And another day passes by...

I can't quite believe how quickly life is passing by. Here it is my 46th birthday already. Where did the last year go? Soon it will be Halloween, then Thanksgiving, then Christmas, then 2010. I can't seem to catch up.

I had a great birthday. As is the norm in our household I got the birthday weekend. I was catered to, got to choose meals and was treated very special. It was amazing! The daughter got me a pedi. The DH was a sweetie and today I got a massage. Yay for me!

Wishing others would blog. I'm not giving up hope they will return. Added another blog to my reading. :)

SONG OF THE BLOG: "Red Light" by David Nail. I think I have used this one before but no one is around to call me on it.

Uncovering a poser

I apologize for my delay in posting. I have been busy since we got back from Havasu working on finishing up a Cincy Bearcats bag I thought was going to be shipped this Friday. Today I found out that the October Craft Fair has been cancelled, so I actually have some breathing room now to build up my inventory a little more for the December Craft Fair which is a sure thing.

Unfortunately while we were in Havasu we did have one bad experience... In a nutshell we met a guy who is a poser. Now first off I gotta say it's pretty damn ballsy to even pretend to be a Marine and talk crap in the presence of two Retired Marines. That didn't stop this wanna be. We met him through a mutual friend. He invited us into his house where he has a corner of his den as a showplace for some photos, a uniform, and promotion warrants. The more he talked the more things weren't adding up. The Dh and I looked at each other every now and then. He was thinking exactly what I was - no way. So when we got back home we both started doing some research on our own and found some pretty amazing stuff on this guy. He has a reputation for being a poser - as a football coach, author, football player, and who knows what else. The Marine part bothers us though. Claiming to have personal awards is a serious charge in any military person's mind. We are gathering facts and then will see what happens. More to follow...

Work has been very busy with RAM upgrades and such. Makes for a fun day and for the first time I really felt like I knew what I was doing today. That was a good feeling. It's pretty amazing how quickly the GySgt comes back when talking to Marines.

Monday is my birthday. I will be 46. Not making a huge deal out of it. Just dinner with the Dh and daughter. That's enough for me!

SONG OF THE BLOG: "No Boundaries" by Kris Allen

out of pocket

I will be in Havasu from tomorrow afternoon until Sunday afternoon. Sunday evening we have a going away party for a friend's nephew returning to England. Not that anyone will notice I'm not posting... Seems I'm quite alone out here in blogspace. That's probably a good thing since I'm not in a very good mood and going through a sorting out period. That lends itself to wordy and confusing blog entrys, not to mention a plethora of blogs that are "on again" "off again". All part of being a Libra. Trying to balance. Trying to harmonize. Trying to be fair and just and ... stable. Why am I always stable?

Have thought again about trying to get some overseas pen friends. Why? To fill a space. Like I already don't have quite enough to do. Between work, horses, the bike, crocheting, being a wife - yeah, squeeze in handwriting letters to people in foreign countries. Am I sounding pathetic enough for you already? Told ya it probably wouldn't be pretty. Best you aren't reading.

content = satisfied with what one is or has; not wanting more or anything else.

SONG OF THE BLOG: "Red Light" by David Nail

Writing is therapy

That's what I keep telling myself. Does anyone out there literally "write" their blog as they go through their day? I often find myself putting sentences together for a later blog entry. I even think about what the post should be called. I find myself most creative around 1100 and then again around 1430. At first I thought it was sort of crazy that I do this, but then I realized that perhaps this writing in my head was therapy for myself. Now I don't feel so bad when I find myself doing it.

Had a good email exchange today with The Birdman. Sometimes its great to get a guy's perspective on things and he's always my best source. He cuts through the cliches and BS and just says what he needs to say. Not a lot of people I know have this talent. I appreciate his advice probably more than he realizes.

Thursday after work the DH and I are jumping in the truck and hitting the road to Havasu for the weekend. Never and K will be there along with B & K. Should be a fun weekend of just relaxing in the pool with the other two girls and going out to the bars at night. I just don't want to karoake. LOL

On a sad note, Patrick Swayze died today. He was only 57. I know he fought hard against cancer. It's very heartbreaking he lost the battle.

SONG OF THE BLOG: "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes in honor of "Dirty Dancing".

Must be getting old

I'm sitting here tonight with a headache. It's almost midnight and I am waiting for the Tylenol to kick in before I attempt to crash. Went to The Yardhouse with coworkers tonight. I knew ahead of time I would be the DD, so after my regular two Guinness, I settled in. Except I never really "settled". Watching my coworkers around me was so boring. For some reason I couldn't get into a single conversation. Maybe it was because I wasn't buzzed or drunk and they all were? Perhaps. But it also just didn't feel like ME. Nothing much does these days. I feel like I am sitting somewhere between two plains - not quite wholly in either one, a foot in both. Makes a Libra very uncomfortable. I hope this ends soon. Don't think I can rush it along. Don't think I can just go numb until it passes either. I just gotta suck it up and ride it out. I should have realized the ride was nowhere near finished. Not sure what made me think I could get off that easy. No part of my life that has turned out well has ever been easy. Approaching 46 - yes, forty six - seems paramount. I suppose for me it is. I was chatting with a kid tonight that's half my age. HALF. When I was drinking a beer (probably a Guinness) at age 23 he was just an infant. Ouch. Talk about feeling old.

So there I was sitting in my seat at the table, next to the birthday girl, using my straw to play in my watered down Coke. Yeah, that was my fun. OK, maybe I was being a party pooper. Maybe I was already in a foul mood when I got there. But it doesn't take much to keep me entertained when you put a Guinness in my hand and engage me in some 1) interesting conversation, 2) innocent flirting, and 3) not so innocent flirting. LOL Just kidding. Anyway, I just wasn't feeling it tonight. Either I didn't want to be social or I was with the wrong crowd or both. Who knows?

The headache started and escalated within 15 minutes. The pain behind my eyes was so intense I was squinting. The dim lights weren't helping either. The BBQ chicken salad was bland. My Coke was watery. I had to roll out of there.

Tomorrow's plans are unclear at this time. The DH is working in the AM. I might go for a walk or hit the gym and then come home to crochet some. Never and the Guys are up in Lemore for the weekend on a run. Club business so no women allowed.

Totally forgot to mention the season opener of SOA. It was pretty intense. Wait, did I already mention this? Damn, I can't remember.

SONG OF THE BLOG: "Toes" by The Zac Brown Band

Technology Fallout

Yesterday at work the Marines were instructed to take a server offline from the training classroom building which is about 50 yards from our large, two story building. The Marines cut the fiber connection and as a result we lost connectivity. Apparently the training classroom was our link to the fiber in the street. This morning we came in and found we are still unable to login so work has stopped for the most part. Civilian techs are on site attempting to get us back up but the outlook for it to happen today looks bleak.

We often say is a joking manner how we would love for our system to go down but then when it does we are bored out of our minds. We started a small football pool in our boredom. The Marines used this opportunity to break out the tactical firewalls. And it's loud. Because everyone is talking to each other instead of with their heads bured in a monitor. It's funny to see the transformation. The phone lines are still operational and haven't had a break since 0730 this morning. I wonder it will be like tomorrow...?

I'm almost finished with the my first Bengals bag. I love the way the colors came together. I hope it's a popular item at the craft fair. Looking at the calendar I have to guess I will be able to maybe finish only two more bags before I will need to ship to Ohio for the Oct fair. I'm guessing Saturday the 26th is ship day...

With that in mind I need to focus on the Dec fair and kicking out as much as I can. Ship date for that is Nov 28th. With luck I hope to have more bags with Bengals and UC Bearcats for the inventory as well as some scarves. Time is against me because of work but I'm trying to be realistic in my estimates.

Facebook has become a real entertainment factor for me, not to mention a tool to reconnect. An old GF of the DH's from 1983 got in touch with him. Same girl is also a friend of mine - unbeknownst to either of us. LOL

SONG OF THE BLOG: "Learn My Lesson" by Daughtry

September 8th and SOA is back

Season 2 of "Sons of Anarchy" starts tonight at 10pm PST. I can't wait to see what happens this season. I loved the show last year. The previews look exciting, shocking and hot. =)

Today was a really relaxing, kickback kind of day. The DH and I took the truck in for an oil change, then went to breakfast at Annie's. Then we went to the grocery, although neither of us really felt like shopping and didn't want to just load up the cart with food, so we grabbed some essentials (no, not beer) and made burgers and tots for dinner. We'll figure out the rest of the week later.

Tomorrow night is Ladies Night at Quaid in Temecula, so I'll be hitting that. They always have good chow and lots of prizes. Not really into the whole "ladies" thing but it's an excuse to talk bike and maybe learn something new.

Tomorrow our new coworker starts. G and I are curious about her. We are all going to lunch together with T. I hope she fits in. I'll let you know.

Talking about asking for the Havasu house the weekend before Christmas. It would be me and the DH, our oldest, his gf and our grandson. J and her beau. Could be fun. We just want a no stress, relaxing Christmas. Thinking this might be a good way to get it.

The Soldier will be home Oct 17th. Anxious to see him and spend some time with him before he ships to Afghanistan. Hopefully he will have internet and can keep in touch with us. We are already planning on boxes to send him with 'stuff'.

Today I went on a great ride. Did the De Luz road ride. It was fun and I noticed some of the turns that gave me trouble last time were a lot easier this time. Guess I'm getting a little better.

SONG OF THE BLOG: "Poker Face" by Daughtry

The taste is bitter sweet

This was an interesting day. I seem to be saying that a lot lately - "interesting day". I suppose in many ways it's like crying wolf. I mean honestly, just how many days can be that damn interesting?

Where do I start? How about with this: In 1983 my husband was dating a girl that he had every intention of marrying. However, he ended the relationship in order to try and make things work with his then ex wife for the sake of his son. In 1984 I arrive at Camp Pendleton and try out for the Marine Corps Mounted Color Guard. Fast forward to 1990. The DH and I meet in Okinawa, Japan. OK, so where does the interesting part of this story come in? Yesterday the old gf of my husband contacts him on Facebook. As it turns out, this gf is the same friend of mine that along with her husband was in charge of the Mounted Color Guard. Go figure. What are the odds? Talk about the six degrees of seperation.

I don't think many of you know too much about my first marriage, but it ended badly and I literally lost a huge portion of my life. Photos and other possessions I had were either thrown out or destroyed by me ex - to include all of the Color Guard photos. I have looked for years online and through the military photo labs for pictures of me on the Guard but to no avail. Thankfully, this same person (who is still married to the same man) has a bunch of old photos and she has graciously sent me a few. It's like a piece of me has been restored. I'd like to share some of those pics with you now...








I hope you all get a kick of these. I'm sure you'll be seeing more.

The second part of my interesting day revolves around the motorcycle club world and my part in it. I think my interest in bikes started as many things in my life do - I was attracted to being part of something. A motorcycle club was my goal. Although I often feel like as a retired Marine I have broken through many of the sex barriers, I find that the motorcycle club that I want so badly to be part of is off limits to me simply because I am a female. This is a hard pill for me to swallow even though as I say that I have respect for the men that make up the club and understand why it is this way. I have been fortunate enough that the Vietnam Vets and Legacy Vets of O Chapter have allowed me to "hang" around and ride with them, but I am never going to be a member or patched. The closest I will get is being what I am now - just a hang around or if my DH becomes patched. The DH is just now beginning to find out what I have known for a long time now - how special and unique this new world is and how it's more than just about riding bikes. It's about being a part of something that matters. It's about a Brotherhood. Sitting back and watching is not easy for me, but it's the only way I can be close and I have to respect that. I suppose I will live the club life vicariously through my DH.

SONG OF THE BLOG: "Born to Be Wild" by Steppenwolf. What else? LOL

Nuthin for a Sunday

Up early this morning. Although I didn't go physically to bed until after 2300 and didn't fall asleep until much later I woke up at 5am. I wasn't able to sleep anymore. The hubby was awake, too so after chatting for a bit we went to the grocery for some fresh donuts. He is having his cup of tea and I am having coffee. We will probably require a nap later on, but who cares? Isn't that what weekends were made for?

Speaking of which, the weekend is going by too quickly! Why does this always happen? I have so much to do and there is never enough time to do it in! The DH and I decided we wouldn't have anything "planned" for the weekend but just sort of shoot from the hip. I think this is more relaxing in a lot of ways and as the weekend approached we actually had things pop onto our calendar, so it's all chill.

Might go for a Harley run today and then wind up at the Beer Garden. Not sure if the guys will be there, but the band will and cold beer. That's really all that matters. We also talked about going for a horseback ride with the owners of the barn we are at. They wanted to take us out on the trails around their place. Yesterday Cheyenne was a real handful and it wasn't a very enjoyable ride for the DH. Haven't really made up our minds yet about this afternoon.

I am so close to finishing yet another bag. This one is bright pink and grey. I am not certain what fabric will go inside. I need to go into my stash and dig a little for this one. No name pops out at me right now. After this one is done I will be starting on a Bengals bag. I got one shipment in of the Bengals fabric. It's really nice and I should be able to get at least four bags out of the amount I got. I doubt I will get more than 2 made for the Oct show. Although I have streamlined the process by knowing the exact number of stitches it takes and every time I do one it seems to be quicker and quicker. The only thing is though that once it becomes less of a fun thing and more of a chore - the less I will want to make them. It's all about creativity. Cranking them out isn't the fun part. I need to post some pics of the latest bags. I'll try and do that this weekend.

Well I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday weekend. I hope you guys come back with some posts to share!

SONG OF THE DAY: "Sea Breeze" by Tyrone Wells

Friday and a long weekend

Wow, finally made it to Friday. I now have four days off. Well, technically I am working from home on Tuesday, but still it means I don't have to go in to work. I hope everyone is already enjoying their Labor Day weekend and is doing exactly what they want to be doing because this is America and freedom is what we are all about. Word.

OK, so I managed to finish the Martini bag. Very cute if I must say so myself. I am already about 30% into the next bag... Of which I have not yet come up with a name. But I will! Have no fear.

Hmmm, not really much to blog about other than I'm happy it's the weekend and I don't have any plans set in stone other than tomorrow night our old neighbor is throwing a steak on the grill and I am making deviled eggs (sorry Mama - I know you dislike them!). But nothing screams Labor Day (or any holiday for that matter) like deviled eggs. Yum-yum.

So we need to get you guys back at the blogging....How can we make this happen? I'm all alone out in blogspot world and although I don't have a problem writing just for my own benefit/therapy/pleasure it would be nice to have some sort of feedback.

SONG OF THE BLOG: "One (is the lonliest number)" by Three Dog Night

Ready for the weekend

How many times did I hear that today? Wow, too many to count! The Marines get a
"96" over Labor Day. That means a full 96 hours off. Tomorrow the Marines in my work section are competing in a unit softball tourney. So really tomorrow is just a screw off day, then they go out on libo until Wednesday. I loved being a Marine over the holidays. It was awesome to have time off to spend with friends and family. Now that I'm back working with the Marines we follow their lead - if they are off, so are we. Not always with pay mind you, but it's still nice to have the time off.

The weather here has been almost unbearable. We are used to a dry heat, but throw in a bit of humidity and we don't know what to do with ourselves. I thought it was moisture from Jimena - the hurricane in Baja - but I guess it's not.. Oh well, it would be nice to get some showers, but that's highly unlikely. The only thing this type of weather does produce is dry lightening which is NOT what we need in SoCal because of the threat of wildfires.

I am about 30 minutes away from completing the Martini bag. It's quite cute and I'm excited to put a price tag on it and move on to my next creation. Not quite sure yet what color yarn I will pick up, but I am leaning towards something bright and white. Talked about flying home in December to visit family and be part of the second craft fair with the hubby. He's all for it and might join me, but we decided not to purchase tickets until after the October craft sale. Just to see how things go...

I did a lot today. A lot of work. A lot of thinking. I wasn't thinking about work either. It's funny how your mind can play with you. One minute you are fine and the next you are close to tears. I just push it back down - not ready to let go just yet. Found out the week of Oct 5-9 I will be working as the Rover - which is what I was hired to do. The reps from Virginia will be out and we will be doing a physical walkthru and inventory of assets in the northern camps. Lots of walking and lots of new stuff. Should be fun. Get paid mileage too which is a nice plus.

This weekend I want to do an inventory of my current stash for the craft fair. Scarves, cloths and bags. I need to continue to get bags done. I figure it takes me approximately 24 hours to do one. Sadly I have to sleep or else I could probably get one done in 2.5 days rather than 5. The way I see it I can knock out another 4 bags before I have to ship.

Still waiting to hear from you guys... A couple have posted. I appreciate that, but where is everyone else?? Miss you guys!!

SONG OF THE BLOG: "Big Country" by Big Country

Fall is in the Air ... Or at least it is at Starbucks!

It's arrived! Pumpkin Spice Lattes are back at Starbucks! I was quite please when I stopped in for my normal fix. I thought about not getting one for about half of a nano second. I can't resist. It was amazing, too. Yay for Fall!

Two more days at work and we are off for the Labor Day weekend. We have Monday and Tuesday off, which is super cool. I plan on riding both the horse and the bike - multiple times. I'm also going to try and inventory my current yarn products for the craft fair in Oct. The DH and I talked briefly about my flying home for the one in December. I need to find out the dates and start making some plans. I hope it's snowing while I'm there, although that might put a damper on sales... Hmmm, perhaps I need to rethink that. LOL

Rubbing my eyes and have drawn a blank, so ending this tonight short and sweet.

SONG OF THE BLOG: "Photograph" by Nickelback

Glittery Matte

Today promised to be one of those days. You know the ones. You bounce out of bed ahead of your alarm clock, slip into your workout clothes, grab a bottle of water and a protein bar and hit the road. You pull into the gym parking lot and get the closest spot possible without being in the handicap space, breeze through the front door and find the best treadmill in the cardio section open and waiting for you. After an amazing calorie-burning session, you hop off the treadmill and gingerly wipe your forehead with a towel passing by a mirrored wall and thinking to yourself, "Wow! I look pretty good for someone that just ran her fastest 3 miles yet!" The water in the shower is hot for a change. Your shampoo and conditioner seem to make your hair feel like silk. The body wash you lavish yourself with takes you somewhere between a tropical rain forest and a flower garden. Your hair is having a "good day" under the blow dryer and round brush. Make up goes on flawlessly and at your desk your boss not only compliments you on the way you smell but also on the email you sent to him with the answers to all of his questions.

Yeah....Not so much. Let's see; my alarm didn't go off (stupid BB). I tripped over my workout clothes almost breaking my ankle. The only kind of bar left to grab in the pantry was a graham cracker smores flavor (your least favorite) and you promptly got about a mile down the road before you realize you forgot to even grab a water. By the time you get to the base gym every single parking spot is taken. You end up driving around the lot waiting for someone, anyone to leave. It doesn't happen, so you decide to drive to the smaller gym down the street. Once inside the place is crowded but you spot an open treadmill. As you start to get into your pace you begin to notice a certain ... smell. Garbage? Sewer leak? Someone farted? Glancing next to you, huffing and puffing like he's on death's door is a blob of a man. He is drenched in sweat. His grey sleeveless shirt is soaked. His headband (yes, I said headband) is not doing a very good job of keeping the sweat from pouring down his face. He's the source of the smell. Either he is a sewer worker that just got off work and accidently slipped into a pile of garbage and has terrible gas or this man has a serious ... er, problem. After about ten minutes you realize that's quite enough and decide to call it a "workout". The shower is ice cold. You forgot to bring in conditioner and the body wash you have smells less like a tropical garden or more like a cheap air freshner. Flat. That's how your hair looks and because you can't see well in the lights over the sinks your makeup makes you look pale.

And yeah, the compliment from your boss wasn't there either. He showed up minutes before a meeting and the only thing he managed to say was, "Thank God you made coffee."

Somehow from that point on the day just seemed to flatten out. Lunch was ho-hum. Music on the IPod was just so-so. Even the Marines were rather quiet and non entertaining. We can only hope tomorrow is a better day.

SONG OF THE BLOG: "Just Another Day" by Depeche Mode