Busy Times

I feel like I have abandoned my bloggy friends.  I have not commented enough nor have I blogged enough but my life lately has been in absolute overdrive.  I seem to be constantly running with hardly a time to think about anything.  I haven't read a book and I'm finding it hard to sit down long enough to work on my art.  I hope it all slows down a bit, soon.  This week I finished yet another art project. YEAH!  Now I am in a frantic mode to draw something for the next project.  I went to the doctor for my "yearly" this week and I left not feeling too good.  You see, I had my last offical lady thing June 2008, but July, August and this week, September, it decided to hint at a return.  I told her about it and she said that I need an untrasound to rule out ...... "CANCER"...... Excuse me.  I know it is nothing and that I could just still be in the phase of my life but did she have to say that to my face, like that!  I don't think so.  The only kind of cancer that is my family is lung and prostate and one of those is, well not something I should worry about.  This has kind of bumbed me out a bit but I know I'm fine.  I have been in great health and feel great, except for my backache when I sleep too long, past 5:30 am in the morning.  So Wednesday morning I load up my bladder and try to drive in my little bumpy Miata to the ultrasound and have the test.  The last ultrasound I had was 25 years ago when I was pregnant with "A".  I will keep everyone posted.

This weekend is the 3rd annual "Hanging of The Bras".  My old friends from Jazzercise come the cabin and we laugh, drink, eat, laugh, sleep, laugh, and enjoy the bonds of friendship we have made.  I need to get off this computer and get my stuff packed.  I still need to go to the grocery store, pharmacy, liquor store and make time to have lunch with The Hubby.  Stay tuned for some of the wonderful pics from our weekend.  Toodles all and have a wonderful weekend...Oh, check out the latest pic "B" took in the office the other day.  My hair is really getting longer, thank goodnes.  I've been growing it for 1-1/2 years now. 

July 5...the day after

We have survived yet another 4th of July, but it was not without injury. The weekend was spent at the cabin with B&B2 bringing a couple of friends to join the fun. B's friend VS came in from Washington DC while R was in from here. Love both of them. I had my world kind of widened when R arrived because he shared some of his new piercings he recently received. Let's just say it is a good thing I think of the guy as my son because one was down south! I'm glad I'm a very open-minded person and not easily shocked.

After last years horrible trip to the ER I told everyone that I would help with security and somehow it turned into me sitting at the entrance gate for hours making sure everyone that came in was supposed to be there. Well, I just said I would help not man the gate, I was a wuss and backed out but The Hubby felt he needed to do something since he wasn't doing the fireworks anymore so he did it. He was Safety Man!We had an awesome day yesterday with fun in the sun, after a downpour for several hours. I spent most of my day reading a book on my Kindle while the crew spent time at the creek. I fixed a fantastic dinner of grilled chicken, a couple of salads and fresh fruit. It soon began time for one of the highly anticipated events of the day (for B), Best Costumed Dog. B&B2 of course brought the granddog, Mondo, and dolled him up as a lady. The little fellow won, blue ribbon and all. They had a girly hat, a mumu and sunglasses that he kept on the whole time he sat there.

The evening was moving on and the four friends decided to take a ride on one of the golf carts. Yes, they were also full of a lot of liquid stuff so it didn't help what was about to happen. R was driving when B2 told him to turn left urgently. Well, four on the golf cart turning that rapidly is not a good combination and over they went onto the asphalt and gravel. B2 and VS were on the side that hit the road, and the golf cart actually was on B2's foot. He was in so much shock and pain that he just took off walking while B and R helped VS off the ground. She sustained a road burn on her shoulder and elbow while B2's elbow and his foot were cut, smashed and road burned. I don't know how he walked off except he was in shock. Luckily the paramedics are always on hand so both got immediate help and aid. B2's foot was still in bad shape this morning but the paramedics did not seem to think it was broken and today he had it x-rayed with the same result. The chaos after the accident was horrible as R was just distraught that he hurt his friends that he feels as close to as siblings. It didn't help that alcohol was playing a huge part in the tears and self-blame. If I did not hide his keys he was going to drive home and that was not going to happen. It was just horrible with drama. We finally got him settled down but I don't think he got the point about drinking until this morning because he drank more and was worse. He felt bad because the golf cart was damaged and he knew The Hubby would be pissed, he was. A statue light also got knocked over and then this morning a piece of summer sausage was found on the floor when The Hubby took a spill on it. R was eating it when we went to bed. It was a tragic night but after a short talk with him this morning he may get it, I hope. I plan on giving him a call as a friend and pseudo-mom and try to talk to him about his behavior and his drinking and choices. I think he's a little lost right. I don't want him to use this as a pitiful me ploy, I'm a f...up...I want him to learn from this and be responsible. Just scary stuff you know.

This morning everyone was a little on edge, tired, sore and angry. I fixed a great breakfast of Creekbank (eggs, potatoes, bell peppers, onions), bacon, sausage, biscuits, juice....we were stuffed. It was definitely a rather quiet breakfast with soft chatter. The Hubby is angry but surprisingly not as much as I thought he would be. I think he sees a very troubled young man.

The golf carts battery was upended so battery acid spilled and burned a hole somewhere and damaged the starter but they were things that can be fixed which The Hubby has half done already. Things will be okay.

I really hate this holiday. Fireworks, masses of people and drink are just not ever a good combination.

Weekend in Duncan

I'm back from my awesome girls weekend in Duncan. Yes, yes I know there is not much there to do but I have a friend there and she made it an awesome weekend. First, before I go into much detail of the weekend I must say THANK YOU to everyone who commented on my previous post on the awful doctors visit. I am going to draft a letter to the regular doctor this week and let him know what happened. If he condones this practice then bye-bye!

Now for the weekend. D picked me up at lunch time on Friday afternoon and we made a quick stop at Panera for some bread for B as Duncan has nothing to compare. We had a bite to eat and were on our way. Oh, and Donna also made a stop at Whole Foods for halibut, cheeses and fruit for our weekend as again can not be found in Duncan. So sad for a great cook as B is. Finally, we were on our way. The drive was about threes hours of chatter, chatter, chatter. It made the drive very short. We arrived at B & M's beautiful new house and were greeted with hugs and laughter. A quick tour of B&M's house and the wonderful artist's loft B uses to create her beautiful watercolors then we were ready to continue how we started the weekend off at Panera, with food. It seems the whole weekend would be wrapped around FOOD! M cracked open some awesome wine, Rosso by Francis Ford Coppola which I had way too much of and had to hit the blow up mattress at an early 7:30. I'm rushing ahead. Since we hit the town close to dinner and were famished M proceeded to create some wonderful homemade pizzas. The first one was a homemade pesto that B made herself. Next he made a caramelized red onion and tomato sauce and the last a supreme. I'm not sure which one this one was but they were all awesome and made for delicious lunch the next day.Tummies full we hit the sheets. I of course much sooner than the others although they imbibed a bit themselves after I went to bed.

Our Hosts: B & M

The next morning was brought with fresh donuts that M's brother makes in his donut shop and yummy coffee. We puttered around the house reading design magazines, chatting and watching cooking shows and M showed me his Kindle he got from Amazon. I WANT ONE! The plan for the day was to look around the town and do a little shopping. The first place was a clothing store which I bought too many cute little tops. Then we hit a couple of designer stores. A quick trip back to the house for yummy pizza then we were on to a couple of antique shops. One special place B wanted to take us was to a bead shop where she had some special beads and we each made our own earrings to commemorate the weekend we shared.

Back home for more food...yes, yes, yes. B whipped up some a wonderful appetizer of fresh tomatoes, basil, mozzarella cheese, capers and balsamic glaze and more Rosso wine.
Then came the delicious fish tacos that she made with halibut, chopped cabbage, hot peppers and avocado's.

I was stuffed.

D, B and Me after dinner. I'm wearing one of my new purchases and we all have our earrings on. Unfortunately, my face is back to natural as I'm not supposed to wear makeup for a bit because of the eye thing so I'm back to the no bra, no makeup and no shoes!

After dinner we all got our comfys on and headed to the couch for an after dinner drink (I can't remember what it was). We listened to music and then tried to watch a movie.

This morning I heard talking in the kitchen but with no clock in the room I wasn't sure what time it was. It was still dark but the sweet aroma of coffee let me know it was definitely morning. I got up to find B and M puttering around in the kitchen with the sun beginning to peak through. I grabbed my cameras and rushed outside to capture the moment.

Shortly afternoon D shuffled around the corner squinting and asking what time it was. I told her to go back to bed but it was too late, she was awake. M went to the store to get a few goodies for our wonderful chef to cook breakfast and was back in a flash. B go busy frying up bacon, potatoes and eggs but they were all with a twist. The eggs were spiced up with chives and a light goat cheese and the potatoes were spicy with red onions fried in. D squeezed fresh orange juice with a grapefruit added and breakfast was on. After the delicious breakfast we packed up and then made a quick trip to visit a friend of B's and her friends new grand baby. The next stop was a lunch date with D's daughter in Norman where she is a student. It was a wonderful Mexican restaurant called Tara? something. Very good. I rolled back into the truck and fought sleep all the way home. D and I had some really nice talks going to Duncan and then back home. It's so nice to break out and make some new friends. I so needed this weekend and it gives me hope that I will survive this drought in my life with my friendships. I love you D & B and M too. Thank you.

What about sleeping in do you NOT understand!

Last night The Hubby suggested a glass of wine at Vintage 1740 Wine Bar and I vigorously nodded my head YES! We like to go there sometimes and enjoy visiting with each other. I suggested that we go to Ciao on Brookside for dinner as we have not tried it before, especially since he was only going to get a frozen stir-fry if we went home. We had mussels for an appetizer...yummy. I had mussels in New York for the first time and now several times since we have been home. My entree was the lobster ravioli and The Hubby had a steak with Gorgonzola cheese sauce. YIKES, that was the best fillet I have ever eaten. I almost wish I had reordered after tasting his. During the evening chit-chat I told The Hubby that I was going to sleep in and not go to my personal trainer. He looked at me and asked why not. I told him I could not sweat as the MRSA would be "irritated" by the sweat. He didn't miss a beat and told me I needed to walk then. Excuse, I'M NOT GOING TO EXERCISE BECAUSE THE SWEAT HURTS MY WOUND! He doesn't get it. I have a serious "wound" and it needs to heal. Besides I also need to heal my body with rest and SLEEP IN! Somehow that still didn't get through the brain so at 4:45 a.m. the TV/alarm went off and he was up. I barely heard it and dosed off to sleep, briefly. At about 4:55 a.m. the TV came on in the living room and was blaring with the history channel and then the VH1 Classic with 80's music. Tink, tink, tink goes the spoon as he is beating his instant oatmeal into a froth. I rolled over and turned off the bedroom TV and try to ignore the din from the other room when I hear him rinse his bowl out and then pad down the hall to his room/den and his computer started playing music from his playlists. He's in the process of cleaning out his duplicate music from the computer. So now we have the TV in the living room and his computer blaring music. THAT'S IT! I got up, threw on some lounge clothes and went into the living room as he was back there and railed at him. I told him I wanted to sleep. He told me to just go back to bed. I can't do that once my mind starts working, Good Grief! So I've already put brown beans in the crock pot with ham hocks, had two cups of coffee, read the paper, finished the crossword and the Sudoku and now I'm blogging, it's 7:25 a.m. DAMMIT! I really need to be in the shower anyway as we have started tearing out the entry bathroom and the workmen will be here in about 45 minutes. Today I need to look at wallpaper and we need to decide on the flooring and will have to have a sink cabinet made. It's a small remodel and I will have pic's when we are done.

Painting class today!

Where is the sun!

Where is the sun. The weather "guys" have promised a little sunshine today and I'm banking on it. I need sun. Wait, it's trying to peek through the over cast sky. I'm sitting on Harri's wonderful deck again tapping off Grumps wireless service (he's fine with that) and I think spring is trying to take hold. For months now the air has been silent. The birds have not been singing at all but this morning, yes I hear them, chirping and singing saying spring is around the corner. Today they are telling me, "Don't worry, the sun will make an appearance." I'm so ready for spring.

I woke up this morning about 7:30, yes I slept in, and The Hubby was still asleep. It is a little after 9:30 now and when I came over here to the deck about 9, he was still snoring! That is really unheard of for him. We partied a little last night on Sin and Bare's deck. Sin fixed crockpot fajitas. (I'll find out how she cooks them.) They were awesome. We had Tex-Mex fest with lots of wine and for me champagne or sparkling wine. We had laughter and lots of girl talk inside about Brazilian Wax while the guys were outside around the fire farting and telling dirty jokes. We are planning a Sock-Hop for next weekend at the wigwam so I loaded up my IPOD with 50's music and that was playing outside. After a bit the doors opened, the music spilled in and most of the ladies found themselves on the deck with the guys dancing the mashed potato and twist. It was an awesome time last night and I don't have a hangover or headache to speak of. When we hit the sheets last night I cranked open the window and didn't close it till about 4 am. The air was crisp and clear and the moon bright, making the room look like we turned the lights on. It was an fantastic Friday night at CC.

Today I hope to get a little drawing in, a little writing, a little reading, and a little walking. Tomorrow I will be back in town, hopefully for the Street Cats Furry Valentine auction to benefit the no-kill shelter. My girl Sheezekrafty will have some jewelry in it for the worthwhile organization that she has volunteered for a number of years and where her two babies Pimmy and Vera came from.

I almost forgot, Daddy called The Hubby's cell phone last night which there is very little service here. The Hubby told me to call him back and I did pretty quick as my daddy never calls unless something is up. I called him back with a mild pannic in my chest. He just wanted to tell me that he went to the doctor and the doc told him he needs his hip replaced. Well, you know that is part of what happened to Momma. We put her in the nursing home, she fell a few days into her stay, had surgery, and was gone the next month. The therapist on Thursday told me that HE didn't think I had dealt fully with the loss of my momma and friend Gail, like my girls have said. I poo-pooed that idea but yesterday I found out he may be right. At lunch with The Hubby at the wonderful Bangkok Thai buffet I told him about my session with the guy and what he said and then I explained that his little near death experience brought out all the feelings again after 2 years (almost 3 now). Then we started talking about my not wanting the responsibility of my daddy and his impending health stuff and then he tried to explain that may be the feeling of his oldest brother and why he didn't show up at the hospital when The Hubby was on the vent for three days. I've been VERY pissed off at the BIL over this and The Hubby defended him. I'm sorry. I got upset and told The Hubby that even though we knew he was going to be alright that it was his brother and it was scary but that I needed the support. It would have been for me too. I almost started to break down right there. I couln't believe how angry I was over it. Hmmm, maybe the therapist is right. I told him I would not have another appointment for a few months but I may have to rescend that option. Now I have to worry about Daddy and his operation and I have the power of attorney, I'm on all the documentation of his finances and pertinent papers and I'm not sure I want the responsibility. There is that word again. I think I want to run away from it sometimes. Got to think on this one.

News, News, News

I have a lot of exciting news and updates. First of all I'm down 7-1/2 pounds as of Friday morning. To go along with that is I've joined a 12 week walking program that starts tomorrow (Monday). I will walk two times a week with this group and then am supposed to add one on the weekend, so three times a week I am to walk. The goal is to walk the Maple Ridge Walk on Memorial Day which is a 5K (3.1 mile). I am really pumped. I have new running shoes and a lot of excitement on my new endeavor. Last weekend I walked at the lake but Saturday I really put some foot time in. It was such a beautiful day and I couldn't wait to get out. I made sure I packed my workout clothes, my new running shoes and my I-Pod and so was ready! It was tempting to just say no and relax in the hammock but I didn't. I walked from our cabin to the boat docks, and back, then up a very steep road and to the front gate then back to the cabin. In fact, not only did I walk but I ran a good part of the excursion and am today very sore. When I left today I got into my car and drove the route so I could know how far I walked and ran and amazingly it was a tad over 2 miles! WHAT, me run, well yes I certainly did and it was beautiful. I have never been much of an exercise person until I started Jazzercise 11 years ago and now I will be a walker and possibly a partial runner plus I bowl once a week! It was a moving experience for me to realize what I had accomplished. I'm very happy. Of course last night I may have blown it a bit as we had a fondu dinner at the neighbors house with a few people in attendance. It was great fun and I enjoyed a few glasses of wine, a shot of tequila and to top off the evening three glasses of chocolate martini's. Yeah, I made my offerings to the porcelain gods last night but really don't feel too bad today. No headache, just a little queasy this morning. Tomorrow night I have to feel better for the first walking class.

Here are a few pictures I took of Spring trying to make an appearance and my time in the hammock!