Makin' It Happen in Salem, Oregon

2012-02-09T10:59:00.000-08:00

I remember when I first started driving from Lake Oswego down to Salem for my new job in January 2003, I would see these huge flocks of migrating birds across the sky, and always, it seemed, they were just as I left the Portland area and got into the Willamette Valley. I knew then, this was a special place. This morning on my much shorter commute in to work, 2.5 miles, I enjoyed a graceful flock of geese across the dawn sky. I'm thankful for where I live. It may not be super hip, or glamorous, but it has its own magic.

Full moon shot from my back porch a few evenings ago:

Plates

2012-02-06T01:31:00.001-08:00

Today I cleared out my red dinnerware and unpacked the blue Japanese dishes inherited from Vera. Because there weren't any big dinner plates, I picked up some dark blue fiesta ware.

That colorful platter at the top was a gift from Ana from Mexico, one of my favorite things.

Carl only gets to use the Fiesta Ware, LOL!

handmade

2012-02-01T16:50:00.000-08:00

I made this for a friend who finds great humor in that old SNL skit "More Cowbell." I am sure she'll get a kick out of this embroidered towel.

Baby owl

2012-01-30T15:09:00.000-08:00

I have a new baby, he is a 2 day old felt owlie, and he sits on my desk at work. My newborn owl came direct from Nyssa Benthin.

2012-01-30T11:24:00.000-08:00

I'm a napping fool.

Twin Rocks

2012-01-02T13:34:00.001-08:00

Twin Rocks, originally uploaded by winkiedust.

I took this shot on Saturday down at the beach. I used an iPad app called 101 Cameras and made this version:

alien

2012-01-01T20:09:00.001-08:00

alien, originally uploaded by winkiedust.

It's an alien. Amigumuri - my first one. He needs a snaggle tooth.

photo.JPG

2012-01-01T20:07:00.001-08:00

photo.JPG, originally uploaded by winkiedust.

Beau (and his tongue) are recovering from a late night of partying:

Beau partied a little too hard last night

2012-01-01T15:01:00.001-08:00

Beau partied a little too hard last night, originally uploaded by winkiedust.

Happy New Year

Amigumuri

2012-01-01T11:08:00.001-08:00

Amigumuri, originally uploaded by winkiedust.

New crochet project, Japanese Amigumuri. I learned a handy trick, instead of using annoying stitch markers, I use a piece of contrasting yarn. This is the start of a base for an Amigumuri mini monster stuffie.

the end of 2011

2012-01-01T10:59:00.001-08:00

the end of 2011, originally uploaded by winkiedust.

2011-12-29T10:09:00.000-08:00

The only way
to begin
is begin

Last night I completed the handmade felt case I made for Carl's new Christmas Kindle. It looks pretty dorky, but kinda cute, and I'm having a great laugh forcing it on him, for now. He keeps trying to like it, but then, under his breath, he says, "they're all going to laugh at me" LOL... I'm just cracking up. But hey! Better than no cover! He's going to drop it, I just know it. Eventually we'll get him the leather case he really wants from Best Buy.

Next I'm going to work on some quotes that I'll embroider, I like the one at the top of this post. It came from a vintage Purina-Ralston insert card.

Carl playing with his niece, at Christmas:

Christmas 2011

2011-12-27T09:45:00.000-08:00

I think he likes his new Kindle! And from the looks of it, Beau likes his new snuggly robe. Good times this Christmas, that is for sure. We are blessed.

In Front of the Eiffel Tower

2011-11-27T11:25:00.001-08:00

France was amazing. I could have stayed there another week easily, and usually I'm ready to be home after a week in a strange place. But not France. This was a dream trip, and I never thought I'd actually get there, but it was meant to be! This is a photo of Connie and I in front of the Eiffel Tower. She and I were roomies and I could not have asked for a nicer roommate: easy going, no drama, sense of humor, and adventurous.

Lots of people have asked me what was my favorite part of the trip. It's nearly impossible to answer, because every day there was incredible. We met up in Paris with 6 other friends. And on the night of 11-11-11, we partied in Paris for Melissa's birthday. Yep, freakin' memorable! I loved Paris, of course. Our last night in Paris, we stumbled upon this tiny pub with live jazz music. And oh the music! We closed that place down, walking out around 2am.

We spent 3 days there, and then in 2 rental cars, the whole group drove down into the Provence region, just in time for the Boujoulaise Nouveau wine. We stayed in that area for 3 days and then drove further south into Tarascon.

We hired a French chef, he spoke 3words of English, and took us to a local open air market to pick out ingredients, then we had a private cooking lesson back at the chateau we were staying at.

The next day we took the train from Nice to Carcasson and toured a medieval castle that is still an active village. There are about 150 people still living within the castle walls!

One interesting additional comment I would make is about French wine. Don't get me wrong, it's good, but so is Oregon wine. And I've been drinking Oregon Pinot Noir now for 8 yrs. I'm spoiled and now I personally prefer the taste of our local grapes from the Willamette Valley terroir. So, I did not bring back any French wine because I didn't love it. But I loved the country and the people and I can't wait to go back. Next time I want to explore the Champagne region and see the catacombs.

This is a shot taken in the Beaujolais region, me on the left, then Melissa, her mom, and Connie.

Steve Jobs and his wife Laurene

2011-10-06T16:16:00.001-07:00

What a sad sad thing.

Flock

2011-09-10T21:30:00.001-07:00

Flock, originally uploaded by winkiedust.

Tonight's sunset in Rockaway.

Smoky sunset

2011-09-04T08:41:00.001-07:00

Smoky sunset, originally uploaded by winkiedust.

family love

2011-08-24T21:57:00.001-07:00

family love, originally uploaded by winkiedust.

What a great shot, my nephew Dillon giving his half-sister, Cheyenne a hug. She's a cutie pie.

New drapes

2011-08-21T07:54:00.001-07:00

Not sure if the color is too strong.

Fair at the Coast

2011-08-15T09:39:00.000-07:00

Saturday we visited the Tillamook County Fair. It was a lovely day, with sunshine and a cool ocean breeze. I think our favorite part was the cows. The dairy cows are huge, and they get huge in such a short time! We found a couple of young women who were sitting in the barn near their cows so we asked them a few questions, like why do they heave back and forth while they lay there with rudders getting full? She told us that is what they do when they are making milk, it's this rocking motion, almost like they are breathing hard. And why do they look so bony? No one knew, they just do, dairy cows always look kind of gaunt especially their backs and ribs. I think it's because their bodies are so heavy the weight pulls everything down! We also enjoyed the fair food, oy!, and the chickens, and the craft exhibits. I got inspired to try making a quilt. We'll see how that goes.

Carl and I also enjoyed a couple of really good meals. We ate dinner at Lakeside Landing in Rockaway Beach, overlooking Lake Lytle. This place changed owners recently and we've been hesitant to try it because before it was kind of a run down pub. We were pleasantly surprised by all the lovely renovations inside, and the service was not bad for the Coast! I had the local clams and Carl had fish and chips, both delicious.

Sunday we ate lunch in Wheeler at Rising Star. This place is consistently fabulous. Carl had the burger, and it was scrumptuous, I had the fish sandwich, also amazing.

There's a new antique shop in Wheeler, off the 101 about a block down from the Old Wheeler Hotel, I think it was called Lost Treasures. Great selection and very competitive prices. The other 2 antique shops in Wheeler that are right on the 101 are horrendously expensive. Fun to browse, but offensive pricing.

Probably the most exciting event of the weekend was getting pulled over for allegedly speeding, in Bay View, right before Garibaldi. We were shocked because we were just chugging along, last in a long line of traffic. Apparently that long line of traffic was going about 11 miles over the speed limit! Well, bummer, we looked at each other, and started guessing how much this was going to cost us. Grrrr. But we were respectful and frank about our situation, and the officer came back and gave us only a warning! Blessings! I think it was because we had Beau in the back of the car, and everybody loves Beau. He's the Hollywood bulldog and he melts hearts.

Beau the Bulldog

2011-08-06T22:30:00.001-07:00

Beau the Bulldog, originally uploaded by winkiedust.

New collar! Gecko love.

Ali visits us in Oregon

2011-08-02T14:02:00.001-07:00

Ali visits us in Oregon, originally uploaded by winkiedust.

I love this shot of Beau, all snuggly in the blankets, and Ali giving him some love.

blue plates, a set from my grandma

2011-07-21T16:59:00.001-07:00

blue plates, a set from my grandma, originally uploaded by winkiedust.

I need to find out what this set of dishes is. The story goes that my late Grandma Vera got them in Asia and they were special to her. I would start using them daily, but I'm afraid Carl would break them! oy!

Jetsons Love on a Tea Towel

2011-07-21T14:32:00.001-07:00

Jetsons Love on a Tea Towel, originally uploaded by winkiedust.

I'm only slightly addicted to embroidery. Ha, yeah right. It calms the Beast!

So, here's my latest creation, it's a tea towel. Jetsons theme. I used Sublime Stitching letter patterns and the rest are free-hand stuff I traced from the web.

Book Club

2011-07-15T09:54:00.000-07:00

Last night was book club, and I trepidatiously brought along my fig & olive tapenade. Since we were reviewing Julia Child's book "My Life in France" I thought a french hor-drv appropriate. It looked like glop, and I almost didn't bring it. Wonder of wonder, it was a hit.

It's good to sit around with a lively group of women discussing any and all topics. I felt rejuvenated.

2011-07-08T14:57:00.001-07:00

WE had a good 4th. The parents came out, with way too many carbs as usual, we hung out, walked the beach, calmed the dog, drove up the coast, soaked in the sun, did a bunch of antiquing, and watched movies. Beau was pretty upset by all the noise, so I stayed back at the house during the fireworks.

I'm reading Julia Child's book, My Life in France. And Carl said I can go to France in November with Melissa. I am elated. I have been studying my French on various iPad apps, and studying the Louvre. What wondrous technology we have now.

I'm cooking on cast iron, found a used skillet in Garibaldi for $12 bucks. And another dutch overn from Lodge. I joined a book club! All women, it is delightful, I love it. In fact, that is why I'm reading the Julia book.

I listened to Jenny SAnford's book, Staying True while doing embroidery at the beach house, and staining my deck. She is an amazing person and she inspires me.

We are headed back out to the beach house tonight, I hope to finish the deck this weekend.

Oh, did I mention, I love summer?!

Pass through

2011-06-18T10:59:00.001-07:00

We have a pass-through neighborhood, of sorts. People pass through. Some on foot, some on bicycle. I like this aspect of our neighborhood. People on the move have a purpose. They are in motion to a destination, and I sit at my computer and see them. It's great people watching. An entire family just walked by, with dad carrying a huge umbrella. They were young. Then a guy walked by recently all tatted up, even on his face and skull. My neighbors started whispering in fear. A guy like that can't be up to any good, they said. Maybe so. But he was in motion to a destination. To a job, or to a music gig, or to a friend's house, or to the bus station. He meant no harm. It's the disenfranchised teenagers that get me. Probably because I project on them all the angst and longing that I used to feel from my brother.

.

2011-03-07T09:57:00.000-08:00

Beautiful weekend at the coast! The sun came out and it was gorgeous! Dad and Mom joined us Friday night for Dad's birthday, 63. We had pizza at Upper Crust in Rockaway. We watched a really cool documentary on the education system, that night. Saturday morning, I had oatmeal and took my new kayak out for its maiden voyage on Crescent Lake and Lake Lytle. It was awesome. I had such a great time, saw lots of birds and tadpoles.

Saturday was beatiful, Carl, mom and I went down to the beach for a walk. We also walked to the shops a bit, got some ice cream, enjoyed the day. Then later, the boys loaded up the 4Runner with tons of crap leftover from the people who owned the house previously: lawn chairs, bbqs, old bikes, 3 coolers!, bike pumps, tables, chairs, Xmas stuff. The back of the truck was crammed full of junk, which we drove down to Manzanita and donated. That night we had Stroganoff for dinner, Duane's favorite, watched a Christian dvd, and then had Pistachio cake for Duane's birthday. I practiced learning some new knots for tying down my kayak.

Sunday we went to church, then to Cow Belle for breakfast, yum. Then we cleaned up the house, worked some more in the garage, hung the kayak up in the rafters, and went for another walk on the beach with Beau. It was still nice, but colder. Carl and his mom planted garden starts on the patio.

2011-03-07T09:44:00.001-08:00

we drove up to Detroit Lake a week ago, and let Beau off leash to romp in the snow. What a blast!

2011-01-08T21:20:00.000-08:00

We're setting up a corporate rental house for visiting execs on the cheap. Today we visited all the Goodwills and the Union Gospel Mission store and TJ Maxx. The UGM prices were as high and higher than the TJ Maxx! And the TJ Maxx did not have impressive prices either, their clearance aisle was disappointing. I think we're going to have better luck at garage sales and craigslist. Oy!

In other news, hubby and I had a phenomenal weekend at the coast last weekend. We visited the White Wolf Sanctuary in Tidewater, Oregon. Highly recommend it. They have about 10 of these beautiful creatures, all were born in captivity as someone's pet, but wolves and city life don't mix well. They howl. Most incredible part of our visit was when we first arrived and stood on the porch looking over the property. All the wolves began to howl in unison, a greeting of sorts. It was like nothing I have ever heard.

Oh, and the sunshine, amazing! Most of the weekend it was clear and sunny!! The next day we drove out to Cape Meares lighthouse and watched the whales migrating by. We saw so many spouts, and some rolling around, more spouts, it was very exciting.

Oregon Gardens in Winter

2010-12-30T08:42:00.000-08:00

I visited the Oregon Gardens recently. The whole place feels hunkered down for winter, but look what I spotted! A green heron fishing in a pond. He was completely motionless. At first I thought he might be a sculpture, but then he blinked.

After walking through the gardens, I stopped in to the cafe and enjoyed some delicious hot soup and coffee, and great company from one of the staffers there.

Magic at Mission Mill Museum

2010-12-27T14:59:00.001-08:00

Good news, Groupon has come to Salem. I nabbed the Magic at Mission Mill groupon and ended up taking some low light shots last week at dusk. I hate tripods, so I'm hand holding my camera through these shots, no small challenge.

Neon ducks:

Dad would have loved the train exhibit:

2010-12-27T08:56:00.000-08:00

I spent the weekend plugged into my new Bodymedia Fit armband. This contraption monitors your biofeedback to calculate how many calories you burn. The calorie intake is a manual process. I have to log into the system and keep track of what I eat. But the burn part is automatic. So far so good. I did Power 90X this morning. Don't want to let my armband down!

Yesterday was a slogfest around here. Windy, rainy, cold, nasty. Not a great day to show off Oregon, which is what I was doing. A friend is new in town and so I agreed to show her around. We both really like Silverton, that is a favorite. We'll be back to tour the Gordon House soon.

2010-12-24T21:19:00.000-08:00

I did a little exploring today with my camera, it was a slow day, and I am missing my family scattered around the west coast.

This is a shot I took at the Salem Riverfront Carousel, lots of happy children:

The "star" looking up through the 5 heritage trees on Willamette U campus:

Deepwood was closed today, sadly for me, I took a few shots outside and added snow via Picknik.

Persimmons

2010-12-22T11:02:00.000-08:00

Home for the Holidays:

Ana was in town a few weeks ago. At dark, we loaded up with a bulky ladder, some bags, and our silly selves and snuck down the street to a neighbor's Persimmon tree. Mind you, these were hanging waaaay over into the street, so we picked a few of the lush fruits. Ana smuggled several home to AZ and I displayed mine with my Three Wise Men for Christmas.

2010-12-15T09:52:00.000-08:00

Beau is going in for major surgery tomorrow, he has pulpitis in one of his large front canine teeth, and at the same time, we'll get his ingrown screw tail removed. Ugh, I'm so nervous.

After we loaded up his food bin the other day, we turned around and there he was. He got one big lick in before we shut him down!

2010-08-06T06:38:00.001-07:00

I took a fun art class from the always amazing Maggie Crawford last night at Stampin' Cat in Salem. The new Ranger Distress inks are quickly becoming my favorites, and since this class was all about creative ways to use the inks, I had to jump in. I learned several new methods which I can incorporate into my collage art. I'm still so new at art, that I don't really have my own style yet. I'm hoping that as I learn the techniques I will develop my own thing.

2010-08-01T10:08:00.000-07:00

Life can dish up perfect storms.
Scott was supposed to drive up from Half Moon Bay with his entire family in the RV and meet us in Coos Bay. Apparently, the 101 moves a lot slower than he knew, they averaged 20 mph. So, he only made it to Ft. Bragg, and then on our end, Carl had to work through the entire night Friday, he got home Saturday morning at 8:30am. Sadly, there was no way for me to do all the driving to get us 10 hrs down the road to Ft. Bragg while Carl slept. Ugh. We realized the meetup would not occur. I'm bummed. I was so looking forward to spending this weekend, of all weekends, the 1st anniversary of Jeff's passing, with my family.

Instead, we drove out to the beach house, arrived around 11am, and Carl promptly passed out. He slept the entire day, poor guy. I did some antiquing and amused myself. I need to figure out a way to get a set of my essential craft tools out here so I can work on some art projects at the coast.

I did pick up an old book on acrylic painting techniques.

Ardiri

2010-07-19T10:00:00.000-07:00

Wonderful visit with our friends from Texas. It was a sad day when they pulled out of Salem and moved away, leaving our couples group sadly bereft. Connie and I have carried on as best we can, but nobody does girl time like Melissa.

Ardiri is the winery that Connie may choose for her wedding venue. It is breathtaking.

Bumper Car Rides in Seaside, Oregon

2010-07-13T12:03:00.000-07:00

Oh yes, that is utter Bumper Car joy!

2010-07-13T11:57:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite photos taken last week during Ali's visit to Oregon from Hawaii. This is Carl and Ali overlooking the North Oregon Coast. We had such a great visit together. We toured the cheese factory, we watched fireworks and had a beach bonfire, we made a cake in the shape of the American flag, we painted, did puzzles, enjoyed the arcades, and did crafts together. It was hard to say good-bye, as I probably won't see her again for a long time, hopefully next March during her spring break.

2010-06-29T09:28:00.000-07:00

I'm missing my family today. This is an old photo of my grandma Eleanor when she was younger. She and I were pretty close, she died in October of 2006 and I miss her a lot. Her friends called her Bess when she was a young lady, but I always knew her as Eleanor.

2010-06-17T14:42:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty happy with how this shot turned out. I've been exploring the "antique" look setting on my camera. This was taken a few weeks ago during the 10 Falls hike at Silver Falls State Park in Oregon. Carl and I hiked this trail with some good friends and their kids. These little guys hiked the whole loop, about 8 miles!

gate fold

2010-06-15T09:28:00.000-07:00

I'm very proud of this card I made last night, following some directions I found in the Card maker magazine. It's my first time making a card with the gate fold. I think it turned out nice, now I just need a friend to send it to!

I made this card at yesterday's "Make 'n Take" at Stampin' Cat store here in Salem. I embellished it a bit more when I got home with rivets, and glitter, and stickles. I also use micah powders that I bought for eye makeup, but the colors were not right for my face, so now I use them in my crafts. They work great.

I will send this card to my Secret Sister as her June card, plus I picked up a little canvas tote from TJ Maxx yesterday for a great price. It's from the Life is Good brand and it has a little heart on it. Perfect-o!

Drip system

2010-06-15T09:24:00.000-07:00

The garden is progressing along nicely. Last night we had to run back to Lowe's for more drip system supplies. $50 bucks later and we figure we will have the most expensive veggies around. $5 dollah carrots, LOL. But oh well, it's a hobby and it makes Carl happy, and hopefully we can use the same drip system for years to come, boy, I hope so. Carl was getting all frustrated and tangled up in tubing and hose and little parts flying everywhere, and I just stepped in and said, why don't we just loop it around like so, and then here, and then like so, and you don't have to cut up the hose and put in the T joiners and the elbow, and blah blah blah, and to keep the hose down, why don't we use our old tent stakes, I have a whole extra bag of them... and Oh my! Voila, tubing done and off to get a DQ. LOL... A woman's work is never done, people.

This little guy visits us all the time because Carl feeds the squirrels/vermin and the birds. Joy.

Raspberry Corral

2010-06-14T09:17:00.000-07:00

Saturday I rode with the Boys & Girls Club cycle team, Flow Riders, and several other volunteers. We had a good group. We rode part of the route for our upcoming Cycle Challenge club ride in 2 weeks, what a gorgeous area of Oregon! 45 miles, hot sun, and I was cooked afterwards, phew. Bob, one of the other cyclists and a great guy, invited me over to his place to get some raspberry starts and other garden goodness from he and his significant other, Jean, so I met up with them after the ride. What lovely people, I am so blessed. I cherish those little raspberry plants, and I finally made a perfect spot for them in my yard and planted them last night. Taking cues from how Jean and Bob took care of their berries, I put down some stakes and made a little raspberry corral with garden twine.

Carl bbq'd brisket last night, with carrots and potatoes and I made a delicious Thai inspired slaw with jicama, carrots, celery, serrano chiles, mint, cilantro, fresh lime juice, a little sugar and Thai fish sauce, topped with chopped peanuts. Cool and refreshing after all that hard work in the garden.

Wham-O

2010-06-11T08:35:00.000-07:00

I sent Ali a Slip 'n Slide, it's called Wham-O Slip ‘N Slide Double Wave Rider, and I got it on Amazon. Her mom sent me this message the other day which cracks me up:

"They had a blast on that Slip n Slide.. lemme tell ya.. They've really improved them since the kids were smaller.. and man I'm tempted..but I'm sure it'll have a longer life if I just don't... LOL!! Got some great pictures i'll send you.. THANKS AUNTIE!!!"

I can just imagine Ali and Kaimana having races on that slide, oh how I wish we all lived closer to each other.

Ali graduates 6th Grade

2010-06-10T10:03:00.001-07:00

Ali graduates 6th Grade, originally uploaded by winkiedust.

I wish I could have been there. She's been going to school on Kailua, but starting next year she'll be going closer to home near Pearl Harbor. I'm so proud of her. The homework burden was huge last year for her, but she stuck with it and did good. I don't remember having to work so hard in 6th grade. LOL... many things have changed.

new bird feeder

2010-06-10T09:57:00.001-07:00

new bird feeder, originally uploaded by winkiedust.

We got another bird feeder at the beach house. Carl is obsessed with feeding the birds. It's fun, I need to get him a nice set of binoculars soon.

January happenings

2010-01-20T16:06:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I ate some delicious seafood soup from Dolliaz with (unbeknownst to me) crab in it. Since I'm quite allergic to crab, I spent the last half of the day and into the night in bed. Oy.

I've been following along the Haiti humanitarian crisis from Jake's blog and I'm just heart sick for those people. Glad some can go and help out.

Had a wonderful trip to Arizona last week, spent several hours lounging like a true lizard in the sun at my mom's place. Saturday, Lorrie and I trekked to the top of Siphon Draw in the Superstitions. We started at sunrise and it took us 5 hrs total. Loved every minute of it. I tracked our hike via my iPhone on pathtracker.com.

Race 1

2010-01-10T20:11:00.000-08:00

Saturday was ski/board race training day, so I got up to Timberline early and found a good parking spot. Met my other race teammates and enjoyed a great day on the hill. Coach Sean had a lot of helpful tips, but most were geared towards skiers. I was pretty beat up by lunch. I sat in the crowded lodge and ate my pitifully expensive sandwich, waiting for inspiration to get back out there. Got my 2nd wind and the afternoon hours on the mountain were incredible. In honor of my late brother, I played Nofx in my headset and caught some amazing trails by myself.

I stayed the night in Government Camp at Tichy Lodging, a great deal for a clean, quiet room for $45 bucks. I was exhausted and passed out by 7pm!

Started out race day with breakfast at Huckleberry Inn. Met up with the team and we ran a bunch of runs before our 1st race. I was pleased with my first race, no crashed, no missed gates and I kept up a decent speed for an old lady. But my 2nd run was disappointing. Caught the tip of my board on one of the last gates and crashed, but I did finish, just slower.

Overall I am really glad I decided to try this Pacrat racing gig. I have already made a few new snow friends.

2010-01-03T09:49:00.001-08:00

Logged a solid 1.5 hrs of mud biking at Minto yesterday in the welcome, but unexpected sunny morning. Felt good to be out there with many other folks celebrating a new year by enjoying nature. Despite my fears of the bogeyman, I took a few new side trails and did some exploring, found a whole nother side of the park along the river. Huge osprey circling above waiting for a delicious mouse.

I turned on Path tracker on my iPhone, was able to see my entire route on my laptop when I got home.

I'm still fighting this sore throat bug, it's been a week. No fever though, so I'm still exercising. I have a new mentor, Scooby! Love his web site and videos. It's straight talk, no B.S. about living healthy and building muscle.

2010-01-01T18:54:00.000-08:00

I've been fighting a sore throat thing for several days, so after partying pretty hard last night, Kamikazes, hookah pipes, and other celebratory adult bevvies, I woke up this morning feeling like complete crap.
Spent most of the day lounging around playing with my new iPhone, waiting for the rain to stop. Finally a small break in the deluge and I snuck out down to the H.S. track to run. Not bad considering my nausea levels, ha.
2010 a new decade. I hope it's one of my fittest. I have a monster hike coming up with Lorrie in Arizona. It's our annual trek up to the top of Flatiron in the Superstitions and it's a tough hike.

Day After Thanksgiving Weekend in Rockaway

2009-11-29T18:23:00.001-08:00

100_6982, originally uploaded by winkiedust.

Inspiration

2009-02-20T10:48:00.000-08:00

Lance and Levi at breakfast this AM, before the TT. Photo courtesy of Lance's twitter:

Shots of Lance

2009-02-13T10:35:00.001-08:00

Amazing.
Click on Index, Lance's Comback, she just added the wind tunnel and training camp. Santa Rosa training camp shots are my favorites.

http://www.elizabethkreutz.com/

2009-02-07T14:39:00.000-08:00

I zoned in on the back wheel of the rider in front of me. Link by link the chain slinked through the derraileur and onto the cogs. Several Coors cans caught my eye on the side of the road, we are in the middle of freakin nowhere, trust me, these folks out here are not out on a stroll with their beers, they are drinkin and driving. So comforting.

So we did an easy 40 miler from Salem out to Brooks. The deli was gone, out of business, same with the little coffee shop.

A sign of the tough times. You think it's rough in California, Florida, Nevada? You should see the toll on small Oregon towns. The mills on the coast are scaling way back, nobody is remodelling, refinancing, or building -- folks don't need wood. This strikes directly at the heart of Oregon's economy.

Breakfast on Bikes

2009-01-30T10:07:00.000-08:00

It was chilly this morning, I'm not going to lie to you. My toes were numb by the time I got to the office. But the Breakfast on Bikes at the Capitol building this morning was a lot of fun. Met some really cool commuters.

2009-01-21T10:17:00.000-08:00

One shop in the far back was open, I heard the clay wind chimes from far down the alleyway, and the sound called me. I got closer and there were some great terra cotta figurines and tiles. I wanted several! I just took pics, free pics.

Behind me I saw 2 of the waitstaff from the restaurant that was open. I called out to them and they chatted with me. They told me that the saloon and restaurant were open and that I could order a drink and walk around the grounds with it! SWEET. So I went inside and up to the bar, I ordered a margarita on the rocks, $5 bucks. It was SOOO good. The live country band was warming up and I took a seat and relaxed.

A drunk couple joined me outside on the patio, a handsome latino man and an older woman with a smokers voice. She was trying to seduce him and all he wanted was a ciggie! It was so funny.

I went back inside. As the bartender offered me a 3rd margarita, I decided I'd better eat something, so I had a cheese quesadilla with my 3rd margarita. I enjoyed more music and people watching and then I drove back to my campground.

I slept contentedly in my tent, I finally figured out how to use my Thermarest pad correctly! It held enough air to elevate my sleeping bag off the rocky cold desert floor. I fell asleep listening to the desert noises and then to some Kenney Chesney!

Im here

2009-01-16T13:17:00.001-08:00

Im here, originally uploaded by winkiedust.

Eleanor

2009-01-07T10:50:00.001-08:00

Eleanor, originally uploaded by winkiedust.

My lovely departed grandmother. I miss her a lot.

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T18:45:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year, originally uploaded by winkiedust.

2009, bring it on. A new house? a new running goal? more miles on the bike? Closer relationships, learning a new sport? Travel? I hope so. I think this year will bring a big change for us, a new house. We are ready to have a newer home with a big great room, with lots of space to have family over.

Iced In

2008-12-21T17:14:00.000-08:00

We are iced in. We can't even get our cars door open, so we took off from the house today and walked through Bush Park and over to Best Little Roadhouse for some $4 dollar Bloody Marys. It was good to get out of the house, we've been house bound from this storm for about 3 days now. On our way back, we stopped in the bird seed store and got another squirrel feeder. We found some hungry squirrels in Bush Park. The ice is too thick today for them to break through it to get to the grass and nuts they buried.

At least the power is still on. Go Favre.

Channels

2008-12-15T06:12:00.000-08:00

We are buried in snow and ice here; a bit unusual for the Willamette Valley, Oregon. My car has studded tires, so we are using it to drive around now.

Friday night we got our tree, it is small but we love it.

Saturday we drove out to the coast to get away and to check on the beach house before the holidays hit. We won't be out there again for 3 or 4 weeks and I noticed mouse droppings in the garage last time we were out, so I've been a bit worried about that. I tried setting traps and ended up with some bruised fingers. This time Carl put out another mouse death option. I feel so bad, but you can't have vermin fornicating in yer garage.

Then it snowed and we woke up to a blanket of white snow! Very unusual at the coast. Yard siesta man was not disturbed.

Probably with a very false sense of safety, we took off and drove the 101 up through Wheeler and into Nehalem. I found a lovely evergreen door swag at a small flower shop in Nehalem, very happy with my purchase! And what delightful people, old hippies, running that beautiful store.

Main street through Nehalem:

The Oregon Coast, isn't it beautiful?

And this is straight up 2nd Ave, our house is up on the left, I love the dusting of snow on everything.

The flower shop people were appalled that Carl and I were being so laid back about getting on the road home before the freeze set in. Turns out with good reason, the coastal pass, with yahoos driving and no studs or chains, was very exciting. I was nervous the guy behind us would spin out of control and ram the back of our car! So, not only did we have to watch the idiots in front of us spinning out of control, but we had to keep an eye on the car behind too.

There have been some rumors at work of layoffs, but so far, nothing has happened. Obviously if people are not flying their airplanes and buying fuel, we will have less and less cash flow in, and will be forced to trim our operating expenses. Like many Americans, Carl and I have thoughtfully considered all our options should this happen. We are budgeting every dollar and aware that our actions today will have ramifications for the future financially. We remember, with chagrin, our dating days, when it was common for us to eat out, with a bottle of wine, a few times a week! Our lifestyle has changed, for the better, I might add.

This last week Carl and I decided to make a change to our cable TV channel lineup. We were actually going to drop some and thus pick up the NFL hi def channel. Ironically, every time Carl called the cable company, it was this huge cluster. They would drop his call, or promise to be out to the house then no-show. Then the 3rd time, he called and they had NO record that he had called before! LOL... so, you know what? We said to ourselves, let's just cut it off. We are now down to welfare cable, it's about $5 bucks a month for just local stuff, and we save about $80 bucks a month in total. We will read books and talk to each other. :) Free. In July, we will turn it all back on for The Tour, if we are still employed.

Carnage in media jobs

2008-12-08T14:15:00.000-08:00

Maybe I shouldn't, but I kinda like Tina Brown. This is part of her irreverent piece today in The Daily Beast:

"As great newspapers, magazines, TV networks, and publishing houses dismember themselves around us, it would be marginally consoling if the pink slips were going to those who contributed so vigorously to their companies’ accelerating demise—the feckless zombies at the head of corporate bureaucracies who cared only about the next quarter’s numbers, never troubled to understand the DNA of the companies they took over, and installed swarms of “Business Affairs” drones to oversee and torment the people “under” them. There are floors of these creatures in any behemoth media company, buzzing about each day thwarting new ideas or, worse, having “transformative” ideas of their own when what is usually required is to revive, with a bit of steadfast conviction, the originating creative purpose of the enterprise. It’s the same with the auto companies..."

feckless zombies indeed... man, she just described Corporate America.

falling beads

2008-12-03T15:32:00.000-08:00

I make things, occasionally. For instance, I made this green necklace, the same one I was wearing today in the doctor's office, when it burst. I get nervous at the doctor's office, he knows so much, he has the power to command my attendance, "we'll see you in another 30 days," he tells me. Argh, why? But there I was, nodding, ok, and I itched my skin because I was nervous, I itched a little under my turtleneck sweater, under my new green necklace, and I felt a little pop. And suddenly my person was flooded with tiny green and shiny beads! I knew I was in big trouble, I kept nodding intelligently to the doctor, hoping he'd hurry up, so I could get down on my hands and knees in that patients room and find all MY DAMN BEADS! Because, dear internet, if you have any experience with a beader, you know they are somewhat compulsive about their beads. It's okay to walk away from a few, but to have the knowledge that there might be several swarosvki crystal beads just lost there in that office! Oh! I could not bear the thought.

Sadly, this is not the first bead breach I've had recently. So I made an unscheduled stop to the Bead Trunk store here in Salem for, allegedly, some advice on how to better crimp my findings onto the ends of my creations. I got the advice and of course, way too many new beads which now I have to squirrel away from my husband! sigh... It's all nearly too much.

I was encouraged to see the bead shop was humming. They were about to start a class and lots of people were attending the class. Many people were in there buying beads. I am so sad about the Nehalem Bead store going out of business at the Coast, I really hope this one hangs on here. Beads aren't exactly a recession-proof business, as you can imagine.

I burned my finger

2008-11-26T15:59:00.000-08:00

I am now a heat embosser. Hmm, how to fit that into my Linkedin profile...

Should I use colored ink or colored powders?

If you use colored ink (such as ColorBox), you will want to use a clear embossing powder. Your finished, raised design will be the color of the INK.

If you use clear or tinted ink (such as Top Boss or VersaMark), you will want to use colored powders. The finished design will be the color of the POWDER.

2008-11-21T13:38:00.000-08:00

Beau is very wise. He knows things. He communes with the sky and the sun. Bulldog philosophy.

2008-11-21T11:42:00.000-08:00

This is our little friend, he grew up in our neighbor's apple tree that extends over into our front yard. Same apple tree that was hacked down last week. We were really bummed because this little guy had made all his winter provisions in that tree and then, blam, gone. So, I did some squirrel research and got him some food. He's still around, fat and happy. But I love this photo because it was taken before he even left the nest, he was so tiny.

Speaking of furry critters, I just can't help but feel like a gerbil on a wheel as I make my morning pilgrimmages to the gym to run and work out. You have to be hale, hearty, and crazy to be there at 5:30 am. I'm hoping to make some new friends as I always see the same groggy gang there. I envy the ones who workout with a trainer, but this economy and the lurking fears behind it, prohibit such a luxury today.

2008-11-19T15:40:00.000-08:00

We watched a movie last night called Son of Rambow. Reminded me a little of my early childhood. My mom was in a religion inspired by The Brethren church. Now, I had a great childhood, running free in the Greenlake area of Seattle back in the 70's. But we were not allowed to listen to music, watch TV, movies, or wear very contemporary clothing, to name a few restrictions. (Although when I flew down to California to visit my secular dad, I got to do everything plus eat Captain Crunch cereal!) This is probably why to this day, I love music. It can move me like nothing else. Music is also one of the things that drew Carl and I together. He drums and loves all kinds of music. Anyway, I liked the movie a lot. Carl had a hard time staying with it, though.

2008-11-09T18:52:00.000-08:00

Saw this posted recently on my club forum, wonder if it is a fake:

Dear Sir,
I am contacting you in regards to a UPS Job Posting. We are going to be hiring seasonal driver helpers, who will ride a bike to deliver packages to help cut done on emissions. If you are able to get this information to your members I will happily mail or email you a flyer. We will be looking for employees in Salem zip codes 97301, 97317, 97309, 97303,& 97385.
Thank you,
Maria Mason
UPS HR Recruiter
mariamason@ups.com
503-978-7409

On my way home from work a few nights ago, a bicycle commuter serenly passed me going the other direction. She was surrounded by bubbles, and I took a second glance to see that she had some bubble fan thing in the back of her bike that automatically blew them as she rode. It was magical.

2008-10-29T16:10:00.000-07:00

Of note, 3 restaurants that have recently closed their doors in Salem. Busters BBQ (boo hoo), Izzy's (blech), Maverick's. All 3 are within a stone's throw of my house and I know this is a sign of the hard times. Last weekend while at my paralegal conference in Bend, several bankruptcy paralegals mentioned how busy they are, especially with defaults by developers. Next, they say? strip malls!

heading down to feed the ducks

2008-10-27T17:03:00.001-07:00

heading down to feed the ducks, originally uploaded by winkiedust.

We had a great visit to the drier part of the state. My work conference went really well. All of the sessions were well attended with great speakers, touching on subjects that pertain to my job.

That's Carl's sillhouette, he's heading down to Mirror Pond in Drake Park, Bend, Oregon. He has a 99 cents bag of bread for the geese/ducks.

We did a lot of walking in the evenings. Visited Bend Brewing, Deschuttes Brewery, Cascade Brewery, and McMennamins. I found a rental cottage that takes dogs, less expensive and yet more comfy that the hotel rooms offered by the conference, score! Beau loved the huge, fenced back yard.

We love Bend. Can't wait to go back, can't wait to buy property there someday.

2008-10-21T13:58:00.000-07:00

I've found this Bikely site to be user friendly. Several people from SBC have contributed ride maps. The back roads from Salem to Hillsboro sound fun.

Took another long walk to see Fall colors yesterday. We are heading over to Bend on Thursday, for work and recreation. I hear threat of snow on the Santiam Pass, but I've driven that pass alone in a blizzard at night, nothing daunts me now!

This is a photo of Bush House:

I took a walk

2008-10-17T13:44:00.001-07:00

PIC-0036.jpg, originally uploaded by winkiedust.

'A government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take away everything you have.' - Thomas Jefferson

2008-10-14T09:21:00.000-07:00

The global economy news has been so bleak. At first, I was diligent to read the Wall Street Journal and all the other news pages, then I began to feel panic, so I stopped reading the news. Phew. We did a lot of thinking and decided to leave our 401k alone, to change future investments to the S&P Index or Bonds, and to just wait it out. Thankfully we are not trying to retire in the next few years. On the positive side, filling up our cars has gotten a LOT less painful!

Pumpkin farm

2008-10-12T16:54:00.001-07:00

Pumpkin farm, originally uploaded by winkiedust.

That sow had 15 piglets. The runt was our favorite. And after picking our pumpkins and eating apple cider donuts, we went to our friend's house and carved pumpkins. Carl made a Pacman face.

2008-10-09T10:43:00.001-07:00

A little amusing ditty floating around the internet these days:

If you purchased $1,000 of shares in Delta Airlines one year ago, you will have $49.00 today.

If you purchased $1,000 of shares in AIG one year ago, you will have $33.00 today.

If you purchased $1,000 of shares in Lehman Brothers one year ago, you will have $0.00 today.

But, if you purchased $1,000 worth of beer one year ago, drank all the beer, then turned in the aluminum cans for recycling refund, you will have $214.00.

Based on the above, the BEST current investment plan is to drink heavily & recycle. It is called the 401-Keg Plan.

Summer came and went

2008-09-22T09:33:00.001-07:00

Fall's here, there's a kiss of cold in the air, Beau has his hair back, my yard is covered in giant maple leaves already, gah, I hate raking. I think I'll use the leave blower and just blow them into the neighbor's yard.

Carl is in New York for training, I'm so jealous. New York in the Fall, that is when I'd want to go. With my free time, I went up to Portland on Saturday and visited with some friends. We partied like college students and Beau and I didn't get home till 2 am! We had martinis at Vault, and wine at Thirst on the Riverplace, then drinks and serious competition air hockey and shuffle board at Blitz bar.

I actually commuted by bike to work the other day. Took me 3 minutes each way, so I added a little downtown Salem loop to my ride home and had a smoothie at the new Venti's location.

Dean's Pt.

2008-09-17T09:48:00.000-07:00

I retrieved my mountainbike from the beach house and brought it back to Salem last weekend. Monday night I pumped up the tires, lubed things that looked like they might be a tad rusty, and hit the local hood for an easy sunset urban ride. I have missed the versatility of my mountainbike. Joggers on the path ahead? No problem, make my own trail. Creep sitting on a secluded bench in the park probably wacking off? No problem, veer off suddenly to a more populated, safe area. Hey, where is that whiff of amazing roses coming from? Take off and follow the scent through the rose garden park, fun!

And last weekend out at the beach was wonderful, we finally got a solid full weekend of sun. I've been reading about pioneer history in Tillamook County area. It's fun to read a narrative about some family that settled in a field near a stream, and then take off and try to find it. We did just that on Saturday and ended up on some beautiful trails at Dean's Point in Nehalem. Named after the first white child born in the area, allegedly, Dean's point is home to large herds of elk that chomp on the grassy areas leading out to the beach. We did not see them this time, but had a great time walking the trails looking for signs of the indians who lived here way before us.

There is a 300+ yr old maple tree, with a limb bent out flat, the indians used this to lay the dead bodies of those whose spirits they did not want to linger, like bad people, or tribal witches. They thought if the wind and birds plucked the bodies away over time, their spirits would not linger close to earth, so they left them on this branch. Bizarre! Anyways, I think I saw the tree. The same area is covered in blackberries, so I'm hoping Carl and I can head back in the next few weeks and pick a bunch for canning.

8th

2008-09-08T14:28:00.000-07:00

OKAY,
wow,
this does it for me, I can't even remember what I was going to write about, because this is PRET-TY cool news:

I definitely need the NEW TiVO machine now. And I need to make plans to visit Cali for the Amgen Tour, oh yeah!!!!!!!!!!!

3

2008-08-20T09:31:00.000-07:00

Ok, there is one of the official engagement shots.

Ana was in town last night. She's a hoot and a good friend. We've known each other since 2001, through a lot of dark and rough days. She told me last night that she really wanted to come up for our wedding this Saturday for a lot of reasons, but one of them was to celebrate with me the ebb and flow of life. Cuz right now the wine is flowing and life is not ebbin'. I just wrote that.

Oh, and I got my hair done last night in an Amy Winehouse beehive on the top. I was out raking up leaves in my beehive. I could see how women did their hair like that back in the day. Big Hair makes you feel taller, bigger, stronger. :)

Engagement Photo

2008-08-12T08:24:00.000-07:00

Carl and I got all gussied up last night for our engagement photo session. We brought Beau and met our photographer, Ryan Comer, at Deepwood Estate in Salem, Oregon. This is a favorite shot. I should send this around to everybody as our engagement photo. har har har

Music for the Ceremony

2008-08-08T08:55:00.001-07:00

100_3589, originally uploaded by winkiedust.

We were in Newberg Tuesday night for a meeting with the pastor who will marry us in YIKES TWO WEEKS. I am not freaking out, I am just fine, thank you. Afterwards we tracked down the musician who is going to play at our wedding. She and her bandmates were putting on a free concert in the park. The music was awesome, the wine and beer flowed, and the children made us all smile. I bought a copy of her CD, it's called the Road Less Travelled, by Effensenden Music and Wendy Goodwin.

FlugTag-ness

2008-08-05T09:56:00.001-07:00

100_3530, originally uploaded by winkiedust.

I don't know what was more fun, Flug Tag with good friends at the waterfront in Portland, or the party afterwards. He sure likes the new shirt I surprised him with. I think it's his first, seriously nice, silk shirt, and now I'm starting a trend.

"Houston, we have a problem."

2008-07-29T08:51:00.000-07:00

this, just after he captured a blue hornet in a jar, now, running frantically towards the exit.

2008-07-28T08:24:00.000-07:00

My favorite part of this weekend was getting to know Nana, Carl's 91 yr old grandmother, a little better. The whole weekend was good, in fact I love weekends, but that was my faborite part. The family hooked up to take her to dinner since it was her birthday. Carl and I stopped by her condo to pick her up but we didn't tell her, she thought her daughter was coming by, so we surprised her. She loved it. We looked at old photos and she told us her pastor does not preach enough fire and brimstone to get the people to "come forward." He's not like Billy Graham, she told us. Her voice got louder and more animated the more she talked about it. I love old people. The perspective from their world is refreshingly different.

And here is the graph of oil prices per barrel, this is just one month folks.

2008-07-23T23:11:00.000-07:00

woke up a little late this morning,
but it all worked out.
Went in for a 9am meeting, then
out to PDX to pick up mom.
It was a great day of celebration of
marriage to come, new love, new bowls,
spatulas, and other exciting bridal stuff.
I sipped a little champagne and let the
awkwardness of being the center of attention,
fall away. It was nice.
I had a lot of fun, and I realize I have
some beautiful friends.

Groomzilla

2008-07-22T15:07:00.000-07:00

there's stuff going on,
I'm watching the Tour when I can,
reading your blogs,
there's flowers blooming in my yard,
frenetic lawn watering to force GREEN before my bridal shower,
did I mention bridal shower?
yes, and that will be held in my front yard tomorrow night,
so, lots going on,
and my mom, one of my favorite people, is flying in tomorrow to be with.

I scanned in a bunch of old family photos for the shower.
they want to do a slide show of baby pics of Carl and I.
Now, I can't talk to my dad.
I look at those photos and it takes me months to not be mad at him.
What a douchebag for leaving my mom like that, with 3 little kids. Stripper girlfriend in the house weeks after she moved us out to a friend's house.
I'm just sayin', not cool.

I tried my hand at getting a new job.
3 interviews with the same firm.
by the 3rd, I knew it was mine to lose or negotiate.
So, I learned in the 3rd interview that this company was not doing well financially.
Why are they hiring then?
You know the drill... a company goes down, the lawyers are The Last Stand,
that and the IT folks. ha. They were trying to hire me as a paralegal to
assist the lawyers with all the sh*t going down.

I have a renewed appreciation for my current job.
it's good.
I'll stay.

Beau is still magnificent. He has sort of figured out that Orphan the cat lives in his house now. But he has never seen him.
Beau eats cats.
Seriously.
I do not know what will happen to our relationship should Beau get a hold of Orphan.
I make sure that does not occur, dear Internet.

I continue to be amazed at the RSVPs we receive for our wedding.
Don't know why, but I just thought very few would come.
Now we are trying to figure out how to sneak in more than the 70 max capacity.
And I don't care that Carl's 91 yr old Prohibition Era grandma will be there hissing at the alcohol. I'm offering her a glass of Champagne to toast our happiness!

We've been out to the beach house lots. Carl worries that the wedding won't come together because we are not sitting at home in Salem worrying about it. ha.
I'm calling HIM the Groomzilla.
The caterer and flower dude are doing all the work.
I found a better caterer.
It's going to be awesome, especially when it's over.

off to see the Wizard

2008-06-13T08:55:00.001-07:00

I'm off to So Cal to see my family for 4 days. The only thing marring my anticipation is that Carl isn't going with me. It'll be ok. It's just that as I move along in life, I pick up these little quirks of meaning, that make me opinionated in a certain way, and so, before, my ex never travelled with me to see my family, or rarely, anyway. So, I have years of photos of me with my family and no spouse. It was like he didn't exist.

it bothers me.
and I was very alone in that relationship. I told Carl how important it is that he go with me to visit my family, but he wants to save money for the wedding.

there it is. marital bliss-to-be in all its glory. You take the good and the bad, that is the kernel of wisdom for today. You take the bad, as long as the other person is taking the bad as much, and also dishing out the Good. Once that balance is off, well, I don't know what to say... it can't be done alone.

And, to top it off, the stupid Lakers just f*cked up last night. They OWNED that game, and just handed it off. Gah.

So, in other non-news, my nutritional plan is going extremely well. Working out is going well except that this week I was sick, a minor blip in the plans.

Carl is moving his stuff into my house. That has been a blast. I now have the 46" flat tv. That was my master plan all along when he first purchased that shiny black sleek tv. I Must Have It. LOL...

This is the house that I rented for my brother and his large family, the balcony is right off to the left of the photo. Hopefully they'll be done with all that landfill work by end of August.

Sleepy Monk

2008-06-06T06:23:00.000-07:00

Haven't had the sun here for weeks.
By last night, I was feeling the effects. Blue, and kinda mopey. LOL.
I have to laugh at myself. Poor me, my life is SO difficult. Waaaaah.

But the caterer does want $3k to feed 60 people at our wedding. Seems a little high. So, Carl and I spent the evening watching the Lakers, drinking wine and cheering each other up, which worked just fine actually. We are packing his things up in his apt. The queen bed will go out to the beach house. We will have 3 bedrooms all with queen beds now. Yippee. Plenty of room for all. July 4th is looking to be a bash. Ken and Meliss may come up from TX and some other friends are coming out too.

Oddly, the firework show at Rockaway Beach is legendary, it is the one time, my one-street town gets so crowded it's borderline obnoxious.

But I'm good with that. Hopefully the local merchants will make some decent profits.

LAST weekend N and C were out, along with B and Ginger. Saturday night we had the firepit going, lots of music, drunk yard croquet by candlelight, and simultaneous air guitar-ing a la dry humping to Jon Bon Jovi? WTF? I haven't laughed so hard in at least a day or two. N brought me some Sleepy Monk coffee from the Cannon Beach coffee roasters. It's so good I'd have it all the time but I'm pretty sure it's not on the budget.

Sunday morning, hung over photo:

Lone Star

2008-05-27T21:11:00.000-07:00

My good friend Connie and I spent Memorial Day weekend in Texas with some mutual friends. We flew into Houston and stayed at their place near Sugar Land. On Sunday we all drove down to the coast and partied with more friends in Surfside Beach, a small coastal village right on the Intercoastal waterway. Many of the homes are built on stilts, all ready for the next hurricane. So I definitely like Texas, even though it's not as lush nor as beautiful as Oregon. The sky is huge, you can see so much of it. I like that feeling. I am sitting at my kitchen table now and I can see just a little patch of the pink sunset sky because that is how closed in Oregon gets from all the trees and hills.

Our hostess Melissa gave us some Texas history lessons as we drove. We spent a lot of time driving, that's because Texas is so BIG. We saw the statue of the Father of Texas, Sam Houston, with his freakishly large head. She told us about how Texas had been its own nation for a time, thus the whole "Lone Star" moniker. She said growing up there, they had years and years of Texas history indoctrination in school.

I could definitely get used to Tex Mex food, wow.
It was amazing to get to hold baby Brendan, only 5 weeks old.

rocks

2008-05-19T11:10:00.000-07:00

“If it weren’t for the rocks in its bed, the stream would have no song.”
---Carl Perkins

COMMENTS BY BILL O'HEARN(WILLIE): What a great metaphor for life. If it weren’t for the bumps along the way, we would not grow into our fullest being -- and would never create the beautiful song that is within us. No one wants adverse circumstances, but since you are here on Earth, and are a human being, welcome to the fact that tough times come and go. It is how you perceive those times that will make a difference in your future. You can sit in a corner and pout, or you can choose to learn and grow. When you choose the latter, you will be absolutely amazed at the beautiful song your life will become. Start singing now and let the good times roll.

2008-05-14T21:03:00.000-07:00

I've been immersed. Yep, submerged might be the better word for it. Cakes, and invitations, and caterers, and music, and photographers, and dresses, and bridal veil, and more shoes, and handbags, oh the torture. Actually the shoes are fun.

So, I thought I'd put a shout out to this lovely online zine I found about the beach. Often when I'm there on the coast enjoying my little shack and driving up and down, I will see surfers. I used to hang out with surfers, crazy guys, who would pop Percocet just to surf all day on these gnarly waves in San Diego, and Mexico. Anyway, I don't surf, but I love the beach and so I'm enjoying this rag a lot, called the Foulweather. I'm reading edition #2, "the Beach."

For my birthday, I received a copy of "Infidel" by Ayaan Hirsi Ali. I've just started it, and it's really captivating.

And in other news, Beau is bald again. Sad but true. The bulbs are planted, the weeds are semi pulled, the resume is polished, just in case, and freshness is beckoning on the horizon, like one of those funny little water stick people in that movie "Lady in the Water." Great movie.

I've been reading my blogs. I'm yearning for a new bike, I see it in my mind. It's a commuter, and I can wear a skirt while riding it, so it has the swoop down top bar, it's a lovely shade of pink or green, or silver, or maybe even red. I'll know it when I see it.

Jumbo Wells on bike (LOC)

2008-05-02T14:27:00.001-07:00

Jumbo Wells on bike (LOC), originally uploaded by The Library of Congress.

Old photos recently published by the Library of Congress. Not sure that handlebar looks very comfortable.

Rockaway Late Friday Afternoon

2008-04-21T07:10:00.001-07:00

DSC05042, originally uploaded by winkiedust.

We spent a lovely weekend out at the Coast, enjoying the company of friends and their darling wee one, Tatum. Although the weather report called for nasty winter weather all weekend, we actually enjoyed brilliant cobalt blue skies, a little hail, yes, and more sun.

Free entertainment

2008-04-21T07:07:00.001-07:00

DSC05108, originally uploaded by winkiedust.

Out at the beach house, the boys partied pretty hard and entertained us with boisterous renditions of Jon Bon Jovi and hard core gangster rap hits. We laughed our guts out, and thanked our lucky stars that Tatum couldn't understand a word.

He was trying to eat the daisies

2008-04-13T08:26:00.000-07:00

Beau.

Plymouth

2008-04-13T08:15:00.001-07:00

I was out taking photos yesterday, it was sunny out, I could not ride, I was a little bummed, so I just messed around with the camera, and swung in my hammock, oh, and I partied a bit with the college kids next door who were straight trashed by 4pm in the afternoon.

I did not know this until my neighbor told me, but Crysler only made the Plymouth pickup for 3 yrs back in the '50s. This is one of them, neighbor just bought it at a car show over the weekend. It is gorgeous, and it still has the original, retro hemi.

Sun Good

2008-04-12T09:15:00.000-07:00

Glorious, the sun is finally out! I am going to soak up some rays today. I'd love to ride, but I had minor surgery yesterday to remove a lump on my side torso, they think it is benign. Meanwhile, I am in a haze of pain meds. Doctor says I can be back to my usual activities by tomorrow, however, so that is great news! I can catch up on my Tivo'd bicycle racing, and finish reading my Bicycling magazine. I read the article on the Rock Racing team last night. That Michael Ball is a narcissistic character, but I don't mind him! He brings some pizzazz, and schnazzy jeans too, ha.

Which reminds me, I was the table topics leader in ToastMasters last week. I posed the question of How has the tightening economy affected your daily life? Personally, I buy less luxury goods, like wine, lattes, expensive clothing and I think twice before driving. I used to jet up to Portland just to go to REI, but now I combine such trips, or don't go at all. Some of the other answers were equally telling: one guy has a hobby of sharp shooting. He has stopped shooting because the bullets are very expensive. Another plays in pool tournaments and is very good. Now he plays more competitively to actually win the prize money. Another sells Avon on the side, and she has begun to get more serious about her sales. Another wanted to buy a new car this year, but instead, purchase a used car with cash.

It doesn't take an economics professor to figure out that the spiralling affect of these kinds of lifestyle changes is going to be felt in the months ahead.