Let's Do This, 2012!

Here we go with the obligatory "new year, new me" post!

I am typically not one for New Year's Resolutions. No particular reason, but I just don't like them.

However, for the last couple of months I have felt like I was kind of negative. A little whiny. Just not someone people would want to be around for a long period of time.

So, we're turning things around in 2012! It is going to be the year defined by me. I am going to make the decisions that are best for me. I'm going to do things for me. I am going to make positive changes and it will benefit everyone!

(And by "we" I mean both of the twins - I'm a Gemini after all.)

2012 will be the year that is defined by me. I will make the decisions that are best for me. I will focus on me. And I believe that this will make me a happier person. Which will benefit everyone!

You know how I love music, and I found the song that says what I want to say:

(Skip forward to the 2:15 mark to begin the song.)

First of all, can we talk about how adorable Johnny Cooper is?? I would like to see an official copy of his birth certificate because I don't believe for a second that he is 23 years old.

I guess that makes me a birther.

Ha!

I am also looking forward to a trip to Thailand! Dates have not been s


et yet, but I'm planning a trip to Thailand probably some time around my birthday!

SO excited!

Some gym goals I have for 2012 include:


- kipping pull-ups
 - 15 consecutive double unders
- rope climb


And I am setting a goal for myself to take at least one instagram picture a day for 365 days.


Wow, 2012 is going to be a busy year!


Finally, in 2010 I posed this from TD Jakes and I think it is a good idea to read it as we start this year.


(Ahem, Superfan, I'm talking to you.)

Behavioral Modifications

One of the girls at work had a few of us over for a holiday lunch yesterday.

Trying to stay paleo is difficult and I typically try to avoid situations in which I do not know what food will be served. But there are some dynamics at work that really required me to attend this particular lunch.

So I did.

It was a mix of former and current employees of the City and it turned out to be fun.

However...

At some point, and I'm not quite sure how, we go on the topic of pets. Now, I don't currently have a pet, but I used to have Ed-dog and I loved him a lot, so I thought I could hang in the convo. 

I was so wrong.

They started talking about cats. And I'll be honest - that's where you lose me.

So one of the women was talking about her new male cat and how she hopes he doesn't start spraying. And something about how they learn that from other cats so she thinks she is safe...blah, blah, blah.

Then one of the other women starts talking about her three cats. Two females, one male - all full-siblings. 

 I missed the part of the story where she told us how long she had them. But what I did hear was that the male randomly started peeing on things in her house.

So what does the logical person do in this situation?

Obviously takes the cat to the vet.

And the vet says that the problem is that the male cat wants to be in charge, but one of the females is in charge, so he is establishing his dominance by peeing on things.

The solution for this issue:

(And I quote,) "We have started using some behavioral modifications. We hold the male on our laps and pet him and love him and if the female cat comes up, we tell her 'no!'"

Seriously, I don't know how I did not start laughing hysterically right there at the table. More importantly, I hope that my facial expressions didn't give me away.

Because when I called Diddy immediately after pulling out of the driveway to tell him the story and he couldn't even understand what I was saying because I was laughing so hard.

Miscellany Monday

I will start by apologizing - I know I do this every week, but I really have no idea why I have not sat down and wrote a few Vegas stories for you.

I'm hoping that 2012 is going to be a better year for me - in a lot of ways.

Here's to hoping that will include more blogging!

one

goin' to the Chapel

No, not me.

IT called last night and it's official - she got the ring! Which, I guess means that I need a name for the boy. 

That might take me awhile - there's a lot of pressure!

Did you ever see the Friends episode where Monica gets engaged and Rachel and Phoebe are talking in the coffee shop about it. And Rachel says something to the effect of, "I'm so happy for her and just a little jealous."

Well, I'm 80/20.

IT, if you're reading this - you know I'm so super excited and I love you! :)

two

picture this

We had our annual family Christmas Party on Saturday night.

We used to have it on Christmas Eve, but Pie Ranch would get frustrated because everyone was always late or rushed so she decided this year to move it up a week.

SO much fun! 

We had a "photo booth" set up and it was a blast!

Check out how adorable Tiny and I are:

I don't really know why my hair looks red in this picture though...


three
perspective


I have been reminded twice this morning that life is short.


So I want to take this opportunity to remind you to tell those you love how you feel about them. 


And please know that I love and appreciate every single one of you (those I know and those I don't) for coming here and reading my crazy.


I love to write - I would write even if no one read, but it is nice to know that someone else is.


So thank you!


four
merry, merry


I hope that all of you have a wonderful Christmas, or whatever holiday it is that you celebrate! 


Now head on over to lowercase letters and read a blog you've never read before!

Keepin' It Miscellaneous

Holy Hannah Montana - I can't believe this is my first December post... I can't believe any of you are still out there reading this thing!

{crickets}

This past weekend was our annual trip to Las Vegas for the National Finals Rodeo and it was one for the books.

I'll do some recaps later in the week (though I'll have to make them PG, remember my parents read this blog...)

For now, you will have to enjoy a few miscellaneous thoughts from the adventure.

one

search and rescue

We've deployed a search and rescue to try and locate Dirty's dignity.

According to DVL* I'm lucky that you can't lose something you never had...

two

cherry vodka

Take it from me, carrying a flask of cherry vodka in your clutch may lead to a marriage proposal, but it will also lead to a headache in the morning.

three

long live cowboys

But not this one - he tried to shoot me.

four

packing up and moving out

Diddy was not excited when he opened the car to put his bag in and found this:

I was not this enthusiastic on the ride home:

Head on over to lowercase letters and link up your random.

Miscellany, miscellany...

one

a little r&r

Guess who was in town for Thanksgiving!!

CageFighter!! It had been two years since I saw him last, and it was SO GREAT to hug him! I know I've said it before, but I adore this guy!!

Which of course got me to thinking about how cute and little he was when I met him 12 years ago...

I mean who wouldn't love that face?!?!

two

fight, fight!

There was a series of cage fights in Phoenix on Saturday night, so I recruited Diddy to head into the ghetto with me to watch them. (And hang out with CageFighter, see above. :))

It was my first live fight experience. I was a little nervous, thinking that I just may hate the whole thing. No worries, though. I LOVED it! 

Diddy tried to tell Dirty that I was yelling all loud and getting into it and he wasn't. But that was not the case. He was into it just as much as I was.

My concern now is that I may have a heart attack when I watch CageFighter live - I didn't even know these guys and I was all riled up!

three

is this really happening?


A couple of weekends ago Diddy and I were standing in my driveway chatting when the guy across the street came out of his garage and asked if he could trim my Palo Verde tree.


Apparently he bought a new tree trimming apparatus and wanted to try it out on my tree, which wasn't overgrown much at all. He used his new tool for a while then walked across the street and got a pair of smaller trimmers and cut a few more branches then, while he was walking away he said, "I forgot to tell you - I do the fun part, you have to do the clean up."


What?? Luckily Diddy was there to help me pick up the pieces.


four
the countdown


In just ten days, Diddy, Dirty, and I will leave AZ headed for Vegas. It is our annual trip for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and we are stoked!!


I'm going out on a limb here, but I think we are going to - WOO - blow it all out!


head on over to Carissa's page and link-up!

The Ride From Snowy River

About a year ago, I shared with you all the story of the end of my horseback riding career. And I had really held to that until our last trip to the ranch last weekend.

On Thursday, Papa and I were talking and he mentioned that on Saturday, he would like to ride from the gate, along the ridge, then down to the hogan. Then told me that if I would like to ride, he would saddle a horse for me. (Hello, passive aggressive, I'm Airplane, nice to meet you.) I said I would go ahead and ride with him.

After all, he made it sound like a leisurely ride. From the gate, along the ridge, down to the hogan. That is basically only one elevation change - I can handle that. 

I was so misled.

We got dropped off at the gate. Then almost immediately went down into the badlands. Rode through there for a little, came back out of the badlands, rode along the ridge, rode back down, back up, back down, and then ran across the open prairie.

Admittedly, that may be a little exaggerated, but not much.

I will agree that the reason I don't like to ride a horse is because I'm a control freak and that is not a situation in which I am in control. But that doesn't make it wrong. It is just the reality of the situation.

What I really don't like is going downhill - it just defies everything that I believe to be logical.

So, either way. I make it down the first hill with no problems. As we were riding around in the badlands for a while I was telling Papa how I really disliked the downhill portion, and he said, "just stay right behind my horse, and we'll take it slow."

Ok, I can do that.

So we cruise around for a while and are slowly making our way up a hill to the ridge, I am following right behind Papa's horse when all of the sudden his horse goes into a hole, his back legs buried up to the flanks. I freaked out a little, but my horse took control and went around, as Papa's horse got out of the hole.

Later, I was talking to my cousin who was also on the ride, and she said that when his horse went into that hole she just closed her eyes and figured her horse would get her to the top. Probably not a bad idea.

The rest of the ride was semi-uneventful. Though there was a lot of wind and a couple of times that I thought we were going to relive the descent scene of Return to Snowy River. We all survived the ride, but we never found the hogan.

(It occurred to me that not everyone has seen The Man From Snowy River and Return to Snowy River, so this wouldn't make sense to those people without watching this video.)

Thankful

It is not enough to be thankful for the blessings we receive throughout the year, we should share those blessings with others.

Today I am thankful...

...for the sounds of my family in the kitchen, laughing and arguing while preparing the Thanksgiving meal.

...for Granny B. She makes me crazy, and I may have just uttered a bad word because she tried to put my coffee cup in the dishwasher while I was still drinking out of it, but I am so thankful that I have had 30 plus years with her.

...for the love and support of my family. I know that I can be a pain and sometimes even difficult to deal with, but they love me unconditionally.

...for the opportunity to be an aunt. (And the best one ever, I might add.) 

...for my job. I love it.

...for the ability and freedom to try all of the things I have even a little interest in.

...for Crossfit. I've never felt better in my life. I love my gym, the people there, the support. It's like I finally found the place I belong.

...for the familiar smell of the wood in the table that I got from the ranch house. It didn't occur to me when I got the table that it would hold the smell of a ranch meal cooking.

...for my friends. I have been truly blessed in life with some of the best friends a girl could ask for. Each one has come into my life when I needed them and enhanced every day since.

...for the men and women in uniform who protect and serve every day. Soldiers, fire fighters, police officers - you make this world a better place and do not get the credit that you deserve.

...for the people who read this blog. Even though I'm a totally inconsistent entertainer.

Bittersweet...

...Memories. That's all I am taking with me.


The family ranch has been sold.


For a lot of reasons, this was the best decision for the family.


But for a lot of reasons, it was also a very difficult one to make.


For over 30 years, H&M ran cattle and sheep on that ranch. There is a lot of history and a lot of stories about the time there. And I wish that I knew it all.


For my part, I certainly have stories and memories and I will likely share some with you in the next week or so.


For now, please enjoy the pictures that I have taken in our last two trips up to ship cattle.

I will miss this water tank and windmill - they are my favorite things to take pictures of. Also, I'm loving Instagram now!

Dirty taught me about an app that allows you take a lot of pictures and then put them together in a panoramic shot - clearly, I enjoyed it. (I think if you click on these it will bring them up in a bigger size on your screen so you can see more detail.)

There's that windmill and water tank again... One of the things that upsets me (for all of you) is that there is a not a camera that can capture the sheer beauty of Elephant Butte in the background of this picture. Seriously, I have taken A LOT of photos of that butte, and not one of them even comes close to how awe inspiring it is in reality.

Another Instagram photo. This is on the south side of the ranch, just coming through the gate.

This is a full circle view. Papa and I climbed up onto a hill of the badlands to look for a bull and I took advantage of the vantage point to get what I think is a pretty cool picture.

H watching the sorting and shipping of the steers and heifers during Halloween weekend.

Tiny loves the ranch!

That hat that Bunner is wearing was Popie's hat. I absolutely LOVE that he wears that hat. Every time I see it, I smile.

Tiny apparently does not like to have his picture taken...

Biggie doesn't mind it so much though.

Miscellany Monday - Making a Comeback!

one

 BigSurprise came to town last weekend for a quick visit. It was everything that you can imagine, and more! We laughed so hard we cried! 

I really should get better at documenting my life with pictures. Maybe one of these days...

For now, you will have to sustain with this picture of BigSurprise, me, and Dirty at the baggage claim - you got a lot of luggage in your name - sorry, I got sidetracked.

Dirty and I thought we were hilarious with our sign to greet BigSurprise at the gate!

two

The sisters, Rejuba, and I hosted a baby shower for Banana this weekend - you can head over to her blog to see pictures of the festivities.

(See #1 regarding being better about documenting my life...)

After the shower, I hung around Sissy's house until Biggie's football game started - Tiny slept through the entire shower and woke up right as everyone was leaving. Match had put him to sleep right after his bath so when he woke up he had some crazy hair - I wanted to take his picture and this is what he did...

three

Can't forget a picture of Biggie at his game. He was not all about me taking his picture...

I'm still trying to figure out Instagram...

four

I got an iPhone. And I'm totally overwhelmed by it!

Do you use Pinterest? I'm totally overwhelmed by it as well!

five

If the definition of "whelm" is "to submerge; engulf" - is overwhelm redundant?

six

I owe you lots of posts - and I'm going to try to get some down in the next couple of days, I promise.

seven

Did you read The Hunger Games? I LOVED the series! Have never been more into a series of books.

Well, they made a movie. And though I have no faith in Hollywood, I watched the trailer today for the movie - and I think they may have done it!

I'm all of the sudden super excited to see the movie!

Won't Get Me Down...

I know I have been MIA and I'm sorry for that.

Last week I spent the week with 13-year-old triplet boys and their 9-year-old sister. Their parents were out of town and I was "fostering" them, as the youngest of the triplets said.

I will tell you that I had a blast, but I am not kidding you, it was hard work!

Lots has been going on in my life, however not all that exciting.

Last night, I took the triplets mom to see Vince Gill for her birthday. She is a HUGE fan and her husband is not so much, so we made a girls night out of it. I grew up listening to country music, and Vince Gill is obviously country. I knew a majority of his songs and was looking forward to the show, but having experienced it, I must say - if you ever get a chance to see him live - DO IT!

The man can flat sing.

At one point, I turned to Tela* and said, His voice is like a lullaby. 

And he was hilarious!

I'll spare you all of the jokes, but we laughed pretty hard the entire show.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand.

As you know, I turned 30 years old earlier this year. And as you have read previously, I have tried in the past to go out and ask for what I want. Results be damned.

I've shared this quote with you before, but it rings very true to this post, so read again, will ya?

"The world bursts at the seams with people ready to tell you you're not good enough. On occasion, some may be correct. But do no do their work for them. Seek any job; ask anyone out; pursue any goal. Don't take it personally when they say 'no' - they may not be smart enough to say 'yes.'" - Keith Olbermann

I'll give you a little background on my relationship with Tela (I don't think I've done this before). She was my Spanish teacher my sophomore year of high school, and she remains one of the best teachers I've had. She only taught at my school for one year, but we made a connection and stayed in touch. She got pregnant with the boys during my junior year and I helped babysit them as soon as they were born and we've remained close throughout her moves with her AirForce pilot husband.

So, we have known each other for somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 years. Which means I was 15 when she met me. And let me tell you, I have changed a million times since then.

Either way, over dinner last night we were discussing life, love, and teenage angst. (The Trips will be 13 this weekend.)

The conversation turned to my life and where I've been, where I'm going, how I feel...etc. I mentioned to her that I often feel like life is moving past me as I stand still. Other people are getting married, having babies, reaching those "milestones" the people seem to use to define successful lives.

Meanwhile, I go to work, CrossFit, and bed. {woh, woh, woh}

And I decided right then and there that I was going to take control of life.

It's time to be aggressive. Be, be, aggressive.

From this point forward, I'm really going to try to go after what I want. What is the worst that can happen? Someone can tell me no. And no isn't all that bad.

I will be the first to admit that I've had some pretty painful nos in the past and I probably shed a few tears over them. But I didn't die. And I am who I am today because of those.

And the truth is, there are probably some additional painful nos coming, but I can't live in fear.

Today marks the first day of the rest of my life. And I'm going to go after the life I want.

Wish me luck...

Football, Football, Hey!

So Biggie has started flag football for the Fall.

I will admit that he is normally a hyper kid, but when he starts playing football he turns into another person all together. 

The other day we were in the back yard and Match and Papa's house throwing the football around. Nothing serious - just throwing and catching, throwing and catching.

Except when I threw the ball and he caught it, he would dance around and say (in a weirdly deep voice), "Oh yeah, that's how we dooo it."

A couple of days before that he was out in the backyard at his house with BIL and he came back in and said to Sissy, "Mama, do you know what you have to do?" She asked what. He said, "You have to keep your eye on the ball."

Then BIL asked him, "How do you carry a football?"

His response, "High and tight. I carry the football high and tight because that's what my daddy told me and that's what my mind tells me every time I have a football."

All of that was just fun and games until he got to his first practice on Monday night. Remember that he is playing flag football.

Sissy says that he got out of the car at the practice field with a little strut. Then they get out on the field and one of his teammates is running with the ball and Biggie runs over there, knocks him down, takes his flag, and says, "How's that, Sucka?"

I only wish I was kidding.

Be Vewy, Vewy Quiet...

We're hunting wabbits!!

That's right folks, my neighborhood is about to have one less rabbit.

I got home yesterday to find that a rabbit had gotten into my garden and indulged on all of the leaves on my broccoli plants, and is working his way through the cauliflower.

I was NOT pleased.

Fortunately for him, I didn't have time to take action against him last night or this morning. However, while he's getting comfortable in his afternoon snacking routine, I'm planning an all out war! 

I am on the hunt for a BB gun, some fencing, and perhaps some rabbit poison.

That little guy doesn't even know that I have Fridays off and I'll be waiting for him tomorrow.

Does anyone know where I can get some badger urine?

A Little Something Different

Starting on Saturday, Sept. 24 - I joined the Paleo Challenge 4.2 at my CrossFit gym. (Don't worry about what the 4.2 stands for - it only makes sense to us at the gym.)

In order to keep myself honest, and educate anyone who cares on the process, I will be recording my journey over at Airplane Food. 

I know what you're thinking, Airplane, you can't even post to this blog regularly, how are you going to keep up two blogs?

The truth is, I don't know. And I'm sorry for that.

However, if you have the desire to read about my journey into caveman status, probably learn a little more about how I feel about nutrition, listen to me rant about diets and misinformation, and find out when I complete my first hanging pull-up (fingers crossed) - then please join me over there.

If not, continue to check in here and curse me because I'm not posting enough.

Miscellany Monday

Good Monday morning!

one

Ah-ah-ah- CHOO!

I started sneezing yesterday and I don't think I've stopped.

Except while at Crossfit this morning. That's weird.

Either way, I'm sitting at my desk with my nose running like a sieve and sneezing every minute or so. I think this is going to be a long day!

two

Ballin'

Saturday was the 64th Birthday of the United States Air Force (doesn't that seem young?).

Thanks to my new job, I was hosting a table at the Air Force Ball in Glendale and Diddy was priveliged to be my date. (Super lucky guy, right?)

We had a blast! Between the Pageant of Flags, the Toasting, and the singing of the Air Force Song - it was an all together good time!

And I must say, we most certainly had the best shoes at the ball:

three

Field Trip!

A couple of weeks ago I took Biggie to a DBacks game and we had a blast!

He is in Pre-K this year and they are learning their letters. So each week is a new letter and on Friday for show-and-tell he has to bring something that begins with that letter.

This particular week the letter was R, so we decided to get something at the baseball game that he could take.

He settled on a "r-r-r-Rally Monkey" only he calls him Rally the Monkey (which I, of course, think is adorable.)

And ok, maybe I got him a little more than just the monkey, but who could say no to that face?

And it was all worth it when I dropped him off at home that night and when I was leaving he ran to the door and gave me a huge hug and said, "Aunt Airplane, I super love you!"

Now head on over to lowercase letters and link up!