Loose Ends

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! 

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.

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 AMAZING!  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...

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.
   
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 me 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, "‎"Even if you fall on your face, you're still moving forward." 
Till next time...
Queen of EVERYTHING

(43-364) If I Were A Flower...

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.

My kids and I looked through the many choices that I still have left and I chose "If you were a flower, you'd be a..."  Kelsie immediately screamed out "A Rose", 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. 

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.    

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?

So what about you?  If YOU were a flower, you'd be a...
Please leave me a comment and let me know.
Till next time...
Queen of EVERYTHING  

(43-362) Five For Five

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 Scrapbooking from the Inside Out message board comes up with a new "Gimme Five" topic. AND I've even shared some of them with you before.

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 "Happily Divorced", 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 Gimme Five famous women that you think you should be friends with.  And here are mine:

#1.  Fran Drescher  - My inspiration for this post. 

#2.  Ricki Lake   - 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.)

#3.  Rosie O'Donnell - 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.

#4.  Marisa Tomei - Again just that easy going, down to earth kinda gal.  I think she has great energy and depth.

#5.  Annabeth Gish -  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.

So now it's your turn... Gimme Five famous women that you think you should be friends with.  As always you can comment here, on Facebook, or email me. 
Till next time...
Queen of EVERYTHING

(43-360) PEARLS...

I feel the need to lighten things up today.  Was that a sigh of relief I heard?  "My Story - Part 1 and Part 2" 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.

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. 

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, "IF YOU SEE SOME ONE SEXY SAY HEYYYY.. HEYYYY POOH..!!"  ( 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.   

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:

"Love others as they are, not as you want them to be."

"Books alone don't make good students. Kids need caring teachers at school and loving parents at home."

"Trust yourself. you know more than you think you do."

"There is nothing wrong by been different!"  (OK, on this one he must have been spelling with his accent because I'm pretty sure it should have said "being" different.)

"Love all. Trust few. Do wrong to no one."

" When I'm sad, I stop being sad and be awesome instead."

"Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new." 
~ Albert Einstein

"Anything worth doing is worth doing slowly."  (Now that one got varied responses...)

"If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten." 

"Courage is being afraid but going on anyhow."

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."
Till next time...
Queen of EVERYTHING

(43-357) Follow Me

Every day I look at the numbers at the side of my screen to see how many followers I have; and for a pretty long time now, those numbers haven't changed.  I see ten followers through Google and 67 through NetworkedBlogs, and I'll be honest, I guess I really hoped that somewhere along the way, I would have picked up more; just like Julie did in "Julie and Julia."

I know that on a couple of occasions I've asked for your help before, as increasing my readership has always been one of my goals; but sadly, it just hasn't happened.  So, at the risk of seeming pushy, I'm gonna ask just one more time; since I'm nearing the end of my 366 day commitment and it's more important to me than ever that more people read my blog.  Think of it as an early birthday present for me if you will.  If each person that follows "The Bumpy Ride", could recommend it to a couple of friends that they think might enjoy it, and if even just one of those friends signs up to follow this blog, then I could actually double my followers.  Heck, I'd just settle for making it to 100 followers by my birthday. 

Making this plea, somehow reminds me of the Tony Orlando and Dawn song "Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree."   If you're familiar with the song, and you've been a rider long enough, that MAY just make some sense to you, but if you've never heard the song (it's an oldie but a goodie, so take a listen.)  With that being said, if you know anyone that you think might get a laugh from my nonsense or may be  interested in my suggestions for the (say it with me) "GREATER good", then I urge you to share   "The Bumpy Ride" with them, and encourage them to sign up to follow either through  Google or Networkedblogs (on Facebook.)  If you yourself are a regular rider but you've never signed up to "follow" then I implore you to do so now, just so I will know that you're really out there. 
Till next time...
Queen of EVERYTHING

(43-355) What I've Been Missing...

The other day I read an announcement that had me very conflicted.  It said that James Spader would be joining the cast of "The Office."  Since I've mentioned James Spader in a number of previous posts, it should come as no surprise that I'm super happy that he's returning to television, BUT as I've never seen an episode of "The Office" in my life, I fear that I'd be starting a lil late in the game.  I suppose that if I had a good deal of time on my hands, I could try and watch a couple of episodes, but we all know that time is not something that I have a lot of AND the truth is, I never really had any interest in watching it, which is why I've been content to miss it.  I KNOW that "The Office" is very popular, so some of you may find it difficult to believe that I've never watched it; but just as I've missed some classic movies  there have also been several shows that I have never tuned in to.

Since my "Missing Movies" got such a good response, this seems like an opportune time, to share some TV shows that I've never seen.  Since #53 of "100 Random Things About Me" was "I have NEVER watched an episode of Star Trek." I don't feel the need to put Star Trek or any other Sci-fi type show on this list.  If it's a show that's Sci-fi, or futuristic, you can pretty much assume that I've NEVER seen it.  Ironically enough, #52 on that same list was " I will miss James Spader and "Boston Legal" terribly." 

So what else haven't I seen?  There are probably TOO many to list; so far now, since I am the Queen of FAIRNESS, I'll just 25 like I did with the movie post.

1.    ANY "CSI" show
2.   "House"
3.   "Everybody Loves Raymond"  (OK, I saw an episode in syndication once,   but just once.)
4.   "Home Improvement"
5.   "Newhart"
6.   "Modern Family"
7.   "Frasier"  (OK, maybe once but that was it.)
8.   Any "Law and Order" show
9.   "In the Middle"
10.  "Malcolm In the Middle"
11.  "Dexter"
12.  "Talk Radio"
13.  "The New Adventures of Old Christine"
14.  "Baywatch"
15.  "America's Got Talent"
16.  "Parks and Recreation" (Though I would like to check this one out)
17.  "My Name is Earl"
18.  "30 Rock"
19.  "The Simpsons"
20.  "According to Jim"
21.  "Two and a Half Men"
22.  "How I Met Your Mother"
23.  "Scrubs"
24.  "LOST"
25.  "Mad Men"

I probably could have made two separate lists, one for dramas and one for comedies; but we'll just let this suffice for now.  If you'd like to weigh in, on if I should start watching "The Office," or if you have a favorite show that you'd like to recommend, feel free to leave me a comment here or on Facebook, or you can email me.
Till next time...
Queen of EVERYTHING

(43-348) The Lazy River

Let's pick up where I left off in "An Accident Waiting To Happen."  I did in fact spend a couple of hours, floating around the Wet 'n' Wild lazy river, and although there were some challenges involved - ultimately it was quite relaxing.

Now I'm sure that I can guess what you're thinking, "How can the lazy river be challenging?"  Well, ya know I'm gonna tell ya; so put on your seat belts...  So you'd think just getting your butt into an inflatable tube and floating away wouldn't be very complicated; but I seem to have a knack for making simple things difficult.  The truth is that getting into the tube has only become a problem in recent weeks, because I fear calf spasms.  "WHAT?"  I hear ya... well the thing is that my mom used to occasionally get these terrible spasms in her calves (in the middle of the night) and I remember that she would cry out in pain. I think it was 1996 when I experienced my first calf spasm (in the middle of the night), and I've gotten them a couple of times a year ever since.  If you've never had one, consider yourself LUCKY, because not only does it hurt like a biotch at the time, but there is residual pain and cramping the next day that I wouldn't wish on anyone.  Anywho, a couple of weeks ago I went to plop into my tube and as I was trying to do so BOTH of my calves went into spasm at the exact same time.  I was totally surprised and in extreme pain - so that has scarred me off of attempting the direct jumping up and getting in method that I used to employ.  Having to devise a new technique for getting my ass into the tube, I tried bringing the tube to the steps so that I could kinda step into the water and sit down on it but this can inconvenience others, and gosh knows I hate to do that.  Well the first time I that I got into the lazy river yesterday, I tried that method and it worked fine but when I went to get in a second time, the lifeguard at the entrance was very strict and I was afraid that she was going to yell at me.  I know - I'm not sure what sounds more pathetic, the fact that this teen life guard was "mean" or the idea that I was afraid of her yelling at me; but you know what I mean, I wasn't "AFRAID" I just didn't want her to say something to me and call attention to the fact that I had to get into the lazy river like such a spaz. 

OK, so now I'm floating comfortably in my tube, but it's Saturday night at Wet 'n' Wild and the lazy river was quite busy, so people were bumping tubes left and right, and while bumping tubes, they'd also bump into my foot or knee.  Ya get it now?    It's OK to laugh at me, I'm TRYING to entertain you.

Anyway, we were floating around the LR and I really was relaxing.  My friend Jenny had met us there with her kids, so she and Luis and I were happily chatting as we went round and round.  At one point I said to Jenny, "by the way, if you ever lose anything here, make sure that you go to lost and found promptly, because we went in there to look for a dress and swim suit that we believe Lyndzi forgot there and we were told that they only keep items for a week and then donate them to the Salvation Army because they have a small-ish closet for the lost and found articles so they can't retain them long."  Um, hello Wet 'n' Wild, THIS STINKS!  People can't always get back to you or your lost and found within a week.  Heck sometimes it takes longer than that to even realize you've lost something, and hello, I spent good money on the dress and swim suit that Lyndzi lost.  I think that you make enough money to perhaps, I dunno BUY A BIGGER CLOSET maybe. Sheesh!  (That shoulda been a job for Rosanne Rosannadanna but I didn't want to confuse the matter even more.  But if you fancy an extra giggle, just re-read that part in her voice, and you may be extra amused.)

OK, so you'll never guess what happened next.  Just after I finished telling Jenny about the lost and found, she started reaching into the pocket of her swim suit and she got this perplexed look on her face.  I asked what was wrong and she told us that what I was saying about the lost and found made her want to check that her season passes, driver's license and debit card were in her pocket, and in fact they were not.  She said that she'd put them in a plastic baggy but they weren't there now.  She said that she "might" have left them in her bag so she was going to go check, but given the amount of time that she was gone (2 laps round the LR) Luis and I didn't think that she'd found them.  We got out of the LR to check on her and I saw two employees putting on diving masks and getting into the LR.  I imagined that they might be doing this to help Jenny and sure enough, they were.  Jenny said that she'd gone to the lost and found but her things weren't there.  She said that they were re-printing her passes and that they'd have workers go check the filters.  Jenny was remarkably calm and she said we could all just get back in the LR; and THIS is when I had great difficulty doing so.  With Luis' help I managed to get situated in a tube, but I was highly embarrassed.  

By the time we left for the evening, I was limping even worse than when we got there; and no, Jenny's belongings weren't found.  When I got up this morning, I felt sore but better; so I guess all that soaking really was beneficial because when I took my kids over to Michelle M's today, she and I got in the pool with them for a while, and I even managed to play two rousing games of water volleyball with them.   We played a couple of great games and had a terrific time.  I'm thankful to say that I am feeling MUCH better now, and I think I owe it all to the water. As for Jenny, her things were not found, but she's got the matter under control. 
Till next time...
Queen of EVERYTHING

(43-345) INDEPENDENCE

This month's kit theme at Scrapbooking from the Inside Out is INDEPENDENCE.  Not the kind of Independence that we celebrate on the fourth of July, but the kind that should be celebrated every day.  The ability to be our own person, stand on our own two feet and to succeed based on our own merit.

Rachel wrote a fabulous post about the Independence kit for the Creating Keepsakes blog and I highly recommend that you check it out.  If you leave a comment, you'll actually have the opportunity to win this fabulous kit, in addition to gaining some great perspective.

After reading Rachel's article, I reflected on my own independence.  Unlike most, independence was not something that I opted for.  Instead, it chose me.  Since I lost both my mom and dad by the time I was 19, I had no choice but to make my own way.  Sure I had friends to encourage and love me, but I had no safety net.  No security, no one who was going to tell me what I had to or needed to do in order to take care of myself.  I just had to wing it.

From an outsider's view, I suppose I would have appeared very independent; but I knew the truth.  I kept wishing, hoping, searching for some guy to take care of me.  Not to tell me what to do, but to make me feel important, worthwhile, and loved.  It was my desire to be validated by another person that truly meant that I was not independent, because my belief in myself was not enough for me.  And I believe that this is true for most women.

RuPaul is known for saying "If you can't love yourself, how in the hell are you gonna love somebody else?"  And I couldn't agree more.  I know so many people who will tell others that they like themselves, they love themselves, but just because they can say the words, it doesn't make it true.  You have to know that you can and will be happy regardless of if you have a partner to share your life with; as a partner is not a guarantee.  And if you spend your life searching for one, you may miss out on some of the most fantastic experiences that would have been just as spectacular with or without someone to share it with.

Trust me when I tell you that I'm speaking from experience.  I can look back now at some of the schmo's that I dated and convinced myself were "the one."  Quite honestly, I even had a bit of a nervous breakdown at the end of my senior year of college because my boyfriend had broke up with me and I had really believed that we were in it for the long haul.  I kept thinking that he was supposed to be my happily ever after, and if I blew it then I would never be happy.  It wasn't until several weeks later that I had an epiphany and realized that if he didn't stay with me, then he couldn't have been "the one", and I still had a chance at finding my Prince Charming.  How sad is that?  I mean bravo for me figuring this out on my own, but yet I was headed back to the drawing board in my all important quest for security, which I had been providing for myself all along (but didn't realize it at the time.)  

I love Disney movies as much as the next person, but all this talk about Princes rescuing the damsels in distress is really setting up our daughters to believe that every girl needs a man to rescue them, to complete them, in order to live happily ever after; and that's just not true.  I know a lot of happy, single women who are doing great things with their lives.  Do they wish that they had a partner?  Perhaps, but they don't let that stop them from living full and rewarding lives.

On the other hand, I also know many women who were like me.  They wanted to believe that "someone" loved them, and that they would show them how much they loved them by committing the rest of their lives to them, but then ultimately they got divorced because they really weren't right for each other.

By the time I met Luis, I believe that I was independent which is why we were able to have a successful relationship.  I had already decided the ways in which I was going to move ahead in my life, regardless of having a boyfriend or husband and I figured out what was going to make ME happy.

In true Bumpy Ride fashion, I've gone all around the mulberry bush with this one.  So what's my point?  Well, it's that if you are not your own person, you can never really be someone else's.  You need to walk the walk not just talk the talk.  Because if you were faking your independence, and your self-confidence, it will leave room for others to control you rather than respect you. It will not turn out to be exactly what you're searching for, because you were looking way too hard.  In order to have a truly rewarding relationship, whether it be with a partner or with a friend, I honestly believe that one must be independent in both words and actions. 
Till next time...
Queen of EVERYTHING                                     

                                                                                 

(43-344) Twenty Questions

It's been a while since I chose a writing prompt from Mari's "Memories and Thoughts" jar, so I went diving in looking for a topic.  It was getting late and I didn't want to choose something that I'd have to give too much thought to; but overachiever that I am, I found several that appealed to me.  I put my thinking cap on, let my creativity flow, and decided that tonight I'd answer Twenty Questions.  So, in no particular order:

1.  "Is there a brand of tortillas that you MUST buy?"  Funny thing about this question is that Kelsie read it to me, and I considered using it, but providing my answer for tortilla chips (Santitas) instead of tortillas, because I'm not as particular about the tortillas as I am the chips.  Anyway, I considered doing a whole post on this and telling you about Luis' Guacamole recipe, so I put that piece of paper aside.  A while later I decided to do the 20 questions thing and thought that this would be a perfect one to use, but I couldn't find the piece of paper.  Kelsie and I went through the pile that we'd put back in the jar, and I went through the pile that I'd put to the side; but we never found it.  A while later I realized that I'd seen a piece of paper that said "Is there a brand of TOILETRIES that you must buy?"  So, I'm thinking that Kelsie misread toiletries for tortillas; and that answer would be "No", so on to question #3.

3.  "What kinds of things are you working on right now?"  Well, of course there's my job, which entails both commission collection and high school reunion coordination.  I'm currently working on five reunions that will take place between Sept and March.  I'm the event coordinator for the CRAFT Beach Retreat by Scrapbooking from the Inside Out, I'm the secretary of my kids soccer league and tonight I had to revise a contest announcement, a camp announcement and a cleat swap announcement.  I'm trying to re-organize my house, prepare for my trip to New York, lose weight, write my daily blog, AND be the best wife, mom, cousin and friend that I can be.

4/5. "What is your favorite fantasy?  What have you done to make it happen?"  It's an oldie but a goodie! English announcer's voice "Now dancing the Samba, Observational humorist Paige Ramos and her partner Maksim chmerkovskiy"  Sadly, other than writing the  DAILY "Ride" I haven't done anything to make this happen.  Which leads me to #6.

6.  "In the next year you plan to..."  Work on getting my writing published!  Instead of writing my blog daily, I will write one to two times a week, and use at least two other days a week to submit articles or writing samples. 

7.  "Do you like taking naps?"  I'm sure that I would if I could, but I can't so I don't.  Unfortunately, unless I'm sick or totally exhausted, I can't seem to nap.

8.  "What was your first car?"  A 1984 White, Buick Skyhawk

9.  "When's the last time that you made a new friend?"  A couple of weeks ago at the pool.  My friend Kailene introduced me to her friend Kristen, and we're now part of the same swim team cheering squad, as well as Facebook friends. 

10.  "You're truly afraid of..."  Death

11/12. "Do you visit your local library?  Do you remember to have books back on time?  I LOVE to visit my local library and they have a very reliable reminder system, so I don't necessarily HAVE to remember to have the books back on time; BUT if they didn't have this system I feel confident that I would get the books back on time.

13.  "Is writing a form of Self therapy?"  Most definitely!

14 /15.  "Describe your yard as a child?  Did you help with the yard work?"  The yards at the condo were very small. 

Richie Howell prided himself on his as he had it decorated like a small Japanese garden, including a little pagoda in the center.  My mom tended to her Peonies and hydrangeas and Richie Howell took care of the rest, so I wasn't required to help with the yard work.

16.  "What needs cleaning in your house?"  EVERYTHING!

17.  "You feel ___ years old inside because..."  I'll say 26.  At 26 I met and married Luis.  It was the happiest time of my life, and things have only continued to get better with each addition to our family.  I may have previously said that I feel 16 but at 16 I didn't really know anything about life and by 26 I knew more.  I had experience, but I was youthful, and I still feel that way.

18.  "When you're over-stressed, you..."  Get a knot in my stomach and can't stop thinking.

19.  "What's the most adventurous thing you've ever done with your hair?  That's a toss up between dying a curl cotton candy pink, during my senior year of high school, and getting my hair cut really short, almost three years ago. 

20.  "You would call your autobiography _____________ because:"  "The Bumpy Ride" - Need I say more?
Till next time...
Queen of EVERYTHING

(43-343) There Are No Words

I don't like feeling helpless.  I'm not comfortable with feeling out of control and it is crucial that I make the ones that I love feel better.  Yet, when sickness and death are involved; we are all helpless.  We are all out of control, and there truly is nothing that any of us can say to make our loved one feel better.  Life is beautiful and yet cruel.  We build relationships with family, friends, pets, co-workers, and yet we are supposed to accept their illness or loss and just go on with our lives...  We all know that's not true.

My father was the first person that I personally knew who passed away and his passing was totally unexpected.  Yes, he'd been sick; but I had no idea that it was as serious as it actually was, and the fact that I'd been estranged from my mom for two years, just made the situation that much more precarious.  Things were complicated and no one really knew what to say to me, and at the age of 15 I just accepted that.

Just three years later when my mom's cancer came back and she started to get sick, I found that friends withdrew from me because they didn't know what to say or how to comfort me since death and such circumstances were something that was unfamiliar to them.  The truth of the matter is that someone who is suffering doesn't need you to have the perfect words, they just need your love and support and empathy and time.  No one can expect that someone else is going to have the magic words to make you feel all better, because those words don't exist. 

There are no words that can stop our loved ones from hurting in such situations, and really, NO ONE expects us to have them.  All that we can tell those who are suffering or nearing a loss is that we love and care for them, and that we are so sorry that they are hurting.  I know that it will make you feel helpless and out of control but there are some things that are just bigger than us.
Till next time...
Queen of EVERYTHING

(43-332) A GREAT Staycation Rate

Today's blog is being written while I'm poolside at Chaparral Suites Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona.  I'm not sure that I ever mentioned the name of Luis' hotel before, but there you have it.  Luis is the Front Office Manager and Manager on Duty at the lovely, Chaparral Suites Resort.

We've been fortunate it enough to stay at Chaparral on a number of occasions and we always have a terrific experience.  Once upon a time, The Chaparral was an Embassy Suites, and they still follow their model by offering a Manager's cocktail reception from 530 to 730 every evening and a cooked to order breakfast.  Breakfast is all you can eat and they'll prepare whatever you choose from eggs, to breakfast burritos, pancakes, french toast, bacon, sausage, hashbrowns, etc. etc.  They have a selection of cereals and fruit, danish and muffins, coffee, tea and juices.  All of the rooms are suites; hence the name; and they all come equipped with either two double beds or a king in the bedroom, and a pullout sleeper sofa in the living room.  There is a door that closes between the bedroom and the living room, and each suite also has a microwave and refrigerator. (Not a full size of course, but not quite a mini.)

The Chaparral Suites Resort occupies more than two acres of  beautifully landscaped property, with two large fountains situated throughout.  Although I'm only 45 minutes from home; whenever I'm here I always feel as if I'm on vacation because of the ambiance.

The Fourth Floor Grille is Chaparral's restaurant and I highly recommend it any day of the week.  They have amazing burgers, delicious pizza and scrumptious salads.  They have an extensive menu with everything from salmon to ribs and they even make their own salad dressings.  You can't go wrong with anything that you order; and as if the quality of their food wasn't enough, the portions are always very generous.  By the way, if you wanna check them out and NOT stay overnight, you can purchase a Restaurant.com gift certificate and have a fabulous meal at the fraction of the regular cost.

Chaparral Suites Resort has been offering a reasonable summer rate for several years, but this year they have a deal that can't be beat.  $109 (plus tax) for a night and you receive a $50 food credit which can be used towards food or drinks.  Now is that a GREAT Staycation rate or what?

The Chaparral has two refreshing, pools, a gym, and tennis courts.  They offer a complimentary airport shuttle, free Wi-Fi,  and dogs (under 50 lbs) are welcome to stay for just a $25 non-refundable deposit.

Being the Queen of  LOOKING OUT FOR YOUR (say it with me) "GREATER GOOD", I'd be remiss if I didn't share this outrageous opportunity with you.  And because I'm always curious to know who takes me up on my tips, please leave me a comment (here or on Facebook) or email me and let me know how your stay was.   For now, I'm going to go enjoy my complimentary margarita.
Till next time...
Queen of EVERYTHING

                                                                                                            

(43-331) First Place

A couple of months ago I wrote a blog called "Love Gives You Courage", and I told you about this girl (who I called Brenda for the sake of the blog.)  I explained that Brenda had been very rude to Nicky and that Lyndzi had stuck up for him.  I also told you that I wasn't a fan of  Brenda's, partly because she's mean and has a phony smile, but also because she's inconsiderate and obnoxious.  I know that those are strong words to say about a child and I apologize if I seem harsh; but I don't know what other words to use to describe her behavior.  This isn't exactly something that I can consult my Thesaurus about, and when I tell you what I'm about to tell you; it may be apparent why.

I've mentioned on more than one occasion that during home swim meets, Luis and I (along with my friend Kailene) sit at the judges table and figure out what place all the swimmers come in.  Although this position can be a little stressful, we do get a front row seat for all the action and there's something to be said for that.


If you're not familiar with swim team procedure, I can tell you that we swim two different strokes and one relay, during each swim meet.  Also the kids are divided into three age groups during Lyndzi and Kelsie's meets, as well as three groups at Nicky's  meets.  We will run as many heats (races) as necessary, in order to assure that all swimmers are given the opportunity to swim.  Typically the coach will put his/her fastest swimmers in the earliest heats; so imagine my surprise when Brenda chose to swim in the fifth (out of six) heats.  I noticed that she was doing this a number of weeks ago, because Brenda is a very good swimmer and she is particularly fast; but I can't help believing that she does this so that she can come in first all the time.


My kids do swim team for the daily exercise that it provides and because they like competing.  It would be very easy for me to tell Lyndzi (for example) to wait to swim towards the end of the heats because there were weaker swimmers that she could surely beat; but I'm not about that.  Although I like when my kids do well, because it boosts their self esteem; I'm also OK if they come in dead last as long as they tried their best and had a good time.  Coming in first EVERY time is not going to prepare "Brenda" for the reality of life.  And truth be told, it's not the placing that counts; it's actually your times.  My feeling is that 1. Brenda needs to let the girls in the later heats, compete against each other and let some of them enjoy success.
2. Brenda needs to challenge herself and compete against people whose aptitude for swim is more similar to hers.  And lastly, she needs to learn that it's OK not to come in first all of the time. 


There are very few if any, individuals who come in first each and every time they do something; so I think Brenda needs a lil dose of reality.  And she needs to learn what it means to play fair and be a good sport. 


We couldn't help but discuss Brenda during the meet, because it was obvious to every one that she intentionally swam in a less competitive heat, so that she could come in first and even though this is a recreational swim team, it was inappropriate to do so.


I find it very sad that coming in first is so important to Brenda and yet I know that there are a lot of other people out there like that.  It seems to me that Brenda is basing her self-esteem on how well she does in a swim meet, but she's doing herself a great disservice.  And as someone who loves children, I find this disturbing.  Apparently Brenda's parents don't have a problem with what she's doing and if I took a wild guess, that's probably because coming in first is the only thing that matters to them, no matter the means.


I hope that my children know that just like they're not a 4.0 or an award winning painting or a first place ribbon; it's the process that counts, and you should be proud of yourself regardless of your place or time.  If you believe that you tried your best and you enjoyed yourself while trying; that's a greater prize than any ribbon.
Till next time,,,
Queen of EVERYTHING

(43-329) Melon Lessons

It's now officially summer; and one of the things that I like best about this season, is it's fruit.  OK, let's face it, I love pretty much everything about summer, but of all the seasons, I have to say I'm most partial to the fruits of summer.

Now fan of fruit that I am; I've never been sure about how to pick them.  Obviously I know that I don't want bruised nectarines, or cherries; but when it comes to the melons, other than givin a Cantaloupe or Honeydew a sniff; up until a few days ago, I had no idea how to tell if they were ripe.  Funny story about sniffin a fruit.  A couple of weeks ago Luis and I were in Sam's Club and I saw some beautiful, Pineapples. I picked one up and went to smell it and man I must have forgotten what I was dealing with because I put that baby so close to my nose that I scratched it up.  The Pineapple had a terrific scent, and the center leaf pulled out easily,  so we put it in our cart, and I promptly wondered why my nose was hurting.  I touched my nose and realized that I had scratched it with the Pineapple and I felt like a first class moron.  BUT, I have to say that the Pineapple that bruised me, was indeed delicious.

On Sunday Kelsie and I went to do some grocery shopping.  While we were in Sam's I saw Cantaloupe for a really good price, and while I was smelling them, a lady turned to the demonstrator that was nearby and asked her to show me how to tell if a Cantaloupe was ripe.  I was anxious to know the real method, and encouraged her to explain.  She told me that I could smell them, as I'd been doing, but you could also push on the little button area and if it had give to it, it was good to purchase.  I chose two (because I told you - the price was really good) and I cut them up tonight and both were perfect. 

After Sam's Kels and I went to Super Wal-mart, where I found watermelon on sale.  I mentioned to Kelsie that I had no idea how to choose a Watermelon as they didn't usually give off a smell.  Kelsie told me that I was supposed to thump it, and when I asked her how she knew that, she told me that she learned that from "Olivia" (the cartoon .)  I asked why I was supposed to thump it, but she didn't know so I took the initiative to locate a produce clerk and ask for help.  The clerk told me that you thump on it (he must watch Olivia too - hahaha); and when I asked why he said that if it had some give to it, as opposed to sounding dense, then it was ready.  It wasn't quite as easy a concept to grasp as the Cantaloupe method, but I chose a Watermelon, and according to Kelsie, (who I couldn't cut it fast enough for); it was fantastic.

I'm always so happy to learn a new domestic trick.  Unfortunately, losing my mom so young, there were a lot of lessons that I missed out on.  Perhaps many of you already knew how to test your fruit; but in case this is news to you too, I'm so happy that I could share my new found knowledge.  If you have additional fruit testing tips for me, please leave me a comment here or on Facebook.
Till next time...
Queen of EVERYTHING   

(43-327) Happy Father's Day!

If you've read "The Bumpy Ride" before, then you probably know that I didn't / don't have a very high opinion of my father; which is why when I refer to him, I call him by his name (Richie Howell) instead of saying my dad.  Richie Howell was (as you may remember) a Private Investigator; and he worked  A LOT.  He travelled often for business, and I never got the feeling that being a father was high on his list of priorities.  In his defense, this could be because he himself didn't have a father for very long.  His parents divorced when he was only three, and his dad passed away at the age of 43, when RH was just 13.  The only thing that his father,Wolf Howell, (YES, you read that correctly - Wolf Howell), left him with was the belief that he too was going to pass away at the age of 43 - and he did.

I suppose that having a father like Richie Howell just makes me that much more appreciative of all the great dads that I'm privileged to know; starting with my husband, Luis.  So on this Father's day, I'm sending out a big (yes) HUGE thank you to all the dads who coach one of their kid's sports teams, change a baby's diaper, cook a meal, mow the lawn, go to the store, fix something that's broken, lend an ear, give someone a hug, tuck someone in, play at the playground, water park or pool.  All those dad's who do homework, go to concerts, banquets, sporting events, dance recitals, kid's movies, watch cartoons, play the Wii, or PlayStation, or Chess, or Monopoly.  All those dad's who take the time to teach their kid's how to fish, or bake, or clean or throw.  Thank you to all those dad's who let their kids have a dog even if they don't want one.  Those who cheer for their kids in hundred degree weather or freezing cold.  Those who love their kids enough to tell them no when need be and those that say yes when feasible.  Thank you to all those dad's who make a child feel loved and safe and confident and happy.
Happy father's day to ALL THOSE DADS; especially my husband, Luis!
Till next time...
Queen of EVERYTHING

(43-324) Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon - Challenge #2

Keepin it nice and light tonight with a quick, Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon challenge.  Now if that means absolutely nothing to you; let me do some splaining.  When I posted the good ole,  "100 Random Things About Me" ,#18 was "I excel at Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon."  Now again, if that means nothing to you, I'll splain a lil more.  Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon is a game that requires a group of players to try to connect any film actor / actress in history to Kevin Bacon as quickly as possible and in as few links as possible.  it was modeled after the theory of "Six degrees of separation" which was popularized by a play written by John Guare.  Six degrees of separation "refers to the idea that everyone is on average approximately six steps away from any other person on Earth, so that a chain of, "a friend of a friend" statements can be made, on average, to connect any two people in six steps or fewer; according to "Wikipedia."

Now with all of that said; I LOVE to challenge myself and play this game.  So tonight I asked Rachel K  to name the person that I would try to link to Kevin Bacon in 6 moves or fewer and she chose Jamie Lee Curtis.  It took me a few minutes to think about it, and I came up with:

Jamie Lee Curtis to Arnold schwarzenegger in "True Lies".

Arnold Schwarzenegger to Sharon Stone in "Total Recall".  And Sharon Stone to Kevin Bacon in "He Said She Said."

Now I think it's impressive to link Mr. Bacon in as few moves as possible, BUT I can also go in reverse and try to draw it out to see how many people I can connect.  So we can go this way too:  Jamie Lee Curtis to Kevin Kline in "A Fish called Wanda".  Kevin Kline to Glenn Close in the "Big Chill".  Glenn Close to Michael Douglas in "Fatal Attraction."  Michael Douglas to Sharon Stone in "Basic Instinct."  And Sharon stone to Kevin Bacon in "He said She said."

That was fun!  Wanna play?  Go ahead and see if you can come up with alternative connections for Jamie Lee Curtis to Kevin Bacon in six moves or less.  Then post your answer either here or on Facebook.  OR if you want to challenge me with a new actor or actress to connect; just comment or email me, and I'll take a stab at it.

Till next time...

Queen of EVERYTHING 

(43-323) Veggies

I think that I could probably be a seafood eating -vegetarian, IF only I didn't enjoy bacon and steak so much; AND if I could manage to work more fruit into my diet.  It's not that I don't like fruit, because I do.  It's just that up until about two weeks ago, I hadn't been eating much of them on a regular basis. 

Ironically enough, my friend Jenny is a seafood eating - vegetarian (and with her permission), I can tell you that she likes far fewer vegetables than most people I know.  I recently found out, (from Jenny) that I enjoy some vegetables that aren't considered very popular; and since I've already done my tribute to "Fruits", being the Queen of FAIRNESS, I'm now gonna dedicate a blog to veggies.  Can you tell I have 43 days left or what? 

I've mentioned before that my mom was a terrific cook and I think I've alluded to the fact that Richie Howell was a pretty demanding fella.  So in order to make him happy she made dinners per his specifications and they typically included at least two vegetables, if not a salad and a vegetable.  My mom was a big fan of broccoli, or at least I think she was because she made it almost every night.  Perhaps that's why, if I never ate a piece of broccoli again, that would be just fine with me.  Now this is not to say that I WON'T eat broccoli.  I actually enjoy it in Chinese food and I'll even eat a few pieces of the broccoli salad thing at Sweet Tomatoes; BUT it is not a veggie that I really like to cook.  Although my kids like it, so I'll make it for them.

What do I like?  Well there's brussel sprouts.  Which I think get a really bad rap.  But I must say in their defense that if they're cooked well, they can be absolutely delicious.  And I'm happy to say that I now have Lyndzi hooked on them too.
Another one of my faves is Asparagus.  I think that I could eat asparagus with every meal and never tire of it; and I could say the same about cauliflower.  Perhaps most don't like beets; but I for one surely do.  Then there's parsnips - yum-o!    Of course I'll eat corn; but I don't think I've ever met anyone who wouldn't. (Barring a food allergy of course.)  I like Okra, though I'll admit that I've only ever had it fried; and what doesn't taste good fried?  We've previously established that eggplant is one of all time favorite foods in general, as are mushrooms and I enjoy just about everything in the squash family.  Peppers? Sure, but I prefer not to eat the green ones.  Onions?  On just about everything - please! 

So what's that leave?  Spinach?  Ahh, not so much.  I'll eat it raw, and my mom served it creamed; but cooked; I'd rather not ~ thank you.  speaking of rather not, please don't serve me a Lima bean, nor a canned pea; though fresh or frozen are fine by me.  Now I'm rhyming about vegetables and that wasn't even intentional.  My take on carrots is much like Meg Ryan ordering dessert in the dinner in "When Harry Met Sally."  I like carrots raw, or I'll eat them if they're glazed.  But if they're not glazed and they're just warm ~ then I wouldn't want them.  And even though I don't particularly like red radishes, I'm a fan of horseradish and enjoy mixing it into mashed or baked potatoes.

And now's the portion of "The Bumpy Ride" when I sit back, re-read what I just wrote and ask myself, "do you seriously think that people care about what vegetables you like?"  But it's too late to turn back now.  I ask myself, "what can I do to save this post?"  But truth be told, I'm amused by how utterly inane I can be and how much I can find to write about vegetables ~ so I'm just gonna flow.

As always, I'd love to hear back from you; so please feel free to comment here or on Facebook and let me know if there's a less than popular veggie that you enjoy, or even one that you can't stand.  As for me, I'm already thinking about tomorrow's post.
Till next time...
Queen of EVERYTHING

(43-322) ASPIRE

I've written about my friend Mari on numerous occasions.  So much so, that I'm sure at times "The Bumpy Ride" seems like I'm campaigning to be the President of the Mari fan club.  But if you've ever seen any of Mari's scrapbooking layouts or craft projects, then you KNOW that I have not exaggerated her talents one bit.  And if you haven't had the privilege of viewing any of Mari's masterpieces;let me just say that I can't imagine that it will be long before you do.

If you're not a first time rider, then you know that I frequently mention my interest in the (say it with me) "Greater good."  Usually I refer to the Greater Good of  mankind, but I'm also dedicated to encouraging individuals to strive towards achieving their "personal" Greater good;  which is why I praise Mari so much.  I think that Mari has an incomparable talent and I see how happy her creations make people.  One of Mari's current projects is what I'm going to call, "Inspiration charms";and last night while we were chatting about them, she asked me, what word I would choose if she was to make me a charm.  M first inclination was to say "BELIEVE", but I really wanted think about it and make sure that I chose the most appropriate word for me right now; and then I said "ASPIRE."  

The definition of ASPIRE, per Dictionary.com is:
1. to long, aim, or seek ambitiously; be eagerly desirous, especially for something great or of high value (usually followed by to, after, or an infinitive): to aspire after literary immortality; to aspire to be a doctor.
2. Archaic . to rise up; soar; mount; tower.

YES, I think ASPIRE is the perfect word for me right now, as I feel incredibly, inspired, not only by Mari but by another frequently mentioned friend -  Rachel K.  I have been so impressed and influenced by Rachel's achievement with Scrapbooking from the Inside Out and how her dedication and diligence have manifested itself into the CRAFT Beach Retreat.   Registration opens for CRAFT on Saturday, June 18th  at 9am Pacific time and I'm so excited about it, that I added the CRAFT blinkie to my sidebar. 
If you haven't been following the CRAFT blog to date, please check it out.  Not only because you might be interested in attending; but because I want you to see what my remarkable friend has created. (OK, with a little help from me.)  
 
To quote James Howell, "A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle."
Well Rachel truly is a candle.  Rachel has been able to pursue her dream and at the same time promote and encourage others to reach their own potential - myself included.  Rachel's example inspires me to ASPIRE; and I hope that I've done the same for you.
Till next time...
Queen of EVERYTHING