Grandma Pat

As is usual for a Sunday morning, me and the DH went to Annie's for bfast. Our daughter is now the hostess and after getting a seat at the bar we were joined shortly by a wonderful lady everyone calls Grandma Pat. Sitting on the left side of the DH, she commenced to start to talk and didn't let up until we had hugged her goodbye. What a delight! She was like a shining star in the night sky. She is so full of love and life it's impossible not to like her. She can talk sports, which her and the DH did almost nonstop. In between the sports talk, she revealed a little more about herself and I just wanted to share...

She told us her husband had passed away, but before he did they were regular at Annie's for well over 40 years. She had seen 5 owners of the place and thought Annie's was by and far the best yet. She has lived in LE for most of her life. She recently found out she has cancer. Now you would think that would be enough to damper a person's spirit, but she is not that kind of person to stay down for too long. She said she went to the Doctor to learn the test results and the Dr said to her, "You know you have cancer, right?" She replied, "I figured. My Grandmother had it and so did my Mother. Figured it was my turn." The Dr told her if she had just come in when she had noticed the first sign it would have been easier on her. The first sign was an inverted nipple. (I'm not kidding.) She told the Dr she doesn't keep a mirror in the house where she can see past her neck because she just doesn't need to. He asked her if she didn't look at herself in the mirror and she said she avoided it and that if she had she wouldn't have noticed the inverted nipple because hers are pointing DOWN anyways. I thought I would fall off the bar stool I was laughing so hard. She grabbed our bill when the waitress dropped it off and said she was paying. We looked at each other like we couldn't believe it. Why were we so surprised? I'll get to that..

She said one day she was sitting at a table by herself and her arm had been hurting her from the lymph nodes where she has the cancer and she was feeling sorry for herself and all that when a family came in. Husband, wife and their new baby. The husband didn't have a left arm. It looked like it had been cut off right above the elbow. So as GMa Pat sat there next to them she started to kick herself because she had two good arms and was mad for feeling sorry for herself when here was this man with only one good arm and he couldn't be happier about his life. So on her way out she paid for the family's breakfast. She says she does this all the time because it makes her feel good to do it and she likes to do it anonymously. So she's walking to her car and the guy comes running up and says, "Thank you for buying our breakfast, but I got to ask you why you did.." She told him how she had been feeling sorry for herself and how seeing him so happy with his new baby and beautiful wife had lifted her spirits and she did it for herself. The man was so touched he got all teary eyed and they hugged and come to find out he had been born without the arm.

So what you guys don't know is that my very own DH does exactly the same thing. If we are sitting at a table or the counter and start chatting with someone or if he sees someone he thinks is special or interesting he will tell the waitress he wants to buy their meal and to keep it quiet. I thought how cool after all these times of paying for other's meals someone finally was repaying the favor to my DH. He and Pat were instant friends and I can see her becoming a part of his life.

I will try and get a pic of Grandma Pat soon. Hugging her is a delight as she is all soft and "squishy" like old women are. Our daughter says she loves hugging her for that very reason.

Craft Note: I am promoting my blankets today.

Surprise Scarp #5

Warm Brown Ripple

Check out this site: Inklore

SONG OF THE BLOG: "Wayfarer" by Jay Nash. Yep - Birdman, Mama has done it again. I have fallen for another singer she turned me on to!

Tyrone Wells!

Not sure if you guys know, but this weekend was when I was driving up to Mama's to see Tyrone with her on Saturday night in Hermosa Beach. I got an added treat because her sister had to cancel going with Mama on Friday night to see him, soooo I got to see him twice! Woohoo! Friday he was at the Glasshouse. Saturday he was at the St. Rocke in Hermosa Beach. Two awesome venues and as usual, he was really great!!!! It's awesome cuz now I can totally sing to all of his songs! Guess I have officially gained the title of Tyrone Groupie! LOL But that's OK. I'm totally cool with it! =) I know my pic is a bit out of focus (damn camera phone), but have no doubt he was HOT!!!

Saturday morning I had a ride with the Harley's Angels. We went out to Borrego Springs and had lunch at the Hog Trough. Great ride. The scenery is absolutely incredible. It was only about 140 miles round trip but felt longer because of the winding roads. No joke - there was easily 200 bikers on the road.

SONG OF THE BLOG: "Need" by Tyrone Wells. Gotta be my fave!

Get your motor runnin...

...head out on the highway. Lookin for adventure. Or whatever comes my way.

Oh, sorry...still lost in the moment. A Harley moment that is. =) Yesterday and today I took two very cool rides. Let me share!

Yesterday around noon I took off, topped off and headed to Palomar Observatory. It's been a really long time since I have been up there, but it was so worth the drive. I headed south on the 15, exited at Mission Rd, headed south on the 395, and then went east on the 79. Past the Pala Casino. Past the Pauma Casino. Straight to the top of Mt. Palomar. Luckily I was wearing my vintage leather jacket cause it got chilly at 5000 ft! The views were amazing. I didn't take any pics - my phone camera sucks in ref to taking pics. I walked to the observatory, went inside and checked out the displays and the telescope, took a bathroom break and then headed back down the mountain. I am absolutely going to do that ride again.

Today I started out around 1. I headed south on Jefferson and went west on Rancho California Rd. It turns into De Luz, which winds and dips through the back side of Fallbrook. It is really amazing country back in there. When it's rainy, it's not so good as there are probably 6 or 7 spots where the water crosses the road. There were 3 spots with a trickle across the roadway. It's probably a good 35 mile ride and it brings you out in downtown Fallbrook right on Mission Rd.

I took the advice of a fellow biker and popped in my earphones and IPod for both rides. What a difference music makes on a bike! Wow! I mean you guys know how much I LOVE my music. Well, listening to my favorite playlist while cruising on my bike was pretty close to heaven. I am absolutely LOVING this Harley. I can't tell you how great it feels to ride. It's very empowering. You feel very strong and confident when you ride - at least I do. I am learning to negotiate just about anything I might come across and my bike is perfect for me. I just love it. Still need to find some cool saddlebags...



Robert's blanket is almost 100%. In fact, tonight it will be finished. =) I promise a pic tomorrow.

The maroon and pink one is on hold for now.

The Chargers' blanket is next after Robert's is finished. I'm dreading picking it back up because, well, it's the Chargers and I don't like them. LOL

Fun for a Sunday

You've gotta check this out!

Friday Rantings

I realize yesterday I was sort of on a roll, but I'm sorry - I simply must continue it on to today. I guess there are just too many things bugging me right now or I need to get a life. LOL

1. I'm sick of Oprah. I never thought I'd say that, but I truly am. I saw her magazine cover where for the first time she is sharing the cover photo with another person. Big whoop-de-do. I give a crap. Not only that, but she looks awful right now. So there!

2. Everyone knows that if you want things to change, you have to do things differently in order to produce a different outcome. Why oh why are people so afraid to do this??

3. Nancy Pelosi needs to be stopped. Did anyone catch that video of her hand-in-hand with the Mexicans talking about how holding up the laws of this nation against illegal immigration needs to stop??? Uhm, what? Two of our good friends are immigrants. They do everything by the book. They have from day one when they decided to come to this country. And on that note...

4. What's up with Mexicans saying that California is really theirs? And we should check our history books? Uhm, OK - been there and done that. If memory serves me correctly, there was a WAR in which the Mexicans LOST. Are we supposed to forget that little tidbit? Are they so stupid and desperate to assume that they have a right to be in this country in spite of how the WAR turned out? For some reason I don't think they would feel the same had the tables been turned and they had actually won. Maybe I'm wrong.

OK - I feel somewhat better now. Moving on...

Last night's meeting of the Temecula LOH went well. It was hosted by a very nice woman I had never met before. She prepared a wonderful tossed salad, chicken with pasta (cold) and rolls. For dessert we had a luscious key lime cheesecake and a strawberry/blueberry cheese pie. Very yummy in deed. For the most part it was just a social gathering. We did have a meeting in which we discussed the Poker Run, the next several meetings and where they were, our charity and what sort of things we could do to help them. The only thing I found rather interesting is that we are going to host a Topless BBQ. More to follow.

Is anyone reading a fan of Ann Colter? I am. Just curious...

OK, here is today's new site to check out: Take It Or Leave It

SONG OF THE BLOG: "Breakdown" by Daughtry

Not sure what to expect...

Tonight is my first official LOH (Ladies of Harley) meeting. I'm not sure what to expect, but I'm going prepared and open minded. I mean, do we take down a load of guns first or do we have dinner first? Do I have to drink shots of Tequila out of another biker's glass she is holding between her boobs? Will I be shuffled off to a back room where the "boss" gives me the once over and then tells me I have to do the "deed" in order to prove myself worthy of belonging? LOL

Actually, we all get together for dinner and then we play a game - like Bunco or Left, Right, Center. I just thought it would be funny to write that stuff since everyone has this impression about biker's. ;-) None of it's true, of course.

Today was a weird day. After a good night's sleep (finally) I woke up and was online for a bit not doing much at all. Then the DH says he is taking me to breakfast at our cafe. So we have a nice breakfast. We both had their special Egg, Cheese, Bacon Croissant sandwich and shared a plate of homefries. It was awesome. On the way home we stopped at the feed store for hay and then went home.

Turning on the news (FOX - fair and balanced) we learned the latest regarding the AIG bonuses issued to some execs and how Congress was going to vote on taxing their bonuses 90%. We also learned that other companies that received bailout money owe back taxes. Now I don't know about you guys, but I am starting to get pretty irritated over the government just running amuck. It's not just Democrats. It's not just Republicans. They all think they can just manipulate the American people and I've really had it. But the more you sit and listen the more you realize how powerless we seem to be against them.

This is the way I see it...

1. AIG Execs rate their bonuses. Congress had the audacity to pass the bailout without reading or putting in clauses for such things. Why should the Execs have to pay 90% tax on something that was written into their contracts and otherwise 'OVERLOOKED' by Congress? Congress gives them the money and is now pissed at how they are spending it? Maybe Congress should have done their homework. This POS is the worst of the worst. He knew about the problems years ago and simply brushed it off.

2. Why did the government put into circulation $1 TRILLION dollars???? Why? This just lowered the value of the dollar that much more. Bad, bad mistake. It has never worked in the past and it's doubtful it will work this time. If I had cash I would invest in gold. It went up $70 dollars today. What does that tell you?

3. Is it just me or is President Obama seemingly uneffected by all the crap going on?? He goes on Leno. He hops about the country talking about crap that really is ridiculous considering the economic crisis we are in. No, it's not Bush's fault and it's not something he inherited. This is all him now and his cabinet and he seems oblivious and nonchalant. Is he the distraction? And what about his bright idea to revamp the Veteran's medical benefits to cut costs??? Has this man got a clue?? Surely to God he can't be serious?? Ah, but wait - he does make friends with some doozies... Bill Ayers and Reverend Wright. What does that tell ya??

4. I'm thinking the Secretary of the Treasury needs to resign. Plain and simple.

5. I can't believe (well, actually yes I can) that Congress is ACTING sooooo upset over a measely $165 million that went to AIG in the first place. It's like they all want face time for their constituents to see them angry and they act like this is what the American people want. Wrong. Americans want a fair and honest government. They want the government to STOP spending to much friggin money on crap. I truly believe they knew this fall out was going to happen. All they did was say, "Oh, we'll just let the people yell and scream for a bit. We'll go on TV and show them how upset we are and soon something else will come along to distract them and all of this will be forgotten. We'll all get to keep our cushy jobs and cushy paychecks and bonuses and pensions."

IF NO ONE GETS IN TROUBLE FOR THIS OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS I THINK IT'S SAFE TO SAY WE ARE F*CKED.

OK, off my soap box for now...

Check out this site: Dolce Chic

SONG OF THE BLOG: "Last Dance With MaryJane" by Tom Petty. Hot, hot, hot.

Updated project pics

It is a slow morning. Not only does time seem to going by slowly but I am moving slowly. I had a rough night's sleep. I was hot, then cold. With the pc now in the master bedroom, the constant hum and the added glow of the light probably wasn't much help either. So today we are just chillin and I took some pics of the blankets and thought I'd post them.


Maroon and Pink... Getting there. It works up easy but I get distracted when working on it for some reason. This one still has no owner, so there really isn't a rush to get it finished.

Robert's Blanket... I haven't really worked on this as much as I should have. This is the next one I want completed so as of now it has priority.

Charger's blanket for Wendy's son... I started this awhile ago and need to finish it. After Robert's blanket, this one has the priority.

And here is the "best" part. This is a list of the blankets I have yet to finish:

1. Mama's birthday blanket

2. LAPD SWAT blanket for Leesa

3. Noah's birthday blanket

4. Jacob's birthday blanket

5. Wendy's oldest son's purple and white blanket

6. Surprise Scrap #6 blanket

Wow, that's a lot of work for 2009. I need to get to work. LOL

Check out this blog: Ocean Bay Designs

SONG OF THE BLOG: "Sweet Emotion" by Aerosmith. Why do I feel naughty whenever I hear this song? hehehehehe

Deal with it

OK, I know my post is one long paragraph. I have tried EVERYTHING and for some reason it won't 'fix' itself. So you just have to deal with it! Try reading it all without taking a breath - like I'm saying it all in one breath. LOL

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

It doesn't get much more Irish than U2. Yummy. If you've not given their new CD a listen, I recommend it. To me it sounds like the good old U2 - not Joshua Tree good, but close. I downloaded it to my IPod and have listened to it about 3x. I'm still not 100% on all the songs and I really would like to read the lyrics to find out what the heck Bono is talking about in some of the songs, but it's not too shabby.

Today was an interesting day... It started off with a wonderful morning ride on the Harley for breakfast at Annie's. As I'm getting on the bike and heading out to go ride my horse, who rides up on his Dyna but Vic. Vic hadn't seen my bike yet, so he checked it out and gave me his seal of approval. Whew! Past the Bob test. Past the Walt test. Past the Brian test. Past the Vic test. Thank you my Brothers!

So I get to the barn, ride my pony for a bit and then turn the horses out to graze for the day. I mucked all three pens really well, put down fresh shavings, emptied water buckets, put out dinner and breakfast. Felt good to work and take care of the horses.

Hop on my bike and ride to the HD dealer for a quart of oil. Get that and head on home. At home the DH and I move my desk and computer out of the downstairs bedroom and up to our master bedroom. It will not fit in my craft room. No way. I have an old solid wood military desk that measures 3 ft by 5 ft. It also has a solid roll top piece that is 24 inches wide and about 3.5 ft long. So now my computer is in the master bedroom. It actually works out great! But that desk was a MF gettin up those damn stairs.

Afterwards we helped the guy down the street move our Cherokee to his garage. Yep, the Cherokee is dead and we sold it to a guy down the street who is going to try and get it running. That is bitter sweet - I loved that Cherokee. It was new in 1999 and went to both the oldest and youngest sons. We all had a good run with it.

Then I hopped back on my bike to go bring the horses in. I get that all taken care and head on back home. About 1/3 of the way home my bike starts sputtering. At a stop sign it dies. I start it back up and head down the road only to have it die on me again. Now I know what you're thinking - she's out of gas. I was not. I knew I was not. I sit for a few minutes and let the gas tank air out in case I had a vapor lock. A guy pulls over riding a Honda. He's an older man wearing a Black Sheep MC vest. (The Black Sheep are a Christian biker club). He takes a look at my bike and we talk for a few. He asks me to start back up and it seems to be running. He agrees to follow me all the way home. We get no more than 100 yards down the road and it dies again. He gets on the phone and calls his brother who lives just down the road. I call my DH and tell him what is going on. I tell him he doesn't need to come get me just yet because the brother is a good bike mechanic and also has a trailer in case we have to haul it. So the brother arrives and asks me to try and start it. It sputters and dies. He walks from the right side over to the left side and bends down to where my choke is. He looks up and asks me if there is a reason I am running on my reserve tank? I'm like, "Reserve tank? I didn't even know I had one." Apparently there is a switch (no one ever told me about) that lets me run off the main fuel tank or the reserve. Mine was set to run off the reserve. And it was empty! So he switched it back to the regular tank and my baby started up like a dream! He smiled and said that someone probably played a newbie joke on me! I was just THRILLED it wasn't something more serious! I called the hubby (who was also very relieved), thanked the brothers over and over for their hospitality and drove straight to the gas station and made sure both tanks were FULL. LOL

SONG OF THE BLOG: "Magnificent" by U2. Off their new CD. I like it!

It's all about the margarita

Today was a different sort of day. The DH and I went to Chili's for an early lunch and decided to drink. =) He had beer and I had two of the most delicious margaritas I have ever had. I think they were called Sunrise, but I am not sure... hehehe All I can say is they were yummy and I felt great! I promptly came home and took a wonderful 3 hour nap. Ahhh, I'm not as young as I once was...

The blanket projects are coming along nicely.. So much so that I have even added a 4th to the mix. So now I have Robert's blanket, the maroon, pink and grey blanket, the Charger's blanket and the new one is a surprise scrap with a twist. I'll try and get some pics tomorrow.

I have some very busy weekends ahead of me!

March 21st - Pre-Poker Run ride & craft show in Rainbow
March 22nd - Poker Run with HOG!
March 28th - Tyrone with Mama!
April 2-6 - DH is out of town on a 4x4 trip so I plan on doing riding on both the pony and the Harley!

Daughter will be moving back in sometime very soon. Getting the downstairs arranged for her arrival! It will be great to have her back! Like it when she is around... =)

SONG OF THE BLOG: "Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor" by Tchaikovsky

First Chapter Ride

Today was a great day. I attended my very first Temecula Chapter meeting for HOG and went on my first Chapter ride. We were 35 strong, broken into 3 groups. It was a blast. We went from the 79 onto the 15 north to Baxter where we picked up Grande and then headed up the Ortega. We had lunch at El Adobe in San Juan Capistrano and then on the way home we no longer ride together, but I rode back with 4 others. We came down the 5 and then across the 76 and then north on the 15. All in all I think my day was about 125 miles. I got my first mileage pin from the chapter. It was a lot of fun. I met some really cool people and I am looking forward to the next ride!

Not much work on the projects this weekend.. Working with the DH tomorrow on a job and then the rest of the week looks open for horses, bikes and crochet - not necessarily in that order.

Crafter's site to check out: My Charmed Life

Bringing back a repeat for the SONG OF THE BLOG: "Busy Being Fabulous" by The Eagles.

Who said I'm not working?

Wow, today I was busy. For someone NOT working I am sure doing an awful lot of it! LOL

Thought I'd post a couple of pics of two of my three latest projects... Remember; these are a WIP - so they look pretty raw at this point.

ROBERT'S BLANKET
My goal here is to repeat this pattern using different shades of blue, browns and possibly green. It's about 8 inches in height at this stage.

MAROON, PINK AND GRAY ZIGZAG


This one is actually much further along than this pic reveals. It's about two feet in height now and I would venture to say about 1/3 complete.

Today I got all domesticated and made blueberry muffins. Really, is there any better batter than that of blueberry muffins? Yummy. They turned out well and the DH was very pleased I made them. They are his favorite and now he can enjoy one with his cup of tea in the morning before going to work.

Today I received my membership number for the National HOG and I also contacted the local chapter lead for LOH. I'm hoping to find a spot actively in the groups - perhaps working my way to a position. You know, like "Refreshment Bitch" or "Entertainment Ol Lady". Something important like that. Once they find out about my leads with the gun running I think I'll easily move up the chain. ;-) I got my bike registration in the mail today. My title should follow and then I can say that bike is really all mine!

Check out this site: HeArt Collective

SONG OF THE BLOG: "Feel That Fire" by Dierks Bentley.

http://www.cmt.com/videos/dierks-bentley/324057/feel-that-fire.jhtml

Keeping the dream alive

Today I spent a good deal of time on my 1200 just getting used to downshifting and slowing my speed when approaching a light or stop sign. It's a much better way than constantly using the brakes, but it is a thought process (at least for me it is!) and doesn't come natural - yet! I had another great day of riding. My goal is to steadily increase my ride time so that when I do ride with a club it won't be too much of a shock to my body.

I have been thinking a lot lately about life and why we are really here and what it is that we are supposed to do while we are here. Yeah, I know - that's pretty darn deep. I just wish I knew what was the right answer and what will make me not regret anything once my life is over. It's difficult when you are faced with temptations and choices. You wanna be a stand up person and always do the right thing, but the right thing for who exactly? Are we only to think of others in our choices? Are we allowed to have selfish thoughts? Does that make you a bad person if you do? Who do you balance your meter against? Someone who is doing what's right all the time or someone who crosses the lines and blurs the boundaries? I don't think wanting more makes me a bad person and I'm only as good as I gotta be. What say you?

Today the DH and I stopped in to Annie's for breakfast and Bob was there. This was the first time he has seen my bike, so I was rather nervous about his reaction. He offered to go with me when I went to look for one, but it just worked out that I never made that call. I think he was genuinely pleased with my choice and complimented me several times. He is a former Marine and just recently was accepted into the Vietnam Vets/Legacy Vets MC. I think I mentioned this to you in a previous post. Anyway, they don't accept females and I can respect that, although if there was one club I would love to join it would be the Legacy Vets. I did join the HOG today though, so that's really exciting. =)

On a craft note, I got a convo from a woman in Brea who happened across my USMC blanket on Etsy. Her and her hubby are former Marines and she would like for me to make a blanket for him - LAPD SWAT. I'm pretty excited about that! She needs it by May.

We bought the stroller for the grandson today. It's being shipped to her mother's house, where the baby shower will be held. I called her today and she seemed nice enough and genuinely excited about the baby.

Here is another blog to check out.... Sora's Designs

SONG OF THE BLOG: "That Don't Make Me A Bad Guy" by Toby Keith - which is where I got my philosophy line in paragragh two. So blame Toby for my bad behavior! =)

Oh and visit this site!

I keep forgetting to add sites! Check this one out!!

http://www.artfulchatterbyrenaissance.blogspot.com/

I've had just about enough

I am so sick of hearing about the economy. I am so sick of hearing about Octo-Mom. I am so sick of hearing about Bernie Madolf. Can't there be anything else to talk about? Me, for instance! LOL

I had another great ride this afternoon. They just keep getting better. I actually had to test my braking skills twice today. Some moron in front of me for some unknown reason decided they would stop. Apparently they were lost. Anyway, I remembered all of my training and applied both the foot and hand brake and didn't lock either up or lose any of my tires. LOL This was the PERFECT bike choice for me. I am starting to feel so comfortable with it. =)

I also started back to the gym today. I am starting slow. I walked for 2 miles and did two sets of biceps and shoulders. It was a good start and ya gotta start somewhere, right?

I am currently working on 3 blankets. One is just one of my surprise scraps. Always fun and I love it when I finish one. Another is one I started just because I like the colors... Maroon, Gray, Muave and Pink. No idea who might like it, but it's a nice size and a very soft, comfy throw. The third is my special project. The cafe we frequent has a regular there named Robert. He rides his bike in, pulling a large cage to keep all of his "stuff" in. Robert comes in and sits at the bar, orders the same thing, brings in his backpack, pulls out two or three paperback books and stacks them up and then sits with his phone open as if he is waiting for a text or a call. Nice enough guy. Story has it he was the victim of an accident and got a major settlement. Of course, it left him, well, like this and every now and then he has a seizure. So I'm making a blanket for Robert. =)

I am joining the Harley Owners Group (HOG). Specifically LOH (Ladies of Harley). Inside that is yet another women's club called Harley's Angels. They do charity work for breast cancer. They ride out of Temecula and meet monthly. They also have bunko nights, poker runs, etc. My first ride is later this month to Borrego Springs. Supposed to be a beautiful ride.

How is everyone doing?????? You all seem to be quiet lately. Miss you guys!!!

SONG OF THE BLOG: "Sweet Child of Mine" by G&R. I went through a phase when I loved Axel Rose. I think this is such a cool song and I can't help but crank it up when I hear it.