. And the hand-written log sheets are just there for safety. I like that more than coconut cream pie.

We celebrated with a nice BBQ at sunset...

BBQ....

Sunset...

Weather. Yep. Weather.

2011-02-27T17:57:00.000-08:00

When the mountains look like this:

You can almost bet that we will have THIS the next day:

It's traumatic and fascinating at the same time.

Sometimes the Horoscope is Correct

2011-02-22T08:19:00.000-08:00

I always preface horoscope and astrological discussions with this: I don't take the stuff too seriously, it's like a hobby or something. I do have a friend that takes it quite seriously, he is a Guru and received his training after high school in India. He went to high school with me. Played in a band. I was a groupie from the 'hood.

Anyhow, I like to read horoscopes and fortune cookies. Always have. I was sorely disappointed that everything in January went exactly the opposite that my horoscopes said it would. It said I would come into money and never have to worry about finances ever again. That didn't happen. Thanks a lot, horoscopes. I spent a lot of money on lottery tickets!!!!
But it was right about February. Almost to the exact DAY. I know this is coincidental but it's amusing to me.

To make things even more interesting, it told me this new guy and I would fit together well because we'd motivate each other to work together on projects, stay on tasks, and finish them.

So here's Gary, finishing a project that I started...fixing his dog door:

Oh and also it said he would be completely committed to the relationship, unlike the others....

Senator Pearce

2011-02-22T08:06:00.000-08:00

Saturday was a fundraiser for our local Republican Party. I, along with a couple hundred people, attended and helped beg for donations.

But our keynote speaker was the big draw: Senator Russell Pearce. He was the author of Proposition 200 a few years ago, which is a law voted in by citizens of Arizona requiring people to produce proper I.D. when they are voting in elections.
Oh and he wrote a little thing called SB 1070.

I met him upon his arrival, but didn't get a photo because I'm tired of the same old same old stiff poses that we tend to do. You know, like THIS:

So I opted for the more amusing STALKER look to my photo with Senator Pearce:

He was signing autographs. THAT'S how much people in these parts like the whole SB1070 thing.

Sunrise

2011-02-18T07:25:00.000-08:00

Coming up over the London Bridge:

And reflecting off the mountains to the West:

So Tired

2011-02-16T15:24:00.000-08:00

It's refreshing yet very exhausting to have someone that keeps you up late at night talking....either on the couch or around a campfire...

It's tiresome to stay up past bedtime playing out in the desert....

But I don't mind!

Sailing and Spelunking

2011-02-06T18:36:00.000-08:00

Today Shay and I double booked ourselves. We had no interest in watching the Superbowl, and I had no interest in sitting at home being lonely---so we got busy.

Our friends Jeff and Nereyda came up from Phoenix and wanted to try out their sailboat on our lake....
So we started the day sailing.

It was my first time on a sailboat, but Shay apparently has had a catamaran ride in the past.

It felt like being a Kennedy. Sort of.

Once the wind picked up, we felt it would be better if we got off the water. I know, I know, sailboats are supposed to enjoy the wind but we were in 30 mph gusts and it was making the ride a little uncomfortable.

We trailered the boat, then Shay and I hit the road to go visit a destination I've wanted to see for 20 years: The Grand Canyon Caverns! It was a 2 hour drive, and of course on the way we enjoyed a fine dining experience with Wendy's.

We had some time in the lobby before our tour began, so we read all the articles they had posted--we learned as much as we could about the history of the caverns.

Oh, and then there was THIS guy:

Once inside, we were mesmerized. The elevator takes you more than 200 feet down, and then you begin walking in this beautiful, silent atmosphere with soft lighting around and different shapes of rock and crystal formations.
Shay and I were the only ones on the tour (the advantage of going on Superbowl Sunday) and we had the full attention of our tour guide.

She took us around to one of the "big rooms" they have, were there's a hotel suite set up in the middle. It's flanked with blue lighting to set it apart from the rest of the cave. There's a t.v., beds, sink, CD player, and living room furniture:

I was about to make a reservation but then I found out the price tag: $700 for one night. So I'll have to save up for that.

In the "big room" there were openings in the ceiling, which used to be waterfalls before the cave dried out:

Could you imagine how beautiful that would be? To stand in this enormous cave room with the water cascading down from the ceiling....too cool for words.

Shrimp and Other Items of Importance

2011-02-04T07:06:00.000-08:00

Shrimp is good. It's important. Especially when you add butter and garlic.

A good way to spend Thursday evening is with friends who also enjoy shrimp.

And.....deviled eggs....

I didn't photograph the risotto...

Double Duty

2011-02-02T10:40:00.000-08:00

Working on a Saturday is a fact of life in this town, and we've all gotten used to it.
Realistically, in this economy, there is no such thing as a day off. If you don't have clients, you're out networking to get more clients. And when you DO have clients, well, you're busting your tail to get your work done. Even if it means "friend time" is affected.
When I got off work on Saturday, I went to Heather and Kenny's to spend the rest of my Saturday. But Kenny's work wasn't done quite yet. So we occupied his driveway to watch him work!

Kenny and Heather own Arizona Hydroclean--which is a service for not only powerwashing and steam cleaning--but also all kinds of detailing. Kenny's customer of the day was a classic Nova station wagon that had ORIGINAL paint from the 60's. He worked for many many hours to get rid of the oxidation. It made me tired to watch. But I watched.

And watched.

And Heather helped me watch.

We were in the driveway so long we had to move our chairs several times to stay in the warm sunlight! Sacrifices....

I certainly enjoy hanging with Kenny and Heather because they're happy to do whatever, they never spend their time lecturing me on my life or any issues. They do their best to shield me from predators. They just want to be positive and have fun. And, honestly, that rubs off on me. And Shay! When Shay is around them, he doesn't feel the urge to just disappear into the living room to stare at the t.v. He's perfectly fine with sitting around with us goofy adults. Also I think he likes me better when I'm with Kenny and Heather. I'm a little more relaxed and cheerful.

A Love Affair With My Kindle

2011-01-29T10:24:00.000-08:00

My Kindle is with me just as much as my cell phone, because I never know what my schedule will bring. Sometimes with my job I'm busy--and at other times I'm sitting there for HOURS with nothing to do. A long time ago I had the ability to be bored and be happy at the same time, but now I seem to have a mind that is constantly in need of stimulation. And, no, t.v. doesn't count. That's mind numbing, not stimulating...

So I do a pretty good job of making sure I always have a couple of books to read on my Kindle. I do so thru Amazon, they have a pretty good assortment of novels and bios. The Kindle is capable of storing 3,500 books. It also has WiFi, so if I'm in an area where there's a signal I can log onto Facebook or Yahoo and check messages. Or I can log onto Amazon and find a new book. Also, if I am busy with my hands or on a road trip I can activate the little feature that will read the book to me.

I don't know how many books I've read since I got the Kindle a little more than a month ago, but it's at least 6. The price is usually less than $9.00 for a book, and once you select the book on Amazon it is sent to your Kindle wirelessly in less than 60 seconds. I'm amazed at how long this device can stay charged! I have run the battery down only once, and it takes about an hour or so to get a full charge. What is even nicer, the charger for the Kindle matches my cell phone. That's almost unheard of these days.

So there you have it, my commercial for an item that doesn't need advertising...

Auction Memories

2011-01-26T19:42:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we watched the high dollar auto auctions on T.V. and it reminded me of our automotive auction experiences back in 2009. What a great time, it was at the Peterson's Automotive Museum in downtown L.A.
One person who has had my admiration for many years is the very talented George Barris, and he put in an appearance at this particular auction. I was star-struck.
So the moment I saw him apart from the crowds I approached and asked if I could get a photo. He was MORE than accommodating, he was happy to hang out with us and take pictures. I couldn't believe I was standing there talking to GEORGE BARRIS....

He joked with Shay and I when he noticed that I had had Shay do this particular pose behind his back...

So he playfully did this pose:

You're sitting there saying to yourself, "Big deal, who is this George guy?"

He and his brother began building custom hot rods in L.A. back when the industry was just starting to take off. Soon he began building exotic customs for movies and t.v. shows, which is where his work is really known.
He designed and built the original Monkees Mobile, the Green Hornet's car, the Munsters Mobile, Batmobiles, the Flintstones' car, KITT from Knight Rider, the Beverly Hillbillies truck, "The Car," and he was the builder of the General Lee.

One of my favorite Barris customs was not from a t.v. show or movie, it was a novelty custom--just one of many. It's called Kargoyle:

I've always loved cars, and it was a big thrill to get to know Mr. Barris. He's invited us for a tour of his shop in L.A., and one of these days I'm going!!!

SCORE Race in Laughlin, Nevada

2011-01-26T15:37:00.000-08:00

On my birthday, I worked in Nevada at an off road race. The annual SCORE Desert Challenge. One thing I notice about Laughlin, Nevada; they invest tons of money and resources to welcome this race every year. Just like Mexico does. They realize the economic impact--like the thousands of people who come from out of town and rent hotel rooms, eat in restaurants, buy fuel.....and they don't take this for granted.
Besides....it's always a good show.

This car belongs to John Langley, who is the creator and producer of the show COPS. Sometimes he brings a film crew along to document his participation in the off road races. We finally had a conversation with his film crew last year--and it turns out it's the same crew that tapes the show COPS. Now, that's funny to me!

The orange vehicle belongs to Robby Gordon, and he's out on the roof trying to put out a small fire...

The first ever wedding to take place at the SCORE Start/Finish line...

This car seems to be missing something...

At the end of racing on Sunday, we had a spectacular sunset!

We celebrated my birthday with lobster. LOBSTER!! I have never been treated to a lobster dinner for my birthday before. I guess that's pretty cool. (and pretty sad at the same time, huh?)

Can't Not Watch, Part 2

2011-01-24T21:06:00.000-08:00

The Wrestler is a couple of years old, and I remember hearing all the hype about it when it was in theaters. Part of the excitement was the fact that it starred Mickey Rourke, who used to be good looking. I've seen pictures, I would have to agree.
I finally saw it and I was just stunned. What a great movie.

The scene that really clarifies just how miserable this guy was, would have to be when the main character Ram is staggering home to his little old rented trailer house on a cold night after a wrestling match and he finds his doors padlocked. Landlord wanted his money.
But it gets more miserable, like when he has to take a part time job at the deli counter in the grocery store. As he makes his way thru the back room of the store to get to the deli, he imagines the roar of a crowd waiting for him to appear in the ring for a big wrestling match. Saaaaad.....

Purple Sunset

2011-01-24T07:51:00.000-08:00

This was a couple of weeks ago, I was cooking dinner on the grill when I noticed the purple color of the sky

Balloons...

2011-01-24T07:46:00.000-08:00

Actually at the Balloon Festival here in Havasu there was only one balloon. The wind was too much on Friday night for the others to stay inflated.
Soo.....we saw one balloon....and paid $5 to do so....

The next day I worked so I didn't get to see the balloons do their thing. But I hear it was cool.

Negative, Negative, Negative.

2011-01-12T15:42:00.000-08:00

I have decided that my New Year's Resolution is to rid my life of the negative people. Got something nasty to say? Gone! Posting something uncalled for on the Facebook page? DELETE!
Wanna throw out some criticisms at people who do nothing but give and give? You're done!!
Gossiping about someone I like? You're asking for it.

Now I realize that living in a world where there's only positive people is unrealistic. I know this. I also understand that many people are unhappy and this has tailored their attitude to be somewhat less than fantastic. I get it.

But I refuse to keep those people in my life who have nothing to worry about yet they're constantly making the rest of us listen to their negativity. Heck, I know one of them reads this blog all the time so she can "report" her findings back at Headquarters. Get real. Even better, get a life. And here's a news flash: nobody cares.

So there it is. My New Year's Resolution. I adopted it today, January 12th, 2011.

As a first step toward promoting good feelings, I will post an old picture, of a waterfall Steve and I discovered on old Route 66 during a little rain storm:

That's a positive waterfall.

Can't Not Watch

2011-01-09T18:56:00.000-08:00

Whenever Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan is on t.v. (usually the SyFy Channel) I cannot walk away. For some reason, I have not seen that movie enough. It is entertaining, and endearing at the same time. Lots of action, some twists and turns, but then there's the end where Spock dies.

He sacrificed himself to deadly radiation exposure in order to fix the Enterprise--which needed to get moving because it was about to be destroyed by a huge explosion. Once the ship is fixed and out of harm's way, Admiral Kirk is told to get down to the engine room where he finds Spock staggering around in a sealed-off compartment, obviously dying. They speak thru the glass, Spock tells him the "needs of the many outweighed the needs of the few..." (or the one)
and he slowly passes away. Immediately they have Spock's funeral, sending his body to the newly formed planet nearby. I cry and cry and cry whenever I see this movie.
I thought maybe I was the only one with this reaction, till I read on online article which listed the top tear-jerker movies of all time. Spock's death was right up there with Steel Magnolias and Terms of Endearment.

See, now, I'm not nuts...

Settling in With a New Year

2011-01-04T19:08:00.000-08:00

I still do not have a routine, which is bothering me! But I am sure I'll find one. Screwy weather, strange work hours, and everything's out of whack. I find myself only cooking dinner a couple of times a week, and that's not right. So this week I have a full dinner menu planned out. Tonight was steak with squash and grilled pasilla peppers. Tomorrow is pork ribs. The next night is salmon. Friday will be a roast. It certainly helps that I have no more night shifts this week, working at 6:30pm makes it really difficult to serve dinner.

However, I did manage to slip one good routine in; I went to KMart to see what Christmas stuff was on clearance. I buy up a whole set of whatever and use it for the next year's Christmas theme. That's why there's boxes and boxes and boxes of Christmas decorations in storage.
I didn't find a full set of tree decor, but I did find a very unique stocking, that I will be proudly displaying come December 2011:

Now I need to find some Elvis-type decorations for the tree!!

Happy New Year, everyone.

Hoover Dam Tour

2010-12-30T08:28:00.000-08:00

I've always wondered what the inside of the Hoover Dam was like, because Shay and I have watched those documentaries on the construction and the complexities of the hydro-electric plant. So I had a day off and we drove up to check it out. We were too late to get in on the 2 hour tour, it was sold out by 10:30am, but we at least got to go on the power plant tour.
They took us 550 feet down in a huge elevator, and showed us how the water from Lake Mead was being used to generate enough power for 1 million people.

Before construction began on the Dam, they had to reroute the water of the Colorado River. So these huge tunnels were dug into the mountains on either side of the river and the water was directed thru them. After the Dam was completed, the tunnels were put into service with the hydro-electric plant. Here I am inside one of the tunnels:

The generators for the power plant. This is half of them. The other half are in another tunnel.

Looking down from the street on top of the Dam:

Shay with the Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge in the background. It was completed recently and it is literally waaay up in the sky compared to where we were down at the street on the Dam.

If you have time, you can get to the upper parking area in the morning and walk across the Bypass on a walking path that's on the side of the bridge. But around 10am it gets so crowded you have to wait in a mile-long line just to get into the parking lot. I think we'll wait to do that when the attraction isn't so popular!
But we did drive across the bridge. It was uneventful, because the sides are built up so high you don't even know you're that high up. Couldn't see the Dam or the lake below.

Palm Trees and Snow

2010-12-30T08:17:00.000-08:00

By the time I got out at 7:30 this morning it was 40 degrees, so it must've been a cold night!!!

Decisions

2010-12-26T16:23:00.000-08:00

With all these questions, I've been kind of overwhelmed. What am I going to focus on? What am I giving up? What am I going to improve on? Am I going back to school? Don't know. But I do know that I've absolutely decided that I am not going to give up. I'm just not that kind of person.

My Year

2010-12-17T16:33:00.000-08:00

I was just talking to someone about how we all like to end each year with a recap--whether it be with a lengthy letter in our Christmas cards or just looking over old photos with friends or family. The news channels do their own version of this by showing all the major disasters, catastrophies, and tragedies.

I will do neither. I will just keep hoping that next year is a little nicer. Okay, a lot nicer. Not just for me, but for many people. I'm so sad to hear friends open up and admit that they're sad/anxious/stressed/angry/scared.
I want all these heavy hearts to be carefree and fun loving again. I want the evil people responsible for this misery to die a terribly strange death. Really. Those bumper stickers from a while ago, "Mean People Suck," I agree with that completely.

I'm ready for 2011.

Foggy Friday

2010-12-17T10:04:00.000-08:00

We really don't get variances in our weather here too often, so the arrival of sprinkling rain yesterday and fog today was cause for celebration.

I got out of bed at 6am, and as I was looking out of the kitchen window waiting for my espresso machine to warm up, I saw the fog creeping up from the lake.

How exciting!!

As I was waiting for the car to get warmed up, I used my flash on the camera so you could see the fog swirling around me. It was like a ghost or something.

This is the view from the side of the house. There's a wash there with trees but you can't see much with the fog. FOG!!

This is looking down toward the lake on Daytona Avenue.

I made it down to the lake after I dropped Shay at school, (and by the way he was truly excited about the fog, which is phenomenal--you can't get a 13 year old boy excited about weather occurrences too easily)
normally there's mountains out there--they're all covered up.

This is the sun attempting to show itself, I'm standing near Body Beach.

Other People's Dogs

2010-12-16T14:29:00.000-08:00

The next door neighbor has a very funny looking little dog, and she reminds me of an alien.

When she is outside, she comes marching over to me, as if I'm going to back away from the BEAST.

Then there's Heather and Kenny's dog. He's a chihuaha but he has the build and color of a big red pit bull:

I probably could've fixed his eyes in the picture but I think he's funnier looking that way.

Then there's JD, who belongs to one of my patients. He came from the pound, and is likely a miniature pincher. This isn't a very flattering photo of him, because he was a little excited at the moment:

He calmed down pretty quick when he realized there was photos...

Parade of Lights

2010-12-04T11:00:00.000-08:00

It wasn't the same, being at the parade without the family, but I went with a couple of friends. I usually make a lot of food and drinks, and we watch the boats go by together. This year I stood at a railing and tried not to think about it.
I guess that would be something along the lines of Bah Humbug.

Third Wheel

2010-11-29T20:59:00.000-08:00

My friends, I must say, are very good babysitters. They want the old Shawna back, the one who smiles and jokes and plays around. The one who is always looking for a good laugh. The one who doesn't mind looking stupid in order to make someone else giggle.

So they dragged me out of the house on Sunday to go riding in the desert. We left at noon, hit the trails, stopped at a watering hole, explored an old mine shaft, then poked our way back home. Well actually the journey home was quite fast--we were testing the limits of the Rhinos we were riding in.

Right away I was beginning to feel pretty good- and I didn't hesitate to show that with my camera...

I did have a few pensive moments, where I stopped to enjoy the view and found my mind wandering back to my grief and misery.....

Usually someone would come along and jar me back into the "don't think about it don't think about it don't think about it" mode.

I found the sole to a shoe. It seemed funny to me.

After a bit of riding I realized that there's more dirt than anything out there. And the chapstick on my lips was attracting the dirt.

We stopped at the Desert Bar, which is a mecca for off roaders during the winter months. They have live bands, food, nice views.
On this particular day they just happened to have someone playing JAZZ FLUTE!!!

Or something like that.

Then we hit the road and visited the old mine. And I fell in it.

Down there.
Heels went right over my head.

So of course I have bruises and scrapes. That's gonna look nice for that job interview on Wednesday.

As the sun began to set, we raced back to the pavement. Literally.

And I went home feeling a little more peaceful inside. Thanks, friends!

Among the Living

2010-11-28T09:15:00.000-08:00

November is a month I'd like to forget. Forever. But maybe it's one of those darn character building experiments that the universe has thrown at me.
At this point, though, my character should be really frikkin awesome. I've had too much thrown at me over the years.

I did travel to Mexico, to work the start line for the Baja 1000 race...so here's a few photos of that:

Okay, that's not really fair. That was the rear end of one of the Coca Cola girls who stand around during the pre-race activities. She was definitely a member of the Coca Cola "B" Team. But who would look good in those pants, anyway??

Seriously, here are some race photos...

This is an ambulance that was entered as a race vehicle. It didn't finish.

We stopped in a restroom and I had to laugh at this sign. I've always known that they expect people to refrain from flushing their toilet paper--but I've never seen it put in writing before! Mexico has very poor sewer systems--if they have any at all--and flushing the toilet paper leads to big problems. So there's always a nice sized waste basket next to the toilet...

This is one of the Osh Kosh trucks entered in the race. Not as in Osh Kosh B'Gosh, but the huge truck manufacturer that generally does military stuff:

I did manage to get my annual photo with the girls. The Tecate girls.

Here's Jesse James pulling up to the start line. He didn't finish.

Roger Norman pulling up to start.

It was the nicest Baja race I've ever worked, because Jim changed things up. Normally, we have the same staff handling the start and the finish. We start the racers on Thursday morning--that takes a few hours. Then we verify all our numbers and go on break. The racers have 44 hours to complete the 1000 miles, so we estimate the time that we need to be back at the finish line to begin logging their returns.
But this race wasn't a "loop," it was a "point to point." The start was in Ensenada, the finish was 1000 miles south at LaPaz. Instead of scrambling us all to an airplane to get us to the finish line after the start of the race, Jim had three of us handle the start, then fax the numbers down to him and his crew at the finish. Then they logged the finishes. Once we sent our numbers down to him, we were done. Awesome!! We packed up and headed to the border.

Ever Have To Change Your Life?

2010-11-13T20:22:00.000-08:00

I've started over in life several times. Really. I'm 36 years old and I've had to completely start over three times. I have literally lost EVERYTHING three times. I'm going thru that third time right now.

What prompted those huge changes? The loss of a companion, as usual. Most gals can agree with me, it's those flighty men who back out of their commitments and force us to flip our lives upside down to counter the changes.

I don't want to go into all the hurt and disappointment, and I'm not going to go on and on about how much I have been in love--only to have my heart stomped on. But I will say that I am not willing to give up on the game just because I haven't been a winner yet.

I still have my best buddy Shay, and we will move on together.

Aint Lookin For Nothin

2010-10-24T11:02:00.000-07:00

But a good time....

Went to the Bret Michaels concert after the Republican Women's meeting in Tempe.

The Great Flood of 2010

2010-10-20T10:14:00.000-07:00

I haven't been able to keep my appointments today because I'm walled in by running washes!!

Countdown to Brett

2010-10-19T15:55:00.000-07:00

This weekend I have a series of meetings in Phoenix, ending on Saturday afternoon. Lucky me, I found Brett Michaels concert tickets for $18 at the State Fair.
Yes, I know, he's an 80's has been. And yes, I know, it's the State Fair.
I think it is a nice opportunity. I really am happy that the majority of the bands I loved in my youth are now very accessible, and I can spare a little time to head over and watch them.
Queensryche plays on Halloween, and I've assembled a posse of heavy metal fans to drive down to Mesa, Arizona to watch them. I think the cover charge is $10 or something. This concert is particularly exciting to me because it's the 20th anniversary of Queensryche's best CD, Operation Mindcrime. There's a full-on stage show that goes with the music, and it tells a story.

Of course, I will provide photos...

I Love Being Home

2010-10-17T18:48:00.000-07:00

At home is exactly where I was on Saturday night, with the cat. We stayed on the couch with the reading lamp on, and I finished off my latest book "Late, Late At Night," which is a memoir that Rick Springfield wrote. The true stories of the rock stars are really the best.
Kitty Meow Meow spends some time in the back yard, and he goes in and out the back door as he searches for either some attention from me or a snack from his food dish.
We went to bed, after a goodnight phone call from Steve. He went to Cottonwood for a truck show and didn't make it all the way home. He spent his night in glamorous Seligman off the Interstate.

Around 1am, I was jolted awake by noise outside the bedroom door--the one that leads to the back porch. Now that the weather is behaving we use the evaporative cooler so the back door is open with just the screen door shut. Kitty Meow Meow normally will bristle up and run outside like a guard dog when something's going on out there- but this time he stayed put. That made me nervous.
The noise out there continued, and a thought came to mind, "Maybe there's someone out there who knows I'm home alone...." The amount of noise is convincing me that someone is trying to purposefully get my attention.

I'm normally not a paranoid person but I suppose you should know that there's been a little bit of trouble with my "Opponent," and the police warned me to keep an eye out.

With that in the back of my brain, I finally found the courage to step outside. In the dim moonlight I see something hop up on the back wall, the one that encloses the whole yard. The wall is over six feet tall, and I've always felt safe inside the fortress of Huff-i-tude. (like Solitude, but different) Until last night. I watched a very large coyote--the size of a German Shepard--hop up on the wall and walk along it with the skill of a cat. He paced back and forth, looking around in both our yard and the neighbor's. My heart was in my throat. Coyotes hunt together and it occurred to me that there were likely more than one in the back yard. And I'm standing out there, in the dark, with my focus on this one that's pacing on the back wall.
I duck back in the house and grab my camera. "Nobody will believe this!!" I quickly snap a photo before the coyote gets spooked and jumps down into the neighbor's yard:

What a brilliant piece of evidence.

Of course I can't calm down after that, because I'm worried about Kitty Meow Meow's safety. I've learned that coyotes will stalk a home if they learn that there's a small animal living there. They'll stalk it until they get their kill.

Kitty Meow Meow, your days are numbered.

Shay's a Good Campaign Worker

2010-10-14T19:55:00.000-07:00

Whenever I need help getting a mailing done, with all those stamps and address labels--I can count on Shay. He usually helps with very little incentive.

Whenever I need someone to pound rebar into the rock hard ground for my campaign signs--I can count on Shay.

It was still 100 degrees when we set out to put up a few signs this evening, and Shay happily put that rebar in place. Very cool. Of course I think he's going to charge me for his services...

Mrs. Quayle

2010-10-12T19:38:00.000-07:00

As busy as I was in September, I forgot to share my dinner experience with Mrs. Dan Quayle. Her name is Marilyn, she is the former 2nd Lady of the White House. I named the mother quail in our neighborhood after her.

I knew very little about her when she was 2nd Lady, I only knew about her husband's flubs. But Marilyn is actually quite an accomplished lady. She's done probably more than her husband, really. She's worked around the country for many years teaching disaster preparedness, and has worked in the Phoenix area to help get women involved in politics.

She spoke at the Dodie Londen opening dinner that I attended, and I took so many photos of her I don't think I heard everything she said.

Her son, Ben Quayle, just recently won the Republican nomination for a Congressional seat. He has opponents in the General Election so he was out campaigning on this particular night. But his wife was there--she was a sweet lady.

Sunrise Aint So Early These Days

2010-10-12T19:25:00.000-07:00

We know when the sun is rising by the event we're working. Really! In January, we can't start the off road races in Laughlin until after 7am, because it's too dark. In September, we can't start the races in Primm Nevada until 6:15am. In October we don't start the jet ski races until 7am. Can't race in dark water without headlights.

But it doesn't matter when the sun is rising, I still adore it.

Kind of a Big Deal....

2010-10-11T21:09:00.000-07:00

The World Jet Ski Finals have been held in Lake Havasu for many many years now, and I can remember the days of Jeff "Jammer" Jacobs doing his thing out on the water in front of the Nautical Inn WAAAAAY back in the day. I mean, back when it was acceptable to wear day-glo colored shorts and bathing suits....

My boss at DSM Events (that's Desert Steel Motorsports Events...) has had the contract for the World Finals for 15 years now, and he's had a lot of experience in providing infrastructure for this particular venue. He normally gives me some part time job at the World Finals, but this year he put me in charge of port-a-potties. Okay, I was in charge of more than that, but port-a-potties were part of the package.

DSM Events handles the vendors, the grandstands, the telephone lines, the DSL hook-up, the security staff, the food for the ancillary staff, the patrol boats, and the 82 separate media representatives from around the globe. The Polish Yachting magazine staff was there. It was definitely a big deal.
Once the racing began, we found ouselves hosting over 600 racers from 44 countries all over the world. We were busy. It's nothing new.

The DSL connection allowed for the video of the race to be live-streaming over the internet, and on Saturday alone we had over 10,000 unique computers logged on to watch the competition.

Part of the racing show is a free-style event, where jet skiers get out on the water and do tricks just like the BMX guys and motocross guys. It was the only part of the 7 day event that I was able to enjoy---and it was only because I was giving some BLM representatives a tour of our facilities!!!

So here are my photos ( Okay, SOME of my photos ) of the 2010 IJSBA Jet Ski World Finals....

We began setting up on the beach at the beginning of October, starting with an empty beach with nothing but sand and wind. The grandstands take about 2 days to construct--thankfully there's a crew of guys from Phoenix to do that...

Once the crowds start coming in, those granstands come in REAL handy!!

Nipton, California

2010-09-23T14:03:00.000-07:00

Each year I briefly visit a town called Nipton. Briefly can mean anything from 30 seconds to 3 minutes. I have never found a reason to stay much longer. It is located in the mountains outside of Las Vegas and it is a railroad crossing, basically. The drive from Havasu to Vegas is around two hours, and if you're like me you typically want the road less traveled. Well that would be Nipton Road.

It is beautiful because of the Yucca trees. There are millions of them, all along both sides of the road.

Once you get through the mountains, you begin a quick descent and the landscape changes into barren desert. Just when you think it couldn't get emptier, you run into the town of Nipton.
It has a few old buildings, a general store that's never open when I drive through, and some railroad tracks. Shay and I stopped one morning as we headed home from an off road race in Nevada and took this photo there:

And we took this one just down the road, to show how empty and desolate the highway is....

Someday I'll figure out what kind of people live in Nipton. I suppose the type of people who do not enjoy neighbors.

The McClymonts

2010-09-22T10:41:00.000-07:00

Last night we hurried thru dinner because there were free concerts down at the Windsor State Park. At 7pm, Steve's brother's band Mojo played. Then at 8pm, the McClymonts took the stage. They're an Australian act with three sisters who can be compared to the Dixie Chicks ( but better, I think ).

They were backed up on the stage with band members they just began playing with this month since getting to the U.S.--and they really only identified them as some guys from Nashville. But after we asked around we learned that one of the musicians was Jason Aldean who has a Billboard hit at number 23 with a song titled, "My Kind of Party," and then there was Luke Bryan who's got a song titled, "Someone Else Calling You Baby," which is number 28.

Good Morning, Sunshine

2010-09-20T15:22:00.000-07:00

It was 77 degrees, slightly breezy, and the sun was bouncing off the little clouds. Nice morning!

The Sheriff and I

2010-09-19T07:58:00.000-07:00

Mohave County Sheriff Tom Sheahan is one of my buddies, but you'll have to pardon me if I promote Pima County Sheriff Paul Babeu for a little bit. ( oops, Pinal County--someone wrote and corrected me)
Pinal County is in Southern Arizona--thus putting it near the Mexican border. Paul has been on national news quite regularly, asking for support from the Federal government with the illegal alien and drug smuggling problem down there.
Of course the Federal government doesn't seem to be listening to him.

Last week I drove three hours to get to the opening celebration for the 2011 Dodie Londen group. This is the educational series that I graduated from back in May.

Well, Sheriff Babeu was there as well! And he seemed to recognize me from Facebook. Either that, or he very easily read my huge SHAWNA THORNTON name tag.

I don't think I had a point to this blog posting, other than to brag that I got a photo with the Sheriff. Hmmm....

Ooooh, Rebar.

2010-09-07T17:24:00.000-07:00

As a candidate, you budget EVERYTHING. The $15 you have to pay to attend a lunch meeting. The bazillion bucks you spend on newspaper ads. The cost of printing. Websites. Postage. It goes on and on. But you budget. You fundraise when you foresee a cost.

But nobody can determine what the cost of rebar will be. Why would a candidate need rebar?

To pound into the rock-hard ground and use for sign posts. For these:

I got such a great deal on signs, I couldn't wait to put them up. But then I took stock of the rebar I had on hand and realized I needed about 50 more pieces of it. I could've bought 20' sticks and then cut them myself--but that's a miserable and smelly job. I HATE the smell of cutting metal. Ick.
Buying rebar cut specifically for what I needed cost me extra. So when I expected to pay $20 for rebar I was WAAAY wrong. It was more like, $100. Ouch.

But don't worry. Once that rebar is installed in the ground around town I'll be out scouting to make sure no one had bent mine or messed with it. Nobody touches my rebar!!

Lunch with The Senator

2010-09-03T08:16:00.000-07:00

Senator McCain came through town on his "Thank You" tour. About 25 of us in Havasu were invited to lunch with him, and he spoke briefly. It was nice to have a good number of people out to Waldo's who had never been there before. I was sure to greet everyone and ask if they'd ever been to the restaurant. Of course I suggested the "Half a chicken" lunch. That's my favorite.

Havasu's Awesome

2010-08-31T12:29:00.000-07:00

We made the national news this week, but not because we're awesome and wonderful. We had a shooting over the weekend and six people are dead as a result.
This guy Brian, who is known around here for his shady business deals and his horrible temper, took a gun to his ex's house and shot up everyone inside. He and his ex had been separated for quite some time, and she had a restraining order against him. She had custody of their two little kids, and apparently that was not acceptable in his book.
Instead of fighting it out in court, he decided to go over to her house on Saturday night while she was having a birthday party. He opened the front door and began shooting.
The people inside didn't know Brian, probably didn't know of all the problems he had been causing for his ex--they were there because it was someone's birthday. When you hear of a shooting like this you automatically think that there were drugs involved, or some sort of gang activity. Nope. Not this time. It was a deranged person who had no respect for life.

Who did he shoot? Two 20-year olds, named Broc and Ashleigh. Ashleigh's parents were there--Russ and Debbi Nyland. I've known Russ, Debbi, and their daughter Ashleigh for a few years now. They were involved in a lot of lake activities and events, and everyone always noticed what a close family they were. Brian also shot his ex Deborah and her new boyfriend Primo. They were just 23 years old.
Debbi survived and managed to call 911 on her cell phone once Brian left the house with his two little kids. She's expected to recover, but I can't imagine how awful it must be to lay in the hospital knowing that her husband and her daughter died because of that stupid situation. They're gone--just like that.

Brian ran to California with his kids, and shot himself after he got the kids over to his sister's house. Six people died because this guy couldn't get his act together. What a monster.

Debbi's lost the love of her life and her daughter--who may as well have been her best friend. And there's a lot of people in our community who are walking around really sad right now because they lost a friend in that house on Saturday night.

Here's Debbi and I, at a boat regatta out on the lake--goofing off of course:

Quick Day Trip To Williams

2010-08-29T11:06:00.000-07:00

The Valle Airport is about 25 minutes north of Williams, Arizona, and that puts it very very close to the entrance to the Grand Canyon. We heard about an annual air show that's every August, so we decided to hop in the car (too windy for the plane) and see what we could explore up there.
It was glorious weather, about 76 degrees. But the wind was blowing at about 30 mph and that made it seem even cooler out there. What a contrast to the searing heat we've had in Havasu for the past month.

We got up there a little late, because we didn't realize the show had a closing time of 3pm. All the cars on display had left, and so did the farm tractors. But the planes were there and the Mustang was still out giving rides for $50.

The gentleman who owns this airfield just south of the Grand Canyon has a magnificent collection of old military planes and crop dusters, so we were happy to see those.

This Ford Tri-Motor is a very old one, built in the 1920's. The Grand Canyon Scenic Tours used to give rides in one starting in 1929.

But I think our biggest thrill was the Mustang. It was doing fly-by's as we arrived and it's a very loud fast plane.

Aha!

2010-08-28T08:58:00.001-07:00

I was finally able to catch some lightning on camera!

Storm Watch 2010

2010-08-27T15:41:00.001-07:00

Each summer I activate Storm Watch. I've done so since I was 16 years old, working out on the lake during Monsoon Season. Theoretically, the monsoons down in the ocean kick up some moisture and push it towards Arizona in the months of July and August. In years past this has resulted in HUGE storms with heavy sudden rainfall and flooding for our community. The desert doesn't soak up the water--it runs it off into washes and down streets. The lightning and thunder and magnificent, and we enjoy a brief respite from the 115 degree heat when these storms build up in the afternoon.

Alas, for several years now we've been in a drought and we haven't had the great storms to cool us off in the hottest of the summer months.

This year has been particularly disappointing because we have had NOT ONE INCH of measurable rain since May. Not even clouds. Nothing, that is, till this week. We finally got a little thrill from Mother Nature. And Storm Watch, 2010 was activated.

Here's our household weather center. The kitchen window with the laptop right next to it displaying the satellite weather map:

We anticipate the clouds, the thunder....

We run outside gleefully as the clouds open up and produce......

Then we slowly make our way back inside as we realize that the rain is not coming anywhere near us.

Last night was neat, though, because we had thunder and lightning for several hours. Steve and I fell asleep with the blinds open in the bedroom so we could watch the flashes.
Of course I tried to photograph them. Didn't work out. Gotta have a much better camera for lightning photography.

I Know What Hot Is!

2010-08-25T10:07:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was Primary Elections Day for Arizona, and it included my City Council run. It was ALSO one of the hottest days of the year for us. I got going at 5:30am, so I could get ready and go campaign at the polling places. I earned many votes from people who were undecided as they walked in, and I met many people who had already intended to vote for me.
What a neat experience, but WOW what a hot one. It was nearly 120 degrees, and there was no shade once we got to high noon. But I had to do it!

The votes are being verified now, but it looks like I managed to earn 41% of the votes cast and I needed 50% to earn an automatic seat on the Council. So that means I get to duke it out with the other challengers for the General Election in November.

I've already established a new campaign strategy, and my friends are rallying behind me to help me WIN in November!

Thanks to everyone who has helped me get this far. This has been a huge challenge and we'll all have a reason to celebrate when we get to the finish line.

THANKS!!!

Picnic Time

2010-08-23T14:07:00.000-07:00

The Mohave County Republican Picnic each August is held up in the Hualapai Mountains and serves as a fundraiser for our county party. It's always a lot of effort to get people to come because the location is so remote. But this year we sent out the invitations to the candidates--Federal, State Level, and Local, and we were inundated with candidates.

So someone had the idea of gathering all the candidates for a photo. Only thing, you couldn't fit us all into one photo. There must've been 50 candidates.

I am standing next to Havasu's Mayor, and next to him on the left is Governor Jan Brewer. She has her head turned.
Some were candidates who haven't had the opportunity to campaign in Mohave County very much, and I was glad to see them. In fact, I made sure to shake hands with EVERY candidate and I also thanked them for making the trip to our event. Some said they were thrilled to take part in the BIGGEST campaign event right before the Primary Elections (which are tomorrow, by the way) and some were surprised that I'd be thanking THEM for coming. By this time of year, most groups are sick of hearing from candidates and want nothing to do with them.

The Sheriff's Dept was kind enough to have a K-9 Unit demonstration, and that was quite interesting:

And of course we heard from our Governor. She's always entertaining...

All the candidates had the opportunity to address the crowd, and they did just that. Some spoke for twelve minutes ( excruciating ) and some spoke for less than one minute ( love that!! )

Normally we close things down at 2pm, but because of all the speeches we didn't get done till almost 4pm. At least it was nice weather!

Grandparents' Day

2010-08-20T08:31:00.000-07:00

I had some things to do in the neighborhood of my Grandmother last week, so I took Shay with me to say hi to his Great Grandma Mary Jo. She was chatty, talking about her experiences with my Grandpa during WWII, and all the moving around they did.

Then I attended an open house at the Senior Center, and there was Grandpa Wally volunteering with his wife Ina.
Shay got to sit and have a quick lunch with them!

I Can Take It

2010-08-18T06:38:00.000-07:00

My newspaper ad came out today:

School Days

2010-08-17T11:12:00.000-07:00

While nearly all the schools in the U.S. are doing the following; shutting down, or cutting back, or doubling classroom populations to save money...
Shay's school is expanding and branching out. It is a Preparatory Academy, and Shay's been going there since before Kindergarten. They were the only school in town to have a Pre-Kindergarten program.
It began as a tuition based private school, but the founder worked on it and eventually got some funding to go public. However, this school isn't run like any old public school.
If they don't have money for a particular program, they don't have it. If they need to save money for a future project, they do just that.
It is a very conservative school, and although saying someone teaches "out of the box" sounds out-dated and over used, it's true. The teachers aren't afraid to get the kids to see things a different way.
It is a computerized school, much of the work is done on laptops. That saves paper. And paper costs money.
For a child to attend Telesis, the school demands that their parents be very very involved. It shows. I sometimes find myself sitting in my car waiting for Shay, or sitting out on one of the benches--and I listen to the kids nearby. They don't have filthy mouths, they're not out there dressed like Britney Spears ( they're in school uniforms ) and they are respectful. There are NO fights. If a child shows behavioral problems, they are removed. That's a fact, not just my perception.

Now that the school has the money to expand, the upper level grades are occupying a temporary campus down the street from the main campus. They'll be there until the main campus finishes the new classrooms and gymnasium. I got a nice tour on the first day of school since I helped dedicate all the new American flags for each classroom. Each room was small, but there was spare room as not all the desks were filled. So I'd estimate maybe 15 kids per classroom.
And they have brand new desks!! I've never, in all the different schools I've attended, seen a brand new student desk. Wow.

Shay's dad doesn't take him to school. Neither does his girlfriend. They can't be bothered with it. So when he's visiting dad, I pick him up and get him to school. Since this arrangement, Shay has had perfect attendance.
But usually Shay's dad will pick him up from school--four days a week, only on the weeks he's visiting dad. He gets off work about an hour before school lets out for the day. Since this new campus is an additional 5 minute drive, Shay's dad has decided that he's not going to pick him up. Instead of driving 5 minutes, he has to drive 10. This is too much of a responsibility. He believes that Shay must change schools so he won't have to make the drive to the new campus. He wants him in a school that has fights, teen pregnancies, drugs, Britney Spears clothing, and too many kids crammed into each classroom. In his opinion, this is better for our son.

Some people don't want to see the big picture--they just want to put their parental responsibilities onto someone else. I guess I'll be the parent!

Proof that I am SOMEBODY

2010-08-14T17:04:00.001-07:00

Senator McCain and Governor Brewer asked this week to speak to our Republican Women's group, so we had a nice time down at the London Bridge Resort. Since I'm the Club President, I got to greet them in the hallway and bring them inside. It's pretty much the only cool thing so far about being the Club President....

But then another cool thing happened--Steve finally got to meet and speak to Jan Brewer...

And Senator McCain...

Very cool.

Orchids and Onions

2010-08-10T08:44:00.000-07:00

Our local paper has a section in the back called "Orchids and Onions." Readers can submit an orchid to someone they like, and an onion to someone who has done them wrong. It gets very interesting, because sometimes people fight an entire neighborhood battle thru the feature.

"Onions to my neighbor who won't take care of his barking dog."

"Onions to the onion giver who complained about my dog. It's not my dog. It's the other neighbor's. Get a life."

"Onions to the onion giver who says it's not his dog barking that I originally sent onions to. It IS your dog. I'm calling code enforcement next time."

The nastiness heats up in the winter because of our influx of senior citizens. It gets so good you don't read the orchids. The onions are just too good.

But, the orchids do exist. Shay got one when he found someone's wallet and we returned it to him.
Waldo's BBQ got an orchid very regularly when they first opened. That was back when they had enough staff. Now all I hear is complaints that the service sucks. IF YOU'RE READING THIS JOE....YOU BETTER GET MORE STAFF OUT THERE!!!

Today's orchid was for my friend Carey, who started his own heating and air conditioning business.

I did email Carey recently to tell him how proud I am that he's been able to start a business in such difficult economic times and actually make a success out of it. He works his tail off!!

Orchids to Carey. Super air conditioning man.

The Bravest Bunny in the World

2010-08-09T18:13:00.000-07:00

This little bunny still hangs around the house, even though he knows very well how dangerous that can be. I literally pulled him out of the cat's mouth back in March or April. He was a tiny baby bunny, and Kitty Meow Meow had trapped him and was beginning to eat him. This was 3am. That seems to be when all of Kitty's murders happen.

I had relocated him to a bush across the street, and periodically I have seen him hopping around over there. "Yay! I'm still alive!"

But now that it's hot and the green bushes across Delta Drive have withered to a very un-tasty brown, little bunny has been snacking on my ferns on the front porch. So I put a dog bowl full of water out there for him as well.
He comes over during the hottest part of the day and has himself a nice, shady, cool lunch.
He hasn't grown much over the months, I guess he must be the runt of his family.
But he has cojones. Oh yes, he is a brave little bunny.

Kitty sits in the kitchen window, just floored that this little guy would have the guts to come over to his front porch. And brazenly nibble on ferns.

They lock eyes, and I can tell the cat is shocked. "Doesn't he know what I could do to him??" But he never ventures outside to confront the bunny. He knows where the air conditioning is.

Marriage Boot Camp

2010-08-09T08:55:00.000-07:00

I'm not married, but I play a married person on t.v.

Just kidding.

But when you live with someone for this long, it's pretty much like a marriage. And, rightfully so, it should be taken as seriously as a marriage.

I've been participating in this thing called a Marriage Boot Camp, and I'm glad to say that over the past couple of months I've learned some interesting things.

1. If there's an issue that is tearing up the relationship and making you fight with each other, do not try to resolve it by beating it to death. That old saying, "Don't go to bed mad," isn't exactly sound advice. Let it go for the time being. Talk about it in one week, two weeks--whatever it takes to get cooled off.

2. Email is evil when it comes to communicating with your spouse. You might think it's safe because you can hit that "backspace" button when you've typed something a bit too harsh--but email will lead you down a road to very very poor communication.
Talk. Don't email.

3. Watch your mouth. Never say something that you will regret later. Once you put something out there, something mean, it is like opening a feather pillow into the wind. Those horrible words go flying out everywhere and you can't catch them to put them back in.

4. What you SEE is not what you will get. You will get what you DO. In other words, if you show love, you will get it back.......hopefully. And succeeding in a relationship isn't contingent on you finding the right person--it's YOU being the right person.

5. Challenge yourself to actually sit and have a conversation with your spouse that is completely non-logistical. Meaning, no talking about what needs to be done around the house, what chores there are, etc. Do this at least once per day. Once you set your mind to it, you'll realize just how much you DON'T talk about the small stuff. How pretty the flowers are outside. How nice the weather is. Something fun you'd like to do.

6. Challenge yourself to touch your spouse once per day, at least. Not necessarily hugging or embracing, just a touch to the hand or arm. You don't realize how little this is happening until you pay attention to it.

7. The more educated and intelligent a couple is, the more likely they are to have silent standoffs. It's not stubborn, it's intelligent. They don't want to say something they'll regret, and they know that fighting will not solve things. The hard part is getting over the issue and talking calmly. Get past the frustration and find it in your brain to sit down and discuss things. Remember that you're talking to the person that you love.

It's neat that this series of advice can come via the internet--because I can ignore the emails until I have time to sit down and digest the information. Sometimes I have to read the emails several times before it sinks in. Being 36 years old, I tend to get in the mindset that I don't have the ability to change. Of course that isn't correct. It takes quite a bit of effort, but it can be done.

How To Pet A Hummingbird

2010-08-08T00:33:00.000-07:00

I rescued a hummingbird from the pool, which is definitely a first for me.

He must've been trying to get a drink!

I carried him around, petting his tiny little head so he could rest and dry off. Once in a while he'd spread his wings out, in an attempt to speed up the drying.
Those hummingbirds are always in a hurry...

After about 30 minutes, he began chirping. I put him in the lime tree and he started flying a little. I'm sure he'll never forget that experience!

CSI, Havasu

2010-08-04T15:01:00.001-07:00

I have to suspend my campaign momentarily to do a quick investigation.
You see, there was a dead body in the pool this morning.

(Insert CSI Miami music here)

I talked to Kitty Meow Meow. He maintains his innocence.

He says it was likely an unfortunate "accident."

I took a closer look at the body...

Hmmm... no signs of struggle. Doesn't seem to have any cat scratches or punctures.

My guess is, Kitty had something to do with this. But it's all circumstantial evidence.

Gonna have to put this one in the cold case file, and continue campaigning.

Arizona Sunset

2010-08-03T09:13:00.000-07:00

The other day was such strangeness--the weather wasn't as hot as it usually is, and there was a not-so-hot breeze.
As we enjoyed a quiet evening at home after being outside all day, we noticed an orange glow out the back door. It was the sunset, and the colors were brilliant.

Brandy's Favorite Place

2010-08-02T22:24:00.000-07:00

Brandy from Iowa saw a picture of Devil's Elbow, and she decided she HAD to see it in person. So when she visited in 2009 that's exactly where we went.

On our boating expedition yesterday, we visited Brandy's favorite spot on the Colorado River:

We also had lunch upriver, at the restaurant next to the train bridge. As we passed under the bridge a kid jumped from a rope into the river.

The birds were terribly interested in the onion rings we had on our plates:

Steve was well-prepared for a day out on the water. Hat? Check. Sunglasses? Check. Sunscreen? Check. Rolex? Check.
Wait, Rolex?

While he relaxed, I made him a heart:

And boy, did he ever relax:

He napped long enough for Stormy and I to "transform" the beach:

I Think I Love You

2010-08-01T09:06:00.000-07:00

David Cassidy was in Laughlin last night, and it actually was a really cool show. So loud, Steve had to move to the back of the auditorium.

Go Make Your Ballot Look Like This:

2010-07-31T09:13:00.000-07:00

Early voting is open now, it is Monday thru Friday, 8am to 5pm.

It Almost Happened

2010-07-29T17:42:00.000-07:00

Phoenix got tons of rain, enough to shut down a portion of the Interstate down there.
What did we get?

Wind.

Gun Day In AZ

2010-07-29T09:51:00.000-07:00

Shortly before our Governor signed SB 1070 into law, she signed an equally controversial one. It's now legal to carry a firearm here without a concealed weapons permit. We already had the right to carry a gun on a holster--as long as it was exposed. You don't see it too often, and when you do you kind of look at the person like, "What are you trying to prove?" Yes it's completely legal and I'm in favor of it--but when you see someone in the grocery store with their revolver on their hip--it makes you snicker a little.
But now everyone in the state over the age of 21 (and not a felon) can legally carry a weapon concealed. Opponents of this new law that takes effect today say this is dangerous and law enforcement will be at a disadvantage.
Here's a fun fact: the dangerous people are already carrying weapons. They weren't waiting for the law to change. If someone is planning on doing something bad with a gun, they're not considering the current Conceal-Carry laws.

Steve now has his "gat" in his backpack. He carries the backpack everywhere. So, if you encounter Steve out on the streets and he's got that backpack--look out.

And, although I haven't fired a gun since I was 11 years old, and I haven't handled a loaded gun since then either, I've decided to have fun today and carry a concealed weapon.

Here I am on the way to the gym this morning:

That's a Derringer. Very compact, and very stylish. It's the same type of gun that was used to shoot Abe Lincoln. Not a very accurate weapon, unless you're going to be close-up to a target.

And here I am doing some dishes in the kitchen, with my Wyatt Earp commemorative revolver tucked neatly in my waistband:

Oh, here's a close-up:

I know, I know, gun control advocates will say that there will be blood running in the streets in Arizona. I don't think so. But I know it would still be a good idea to take the Conceal-Carry Permit class, because it teaches a gun owner how to properly handle a weapon and how to decide when it's a good time to actually USE the weapon. I'll do it someday, if I ever get serious about carrying a weapon.
Do they make pink guns?

I Saw 70 Degrees.

2010-07-28T18:34:00.001-07:00

We made a very quick road trip to Sacramento, California on Sunday. It took about 10 hours to drive there, but the weather was worth it. Temperatures were in the 70's, and there was a cool breeze.
We haven't seen weather like that since we last went out of town, in June. Here at home, the low temp in the middle of the night never gets below 88 degrees. The heat radiates off the ground all night, so even if we wait to go to the pool until after sundown--the walk out there is still hot.

The purpose of the Sacramento trip was Steve's desire to purchase another semi truck. Some people collect stamps; Steve collects big trucks. The one he bought several years ago requires too much work for him to enjoy--so he decided to look around for one that has reliable air conditioning, a smoother ride, and a quieter cab. He found one, and it was 10 hours away.
When we made it to Sacramento we immediately found the location of the truck. It was 8pm, so we just had to gaze thru a chain link fence at it.

When Superman explained to Lois Lane the power of the green crystal that is the source of his knowledge--he said, "It called to me."

Well that's what this truck did to Steve. It called to him thru the fence.
That night he had trouble sleeping. He had visions of smooth shifting, and CB conversations. And truck stops. And lot lizards.

By 9am the next day, he'd bought himself a Peterbilt.

It's a retired worker, having spent the last part of its career hauling horses to horse shows. Now it's going to spend its retirement in Lake Havasu City, and Steve will drive it once a week up to Crazy Fred's Truck Stop outside of Kingman, Arizona. I'm not kidding, it really is called Crazy Fred's. It's owned by a Middle Eastern family, and there's a very nice "Gentleman's Club" in the rear. Steve goes to the truck stop with his boss (his boss driving his own special Peterbilt) and they enjoy a rather decent steak for $9.95. I've joined them a couple of times on their trips and it is interesting.

Instead of dining at a truck stop in Sacramento (it's where Governor Schwarzeneggar has his offices, by the way) Steve took me to a beautiful restaurant where we enjoyed seafood and a view of the river. Don't know which river, but this is what it looked like from our table:

There were glass fire pits here and there, and they took the edge off the evening chill:

I had the special, which was Sturgeon over lo mein noodles. He had the scallops. The special was too expensive for me--$24.95, but Steve insisted. I've never had anyone willing to pay that much for a meal for me. Hmmm....must be love. Or maybe he just wanted me to eat and keep my mouth shut for the duration. He certainly enjoyed the cool air out there.

The American Way

2010-07-24T09:55:00.001-07:00

Entertaining with lots of food and a nice swimming pool is definitely the American Way.

A Fire Miracle!

2010-07-21T17:16:00.000-07:00

My mom and stepdad have a boat shop here in Havasu. I guess I should say HAD. It burned to the ground the other night--the fire investigators have determined that it was electrical and started in the shop's office.

My mom and Mike actually used to live there at the shop--they had living quarters built onto the back and a fenced area for their pets.
They've been building a house out in the mountains for several years now, and the majority of their belongings are there at the new house now. But some things remained--in a storage trailer there at the boat yard. I remember my mom telling me she wanted me to have the cedar chest that she'd received when she was 18 years old and getting married to my dad. It had her wedding dress in it, and some items from our childhood. It also had my wedding dress from 1993 in it. A very very old dress, probably 70 years old by now. But since there were too many things in the way, we never got the cedar chest out.

That was the first thing I thought of while I was surveying the burned property on Monday morning. Was that storage trailer burned?

Yep.

I decided to get up in there and look around anyway. It was still very hot to the touch, the fire had only been put out a few hours before. And the temperature out there was 115 degrees.

Here's the inside of the trailer. Do YOU see a cedar chest?

I see something back in there that looks like a black coffin...

What is in the black coffin?

Looks like a wedding dress.

Yep, it survived. And so did my mom's dress, and all the photos and memorabilia in the bottom of the chest. The wood inside was untouched--the wood on the outside was completely burned. In fact, as I was trying to move the chest around to see if there was still some stuff readable on the outside (something I'd done in red crayon to it when I was four years old) the whole darn thing just disintegrated.

I took all the stuff home and laid out the papers and pictures to dry. Everything was soaking wet, and smelled like a combination of horrible smoke and wet cedar. The dresses dried out pretty quickly (because by the time I got home with them it was nearly 120 degrees out. The dresses smell, and have a little bit of soot on them, but otherwise they're fine. I don't know how they'll hold up at the dry cleaners, we'll see.

As for the shop, it's a total loss. There were several customers' boats destroyed as well. My mom and Mike are planning to rebuild and get back in business.

Because Everyone Loves Arizona!!

2010-07-18T17:40:00.000-07:00

So glad I had my camera. This was a small SUV pulling a boat on the highway here in Havasu. On the windows, it said, "Adios Cruise to Mexico, HOLA Arizona!"
And it also said, "Viva La SB 1070!" After photographing them I honked my horn and gave them a thumbs up.

Very cool.

Someday I'll Fight

2010-07-18T17:25:00.000-07:00

I think it would be fun to get in a fight. Not just any fight--there'd have to be gear and stuff. And an octagon-shaped chain link cage all around.

When it's affordable, we head one hour north to Nevada to watch the M.M.A. fights. My trainer always has some of his students on the schedule (the "card" as they call it) and it's exciting to see the matches in person.

It's literally a date night for us. We get all fixed up and we talk all fast and excitedly as we anticipate the fights. Shay goes with us because he can't resist a few hours of "human cockfighting."

I know it seems redneck but I can't help it.

Out of the four fighters from my gym, three of them were victorious. That's tough to swallow because usually ALL of our fighters come home with a victory.
The female fighter from my gym couldn't be matched up in time for the fights (it's difficult to find another female fighter, I'm sure) so she didn't get put on the card. Perhaps I'll start training with her, and we'll put on a show!!

When You Have a Black Car...

2010-07-18T17:21:00.000-07:00

I don't care if I have to walk a mile to the front door of the grocery store. I'm going to park in the shade! Even if it's just a sliver of shade!

I Wanna Go

2010-07-15T13:35:00.001-07:00

I read everything that comes in the mail, including the freebee magazines that we get from AAA and all the other forms of insurance that we subscribe to. The AAA magazine is called Highroads, and it puts a spotlight on interesting travel destinations each month. This month it made my heart ache. It hurts! Because the article titled, "Old World Holiday Magic" has prompted me to really really really want to leave home.
It's a description of a cruise that you can take on the Danube--the only river to flow West to East. The cruise begins in Vienna, Austria, and the ship carries just 150 passengers. So, it's not a huge ship and you never have to pack and unpack--you stay on the ship each night after visiting the different cities. The ship cruises all night till the next city is reached. Beginning at Thanksgiving, cities all over Europe begin their Christmas markets, luring over a million visitors. And it's not mass-produced items for sale--it's largely hand made goods and tons of food and.....plenty of German beer and wine and sausage.

The pictures I've seen are gorgeous. Plenty of decorations and lights, wood carved signs inviting you in for wiener schnitzel and cider. Oh man I would be in heaven.

There's live music--both choirs and those "oompa oompa" bands. There's baked apples and gingerbread.

This cruise stops near Salzburg, which was the birthplace of Mozart. It was also featured in The Sound of Music.

After eight days of cruising, eating, and shopping, the ship docks in Nuremberg where the Christkindlsmrkt is held. This open air market is on cobble stone streets and has all kinds of wonderful things to consume. The article says this particular market has been around since the 16th century.

I don't want to look up the price, because that'll burst my bubble. I'll just continue to look forward to the day I get to cruise the Danube during the holidays.

Integration of Current Technology

2010-07-12T15:52:00.000-07:00

We've had these blue floaties on the back porch for a few years now. I originally had about 20 of them, they were used as stage decoration at an event I had back in 2007, or maybe 2008. They were incredibly cheap, costing me 88 cents each. Once in a blue moon they are used in the pool, and of course one or two is popped in the process. After Steve saw the photos of Shay bundled up in them, he decided to give them a try.

He wasn't quite comfortable, so he adjusted and tried again:

Aaah, yes, that's it.

The Pool Is Popular Again

2010-07-12T15:38:00.001-07:00

The poor swimming pool is empty all the time--not empty of water, just people. Don't know why--it's just impossible to get anyone around here to take a swim. Steve will go out there during the months of July and August, after sunset. Shay will go out and swim if he's got a friend to swim with. I am out there when I'm cleaning it. That's about it.
But having Shay help me with the pool filter yesterday was a bonus--because the heat inspired him to jump in the water and get cooled off!
And jump he did....

I was content to slip in the water once in a while, and paddle for a bit. Oh and of course the cloud-gazing was good. I thought for a moment that the sudden cloud cover was going to cool things off but I was incredibly wrong.

It was 119 degrees by the time 5pm rolled around!!

David Cassidy

2010-07-08T11:15:00.001-07:00

Twenty years ago I made the promise to myself that I would someday meet David Cassidy. I don't remember the particulars of the situation, but likely it involved the marathon Partridge Family episodes that I watched over the summer of 1990.

Some time later I discovered that David Cassidy had his own show in Vegas, but when I looked into tickets it was STUPID expensive. Going to a show in Vegas isn't that convenient, either. You have to get a room, drive for 2 1/2 hours, it costs money, money money.

Well I found David Cassidy in today's paper. He's performing one hour away, in Laughlin, Nevada. Tickets are $25. July 31st. I'm there.

My Own Recipe

2010-07-06T11:41:00.001-07:00

I always make my dinners different--always looking for a better way to make pasta, beef stroganoff, etc....
Last night I made a dish that was so good I couldn't stop complimenting myself. So here's the recipe....

Garlic Sausage Pasta

You need:
1/4 cup diced sweet onion
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 tablespoon garlic, diced
1 large zucchini, diced
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 stick butter (real butter)
3 garlic flavored Johnsonville brats
Angel Hair pasta

Melt the butter in a large fry pan, add the tomatoes and red bell pepper. Stir occasionally.
Meanwhile, bring water to a boil in a saucepan, for the Angel Hair pasta.
Lightly brown the brats in a fry pan, remove them from the heat so they can cool. (browning the brats makes them much easier to cut up)

Once the tomatoes are cooked to a paste, add the garlic and onion. Cook for about five minutes then add the zucchini. Reduce the heat to low.
Chop the brats into large pieces, add them to the vegetables and cook them till they are brown throughout.
Turn off heat, add the grated cheese and stir lightly.

Boil the Angel Hair pasta till cooked, serve with the sauce promptly!

Flying With Fireworks

2010-07-06T10:54:00.000-07:00

Watching the 4th of July fireworks can be a real hassle. The best seat in town is on the water, so that means launching the boat and hanging around in Thompson Bay till 9pm. To launch a boat on 4th of July, you either have to get up really, really early to beat the crowd--or you have to commit to waiting for quite a long time in line for your turn at the launch ramp. And the boat needs to be packed up with a full day's supply of drinks and food. The lake itself is very busy, so you've got to always be keeping an eye out for other boats and jet skis. It's not relaxing at all.
Then there's the option of driving somewhere near the lake to watch from the car. Since the beach gets packed full of people that's not a very easy option. And the traffic gets insane. Yes, we're high maintenance whiners.

I had the idea of taking the Cessna up in the air. Pretty good idea, I have to admit. I'm glad I took my camera, because it was definitely a different vantage point and I like to share!
My first pictures were blurry because I hadn't yet figured out the settings for taking night photos. It's not easy!! But once I got to trying different options, I started getting better results.

The boats down on the black lake below us looked like a starry sky, there were so many. I think that was the most impressive thing about our view.

A few people spotted us, as we circled. Steve's daughter was at a friend's house and she said they'd commented on the plane that was flying around up near the fireworks. Well we weren't near, but I'm sure it looked like it.

It was very neat to see the show from up above, I'm glad we did it!

Sadie Monster

2010-07-03T11:40:00.000-07:00

I call her the Sadie Monster because she's a big loof that until recently couldn't calm down, no matter what. She's matured a lot in the past six months. I've been dog sitting her for a couple of years now, and I've put a lot of miles on my feet keeping her busy while her owners are away. Each summer they take a 14 day vacation so that means Sadie needs time out in the world, away from home. Otherwise she gets really, really lonely and bored. Like me!

Today the Sadie Monster's field trip was to the swimming pool, and she was relentless...

Jumping...

Fetching...

Swimming...

And shaking...

Then jumping some more...

Fetching some more...

Swimming some more...

And shaking some more...

She happily repeated this process for a couple of hours, until it was too hot to be running around outside.

Nap time!

I Worked A Little This Morning

2010-07-03T11:21:00.000-07:00

The palm trees get these branches that sprout occasionally, I think they're seed pods. They weigh more than a regular old palm frawn (branch) and they're messy. The tree next to our swimming pool had sprouted about 7 of these darn branches and I didn't realize it till I looked in the pool and saw a HUGE mess.

So out came the Sawz All and ladder. I sawed away!

But I kept hearing a buzz, one a little different from the Sawz All. It was a swarm of bees that was perfectly happy with the sweet blooms on the seed pods. Each time I cut down a seed branch, I had to drop the Sawz All and run to the other side of the yard while the bees calmed down.

The smell was wonderful, it was sweet like candy. Too bad these suckers are so messy-I'd rather have that nice fragrance in the back yard!

A Political Opinion

2010-07-01T10:21:00.000-07:00

This little blog isn't political, I try not to get going on all that stuff because frankly no one wants to log on and read a rant. Well, not all the time, anyway. You want to read about politics then you go to a political website.
I absorb a lot of political stuff every day. Sometimes it's the fuel that keeps me going. Sometimes it's just tiring.
I can recall about 100 times when I've been asked, "Did you watch Obama's speech today??" And every time I've had to say, "No," because political speeches don't interest me. Really. It's theater, acting, grand-standing, and usually empty promises. I like to watch a politician from a distance--see how they perform and what they accomplish. I have been in front of politicians--literally 2 feet away, and I don't listen. I'm happy to take photos, watch audience reaction, and just kind of enjoy the moment. But generally listening to the speech is rare for me. And that goes for Palin, McCain, Romney, Gingrich--all those people I've been in front of and I've barely heard a word they were saying.
But today I watched Obama's speech. I saw him on t.v. first thing this morning, and I figured this would be the moment where he said to the whole country that his administration had indeed filed litigation against Arizona for our SB1070 law.

Wrong. He grand-standed. He did a bunch of inspirational garbage. He basically said nothing. Except one very interesting thing. He said he believed the illegals who are here right now should be required to register, pay their taxes, learn English, pay fines for breaking the law, and get in line to earn their citizenship.

Say what?

That sounds like talk from a Republican. "Learn English." Wow. If I said something to that effect on national t.v. I'd be called a racist. "Register." Well that would require one to carry their papers--something the ACLU seems to think is an awful elitist statement. That's why they've warned people against traveling to Arizona, because immigrants are required to carry their "papers." Laughable.

For once, I have to say I agree with our President. Register, learn English, pay taxes, and of course own up to the fact that they've broken our laws. Don't like it? Go back to the country they hold so dear in their hearts--yeah, the same one that is overrun with drug cartels, starvation, corruption, and pollution. And that's just the tourist areas!!