Master Step can KISS THIS

     I'm going to rant for a second, maybe for two. I'm disgusted by the population of people that give humans a bad name. The type that doesn't deserve their God given ability to speak or stand on two feet and have hands to do things with.......because they only use them for evil. A majority of those are featured on the news that I don't watch, but the sad part is the news couldn't possibly cover them all. I sat next to several people over the span of my 2.5hr wait at the Toyota Dealership yesterday and couldn't help but over hear a lady's report with someone on the phone of the massive damage costs assessed to her vehicle. I had to listen to drown out the gaggingly boring sound of soap T.V. radiating through the place. I asked her after she ended the call if her car had been broken into, and she basically told me her life story for the last 5 years and how someone destroyed the front inside of the car tearing out the gaming system and taking other personal things they couldn't even get money for....She was so distraught, so after I told her I was sorry to hear it, in efforts to comfort her, shared my own 3 experiences of when my cars had been broken into, including but not limited to the stealing of my entire burned CD collection, my percrsiption glasses and the 50cents from my coin holder (all things with great cash return, huh?). I forgot to mention the time someone completely kicked in the whole side of my Blazer for no reason, leaving $5,000 damage, and ran; and although I discovered there were witnesses, they all pleaded the 5th when I got the police involved. Typical acts of human unreliability, another feat for selfishness. I've decided on a solution to this nagging issue. We need to have machines that snatch people up after they do such things and exile them to their own private island. They still get to live, having all the necessities to maintain life, and their only torture would be live on a island full of people exactly like themselves.
     I feel accomplished this week to have exposed my brother and his coworkers to Carrabba's, where the best sour dough bread and olive oil covered roasted herb dip is served. While there I decided the "When in Rome" saying applied and ate an entire loaf of bread and calamari before my ordered meal arrived. I just couldn't help myself.
     We've managed to survive a number of storm induced power outages at the hospital in the last week. But I must admit it was a bit scary for a while having flash lights at the bedside in case the generator didn't kick in while knowing I had a very very small infant under my care that needed the ventilator to work at all times!
     So yesterday as I was being productive, I went to the gym for a little group fitness time and thought I was going to a weight lifting class. As I was preparing my station, I noticed that everyone was bringing their equipment into the sister room and before I could figure out what was happening, that class was already full. I decided to just stay where I was, knowing there was going to be a class in the room I was currently in, but didn't know what was coming. How hard could it be, I thought? As it turns out, MASTER STEP is very hard. Physically I was fine, kinda. If there was a movie featuring a silly fat older man that accidentaly stumbled into a Master Step class and tried to hang with the the pros and stumbled around looking like a dumb-ass the entire class, I would be that fat guy. Try as I might, I could not learn the moves that fast.....heck.....I couldn't learn the moves at all actually. I can't emphasize enough how stupid and uncoordinated I looked, without exaggeration. I also always do everything completely opposite of the instructor and everyone around me, even with easy tasks that don't require coordination of any kind. If we are stretching and I am stretching my right arm, the entire class will be stretching their left am. This has been a issue of mine for as long as I can remember. I guess I march to my own beat, which is usually completely okay with me, especially in the subjects art or music or fashion, but in an organized activities class I wish I could to be more in unison instead of opposite-land. The important fact is, I didn't leave early; I stayed and stuck it out like a big girl, but this fool will not be returning.

It's MAJOR to be so Minor

   And a very happy Re-Brithday to you all. Jesus died and walked again on this day to show us that we are reborn in Him and there is life after death for our souls because he loved us so much. What a heavy purpose in His life on earth he had! Why is Easter considered a Minor Holiday? That sounds pretty Major to me!
    The Easter Bunny and his eggs tradition goes way way back in history as an attempt for Christians to convert non-Christian Pagans by celebrating their already known spring holiday and integrating the two holiday's together, as a way of teaching their religion and not getting killed! The Pagans believed a tale of a Saxon goddess that saved an almost frozen bird and turned him into a snow bunny so he could survive the winter and gave him the ability to lay eggs in all colors once a year for new life and to remember his previous life as a bird (she felt guilty for arriving late for spring and she was a fertility goddess, so it makes sense). After he later pissed the goddess off, she cast him away into the sky (he is now a constellation, the hare Lepus) and allowed him to only come back to earth once a year to share his eggs.
     There are many different versions of the Easter Bunny's history depending on the country and culture, but they all have something in common. The meaning behind the varying tales is to celebrate new life, and it's cycle. It deems an appropriate association since with Spring comes new life in plants and animals annually!


Dusty and Me...All grown up! He outgrew me

      My mom has a home video of Dusty and I hunting Easter eggs when we were very small. Since I have a two year advantage on him, it's not surprising that I took the reins (as I usually do) and used it to benefit myself, but what IS surprising is the way my mother handled it........or didn't handle it! Imagine Dusty toddling along, doing his best to coordinate standing, holding a basket and picking up eggs. Then picture me running around picking up as many eggs as I could, while also snatching the eggs out of his basket and placing them in mine, WHILE he's holding it! Of course he had too much to do to even really notice what was happening, but I can't believe the adult behind the video camera didn't tell me that stealing from my brother wasn't a noble or Christian thing to do. Although impressed with my cleverness as a young child, I am a bit disappointed in myself for the unethical actions.  A few years later Dusty and I had a pretty substantial coin collection and I convinced him that I was being generous by letting him have ALL the copper colored coins, and I being a good sister, would take the fewer silver colored ones. He just made it so easy! It's no wonder he ratted on me for every little thing once he was old enough know what I had up my sleeve.
     Okay, now I have confessed my sins! I hope everyone has a joyous Easter.

Sockless Socks



I think picture is beautiful



    

If done right, and by that I mean, purposefully, tastefully and by someone with talent, tattoos are sexy. Maybe not to everyone, but definitely are to me. They give an opportunity to represent a part of your personality or appreciation of art that clothing doesn’t offer, and everyone knows it takes bravery and tolerance to endure getting the mark. Some people may get caught up on the fact that they are permanent, but someone that knows what they want can go more than skin deep with a tat, representing a memory, an accomplishment in one's life, or symbolization of a time/object/person of true meaning to them they always want to be reminded of. The trick is to make sure you choose something that's timeless to yourself. Being in touch with that part of one’s self is sexy..........and by that I mean, being more than skin deep. I won't lie that there's also the "badass" attraction that draws me to them, but having the bravery to carry an inner-meaning outside your sleeve is the true reason I love tattoos.
     I've been soul searching what I'd like to represent about myself for the last couple of years. I've decided on "socks", which is the word Patrick and I have invented to describe sleeves for your feet! It's a bit scary, reminiscing back to the time I got my last foot tattoo and how I wondered if I'd ever regain feeling in my toes, but I think they will be amazing when finished. I've been waiting for warmer weather so I can keep them aired out in sandals, so now that it's warm, the time is fast approaching!

Anyone know Hypnosis?



Yoga move on the beach after a day of hiking
in the Santa Monica Mountains

     I need a hypnotist, a brain washing practitioner, or some sort of psychiatrist to get this pre-workout negative feeling associativeness (made that word up) out of my head. It never fails to be so effortless to make up an excuse or talk myself out of why I can't work out for the day. I need more sleep; I've got too much to do now since I slept so much; I have to walk the dogs instead; I'd rather catch up on some TV; something hurts. But the fact of the matter is IF I make myself actually go, then once I'm there I evolve into something strong, determined and focused; and after I'm finished I feel good. Really good. Sure, I may not be able to use my legs or arms without revealing some majorly visible muscle fatigue induced seizures, but despite all my initial rebellion, I leave feeling relaxed and more energized at the same time. The endorphins make me a happier person for the rest of the day, I have more confidence about my body, and I tend to make better eating choices as well. The point I'm trying to make is this: If I know I feel all of those things when I go workout, then why don't I WANT to go? Why do I "reward" myself and "take breaks", by not going for a couple of weeks, until my body starts hating me and then decide to go back? I can't seem to figure it out either. I think part of my problem is I miss hiking in the mountains and biking to the ocean for a workout. The gym is a forced notion to me, and I despise anything forced. 



Meditating the view during a hike in Topanga Canyon

        Do you like sweet and salty nuts? Wait a minute. For a second, get your mind out of the gutter and be serious. There are these snack bars we are hooked on by Nature Valley and they're called Sweet and Salty Nuts and they are just that, with a layer of peanut butter. I had one today after barbell class and I must say it was very tasty and satisfying! I really needed to go workout the soreness from the viscous vaccine I received a few days ago. By the time class was coming to an end, by legs were shaking so hard during lunges, squats, and dead lifts that I wondered every time I bent my knees if they were going to be able to push me back up or just give out and let me collapse. The only thing that kept me going was hearing the instructor say, "Remember the BS word.....................BATHING SUIT!", which would have made me laugh had I not been so focused on keeping my feet planted on the floor instead of my face.
     I went Mother's Day shopping today and found some pretty useful goods. I think they're going to dig them. Note to self: stay far far away from World Market. I found way too many things in there that my mind was convinced it couldn't live without until my conscience talked myself out of it. That store is
D-A-N-G-E-R-O-U-S!



Nothing like biking along side the Pacific ocean, admiring the mountain view!

 

212 Degrees for Motivation

     We watched this at work, and although I'm usually the first person to turn my nose up at motivationally focused videos, I thought this one had a little something.......extra. The music is awesomely dramatic and it included a few wow-factor facts. It just might motivate you to try harder at something in your life.
     I went the extra mile at work after watching this video and finally made my way to employee health to get my DTAP vaccine. I've been procrastinating it since January knowing how bad my arm would ache afterwards. I must say, it has so far exceeded my expectations and has had an impressive ability to make my entire arm feel like it could fall off, and discourage all movement from elbow to neck! The crappy part is, you only have to get the shot once every ten years, but this is my second time in 1.5 years, since the last clinic that administered it only gave me the Diphtheria and Tetanus, ignoring the fact that their vaccine lacked Pertussis. Needless to say, I threw enough of a fit after that mistake that I received the treatment for free.
The short storm yesterday evening brought a little hail and not enough rain.
     A few nights ago, while I was working, a really bad storm came through and brought some hail and pretty wicked winds. We didn't realize it until it had passed that we were in a tornado zone, but had prepared to move all the babies to the middle of the unit if the Code Grey had progressed to anything worse. Man, I'm glad we got out of that one! What a pain in the neck! I fully enjoy the sound of rain and thunder and usually think the sound of a storm is pretty relaxing, but tornadoes are for the birds! STAY AWAY TORNADOES. STAY VERY FAR AWAY!

Thanks Mother Earth



Mother Earth showing off her beauty at last night's  game

      Happy early Earth day! In T+3 days, everyone will be gathering for festivities to celebrate Mother Earth and share ways to help conserve her. One of the ways Patrick and I do our part is by recycling. It's always bothered me to see countless plastics and cardboards thrown into the trash at the hospital; one can only image how many supplies are gone through daily! But I'm proud to say that Presby recycles and cares a great deal about educating their employees about recycling. Its the only hospital I've ever been employed for that does so. It helps me not feel so guilty for the "use once and throw away" policy. I'm a avid re-user, the left-over-queen, and have a crush on re-purposed junk made into treasures. Although I don't go as far as my father and re-use baggies several times in a row, I will take home my dinner date's food if they don't plan to and I do enjoy saving things for another time for when I think of something to make them into. Anthropology is my favorite browsing store. I'm always amazed by their brilliant flair to make anything beautiful. I'm always equally astounded at the price at which they value their creative creations, to which I photograph in my mind and sometimes my camera, in hopes of remaking similar objects for a thriftier bargain.  



I love my hunny!

 

      Last night's Ranger game was fun-tacular. The boys brought their A-game and we won, which is always great, as I continued on with  my mission to soak up as much of this enjoyable weather as possible before summer really sets in. It was 93F today and I could feel the heat in the wind, which makes me sad, for I dread the scorching heat of Texas summers. I also feel sad for all the families having to endure the fires right now. I have been enjoying the wind as a blessing, but obviously it's been more of a curse for some parts of the land. Some crazy girl sitting behind us kept spilling her amber beer all over us and she should consider herself lucky that I was in an exceptional mood. I love that the ballpark permits small soft coolers and so I brought us some homemade hot dogs and also enjoyed some more special kool-aid.  Which brings me to my next point, you HAVE to try pineapple vodka mixed with pink lemonade. It is delicious and refreshing!





Our Ranger Buddies

  

     This last Saturday after I got home from work, I took the dogs on a really long morning walk around the neighborhood and discovered a new little dog park hangout were they met some new friends.  Then I ate breakfast by the pool and took my nap outside waiting for the sun to warm things up. (I love to sleep outside, love love love it.) That afternoon, we enjoyed some fresh caught fried catfish and smoked brisket at our friend Ken and his wife's house. Them fools really know how to make my belly happy! Thanks Ken and D! Afterwards we came back to the apartment to be met by Patrick's sister Amy, one of our amazing nieces Haley, and a lovely family from Denten that Amy is good friends with. David played a part in helping me land my new job at Presby so fast (forever thankful to him) and I really enjoyed hanging out with all of them. We took them to our new Irish Pub hangout and watched them eat, since we had just came from the fish fry!  My only regret is how fast weekends always fly by. Stupid fast weekend. 









80's Flashback Latino Style

Here's the second video from the concert. It's my favorite song the Latino band performed, which was a cover for "Burning Down the House", as I mentioned in a previous blog. I wish I knew the name of this band. Apparently they recieved a Grammy for their last album!

Gypsy Punk

My favorite Gogol Bordello song. This is from the concert we just went to. I'm not sure how these two videos sound. This was my first time trying out the video function on the new camera and I was testing how it would handle an extremely loud and dark venue. Our silly computer's sound is broken, so I hope this is decent.

Toxic Chilli

( The following is not my story. I stole it from an email, but thought it was too funny not to share. While attempting to read it to a co-worker and had to stop becuase I was crying.)

****WARNING: ONLY Read This WHEN You Are Able To LAUGH OUT LOUD.****
     I went to Home Depot recently while not being altogether sure that
course of action was a wise one. You see, the previous evening I had
prepared and consumed a massive quantity of my patented 'you're
definitely going to sh*t yourself' road-kill chili. Tasty stuff,
although hot to the point of being painful, which comes with a written
guarantee from me that if you eat it, the next day both of your butt
cheeks WILL fall off. 
     Here's the thing. I had awakened that morning, and even after two cups
of coffee (and all of you know what I mean) nothing happened. No
'Watson's Movement. Despite the chilies swimming their way through my
intestinal tract, I was unable to create the usual morning symphony
referred to by my dear wife as 'thunder and lightning'. 
     Knowing that a time of reckoning HAD to come, yet not sure of just
when, I bravely set off for Home Depot, my quest being paint and
supplies to refinish the deck.  Upon entering the store at first all
seemed normal. I selected a cart and began pushing it about dropping
items in for purchase. It wasn't until I was at the opposite end of the
store from the toilets that the pain hit me. 
    Oh, don't look at me like you don't know what I'm talking about. I'm
referring to that 'Uh Oh, Sh*t, gotta go' pain that always seems to hit
us at the wrong time. The thing is, this pain was different. The
chilies from the night before were staging a revolt.  In a mad rush for
freedom they bullied their way through the small intestines, forcing
their way into the large intestines, and before I could take one step
in the direction of the toilets which would bring sweet relief, it
happened. The chilies fired a warning shot. 
     There I stood, alone in the paint and stain section, suddenly
enveloped in a toxic cloud the likes of which has never before been
recorded. I was afraid to move for fear that more of this vile odor
might escape me.  Slowly, oh so slowly, the pressure seemed to leave
the lower part of my body, and I began to move up the aisle and out of
it, just as an orange aproned clerk turned the corner and asked if I
needed any help. 
     I don't know what made me do it, but I stopped to see what his
reaction would be to the toxic non-visible fog that refused to
dissipate.. Have you ever been torn in two different directions
emotionally? Here's what I mean, and I'm sure some of you at least will
be able to relate.  I could've warned that poor clerk, but didn't. I
simply watched as he walked into an invisible, and apparently
indestructible, wall of odor so terrible that all he could do before
gathering his senses and running, was to stand there blinking and
waving his arms about his head as though trying to ward off angry bees.
This, of course, made me feel terrible, but then made me laugh.
........BIG mistake!!!!! 
     Here's the thing. When you laugh, it's hard to keep things 'clamped
down', if you know what I mean. With each new guffaw an explosive issue
burst forth from my nether region. Some were so loud and echoing that I
was later told a few folks in other aisles had ducked, fearing that
someone was robbing the store and firing off a shotgun.  Suddenly
things were no longer funny. 'It' was coming, and I raced off through
the store towards the toilet, laying down a cloud the whole way,
praying that I'd make it before the grand explosion took place.
     Luck was on my side. Just in the nick of time I got to the john,
began the inevitable 'Oh my God', floating above the toilet seat
because my ass is burning SO BAD, purging. One poor fellow walked in
while I was in the middle of what is the true meaning of 'Shock and
Awe'.. He made a gagging sound, and disgustedly said, 'Son-of-a-b*tch!,
did it smell that bad when you ate it?', then quickly left. 
     Once finished and I left the restroom, reacquired my partially filled
cart intending to carry on with my shopping when a store employee
approached me and said, 'Sir, you might want to step outside for a few
minutes. It appears some prankster set off a stink bomb in the store.
The manager is going to run the vent fans on high for a minute or two
which ought to take care of the problem.' 
     My smirking of course set me off again, causing residual gases to
escape me. The employee took one sniff, jumped back pulling his apron
up to cover his nose and, pointing at me in an accusing manner shouted,
'IT'S YOU!', then ran off returning moments later with the manager. I
was unceremoniously escorted from the premises and asked none too
kindly not to return. 
     Home again without my supplies, I realized that there was nothing to
eat but leftover chili, so I consumed two more bowls. The next day I
went to shop at Lowe's. I can't say anymore about that because we are
in court over the whole matter. Bastards claim they're going to have to
repaint the store.

Endearing Beats Macho

     Macho men are fine and all; they help keep the world evened out, but I prefer the endearing kind myself. I love coming home to a sweet note or card or thoughtful gesture. The other morning I got home and when I got in bed I noticed a envelope on my nightstand (actually a filing cabinet, but when your cramped for space you make due!) Inside was a sweet "just because card" and the writing scribbled, "I just wanted to let you know I love you in a different way, so you don't get tired of me saying it all the time". I never get tired of I love you's, life's too short not to squeeze them in as many times as possible.

       Callie hates going to the vet. She's super smart and knows what's coming, while Sumo thus far, has proven to be the more simple minded type. I took them on Tuesday for their yearly exams and vaccinations and had a couple of things I wanted to ask about anyway. As it turns out, our Yorkies will always stand out from the crowd, which I prefer to think just makes them more special. First, they are larger than average. Weighing above the Yorkie average at 9.5lb is Callie Carruth! And now surpassing Callie at only 5months of age is Sumo Carruth weighing in at a whopping 10.2lbs!!!!!! Second, Callie's tail isn't docked, which is already unique, but now it's also crooked. Since Sumo doesn't have a tail, he remains fascinated by hers, and spends his pass time running up behind Callie and biting her poor little tail. Sometime recently he chomped too hart and dislocated her vertebrae, which is un-fixable. Third, the vet also informed us that after 4 months of age, the ear cartilage is already set in its ways and since we didn't take action soon enough to train Sumo's ears to stand, they will always be floppy. The good news is, he is adorable with floppy ears, the tougher news is we will just have to pay special attention to them and keep them groomed and very clean to prevent ear infections. 

     To make up for all the shots and probing, we went for a nice walk in the park after our appointment. The weather was beautiful and quite a few more people were out than I had anticipated. Callie and Sumo got way more attention than me, as usual, and made a few friends along the way. The best part of our walk for me though, was seeing all the dads out bonding with their kids. I guess it was mommy work day. There was one dad and toddler that stopped to see the puppies and they were too cute on the bike together. The little girl had on a pink helmet and pink sunglasses sitting in a chair that fit between the seat and the handlebars of her dad's bike and they were out looking for rabbits, squirrels and puppies! How sweet. One  little boy, probably about 6/7 years old, growled back at Callie when she growled at his bicycle (she doesn't like moving wheels), which I found his fearlessness adorable. Another boy, around the same age, jumped off his bike while telling his dad he was going to go pet the dogs, and after petting them both, he said, "Your dogs are just too cute". It was so funny and grown-up sounding coming out of his mouth. As we were walking back to the car, I listened as a little girl no older than 4 or 5 yapped her dad's ear off without stopping for breath as he was getting her bike out of the car and he just listening intently. All of those things......endearing to my heart.

Callie and Sumo at Arbor Hills Park. They wanted to play in
that pond.  My answer? Not just "no", but "HECK NO!"

One more quick note: my little boy is officially a man as of this week. He just started raising his leg to pee and burning out after a deuce for the first time yesterday morning. They grow up so fast!!!

Bug Free and Proud of it!

     Ever have that feeling like a bug is crawling on you, but it in all reality there is nothing there. I got that false alarm tonight. It brought back the creepy crawly memory of a time when Patrick and I were brand new and cuddling together in my bed at mine and Amanda's old apartment on Lake Shore Dr. At the time, I thought, oh, it's just nothing........UNTIL.......I sat up, and a roach came running out of my hair and scurried across my pillow. It wasn't just a tiny baby roach either, as if that would make it any better. Oh No. It was a super-duper-Texas-forest-grown-water-bug-style roach. I reacted the way any female in her right mind would, of course, and freaked out, jumping around like a sissy, and screaming to my now-shocked-boyfriend to murder something that, for as far as he knew, could have been a pigment of my imagination. Instead of convincing me to get over it, becuase "where there's one, there's a hundred million" (the amazing peice of comfort my mom gave me when I called her for consolement), he was so sweet to actually take everything out from under my bed and spend a half hour hunting for it, just to make me feel better, as I watched safely from the dining room table. That's one of the first vibes I got that he was a sweet and caring person. Little did he know that going through such efforts to kill a roach would mean so much to a girl he barely knew, and would one day marry.

     I hate roaches with a deep passion. More honestly, I'm completely, utterly, and undeniably terrified of them; so terrified, that I can't even kill them. The crunch sends cringdes through my body. As clean as we kept that apartment, we couldn't keep the bugs out. You know that Orchid commercial where the roach crawls on the T.V screen and at first you think its real, until you realize its just part of the commercial? Well that happened at this apartment, only the roach that time was REAL. I managed to trap it under a DVD case and a can of orange soda, while Patrick kept me calm on the phone and I nervously watched the roach confining contraption until Amanda's boyfriend came home and killed it for me! I started to develop bug nightmares and nearly became as insane as Ahsley Judd and Michael Shannon in Bug (insane movie).  I once watched an episode of Newlyweds, a reality show where couples went through challenges together to win $50,000, and one of the challenges was to transport these roaches from one place to another in a amount of time using nothing but their hands and the clothes on their backs. That would be one challenge that I would forfit without question, even if I was gauranteed to win the $50,000. Not worth it.





     Our apartment in Plano, I'm proud to say, is entirely bug free. It's spring so I retired our winter wreath and made a new one a few weeks ago. I went to Hobby Lobby, hoping to find one on sale, and after looking at the prices, decided I could make a better one myself for cheaper, including all the flowers that I liked best. I destroyed the living room floor putting this together while watching 16 Candles, but it was fun, and I think the wreath didn't turn out too shabby either! Sumo also enjoyed himself, snatching up everything I sat on the floor and taking it to a safe spot to munch on.



     This is a real peice of art though. We saw this at the House of Blues and originally we were just complementing the individual peices of art, until we stood back and realized that it's one big peice all tied together by the individually unique smaller ones! How creative.

Wearing Purple

     Date night = great night. We had a delicious dinner at HOB, including a super aimed to please waiter, $20 off our tab with our tickets, and getting jump to the front of the concert line without waiting since we ate in house! I'm not sure if I've ever been to a bad concert. The energy of live music is just infectious. I also love ethnically inspired music, especially when it makes my hair vibrate, like this concert did. The song "Burning Down the House" has ever made me crave a margarita,  but this super fun opener Latino band did a version that made my mouth water for one! They had 10 people in their band, which I thought was a lot. Gogol Boredello eventually came out and everyone was so fired up. As much as I love dancing and being a part of the experience, I know for sure that I am not a mosh-pit girl. Patrick and I sat safely behind our table as we watched people, in the midst of all the mosh excitement, wave their open bottles of water in the air, slinging the contents careless through the air. All I could think is how mad I'd be had I been the landing spot for all that liquid! The people-watching view was in full effect and as it turns out, we were the weird ones attending. I regretted not taking the opportunity to put Patrick's hair in hundreds of little pony tails and wear my torn mesh leggings with combat boots! Maybe we will make that happened for Edge Fest later this month. As far as instruments go, I don't think accordion players get enough appreciation. There's a sideways keyboard on one side, a thousand buttons on the other side and they play all of this while pushing and pulling the middle, not looking down, and with rhythm! Wow. I think the guy that stood in front of our table needed to go take a number 2. I hate when you're in a crowd and someone has bad gas. But we did laugh about it, since that's all you can do; and be thankful that it's not your own rumbling stomach, right?!

      On the subject of gas, (somehow it always comes back to that) Sumo did something so funny the other morning. All was quiet in the apartment, since I was about to go to sleep, and I had asked the dogs to go to their rooms (in the bathroom). Sumo was sitting on the tile bathroom floor looking up at me, when I heard this squeaky tooting sound.....he farted! He immediately turned around and starting sniffing his butt, like he had no idea what just came out of there. It was too cute. That was the first time a actually heard a dog fart. I know you're glad I shared.

     I'm so proud to find out the cast of Jersey Shore is getting paid $100,000 PER EPISODE this season to do nothing but publicly party and be scandalous, while the government cut MORE funding to the Education and Environment departments this week to people that we all know work hard to make under $50,000 PER YEAR. Who needs well educated children, grade school teaching jobs, and parks for our families to go to? If I cross my eyes hard enough, I totally see how cutting out the jobs of civil service workers and paying the entertainment industry an even more obscene amount of money is going to help our economy. We will all just live in La La Land! As much fun as I had tonight, this is still on my mind. I'm developing enough wrath to turn into a protester.

     If you ever feel like you need an energy drink, turn up your radio, open your mind, and with an nonjudgmental ear, take a listen to this band. If it doesn't muster some source of energy out of you, then check your pulse; you may be dead. 

Vacation Bird

    I've never liked to wake up early in the morning. I can't say that I'm "not a morning person", because when I do wake up in the morning I'm not grumpy or mad, I'd just rather sleep until noon. Working day shift for 2 years, I always thought that one day I'd get used to waking up early as a normal experience and rise with the sun on my days off as well, but in my case "the worm" has never ceased to provoke anything out of this bird other than a series of snooze buttons.



Sumo and friend Molly chillin' at the pool

       Working 7PM-7AM however, poses a different way for me to enjoy mornings; I don't have to wake up early but still enjoy the greatness. With that being said, there a so many things that I do love about the early day. Yesterday morning after work I went to Wal-Mart and was greeted by a lovely doorman wearing a bright smile on his face and asked me if I just got off work. I confirmed and he said, "Well good for you for getting off work! How many hours are you shifts?", and told him 12hr and he said, "Oh my goodness, well God bless you too! You just have a glorious Sunday off!" I walked away, now carrying the same smile that he greeted me with. A little while later, I kept feeling like another shopper was sort of "following me", probably by coincidence I thought, until he finally compiled enough courage to ask me if I was a nurse (something I suppose he wanted to do for a couple of isle's or so). I said yes and he came closer and said, "I just want to thank you for doing what you do. I don't think enough people appreciate nurses the way they should." He went on to say that he had just been released from the hospital last week and the nurses that cared for him made his stay better than he thought it could be and he just wanted to let someone know about it. I thanked him for his generosity and let him know I was glad he's well and proceeded on with my shopping now wearing an even bigger smile. A while later, a man walking by said hello, asking how I was this morning, and after I reciprocated, he stopped and asked if I needed help finding anything (I guess he could tell that I looked a little lost). I told him I was looking for sun dried tomatoes and jokingly asked if he knew where they were (He just looked like a regular shopper with regular clothing on and how many men know where to find sun dried tomatoes?). He then told me that he is usually a vender for that store and walked over a few isles, yelled to someone to asked where they were and then took me to help find them! It was so nice of that man to help a lost shopper on his day off. I wish I was in the same category as these "morning people"; so many are so refreshingly nice and courteous.



Callie at the pool

 

     The weather was nice, the sidewalks occupied by runners and the streets with cyclists, so when I got home, I took Callie and Sumo down for our usual morning dog park hang out. We saw all the "regulars" and Sumo played with his best boxer friend Baboo. It was while I was sitting down there with them that I decided the day was too beautiful to waste sleeping inside, so I made a stout Bloody Mary and decided that I was taking a home vacation! After spending the light of day napping by the pool, Patrick and I had some delicious half price nachos and $2 Mimosa’s at a little Irish Pub in our neighborhood, made some new friends, and tried our very first Irish Car Bomb! It was just what the doctor ordered.

     Today, I decided that 1 day of vacation just isn't enough, so I slept in, and woke up to Parick coming home for lunch. We watched some Benny Hill, a first for me, and it confirmed slap stick is still funny. Then I went back to the pool, and let the dogs come with me this time. They made a new boxer friend, Molly, and after a few hours of play, decided it was time to enjoy some AC. Tonight we are going to the House of Blues to listen to Gogol Bordello perform, a really fun Gypsy Punk band from New York. Needless to say, I'm pumped!
     Did you get all the things I love about mornings? Getting off work, walmart, good people, running, biking, dog park friends, amazing weather.....and didn't mention breakfast, but it's definitely on the list!

TTFN

Music is Like Miracle Grow

     Seriously though, if you think about it, music really is like Miracle Grow for the brain. You know when you're studying for school or trying to learn all the policies at your new job and your head starts to hurt after so many hours and you begin thinking to yourself, "Do I really have enough space left in my brain for all this information?" Then you jump in your car and listen to some tunes and not only does your head start to feel better, but your body starts to feel better and before you know it, you've also learned a new song without even straining to think about it! You can also probably remember the words or melody line of a song you haven't heard in ages, but can't remember loads of information  if you haven't utilized it in your life for a good while. I think it's such a powerful force because unlike the shallow nature of information, music connects with us on so many different levels. It can be spiritual, emotional, energizing, empathizing, motivating, therapeutic even. I enjoy tons of varieties of music depending on what kind of mood I'm in, or what kind of mood I'd like to be motivated towards. It can help me finish a workout when I'd otherwise convince myself in giving up, get off the couch and dance when I would have been content as a vegetable, or bring back those very same feelings I had on my wedding day. I LOVE music. I love to play it, sing it, listen to it and feel it. Speaking of, I haven't much been a fan of Paul on American Idol lately, but he really rocked out "Folsom Prison" tonight. I was seriously about to get up and shake that booty, but I did shake a little leg.



There's popcorn lady in the blue!

 

     Last night Patrick and I went to the Ranger game and had a great time, of course. The wind was blowing like crazy, which made for a pretty darn chilly evening, but we came prepared and I wouldn't trade it for the blazing heat any day of the year! There was a interesting lady with poofy blonde curls fro-ing out of her sunviser sporting sun glasses at night setting to the left of Patrick who kept eating popcorn without regards to the wind blowing everything out of her hand on to me and Patrick, which made for a good giggle. Then she left for a while and came back with an entire tray of food and as she was eating it, it was everywhere, on her, blowing on to us and as if that wasn't enough, the smell of the brisket and nacho cheese covered french fries was brought to our noses by the wind every second she was eating them. We stood strong and held out for real food after the game though, minus my Lemon chill treat, which I absolutely enjoyed every bite of!




Showcasing the Chill

  





Masked Ranger Cheering Cape Guy

        I forgot to mention a couple of hilarious things that happened on Friday when we were at Opening Day. It was very sunny that day and so we had both been wearing sunglasses, up until the sun diminished behind our amazingly positioned seats. So when the time was right, I placed my sunglasses in the appropriate place (our bag), and Patrick had put his on top of his head. There were some exciting things that happened and I can't deny that we, as good fans do, jumped up and cheered a few times. Later during the game, we were cracking up about this obviously drunk guy setting directly in front of us that kept nodding off and as his head started to lean to the side Patrick noticed something strange and said, "Hey! Look at that!", pointing to some glasses hanging from the shirt of the napping drunk, "He has glasses that look like mine!" The guy woke up and when we mentioned how funny that was to him, he said "Yeah man, these just came flying out of the sky, aren't they cool!?" Followed by me saying, "Hey! Those are Patrick's, give those back!" To make a long story longer, we laughed about that forever; he was just going to keep them! One more shorter narrative: While we were at Hooters with Jessica and Bobby, all four of us were famined and ordered some appetizers, wings and fried pickles. The fried pickles basically came out as all of our meals did and in all the excitement, Bobby didn't realize we had already received the pickles and in a state of confusion asked the waitress, "What?! We didn't get no BONELESS PICKLES?", in which the waitress replied now also in a state of confusion..."Huh?" It took a moment to reorient the two of them, but for the rest of the night, everything had to be boneless.  Boneless beer, boneless french fries, you get the picture. Classic Comedy. Just classic.




Eating boneless pickles and drinking boneless beer

  TTFN

Baseball and Itches

TEXAS....RANGERS......AMERICA! Salute!

Potty real-estate

      You know when you have that pesky itch and try as you might, but just can't pinpoint it's origin? "I think maybe it's my arm, nope! Maybe my back....to the left, to the right....not quite right!" You start scratching everywhere to find that sweet spot. Well, that's how I feel about where I want to settle down; it's like that untraceable itch. Do I want to live in Plano...?...Austin...?..Denver..?..Los Angeles...?...somewhere in-between???????? If we settle down in Texas, will I ever be truley satisfied with our lives or wish we moved to better scenery with more outdoor things to do that encouraged a healthy and active way of living. Or if we settle down in Denver will I one day regret raising children further than a 2hr drive away from their grandparents, or maybe decide I don't like the cold as much as I think I do? If we settle in LA, will we be able to live in an area that had a descent school district for our children? What if we don't even have children!? We would love to for sure, but what if that is not a part of God's plan despite what "we want"? The problem is, eventually locating a bodily itch is still much more a quicker achievement than knowing if you've picked the right place to settle down and raise a family. I'm fine with having adult responsibilities..... BILLS     -    CHORES       -    WORK          -      WHATEVER....... the only thing I've ever struggled with, is knowing where the heck I want to live. I take that back; it was a lie. I know where I want to live, but I don't know where I should live.

People watching, look at this guy!

     So, on a way less seriously note: when is it considered acceptable having a drink before noon you ask? I can think of a couple of times. When you're on vacation anything goes; and when it's Opening Day for the Rangers, it's a MUST! Patrick and I went to our first opening day together on Friday and had an absolute blast. We took a town car to the ballpark, arriving at 10am before the crowds piled in, laid out our picnic blanket under the trees on a beautiful day and proceeded to spend the next 4hours people watching, catching some rays and playing with our new camera. To top off the Rangers winning, we found out one of my co-workers and her boyfriend have the same partial season tickets as we do in the same section and row as us! So fun. We all went to Hooters afterwards and I had my first Hooters hot wings! Crazy, I know, but I am a fish and chips kind of girl.

Deisel loving on Sumo

      Saturday afternoon, we had a play date with our old friends Krystal and Justin and each of us got to introduce our new additions to the families. They have a new fur ball named Lilly that is so adorable and their 75lb dog Diesel fell in love with Sumo. They were instant buds, laying together bellies up in the grass playing while Diesel gave Sumo a puppy bath!  The big people ate fajitas, got caught up over some wine and finished the night off on the porch with a fire and delicious smores. (I have a love affair with smores. When we had a gas stove, I used to make them just to get a taste, but that fire flavor is irreplaceable!) When we finally made it home Callie and Sumo both fell asleep in record time.

     I had no worries about the super busy weekend, thinking I had 6 days off to recover, but finding myself at work instead is definitely not anything to complain about. I got great experience getting to go back and help on a complicated multiples delivery, and making the money to pay for my new toy (camera) is bonus. My only regret is not getting to make my hunny a milk-shake like I had promised, but I will make it up to him soon.  

Jessica and Bobby, happy since the "boneless pickles arrived"!