>I haven’t posted here in a couple of months and debated about deleting those posts that still exist. However, I decided against deleting them although I am changing the overall focus of this blog. Before it was simply focused on gaming and I had other blogs scattered around the web for stitching, reading, and life in general. With so many individual blogs for separate subjects, it was an overwhelming task to keep them all updated and thus I let them all lag for the last several months.
With the change of seasons, I’ve decided to consolidate all of my interests and hobbies into one blog about my life. It may or or may not be of interest to the rest of the world but then again is that really the point of any personal blog? I am trying to write one work of fiction and one work of non-fiction but seem to get easily distracted away from writing. It is my hope that if I’m disciplined about blogging daily, that discipline will translate over to writing in other formats. I know only time will tell but I’m reasonably optimistic.
The plan for this morning’s entry is to copy and paste entries from early blogs this summer that are too good to be deleted, I am just going to delete the blog link since the blog itself will cease to be in the coming weeks.
____________________________________________________________________
First Post is always the hardest …
June 18, 2008
I guess I must have something to say to the world at large since I started a blog. So, how come finding the right words to commit to “paper” is suddenly so difficult? It could be that my hair is still damp from walking the dog an hour ago or it could be that I haven’t yet finished my first cup of coffee. It is most likely a combination of the two.
It is just after 7AM here and the temperature is already pushing 90. It will be another screaming hot day today with yet more screaming hot days to follow in the weeks and months to follow. It may sound like I’m complaining but I’m not really. It is hard to be irritated with the temperatures when you had edible tomatos and peppers in mid-May. My flowers have been in bloom since February and my backyard smells amazing. Ok, so it is too hot to spend any reasonable amount of time out there but it is no problem at all to go grab a couple of fresh tomatoes for dinner. Plus while the rest of the country has been forced to eat cherry tomatoes, I’ve been able to have my fill of big, beautiful Romas and Beefsteaks.
I should probably post a little about me so I’m not just some weird desert dweller. I’m married and am fortunate enough to be a traditional housewife. Yes, I realize and know that American society frowns on the roll of the traditional housewife, especially one that doesn’t have children. However, I’m happier than I ever was working full time and my marriage is stronger. Life isn’t a constant struggle to rush from one thing to the next without ever having a chance to stop and truly do things the right way. I’m not preaching, well alright I am on my soapbox, I’m just frustrated with out truly out of whack our society seems to have become. This however is a subject I will return to often but not today.
We have one dog, one cat, and one Macaw. Life around here is far from quiet but it is interesting. We live on the golf course of our community — which while it sounds fantastic, it isn’t something I’d recommend to anyone and would never do again. We moved here from the East Coast almost two years ago now and haven’t regretted the move for a single moment. Yes, we don’t have the large amount of disposable income we once had and we don’t go out as often, but we actually know what is going on with one another and we don’t spend every free moment trying to run errands or catch a catnap. Arizona has been a pleasant surprise. We decided on Arizona because my parents live here and housing is so incredibly CHEAP in comparison to other places. I was excited but cautious due to the temperatures (and years of swearing that I wouldn’t visit let alone live someplace that was a blast furnace three plus months a year). I am proud to say we have both adjusted to the heat.
I have no great plans for today, I am going to bake some bread and do some laundry. Sounds exciting doesn’t it … but then again that’s what I do between computer games and stitching and exercising. 🙂 Yep, I’m blissfully happy not going to the office and working for someone else.
80 is cool …
June 19, 2008
Two years ago I would have laughed heartily at the mere thought of 80 degrees at 5AM being cool and comfortable. Now, I rush to put on shorts to walk the dog! Seriously, it was a pleasure to walk him this morning and not drink a bottle of sports drink doing it. I know that it won’t stay so comfortable in the weeks to come but still this morning was enjoyable.
As I sit here drinking my first cup of coffee this morning and reading the news, I find the intriguing article. It is reassuring to read that studies confirm no longer term health problems associated with coffee consumption. Especially after the news several months ago that caffeine consumption was related to miscarriages. After suffering two miscarriages, I cut back all caffeine consumption after that news story broke. I’ve since slowly added it back into every day life but not nearly the amounts I was consuming before the news hit.
As we were walking I was thinking about planning my day. Besides finishing the mundane laundry, which I admit is not high on my list of pleasant activities, there is really very little I have to get done today. I am making nachos for dinner which truly means I’m on easy street for the day. I guess I will just have to force myself to relax. LOL
Saturday mornings
June 21, 2008
Nothing bets a Saturday morning walk followed up with a perfectly made iced coffee. I am something of an iced coffee fanatic to be honest. Starbucks makes HORRIBLE iced coffee as do most places. The two best spots for iced coffee, other than my kitchen, are McDonald’s (yep, not pulling your leg here) and Dunkin Donuts. Dunkin is by far the best commercial iced coffee available. Unfortunately, there just aren’t enough Dunkin Donuts outside of New England yet!
So, what you may be wondering, is the key to the perfect iced coffee? Well, first off it must be sweet and white — even if you don’t drink your normal cup of java that way. First step, take out the cocktail shaker and fill with ice. Second, two teaspoons of sugar sprinkled over ice cubes; followed by coffee (hot or cold doesn’t matter) poured over the ice and sugar. Be sure to leave enough room for the milk, you’ll need enough to turn the coffee into the color of light brown mud. Then cover and shake for a good thirty seconds, pour and enjoy the perfectly frothy, sweet, and cold iced coffee you’ve been craving.
I am getting a haircut today. We have family pictures in a couple of weeks and the last thing I need to be is the shaggy bush of hair. Plus to be honest, I need less hair. It is just too miserable with my thick hair in 115 degrees. It is already short (well by my standards, the world would say shoulder length), which two years ago I wouldn’t have agreed to in my wildest dreams, and I think it will go shorter today. It won’t be a pixie cut but it will definitely be shorter and cooler by the time I get home. I am also considering dying it a dark blonde color after family photos. The golden blonde DH prefers is just starting to take its toll on my hair and between the chemicals and the sun, my hair is dry, dry, dry! We’ll see though, chances are I won’t change my hair color to dark blonde, I just prefer being a golden blonde like when I was younger and was constantly in the sun. Oh how I sometimes miss those days of never thinking twice before going in the sun.
Bad Hair = Drama Queen
June 23, 2008
Saturday dawned bright and hot and I was more than ready to get my hair cut. I was very specific in what I wanted and didn’t want. It went downhill from there … bitchy stylist (to put it mildly) and then way too much hair ending up on the floor. The final result is NOT what I wanted for upcoming family photos in less than two weeks. Instead I have way too much hair in the front and not enough hair in the back. Everyone has assured me it looks cute but all I can see is the problems. Hopefully time will do wonders for my perception.
I also colored my hair this weekend. I went with Golden Blonde which is normally what I use. Only this time, I used the new Perfect 10 product from Clairol and well, I’m not so much a blonde as I am a strawberry blonde. It doesn’t look bad color wise, just not necessarily what I was expecting.
We had a nice weekend despite the extreme heat. Saturday we played video games, separately but at the same time, which killed several hours and then watched gymnastics. Sunday was dinner at my folks and cards. I lost which is unusual for Rummi Cube.
I have a serious bone, to pick with the state of gymnastic scoring. The days of the Perfect 10 are gone, for now at least. Instead, they have put in place a complicated system which includes starting value, deductions, and execution to determining the final score. The old system took all of those things into account so why on earth did the scoring system have to be revised?
My other serious gripe with the state of gymnastics is why on earth are the best all around gymnasts not being chosen for the team? Yes I get it, we as a country want the highest medal count possible, but at what cost? Are medals so important that the best gymnasts overall are denied a place on the team because they might have one event that is slightly weaker than another? It is a horrible system and rewards gymnasts for “specialization” which is not something that any gymnast in the past ever dreamed about. Yes, all gymnasts have a favorite apparatus but they still had to be strong, competent, and complete gymnasts on every other discipline.
Early Sunday Morning
July 27, 2008
It is just after 6AM and I’ve been up for more than an hour already. Due in large part to the reason I haven’t posted in almost a month … the new puppy! She is 12 weeks old now, named Sangria, and still doesn’t quite sleep through the night. She’s getting closer but it is still a challenge to wake up at 3AM and be functional when she’s UP at 5 with more energy than is allowable at that hour on a Sunday morning. She is a a pure Lab and pure Golden mix, which qualifies her for mutt status. She is beautiful and TALL. Seriously, she is a puppy that is all leg! Sangria has fit into the family well, although she’s not overly fond of the bird. Wally, our seven year old pound rescue, has taken to her better than DH expected. He’s mostly tolerant and patient, but when he’s had enough he lets her know.
My brother and his family also came for a visit over Fourth of July from Texas. I spent the week prior cleaning the house like a mad woman and then was just wiped out tired. It was an enjoyable visit and it is hard to believe how quickly the kids are growing. It was also the first time we’ve seen them since the divorce. They did and didn’t behave like a divorced couple, affectionate with one another and yet not. It was definitely not just a show for my parents or the kids but it just seemed a little off for whatever reason. It’s not my marriage so I’m staying out of it.
I cut my hair before the family arrived and it was a huge and horrible mistake. Yes, it is shorter and therefore cooler in 110 degree plus heat BUT I feel awful. I miss feeling my hair and being able to put it in a pony tail. It was short for family photos which made my mother happy but I’m growing it out. Seriously, every time I look in the mirror all I see staring back at me is a boy. Luckily, I’m blessed with lots of hair which grows quickly when it is short. It has 10,000 layers though so it will be a while before I get them all to the same length and looking good.
DH has started golfing in earnest in the last month. He’s playing the course at least four times a week and is talking about changing his membership next year to include weekends as well. I’m all for that, it is exercise and much safer than racing events. I wouldn’t mind joining him on the course but I’m horrible at golf. He is convinced that lessons will somehow make me competent to hit the ball. Time will definitely tell on that theory!
Last night I stayed up late because I got caught up in watching a program on PBS. It was about a family that sailed around the world with their three kids. It was fascinating and I have never wanted to sail a day in my life. www.iceblinksail.com I just can’t imagine being trapped on a sail boat for weeks on end with only 25 or 33 feet of space to live with four other people wanting to use the same space! My hat is off to them for being able to live on the water I just couldn’t.
____________________________________________________________________
Well, there you have it folks the old posts from another site which give a brief glimpse into my life. I must admit, I was surprised that I had as many posts as I did, I don’t remember writing that often. LOL It just tells me how busy a new puppy makes a household!
I plan to write more later today or tomorrow, it mostly depends on DH. He has been working 18 hour days plus the last week. He didn’t come to bed until 5:30AM this morning with a request that I wake him at 9AM. He’s pulling another all day and night shift today. He is exhausted. I cannot tell you how incredibly lucky I am to have found and married him four years ago.