This is HILARIOUS-best prank call ever.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Book Review
Blackbird: A childhood lost and found by Jennifer Lauck
I hate when I do this. I hate it when someone tells me, or I read about, some horrific childhood, and I'm like "Really? That was a cake walk compared to mine."
I never say it out loud-I know each persons definition of horrific is different-but I found out about this book from a website that listed it as a great story of overcoming horrible, horrible circumstances. So I was disappointed when I read her story and it wasn't as........horrific as I had led myself to believe. Then when she was returned to her family at the age of I believe 11-I kind of lost sympathy. What had she overcome at the age of 11? The hype I read surrounding this book did not match the story inside.
That being said, it is quite the tale, though I wonder how many of those details she actually remembered, and how many were embellished for the sake of the story. Which I guess is the mark of a good story teller?
I think part of my problem with this book is my own inability to remember details, and the writer's block I have regarding my own story. I tend to write like I talk-here is what I want to say, and that's it. To embellish my own story I would be totally making things up, and that's not what I want to do.
Anyway, it's not a bad story, and it's not at all badly written.
I hate when I do this. I hate it when someone tells me, or I read about, some horrific childhood, and I'm like "Really? That was a cake walk compared to mine."
I never say it out loud-I know each persons definition of horrific is different-but I found out about this book from a website that listed it as a great story of overcoming horrible, horrible circumstances. So I was disappointed when I read her story and it wasn't as........horrific as I had led myself to believe. Then when she was returned to her family at the age of I believe 11-I kind of lost sympathy. What had she overcome at the age of 11? The hype I read surrounding this book did not match the story inside.
That being said, it is quite the tale, though I wonder how many of those details she actually remembered, and how many were embellished for the sake of the story. Which I guess is the mark of a good story teller?
I think part of my problem with this book is my own inability to remember details, and the writer's block I have regarding my own story. I tend to write like I talk-here is what I want to say, and that's it. To embellish my own story I would be totally making things up, and that's not what I want to do.
Anyway, it's not a bad story, and it's not at all badly written.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Back to being a grown-up
Youngest comes home tomorrow, which means it's time for Hubbs and I to act like adults and get back into our routine. I'm really missing my normal routine, and my child even more, but while I'm glad he's coming home, I'm not quite ready for the honeymoon to come to an end.
I think it's important to remember how close Hubbs and I have become over the past couple of months, and make a daily effort not to lose it again.
Though I will say this-the memories of this past weekend will sustain me for a long, long time....
I think it's important to remember how close Hubbs and I have become over the past couple of months, and make a daily effort not to lose it again.
Though I will say this-the memories of this past weekend will sustain me for a long, long time....
Friday, August 21, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
So true!
Hubbs sent me this list, via CamaroZ28.com-
63 things that are oddly true.
My favorites-
9. There is a great need for a sarcasm font.
22. My brother's Municipal League baseball team is named the Stepdads. Seeing as none of the guys on the team are actual stepdads, I inquired about the name. He explained, "Cuz we beat you, and you hate us." Classy, bro.
25. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up to prevent a dick from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers!
33. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.
37. If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible.
39. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you've made up your mind that you just aren't doing anything productive for the rest of the day.
63 things that are oddly true.
My favorites-
9. There is a great need for a sarcasm font.
22. My brother's Municipal League baseball team is named the Stepdads. Seeing as none of the guys on the team are actual stepdads, I inquired about the name. He explained, "Cuz we beat you, and you hate us." Classy, bro.
25. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up to prevent a dick from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers!
33. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.
37. If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible.
39. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you've made up your mind that you just aren't doing anything productive for the rest of the day.
Randomness
Hubbs pointed out to me last night that since I've been taking chromium, I'm much more level. So not only do I feel better, but my loved ones are noticing a difference. I am truly shocked at how much of a difference it has made. There were times when I would get so manic I couldn't even think straight. My head would be so full of so many things I would literally be frozen on my feet-unable to move because I couldn't decide what to do next. I don't even remember the last time I felt that way. And I've had NO immobilizing depression either. I'm very pleased.
*************************************************************************************
I added 10 pounds to my squat weight on Monday, and GOOD GOD am I feeling it today! If you would have asked me a year ago to even attempt a squat, bar only, I would have laughed in your face. I'm getting stronger and feeling better every day.
*************************************************************************************
On the flip side of that, I'm catching myself nit picking my body to death. In the last 2 years I've lost over 20 pounds, dropped 2 clothing sizes, and even bought a new bikini. And yet, I'm still not happy. I have such a warped body image that I can't decide if I really need to lose more weight or if it's just my crazy talking to me.
************************************************************************************
Low carb dieting-it's awesome that the weight stays off with hardly any effort. Cutting my carbs and eliminating processed food allows me to pretty much do what I want and not see a difference in the scale. Even when I splurge like we did this past weekend (3 sandwiches and a bacon cheeseburger, heaven!)the scale hardly moves. My weight is lower now than it was last Friday.
The sucky thing-we spend HOURS in the kitchen. Every night it's this huge process getting our meals ready for the next day. So last night we decided to make and pack 3 days worth of food instead of our usual 1 or 2. That means tonight we can work out, have dinner, and actually spend some time together NOT in the kitchen.
************************************************************************************
Our glorious honeymoon is about to come to an end. Youngest comes home Tuesday, so it's time to act like grown ups and be parents again. But I have to say, the past few months have been wonderful. I feel closer to my husband than I ever have.
************************************************************************************
Happy Wednesday!
*************************************************************************************
I added 10 pounds to my squat weight on Monday, and GOOD GOD am I feeling it today! If you would have asked me a year ago to even attempt a squat, bar only, I would have laughed in your face. I'm getting stronger and feeling better every day.
*************************************************************************************
On the flip side of that, I'm catching myself nit picking my body to death. In the last 2 years I've lost over 20 pounds, dropped 2 clothing sizes, and even bought a new bikini. And yet, I'm still not happy. I have such a warped body image that I can't decide if I really need to lose more weight or if it's just my crazy talking to me.
************************************************************************************
Low carb dieting-it's awesome that the weight stays off with hardly any effort. Cutting my carbs and eliminating processed food allows me to pretty much do what I want and not see a difference in the scale. Even when I splurge like we did this past weekend (3 sandwiches and a bacon cheeseburger, heaven!)the scale hardly moves. My weight is lower now than it was last Friday.
The sucky thing-we spend HOURS in the kitchen. Every night it's this huge process getting our meals ready for the next day. So last night we decided to make and pack 3 days worth of food instead of our usual 1 or 2. That means tonight we can work out, have dinner, and actually spend some time together NOT in the kitchen.
************************************************************************************
Our glorious honeymoon is about to come to an end. Youngest comes home Tuesday, so it's time to act like grown ups and be parents again. But I have to say, the past few months have been wonderful. I feel closer to my husband than I ever have.
************************************************************************************
Happy Wednesday!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Book Review
Echoes From the Dead by Johan Theorin.
The story of a woman whose son disappeared 20 years ago, and her need for closure. This novel was very dark-the author did a fantastic job of conveying the mother's grief. With a current mystery woven in to the tale, it was an excellent read.
The story of a woman whose son disappeared 20 years ago, and her need for closure. This novel was very dark-the author did a fantastic job of conveying the mother's grief. With a current mystery woven in to the tale, it was an excellent read.
Book Review
Nothing But a Smile by Steve Amick.
I really enjoyed this book. It's the story of a woman whose husband is off fighting in World War 2, and to help make ends meet she starts selling pin-up pictures of herself. One of her husband's buddies from the war comes to stay and gets in on the business as well.
An entertaining read-and the author really captured the morality of the era.
Read it!
I really enjoyed this book. It's the story of a woman whose husband is off fighting in World War 2, and to help make ends meet she starts selling pin-up pictures of herself. One of her husband's buddies from the war comes to stay and gets in on the business as well.
An entertaining read-and the author really captured the morality of the era.
Read it!
Monday, August 17, 2009
Saturday
We had THE best time on our Bodie trip Saturday!
We met Wirecutter (click the link to check out his blog-your daily dash of humor!) in Bridgeport about 10:30-he thinks he was late but we really didn't notice. Gave us a chance to people watch and read for a minute-then started the trek to Bodie. It's about 15 miles from Bridgeport, CA-the last 3 are on a very bumpy dirt/gravel road. I had already been doing my happy/excited dance all morning-but once the town came into view I could barely contain myself!
That is a view of the town from the cemetery-it's the best overall view. You can see that it was actually a good sized town.
There are quite a few homes and businesses you can peek into and get a really good feeling of how people lived back then. I don't remember the exact dates, but the town started as a booming mining town around 1860 and remained occupied until the early 1930's. The state of California eventually stepped in and made it a state park in the early 1970's I believe.
I took close to 200 pictures, so I'm just going to post the ones that really touched me-otherwise this would be the longest blog post EVER.
Looking into the homes, you can imagine what life must have been like. Can you imagine being a wife and mother in 1870? Wearing those big heavy dresses, having to gather wood for your cooking, water from down at the river, all the while trying to keep your children safe from the debauchery while praying to God your husband made it home from the mine? It gives me chills, it really does.
And check this out-they used burlap to insulate their houses, poor things. It can snow up to 6 feet in Bodie-I can't even imagine what it must have been like trying to stay warm.
Hubbs and Wirecutter-look at that glassed in front porch-
No matter where we go, Hubbs can ALWAYS find an interesting car to look at-
And yes, that includes wagons-look at the axle, I'm pretty sure it's a tree branch.
The houses of prostitution and most of the bars burned in one of the fires, but the street where the ladies were located was called Maiden Lane, or Virgin Alley. So I thought I'd get a picture of my sweet innocent self next to the sign-
A shot of a gambling hall-
And check out the legs on this billiards table-thanks to Wirecutter for pointing out it was a billiards table, not a pool table. I didn't even notice!
Hubbs and I-Wirecutter knows a good spot for a photo! I love the ivy growing over the railing-
Wirecutter and I-by the way, I decided that this was the first annual Bloggers to Bodie run-it needs to be a tradition. I'm thinking next time we get a camp space for the night.
He's a really great guy-low key, no bullshit-we got along great. And his knowledge of Bodie is impressive.
It's very easy to get overwhelmed with not just the information, but the feeling of how hard life was back then. We took a cruise through the museum (which was packed with people-I actually took one step in, was about to turn around and go back out, when I realized that the guys were right behind me. I almost lost it there for a sec, but I was saved from myself at the last minute!), and saw some very interesting things-jewelry and hair combs, shoes and old maps-it was really cool.
I'd be very interested to learn more about the attitude toward death back then, and the mourning practices. Not that there was a lot of time to mourn-you couldn't take a day off from fetching water and firewood- but check this out-
That struck me as incredibly romantic.
And the hearse-why did it become uncivilized to drive through down with the casket in plain view?
We visited the cemetery last, and it got to be a bit much for me. The majority of the graves were for children-that and the fact that there were so many unmarked, I started to get quite overwhelmed.
This first picture is of a monument to Rosa May, one of the prostitutes in Bodie. I love this picture-you can really sense Wirecutters feelings for the history and hardship these people faced. And I love Hubbs' look of curiosity. The second picture is of her actual grave, several feet away. She wasn't allowed to be buried in the cemetery-God forbid she should lay next to "respectable" folks.
All in all, we had one of the best days we've had in a long time. Good friends, good food, and a day of learning, exploring and hanging out. Not only did we picnic (well, tailgate) but I splurged and had SAMMICHES! Gotta toss the diet out the window every now and again. Though I'm sure hiking around town for 4 hours burned off a ton of calories.
Thanks again to Wirecutter-he really helped bring the town alive for us. We could not ask for a better tour guide.
We met Wirecutter (click the link to check out his blog-your daily dash of humor!) in Bridgeport about 10:30-he thinks he was late but we really didn't notice. Gave us a chance to people watch and read for a minute-then started the trek to Bodie. It's about 15 miles from Bridgeport, CA-the last 3 are on a very bumpy dirt/gravel road. I had already been doing my happy/excited dance all morning-but once the town came into view I could barely contain myself!
That is a view of the town from the cemetery-it's the best overall view. You can see that it was actually a good sized town.
There are quite a few homes and businesses you can peek into and get a really good feeling of how people lived back then. I don't remember the exact dates, but the town started as a booming mining town around 1860 and remained occupied until the early 1930's. The state of California eventually stepped in and made it a state park in the early 1970's I believe.
I took close to 200 pictures, so I'm just going to post the ones that really touched me-otherwise this would be the longest blog post EVER.
Looking into the homes, you can imagine what life must have been like. Can you imagine being a wife and mother in 1870? Wearing those big heavy dresses, having to gather wood for your cooking, water from down at the river, all the while trying to keep your children safe from the debauchery while praying to God your husband made it home from the mine? It gives me chills, it really does.
And check this out-they used burlap to insulate their houses, poor things. It can snow up to 6 feet in Bodie-I can't even imagine what it must have been like trying to stay warm.
Hubbs and Wirecutter-look at that glassed in front porch-
No matter where we go, Hubbs can ALWAYS find an interesting car to look at-
And yes, that includes wagons-look at the axle, I'm pretty sure it's a tree branch.
The houses of prostitution and most of the bars burned in one of the fires, but the street where the ladies were located was called Maiden Lane, or Virgin Alley. So I thought I'd get a picture of my sweet innocent self next to the sign-
A shot of a gambling hall-
And check out the legs on this billiards table-thanks to Wirecutter for pointing out it was a billiards table, not a pool table. I didn't even notice!
Hubbs and I-Wirecutter knows a good spot for a photo! I love the ivy growing over the railing-
Wirecutter and I-by the way, I decided that this was the first annual Bloggers to Bodie run-it needs to be a tradition. I'm thinking next time we get a camp space for the night.
He's a really great guy-low key, no bullshit-we got along great. And his knowledge of Bodie is impressive.
It's very easy to get overwhelmed with not just the information, but the feeling of how hard life was back then. We took a cruise through the museum (which was packed with people-I actually took one step in, was about to turn around and go back out, when I realized that the guys were right behind me. I almost lost it there for a sec, but I was saved from myself at the last minute!), and saw some very interesting things-jewelry and hair combs, shoes and old maps-it was really cool.
I'd be very interested to learn more about the attitude toward death back then, and the mourning practices. Not that there was a lot of time to mourn-you couldn't take a day off from fetching water and firewood- but check this out-
That struck me as incredibly romantic.
And the hearse-why did it become uncivilized to drive through down with the casket in plain view?
We visited the cemetery last, and it got to be a bit much for me. The majority of the graves were for children-that and the fact that there were so many unmarked, I started to get quite overwhelmed.
This first picture is of a monument to Rosa May, one of the prostitutes in Bodie. I love this picture-you can really sense Wirecutters feelings for the history and hardship these people faced. And I love Hubbs' look of curiosity. The second picture is of her actual grave, several feet away. She wasn't allowed to be buried in the cemetery-God forbid she should lay next to "respectable" folks.
All in all, we had one of the best days we've had in a long time. Good friends, good food, and a day of learning, exploring and hanging out. Not only did we picnic (well, tailgate) but I splurged and had SAMMICHES! Gotta toss the diet out the window every now and again. Though I'm sure hiking around town for 4 hours burned off a ton of calories.
Thanks again to Wirecutter-he really helped bring the town alive for us. We could not ask for a better tour guide.
Oh Hubbs
I seriously could not live without my husband. I had some weird moments yesterday-mostly due to drinking too much the night before-where I felt weepy, and dumb, and second guessed my every move from the day before.
Hubbs just pulled me on to his lap, rubbed my head, and said all the right things. I really do not know what I would do without that man. He's my perfect balance, he keeps me sane, safe, and happy.
I love you baby.
Hubbs just pulled me on to his lap, rubbed my head, and said all the right things. I really do not know what I would do without that man. He's my perfect balance, he keeps me sane, safe, and happy.
I love you baby.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Best day EVER!
We had THE best time today. Pics and commentary to follow-but now, just too sunburned.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
What a weekend...
I spent an hour on a post detailing my weekend and everything that went wrong-there was a lot. Then I decided I didn't actually want to post that much negativity, I just needed to vent. So I deleted the whole thing. Suffice it to say, the weekend did not go as planned, but I was able to find a few pockets of fun here and there.
Hanging out in a bar-(the face explains it)
It was Hot August Nights, so we went downtown to look at cars and listen to music-
Wonder how many beers I had by this point-
Music of the evening-THE VILLAGE PEOPLE!! (Which, FYI, some people REALLY love. So if you find yourself at a Village People concert, do not poke fun. I thought it was hilarious-other people, not so much)
How can you NOT laugh your ass off at 5 grown men playing dress up and dancing around like that?
And of course, my favorite, people watching-
Mullet Man!!!
The best ice chest I have ever seen!
And this is who I want to be when I grow up-check the curl-
That old lady + that ride on ice chest + 50 cats = Lula in 25 years.
Dancers!
Someday Husband, you WILL dance with me in public.
How cute is this-
I wish the weekend would have gone differently, but whatever. It was good seeing Terry again. I hope she finds the happiness she deserves, I really do.
Hanging out in a bar-(the face explains it)
It was Hot August Nights, so we went downtown to look at cars and listen to music-
Wonder how many beers I had by this point-
Music of the evening-THE VILLAGE PEOPLE!! (Which, FYI, some people REALLY love. So if you find yourself at a Village People concert, do not poke fun. I thought it was hilarious-other people, not so much)
How can you NOT laugh your ass off at 5 grown men playing dress up and dancing around like that?
And of course, my favorite, people watching-
Mullet Man!!!
The best ice chest I have ever seen!
And this is who I want to be when I grow up-check the curl-
That old lady + that ride on ice chest + 50 cats = Lula in 25 years.
Dancers!
Someday Husband, you WILL dance with me in public.
How cute is this-
I wish the weekend would have gone differently, but whatever. It was good seeing Terry again. I hope she finds the happiness she deserves, I really do.
The fog of grief is lifting
I actually laughed out loud a few moments ago. And I no longer feel like I'm mired in quicksand. Much better. Still sad, but not bone crushingly so.
Something to look forward to-we're meeting Wirecutter in Bodie this weekend-the most well preserved ghost town in Cali! I'm pretty excited about it. You know how when you visit a place, and someone says to you "Oh, did you see such and such?" And you say "No, I had no idea such and such existed?"
Yeah, that won't be happening. Wirecutter has been there so many times he will be an excellent tour guide.
Of course, I'll post pics of our adventures.
Something to look forward to-we're meeting Wirecutter in Bodie this weekend-the most well preserved ghost town in Cali! I'm pretty excited about it. You know how when you visit a place, and someone says to you "Oh, did you see such and such?" And you say "No, I had no idea such and such existed?"
Yeah, that won't be happening. Wirecutter has been there so many times he will be an excellent tour guide.
Of course, I'll post pics of our adventures.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Wrecked
I have so many things I want to blog about, but with the passing of Franky I just don't have a lot of motivation. I'll get it back, I just need a few days to mourn.
I've lost several of my loved ones the past 2 years, and it literally feels like there is a hole in the world now. There is a hole, an emptiness, where they used to reside. And no one else can ever fix it-they're just gone.
I've lost several of my loved ones the past 2 years, and it literally feels like there is a hole in the world now. There is a hole, an emptiness, where they used to reside. And no one else can ever fix it-they're just gone.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Franky
Franky and Lula, 1998.
UPDATE:
I just received an email from Franky's daughter. He passed away peacefully August 6th. Rest in peace my friend. You will be missed.
I'm devastated.
I first met Franky in 1984 when I was 16 years old. He was friends with my ex-husbands parents.
He was the first non-relative to hold Oldest when he was born 2 years later.
We kept in touch off and on throughout the years, but our friendship was really cemented when I moved back to Orange County after I had Youngest in 1996.
Youngest called him "Grandpa Franky". We went to Grandpa Franky's house for a meal at least twice a week, just to visit and enjoy each others company.
Things got really crazy for me shortly after that picture was taken. And every once in a while I would just need to get the hell away from the crowd I was running around with, and at those times I'd call Franky and spend the weekend with him, away from the insanity.
He never judged me. He was always there to lend a hand. He would do anything for me, and he did.
Franky has suffered a massive stroke. He can no longer eat or walk, and he is in a hospice care home that is working hard at keeping him comfortable.
I spoke with him this morning, and while he was so excited I called, I could tell it was a bit too much effort to talk on the phone. I told him I loved him and would call him again soon. He asked after the kids and told me this-
"You take good care of your husband and children."
And I promised him I would.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
And you think I'M a crazy cat lady....
Love his face when he's in the backpack, chillin with his poppa!
Speaking of cats, Sam, our new cat? Toilet paper the world over better live in fear, because that cat LOVES it. Not only did he pull all the paper off the roll in Youngest's bathroom, but he attacked a poor defenseless roll in our bathroom and ripped it to shreds. Crazy bastard.
It's Thursday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And Terry is coming today!! And I got a good night's sleep!! And I just watched this hilarious video- (NSFW)
http://www.hilariousheadlines.com/talk/eric-cartman-on-kyles-mom.html
Did I mention Terry is coming today? Let the drinking begin!!!!
(I'm sure I'll have some very entertaining pics to post by the time this weekend is over)
http://www.hilariousheadlines.com/talk/eric-cartman-on-kyles-mom.html
Did I mention Terry is coming today? Let the drinking begin!!!!
(I'm sure I'll have some very entertaining pics to post by the time this weekend is over)
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Oh Wednesday
I am EXHAUSTED. In between weight lifting, low carb eating, acting like a teenager all weekend, and Hubbs birthday, I am a very, very tired woman. But we had an excellent time last night, so it's worth it.
***************************************************************************************
I have a friend flying in from Texas tomorrow, can't wait! I haven't seen her in 2 years, so I'm pretty excited. But I have a ton of stuff to do in preparation for her arrival-no rest for the wicked!
***************************************************************************************
Happy Wednesday!
***************************************************************************************
I have a friend flying in from Texas tomorrow, can't wait! I haven't seen her in 2 years, so I'm pretty excited. But I have a ton of stuff to do in preparation for her arrival-no rest for the wicked!
***************************************************************************************
Happy Wednesday!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
My Husband....
has the patience of a saint.
is very tolerant of my crazy.
has helped me be less crazy.
is the smartest man I know.
can fix anything.
is one handsome bastard.
is the best I've ever had.
has made me the happiest woman alive.
is an excellent father.
is very forgiving.
looks at me like no other man ever has.
treats me better than I've ever been treated.
knows me better than I know myself, and yet still adores me.
is 47 years old today.
Happy Birthday honey, I love you!!
is very tolerant of my crazy.
has helped me be less crazy.
is the smartest man I know.
can fix anything.
is one handsome bastard.
is the best I've ever had.
has made me the happiest woman alive.
is an excellent father.
is very forgiving.
looks at me like no other man ever has.
treats me better than I've ever been treated.
knows me better than I know myself, and yet still adores me.
is 47 years old today.
Happy Birthday honey, I love you!!
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