Living, and Life, on Route 66

Today was a busy day

2011-11-11T18:09:00.000-08:00

For not having to work today, it was a rather busy day. Got up, worked on some writing and some crafts. Getting ready for the craft show next weekend. This afternoon, I headed over to where my husband works, as I volunteered to help them decorate for the holidays. On the way over, I stopped at a friend's house because I had her key and wanted to make sure she got it back. Wound up staying over there about an hour, chatting with her and another friend.

I spent the next couple of hours at Ben's work, untangling lights. That's all I got done today. Actually, it was one of those animated light sets with Santa and two reindeer, but it was still a tangled mess.

When we left there, Ben and I went to Chili's for dinner. Friday is normally our game night, but the neighbors had to go to Phoenix for a doctor's appointment. We didn't think they'd be back in time. But while we were eating, my cell phone rang. It was the neighbors, seeing if we were coming over. So, we came home and now I'm waiting for Ben to get cleaned up, and then we are heading next door for a bit. So...

Until next time, B

Thursday

2011-11-10T20:27:00.000-08:00

Today was quite a day. Work was ok, until a breaker or something blew and my computer went off - and I lost the project I was working on. Oh well. It can be recreated.

My cousin got married today! I wish I'd been able to go. She so deserves to be happy, and I know she is with Mark. I've seen pictures; it was a beautiful ceremony. She looked so beautiful and they both look so happy together. Best wishes and congratulations to Dawnie and Mark. Love you both!

Prayers please for my brother's wife's brother and family. Also, prayers for my co-worker's brother-in-law & family, and prayers for my neighbor. All are in the hospital for various reasons and need your prayers.

Thanks.

Until next time, B

Parrots wearing clothes

2011-11-09T22:16:00.001-08:00

I had another weird dream last night. Ben and I were living someplace where we had no furniture except a tv. We were sleeping in a pile of blankets on the floor. We were sitting on our floor-bed watching tv.Whitley was with us. Ben had opened the window and a red parrot flew in.

Ben and Whit were playing with him. Ben said something like "we do this all the time" like he and Whit always played with this parrot. I asked who the parrot belonged to and Ben said he thought it was a wild parrot. I said it had to belong to someone because it was wearing clothes. Ben gave me a look like "well duh" as if it was normal for parrots to wear clothes.

For the record, the parrot was wearing a little pair of jeans and a baseball shirt.

Licked to death

2011-11-08T20:33:00.000-08:00

Why is it that the minute I get in bed, my dog feels like he has to give me a bath? Face, arms, hands...sometimes feet and legs. He'll hold my hands and arms down so that he can lick fingers to elbows. He doesn't lick me any other time, except for the occasional kiss, but bedtime is lick time.

It sure smells good in here

2011-11-07T15:46:00.000-08:00

Before I went to work this morning, I put some pork ribs in the crock pot with some barbeque sauce. They've been cooking all day. I got home a little while ago and boy, does it smell good in here. Ben will be home soon, and we'll eat after he cleans up. I need to fix something to go with the ribs though. I'm thinking either stuffing or fried potatoes. I'll ask Ben what he'd prefer when he gets home. Ten to one he chooses stuffing. Which is ok with me.

Until next time, B

Lazy Sunday

2011-11-06T16:26:00.000-08:00

Today has been kind of a lazy day.

Ben and I went to breakfast with Fred, my father-in-law, like we do every Sunday. We went to the Kingman Steak House. The food was good, but the service was pretty lackluster. Our server mixed up our egg orders, I had to ask for butter and syrup for my french toast, and we had to ask twice for cream for the coffee.

After we got back, Ben cut up the tree that the wind had blown over on Friday. I did some writing and some crafting. We watched the race (Congrats to Tony Stewart). Now we're warming up some leftovers for dinner.

Later, I'll watch the Amazing Race before bed.

I know. Exciting.

Until next time, B

At least he won't get belly button lint

2011-11-05T20:08:00.000-07:00

Ben and I were just getting back from seeing a movie ("Tower Heist") this afternoon. We saw our neighbor out walking her dog and stopped to talk to her. Fletcher, her Shih Tzu, had on a very colorful sweater, which I commented on. That made me think of Whitley's sweater, so I dug it out when we got home. It had been washed at the end of last season, and was "pilly" as sweaters will get. I commented to Ben that I needed to get the fuzz off before I put it on Whitley. I went into the bathroom to get a razor to shave off the fuzz. As I'm walking down the hall to the bathroom, Ben said "Dogs don't have navels". I stared at him a minute, wondering where that had come from. He then said "at least he won't get belly button lint from the sweater".

Yep, I still love him.

Until next time, B

Ding Dong the Tree is Dead

2011-11-04T16:36:00.000-07:00

It's another windy day in Kingman. I didn't realize how windy until I looked out my front window. My dog had been scratching at the front door and looking out the front window off and on all morning. When we let him outside, we never let him out the front door, so I know he wasn't asking to go out. I figured there must be something out there that was bothering him.

So, I opened the front door, didn't see anything unusual, and closed the door. He was still pawing at the door and window. I parted the blinds, looked out, and still didn't see anything unusual. I turned around to sit back down on the sofa when it hit me. The tree! Instead of standing in the middle of the yard, it's now lying on its side.

The wind has been quite strong, but I didn't think it was strong enough to uproot the tree. It wasn't a big tree by any means, and hadn't leafed out this year (it had started, but an unusual frost killed it), but still. We're trying to decide if we need to tell the rental company. I'll probably replace it with something in the spring. Or not.

Until next time, B

2011-11-03T21:19:00.000-07:00

ARGHHHH! Ok, I feel better now. I am ready to throw my !#$%#!%$ laptop out the window. I have been trying to post since about 10:00 this morning. I had to quit after 4 hours because I had to get ready to go to work.

The laptop would either run extremely slow, freeze, or shut off completely. I think I rebooted a dozen times before I had to stop. Buying a new one unfortunately is not in the budget right now, so I guess I'm going to have to put up with this one for a while.

Since I've forgotten entirely what I planned to post today, this will have to do.

Until next time, B

It's a blustery day in the neighborhood

2011-11-02T12:38:00.000-07:00

We may have an abundance of sunny days (average 350 a year) and an abundance of warm (hot!) days, but we also have our share of windy days here in Kingman. Extremely windy days. Today is one of those days. It's sunny to be sure, average temp - the thermometer reads 53 currently, but damn windy. I've been chasing items across my yard all day - trash can, trash, lawn chairs, swimming pool.

Yep, I said swimming pool. I'm sitting in my front room, firing up the computer and drinking a cup of coffee when I hear this noise - a loud noise. I had no idea what it was, but it got the dog barking and growling. So, I roam through the house and look out the side door. I see a pool toy lying by the side of the house. I steeled myself and went outside to grab it an put it in the garage. Then I head back inside and go into the bedroom. There, I look out the sliding door to the backyard and see our pool, on its side, hanging from our patio roof. The wind had picked up the pool, tipped it on its side and blown it against the house. Luckily the pool was empty. It's a 12 X 12 above ground pool, and with the wind pressing against it, that sucker was heavy.

I knew my husband was close by on a delivery, so I gave him a quick call to see if he could swing by the house and help me dismantle the pool. So, there we are, fighting the wind, trying to get the thing apart. It caught on the corner of the patio roof and there's a nice tear in the vinyl. Not sure if it can be repaired, so the pool may be toast. That's ok though. We got it for free earlier this summer, so it's not a big deal if it can't be fixed.

I'm now sitting here watching tumbleweeds blow down the street. It's going to be fun driving to work later I think.

Until next time, B

NaNoWriMo? No. NaPloBoMo? Yes!

2011-11-01T09:52:00.000-07:00

It's November. For some writers, that means NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). I've done NaNoWriMo for the last 3 years, but I decided not to try this year. I haven't been too successful at it. So this year, instead of NaNoWriMo, I'm doing NaBloPoMo. It's National Blog Posting Month. The purpose of NaBloPoMo is to post to your blog every day, for the sake of posting. NaBloPoMo actually happens every month, with a theme, but for November, you can blog about whatever you want, as long as you post every day. NaBloPoMo is providing writing prompts daily to help out. And, there are prizes.

I should be able to succeed at this, especially since I'm working afternoons now and have my mornings free. I have both this blog and my Writing In The Sand writing blog registered. I hope you'll visit both blogs.

Wish me luck!

Until next time, B

Aack! I've been hacked!

2011-10-25T13:53:00.000-07:00

Sigh. I've been hacked. Both my wordpress blog and one of my email accounts it seems. I've changed the password for both accounts. The hacking of the email has stopped, but somehow the blog is still at risk. It's been attacked three times in as many weeks, even though I've changed passwords three times.

I've got that blog, Writing in the Sand, set to automatically feed to Facebook and Twitter, so my friends and followers have been getting bombarded with "enlarge your *junk*" and "see results in X weeks" emails, posts and status updates. For this I am sorry. I have, or will be, deleting all of these posts from my blog, status updates and feeds.

Since the hacking hasn't stopped, I will most likely be moving that blog from wordpress. It's the only blog I have there currently. I'll move it here to Blogger, although that will take a while as it's a complicated blog, with many posts and features. It highlights my writing, with lots of links and pages.

It'll be a process, but look for a new blog from me in the next few weeks.

Until next time, B

Quidditch anyone?

2011-07-16T13:54:00.001-07:00

We were at some random restaurant here in town the other day, and they had their TV tuned to sports....Lacrosse to be exact. Now, lacrosse isn't exactly a sport you see on TV everyday. I don't anyway, although there is probably a lacrosse channel out there somewhere.

Anyway, beings as it wasn't a readily recognizable sport, my husband says "What are they playing? Quidditch?" I was so proud...I've successfully turned him into a Harry Potter geek! Bwahahahahaha!

And yes, we will be going to see Deathly Hallows p2 this weekend. Can't wait!

Spam? A Lot!

2011-05-31T20:18:00.000-07:00

I finally had to delete one of my blogs here on Blogger. In the last three months, I had over 300 comments that were spam, yet had not been caught by Blogger's spam filter. I was getting tired of the emails telling me that I had a comment to approve, only to discover that it was yet another spam message. Every message said basically the same thing - great blog, blah blah blah - in very broken English. They were sent from three or four accounts. I'd get several messages on one day, then nothing for days, even weeks, before they started again. Funny thing is that some of them were caught by the spam filter, but the majority were not. Major fail for the spam filter.

Anyway, I deleted the blog. Hopefully that stops the spam. I'd planned on deleting the blog anyway since I hadn't posted there for a while. I was hanging on to it thinking I'd start posting to it again. But, the spam got the better of me.

Until next time, B

Camping was a bust

2011-05-29T23:06:00.000-07:00

We tried to go camping this weekend but it was a bust.

We left home yesterday morning and headed to Temple Bar on Lake Mead. Temple Bar is part of the Lake Mead Recreational Area.

The campground was great, and we really wanted to spend a nice weekend camping. But, the wind would not cooperate. It was slightly windy when we got there, but not bad. We set up camp, and did a little exploring of the area. Whitley even got to walk in Lake Mead.

However, the wind continued to blow, and got stronger as the day wore on. It was blowing at a rate of 25-30 mph, with gusts of around 40 mph. The tent withheld pretty well, until a couple of gusts hit just right and snapped two poles. Ben did a little repair, but we were afraid they wouldn't withstand the gusts. After watching a couple other campers give up and break camp, we decided that it would probably be best if we did as well. We wound up driving home last night. Luckily Temple Bar was only about an hour and a half drive from where we live. By the time we got home, we were all exhausted from the wind, and we were hungry. The wind was blowing so hard at the campground that we weren't able to start a fire to cook. Ben grilled some burgers when we got home, and then we crashed pretty hard.

Today, Ben spent some time working on his truck. I spent some time looking for writing gigs and ideas. We grilled again this afternoon, and then went to see Thor this evening. Now Ben is playing the bass along with The Beatles "Help" while I write.

We both have the day off tomorrow, and will have our weekly breakfast with Fred.

Until next time, B

It`s Tuesday

2011-03-22T06:42:00.001-07:00

TMI ALERT: continue reading at your own risk.

So, yesterday I mentioned my stomach was bothring me. Boy howdy, is it. After posting yesterday, i got ready for work. Took a sip of coffee after my shower and it promptly came back up. I spewed all over the floor, Ben`s dresser...and the cat. Sorry Max. He wasn`t too happy about that.

Had a couple bites for lunch...luckily I made it to the bathroom in time. Fared a bit better in the evening. Had oatmeal for dinner. It tried to come back up but I managed to get it back down.

Went to bed before 9, slept off and on. Now this morning, I`m dealing again with stomach cramps, and have been sitting on the throne letting it drain, if you know what I mean. See, TMI.

My brain is a little foggy this morning so I`m going to end here for now. Have a great day.

Back to work

2011-03-21T06:59:00.001-07:00

Well, break is over. It`s back to work today. It`s ok though. Didn`t have much of a break anyway. I`m doing some marketing for a local store, website and such, so I worked on that over break.

It`s raining this morning. Whitley didn`t want to go outside to pee and I really don`t blame him. Glad it`s finally raining though. It`s been windy and gloomy gray the last couple of days. I had hoped it would have been warmer over break. I wanted to work on my tan. It was nice, but not super warm. Oh well.

Ben had to work Saturday. Had to work a bit yesterday too, in Havasu. I went with him to Havasu, stopped in at Michael`s and bought lots of chain that was on sale.

After Ben got off work Saturday, we went and saw Rango. Very cute! Saw previews for the new POTC movie too, which I`d seen before, that comes out in May. Mr. Depp is SUCH a hottie!

Went to Golden Corral yesterday for our weekly breakfast with Fred. Been having stomach issues ever since. Not sure if I ate something with milk in it, or if it`s because it was GC. Probably a bit of both.

Oh, i did go thrift store shopping last week too. I love thrift stores but don`t get to shop at them much anymore since they are usually closed by the time I get off work. Got a couple of tops and a couple of items to resell. Oh, and I also got some beads and tools at a yard sale Saturday.

Ok, better stop this and get ready for work. Have a great day!

Ode to St. Patrick's Day

2011-03-17T14:16:00.000-07:00

The Leprechaun

One day as I was walking
To get some fresh, clean air
I saw a sight so different
All I could do was stare

A rainbow was before me
And too a pot of gold
It shimmered and it glittered
Just like I’d been told

Then I saw a tiny leprechaun
Which in itself is rare
He would have run for cover
If he had seen me there

I couldn’t help but smile
As I gazed upon the sight
And then I noticed something
Just didn’t seem quite right

The little Irish elf
Danced along without a care
But as he spun himself around
I saw the leprechaun was bare!

When finally he noticed me
As I tried not to giggle
He tipped his hat, said “good day”
And gave his shilleglagh a wiggle

I’ve told this tale to others
But no one will believe
I saw a naked leprechaun
On St. Patrick’s Eve

Unusual weather we're having

2011-02-20T21:02:00.000-08:00

Today was a very strange day, weather-wise. It was rainy all day yesterday with a bit of hail last night. Today it rained this morning, turned to sleet shortly after we got back to my father-in-law's place after breakfast, and then it snowed. There was about 1/2 inch on the ground, but it was all melted within 30 minutes. As we were driving back to our house after a trip to the grocery store, we took these pictures:

There was a dust storm to the northeast:

Rain and dark sky over the Cerbat mountains to the northwest:

Clouds, but sun, to the southwest:

And snow on the Hualapai's to the southeast:

Ten Thoughts Tuesday 2/15/11

2011-02-15T07:32:00.000-08:00

It's Tuesday - time for my ten thoughts -

1) I can't believe it's already February 15. Where has the last 6 weeks gone?

2) Whitley is due for his shots. I need to call the vet and make an appointment.

3) I'm going to jail Wednesday. I'm a jailbird for MDA's LockUp.

4) We need to catch a break money-wise. Living paycheck to paycheck is getting old.

5) I've got some new duties at work. Lots of technical stuff, but I enjoy it.

6) Besides working at the library, I'm also working part-time at my husband's workplace, helping with inventory and stuff. A little additional money at least.

7) I rearranged furniture on Saturday. Moved everything in the front room around.

8) I'm tackling the bedroom next. Just have to decide what I want to do first.

9) Next craft show is in May. Gotta get more jewelry made.

10) These are pretty lame thoughts. I'll do better next time.

Wickenburg

2011-02-13T20:21:00.000-08:00

We decided to take a drive today with Ben's dad, so we headed towards Wickenburg. It was a nice drive down there, and a gorgeous day. We saw a lot of cactus and Joshua trees on the way down, and a lot of sunshine. My father-in-law's van has a thermometer in the overhead, so we watched the temps climb from 60 in Kingman to 72 in Wickenburg.

When we got to Wickenburg, we discovered that it was Gold Rush Days and they were having a big Arts and Crafts festival. That was cool, so we walked around there for a bit.

We also walked around town for a little bit, as we'd never done anything prior to today except drive through Wickenburg on our way to Phoenix.

We saw the Jail Tree, which was a Mesquite tree where miscreants would be chained to serve their sentence during the olden days when Wickenburg territory didn't have a jail.

There was also some cool art along the streets...concrete insects and animals. We saw this roadrunner and tarantula, as well as a Gila monster.

All in all it was a good day, and a nice way to end the weekend.

Busy weekend

2011-02-07T05:29:00.001-08:00

Had a good but busy weekend. Spent Saturday afternoon in Bullhead City. Had lunch at El Palacio, then did a bit of shopping. They have a new Joann`s that just opened Friday --2hich is awesome. Bought a couple of bead tools and some beads and chain. Then went to Target, Kohls, Ross`s and Beall`s. Looking for a good sale on boots but didn`t find any. Did get a really cute flirty dress though. After shopping we met up with a friend we `ve only known through a mutual interest chat room, and had a nice chat.

Sunday, got up early-ish and went to breakfast with my father-in-law. Then went to the grocery store to get some stuff for cookies to take to a Super Bowl party. Made the cookies, then headed to Havasu to my husband`s former boss`s house to watch the game. We thought there was going to be a bunch of people but it was just Ron and Hope, Violet and Jack, Ron senior, Travis, and us. We had fun though. Talked a lot, did some Wii bowling, drank a bit and ate a lot. Glad the Packers won....and butterscotch schnapps is yummy.

Say what?

2011-01-22T21:41:00.000-08:00

"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not", Barry (Steve Carell) Dinner For Schmucks

Strange Dream

2011-01-22T21:07:00.000-08:00

I need to quit drinking Diet Coke before bed. I had the strangest dream last night.

I dreamed that college library I work in was part of a shopping mall that also contained the school bookstore, a restaurant and a clothing store. Some friends of mine came in to take me to lunch, and we went to a rodeo of miniature horses, and the horses would sit, and bark like dogs. We got in for free because one of my friends' husband's was one of the horses. After lunch, where we all paid for our own meal, another woman who I've seen but don't know, wanted us all to pay her back because she said she had bought us lunch. We went to go talk to her and found her sitting on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator, all hunched up in the corner. She kept telling us to close the door because she was trying to go to the bathroom.

Then I woke up, and yes, I had to go to the bathroom.

Cheeseless Pizza

2010-11-20T20:45:00.000-08:00

Tonight I made pizza without cheese. Since I'm lactose-intolerant, and have become moreso lately, I've really had to watch what I eat. So, I tried cheeseless pizza. It actually wasn't that bad. I made it with pesto sauce (made with almond milk) instead of pizza sauce, and used hamburger, onion and pepperoni. I made one half like this for me, and the other half with hamburger, black olives and cheese for my husband.

I'm learning what I can eat and what I can't. I ordered a couple of lactose-free cookbooks through ILL (inter-library loan) that will hopefully help me out.

Nighty night

2010-11-19T21:23:00.001-08:00

Home from game night....and it`s time for bed. Hopefully my stomach settles down. Ate a muffin this morning, well actually just a bite of a muffin, that contained milk. Thought i was going to die. Won`t be doing that again. Should have just stuck with the veggies. I`m learning. On a good note though, i guess, I`ve lost 12 pounds in the last month because I can`t eat anything.

Sporting Kansas City - WTF?

2010-11-18T20:07:00.000-08:00

Ok, I know this is an Arizona/Route 66 blog, but I had to comment on this. Kansas City is my hometown (not my home - but that's another discussion), and when I read this, I had to shake my head. The Kansas City Wizards, KC's outdoor soccer team, has changed the team name to Sporting Kansas City. WTF? Sporting Kansas City? That's not a name for a professional sports team, it sounds more like the title of a local sports show. Or maybe a sporting goods store. The logo will feature an "SC", for sporting club. Sporting clubs may be big in Europe, but last I checked, Kansas City was still located in the United States.

Wizards will kick off with new name: Sporting Kansas City - KansasCity.com

I can hear the stadium announcer now: "Here are your Sporting Kansas City, uhh here is your Sporting Kansas City, ummm, here are those guys that play soccer for Kansas City"

Isn't he cute?

2010-11-17T19:34:00.000-08:00

That's my little baby Whitley, wearing his new Santa coat. He's a handsome boy!

love it!

2010-11-16T20:03:00.000-08:00

Was watching "Raising Hope" tonight, just because it came on after "Glee" and I didn't bother to change the channel. Love this quote from the show:

"If you stop dreaming, you're just sleeping"

Ten Thoughts Tuesday

2010-11-16T19:17:00.000-08:00

Even though Tuesday is almost over, it's time for my ten thoughts for this Tuesday.

1. Today has not been a good day. Nothing specific, just an all-around bad day.
2. Bought a little Santa coat for Whitley today. It's soooo cute!
3. Trying to find a 3-4' fiber optic Christmas tree. So far, no luck.
4. Have to get out some of my holiday baking recipes and see if I can tweak them to accomodate my no dairy diet.
5. Even though it wasn't discussed (at least to my knowledge), I guess Thanksgiving is going to be at our house. I was planning on it being here anyway, especially since I need to know what's in the food I'm eating these days.
6. So glad I'm done with having to drive to BHC everyday. 100 miles round trip daily was getting to be a bit much.
7. I'm really liking my job, although I could use some more hours.
8. Gwyneth Paltrow is rockin' Glee tonight.
9. I'd really like to find a decent writing job.
10. Looking forward to the rest of the week!

Stuffing muffins

2010-11-15T20:16:00.000-08:00

So, last Thursday when I was off work, I watched Rachael Ray. It's not a show I normally watch, but it came on after People's Court. :) Anyway, she shared this recipe for Stuffing Muffins. I got the recipe off of her site and tried it tonight. I modified the recipe a bit, such as leaving out the celery and apples. I also used Almond milk instead of regular milk since I can't do regular milk. I must say they were pretty good. My only complaint was too much nutmeg, so next time I make them, I'll cut back on that. I plan to make them for Thanksgiving.

In addition to the muffins, I made pasta beef soup. Yummy is all I can say.

Just chillin'

2010-11-14T19:59:00.000-08:00

Just relaxing here on this Sunday night. We went out for breakfast with Fred this morning, went to Calico's breakfast buffet, first time we'd been there for the buffet. It was pretty good - and definitely habit-forming.

Afterwards we stopped at Kmart and got Ben a new jacket. My friend from work called while we were there; we had toyed about going to the craft fair together, but we both decided not to go.

After Kmart, we came home and Ben worked on his trains. I took pictures of stuff to put on eBay, but haven't posted anything yet. I drained the camera batteries so they need to recharge before I can download the pics.

Watched the race, and my boy #99 Carl Edwards won! Awesome! And, with Carl winning, that means Jimmie didn't :). I hope, hope, hope that he does not pull off the Championship next week. It'd be nice to see Denny win, but Kevin would be ok too. Just not Jimmie.

Colts won, but the Chiefs and the Cards both lost. Not a good day for my football teams.

Tomorrow is a normal day! I don't have to drive to BHC. I can actually go in, work my shift and come home at a normal time. I think I may go thrift store shopping tomorrow after work. I know, I lead an exciting life. I also need to go to the grocery store.

For now, I need to go put my last load of laundry for today in the dryer. There's that excitement again. I know you're jealous.

That's it for now. Later.

Megamind

2010-11-13T17:39:00.000-08:00

We went to see "Megamind" this afternoon. The Kingman theater was showing it in 3D. It was really pretty good...funny. I recommend it.

TGIFN

2010-11-12T20:22:00.000-08:00

Thank God It's Friday Night....

The week is over....finally. With the day off yesterday, today felt like Monday all day. It was my last day to have to drive to BHC. It was a full day too. I was in BHC from 8:30 - 10:15 - was supposed to be there until noon, but got a call from the dept. secretary saying there was a meeting at 11:30 here, so I had to leave BHC early. Had a second meeting at 1, then stayed until close to cover for a sick student. So, I didn't get home until 5:30.

We just got home from game night. Another night of competition Sorry. I'm exhausted and getting ready to go to bed. Not sure what we are doing tomorrow. Thought about going to the Renaissance on the River festival in Needles, but not sure. Sunday I'm going to the Cancer Craft Fair with a co-worker.

Gonna hit the sack and hopefully get a decent night's sleep tonight.

Later.

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

2010-11-11T15:26:00.001-08:00

This song has been in my head all day. I think I've seen too many "Tangled" previews. I love this song. It reminds me of college.

Wednesday

2010-11-10T20:13:00.000-08:00

I have tomorrow off. I am so glad, I need the break. The college is closed for Veteran's Day.

Friday will be the last day that I have to drive to BHC. Yippee skippy. I'm getting so tired of the drive. The new librarian for Bullhead starts Monday, so I don't need to be there any longer.

The extra money is nice, but a normal life will be nice too.

Sorry my posts are rather boring lately, just no time to spend much time writing. Will catch up soon.

One more day

2010-11-09T20:15:00.000-08:00

Only one more day before I get a day off. Yay. I get Thursday off because the college is closed for Veteran's Day. I don't plan to do much of anything except hang out around the house.

I should find out Friday how much longer I need to drive back and forth from Kingman to Bullhead.

Also get paid Friday, which will be very helpful...this check will have my extra hours from the last two weeks on it. Not sure about my expense checks...need to find out if I get actual checks or if they will be direct deposited as well.

"Glee" was awesome tonight! The kiss on Kurt was a surprise...did not expect that at all. Very sensitive episode, and the music, as always, was superb.

More later.

Finally

2010-11-08T18:28:00.000-08:00

I am so glad this day is over. I'm exhausted. I'm going to go find some chocolate, watch a little tv, and then go to bed.

Until tomorrow.

That's What I Love About Sunday

2010-11-07T17:38:00.000-08:00

It's been a rather good day. Haven't done much of anything except watch sports. Have been doing a bit of laundry and listing stuff on eBay.

All my football teams lost - first Arizona loses in OT to Favre and the Vikings. Then the Colts lose to the Eagles. And I just watched the Chiefs lose in OT to the hated Raiders.

NASCAR was better. Denny Hamlin won....but what was even better was Jimmie Johnson didn't. And the fact that Jeff Gordon was knocked out of the race by Jeff Burton. No one was hurt, and Burton was able to come back. First time I'd ever seen an entire pit crew benched too. After Gordon was knocked out, his 24 crew pitted for the 48 crew.

Ben's dad came over for dinner today. I fixed baked pork chops, rice and corn. It was yummy if I do say so myself.

Gotta go finish up some laundry and change the sheets on the bed before I sit down to watch a bit of tv. Before I go, here's a sweet song about Sundays by Craig Morgan.

S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y Night

2010-11-06T22:29:00.000-07:00

Anyone else remember that song by the Bay City Rollers? Don't really know why I have it in my head right now, but I do.

I took advange of the free listings on eBay and listed about 15 items tonight. I wanted to list a lot more but didn't get it done. I took a short break and played Lego Batman on the PS2 with my husband.

This was after dinner. Before dinner, he was playing with his trains and I was doing, well, not much of anything. I've been feeling kind of depressed today.

His dad is coming over for dinner tomorrow. That will be nice. Pork chops and veggies, and I'll probably make some biscuits.

We had sauerkraut and sausage tonight. It was yummy, but right now my tummy is having fits due to the sauerkraut.

Well, I need to pick up and head to bed. But before I do, here's the Bay City Rollers and "Saturday Night".

Game night

2010-11-05T21:50:00.000-07:00

We just got back from game night. Every Friday with have a standing date with the neighbors. We go over there and play some wicked and sometimes vicious Sorry. Pretty awesome. You'd be surprised at how vicious the seemingly innocuous children's game can be. Sometimes we target one person to bump off constantly. Other times, the cards seem to take over and rule. One thing about game night ... it's never dull.

Damn dog

2010-11-04T22:13:00.000-07:00

I came home from work today, late, and discovered that my sweet little puppy had eaten a book. A library book. One that I now have to replace. Hopefully, I'll be able to find it on Amazon. Damn dog.

Things I Can't Say

2010-11-03T20:27:00.000-07:00

Boy, I have so much to say, but I can't say it here. So, I will say what I can.

Today was a hell of a day. It was day 8 of at least 15 (and probably more) of working in both BHC and Kingman. I honestly don't mind it, but I'm getting tired. The drive is an hour each way, give or take a few minutes. Today, I had to stop and get gas on my way back to Kingman. After I got gas, I drove all the way back to town with my gas cap off...approximately 50 miles. DOH! Told you I was getting tired.

I've not written anything on my NaNoWriMo novel today, and I'm most likely not going to either. It's only 8:30 here but I'm so ready for bed.

On that note, I will be signing off here, and winding down for the night.

It's November 2nd...

2010-11-02T10:04:00.000-07:00

DON'T FORGET TO VOTE!

The first of November

2010-11-01T20:52:00.000-07:00

I would love to be sitting in the sun relaxing by the pool right about now. Today was a hell of a day. It started at 6am when I got up. I wanted to get up at 5:30, but my alarm refuses to ring. For some odd reason, my cell phone alarm will not go off at the time I set it. Last week, I set it for 5:30am and it went off at 6:20. Then, on Saturday, it went off at 5:30, even though I don't have a weekend alarm set. Today, it didn't go off at all. I have no idea what is going on with it.

I woke up with a headache, and will go to bed with a headache.

I've been having to split my time at work between the college library in BHC and the college library here for the last week. This schedule will continue this week and probably next week. The drive is about 38 miles, but takes just about an hour as it's mountains most of the way. A pass, a valley and another pass before descending toward the river. I used to drive that distance daily in the city, with traffic, for years, so it's not that big a deal. It's just boring. The extra money will be nice though!

Saw a coyote on the drive this morning though. Kind of exciting as that's the first live coyote I've seen here in the two years we've been here. I hear them all the time and have seen dead ones. He was running across the highway just west of Golden Valley.

Besides work, I wrote on my novel for NaNoWriMo, and have posted in both my blogs for NaBloPoMo. I watched some of the Monday Night Football game with the Colts and Texans. (yeah Colts!) and now I'm watching the rest of the Undercover Boss episode from last night that I DVR'd. After that's done, I'm heading to bed. I'm one whipped puppy.

Halloween

2010-10-31T17:57:00.000-07:00

I wrote this a couple of years ago, thought I'd share.

Sitting home alone
Snuggled in my chair
With my cat and my book
On a cold October night
From out of nowhere
The wind began to blow
Rattling the windows
And then the lights went out
Stumbling in the darkness
Toward the kitchen,
For a flashlight or a candle
Tripping over the cat
A knock on the door
Who could that be?
Peering out the window
I let out a scream in fright
Standing at my door
A witch and vampire talked
Crouched on the floor I listened
As they plotted their wicked scheme
I strained to hear their whispers
But there was no sound
Another knock unnerved me
What did they want now?
Ghosts and goblins joined in
Starting to get angry
Voices louder, shouting at me
Lady open up the door!
Gathering my strength
I had to face my fears
As I opened the door they turned
And shouted "Trick or Treat"
Just then the lights came back
I looked up and down the street
Ghosts, witches and princesses everywhere
Celebrating Halloween

A note about my blog

2010-10-17T08:39:00.001-07:00

My blog is just that -- MY blog. MY thoughts, MY opinions, MY observations, MY life. MY blog.

If I write about something and say "most people" or "some people", the key word there is PEOPLE. Meaning more than one person. Meaning that whatever I`m writing about, I`ve observed in or about more than one person. Conversly, if I say "a person" or "someone" or even mention a person by name or relationship, then yes, I`m most likely writing about a specific person.

If you (using "you" in the collective sense) feel I`m writing about you, then you must feel you exhibit the behavior or have the quality I`m writing about. Either that, or you think very highly of yourself that I would write about you.

Sorry to disappoint you, but I`m not writing about you. I`m writing about me. MY blog, remember?

Nothing to do? Think again.

2010-10-16T15:26:00.000-07:00

"There's nothing to do," she said with a whine. How many times have you heard that? It's one thing when it comes from a bored child, but constantly hearing it from adults - I just want to bitch slap them. There's always SOMETHING to do, it's mostly a matter of whether or not you want to do it.

Yes, I admit, I've been guilty of saying this a time or two. But it's because I was being lazy. People don't want to admit they are lazy, so they blame other factors for the fact that they have "nothing to do". Some people blame lack of finances, others blame a lack of transportation. Still others claim they have nothing to do when their significant other is away. But, I blame laziness. Everything else is just an excuse.

I grew up in a time where we didn't have video games, computers, cell phones, iPods, and whatever else keeps kids busy today. We made our own fun. We used our imagination. We didn't let money decide what we would do. If we didn't have a bike, we walked, or ran. If our friends couldn't play with us, we played by ourselves.

Now, personal financial troubles do not keep me from finding something to do. Sure, maybe I can't do what I want all the time, but I can find things to do that fit within my means. I don't buy the "lack of transportation" excuse. I'm sorry, but if you've got two feet and can walk, you've got transportation.

Here are some things anyone can do the next time there`s "nothing" to do.

1. Read - read a book, read a magazine, read a newspaper, read the back of a cereal box. I don`t care - just read. Who knows, maybe you`ll learn something in the process.

2. Write - write a story, write a poem, write a journal, write a song, write a letter to your mother. "But I don`t have a computer," you whine. So, pick up a pen and some paper and write the old-fashioned way - by hand.

3. Be crafty - crochet, knit, bead, scrapbook, paint, doodle, make macaroni art. Be creative, use materials you have around your house. It doesn`t have to be fancy, or even perfect.

4. Take a walk. - if you`ve got two feet, use them. Got a dog? Even better. Walk around the block, walk to the end of the driveway or walk across town. Just walk. It`s good exercise, you might meet other people, and you might even find items you can use for a craft project.

5. Play cards - not the computer-generated kind, but an actual 52 card deck. If you`re by yourself, play solitaire. If there`s more than one person, play gin, play euchere, play hearts, play crazy eights.

6. Sit on the front porch - this may sound like doing nothing and being lazy, but it`s not. Watch the neighborhood kids play. Oh wait, they`re probably all cooped up inside play video games, so scratch that. Watch the traffic. Watch nature. Daydream. Read. Write. Meditate.

7. Cook/bake - make your specialty or experiment with something new. Use ingredients that you already have. Browse through a cookbook and find a recipe using those ingredients. You may find a new favorite dish.

8. Visit the neighbors - don`t know them? Introduce yourself. Take them a plate of your new favorite recipe. Who knows, you might find a walking buddy or someone to play cards with.

9. Listen to music/dance/sing. - can`t sing or dance? If you`re by yourself, who cares?

10. Clean - I don`t know about you, but in my house there is ALWAYS something that needs cleaning. Do laundry. Vacuum the carpet. Wash the floors. Dust. Clean out the closets. Organize the pantry.

Next time you think there`s nothing to do, think again.

desert grasshopper

2010-10-13T16:39:00.000-07:00

I saw this in my driveway today. I never thought about there being grasshoppers here since we have no grass. I mean, we're in the desert. Grasshoppers aren't the first insect that comes to my mind when I think 'desert'. Scorpions, yes. Tarantulas, yes. Grasshoppers, no. But, I guess there is such a thing as a desert grasshopper. They are, appropriately, the color of sand. or rocks. Either of which you will find more of here than grass. Anyway, just thought it was interesting.

Ten Thoughts Tuesday...on Wednesday

2010-10-13T15:34:00.001-07:00

Ok, These were written Tuesday morning. I sent this via email yesterday (as I am doing today) and it didn't post. Let's see if this one posts.

Take two. grrr. I had this all written, went to correct an error, and erased the whole thing. DOH! Plus, I'm using my phone, so it takes longer to write anyway. Oh well, stuff happens.

1. I wish this bug, whatever it is that I have, would either make me sick or go away. I hate this in-between feeling.

2. Soon, I will no longer be the newbie at the library. In the last week, two people have given notice. Different campus, but same staff.

3. I miss my cousin!

4. I think I'm going to have to dress up for Halloween. I suck at coming up with creative costumes.

5. I think I'm going to be a Grinch and cancel Christmas.

6. I'm looking forward to the movie "Red". With my luck though, our theater here won't get it. That's ok, if they don't, we're going to Laughlin.

7. I need a steady writing job.l The titles at DS suck lately, IB has nothing, and my residuals are tanking. I need something I can depend on instead of these content mills.

8. I'm tired of not having any money.

9. I wonder if my dream that we had a pet camel means anything?

10. It's time to head to work!

Free Advil

2010-10-10T16:52:00.000-07:00

I just saw a commercial for a free bottle of Advil, so I went to Advil.com to check it out. The first 500,000 people who sign up will get a coupon for a free 24-count bottle. Sweet!

Get BeJeweled for free

2010-10-10T15:14:00.000-07:00

I just had to share this with my readers since I love BeJeweled. If you love it too, you'll love this.............you can download BeJeweled 2 for FREE, for today (10/10/10) only. The offer is good until 10pm PST. Just click Get BeJeweled for free and follow the instructions.

Enjoy!

Ten Thoughts Tuesday

2010-08-31T21:03:00.000-07:00

I used to do Ten Thoughts Tuesday posts a long time ago when I had a blog on another blog service. I thought I'd start them up again; if nothing else, at least I'll have something to post regularly. Without further ado, welcome to the re-instatement of Ten Thoughts Tuesday.

1. As noted in my previous post, I've consolidated some of my blogs. It should make things a whole lot easier.

2. I need to ramp up my jewelry-making. I'm doing a craft show at the senior center on October 2, and need to beef up my inventory.

3. In conjunction with getting ready for the craft show, I want to get my website/store front for my beading ready to go as well. I'd like to have it ready before the craft show so that I can give out my website at that time.

4. I need to call my cousin. Every day I think I'm going to call her, and then time gets away from me. I'm sorry Dawn! I love you!

5. I need to get Whitley to quit peeing on the floor. He goes outside, then comes in and pees on the floor. The vet didn't find any reason why he's doing this.

6. I love the show Master Chef. In some ways I think it's better than Hell's Kitchen. But, either way, I enjoy watching Chef Ramsey.

7. Survivor! It's gonna be hard to remember it's on Wednesday nights this season. Thank God for DVR's

8. I am love, love, loving my new job!

9. I do need to make time to write. My computer at home is being so hinky though, it takes a couple of hours before it actually performs as it should. By the time the computer is ready to go, it's time for hubby to be home, and for dinner.

10. Right now, I'm thinking it's time for bed.

Too Many Blogs, Not Enough Time

2010-08-31T19:54:00.001-07:00

Photo courtesy dbdbrobot via flickr

I did an inventory of my blogs today. I have WAY too many of the things, ten at last count. I had one for my dog, one for my cats, one for my writing, one for my beading...you get the picture. Every time I'd have an idea, I'd create a new blog. I did this because everywhere I turned, people were saying it's better to have a niche blog than a general one. Maybe so, but it was getting a little out of hand. I don't have time to post to all of them everyday; in fact, I feel guilty about not posting to all of them, so I've hardly been posting at all to any of them.

Therefore, I've consolidated some of them. I will no longer have blogs for my dog and cats, these posts will appear in Route 66 in Arizona. My general life posts, previously posted in My Mutterances, will also now appear in Route 66 in Arizona. This blog will be used for general life posts going forward, as my Route 66 blog encompasses my life in Kingman. My Mutterances will be deleted, as will the blogs for my pets.

I will keep my freelance writing blog, Writing In The Sand. For the time being, I'll keep my beading blog, although eventually I will be moving that to the storefront I am creating. I have a few others that, for now, will remain as is, until I can figure out what to do with them.

I hope that those of you who have been following any one of the blogs that are being consolidated will move with the blogs to their new homes and continue to follow them.

Note: Although cross-posting is generally not recommended, I am posting this on Route 66 in Arizona, My Mutterances and Writing In The Sand to alert my followers and readers.

Off to See the Wizard

2010-08-12T18:15:00.000-07:00

Happy 71st Anniversary to my all-time favorite movie, The Wizard of Oz. I saw this movie for the first time when I was around 5 years old, back in 1966. That was back when the classics like this movie, The Sound of Music, It's a Wonderful Life and others, were shown once a year. Yes, kiddies, you had to wait a whole 12 months to see your favorite movies - that was back when there were only 3 television channels, no cable or satellite dishes, no DVDs, VHS or even Beta. Horrors! How did we ever survive? Sometimes I long for those days, but I digress.........

The hubby and I watched our DVD copy of this wonderful classic over the weekend. Yes, I know the dialogue almost word for word, and yes, I spoke, and sang, along with the movie.

To commemorate the anniversary, I thought I'd share here some of my favorite quotes from The Wizard of Oz (and no - one of them is NOT "Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore"

"Dorothy? Well, what has Dorothy done? "
"What's she done? I'm all but lame from the bite on my leg! "
"Oh! You mean she bit you? "
"No, her dog! "
"Oh, she bit her dog, eh? "
Conversation between Uncle Henry and Miss Gulch

"Some people without brains do an awful lot of talking... don't they? "
The Scarecrow

"A heart is not judged by how much you love; but by how much you are loved by others. "
The Wizard of Oz

"He said oil can!."
" Oil can what?"
Dorothy and The Scarecrow

"I *do* believe in spooks, I *do* believe in spooks. I do, I do, I do, I *do* believe in spooks, I *do* believe in spooks, I do, I do, I do, I *do*!"
Cowardly Lion

Last Saturday's Ball Game at Chase Field

2010-06-08T20:32:00.000-07:00

Saturday was awesome! We had such a great time at the Diamondback vs Rockies game in Phoenix. It took us about 3 1/2 hours to get from Kingman to Phoenix, much less time than I thought it would. We left Kingman at 10am, and got to Phoenix at about 1:15 or so. We went by the stadium so that we knew where we were going, and then we drove around. I wanted to go to Hobby Lobby, as I haven't been to one since we left KC. Found one in Tempe, and I restrained myself, only spending about $25...which is very good for me! Then we grabbed a bite to eat at On The Border before heading to Chase Field.

We parked across the street from the stadium, and went to pick up our tickets at Will Call. Took a few pictures on the way. DH got me this awesome DB dress for my birthday.

Inside, we walked around in awe...it is such a cool stadium! We hiked our way up to the third concourse and found our seats. Excellent seats for never having been there before, and buying them online.

It was Dontrelle Willis' first game for the Diamondbacks. He did awesome.

Did I mention Chase Field is awesome? There's even a swimming pool by right field.

Arizona Senator John McCain took part in a pre-game ceremony honoring Maricopa and Pinal County officers.

Then, he wound up sitting in the next section from us, about 3 rows back. He stayed there for about 3 innings.

And, here's me, enjoying the game.

We plan to go back, hopefully we'll make it to another game this season.

Take me out to the ballgame

2010-05-27T11:30:00.001-07:00

Chase Field decoration
Originally uploaded by ConspiracyofHappiness

I am soooooo excited! My DH asked me what I wanted for my birthday next week (June 5) and I mentioned baseball. And, it just so happens that the Arizona Diamondbacks are playing in Phoenix that day. And, it just so happens that they are playing the Colorado Rockies, my favorite NL team. So we got tickets! It's gonna be a full day for us since we live in Northern Arizona, about 3 hours from Phoenix. The game is at 5:10, but we plan to leave for Phoenix at around 10am so we'll have a chance to figure out where we're going, and see some of the city too, before the game. We've lived in Arizona a couple of years, but we haven't been to Phoenix yet, so this will be an adventure.

I haven't been to a baseball game in about 3 years. The last game we went to was a Kansas City Royals game, in Kansas City,and I got the tickets through work. Before that, it had been probably 10 years. I used to go to the Royals games all the time as a kid. My dad had half-season tickets, so we went often. This was back when George Brett, Amos Otis, Freddy Patek, Frank White, Duke Wathan, Clint Hurdle...the list goes on...were playing. I saw games live during both Royals World Series - in 1980 and 1984....long time ago.

Like I said earlier, the Rockies are my favorite NL team - from back when I lived in an AL city. Now that my home team is an NL team, I still cheer for the Rockies, but I also watch the D-Back games on TV. So, while I'd like to see the Rockies win next Saturday, it won't disappoint me if the Diamondbacks win.

I just have a decision to make - do I wear my Rockies shirt or my Diamondbacks shirt?

Have you eaten your sheets today?

2010-05-27T09:07:00.000-07:00

Question mark
Originally uploaded by Margaret Anne Clarke

Had to chuckle at this bit of mixed up conversation between my husband and me last night. Sometimes getting old is funny :)

Hubby (to Whitley, our dog): "Do you think your mommy knows how much I love her?"

Me: "What?"

Hubby: "I asked Whitley if he thinks his mommy knows how much I love her."

Me: "Oh. I thought you said 'Do you think your mommy knows I eat the covers?'"

Lazy Sunday

2010-05-23T17:17:00.000-07:00

Today we've just been hanging around the house. Ben's been playing concert DVD's and playing bass guitar along with them. First it was ELO, then Carly Simon, then the Eagles. Now it's the BeeGees. Not sure what other concert DVD's we have left, other than Elvis or Queen. We'll see what's next, if anything. Whitley's sleeping through it; not sure how he's doing it since it's pretty loud.

I've been doing some blog maintenance and assorted other things. Worked on my page and shop for my beading, changed backgrounds for 3 blogs, and figured out how to add a Retweet button on blogger. All in all, it was a rather productive day, for not doing anything.

I suppose I should go and try to figure out what I'm fixing for dinner tonight, although I'm not terribly hungry. Maybe I'll be back later.

The Job Service

2010-05-19T13:42:00.000-07:00

I hate going to the job service. No matter what time I go, there's always a wait. They open at 8am, and today I was there at 8:10. I still had to wait an hour before I got called in. Then, I was in and out in less than 15 minutes. The "counselors" here are useless as far as I'm concerned.

In other states, when I've registered with the job service, the counselors actually match you up with jobs you are qualified for. Here, you register, then you look through the list of available jobs, and you pick the ones you like. Then, you meet with the counselor, who basically reads you the job description- which you already read to determine if you wanted to apply for the job in the first place. There might be some additional qualifications or information not on the job order, but not often. Then, they tell you the company and how to apply, and give you a piece of paper with the information. That's it.

And, when you meet with the counselor, you can only have a maximum of three jobs you want to apply for. If you don't meet all the qualifications, they don't give you the recommendation sheet to apply. But, you can't select a third job to replace it.

Generally, I find it to be a waste of time. Often, when I go to the job service site, with a little research I can figure out on my own who the job is with, and apply directly through them without going through the job service. Once in a while though, I can't figure out the company, and will make a trip to the job service if it's something I'm really interested in. I usually go down there once a month or so.

So far, nothing has panned out. It's coming up two years without a job. I like having the freedom and being at home, but I hate not having any money. I'm trying to write, but that's not paying the bills yet. I really need a part time job, but nobody seems to want to hire me.

The job service counselors say I'm too smart and overqualified. I hate the word "overqualified". As far as I'm concerned, I'm qualified for any job that requires any of the skills I have. Another thing I really hate is employers determining for me that I wouldn't be happy doing whatever job they have available. Uh, if I didn't think I'd be happy at the job, I wouldn't have applied. I just need someone to give me a chance.

Route 66 Fun Run

2010-05-01T19:54:00.000-07:00

Hundreds of classic cars, trucks and other vehicles traveled along Route 66 from Seligman, Arizona today, stopping in Kingman. Tomorrow they continue their journey along the Mother Road to Topock and Golden Shores, at the Arizona/California state line.

Ben and I spent a couple of hours walking around, looking at all the cars that turned out for the event. Because we had started out the day running errands, and stopped downtown kind of as an after-thought, we didn't have the camera with us. The pics you see here were taken with my cell phone, so the quality may not be the best.

I'll admit it, I'm A GLEEK

2010-04-21T17:44:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy Fox.com

I love GLEE. Why does this show have such a hold over me? I'm not in the show's target A18-34 demographic, I've been out of high school for more years than I care to remember, and I'm not all that musically inclined. None of that matters though. GLEE is an awesome television show, and it has me hooked. This quirky, fun show highlights high school misfits, fitting in by way of the Glee Club. Finn, Rachel, Kurt, Mercedes, Tina, Artie, Puck, Quinn, Santana, Brittney, even Mr. Schue - some jocks, some cheerleaders, some outsiders - every member of the Glee Club and even McKinley High as a whole - are high school misfits in some way. The kids of GLEE come together, and face adversities, using music to teach and heal.

The 4/20 episode, The Power of Madonna, was awesome. If you missed it, you can check out the entire episode on Hulu.

Fox.com also has the episode posted, but my computer runs the Hulu video better for some reason, which is why I chose to embed that video here. If you'd rather not watch it on the Internet, Fox TV is rebroadcasting the episode this Friday, 4/23 at 9pm/8pm central. A lot of GLEEKS who recorded the episode did not get to see the ending, since American Idol, which preceded GLEE, ran long, making GLEE start late. This in turn caused DVR's to not record the last few minutes of the show.

In my opinion, the last few minutes of Tuesday's episode were epic, with a superb performance by New Directions (the Glee Club) of Madonna's "Like A Prayer".

GLEE is on Fox on Tuesdays, at 9/8 central, following American Idol.

I'm a GLEEK, and proud of it.

The Things You See At Wal-Mart

2010-04-07T19:24:00.000-07:00

Image courtesy ShipFan

via Wikimedia Commons

So, I head into Wal-Mart today to do a little shopping, and the greeter made me feel like dancing. Now, I don't normally feel that way when I go to Wal-Mart, but I swear, the greeter today looked a lot like Leo Sayer. He even had on a Starsky and Hutch 70's sweater - you know, the ones like Paul Michael Glaser wore in that show?

Starsky and Hutch from Amazon.com

While doing my shopping I saw a woman wearing those new fitness shoes; you know, the ones that are supposed to strengthen your calves, tighten your butt and improve your posture?

Sketchers Shape-Ups from Amazon.com

However, I think you have to do more than just WEAR the shoes in order for them to do any good. This lady was wearing them, but riding around in one of Wal-Mart's scooters. Ok, to be fair, she did do a little walking...she'd park the scooter in the middle of the aisle, and then get up and walk to get her items, and then get back on the cart. She walked just fine, with no assistance, and didn't require any oxygen or anything that I could see. She did have a few extra pounds, but there was nothing that seemed to require the scooter, except laziness. Oh, and she walked, carrying her bags, from the store to the car. Anyway,wearing the fitness shoes and then riding the scooter the whole time kind of defeats the purpose, doesn't it?

Then, on my way home, I saw a box truck at the intersection, driven by a large burly man. Painted, in large letters on the side of the truck was "Waxie Sanitary Supplies". I assume it was for a cleaning product or cleaning company, but that's not the first thing that came to my mind. I don't think I have to tell you what did. If I were a big, burly man, I would not want to be driving around in a truck that said "sanitary supplies" on it.

I'll close out with a little Leo Sayer:

The Leprechaun

2010-03-16T16:32:00.000-07:00

I write poetry off and on. I don't often share, but this is just a silly little poem I wrote in the shower the other day. Since tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day, I thought it might bring you a smile.

One day as I was walking
To get some fresh, clean air
I saw a sight so different
All I could do was stare

A rainbow was before me
And too a pot of gold
It shimmered and it glittered
Just like I’d been told

Then I saw a tiny leprechaun
Which in itself is rare
He would have run for cover
If he had seen me there

I couldn’t help but smile
As I gazed upon the sight
And then I noticed something
Just didn’t seem quite right

The little Irish elf
Danced along without a care
But as he spun himself around
I saw the leprechaun was bare!

When finally he noticed me
As I tried not to giggle
He tipped his hat, said “good day”
And gave his shilleglagh a wiggle

I’ve told this tale to others
But no one will believe
I saw a naked leprechaun
On St. Patrick’s Eve

Beth VanHoose
March 16, 2010

Song of the Day - 3/9/10

2010-03-09T08:54:00.000-08:00

The song in my head today is "You Win Again" by the Bee Gees.

So far - the songs in my head this week have been:

3/3 - I Would Do Anything For Love - Meatloaf
3/4 - Girls Just Want To Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper
3/5 - Heaven Is A Place On Earth - Belinda Carlisle
3/6 - I've Got A Golden Ticket - from Willy Wonka
3/7 - Karma Chameleon - Culture Club
3/8 - I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight - Cutting Crew
3/9 - You Win Again - Bee Gees

What's the common thread? Other than the fact that most of these songs are from the 80's, I'm not finding anything that links them. Anyone out there have any ideas?

Tuesday, March 9

2010-03-09T07:14:00.001-08:00

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Daytrippin'

2010-03-08T20:14:00.000-08:00

I was talking to my brother last weekend and we were talking about a couple of Missouri/Kansas City day trip books I had sent him. Since he still lives in the Kansas City area, I figured the books would be of more use to him than they would be to me here in Arizona. Then he said I should be writing about day trips from Kingman on this blog.

At that moment I did a mental head slap. What a wonderful idea. Such a simple and obvious idea too, I can't believe I didn't think of it. Consequently, I'm going to start writing about our day trips. Some people may find them boring. If you do, well, I can't help that. When we go places, we don't necessarily sight-see, so yeah, maybe some of the posts will be boring. My day trip posts will not only cover trips and adventures away from Kingman, but also my travels in and about town.

Thank you Jeff, for the marvelous, wonderful, logical idea.

Song of the Day

2010-03-08T08:18:00.000-08:00

For the last several days, I've had a different song running through my head each day. Last Wednesday was I Would do Anything for Love; Thursday, it was Girls Just Want to Have Fun; Friday - Heaven is a Place on Earth; Saturday - I've Got a Golden Ticket (from Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory); Sunday - Karma Chameleon. Today it's I Just Died in Your Arms Tonight.

It's snowing in Kingman

2010-02-22T06:48:00.001-08:00

This is our first snow of the season, our "winter storm". Being from the midwest, I laugh at that.
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So, what is he REALLY looking for?

2010-02-13T15:35:00.000-08:00

Saw this ad posted on my local Craigslist job section today and just had to chuckle.

elderly man is looking for a woman to help with personal care. prefer a young single woman who is inexperienced and willing to train in alternative (non medical) methods of care. learn reflexology and tactile stimulation which eliminates medicines. help with shower, foot care and use of electric massagers. easy to learn and no lifting is required. part time with flexible hours.

Major Meltdown Monday

2010-02-08T16:14:00.000-08:00

I'm having a major meltdown today. Maybe it's because Aunt Flo has reared her ugly head for the first time in months, and my hormones are all over the place. Maybe it's because I haven't heard anything on the many job applications I have out. Maybe it's because I'm feeling exceptionally worthless today. Maybe it's because the Colts didn't win the Super Bowl. Maybe it's a combination of everything. I blame it on hormones. Or the Colts.

I am so tired of beating my head against the wall looking for a job, when no one wants me. I keep hearing all this "overqualified" crap and I'm sick of it. IMO, no one is "overqualified" for anything. People, me included, are qualified for anything and everything that falls within their skill set. I'm also tired of prospective employers deciding that I "wouldn't be happy" doing whatever job they are hiring for. Uh, I knew what the job was when I applied. How about letting ME decide whether or not I'd be happy? If I want to file papers or flip burgers, that's my choice, not yours. So what if I have a college degree and 24 years work experience? (Yes, that makes me OLD ~ too old for most employers to want to hire anyway).

Many people I interview with are younger, a lot younger, than I am. When I encounter this, I automatically know that I will NOT get the job. So far, that's been true. I will also not get the job if I appear smarter than the interviewer. Unfortunately, I am not an actress, and playing dumb is not one of my skills. Employers seem to prefer hiring younger, dumber people for job openings, so that THEY don't look dumb to their bosses.

I have applied for so many jobs ~ I've applied for ones I'm extremely qualified for, ones I'm not qualified for, ones I could do in my sleep...and still no luck. I've applied for specific jobs. I've put in many applications at places who may or may not have openings, but take online apps continuously. These apps, I'm sure, go the way of the delete button; or are at least in some huge pile somewhere that never gets looked at. I'm not asking for the world here, I just need a job. I feel so useless and worthless, like I'm not contributing anything ...although I know the hubby will never tell me that. We are barely scraping by month to month, even with him working (and making just over minimum wage). If we didn't have my 401K, we'd be screwed. And we won't have that for much longer.

Competition for jobs is fierce. For a recent job opening I attempted to apply for, I was told that they had received 120+ applications in one day, and were not taking new applications for the position. And this was for a part-time position at minimum wage. Besides the competition, employers, as I've mentioned, seem to want the inexperienced (at anything), young, not-as-smart candidates who can be molded.

Writing is not paying off either. I can't get anyone to hire me on that front either. It doesn't help that there are thousands of people applying for freelance/telecommuting writing jobs who can't spell, or use proper grammar or punctuation. These "writers" will work for cheap, and people looking for writers hire them because they will work for cheap. And, many of these people are from countries other than the U.S., so the low wages are not low to them. If it weren't for the above-mentioned 401K, I would have made a whopping $300 last year.

There are some people out there who may say that I did this to myself, leaving a good job in the midwest to move to the desert southwest, without a job. However, little do they know that I was going to be losing that good job. I knew that at best I had a year left before the position was a victim of downsizing/hubbing. So, even if I had stayed, I would be in the same position there, now, as I am here. And, if I'm having to live with no job and no money, I'd much rather be here than there.

I spent 24 years doing one thing - 17 years with one employer and 7 years with another. 24 years that was wasted, IMO, because I am pigeon-holed. Although much of my job was customer service, clerical and administrative - since those areas were not my primary job function ~ those skills don't count in the eyes of employers.I've changed my resume from chronological to functional, outlining my skills and not my jobs ~ but it still doesn't matter.

I'm trying an experiment on my next application. I'm going to intentionally misspell words, use poor grammar, and 'dumb' myself down as much as possible. Then maybe I'll get the job.

What a difference a day makes

2010-01-19T07:06:00.001-08:00

Taken Tuesday January 19

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It's not always sunny in Arizona

2010-01-19T07:05:00.001-08:00

Taken Monday January 18

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It's no wonder I can't find a job

2010-01-12T14:47:00.000-08:00

So today, I did a little calculation. I went to the Arizona Job Service page, as I do occasionally, looking for a part-time job (or any job frankly, but I want pt). Anyway, there are 400 jobs available in my county. Sounds like a lot, huh? Just wait.

Of those 400 jobs, 110 of them are in other parts of the county (it's a big county), and therefore, are automatically rejected. Of the 290 remaining, 170 of those are in the medical field. I have no medical background, so those are out. Of the 120 now left, 43 are retail/restaurant requiring previous experience in retail/restaurant (the only retail/restaurant experience I have is working fast food in high school back in the 70's - those dark ages before most of the retail./restaurant managers today were even born); 38 are either labor (I can't repeatedly lift/carry 75 lbs or more) or technical; 23 require advanced education/training (attorney, financial, police, security); and 7 are for teachers.

If you're following along, that leaves 9 jobs. 9 jobs that I am overqualified for. 9 jobs that I am competing with hundreds of others for.

This doesn't even count the jobs that get listed in the worthless fish wrap they call a newspaper around here. Every once in a while, when I'm at the library, I'll take a look. Sunday's paper, which I saw yesterday, there were maybe 15 jobs listed that weren't listed on the job site. Again, the majority were medical. A couple truck driving. One sounded ok. It was for a part time receptionist/kennel assistant at one of the animal hospitals here. The only requirements they had listed were customer service and must like animals. Hey, I qualified! I debated whether or not to apply since I'd applied at the same place for another position about 6 months ago and never heard anything. Since it was late in the day when I saw the ad, I decided to go today.

I went, filled out the application and handed it to the girl at the desk. She told me, AFTER I filled out the app, that they'd stopped taking apps for this job because they had over 120 people apply. After 120, they were holding apps for the next time they had an opening. So, I asked, since I'd applied 6 months ago, would that app be considered for this job? No, of course not. I took my (new) app and tore it up. What's the point?

If they got 120 apps for a PT phone answering/shit scooping job, what's the competition like on other jobs?

Dog Park

2010-01-07T19:16:00.000-08:00

Hi! It's Whitley. Mommy's not looking, so I thought I'd walk on her keyboard.

Mommy took me to this place with other furry peoples just like me. There was funny green stuff on the ground, and lots of furry peoples smells.

Mommy said I was 'fraid of all the furry peoples, but I weren't. I just pretended.

I wanna go back, it was fun. I hope Mommy takes me again.

Mommy's note: We went to the Small Dog dog park here. The "green stuff" Whitley refers to is grass. There's not much of that here in the desert.

Sun over the Cerbats

2010-01-07T11:40:00.000-08:00

Introducing Whitley

2010-01-04T19:18:00.000-08:00

Arf! Arf! Arf!

Hi everyone! My name is Whitley. Aren't I just the cutest puppy you've ever seen? I'll answer that for you. YES! My mommy and daddy brought me to my new home the day after Thanksgiving. I was six weeks old then, so now I am about 10 weeks old. I am getting so big! My doggie mommy is a Silky Terrier and my doggie daddy is a Jack Russell Terrier. Me, I'm just cute!

Besides my human mommy and daddy, I have two furry brothers. They are a little different than me, mommy calls them "cats", whatever they are. Their names are Buddy and Max. Buddy hisses at me a lot, but I'm not scared. I want to play with Max, but when I try, he just runs away. He doesn't run as much as he used to though. I think he wants to play with me too. I also have two human brothers, but they don't live with me. They are fun to play with too.

My favorite toys are the furry mouse mommy bought for Max, my squeaky bone, and the springy thing on the wall. I think daddy called it a "door stop". Whatever it is, it's fun to hit.

I'm tired now so I think I will take a nap. Hopefully I can find a nice sunny spot to lie in.

Health marvels

2009-12-17T14:45:00.000-08:00

My brother called me on Monday to let me know that my dad was in the hospital. He was having shortness of breath and his heart rate was very low. Jeff, my brother, found out dad was in the hospital by accident. You have to know my dad. He doesn't like to bother anyone with his problems. Jeff said when he called the hospital to check on dad's condition, and he also talked to dad, Dad's words were "you weren't supposed to know". Knowing my dad, he probably would have sent us an email with an "oh by the way, I was in the hospital and things are fine" message.

Ugh. Dad lives in Colorado, my brother lives in Missouri, and I live in Arizona. My dad lives at a condo complex, and the folks there keep a pretty good eye out. What happened was my dad went to lunch in a nearby town with a friend of his. He had trouble breathing, so he went to the emergency clinic the next town over. The clinic sent him to Denver by ambulance. (He lives about 2 1/2 hrs west of Denver). So, my dad calls the condo office, and asks them to get his car from the clinic. In turn, the condo office calls my brother, who calls the hospital and then calls me.

Initially, Jeff didn't have much information except for the shortness of breath and low heart rate. I called the hospital to see what I could glean, and the nurse basically told me the same things, except that his heart rate was hovering between 30-40 when it should have been around 70, and that they were waiting for the cardiologist. The nurse thought there was probably blockage and that my dad might need a pacemaker.

Turns out that was the case. Talked to another nurse and my dad the next day, and dad was to have surgery that afternoon for a pacemaker. This was Tuesday. I talked to him Tuesday after the surgery. He'd had a local anesthetic, so he was awake during the procedure. He was in recovery, waiting for his dinner (pot roast, mashed potatoes, and angel food cake ~ I never had food like that when I was in the hospital!)

I talked to him on Wednesday, and they had released him. My grandmother had to have a pacemaker, and she was in the hospital at least a week. He doesn't even have stitches. He couldn't remember what they called them, but he has a circle of little black dots around the incision, but no stitches. The nurse said they'd be gone in a week.

He goes back in a couple of weeks, and he can't use his left arm for a while, but he sounds good and says he feels fine, with no pain.

Amazing what they can do today.

New Family Member

2009-12-01T06:49:00.000-08:00

We have a new family. His name is Whitley. He is a 6 week old silky terrier mix. We got him on Friday. I'll upload a picture on the next post since I'm sending this from mobile.

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Puppy Fever

2009-11-24T08:24:00.000-08:00

Note: this is the first time I'm using post by email, and I'm doing this on my phone so 2 things: 1) I'm not sure if I'm doing this right, and 2) if there are typos, I apologize.

Ok now that the disclaimer is out of the way, on with the post.

I've got puppy fever. Bad. I love dogs. We always had dogs when I was growing up. After I got married the first time, along with kids, the ex told me I could have a dog. At 4 different times we had dogs. For about 3 days each time. Well, the last one we had for about a month. But all of them "disappeared". The ex would get tired of them and give them away or take them to the shelter while I was at work, without telling me. After the first time, you'd think I would have learned. Good thing we never had kids.

Anyway, now with my current husband, we plan on getting a dog. We've wanted to for a while, but circumstances weren't right. We want a terrier or terrier mix, preferably a yorkie, but we don't want to pay the outrageous prices people want. We'd also prefer a puppy, but would consider an older dog if the price was right.

I thought we had one. I saw an ad on craigslist over the weekend for a free 3 year old male yorkie. I called, we went and looked at him, he liked us and we liked him. The people who were giving him away said we were at the top of the list of people who had looked at him, and if no one else expressed interest he was ours. Got a call the next day that another couple came after we did, and they decided to give them the dog.

I was a little disappointed...ok, a lot disappointed. But I guess it wasn't meant to be. Now I've got puppy fever so bad though. I've made it my mission to find a puppy to add to our family within the next couple of months

Route 66 in Arizona named All-American Highway

2009-10-19T13:51:00.000-07:00

On Friday, October 16, 2009, the Federal Highway Administration's National Scenic Byways Program added 37 National Scenic Byways and 5 All-American Highways to their system for 2009. Historic Route 66 in Arizona is one of 31 designated All-American Highways. There are a total of 151 highways, roads and byways that make up the American Byways Collection.

Read more here.

No More Silver Spoon

2009-10-19T13:39:00.001-07:00

I meant to post about this earlier, when I first heard about it a couple of weeks ago. But, eh, life got in the way, and I forgot about it until now. One of our favorite restaurants here in Kingman, The Silver Spoon, had to close. It had been in operation for about 16 years, right on Route 66. We've only been in Kingman a little over a year, and it had already become one of our favorites. The people were friendly, the food was good, and the prices were reasonable. We're sorry to see them go, but we understand why the owners made that decision. You can read the full story here.

I thought I had other pictures of The Silver Spoon, but the only one I could find was this one, taken at Christmastime, as we were driving down Route 66.

Andy Devine Days Parade

2009-10-12T15:01:00.000-07:00

Ok, so Andy Devine Days was a couple of weeks ago. I meant to post this blog earlier, but I had problems with getting the pictures transferred from my camera. For some reason, Photoshop didn't like them.

Anyway, Andy Devine is Kingman's local son. He was a character actor in many movies, such as "Stagecoach" and "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance". You can read more about him here.

Kingman celebrates Andy Devine Days every year at the end of September. There's a rodeo and a parade. We only attended the parade, which include 110 entries this year. Here are some pictures:

This is not, by far, all the pictures that I have of this event. I figured I wouldn't bore you all too badly with just a few of the pictures. After all, parades are parades pretty much everywhere.

D-O-G, again

2009-10-04T14:03:00.000-07:00

My human step-brother has a dog. A big dog. His name is Zeke. Step-brother brings the Zeke dog to visit when he comes up with his human girl to visit mom and dad. Mom goes all gooey and calls the creature Zekey and baby and sweetie. She's a traitor. Those are names for ME! Well, not Zekey, since my name is Max. I don't like the Zeke dog. He drank my water once. When the Zeke dog is here, Buddy and I get punished. Mom or dad lock us up in the bedroom while the Zeke dog gets the run of the house. Hrmph.

Somewhere Over The Rainbow

2009-09-19T10:05:00.000-07:00

We're not in Kansas anymore, but we definitely see more rainbows here than we did in Kansas. More rainbows but less rain. Go figure. We saw this gorgeous one yesterday. It was full, and double, and we could see the end at the strip mall down the street.

Oatman, Again

2009-09-14T10:35:00.000-07:00

We've been back to Oatman three times since my ghostly experience. When we go, everybody we're with that knows of my experience wants me to stand in the place where I felt the ghost so they can take my picture. The ghostly fella is probably not going to appear there again while everyone's watching and expecting it.

The last time we went, about 3 weeks ago, we went with some new friends John and Nancy. They are from Yuma, and are very nice people. We did the pictures at the "spot", and John did say that a couple of the pictures that he took there turned out dark. Hmmm. I also may have caught something when I was taking a picture of the legend inside the hotel. Looks like there's an orb on the right side of this picture.

We ate at the Oatman Hotel restaurant, first time it had been open this year while we were there. They have singers ~ who are also the gunfighters.

The walls are covered with dollar bills that have been initialed and signed by visitors.

According to the history lesson given by one of the singer/gunfighters, the dollar bills on the walls of bars originated back in the old mining/cowboy days. The miner would give the bar a dollar with his initials on it, the barkeep would put it up on the wall, and that miner could drink until his dollar was spent. Forerunner of keeping a tab, I guess. The restaurant serves buffalo burgers, which are supposed to be awesome, but I had the patty melt that day. (I've had buffalo burgers before, and they are good). They also have what they call 'burro ears', which are huge homemade potato chips.

It was raining when we arrived in town, so the burros were in hiding. After we ate, it had stopped raining, and a little while later we saw the burros coming up the road heading into town.

One of the baby burros decided to chase a car driving up the road. That little burro was going all out to catch that car. I tried to get a picture of it, but all I was able to get was the burro heading back to the others after someone called it off the car.

We had a nice day of shopping and visiting. John had ordered a tshirt at the hotel and while we were waiting for it, Nancy decided to check something out across the street. As she was crossing the street, a burro came up to her. She thought it just wanted to be petted, but instead, it grabbed her bag and ripped it open, dumping her belongings in the street.

He was looking for carrots. Seeing that she didn't have any, the burro wandered on, found a lady with carrots, and grabbed the entire bag from her. Sneaky burro.

Look at me!

2009-08-31T12:41:00.000-07:00

Hey, look at me! I can get up high and spy on everybody in the room. The best thing is, no one can see me!

Hey, wait a minute! If no one can see me, how did someone see me? Hmmm.........

Wow, it's been a while

2009-08-17T15:41:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been so long since I updated this blog. I am planning to be more diligent about updating.

A lot has been going on lately ~ I promise to share all soon.

Until then,
Beth

Photo credit:
D Sharon Pruitt via Flickr
Pink Sherbet Photography

Vegas & Jeff Dunham

2009-07-03T17:32:00.000-07:00

The hubby and I are heading to Vegas tomorrow for the weekend. Our anniversary was Wednesday (the 1st) and we got married in Vegas last year, so this is our anniversary trip/present to ourselves.

We're heading up Saturday morning, will play all day, and then Saturday night we have tickets to see Jeff Dunham at Caesar's Palace. I can't wait, it should be an awesome show. I love Jeff Dunham, and all his puppets, Peanut, Walter, Bubba J, Jose Jalapeno (on a stiiick). My favorite though is Achmed the Dead Terrorist. Silence...I kill you!

We'll be back on Sunday, and I'll review his show. In the meantime, enjoy this clip!

Newberry Springs CA

2009-07-03T15:57:00.000-07:00

We went camping near Newberry Springs California recently and drove part of Route 66 from Newberry Springs to Barstow. Here are some of the pictures we took along the road near Newberry Springs. We took more pictures in Barstow, but those will be in another entry.

The road itself, near Newberry Springs.

Ben was wearing his Route 66 shirt that day.

Me, in the road.

The lava fields along side the road in California.

The Bagdad Cafe, where the movie (also called Out of Rosenheim) was filmed in 1987.
Not sure what motel this was, but it's directly west of the Bagdad Cafe.

According to the Newberry Springs website, this service station was once a Whiting Brothers station.

This is the old Newberry Market...it was a general store, gas station, and bus stop. It now houses Deel Plumbing.

RIP Farrah and Michael

2009-06-25T16:14:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a rough day as far as celebrity deaths are concerned. Two icons of my generation are no longer with us.

First, there was the news this morning that Farrah Fawcett had passed away.

Her death was not totally unexpected, since she'd been sick for several years with anal cancer. I wasn't a huge Charlie's Angels fan, but I did have the Farrah Fawcett hair.

Then, just this afternoon, the report of Michael Jackson's death.

That one was a surprise.

I'd been working at the computer all day, and first saw vague mentions on Facebook that Jackson had been taken to the hospital. After numerous conflicting reports on both the web and the television news sources, it was finally confirmed. And it's still hard to swallow.

I mean, I was never a huge Jackson 5 or MJ fan. But, the Jackson 5 was big, along with The Osmonds and David Cassidy, when I was a youngster and a pre-teen in the late 60's/early 70's. ABC, Rockin' Robin, and I'll Be There, were all as well-played in my house as Puppy Love, One Bad Apple, and I Think I Love You. And, in the 80's, I remember going to the Jackson Victory Tour concert at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. I think I still have the ticket stub somewhere.

MJ was a weird, weird man; there's no denying that. But, he was also a talented man. And a very famous man. The news reports were saying that perhaps he is, or was, the most famous person in the world. Was he a child molester? I think, if he was, that he truly believed he did nothing wrong. I think he was just a man who never grew up; who was misguided, and misunderstood. He did a lot of things in his life that were, well, odd. Marrying Lisa Marie Presley. Dangling his son over a balcony. The whole appearance change. Bubbles the chimp. The Moonwalk. I think his creation of Neverland Ranch said it all. He really was a 'Lost Boy'. Hopefully, he's not lost any longer.

My thoughts and prayers are with both the Fawcett family and friends; and the Jackson family and friends.

Photos from Superiorpics.com

Prayer request

2009-06-20T18:07:00.000-07:00

I recently found out that the girlfriend of a friend of mine was involved in a tragic car accident a while back. This accident killed the person the girl was with, and left her in a coma. Please pray for a speedy recovery for K. (the girlfriend), her family and friends, and for my friend as well.

Deer Tribe Metis Medicine Society

2009-05-28T15:29:00.000-07:00

The Deer Tribe Metis Medicine Society is a non-profit organization headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona. They have a world-wide network of lodges and affiliated organizations. The society was founded in 1986 by Harley SwiftDeer Reagan for the purpose of teaching the Sweet Medicine SunDance Path.

The Sweet Medicine SunDance Path is a spiritual practice that has evolved from Turtle Island and the Twisted Hairs medicine men and women. According to the Deer Tribe Metis Medicine Society website, "SMSD offers teachings, lectures, workshops, classes, ceremonial opportunities, publications and learning tools to anyone who seeks knowledge, healing, spiritual self-development and physical mastery."

The Deer Tribe Metis Medicine Society reaches out to their communities by offering study groups, workshops, community ceremonies, rite of passage ceremonies, and more in an effort to instill future generations with knowledge, power, beauty and freedom.

Shasta Pools

2009-05-28T13:37:00.000-07:00

It gets hot in Arizona. Really hot. But, it's a dry heat. Sincerely. I come from the Midwest, and you don't know heat until you have 100% humidity, and it's NOT raining.

Pools are a great thing, whether you're in the Midwest or in Arizona. If you're in Arizona, you should check out Shasta Pools. They are the largest builder of swimming pools in Arizona, located in the Valley area. There are five Shasta Pools locations. They offer residential and commercial services, from designing and installing new pools and spas, remodeling existing pools, and providing supplies to keep your pool or spa ready for use.

Shasta Pools recently designed and installed a pool at one of the student housing projects on the Tempe campus of Arizona State University. Shasta Pools has designed and installed pools for universities all over Arizona, including the University of Phoenix and Grand Canyon University. If my dorm had included a pool when I was in college in the Midwest, I might have been able to survive those Midwest summers in style.

YMT Vacations

2009-05-27T17:14:00.000-07:00

Have you thought about where you might take your vacation this year? YMT Vacations offers a variety of discount vacation packages. They specialize in tours and cruises for adult travelers, and they have been in business since 1967.

YMT Vacations offers cruises to such destinations as Hawaii, Alaska, and many European cities. Many of their cruises include a land tour either before or after the cruise. Prices are reasonable, and they even offer a price guarantee where they will refund the difference if you find the identical tour advertised with another agency at a lower price.

YMT Vacations also has a wide selection of domestic and international land tours. Destinations include Germany, Hawaii, National Parks of the Golden West, and Autumn Leaves tours of the Northeastern United States.

My encounter with an Oatman Hotel ghost

2009-05-27T16:02:00.000-07:00

Oatman, Arizona is a living ghost town west of Kingman. It is located in the Black Mountains on old Route 66. We have visited there a few times since we moved here. It was originally a mining town, and once the mines ran dry, it was virtually abandoned. When the miners moved out, they left their burros. Today, descendants of these burros roam the streets of Oatman daily. It's kind of fun to see the animals wandering the streets. Someone told me that one of the burros is Oatman's mayor. I haven't been able to verify that though.

Anyway, in Oatman is the Oatman Hotel. Clark Gable and Carole Lombard spent their honeymoon here after being wed in Kingman. Rumor has it that the Oatman Hotel is haunted. I encountered one of its ghosts on our last visit there.

This was a couple of months ago. The lobby area of the hotel has a bar/restaurant, a small snack bar and a gift shop. The walls are covered with framed pictures and newspaper articles of the hotel. There is a staircase that takes you to the upper floor, which is a museum. You can see the guest rooms, including the room that Gable and Lombard stayed in, as well as one used by John Wayne. They were doing some repairs/renovations to the upper floor, so it was closed the last time we were there. My stepson and his girlfriend have been there more recently, and according to them, it's still closed. I'm not sure when it's scheduled to reopen.

Anyway, we had my father-in-law with us, so he was looking around the gift shop with my husband. I was standing near the foot of the stairs, in a little hallway next to the gift shop. I'm there reading some of the newspaper articles they have on the wall. I turn around, and I feel something pass THROUGH me. I'm positive it was one of the ghosts said to be at the hotel. I felt it enter on my left, pass through my body, and exit on the right. My husband happened to be looking at me at the time, and he said I got the strangest expression on my face. He said to me, you just saw one didn't you? (I see ghosts often). I said no, I felt one.

That was a new experience for me. I've seen ghosts, I've felt their presence, but I've never actually had physical contact with one before. It was definitely a weird experience, but not unpleasant.

The Job Hunting Blues

2009-05-27T13:43:00.000-07:00

I don't understand why people are so narrow-minded. Especially potential employers. In my recent experience, I've come to realize that when employers (at least the employers here) look at a resume, they look only at the industry/job title, and NOT the duties/responsibilities.

For instance:

I spent 24 years in one particular industry. In that 24 years, I did many jobs, gained a lot of skills.....Yes, my last title was a management position, so that is what is reflected on my resume....but I had to climb the ladder to get there. And, the nature of my job/industry required me to do what many would call entry-level or non-management/administrative tasks.

Yet, none of that is taken into account when I apply for jobs here.

A little backstory:

My husband and I left good paying jobs in the city, at our own choosing, to move 1400 miles away to a small town in the desert Southwest. We both knew that we would not find jobs in our respective industries, as those jobs, or anything similar, do not exist here. We understood that.

What we didn't realize was that the skills we gained in our jobs are of no use to us here either...and I'm talking general skills like customer service....

So....

I've have applied for countless jobs here that are customer service...only to be told that I'm "not qualified". I'm sorry, but all 24 years of my previous occupation included customer service. And that is reflected on my resume. I've even revamped my resume so that I have included a "Skills" section before "Work Experience".

That's just the first problem I've run into. The second problem is that I've also applied for entry-level and/or non-management positions, and have had interviews, and the response I've gotten is that "you wouldn't be happy". How the f--- do they know? If I didn't think I'd be happy with the job, I doubt I would have applied in the first place.

The third problem is discrimination, although no one will admit it, and I can't be positive that's what's going on....but I have my suspicions. I believe there's some age discrimination at work...I'm almost 50, and even though they can't ask you your age on applications, they can ask you when you graduated from high school/college, and anyone who can do math can probably figure out my age. I also believe that, subconsciously at least, my facial paralysis is playing a factor in my not getting some jobs. I have slight facial paralysis on the right side of my face, most prominent when I smile (it's slightly lopsided). It's just a feeling, but I believe there are a couple of jobs I didn't get because of that.

Fourth, I think my resume scares the crap out of some employers. I interviewed for one position in which I was more knowledgeable than the person who interviewed me, who would have been my supervisor. I firmly believe I did not get that position because the interviewer was afraid I'd take their job. Frankly, I didn't want their job~I wanted the job I had applied for.

I get frustrated, I get depressed. It especially irks me when I see jobs I applied for, and got interviews for, advertised again within a few months because the person they hired didn't work out.

I have a strong work ethic, I don't 'job hop' (two jobs in 24 years should reinforce that, don't you think), and I'm willing to do just about anything, but none of that seems to matter. I even went to an employment agency, and they took one look at my resume, saw my past job title/industry, and told me they couldn't help me because there was nothing like that here.

I'm not having much luck in my freelance writing foray either.

I give up.

What's that street again?

2009-05-12T16:48:00.000-07:00

Being relatively new in town, I'm not always familiar with some of the side streets. Driving around one day looking for yard sales, I looked at the street sign to see what street I was on.

Here's what I saw:

I did a double take, because I was sure I hadn't seen what I'd thought I'd seen. However, on second glance, I saw the same spelling I had the first time...STHEPENS...odd name for a street I thought, maybe it's a regional thing.

But next block, same street:

STEPHENS... spelled correctly.

Frankly, I can't believe that no one has caught this, or that it even got posted in the first place.

No wonder I can't find a decent job in this town...I can spell.

History demolished

2009-05-08T13:26:00.000-07:00

Kingman is getting a new Walgreens store at the corner of Stockton Hill Road and Andy Devine Avenue (Route 66). In order to build the Walgreens, they've torn down several Rt 66 buildings. Gone are the old City/Hot Rod Cafe which was at the corner, a couple of smaller buildings that most recently housed a furniture store, and the Imperial Motel on Route 66.

When we moved here in August of last year, the motel and the furniture store were still in business, but the cafe was not. Now, less than a year later, none of these buildings even exist.

Here's a picture of the corner when everything was still standing. I thought I had a better picture of the corner, but this is all I could find.

These two were taken shortly after demolition started, a few weeks ago.

Progress. Sometimes it's not a good thing.

Top Entrecard droppers for April

2009-05-06T16:13:00.000-07:00

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