Can You See Me Now??? SPD

I'm back...not that I was really gone.

A photo set for my bloggies. Click to view the set.


It was a busy weekend at the nursery, what with the sale and all. I forgot how nutty people can get when things are on sale. We didn't have any knock down drag out moments over anything, at least not that I'm aware of. On the first day, we had close to 25 people standing outside the door a good 20 mins before 9a.m. waiting for us to open. One guy ran through the store, out the back door and ran through the nursery to the shade tree line. Ran people, not jog or trot, he was running. That was a first for me.

Now, just so you know, I am not a racist, a bigot or any such thing. I am however, an observer of all things around me. Do not take my commenting about my observations as me slighting another culture, race or religion. That being said, I have to say that the one thing I have observed and find so funny, is that the Asian residents that come to the nursery are by far some of the funniest. Most people walk around and hem and haw about what to get. Not the Asians (Vietnamese, Hmong, Thai, Japanese, Chinese etc.), in fact, we have noticed that on the eve of the sale, they will often come in and scope out their quarry ahead of time. This is true of some others as well, as noted by the running man above. But the most defining characteristic about the Asian group, is that along with the sale price, they will gladly ask you to offer them an even better deal because of some thing about the particular specimen they have picked out is 'flawed'. This is where the game begins, and where I usually get that smile of 'you little devil'. I will humor them some what, but I have clear instruction so there is no confusion about the policy. I simply point out that the price is final and that all sales of such items are final too. They make a serious face and say things like, 'okay, we think about it'. Next thing you know, they are paying for it, but sometimes they leave.

Saturday night after work, we went to dinner with friends. It was a 'Thank You' dinner for watching Rosie, Harlow's best Gal Pal. We had us some seriously good food. I had the lamb chops and Nick had the prime rib. His steak was so unbelievably tender, and when they say it was like butter, they really mean it. It melted in my mouth as did the lamb. There is nothing like excellent food, good wine, friends and laughter. Rosies parents, M & M, make good friends.

Sunday was more of the same at the nursery, if a little bit slower. My back started to act up and I ended up staying home on Monday. It worked out well for me, lot's of sleep, which was needed. Time to get caught up here now. Happy Tuesday Bloggies!

Busy Weekend....

I will be working the next two days at the nursery for the BIG sale. Tonight after work we are going out to dinner with friends to the Barking Frog, a restaurant that I've wanted to go to for sometime over in Woodinville.

I took these two photo's last week while I was at lunch. I went to Mercer Island, which is just a hop skip and a jump from my office. There's a great little park down on the water and it even has a dog area. I was so excited at the prospect of taking pooper to work with me someday and going for a lunchtime run over there. She would love the beach and the water.

Anyway, these two pics are from that day and they look best when enlarged. The one with the lady bug is my favorite and it's my desktop image at the moment. This is one that I would love to blow up as a large print.

Okay kids, have a wonderful weekend. I may get another post on her Sunday, but if not, it's just because I didn't get up in time.

Pooper Friday!

Non SPD Related Post

We had some friends over for dinner last night and while I was out shopping at Central Market I saw this.







Isn't it COOL???

Public Restroom SPD!

I really thought that this weeks SPD would be easy peasy. I never considered how busy our restrooms were here at work. Not only that, but taking your picture in a public restroom at work is kinda pervy. I think I tried like 6 different times to take a picture and each time that door would open. I know I looked guilty as hell too, because I just can't fake that feeling.

Oh well, here's the results of trying to get this shot.

Lighten Up!

Virtual Diarrhea

I read something the other day that has stuck with me ever since. Per the title of this post, I can assure you that it is not like an affliction of the physical kind, but it has been something of a gnawing persistent something. I want to say irritant, but I'm not irritated so much as distracted by this notion that someone views daily blogging posts as "virtual diarrhea". I immediatly became very self conscious about this idea or notion and thought, do I have virtual diarrhea??? Do I have this insatiable need or expectation to post something every day and to find something to put here that is funny, poignant or touching, or all three?

I would say that I have been quite regular (and not because of the GrapeNuts and yogurt every morning) about posting something, even if it's just a picture of my d-o-g. I even set up a pattern of post material depending on the day of the week, and this is not anything unusual, many of us have made these up as we go along. There are more regularly schedule things now than I can keep up with personally, though I do enjoy the outcomes and presentations on many other blogs. I try to do Self Portrait day ditties, as this is one of the original weekly activities I participated in and intend to keep doing. These activities are great especially if you are at a loss for what to post.

But the idea that I am suffering from virtual diarrhea is still nagging at me. It's made me constantly reflect on what the purpose of my blog is for me, something that seems to keep coming up over and over. I really reflect a lot on what I believe this means to me personally, yet I can't help but feel that I'm also trying to live up to expectations outside of my personal cause. It's reasonable to believe that as you blog and become known among other bloggers that you will in time develop a circle of regular readers and commenters. This is certainly true for me and I love my circle and I love my comments. I used to be able to make the rounds on my favorite blogs and hang outs and keep up comment chats with individuals, but lately this is not the case. I found myself thinking, am I going to offend or lose readers or fellow bloggers because I'm not being visible? This is something I worry about people.

I think I understand one reason why bloggers like Dooce.com don't have comments for their posts. It eliminates a certain sense of obligation that if someone comments, you have to return the favor. As I type this I also realize that this sounds like I'm hinting at something and I want to say here and now, I'm not hinting at anything, I'm just doing the analysis of what is going to be my happy medium. This is also something that feeds into that linking blogs to your blog discussion that was recently passed around. I did it at first to keep up with blogs I liked checking daily. Then people started linking me and it was kind of a rush. I know I would get all excited and rush out to the living room to tell Nick, "so and so, with the really cool blog just linked me. Do you know how cool that is?" Of course, he just looked at me like I was missing something upstairs. He had no clue what that meant, just like me, terms like "blog", "linking", "comment" and "posting" all had to be revamped in our vocabulary or in the case of "blog" added.

In the beginning I found the whole thing really amazing. I was 'meeting' new people all the time and finding a lot of really funny and entertaining blogs. I would say that I was a direct by product of Dooce, in the sense that that was the first blog that I found myself totally sucked into. I couldn't stop reading and she had been posting for years by that time. I had a lot of catching up to do. I started making quick comments on the daily photo page and checking out links to other screen names. I wouldn't know half of the people on here that I do were it not for Dooce comments.

Back then I had a lot more time to do blogging and reading and commenting. Even if I was neglecting my daily work responsibilities, I knew that I could make up the work later. Now however, I don't have that luxury of time and flexibility and I hate that. It really does suck.

I started blogging because I felt that it would give me a way to work through so many feelings that I am constantly dealing with. I also thought that some people from my former home, would read and comment too, that I would have a way to keep in touch and to keep current with. I know of two people from my former home that do read my blog and it's great when they comment. It totally makes my day. I also know that my aunt and my Mom read my blog and that's kind of cool and scary sometimes, and I hope they know that I appreciate that they take an interest in my posts. I love to write and to put my thoughts down like this. I find it very therapeutic and calming. I think I even harbor the daydream of being a writer, but I know that my grammar sucks and that I have a lot to learn about 'writing' period. I think I saw this as a daily exercise, that through doing this, I would in some way become better at it.

So these thoughts are on my mind and I'm looking to figure them out and to feel some sense of reassurance that what I'm doing is what I want. I feel confident that I do this because I want to and that I find a great deal of pleasure in it and I also find a great deal of gratification when something that I put here some how touches someone else. I'm not sure where this is going to lead me or what the end result of even this post is. I just needed to put it down, get it out of my head tonight so I can sleep better. Looks like Nick and Harlow have beat me to the punch, so I'll wrap this up.

To the person that said 'virtual diarrhea', if you read this, this is not a criticism of what you said, just a by product and thought process around what that means to me. To those of you that come here daily, thank you for your participation here. If I don't get back to you or if I don't comment, please know that it's not you or the comment. It simply a choice I have to make to do it or not, and whether the timing is right for me to do so. I want everyone who comes here to feel welcome, never slighted or ignored.

Thank you to all my bloggies for the support, encouragement and understanding.

Weekend Update!

This is where I started my weekend on Saturday morning...

click on images for larger views



The girls and I got up early and headed to the field first thing. They really do have a great time together. I love watching the two of them interact and chase each other through the tall grasses.

Later...

We had coffee and breakfast at the regular spot and then loaded up and headed to the farmer's market in Woodinvile. It was a really small little market, but they had some fresh flowers, fruit, lot's of cherries and some crafts.






After we got back from the market, Nick and I made a couple trips to the dump. We had this eye sore out back of old awnings, lumber and scraps from the house and old carpet and padding. It felt sooo good to get rid of all that.

Sunday I worked all day at the nursery. I picked up a couple more White Birch trees for the yard and a couple of large Weigelia's as well. The trees are really tall and beautiful. I can't wait to get them in place. First I have to dig 3 very huge holes. HUGE! LOL!

It was a nice weekend and when I got home last night from work, our house was so nice and clean and smelled fresh and not like dog(s). LOL! My car had been washed and cleaned and Nick found the car adapter for the iPod that we've been wanting. Now I can just dock my iPod in the car and it transmits and charges at the same time. I LOVE IT!!! My commute was so nice this morning. Thank you baby, for all that last night. You have no idea how relieved and good I felt knowing that that had been done. It gave me a burst of energy that I really needed.

Pooper Friday!

I'm worried that she's an unhappy dog.


The face of abuse.


This is her Scooby Doo moment.


While commuting to work this morning. Crap! Busted! Yes, I'm writing and posting this from work. I went to bed at 8:30pm last night. I think the last two weeks has finally caught up with me. Tomorrow will be my first day off in two weeks.

Where was I? Right, while driving to work I was going thru a list of things that are currently happening and I thought, I should post these. Some of you read my blog daily and are up to speed on a lot of things that have happened or are going on.

Some time ago I posted about my biological mother here. There was some discussion about her and I getting together with a therapist, an intermediary if you will. It turns out that's the only way that she will have ANY contact with me directly or otherwise. This is all done thru another intermediary, her friend. I have had no DIRECT contact with her in over 2 years. This confounds me to no end. I cannot fathom this matter. She is supposed to be my mother, but as I've stated, she is only that in title, not in deed. I know that sounds harsh, but it's a fact that I've finally allowed myself to say and accept. This matter has become very flat for me now. I don't know if it's because time has gone by enough that I'm over it or what. Well, I stopped corresponding with her friend over this and haven't responded to the request to use a therapist to talk to each other. This week a letter came in the mail from my bio-mom spilling out all the things that she has had to endure in her life, abuse, alcohol, etc. These are all things I know and understand, but where this fits in with this issue is unclear. This is the same old thing that I have heard for years, just in different words and phrases. It has made me feel guilty. Well, at the end it says do not contact me unless it's to meet with a therapist. So the terms are set and I'm feeling like it's finally back in my court. The whole point for me contacting her was to make a decision about what I need to do. Do I resolve it? Do I close the case, wrap it up and put it away? I'm undecided about what I'm going to do as yet, but just in case you're following this, here's the latest.

My local coffee drive through is up for sale. It's a good little shop and has steady business and regular customers. It's a tempting idea to set up a business of our own. I know a part of me loves the idea. Nick is doing some research and we'll be asking more questions. It's a chunk of change we'll have to borrow to do, but it may pay off in the end.


Rosie is coming to stay for the weekend. Harlow will be pleased and the house will groan with all the activity. We love Rosie though and it's good for Harlow. They play and play, hopefully outside, if it's not raining.

I set up a 10 gallon fish tank in my cubicle this week. It has three baby angel fish in it. They are feisty little devils. It's been fun to have set up. I'll take some photos to upload later.

Bird Notes for Ern:
My Junkos have set up their nursery again in my front yard. Last year it was just weeds and grass and I had to stop mowing all together. This year with all the new plantings, they seem to love it even more with all the hiding places. Last night while I was walking around doing the daily tour, they got all kinds of upset with me along the front walk. I tried to spy the little guy, but he was hidden well. It makes me happy to know they came back.

The Chickadees have fledged I think. I don't hear them in the box anymore.

The Crows, the devils, have continually gutted the Sparrow house. Poor Mr. Sparrow, he works so hard. I think I'm going to remove it though, it's just not in a good place. I didn't put it there, it was there when we moved in.

I'm on Hummingbird alert, but I have only seen one at a time and only briefly. I have tons of flowers for them specifically and a feeder, but alas, no real commitment from them...yet.

Self Drawn SPD!

I Am From...

I am from a celler full of preserves and peaches, from Mason Jars and pressure cookers.

I am from the tired, old, brick red house that leans forward and at the same time leans back. I am from the yellow front porch with peeling paint and crumbling cement steps.

I am from the great oak tree in the backyard with it's treehouse refuge from grown ups, from the lilac with it's never ending supply of switches, from the roses that stand as sentinals on each side of the steps to the front door. I am from the ancient magnolia in the circle flower bed, I am from the bright coral-red geraniums that line the driveway, I am from gladiolas and dahlias in long rows in the garden with hummingbird wars with no sign of peace.

I am from big family holiday meals and gastronomic releases and never ending card games and food induced coma-like naps. I am from Lem and Lula and Ted and Dorothy, from John and Kari.

I am from the hot tempered and willfully stubborn, from the tender hearted and quick to forgive, from the funniest and craziest practical jokers.

From "if your not careful, your lip will stay that way" and "you can do what ever you want, just keep your clothes on".

I am from agnostics who fear death and Mormons who possess the greatest hope. I am from a labor of love and compassion, spreading the word of the lord to those who would hear, from self excommunication because of the truth that those who claim to see it, are unable to hear.

I'm from Germany, Holland, England and Ireland, I am from farmers and laborers, blood, sweat and too many tears. I am from Backstraps and gravy, Bisquick biscuits, apple pies and rootbeer floats on hot summer days. I am from tuna sandwiches with butter and crisp sweet pickle chips. I am from apples off the tree and raspberry's off the canes, from day long treks in the huckleberry fields with dark purple stains from ear to ear.

From the matriarchal grandmother who always took care of everything, the father who worked his whole life to make his own father see him and be proud of who he was, to have him finally love him, and from the childless mother who took me for her own and poured her whole heart into both the father and the son and made them whole.

I am from a gun rack filled with hunting rifles and fishing poles, long silent walks through the woods with my father, warm summer walks down our favorite trout stream standing in water up to our knees. I am from the greenhouse and potting soil, with seeds and starts, from the kitchen and it's implements standing next to my grandmothers elbow,I am from long day drives through the mountains with my mom, soda, chips and long talks about stuff. I am from my family's living room each night as we knelt together in prayer that ended in a family hug and I love you's.

Westside Mom Story

I've been toying with the idea of spotlighting a few people in my life, only I hadn't quite figured out the approach. Writing about someone you know and trying to do them justice and make them come off good, it's a lot of pressure. When I decided to write about M., my Westside Mom, I realized that it would be soooo easy to do her justice and have her come across just perfectly, because she is wonderful

My relationship with M. began somewhere in the spring of 1999, lets say April of '99. I had just moved into the neighborhood, shacking up with my first real relationship. He had told me that no one knew that he was gay and that he really didn't know any of his neighbors. Oh he knew names of a couple, but he never really spoke to any of them. I was intrigued by my new surroundings, as I had moved into a pretty well known area. Here I was living in a 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath home, less than 10 years old and I was feeling very privileged. This is not to say that I lived in a Money neighborhood, but it was a far cry from what I had known my whole life.

My new home had a lovely yard and it was prime for reinvention. I set in with a fervor and was always outside working in the yard. Well, in the front of the house was the communal postal box where each house got their mail. One day while I was out front playing in the flower beds, M. came by in her car to get her mail. M. lived across the street in the 2nd house over. She got out and said hello. She had me at hello, but I played it cool and walked over to introduce myself. We exchanged pleasantries and what not, but it was love at first hello. I think it may have been that Yorkshire accent of hers, but now it's all a blur to my mind as all the other wonderful parts of her are one for me.

One thing I did do was let her know that I was the new 'roommate' and that I loved to garden. Well, she said "of course you are dear and would you like to see my lovely garden sometime?" From that point on, it became one excuse after another to be outside the house at the same hour each day, just in case she came by, you know, for her mail. Eventually I made it over to said garden and I was officially, 100% and undeniably in love. She had the most rambunctious and chaotic garden behind her home, and yet it was so romantic and joyful that you couldn't help but smile. Hummingbirds zipped in and out, chasing each other, song birds were everywhere and bumble bees were drunk on pollen. She invited me to tea for the first of many, many pots of tea. She quickly realized my familiarity with perennials and offered to let me dig some for the garden at the house. "You just bring your shovel anytime, and we'll dig you up some thing to take home after" she said. What she didn't realize and something that became a bit of a joke, was that I was forever walking by her window with my shovel over my shoulder. I think the words said in the house went something like this..."oh bloody hell, there's that Joseph with his shovel again, what's he after this time?"

There is not enough time, nor is there enough room here, to tell the story of M.'s life. So for the sake of time and effort, I will contain this to my experience with her. What I will tell you is that this woman with the saucy wit and open door, has seen her share of heartache and loss. I know the many events that have left her bereft of any shred of life, that have broken her heart and left her lying in her bed unwilling to go on another day. To my good fortune, for I can only speak for myself, this woman's spirit would not relent, her heart has healed many times and it carries the scars. I attribute her ability to persevere to her lovely and my dearest and bestest friend H (a.k.a. Skanky). I will speak of her later. One of the things that I admire most about M. is her resilience. I come from a family of strong women and I think that is something about her that spoke to me. Well, that and the fact that she pretty much told you how it is. She doesn't mince words this one, I know.

In the 2yrs that I lived across the way, M. was there each afternoon with tea, a comfy chair and conversation. What I didn't realize is that I would also find a shoulder to cry on. This was not something I had expected, but more importantly never planned that I would need. I thought my life was going to be wonderful and perfect. As it turned out it was anything but. Through it all, there was M. and her wisdom and love. She helped me understand and grow through all my difficulties. She gave me the tough talk and the loving hug at the end.

Through the spring and summer we went to the farmer's market every Saturday morning and along the way we would stop and pick up Skanky girl too. Off the three of us would go and we would stroll up and down the aisles and stalls comparing, pointing, ooohing and awing. But before we could do any shopping we had to stop at Pony Espresso and get our coffee from Bruce. Once that was achieved it was wide open from that point on. Anything could happen. More often than not, we would head home heavy laden with produce, plants and laughing all the way to the car.

Also, during the summer there were the nurseries that we frequented. We would load up in the Explorer with water bottles and Skanky behind the wheel, me in the front and M. in the back. Every time we went past a wholesale grower we would give them the double birdie salute and bust up laughing because of the ridiculousness it was. Let's face it people, we were plant whore's plain and simple. They were denying us, they got what they deserved.

During winter months, we would road trip to places like the beach for the day. On trips like this stories were told and phrases like "Stick your finger in my bum cake" and "Bitch-Cunt-Slut-Whore" were born or passed on. But best of all and most important, the comfortable silence that would sometimes descend as we made our way and that deep sense of closeness and relaxation. To me, this is a true mark of friendship, when you don't need words.

I could go on and on about M. and our fun times, but I would seriously need more time and a more devoted readership. Recently I surprised her for her 60th birthday in Las Vegas. She had let me know before hand the disappointment she felt that I was not coming. It took a lot of self control not to laugh during that phone call, but the look on her face the ensuing hugs and kisses were what made every bit of it worthwhile.

I love you M. and I can not imagine my life with out you. Your colorful past and present have taught me to look at my world differently. You showed me how to see my world in Technicolor, how do you thank someone for that? I love you, I love you, I love you. Thank you for letting me into your life. I'm so much better for it. I love you.

Starting Fresh and Clean...Be New Again.

This last week has been something of a tumultuous ride of ups and downs. Some of us, we had surprises and exciting things to share. Others, saddness and pain, real moments that tested thier commitment to be strong and persevere. It's a difficult place to be in when you enter the blog-o-sphere, you never quite know what's waiting for you when you click on that familiar link in your list. Some of us only reveal the good, the funny, you know, the highlights of our existence. Others it seems, can bare their souls and it can be excruciating and cathartic for them and us.

Each week I think I just might be done here; I've lost my reason for blogging. Certainly my reason for blogging has evolved and become something other than I had imagined. But each night I sit here and I read what others have to say and I laugh out loud, sometimes I weep silently and I feel my heart break. More often than not, that tender breaking of my heart inspires me and gives me something more to ponder and explore. That's when I find myself leaving it here to share with you.

Yesterday, Harlow, D70 and I were at the field taking pictures, playing hide and seek and just enjoying ourselves. As we were walking around the field, I found myself thinking about how Nature is constantly changing itself. I tried to see things around me that had changed and I was greeted with bushels of it. The field is in constant motion as grasses, flowers and trees go through the stages of the seasons. You can call it circle of life, wheel of life, we all have heard the metaphor about how life is circuitous. I guess that's all I'm trying to say here, our lives are circuitous and each day we start over, and because each day we start over, it's an opportunity to renew something within that gives us courage or renews that courage we had the day before. Each day is another opportunity to bestow love on those close to us whether they are near or far.

So I know it's idealistic and some what cliche', but it's also a way of life too. I know that even I forget that I have the opportunity to 'do' each day differently. Nature shows us a new day each day, with a change here and a change there. It's subtle and quiet sometimes and that's how it can be for us too; no big transformation or sudden changes. But like Nature, things can happen rapidly or dramatically, quickly altering our very existence, but all too soon Nature recovers and begins again. I hope that with each new day that you greet, you feel a sense of opportunity, that you have another chance...to be new again.

Sappy Moment Alert!!!

Okay, if you're not in the mood for another "Guess what he did for me this time?" moment, then check out another of the many fine blogs listed to the left here. If there is one thing that I've been hearing a lot lately, it's that I'm very lucky and oh so very spoiled. Well, I'm here to tell you that I know this fact already and it's something that I have accepted as my fate and punishment for falling in love with this man.

So you all know that I recently made a little weekend journey to the land of Lost Wages (Las Vegas) as a surprise for a dear friends 60th birthday. The night before, he surprised me with the new camera. Of course, this alone was huge in terms of 1) the surprise, 2)the scope of the gift. At this point I've made a mental note to myself that this will constitute Christmas and birthday for the coming year.

Well, last Sunday Nick and Harlow came and scooped my worn out ass from the airport and I just soaked them both up all the way home. We made a quick stop at the grocery store to pick up a little something for dinner and then headed home. Now don't get the wrong idea about me, but whenever I've been gone, I always take stock of the house as a whole when I come home. There are a few good reasons for this because there have been times that I've not noticed something that he has done and his feelings have been hurt, the house has been rearranged or MY kitchen has been rearranged. Little projects that he does while I'm gone are one thing, even rearranging the living room, but touch the kitchen and I will most likely stiffen and become very irritated, like a race car that goes from 0-60 in 7 seconds. So as I make my way through the house and into the kitchen, I'm silently taking stock and letting out my held breath. I head to the back door to hang up my keys on the hook and then I see them, two boards are leaning against the back wall. Not just any two boards, but two boards that have clearly come from somewhere in the house, because they have house paint on them. I casually comment as I come out of the kitchen (eyes scanning more carefully) "I see you didn't take down any walls while I was gone". He laughs and I laugh back and start down the hallway to the bedroom to drop off my bag. It's a short walk folks, this is a tiny house. My laughter is immeadiatly cut off by my total shock and amazement.

Now you need to know a few things before I proceed. I have been saying for almost a year that our bedroom floor plan is backwards. We have this little closet that has clearly been added in as an afterthought somewhere along the way that's in the northeast corner of the bedroom. On that same wall is a window that is for all intents and purposes centered on that north wall and there's a lovely craftsman style window on the west wall that's off centered towards the north west corner of the room. Our king sized bed would not fit between the closet and the west wall and still be centered under that window. This forced us to place the head of the bed against the southern wall. Well, the doorway is at the southeast corner of the room, so when you walk in to the room, BOOM, there's the bed. I've hated this arrangement, but have just allowed things to be, knowing that some day we would make changes, just not now.

Now that you know the history, the layout and the plans, you must surely understand now why I was so stunned and shocked. He had talked to a friend of ours on Memorial day weekend while they were over for dinner. He is a carpenter and they conspired while I was out cooking on the grill. They removed that closet, refinished the walls and then Nick primer and painted the room with the color I had chosen a few weeks ago. It is such a big difference I can't even tell you. There are still some things to do, paint touch ups, light fixture and new floors etc, but the impact of that new arrangement, it just is so amazing. I don't have any before pictures and I wish I did, but here is what this sweet, amazing man did for me while I was gone.

SEE! Centered on the window, and the lovely view out the front window, should we want it.




That's the corner the former closet resided in and is no longer. A new closet will be added soon, but we want to redo the flooring at the same time.




Go ahead...say it. I'm Spoiled Rotten...hey, someone has to be the fall guy around here, and truthfully I don't think Nick can take that kind of constant abuse.

Pooper Friday!

Clicking on the photos will take you to a larger format.

Where I blog! SPD

So this is a repeat photo, I know, but I'm using it anyway. It's my blog and I'll do what ever I want. Humph! What? Oh now because I have a new camera you think it should be a new photo? Well...you're probably right. There, I said it...you happy now? You are right. The truth of the matter is, the office and the place where I blog is a freakin mess right now and I don't want you to see it. But there is a good reason for that and I'll post about that next. So here's your repeat photo SPD, even though it wasn't used as an SPD, it was used as a Pooper Friday pic. I'll shut up now.

This one is for Mr. Bloggerific

Mr Bloggerific asked me to try and make it wo where he could see the larger images taken with the Nikon D70. I'm working on that, but until then, I thought what I could do is show you three examples of the same photo for now. This way you get a better feel for the resolution and freakin hottness of the Nikon D70's abilities. I have in no way tapped into the power of the Nikon D70. This is just me doing what I know.

This Hydrangea is not full size, but this is what it would look like full sized in terms of the image.

Now here is the same picture, but I've just cropped it on one section to show you just how clear it is. I've done nothing but crop it. No other edits.

And for added drama and what not...one more zoomed in further. I'll be looking into how to expand my images in seperate windows soon.

This is dedicated to my Dad and Mom

I just got my wind taken away from reading a post at one of my fellow bloggies. It broke my heart and reminded me of my own past and struggles, but it also reminded me of the love and the courage I found too. I know that there are many of you out there that struggle as single parents, some are step parents to another's child or maybe you're just struggling with the responsibility of being a parent. While I was leaving a comment for Dawn, I realized that I had something to share with more than just her.

I'm a child of multiple divorce; my dad married 4 times before it came out right for both of us. I could tell you that he got married because he needed me to have a mom, and that's probably true. No matter the reasons, it didn't go very well at all the second and third times and I suffered for that during and after the marriages.

There was a lot of real drama in my young life that I look back on now and think how did I ever get to where I am now? One thing that my dad did consistantly through all the mistakes, all the drama, all the hard times...UGH!!! gonna make me cry. One thing he always did was hold me, hold me soo tight and tell me how much he loved me, how sorry he was that it wasn't better, and promised that he would do better. You know what, he did, because he loved me that much. When it was just him and me, it was some of my favorite times. He would come upstairs to my room at night when it was raining outside and lay next to me and we would listen to the rain hit the roof and he would tell me how it was one of his favorite sounds. I was only 6 or 7 at the time; I'm 37 now. It's still something that is as vivid now as it was then.

Despite all the difficulties, the challenges and even my bad behavior, my Dad loved me regardless. He always put me first and tried to do what was best for us. I was not a perfect child by any means, but I also never did anything really bad. My parents and grandparents raised me to be responsible, independent (even if that wasn't their intent)and respectful. I may not have liked the way something was, but if my Dad or Mom said this is the way it is, I had to do it. To their credit, they never asked of me anything that was inequitable or unfair.

I am the sum of all my people who raised me. My Grandmother, my Dad and my Stepmom have all left an indelible mark that is filled with love and pride in who I am today. As their child and as a product of who they are, I feel a deep sense of honor and responsiblity to be all those things and more to make them proud of me too. I would have never made it with out their love.

So to you, my bloggie parents, remember that it's okay to make mistakes, to have moments where you are just pushed to your limits. Try to be easier on yourself and save more of 'you' for just loving your children. Because in the end, they will remember the bad times, but they will be balanced out by that consistant display of love and courage. They will latch onto those moments the rest of their lives and draw on them to get them through their own difficulties down the road. They will get up each day and feel a sense of purpose in just being, because they know that there is someone in a small town kneeling beside their bed saying prayers to their god asking for him to watch over their child to keep him safe and healthy. There is no such thing as a perfect parent, but there is perfect love.

Mom,Dad...I Love You!

Las Vegas, Take it or Leave it...

Last week I got the surprise of my life when I came up from the laundry room. A new friend has come into my life and it has been a fabulous last 3 days. Friday morning, I got us up and out the door so that I could get to the airport by 6:45a.m. and on my way to Las Vegas. I had one layover in Salt Lake where I had arranged to meet the Armstrong Family and as luck would have it, my layover was extended by 2.5 hours. Las Vegas had one runway out of commission and was delaying a lot of traffic as a result. Imagine my surprise when Heather, John and Leta never showed, thus leaving me to sit and read my novel du jour for the entire time. Does that mean I was Dooced by Dooce? Oh wait, that probably won't count, seeing as how I really didn't have a prearranged engagement to really meet them there, but wouldn't that have been cool?

Getting into Vegas, I caught a taxi to my hotel. I had indicated previously in comments around that it was a gay only establishment and looking at the website it certainly was appealing. Being the naive Washingtonians that we are, we just assumed that it was a resort like place with amenities like clothing optional swimming pool. It did have that, but it was so much more than that too. I let Nick know that we won't be staying there in the future. That place certainly was busy, no wonder the owner had a brand new 7 series BMW. Fortunately for me, I spent the majority of my time with my friends at their house where there was a pool, beverages of your choice and lot's of eats. I did have a pool view from my room, and I did look. It wasn't all that, nothing like the web site. (I'm not that gullible.)

So the whole point of me going to Vegas, was to surprise my good friend M. for her 60th birthday. I called ahead, and I was informed that she and her husband were at Costco loading up on supplies and to come on over. I spent about an hour or so in the pool with my friends before she showed up and had a great time doing dives and sliding off the slide. The dive of the day, was a backdive off the board. The girls, it turns out, had just learned how that day. They were so proud of themselves and they just couldn't stop doing it once they figured it out. Well, as soon as I arrived they were all over me and rushing me to get changed. One thing I have never been able to do, is a backdive off a board. I dont' know why, but I just have never been able to conquer that feeling that comes over me whenever I get up there and turn around. Greg Luganis, I am not, I am however, a huge fan. All that aside, I got up there multiple times and attempted to find the courage to make this daring move and each time I would waver and turn and dive forward effortlessly. Once while teetering on the tips of my toes and my back to the water, someone shouted, once you do it that way, you won't do it any way after that, to which I quickly replied, that's what they told me about gay sex and started laughing so hard I fell off.





We had arranged for M's husband to call 5 minutes before they got there so that we could arrange for everyone to come out front to help haul in the supplies and for me to be able to hide. I hid in the family room while they started coming in. She was first and headed for the kitchen. I quickly ran up and took a box of stuff from her husband and followed the others into the kitchen. I walked up behind her and set the box on the counter and started unloading it. I handed her the chips and the bagles and she took them without even realizing it was me. She turned her back to me as she put them down on the other counter and I said, "What's for dinner?" She turned around as if to answer the question and then just froze. Her mouth really did drop open and then she squeeled and gave me the best hug ever. I think that is one of my all time favorite moments now.

Well, we spent the whole time out there at the pool Friday and then again on Saturday for the party. I hadn't been down on the strip at all and so Saturday I made it known that I was going down there and that I wanted my girls to go with me. Well, the party went on till close to 10pm and it was about midnight by the time we got down there. Being that it was a party a few of the party goers tagged along with us. They were very drunk and very difficult to manage. It didn't lend itself to a good time. Long story short here. I got to see New York New York, MGM Grand, Belagio and Paris from the outside. The fountains at the Belagio never did go off and we waited for over a half an hour. I took my new best friend with me, and here's what we saw together.









There is a lot to be said for the extravagance that is Las Vegas and I can see why so many people would want to go there and let their hair down. It's definitely a place to do that. I really thought that it was something I would like too, but I discovered that it wasn't something that appealed to me at all. I was not impressed at all and I couldn't get over the filth, the litter, and the stench. New York City has a lot more going for it than Las Vegas does in my book. The best part of Vegas was being at the house with friends, the pool and laughter. I loved the warm evenings sitting outside in the garden by the pool. I finally have a start on my summer tan too. Perhaps if I were with fewer people and Nick had been there, I would of found more enjoyment and taken more time to see Vegas, but it just didn't call to me at all.

The Natives are Restless

Good grief you guys. I'm just going to throw you a bone for now. I'm swamped at work and I was wiped out when I got home last night. I have lot's to talk about too, so I want to take the time to get it all out. It just might be later on today. So for now, here's my obligatory shots of a pretty flower and Tom Jones, who was most likely an impersonator. Sorry Susie...no panty throwing in this crowd. More later kiddles.

Pooper Friday!

How could I leave town without a Pooper Friday? It just wouldn't be right, now would it? Thursday at work was just a bit hectic and I didn't get around to as many blogs as I had hoped. I only worked 3 days this week, so my boss made sure to cram at least 4 days worth into it.

All the way home I kept thinking of all the things I needed to do to get ready to leave in the morning. Pack this, remember that, is such and such clean? Do I need to wash clothes? Nick said he would take care of dinner tonight, so we had Indian take out and it was yummy. We had Cashew Lamb Curry with Spinach Nan, my favorite. I thought, wow, what a sweet man to get dinner tonight. I was so tired from today and felt like I had so much to do tonight. But that wasn't the only thing he brought home tonight folks, noooo, not by a long shot.

I've been wanting something for some time now and you all are going to think I'm terrible and materialistic, but I'm not really. Okay so, maybe I'm a little gadgety, what with the iPod and all. Let's face it, I'm spoiled people. I'm still shocked and I'm still pinching myself, because honestly, I just didn't see this coming. I really thought it would be awhile and I was prepared for that. But tonight he got me good. I came up from the laundry and on the table sat a nicely wrapped box with a card. The card was of course filled with loving sentiments. The box was normal sized, nothing extravagant that would like, you know...hold a new car or anything, but not so small as to hold bling either.

So I removed the paper and opened the box, and inside, this black bag. This black camera bag. Do you know what was in that black camera bag? I'll tell you...a Nikon FREAKIN' D70! I'm still in shock...it's only been a few hours. He got it for me so that I could have it for my trip. How freakin' lucky am I? I know, spoiled rotten. It's sooo true. He knows how much I've wanted one and I'm just so excited to actually have it. I had to take pictures right away of course. See....









Okay, I'm outtie for the rest of the weekend. We have to get up early and hit the road for the airport. I may check in from the resort if I have time, but other than that, I will see you all Sunday night or Monday morning. Have a great weekend bloggies. Love you all...you make my life so much more than I ever thougth possible. XO...Greenie out!