Holy, Life-Changing Events...

I got a new job. 

It happened yesterday and I start tomorrow.

My head is reeling.

Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore...

Miscellany Monday

uno

I found a black widow in my house this weekend. I nearly had a heart attack, but I captured it in a jar, killed it with a dose of isopropyl alcohol, and saved it for Dirty to see. I DO. NOT. like spiders! Especially the most venomous spider in North America. It may be time to call the exterminator.

dos

I can't believe that it will be September this week. Where does the time go? I keep reading on lots of blogs that people are ready for fall. I am ready for the weather to get a little cooler and the election season to be over.

tres

We're heading up north this weekend to our family ranch. I can't wait! Rumor has it that all of the moisture we've had this summer has turned everything green and beautiful! I'll make sure and take lots of pictures!

A before picture. We'll see if the after looks different.

cuatro

On Saturday afternoon, I attended Zumba with Match, and on my way home I stopped by H&M's house to pick up some eggs and visit. About an hour and a half into visiting with M and her sister, I was thinking to myself, I need to get home - I have a million things to do. Then it occurred to me that I am extremely lucky to have the ability to sit down and visit with 3 of my 4 grandparents. It was a nice revelation.

Step 1: Admitting the Problem

It's official.

I am addicted.

I don't know how I let it go this far.

I tried to stop.

But the deliciously creamy mix of macaroni and cheese got me.

I didn't mention before, but earlier this week I had a mild mental breakdown. It wasn't anything to be concerned about - I was exhausted and hungry. I started crying because I didn't know if I should eat or go to sleep.

It was Day 4 of "Eat Right or Die" and everything I wanted to eat was not good for me.

So I just went to bed.

But in light of that episode I thought that I needed some comfort food the next night.

The greatest combination of food ever: Macaroni and Cheese!

However, seeing as how I was trying to avoid carbs and gluten, this wasn't really in the plan.

I decided that gluten-free mac'n'cheese was a good compromise.

So, I found a recipe on PW for mac'n'cheese and modified it to be gluten-free and it. was. DELISH!

Someone please come eat the leftovers.

Now.

I'll eat the whole pan otherwise.

I have a problem.

And admitting it is the first step.

This Made Me Laugh

So I thought I'd share...

"We were incompatible in a lot of ways. Like for example, I was a night person, and he didn't like me."

- Wendy Liebman

The Ones Who Matter Most

Do you have those people in your life who you can pick up with no matter how long it has been since the last time you talked?

Who have made a difference in your life through what they have done or said?

I am fortunate to have those kinds of friends.

There are some people I have encountered in my life who have truly changed me for good.

Today I was reminded of one of them. Someone who taught me that it was OK to just be who I was. A difficult lesson for a codependent middle child (one I still struggle with.)

Someone who went through a pretty serious bump in the road and came out stronger for it. Teaching me that things may not always be what they seem.

A person who I don't see, or even talk to, very often. But who I know would be there if I ever needed them.

Do you have a person like this in your life? 

Tell them!

Seriously. Stop reading right now and call them. Or text them. Or email them. Or send them flowers.

Let them know what they mean to you.

None of us know what tomorrow will bring. Life is often too short.

Do not let another minute pass.

Everyone wants to know that they matter - that they've made a difference for someone else.

Wednesday Wisdom on Thursday

I've totally lost my mind.

Yesterday was Wednesday and I forgot to give you wisdom...

This one is for SuperFan - she suffered an emotional defeat in Tuesday's primary and I think she needs a little extra encouragement.

"What is defeat? Nothing but education; nothing but the first step to something better."

- Wendell Phillips

I firmly believe that you have to lose a few tough ones to really appreciate the wins. And trust me, SuperFan - I've lost a few. And they weren't easy, but I learned and moved forward.

So hang in there! This is the first step to something better. We may not know what that something is, but keep your eyes open, it will be revealed.

I'm Going to Give That Murphy Guy a Piece of My Mind

My nephews (and sister and brother-in-law) came home from their 10-day vacation on Saturday night.

Being away from my babies for that long had caused a serious case of withdrawals, so I was hoping that Sissy and the boys would make the trek out to Match's house on Sunday to see all of us. 

No such luck.

Match called me Sunday morning to tell me that she and PapaBear would be heading to M-Town around 10 am to have lunch at Sissy's house and did I want to ride with them.

As I may have mentioned before, I like to spend Sundays getting ready for Mondays (which is one of the main reasons I think weekends should be three days long, but whatever), and that usually entails laundry, grocery shopping, and cooking.

I may have also mentioned somewhere in the past that when you go to Sissy's or run errands with her - you get sucked into a strange black-hole-type time-warp and before you know it, seven days have passed and you haven't gotten anything done.

(Ok, maybe not seven days, but you get the picture.)

So I was a little stressed out about what time we would return back to our side of the valley. Match promised me that I could take SuperFan's truck and leave whenever I wanted.

The time came for me to leave and SuperFan decided that she would come with me in her truck. So I made her drive - totally reasonable, right?

We headed into Phoenix and started running my errands - Bed, Bath & Beyond and Sprouts - and were headed home when SuperFan decided that she wanted to stop at Old Navy real quick.

I was going to stay in the car while she ran in, so she parked the truck, got out, closed the door, then opened the door and got back in.

"I ran over a bolt and my tire is leaking air. If we don't go home now, we won't make it."

Ok, so she started driving and I called AAA, we thought we were so smart.

I'm telling the lady that we are at Match's house and need a tired changed and SuperFan is driving as reasonably as she can to make it home before the tire goes completely flat.

I hung up with the lady and all of the sudden we hear this weird noise. Like metal hitting metal. And we look at each other.

Then, the tire was flat.

We barely made it to the shoulder.

Of course, there is road construction going on so the shoulder is not big, and we're about as close to the line as possible without going over.

So SuperFan calls AAA back to tell them that we've had a location change.

The lady asks if we need Highway Patrol to come and we agree that it would be best considering our proximity to the cars going between 65 and 75 miles per hour next to us. Then she tells us they would be on their way and the tow truck would be there within the hour.

Then we wait. Of course, because I have million things to do and vegetables in the car, we had to get a flat tire and wait an hour for the tow truck to come save us.

While we were waiting these very nice young gentlemen stopped to see if we needed help. We assured them that help was indeed on the way and thanked them profusely - commenting on how there are still good people in the world.

Then while we were waiting for the Highway Patrol officer to arrive, another guy stopped. Only he didn't really want to take no for an answer. He was seriously trying to talk us into letting him change our tire, which was on the side of the truck next to the high-speed vehicles.

We were getting a little freaked out when the police officer finally arrived.

He pulled up behind us and then came over to my side of the truck to talk. We had matching sunglasses, only in different colors. And now I want them in his color too...

Mine are on the left, his on the right - find them online here

So he tells us that we need to move the truck so that when the tow truck comes, he can change the tire without shutting down the lanes of traffic.

We were a little skeptical, seeing as how the tire had absolutely no air left in it and we didn't want to bend the rim, but he said he thought we'd be fine so we trusted him. We were only about 100 feet from the off-ramp and we figured that we would just get to the part where there was enough dirt shoulder to pull over.

So that's what we did.

Our police officer friend left, and the tow truck arrived.

It didn't take long before the bad tire was off, the new tire was on, and we were on our way.

All in all, it was about an hour and all of my vegetables survived in the air conditioned truck. I even got home in enough time to prepare two different dishes for lunches and dinners for the week. So all was not lost.

But I'm telling you what, that SuperFan really knows how to flatten a tire. I don't think they're going to be able to repair that one.

1, 2, 3 - Zumba!

As I mentioned yesterday, I did Zumba on Saturday morning with Match and SuperFan.

It was fun, but I didn't feel like it was a very good workout. So Match told me that I had to try the class on Monday and Wednesday night - the teacher is on crack.

I was talking to Lynsky about it on Saturday afternoon and decided that I had to at least go for the entertainment.

Oh my word - entertainment is an understatement.

I wish I had a picture of this woman.

She can't be a day younger than 60 and she is freaking built! I don't think any part of her jiggled.

And she LOVES Zumba!

First of all, she walked in wearing pants that said Zumba on the leg and a tank top that said Zumba like 5 times down the front.

And then class started.

When I was in elementary school we were separated by gender for PE - and the girls teacher used to make us do these workout tapes. There was a lot of Sweatin' to the Oldies, and some other equally cheesy videos. And the person leading the video would always be super perky and say things like, "Smile, Ladies, we're burning fat!!"

This was similar.

Times 10.

The music started and she starts doing the routine and we're all following along (well, except for the guy whose wife makes him come and he has no idea what he is doing and looks miserable).

Then she just starts yelling out, "Yes!" and "Harder!"

It was out of control! 

I was standing next to Lynsky and we were cracking up.

I seriously wish that I could video her for you.

There is some speculation that she was a stripper in a past life because during one of the songs she tells us to go freestyle and her "freestyle" moves are a little risqué. 


I will be going back. And I'll try to at least get a picture of the teacher, just so you can have a visual.

Miscellany Monday

one

My nephews are home! I went up yesterday to see them - all is right in the world now!

Match bought them cap guns - a little "Welcome back to the Wild West" gift.

two

On Saturday morning I did Zumba with Match and SuperFan. Talk about hilarious! Match is a lot of things, coordinated while dancing is not one of them. I think I got more of a workout from laughing than actually following the teacher.

three

I was in the vehicle that had this tire on it:

I'll tell you more about that later. It was nothing short of an adventure.

four

We had lunch on Saturday with the aunts and female cousins on Match's side so that everyone could see Freckles and the baby while they were in town. It was hilarious. Seriously - my family is crazy fun! We are loud. And a little nutty. But we ALWAYS have a good time. I'm a lucky girl!

Grounded

In yesterday's post I mentioned a story about when BFL, Sissy, and I were grounded from the car, which just happened to be a super-sick Dodge Grand Caravan. (No, I'm not kidding.)

I was talking to Match last night about the post and we started talking about that story and I started crying because I was laughing so hard, so I thought I would share with all of you.

(I looked for pictures of the minivan, but couldn't find any - sorry.)

(Match, do you remember what year the model we had was?)

Anyway, back to the story.

Let me set the stage for you:

BFL was 19, Sissy was 14, and I was 13. We typically spent our mornings "chopping cotton" on my uncle's farm. Match.mom was our crew boss.

BFL was pretty much living with us during the summer and her family lived next door.

We spent a lot of nights "cruising" in the van. (Match you may want to stop reading real quick...) We were the fastest car in town - the only car that could beat us was Vinnie's El Camino. And we used to do things like spin donuts in the lot at the cotton gin down the road, and jump the railroad tracks in Valencia.

The great thing about the van was that it fit a lot of us. We're talking BFL, Sissy, Rejuba, YogaHippy, Freckles, Quintomom, and me.

So, one night BFL, Sissy, and I were hanging out, jumping on the trampoline and wasting time when this crazy girl came over and basically kidnapped BFL's younger brother (I think he may have been 17 at the time.)

We weren't going to stand for that, but it was late and Match and Papa were sleeping. We didn't want to wake them up with something as silly as, "Can we take the car to find BFL's brother?"

Instead, we put it in neutral, pushed it out of the carport, started it up and headed into town. I really don't know how long we were gone, but it didn't seem like very long to me.

However, when we returned Match was standing in the carport in her nightgown with BFL's mom and they DID. NOT. Look. Happy.

We pulled into the carport, got of the car and the proverbial shit hit the fan!

Match was yelling the F-word (I think it was the first time I ever heard her use it.) BFL's dad apparently got in his car and went looking for us. (Kind of silly considering we lived in the middle of nowhere and there was no telling where we would have gone.) They were all worried, what if something happened, blah, blah, blah. This was in the time before cell phones.

Match was yelling like we'd never heard her yell before. Sissy and I went into the laundry room (which was not attached to the house) for some reason and we lost BFL. Assuming she went home we ran into our house and got into our beds fully dressed. I'm pretty sure we even had shoes on.

We were laying there, pretending to be asleep, when Match opened our bedroom door and in an angry voice said, "Have you seen BFL?" We said that we didn't know where she was and Match said, "Well if you see her, tell her that her mom is looking for her."

I don't know what Sissy was thinking, but I was thinking It is unlikely that I'm going to see her, I am going to stay in this bed, in these clothes, until I think you have calmed down. If I have to stay here for 3 weeks, so be it. (Match is very scary when she's angry.)

About five minutes after Match left, we hear a strange noise coming from our closet.

The closet in our room was not quite a walk-in, but it was close. It was also full of the clothing, shoes, and other belongings of two and half teenage girls - it was not a safe place to be in the dark.

We lay there a little longer and then we hear it again.

It sounded like a baby kitten was in our closet.

So Sissy and I get out of bed and open the closet door to find BFL stuck in the corner.

It turns out that when we ran to the laundry room, she ran to the closet and was trying to hide when she tripped over a suitcase or something and then got stuck.

I can't remember if she got out of the closet and went home to face her mom, but I do know that we never "borrowed" the van again without permission.

And BFL's brother made it home safe.

But he still has a thing for attracting crazy broads!

And you NEVER. I repeat, NEVER. Want to meet an angry Match.mom in the carport in her nightgown.

If you get there, light a fire in the house, it'll be easier to deal with.

(Just kidding, Match. I love you!)

Happy Birthday! - UPDATEDx2

Happy Birthday to SuperFan today!

In honor of her birthday, I thought I'd tell you a few of my favorite things about my mini-me.

How cute is she?

• On the day that SuperFan was born, PapaBear was taking Sissy, Bunner, and me to the hospital to see her. It happened to be an overcast day. During the drive, PapaBear was telling us that they had not yet chosen a name for our new baby sister and asked if we had any suggestions. Bunner looked out the car window and asked, "Can we name her Cloudy Sky?"

Bunner and SuperFan in matching Christmas PJs

• She also loved to dress herself, from a very young age. Sometimes she would walk into the kitchen wearing a polka dot shirt and striped shorts and we would say, "SuperFan, that doesn't match." Without missing a beat she would respond (pointing to a pink polka dot and a pink stripe simultaneously), "Yes it does. Pink to pink."

• She took dance classes when she was pretty small and she was always a character on stage. One year for her recital she had a costume that was blue, pink, and yellow, with a little skirt. After that recital, I bet she wore that outfit every day for a year.

• She used to sing the words of songs wrong! One of her favorites was Tracy Lawrence's If the Good Die Young - only she would walk around the house with headphones on singing, "If the good dieyo." 

• Sissy was ALWAYS late (still is). So when we were in school, we'd all be piled into our minivan - BFL, her brother, Match, Bunner, SuperFan, and me - waiting on Sissy. Every day we would try to leave her, and every day, SuperFan would hold the sliding door on the van open crying because she didn't want to leave Sissy behind. (I still contend that if we would have left her a couple of times back then, she would be more respectful of other people's time today...)

SuperFan and Sissy in matching sweatshirts - we sure like to match a lot...

• One summer, BFL, Sissy, YogaHippy, and I wanted to go shopping so Match made us take SuperFan with us. (We were just getting our car privileges back - having been grounded for sneaking the car out one night to find BFL's brother.) One of our favorite things to do back in those days was to "cruise town" in the minivan (don't laugh - we were awesome!). So after a day of shopping we decided that we needed to cruise for a while, despite it being very close to our curfew. We ran across some friends of ours and they started a water fight with us. Needless to say, we were late, but we had some great story for why we were late. Superfan totally ruined it the next morning when we woke up and she told Match, "We had a water fight with the boys." We were grounded from the car again.

• When I was in college, SuperFan would come and visit sometimes. One time, when IT and I lived in our super small apartment, she came for like a week or something before we went on vacation. A couple of days she went to work with me and a couple of days she stayed home with IT. One afternoon, both IT and I were home and we were cooking and needed something from the grocery store, which was just across the street. (Ok, it may have been a major thoroughfare...) So we sent SuperFan to get it. Walking. She couldn't have been more than 13 years old at the time. She acted like we abused her. (Of course she still talks about the trauma to this day. I was just trying to help her develop her independence and confidence - I think it worked.)

• SuperFan has never met a stranger. She has 1,350 Facebook friends and I would bet that she communicates with at least 75% of them on a regular basis.

• I CAN NOT believe I almost forgot this one... For as long as I can remember, SuperFan has loved to bake! She used to bake cookies like it was her job, but for some reason she would always make chocolate chip cookies and they would not spread out, they would stay in balls. So one time she was baking cookies and, unbeknown to any of us, she had decided to experiment. As always, her cookies were shaped like balls and in a container in the kitchen. We all sat around the kitchen table talking when Bunner picked up a cookie and took a bite. All of the sudden he spit it out, and yelled, "What in the hell is this?" SuperFan had decided to put coconut in the middle of a couple of cookies to see how it would taste, but she forgot to mark them, so when they came out of the oven they were put into the pile with everything else. Her response, "Oh, I was looking for that one."

• I just talked to SuperFan and she reminded me of something else - she is crazy emotional! The girl will cry at the drop of a hat! Example: when she read this blog. She is funny that way.

There are a million stories and memories. She is a great sister and friend!

Happy Birthday, SuperFan! I hope you have a most fabulous day!

Wednesday Wisdom

"Don't get so caught up in the daily grind that you never find any time to enjoy yourself."

-Fortune Cookie

O'Dub gave me that fortune out of one of his cookies a while back and it sits in the glass under my desk (I tried to take a picture, but it didn't turn out) as a reminder each day to find the joy in life.

So Sorry...

I promised another post last night and didn't deliver.

There was a monsoon on the drive home which made traffic ridiculous.

Then Freckles and her sweet, sweet baby came over and I just couldn't stop loving on him until it was time for everyone to go to bed.

So, here is your Tuesday afternoon post:

I have signed up the the Women's Half Marathon in Arizona on November 7. 

My goal is to run it in two hours and thirty minutes, which is 17 minutes less than my January race.

So I bought a 12-week training program and I'm hoping it will help!

Also, I am racing as part of the Marathon for the Cure. If you are interested in making a donation to Susan G. Komen for the Cure in support of my race (and please don't feel like you have to), you can visit my personal page to do that.

Design

Bear with me as I struggle through this blog design nightmare...

I lack a lot of creativity, especially in the design realm, and I want my blog to reflect who I am so I'm struggling.

It'll all get better soon.

(And I'll have a real post later this evening...)

Just Another Manic Monday!

one.

I did it! I got new running shoes this weekend!

I woke up Sunday morning and looked at the ads before deciding to head to Sports Authority. They had lots of shoes on sale, so I figured I would try on a few pair and make a decision. Wouldn't you know it - the ones I wanted were not on sale. But good running shoes are essential, so I sucked it up and headed to the counter to check out. Then one of the nice men at the store gave me a 25% off coupon. It was awesome!

sidenote: I LOVE Saucony running shoes! If you are a runner and haven't tried them - you should!

two.

I have been going back and forth on whether to sign up for the 5K or half marathon race on November 7. Two things happened this weekend that made me decide to go for the half. Wish me luck!

three.

It turns out that I work out at the same gym as one of my clients. On Friday, the two of us had to head down to Yuma for some meetings and on our way home we started talking about lifting weights. (This dude is HUGE!) I was telling him that I really would like to build up some upper-body strength to help me in boxing (my arms get a little fatigued if I throw a lot of punches), but I am intimidated by the weights at the gym. He told me that he would help me! I'm so excited! Lean muscle, here I come!

four.

My nephews have now been gone for five days and I'm DYING! I'm about to fly to North Dakota to get them!

Look how cute they are! I can't be expected to live without them for ten days!

Getting Into Fighting Shape

Back in like March, I signed up for boxing lessons.

I was looking for a new workout experience and there was a boxing gym near my office, and I thought, what the heck, I'll give this a try.

Now, let me make something very clear right now. When I signed up for boxing, I had no intentions of ever getting in the ring. I just wanted a nice workout. Some toned arms.

I think it was my second lesson when my coach said, "We'll have you in the ring in no time."

I laughed. 

I thought he was joking.

You may remember that when I returned from vacation he had me start sparring. I continued that for a couple of weeks, once a week.

I do agree with him that sparring is the only way to really learn how to fight. It is easy to punch a bag when it doesn't punch back, but when you have to start thinking about blocking, counter punching, and moving - shit gets a little complicated.

I'm telling you - try it once, you will have a greater respect for boxers.

On Monday, I headed to the gym for my 5:30 lesson and while he was wrapping my hands we started talking about training. And he said something to the effect of: "Kind of like when you came in here you weren't ready for a fight, you started training. But I think you are getting really close."

Excuse me, Officer!

I am not close to ready for a fight because I don't have any intention of accepting one.

After my hands were wrapped he told me that we were going through a "peak conditioning session."

I am not in peak condition!

Yesterday I went in for my second lesson of the week and he starts talking about "getting into fighting shape."

Then puts me through a pull-up, push-up, shoulder press set that will make you want to cry. Trust me - I almost did.

And then some more conditioning, then we move to the mitts.

I am really starting to get concerned that he is negotiating a fight without my knowledge...

Wednesday Wisdom and a few videos to support it

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."

-George Orwell

Miscellany Monday

Here we go again. Another Monday. Another weekend full of things I didn't get done.

{uno.} I still need new running shoes. Though it was at the top of my list to get some this weekend, time got away from me and I never got the opportunity to hit the store. It MUST happen by this weekend. Things are getting out of hand!

{dos.} One of the things that I did instead of buy running shoes was to make these delightful Oatmeal Creme Pies from Cheyenne's blog. WOW! Most. Delicious. Cookies. Ever! You should make them! Now!

{tres.} Unless you are on a diet. Like I am. Starting this morning. And I'm serious about it! Banana is going to be upset when she realizes that I am not going to eat fry bread tonight, but I can't break my diet on the first day. I have too many weddings coming up.

{cuatro.} I think I may have mentioned before how much I love music. And I believe that I've even told you that I love Eric Church more than a person should love someone they've never met before... Well, friends, he is coming to Arizona! With Miranda Lambert. I CAN. NOT. FREAKING. WAIT! Come on, December 9!!

{cinco.} Freckles comes to town next week with her brand new baby boy! I'm so excited to meet him and hold him and love him! And catch up with her. It has been far too long! I'll leave you with an adorable picture of the sweet baby and you can all be jealous!

Ok - I gave you two because I couldn't stop myself.

We're Going Camping In The Woods!

When I originally typed the title of this post it made me think of the Strawberry Shortcake movie with the camping trip.

So I had to take a break before writing this and rub a little google on "Strawberry Shortcake Camping Movie."

And I found it!

And then it made me want to go rent all of the Strawberry Shortcake movies.

And Rainbow Brite.

OMG, and the Huggabunch movie!!

So I just had to pull up a clip from it:

Listen closely right about the 1:00 mark. No wonder I loved this movie!

Ok, back to the story at hand.

It was our freshman year of college. IT and I weren't roommates yet, she was still involved in WWIII: The Battle of Rubbish.

My suite mate, Crest*, and her boyfriend wanted to go camping and they wanted to take IT and me along.

I'll stop right here and tell you that IT is a city girl of the highest order. I love her for it, but the lady does not like to rough it. 

And while I'm a country girl, camping had never really been my thing. (Except the few times in high school when we all got drunk in the desert and slept in the backs of trucks.)

Wanting to be "joiners," IT and I agreed to the camping trip.

Assignments were given and IT and I were in charge of food and our own sleeping bags (I think). They gave us a few suggestions of what to bring and we took care of it.

They were in charge of all camping gear - tents, utensils for cookings, firewood, etc.

We loaded up the boyfriend's truck and headed up to Mt. Lemmon.

It was the first weekend of December.

We got to the campsite (which had real toilets - we weren't ready for full immersion) and started unloading the truck.

We set up the tent, unloaded the food, and started drinking. Then we asked the boyfriend to start a fire.

He forgot the fire wood.

I am not kidding you - it was FREEZING outside and we had no way to build a fire.

This was not looking good.

So, IT and I took a little walk to try to find something to light on fire. No luck.

So we started drinking heavily.

By 7 pm, it was pitch black and we were buzzed and cold.

So we went to bed.

The next morning we were up with the sun.

IT and I again went for a walk to appreciate nature or some such bullshit and we devised a plan.

We got back to the campsite and told Crest and her boyfriend to go find us some firewood.

While they were gone we packed up the entire camp.

To this day I do not know how we managed to take the tent down and put it back in its bag, but we did.

When they returned, the truck was loaded up and IT and I were sitting on the tailgate.

We said, "We're ready to go."

They really had no option, but to get in the truck and take us home.

I don't think either of us have been camping since.