(43-284) A Day To Remember

Most people seem to have vivid memories of family vacations and holidays; but I also want to remember and rejoice in the importance of the every day.  I want to be able to recall the feelings of spending time with my family and friends when we weren't necessarily doing something special; we were just TOGETHER and enjoying each others company, doing whatever. 

We got an early start this morning.  Well, not THAT early, but maybe a lil earlier than I would have liked.  We took the kids to a rollerskating lesson and I couldn't help but marvel at how far they'd come since the fiasco that was our first skating experience.  Jenny and her kids then met us at ten for open skate; and by 12:15 we went to get some lunch.

Jenny had told us that they were going to a dog expo at Phoenix University Stadium, so we decided to check it out.  Both admission and parking were free, so it was a wonderful way to pass some time.   We had fun seeing the different breeds of dogs; and there was even an agility course, which the kids really got a kick out of.  It was sad to see how many rescued dogs there were up for adoption or fostering.  Yet, it was heart warming to see how many kind hearted, generous, people there were, who were willing to help and care for these animals.

We headed back home and I had some quality snuggle time with Kelsie.  Then Luis, Kelsie and I were off to Sam's Club to buy some burger meat for dinner.  While we stopped to get gas, I called to check on my friend Tina as she'd had a death in her family last night.  Tina said that she was doing much better than she had been the night before; and we discussed  our plans for the rest of the day.  Tina told me that she was going to go swimming and she invited us to join her.  I said that we were on our way to get food to make for dinner, and she welcomed us to grill at her house.  We hurried through Sam's so that we could go to Tina's for an impromptu swim and barbecue; then stopped home quick for Nicky, Lyndzi, swimsuits and towels; and we were on our way.
I love nights like this.  You think that you're not going to be doing anything and then all of a sudden, you are.

I made the burgers, which Luis grilled and they were PERFECT!  Tina supplied all of the drinks and sides, including, this YUMMY Ranch dressing that she made from a Hidden Valley Ranch mix. (see Tina, I mentioned it...)

It's always such a pleasure to spend time with my friend Tina and her daughter Kristin. They are positive, easy going, and loving.  (See Kristin, I mentioned you and I wrote about how great you are just like you told me too, I mean just like you are.) But seriously.  I love Tina AND Kristin; and spending time with them tonight was an unexpected treat.

While I was at Tina's we discussed the fact that I had no idea what I was going to write about today.  We reviewed my day, and agreed that it wasn't necessarily blogworthy.  Not that spending time together wasn't special enough by any means.  I just didn't think that I had a story there.  Once I got home and I got to thinking about it, I realized that not having a story, was my story.  That appreciating the routine, or the day to day was just as important as being grateful for extra special moments; if not more so; because it's all the little pieces of the every day, that make up most of our lives.  The hugs that we receive, the understanding that we share, the appreciation for a good meal; THAT is what life is usually about.  The rest is just gravy.  

In the long run, I went from having an ordinarily, good day to realizing that this really was a day to remember.  A day filled with family, friends and love; and THAT'S what makes life so beautiful!

Till next time...

Queen of EVERYTHING

(43-283) WHAT Has Hershey Done?

If you've ever joined me on "The Bumpy Ride" before, then you may already know the following:  1.  Hershey is my 2 1/2 year old Chihuahua.  2.Richie Howell was a Private Investigator.  3.  As I am the daughter of Richie Howell, I seem to have inherited some uncommon detective-ish skills. And  4.  I have an OVERactive imagination.

So by now you've probably figured out that "WHAT Has Hershey Done?" is another installment of the "Queen of EVERYTHING P.I" series, along with  "To Camp Or Not To Camp."  (shameless plug I know...)  Anyway, I'm sure that the question on all of your minds is "WHAT Has Hershey Done?"  And THAT my friends is what I still need to figure out.

So here's what has me thinking that she's done SOMETHING:
1.  At approximately 5:05am Hershey was downstairs barking at something; when she had previously been in bed with me.
2.  I called to Hershey and told her to come back upstairs (which she usually does when I tell her to do so;) but she did not.
3.  When I came downstairs at approximately 5:55am Hershey was laying on a pillow on the play room couch.  This is in and of itself is very strange, because after Hershey gets up with me, if she can find anyone still in bed, she ALWAYS chooses someone to go to sleep with. She even plays musical beds if the child that she was sleeping with gets up, and others are still asleep.  She NEVER opts for the couch if there is someone she can snuggle up to in a bed. So staying on the couch, BY HERSELF is unheard of.
4.  When I greeted Hershey, instead of going through our morning ritual like we usually do, she laid on the pillow looking extraordinarily guilty, AND she growled at me.
5.  At approximately 630AM I went upstairs to wake Lyndzi up, and although Hershey is typically underfoot when I do so; she remained on the couch and didn't budge.

SUSPICIOUS I tell you!  Now one of these things alone would have caused me to think that something was awry, but all five of these things?  No, I was definitely convinced that somehow Hershey had been up to no good; even though she is usually a very obedient and well behaved dog.

Well, an entire day has now passed.  I started writing this blog around 930 this morning, and I had to leave it for several hours.  I was convinced that by the time I resumed writing it, I would have figured out WHAT Hershey did, but thus far we haven't been able to find a thing.  I'm not gonna close the case on this one just yet.  And rest assured that if I figure out WHAT Hershey did, you'll be hearing about.  But for now, I'll just have to chalk it up to a number of coincidences and my VERY overactive imagination.
Till next time...
Queen of EVERYTHING

                                                                                                                       

(43-134) Hershey To The Rescue...

I LOVE my dog, I LOVE my dog, and by the way; I LOVE MY DOG!!!  We were blessed to meet Hershey almost 2 years ago; and she has brought immense happiness and love to our lives daily.  Although Lyndzi was the one who originally asked for a Chihuahua puppy; I honestly think that I'm the one who benefits most from having her.  Hershey is my constant companion while the kids are at school and I'm home working; and I think that I'd be very lonely without her.  Hershey is affectionate, and smart and her comprehension never ceases to amaze me.  At least once a day, I find myself saying to Luis "See, she totally understands me.  I just told her ___________ and she did (whatever the appropriate action would be.)"

I was dreading today, as it would have been my mom's 67th birthday.  I was hoping that I could find a way not to be sad and dwell on my loss, and once again; Hershey came to my rescue.  Now you have to understand that even though Hershey and I are very close, she is extremely protective over each of us.  IF Hershey sleeps in her crate at night; she and I have a routine that we go through in the morning.  Once she lets me know that she's awake, I open her crate door and then I rub her tummy as she stretches.  Then she comes out of the crate and lays on the floor in front of me; stretches some more and demands more petting and adoration,  Once she's yawned three times, I let her out so that she can do her business.  She comes in, I give her a treat and she takes off like a bat out of hell to go sleep with Nicky.  When I go upstairs at 630 to wake Lyndzi up, Hershey wakes up too and then it's anybodies guess as to where she's going to end up.  BUT, when I try to touch one of the kids, to wake them up or give them a hug, she immediately tries to protect them and she'll try to get in my way and deter me.  She's such a GREAT protector!!

Ok, so lets head down that BUMPY hill...  Lyndzi had been complaining of a sore throat for a couple of days, so the girls had made a "nest" on the floor in front of my bed last night, just in case Lyndzi wasn't feeling well in the middle of the night.  Lyndzi had gotten into bed with me around 3am and Kelsie remained in "the nest."  At 630am I went upstairs to wake Lyndzi up and Hershey came running to the room.  Lyndzi and I agreed that she'd stay home and I'd take her to the doctor; so Hershey got in bed with her, while I went back downstairs to continue working.  At 7am I returned upstairs to wake Kelsie and Nicky; but just as I approached Kelsie, Hershey gave a little perplexed cry and haphazardly leaped off the bed towards Kelsie, and landed right on her.  Kelsie then gave out a cry of her own, as Hershey stood on her ribs and tried to ward me away from her.  I tired to explain to Kelsie that Hershey was only trying to protect her; but she continued to cry and grab her ribs.  I knew that Kelsie couldn't REALLY be hurt, since Hersh weighs no more than 6 lbs.  and I'm sure that the impact of the Chihuahua landing on her unexpectedly was quite startling; but bad mommy that I am, couldn't help but laughing because the vision of it was so amusing.
 

Thank God for Hershey!  She not only came to Kelsie's rescue; but she came to mine too.  Just when I expected to have a difficult day, Hershey gave me a laugh that lasted all day long.  Anytime I started to feel sad; I would think of Hershey catapulting herself through the air and landing on Kelsie and I would laugh out loud.  I LOVE my dog; I LOVE my dog; and by the way; I LOVE my dog!!!

Till next time...

Queen of EVERYTHING  

(43-23) Ask Hershey

Over the summer Nicky had mentioned that he thought he might like to be a Student Council representative and when he came home from school yesterday he told me that they were going to be having elections on Thursday.  Nicky said that he'd have to give a speech which he was nervous about, but that he wanted to try.  I assured him that he was going to do great and told him how proud I was of him.

Nicky wrote his speech and set out to memorize it; (because he thought he had to.)  I thought that he was doing a fantastic job considering how little time he had; but he was getting very frustrated.  Nicky considered giving up.  He told me that he was doing this for both of us and that he was going to run because he wanted to make me proud.  I swore that I couldn't be any more proud of him than I already am and explained that he didn't have to do Student council for me, because I had already done it for myself and that if he WAS going to participate in Student Council it had to be because it was important to him and because he wanted to try and make a difference.

Through all of our talk about Student Council I had a flashback to junior high.  I had decided to run for Student Council Secretary and I remember sitting in my room cutting out little circles of paper because the kids always "made" little buttons to give out and they would stick them on with a pin.  Well Richie Howell saw what I was doing and he couldn't believe his eyes.  Even though I said this was the norm, and it was what everyone did; he didn't want me to make them.  A few nights later he came home from work and handed me a box; and inside I found professionally printed buttons about the size of an English Muffin.  I'm sure that I liked the buttons at first, but I remember feeling terribly embarrassed to give them out.  Like Nicky I had been very shy; but somehow I mustered up the courage to give my speech in the auditorium and ultimately, BIG, professional, buttons and all; I LOST.  This wasn't the end of my Student Government aspirations though; because, in college I was Secretary of the SGA (Student Government Association) for a year and a half and my senior year I was President; and I won without (say it with me) "BIG, professional, buttons."  But my dad was already long gone and he would never know this.  A few years after I graduated from college, a friend from work had introduced me to her brother in-law and his wife.  It turned out that the wife had gone to junior high with me, and one time when we were both at my friend's house, she actually brought my stupid button over to show me and I felt mortified all over again.

I hadn't thought about those buttons for at least 20 years UNTIL last night; and as I tried to help Nicky through his struggle, the one thing that I knew for sure was that this was going to have to be HIS decision.  I told Nicky that quitters never win, and that I didn't want him to give into his fear; but that he was going to have to make this decison for himself.  I suggested that since he didn't know for sure that the speech had to be memorized; he could hold off on deciding until he got to school and if memorization WASN'T necessary; he could give the speech and if it WAS necessary then he could decline.  He thought about it for a while and said "I just can't make up my mind."  With that, Hershey had jumped up onto my lap and proceeded to lay down.  I said "Well, let's ask Hershey.  Hershey, what do you think, should Nicky run for student Council?"  And I SWEAR to you, Hershey nodded twice!!  Both Nicky and I saw it; and we could not believe it.  It was clear as day; and we just laughed and laughed.  I mean I knew that Hershey was a fashion dog; rescuing me from wearing those red sandals like she did a few months ago.  And the other night when I just couldn't get a blog going, she came over and diverted my attention, SO much so that I shut down my laptop and took a break for a while; so now I guess she's my editor too.  But to ANSWER Nicky's question like she did; NOW she's just making me look like a raving loon; but WE know what we saw...
Lyndzi and Kelsie had heard us laughing and so they came to see what all the commotion was about.  We told them about Hershey the answer dog and they started asking her questions as if she was a magic 8 ball; but as luck would have it, she didn't answer them.

Nicky decided to take Hershey's advice and today he gave his speech along with 9 other students.  When I picked him up he told me that each class was going to have 2 reps and that he tied for third place; and that he was happy with that.  I told him that I was INCREDIBLY proud of him; but not for coming in third - for NOT giving up.  I asked if giving the speech was as bad as he'd imagined and he said no and I was relieved.  It really is awful how fear can lead us to talk ourselves out of doing things that are important to us.  Just think what might have happened if we hadn't Asked Hershey...
Till next time...
Queen of EVERYTHING

One Way or Another

At this point, if anyone asks you what "The BumpyRide" is about, you can pretty much just say FEET.  Now I know that people don't really want to read endless stories about my abusive pedicures, my in-grown toe nails, and all the other feet fiascos that I have shared; but the truth is that I haven't posted a blog in over a month; and SEVERAL of the reasons (ok excuses) why, have to do with my feet.  Yes, one way or another, it ALL seems to be about my feet.   I'm hoping that maybe, just maybe, this can be the last foot post for a while and I can get on to more important things; like writing a regular blog about thoughts and events that have nothing to do with my feet.

With so much time to cover I hardly know which way to go; which of course is one of the EXCUSES that I am using for not posting.  I thought about giving you a top ten list of the reasons that I haven't written, but alas, the excuses are not all that funny.  The first week that I didn't post -  I needed the time (that I would have spent blogging) to do my Oscar research.  I reasoned that I had a better chance of making money in my Oscar pool than I did writing my blog that week; and so I explored my Oscar options; only to wind up coming in right in the middle of the pack and hence no money was earned.  Yes, yes, it's always fun; but as much as I was looking forward to the broadcast, I was disappointed by Alec and Steve; and therefore, wrote no Oscar blog this year.  I will say that my heart goes out to Sandra Bullock, who won the WELL DESERVED, Best Actress Oscar for The Blind Side.  Oh poor Sandra appeared at every award show there was, commending her saintly, husband Jesse James for getting dressed up in a monkey suit and enduring all of the award festivities.  She said that it was the first time that she knew what it was like for someone to have her back (she even upheld that statement to Barbra Walters;) but unfortunately while he was supposed to have Sandra's back, he was having various body parts of other women as well.  I know that when you're famous your business becomes the world's business and typically it's bad enough when a celeb is cheated on and the world finds out about it; but to have publicly praised your husband left and right and then have this news come to light - UGGHH! To quote my friend Dawn, "She truly was blind sided!"

Ok, so for someone who didn't know what to write about, this is certainly a lot easier than I thought, but for brevity's sake (ok, who am I kidding) I am going to need to sum this up in a nutshell; so here goes.  I've been BUSY, VERY busy.  I've been perfecting my Pot Roast, crucifying a corned beef, I taught myself how to make baked beans, pulled pork AND cream cheese frosting (from scratch.)  I've baked numerous batches of brownies and cupcakes, gone on field trips and had kids home for Spring Break.  I've been making cards, jewelry, and flower hair clips. I've colored Easter eggs, shopped for Easter basket fixins, prepared Easter dinner and stuffed plastic eggs with money for our Easter egg hunt.   I've been shopping for clothes for 4 peole for 2 weddings, helped with speeches and unlimited homework, gone to the gym, (though not nearly enough) and had my hard drive crash.   I backed my car up into a landscaping truck and shattered my back windshield, And around the time of the Oscar's I knew I was developing yet another in-grown toe nail.  I could hear the Podiatrist's words clear in my head "as soon as you start to get an in-grown toe nail, come in and we'll take care of it for you before it gets infected."  Oh yah, I heard the words but I ignored them; not because I didn't want to go to the doctor, but because I didn't want to pay the $40 co-pay.  So I tried to heal myself; and I'm sure you know what happened.  I wound up in the Podiatrist's office and I was as embarrassed as could be.  I decided that I would take one of my kids with me, because I was very nervous and I thought that I would put on a braver face if one of them was there.  I also thought that I'd feel comforted having one of them with me.  We talked about it and deduced that Nicky couldn't be the one to go because he cries when I get upset.  Lyndzi interestingly enough had no interest in going, but Kelsie stepped right up and volunteered.    Kelsie grabbed a pack of M& M's, (which I told her she couldn't eat until AFTER we were done at the doctor's office) and we were on our way.  While we were in the examining room Kelsie pulled out her pack of M&M's and when I reminded her that she had to wait to eat them, she started to get ornery..  I explained that the examining room was sanitary and not a place to eat; to which she responded by pouting.  The wonderful Dr. Moyer came in and I told him how nervous and emabarrassed I was, but he put me right at ease.  He told me that he was going to give me a shot to numb my toe and the rest would be a piece of cake.  I reminded him about my HUGE fear of needles and he was as gentle as could be.  Once the doctor left the room so I could numb up; much to my surprise Kelsie started to cry.  She couldn't exlpain exactly why; but nonetheless she was crying.  The nurse came in and assured her that I was going to be fine and that the worst part was over; but she just kept crying.  The nurse then asked her if she wanted a cookie and Kelsie gave me a very dubious look.  I told her that she could have it, and the next thing I knew, the nurse handed Dr.Moyer a couple of cookies and a couple of Red Vines and asked him to give them to Kelsie.  Suffice it to say that she stopped crying and sat happy as a clam eating her treats, all the while giving me that "told you so" look.    Dr. Moyer removed the in-grown toe nail and told me that there was a 95% chance that it would not grow back. Well I can probably start writing THAT blog now... 
So basically my plan to save $40 wound up costing me $80 since of course there was a follow up visit, but I must say that I have recovered beautifully; SO much so that  this past friday I actually went for my first pedicure since December.   I  was SO proud of myself becuase I got online and looked for reviews of places in my area.  (This is NOT something that I typically do; but BOY am I glad that I did.)  I found a place called Model Nails, not very far from my house (67th & Peoria for those of you who are local to me.)  The reviews raved about the owners / sisters Tracy and Lisa  and how they took their time with each customer and made them feel special.  They also mentioned Tracy's beautiful artwork but cautioned patrons that you rarely got to pick YOUR design; as Tracy typically decided what to give you.  Well, I thought this sounded perfect for me.  I gave them a call and was in their shop within the hour.  I had told Tracy that my feet were in bad shape and in need of a lot of repair; but she didn't agree with me, or grimace or scoff or make me feel bad.  She just said "we'll take care of it."  I felt so comfortable, so at ease, so grateful that I had found a shop where I didn't have to keep apologizing for my feet.  I told her about my 2 in-grown toe nail experiences, and the dislocated joint, and the Scary feet story; and she just sympathized.  We were nearing the end of the pedicure and Tracy asked if I wanted a flower.  Of course I said yes; and much to my delight she pulled out a couple of little boxes with sample designs.  I chose a beautiful rose and she politely said "NO."  she explained that because the December in-grown toe nail toe nail had not fully grown back yet, the design would call more attention to it.  She then picked out the design that I was to have and I thought this was hysterical.  Here you pick, nope you can't have that; I'll pick.  Guess that reviewer was right - but I don't care.  Model nails is the place for me!!

Now, the reason that I was so anxious to get a pedicure; besides for the fact that my  feet looked like I had just crawled out of a cave; was because I had my cousin's wedding to go to on Sunday.  It took me forever to find something to wear ( which is yet another EXCUSE for not writing my blog).  Wedding clothes shopping had taken over our lives for 2 weeks; so wedding shopping accounts for 2 missed blogs (if you're keeping track.)  Ok, so I got something to wear, and I was under the impression that I had shoes; but when I tried them on, my feet hurt.  It was now the day before the wedding and I was IN TROUBLE as that allusive size 12 shoe was nowhere to be found.  I put my thinking cap on and remembered that I had a pair of red sandals that I loved, that would work with my skirt and top if only I  had a red tank top; so I spent a whole $3, picked up a red tank at Walmart and my outifit looked GOOD!  I was so excited about the whole "Red" thing because in May we're going to my sister-in-laws wedding in Mexico and I bought my girls these BEAUTIFUL black and white dresses that have a red ribbon and I  thought we'd now look very coordinated.   WELL, as you know, nothing goes smoothly where I'm involved and this morning when I went to the kitchen to get some water, I found that my dog, (who has never destroyed a shoe in her life) ruined one of my red sandals.  I couldn't believe it - although I don't know why I was surprised.  I was dumbfounded at first, then angry; but in the long run I love my dog so I tried to justify her behavior.  Maybe she's a fashion dog.  Maybe she thought that I was mistaken to wear the red sandals and the only way that she could save me from myself was to destroy the shoe.  Maybe she saved me, just like she saved this blog by giving me the perfect ending to my neverending feet saga.  What can I say; one way or another these feet of mine are nothing but trouble.

Till next time...

Queen of Everything

Simple Pleasures

Seasons Greetings one and all!

When I first thought up the idea for this post, it was in response to the difficult economic times that we are all facing. I hadn't really been feeling like the Queen of ANYTHING which was certainly one of the reasons; OK, EXCUSES for my latest disappearance. Truth be told, I hadn't really had anything to write about that wouldn't make you want to slit your wrists after reading; so I thought it best to keep to myself. I know that things are tough ALL OVER and that everyone has their share of woes and sorrows, which is yet another reason that I chose not to regale you with my current state of affairs. So instead I decided to take the high road , and focus on the little things that make me happy; the simple pleasures, if you will. I had been compiling a list of things that put a smile on my face and bring warmth to my heart and now that I've waited so long to share this message ; the holiday season is upon us and I think it's an especially timely suggestion to reflect on those things that cost little to no money but bring us comfort and joy. I know, I know Kumbaya and all that - but I can't help it; I just gotta be me.

My Top Ten SIMPLE PLEASURES (in no particular order):

1. We recently discovered that a Hummingbird built a nest in the Lime tree outside of our guest room / office window. It appears that the hummingbird built the nest out of dryer lint and every time that I see the charming, little bird in her nest; it brings a smile to my face. (That's what I wrote WEEKS ago.) What happened next, was that Luis discovered that the Hummingbird had laid 2 eggs in the nest and so we now have baby Humming birds as well. How GLORIOUS! Don't ask me why, but I feel blessed to have them living in our tree. Luis, Nicky and I would go out daily and check on them and they are now big enough to fly. I am hoping that they build additional nests and continue to grace us with their presence; because they do make my heart smile.

2. My children's smiles.

(Need I say more?)

3. Hershey (my Chihuahua) When I originally wrote this down, (several weeks ago) it was actually; Taking walks with Hershey, because for various reasons; OK., EXCUSES - I hadn't been going to the gym. I was planning to go back but at the time it was SO beautiful outside, that I decided to take walks instead and take Hershey with me. It was invigorating to be outside on a beautiful November day and I must say that walking WITH Hershey and enjoying her companionship was just the icing on the cake. But on the 13th, I had a freak accident, involving one of my toes, due to another simple pleasure, "The smell of Pine;" and I haven't been able to go for a walk since. Now, before I go on and on about my wonderful dog; I know that I have peaked your curiosity about my toe. Let's suffice it to say that on Friday the 13th I was in Walmart and I wanted to smell a pine candle that they were selling (because I LOVE the smell of pine) and when I took it off the shelf, another candle came crashing down on my toe. The toe in question is an unsightly thing called a hammer toe (that I was born with, even though Michelle K has been trying to fabricate some type of accident that caused it.) Anyway the toe is is bent down and the glass candle landing on it has dislocated my joint. I know this because 2 weeks later, I actually went to see a Podiatrist, who had to give me a shot to numb it and a shot of steroids and informed me that I am going to require surgery. Now as fearful as I am of shots; you HAVE to know how painful this injury is in order for me to agree to take the shots; so hence NO WALKING or exercising has been going on. BUT, I can recall how loved and safe I felt walking with Hershey and since it was on my initial list, I have decided to let it remain. Truth be told, having her in my life brings me much happiness, no matter what we are doing.

4. A strong cup of coffee. I LOVE the smell, I savor the taste and it warms my body and soul. The first morning cup of the day is something that I really look forward to. Coffee can energize and inspire you. It can be social or something that you enjoy on your own. And I feel compelled to mention that my mom was a BIG coffee drinker and she always had a pot of coffee brewed, no matter what time of day. She drank it hot or iced; it was her beverage of preference and every time I smell or taste a cup I feel an irreplaceable connection. Ahh Coffee!

5. Getting a book that I want - at the library. I am almost giddy when I am fortunate enough to find a book that I really want to read, available at the library. it doesn't happen all too often, but when it does, I am on a high.

6. The smell of a barbecue. Even if it's not me who is going to get to enjoy the meal; I just adore that mouth watering smell.

7. A tidy house. I treasure the feeling of calmness that comes over me when I walk down the stairs in the morning and everything in our play room is in its place. There's nothing laying on the floor or overflowing from the bins; it's just TIDY, and I feel good!

8. I don't know that I REALLY have to say anything about this one; but this is me we're talking about; so of course I will. If you are a GLEEK like me, then I know you totally understand. If you haven't seen it but you like music, and a little bit a drama; you should definitely check out this show. If you don't, then I equate it to being a Trekkie.

This show isn't rocket science; it's not the best written thing on TV, it's just something that speaks to me. It's the first non-reality show that I've really gotten into in a LONG time and I look forward to watching it on Wednesday nights.

9. Making someone laugh. Now honestly, what better gift is there than a good laugh? OK, maybe you're thinking that a BMW or an all expense paid vacation COULD be better than a laugh; but let's be realistic. 1. A laugh is ALWAYS good for what ails ya, and tingles your being (ohh, that didn't sound EXACTLY like what I meant; butchya get the point I'm sure.) And 2. This IS the "SIMPLE pleasures" list. Now we know how good it feels to just crack up. To laugh so hard that you can't catch your breath or you think you're going to pee your pants; but to be the one who causes that laughter is a feeling that is far more precious than rubies.

10. Finishing a blog. The sense of satisfaction that I get when I complete a new post on "The Bumpy Ride" is beyond compare. I am always excited to add a new post to my repertoire because I feel as though I am taking one step closer to achieving my dream of becoming a professional writer. Every time I actually publish a post, I am tenuous about the reaction that I am going to receive, but I know that if I don't try, I am already failing and that is NOT acceptable to me. Even just sitting down today to finally get this post out; I felt as though I was really breathing for the first time in a long while. As my fingers started tapping against the key s and my words were appearing on the screen, I knew that whatever doubts I've been having were unfounded, because this is EXACTLY who I am and what I should be doing ~ I feel it in my soul. So yet, once again, I am getting up on that proverbial horse and I am going to try and ride this baby for all it's worth because WRITING is really not an option for me; it's a necessity.
And with that, I encourage you all to be who you are. Know your truths and pursue your dreams; whether personal or professional. I recently found out that a friend of mine passed away very unexpectedly. He was 39; and although I am profoundly saddened by this loss, I am using his example to remember to live for today and not waste a minute because none of us ever knows how many we will be given. Rommel was an extraordinary individual who loved life. He knew who he was and he lived accordingly and that is more than most of us do in a much longer lifetime. I urge you all to be thankful for the things that bring you simple pleasures, take care of yourselves and be who you are.

Till next time...

Queen of EVERYTHING

To Camp or Not To Camp...

Do you ever feel like you are making nothing but excuses? Well, typically I don't; that's just NOT how I roll. I'm a do what I say I'm gonna do, keep me word, you can count on me kinda girl; though lately - not so much. Lately I have been feeling like The Queen of EXCUSES even though most of them are made to myself oh and yes, of course to the readers of "The Bumpy Ride," which troubles me no end. Geez, wasn't it ME, who just a few short months ago was writing that I wanted to try to commit to writing 2 posts a week? Um, yes it was. And now, not only aren't I giving you 2 posts, I'm not even giving you one. Well BELIEVE me, it's not for lack of wanting to (yup, say it with me... "HERE COME THE EXCUSES.") Trust me when I tell you that no one wants me spending time on "The Bumpy Ride" more than I do. I've told you before that I want to write so badly that I physically YEARN for it. Which is why I probably could have produced a fabulous lay out for "Scrapbooking from The inside Out" this month, since the theme for September is yearning ~if only I could find the time. Now of course I know that we are ALL busy, so before you say "Queen get over yourself;" let me provide you with a few more of my excuses...

A couple of months ago I wrote a post about me and the kids going to Sweet Tomatoes and I mentioned that Luis was at a class, though I didn't say what for. Truth of the matter is that back in the spring Luis got a second job and has been working part time as a pharmacy tech; so he is now working Mon-Thurs until 10pm. I am so proud and grateful for my hard working husband, but that means that even though he is the one with the second job; I now have a lot of second jobs too. Basically it feels like I am a single mom Mon-Thurs and lord knows I give props to all you single moms out there; but for someone who is used to having an active partner it is a big adjustment on time. I'm still working my regular 40 hour job, but I'm now responsible for 3 meals a day for 3 kids, all school drop off and pick up, all homework, all housework, and all other parental duties that 2 usually share. Now, PLEASE don't get me wrong; I'm not complaining AT ALL; I'm just giving you my excuses for my lack of time -remember? Anyway, in addition to the fam, I have been working at soccer registration for 3 weeks now and seriously by the time I finally stop doing everything that I am REQUIRED to do in a given day, it's either write "The Bumpy Ride" or do laundry; so clearly I haven't had much of a choice. Now typically I think that I am a pretty good time manager but the reality is that you can't manage something that you don't have. So blah, blah, blah, whine, whine, whine; now you know where I've been, and I do make this promise ~ more to myself really, than to anyone else, but by hook or by crook I AM GOING TO WRITE! I said that this was my year to create AND I MEANT IT; because I am a do what I say I'm gonna do kinda girl! Nuff said.

Now, with all of this extra work for everybody, we thought a get away was certainly in order, so a couple of weekends ago we got the heck out of Dodge and went camping with The Kalka's. Ahh camping! Camping is something that sounds so good when you think about doing it; but then you have to start shopping for it and packing for it and all of a sudden you realize that camping isn't really as relaxing as you think it's going to be. So in addition to all of my other TIME consuming activities I had to fit camping shopping and camping packing into the mix and by the time we got up there I was exhausted. While we headed off to do the dishes, I actually commented to Michelle K "ya now, camping is a lot of work and I'm starting to wonder if it's worth it? Don't get me wrong; I still love the peace and quiet. I love being in the Pines, I LOVE sleeping in my tent but as far as vacations go, there are definitely things that you could do that would cost the same and require a lot less work." And I started thinking "To camp or not to camp...?" So Michelle and I carried all of our dirty pots and pans etc. over to where we thought there was a faucet that we could use. Upon finding the faucet we found a sign that said that we could take the water but we could not clean our dishes there. Now here was the dilemma... the guys had forgotten to bring a water carrier which is why we schlepped the pots and pans to the faucet. In order to transport water we now needed to fill our biggest pot with it, but then it was far too heavy for us to carry back and so I made the Lucyesque decision that we were going to run a covert pot and pan washing operation in the bathroom where there was ALSO a sign telling us NOT TO WASH DISHES IN THE SINK. OK, well you know me; I am Queen of FOLLOWING THE RULES, but this time I just used a loose interpretation of them and I told Michelle "OK, here's what we're going to do. We won't blatantly disregard the rules and wash the pots and pans in the sink; instead I am going to use the clean water that we just got and wash everything in the bathroom stall." After laughing at me for a couple of minutes, Michelle agreed and kept watch outside the bathroom door. She told me that our code word was "Not you fat Jesus," compliments of "The Hangover;" and if I heard her say that, it would mean someone was coming. I managed to get everything all washed up and even though I heard her say "Not you Fat Jesus" a couple of times; no one actually bumrushed our show. We toted all of the SEMI clean pots and pans back to our site and sent the guys for more water so that we could boil it and give everything a good rinse. I know, you probably NEVER want to go camping with me now; but remember there is supposed to be a certain element of roughing it when you camp and thankfully no one got sick. Now when all was said and done with this fiasco I definitely was leaning towards - NOT TO CAMP; but I have to say that for all the hard work, when you actually get to sit down, relax and enjoy your family and friends, it is more relaxing than any other time I can think of. It is so nice to get back to basics and see the kids run around and play. It is so nice to sit by the fire and talk and sing songs and we even threw in a G rated family version of truth or dare; that I don't know if Lyndzi will ever recover from. First of all I don't know what kind of truth or dare they play in Mexico, but when it was my turn Luis said "oh, I have a question for you;" so of course our ears perked up and I even had hopes that the question would be blog worthy, but then my husband said "True or false the earth is 5 million miles form the sun?" "Um, what?" "Can you repeat that?" And he did. He was serious. And so I responded "I don't know." That's right; me, NOT the Queen of SCIENCE said "I don't know; so rather than guess and look stupid I'll just tell you that I don't know." What the ??? I honestly didn't think that Luis had married me for my knowledge of science, but THIS,of all questions that I should have to tell the truth about??? OK! So it was clear that even though no one else was asking a question in this manner, Luis wasn't paying attention and then score 2 for Luis. The kids and I got together and decided to ask "Luis, Do you love Hershey?" And we asked this because he always says that he likes her but he doesn't love her and we really thought this was going to be the time that he told THE TRUTH and admitted that he loved her, but alas, he said "NO! I like her but I don't love her" and then Lyndzi got this mortified look on her face and started crying; "You don't love her???" She just couldn't believe it and thought it was the saddest thing that she had heard. I felt so bad for my part in orchestrating such a revelation; but what was I to do..."Smores anyone??"

In his defense, Luis did explain (to the adults) that when he was a boy he had a dog that he loved very much and he hurt so badly when the dog died, that he didn't ever want to get that close to a pet again; and how could we fault him for that?

Yes, this camping trip had been a time for many discoveries. Michelle and I even toyed with the idea of opening our own private investigation company after we conducted our own mini surveillance on a gentleman that she and Mike found to be suspicious. Michelle and Mike had noticed this guy when he was walking his dog past our site. They thought that he had observed our kids for a little too long and they were concerned that he might be a danger to them. Michelle and I decided to play amateur detectives and we drove Mike's truck around the campground a few times to gather pertinent information. When we pulled up near the rest room, we had a clear view of our suspect. He was by himself, but yet he had 2 chairs and 2 bicycles which Michelle was convinced were being used as decoys to give the appearance that he wasn't alone (even though she believed he was.) We wanted to get his license plate but we were too far away. I said "If only we had some binoculars" and voila, there they were. Michelle had found some in in Mike's trunk (I'm guessing because of sporting events; but I didn't want to ask.) Anyway, The binoculars worked GREAT! I got the license plate number, gave a full report on what he was making for dinner and then I proudly announced that I didn't think this man was alone because his tent looked too complicated to put up by himself and Michelle seemed impressed by this deduction. We drove back to our site and I decided to continue our surveillance with a technique that I called "Walking the dog;" and so Michelle and I took Hershey for a walk because I expected that she would see HIS dogs, start barking at which point I would apologize to him and a conversation would ensue and we could then get a better idea of what he was up to. My plan did work, although it was his dogs who barked and not Hershey. He and the woman he was with (see I told you he wasn't alone;) started talking to us and we concluded that our imaginations had gotten the better of us and they were perfectly nice and harmless people. Case SOLVED.

I would say that despite some hard work, our camping trip was an overall success and a good time was had by all. So is camping worth it? The jury is still out on that one; but I guess I will continue to take these camping trips until I can decide for sure either way and I will be certain to let you know. In the meantime I am going to do my best to get this blog back on track. I can tell you this, it's not so much that I WANT all the posts to be long; it's just the way they are. Anything that seems worthy of writing about, just seems to take me while. Queen of brevity I am not. No one has EVER accused me of being brief or providing too little information or leaving too much to the imagination; that's just not the kinda girl I am and that's just not the kinda blog this is.

Till next time...

Queen of EVERYTHING

Hershey (Mit out)

Lyndzi had been asking us for a Chihuahua puppy for quite some time. As I had no interest in cleaning up dog poop, I wasn't ready to back her on her request until I REALLY believed that SHE was ready to clean up dog poop - and a couple of months ago she convinced me that she was. I would support her when she would broach the puppy subject with Luis; but he was less convinced about her commitment AND he was concerned abut the cost of care and feeding of a pet; so I didn't fight him on this - yet, as we drove down to Mexico, I nonchalantly said "maybe we'll find a puppy for Lyndzi while we're away..."

When I saw Luis' younger brother Nacho (nickname for Ignacio) he told me that his wife's Chihuahua had had puppies in Sept. Nacho said that they had kept one because she was brown, the smallest, cutest and most playful - they named her Hershey (after the chocolate.) I told Nacho that we shouldn't let Lyndzi see the puppy because she wants one very badly; and of course, doll that he is, he said "we'll she can just have Hershey," to which I replied "Have you met your brother?" Nacho said that Hershey had already been getting her vaccinations, and he was sure that we would have no problem getting the necessary documents to take her home.

Nacho brought Hershey over the next day; and I must say - I think we ALL fell in love with her.

Luis relented and agreed that Lyndzi could have the puppy.

We got all of the necessary paperwork, and even had it translated; and then WE PRAYED. Even though everything was in order to take her into the U.S. you just never know what's going to happen when it comes to Customs & Immigration.

We had a wonderful ride home from Puerto Vallarta. Hershey included; (she was the perfect little traveller.) We were making good time UNTIL we got to the border in Nogales. We sat in bumper to bumper traffic for close to 5 hours. When we finally reached our customs agent; he looked exhausted. He said in a barely audible voice "How long were you waiting?" Luis politely said "About 4, 4 1/2 hours" and then Nicky said "It was 5 hours;" so I said "Nicky said it was 5 hours;" and then the customs agent shook his head and muttered "5 hours - just go;" and he pointed to drive through. That was it - welcome to America Hershey.

So their you have it - now we are the happy family of an authentic Mexican Chihuahua. I say authentic because even though Nacho and his wife speak English to me; they DO NOT speak English at home; so Hershey understands Spanish - NOT ENGLISH! I have no worries though; she'll probably be bi-lingual before my kids - LOL.

Now I must say, I find it kind of amusing that Luis asks ME questions about dogs, because this is a subject that I have very little knowledge of. Schmuley and I had really wanted a dog when we were kids. I remember that we got a beagle from the pound; her name was Lady. Queen of REMEMBERING THINGS that I usually am; for the life of me, I can't remember why we got rid of her, I just know that we didn't have her long. We then got a couple of kittens, but we still longed for a dog - you know, mans best friend and all that. We wanted a dog that we could play with and cuddle; and then one day, Richie Howell must have gotten a wild hair up his ass because he actually got us a dog; however, he got us a SHOW DOG! Enter - Tashi Sen Kai (translation - Blessed Lion Dog; according to Richie Howell.) OH yes, Tashi was a Lhasa Apso and to say that she was a Bitch is not just being ironic. Tashi was not lovable in the least, she was temperamental, and cold and to top it all off, the SHOW DOG, failed puppy kindergarten. Yup, Richie Howell made us take a class so that we could learn to SHOW Tashi (not that he himself ever went to the class.) I'll never forget the one show that I took her to. I walked her (best I could with her biting the lead) and she won best in breed. I was Really excited, until I found out that she was the only Lhasa Apso there. She then went on to win best in Class (and there actually were a couple of other dogs in this category) and so I had to walk her in Best in show, but alas she did not win. I don't think that we ever tried to show her again after that; but she was never that lovable, cuddly, best friend that we had hoped for.

As I was thinking back about Tashi, I had an epiphany of sorts. I thought to myself - maybe one of the reasons Tashi never liked us that much is because she could sense that we were disappointed with her. I mean she CLEARLY was NOT what we wanted. We wanted a dog to play Frisbee and sleep in our beds; not a little pisser who's only activity was getting brushed - woohoo! So, maybe we were somewhat responsible for the lack of love that she showed us; whereas, Hershey could not be more of what we wanted. She's playful, and cuddly and loving; AND as much as I believe in "signs" I think that my Nana (deceased maternal grandmother;) may have intervened on Lyndzi's behalf.

When Nana used to go to the Pines for the summer, she would play cards (Rummy) morning, noon, and night. I would stop in the card room several times a day to see her and give her a kiss; and she would always seem to have a stash of Hershey bars that she had gotten while she was in there. I don't know if they just gave them out, or she bought them (highly doubtful;) but she was a Hershey hoarder and I NEVER saw her eat one. Nana was from Russia, and she had a bit of a Russian, Yiddish accent and I can recall her clear as day saying to me (and my friends,) "Do you want a Hershey's?" And if You answered "Yes," she would always say "Mit almonds or Mitout." (Mit being the equivalent of With in English.)

Now Queen of COLOR that I am, I have a slightly difficult time accepting a reddish brown dog as a "Hershey," because to me a "Hershey" should be a chocolate brown; but I'm just gonna flow with this one, because I REALLY believe that Nana saw to it that this time we all got our Hershey - Mit out; and she will be the PERFECT little pet for our family.

Till next time...
Queen of EVERYTHING