Pillars

I've always been blessed with a few really great friends who form the pillars of my support network. I don't consider myself as social, out-going, popular, or extroverted. I am naturally an introverted, quiet, reflective type of person. I prefer smaller groups so that I can have deeper, meaningful conversations vs. more polite pleasantry types of conversations with a large group. I don't have a million friends, but the ones I have, I hold dear and value highly. There may be months or even years that go by in which we each get busy and heads-down living our own lives, and then I will think of a memory or a trip we took, a place we ate, or something we did together. We can email or pick up the phone and the time between conversations melt away.

Even with the West being a more desolate place as far as making friends go, I know there are people thinking of me in other parts of the country, wishing me well. I treasure all of those friends (in the Midwest, South, in the East, and even a couple here in the West) like family, and am thankful to have them. They get me through the rough times, and they make the good times great. It is invaluable to have these pillars who support me. Through it all.

It Takes Blood, Sweat, And Tears

Keep your sweat and save your tears, but seriously think about giving me your blood.  Well, not to me literally.  With all the horrific tornadoes in the Midwest, there's a need for blood.  YOUR blood.  You may not think there is much you can do, but there is something huge you can do. Your single pint of blood can save up to 3 lives.

It makes me sad that only one in 20 people give regularly.  There is no substitute for blood when it is needed.  Saline just doesn't cut it.  So think about donating.  If you don't know where your local blood donation center is shame on you go find it.  It is worth the effort because so many people are in need.

Why give? Think of it as paying it forward.  Some day you may need it.  Or perhaps karma truly exists.  I have a theory which is somewhat of a preventative measure.  I believe that if I give blood, karma will protect my loved ones from needing it. I know this is completely illogical and irrational.  But hey, you don't have to agree with my theory to donate.  Come up with your own reason, and donate!!!

Home Is Where You Hang Your Hat

I feel like we have been searching for "home" for a long time now. We grew out of our house in KS. I miss a LOT of things about our first home, but we needed more space. That house *always* felt like home.

In NV, in our nicer, newer, bigger, better house, it has been my dream home. The kind of house I always wanted to spend my retirement enjoying. It's always felt a bit... maybe temporary is the word for which I am searching. I've loved it, and for me it has felt more like home than I believe it has for Todd. Maybe it's because we aren't crazy about our area. Hell let's face it, we hate our HOA, endure the lot of complete weeds up the hill because the homeowner is psycho, miserably tolerate some of the barking dogs in the area on a daily basis, and I have waged full out war on one dog owner family because they are completely irresponsible furry-lawn-ornament owners in denial about their issue. Hey, they started the war as soon as they left their little terror outside to bark it's head off all weekend and I could hear the little shit when I was INSIDE my own house, with ALL windows and doors shut, even when I was in the most remote corner of my house. Ahhh, but I digress. That shall be a blog for another day. Oh, and we hate our HOA because it's a bunch of old people trying to turn the neighborhood into a literal retirement community, complete with a neighborhood Christmas party, summer picnic, 2+ week European cruise, bunco nights, poker nights, scrapbooking club, bla, bla, bla. All that and my quarterly funds go towards the "courtesy violation" letters they so graciously send for a mouse farting on my front lawn. They can seriously bite me. I guess you know a few of my hot buttons now.

Anyway, our house hasn't felt like home for me in probably a year. That may have something to do with the fact that I lost my job almost a year ago and my life turned upside down and inside out. You think?

As long as I am with my hubby and have my pups, that provides for me a feeling of contentment. A sense of home. Maybe that's why I LOVE camping so much. It's like setting up a temporary little home out in the middle of solitude. Which is really where we should be. I think we are still searching for our spot called home.

ADDENDUM: Upon reflection, I have to admit that we may not know exactly what house is home, but I am damn sure I know where home is.

Today

HAPPY Birthday, Tricia!

I am really looking forward to lunch out today with Tricia, it's been WAY too long since I've seen her.  And she lives just down the street!  I wish the very best birthday to my best NV buddy, Tricia.  I hope today is full of fun things for everyone.  It might just be good vibes coming from her birthday.

Why do I not have any pictures?!?!  We shall have to remedy that issue, pronto.

Sort Of Diggin' It, Only Sort Of

Ever since we moved to NV, each year in May we drive to Dixon, CA to attend the Pin-A-Go-Go (PAGG) pinball festival. Most years I really get into it. The show I *really* enjoy is in Marin county, San Francisco in October where they have HUNDREDS of drop-dead gorgeous older and fully restored machines that I will gladly spend 2.5 days playing. I'm talking from the 1950's on up with wood rails (actually some much older than that, but the 50s start the era of Gottliebs I really enjoy). But PAGG is a much smaller show and it has lost it's luster for me. I wasn't here but for just an hour and I wanted to find a place to sit and play on my phone because there weren't that many exciting games here. Yes, I am a spoiled rotten little pinball mama with all the nice super fun games sitting in my own house. I believe pinball machines are what a formal dining room and formal living room were MEANT to be used for. (I only need ONE table, for crying out loud we are only two people and we don't use it to eat at half the time anyway.)

We are here the majority of the day tomorrow too and I'm just not digging it like I used to. I hope I am more in the mood to stand on hard concrete and play games tomorrow. Cause I don't really have a choice. The bad part is that the crowd will be horrendous tomorrow and right now I could get on any machine I want by just waiting a few minutes. Tomorrow my patience will be tested. I don't think I will be wanting to attend PAGG in the future. It would help if I had Mitch here to show me a new game I've never played before and teach me the strategy. I'm sure there is a gem in here, if only I could find it.

After I posted this, I had to make an edit. I DID just have a blast kickin' TWO mens' booties on Joker Poker.

An Ode To My Dear Old Friend, Shelly

I once found a dear friend named Shelly,

who has always had a tiny, flat belly*.

She talked me into riding the SCARIEST roller coaster,

and once she gave to me the rockin’-est NASCAR toaster**.

What a dear friend she will always be, she who loves DMB,

and created the insatiable beader that is me.

Ahhh, she is a hip looking 40-year-old with a very sassy wit,

she is family to me, and she even taught me to knit!

Happy 40^th birthday kiddo, love ya!

*except when she was preggers, man was she huuuuge.

**Ok, it was NOT a toaster, it was a crock pot, but hey, the crock pot can "toast" meat!

Where We Were On 9/11

Todd and I were in Columbia, South Carolina.  I had a user group conference which I was attending that week, and since our anniversary was a few days before that, we decided to go early for a nice weekend, then he'd fly back while I stayed for the rest of my conference.  Todd was supposed to fly back to KC on 9/11.  I was going to go take him on my lunch break to the airport.  I remember the big auditorium and exactly where I was sitting at the conference when we were told what had happened.  They brought the news up on the big screen TVs in the auditorium.  I remember calling Todd and we spoke about him not going ANYWHERE on an airplane.  Not sure if the flights had been grounded at that specific point in time.  It was a surreal week, being away from home.

We had a nice, newer rental car.  The rental car company came and switched cars with us because they did not want all the miles put on the new car, since it was going to be our ticket home.  I left the conference early and we drove cross country to get back to KC.  I remember my company was so supportive--I was the only one from my company attending the conference and they said to do whatever it took to get us both back home safe.  Thank God Todd was there with me.  It was a very solemn drive across the country listening to the news the entire way.  At all of the hotels and restaurants we stopped, everyone was so nice.  I remember the sense of loss and sadness and everyone just wanting to help each other out because there was nothing else you could do.  I remember being so mentally spaced out that I made a reservation at a hotel where we estimated we would end up at the end of the day's drive, and we ended up trying to check in at the wrong hotel chain, not just the wrong location.  Everyone was very accommodating about making reservations and cancellations.  There were a lot of people stranded everywhere with few options to get home or wherever they needed to go.  I also remember feeling the southern hospitality most of the trip.  Well, I think it was alive until we hit the border of Illinois.

Now seems to be a good time to ask, where were you on 9/11?