tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-147509132024-03-12T20:36:22.804-07:00Stuck in ArizonaI was Vegas bound, but the forces of the universe have conspired to keep me in Phoenix for a little while, so now I'm stuck in Arizona....Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger114125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14750913.post-2886113075933685242010-01-14T06:38:00.003-07:002010-01-14T07:46:01.980-07:00Higher<div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH0FzeamLY1yQkq_tdDuKBLZdxy0k0_jXmeZ7PMwIBPo0UGgCOsAFj9bGB9sQVUJeDFlJfS9sevVgK20xu1KJVS6HpsqKCKwr6rv019lWVdsQ6jaGm3Ce5mCC8FHQwH5JgKDBzjg/s320/DSCF0051.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426594730102875618" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Picture taken from Weehawken, NJ - Empire State Building sporting the Hanukkah colors</span></div><div><br /></div>Just finished listening to the audiobook version of Higher, by Neal Bascomb, and truly enjoyed it. It's the story of the race to build the highest skyscrapers in NY - The Chrysler Building, The Manhattan Company Building (guess who owns it today, it has a different name, sadly) and the Empire State Building - can you spot all three in the picture above?<div><br /></div><div>The book tells the story of the architects who designed it, the people who commissioned it and the obstacles they faced throughout the construction. These buildings were done in record time - had I been around at the time, I would not have set foot in any of them because today I don't think any such structure can be built in such a short time and still be safe, and yet, they still stand and will probably still be there long after I'm gone.</div><div><br /></div><div>I found it funny that when I started to read the book I was totally unaware of the Manhattan Company Building and actually thought the book was about the other two, but I won't say anymore, don't want to spoil it for you. Of the three I have to say that the top of the Chrysler Building is my favorite, I find it to be a masterpiece in design, but that's my opinion - I think it makes up for the overdone interior, to put it nicely. The one that has always stood up, though, is the Empire State Building and mainly because of the lights display that change depending on the occasion.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVJcd-OerpA1HKWvGT1-1EkltnLnnTwOJRhzSox8pFtqsoYZQt1JUg_9B5ytw4vLU_X3ibs4Yu5GHNt2XF-_OIRY7etW2Mf1rUh2V7d3pbtVsHlsdHVpLkDyeuyOLU-YQE-zwrJA/s320/DSCF0168.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426594759464260130" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Picture taken from the Hoboken Pier, with the Empire State Building sporting Christmas colors.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As you can see, I'm obsessed with the NY skyline, as seen from the NJ side. It is so beautiful at night, and it has a calming effect from the stresses of the day - for me at least. During my holiday visit to the family I brazed the elements, climbed through fences, froze my behind trying to catch all the different light displays at the Empire State Building as possible - first pic is for Hanukkah, the one above is for Christmas, the one below is during the daytime - not as calming, and the last one is for Nascar.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpGea1Hr6AT1Re2IMpCxIhjjFywhbL97NYS5oykOUy3mojbvSbiGQE4Gjwq1OElo-lB3pjqOGIDkTo6dM51FDGP5Rz2Rzedp7a8-bGzjqx7JPCsj2WV43fR_7EcZ-xMKZV2blAjw/s320/DSCF0019.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426594740632207506" /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOmBNfDcwhdz5t8DqSjGOy_CkBpMTXsoYMSWbmfZI-sI7lMbeEm_Wk20HgOo6OBBbFA2Wr9N5itDF8_RvFXR73nWNluxTpap1kiMqcY_fKERKx4lsAAKlHuP8m-KWim-qB0GMmKg/s1600-h/DSCF0045.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOmBNfDcwhdz5t8DqSjGOy_CkBpMTXsoYMSWbmfZI-sI7lMbeEm_Wk20HgOo6OBBbFA2Wr9N5itDF8_RvFXR73nWNluxTpap1kiMqcY_fKERKx4lsAAKlHuP8m-KWim-qB0GMmKg/s320/DSCF0045.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426590686949866610" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">The colors here are for Nascar's 4th consecutive Sprint Cup, click on the picture to admire the details closely - the colors are blue, white and yellow.</span></div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">** All pictures are my property, please ask for permission before using them.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14750913.post-90161579964216927192010-01-05T07:00:00.001-07:002010-01-05T13:19:54.009-07:0010....err.....5...no, umm.....2 Things I love About Phoenix!<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFKuM6CB3UH-LChKu1EaZKkk-DsQxTMUUzEOUYHfX7dvBR73QQOPB7Z3BxMupMuXRuBDfBZ0aCKedMDrGKHkTr-oDxQcoQY1t4U6RYt8rGzip6yoPG7Y3wKVPz-kz1417Tc3RZ_Q/s1600-h/suicide+lane.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423350557618786002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 241px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFKuM6CB3UH-LChKu1EaZKkk-DsQxTMUUzEOUYHfX7dvBR73QQOPB7Z3BxMupMuXRuBDfBZ0aCKedMDrGKHkTr-oDxQcoQY1t4U6RYt8rGzip6yoPG7Y3wKVPz-kz1417Tc3RZ_Q/s320/suicide+lane.jpg" border="0" /></a> <strong>LEFT ONLY LANES (Suicide Lane on 7th Street and 7th Avenue)</strong><br /><br /><div>These are the center lanes marked by yellow lines that are used only when you want to make a turn, thus allowing you to get out of regular traffic. What's not to love? with the crazy drivers here in AZ, you risk your life every time you try to make it out of any establishment onto a busy road. As for the reversible lanes - suicide lanes - on 7th street and 7th avenue, well, I haven't used them ever since I got that speeding ticket two years ago.....heck, I avoid these roads during peak hours altogether! </div><div><br /> </div><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423352726482959410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 180px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBM6y516pAqEOMcXTzK3HmJppZ_BWfFyD_2rhDIOvfSSGg1Y-SOyHYhiblmK_3E0SHu_nyyIKhJ3XaHpq5Dp1NH9Wg0K-Oq7SF7ofLgyQNJtaBh23OOaVoObDlbG7IA2LUDdn6MA/s320/winter.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div><strong>WINTER</strong></div><br /><div>Did I tell you that this whole week is going to be in the 70s? Don't hate! I love snow, and I love winter coats, hats and boots but I really, really love driving around with my windows down. Winters here are like Spring or Autumn in the East, love it!!</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14750913.post-33661245562312142952010-01-03T17:39:00.003-07:002010-01-03T17:41:22.038-07:00Today's Weather Report<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiIKE8xKcFVIV28-5p3NlcNNdDSaJxCMSuaZbJ_CNSPHlfFyLjNElyulmRkERWEOkTMyE6x_CYDp0_wPcoBi-gZBRnwIJAsmCKL0LKAffnBbrGQMDe6cthrXlfX_XiMAVNbjvtRQ/s1600-h/Todays+Weather.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 229px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422678070277876050" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiIKE8xKcFVIV28-5p3NlcNNdDSaJxCMSuaZbJ_CNSPHlfFyLjNElyulmRkERWEOkTMyE6x_CYDp0_wPcoBi-gZBRnwIJAsmCKL0LKAffnBbrGQMDe6cthrXlfX_XiMAVNbjvtRQ/s320/Todays+Weather.jpg" /></a>Don't hate people, especially my cousins to the East, but today we had wonderful weather here in hell....<br /><div></div><br /><div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14750913.post-17093204684715238262010-01-03T16:56:00.004-07:002010-01-03T17:26:19.276-07:00Could it be Segregation?.........<p><strong>And now, a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">controversial</span> post:</strong></p><ul><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><em><strong>enforced separation of groups:</strong> the practice of keeping ethnic, racial, religious, or gender groups separate, especially by enforcing the use of separate schools, transportation, housing, and other facilities, and usually discriminating against a minority group</em></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><em><strong>segregated state:</strong> the state or position of somebody or something kept separate from others </em></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><em><strong>act of segregating:</strong> the separating of one person, group, or thing from others, or the dividing of people or things into separate groups kept apart from each other</em></span></li></ul><p>I've always maintained that Arizona is a segregated state, and they are open about it, everybody actually seems okay with it - you stay on your side and I stay on mine, their unspoken pact. Coming from the East I forget about this until I realize that I'm the only Hispanic in a restaurant and people are looking at me funny. Don't believe me? Try it out yourself - go to a restaurant in Scottsdale and tell me how many Hispanics you see - not counting those actually cleaning or cooking your food. Drive north of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Thunderbird</span> Road and do the same, let me know what you find.</p><p>I got a haircut this morning and decided to stop at a restaurant for breakfast because I was too early for my next appointment of the day. They were actually very nice and as I sat on the table to wait for my order I decided to engage in my favorite pastime, people watching. First I checked the wait staff, all young and able but none Hispanic or American Indian, which I found strange since I would venture to say that these two groups represent 50% of Arizona. The only <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Hispanic</span> people I saw where the one cleaning the tables and the cooks......this made me sad, specially for the girl cleaning the tables and busting her ass just as hard, if not harder than the other ones, but who would probably get very little money for her efforts. Then I decided to scan the crowd and realized that I was the only Hispanic in the restaurant - not that anybody was giving me evil looks, which has happened before, but it made me wonder why "my people" don't venture this far North. Is there an unwritten pact? is it non-visible, but palpable intimidation? somebody?</p><p>Then I started wondering, what is it that makes people think that they are better than others because of the color of their skin? is it the fact that we have always, since God knows when, associated white with good and black with evil? As I scanned the crowd I saw people who would definitely make it to the <a href="http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/">"People of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Walmart</span>"</a> website, yet I knew these people thought they were better than me and any other <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Latin</span> speaking person.....not because of their intellect and education, but because of their skin color.</p><p>I wonder how Obama really feels about his accomplishment as the first black president of the US - is he really, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">innocently</span> enjoying it, or does he look at the crowds around him and wonders if they guy without the law degree and the missing teeth thinks he's better just because he's white?</p><p>My father is white, and I never saw skin color until I moved to the US and somebody told me I was not white, as if it was a crime not to be. I hope for the sake of humanity that we change soon, for the better.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14750913.post-64932827541392185782010-01-03T15:56:00.007-07:002010-01-03T16:55:20.858-07:00Up In The Air<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Y9SMBkvGnJxPGsu9N7N3h9Nva__ddorqrKdT0AKs2hUP3ZceCFns01GRv0XT4zxTgiitEGaZPI6ZtSe46QT-Lkm7vaWePLO92TZoagzptnF5a_vnUCkN5U7AW48HvjSSmNygTA/s1600-h/Up_in_the_Air_Poster.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 216px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422651475285747186" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Y9SMBkvGnJxPGsu9N7N3h9Nva__ddorqrKdT0AKs2hUP3ZceCFns01GRv0XT4zxTgiitEGaZPI6ZtSe46QT-Lkm7vaWePLO92TZoagzptnF5a_vnUCkN5U7AW48HvjSSmNygTA/s320/Up_in_the_Air_Poster.jpg" /></a><br /><div>It's been roughly a year since I updated this blog, and I won't lie, I missed it, but as I said once to someone....I just couldn't find anything bad to say about Arizona. Now, if you know me well then you'll know that's just a lie....a big one...plenty wrong with Arizona, particularly Phoenix, but I'll have plenty of time to tell you about it - I've just been busy.</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br />Today I want to briefly talk about the movie Up In The Air, with George Clooney (love him!.....this guy can't do anything wrong). I went to see it on New Year's day and it made me think - we just don't communicate anymore. We have substituted the personal touch for the electronic one, and we are okay with that. Now instead of cards you get a text message wishing you a Merry Xmas and Happy New Year, Happy Birthday wishes on Facebook from all you so called "friends".......and we're okay with that. I often find myself lamenting the fact that this or that friend doesn't have a Facebook account, so that I can wish them a happy holiday without having to actually call them and waste an hour of my life.......yet I have no problem wasting hours (3+ at a time) reading posts on the internet from people I don't know, and reading comments from friends on FB. Realizing this made me so unhappy and sad that I've decided to close my Facebook account, albeit temporarily, until I become a REAL friend to my friends, and give them the time they actually deserve.</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br />Don't get me wrong, FB has been great for finding long lost friends, ex-colleagues and even relatives, but it's not a substitute for a real friendship. I love technology and don't plan on giving it up any time soon, but I don't want to depend so much on it either. Technology has made the whole world accessible to me, but at the same time it has isolated me from the real world and that's no good. I pledge that from this day forward, and I hope I can keep this, I will personally call my friends on their birthdays instead of sending them a message, and I will send cards more often. As for my FB account, well, that's up in the air......</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14750913.post-66652915678247948922010-01-01T07:37:00.001-07:002010-01-03T16:34:19.119-07:00Public Service AnnouncementYes, I'm back!! and what better way to ring in the New Year than with a public service announcement! Introducing..... <div><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 134px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359821627583039026" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Pt7LuK-J6FHLsNnRuTottjPtC3_CVDNXthe8mWqqZDj1suJ59a1BAuzZysOpCV0BBG6F9Y1u0FiYjg76vmY_96m9Ab2noG9yGcj5uPVNBwCHEGkl-ZoRXxbj0EYT4_-a83I0ww/s320/poo-4.JPG" /></div><div><a href="http://poopourri.com/">POO-POURRI!!</a></div><div>Yes, you heard me right - their tag line is "Spritz the bowl before you go and no one else would ever know" - and believe me, this shit works!!</div><div><br /></div><div>Let's face it, everybody' s___t smells - I'm sure that if somebody had really ever made the claim that theirs actually do smell like roses, she (it would definitely be a she) would be very famous by now, probably selling the crap - no pun intended - on QVC and making tons of money; the rest of us should thank our lucky stars and kiss the feet of the genius behind Poo-Pourri. I'm going on my 2nd bottle - the first one lasted over a year - and I love it! The first one I bought was their original scent, smells like an orange grove - pretty nice, and it really, really works. The one I'm using now is their Heaven Scent (with every flush an angel gets its wings!) and I find it to be even stronger than the other one, so I only use a couple of spritz - trust me, it's very strong.......not too crazy about the smell....like patchouli....but it gets the work done. The people at work love me, and my mother and sister-in-law are forever grateful since I introduced two of my brothers to it! a marriage saver! So do us all a favor and buy yours today.</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14750913.post-76452467742434652492010-01-01T00:01:00.001-07:002010-01-03T16:52:11.353-07:00Happy New Year!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNd7rAIuMMZ8-bpBdQOqXl8cYohcJrTdeIpBqrO-_uDvjBnGZCaBHMMwuNLtsp5HJJohRv0JbKWhuiXgfzYROuF1IIJ0gYt9jM6mFR865CbKkCV3EFJvZ-q9H-EOfYe138-IAnyQ/s1600-h/fireworks.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422663412936857938" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNd7rAIuMMZ8-bpBdQOqXl8cYohcJrTdeIpBqrO-_uDvjBnGZCaBHMMwuNLtsp5HJJohRv0JbKWhuiXgfzYROuF1IIJ0gYt9jM6mFR865CbKkCV3EFJvZ-q9H-EOfYe138-IAnyQ/s320/fireworks.jpg" /></a> Happy New Year to all, may you have a healthy and prosperous one!<br /><br />I was celebrating at my friend parents' house and by 11:30 p.m. everybody was rushing home before the "shots started". After almost five years in exile here in AZ, I finally realized that the reason I couldn't see the fireworks from my apartment window was not because they were probably far away, but because the sound I heard was not of fireworks but guns being shot in the air.........suddenly, living on the third floor didn't seem like the safest place to be.<br /><br />Adios 2009 (miserable year!), hola 2010 (full of promise)!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14750913.post-12903433252338145062008-12-26T08:14:00.002-07:002008-12-26T10:51:08.794-07:00Yogi CatHope you're resting from all the partying and cooking of the holidays, and hope Xmas was good to you. Here's something funny to spice up your day.<div><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/LnVXld9ZaE0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/LnVXld9ZaE0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>My cat used to climb on my back the same way if I ever was on all four on the floor, usually looking for something - the stupid cat would then start bathing herself while I patiently waited; it was funny then, it's still funny now.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14750913.post-58668304779386788252008-12-23T12:05:00.002-07:002008-12-23T12:32:06.513-07:00Merry Xmas to AllHere's a little something to put you in the mood!<div><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 10px; white-space: pre; "><object width="480" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2kYEK-pxs_A&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2kYEK-pxs_A&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object></span><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>And just for fun, here's one from my favorite site, <a href="http://failblog.org/">Fail Blog.</a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(have to admit that this, um.....guy, sings better than I do)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 10px; white-space: pre; "><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rDs9IZWvjhc&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rDs9IZWvjhc&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></span><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14750913.post-15888286289592430232008-12-14T21:38:00.009-07:002008-12-15T00:14:01.128-07:00San Diego - Part III love San Diego!! It's just beautiful, diverse, and the people are so nice! I've been sick for a while, so a trip to the beach was in order and this trip was great, the weather behaved somewhat, and the universe and I were aligned because God granted me every little wish I asked for!<br /><br />I stayed in an apartment/hotel near La Jolla, close to Encinitas where I needed to be all of Saturday. It was nice to have a kitchenette in the room, and the location was perfect - not too far from downtown San Diego, in a safe location and within driving distance of everything. This trip I skipped the Coronado and downtown areas since I had spent plenty of time there on my last trip.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDXCPjODkApXRwL8qS9k89dtC1wo-LjprvgIZp3fqsklQ7D-oYPqd0LTHnDqtnGuQ1qwE28eI_HqwfAah2nAMjKYv0zqmQIsvNVh7CBYbLZs7wEVvBKkVf9_tzjtzuH4f-sRhzfQ/s1600-h/DSCF2738.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDXCPjODkApXRwL8qS9k89dtC1wo-LjprvgIZp3fqsklQ7D-oYPqd0LTHnDqtnGuQ1qwE28eI_HqwfAah2nAMjKYv0zqmQIsvNVh7CBYbLZs7wEVvBKkVf9_tzjtzuH4f-sRhzfQ/s320/DSCF2738.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279874344481624482" border="0" /></a>I arrived late at the airport and opted not to check my luggage in because they were charging me $15 for it and I already had to pay $5 to secure a window seat - I know, small change, but I'll be damned if I was going to give the airlines more of my money. The only reason they started charging extra in the first place was because the cost of fuel was so high; what is their excuse now that the costs of fuel have reached an all-time low? Anyway, back to my trip. I was concerned that they would send me back to check-in the luggage because I was carrying full size hair products, and that would certainly make me miss my flight, so I pray for it not to happen and wouldn't you know that they didn't even look at my bag!? Big deal you say, but last time they made me walk all the way back just because I had a 4oz tube of sunscreen, so there!!<br /><br />Next, I went to pick up my rental car and prayed for an upgrade, since I had reserved a compact and had visions of me driving around in a hatchback. Well, their computers were down and they had to do everything manually. When the lady at the counter started reading the list of cars available I couldn't resist and got this (for the price of an economy one!!).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqreOsTvFJ1RDZY8FWgdF98mkfKHLtCQUG1lEcYcmaq2qIblrs_ax6nvL_i-DWsA8CoE6R2tywdm9KIj_NbQH6gKVovByBZLAhoP2P1_9M49OX8GEl5e8EIlybB6DIClAv6AOVPQ/s1600-h/DSCF2552.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqreOsTvFJ1RDZY8FWgdF98mkfKHLtCQUG1lEcYcmaq2qIblrs_ax6nvL_i-DWsA8CoE6R2tywdm9KIj_NbQH6gKVovByBZLAhoP2P1_9M49OX8GEl5e8EIlybB6DIClAv6AOVPQ/s320/DSCF2552.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279874354020780082" border="0" /></a>Alright! A Mitsubitshi Eclipse! Never mind that I was left in the dust by all the California drivers since I insisted on doing no more than 70 mph and everybody else must have been doing at least 90 mph; I'll forget the fact that the car had such blind spots that trying to get out of a parking spot meant there was a 50/50 chance I would get hit by approaching vehicles......heck! I'll even forget about driving down their undulating highway and with the car being so close to the ground (hello!! sports car!) I felt like a James Bond Martini, shaken, not stirred. I was driving in style and God had made it happen - credit where credit is due, but next time be careful what you ask for.<br /><br />At the hotel I decided to look out the window and caught a glimpse of the planetary alignment I've been secretly wishing to see, but thought I had missed because of poor visibility back in Phoenix. God really, really likes me! And I had finally figured out how to photograph the lights at night without them looking blurry.......well, not that blurry. What a sight! I love looking at the sky.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxNjhyphenhyphenlm5vnMQGkhIGjyeOO_Izhlup9CSSDUg2EuWiVDwOic5uJ3eQtFv5z1xYmH4sbdfAPhWHWV3rmYsyLTJ_G_RWXNbJF6G0Y-NHiHAL3evR39pR03jj_GLjulN13_caaFdfCg/s1600-h/DSCF2546.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxNjhyphenhyphenlm5vnMQGkhIGjyeOO_Izhlup9CSSDUg2EuWiVDwOic5uJ3eQtFv5z1xYmH4sbdfAPhWHWV3rmYsyLTJ_G_RWXNbJF6G0Y-NHiHAL3evR39pR03jj_GLjulN13_caaFdfCg/s320/DSCF2546.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279874352704293906" border="0" /></a><br />On Saturday I had to attend an all day <a href="http://www.plainjanestudio.com/classes.htm">Sketching and Watercolor</a> class at the <a href="http://www.artretreats.com/">California Center for Creative Renewal</a> in Encinitas. What a beautiful and inspiring place!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsjajtTPKjNeqZ-UqgzOScWirP0w8FU-eo6isFyw7U4We19UoW57anZLK9L2_I1qEmNW44ri4M3ZxHFtoTkLRHgUVt8zTUrx522pV80L5UlX23LSSOKnXM_jjUIRqBPqrWinQGGw/s1600-h/DSCF2553.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsjajtTPKjNeqZ-UqgzOScWirP0w8FU-eo6isFyw7U4We19UoW57anZLK9L2_I1qEmNW44ri4M3ZxHFtoTkLRHgUVt8zTUrx522pV80L5UlX23LSSOKnXM_jjUIRqBPqrWinQGGw/s320/DSCF2553.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279874362665647266" border="0" /></a><br />The owner, Ellen Speert, has slowly created this peaceful sanctuary with views of the mountains, beautifully landscaped, a haven! I wish I had a backyard like this! Saturday turned out to be a beautiful, sunny day. The weather stayed perfect the whole day, too bad it's winter and by 5pm it was already dark and I couldn't run to the beach. But this place was worth spending the whole day sketching, just lovely!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWVFDqU4QsJp9iwnxXFu0x7WsDyhkypiQEQqAU200wfj4iRRxRLEIPwZnpzzDg9iK8pvnALnmDiIDwrJqf00BPBmpiIvhD3J2go8cNkI86c9zGIqVIT8dWuBvSRIYachPKAvbWjw/s1600-h/DSCF2557.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWVFDqU4QsJp9iwnxXFu0x7WsDyhkypiQEQqAU200wfj4iRRxRLEIPwZnpzzDg9iK8pvnALnmDiIDwrJqf00BPBmpiIvhD3J2go8cNkI86c9zGIqVIT8dWuBvSRIYachPKAvbWjw/s320/DSCF2557.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279876515830084466" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgsb864-8SmjYKxZXHCOKlPWL0lTdtf3H_nDBT1akZZycsinDpP75hY8csEtAFLHZlVLqqlL28Va0XT-ueoc9pxoiJ8KYx-l7kYHVf6u8i8oyieiX8dgkqOFoI6hbcalwv4c1l8Q/s1600-h/DSCF2556.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgsb864-8SmjYKxZXHCOKlPWL0lTdtf3H_nDBT1akZZycsinDpP75hY8csEtAFLHZlVLqqlL28Va0XT-ueoc9pxoiJ8KYx-l7kYHVf6u8i8oyieiX8dgkqOFoI6hbcalwv4c1l8Q/s320/DSCF2556.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279874390254944146" border="0" /></a><br />On Sunday I headed over to the beach in Encinitas, but it was already cloudy and very cold, brrrr! The surfers were out, but I opted for a walk around town checking out the architecture and enjoying the landscape. I liked the people in Encinitas, they were young and friendly.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw0-lc4Zp-GMyY0MgXEjVyfU9i2EsLI6rx8ZWWnCsgZPiGAgaQ1pBtFFXfI9WFooBiUZvKcenW5cnJaaxiSAC6Q8uMRCE82hktoFeBVQVDxbECR3DJGM9PO-YOS0guoyHO77fBBA/s1600-h/DSCF2633.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw0-lc4Zp-GMyY0MgXEjVyfU9i2EsLI6rx8ZWWnCsgZPiGAgaQ1pBtFFXfI9WFooBiUZvKcenW5cnJaaxiSAC6Q8uMRCE82hktoFeBVQVDxbECR3DJGM9PO-YOS0guoyHO77fBBA/s320/DSCF2633.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279876536031622738" border="0" /></a><br />These are two houses in the shape of a boat, pretty cool, but I wonder how they are made.....I think they are real boats turned houses, but couldn't tell for sure.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRfKChkSNOfq-lz9XwTpzhW2v8RK8oT6UKiD-4GzukeB8aCh9sxhAZaluSRALkBF5Cszv_p8DZIE1pI4-7Uz_rfsN2cHLT6t3GxFMeHMq8JO9UVDSDZELy34EmXnS7ZtcFjyA1JQ/s1600-h/DSCF2649.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRfKChkSNOfq-lz9XwTpzhW2v8RK8oT6UKiD-4GzukeB8aCh9sxhAZaluSRALkBF5Cszv_p8DZIE1pI4-7Uz_rfsN2cHLT6t3GxFMeHMq8JO9UVDSDZELy34EmXnS7ZtcFjyA1JQ/s320/DSCF2649.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279900272305069538" border="0" /></a><br />After Encinitas I headed to La Jolla, since the hotel was in the vicinity and I was getting ready to check out. These condos have a view of the ocean, I wish I was there now. How wonderful it would be to wake up every morning and have a cappuccino while watching the ocean....how relaxing. La Jolla is an affluent neighborhood and you can tell just by walking around - the buildings, the manicured lawns, the cars....this is where I want to retire!!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk1Nr_-MrWH6tNNQlAGU7aLTIeROb-e8vY766ALg1vXU_UOOSo5_JU6vCIhyphenhyphenKnXSuF96pxzTGssGBd0sc1xTToATEFxIcDe_1NOOZKWGBfE21bHIXC62fX1pt1CimyWoNlcJLrkA/s1600-h/DSCF2677.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk1Nr_-MrWH6tNNQlAGU7aLTIeROb-e8vY766ALg1vXU_UOOSo5_JU6vCIhyphenhyphenKnXSuF96pxzTGssGBd0sc1xTToATEFxIcDe_1NOOZKWGBfE21bHIXC62fX1pt1CimyWoNlcJLrkA/s320/DSCF2677.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279878533926972402" border="0" /></a>It was less humid than Encinitas, but still cold - that didn't deter the surfers, who were out in full force. All I kept thinking was ....where are the sharks? These dudes look like seals in those outfits, very tempting if I were a shark.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnn3rci0e3bDvqcVZESEzXqzWreJyf6Yo5VTpygYq2vKm9opXcKbZr7bn4t2GfbEKcWJC4go-LuCG2yDPcDWQOeXogNfqfjksQyOFvF_FA2oICNVSwUaLCVhz7nyOP3G9PowSJhQ/s1600-h/DSCF2669.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnn3rci0e3bDvqcVZESEzXqzWreJyf6Yo5VTpygYq2vKm9opXcKbZr7bn4t2GfbEKcWJC4go-LuCG2yDPcDWQOeXogNfqfjksQyOFvF_FA2oICNVSwUaLCVhz7nyOP3G9PowSJhQ/s320/DSCF2669.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279878193434395858" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHH656dyfcNhvqhqBpWzajeY3H3QecQLItAyqXdD4g-w-q_zXZE7cuxh9qyPsRxn8jUY6FZACK2NwXmXk9NhRCf_kzmMdGnu6WfOK5p0BMFGnczOGHGI5cW4-0N8nS718jgaN2Xw/s1600-h/DSCF2676.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHH656dyfcNhvqhqBpWzajeY3H3QecQLItAyqXdD4g-w-q_zXZE7cuxh9qyPsRxn8jUY6FZACK2NwXmXk9NhRCf_kzmMdGnu6WfOK5p0BMFGnczOGHGI5cW4-0N8nS718jgaN2Xw/s320/DSCF2676.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279878198028377698" border="0" /></a><br />After La Jolla I went over to Old Town (sorry, no pictures) and had lunch at Acapulco, ending with this lovely dessert - upside down pineapple cake with ice cream and caramel sauce, diabetic shock right after you take the first bite. I took a walk around Old Town afterwards, to feel less guilty.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW5T4XC6UPiSt8JzNgIJF_tTi8gPauE2dJeI76-CcqIbtoyY575bL3A_SnlEn7J6SDv5ctcYvuABasy9qyvnVw6L8OvYLwu63tP9MRxRfuM8R8jaznOiFCLD1Kw6xYoyVKmAgiWA/s1600-h/DSCF2739.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW5T4XC6UPiSt8JzNgIJF_tTi8gPauE2dJeI76-CcqIbtoyY575bL3A_SnlEn7J6SDv5ctcYvuABasy9qyvnVw6L8OvYLwu63tP9MRxRfuM8R8jaznOiFCLD1Kw6xYoyVKmAgiWA/s320/DSCF2739.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279878204789867890" border="0" /></a><br />And the final gift from God - two empty seats next to mine on the flight back home, so that I could spread and read a book while everybody else was boxed in their seats. As far as I could tell, I was the only person with two, yes, two empty seats next to her. God loves me, the Universe has an open line for me!<br /><br />**Okay God, I'm putting this in writing. Since we have an open line I want to take this opportunity to request something very special. I know of two families that are going through some uncertainties with their pregnancies and I want to ask that you grant them each a healthy, problems free baby. These two families, like many out there, are good loving families so pretty please, give them both a healthy baby. And while we're at it, can we bring some stability to Africa? Thank you God.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14750913.post-18173042610459829012008-11-25T16:17:00.005-07:002008-12-15T00:20:26.213-07:00Do You Have $10 to Spare?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirlP9Q93fL-S81VpwAqDkznkLSXq4fb-Gn3j4-52DNoFwBgTFox0eG98jqhnfbv6GoQRZW4LunQdFEPXR9xhkSpMPQnPIjujDeFQ_rR9SH1bvFxCCwTh_IQ9EYDMtuyp72rX_vOw/s1600-h/3057801444_6a9ddc90cc.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirlP9Q93fL-S81VpwAqDkznkLSXq4fb-Gn3j4-52DNoFwBgTFox0eG98jqhnfbv6GoQRZW4LunQdFEPXR9xhkSpMPQnPIjujDeFQ_rR9SH1bvFxCCwTh_IQ9EYDMtuyp72rX_vOw/s320/3057801444_6a9ddc90cc.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272761967170150690" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">Image "lifted" from Kelly's blog - I'm sure she won't mind</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Not for me, no, but for a deserving family and a great cause. Let me explain, I was reading one of my favorite blogs by <a href="http://kellyraeroberts.blogspot.com/">Kelly Rae Roberts</a>, the author of the motivational book "Taking Flight" and she's having a contest in order to raise money to rebuild a home for a deserving family in Rwanda, Africa. The minimum donation she's asking for is $5, but why am I asking for $10 you ask? Well, in reading about this family' situation I also learned of another blog asking for donations that are used to help not one, but many people in a particular community in Africa for things that you and I take for granted in this wonderful country of ours, things like medical care, medicine, etc. I spend just about that at Starbuck's any given day, so why not put it to good use this Holiday season. I don't know you, but doing something for somebody else always makes me feel better. Don't you want to share some happiness?<div><br /></div><div>Please read their stories <a href="http://kellyraeroberts.blogspot.com/2008/11/calling-all-hearts-i-need-you-giveaway.html">here</a>, and <a href="http://jenlemen.com/blog/?p=544">here</a>, and have a wonderful holiday season. And remember, we can change the world one act of random kindness at a time. Do your part!<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">**Edited to add: It is my understanding that they raised $4,200++, thank you to all who donated. Doesn't it feel good to do something nice for somebody else? Thank you!!</span><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14750913.post-58127675909317241502008-11-18T07:23:00.004-07:002008-11-25T19:55:21.342-07:003.5 Hours<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiTMp9i9xth7l-BMr9mebD5RE8phaetvnkSvDUmVvt5wHLHMFVjuOtxJhJ3dM6LXdSMm45QS13_dinkH0euXgk-Y5UUBC1b4dj3fewPZLjsG4qYM6F2KufZJuQ1P2VuEvmHFhpBA/s1600-h/51dpFC1TTrL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA240_SH20_OU01_.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiTMp9i9xth7l-BMr9mebD5RE8phaetvnkSvDUmVvt5wHLHMFVjuOtxJhJ3dM6LXdSMm45QS13_dinkH0euXgk-Y5UUBC1b4dj3fewPZLjsG4qYM6F2KufZJuQ1P2VuEvmHFhpBA/s320/51dpFC1TTrL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA240_SH20_OU01_.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272794063459458658" /></a><br />No, the title does not refer to me being stuck in traffic, nor is it the countdown to a fabulous vacation in Greece; it just refers to the fact that for the first time since my teenage years I read a book in one sitting! I know, this is not exciting to you, but to me it means so much - you see, I have a collection of books to read, some I have even started, but none have I finished. This just means that I can still get into a book and enjoy reading it so much that I can finish it in 3.5 hours!! Hopefully it also means that I can finish all the other books I have bought. Now for the book in question:<div><br /></div><div>Laurie Perry is a blogosphere personality whom I discovered about a year ago through somebody else's blog; "We" clicked from the start, since she is very much like myself and I suspect like many others out there. Through Laurie's <a href="http://www.crazyauntpurl.com/">blog</a> I learned that there's a lot of us out there with the same insecurities, fears and sense of humor (I thought I was unique!). She wrote a book about life after divorce and taking up a new hobby, how it saved her from spiraling down into hell (oh heck, she was in hell already, she just managed to get out). I finally read an excerpt of her book last week thanks to Amazon's preview feature and knew I had to get it. Well, it arrived yesterday and let me tell you that once I picked it up I couldn't put it down - it was just funny in true Laurie fashion. I believe this is a keeper for me. Thanks Laurie for sharing your life with us, and making it funny!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14750913.post-49390600682368109432008-11-12T23:22:00.003-07:002008-11-25T20:04:04.099-07:00The Art of Breathing<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMov34qKod2fFnQ_Sc-3pxjJQdcPq-g-8lCM9kSO8YrXrcMGSe6rxzAJIHeWuFUV21slijf3mY-QievMfbPblunGMXbT9wDlW5syIDBzH2ebxLGL7mtFt5AD-MhEIMPH8xVM1P_w/s1600-h/proventil2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 310px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMov34qKod2fFnQ_Sc-3pxjJQdcPq-g-8lCM9kSO8YrXrcMGSe6rxzAJIHeWuFUV21slijf3mY-QievMfbPblunGMXbT9wDlW5syIDBzH2ebxLGL7mtFt5AD-MhEIMPH8xVM1P_w/s320/proventil2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268024555484202386" /></a>I once heard that the reason babies die in their sleep is because they forget to breathe. I always wondered about that - the body is an automated machine, and breathing comes naturally, I was sure alarms would go off if your air intake somehow stopped or diminished.<div><br /></div><div>Then my "under control" asthma got out of control, and I found myself reminding myself to breathe. Yes, you do forget to breathe....your air intake goes down sharply and your body goes into a kind of hibernation, and before you know it, you're not breathing!</div><div><br /></div><div>For the last two months I've been battling to keep my asthma under control - guess who is losing this battle? It all started with a weekend trip to Sedona during the summer; it was humid and I found myself having difficulty breathing the whole time I was there. I assumed that it would go away once I got back to Phoenix, so I ignored it. Save the occasional cough, things seemed normal until I started exercising. I was getting up super early in the morning and walking on the treadmill for about an hour before going to work. I was so proud of myself, I was actually enjoying the exercise and then fatigue set in. At first I thought it was because I was going to bed late and waking up super early, but within a week I couldn't keep awake - I would crash into bed the minute I got home from work. Soon I stopped exercising because I simply didn't have the energy, then the chest pain started. I went to the doctor and they were concerned about my blood work, but an xray showed that my lungs were clear, so they didn't see any problems and sent me home with indications to come back in a couple of weeks for a follow-up. Within a couple of days my breathing went down to about 50%, my chest started to really hurt and I was experiencing all the symptoms of a possible blood cloth. Next thing I know I'm in the emergency room! Eight hours later I'm back at home with prescription for acid reflux, and extra medication for asthma.</div><div><br /></div><div>Fast forward two months later, the acid reflux is long gone but now I'm having a bad asthma attack every f_____ng day!! I have visions of dying at the office and falling under the desk not to be discovered until I start smelling. Yes people, just like babies, adults do die of asthma. This is slowly robbing me of my life! I have no energy to do anything at all! I'm sorry if I sound bitter, I'm just tired of not being able to breathe, tired of people asking me questions in the middle of an asthma attack and expecting an answer (??!!), tired of being tired, really!!</div><div><br /></div><div>That's it for my anti asthma rant - and to think that I'm in the one state where people go to "cure" their asthma problems - ha, ha, ha.....funny, very funny!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14750913.post-3553838908977174952008-10-13T20:47:00.004-07:002008-10-13T22:01:40.572-07:00Excellent AdventureI had no plans today other than to go out for a big breakfast and then the park, but while enjoying the fresh air and blue skies, I got the itch to drive.....take the open road. So I got in my car and took off - first stop, Starbucks, because it was past 1 p.m. and I was kind-of sleepy. When I was near the pie place - I forget the name - I saw a sign for Prescott.......just 51 miles away, beckoning me.....so heck, I kept going! That's how my excellent adventure started. By 3 p.m. I was parked in Prescott and walking around the city, admiring the houses and visiting all the shops in town.<div><br /></div><div>During my leisurely walk I turned the corner into these lovely and colorful houses (please forgive the pictures, I had to use my cell phone because I forgot to bring my camera along......remember? this wasn't planned):</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY3BVDw927xN3yWzeTEq2yFw78Ms6Nyo8D-ohxHBiIOjOjbeQSsfQjJf7twqQnmUlX9CmJMM-EvtdRf6KaAIEnlKgjA6MzmhnYS5BZvax5sMnZYBiHxAkc2VDe7v_II6POGf523Q/s320/IMAGE_306.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256862440918907202" />They reminded me of houses in the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Caribbean</span>, always so colorful. The pictured doors below, had I been in the mood to carry anything I would have bought the one on the left to use as a table top; it's a distressed blue in real life...can't appreciate it from this pic, sorry.</div><div><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2xcAyd0PqZT27wDv1Fh4oBDlNj62HtuKke6e_RRENkv2TAxJl2kcDiGDi4K5eJR8JooiIXNsf7a6dy4Eilyxdg5s0ERvJt7RdaQAUy-szdUrp6K5n3AJ5P4JKNvOAdh9Uieq13w/s320/IMAGE_305.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256862442266271506" />Then I stopped at one of the stores to buy some goodies for home and the office!</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdQF-TxSpepOhzOlX80G_msv7Zo2GhZwLL_qeKG7XWojqDPaXhYv2PnEUWJnP3UiQ2EwjIv51oyWQB0ZB9gwbWs9n5QUhLNesAPQunLYk7z3D21ll4BEwxChYsfADXk-MTxx7k5g/s320/DSCF2448.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256856221198827938" />Notice something peculiar here? For somebody like myself who's not a drinker, I do love buying items with alcohol as an ingredient: Spirited Peaches, Tipsy Caramel Sauce and Mulling Spices that I will be using with that bottle of red wine that's been collecting dust on my shelves.</div><div><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg14iNkXDXip1zVtzPhpWBrGbcb0VcKKL8AS-1sBjt9LWges1PhkCC1sppWq1LkkCiXvLYLbYC60EWaLdCDpSJyH_1S3tcfMmArbV4F0kjYohO3y_qEkGLzSg3uhIx_2-_hLQ0Pkg/s320/DSCF2453.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256856226664959810" />I also found these lovely items: a book made of bamboo sheets with leaves for a cover, pen and pencils made out of wood, and of course, one of my favorite things......</div><div><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4L8exhPkt0fgOY0luIqUYEdHkJ255XK76Bdy2P-aLW0x8qNVwQG45tqN5M4P1epUP_6nEPKaVlViwK5n_P7LGBOxgnXRBiuOGeEFiXpidRmiCa7LzCuQtBqU5KUmrZRChfXSlrQ/s320/DSCF2456.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256856227403525458" />peanut brittle with coconut! You should try it, yummy!</div><div><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVBPJDrZpJL8PlqULrtLWl7Dvh1ApghKCYlku1YRo1xSe_zHk_5C4wRcOvh4RPcfzJ7UOe1gmS1aqImPvsHH1FgsPwLEUpH75K9_OFQ7_a70RAUu30HkeCIYK5q_yJIllXMP2e_g/s320/DSCF2465.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256856228168337234" />By 6 p.m. I was ready to go home, but not without stopping by the casino first and wasting $20 in the hopes of striking it rich......obviously it didn't happen. On my way home I managed to get lost again, or as I like to say, be delayed..........I drove by a sign that said "Phoenix, 51 miles" - and I thought to myself "I'll be home in an hour"......20 minutes later I drove by another sign that said "Phoenix, 71 miles" and I did a double take.......did I miss something? Should I turn around or keep going? It was dark, and there was no way to turn around so I kept going. Finally got to route 17S, at which point it was more like "Phoenix, 64 miles". Oh well, at least I was on my way home.</div><div><br /></div><div>But not without stopping for pie, like tradition dictates. I cannot remember the name of the place, and God help me if I don't take the wrong exit there EVERY TIME, but I always end up there for a slice of their delicious Tennessee Lemon Pie...yum!!! Not sharing!</div><div><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhStvz9Mef1Up9r-cXpecoLuIOHYOxeJOhbonjyPLzkQscIvUL-eagr4gTR3kYBtSgpSMPn5jCgmI8usuSXvaM7wWGs2bQTrKYcE8y5xPGkVYnl6GbVxg85mTaz8MpWbO378EOL1g/s320/DSCF2446.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256856220459923554" /><div style="text-align: left;">More pictures later!</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14750913.post-7891401271195164772008-10-12T18:39:00.004-07:002008-10-12T18:46:32.474-07:00and Here's to Happy Endings!<div>I was so distracted while fixing this:</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEtWuVFWMGLRCq13GFiDASDlsuRu-42lxBruLl6kAPZLi_E_O7_0eM15xPXsdYhlo1IJajw19pgJW3H4_l2VJCESaFLZLQAqHR0jIKdXE4coQKoplLXQfVTCZQpiFwoDHwA_Yq7w/s1600-h/DSCF2382.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEtWuVFWMGLRCq13GFiDASDlsuRu-42lxBruLl6kAPZLi_E_O7_0eM15xPXsdYhlo1IJajw19pgJW3H4_l2VJCESaFLZLQAqHR0jIKdXE4coQKoplLXQfVTCZQpiFwoDHwA_Yq7w/s320/DSCF2382.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256448250302339186" /></a>that I forgot about this:<div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgED2jKwuUMiqyaUCWqBQb7I9j6fhLV8QS6uQHjXWb9oZdNIGdINl7QESkkA3CchFJozIqMm9IzilELDzGHwMlcYuX0meglM5q5R5OhhSXKXs7I613C4JjzDwtQZp8Pc_oWsFpcdA/s1600-h/DSCF2387.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgED2jKwuUMiqyaUCWqBQb7I9j6fhLV8QS6uQHjXWb9oZdNIGdINl7QESkkA3CchFJozIqMm9IzilELDzGHwMlcYuX0meglM5q5R5OhhSXKXs7I613C4JjzDwtQZp8Pc_oWsFpcdA/s320/DSCF2387.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256448255006265346" /></a>and this:</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjikyRMRzFI_WtzRy_eH4tQJJv3ebbux2immXRzIBTFKVuSiGfeAfxC7_GdZJEkbzoz3PIq1SsqqNXcUBoblDxC6rreO5E_dbSwxq6WApMdVSheH1_Ek3cOWr6WGITY1BKfuoRacg/s1600-h/DSCF2390.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjikyRMRzFI_WtzRy_eH4tQJJv3ebbux2immXRzIBTFKVuSiGfeAfxC7_GdZJEkbzoz3PIq1SsqqNXcUBoblDxC6rreO5E_dbSwxq6WApMdVSheH1_Ek3cOWr6WGITY1BKfuoRacg/s320/DSCF2390.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256448252806353986" /></a>and ended up having to clean this:</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUZALgIIRcsGZcOBITFG7IL7fcRzu834qQM6y5c-xlr87Fn9H1QtbZB8qdOmkN-cA5vaXCeiypTBeLgs3sIhBRC3FaIg8XOGn0Ph8HBaxz8kVLUK4cX_JOh5CJ98voq79YoYCxwg/s1600-h/DSCF2396.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUZALgIIRcsGZcOBITFG7IL7fcRzu834qQM6y5c-xlr87Fn9H1QtbZB8qdOmkN-cA5vaXCeiypTBeLgs3sIhBRC3FaIg8XOGn0Ph8HBaxz8kVLUK4cX_JOh5CJ98voq79YoYCxwg/s320/DSCF2396.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256448262534005218" /></a>but in the end got to enjoy this:</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimwCf4gb9CqicNX-2r7WwH_ih7-IINuEjolkK-8lZBT74QLQFBWRXqkQH2C_zcfSoq_xuj_Y4j-P91xy_1-vEa0lRpgLFBe2OAcRaAFbIo61-GtJFOshYzeMW4Jh0vG3MLEPukMQ/s1600-h/DSCF2399.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimwCf4gb9CqicNX-2r7WwH_ih7-IINuEjolkK-8lZBT74QLQFBWRXqkQH2C_zcfSoq_xuj_Y4j-P91xy_1-vEa0lRpgLFBe2OAcRaAFbIo61-GtJFOshYzeMW4Jh0vG3MLEPukMQ/s320/DSCF2399.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256448269090467202" /></a>Happy endings!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14750913.post-14935614992931266032008-10-08T21:01:00.007-07:002008-10-08T23:01:56.078-07:00I Feel Bad Karma Coming My Way....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo44PBPPeHWlvHUTzKswN6H9275O_kW_D5DXif_WnVAvd0S5yjwbZ3-vK8XNOpzaNK-SEPq7PPijd3LkZ48kE28NnquNGJMFnxBMBrqxBsDloZapmEylD2XIfL6qu5M0lnR6oc5Q/s1600-h/472_towtruck2.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo44PBPPeHWlvHUTzKswN6H9275O_kW_D5DXif_WnVAvd0S5yjwbZ3-vK8XNOpzaNK-SEPq7PPijd3LkZ48kE28NnquNGJMFnxBMBrqxBsDloZapmEylD2XIfL6qu5M0lnR6oc5Q/s320/472_towtruck2.gif" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255021337255931090" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I was very, very bad last night. I came home to find somebody parked in my spot - quite annoying, specially after a long day at work. I honked for a while, waited and got no results; then I drove around and couldn't find a nice spot to park, so that made me even more upset. I waited about an hour, checked, and the car was still in my spot, so I called the towing company to have the car removed.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The towing company took about two hours to arrive, but did the job in less than 15 minutes. The driver told me it would cost$105 + and I actually started to feel bad - I was punishing somebody for parking in my spot, such an insignificant thing, but by then it was too late to change my mind.</div><div><br /></div><div>Today I stopped by the rental office to inquire about the unlucky person from the night before. I learned that it was a girl who usually parks next to me, but since somebody had parked in her spot she decided to park in mine. She understood that it was her mistake, and wasn't upset - and although she was in the wrong, she admitted to it.....the fact was that so was I. I could try to justify my actions by saying that 1. she should had towed the car parked on her spot, or 2. should have parked somewhere other than a spot she knew belonged to somebody else, but that didn't make what I did better.</div><div><br /></div><div>To make things worse, her cost was more like $200!!!! What she did was stupid, but what I did was wrong. I'm not a vindictive person, and am always level-headed; what in God's name took over me that I didn't even think of the consequences my actions could have on another human being? I'm always thinking of all the consequences of my actions, but yesterday I just wanted that car removed from my spot and that was simply wrong. I must find a way to make amends with her and the Universe. I am truly saddened, and truly sorry.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14750913.post-73799359602937420262008-10-05T20:27:00.001-07:002008-10-08T20:58:29.817-07:00Me Time<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYdCRKkDA9HSemaXoPePD1TGyQzGPDH9vzXO4H7u8-svGCApekXIRKDx7XZRzxBIfyMWsBI5fEQLtjM0L9EQmSHtFrVZU-DYYrbqhq__ei5Xqbz4M60vn0F6EafeveBomYykfhgA/s1600-h/IMAGE_288.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYdCRKkDA9HSemaXoPePD1TGyQzGPDH9vzXO4H7u8-svGCApekXIRKDx7XZRzxBIfyMWsBI5fEQLtjM0L9EQmSHtFrVZU-DYYrbqhq__ei5Xqbz4M60vn0F6EafeveBomYykfhgA/s320/IMAGE_288.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254991221383342130" /></a>Today I went to the park - it's pretty much the only place in Phoenix where you get to see some greenery and pretend you're somewhere other than the desert. The weather was just perfect; the sun was out, but there was a cool breeze blowing. Had I planned it better I would have brought a book and spend the rest of the afternoon there, but all I had was my iPod, a pen, and notecards. Thankfully, I had downloaded a few podcasts from Michael Neill' show, You Can Have What You Want, so it was just me, Michael and my thoughts.<div><br /></div><div>It was great having the park pretty much all to myself - no kids running around...screaming, no loud music, just a very quiet park, full of green trees, with a cool breeze and the open skies. Since it was just me and my thoughts, I got to do a lot of thinking - not that it will change much.</div><div><br /></div><div>I like this part of Arizona when the weather changes and you can actually enjoy the outdoors without freezing or frying - there's only two seasons here in AZ, Winter and Summer. But when it's like this, you get to admire the beauty of this hostile terrain. Wow! I just realized that the trees are so tall and full of leaves that you can barely see the mountains!....but I digress - these are the days when I wish I had a house around these parts so that I could just sit in the backyard, maybe with a pool or fountain trickling in the background - just me and thoughts, open to the universe, shouting "I'M HERE!! WHERE TO NOW?".</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14750913.post-57618863457731294912008-10-04T22:21:00.002-07:002008-10-04T22:22:44.858-07:00Everybody could use one of these today...<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/vr3x_RRJdd4&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/vr3x_RRJdd4&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><div><br /></div><div>This is a couple of years old, but still valid. I'm sure you could use one today, so consider yourself hugged.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14750913.post-23060491689149273562008-10-01T00:16:00.003-07:002008-10-01T00:31:58.602-07:00Mango Madness<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYzJ_7_NFWlxRGOuUZ6WnIoiaicwaSlBjOWerin-7wza4a_ZPjVYU_YH-Wp6wBml0a-aZxKrB7fmAfb9C_UHbU6IprPMDL5pRqX-2DKi-d1sdiD54ddO5M3eBHJ1dPXQTjMqStkg/s1600-h/DSCF2334.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYzJ_7_NFWlxRGOuUZ6WnIoiaicwaSlBjOWerin-7wza4a_ZPjVYU_YH-Wp6wBml0a-aZxKrB7fmAfb9C_UHbU6IprPMDL5pRqX-2DKi-d1sdiD54ddO5M3eBHJ1dPXQTjMqStkg/s320/DSCF2334.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252083447144406194" /></a><br />I'm a tropical bird, and I love all tropical fruits......pineapple, coconut, bananas, guava, and of course, mango - the topic of the day. I haven't been able to get a tasty mango at the supermarket in ages! they are always picked too green and taste too bland - if you've ever tasted a mango from the caribbean you would know the difference. Last weekend I stopped at the supermarket and found that they had huge mangoes on sale for $1, but the catch was that they were all green - super green, not even good enough for mango salad. I gave into temptation and bought a couple, but since they were greener than green I would have to device a plan to get them to ripen quickly. I opted not to use my old method of putting them in the refrigerator and forgetting about them for a couple of months, because, the end result was not desirable. I tried something new....how about if I just leave them outside? Maybe the warm Arizona air (ha!) would speed the process. And so I forgot about them for a couple of days, and guess what? A miracle happened!! Four days later I had the juiciest, tastiest mango I've had in the last 20 years!! Don't believe me? See for yourself!<div><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCcT27nYO7By_UVF7MrsTGss_h1UVLCy0Sb4fGxTvm3iOW0hVf2x0yfbV7RFSFssjptVcWcKnI-qa-X0Yt8Tm1gJlN4kpz8ko51z8Z_iR1L2l8P-SqK3VfMhph1dE06zuLSQ91nw/s320/DSCF2335.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252083452608547634" /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I bet that if Eve had gone for the mango instead of the apple, things would be very different.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14750913.post-82299011690037493372008-09-05T20:17:00.007-07:002008-09-07T23:09:21.223-07:00Which Jane Austen Character are You?Apparently, I'm Alan Rickman........if I had to be a man, I'd rather be Mr. Darcy, he's richer and I liked his house better.<div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmiQBlZ6MIXs5xEykIYI1R-on4Q73R-ATqwFvOgYYoiAMYHkMBWuR028pIMO8vyWJkUVfnrNwwDezmoJHU5uQHuP-CkcNQaJzPmobNbaCpGJbaU04FhoGOlNE4WhkwqEvfLP5UXg/s320/1060307850_opsensible.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242743251103430402" /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I've always found him sexy, but the hat is kind of.....distracting....</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 14px; font-family:'Trebuchet MS';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 204, 0);">You are the true hero(ine)! Sensible, steady and mature, you are the lynchpin of your circle of friends and family. You are Elinor from Sense and Sensibility! Wise beyond your years, you are all too aware of the folly of those around you. You are "sense" personified, and without you, things would certainly fall apart.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-style: italic; line-height: 14px;font-family:'Trebuchet MS';font-size:13px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 14px; font-family:'Trebuchet MS';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I took the quiz </span><a href="http://www.quizilla.com/quizzes/114849/which-jane-austen-character-are-you"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">here</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">, go ahead, try it!</span></span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14750913.post-49278602581717822712008-08-31T12:18:00.002-07:002008-09-01T18:51:10.849-07:00Just for Fun...<div>This morning I was greeted by the following piece of news and have been laughing about it since, what a way to make your debut - talk about egg on your face:</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre; font-family:'Lucida Grande';font-size:10px;"><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8xvqmv3j39o&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8xvqmv3j39o&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></span><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Did she sound drunk or was that just her accent? somebody? And based on the newscaster's reaction I guess it's safe to assume that Miss Solange will not be getting much more airtime unless, of course, she's doing something stupid......like in this video.</div><div><br /></div><div>But frankly, as if it wasn't enough that every time I turn the TV on (ahem, the new TV) I'm greeted with news of Britney and her new body, Lilo and her "girlfriend", Jennifer Aniston and her now ex-boyfriend, that attention Ho, what's his name..............somebody? anybody? and of course, if we mention Jen, then we have to bring up Brad and Angelina and their baby factory.......and where is Suri, she's adorable, I love seeing pictures of her - Tom and Katie I can do without, but Suri is just the cutest baby of them all; and let us not forget (I wish I could) Heidi and Spencer, and Jennifer Lopez and her marathon "training" (J-lo, WHO CARES!!!). Thank God for cable!!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14750913.post-11789835260214244512008-08-31T11:02:00.008-07:002008-09-01T18:33:52.307-07:00Retail Therapy.When you're sad, nothing better than Retail Therapy to make you feel better, works every time. Since my vacation was ruined by mandatory "Traffic School" for a truly undeserved speeding ticket (I was just passing a bunch of slow moving vehicles!! and no, it was not a funeral procession!), I decided to cheer myself up by buying this:<img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAFIHhhvTUs-bIuAElYuBQL3Ce4j3TKACDabieOMGXJ0HVAhCrRjpVLuHM2_rR2nOtWMuUqE5M4hyTHPtXlp31iE2z-9fSQ6qYtaial_Iv1kc5UJiHa2oLhgnXrwUIQDoM0zlxjA/s320/0082621901302_215X215.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240748821685024146" /><div><div style="text-align: left;">And this:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5kHidFU9OveCf1LH6qmFNvZTzqlc0fG3IN9bmw9Y0118tJFFpR4i1T3Y8xfs2m8VcfdczkFZkokTR-HsHySFrSgbsTgLMkEJLSEpTn7C-WOwVPX-4xuEDDg_O_klk_KSbrobdHw/s320/shuffle-red.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241226417317831154" /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 48px; white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; white-space: normal; "><div style="text-align: left; ">It was about time I bought a TV, since the one in my bedroom was a 13" and was ruining my eyesight - it was a necessity (that's the story I'm sticking to).......maybe the insurance company should pay for it? hmmm..... as for the iPod, well, I tried using my MP3 capable phone, but unfortunately it didn't have enough memory for all, if any of my many podcasts (the other story I'm sticking to........have to make stories, they make me feel better about spending money). I went for red because it's for a good cause, and I went for the shuffle because it doesn't make sense to spend money on a larger one when I'll be getting an iPhone when my contract with tMobile is over in February, which will take place of both phone and iPod.</div><div style="text-align: left; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: left; ">Little things make me happy!</div></span></span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14750913.post-30789319386198144612008-07-27T09:02:00.005-07:002008-07-27T09:41:49.072-07:00Pierce Brosnan<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwldEFMfyD4aUPoLb6JziGqbeeOJhAwmYQAkJ8L6zISb6lNw3iotHjgLmIbtd9Rwtz_vmp67_0rXw_uv_M5bUd4t0EzODPeJmCBk-srqvIcx-5e3Y1BIMGsKIoJfCPf86Q5Q5XNg/s1600-h/brosnan_bond_narrowweb__300x418,2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwldEFMfyD4aUPoLb6JziGqbeeOJhAwmYQAkJ8L6zISb6lNw3iotHjgLmIbtd9Rwtz_vmp67_0rXw_uv_M5bUd4t0EzODPeJmCBk-srqvIcx-5e3Y1BIMGsKIoJfCPf86Q5Q5XNg/s320/brosnan_bond_narrowweb__300x418,2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227731038702756434" /></a><div style="text-align: left;">Let's talk about Pierce, since he's been in my head for the last week..........ever since I went to see Mama Mia. I always thought Pierce was a very handsome man, in a distinguished kind of way. I liked him as Bond, better than that other dude, what's his name........Timothy something. Anyway, I refused to go see Casino <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Royale</span> with Daniel Craig because I didn't agree with the way they went about firing Pierce............but then I saw this....<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzwY9wN7WisVc8Q61woS0PqI6rvM53pn2EpxLMPArG5LyGNoxBPmZ1zMYIpt2w0UJaZQHFllYw98021_U-9VleA_wXc8gcLWPqXtq2wlO4bTaIG_yaQdKQBUwnqeC-TG-ORruvJw/s320/daniel_craig_300x400.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227726985963951538" /><div><div>...and not only did I forget about Pierce <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Brosnan</span>, temporarily, well.......but I was kicking myself for not going to see this movie on the big screen. Why didn't anybody mention this part, where was I!!! I'm a big fan of Daniel Craig now, but I digress, we're talking about Pierce here.........moving on. Oh, if only Pierce had looked like this on that bathing suit scene he did for The Matador - lucky you I couldn't find a picture, because it's been in my head ever since.....and now I have background music to go with it. Enter..</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF8ByJnWZ-sMK52hEw-hSyzr-T-NfM9FNOAQAh7gThgU9nEEPstqrS9SaVzy1YIHuIDyRRX3ecVgLqWadE7ReQN6qLVGd_ZHncTXuzDIz7DVbOXx1dBrXqj7IIpQWoCWlJfHdqMg/s320/mm-poster.gif" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227730794556619698" /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Why didn't anybody warn me? I knew it was a musical, but I didn't think anybody would expose themselves to ridicule like this! I have to admire the man, because I'm sure he knew how bad he sounded by the pained expressions on the faces of all those within hearing range, but he charged on and now it's on film for posterity. The thing is..........I have not been able to get that one last song from my head ever since I saw the movie. I hear it in the morning when I wake up, when I'm in the bathroom getting ready, I sing along as I drive to work, the damned song is in my head! along with the image of him in a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">speedo</span> with black socks and shoes...........somebody put me out of my misery!!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the movie, it was cute and I'm willing to ignore it's inconsistencies.........but that song!!! Here's a hint of things to come if you haven't yet seen the movie......</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre; font-family:'Lucida Grande';font-size:10px;"><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/c-ro3-b-QsE&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/c-ro3-b-QsE&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></span></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14750913.post-40776898536992805212008-07-19T08:16:00.009-07:002008-07-19T08:34:38.148-07:00DO NOT PRESS<img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyV9yUHcXlWnZoQbbNQQaHLM9QCNkOxiipg-dJX8pq5dPU0q1CixxgL5nERHA2IpiRq8DWDdYUX_On6ZXYUIbdsi3DZR0hMKhLYeVu_klRzakQPd_CHBudt8QNmVkCh9uiMgbnRw/s320/do_not_press-thumb.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224746596250434450" /><br /><a href="http://www.85qm.de/up/BigRedButton.swf">This</a> is such a big waste of time, but I just couldn't stop myself......and neither will you! Try it!!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14750913.post-82201244382574954762008-07-08T19:05:00.004-07:002008-07-08T19:28:28.477-07:00The Gods Are Laughing At MeI had to, once again, bring my "new" car for service. The thing is actually growing on me, but I'm still not fond of it, especially if it's going to spend too much time at the shop. So, to prevent the rental company from giving me the same thing they gave me last time, I, in what I thought was a very slick move, went ahead and reserved this:<div><br /><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK9UQ7Dv_5q2Pq9Pd3_G98HF4C3xmz-Jagmit40ZL5ojTDAkXyxcK62N3CyoYQiFENa9WG09OAPCAeO_kv5X23N1FVFpo3DrGnzeNDJIYlgl0KVWYrsrY7VgUgIijY1MJ0gUQg_w/s320/003_chevrolet_aveo_003.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220831568711530978" /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>I was actually looking forward to driving it, pushing it to its limits.........but when I got there, the very apologetic agent showed up with this:</div><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj457Izqb5s63swtbYad0tNq2ZGr4_sHlIFYlEasDSVN-jhOWd0d7wvVVKRYjtAAmIWfsX2GI1FJV6rwuC7XYN00F0bSPJ_-7Lzq58cv3oht2tDnphOyJadPQpQO499EmJxPUZIJg/s320/250px-2007_Dodge_Caravan_SXT.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220831558667119490" /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>This is a punishment from the Gods, because it's the one car I said I would drop dead before I drove. They're laughing at me right now, but for the love of God, did it have to be white? It's like driving an ambulance! And the thing doesn't have tinted windows, so I cannot hide!! I would rather be driving this:</div><div><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxbdSpf0AqBvP0V6I21GFZQ2BNvMP6fW90YRq39d72Meoa21WAiQj6K8CtXNU9wa2IeJBzEoXSPZafDjbCabbMIFPE6kDsd1fbCyuSlAA6T9v0S1TnzjpgcH0qYZcEIYWO8W63IA/s320/2330766627_53d980e7ff.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220831564126807858" /><div><br /></div><div>The God's are laughing at me, definitely!<br /><div><br /></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0