365 days.
12 months.
52 weeks.
it was a year of unexpected delights, of new jobs, of laughter, evilness and silliness.
a year of meeting new friends online. of sharing your joys, fears, terrors and tears.
i cried with you when the tests came back negative. prayed for you when your parents/children were suddenly, unexpectedly hospitalized.
we shared more this year, than i think i've shared with my 'real life' friends.
this was a year of endings. of beginnings. of boredom. of thrills.
a year of weight gain. and for many of you, weight loss (you GO, girl!).
a year that brought us something as horrific as kids being shot in West Virginia.
and as laughable as this. or, God help us, this.
a year that ended with no new TV shows. once again, writers rock.
a year that involved being lied to about my best friend having a diabetic episode to get me out to my own surprise birthday party and also involved going to Whittier for Mexican food. (i know. i plan on letting this go soon. just not yet.)
i'm blessed because i'm ending the year with every member of my family still here. and i'm also ending it with the same ol' Husband i started the year with.
a new year is always looked at as a new beginning. a chance to start again and to make resolutions. but the cool thing is, every day we are allowed to live is a chance for a new beginning.
that is the coolest thing of all. no need to wait until December 31st to make changes. changes can begin right now. no waiting till midnight. no waiting period.
and i cannot think of better people to share it with. Happy New Year.
Dec 31, 2007
Dec 28, 2007
fly boy. part too.
"More than anything else, the sensation [of flying] is one of perfect peace mingled with an excitement that strains every nerve to the utmost - if you can conceive of such a combination." - Wilbur Wright
"holy crap, i did it." - Husband
as long as i've know the Husband (back when he was a friend, then a boyfriend), he has wanted to fly.
his dad flew. his brother flies. and when you accused my Husband of having his head in the clouds, well, you weren't far off base, mister.
but that's another post.
he's gone after that FAA approval several times in his adult life. (you can read the extended version here.) the farthest he got was actual flying time.
he's back there again. he passed his test with a 93% accuracy.
i cannot tell you how bloody proud i am of him. i mean, really - how often in our all too-short lives to we actually get the chance to accomplish a life-long dream?
not often enough.
this is my boyo. my love. my life. and he's on his way to accomplish something he's always wanted to.
you go, boy. your dreams really are up in the clouds.
"holy crap, i did it." - Husband
as long as i've know the Husband (back when he was a friend, then a boyfriend), he has wanted to fly.
his dad flew. his brother flies. and when you accused my Husband of having his head in the clouds, well, you weren't far off base, mister.
but that's another post.
he's gone after that FAA approval several times in his adult life. (you can read the extended version here.) the farthest he got was actual flying time.
he's back there again. he passed his test with a 93% accuracy.
i cannot tell you how bloody proud i am of him. i mean, really - how often in our all too-short lives to we actually get the chance to accomplish a life-long dream?
not often enough.
this is my boyo. my love. my life. and he's on his way to accomplish something he's always wanted to.
you go, boy. your dreams really are up in the clouds.
family+holiday=x.
now it's your job to find out what "x" really is.
so. i told you my mom was sick on Christmas, AND the days following. yesterday, she said, was the first day she really felt human again. and as such, she wanted to go have a deelish fried chicken dinner over @ Knott's.
naturally, when you are recovering from ANY kind of a stomach bug, you want to eat deelish, if a little greasy, fried chicken with biscuits, corn, mashed potatoes & gravy, salad AND chicken soup.
did i mention you also get a slice of pie for dessert? all for the low, low price of $14.95.
it's really good. really, really good. otherwise, it wouldn't have been around since the 30's, right?
however, it's not my little secret. everyone knows about it.
and everyone was in line for it last night. matter of fact, the line went out of the restaurant, along the front of the building, then, down the other side of the building..all the way to the back entrance.
the wait was two hours.
duuuuuude.
as a matter of fact, the host of the restaurant came by to get the number of people in each party, and in talking to the group behind me, said that last Saturday, the line made its way all the over to the exit of the park...about a quarter of a mile long line, he said.
duuuuuude. that ain't right.
so, being the first one there, i called the parents, driving over. and naturally, they had no intention of waiting two hours for dinner.
let's go get Mexican, my mom says. great, i reply. we've got a really good one just up the 91 freeway.
no. my mom says. we'll go to Senor Compost (i swear. that's what she calls it) in Whittier. that's about a seven mile drive from here. our restaurant is only three miles up the freeway. but it's the same distance according to my mom.
oh goody. let's go to Whittier.
there's something about people when they are absolutely convinced they're right. they are as firm in their conviction as a kernel of caramel corn stuck in your shag carpet.
my mom was that caramel corn in my shag carpet. even though i don't have shag.
dinner was OK. the company was way better. oh, and by the way, the restaurant is called Senor Compos.
and to quote the late great Gilda Radner's Emily Latilla from Saturday Night Live - well - now that's very different.
never mind.
in other weird news...
at my birthday dinner group's Christmas party, we somehow got on the subject of...leg cramps. and apparently, if you get them, the cure is to stick a bar of soap under your bottom sheet. the chick that told us about it, said she tried it.
it.really.worked.
well, allrighty, then.
i'm trying it tonight.
and in one last note...Hagan Daas has a holiday (read: limited edition) flavor out. green tea.
are you making a face? don't. if it's anything like the green tea ice cream we get any time we go to a Japanese Teppan restaurant, i will be in hog heaven.
so let's review: so far i've covered unreasonable parents, chicken dinners, Mexican food, leg cramps and bars of soap and green tea ice cream.
they don't call it Random Thoughts for nothing, kids.
so. i told you my mom was sick on Christmas, AND the days following. yesterday, she said, was the first day she really felt human again. and as such, she wanted to go have a deelish fried chicken dinner over @ Knott's.
naturally, when you are recovering from ANY kind of a stomach bug, you want to eat deelish, if a little greasy, fried chicken with biscuits, corn, mashed potatoes & gravy, salad AND chicken soup.
did i mention you also get a slice of pie for dessert? all for the low, low price of $14.95.
it's really good. really, really good. otherwise, it wouldn't have been around since the 30's, right?
however, it's not my little secret. everyone knows about it.
and everyone was in line for it last night. matter of fact, the line went out of the restaurant, along the front of the building, then, down the other side of the building..all the way to the back entrance.
the wait was two hours.
duuuuuude.
as a matter of fact, the host of the restaurant came by to get the number of people in each party, and in talking to the group behind me, said that last Saturday, the line made its way all the over to the exit of the park...about a quarter of a mile long line, he said.
duuuuuude. that ain't right.
so, being the first one there, i called the parents, driving over. and naturally, they had no intention of waiting two hours for dinner.
let's go get Mexican, my mom says. great, i reply. we've got a really good one just up the 91 freeway.
no. my mom says. we'll go to Senor Compost (i swear. that's what she calls it) in Whittier. that's about a seven mile drive from here. our restaurant is only three miles up the freeway. but it's the same distance according to my mom.
oh goody. let's go to Whittier.
there's something about people when they are absolutely convinced they're right. they are as firm in their conviction as a kernel of caramel corn stuck in your shag carpet.
my mom was that caramel corn in my shag carpet. even though i don't have shag.
dinner was OK. the company was way better. oh, and by the way, the restaurant is called Senor Compos.
and to quote the late great Gilda Radner's Emily Latilla from Saturday Night Live - well - now that's very different.
never mind.
in other weird news...
at my birthday dinner group's Christmas party, we somehow got on the subject of...leg cramps. and apparently, if you get them, the cure is to stick a bar of soap under your bottom sheet. the chick that told us about it, said she tried it.
it.really.worked.
well, allrighty, then.
i'm trying it tonight.
and in one last note...Hagan Daas has a holiday (read: limited edition) flavor out. green tea.
are you making a face? don't. if it's anything like the green tea ice cream we get any time we go to a Japanese Teppan restaurant, i will be in hog heaven.
so let's review: so far i've covered unreasonable parents, chicken dinners, Mexican food, leg cramps and bars of soap and green tea ice cream.
they don't call it Random Thoughts for nothing, kids.
Dec 26, 2007
let the mayhem continue.
Happy Boxing Day!
(and if any of my Canadian, Irish or British friends can please tell me what the heck Boxing day really is, i would be indebted to you. truly.)
it may be the day after, but i am still wrapping presents and putting stockings together.
we had a lovely, quiet Christmas. watching movies Santa brought, as well as Bond flicks on SpikeTV.
my mom, not so much.
Monday, she and my step-pop went to Disneyland to be with the family. they ate breakfast out there, and my mom, for whatever reason, had scrambled eggs.
scrambled eggs & my mom? not a mix. she spent all of yesterday drinking Pepto instead of eggnog. not nice.
tonight we're supposed to meet @ Knott's for dinner and gift exchange. we'll see...it depends naturally on how she feels.
meanwhile - the Husband and i are debating when we should go and meet up with them. i do want to see Kyler, Maddie & Lucas - and their parents as well, but man. it really chaps my hide to think of spending anywhere from $65-85 for a one park/one day or two park/one day pass, much less going during Christmas break, with 20,000,000 people there.
chaps.my.hide.
reminds me a little too much of New Year's eve 1999. (remember that, Kristie? oy.)
my friend, his step-son and his wife, along with another couple, came down from the Bay Area for New Year's and invited us to come along.
Disneyland for New Year's? why not?
somehow, we got the bright idea that it would be totally cool to stand in front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle as we passed millenniums.
hmm. 'passed millenniums.' sounds almost as enticing as passing kidney stones. and a LOT more painful.
my friend Kristie came down and brought her then 7 year old daughter. Husband & i hung out at our spot near the front of the castle; they had erected a countdown clock, so we knew how much longer we'd be standing. or sitting.
but as the day wore on, more and more people started squeezing in our spaces. we were roped off. eventually, people were literally walking over us to get across to other places. Kristie's girl was laying on the sidewalk, trying to nap, while we were attempting to keep her from being trampled.
dude. not a good scene.
believe me when i say that two minutes after midnight, we were in the crush to get out of the Park and head back to the hotel.
we found out later that officials for the park said they should've closed the park earlier and not let more people in. but that's what greed will do for a corporation.
turn an innocent mouse into a snarling, drooling, money-grubbing rabid rodent.
back in the day, from about 1989 until 1997, i had an annual pass for Disneyland. that, Gentle Reader, was sweet. it was cool to head out there for a few hours, grab a coffee and do some people watching.
makes me wish i had been a sociology major. the papers i could've written on human behaviour.
i still wish i had one.
back then, there was only one. 365 days of Disney magic for the low, low price of $199. now - they range from $129 for 170 days to $379 for 365 days.
people i know who work there call the $129 pass the 'pre-school pass,' because with the amount of days blacked out, it will work best for SAHM's who have pre schoolers and can go on a Tuesday morning for an hour or two.
the premium annual pass? no thanks. there's other things i'd rather spend $379 on.
i'm still not sure how i went from Boxing Day to Disneyland...but whatever.
it's what Random Thoughts are all about.
(and if any of my Canadian, Irish or British friends can please tell me what the heck Boxing day really is, i would be indebted to you. truly.)
it may be the day after, but i am still wrapping presents and putting stockings together.
we had a lovely, quiet Christmas. watching movies Santa brought, as well as Bond flicks on SpikeTV.
my mom, not so much.
Monday, she and my step-pop went to Disneyland to be with the family. they ate breakfast out there, and my mom, for whatever reason, had scrambled eggs.
scrambled eggs & my mom? not a mix. she spent all of yesterday drinking Pepto instead of eggnog. not nice.
tonight we're supposed to meet @ Knott's for dinner and gift exchange. we'll see...it depends naturally on how she feels.
meanwhile - the Husband and i are debating when we should go and meet up with them. i do want to see Kyler, Maddie & Lucas - and their parents as well, but man. it really chaps my hide to think of spending anywhere from $65-85 for a one park/one day or two park/one day pass, much less going during Christmas break, with 20,000,000 people there.
chaps.my.hide.
reminds me a little too much of New Year's eve 1999. (remember that, Kristie? oy.)
my friend, his step-son and his wife, along with another couple, came down from the Bay Area for New Year's and invited us to come along.
Disneyland for New Year's? why not?
somehow, we got the bright idea that it would be totally cool to stand in front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle as we passed millenniums.
hmm. 'passed millenniums.' sounds almost as enticing as passing kidney stones. and a LOT more painful.
my friend Kristie came down and brought her then 7 year old daughter. Husband & i hung out at our spot near the front of the castle; they had erected a countdown clock, so we knew how much longer we'd be standing. or sitting.
but as the day wore on, more and more people started squeezing in our spaces. we were roped off. eventually, people were literally walking over us to get across to other places. Kristie's girl was laying on the sidewalk, trying to nap, while we were attempting to keep her from being trampled.
dude. not a good scene.
believe me when i say that two minutes after midnight, we were in the crush to get out of the Park and head back to the hotel.
we found out later that officials for the park said they should've closed the park earlier and not let more people in. but that's what greed will do for a corporation.
turn an innocent mouse into a snarling, drooling, money-grubbing rabid rodent.
back in the day, from about 1989 until 1997, i had an annual pass for Disneyland. that, Gentle Reader, was sweet. it was cool to head out there for a few hours, grab a coffee and do some people watching.
makes me wish i had been a sociology major. the papers i could've written on human behaviour.
i still wish i had one.
back then, there was only one. 365 days of Disney magic for the low, low price of $199. now - they range from $129 for 170 days to $379 for 365 days.
people i know who work there call the $129 pass the 'pre-school pass,' because with the amount of days blacked out, it will work best for SAHM's who have pre schoolers and can go on a Tuesday morning for an hour or two.
the premium annual pass? no thanks. there's other things i'd rather spend $379 on.
i'm still not sure how i went from Boxing Day to Disneyland...but whatever.
it's what Random Thoughts are all about.
Dec 25, 2007
Merry Christmas!!
and a Merry Christmas to you & yours from me and mine.
bad english. no cookie for me.
it's started out quietly enough and i'm completely good with that. Santa came last night, bringing unnecessary goodies in our stockings (including Silly Putty, a key chain pinball machine and a pocket Etch-a-Sketch.
goody! now i can lose my mind while trying to draw on a pocket Etch-a-Sketch. or, maybe because it's smaller, i'll only lose a smaller part of me noggin.
Santa brought a new suit, extra pants, black dress shirt and a new black tie for Brendan. Elvis got a clean litter box (believe me, that is truly the gift that keeps on giving), a new batch of kitty grass to eat and kitty treats to nosh.
oh, along with some bites of ham for breakfast. dang cat lives better than some kids.
Santa also brought two dvds for Yours Truly, along with the Bind-it-All i wanted.
wise one, the Big Kahuna is. very wise indeed.
my parental units are off to Disneyland again, spending another day with the grand & great grand kids.
did i not tell you? my stepbrother's oldest daughter, her husband and their three kids are out here, along with her mom, brother and various other family members, visiting Disneyland on Make-a-Wish's dimes.
oldest daughter's oldest son has leukemia. he's been on treatments for almost three years now, and they believe they have it in remission. thank God.
five is too young to be knowing so much about hospitals, ports and other such things.
anywhooo...
Make-a-Wish contacted them, asking if he were chosen, what would he like to do? his answer was to take his family to Disneyland and meet Sully from "Monsters Inc".
and so it came to pass that the good people of Make-a-Wish flew Kyler and the whole famdamily out here and Disneyland arranged a special party so Kyler could meet Sully.
probably a good thing i wasn't there. all my mascara would've been somewhere along my jawline.
as for us right now, we're both in our jammies, Husband is still napping, we have a James Bond movie on the TV and the cat is searching for a nice, quiet lap to lay in.
indeed - all is calm.
wishing you the magic only this day can bring. Merry Christmas.
bad english. no cookie for me.
it's started out quietly enough and i'm completely good with that. Santa came last night, bringing unnecessary goodies in our stockings (including Silly Putty, a key chain pinball machine and a pocket Etch-a-Sketch.
goody! now i can lose my mind while trying to draw on a pocket Etch-a-Sketch. or, maybe because it's smaller, i'll only lose a smaller part of me noggin.
Santa brought a new suit, extra pants, black dress shirt and a new black tie for Brendan. Elvis got a clean litter box (believe me, that is truly the gift that keeps on giving), a new batch of kitty grass to eat and kitty treats to nosh.
oh, along with some bites of ham for breakfast. dang cat lives better than some kids.
Santa also brought two dvds for Yours Truly, along with the Bind-it-All i wanted.
wise one, the Big Kahuna is. very wise indeed.
my parental units are off to Disneyland again, spending another day with the grand & great grand kids.
did i not tell you? my stepbrother's oldest daughter, her husband and their three kids are out here, along with her mom, brother and various other family members, visiting Disneyland on Make-a-Wish's dimes.
oldest daughter's oldest son has leukemia. he's been on treatments for almost three years now, and they believe they have it in remission. thank God.
five is too young to be knowing so much about hospitals, ports and other such things.
anywhooo...
Make-a-Wish contacted them, asking if he were chosen, what would he like to do? his answer was to take his family to Disneyland and meet Sully from "Monsters Inc".
and so it came to pass that the good people of Make-a-Wish flew Kyler and the whole famdamily out here and Disneyland arranged a special party so Kyler could meet Sully.
probably a good thing i wasn't there. all my mascara would've been somewhere along my jawline.
as for us right now, we're both in our jammies, Husband is still napping, we have a James Bond movie on the TV and the cat is searching for a nice, quiet lap to lay in.
indeed - all is calm.
wishing you the magic only this day can bring. Merry Christmas.
Dec 24, 2007
SO not PC.
the other day, i did something completely NOT politically correct.
i wished someone a Merry Christmas.
i know, i know. i'm a rebel and i'll never be any good. but dagnabbit, i'm tired.
i'm tired of tip-toeing around this time of year.
i'm tired of offending, when i end up feeling offended.
i'm tired of apologizing for my beliefs.
so, in the grocery store the other day, i took the bull by the horns. i wished the clerk a Merry Christmas.
she didn't really know what to do. or say.
come on. i have several friends who are Jewish. i wish them a Happy Hanukkah. i have no problem with that, but when it gets closer to Christmas, i'm saying Merry Christmas.
dadgumit.
what really put me over the edge today (besides the espresso that i'm CONVINCED the barista @ Starbucks put in my Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha) was when i passed a church on my way to work, and their message board wished everyone Happy Holidays.
OK. wait a minute. if a church that teaches the birth of Christ wishes you a happy holiday, well...something just ain't quite right.
meanwhile, rebel that i am, will be wishing a Merry Christmas, right up until tomorrow night.
in other news....
today was a short day @ work. and we also had our white elephant gift exchange today.
most fun we've had there in a year.
there was the usual - candles, a hot cocoa set, toaster, a small, very used tv, pig lips.
yeah, i said pig lips. in.a.jar. oh dear googly moogly.
oh and a macrame belt kit from Singer. the sewing machine company. it came with hair extensions.
did i mention i got that one? and that the macrame kit HAD to be from the late 70s? and it still had late 70's dust on the package.
baby, you just can't buy quality memories like that. but apparently someone has, and has given it to the white elephant fiesta.
i can't wait till next year.
so on Christmas eve, i want to thank you for your love, laughter, tears and friendship you have extended to me through your blogs, and in a few cases, real life. i am blessed beyond reason by your gifts to me.
and to all of you, from Brendan, Elvis the Wonderkat and yours truly, we all wish you, Gentle Reader, the merriest of Christmases, the happiest of memories and peace on earth.
OK, Elvis is really only interested in tuna, but the rest of us really do wish that for you.
peace.
i wished someone a Merry Christmas.
i know, i know. i'm a rebel and i'll never be any good. but dagnabbit, i'm tired.
i'm tired of tip-toeing around this time of year.
i'm tired of offending, when i end up feeling offended.
i'm tired of apologizing for my beliefs.
so, in the grocery store the other day, i took the bull by the horns. i wished the clerk a Merry Christmas.
she didn't really know what to do. or say.
come on. i have several friends who are Jewish. i wish them a Happy Hanukkah. i have no problem with that, but when it gets closer to Christmas, i'm saying Merry Christmas.
dadgumit.
what really put me over the edge today (besides the espresso that i'm CONVINCED the barista @ Starbucks put in my Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha) was when i passed a church on my way to work, and their message board wished everyone Happy Holidays.
OK. wait a minute. if a church that teaches the birth of Christ wishes you a happy holiday, well...something just ain't quite right.
meanwhile, rebel that i am, will be wishing a Merry Christmas, right up until tomorrow night.
in other news....
today was a short day @ work. and we also had our white elephant gift exchange today.
most fun we've had there in a year.
there was the usual - candles, a hot cocoa set, toaster, a small, very used tv, pig lips.
yeah, i said pig lips. in.a.jar. oh dear googly moogly.
oh and a macrame belt kit from Singer. the sewing machine company. it came with hair extensions.
did i mention i got that one? and that the macrame kit HAD to be from the late 70s? and it still had late 70's dust on the package.
baby, you just can't buy quality memories like that. but apparently someone has, and has given it to the white elephant fiesta.
i can't wait till next year.
so on Christmas eve, i want to thank you for your love, laughter, tears and friendship you have extended to me through your blogs, and in a few cases, real life. i am blessed beyond reason by your gifts to me.
and to all of you, from Brendan, Elvis the Wonderkat and yours truly, we all wish you, Gentle Reader, the merriest of Christmases, the happiest of memories and peace on earth.
OK, Elvis is really only interested in tuna, but the rest of us really do wish that for you.
peace.
Dec 22, 2007
-40-
from Steff. yeah, i know - it's long. she said the same thing. but i thought this might make up for my long-windedness you don't get during the week.
1. I have come to realize that my butt: will always be behind me. and since i don't have to look at it, well, outta sight...
2. I have come to realize that when I talk: not everyone listens to me.
3. I have come to realize that I need:to forgive and forget and move on.
4. I have come to realize that I lost: well, not my butt. i guess some of my Christmas joy.
5. I have come to realize that I hate it when: every 28 days rolls around. still.
6. I have come to realize that marriage: isn't exactly what I thought it was...some days aren't that great, naturally, but it's still good. i'd do it again and with the same guy.
7. I have come to realize that work: is just work. it doesn't, nor ever will define me.
8. I have come to realize that I will always be:considered weird by some. oh well. to quote Cathy Zielske, i am, just as God made me, sir.
9. I have come to realize that I like: me. just as i am, sir.
10. I have come to realize that the last time I cried: was over a bloody movie. gad. i HATE being so dang sentimental.
11.I have come to realize that my cell phone is: part of my life. how in the world did i manage without one?
12. I have come to realize that before I go to sleep at night: i'm usually watching TV. bad.
13. I am currently thinking about: how many dang questions there are here.
14. I have come to realize that babies: are never gonna happen here.
15. I have come to realize that when I get on Myspace: what's MySpace? so kidding.
16. I have come to realize that today I will: be lazy. yahoo!
17. I have come to realize that tonight I will: not have to cook much. dinner's in the crock pot!
18. I have come to realize that tomorrow I will: so need to bake and wrap and wrap and wrap...
19. Where's the best place to eat a romantic dinner? anyplace i don't have to cook.
20. What did you want to be when you were growing up? a World-Famous author.
21. How many colleges did you attend? oh, let's see...Long Beach City, Orange Coast and Saddleback.
22. Why did you wear the shirt that you have on right now? because it had long sleeves and it was cooooold this a.m.
23. If you could visit anywhere and take someone with you...i know, it should be Hawaii, but i'd really love to go to Ireland and Japan.
24. What errand/chore do you despise? cleaning tubs and sinks. bleah.
25. If you didn't have to work, would you volunteer at an art gallery? doubtful. i ain't that smart.
26. What is your favorite cartoon character? Secret Squirrel.
27. Are you planning on remaining in your current field? i'd like to. i'd like to actually retire on my terms, not theirs!
28.Beach or lake? i know - California girl should always say the beach. but any body of water gets my vote.
29. What's your drink? A&W rootbeer. yum-o.
30. Cowboys or Indians? indian. i always wanted to be an indian princess. they got to ride horses.
31. Cops or Robbers? um....firemen?
32. Who from high school would you like to run into? Denise or David.
33. Have you ever had to use a firearm? only at the shooting gallery. and i suck.
34. Last book you read? Favorite Recipes from the Food Network Stars. how pathetic is that?!
35, Do you have a teddy bear? are you kidding? i have gazillions! my latest and most favorite is one my friend bought me @ Build a Bear. yes, i went to BAB. get over it. he has boxers on. that's it. i know...i'm not well.
36. Somewhere in California you've never been and would like to go? oh heck..i think i've been to all the biggies...
37. Number of texts in a day? are you kidding? i SO suck at texting.
38. If you had to choose- would you start a new career or relationship? career. i'd love to work someplace fun and creative. not that i'm either, but dang, it's hard working in the current environment.
39. How many jobs have you had? let's see...i've been a counter girl at a diner and a pizza place, a clerk @ a pharmacy and Woolworth's, a receptionist @ Supercuts and a car dealership, an junior loan processor and at the current place of employment - typist, proofreader, query coordinator, graphic artist, production coordinator & facilitator and incomplete reports girl.
i do get around.
40. Are you where you thought you would be at this age? oh hardly. but come on, life never takes you where you think you're gonna go, does it?
i pick you, you, and....you, way in the back!
1. I have come to realize that my butt: will always be behind me. and since i don't have to look at it, well, outta sight...
2. I have come to realize that when I talk: not everyone listens to me.
3. I have come to realize that I need:to forgive and forget and move on.
4. I have come to realize that I lost: well, not my butt. i guess some of my Christmas joy.
5. I have come to realize that I hate it when: every 28 days rolls around. still.
6. I have come to realize that marriage: isn't exactly what I thought it was...some days aren't that great, naturally, but it's still good. i'd do it again and with the same guy.
7. I have come to realize that work: is just work. it doesn't, nor ever will define me.
8. I have come to realize that I will always be:considered weird by some. oh well. to quote Cathy Zielske, i am, just as God made me, sir.
9. I have come to realize that I like: me. just as i am, sir.
10. I have come to realize that the last time I cried: was over a bloody movie. gad. i HATE being so dang sentimental.
11.I have come to realize that my cell phone is: part of my life. how in the world did i manage without one?
12. I have come to realize that before I go to sleep at night: i'm usually watching TV. bad.
13. I am currently thinking about: how many dang questions there are here.
14. I have come to realize that babies: are never gonna happen here.
15. I have come to realize that when I get on Myspace: what's MySpace? so kidding.
16. I have come to realize that today I will: be lazy. yahoo!
17. I have come to realize that tonight I will: not have to cook much. dinner's in the crock pot!
18. I have come to realize that tomorrow I will: so need to bake and wrap and wrap and wrap...
19. Where's the best place to eat a romantic dinner? anyplace i don't have to cook.
20. What did you want to be when you were growing up? a World-Famous author.
21. How many colleges did you attend? oh, let's see...Long Beach City, Orange Coast and Saddleback.
22. Why did you wear the shirt that you have on right now? because it had long sleeves and it was cooooold this a.m.
23. If you could visit anywhere and take someone with you...i know, it should be Hawaii, but i'd really love to go to Ireland and Japan.
24. What errand/chore do you despise? cleaning tubs and sinks. bleah.
25. If you didn't have to work, would you volunteer at an art gallery? doubtful. i ain't that smart.
26. What is your favorite cartoon character? Secret Squirrel.
27. Are you planning on remaining in your current field? i'd like to. i'd like to actually retire on my terms, not theirs!
28.Beach or lake? i know - California girl should always say the beach. but any body of water gets my vote.
29. What's your drink? A&W rootbeer. yum-o.
30. Cowboys or Indians? indian. i always wanted to be an indian princess. they got to ride horses.
31. Cops or Robbers? um....firemen?
32. Who from high school would you like to run into? Denise or David.
33. Have you ever had to use a firearm? only at the shooting gallery. and i suck.
34. Last book you read? Favorite Recipes from the Food Network Stars. how pathetic is that?!
35, Do you have a teddy bear? are you kidding? i have gazillions! my latest and most favorite is one my friend bought me @ Build a Bear. yes, i went to BAB. get over it. he has boxers on. that's it. i know...i'm not well.
36. Somewhere in California you've never been and would like to go? oh heck..i think i've been to all the biggies...
37. Number of texts in a day? are you kidding? i SO suck at texting.
38. If you had to choose- would you start a new career or relationship? career. i'd love to work someplace fun and creative. not that i'm either, but dang, it's hard working in the current environment.
39. How many jobs have you had? let's see...i've been a counter girl at a diner and a pizza place, a clerk @ a pharmacy and Woolworth's, a receptionist @ Supercuts and a car dealership, an junior loan processor and at the current place of employment - typist, proofreader, query coordinator, graphic artist, production coordinator & facilitator and incomplete reports girl.
i do get around.
40. Are you where you thought you would be at this age? oh hardly. but come on, life never takes you where you think you're gonna go, does it?
i pick you, you, and....you, way in the back!
Dec 21, 2007
requiem for a friend.
requiem for a friend..not only the title for today's missive, but one of my favorite Elton John songs.
(see kids, Elton John was a singer in the 70s who's shtick was outrageous costumes, large glasses and big-ass platform shoes. if you want more information, go to www.wikipedia.com.)
i was checking my email yesterday and found out Bruce Gordon died earlier last month. he was 56.
i don't expect you to know him. but i hope after this, you might know him a little better.
Bruce worked for Walt Disney Imagineering from 1980 until 2005. he started as a model builder and moved up the food chain, eventually becoming the 'show producer' for rides at Disneyland like Splash Mountain, the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and most recently the newly opened Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage.
i got a glimpse into his world back in the 90s.
back then, as now, i was a girl in love. with Disneyland. don't ask me why, but there is something magical i feel when i walk under that train trestle and see the plaque right above my head that says "Here you leave the World of Today and enter the Worlds of Tomorrow and Fantasy."
leave the World of Today. i'm all for that.
well, back then, and at Disneyland, is where i met one of my best friends. he and his now wife were down from the Bay Area visiting Disneyland and attending a Disneyana convention.
nope. never heard of one, either.
he talked my mom & i into going. we met up on Sunday to attend the sale they always have. club members attending the convention set up their Disney wares to sell.
think garage sale. one man's trash, etc.
anywhooo...
i eventually joined the club and started attending meetings as well as the yearly convention. that's when we met Bruce.
back then, he was a speaker at one of the events with a partner in crime, David Mumford. they both worked for Imagineering and to look at them was like looking at a modern day Laurel & Hardy.
David was thin. sorta quiet. if you looked at him, you'd want to scream "NERRRRRRD!" Bruce, on the other hand was a big guy who looked like he ate life like hamburgers - big and in one gulp.
it was the beginning of what we would call the Bruce & Dave Show.
the show would start normally. they'd come out on stage and start introducing their presentation...and then...
things would start flying. literally.
one year, their subject was the transformation of the former Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse at Disneyland to Tarzan's Treehouse. at one point, Bruce dragged out a large box and he and David started flinging out Ziplok bags, each containing a plastic leaf from the old tree. Bruce said there were over 100,000 leafs on that tree.
he had labled & numbered each one and had it on each bag. mine is still at my desk at work.
with the Bruce & Dave show, you never knew what to expect, only that you would be exhausted from laughter by the end.
at one show, they announced there would be no more flinging things into the audience - the legal department from Imagineering sent them both a letter stating it was dangerous and irresponsible, etc.
they made copies of the letter, balled 'em up and flung them out to the audience.
we lost David in 2003 to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. then i found out yesterday Bruce was gone, too.
losing David was like losing your kid brother. you always knew he was there, but you didn't miss him until he was gone. losing Bruce was like losing your crazy uncle - the one who sucked all the air out of a room and left you weak from laughter.
they've both gone. and the world is a little less fun because of it.
i guess that God decided it was time to take the Bruce & Dave Show on the road.
rest in peace, boys.
(see kids, Elton John was a singer in the 70s who's shtick was outrageous costumes, large glasses and big-ass platform shoes. if you want more information, go to www.wikipedia.com.)
i was checking my email yesterday and found out Bruce Gordon died earlier last month. he was 56.
i don't expect you to know him. but i hope after this, you might know him a little better.
Bruce worked for Walt Disney Imagineering from 1980 until 2005. he started as a model builder and moved up the food chain, eventually becoming the 'show producer' for rides at Disneyland like Splash Mountain, the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and most recently the newly opened Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage.
i got a glimpse into his world back in the 90s.
back then, as now, i was a girl in love. with Disneyland. don't ask me why, but there is something magical i feel when i walk under that train trestle and see the plaque right above my head that says "Here you leave the World of Today and enter the Worlds of Tomorrow and Fantasy."
leave the World of Today. i'm all for that.
well, back then, and at Disneyland, is where i met one of my best friends. he and his now wife were down from the Bay Area visiting Disneyland and attending a Disneyana convention.
nope. never heard of one, either.
he talked my mom & i into going. we met up on Sunday to attend the sale they always have. club members attending the convention set up their Disney wares to sell.
think garage sale. one man's trash, etc.
anywhooo...
i eventually joined the club and started attending meetings as well as the yearly convention. that's when we met Bruce.
back then, he was a speaker at one of the events with a partner in crime, David Mumford. they both worked for Imagineering and to look at them was like looking at a modern day Laurel & Hardy.
David was thin. sorta quiet. if you looked at him, you'd want to scream "NERRRRRRD!" Bruce, on the other hand was a big guy who looked like he ate life like hamburgers - big and in one gulp.
it was the beginning of what we would call the Bruce & Dave Show.
the show would start normally. they'd come out on stage and start introducing their presentation...and then...
things would start flying. literally.
one year, their subject was the transformation of the former Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse at Disneyland to Tarzan's Treehouse. at one point, Bruce dragged out a large box and he and David started flinging out Ziplok bags, each containing a plastic leaf from the old tree. Bruce said there were over 100,000 leafs on that tree.
he had labled & numbered each one and had it on each bag. mine is still at my desk at work.
with the Bruce & Dave show, you never knew what to expect, only that you would be exhausted from laughter by the end.
at one show, they announced there would be no more flinging things into the audience - the legal department from Imagineering sent them both a letter stating it was dangerous and irresponsible, etc.
they made copies of the letter, balled 'em up and flung them out to the audience.
we lost David in 2003 to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. then i found out yesterday Bruce was gone, too.
losing David was like losing your kid brother. you always knew he was there, but you didn't miss him until he was gone. losing Bruce was like losing your crazy uncle - the one who sucked all the air out of a room and left you weak from laughter.
they've both gone. and the world is a little less fun because of it.
i guess that God decided it was time to take the Bruce & Dave Show on the road.
rest in peace, boys.
Dec 20, 2007
the condensed version of my life lately.
can't talk. Husband studying for a flight test on Saturday. so, here's what's going on here 'bouts.
- took photos. plan on a post of local Christmas lights.
- tequila.
- margaritas.
- good friends.
- the Jar of Encouragement. oy.
- adult size onesies. (and yes, it's exactly what it sounds like)
- vacation day.
- napping.
- not even close to being done with shopping.
- have given up on mailing Christmas cards.
so what's new with you?
Dec 16, 2007
what i did during my blackouts.
and no, not the ones caused by benders.
this is for one of our friends who just had her baby earlier this year. you can't tell, but i think babies made Santa nervous. he looks terror-stricken when you look at the photo up close.
letters with a kitty paw for a friend
the ones caused by Husbands Who Feel It's Necessary to Take the Laptop to Work.
not bitter. noooooo.
but i DID forget i promised you photos. here you go.
this is for one of our friends who just had her baby earlier this year. you can't tell, but i think babies made Santa nervous. he looks terror-stricken when you look at the photo up close.next we have...
letters with a kitty paw for a friend
back...
and front of an ornament for a good friend from work. (sorry, i couldn't get the photo to rotate without losing half of the bottom.)
and these are the ones going to my work group.
and an altered tin for a gift card. man. i hope the dang card fits.
there you go. what i try to do on weekends.
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