I had heard a rumor of a fellow guinea pig person that the feed store on 4th Street would let you have free hay if you were a rescue group all you had to do was bring a bag. So I called them and they do in fact offer free hay. So my next call was of course to Phyllis. I picked her up and off we went to 4th street.
For those of you not familiar with Albuquerque, 4th Street is either the ghetto at one end or the country at the other end. In between is a mix of old and new. Luckily we were going to the country end. Phyllis was raised in the country on a farm so she knew all about hay and feed stores and the lot. Me, I had been in a feed store before but that was to buy flea dip and chicken feeder to make candy dishes out of. I never looked around.
We found the hay area and they pointed us in the direction of the Timothy Hay and Alfalfa Hay, thank god because when there is not a wrapper on it telling me what it is I have no idea. After getting pointed in the right direction I got my trash bag out and started in. It was kinda fun, I put handful after handful of hay in my baggie all the while thinking how happy the piggies were going to be. Phyllis was in charge of the Alfalfa. Once we had our hay we put it in the car and went inside so I could look around. You never know I may find something I really need in the feed store.
The first thing I thought was that the feed store was a lot like the hardware store and the cooking store. So many things, that I have no idea what you do with. But I looked around anyway and found out that if I ever need a 50 pound bag of guinea pig food that was the place to go. I saw brand new horse shoes that just mesmerized me. I have never seen them new before. They are usually an antique and in an antique store. During my trip through wonderland, Phyllis is just wandering with me, trying very hard not to make fun of me. All the while I am gripping at her for not sharing her knowledge of the feed store with me sooner.
Once that was over I had to head home and take care of some animal chores. My main objective for the evening was to introduce Mario and Lorenzo. These are two new piggies I rescued this week. Mario is 5 months old and was surrendered to the city pound. Lorenzo is an older piggie that a family had and no longer wanted him. I have had their cages sitting side by side so they could meet through the wires. All was going well as far as I could tell so I took it a step farther and opened the doors so they could go from one cage to the other cage. It took a few minutes but eventually Mario went into Lorenzo's cage and that is when the hay started flying.
It started with Mario chasing Lorenzo around and around the cage, nipping him on the butt when he could and making some very strange noises. I was told this could happen in the beginning but then Mario started to...well you know and Lorenzo was getting very upset. So I separated them, while Lorenzo hid in his box so no one could see him, Mario proceeded to strut around in his cage making more noises. I then knew 100% that Lorenzo was not a Lorenzo but a Sophia.
There had been questions all along, with guinea pigs its not as simple as lifting a leg and looking for something. It is more of a push and pull and see what pops out. I did that with Sophia and nothing popped out but then I was told that you can't always tell. Well I can tell now. She was one pissed piggie, she would not come out of hiding until I moved her cage on top of another cage so should could not see Mario anymore.
As of this morning she was better, at least she took her carrot and did not glare at me like she was last night. But of course everyone in the Hamster Haven is usually quiet and quilty in the morning because for the fourth day in a row, Guinevere had escaped from her cage. I have tried everything and every night she figures out a different way to get out. I am envisioning a Dr. Dolittle scene going on in that room at night. All the other critters are guiding her as she climbs, clings and hangs onto the cage to get out. Tonight I am going to create Alcatraze for Hamsters in hopes of keeping her in there at night.
Today is my daddy's birthday. Of all the men in my life he is by far the most important one. Joshua of course is right after him.
I can't say enough wonderful things about my father. He has raised me and my brothers since we were knee high to a grasshopper. He taught us that life was not fair but you dealt with it anyways. He showed us strength and loyalty, and taught us that family is always there no matter what you say or do.
So today, I want to say Happy Birthday Daddy. I love you more than anything in this world. You have always been there with a hug and a kiss (and a kick in the ass once in awhile). You always told me that I could do anything and survive anything if I just believed in myself and the good lord. Well I finally believe in myself and know that because of the lessons you and mom instilled in your kids I will always come out ahead of the game every time.
I can't say enough wonderful things about my father. He has raised me and my brothers since we were knee high to a grasshopper. He taught us that life was not fair but you dealt with it anyways. He showed us strength and loyalty, and taught us that family is always there no matter what you say or do.
So today, I want to say Happy Birthday Daddy. I love you more than anything in this world. You have always been there with a hug and a kiss (and a kick in the ass once in awhile). You always told me that I could do anything and survive anything if I just believed in myself and the good lord. Well I finally believe in myself and know that because of the lessons you and mom instilled in your kids I will always come out ahead of the game every time.
My blog has taken on a new name. I am no longer "Starting Over at 40" I am now Living Life After 40.
The days of being devastated by divorce and heartbreak are so over. The past is the past and now I am all about living life to the fullest with or without a man by my side. Either way I will be doing it full of gusto and enthusiasm. All I can say is
Lord help us all.
The days of being devastated by divorce and heartbreak are so over. The past is the past and now I am all about living life to the fullest with or without a man by my side. Either way I will be doing it full of gusto and enthusiasm. All I can say is
Watch Out Because I am Free, Single and Over 40
Lord help us all.
Merry Mabon to everyone. Mabon is one of the Pagan sabbats or holidays. It is the Fall Equinox and the opposite of the Spring Equinox. This year Mabon is on Monday, September 22nd, this is not the actual astrological day but we have to give it a calendar day so we can know when to celebrate it. Since I don't do astrology I have to go with what the calendar says. So what exactly is Mabon well let me explain.
Mabon (pronounced May-bun, May-boon, May-bone, or however you want to) like I said is the fall equinox it is also a Harvest Festival. Most Pagan holidays are in celebration of earth events. Pagans were farmers so they celebrated the planting and harvesting of their fields. They gave thanks to Mother Earth for her bounty and seeing them through the season. So with Autumn comes the harvesting of their food for winter.
Mabon also marks the time when the days and nights are equal in length. Just as they are in the Spring when we have Ostara or the Spring Equinox. With Mabon it also starts when the days become shorter and the nights become longer. Can you believe this happens naturally and has nothing to do with changing your clocks? Who knew!
For Wiccans this is the time when the Goddess changes from the Mother aspect into the Crone aspect. The Goddess has 3 aspects of a woman the Maiden (young girl), Mother (reproductive years) and Crone (older woman). These are all changes that a woman will go through in her life and with each aspect come wisdom and experience that is passed on to all. The Crone aspect represents wisdom, repose, death and ending. Not to be taken literally, for Pagans death and rebirth go hand in hand. So when the Crone dies she is reborn as the Maiden in Spring. There is a really huge explanation about the Goddess and God relationship but you can explore that on your own without me going into details about it.
So Mabon is Monday, it is a day to celebrate and eat. I am not sure what I will be doing but I am sure food is involved somehow. If I don't talk to you before then Merry Mabon everyone.
Mabon (pronounced May-bun, May-boon, May-bone, or however you want to) like I said is the fall equinox it is also a Harvest Festival. Most Pagan holidays are in celebration of earth events. Pagans were farmers so they celebrated the planting and harvesting of their fields. They gave thanks to Mother Earth for her bounty and seeing them through the season. So with Autumn comes the harvesting of their food for winter.
Mabon also marks the time when the days and nights are equal in length. Just as they are in the Spring when we have Ostara or the Spring Equinox. With Mabon it also starts when the days become shorter and the nights become longer. Can you believe this happens naturally and has nothing to do with changing your clocks? Who knew!
For Wiccans this is the time when the Goddess changes from the Mother aspect into the Crone aspect. The Goddess has 3 aspects of a woman the Maiden (young girl), Mother (reproductive years) and Crone (older woman). These are all changes that a woman will go through in her life and with each aspect come wisdom and experience that is passed on to all. The Crone aspect represents wisdom, repose, death and ending. Not to be taken literally, for Pagans death and rebirth go hand in hand. So when the Crone dies she is reborn as the Maiden in Spring. There is a really huge explanation about the Goddess and God relationship but you can explore that on your own without me going into details about it.
So Mabon is Monday, it is a day to celebrate and eat. I am not sure what I will be doing but I am sure food is involved somehow. If I don't talk to you before then Merry Mabon everyone.
October starts in less than 2 weeks. Why is this a big deal? Because I love October. I always have and I always will love October. I don't know if it is because the weather is getting cooler and the heat of the summer is starting to break or if it is the fact that we have 4 months in a row with great holidays to decorate and celebrate. Either way, I love October.
Last year was terrible, I will be honest in saying that I am lucky to be here today based on how I felt this time last year. I went to Texas for Halloween last year and I truly did not expect to come back. I was convinced that somewhere and somehow I would end everything. But, it was not to be. I came back and had the worst 3 months of my life. But, I am stronger and smarter than I ever was back then. But, since I was so miserable I did not celebrate my favorite time of year. I let it pass without so much as a thought or after thought for that matter. I don't regret it because I was not in the frame of mind to celebrate but this year is different.
First off, I am starting October with a Pumpkin Decorating Party; see previous post for the invitation. This is just a time for me and anyone who wants to join me to get together and decorate pumpkins, I am going to carve, paint and doddle on pumpkins of all sizes and shapes to decorate the front sidewalk of my house. I just hope nobody decides they like them and takes off with them like they do my neighbors flowers.
Second off, I am going to go to Sedona on November 1st for All Saints Day. I am not going to celebrate All Saints Day I am just going because I get rejuvenated being in Sedona and I am going to restock my supply of crystals and gems while I am there. I will probably go back for my birthday but since it is in the middle of Winter I can never guarantee I will be able to go there. November 1st is before the snows start and it should be just beautiful.
Of course, Thanksgiving is November 27th and I am sure Phyllis and I will be doing our usual dinner. I just am more experienced with cooking a turkey this year than I was last year. I am not working that weekend so who knows what trouble I will be up to. It may be the perfect time to drive to Texas and see the new nephew that I have yet to meet.
Then there is December, this year I am free of Mesa which I never thought I would enjoy but I do. I do not have to organize any parties, that I don't want to attend. I am not going to be guilted into attending any parties that I do not want to attend. I only have the one party with French's and Phyllis is already my date and we both love that party so that is a no brainer. I do not think RPI has a party only a lunch, but we do get a bonus somewhere in there.
And the best one of all MY 41ST BIRTHDAY in January and who knows what I will do for that. But, I can guarantee you it will be something fun and probably weird. Deb and I are already thinking of things to do.
So the next few months are full of fun and enjoyment. I plan to spend as much time as I can with my friends and family and I do not have any plans of allowing myself to think to past holidays unless they are fun memories of me and Joshua when he was a kid. Because, we always enjoyed the holidays and made the most of what little we had.
So here is my open invitation to everyone. You are all welcome to join me for anything I do to celebrate the holidays just be prepared to have fun and probably get dirty.
Last year was terrible, I will be honest in saying that I am lucky to be here today based on how I felt this time last year. I went to Texas for Halloween last year and I truly did not expect to come back. I was convinced that somewhere and somehow I would end everything. But, it was not to be. I came back and had the worst 3 months of my life. But, I am stronger and smarter than I ever was back then. But, since I was so miserable I did not celebrate my favorite time of year. I let it pass without so much as a thought or after thought for that matter. I don't regret it because I was not in the frame of mind to celebrate but this year is different.
First off, I am starting October with a Pumpkin Decorating Party; see previous post for the invitation. This is just a time for me and anyone who wants to join me to get together and decorate pumpkins, I am going to carve, paint and doddle on pumpkins of all sizes and shapes to decorate the front sidewalk of my house. I just hope nobody decides they like them and takes off with them like they do my neighbors flowers.
Second off, I am going to go to Sedona on November 1st for All Saints Day. I am not going to celebrate All Saints Day I am just going because I get rejuvenated being in Sedona and I am going to restock my supply of crystals and gems while I am there. I will probably go back for my birthday but since it is in the middle of Winter I can never guarantee I will be able to go there. November 1st is before the snows start and it should be just beautiful.
Of course, Thanksgiving is November 27th and I am sure Phyllis and I will be doing our usual dinner. I just am more experienced with cooking a turkey this year than I was last year. I am not working that weekend so who knows what trouble I will be up to. It may be the perfect time to drive to Texas and see the new nephew that I have yet to meet.
Then there is December, this year I am free of Mesa which I never thought I would enjoy but I do. I do not have to organize any parties, that I don't want to attend. I am not going to be guilted into attending any parties that I do not want to attend. I only have the one party with French's and Phyllis is already my date and we both love that party so that is a no brainer. I do not think RPI has a party only a lunch, but we do get a bonus somewhere in there.
And the best one of all MY 41ST BIRTHDAY in January and who knows what I will do for that. But, I can guarantee you it will be something fun and probably weird. Deb and I are already thinking of things to do.
So the next few months are full of fun and enjoyment. I plan to spend as much time as I can with my friends and family and I do not have any plans of allowing myself to think to past holidays unless they are fun memories of me and Joshua when he was a kid. Because, we always enjoyed the holidays and made the most of what little we had.
So here is my open invitation to everyone. You are all welcome to join me for anything I do to celebrate the holidays just be prepared to have fun and probably get dirty.
#3 came over the other night to pick up some things. It is amazing that 14 months after separating I still have things that belong to him. In all honesty these are things that were in storage and I have not looked at them since moving. Anyway, back to my original thought. He stopped by for a few minutes, we actually held a conversation that did not include arguing. When he left, I just went about doing my usual animal chores (they never seem to end).
It was not until the next day that I realized something was different. Not about him but about me. What was different? The feelings upon seeing him, talking with him and after he left. They were all different. I realized that while he was there I did not have any feelings of wanting to dismember him. In fact I had no feelings at all. Which for me is very weird it usually takes me years to get to the point of no feelings for someone. But, I am impressed with myself. I had no feelings of anger, hate, dislike or any negative feelings at all. And on a high note I had no feelings of love, lust, like, remembrance or any of those feelings.
So I guess the answer to my previous questions How do you forgive? is with time. Time will allow you to forgive. Of course, I don't know if I am ready to go so far as to say I forgive him yet, but I know that I am on the right road and when the time is right it will no longer be a question I ask.
It was not until the next day that I realized something was different. Not about him but about me. What was different? The feelings upon seeing him, talking with him and after he left. They were all different. I realized that while he was there I did not have any feelings of wanting to dismember him. In fact I had no feelings at all. Which for me is very weird it usually takes me years to get to the point of no feelings for someone. But, I am impressed with myself. I had no feelings of anger, hate, dislike or any negative feelings at all. And on a high note I had no feelings of love, lust, like, remembrance or any of those feelings.
So I guess the answer to my previous questions How do you forgive? is with time. Time will allow you to forgive. Of course, I don't know if I am ready to go so far as to say I forgive him yet, but I know that I am on the right road and when the time is right it will no longer be a question I ask.
My parents got their power back at 3:30 am today. They have been without power since 3:45 Saturday morning.
A lot of people are still without power but they are getting back to normal.
Galveston Island will probably spend the winter cleaning up the island and repairing the damaged buildings. From what I have read the major historical buildings were not damaged. These would be the old homes that line Broadway. The hotels along the Seawall have some damage but nothing that can not be repaired.
The Strand was flooded as one would imagine, but I am sure they were prepared for this and just have to clean up.
Downtown Houston lost a lot of windows in their tall buildings. But again nothing that can not be repaired.
The surrounding towns and states will spend the next several weeks repairing, cleaning and rebuilding what they can. And life will go on as it always does.
A lot of people are still without power but they are getting back to normal.
Galveston Island will probably spend the winter cleaning up the island and repairing the damaged buildings. From what I have read the major historical buildings were not damaged. These would be the old homes that line Broadway. The hotels along the Seawall have some damage but nothing that can not be repaired.
The Strand was flooded as one would imagine, but I am sure they were prepared for this and just have to clean up.
Downtown Houston lost a lot of windows in their tall buildings. But again nothing that can not be repaired.
The surrounding towns and states will spend the next several weeks repairing, cleaning and rebuilding what they can. And life will go on as it always does.
So a few weeks ago I wrote about not being as far as my therapist would have liked regarding relationships. She would like to hear me tell her how I am over everything and ready to find Mr. Right again. Based on the response I received from everyone that post was not taken so well. So I have spent the last several weeks thinking about it and trying to determine what exactly is it that bothers people about someone not wanting another relationship or not having the ability to trust another person enough to have a relationship. I think I have come up with the answer, bare with me. I have been married 3 times in 22 years so it will take some explaining.
Marriage Number One was to Joshua’s father. We were high school sweethearts and got married 3 months after graduating. We both wanted to get away from our families and be independent and on our own. That was great for about 6 months, then I got pregnant with Joshua and within a year the marriage was over. He wanted to live life and see things. I wanted to be a mom and raise an amazing kid. Both, of us went out own ways and did out own things.
Marriage Number Two was a disaster from the beginning. We had been dating since 1989 or 1990 and in 1995 on a whim decided to get married. I wanted to do it so that I could have the opportunity to stay at home and be an at home mom. #2 and I did not love each other, hell we barely tolerated each other. But being married to him gave me a false sense of security so that I could stay home. Again, that lasted about 6 months and both Joshua & I were getting sick of each other. So I went back to work but only while he was in school. #2 and I never had a marriage, we were hardly home at the same time, he wanted his mother for a wife, and we all know that I am never going to be a 50’s wife. So after 4 years of torturing each other we went our separate ways.
Marriage Number Three you all know about. The only difference with this one was I was in love with my partner and I do believe that for a short time he was in love with me. At least that is what I have to tell myself once in awhile.
Now, I have three marriages that have started very differently but all ended the same way…divorce. So here is my rationalization of why I do not want to do this again.
Say when you are a child you drink a glass of milk and get violently ill from it. You now are afraid of milk, because you think it will make you sick. 15 years later you think you have outgrown your issues with milk so you have another drink and find yourself once again paying homage to the toilet king. This was marriage one and two for me. The first time was not that great but we were young and after several years I thought “Why not try again” and the same thing happened. Now after that second attempt at milk your friends start giving you small amounts of dairy products, you have a little chocolate with no ill effects, you have some ice cream and nothing happens, you try a little cheese and again you are fine. So you go for the glass of milk and BAM you are back on the cold hard floor begging for mercy. (Can I paint a picture or what?)
Well this is me and relationships. I have tried 3 times and each time it ends basically the same way. The only difference with #3 is that I now know that I can never allow myself to fall in love with someone again or get into a serious relationship again. A major difference with #3 was that love was involved and when it ended I truly thought I was going to die. The pain and misery was more than anyone should ever have to go through. The military should figure out a way to use that pain as a torture device. But, because of this pain I can never allow myself to get into that situation again. I am sure over time I will have mini-relationships and flings but there will never be a head over heels love for me again.
This is not a bad thing, I know most people out there want nothing more than to find that one person that they will live with forever and that person will never hurt them or do them wrong and that is great for them. Unfortunately, not wanting a serious relationship causes some people you know to pull away. They either do not understand or are afraid to be around someone who is not in a relationship or married. Then you have the friends who are married and love it so much they think everyone should be married and happy like them. If only it were that easy.
So Where Am I At? I am at a place where I am comfortable. I am creating my own life with my own terms. I am learning to enjoy the company of my friends as well as the company of myself. I no longer allow myself to feel lonely when I am by myself instead I focus on the good things I do have. I no longer allow myself to dwell on the past and think how things were. I now focus on what I want in the future. I still have some issues with “memories” and “sentiment” but I am working on those. Instead of thinking about the memories I had somewhere; I go and create new memories. If going to a specific place is hard because I can’t get past all the memories I don’t go anymore and that is okay too.
Marriage Number One was to Joshua’s father. We were high school sweethearts and got married 3 months after graduating. We both wanted to get away from our families and be independent and on our own. That was great for about 6 months, then I got pregnant with Joshua and within a year the marriage was over. He wanted to live life and see things. I wanted to be a mom and raise an amazing kid. Both, of us went out own ways and did out own things.
Marriage Number Two was a disaster from the beginning. We had been dating since 1989 or 1990 and in 1995 on a whim decided to get married. I wanted to do it so that I could have the opportunity to stay at home and be an at home mom. #2 and I did not love each other, hell we barely tolerated each other. But being married to him gave me a false sense of security so that I could stay home. Again, that lasted about 6 months and both Joshua & I were getting sick of each other. So I went back to work but only while he was in school. #2 and I never had a marriage, we were hardly home at the same time, he wanted his mother for a wife, and we all know that I am never going to be a 50’s wife. So after 4 years of torturing each other we went our separate ways.
Marriage Number Three you all know about. The only difference with this one was I was in love with my partner and I do believe that for a short time he was in love with me. At least that is what I have to tell myself once in awhile.
Now, I have three marriages that have started very differently but all ended the same way…divorce. So here is my rationalization of why I do not want to do this again.
Say when you are a child you drink a glass of milk and get violently ill from it. You now are afraid of milk, because you think it will make you sick. 15 years later you think you have outgrown your issues with milk so you have another drink and find yourself once again paying homage to the toilet king. This was marriage one and two for me. The first time was not that great but we were young and after several years I thought “Why not try again” and the same thing happened. Now after that second attempt at milk your friends start giving you small amounts of dairy products, you have a little chocolate with no ill effects, you have some ice cream and nothing happens, you try a little cheese and again you are fine. So you go for the glass of milk and BAM you are back on the cold hard floor begging for mercy. (Can I paint a picture or what?)
Well this is me and relationships. I have tried 3 times and each time it ends basically the same way. The only difference with #3 is that I now know that I can never allow myself to fall in love with someone again or get into a serious relationship again. A major difference with #3 was that love was involved and when it ended I truly thought I was going to die. The pain and misery was more than anyone should ever have to go through. The military should figure out a way to use that pain as a torture device. But, because of this pain I can never allow myself to get into that situation again. I am sure over time I will have mini-relationships and flings but there will never be a head over heels love for me again.
This is not a bad thing, I know most people out there want nothing more than to find that one person that they will live with forever and that person will never hurt them or do them wrong and that is great for them. Unfortunately, not wanting a serious relationship causes some people you know to pull away. They either do not understand or are afraid to be around someone who is not in a relationship or married. Then you have the friends who are married and love it so much they think everyone should be married and happy like them. If only it were that easy.
So Where Am I At? I am at a place where I am comfortable. I am creating my own life with my own terms. I am learning to enjoy the company of my friends as well as the company of myself. I no longer allow myself to feel lonely when I am by myself instead I focus on the good things I do have. I no longer allow myself to dwell on the past and think how things were. I now focus on what I want in the future. I still have some issues with “memories” and “sentiment” but I am working on those. Instead of thinking about the memories I had somewhere; I go and create new memories. If going to a specific place is hard because I can’t get past all the memories I don’t go anymore and that is okay too.
I have added to the group...again. This time instead of hamsters and gerbils we have taken in some wandering guinea pigs. I started with Zoe & Zara, they needed a new home because the military base was making their owners get rid of them. I was originally going to foster them while Steve Sehr who has Save a Cavy Guinea Pig Rescue could list them on his website and get them adopted. But, the two girls are so obese and scared that I felt it was only fair that they be given a nice quiet place to live.
The other two I have are Snowball and Cinnamon, the little girl who owned just did not have the time to devote to them anymore. So here they came into the house and they will be fostered until Save a Cavy can find them a home. They are adorable, well cared for and friendly mother and daughter pair.
The most I can say about having piggies is that they are very vocal and it drives the dogs nuts.
Zoe
Zara
The other two I have are Snowball and Cinnamon, the little girl who owned just did not have the time to devote to them anymore. So here they came into the house and they will be fostered until Save a Cavy can find them a home. They are adorable, well cared for and friendly mother and daughter pair.
The most I can say about having piggies is that they are very vocal and it drives the dogs nuts.
Zoe
ZaraI would like to start this post with a hearty thank you to all my friends who have called and emailed me regarding my family living in the Gulf Coast region. Your thoughts and prayers meant alot to my parents and siblings.
As you all know Hurricane Ike blew into Galveston and Houston early this morning. Ike was a Category 2 hurricane which means his winds were 96mph-110mph. That's some strong wind. I talked off and on with my Mom and Sister until about 10 or 11 last night. They were all doing just fine at that time. I called first thing this morning and my mom reports that everyone survived the night, they lost a pear tree and part of the fence. The power went out about 3:45 am but they have a generator to use for lights.
I have to say yesterday was a very stressful day as far as the news goes. It seemed like every news agency and state agency were predicting the end of life for Southeast Texas. I was really frustrated by it all. They went as far as to say that if you stayed home and lived in 1 story or 2 story house you were certain to die. How stupid is that? Why would you tell people that? I would have thought with the debacle of Rita 3 years ago they would want to keep everyone from freaking out and rushing to no where.
But, lets face it anyone who lives outside of a hurricane zone has no idea what it is like to deal with them. They are not the same as a tornado where you have little to no warning they are coming. Hurricanes take days to form and you can only predict how bad it will be. If you live anywhere near a hurricane zone you know how to start preparing in June and you always have supplies on hand. Most people have generators for when the power goes out. Typically unless you live near the coast, the bay, the rivers or the bayous you don't have too much flooding. It is usually the streets in those areas that flood. Those who live by the water have the house flooding that you see on the news.
Yesterday, after reading for the umpteenth time about how the entire island of Galveston was going to be destroyed and all of southeast Texas was going to be Katrina all over again. I stopped reading the national news and went to the Houston Chronicle and the Galveston Daily News for reports. The mayor of Galveston was in a bit of a "doom and gloom" phase and telling her citizens they would die if they stayed. But for the most part the meteorologists were more rational and sticking to the points of what to expect. So far there have been no mentions of death, but they are still just getting to the point of getting out. I am not sure if they have been able to get out into the community on Galveston island or not yet.
The other thing I see over and over is people complaining about those who decided to stay instead of evacuate. You have to keep in mind that Galveston is an island, they are use to flooding and storms. But also there are not that many places to go. A lot of people can not afford to stay in a hotel much less drive hundreds of miles to stay in a hotel. A lot of people are remembering Rita and being stuck on the freeways for days and not getting anywhere. According to my sister it was almost impossible to find gas. So you get out on the road heading to Dallas or San Antonio with millions of other people who are looking for gas and housing and you are stuck. They did set up a few shelters but sometimes those are worse than the storm. Galveston has a large population of seniors and they don't want to leave their homes. They were prepared for the hurricane and the city was honest with them by telling them they would not risk their firefighters and police by coming out in the storm to get them. And true to their word they told hundreds who called for help that they could not come until the storm passed.
As of a few minutes ago there is substantial damage to trees and some buildings but only 1 death that I can find. This could change as they start the process of looking through buildings and the water starts to go down. I will let you know if anything major pops up.
Thanks again for your prayers and concern.
Joshua Alexander Drake was born 21 years ago today. He came into this world on Friday, September 11, 1987 at 8:34 p.m. Joshua was born in Pasadena, Texas and he weighed 6 pounds 14 ounces and was 19 inches long.
I can't believe my baby is an official adult. Time flies when your having fun. Contrary to many peoples belief at the time Joshua was a planned baby by his father and I. I know we were young but I wanted to have my family early so that I could be done by the time I was 40. Even then I knew that I only wanted 1 child. Over the years I have thought about more children but I never had much desire to have any. When I had my miscarriage in 1994 it was devastating but I knew deep down I did not want another child. I always tell people it is because my mom use to say that your 2ND child is completely the opposite of your first. Well Joshua was the easiest baby on the planet, so if I had another one I was afraid it would be the spawn of Satan.
When Joshua was born he was welcomed by so many people it was a bit overwhelming. I had my parents there, Curtis' parents there, my grandparents were there, my sister Debra, my brothers, my mom had several friends there as well. I think they were having a party in the waiting room. Either way he never lacked attention on his birthday. Josh had a few issues while entering this world, first and foremost he had no desire to come out. I am pretty sure he would still be inutero if he could. The first comments we got on our new baby boy was "My God Look at Those Eyes" he had the biggest bluest eyes we had ever seen. He looked kind of like a little gremlin. Well at least to me he did. He had the scrawniest little legs. But he was perfect.
Over the years Joshua continued to be one of the easiest kids to raise, he did have some strange issues but all in all he was so much fun to be with. So much like mothers day here are some of my favorite memories of raising my little anal retentive Virgo. BTW, these are not really in order of age.
1. Joshua telling me after school one day “Mom, I saw the biggest CD ever at school today.” it was an album
2. Only wanting to wear dress socks because regular socks were bumpy in his shoes.
3. Telling me he will die if he does not get a soda right away
4. “No! No! I don’t like that” to anything I cooked, okay he did have plenty of reasons for saying this
5. Calling me “Mother” anytime he was mad or annoyed with me.
6. Taking my hand and telling me “We will discuss this at home” when I was late picking him up from daycare
7. Actually throwing the fake stones at Goliath in his school play because he did not like the little boy
8. Saying “I promise mom it was not me who drilled the line of holes in my bedroom wall”
9. Refusing to shop in the little boys department anymore even if the clothes in the boys department did not fit
10. Sacrificing his cousin Casey to a werewolf at a haunted house
11. Loving every minute of 12 days of Christmas no matter how old he was
12. Driving all over the state of Texas looking for Beanie Babies
13. Being Batman 3 Halloweens in a row
14. Begging to have his room decorated in 101 Dalmatians only to refuse to sleep in there because “The dogs are looking at me”
15. Going to the Egyptian exhibit at the Museum of Science and Josh begging for the jars they put the human organs in, then having him crawl in my bed because he could not sleep because he kept seeing the mummy on exhibit
16. Joshua arguing with the docent at the Houston Museum of Fine Arts when she stated that the red blood on a birds chest symbolized the blood Jesus shed for us. He wanted written proof of that.
17. Joshua telling me “Mother we did not go to chapel today and we did not say our prayers before lunch” on his first day of 2nd grade in public school
18. Only to say 1 year later in 3rd grade “You mean to tell me I am suppose to believe a book that was possibly written 2000 years ago. And they have no real proof it was ever written, who wrote it and if these people exist.”
19. Asking at 2 years old “Where do rainbows get their colors”
20. Mom I want to be a musician.
As with every mother and father out there, you know there are so many memorable moments in your kids life that it is impossible to get to them all but these are some that stand out in my mind.
I can't believe my baby is an official adult. Time flies when your having fun. Contrary to many peoples belief at the time Joshua was a planned baby by his father and I. I know we were young but I wanted to have my family early so that I could be done by the time I was 40. Even then I knew that I only wanted 1 child. Over the years I have thought about more children but I never had much desire to have any. When I had my miscarriage in 1994 it was devastating but I knew deep down I did not want another child. I always tell people it is because my mom use to say that your 2ND child is completely the opposite of your first. Well Joshua was the easiest baby on the planet, so if I had another one I was afraid it would be the spawn of Satan.
When Joshua was born he was welcomed by so many people it was a bit overwhelming. I had my parents there, Curtis' parents there, my grandparents were there, my sister Debra, my brothers, my mom had several friends there as well. I think they were having a party in the waiting room. Either way he never lacked attention on his birthday. Josh had a few issues while entering this world, first and foremost he had no desire to come out. I am pretty sure he would still be inutero if he could. The first comments we got on our new baby boy was "My God Look at Those Eyes" he had the biggest bluest eyes we had ever seen. He looked kind of like a little gremlin. Well at least to me he did. He had the scrawniest little legs. But he was perfect.
Over the years Joshua continued to be one of the easiest kids to raise, he did have some strange issues but all in all he was so much fun to be with. So much like mothers day here are some of my favorite memories of raising my little anal retentive Virgo. BTW, these are not really in order of age.
1. Joshua telling me after school one day “Mom, I saw the biggest CD ever at school today.” it was an album
2. Only wanting to wear dress socks because regular socks were bumpy in his shoes.
3. Telling me he will die if he does not get a soda right away
4. “No! No! I don’t like that” to anything I cooked, okay he did have plenty of reasons for saying this
5. Calling me “Mother” anytime he was mad or annoyed with me.
6. Taking my hand and telling me “We will discuss this at home” when I was late picking him up from daycare
7. Actually throwing the fake stones at Goliath in his school play because he did not like the little boy
8. Saying “I promise mom it was not me who drilled the line of holes in my bedroom wall”
9. Refusing to shop in the little boys department anymore even if the clothes in the boys department did not fit
10. Sacrificing his cousin Casey to a werewolf at a haunted house
11. Loving every minute of 12 days of Christmas no matter how old he was
12. Driving all over the state of Texas looking for Beanie Babies
13. Being Batman 3 Halloweens in a row
14. Begging to have his room decorated in 101 Dalmatians only to refuse to sleep in there because “The dogs are looking at me”
15. Going to the Egyptian exhibit at the Museum of Science and Josh begging for the jars they put the human organs in, then having him crawl in my bed because he could not sleep because he kept seeing the mummy on exhibit
16. Joshua arguing with the docent at the Houston Museum of Fine Arts when she stated that the red blood on a birds chest symbolized the blood Jesus shed for us. He wanted written proof of that.
17. Joshua telling me “Mother we did not go to chapel today and we did not say our prayers before lunch” on his first day of 2nd grade in public school
18. Only to say 1 year later in 3rd grade “You mean to tell me I am suppose to believe a book that was possibly written 2000 years ago. And they have no real proof it was ever written, who wrote it and if these people exist.”
19. Asking at 2 years old “Where do rainbows get their colors”
20. Mom I want to be a musician.
As with every mother and father out there, you know there are so many memorable moments in your kids life that it is impossible to get to them all but these are some that stand out in my mind.
Everyone knows that I have hamsters out the yahazza but I don't ever post any photos of them because to be honest they are very seldom down when I am up. But, tonight I was able to get a few pictures of everyone. So let me introduce you to my group.
Head Hamster Honcho is Franklin or Frankie for short.
He rules the hamster group and has the coolest bachelor pad of them all
Our mini version is Lance
He has the biggest habitat of all of them and is literally2 inches long
Teenager #1 this is Guinevere now known as Gluinevere since I found out she was a he
Gluini is very shy is usually never awake before 10 or 11. But look at that face.
Teenager #2 Parker. I don't know if Parker is a boy or girl because there is so much hair I can't tell. But, no worries in the South Parker is a boy or girls name. Either way, Parker is the sweetest of them all, but like his brother Gluini he spends a lot of time asleep.
And our newest member Tommy. Tommy is a gerbil. Unlike his cousins he is very friendly, curious and always up for a visit. He is currently Kali's mortal enemy since he loves to touch her on her nose when she gets too close to his cage. For safety sakes, I had to move him higher up before Princess Kali figured out how to eat him.
Just to show you what I mean, here is Kali stalking Tommy. If you can see he is up in his little house in the top right corner.
Head Hamster Honcho is Franklin or Frankie for short.He rules the hamster group and has the coolest bachelor pad of them all
Our mini version is LanceHe has the biggest habitat of all of them and is literally2 inches long
Teenager #1 this is Guinevere now known as Gluinevere since I found out she was a heGluini is very shy is usually never awake before 10 or 11. But look at that face.
Teenager #2 Parker. I don't know if Parker is a boy or girl because there is so much hair I can't tell. But, no worries in the South Parker is a boy or girls name. Either way, Parker is the sweetest of them all, but like his brother Gluini he spends a lot of time asleep.
And our newest member Tommy. Tommy is a gerbil. Unlike his cousins he is very friendly, curious and always up for a visit. He is currently Kali's mortal enemy since he loves to touch her on her nose when she gets too close to his cage. For safety sakes, I had to move him higher up before Princess Kali figured out how to eat him.
Just to show you what I mean, here is Kali stalking Tommy. If you can see he is up in his little house in the top right corner.Well, that is everyone for now. I will keep you updated as we take in more. All the ones posted here are not up for adoption. Frankie and Tommy because they were already abandoned and neglected. Lance because I promised his little girl I would keep him and the Teens because they are just so damn adorable, I can't imagine letting them go.
The purity ring is all the rage among teens and young adults today. Apparently if you are a hip young person in the music industry the purity ring is the thing to have. I had to do a little research to see just exactly what a purity ring was and here is what I have discovered.
A purity ring is worn by both boys and girls and it is their vow to remain a virgin until they are married. They are choosing abstinence as their way of life until they are in a marriage. They do not say if the marriage has to be a traditional one between man and woman or if same sex marriages are okay. But since this is a Christian based idea my guess is it has to be a traditional marriage.
My first thought was "What a cool idea" you get kids to vow to remain celibate until they are married and when you are 14 or 15 and have not had sex yet you can easily make this vow. However, if I recall correctly from my teen years once you have sex it is all over from there. My second thought was "How many teens will stay committed to this idea?" Once again I recall my own teen years and my attention span around boys was about as long as a field mouse. Any shiny object caught my attention. Maybe if I had a shiny ring I would have stayed a virgin longer. I doubt it.
Okay so back to me wanting one. Why you ask? That is simple because I am not having sex with anyone and it is an excellent reason to buy a new ring. Like I said before I gave all the jewelry back to #3 so I am seriously lacking in the ring department. I will get a new ring and whenever anyone comments on it, I will tell them "It is a purity ring. It tells the world that I am remaining a virgin until marriage." I can't wait to see the looks of confusion when they realize that not only am I 40 years old, been married 3 times but I also have a kid. Hey, if the religious leaders and politicians can rewrite history, I can rewrite my own life. Right?
So here are my two choices for rings. Tell me which looks more like the ring of a celibate person.
A purity ring is worn by both boys and girls and it is their vow to remain a virgin until they are married. They are choosing abstinence as their way of life until they are in a marriage. They do not say if the marriage has to be a traditional one between man and woman or if same sex marriages are okay. But since this is a Christian based idea my guess is it has to be a traditional marriage.
My first thought was "What a cool idea" you get kids to vow to remain celibate until they are married and when you are 14 or 15 and have not had sex yet you can easily make this vow. However, if I recall correctly from my teen years once you have sex it is all over from there. My second thought was "How many teens will stay committed to this idea?" Once again I recall my own teen years and my attention span around boys was about as long as a field mouse. Any shiny object caught my attention. Maybe if I had a shiny ring I would have stayed a virgin longer. I doubt it.
Okay so back to me wanting one. Why you ask? That is simple because I am not having sex with anyone and it is an excellent reason to buy a new ring. Like I said before I gave all the jewelry back to #3 so I am seriously lacking in the ring department. I will get a new ring and whenever anyone comments on it, I will tell them "It is a purity ring. It tells the world that I am remaining a virgin until marriage." I can't wait to see the looks of confusion when they realize that not only am I 40 years old, been married 3 times but I also have a kid. Hey, if the religious leaders and politicians can rewrite history, I can rewrite my own life. Right?
So here are my two choices for rings. Tell me which looks more like the ring of a celibate person.
In today's Albuquerque Journal there is a column called Earthweek: A Diary of the Planet. It lists events that have happened around the world. They have events for the week ending September 5, 2008 such as: Sunspot Drought, August Gloom, Brazil Penguin Deaths, Mini Tsunamis, Tropical Cyclones, Earthquakes and the one I am going to write about Swiss Animal Rights.
Here is the complete article for your pleasure:
Here is the complete article for your pleasure:
" Strict new laws that went into effect across Switzerland on Sept. 1 have some wondering if legislators have overreached in efforts to safeguard the animal kingdom. It is now illegal to flush live goldfish down the toilet. The law stipulates that they must first be knocked out and killed before being disposed of. Fishermen may no longer practice catch-and-release fishing, and the use of live bait is prohibited. Pets such as parrots and hamsters may no longer be kept by themselves, and livestock such as sheep and goats must have at least “a visual contact with their fellows,” under the new 175- page law. Dog owners are now required to take classes to learn how to keep their pets from biting. Even with regulations saying that pigs have the legal right to shower and freshen up after rolling in mud, the country’s leading animal rights group, STS, says the new law doesn’t go far enough."
As an animal rights activist and someone who hates to see any living creature hurt or mistreated I am very confused by this new ruling. I am just hoping that this was mis-quoted and not correct. Let me break it down so you can see my confusion.
1. ...The law stipulates that they must first be knocked out and killed before being disposed of.
How is this humane and not abuse. They want to kill the fish first before you flush it down the toilet. How exactly do you "knock out" a gold fish? Do you use a mini mallet? Will they now sell "Gold Fish Killing Mallets" at Petco?
2. Fishermen may no longer practice catch-and-release
Okay, this one is not so confusing. I like it better than killing the fish for no reason. But, are they saying that fishermen can now catch the fish and toss them on the shore if they do not want to eat them? What happens if the fish is too small?
3. ...use of live bait is prohibited
This is fine with me since I don't fish and hate the thought of a worm waiting to be eaten while it drowns. And since there are so many lures that seem to work just as well if not better use those or do what my brothers did as kids use bologna or hot dogs.
4. ...parrots and hamsters may no longer be kept by themselves
First off hamsters are solitary creatures (unless they are Dwarf hamsters). Syrian hamsters which are the ones you usually see will kill each other if they are kept together, even if they are from the same litter. They are solitary animals. I don't know about parrots. So I guess the Swiss think it is more humane to let the hamsters kill one another than be alone.
5. ...livestock such as sheep and goats must have at least “a visual contact with their fellows,”
What does this mean? They can be separated as long as they can see each other. How cruel is that? There is their friend but they can't get to them.
AND NOW MY PERSONAL FAVORITE
6. ...pigs have the legal right to shower and freshen up after rolling in mud
The pigs have a legal right! When did pigs get involved in the law making process? How do you know they want to shower and freshen up after their mud bath? Do they tell you? Well, since they are now legal right holders they may be able to talk to. So if your pig tells you that he would like a shower can you just hose him off or do you have take him in the house and let him use the master bathroom for his personal hygiene? What is involved with a pig freshening up? Does he splash on some aftershave and deodorant?
As you can see I am very confused by these new laws. There is no mention in this report about not beating your dog for barking, or not feeding the cat for weeks on end. There is nothing about you have to provide shelter to the animals you are providing with friends and companions. There is no mention about how to maintain the proper health of your clean pig. I am hoping they have another report on the law books that ban those items. But one can not be certain since they seem to be concentrating on the more devious and inhumane treatment of animals first. I get teary eyed thinking that all my hamsters are abused because they live alone in their cages and I did not provide them with a partner to beat the crap out of at night. Luckily, I don't have a goldfish so I do not have to worry about knocking it unconscious before flushing him.
My personal thought is that the Swiss apparently have too much time on their hands because the leading animal rights group, STS, thinks these laws do not go far enough.
If you own a pet or have ever owned a pet you will understand this post better than those who have never had a pet.
I started my Monday off by making funeral arrangements for Ms. Tunie. She is being taken care of by Best Friends here in Albuquerque. Best Friends is a pet crematory owned by French Mortuary. When your animal companion passes on you call Best Friends 24/7 and they will come and pick up your pet or you can take them yourself to the cemetery. Since Tunie was so tiny I took her over myself.
When we were younger and our pets passed away we just buried them in the backyard, in fact my parents literally have a “Pet Cemetery” in their backyard. We buried everything dogs, cats, hamsters, birds, rabbits, chickens, and a flying squirrel. But in today’s society our pets are considered a family member. Especially to me since they are the only living things I have in my house. These are like my furry little children. Burying her in the yard or worse tossing her in the trash just was not an acceptable option. In my opinion she deserved to be honored just as much as any other family member who passed away.
So I got to Best Friends and handed her over in her little basket wrapped up in a little pink blanket. Then the decisions start, luckily there are not many decisions to make. There are 3 options for cremating a pet. 1) Cremating them by themselves. This means that they are the only animal in the crematory at the time. The remains are then returned to you in an urn. 2) Segregated cremation. They are put into their own ceramic bin and cremated with other animals. The remains are kept separate and are then returned to you in an urn. 3) Group cremation. Several animals are cremated at one time, the remains are grouped together, and the mortuary scatters the ashes.
Since I could not see them wasting the energy it would take to cremate her alone I opted for the segregated cremation. Once that is done you then choose the urn. I had already done this over the weekend at my location. I picked a very simple but pretty white marble urn for Tunie. I wanted something that was understated but personal to me. It will take about 2-3 days for everything to be finalized and she will be returned to me.
The funny thing is while you are making these decisions and seeing the cost that is incurred you find yourself saying “Am I really doing this?” “Am I really arranging a funeral for a hamster?” For me the answer was “Yes, I am!” The other thing I found interesting was I watch families make arrangements all the time; I greet them at their worst. I listen to them talk about their loved ones and more times than not I regret that I did not get to meet this person when they were alive. All of this I can handle with peace and decorum. But, when it was my hamster it was totally different. I cried for 2 days straight, even at work. And, if you know me you know I do not cry in front of anyone. So for me to break down in public is just unheard of. But, she was my family, she was in my care and this was the last thing I could do for her. So when I get my little hamster back in her urn I will place her where I can see her everyday. I want to remember what a great soul she was and also remember that she was given to me in order for me to learn how to forgive. Since I was not able to figure it out while she was alive I will continue the lessons.
I do promise not to make everyone attend a memorial service for her. I did think about it for a second or two but decided that was just asking too much of my friends and family. So you can sign with relief now.
I started my Monday off by making funeral arrangements for Ms. Tunie. She is being taken care of by Best Friends here in Albuquerque. Best Friends is a pet crematory owned by French Mortuary. When your animal companion passes on you call Best Friends 24/7 and they will come and pick up your pet or you can take them yourself to the cemetery. Since Tunie was so tiny I took her over myself.
When we were younger and our pets passed away we just buried them in the backyard, in fact my parents literally have a “Pet Cemetery” in their backyard. We buried everything dogs, cats, hamsters, birds, rabbits, chickens, and a flying squirrel. But in today’s society our pets are considered a family member. Especially to me since they are the only living things I have in my house. These are like my furry little children. Burying her in the yard or worse tossing her in the trash just was not an acceptable option. In my opinion she deserved to be honored just as much as any other family member who passed away.
So I got to Best Friends and handed her over in her little basket wrapped up in a little pink blanket. Then the decisions start, luckily there are not many decisions to make. There are 3 options for cremating a pet. 1) Cremating them by themselves. This means that they are the only animal in the crematory at the time. The remains are then returned to you in an urn. 2) Segregated cremation. They are put into their own ceramic bin and cremated with other animals. The remains are kept separate and are then returned to you in an urn. 3) Group cremation. Several animals are cremated at one time, the remains are grouped together, and the mortuary scatters the ashes.
Since I could not see them wasting the energy it would take to cremate her alone I opted for the segregated cremation. Once that is done you then choose the urn. I had already done this over the weekend at my location. I picked a very simple but pretty white marble urn for Tunie. I wanted something that was understated but personal to me. It will take about 2-3 days for everything to be finalized and she will be returned to me.
The funny thing is while you are making these decisions and seeing the cost that is incurred you find yourself saying “Am I really doing this?” “Am I really arranging a funeral for a hamster?” For me the answer was “Yes, I am!” The other thing I found interesting was I watch families make arrangements all the time; I greet them at their worst. I listen to them talk about their loved ones and more times than not I regret that I did not get to meet this person when they were alive. All of this I can handle with peace and decorum. But, when it was my hamster it was totally different. I cried for 2 days straight, even at work. And, if you know me you know I do not cry in front of anyone. So for me to break down in public is just unheard of. But, she was my family, she was in my care and this was the last thing I could do for her. So when I get my little hamster back in her urn I will place her where I can see her everyday. I want to remember what a great soul she was and also remember that she was given to me in order for me to learn how to forgive. Since I was not able to figure it out while she was alive I will continue the lessons.
I do promise not to make everyone attend a memorial service for her. I did think about it for a second or two but decided that was just asking too much of my friends and family. So you can sign with relief now.
I know that I am in the process of grieving for my little Tunie and yes my emotions are running ramped through my body at the moment. I fluctuate between crying and just sheer depression. I was happy to realize that if I could grieve this strongly for something that has been in my life for less than a month that means I am not dead inside after all. But, what am I inside then?
Last night, I took some sleeping pills and a hot bath then went to bed. I had had enough for one day. I went to sleep and had so many weird dreams it was not even funny and woke up today worse than I was yesterday as far as depression goes. I think I need to drive again. Even though in the last 7 days I have driven over 3000 miles, I need to drive and work out my issues.
There are some days that I feel like #3 and I just split up, I feel like it is September 7, 2007 and not 2008. Like no time has passed and no healing has happened. I hate that. I had a dream last night that I ran into him at a restaurant and he was with another woman and they were getting married. She was pretty and cute and nice enough and in the dream I was happy for them. I don't know what happened after that because I was onto another crazy ass dream that made no sense to me, such as my brother Christopher and I were shopping in Bed Bath and Beyond with a pitcher of iced tea and looking for a strainer and Halloween things. Go figure.
But this morning I woke up and was really hurt by this dream. I know deep down it really does not mean anything, other than the fact that he can still get to me. I also know that it was brought on by my current grieving and it makes sense that when you are still grieving the death of something it will mesh with the new grieving.
I just wonder when will the grieving for him and our marriage be over. I don't think about it as often as I use to, I don't think about him as often as I use to, but apparently my subconscious still does and is not finished grieving yet.
I want modern science create a pill that you can take when you break up with someone and completely forget everything about that person and your life together. That would be great. I would absolutely buy it.
Now I am off to drive, I think.
Last night, I took some sleeping pills and a hot bath then went to bed. I had had enough for one day. I went to sleep and had so many weird dreams it was not even funny and woke up today worse than I was yesterday as far as depression goes. I think I need to drive again. Even though in the last 7 days I have driven over 3000 miles, I need to drive and work out my issues.
There are some days that I feel like #3 and I just split up, I feel like it is September 7, 2007 and not 2008. Like no time has passed and no healing has happened. I hate that. I had a dream last night that I ran into him at a restaurant and he was with another woman and they were getting married. She was pretty and cute and nice enough and in the dream I was happy for them. I don't know what happened after that because I was onto another crazy ass dream that made no sense to me, such as my brother Christopher and I were shopping in Bed Bath and Beyond with a pitcher of iced tea and looking for a strainer and Halloween things. Go figure.
But this morning I woke up and was really hurt by this dream. I know deep down it really does not mean anything, other than the fact that he can still get to me. I also know that it was brought on by my current grieving and it makes sense that when you are still grieving the death of something it will mesh with the new grieving.
I just wonder when will the grieving for him and our marriage be over. I don't think about it as often as I use to, I don't think about him as often as I use to, but apparently my subconscious still does and is not finished grieving yet.
I want modern science create a pill that you can take when you break up with someone and completely forget everything about that person and your life together. That would be great. I would absolutely buy it.
Now I am off to drive, I think.
My brave little Tunie passed away this afternoon at 1:25 p.m. She died in my arms where she has been since yesterday evening when I realized she was making the transition from this world to the next.
Even though I have had Tunie only a short time, I grew to love that little critter like no other. She had such a hard little life, and should have never trusted another person again. But she did trust again and because of that she was truly happy at the end. She spent the last 2 months of her life knowing nothing but love and comfort. As she crossed over into Summerland she was lead there with love and comfort.
I am never sure what is on the other side for our pets, I do believe there is a place set aside for them in Summerland and I believe they are cared for and loved even more here than they are here. So I can only believe that Tunie is free in Summerland with all the happiness she could ever dream of.
One of the important parts of living your life with spirit guides is learning to trust them and take their guidance. #3 had a saying "Follow Spirit without Hesitation." I never actually got this saying, because I always argued first then followed their advice. But, once I really started working with them and asking questions and getting answers it was not just easy it became away of life for me. Before, I am even fully conscious in the morning, I am already meditating and talking to them. If I wake up scared in the middle of the night, I call out to them and get the comfort that I need. I check in with them before I do any major adjustments to my life and make any changes. I will either get confirmation that I am doing the right thing or they will explain why I am doing something.
For instance, moving to Wyoming; is it right or wrong for me. They told me that I am looking for something and until I find it I will continue to search. They don’t think my life will finish in Wyoming but being there will not cause any harm and in fact will allow me to learn how to live life a bit more simple than what I am use to. So in essence they are saying moving is okay, but I probably won’t live there the rest of my life.
So when a few years ago they told me to stop playing with ghosts and spirits as a hobby it was not something I took well. I loved ghost hunting and playing with them and I did not want to stop. So what happened was I started to get things to do with spirits that was not playing but helping. In the process I learned how to not attract them to me and how not to notice them everywhere I go. This was a huge thing for me because I would walk into a house, hotel, hospital, building, mall, pretty much anywhere and be bombarded with their energy because they knew I could sense them.
Now when I go into place I rarely know if there is a resident spirit because to be honest I don’t care if there is nor not. If they have something to tell me that I need to know the guides will let me know. If they just want to chit chat because they can, I am not aware of them. Many times people will ask me “Do you see our ghosts” and I now answer “No.” Because I don’t see them, I don’t sense them; I don’t hear them, because I don’t need too.
It is like a doctor or auto mechanic, they go to a party and everyone has a problem they want to talk to them about. They want free advice on how to fix their car or what to take for a cough they have had for 2 weeks. The doctor and mechanic do that every day for hours a day and the last thing they want to do is be hit up in their free time. I am the same way, I work with spirits a lot, more than anyone probably knows, so when I am on vacation I don’t want to play with your spirits or tell you why Grandma is still haunting your house. Worse yet, I don’t want to get out the Ouija board and see if they will talk to me.
I am saying this because this happened to me last week. I don’t want to upset anyone or hurt anyone’s feelings but it really pissed me off. I felt like I was being pestered to acknowledge their ghosts (or spirits as I was told over and over that they were). I have no desire to get to know anyone on the other side unless I need to and if I need to the guides bring them to me and explain everything to me. So as I went to bed that night I was actually worried that these spirits were upset that I refused to acknowledge them so I put up huge shields to protect me from their energy.
Once I left and was on the road I called in the guides to talk to them about it because I was still annoyed. Their advice was that when people live with spirits they come to accept them as family members and that is okay to a point. When the spirits start to feel like a family member this is a problem. Because they are now reattaching themselves to this dimension and this is not where they are suppose to be. They said that there was nothing I needed to know from the spirits that resided in this house. They were there for the people in the house not me. The spirits did not care that I refused to acknowledge them because they did not need me for anything. The people on the other hand were very offended. I tried to tell them that I only work with highly evolved spirits and they told me that these spirits were highly evolved, they were almost Gods. So many warning signals went off it was not funny. First off, a god is not coming to you as a spirit, second a spirit can be anything they want to be, and third a spirit put on a pedestal is a very very bad thing. Just like the living they can get a big ego and just like the living it is never good.
So just so everyone knows I am not going to come to your house and notice if you have a ghost or not. If you are having problems with one that is different, I will give you advice and talk to you about how to live with or without it. But, I am not coming to your house to ghost bust for you.
Now my tirade is over and I can put that behind me.
For instance, moving to Wyoming; is it right or wrong for me. They told me that I am looking for something and until I find it I will continue to search. They don’t think my life will finish in Wyoming but being there will not cause any harm and in fact will allow me to learn how to live life a bit more simple than what I am use to. So in essence they are saying moving is okay, but I probably won’t live there the rest of my life.
So when a few years ago they told me to stop playing with ghosts and spirits as a hobby it was not something I took well. I loved ghost hunting and playing with them and I did not want to stop. So what happened was I started to get things to do with spirits that was not playing but helping. In the process I learned how to not attract them to me and how not to notice them everywhere I go. This was a huge thing for me because I would walk into a house, hotel, hospital, building, mall, pretty much anywhere and be bombarded with their energy because they knew I could sense them.
Now when I go into place I rarely know if there is a resident spirit because to be honest I don’t care if there is nor not. If they have something to tell me that I need to know the guides will let me know. If they just want to chit chat because they can, I am not aware of them. Many times people will ask me “Do you see our ghosts” and I now answer “No.” Because I don’t see them, I don’t sense them; I don’t hear them, because I don’t need too.
It is like a doctor or auto mechanic, they go to a party and everyone has a problem they want to talk to them about. They want free advice on how to fix their car or what to take for a cough they have had for 2 weeks. The doctor and mechanic do that every day for hours a day and the last thing they want to do is be hit up in their free time. I am the same way, I work with spirits a lot, more than anyone probably knows, so when I am on vacation I don’t want to play with your spirits or tell you why Grandma is still haunting your house. Worse yet, I don’t want to get out the Ouija board and see if they will talk to me.
I am saying this because this happened to me last week. I don’t want to upset anyone or hurt anyone’s feelings but it really pissed me off. I felt like I was being pestered to acknowledge their ghosts (or spirits as I was told over and over that they were). I have no desire to get to know anyone on the other side unless I need to and if I need to the guides bring them to me and explain everything to me. So as I went to bed that night I was actually worried that these spirits were upset that I refused to acknowledge them so I put up huge shields to protect me from their energy.
Once I left and was on the road I called in the guides to talk to them about it because I was still annoyed. Their advice was that when people live with spirits they come to accept them as family members and that is okay to a point. When the spirits start to feel like a family member this is a problem. Because they are now reattaching themselves to this dimension and this is not where they are suppose to be. They said that there was nothing I needed to know from the spirits that resided in this house. They were there for the people in the house not me. The spirits did not care that I refused to acknowledge them because they did not need me for anything. The people on the other hand were very offended. I tried to tell them that I only work with highly evolved spirits and they told me that these spirits were highly evolved, they were almost Gods. So many warning signals went off it was not funny. First off, a god is not coming to you as a spirit, second a spirit can be anything they want to be, and third a spirit put on a pedestal is a very very bad thing. Just like the living they can get a big ego and just like the living it is never good.
So just so everyone knows I am not going to come to your house and notice if you have a ghost or not. If you are having problems with one that is different, I will give you advice and talk to you about how to live with or without it. But, I am not coming to your house to ghost bust for you.
Now my tirade is over and I can put that behind me.
My drive home started around 5:30 or so in the morning. I wanted to get on the road just as the sun was coming up so I could take advantage of driving in day light hours. I however, did not take into account the number of deer that are out on the road or wanting to cross the road at dawn. I always thought cows were the stupidest animals, I now know it is actually deer, they can't seem to make up their mind if they want to run in the road or not and when they do make up their mind it is usually the wrong decision. I had to stop several times for the deer but never came close to hitting one. Unfortunately there was a little rabbit who was not fast enough to make it across the road and he became part of the circle of life.
I crossed the border into Colorado at 12:30 p.m. and felt a little closer to home. As I got closer to Denver the traffic started getting bad, then the freeway came to a complete stop. I was getting a little nervous because it was about 95 degrees outside and my little car was starting to heat up. So I made a few phone calls trying to get ahold of someone who could possibly help me find another way around Denver. But, they were not available even though I was assured before I left that I could call on them if I needed anything. So after saying a few choice words to about this person, I dug out my map and figured out my route. I realized that just because someone says "Sure you can call me if you need help" does not actually mean that. I now know it means "Sure you can call me if you need help. I won't answer the phone and actually help you. But feel free to call all you like." Okay, so enough about that, I got around Denver just in time to get caught up in more traffic South of Denver because they suck at driving up there. I left Denver with a new form of hatred for that city. It is just a big pain in the ass.
I went on this trip wanting to figure out the meaning of forgiveness and how one goes about forgiving those who have...how do I say it nicely...screwed you up the butt without a kiss or a thank you. I am sorry to say I did not figure this out. So this means I must not be at a point in my life where I can forgive yet. I know with me it can take years for me to be at a point of forgiveness so I will just let it go until it comes along again.
I learned that people come and go in our lives. They may be the most important person to you at one point but eventually they just become another person in your life. As we grow up our lives, attitudes, needs, wants, etc. change. Therefore, the people who are in are life will change in order to accommodate our growing needs.
I learned that I want to be with my son the rest of my life. If it means relocated to Bombay I will do it. As I left Cody, I felt a longing for something. I just did not know what it was. I still don't. The last time I felt like that was when #3 and I were first dating and I would go visit him or we would meet somewhere, I always left with my heart breaking and not wanting to go home. I had this feeling. I dreaded leaving my son behind again. I wanted to stay so badly, but I knew I needed to get back home and start making plans for a life there. I also knew that I wanted a life where I had no attachments to anyone. Meaning, I want to be somewhere that I do not have memories of anyone else there. A clean break, a clean slate, I want to look at a spot and make a memory there not remember a memory of someone else.
Joshua and I had the conversation about why I really wanted to move up there. I did not know, he said that maybe I was looking for some quiet in my life. That most people who move there have already done everything else and they are just looking for some peace. And that is exactly what it is. I have been working since I was 15 non stop in as fast a pace and I can get and I am tired. I want to live out my life peacefully now, I want to learn how to enjoy the simple things that life has to offer, not the latest mall. I really think I can do that up there. So now I just have to get up there. Have no doubt it will happen when the time is right, I am working on manifesting everything I need and when I put my mind to it I usually get exactly what I need.
I crossed the border into Colorado at 12:30 p.m. and felt a little closer to home. As I got closer to Denver the traffic started getting bad, then the freeway came to a complete stop. I was getting a little nervous because it was about 95 degrees outside and my little car was starting to heat up. So I made a few phone calls trying to get ahold of someone who could possibly help me find another way around Denver. But, they were not available even though I was assured before I left that I could call on them if I needed anything. So after saying a few choice words to about this person, I dug out my map and figured out my route. I realized that just because someone says "Sure you can call me if you need help" does not actually mean that. I now know it means "Sure you can call me if you need help. I won't answer the phone and actually help you. But feel free to call all you like." Okay, so enough about that, I got around Denver just in time to get caught up in more traffic South of Denver because they suck at driving up there. I left Denver with a new form of hatred for that city. It is just a big pain in the ass.
I went on this trip wanting to figure out the meaning of forgiveness and how one goes about forgiving those who have...how do I say it nicely...screwed you up the butt without a kiss or a thank you. I am sorry to say I did not figure this out. So this means I must not be at a point in my life where I can forgive yet. I know with me it can take years for me to be at a point of forgiveness so I will just let it go until it comes along again.
I learned that people come and go in our lives. They may be the most important person to you at one point but eventually they just become another person in your life. As we grow up our lives, attitudes, needs, wants, etc. change. Therefore, the people who are in are life will change in order to accommodate our growing needs.
I learned that I want to be with my son the rest of my life. If it means relocated to Bombay I will do it. As I left Cody, I felt a longing for something. I just did not know what it was. I still don't. The last time I felt like that was when #3 and I were first dating and I would go visit him or we would meet somewhere, I always left with my heart breaking and not wanting to go home. I had this feeling. I dreaded leaving my son behind again. I wanted to stay so badly, but I knew I needed to get back home and start making plans for a life there. I also knew that I wanted a life where I had no attachments to anyone. Meaning, I want to be somewhere that I do not have memories of anyone else there. A clean break, a clean slate, I want to look at a spot and make a memory there not remember a memory of someone else.
Joshua and I had the conversation about why I really wanted to move up there. I did not know, he said that maybe I was looking for some quiet in my life. That most people who move there have already done everything else and they are just looking for some peace. And that is exactly what it is. I have been working since I was 15 non stop in as fast a pace and I can get and I am tired. I want to live out my life peacefully now, I want to learn how to enjoy the simple things that life has to offer, not the latest mall. I really think I can do that up there. So now I just have to get up there. Have no doubt it will happen when the time is right, I am working on manifesting everything I need and when I put my mind to it I usually get exactly what I need.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
This was my final day in Wyoming so Joshua decided to take me East of Powell to Lovell, Wyoming. Lovell is a nothing little town known for the Wild Horse Preserve they have. So we looked it up on the Internet and headed out on Saturday morning. This time we decided to take Tau and Kali with us since they spent the entire previous day alone. It was a great idea to us but no so much to them.
First off Joshua took me by the farm where he works and showed me the fields as we drove past. We then went to the Pryor Mountain Wild Mustang Center in Lovell and talked to a wonderful lady who told us all about the horses and their history, showed us pictures of them and told us about the new foals that were added to the herd. She gave us a map and some paperwork and sent us on our adventure.
The drive takes you through the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area. The area is very mountainous with a massive river running through the East edge. According to the center you should be able to see the horses anywhere in this area. We drove up into Montana until the road ended and never saw the horses. But there is about a zillion places for them to hide, we did see several Bighorn Sheep climbing up a hill when we stopped to take a picture Kali felt brave enough to bark at them to let them know she was in the area and was the Queen of Everything. The sheep did not look impressed, they looked more annoyed and just continued to climb.
We did stop at the suggested overlook and it was just breath taking, it was Wyoming's version of the Grand Canyon, only free. The river was amazing so we drove down to it just to look.
After this we took the kids back home and Joshua and I headed into Cody to buy some groceries for his birthday dinner. He will be 21 on September 11th so he invited his girlfriend over and we cooked chicken and steaks. It was really nice. On the drive into Cody, I kept seeing a sign for sweet corn. You could go into the fields and pick your own corn. This was a must on my list of things to do. I have never picked corn before so I really wanted to do this. So we stopped and it cost $3 for a dozen ears of corn, they gave us directions to the field and told us to have fun.
In case you have never experienced a corn field, it is weird. It is like going to get a Christmas tree you get lost in the rows of corn stalks. I did have to ask if there were any blond haired blue eyed spooky kids that were going to come out of the corn but Joshua assured me he had never heard of this happening. So off I went to pick my corn. I am not sure what I was expecting but it was dirty and the corn had bugs on it. I know this is not store corn that has been washed and cleaned and picked free of insects but gross. Either way, I got my 12 ears of corn and we headed into town.
We got our groceries cooked out dinner and Josh and his girlfriend hung out on the sofa while Tau and Kali and I walked into the center of town to see what was happening. There was nothing happening, everything except the bars and movie theatre were closed. Oh well, we headed back to take a bath and go to bed so I could make the long drive home the next day.
Up Next:
The Long Drive Home and What I Learned
As I said before I had an appointment in Cody at 11am. It was actually a pre job interview with a group called Forward Cody. Forward Cody Wyoming, Inc. is a non-profit economic development corporation. It was created by local a leadership group in an effort to create better paying jobs, etc. I got that off their website so that you would know what they were. Anyway, I had a nice meeting with them, they were actually a lot of fun to talk to. This meeting was simply the first step to their hiring process. Whether or not I ever hear from them again is unknown at this point.
While getting dressed for my meeting, I was trying to keep in mind that this was Wyoming and not Houston or even Albuquerque. They are more laid back than we are, so I decided to wear a more casual outfit consisting of a cute black/white cotton skirt with a pleated black top, to keep it simple I decided to go without stockings, shocking I know. But, I was looking for a more casual corporate look. When it comes to shoes I do not worry about the environment I wore my open toed black 3 inch spiked heel shoes. They look great with this outfit even without stockings. Apparently not many women in Cody Wyoming wear these kinds of heels because they just looked at them until finally one asked how in the world I walked in them. I must have given her a look of "What the hell are you talking about" because she immediately apologized and then I realized she was talking about my shoes. "That's easy" I told her "I am from the South, instead of walking shoes little baby girls get their first set of heels." I think she thought I was joking.
After my meeting Joshua and I headed to Yellowstone National Park. It is about 50 miles west of Cody. It is a really beautiful drive, we got there about 1 or 1:30 and went through the East Entrance, it costs $25 a car to get in, a bit pricey but much more worth it than the Grand Canyon. Josh drove so I was free to look around, my main goal was to see Elk. I have this thing with wanting to see Elk in the wild. In my years of living in New Mexico I have only see Elk in the wild once and that was in Arizona when we went to the Grand Canyon.
We decided to take the main loop around the entire park this is a very long drive. It took us about 5-6 hours of driving and stopping here and there to look around. There is a gigantic lake in the middle of the park called, Yellowstone Lake. The lake is 136 square miles with 110 miles of shoreline. It's deepest depth is almost 400 feet and it never gets above 60 degrees. There are rivers, creeks, streams and smaller lakes in the park and they recommend you not swim in any of them because the water is so cold. Any body of water that is feed by the hot springs is completely off limits for swimming or fishing.
The main thing I was surprised by was the lack of wildlife. Don't get me wrong, there were about a million Bison or Buffalo roaming around, actually there are about 4,000 Bison in Yellowstone at this time. But, we did not see any Elk, Mountain Lions (I think I am okay with this one), Bighorn Sheep, etc. We did see a mother Black Bear and 2 cubs, but they were off the road and being chased by people, I would have loved to see her take out a few tourists. Joshua saw a coyote or two, but that was about it for animals.
We stopped at some of the geothermal areas where they have the hot springs and geysers. We only saw Old Faithful actually erupt they rest just sort of blew smoke and steam. But they were pretty none the less. The one thing that was purely evident around the park was the remains of the Great Fire of 1988 which burned 36% of the parks acreage or about 793,00 acres. In between all of the burned out and dead trees are new trees, shrubs and plant life. There is a small wildfire burning outside of the park that when we went by in the late morning it was just smoke but by late evening their were several smaller fires burning. I learned that wildfires are not like a city fire, they are happening for a reason it is Mother Natures way of taking care of things. And some plants and trees require intense heat in order to open their cones for the seeds to fall out. As city folk we see fire as bad but the country folk see it as a way of life and part of living in the wilderness.
We finished up our trip by stopping to see Old Faithful, it was nice but I was tired. So we waited for it to erupt and then headed home.
Here is a map of our travel path and where the sights were located.
If you have not had a chance stop by and see the photos at
Next Up:
Day Four...Wild Horses
Day Four...Wild Horses
Thursday, August 29, 2008
Thursday started out early I left Denver at 7am and started my drive North. I was not exactly aware of how long of a drive it was but it was long. I realized early on that the drive was going to be very boring, but luckily there was radio. Unfortunately all that was on the radio was country lots and lots of country music stations.
Tau and Kali were a little better on this leg of the journey, we stopped often for them to get out and walk. Kali had her backseat decked out with lots of pillows and blankets, Tau had his spot set up however, he was very restless on the trip up and I realized that he likes to be swaddled when he is nervous. But he made it through.
Once we hit the Wyoming border the scenery became desolate and bare. No animals, no trees just open prairie. I did decide early on that when they say something is 30 miles it feels like 300 because there is nothing there. There are no little towns to drive through nothing.
Our first stop was in Wind River Canyon (http://www.wyomingtourism.org/cms/d/Wind_River_Canyon_Scenic_Byway.php),
this was the one thing I remember from my last trip up there was this beautiful drive along a river with mountains towering above you. It was just as beautiful as I remember. Just before Wind River Canyon is a huge lake, Boysen Reservoir, with lots of boating and camping all around. But, I love the drive through Wind River Canyon. Once through the canyon you are in Thermopolis which is known for its Hot Springs and the dinosaurs that have been found in the area. All I remember from Thermop is staying in a Holiday Inn that was a safari themed hotel with lots of dead animals in the lobby. It was just freaky and wrong and therefore has ruined the city for me.
Thermop is about a million miles (or so it seemed) from Joshua, but I continued on. Cody was my next big town to come to. It is truly a western town and so adorable, I fell in love immediately. The people there are just so wonderful and nice, the vibration you get from the city is just so welcoming. But, I could not stay long Josh was only 30 miles away.
Joshua lives in Powell Wyoming which is home to some 5000 people. It's mainly known for the Northwest College and lots of farms. They grow barley for Anheuser-Busch which is currently being harvested, they also grow sugar beets, sweet corn and beans. Joshua works on a farm (god help me) and is extremely knowledgeable about farms and their products. He can see a field and tell you what is growing and whether is it being watered properly or not. Hell, I can't identify most produce in the store much less while it is still in the ground.
Joshua has a very cute little house that the dogs immediately fell in love with. Unfortunately this house does not have air conditioning. Yes, it may be cool outside but not inside, so after dinner, we immediately went back to Cody and hit Wal-mart and bought fans. That made it more bearable. Once back home, I was exhausted and ready for bed. I had a meeting in Cody at 11am the next day so we hit the hay.
My first day in Wyoming was turning out to be pretty good. I had not had one panic attack being outside of the city. But, then I realized that I was not away from the city I was simply in a smaller one than what I was use too.
Next up:
Day Three...Cody & Yellowstone National Park
Thursday started out early I left Denver at 7am and started my drive North. I was not exactly aware of how long of a drive it was but it was long. I realized early on that the drive was going to be very boring, but luckily there was radio. Unfortunately all that was on the radio was country lots and lots of country music stations.
Tau and Kali were a little better on this leg of the journey, we stopped often for them to get out and walk. Kali had her backseat decked out with lots of pillows and blankets, Tau had his spot set up however, he was very restless on the trip up and I realized that he likes to be swaddled when he is nervous. But he made it through.
Once we hit the Wyoming border the scenery became desolate and bare. No animals, no trees just open prairie. I did decide early on that when they say something is 30 miles it feels like 300 because there is nothing there. There are no little towns to drive through nothing.
Our first stop was in Wind River Canyon (http://www.wyomingtourism.org/cms/d/Wind_River_Canyon_Scenic_Byway.php),
this was the one thing I remember from my last trip up there was this beautiful drive along a river with mountains towering above you. It was just as beautiful as I remember. Just before Wind River Canyon is a huge lake, Boysen Reservoir, with lots of boating and camping all around. But, I love the drive through Wind River Canyon. Once through the canyon you are in Thermopolis which is known for its Hot Springs and the dinosaurs that have been found in the area. All I remember from Thermop is staying in a Holiday Inn that was a safari themed hotel with lots of dead animals in the lobby. It was just freaky and wrong and therefore has ruined the city for me.
Thermop is about a million miles (or so it seemed) from Joshua, but I continued on. Cody was my next big town to come to. It is truly a western town and so adorable, I fell in love immediately. The people there are just so wonderful and nice, the vibration you get from the city is just so welcoming. But, I could not stay long Josh was only 30 miles away.
Joshua lives in Powell Wyoming which is home to some 5000 people. It's mainly known for the Northwest College and lots of farms. They grow barley for Anheuser-Busch which is currently being harvested, they also grow sugar beets, sweet corn and beans. Joshua works on a farm (god help me) and is extremely knowledgeable about farms and their products. He can see a field and tell you what is growing and whether is it being watered properly or not. Hell, I can't identify most produce in the store much less while it is still in the ground.
Joshua has a very cute little house that the dogs immediately fell in love with. Unfortunately this house does not have air conditioning. Yes, it may be cool outside but not inside, so after dinner, we immediately went back to Cody and hit Wal-mart and bought fans. That made it more bearable. Once back home, I was exhausted and ready for bed. I had a meeting in Cody at 11am the next day so we hit the hay.
My first day in Wyoming was turning out to be pretty good. I had not had one panic attack being outside of the city. But, then I realized that I was not away from the city I was simply in a smaller one than what I was use too.
Next up:
Day Three...Cody & Yellowstone National Park
You can go to the link below and see photos from the Wyoming trip. I will post more about the trip in the next few days.
http://picasaweb.google.com/cynthiacribbs
http://picasaweb.google.com/cynthiacribbs
Wednesday; August 27, 2008
Day One, Wednesday August 27, 2008
Day One of my trip to Wyoming started out as it usually does I went to work. Unfortunately, I had some presentations that needed to be completed before I was free to hit the road. I finished my projects and headed to Denver around 1:30 or 2:00. The weather was great and we were happy; well at least I was Tau and Kali were their usual selves. I decided to leave Ms. Tunie home with our new sitter Britteny because I was afraid the trip would be too much for the old gal.
My goal for the first part of the trip to was stay with Cheryl in Denver, so I had my directions and I was fine until it got dark. Let me just tell you she lives outside of Denver in Evergreen; which is in the mountains and it was dark. For those of you who have never traveled with me at night, when I get nervous and scared (because I am blind as a naked mole rat at night) I do one of two things, listen to Barry Manilow or Christmas music. For this night it was Barry all the way. I finally found her house around 10 or so and let me just tell you it was amazing. The home is beautiful with a HUGE deck that looks out over the mountains. My first words upon awakening on Thursday and I opened the door to let the dogs out was “Holy Mother of God” the view was beyond breath taking, it was indescribable how beautiful it was. My next words, “Holy shit it’s freaking cold.”
Another big part of being in Denver was the Democratic National Convention and Cheryl and her friends are organizers or their district so there was Obama stuff everywhere. But that was not it, the feeling and vibration of the energy in Denver was just amazing. Thousands of people were there to support “hopefully” the next President of the United States. I listened to the radio and heard the speeches from everyone (except Obama) and was moved. The passion that these people had and finding out that he was accepting the nomination on the 45 anniversary of Martin Luther Kings “I Have a Dream” speech, just added to the excitement.
I know there are women out there who really wanted Hilary for President but I am one of those women who did not. There is something about her I just do not like, I am not sure if it is her lack of comment when Bill Clinton was screwing the intern and got caught or the fact that she comes off as a cold person. I don’t know but I would have never voted for her. As for McCain picking a woman as a running mate I think that is all for show, he saw the response Hilary got and thinks he can lure those supports to his campaign by having a woman on the ticket. It may work, but I don’t think so.
My one personal goal for this trip was to try and find out how you go about forgiving someone. I think this is why Tunie was brought into my life, if she can forgive and trust after going through what she has then so can I.
Next up Day Two…The Drive Continues.
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