tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10645556982161798092024-03-12T20:51:15.225-07:00The Bumpy RidePaigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186112145601975251noreply@blogger.comBlogger519125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1064555698216179809.post-57280383508202609602020-04-16T20:01:00.003-07:002020-04-16T20:04:24.200-07:00Simple Pleasures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I am a very grateful lady! I give thanks many times a day, for the love, health, friendship and comfort in my life; for I know what it's like not to have these things. Perhaps it's my attitude of gratitude that enables me to delight in simple pleasures, but now more than ever I am thankful for everything that brings a smile or even some happy tears. I think we all need to find gladness wherever we can; so, in the interest of the greater good, I have to share episode 2 of John Krasinski's <a href="https://youtu.be/oilZ1hNZPRM" target="_blank">"Some Good News" </a>. <br />
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Let me start by saying that I honestly don't think the name of the show does it justice, as you'll see at eight and a half minutes into the episode. While John is talking to a little girl named Aubrey, about how sad she was that she wasn't able to go see "Hamilton" because of the pandemic, Lin-Manuel Miranda and the entire original cast of "Hamilton" Zoom bombed the segment and performed "Alexander Hamilton!!"<br />
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I was thrilled by the performance, because my girls and I have been obsessed with the show since it opened on Broadway. We purchased the soundtrack (which we hadn't done in years) and listened to it relentlessly. So much so, that i'll confess we're a bit snobbish about other cast performances and we've even debated if we actually wanted to go see the show; because we thought we might be disappointed. (I know - that's a lil extreme, but remember, we're obsessed!) So to have the opportunity to watch the original cast members perform, was beyond incredible! We squealed with glee as each of our favorite actors appeared on the screen. We sang along and I cried the happiest tears as these amazing human beings sang for Aubrey and everyone who needed uplifting.<br />
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While there are so many hardships and challenges that our society is facing during COVID-19, I think it's also been amazing to see how creative and generous the entertainment community has been during this crises. I'm so appreciative of the efforts and kindness shown by John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda et al, as well as those that participated in the Saturday Night Seder, the zoom table read of "The Nanny" pilot, Tom Hanks and the cast of "SNL from home" and of course the numerous late night talk show hosts that continue to provide us with fun diversions. We're being given an opportunity to take a time out, and reassess how we've been interacting with friends and family, and strengthen those relationships. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that I am enjoying this pandemic, but I will admit that I've had a lot of wonderful and rewarding experiences. I'm choosing to acknowledge the good stuff; so before we go to sleep I ask each of my kids to tell me one good thing about their day. I'm hoping that you'll watch the link that I shared and this will at least be one good thing about your day.<br />
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Till next time...<br />
PaigePaigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186112145601975251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1064555698216179809.post-90883499359961585482020-04-05T23:16:00.000-07:002020-04-05T23:16:47.339-07:00The Image Maker<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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First and foremost, I hope that everyone is safe and healthy! I'm very grateful that my family is doing well and all together under one roof.<br />
At the beginning of March, my fam was on an all time high! We'd been receiving a lot of great news and big wins! Kelsie had done a fantastic job in her school's production of "Mulan" the musical, Nicky was offered a summer research position at Duke University, and Lyndzi was accepted into all 5 of the schools that she applied to, was awarded scholarships for full tuition and fees at California College of the Arts and won a $2000 leadership scholarship from our school district. Luis had been excelling at his job! He was top in sales for his region and was being monetarily rewarded (FINALLY!) Then Nicky came home for his spring break and life as the U.S. knew it, started to change. We first started feeling the effects when The UA extended Spring Break for a few days. Then they announced that classes would temporarily be online only. It seems like it was just a minute later, that they announced that classes would be online only for the rest of the semester and that anyone that was living on campus, should move out if they had a place to go. Resident Assistants were given the option to return and they were advised that it would not be held against them for next year, if they decided not to come back; but Nicky felt that he had an obligation to fulfill and he returned to school. After a week and a half they started consolidating the dorms and Nicky's community manager told him that he had more than completed his commitment; so we picked him up on Saturday and he'll finish the semester at home.<br />
Despite all of the changes, quarantines, cancellations and lack of toilet paper, I've tried to remain optimistic and provide encouragement and comfort to others. It crossed my mind that writing my blog might be a good way to do this, but I wasn't ready to get started. Then I saw a Facebook post from our friends at the Sun City Thrift shop, asking for good vibes and positive thoughts. They're so used to helping the community and interacting with people, that closing down was really bumming them out and I wanted to give them what they needed and show them how much I appreciate all that they do. I've been creating a lot images with photos and fonts for our DJ gigs, thank you and birthday messages, so I made an image "Sending Good Vibes & Positive Thoughts" and left it as a comment for them. I designed a slightly different version of this image for my amazing friend Rachel, because<br />
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I thought she needed a little lift and as I care so much about (say it with me) "The greater good", I decided to share it on Instagram because I thought that others might like to see it too. I wrote "For everyone who needs it...xo" and I added some hashtags. Now I am absolutely not the Queen of Instagram, in any way shape or form. In fact, even after being on it for a few years I still barely know how to use it. My posts typically receive 5-30 "likes"; but yet I persist, because I want to share my positivity, especially during these unprecedented and uncertain times.<br />
I found it cathartic to look for photos and produce messages so I continued.<br />
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For my second Instagram post I wanted to find a beautiful picture of nature. A breathtaking photo that transported you outdoors, where you were able to revel in the beauty and take the most cleansing breaths imaginable. I shared "Just Breathe" and wrote "Sometimes this is all we can do... Sending positive vibes, love and prayers for all who need it. xo" and added some hashtags.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4HbDKlmtF7zGBaS5Ocaa8SNAuip4Xcfz8mqPo-K3KTCXQ0M7NTrJ4y-nzD7co0WtpKEPoNac5qhkvklh34jda_X40rmh-cDej7DDciu0KMbHR-XzsFz-T3ESBqIqHDxyL4oflIOOk-eU/s1600/believe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1064" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4HbDKlmtF7zGBaS5Ocaa8SNAuip4Xcfz8mqPo-K3KTCXQ0M7NTrJ4y-nzD7co0WtpKEPoNac5qhkvklh34jda_X40rmh-cDej7DDciu0KMbHR-XzsFz-T3ESBqIqHDxyL4oflIOOk-eU/s200/believe.jpg" width="200" /></a>The next day I heard from some more friends who were feeling anxious and down, so I posted "Believe" with the message "For those who need a little uplifting today..." and, you guessed it, added some hashtags.<br />
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I felt like I was on the right track, even though my messages weren't reaching the masses and I felt like I wanted to dig a little deeper with my next post. I looked for a photo of a lotus blossom and shared " Because You Can."<br />
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I wrote " Even when its roots are in the dirtiest waters, the lotus produces the most beautiful flowers." I added some hashtags (of<br />
course), and actually got an encouraging comment from someone<br />
that I don't know; so I kept going.<br />
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A few days later, I decided to look for a photo that would connect<br />
me with my other senses. I shared "Stress Relief" and wrote "I love<br />
the scent of Orange Blossoms. Their intoxicating fragrance makes me smile and thoroughly relaxes me. While we're all at our homes<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiKZlPObGxlp2qhxyQ_J4AenftMo-hmULoI2fXjND-3gxalp1ttRp2xmPt-oZWg9StMiumxqcFihwvAnFYxypD8bWczZx-hpH9AQ-95PHsuYlHTxmJVz-98oUfJ-N5S3_ZtCY4BLAbtmc/s1600/stength.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1408" data-original-width="1079" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiKZlPObGxlp2qhxyQ_J4AenftMo-hmULoI2fXjND-3gxalp1ttRp2xmPt-oZWg9StMiumxqcFihwvAnFYxypD8bWczZx-hpH9AQ-95PHsuYlHTxmJVz-98oUfJ-N5S3_ZtCY4BLAbtmc/s320/stength.jpg" width="244" /></a>I hope that you can find a scent that will uplift your spirits when you need it." Still hoping to connect with more people, I added some hashtags.<br />
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Next came "Strength." I wrote "I think it's delightful that the delicate Gladiolus is a symbol of strength and overcoming difficulties in life.<br />
I'm sharing this image today as both Lyndzi and Nicky received some disappointing news this afternoon and I just felt terrible for both of them. I know that there is nothing that I can do to change either situation as both cancellations that effect them are COVID-19 related; so I looked for some beautiful images of strength to lift my spirits. If you need it, I hope this image encourages you too. xo" and some hashtags.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK0_O5k-ZtCXYhp3YmOK0wH4b1PqQuEwMW4xxWBFbqt-7XsBbZ4m_XgsPAbETTrQgExg5mOiDEeYq2a9V_xYbjwDjAwpCNuP4LUkYqfc08mdM6T4DXirbmfOYm-3HDpTrK1CmQXgwMRMg/s1600/Perspective.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="540" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK0_O5k-ZtCXYhp3YmOK0wH4b1PqQuEwMW4xxWBFbqt-7XsBbZ4m_XgsPAbETTrQgExg5mOiDEeYq2a9V_xYbjwDjAwpCNuP4LUkYqfc08mdM6T4DXirbmfOYm-3HDpTrK1CmQXgwMRMg/s320/Perspective.jpg" width="256" /></a>Now, just as the beginning of March brought the Ramos' an abundance of good news, the end of March kept beating us down. Thus, I shared "Perspective" and wrote "My mood today is not the best. I felt angry, frustrated and annoyed (not quarantine related.) I thought getting creative might make me feel better, and when I considered what type of image went along with these emotions, I immediately thought 'I'm seeing red!!' So follow my thought process here...I went from looking for a photo that had a red overlay, to an image of a red eye, and then I realized, I should look for red images that would make me feel happy. I started looking at flowers and I felt more relaxed. My mood lightened. Ultimately the image that I liked best was this Red Dhalia. When I researched further, I found that the Dhalia symbolizes elegance, inner strength, creativity, dignity and change. This convinced me that i'd found the right red image to change my mood. It's all about PERSPECTIVE! <br />These days more than ever, I hope that you are able to be flexible with your perspective . Find ways to soothe yourself and keep your outlook positive. I hope this helps..." and some hashtags that only garnered 17 "likes"<br /><br />As I was writing my post to accompany "Perspective", I knew that the place that I really should be sharing it was here on "The Bumpy Ride." And while this introductory or catch up blog is much longer than those you may see in the future; I think the time and the cause have finally driven me back to where my insights might do the most good. With that being said, the next image that i'll be sharing on Instagram, is "New Beginnings" (the first one featured in this post), but I'll be directing my traffic to "The Bumpy Ride" for the thoughts behind the images. I hope you'll be joining me.<br />
<br />Till next time...<br />Paige<br /><br />
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<br />Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186112145601975251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1064555698216179809.post-76170253570588832562020-01-01T21:25:00.000-07:002020-01-01T21:25:12.392-07:00Happy New Year!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happy New Year! I'd say, SURPRISE, but I probably don't have to.<br />
I hope this post finds you all well and looking forward to what 2020 will bring. I'm excited for this new decade, but a bit overwhelmed by where I find myself... Nicky will be heading back to the University of Arizona on Jan.10 to have a mini RA training before the residents arrive on Jan.13th. He'll be starting the 2nd semester of his Junior year as an electrical and computer engineering major and will continue applying for summer internship opportunities and DJing his weekly radio show. Lyndzi just turned 18 a few weeks ago,and is finishing up her last college application as she prepares for the second semester of her senior year in High school. She's juggling being the Varsity Soccer goalie and one of the captains, along with finishing additional works for her portfolio, volunteering at the Sun City Thrift Shop, and mastering her classes. Kelsie turned Sweet 16 a week before Lyndzi turned 18. She is prepping for her upcoming role in "Mulan"at Peoria High School, as well as playing Varsity soccer, volunteering and taking honors classes. I'm just dumbfounded at how quickly the years have passed, in addition to how long it's been since I actually pursued my own dream of becoming a writer. As a mom and wife, I prioritized everyone else's needs and goals before mine. I was a cheerleader, a chauffeur, a consultant, a collaborator, a DJ, an emcee, an event coordinator, and a fundraiser; and though I loved (almost) every minute of it; my dream took a backseat. PLEASE don't get me wrong, I'm absolutely NOT complaining, I'm just making an observation; because, ya know - THAT'S what I do.<br />
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Being a mom is the most satisfying, gratifying, and exciting experience that I've ever had and If I think about how old my kids were and what they were doing when I first started writing "The Bumpy Ride" and where we are now, it feels like it's all transpired in the blink of an eye. I wouldn't change a minute of the time I've spent helping them become who they are but I'm hoping that in this New Year, I will encourage (OK, push) myself the same way I do my kids.<br />
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As I sat home relaxing today (something that I'm not really good at), I thought to myself that it would be a great day to take a stab at resurrecting my blog. I didn't really have anything witty or profound to share, so I re-read a few of my old posts. I wasn't surprised to find that I had mentioned my desire to get back to the gym, several times, and yes, that 100 plus pounds is still yearning to be lost; but just as I took a chance and tried to compose this post, I'm going to make my best effort to get back to the gym. For extra inspiration, I perused some quotes about getting started and because I'm all about the greater good, i'll share some of my favorites with you, just in case you need a lil New Year's encouragement as well.<br />
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So, with these words of wisdom in hand, I welcome 2020 and all that it will bring. We have a lot of wonderful things to look forward to and I plan to enjoy them as my best me. I wish the same for you as well.<br /><br />Till next time...<br />Paige<br />
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<br />Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186112145601975251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1064555698216179809.post-28474547044403307502018-04-19T22:20:00.000-07:002018-04-19T22:28:33.024-07:00HUGE News for Lyndzi...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I've known that Lyndzi was an artist, since she was three years old. YES, three!! She sat down with some crayons and drew the bee that was on the Honey Nut Cheerios box, and I knew right then and there that she had a gift. Being a mom who blogs, I frequently write about my kids; so I took a look back to see what I had previously shared about Lyndzi's artwork and I came across a post from 2010 called "<a href="http://thebumpyride.blogspot.com/2010/08/43-20-what-moms-gotta-do.html" target="_blank">What A Mom's Gotta Do</a>", where I wrote <b>"</b><span style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;">Lyndzi is an absolutely BRILLIANT artist; and yes, I know that most moms think that their kids are great at one thing or another; but trust me when I tell you, my girl's got TALENT!! </span><span style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;">Lyndzi is a multi-faceted artist - not only can she draw; she also sculpts and paints. Lyndzi pays exceptional attention to detail and her vision is way beyond her years. She's won prizes for her artwork and been featured in our school district art show; and at the tender age of 8 she PRIDES herself on being an artist.</span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"><b>" </b>While it's hard for me to believe that I wrote that over 7 years ago, those words still hold true. Lyndzi's become an extraordinary artist. She's won several contests, has done commissioned work and she continues to sell hand drawn sneakers.</span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;">Now, i</span></span><span style="text-align: center;">f you read my last blog </span>"<a href="http://thebumpyride.blogspot.com/2018/03/cinnamon.html" target="_blank">Cinnamon</a>"<span style="text-align: center;">, then you know that <b>"</b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; text-align: center;"><b>as much as I love surprises, I often have a
hard time keeping the secret and waiting to reveal the surprise." </b> Well, the universe has surely been challenging me; because (thankfully), the surprises keep coming and I've been keeping a secret (from most of you) for a few weeks now. It wasn't that I didn't want to tell EVERYONE, believe me, I DID; but when I received the call from the PUSD Public Relations Department, notifying me that Lyndzi had won the district Anti-Bullying Art Contest (for the third time), they asked me not to say anything publicly until after the awards were presented at the </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d2129;">Peoria Cultural Arts Festival. Lyndzi was so excited to find out that she had won; but like me, she's a rule follower so she didn't say anything to anyone. Well, the next day when Lyndzi came home from school, she said to me "You didn't fracture your ankle in vain." (And side note, if you're totally confused by that comment, stop here. Read </span>"<a href="http://thebumpyride.blogspot.com/2018/03/oops-i-did-it-again-and-again.html" target="_blank">Oops I Did It Again, And Again</a>"<span style="color: #1d2129;">, and then come back. Everyone else KEEP READING...)</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2129;">So, I asked her what she was talking about, and with tears welling up in her eyes, she told me that when she had walked into her art class, her teacher said "Don't you have something to tell us." Assuming that he was talking about the Anti-Bullying art contest, she shared the news of her win. He then said "And?" to which she replied "And?" And he said "You also won a bus?" Lyndzi was taken aback and she asked what he was talking about. He then explained, that the Principal had come in to see him earlier, with some people from the Valley Metro bus and they said that she had won the Transit Wrap Contest!!!! I was stunned</span><span style="color: #1d2129;"> when I heard her news, and I'm not sure how many times I said "You won?" Not because I couldn't believe that she'd done it, but because it was such a HUGE contest, and such a fantastic prize and I was just ecstatic for her. Now I don't know about you, but because I heard it from Lyndzi, who heard it from her Art teacher, and I hadn't heard a peep from Valley Metro, I didn't want to say anything publicly, in case there was some type of misunderstanding. When I saw the Art teacher at the Cultural Arts Festival, I asked him to tell me about what happened when the bus people came in to see him and he said that Lyndzi had definitely won, but he got the impression that they wanted to surprise her. OK, I can understand that part, but I wondered why they hadn't contacted me. (Maybe they heard that I wasn't great at keeping secrets, lol.) Well, hallelujah, we got the official call on Monday, and I can now say with all certainty that <b>Lyndzi has won the Valley Metro Transit Wrap contest!!!</b> She'll be getting a bus and a light rail wrapped with her design for a year, in addition to a cash prize!! They'll be unveiling her bus at her school on May 16th AND they'll let us know when the lightrail and bus are being wrapped so that we can go down with family and friends to watch and take photos. So, i</span><span style="background-color: transparent; text-align: center;">f you're in the area and you'd like to see Lyndzi's bus, consider yourself invited!!</span><span style="background-color: transparent; text-align: center;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Since this ride may have been a lil bumpier than usual, here's Lyndzi's Anti-Bullying Award winning piece... The theme this year was "All Different All Equal".</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">What more can I say? I'm grateful for the surprises that we've been receiving. Not only because of the joy that they're bringing but because it seems that as long as I have surprises to share, I have subject matter for my blog!<br /><br />Till next time,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Paige<br />XO</span></div>
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Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186112145601975251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1064555698216179809.post-57352377874115143062018-03-23T23:43:00.004-07:002018-03-24T15:54:13.601-07:00Cinnamon<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: inherit;">After I posted my last blog, I shared the link on my Facebook, with the status <i><b>"I live to surprise people! Just posted my second blog this month - I even surprised myself!"</b></i><i> </i> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Welllllll, as much as I love surprises, I often have a hard time keeping the secret and waiting to reveal the surprise. Sooo, I am extra pleased with myself tonight, because in addition to keeping a secret for almost a week; I'm actually writing a my third blog of the month!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-size: small;">And here we go... We got our beloved Chihuahua, Hershey from my brother-in-law in Puerto Vallarta when she was just three months old, and she's now nine. (At this point you may want to check out </span><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://thebumpyride.blogspot.com/2009/07/tale-of-dog.html">The Tale of the Dog </a>and then come back...) </span><span style="color: black;">My kids and I are ridiculous when it comes to Hershey, and some may say (ok, have said) that we are obsessed, lol but we don't care; we just adore her. We think that she's so cute, and so smart and she makes us so happy; but one of us has never felt as loved by Hershey and has been asking for quite some time to get a dog of her own. Typically when Kelsie would broach the subject, we'd remind her that Hershey doesn't think that she's a dog and doesn't like to be around other dogs; and although she knew this all to be true, she's still just 14 and she wanted a dog that would appreciate her. A dog like Copper... </span></span><span style="background-color: white;">A couple of years ago we met our friend April's rescue Chihuahua, Copper. His </span><span style="background-color: white;">temperament</span><span style="background-color: white;"> couldn't have been more opposite of Hershey's. He was friendly to everyone and snuggly, he was tiny and just a </span><span style="background-color: white;">mush</span><span style="background-color: white;">. And honestly when each of us held him, we were overcome with a sense of calm and happiness. While Hershey emotes the same feelings from us, she's still really unpredictable and only lets you pet and love on her when she's in the mood, so experiencing a dog that was so sweet and lovable all the time, added to Kelsie's desire for a new dog.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Despite our love and affection for Hershey, Lyndzi, Kelsie and I would frequently talk about how great it would be to have a dog like Copper. I don't know if it's because Hershey's getting older and every time she sighs, or makes an uncustomary sound, they think that something's wrong with her, and Google what these "symptoms" mean, or if they are just ready for some unconditional puppy love.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I suppose it didn't help that Luis (who has never been on board with getting another dog), recently started regaling us with tales of the cute dogs that he'd see when he was out at work. To add insult to injury, he started taking videos of stray dogs and then he'd show them to us at dinner; which of course prompted the girls to ask him to bring home the next cute, small, girl dog that he found. Surprisingly enough, Luis humored their request, and told us that he'd be on the look out. I discussed this new development with Luis, because the girls were taking him seriously, and I kinda feared that he may accidentally kidnap someone's dog. We were concerned that he could bring home a pooch that was sick and then of course there was the cost of shots etc; so last Saturday, when the girls and I saw what could possibly have been an Adopt A Dog sign outside Pet Co. we had to go check it out.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As it turned out the sign was for vaccinations; so I told the girls that we could go down the street and swing by PetSmart. On our drive there, Kelsie asked if we got a black Chihuahua if we could name her Pepper. I wasn't opposed to that name, but Lyndzi wasn't digging it. I asked her to Google some dog names and as she read from the list, the one that I liked best was Minnie. No one shot it down, so I figured this name could be a contender for our fictional dog. We arrived at PetSmart and as luck would have it, America's Freedom Paws Rescue was stationed outside the store. They only had two dogs with them, and they were bigger, so we weren't interested; but just as we'd arrived, a lady walked up with a Chihuahua. Kelsie said "what about that one?" But I was under the impression that the dog she was referring to was a pet and not part of the adoption. We went into the store and when we came out, we had the pleasure of meeting Cinnamon, who was in fact a rescued Chihuahua.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqicdhyphenhyphenrR_S5bsA5tK2DKxOm_KknS8X_SbwUJnVmDvI_2rduMrVXYDSMBZvxRzjkJAaPMdodBhfBxNBDYWdlyCN5oRA48P-FyuDA4_j1xvC_BRubPIZ15PJ56Rylp8nRC0XW8srSO1fNc/s1600/Cinnie+%2526+Kels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqicdhyphenhyphenrR_S5bsA5tK2DKxOm_KknS8X_SbwUJnVmDvI_2rduMrVXYDSMBZvxRzjkJAaPMdodBhfBxNBDYWdlyCN5oRA48P-FyuDA4_j1xvC_BRubPIZ15PJ56Rylp8nRC0XW8srSO1fNc/s320/Cinnie+%2526+Kels.jpg" width="240" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When the ladies described her, they said she loved to snuggle, sit on your lap and sleep with you; and the girls (all 3 of us) melted. We couldn't help but think that she was EXACTLY what we'd been dreaming of. She's two years old, but she's small. She weighs about four lbs, and she's super affectionate. Could you say no to this???</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Well I couldn't! I asked the ladies what we would need to do to adopt Cinnamon, and it really couldn't have been easier. I just had to fill out a short application, pay $125 (which I thought was a steal since she had all of her vaccinations and had been spayed) and they'd give us her collar, harness, leash, food and water bowls and a brand new bag of food. They also said that we could have a three day trial period, so if we needed to return her because Hershey couldn't adapt, then at least we could get our money back. I called Luis, to tell him about Cinnamon and see what he thought about us adopting her and thankfully, he had no objections to us bringing her home. To say that we fell in love with Cinnamon instantly would be an understatement. I don't think that any of us could have left PetSmart without her; so I told the ladies that we had to take her. The ladies were delighted and while I was completing the paper work, they mentioned that we should feel free to change her name if we wanted to.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now I'm a big believer in signs from the universe. Some people may just find things to be coincidental; and I get that, but other times, when things align perfectly and in more than one way, I can't help but feel that it's cosmic intervention and I enjoy that. The girls and I couldn't get over our luck. (After all, it was St. Patrick's day!) We felt as if we had found the dog that we custom ordered. She was small, and affectionate, and snuggly and mushy and oh so sweet; not to mention her name. We had just talked about naming a dog Minnie, and here was Cinnamon (Cinn-a-min) Minnie for short? Or as it turns out "Cinnie" and/or Cinna-minnie.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">We were concerned about introducing Cinnie to Hershey, but we took the advice of America's Freedom Paws and took the dogs for a walk. The girls slowly let them get close to each other and then brought them both into the house without incident. Hershey didn't seem to mind Cinnamon being in the house, until she saw her being affectionate with Kelsie; but we've been doing a lot of Googling, and trying to do what's best for both dogs and suffice it to say, so far so good. We've been able to leave the fur babies home alone together, and they've gotten along fine. And even at this moment as I'm typing, I have both pups on either side of me, they're fast asleep and I'm in heaven.<br /><br />Kelsie and Cinnie immediately bonded and it's so great to see Kelsie's wish fulfilled.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;">Cinnamon is just precious! She's pure love! <br />She's such a great addition to our family, and it's truly amazing how much kids can learn from having pets. I remember, shortly before Lyndzi was born, I thought to myself (while she was created in love, and I can't wait to have her here, I also can't imagine loving someone as much as I love Nicky.} It wasn't that I doubted that I would love her, it was just difficult to comprehend the capacity that I had for love. Of course the moment she was in my arms, I learned that my capacity for love doubled, and then tripled with Kelsie; but my girls already knew that, because Kelsie explained to Hershey that we wouldn't love her any less because Cinnamon was here; we would just love them both. How fantastic and true is that?</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I had planned to share the news of Cinnamon's arrival, once the three day trial had passed, (even though I never had any doubt that she'd be staying with us permanently); but as circumstance would have it, my story was delayed. Nonetheless, I think it worked out perfectly because now I get to share this story with you on National Puppy Day, (which I actually didn't even know it was, until I saw it this morning on Facebook) - Thank you universe!</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Enjoy the pics of our little treasure</span>.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Till next time,</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Paige<br />XO</span></span><br />
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Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186112145601975251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1064555698216179809.post-60677443144605415222018-03-14T20:42:00.000-07:002018-03-22T20:37:01.150-07:00This Is What You Raised Them For...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDN8z3KyHOiCyO_gwmOMA22P26BcbYqF8BZRoKfW9cc5W3H0rct7ciq4jqQNnDS2s4OynIacQaFskFeemDMi3cVBJYIwmzS71_2sHFvdosX8FKWjCZT5MXl4uUO_M7Rvl8ze7zZd3aMso/s1600/Nicky%2527s+1st+room+at+UA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDN8z3KyHOiCyO_gwmOMA22P26BcbYqF8BZRoKfW9cc5W3H0rct7ciq4jqQNnDS2s4OynIacQaFskFeemDMi3cVBJYIwmzS71_2sHFvdosX8FKWjCZT5MXl4uUO_M7Rvl8ze7zZd3aMso/s400/Nicky%2527s+1st+room+at+UA.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Saying time flies is a frequently used idiom; but there's a reason for that - it truly does! In fact, the older my kids get the quicker time seems to pass; which is why those Riders who I don't know personally, may be surprised to hear that my son, Nicky is now almost 19 years old and a Freshman in college. For those who are my Facebook friends, this should be less surprising, though probably not less believable. As his Momma, it feels like just yesterday that he was born. For years I both dreamed about. yet dreaded the day that I would move him to college; but I'm here to tell ya, it's a fulfilling experience and one that gave me great satisfaction and joy. If I cried at all, they were happy tears, FOR my son; and not tears of sadness for me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Nicky and I have always been very close, so the expectation (both mine and my clan's) was that I would fall apart upon his departure; but amazingly enough, the opposite was true. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We moved Nicky down to the University of Arizona on a Saturday, because he was going to participate in Bear Down Camp a week before the other students arrived. Since UA is only two hours from our home, our plan was to move him in and come home; and then go back with our girls the next day, since we had to attend a brunch with Nicky as part of the camp. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I thought that I'd be very emotional when I left him that first night; but I think that knowing I'd see him the next day, made it easier to leave without incident. We went back Sunday morning and although I got teary a few times during the brunch, I can honestly say that it wasn't because I thought it would be difficult to be apart; but because I was so happy to see what Nicky was going to be a part of. I was so proud of all that he had accomplished to get him to this point and I was very excited for him. Don't get me wrong, I must have hugged him a million times, (and not little short hugs) because part of me didn't think I could let go; but I managed to say goodbye without crying, and as much as I miss having him home, I haven't shed a tear.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My close friends were good to check on me often during Nicky's first few days at school. They asked how I was doing, and while I'm not sure that my response surprised them, it pleasantly surprised me. You see, Nicky was able to text me while he was at camp (in Prescott), but I didn't talk to him until 4 days later, when he was back on campus. The first time that we spoke on the phone, it was if my son had come alive. He was talkative and animated. I could hear the smile on his face in the way that he spoke. He asked me questions and told me about his experiences, and I felt incredibly gratified. As the week went on, and he participated in welcome activities and went to his first classes, it was obvious that he was exactly where he was meant to be and that he was doing all that we had raised him to do. So how could I be sad about that? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's so hard to believe that Nicky will be done with his first year of college in just two months. He had a fantastic first semester, earning a 4.0 at the College of Engineering. He's taking his first computer programming class this semester and will be declaring his major as Electrical / Computer Engineering, with a concentration in Computer Engineering. He DJ's a weekly radio show, and he attends shabbat services at Hillel. He's made some good friends and he's actively looking for additional clubs to join; so what more could a Momma want?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I couldn't be more thrilled for Nicky. I enjoy hearing from him daily. I always look forward to the next time that I'm going to see him; and I guarantee that all of you Momma's who will be sending kids off to college soon, will feel the same. Just remember my words "THIS is what you raised them for." You raised them to go out into the world and </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">make it a better place. You raised them to go out into the world and </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">make their dreams come true. To go out into the world and learn who they are, apart from you; and then one day they'll come back and while they'll still be your baby, they'll be their own person.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Till next time,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Paige </span>Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186112145601975251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1064555698216179809.post-58528002744603979392018-03-04T22:43:00.000-07:002018-03-14T20:47:21.607-07:00Oops I Did It Again, And Again...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Today is Oscar Sunday, so I'm tickled by the poetic justice of having some thing to write about; (since after all, it was the Oscar's that first inspired me to start blogging.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />So re the title of this post, I'm a klutz from way back. I've been tripping over my feet, air and any and every little thing, for as long as I can remember; hence the "Oops I did it again". Now the "And Again" - here we go...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's been way too long since I last wrote, but I'm delighted to say that Lyndzi's been receiving great acclaim for her art work and she's been entering several contests. She had been awaiting the announcement of the Valley Metro, Design a Transit Rap Contest, but only found out on Feb 13th that the entry deadline was Feb. 16th. Lyndzi quickly got to work and created her entry in one day; so our real challenge was how to get her submission downtown in time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Before "The Ride" really begins, here are a few background things that you need to know:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1. Lyndzi entered this same contest last year. We physically dropped her entry off on the last day of the deadline, but the person that she was supposed to deliver her submission to wasn't in the office. We left her piece with the desk assistant, but Lyndzi always doubted that her artwork was actually considered; so this year she wanted to have her entry received by 2/15, to give her a little cushion.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2. I hate driving in any downtown area AND I hate driving places that I'm not familiar with. For the purpose of this story, let's take hate to mean, it causes me great anxiety.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">3. I had a pedicure appointment scheduled for 4:15 on 2/14. OK, I heard your sigh, but consider this - I hadn't had a pedicure since early November (and yes, the toes in the photo, really are early November pedicure remnants.) ALSO I have such a great pedicurist, it takes weeks for me to get an appointment with her, so cancelling wasn't really an option.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, given all of the factors above, Lyndzi and I agreed to overnight her art work after school on 2/14, so that it would arrive with time to spare on 2/15. My plan was to pick Lyndzi up at 220, stop by Fed Ex, pick up Kelsie, stop at the post office (if Fed Ex was too expensive), pick up $5 sushi and cake slices from Fry's (for our Valentine's Day celebration), drop the girls at home and go for my pedicure. Well, I picked up Lyndzi's drawing and saw that it was drizzling outside. It had rained earlier, but I didn't have time to spare, so I couldn't look for something to protect the drawing. In my infinite wisdom, I placed it flat underneath my shirt. I chose a pair of flip flops to wear (only because I had the pedi appointment coming up) and I walked outside. The ground was wet, I was holding my hand on my stomach to protect the art work, I took the shortest route possible to get into my car, slipped and fell on the cement between my car and the rocks on my driveway. The pain set in immediately and I screamed out loud (Don't ask what - lol). I managed to get up, still trying to keep the drawing flat, and made it into my car. I was crying (and I'm NOT a crier) and I think I said "ow" repeatedly, on the drive to Lyndzi's school. There were leaves on my shirt, my jeans had torn a bit, and I had mascara running down my face; so needless to say, Lyndzi was quite taken aback when I picked her up. I explained what happened, and through my sobs, I asked her to text my pedicurist to let her know that I'd just fallen and had to cancel the appointment. Oh the irony!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We picked up Kels, and stopped at Fed Ex. The girls went in without me, and decided that we might be better off mailing the entry from the post office. On to the post office I drove and waited in the car while the girls went in. They mailed the submission, so at least that goal was accomplished; and we then drove to Fry's because I didn't want to disappoint the girls and they agreed that they could go in without me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I sat in the car, in a good deal of pain and twenty minutes later, I got a text from Lyndzi. She told me that they had gotten the cake slices, but the kiosk had just run out of sushi and they were going to make more. I asked if they wanted to wait or come up with a plan B? Lyndz said that Kelsie said they could wait; so I agreed. Another hour went by before I heard from them again. At this point Lyndzi called and explained that the sushi lady was helping other customers before them, even though they'd been waiting longer and ultimately she had made them the wrong thing and they were going to have to keep waiting in order to get part of the order. I told them to just buy what they had, stop at customer service to tell them about the problem they'd had with the sushi lady and call it a day; because at this point it had been three hours since I had fallen and I was in a lot of pain.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The girls came out of the store crying. They were upset that they'd made me wait that long, and that everything had gone so badly. I thought that it was just my sushi that hadn't gotten made, but it turned out that it was Lyndzi's as well; so with that, I told them that I was going to go into the store. Did you just say "oh no?" lol Well, yes I did. I got out of the car and started limping through the parking lot. It was raining again, and the ground was slick, so do I really have to say it? Yup, I slipped AGAIN, and fell in the Fry's parking lot. 3 kind people came to my rescue, and I have to say I feel really badly for the gentleman who helped me up, because I weigh A LOT, AND I couldn't put any pressure on my ankle. Hercules managed to get me up and I hobbled into the store. I texted Kels and asked her to come in because I knew that there was no way that I could make it back to the car on my own. I went to customer service, and suffice it to say that after talking to the manager and waiting another 25 minutes, I left the store with 2 free sushi rolls and a $25 gift card. (NO, it wasn't worth it.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I drove home and I don't think I've ever been so happy to get there. My ankle was terribly swollen and my knee was scraped up, but other than that I wasn't injured, so I considered myself lucky. I iced it, and elevated it, but I couldn't put any pressure on it, so I used the crutches that Lyndzi had gotten last year, after a soccer injury. Within 24 hours I thought I could get around without the crutches. I continued to limp for 13 more days, and since the pain hadn't subsided I decided it was time to go to the doctor.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The medical practice that I go to, can do an xray in their office, so I thought this would expedite my diagnosis and I made an appointment on Tuesday. After speaking with the PA, she sent me for an ultrasound, because she suspected that my ankle was fractured. (They can do ultrasounds there too.) She told me that it would take 1-2 days to get the ultrasound results, but if I wanted to, I could get a boot that day, just in case. I had the ultrasound, and went to get the boot, but the assistant told me that since I have a high deductible on my insurance, I'd have to pay $80 out of pocket. I thought, if I have to, I will; but since I don't know if it's actually fractured and I've already been walking around on it for almost 2 weeks, I can wait another day or two. Welllll,, if you've taken "The Ride" before, then you should know that things rarely go as planned for me, and this time was no different. I called on Thursday afternoon to see when they might have my results and the very nasty associate had no idea and showed no interest in finding out. She told me that it typically takes 3- 5 business days to get ultrasound results; so I informed her that's not what I'd been told, and I asked her to please have someone get back to me the next day. I waited till 2:30 on Friday but since I hadn't heard anything I called again. Blah, blah, blah no results but the associate was a little more compassionate about it. By 830 Friday night, the PA had sent an email apologizing profusely. Apparently the tech who was supposed to enter the results had been out sick for 2 days and no one covered for her. She told me to continue wearing the boot and she would have the results for me first thing Monday morning. Well, therein lied the problem. I didn't have the boot, but she didn't know that. I emailed back and explained that I hadn't actually gotten the boot yet, and THAT was why I was so anxious to get the ultrasound results. I asked that she please get back to me ASAP and thankfully I received another very apologetic email on Saturday morning. She told me that she was able to get the results and as they showed a subtle fracture and inflammation, I could pick up the boot before noon that day and I'd need to wear it for 6-8 weeks. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lyndzi and I went to pick up the boot, and the techs were quite amused when they asked the size of my foot and I said "very big." They kindly got me fitted and taken care of; and although I had to pay the $80, they're going to attempt to get me a refund (supposedly.) I know I have a bit of a battle left with the doctor's office, because sadly it seems difficult for them to do the right thing; but at least for now, I'm on the road to recovery. I'm still considering myself lucky AND if nothing else, it finally brought me back to "The Bumpy Ride."<br /><br />Till next time...<br />Paige</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">PS - For those of you who are still wondering about the magnetic false eyelashes, I should now have plenty of time to try and figure them out, and blog about that too.</span><br />
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Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186112145601975251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1064555698216179809.post-37862083048953455142016-01-19T10:02:00.000-07:002016-01-19T10:04:56.251-07:00KEEPing It Real<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnBQDBA4ZSirA7VpQx4ngj_7zShoI8vNEc3vO-e2MKtEcq3lYk11xdRQYiV1uwtvJTcQHfdKWYnGW7pfQ_VkYRMTtYXE9eXxMkmMLXLXoRvaTJl9QyB7w1b7W77nCeATM0bTTA6hthcfo/s1600/life+celebrated.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnBQDBA4ZSirA7VpQx4ngj_7zShoI8vNEc3vO-e2MKtEcq3lYk11xdRQYiV1uwtvJTcQHfdKWYnGW7pfQ_VkYRMTtYXE9eXxMkmMLXLXoRvaTJl9QyB7w1b7W77nCeATM0bTTA6hthcfo/s320/life+celebrated.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">To quote David Bowie "Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes<span style="color: #222222; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16.12px;">.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">" Happy New Year Riders, I am sorely aware that it's been a while; so here I am, sporting a brand new background, </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">striking away at the keys,</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">and excited about what 2016 has in store!!! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />It doesn't seem like it was that long ago, when I first told you about Reunion Coordinator (RC) and the beginning of Luis' DJ career; but alas, it's been five whole years. Within that time, I had become a Reunion Coordinator, and even went on to manage the company for three years. While RC was doing quite well, the owner's primary business had been skyrocketing, so he decided to sell the company. Thankfully, he offered me a job in the accounting department and sweetened the deal with a raise. I began assisting the CFO in September and continued to manage RC in my "free time"; until the end of the year when it was sold. Although the reunion business had its challenges, the rewards were greater. Luis had always talked about wanting to be a DJ and not only was he able to fulfill a dream, it was the catalyst for us to start DJ Louie and Company; which has been doing very well. We're not making millions by any means, but we LOVE seeing the kids and families in Peoria dance. We've been very fortunate with the clients that we've worked with and have met some fantastic people, DJing school carnivals, , weddings, vow renewals, Sweet 16's reunions and a variety of other events. Through RC I met some wonderful people who are now dear friends, I enhanced my event planning skills, and took part in celebrations that I will remember forever; </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">but that chapter has now ended. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Even though I could have continued planning reunions for the new owner, I decided that my time and effort would be best spent growing MY new business KEEP Collective. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">While often welcomed, actually making a change, taking a chance, and starting something new can be scary and risky; but if we don't try to make a difference, we have to be prepared for things to stay as they are and for me that's not an option right now. Luis and I have always sacrificed higher salaries, for flexibility in our schedules so that we didn't require outside child care; and if you've met my kids, heard me talk about them, or read about them, you KNOW that our decision was the right one for us. Our kids are phenomenal, they are kind, thoughtful individuals who are excelling in all areas. I could go on and on about how absolutely incredible they are; but that's not the point of this post. Suffice it to say that as a family we are rich in so many ways, but the time has come for us to fatten out bank accounts and reap the financial rewards for our hard work.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">About a year ago, an acquaintance of mine started selling a new line of jewelry called KEEP Collective. She explained that KEEP was a sister company to Stella and Dot and they sold jewelry that would let you create one-of-a-kind pieces to tell YOUR story. The jewelry was stylish and I LOVED the idea of being able to wear something to support my kids; but I wasn't ready to start something new at that time or make a purchase. In August, I saw my friend make a Facebook post saying that she was looking for two hostesses to have parties, so I decided to volunteer. The kids were just going back to school and I really wanted a bracelet that said "SWIM Mom."</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH26uKiQBr8nFhJ4ckgbvfgUiFOgOXFOq_uPrOFGFotqjFKMMZ5AS1yV3Wh6zu4jHC9yGEJrkXdXLQrN49IVmVFY7JkxhxRRx67SEwWTgbj4Dcyp_H0IK8KV3JuYgWrIOwCfkhZGcvQno/s1600/Untitled+design.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH26uKiQBr8nFhJ4ckgbvfgUiFOgOXFOq_uPrOFGFotqjFKMMZ5AS1yV3Wh6zu4jHC9yGEJrkXdXLQrN49IVmVFY7JkxhxRRx67SEwWTgbj4Dcyp_H0IK8KV3JuYgWrIOwCfkhZGcvQno/s320/Untitled+design.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I hosted the party, which only had two sales, so I didn't earn the potential </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">hostess rewards, and ultimately purchased my bracelet, along with two Pave "M's"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">and a volleyball, so that I could make a bracelet </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">that said "Volleyball MOM". Even before I made my purchase, I could not stop thinking about selling KEEP. I know many people who work for a variety of direct sales businesses, but none of them ever made sense for ME before. I never felt that I could sell a product that I couldn't afford in my own budget, nor did I ever feel passionate about a company before; UNTIL I learned about KEEP Collective. I was all set to talk to my friend about signing up; BUT, she didn't ask me about it; so I didn't ask her. Silly me! A few months later we did discuss it and she told me that she thought I would love it, and have great success, but she didn't mention it to me before because she didn't want to be pushy. We agreed to meet on Dec. 13th to talk about it more in depth; and right then and there, I made the decision that I should have made months before. That day I signed up, and I am thrilled to say that I am a KEEP Collective Independent designer and before I go on any further, I MUST thank the friends old and new, who made purchases during my first party. I cannot thank them enough for supporting me and I am so gratified that everyone is delighted with their purchases.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpapgGBSvgRivh2lffbC65t7nchFKMnKIK-HhHMKu7ZXlkpgkQaWiGLcUbmtIBBaJaEwasbCidt-QVixKBnBdQZx6f4l91r5KNpSfxcv7fVWT_MrVGzuJH6P79MV1Revdf5Um9IQHia-o/s1600/kind+campaign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpapgGBSvgRivh2lffbC65t7nchFKMnKIK-HhHMKu7ZXlkpgkQaWiGLcUbmtIBBaJaEwasbCidt-QVixKBnBdQZx6f4l91r5KNpSfxcv7fVWT_MrVGzuJH6P79MV1Revdf5Um9IQHia-o/s320/kind+campaign.jpg" width="317" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Now, what do I LOVE about KEEP Collective??? EVERYTHING!!!! It's important to me that the business leaders are women who support and encourage other women and that my earning potential is unlimited. Storyteller and promoter of the GREATER GOOD that I am, it's rewarding for me to be able to wear my beliefs, my message my causes. I've coined the phrase </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Tell your story, share your passion, wear your pride." <br />KEEP has partnered with the KIND Campaign whose message you have to know, I promote.<br />KEEP Collective is a positive company, whose motto's are displayed everywhere from the "life celebrated" cards that you receive with your purchases, to their "All things are possible", "live happy", and "You Can Sit with Us" bars. They have gorgeous script letter words, for "Love", "Believe", "Faith" and "Blessed" and I for one, enjoy wearing them as a reminder to myself. And lastly, all of the "keys" (the letters, symbols, bars) fit all of the "keepers" (the bracelets, pendants, key fobs) so you can change your look and grow your collection.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Becoming a KEEP designer was an inexpensive start up, compared to other direct sales businesses; just $149 plus tax and $5.95 shipping for $500 worth of jewelry, and the incentives kept rolling in. Within the first few weeks, I earned $100 in FREE KEEP plus two half price items. I earned the opportunity to upgrade my original kit for $50 and receive another $250 in jewelry; not to mention, I GOT PAID 25% commission, weekly. No need to wait for a check; they give you a special debit card and load your pay on every Thursday if you've earned commission. Of course I'll receive a higher pay rate as I excel and once I build a team, I'll make a percentage of their sales as well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I feel truly blessed to have joined KEEP Collective during their first year of business. We currently have 10,000 designers and we're growing. This is still a ground floor opportunity for anyone who may be curious about joining me.<br /><br />So here's the thing, THIS is not a sales pitch. The title of this post is "KEEPing it Real", because I want to catch you up on what I've been up to, and WHY I made the decision to sell KEEP. I want to spread the word about this amazing line, because it's still so new that most people (that I know), have never heard of it or seen it. I have no intention of turning the Bumpy Ride into a promotion for KEEP Collective, but as I'm hoping that it will be a big, important part of my life, I'm sure that I'll mention it from time. This one time though, I will say "Ladies and Gentlemen, PLEASE check out my <a href="https://www.keep-collective.com/with/paigeramos">website </a>(Yes, I have a website...) You can take a look at the catalog and if items interest you, contact me so that I can mock it up for you and you can see what it will look like before you buy (just like the images that I shared above.) Valentine's day is coming and KEEP would be an ideal gift for your loved ones. (Just sayin...) If you'd like to host a party, through the magic of Facebook, anyone in any state can have a Facebook Social with me as their designer; which is awesome because it doesn't limit who I am able to work with. And of course, once you've checked out what we have to offer, if you think that KEEP might be the opportunity that's right for you; I'd be thrilled to have you join my team. <br /><br />It's important to me that you know that while I may contact you with a design idea or to tell you that there's a piece that I think you might be interested in, it's not because I want to make money (that's a bonus); it's because I think that it's something that you might not know about and you may enjoy. If you're not interested, my feelings won't be hurt; but they will be hurt if you think that I'm using our friendship to make a sale. C'mon riders, you KNOW me... I'm all about the (say it with me...) "Greater Good"; and that includes showing you something that I think you'd like.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">One thing I can say, I believe that working with KEEP will lead me to my own GREATER GOOD and afford me more time to pursue all of my interests including writing "The Bumpy Ride,"<br /><br />At this time, I'm going to share a few more photos from the fabulous KEEP Collective collection and simply say...<br /><br />Till next time,<br />Paige</span><br />
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Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186112145601975251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1064555698216179809.post-60338596409026126762015-03-13T18:32:00.001-07:002015-07-01T16:31:07.068-07:00What I REALLY Said - My ABC15 Interview...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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While I don't fancy myself a political activist; if you've ever read "The Bumpy Ride" before, then you know that I'm all about the (say it with me), "GREATER GOOD"; and that first and foremost, I am ALWAYS an advocate for my children, and what is in the best interest of their greater good as well as that of children in general. If you're new to the "The Ride" then you just received a master class in where the name was derived from. (Short cuts are rarely taken and I tend to over explain - but I thank you for indulging me and I hope that you'll enjoy it.) I'll also quickly explain for those new "Riders", that while I consider most of my writing to be observational humor, I also feel compelled to write about ANYTHING that I believe will promote the "GREATER GOOD". So here we go...<br />
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Now, I've been known to voice my opinion here before, in regard to certain political candidates; I'm not going to pretend that I haven't. And while I could easily get on my soapbox and rally on about how despicable I find our new Governor, (Doug Ducey) to be; or how appalled I am that someone as inexperienced as Diane Douglas could be elected State Superintendent of Public Instruction when she has never even taught a day of school in her life; THIS post is not about that. No, this post is about the Four day school week that the Peoria Unified School District (PUSD) proposed and what exactly I said during my interview with Channel 15 yesterday.<br />
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So let me back this up a bit... In anticipation of the drastic cuts that would be made to the Arizona education budget, the PUSD put out a survey to ask parents what they thought about a Four day school week. My immediate reaction was "NO!", but when I responded in kind on the survey, it then presented the options of: Four day school week OR cut nurses, librarians, cafeteria workers, security, buses, extracurricular activities, administrators etc. etc. etc. The list seemed endless and I was perplexed. I couldn't imagine our schools doing without all of the services that were mentioned, and so Luis and I discussed it and agreed that the four day week was the lesser of the evils. We still had grave concerns about it, but we also felt that there was no choice.<br />
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I kept the survey and the possibility of the four day week in the back of my mind, as more and more I saw Facebook posts about an effort to Recall Diane Douglas, (and I jumped on that bandwagon). Then more recently, I saw my very own friends Brooke Kistner and Lisa Best start a grassroots effort to protest the proposed Education budget cuts at the capitol. I was inspired by their dedication and commitment to inform Arizona's parents about the dangers of the budget cuts; and I felt very guilty that I wasn't able to join them at either protest due to work and scheduling conflicts. So, when Lisa sent me a text on Wednesday and asked me how I felt about the four day school week proposal and if I would be willing to speak with a reporter from channel 15, I responded and told her that I didn't like the idea of the four day week, and that while I was a pretty good public speaker when given the opportunity to rehearse, I didn't believe that I did very well on the fly. Lisa called me and we discussed our points of view and she told me that she thought I would be fine to do the interview, so although I was very nervous about it; I felt that the time had come for me to do my part, and I said "yes."<br />
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Justin Pazera called me on Wednesday afternoon and asked me if I was in favor of the four day week and I said "no"; but our conversation was so brief that I didn't have time to clarify my position. So as soon as we met in person on Thursday morning, I told him not to take his equipment out of the car until I was able to explain my point of view, as perhaps it was not what he was really looking for. I told Justin that while I don't like the idea of the four day week, I thought it was the lesser of the evils. He went on to take out his equipment (now that almost sounds like another kinda blog right there...) but I digress; and we spoke on film and off, for over a half hour. Justin asked if I was happy with the PUSD aside from the proposal and I told him that I was thrilled. I explained that I have three children that attend three different schools in the PUSD and that I was so grateful that they each had the opportunity to get their individual educational needs met. Nicky is a straight A, honors student at Peoria High School and he participates in MESA (Mathematics, Engineering and Science Achievement) in addition to being a Varsity swimmer. Lyndzi is a great student and an award winning artist who attends Foothills Fine Arts Academy for their Visual Arts program and Kelsie an equally great student, attends Apache Gifted Academy. He asked why I was opposed to the four day week and I went on to say, that I know there are a lot of children who already have difficulty making it through the school day, so lengthening it concerned me. I thought that it may be unfair to students and teachers alike in terms of their daily workloads; because Nicky typically comes home with several hours worth of homework as it is. I explained that while childcare wouldn't be an issue for me, I recognize that their are many parents with young children who may be faced with a dilemma about who would watch their children and how they would pay for it; and ultimately that could effect the economy. Lastly, I expressed concern for the children whose only meals are the ones that they receive at school, and how missing a day may mean an extra day that they go unfed.<br />
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I then explained that although my concerns about the four day week are many; I fear the cuts that would have to be made more. For children who take medication at school, how could their be no nurses? How would schools run without administrators? I want my children to receive a quality education that equals those from other states, and I worry that if extracurricular activities are cut, my son will fall short on his college applications when he is competing for spots with students who appear to be more well rounded. I mean what is he supposed to say in an essay... "I would have continued to participate in MESA and swim team but the state of Arizona cut the funding." That's heartbreaking to me! My children are dedicated students who already have plans for their future and I don't want to see their dreams shattered, because we reside in Arizona and our government is showing us that they don't value public education. Justin said "So what do you do?" And my initial response actually surprised me a little... I said "Pray", but then I KNEW that was my opportunity to REALLY talk about what can be done, so I added, and VOTE, and make phone calls and sign petitions and make sure that you help to get the word out that this state is in big trouble and that our children's future depends on people making informed decisions when they vote, and not just choosing a candidate because of the party initial next to their name, as that person's interests might not represent your own at all.<br />
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I made it VERY clear to Justin that I applauded the PUSD for coming up with an alternative to the extreme budget cuts, but my bigger concern was that Arizona is in this position to begin with.<br />
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Justin asked me to show him photos of my children. He asked me to flip through them and he assured me that it wouldn't look silly (but I beg to differ.) I asked Justin to make sure to edit out the part where I used the word "thrilled" three different times to describe the PUSD as I was embarrassed to use the same word repeatedly; and not only did he oblige me there, but he edited out almost everything that I said and added in something that I didn't; which was that I was concerned that my kids would continue to get good grades, if the four day week went into effect. I said I was concerned about the workload, and scheduling but rest assured, I have every faith that my kids will continue to be good students regardless of if they are in school four days a week or five.<br />
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I think my family and I have learned several valuable lessons through this experience:<br />
1. You have to stand up for what you believe in and not just complain.<br />
2. You have to do your part when something matters to you - even if it's scary to do so.<br />
3. You need to be informed, because ignorance may cost you and those you love more than anyone can afford.<br />
4. You need to share your knowledge, so AZ friends if you haven't already joined the following Facebook communities, please do: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RecallDianeDouglas">Recall Diane Douglas</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RecallDianeDouglas">Recall Doug Ducey, </a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/FundAZFuture/781503445232668">FundAZFuture</a><br />
5. The media shows you what they want to show you. They slant things to fit the story that they're trying to tell.<br />
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Here's my very brief <a href="http://www.abc15.com/news/region-west-valley/peoria/peoria-school-district-considers-four-day-school-week">abc15 interview</a> , if you'd like to watch it. I'm just gratified that I was able to use "The Bumpy Ride" as my vehicle to share ALL of my points of view on this matter, with you.<br />
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Till next time...<br />
Paige<br />
<br />Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186112145601975251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1064555698216179809.post-40547004196697694302015-03-02T16:40:00.000-07:002015-03-03T08:37:00.843-07:00Changes For Luis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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No one has ever accused me of being secretive or closed mouthed; but when it came to Luis' recent job separations, I refrained from making many Facebook posts about the matter. <br />
Because I hadn't publicly documented what was going on, many people were surprised when I made posts related to his job search and I feel like it's time for me to explain the whole enchilada; but not in a Facebook post; right here, on "The Bumpy Ride", because this truly has been one!<br />
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A little background info first... After Luis graduated from high school in Puerto Vallarta, he attended a school for tourism, where he took classes in English and hospitality management. While living in Vallarta he held various jobs at different hotels and he worked for National Car Rental as a sales agent. When we moved to Orlando in 1994, (shortly after we were married); he took a job as a front desk agent at a hotel and in no time at all, he worked his way up to Front Desk Manager, When we moved to Arizona in January of 1997, Luis accepted a position as a front desk supervisor at a hotel (that I will just refer to as "the hotel" for the rest of this story.) After a short time, he became the Assistant Front Desk Manager and in 2002 he was promoted to Front Desk Manager/ Manager on Duty.<br />
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Anyone who has ever met Luis in person can tell you how hard working and loyal he is. The hotel was often short staffed at the desk and Luis did the work of at least three people for many years. He was an exemplary employee who always went above and beyond for his employers and guests and in reading further, that is something that I want to be sure you understand.<br />
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During the late summer of 2014 Luis told me that he believed that the owners of the hotel were looking to sell it. This wasn't something that they made public knowledge; it was just a conclusion that Luis had come to, based on the frequency of meetings the owners were having, with people who in Luis' estimation, looked like people who would buy the hotel. By late fall, the owner did inform the staff that he was in the process of selling the hotel, and he let them know that he had no idea how that was going to effect the staff. It's important to understand at this point, that the owners of the hotel were also the managers. They worked as the General Manager, Sales Director etc. while the people who were interested in purchasing the hotel, were planning to do so as an investment and they were going to bring in a Management company rather than work there themselves; so the employees had no way of knowing if they would have jobs after the hotel was sold.<br />
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Luis was told that he needed to use up all of his vacation time before the end of November, and on his first day of vacation, he had to go in for a meeting with the company that the new owner had selected to manage the hotel. Luis was prepared to interview for his position, but they told him that this was not meant to be formal, just a "getting to know you" type of meeting. The personnel that Luis met with, gave him the impression that he was going to be retained to do his job and that there was room for growth for him within their organization. Following this meeting, Luis attended a Manager's meeting and was given health insurance information and forms to complete. On Wed. Dec. 17th, he met with HR to turn in his insurance forms; which is why I was so surprised when Luis called me on Friday Dec. 19th and whispered "It's not looking good. They are calling several people into the owner's office and letting them go, and these are people who have been here a long time."<br />
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Luis went in to see the old owner (whose last day was supposed to be Mon. Dec. 22nd) and although he didn't let Luis go on the spot; he confirmed that it wasn't looking good. It seemed that the new management company didn't want to pay the salaries that the long time employees such as Luis, had been receiving; nor did they want to have to pay for 4 weeks vacation etc. So they let go of the Breakfast Room Manager who had been there over 25 years, and the accountant who had been there 20 something, and the entire sales department, in addition to several others. Then an hour before his shift was over on Dec. 22nd, Luis was called into the old owners office and just one month and 5 days before his 18th anniversary, he was let go. He was told that that new management company was bringing in a "professional management team and his services were no longer required."<br />
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At first we were angry. We felt that this wasn't the way that a loyal employee should be treated, and we were frustrated that Luis was now unemployed after all of his years of dedication to the hotel owners. But, upon reflection we realized that while the pay at the hotel was never great, the hotel allowed Luis flexibility with his schedule so that we never needed outside child care; and to us that was priceless. While Luis didn't receive severance pay, he did receive "a bonus", and this is much more than those who were let go after the old owner had left, can say; so for that we are grateful.<br />
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Luis started looking for a new job, as soon as the others were let go on the 19th. He really didn't think that he wanted to work at another hotel; so he tried to find something different. As one of Luis' responsibilities at the hotel had been to drive the airport shuttle as needed; he thought that he might enjoy a job that involved driving and he applied for a position at a produce company that was actually walking distance from our home. Luis was quickly offered the position and began training, but during the second week of training, he found out that the company expected the drivers to sign a form accepting liability for any damage that was done to the truck while they were driving. This concerned Luis, as he thought that's what insurance was for; and he didn't feel that he was being paid enough to take on such liability. <br />
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We believe things happen for a reason and two days before he was expected to sign the liability paper work; his trainer unavoidably damaged the truck, at a time that Luis should have been driving. As soon as the truck was returned to the yard, the fleet manager and GM started assessing the damage and estimated that it was going to cost the driver $1200-$1500, which they planned to take out of his pay check $100 at a time, until it was paid off. Luis was devastated as THIS could have been his debt to owe, had he been driving as he was supposed to. He told me that he didn't feel comfortable signing the paperwork and although he is not a quitter, he didn't feel that he had any choice.<br />
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He went to speak with the Night Manager to address his concerns and find out how to proceed and the very nice gentleman agreed with Luis and confirmed his decision not to drive. The next morning, Luis went to see the General Manager and explained that had he been told about the liability when he initially interviewed for the position, he would not have accepted the job. He asked if there was anything else that he might try within the company, but the GM said "not at this time." So again, Luis found himself unemployed.<br />
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Prior to this December, Luis hadn't been unemployed since 1997 and at that time, he was only without a job, because we relocated to Arizona. Applying for a position now is so vastly different from how it was done 18 years ago; and it's been a real learning process for us; especially because Luis wanted to try to do something new.<br />
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Luis is such an extraordinary man with a kind soul and a gentle spirit. The minute you are in his presence you know that he is exceptional; however, this can't be determined by a computerized job application or a psychological questionnaire or personality profile or whatever they want to call it. We KNEW that as soon as someone would give Luis the opportunity to interview in person, that he would be offered a position and we were right!! Thus far, Luis has been offered a job EVERYWHERE that he has interviewed, but not all of those positions were ultimately right for him, as companies seem to want experienced people, but they don't want to pay for it, and it is difficult to support a family on $11 an hour or less. I could go on - but this is already a long story (I know.)<br />
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Luis and I have been very blessed to have friends that have made job referrals on his behalf and have helped with interview coaching and decision making. Luis is currently deciding between two positions that have been offered to him, by two National companies that have great reputations and room for advancement and relocation. We are looking forward to him getting back to work this month and having a job that he enjoys.<br />
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Through this experience we have learned that although it can be scary, change can be good; and together there is nothing that we can't accomplish or get through! While they always give us reasons to be proud, our children have proven themselves to be the most understanding, thoughtful, and brave kids that any parents could ask for. We are grateful to all of our friends who have said prayers for us and encouraged us during this complicated time; and we feel confident that 2015 is going to end a lot better than it started!<br />
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Till next time...<br />
Paige<br />
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<br />Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186112145601975251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1064555698216179809.post-69583869581313233532014-07-10T11:27:00.000-07:002014-07-10T11:33:43.760-07:00They've Poked The Bear...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, the Emmy voters have done it! They've poked the bear... They've awaken me from my blogging slumber; as I now feel compelled to write about the injustice that has been done to James Spader! <br />
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Those of you who have been "Riders" for a while, know of my long standing adoration for this fine actor. In fact before today's post, I've mentioned him in blogs, at least seven other times, lol. But today, I am enraged that the academy failed to include James Spader in their Best Actor nominations; because as Raymond "Red" Reddington, on "The Blacklist", he is absolutely BRILLIANT!!<br />
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I'll admit, I started watching "The Blacklist" simply because I knew that Mr. Spader was cast; but from the first monologue that he uttered, I was captivated and became a committed viewer. I believe I've said this before, but other than Robert Downey Jr. there is no one in my opinion, who rivals the talent of James Spader. He could sell ice to an eskimo, sand in the desert, and he can repeatedly get away with murder; (well, on TV that is.)<br />
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If you haven't seen it, "The Blacklist" is very fast paced and I'll admit that I often get lost while watching the show. Thankfully, Luis always watches it with me, which is extremely unusual because our TV appetites are vastly different. After watching the first episode by myself, I knew that Luis would be just as charmed by "Red" as I was; so I encouraged him to watch it with me and he loved it. On a side note, (because this cracks me up) I'll tell you that Luis refers to Mr. Spader's character as "Rojo", (the Spanish word for Red.) But I digress...<br />
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There is no doubt that Rojo's performance is absolutely the BEST thing about the show and I can't count how many times I've mentioned (while watching); that he was a sure thing for an Emmy nomination. I guess I shouldn't have been that confident OR the Emmy voters LOST the samples of his performances. Shame on them!<br />
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So why today? Well the answer my faithful riders is simple of course... (Say it with me) "For the Greater Good!" See, you know I still care about you! For the greater good, I HAVE to make sure that you are tuning in to "The Blacklist" because it is intelligent entertainment. For the greater good, I have to point out that James Spader deserves an Emmy for this performance even if the Academy doesn't acknowledge it; and for the greater good (at least mine) I HAVE to start writing again and this was the PERFECT opportunity to get started.<br />
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Till next time...<br />
Paige<br />
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<br />Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186112145601975251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1064555698216179809.post-60695044788202515332013-09-11T20:25:00.000-07:002013-09-11T20:25:11.982-07:00Always Remember<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">12 years ago today, 9/11 became a day that Americans will never and should never forget; however, for me this date has had significance for 27 years, as on September 11, 1986 my beautiful, mother lost her courageous battle with cancer. Both of these tragic events are still so vivid to me. I know exactly where I was when I got the call that my mom had passed away. So many years have passed, and yet it seems like just yesterday and the hurt is still as deep. Likewise, it seems like no time has passed since I walked into my friend Kara's kitchen to drop Nicky off at her house, because I was 6 months pregnant with Lyndzi and I had to go take my 3 hour glucose tolerance test. I saw the unbelievable footage on her small, television set and I was absolutely dumbfounded. I sat for the next 3 hours, tortured by the intense aftermath of the glucose and the terrifying images on the lab TV.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Yesterday Kelsie sweetly reminded me that we had to light a candle for Grandma Lee on Wednesday; and after she had made the comment, I couldn't get the impending date off my mind. I contemplated what I might write on my Facebook to let my friends know what this day meant for me as it was the day that I had lost my mom and I truly missed her; but knowing that there were SO MANY to be thought of, I was uncertain as to how I wanted to proceed. When I had a few minutes to jump on Facebook this morning, I was gratified to see how many people had made "never forget" posts, and shared pictures to commemorate 9/11. I considered writing a post to honor my mom, but with an entire country focused on the tragedy, I decided to go another route; so although no one may have known it, with my mom in mind and always in my heart, I wrote this post: </span></span> <b><span style="color: #741b47;">"<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">Not only is it important that we "never forget", we also need to always remember... Tomorrow is not promised, let go of the pettiness and be grateful for all that we have and each day that we are blessed with. Honor those that have lost their lives for us, by being the best versions of ourselves and making this world a better place."</span></span></b></span><br />
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</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 18px;">Within minutes "friends" started liking my post, and even commented; as they felt that what I had written was spot on. My amazing, friend Tammy, even shared my post on her page, which warmed my heart and validated my feelings. I am thoroughly thrilled that so many agreed with me, I just hope that they still agree tomorrow, and the next day and the day after that. You see, although 9/11 was one day that we should "Never forget" we need to carry that with us EVERYDAY! When our friends are posting their contrasting political points of view on Facebook, we need to remember that yesterday we all wanted to be ONE America and ban together to "never forget." Yesterday, we were all united as we recalled the hideous attack and we claimed to be proud to be Americans one and all, that no one should try to harm. We need to "never forget" that there is no time like the present, and that if something, or someone is important to us, we need to DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, because we might not get another chance. We need to "never forget" that we are all only human and as such we make mistakes and we deserve forgiveness. We need to "never forget" that it is our duty to live every day to it's fullest and not waste a single moment on worry or regret, for if we do we are robbing ourselves of precious time that others might not have.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 18px;">I write this blog tonight as I wrote that post this morning - with all the love in my heart. With the utmost gratitude for having had an incredible mother, who taught me well during the 19 years that she graced my life. It is my fervent hope that she is watching down from heaven, comforted by the knowledge that I live every day to make her proud and that I for one still believe in promoting the GREATER GOOD! I know that we all can DO BETTER. We can be kinder, more tolerant, and work towards a common goal. We should strive to lead by example and not only when it's convenient or suits our purpose. We need to teach our children that we do what we say and say what we do. We need to let the people who are important to us KNOW IT, and be thankful that we live in a country where we are permitted to have differences in opinions in the first place. We need to commit to memory and practice, that if we should "never forget" that also means that we should "ALWAYS REMEMBER."</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 18px;">Till next time...</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 18px;">Paige</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186112145601975251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1064555698216179809.post-45410670439416344802013-08-18T20:42:00.000-07:002013-08-18T20:47:44.166-07:00I'm Not a Waiter, I'm a WRITER!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXRZ7fxuOk_rQbLn5lmal71D6wdcEUdCfPrgMqdsmIXn4qV5rpHm3qrJg6lyseRlGc7islv8mcLnsWzInkrOSqxxHXKC77MWSAB_QfCwfGQYs20sQGrcNefR0pthAvixzYNLt1ruqamdQ/s1600/Bumpy+Ride.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXRZ7fxuOk_rQbLn5lmal71D6wdcEUdCfPrgMqdsmIXn4qV5rpHm3qrJg6lyseRlGc7islv8mcLnsWzInkrOSqxxHXKC77MWSAB_QfCwfGQYs20sQGrcNefR0pthAvixzYNLt1ruqamdQ/s200/Bumpy+Ride.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Getting back to "The Bumpy Ride" has been very much on my mind lately. I've spent the past two years helping my family pursue their dreams and since THEY are my dream, I felt that I had to put writing to the side; but I've really missed it.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've been giving a lot of thought to making time to write and once again I even contemplated changing the look of my blog, to make yet another fresh start, but alas - I did nothing. Then this morning, Luis posted this photo of me on Facebook. He said he'd found it on "The Bumpy Ride" and I was quite surprised to see it. I wondered what he'd been doing here, and when I asked, he said that he'd been Googling </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lyndzis/541429539256761">"LYNDZI'S"</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> , which is a totally other story - and he came across "The Bumpy Ride" and this photo. I commented "is this a hint?" Thinking that he was trying to tell me that he'd like me to look like this picture again, OR that he might think that it was time for me to get back to writing - but he just replied "No, hint, found it at The Bumpy Ride!!" So my theories apparently got lost in translation, but I decided to re-visit "The Ride" anyway. Not having any idea where or how to start, I re-read a couple of posts, hoping for inspiration and then I found it - a typo in an old post. I actually wrote hear when it should have been here; and I was HORRIFIED! I immediately tried to remember how to log on, as I was going to try and edit my mistake, and whaddya know; it brought me right to this blank canvas, so I took it as a sign to just get going.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So here I am Riders, if any of you are still out there. I won't ignore the fact that I never gave you any of the details of my New York trip; and now that I think about it, I'm not sure why I thought it would be such a long story to tell. So... Lyndzi and I took the red eye the night of my 44th birthday. We flew Jet Blue and we were very excited to have TV's to watch; however, they were not working during our flight. We don't sweat the small stuff, so we snuggled, slept and woke up in New York City raring to go! "My sister" Michele picked us up, along with her kids Giancarlo and Masha. We had a breakfast in a Long Island diner and I immediately felt like I was home. We went to their beautiful, house in Long Beach, so that they could pack up some things to take to the city, and we were off to our hotel, compliments of Big V. The hotel was just a few blocks from Times Square, and after visiting with my friend June for a little while, we went to Toys 'R' Us, met my dear, dear friend Rachel, rode the Ferris wheel and did some exploring. We were hit with a torrential rain storm, as we were making our way to China Town. We took the subway, (one of my least favorite things to do in NY) and we had to walk so far in the station to get to our actual train, that it felt like we were walking all the way to China Town. Once we arrived at our stop, it continued to down pour and although we laughed as we ran through the rain - we arrived at the restaurant soaked to the bone. I'll never forget the feeling, walking into the crowded restaurant and finding friends of mine that didn't know each other, all sitting together waiting for me. Rachel, Michele, the kids and I greeted Stacy,her daughter Rachel, Bobbi, and Tammy. How spectacular that even though these women hadn't met each other before, they were all able to figure out that each of them were there to see me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We had a terrific dinner, and thankfully the rain stopped, so we were able to roam the streets of China Town and Little Italy. We chatted, walked, shopped and I don't ever remember feeling more comfortable in NYC. Of course we had to go to Ferrara's and have dessert, and I must say that as we all sat at the table enjoying our treats and the fine company, I was overcome with emotion and moved to tears. I felt very, very blessed and I kissed my incredible friends good night.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Saturday, at Giancarlo's insistence we experienced the deliciousness that is Shake Shack. We had amazing burgers and fantastic cheese fries. Michele tried this burger that had a breaded, fried Portobello mushroom on it and in inimitable Michele style, she shared with all of us. And as if that wasn't enough, we followed up the meal with the p</span><span style="line-height: 1.2em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">ièce de résistance </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Salted Caramel Custard. Stuffed as we were, we made our way back to the hotel, so that we could get ready for "Mamma Mia."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bobbie, Dawnie, Jasmine, Michele, me and the kids were all delighted with the fun loving show. We had fantastic seats (again, thanks to Big V) and we literally danced and sang the whole time. I think that the only thing that was better than the performance was the look I saw on Lyndzi's face as I watched her fall in love with live, musical theater. She LOVED it, just as I knew she would and it made the experience complete for me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Outside the stage door, as the kids waited for autographs, we met my old college friend Eileen, as well as Rachel and her mom, Penny. We made plans to meet for dinner and were joined by my friend Beth, who I hadn't seen since high school, Dawnie's husband Michael and Rachel's dad - Mr. Schatten, (I've never called him by his first name. LOL) We had a wonderful dinner at a small Italian restaurant that Rachel knew, and my only regret was that I couldn't chat with everyone at once, because I so appreciated them coming to spend time with me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now why in the world I just thought I could get this full trip done in one blog post is beyond me. So, i'll stop here for now, but PROMISE that I will tell you more in the not so distant future. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPGBDb3ctXMVOBwGTOH0FCMNpIBcxfRTDBwWZgsOOEovwUeV-en2rHakQR52_w_iID4KK9bHpz1Lb-sOQlo-aGdLRWCtM2FPegfn273OpcwFNqF3lZj9mByfH9bQixmII5QXCTPeS0KRs/s1600/waiter+not+a+writer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="display: inline !important; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPGBDb3ctXMVOBwGTOH0FCMNpIBcxfRTDBwWZgsOOEovwUeV-en2rHakQR52_w_iID4KK9bHpz1Lb-sOQlo-aGdLRWCtM2FPegfn273OpcwFNqF3lZj9mByfH9bQixmII5QXCTPeS0KRs/s320/waiter+not+a+writer.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With that being said; a few months ago, I saw the above post on my friend Monique's Facebook page; </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">a</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: center;">nd I liked it, because I thought it was fantastic; but it also made me feel REALLY bad. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: center;">I WAS being a waiter, but not because I wanted to be~ because I didn't know how to make time for me. So hear me now when I tell you that I'm NOT a waiter, I AM a WRITER and I have every intention of reminding you of that on as regular a basis as possible; so I sure hope that you'll join me again on this "Bumpy Ride."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: center;">Till next time...<br />Paige</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186112145601975251noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1064555698216179809.post-61675882069468079952012-01-22T12:08:00.001-07:002012-01-22T15:22:42.374-07:00A Brand, New Ride<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnpWQpTNfeWpf6WlEFZI1OZp_T5CT55iJo7_-XSaUrNodX1TlKBKlJNkbtyWavHGK9kAn0O2mZp9v-hKCBTBjghuyGdPDJhNbKTe53gTihOLETUXkzAhvmM1cIx3F7ueaRxo8IYyI14-8/s1600/profile+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnpWQpTNfeWpf6WlEFZI1OZp_T5CT55iJo7_-XSaUrNodX1TlKBKlJNkbtyWavHGK9kAn0O2mZp9v-hKCBTBjghuyGdPDJhNbKTe53gTihOLETUXkzAhvmM1cIx3F7ueaRxo8IYyI14-8/s1600/profile+pic.jpg" /></a></div>Safeway is not usually my supermarket of choice (no offense Safeway); but it does happen to be the closest grocery store to my house, so I run in there -(OK - if you know me in real life, you KNOW I don't RUN anywhere); rather I stop there for any last minute necessities or bagels. I'll give them that. Compared to their competitors, for a supermarket, they have a decent bagel - but I digress...<br />
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So I stopped at Safeway for a couple of things and as I was attempting to select some bananas, I was mesmerized by the woman who breezed by, picked up a bunch, put them in her cart and moved on. "REALLY?" I thought, "It's just that easy for her? No perusing for bruising or checking for firmness? Just - oh these are bananas, I'll just take em and go? Wow! What must THAT be like?<br />
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Now I'm sure you're thinking (because you know I HAVE to tell ya what I think <b>you're</b> thinking.) "Seriously? No blog for five months and she just starts off about picking some bananas like that has ANYTHING to do with (say it with me), "The Greater Good?" But alas, it does... Somehow, standing there and thinking those thoughts I knew it was time for me to get back to "The Bumpy Ride", which some might say, is for the "Greater Good."; and that is why I chose to start out this long, overdue, post by telling you about the bananas rather than lamenting over what I've been doing and why it's been so long since I've written.<br />
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Trust me when I tell you that I don't consider myself any busier than the next person. Which is to say, that I don't think you need to hear my excuses about how busy I've been and why I haven't been able to write. I can assure you that I am fully aware of the irony of my situation. It baffles me how I managed to write "The Ride" everyday for a year last year and yet this is the first time in months that I've been able to make time to write. But I swear to you, it's not for lack of wanting to. If you're not a first time Rider, then you know I'm the Queen of COMMITMENT and over the past several months, I've had MANY. So rather than telling you why I've been busy - in the interest of (say it with me) "The Greater Good", I'll tell you what I've learned... One of the most important jobs of a parent is advocating for the best interests of your child - academically, athletically, emotionally, and psychologically. It's often hard to know what to do, but it's your responsibility to figure it out and do all you can to help your child achieve all that they're capable of. I learned that perseverance and honesty pay off. I learned that forgiveness is freeing and that confidence is the cure for anxiety. I learned that no matter how full your home is, there's always room for one more. I learned that making people feel good, safe and happy is one of the greatest things I do and its reward is more precious than money. I've learned that old dogs can learn new tricks. I've learned that even if your pockets are empty and times are tough, you can always find ways to be charitable. I've learned that (as I've suspected), I really do have my finger on the pulse of what's hot and upcoming. Yes, last year alone, I wrote about <b><a href="http://thebumpyride.blogspot.com/2010/11/43-104-check-her-out.html">Alex Guarnaschelli</a> </b>and how awesome I thought she was and now she's like the Food Network's next big deal. Just check them out, she's popping up on all their shows. Also, you may recall that I predicted <a href="http://thebumpyride.blogspot.com/2011/02/43-216-another-one-bit-dust.html"><b>Billy Crystal </b></a>would host the next Oscars and HELLO, have you heard?? I've learned that time can heal wounds, that help sometimes comes from the most unexpected places and that "Can't" means you haven't REALLY tried. I've learned that you need to love and accept yourself even when you're not exactly as you'd like to be. And lastly, (well probably not lastly, but lastly for the sake of this list), I've learned that I'm not ready to give up on my dream. And so, if you'll have me, I REALLY want to try and get back on track and start sharing my stories with you again. There will be tales and pictures from my New York trip, I promise! As well as all the observational humor that I can muster, and as many recommendations that I can make for yes, (say it with me again) "The Greater Good."<br />
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A GREAT big thank you to all of you who've encouraged me to start writing again and to everyone who has missed me and "The Bumpy Ride." I've made a few changes, such as "The Ride's" new appearance, (please share your thoughts on that), my updated profile picture, AND I've decided that since all the things I am or am not Queen of, really just make me who I am; I'll now be signing off -<br />
Till next time...<br />
PaigePaigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186112145601975251noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1064555698216179809.post-74374667820545899892011-09-13T07:00:00.011-07:002011-09-13T19:33:20.267-07:00Blog Hop and Giveaway…Join Us and Create Your Future at CRAFT!<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Welcome to the <br />
<b>CRAFT</b>: Creating Reflective Art for Transformation <br />
Blog Hop!</span> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This event is brought to you by our team at Scrapbooking from the Inside Out, the premier source for inspiration to explore your inner world. Six talented and well-known instructors will be leading creative and meaningful workshops using our generous sponsors’ latest and greatest products at this intimate, boutique event right on the beach in beautiful </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Santa Monica, CA, November 11-13, 2011</b>. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRdrYgABaruzNr9CUg060SrxvhyA0eEf_uCTNk2KC82aWXqd-o9xrr2XDZAdyc86Kc9S9jomLlBNblwiJ7mzS3tpFWmFYxCxIVxO7Wp_rQ40a1O-9KmOe2H1S3-0WZT0Fq9sdcBNnOlRU/s1600/CRAFT+Card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRdrYgABaruzNr9CUg060SrxvhyA0eEf_uCTNk2KC82aWXqd-o9xrr2XDZAdyc86Kc9S9jomLlBNblwiJ7mzS3tpFWmFYxCxIVxO7Wp_rQ40a1O-9KmOe2H1S3-0WZT0Fq9sdcBNnOlRU/s640/CRAFT+Card.jpg" width="384" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You’ll spend a magical weekend focused on embracing who you truly are and gaining the skills, techniques and tools to use our craft to understand yourself more deeply on an ongoing basis. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Are you just beginning at this blog? Make sure you stop at all the blogs on the list so you don't miss all the <b>project, venue and special event</b> <b>sneak peeks</b> <br />
and your chance to <b>win one of six kits</b>! </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's a sneak of one of my favorite parts of the event - the beautiful and beachy decor we're creating to make you feel welcome, comfortable and creative!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgo4VFIut0Ob3UoJ7smBaU4Dcs-KKiCyG_qazTEUjop0ur_C3jGs13M_TuXjKSebYd1TOxf8SFt0zi5eIIr4-IvTpOepzG-cqbboBZmWbRwGp7kRyPTsS4QV3cwYNe7m13VYOzZ6JdLzY/s1600/Paige+R+Sneak+CRAFT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgo4VFIut0Ob3UoJ7smBaU4Dcs-KKiCyG_qazTEUjop0ur_C3jGs13M_TuXjKSebYd1TOxf8SFt0zi5eIIr4-IvTpOepzG-cqbboBZmWbRwGp7kRyPTsS4QV3cwYNe7m13VYOzZ6JdLzY/s320/Paige+R+Sneak+CRAFT.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you get lost, a list of all the stops on the hop is at the end of this post. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <br />
<b>CRAFT:</b><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Three full days of crafting, creativity and camaraderie for only $450 <br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(three consecutive monthly payments of $150 each.)<br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spots are still available for this unique, pampering and heart-expanding getaway. <br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Register now at the event blog HERE. <br />
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</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>WHAT’S INCLUDED:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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• 6 emotion-focused, technique-teaching personal workshops ~ All CRAFTers participate in every class. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No need to choose ~ they're ALL yours in <br />
CRAFT’s ocean-view, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">beautifully styled, creative space<br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">• 4 special Art and Soul experiences<br />
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• Scrumptious breakfasts and lunches from Hollywood hot spot Urth Caffe<br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">~ Friday, Saturday and Sunday<br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">• Sweets, treats and beverages all day long<br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">• Transportation from The Ambrose to and from the Annenberg Beach House for all workshops and activities via the CRAFTy Cab<br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">• Oodles of workshop supplies <br />
(you’ll just need to bring your basic tool kit – checklist to be provided later)<br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">• A fabulous welcome gift, a CRAFTy tote filled with goodies, </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">valuable giveaways and fun prizes!<br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*Lots more details on girls’ night out dinners, airport transportation, location, hotel and event venue and more are available <a href="http://craftbeachretreat.blogspot.com/">HERE</a>.<br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For questions, comments and special requests, please email me</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <a href="mailto:craftbeachretreat@gmail.com">here</a>.<br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>The Dates: </u></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>November 11-13, 2011</b><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>The Times: </u></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Workshops from 9-5 each day, broken into two sessions. <br />
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</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <b>WHY SHOULD YOU COME TO CRAFT?</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_bdhvesk-kI3kS0puA2FAoWjErIMRCR43XFmKZAh4okHI6JMbdJuJMq38-4SbVBeplBud354_Mdo_s-gMR88S_xWBGXEtF6eGON8LxQuHHuhH5MYN-NKvG_c4uyJPmb9uQydrrd1hbTE/s1600/Square+Image+of+Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_bdhvesk-kI3kS0puA2FAoWjErIMRCR43XFmKZAh4okHI6JMbdJuJMq38-4SbVBeplBud354_Mdo_s-gMR88S_xWBGXEtF6eGON8LxQuHHuhH5MYN-NKvG_c4uyJPmb9uQydrrd1hbTE/s320/Square+Image+of+Logo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What really sets CRAFT apart is unique mission of <a href="http://www.scrapbookingfromtheinsideout.com/buy.html">Scrapbooking from the Inside Out</a>, kit club, inspiration source and online community. Thousands of participants all over the world have used SFTIO’s resources to explore their deepest emotions. They’ve lifted themselves and each other exploring Freedom, Gratitude, Anticipation and Wonder. They’ve faced their inner doubts and fears delving into Regret, Yearning, Loss and Vulnerability. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <br />
SFTIO’s trademarked and industry-exclusive approach to artistic motivation is the heart and soul of what makes us unique. Our monthly inspiration page with hand-selected music, stock photography, quotations and deep journaling prompts elevates scrapbooking to an expressive art form where members are guided to truly explore their inner worlds. <br />
<a href="http://www.scrapbookingfromtheinsideout.com/links.html">Click here</a> for links to past Inspiration Pages to see more.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SFTIO raises the bar even more by providing challenges using the prompts that add a design twist, teaching members to use ‘visual journaling’ – powerful symbolism – to combine right and left brain expression. The result? Meaningful, rich, pages and projects that reflect all of who you are, Inside and Out.<br />
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CRAFT workshops will incorporate a variety of tested, proven multimedia inspiration tools combined with the special talents and techniques of a stellar teaching staff, supported by Art Therapist Rita Coufal, PhD and Artist/Therapist Joy Mauldin, PhD. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Growth is a journey…not a destination. And it’s a most personal one…only you know what you need out of this experience. In the intimate, supportive setting we've created for you, you’ll have the opportunity to practice being more and more yourself. <br />
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Our take on scrapbooking and creativity isn’t about a quick fix, or a set of ‘positive thinking’ reminders. It’s about a deeper approach, telling your truth – pretty or not, looking at both sides of the coin, and leaving our weekend together with the <br />
creative skills and tools to be </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">more fully expressed in your life.<br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>THE INSTRUCTORS:</b><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While you’ll be learning amazing techniques, styles, tips and techniques in every workshop, these are not cookie-cutter sessions – you’ll be challenged to dig deep, learn about yourself and personalize your project to reflect who <b>you</b> are and who <b>you</b> want to be.<br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs4o2pMRwjYhc9ccz3711Cf0Ht3yaS9MtHgFByGZWHHV6Ctj7uX7WEEZtwJ0uS8qxRinmOwNgQ6LgZ_qI1vAXMgG9-7IPxJnEjjzLNVqbeQkKD6uXX-zU3QcPZ5rVjUWZAj3uWfQ8VENY/s1600/amytan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs4o2pMRwjYhc9ccz3711Cf0Ht3yaS9MtHgFByGZWHHV6Ctj7uX7WEEZtwJ0uS8qxRinmOwNgQ6LgZ_qI1vAXMgG9-7IPxJnEjjzLNVqbeQkKD6uXX-zU3QcPZ5rVjUWZAj3uWfQ8VENY/s320/amytan.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">American Crafts Design Team and Product Designer<br />
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Hambly Screen Prints Design Team<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
Mixed Media Designer<br />
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Copic Certified Designer<br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqf1nhmt2s7jCFi1JKzH7SLj4KgiZAlCZZkiPQ4ObJb03Im0YTKErcHusv-vhvM4xLCHiVaIYiD-INhTBbj17yQZeYeJvpu93aG8QTfo1qSHxAjy0mOzwMYI4mbsw939OKzjW_FXrBL58/s1600/lindabarbersq-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqf1nhmt2s7jCFi1JKzH7SLj4KgiZAlCZZkiPQ4ObJb03Im0YTKErcHusv-vhvM4xLCHiVaIYiD-INhTBbj17yQZeYeJvpu93aG8QTfo1qSHxAjy0mOzwMYI4mbsw939OKzjW_FXrBL58/s320/lindabarbersq-1.jpg" width="319" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Creating Keepsakes Dream Team 2011<br />
Lily Bee Design Team<br />
Jillibean Soup Design Team<br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvjwGY3sFZXMB-5OeP9R7l-d4MRu_isWWO2AdoNZli9ztC7CZURzoDGNAqXqs7S3Q2v5402B7BGPWe2PPYtBJuM8_ioNvpnZyKnfVQMgVBd5Y3BdajtnkefiLQUAcUFw5tUdyJG7cw9Qs/s1600/paigeevanssq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvjwGY3sFZXMB-5OeP9R7l-d4MRu_isWWO2AdoNZli9ztC7CZURzoDGNAqXqs7S3Q2v5402B7BGPWe2PPYtBJuM8_ioNvpnZyKnfVQMgVBd5Y3BdajtnkefiLQUAcUFw5tUdyJG7cw9Qs/s320/paigeevanssq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Copy/Creative Editor for Northridge Publishing<br />
American Crafts Blog Hostess/Design Team<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvRF4KlJx3wquRq1gukicjdcEd05djDwVm3znNoTwV3mgKj8u2GG9o-uwcgS0_KA3t09PGc3VRhwTOj7C9knAYnaxMkskgQ9iU0FWjiMBmVvjFufampJ3xRqEW9wKT2MVA8KvJX69kSyE/s1600/RK+Sq-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvRF4KlJx3wquRq1gukicjdcEd05djDwVm3znNoTwV3mgKj8u2GG9o-uwcgS0_KA3t09PGc3VRhwTOj7C9knAYnaxMkskgQ9iU0FWjiMBmVvjFufampJ3xRqEW9wKT2MVA8KvJX69kSyE/s320/RK+Sq-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Founder and President, <br />
Scrapbooking from the Inside Out <br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZvmiO5juYJT-OuSvX0b6FZfi3_ATxKJ7s_daIRQW_pe1PiFzQjaL583A0O221Gwxt1nfOvM3ZVcRs43spvzBUcoNXhropNNi4fdOIosTLHD_OWEKk0Y7DB9vzjhwfzmYVVUEPYJ7YRGE/s1600/Stacy_Cohen_headshot+2sq-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZvmiO5juYJT-OuSvX0b6FZfi3_ATxKJ7s_daIRQW_pe1PiFzQjaL583A0O221Gwxt1nfOvM3ZVcRs43spvzBUcoNXhropNNi4fdOIosTLHD_OWEKk0Y7DB9vzjhwfzmYVVUEPYJ7YRGE/s320/Stacy_Cohen_headshot+2sq-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Creating Keepsakes Dream Team 2011<br />
Prima Design Team<br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://craftbeachretreat.blogspot.com/">WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? REGISTER NOW</a>.<br />
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</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And now for a giveaway! <br />
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In celebration of CRAFT, SFTIO is giving away FIVE kits to FIVE lucky readers…make sure to leave a comment (before Noon Pacific Time on 9-15) on each blog you visit in the hop to increase your chances of winning. Tell us please, in your comment, what emotion you’d love to explore in your scrapbooking! Winners will be chosen from all blog comment entries and will be announced on 9-16 on the SFTIO blog.</span></div><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For your next stop, make sure to check out <a href="http://amytangerine.blogspot.com/2011/09/craft-beach-retreat-blog-hop.html">Amy Tan's Blog here</a>. Good luck and we hope to see you at CRAFT!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hop List:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SFTIO: <a href="http://scrapbookingfromtheinsideout.blogspot.com/">http://scrapbookingfromtheinsideout.blogspot.com</a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stacy Cohen: <a href="http://stacycohen.blogspot.com/">http://stacycohen.blogspot.com/</a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Linda Barber:<a href="http://milesofpaper.blogspot.com/"> http://milesofpaper.blogspot.com/</a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Paige Ramos: http://thebumpyride.blogspot.com </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Amy Tan: <a href="http://amytangerine.blogspot.com/">http://amytangerine.blogspot.com/</a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Paige Evans:<a href="http://chrisandpaige.blogspot.com/"> http://chrisandpaige.blogspot.com/</a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tammy Onderdonk Klass: <a href="http://createdreamlive.blogspot.com/">http://createdreamlive.blogspot.com/</a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Seven Gypsies:<a href="http://www.sevengypsies.blogspot.com/"> http://www.sevengypsies.blogspot.com/</a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ly T. Le: <a href="http://www.lytlescrapper.com/">http://www.lytlescrapper.com/</a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Melissa Elsner:<a href="http://theprofoundbrunette.blogspot.com/"> http://theprofoundbrunette.blogspot.com</a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jillibean Soup: <a href="http://www.jillibeansoup.typepad.com/">http://www.jillibeansoup.typepad.com/</a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rita Barakat: <a href="http://letsembellish.blogspot.com/">http://letsembellish.blogspot.com/</a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kai Baldwin: <a href="http://www.enjoytheridetoday.blogspot.com/">http://www.enjoytheridetoday.blogspot.com/</a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CRAFT Blog:<a href="http://craftbeachretreat.blogspot.com/"> http://craftbeachretreat.blogspot.com/</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Till next time...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Queen of EVERYTHING</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186112145601975251noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1064555698216179809.post-45234281985867331062011-08-13T21:42:00.000-07:002011-08-13T21:42:23.072-07:00Loose Ends<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxuJh-I5mXRvotHh9C7FMcm5GZxgwfS-HrS9qHqhcVn9zkJPJQjqEM0RR3t78hqVG_h9QCWAhP0ePSFIQucswHhbevSc9gJYHUT4uuefXtq9R8UNS25HdWERxXVV366j1zhfknMy1vYmE/s1600/final+charm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxuJh-I5mXRvotHh9C7FMcm5GZxgwfS-HrS9qHqhcVn9zkJPJQjqEM0RR3t78hqVG_h9QCWAhP0ePSFIQucswHhbevSc9gJYHUT4uuefXtq9R8UNS25HdWERxXVV366j1zhfknMy1vYmE/s200/final+charm.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Hello riders, I'm baaaacccckkk and I can assure that I haven't absconded with Mari's beautiful BELIEVE charm; nor should you attribute my absence to my sulking over the mere two entries in my first EVER give away attempt (because I certainly wasn't.) AND based on that almost inexcusable run on sentence, you can probably tell that I'm ready to start writing again and I promise that I'm gonna do my best to make "The Bumpy Ride" better than ever! </i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>So first things first... I'd like to congratulate Bernice, as she is the winner of Mari's incredible, inspiration charm. I apologize for my delay in posting this announcement, but I have found that writing my blog is very much like going to the gym - once I don't do it for a couple of days, it becomes easier and easier to put off. Although I don't feel good about admitting that or doing it; so I'm going to make an extremely conscious effort to resume both regularly.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>If this isn't your first time at this rodeo, then I'm sure that you can't believe that I'm starting my third paragraph and I have yet to mention my birthday OR my trip to New York; so I'll say this - in a word, it was <b>AMAZING! </b></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>AND this - I plan to write about my trip extensively and include many pictures; but I'm going to break the trip up into several posts - so please stay tuned...<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>There are few things in this life that I like better than vacation; but getting back into your routine AFTER a trip is exhausting. I've had a ridiculous amount of work at my job, I'm sadly trying to get my kids ready to go back to school on Monday, I've been helping DJ Louie V choose songs for the '81 reunion that he's DJaying tonight AND I've been in pursuit of a new background for "The Bumpy Ride", because I feel like I wanna give it a fresh new look for my brand new year. SO with that bein' said, I would GREATLY appreciate any recommendations of sites with free blog backgrounds. I'm lookin for somethin vintage-y or scrapbook-ish so if you know of a site that you think I should check out, PLEASE lemme know.</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i> </i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Once my blog has been redecorated I'll be back again and raring to go. I'm thinking that I'll try to write a minimum of once a week, and use some of my other time to get my work seen by more than just my five readers. And in the interest of (say it with me) "The Greater Good", I have to say that it would be very easy for m</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>e to feel dejected and disappointed in the lack of response to my contest, BUT I'm choosing not going to waste my time feeling that way. After all, to quote Victor Kiam, <b>"<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 14px;">"Even if you fall on your face, you're still moving forward." </span></b></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Till next time...</i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Queen of EVERYTHING</i></span></span>Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186112145601975251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1064555698216179809.post-56018022193698913662011-07-28T17:43:00.000-07:002011-07-28T17:43:44.549-07:0044!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq24c7E7pYsPZ_Wzz6rjFHCJjaWL8y7O38EIpTr5I9Gk8rUd7sk1OL1zwGomMAzKhPSrKr2ACeiUkPh7oSs-WrIf7wt5U1htCAkYbrWnc1bHcm75xHczti0JE0hIs98zW9_cWlE5G9GVU/s1600/Birthday_Cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq24c7E7pYsPZ_Wzz6rjFHCJjaWL8y7O38EIpTr5I9Gk8rUd7sk1OL1zwGomMAzKhPSrKr2ACeiUkPh7oSs-WrIf7wt5U1htCAkYbrWnc1bHcm75xHczti0JE0hIs98zW9_cWlE5G9GVU/s200/Birthday_Cake.jpg" t$="true" width="160" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>Today I am 44, and other then when I said <strong>"I do"</strong> to Luis, or <strong>"Hi, I'm your Mama"</strong> for the first time to Nicky, then Lyndzi, then Kelsie - there have been never been words that I wanted to say more. </em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>When I posted<strong> </strong></em></span><a href="http://thebumpyride.blogspot.com/2009/03/100-random-things-about-me.html"><strong><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>"100 Random Things About Me"</em></span></strong></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em> # 14 was <strong>"My parents and paternal Grandfather all died at the age of 43 and that WON'T be me."</strong> I firmly believed that when I wrote it, and so upon my 43rd birthday I decided to challenge myself and write my blog every day for the year plus my 44th birthday. I liked the idea of taking the opportunity to make something terrific out of something terrifying; and, if you've been following me for a while, then you know that last night <strong><a href="http://thebumpyride.blogspot.com/2011/07/43-365-i-did-it.html">"I Did It"</a></strong> and I wrote the final post of my 43rd year.</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>So here we are; I'm sure that you're wondering what more I could possibly have to say after 365 consecutive posts; but you knowme, I'm a giver and I like to spread my happiness so I had to come back and celebrate my victory with you.</em></span><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial;">I've received more well wishes and congratulations for my birthday and my blog, than I could have ever imagined and I feel truly blessed. So in honor of my birthday, I've decided that I'm going to give a gift to one lucky rider. Yes, for the first time EVER on "The Bumpy Ride", I'm doin a giveaway and I hope that you will all participate and SPREAD THE WORD!</span></em><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxuJh-I5mXRvotHh9C7FMcm5GZxgwfS-HrS9qHqhcVn9zkJPJQjqEM0RR3t78hqVG_h9QCWAhP0ePSFIQucswHhbevSc9gJYHUT4uuefXtq9R8UNS25HdWERxXVV366j1zhfknMy1vYmE/s1600/final+charm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxuJh-I5mXRvotHh9C7FMcm5GZxgwfS-HrS9qHqhcVn9zkJPJQjqEM0RR3t78hqVG_h9QCWAhP0ePSFIQucswHhbevSc9gJYHUT4uuefXtq9R8UNS25HdWERxXVV366j1zhfknMy1vYmE/s200/final+charm.jpg" t$="true" width="150" /></a></div><em><span style="font-family: Arial;">You may recall that when I posted <a href="http://thebumpyride.blogspot.com/2011/06/43-322-aspire.html"><strong>"ASPIRE"</strong></a> I told you that my incredibly, talented friend Mari had been making what I called "inspiration charms", and she graciously offered to make me one and ASPIRE was my word. Well Mari's thoughtfulness and generosity didn't end there, because she has now donated one of her beautiful necklaces.for me to give as a gift to one of you. Mari asked me to select the word for the necklace and I chose one that I feel encompasses the message that I've been trying to impart throughout "The Bumpy Ride" - <strong>BELIEVE!</strong> </span></em><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial;">Yes my friends, this stunning, handmade, original necklace can be yours, if you leave me a comment. Now being that I am the Queen of FOLLOWING THE RULES , ya gotta know that there are a couple, so here we go:</span></em><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial;">1. In order to win <strong>you must follow "The Bumpy Ride"</strong> so if you're not already signed up; please do so, because I would hate for you to miss this fabulous opportunity.</span></em><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial;">2. Leave your comment with the name of your three favorite posts (BUT they can't be any that were mentioned in this blog.)</span></em><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial;">3. Because I know that it will take a while to meander around my previous posts, the <strong>deadline for comments will be August 5. </strong> Take your time, look around, read an old favorite or try something that you may have missed. </span></em><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial;">New riders are absolutely eligible to win as long as they sign up to follow, so in the interest of (say it with me) the GREATER GOOD; please make sure to to refer your friends to "The Bumpy Ride."</span></em><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial;">I'm really excited about giving this gift away, and ALL that this new year has in store for me. Lyndzi and I will be taking the red eye to New York tonight and I can't wait to come back and share all of my Big Apple adventures and reunions with you.</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Arial;">Till next time...</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Arial;">Queen of EVERYTHING</span></em>Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186112145601975251noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1064555698216179809.post-73516305584991435622011-07-27T21:14:00.003-07:002012-01-22T15:22:14.620-07:00(43-365) I Did It!<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWvFSySB8PLAedtQj0Q0dL4wb7Zj38SKqPGpF2mYiQiRUEnaZF-1TTp4CF83m-Erp2BpICQBD8nXXo3-3MZ4eux6JAu79VyljlPbKtKcorYqNWf7ZXkRJH_Tt7zJrSwuJ-aISaTxvUHDk/s1600/jump+for+joy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWvFSySB8PLAedtQj0Q0dL4wb7Zj38SKqPGpF2mYiQiRUEnaZF-1TTp4CF83m-Erp2BpICQBD8nXXo3-3MZ4eux6JAu79VyljlPbKtKcorYqNWf7ZXkRJH_Tt7zJrSwuJ-aISaTxvUHDk/s200/jump+for+joy.jpg" t$="true" width="128" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><em>In honor of this auspicious occasion, I can think of nothing more appropriate than to quote Dora the explorer and say<strong> "I did it, I did it, I did it - HURRAY! Ya I did it!"</strong> I know that Dora says "we" not "I", but my monkey sidekick had nothing to do with writing "The Bumpy Ride" for 365 consecutive days, so I hope you'll permit me some creative license on that one.</em></span></div><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">When I wrote <strong><a href="http://thebumpyride.blogspot.com/2010/07/43.html">"43"</a> </strong>on<strong> </strong>July 28, 2010, I said that I was committing to write EVERY day for a year PLUS my 44th birthday, so in fact my journey is not quite over; but I think that since this is the last night of my 43rd year it's appropriate for me to review all that I've learned during this excruciating endeavor so that tomorrow I can make a fresh start on a brand new year and the rest of my life. </span></em><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><em>To quote myself in <strong>"43",</strong> <strong>"I believe this needs to be a year of recollection, reflection, observation, appreciation, and change; and I plan to do this right before your very eyes."</strong> And, I'm delighted to say that I believe I have. I've taken you on many walks down my memory lane. Some strolls were happy and amusing while others were painful and heartbreaking. I told you <strong><a href="http://thebumpyride.blogspot.com/2011/03/43-247-my-real-life-love-story.html">"My real life love story",</a></strong> and many, many tales of trial and tribulation. I got definitions published in "The Urban Dictionary" and entered and lost my first essay contest. I've written about fear, courage, optimism, perseverance, grief, empathy, sympathy and laughter. I've shared quotes and songs from various genres, and demonstrated my prowess at Six degrees of Kevin Bacon. I reported on a season each of soccer and swim team, enlisted your assistance with an art contest and battled an <a href="http://thebumpyride.blogspot.com/2010/10/43-87-art-thief.html"><b>Art Nazi!</b></a> I've had thrills and spills, a number of firsts, and made several discoveries. I found and fell in love with my cousin Jackie, I got three new jobs, I renewed friendships, strengthened friendships and ended friendships. I've taken chances and advocated for myself like I never have before. I gave support, advice, and of course, recommendations for the (say it with me) GREATER GOOD! And I truly couldn't be more proud of myself than I am right now.</em></span><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">When I wrote <a href="http://thebumpyride.blogspot.com/2011/07/43-363-five-hundred.html"><strong>"Five Hundred"</strong></a> I mentioned that writing "The Bumpy Ride" every day for this year had been both a blessing and a curse. I didn't elaborate on the negative; because ya know I like to accentuate the positive. Yet I will admit that this challenge was far more taxing than I ever imagined. The truth is that I usually give more though to what I'm gonna have for dinner than I did to what a big (yes) HUGE undertaking a daily commitment would be. No matter how physically or emotionally tired I was - I had to write. No matter what fun activity was awaiting me - I had to write. No matter my location -I had to write. And so with pad in hand I wrote as night fell upon the drive in. I typed in a word document at the lake, in Laughlin, and while camping. Then I had to go find a public place with wi-fi so that I could capture the perfect picture to accompany the post and publish it. I wrote from Las Vegas, and California (twice), not to mention having to get up extra early so that I could publish a post before spending the day in Disneyland. Each blog took anywhere from half an hour to five to write. And the award for the blog that took the longest to author, goes to <strong><a href="http://thebumpyride.blogspot.com/2010/10/43-82-hostess-with-mostess.html">"The Hostess With The Mostess",</a></strong> which I wrote while attending the best crop EVER at Mari's hobby house. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining at all. For me the pros definitely outweighed the cons AND now that I know for certain that I really can commit to doing something EVERY day; I'm gonna get my butt back to the gym, so that (hopefully) this time next year, I'll be able to report that I finally lost the hundred pounds that I've been talking about FOREVER.</span></em><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">If I've learned anything this year, it's this: First, I can do ANYTHING that I set my mind too. Second, if you want to change your circumstances YOU can. Third, you are only as limited as you allow yourself to be. And fourth, to quote RuPaul </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">"</span></em><i><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="st" sb_id="ms__id381">What other people think of me is <strong>not my business."</strong></span> </span></i><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Once again I want to thank everyone who has joined me on "The Bumpy Ride" this year and I implore you to keep coming back for more. Even though this is the end of my year, it is really only the beginning. I am so looking forward to sharing "44" with you tomorrow, so please make sure to stop by, as I'll be revealing a very special surprise.</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Till next time...</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Queen of EVERYTHING</span></em>Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186112145601975251noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1064555698216179809.post-44602564309979260322011-07-26T22:41:00.000-07:002011-07-26T22:41:26.015-07:00(43-364) If I Were A Flower...<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBJGU1COzddSJ_Izoek9Gwj-b6oaxgXq7zLHWETHDCwE3eioZdR3NIyRyTFTi9z7y6P2ftBusEQetFD8UGCu2p9Hlc41w6IpI70VpqLsnK7aVJbkC5K6SvLLOOv0KJ7zBueKRfbdqyOCo/s1600/pink-gerber-daisies-amy-vangsgard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBJGU1COzddSJ_Izoek9Gwj-b6oaxgXq7zLHWETHDCwE3eioZdR3NIyRyTFTi9z7y6P2ftBusEQetFD8UGCu2p9Hlc41w6IpI70VpqLsnK7aVJbkC5K6SvLLOOv0KJ7zBueKRfbdqyOCo/s200/pink-gerber-daisies-amy-vangsgard.jpg" t$="true" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>It may come as a surprise that with less than forty eight hours remaining in my 43rd year, I don't have some big, profound thoughts to share tonight. But you know I like to keep you on your toes. AND, I sure would hate for you to think I was being predictable. So instead, I'm gonna do probably the last thing that's expected of me on this monumental 364th out of 366 posts and I'm gonna share a topic from Mari's "Memories & Thoughts" jar.</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>My kids and I looked through the many choices that I still have left and I chose <strong>"If you were a flower, you'd be a..."</strong> Kelsie immediately screamed out <strong>"A Rose",</strong> and although I'm fond of them; that's not what I'd be. No, I'm not as stoic as a Rose, as prim as a Rose, or as perfect as a Rose. Nor would I want to be. </em></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq43LCNVDVZD7ZvbBXqP3DbRI6qwOSbJUw0XczSur-RWwgAlb-wW5p7LjEMiw95pS7xGmXy8TN8S5NMqbWe4bTtVWm4zLJ_qeXIks0EIS0aOI4omzErUrT_iq41NYgV8d9PZmAZw1ai9M/s1600/gerbers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq43LCNVDVZD7ZvbBXqP3DbRI6qwOSbJUw0XczSur-RWwgAlb-wW5p7LjEMiw95pS7xGmXy8TN8S5NMqbWe4bTtVWm4zLJ_qeXIks0EIS0aOI4omzErUrT_iq41NYgV8d9PZmAZw1ai9M/s200/gerbers.jpg" t$="true" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>If I were a flower, I'd be a Gerber daisy. Or Gerbera if you say tomato. Gerber's are straight forward. They are what they are and they make no excuses. They're brightly colored, happy flowers. Little rays of sunshine if you will. In fact, I've never seen a Gerber that I didn't like and I actually can't say the same about a Rose. </em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>When I see a Gerber daisy, I get a smile on my face. Their simple beauty is a joy to behold, and I definitely wouldn't mind if someone thought the same about me. Gerber daisies are affordable and they're pretty low maintenance; so I can't imagine that there's anyone who wouldn't love them. And after all, isn't that what we all want - to be loved and appreciated?</em></span><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">So what about you? If YOU were a flower, you'd be a... </span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Please leave me a comment and let me know.</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Till next time...</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Queen of EVERYTHING </span></em>Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186112145601975251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1064555698216179809.post-49055200361521201022011-07-25T22:01:00.000-07:002011-07-25T22:01:36.816-07:00(43-363) Five Hundred<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaHl_sVxzer54OChYfsNc0MEjNeV2qRoACj1UhZAkTzlKVa3P7et_LZ9hNA5BwNu1JS8wrRZg1124LL_fCR1eMPmy_ZAX9uvJjjBnoDeZTCDT11LXyzMa8tiStmDHgwTgr1gwCXOCamQk/s1600/500th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaHl_sVxzer54OChYfsNc0MEjNeV2qRoACj1UhZAkTzlKVa3P7et_LZ9hNA5BwNu1JS8wrRZg1124LL_fCR1eMPmy_ZAX9uvJjjBnoDeZTCDT11LXyzMa8tiStmDHgwTgr1gwCXOCamQk/s200/500th.jpg" t$="true" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>As the "43" series and my 43rd year are soon coming to an end, I'm reaching all kinds of milestones. For instance, tonight's post is entitled "Five Hundred" as this is my <strong>500th</strong> <strong>all time post </strong>on "The Bumpy Ride"!! It hardly seems possible to me, but when you take into consideration that tonight's post is also my three hundred sixty third consecutive blog; it's not so difficult to understand how I arrived here.</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>I remember deciding to take a stab at writing a blog like it was yesterday. I'd been having such a great time spewing my opinions about the Oscars and the fashions, that when Michelle M suggested that I write a blog, I thought I'd give it a shot. Even though quitting's not my nature, I almost threw in the towel when I found out that I had to create a title, a sign off name, and commit to what I was going to write about, because the tasks seemed so daunting. But in no time at all - I knew. To call my blog <strong>"The Bumpy Ride"</strong> only seemed natural, since I really do write like I talk -which is one of the reasons that (as you may have noticed), my punctuation isn't usually correct. This in and of itself makes for a bumpy journey - I know; but the name also derived from my storytelling style - which to this day I think fits it perfectly. As for the subject matter, I've stuck to what I know. My real life (bizarre as it is sometimes), pop culture, and my observations about anything and EVERYTHING. </em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>Over time, "The Ride" has evolved into recommendations for (say it with me) <strong>"THE GREATER GOOD"</strong>, and life lessons as I learn them. In 500 posts I have yet to figure out why, although I'm so self-conscious, fear ridicule AND criticism; I never hesitate to share my most embarrassing moments, and my frequent faux pas with you.</em></span><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">From moment one, I explained that I wanted to become a professional writer, and even though I still may be a long way off from that ever happening; I feel like if even in a very small way, my stories have somehow made a difference.</span></em><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">The "43 " series has been the brunt of my 500 posts and deciding to write is has been both a blessing and a curse. I've chronicled the year that theoretically could have been my last. I was distracted, I was observant and I didn't miss a minute. I documented my life past, and present and now have a testament to everything that I thought and did this year; which if nothing else, will be something that my children will be able to remember me by when I'm gone (a long, long time from now.) So yes, ultimately I truly do believe that it was a small price to pay for the inconveniences.</span></em><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">My hope is that one day 500 will be the number of followers that I have, or the number of lives that I've positively impacted, or the number of dollars that I'm being paid for an article or to speak publicly.</span></em><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">I owe a debt of gratitude to everyone who has encouraged and supported me throughout my 500 posts. Thank you to anyone who's shared my link, left a comment, or took the time to read. I look forward to getting started on the next 500.</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Till next time...</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Queen of EVERYTHING</span></em>Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186112145601975251noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1064555698216179809.post-10149719379782212442011-07-24T22:18:00.000-07:002011-07-24T22:18:46.670-07:00(43-362) Five For Five<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjedQ-Y3_O_OXjHvfPTtpatUA5uH1DFEcfPIW0ddfa7rxs_hBB43zjo3Hb-jd1ZFmVw6BMYgbbn01I97hCqQXf2JDnNxMRGSMP-LnG7yrkhCVAInM6u7JKL9etVzGwYKrUNrFqVK1DQ5uY/s1600/fran_drescher_2011_c_p.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjedQ-Y3_O_OXjHvfPTtpatUA5uH1DFEcfPIW0ddfa7rxs_hBB43zjo3Hb-jd1ZFmVw6BMYgbbn01I97hCqQXf2JDnNxMRGSMP-LnG7yrkhCVAInM6u7JKL9etVzGwYKrUNrFqVK1DQ5uY/s200/fran_drescher_2011_c_p.jpg" t$="true" width="149" /></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>If I were a cartoon, at this very moment you'd see my picture with the light bulb turning on over my head. So here are the facts: including today's post, I have just FIVE to go up to and including my birthday. Being that I only have FIVE posts to go, I felt like I should incorporate FIVE of something in this post; just because I've mentioned how much I love when someone on the <strong><a href="http://www.scrapbookingfromtheinsideout.com/month.html">Scrapbooking from the Inside Out</a></strong> message board comes up with a new "Gimme Five" topic. AND I've even shared some of them with you before.</em></span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>Given those details, I racked my brain to try and come up with a "Gimme Five" theme; but for the life of me I couldn't think of one. The only thing that I kept going back to was <strong><a href="http://www.tvland.com/shows/happily-divorced">"Happily Divorced",</a></strong> Fran Drescher's new show - because I've been wanting to write about it for a few weeks now and tell you how funny I think it is. I thought about choosing, Five new shows that I'm / You're watching now; but as I could only think of three; that wasn't a good choice. Then all of a sudden it dawned on me (hence the light bulb) that one of the reasons I'm enjoying "Happily Divorced" so much, is because I really love Fran Drescher. There's something about her that I find endearing. Although I'm not thin, or gorgeous, and I don't have a thick New York accent, I realte to her and I'm always in her corner. I think she's hysterically funny and loving and strong. Fran is one of those stars that I could see myself being friends with; if in some weird kinda universe that was possible. SO, with that being said <strong>Gimme</strong> <strong>Five famous women that you think you should be friends with.</strong> And here are mine:</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>#1. <strong>Fran Drescher</strong> - My inspiration for this post. </em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>#2. <strong>Ricki Lake -</strong> I've been a Ricki fan ever since she was in the original "Hairspray." I find her to be easy going and down to earth and she seems like a lot of fun. I've seen her as a guest on talk shows and she and I have a lot in common, including our desire to become a doula (a woman who assists during labor and after childbirth.)</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>#3. <strong>Rosie O'Donnell </strong>- Now I can't say that I feel this way right at the moment but when Rosie had her talk show (pre going off on Tom Selleck ) I really felt like I had a connection with her and that if by chance we ever met; we would definitely be friends.</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>#4. <strong>Marisa Tomei</strong> - Again just that easy going, down to earth kinda gal. I think she has great energy and depth.</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>#5. <strong>Annabeth Gish</strong> - For some reason I feel like I have to remind you of who she is. It just so happens that Annabeth was in three of my ALL -TIME favorite movies EVER... She played Julia Roberts younger sister in "Mystic Pizza." She was in "SHAG" and She played Timothy Hutton's girlfriend in a film that coincidentally starred Rosie O'Donnell in one of her best roles - "Beautiful Girls." I don't know as much about Annabeth as I do about my other choices, so it's possible that I'm picking her based on the characters that she's portrayed; but I get a feeling that it's more than that and since this is JUST a game, I'm gonna stick with her and my intuition.</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>So now it's your turn... <strong>Gimme Five famous women that you think you should be friends with. </strong> As always you can comment here, on Facebook, or </em></span><a href="mailto:AsktheQOE@gmail.com"><strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>email me</em></span></strong></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>. </em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>Till next time...</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>Queen of EVERYTHING</em></span><br />
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<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=thburi02-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B000053VB4&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=FF00B5&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=thburi02-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B000059TGD&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=FF00B5&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=thburi02-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=6305327084&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=FF00B5&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186112145601975251noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1064555698216179809.post-74701366566937292322011-07-23T22:44:00.000-07:002011-07-23T22:44:12.114-07:00(43-361) DJ Louie V<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhltWkWs5u0UEJKhvowlUodI3IUD1p_VNvcHzHH-lUTy-HyRko1y9D8_REI7fnp3AeBgxgswS1F-oXO1FTYyZDeSTEQFRC-wPnctYCFkEYrK17bMyryX-hOwv4BN5zCs71gMZLf870JI5E/s1600/dj_lights.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhltWkWs5u0UEJKhvowlUodI3IUD1p_VNvcHzHH-lUTy-HyRko1y9D8_REI7fnp3AeBgxgswS1F-oXO1FTYyZDeSTEQFRC-wPnctYCFkEYrK17bMyryX-hOwv4BN5zCs71gMZLf870JI5E/s200/dj_lights.jpg" t$="true" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>If you've been riding for a few months, then you may be interested to know that tonight was DJ Louie V's debut. Yes, tonight Luis DJ'd my company's very first reunion, and although I woulda been nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rockin chairs, (I must be channeling Dolly Parton) - Luis was cool as a cucumber.</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>Luis has been practicing for several weeks now, and I think that he got really comfortable with the equipment and I have to say that I was REALLY impressed with how confident he was; AND how great his mixes sounded.</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>I had planned to go to the reunion for few hours, just to support Luis but my boss enlisted my help, so I greeted people and helped them find their name badges. Once again I found myself in the midst of a sociological smorgasbord. Between the fashions, the shoes, and the demeanors; I was in my people watching glory.</em></span><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Sadly, just as people were getting on the dance floor, it was time for me to get back home to my kids, so I can't tell you how successful the reunion / Luis, was or wasn't. BUT regardless, I am SO proud of Luis for pursuing one of his dreams. He's always wanted to be a DJ and tonight he got paid to do so. So if you ask me, Luis ROCKS!!</span></em><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Now since I'm in total dance mode after spending a few hours at the reunion, I'm going to share a <a href="http://www.wimp.com/dancingchihuahua/"><strong>dance video</strong></a> that Luis forwarded to me. Check it out and ENJOY!!</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Till next time...</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Queen of EVERYTHING</span></em>Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186112145601975251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1064555698216179809.post-87324502881518004622011-07-22T18:51:00.001-07:002011-07-22T18:57:07.930-07:00(43-360) PEARLS...<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4GXe2iYHKrWkdbIs-FCdFyX4r0Yt2PodlHwAuCrF4moV7bQhtqGC6m_4i1KmYMIHNhhktFhi7nDJGKI1L3KcA2K2qxxBUBGmbnR6PtDqdcd0ApG2wlKfb9EllFc3FpQvtP_CEiRj7dsA/s1600/pearls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4GXe2iYHKrWkdbIs-FCdFyX4r0Yt2PodlHwAuCrF4moV7bQhtqGC6m_4i1KmYMIHNhhktFhi7nDJGKI1L3KcA2K2qxxBUBGmbnR6PtDqdcd0ApG2wlKfb9EllFc3FpQvtP_CEiRj7dsA/s200/pearls.jpg" t$="true" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>I feel the need to lighten things up today. Was that a sigh of relief I heard? <a href="http://thebumpyride.blogspot.com/2011/07/43-358-my-story-part-1.html"><strong>"My Story - Part 1</strong></a><strong> </strong>and<strong> </strong><a href="http://thebumpyride.blogspot.com/2011/07/43-359-my-story-part-2.html"><strong>Part 2"</strong></a> took a lot out of me - and I suspect you. So today I wanna share some real pearls of wisdom that for the most part come from a rather unexpected source.</em></span><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial;">Luis joined Facebook a lil late in the game and even once he did, he rarely got on. I'm not sure what caused his change of heart but now it's safe to say that he's definitely a fan. More often than not, he seems to post his statuses while he's at work, so I have no idea where or how he's obtaining the gems that he's been sharing; but for the last week or so - he's had some great ones. </span></em><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial;">Now don't get me wrong, Luis is not suddenly a poet or philosopher; I mean he IS the man who posted and I quote, <strong>"IF YOU SEE SOME ONE SEXY SAY HEYYYY.. HEYYYY POOH..!!"</strong> ( He was talking to me, when he said "Pooh.") He was pretty proud of this post and he told me to go look for it before I ever saw it. He said that it was a line in a song that he couldn't get out of his head. I later heard the song and determined that he was listening to it with his accent, because that's not EXACTLY what it said; but I was flattered nonetheless. </span></em><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial;">The statuses that followed were the ones that I was even more impressed by. Now he doesn't always give credit to the authors, so to some less knowledgeable Facebook friends, he may appear to be one profound dude (and he is); but my point is, I'm not going to go look the quotes up and credit the authors today. I'm just going to share exactly what Luis has posted:</span></em><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>"Love others as they are, not as you want them to be."</strong></span></em><em><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></em><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong><em>"</em><span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}">Books alone don't make good students. Kids need caring teachers at school and loving parents at home."</span></strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}"><strong>"Trust yourself. you know more than you think you do."</strong></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong>"There is nothing wrong by been different!" </strong>(OK, on this one he must have been spelling with his accent because I'm pretty sure it should have said <strong>"being"</strong> different.)</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong></strong></em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong>"Love all. Trust few. Do wrong to no one."</strong></em></span><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>" When I'm sad, I stop being sad and be awesome instead."</strong></span></em><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>"Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new."</strong> </span></em><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>~ Albert Einstein</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong>"Anything worth doing is worth doing slowly."</strong> (Now that one got varied responses...)</em></span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>"If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten." </em></span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>"Courage is being afraid but going on anyhow."</em></span></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>Rest assured, that I absolutely had his permission to share his musings with you, (my comments and all). And although I'm certain that it appears like I'm pokin a little bit of fun at him - trust me when I tell you that I am so appreciative of the fact that these concepts are important and noteworthy to him. Talk about (say it with me) "The Greater good."</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>Till next time...</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>Queen of EVERYTHING</em></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijV-kHJhHitzcOU4wc2lPaB8Q3LLyLsIK_QdmNh0SVi5e31CeRI_d_cG5bTJkW8qO0b6DaYoejG54NyzMhDIMYEx3dL1X-u1yaGgEI7D3bzerBHXVW9l0_lCWeOyy4GyrBq9CaMH-_8kE/s1600/impact.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><em><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijV-kHJhHitzcOU4wc2lPaB8Q3LLyLsIK_QdmNh0SVi5e31CeRI_d_cG5bTJkW8qO0b6DaYoejG54NyzMhDIMYEx3dL1X-u1yaGgEI7D3bzerBHXVW9l0_lCWeOyy4GyrBq9CaMH-_8kE/s200/impact.jpg" t$="true" width="200" /></em></a></div>Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186112145601975251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1064555698216179809.post-83194224656026747692011-07-21T16:28:00.000-07:002011-07-21T16:28:39.262-07:00(43-359) My Story - Part 2<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIcWJ7iNgd9GNEJygYRb2SQQcGdZqneU0r2qLTFtIP6jmeUNXUCitd9PF5Sz5OfMCZCrnPXJltWP5tWHqMnDf-u3hNo1K4XBTls-qofCDTtmBKZMFjHk_MWCNkxcqeGrvccwnAHPpgv8I/s1600/resilience.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIcWJ7iNgd9GNEJygYRb2SQQcGdZqneU0r2qLTFtIP6jmeUNXUCitd9PF5Sz5OfMCZCrnPXJltWP5tWHqMnDf-u3hNo1K4XBTls-qofCDTtmBKZMFjHk_MWCNkxcqeGrvccwnAHPpgv8I/s200/resilience.jpg" t$="true" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>Let me start off by saying that I truly appreciate the heartfelt comments that I've been receiving in response to yesterday's post </em></span><a href="http://thebumpyride.blogspot.com/2011/07/43-358-my-story-part-1.html"><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>"My Story - Part 1"</em></span></strong></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em><strong>.</strong> Perhaps most bloggers wouldn't start chapter two of a story that way, but then again; I'm not most bloggers. </em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>If you read part 1 of my story, then I probably don't need to warn you that this is not a happy tale. In fact, today's recollection is much more difficult for me to tell - but I'm going to do it no matter how uncomfortable it is; because I want to leave a written record of what my life was like and how I got to be who I am now...</em></span><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">I did not speak to my mother at my father's funeral. I didn't know what to say, and at the time I still believed all of the horrible lies that my father had told me about her. My father's girlfriend made arrangements for my boyfriend and I to spend a week with a friend of mine who lived in Maryland; and upon my return she told me that I had to meet with my mom because I was going to have to go back to live with her. There were a lot of hurt feelings on both ends I know, but my mother welcomed me back with open arms; and slowly but surely I reciprocated.</span></em><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">We had my Sweet 16 as planned, and a few days later I was admitted to the hospital for Arthroscopic knee surgery; which also had been scheduled before my father had passed away. School was set to start a few weeks after that, and I didn't want to go to the high school that was by my mom's house since I had been teased terribly throughout Jr, high. Because my mom understood how important it was to me to remain at Tappan Zee, she made arrangements with my Principal so that I could use a friend's address and continue going to school there. As a result of my knee surgery, I had an enormous cast on my left leg, from my ankle to my thigh and since TZ was a good twenty minutes from my house, my mom went out of her way to drive me to school every morning and she paid someone to drive me home. </span></em><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">I got on with my life, adjusting to not having a father and getting reacquainted with my mother. Then one day I was called to the Principal's office. I was informed that I had enough credits to graduate that spring; but since I was only sixteen and had just gone through a truly, traumatic experience, I didn't feel ready to leave my new home. I opted to stay with my mom, who had been in remission from her Cancer and took classes for college credit during my senior year. My house became the party house, and all of my friends loved spending time with my mom. She was different. She was honest with us, and she was fun, and funny and I had far too little time with her.</span></em><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">After being weight listed for my school of choice, my mom and I took a last minute trip to visit two of the Long Island University campuses. Ultimately she and I agreed that Southampton was the right place for me; but imagine my surprise when on the first day of school, every other person I met was a marine biology major and I was there for Pre-law. I thought there must have been some mistake. I mean science was definitely not my forte and pardon the pun, but I felt like a real fish outta water. I came to be assured that there were other majors at LIU-Southampton; it was just that most people did go there for Marine bio. Most people, like my suite mate Michele Q.</span></em><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">During our getting to know you exercises Michele Q and I discovered that we had the same birthday. And at the time, other than our birthdays and our residence, I thought that was all that we had in common. It wasn't that I didn't like Michele Q; in retrospect, maybe I was just jealous. She was vivacious, and confident and she walked around singing (beautifully) at the top of her lungs, and maybe just maybe I felt a little threatened by her. </span></em><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">My mom came out for parents weekend, and she looked great. I suppose that's why it was such a surprise that she ended up back in the hospital by Halloween. Her cancer had come back, and I needed to get home to see her. I was scared and I didn't want to go alone and when I asked if any of my suite mates would go home with me, Michele Q was the only one to say she would. Michele enlisted our other suite mate Monique to come with us and they managed to turn a very frightening experience into a life changing event. Michele came home with me every weekend to go see my mom in the hospital. She had become my best friend; my sister. </span></em><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">We almost lost my mom at Christmas time, but she managed to hold on. I returned to school after the New year, but a week into my second semester, my Uncle called to say that my mom was being released from the hospital as there was nothing more that they could do for her, and I needed to withdraw from school, come home and take care of her.</span></em><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">When I got back to my mom's house, I found her in a hospital bed in our living room. My grandparents had said that they would stay to help and there would be home health aides coming daily as well. I enrolled at Rockland Community College, and I got a job at a bakery because I couldn't stand to be at home watching my mother deteriorate. I would get up in the middle of the night when she called me for help, but I did so begrudgingly and that is a cross that I will always have to bare. I won't make excuses for myself, but I do realize that I was 18 and for the second time in three years I was going to lose a parent. I was watching my mother be slowly tortured and it was killing me; so no, I wasn't in good spirits when I tried to assist her and I will forever regret that.</span></em><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">While the Cancer took over my mom's body and she had no idea who I was; I had reapplied to the American University School of Justice in Washington D.C and got in. But knowing that it wouldn't be long before we were going to lose my mom, I decided that I should stay closer to home for my brother's sake and I made plans to return to LIU in the fall. Feeling like I was going to need to focus on more than just academics, I had applied to become a Freshman Student Assistant and after an extensive interview process I was selected for a position. FSA training was scheduled for a week before school started, but knowing that my mom's end was near, I couldn't bring myself to leave. I called Michelle Q, who had just arrived home after spending the summer in Suriname. And as soon as I told her how dire things had become with my mom, she literally dropped off her suitcases and got on a bus to come up to see me.</span></em><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">In the only moment of lucidity that my mom had experienced in weeks, she told Michele that she needed to pack me up and take me back to school. I didn't want to go because I knew that I would never see my mom again, but Michele insisted as it was my mother's dying wish. </span></em><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">I don't remember saying goodbye to my mother, as the person that I left in that hospital bed was a mere skeleton and not the exquisite, exuberant mom that I had grown to know and love. I think that I must have cried almost all the way to school, but Michele reassured me that she would be there for me; and she was.</span></em><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">A few days after classes had started, I got the call that I knew was inevitable. On September 11, 1986 my mom had lost her long, battle with Cancer and at the age of 19, I was parentless. Michele and some other school friends took me home for the funeral and I attempted once again, to get on with my life.</span></em><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">My Uncle had moved in with my brother, as he was 17 and still needed to finish high school. I tired to go home for Christmas, but I felt so uncomfortable there, that I never went back. My Provost knew about my situation and as I wasn't eligible for work study, he created jobs for me so that I could live on campus during winter and summer breaks.</span></em><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">I worked as an FSA, I was Student Government Secretary for a year and a half, and President my senior year. I changed my major to Sociology because I decided that I didn't want to be a lawyer and I didn't want to lose all of the college credits that I came in with from high school and I decided not to attend my graduation because even though Michele and my dad's old girlfriend would have been there for me; I thought that it would just hurt too much.</span></em><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">After I lost my father, I thought to myself that losing someone so unexpectedly must be so much more awful than knowing that someone was going to pass away. But after watching my mom suffer the way she did, I can honestly say that in my opinion, knowing is by far worse. </span></em><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">I know that this story is an unusual one, and I readily admit that these experiences have left me with profound scars. But each day I try to be the best person that I can be and I endeavor to be a person that my mom would be proud of. I don't hold a grudge against Richie Howell, I just don't have any fond memories or good thoughts about him. Yet despite him and the course that he set in motion for my life, I am happy. I know that although I lost a lot at an early age, I also have so much more than most people, in the way of those who love and care for me. </span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Till next time...</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Queen of EVERYTHING</span></em>Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186112145601975251noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1064555698216179809.post-43009842464591080382011-07-20T20:42:00.001-07:002011-07-21T05:31:51.462-07:00(43-358) My Story - Part 1<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy4N8hjQfV2eDoaPLw_FsikxZBX8y7MD82mobGVXTlXNjzfFiyIW-eKKfIxzqVsqo-JR9zCj8xDDpN2I7-KZEHgGqXLG8mwt9-50TisT21qoPLvwkO-em3QS-GOAeknd7weDmM3PcFuro/s1600/welcome+1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy4N8hjQfV2eDoaPLw_FsikxZBX8y7MD82mobGVXTlXNjzfFiyIW-eKKfIxzqVsqo-JR9zCj8xDDpN2I7-KZEHgGqXLG8mwt9-50TisT21qoPLvwkO-em3QS-GOAeknd7weDmM3PcFuro/s200/welcome+1" t$="true" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>To quote Steve Martin in "The Jerk", <strong>"My story? OK..."</strong> I know Big V appreciated that reference, and hopefully it gave a smile to any other "Jerk" fans out there; and I'll give this disclaimer now, that's probably the only mildly amusing part of tonight's post. 358 days into my 43rd year and I realized that although I've mentioned numerous times that both my mom and dad passed away when they were 43, I never told you how. Because their deaths and the circumstances surrounding their passings are such a big part of who I am and why, I feel that I can't let this year go by, with out telling you my story. So settle in, and be prepared to sit a spell, because this just may be the bumpiest ride EVER.</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>I remember that when I was a kid, people used to tell me that they never knew a couple more in love than my mom and dad. I suppose this is why many were so surprised by their separation - but not me. When I was in sixth grade my dad had heart failure and ultimately it was determined that he needed to have open heart surgery. One night, a few weeks before his operation, he came up to say goodnight to me and he told me that if he survived the surgery he was going to leave my mother. Being 11 I had no idea what to do or say so I kept this information to myself. He had the surgery on May 17, 1979 and did survive, but he did not move out until November when I was on a weekend, class trip to Washington D.C and my mom was one of the chaperones. We came home from what had been a really great trip, only to find out that he didn't live with us anymore.</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>I've mentioned before that Richie Howell never seemed too interested in being a dad. But once he'd moved out, he started paying more attention to my brother and I. We went to Broadway shows, and restaurants and he even asked us if we wanted to come and live with him. I was conflicted about where I wanted to live, because for once my father was paying positive attention to me and my mom was dating a man that I did not like and he was coming between us. I felt that my mom chose this man over me one night when I asked her not to go out because I'd had a tooth pulled, but he convinced her to leave me. I called my father upset (remember I was 12) and he came over; but when my mom got home and found him there, she was not too happy with me. After my father had left, I told my mom that I didn't like this man and she slapped me across the face. It was this altercation that made me decide to go and live with my dad and forever changed the course of my life.</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>Shortly after arriving at my father's I realized that he was using my brother and I so that he wouldn't have to pay money to my mother. We lived in a two bedroom apartment. My dad had bought himself a beautiful bedroom set and the furniture store had given him a loaner set till his was delivered. As they never asked for the set back, he put it in the second bedroom that I had to share with my brother. The bedroom sets were the only furniture in the apartment other than a card table and four folding chairs. It wasn't that my dad couldn't afford to furnish the apartment, because believe me , he could. It was just that he said he didn't want to buy furniture for the apartment when he intended to buy a house once their divorce was final, and then he would have to buy new furniture again, which he didn't want to do. We lived this way for two years, although my brother would move back and forth between my mom and dad's a couple of times.</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>While I lived with my dad I didn't talk to my mom, because he had convinced me that she'd been saying terrible things about me. We had no relationship to speak of and that is the biggest regret of my life. I was a child, being badly influenced by her father, and it wasn't until he died that I learned the truth.</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>During my first year of high school, my father informed me that my mom had been diagnosed with Cancer. He suggested that we might move back home with her, but ultimately he decided not too. Then the summer before I went into tenth grade, my father went into the hospital to have a hernia operation and he had a heart attack as he was coming out of the anesthesia. His health deteriorated throughout that year, but I have to be honest and tell you that his addiction to prescription drugs definitely contributed to his illness, AND I believe that he had a death wish. For some reason he ALWAYS had it in his head that because his father passed away at the age of 43, he would too.</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>It was the summer of 1983, I was 15 years old, planning for my Sweet 16 party and in love for the first time. My brother was living with us again, because me mother threatened to take out a PINS (Person In Need Of Supervision) petition on him, and if my father didn't take him back he would have had to go into foster care. It was only fair that my father take him, because upon my father's orders my brother had been trying to drive my mom crazy and that included verbal and physical abuse.</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>I was at my boyfriend's house and my brother called to ask me if we could take him for a haircut. When I said <strong>"No",</strong> my father told him to take the bus. He did, but when he got off, a car hit him and he was rushed to the hospital. My father called me and told me what had happened and he insisted that we all go to the hospital to see my brother. We did, and on the way home, it seemed like my father was trying to prepare me for his departure. He was telling me things like, "when you're older this, " and stuff like that; but I didn't make anything of it. As the air conditioning happened to be broken in our apartment, my father left me and my brother's girlfriend to sleep there, and he went across the street to sleep at his girlfriend's apartment. </em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>The next morning HE went to get a haircut, and when he came back he told me that he didn't think that he was going to make it to my Sweet 16, (which was less than one month away). I asked if that was because he was going to have to go out of town, and he said <strong>"No, it's because I don't think I'll be alive."</strong> I begged him to stop talking like that, and not in so many words, told him that I thought he was exaggerating; and he told me <strong>"You're a selfish, little bitch and you're going to be sorry."</strong> He went back to his girlfriend's apartment and left me alone.</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>A couple of hours later his girlfriend called to tell me that my brother had been calling non-stop because he wanted to be picked up from the hospital. She said that she was going to stop by my apartment to get my father's phone book in case they needed to call the doctor, because he hadn't been feeling well. She asked him if he wanted to talk to me, and he said <strong>"No."</strong> When she stopped by a few minutes later, I decided that I would go over to her apartment to check on him. Barefooted I crossed the street and she shouted to me that her mom was going to her car to get something and I could just let myself into the apartment. I went in and found my father slumped off the couch. I called to him and tried to shake him, but he didn't move. I ran outside and called to his girlfriend's mom, <strong>"Please come quick, something is wrong with my dad." </strong> She came up, saw him and called 911. When the paramedics arrived, I went to get my shoes, and then rode to the hospital with the police. They asked me for some history, which I gave to the best of my knowledge. When I arrived at the hospital, they had me sit in a private waiting room, and after some time, my brother, his girlfriend, my boyfriend and my dad's girlfriend showed up. The doctor then came in and told us that my father had suffered cardiac arrest and died. He said that he was dead when I found him and I was in shock.</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>My father's self fulfilling prophecy had come true and my life as I knew it was about to change dramatically. Not only did I have to face my mom, who I hadn't seen or spoken to in two years; I now had no choice but to move back to live with the woman whom my father had turned into my enemy. Interestingly enough, all of my father's plotting and scheming were for nothing as by the time he passed away, they were nowhere close to settling their divorce and he and my mom were still married. The only thing that he succeeded in doing was robbing me of two years with my mother, for his own selfish reasons, which is why I refer to him most often as Richie Howell, instead of my dad. </em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>I know that this is a lot to absorb for one night; so please return tomorrow for part 2 of my story.</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>Till next time...</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>Queen of EVERYTHING </em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em> </em></span>Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186112145601975251noreply@blogger.com2