The Bumpy Ride

Uncommon Kindness

2009-12-29T20:46:00.013-07:00

As the year is coming to an end, I want to tell you a story of an unusual act of kindness. I like to think of myself as a kind person; as are most of the people that I know; and on occasion I will go out of my way for someone, even if it means my own inconvenience; but I recently experienced an act of kindness that went far beyond that of what's common and as I was astounded by this person's generosity of spirit, I feel compelled to tell this story.

I have been working for my employer for approximately 12 years and although they've never paid me what I deserve, they have been very flexible with my schedule and they've even allowed me to work from home for the past 2 1/2 years; so I suppose you can say that I am sacrificing my pay for their adaptability. People often ask me why I don't get a different job and the truth of the matter is that I WANT TO BE A WRITER and until I can find a job as a paid writer, it doesn't make much sense for me to take something on that is just going to be another " JOB." Additionally, the hours that I would be available to work away from home would be limited, so it would have to be a very well paying JOB and in this economy such a position is hard to find.

Now, like I said a couple of posts ago, I've been sparing you the current woe is me of my life as I am acutely aware that my present situation is not unusual; but as it is pertinent to this story; I'm going to share:
In August all of the employees at my company were advised that business had not been going well; and therefore, we were all going to have to take a pay cut. I can't disclose the percentage of the cut; but suffice it to say that it meant hardship for my family.
In September Luis was told that he and all of the other managers at his hotel were going to have to take 8 days off without pay by December 31st.
And in October I was told that I needed to reduce my hours from 40 to 32 per week, as the company was having cash flow problems. The person who broke the news to me said "We're making reservations; we're just not collecting enough money for them." Now as the person who collects the money, this statement certainly left me to wonder "If I'm the person who collects the money, how can we afford for me to work any less?" I asked a question to this affect but regardless of the logic the company had decided that all 3 women in the accounting department were going to cut their hours and a number of other people were laid off. Ok, now I'm sure that some of you are thinking, "If the company claims to be having a problem collecting money, why aren't they firing Paige, if she's the one who collects the money?" And the answer my friends is simple; I am the Queen of COLLECTIONS! Not to toot my own horn, but I am EXTREMELY good at what I do and my employers know it; BUT, one person cannot be expected to collect money from 65,000 hotels worldwide, single handedly and that is exactly what they have been having me do. I should have a staff of at least 4 people; but instead it's just me and considering that it's just me; I've made them A LOT of money; just not ALL of their money.

The news of my new schedule immediately sent me into panic mode. My poor husband had already been working 2 jobs to try to earn some extra money, but between August and November our pay had decreased significantly and the money that he made at the pharmacy couldn't make up for all that was being lost. Much to his credit Luis remained positive and reassured me that we'd be OK; so I've been doing my best to refrain from acting like a nervous wreck.
My present deal with my company is that 3 days a week I work from home and 1 day a week I go into the office. I was in the office on December 17 and I was talking to my friend, (who for the sake of this blog I will refer to as DM;) and I told him that I got the distinct feeling that no matter how much money the company made they would never give my hours back nor restore my previous pay rate; and it saddens me to say that DM agreed. DM has been on my side for years. In fact he is probably the only person at my company who realizes how hard I work and what my contribution to the company has been. I shared my fear with him, he said "Well, I'll tell ya; after they cut your hours, I was thinking of going to the other guys and suggesting that we all take a little more of a pay cut so that you wouldn't have to lose a day. I realized that none of them were going to be willing to do it, so I thought that I would let them cut my pay enough to get your day back; but then I realized that if I let them do so, they'd never give my money back. So then I thought I would go to them and ask how much it cost to pay you for a day and offer to write them a check each pay period so that you could get your day back; and then after you, if I could, I would do this person and that person." And I don't think that I have to tell you that I almost cried. I think my jaw must have dropped to my desk because I couldn't believe how selfless DM was and what I was hearing. I thanked him profusely for even considering such an act, and assured him that I could never let him do so. We talked about how ridiculous it was that he recognized my value to the company while its owners did not and how his compassion surpassed theirs. And although his offer will never come to fruition, it is the fact that he even considered it that is extraordinary to me.

So often through the history of this blog, I have told you that I am all about the GREATER GOOD and THIS is a shining example of a man who in so many ways was exemplifying the greater good. He wanted the greater good for my family, and for our company and he was willing to try and contribute towards the greater good at his own expense. UNCOMMONLY KIND, is all that I can say.

We certainly don't all have the means to take on the financial burden of someone else, but we ALL can make a difference in someones life in one way or another. Whether it is to give a friend 5 extra minutes of your time when you really don't have it; or by volunteering, or extending a friendly greeting to a stranger ~ just because; we can all be facilitators of the greater good.
As we approach this new year, 2010; I hope that life continues to get better for all of you, in every way. May you all experience good health, both physically and emotionally, may you grow rich emotionally, spiritually, creatively and financially and may you put your dreams in motion and make them your reality.

As always I thank you for taking the time to take this journey with me. I thank you for your support and your encouragement, your laughter and your tears.
Till next time...
Queen of EVERYTHING

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2009-12-25T14:30:00.006-07:00

Although I'm Jewish, I've always been a fan of Christmas. When I was growing up, my parents wedding anniversary was on Christmas eve, and even though they were both Jewish, it was part of their anniversary tradition to put up a Christmas tree. Oh, there was talk in my predominantly, Jewish neighborhood, that one of the Howell's must NOT really be Jewish, but this was not the case. They just simply loved the festivity that a Christmas tree added to their anniversary and holiday season.

Our trees were always beautiful - always real and always at least 8 feet tall. The tree was adorned with 3 kinds of lights: the large old fashioned bulbs, small twinkling lights and bubble lights that sat on the branches with small tubes of colored oil, which when heated would bubble away magnificently. The ornaments were of different colors, shapes and sizes and each one was prettier than the next, and on top of the tree sat a ring with 3 pixies sitting around it, holding little lanterns which lit up. And it delights me no end, that to this day the pixie topper is still going strong and sitting on top of my tree. I guess if there's one nice thing I can say about Richie Howell, it's that he did a GREAT Christmas tree and he taught me how to do so as well.

Although we always had a Christmas tree, we never went to church or celebrated the holiday in any other way; after all, that's not what Jews would do. We did light our menorah and enjoy my mom's potato latkes and each year our parents would let us decide as to when we wanted to open our presents; at Chanukah or Christmas. We tried all different variations, like one present at Chanukah and teh rest at Christmas or all 8 nights of Chanukah and nothing at Christmas, but I'll admit, it was a little anticlimactic to have these Extraordinary trees with nothing under them, so we usually opted for the majority of our gifts at Christmas, but we forewent lighting our menorah and honoring our heritage.

After my parents passed away, I continued to celebrate both holidays; so marrying a Catholic guy didn't change my holiday traditions at all. We still light our menorah and decorate our tree; we just don't go to synagogue or church.

Many years ago, Big V gave me a Winnie the Pooh menorah. I had been a big fan for years; long before it was popular to be one. In fact, Luis calls me "Pooh," I'm assuming because of the resemblance of our bellies. Anyway, I went to take the menorah out of its box and it slipped out of my hand and broke (thankfully, nowhere near my feet.) I then took out my cheapie menorah that I've had forever and found that I only had enough candles for a couple of nights. "No problem" I thought, "I'll just go to Target tomorrow."

Kelsie and I went to Target and much to my dismay I found nothing whatsoever for Chanukah or any other holiday but Christmas for that matter. I tried to ask an associate, but she didn't speak enough English to understand. She called over another associate who was also Hispanic, and looked at me like I had 3 heads when I told her that I was looking for Chanukah candles. She said "Maybe Linda," as Linda was the Caucasian associate who was heading our way; and when they called her over she politely said "How can I help you Ma'am;" and when I told her what I was looking for, her volume increased exceedingly. She shouted "OH, Chanukah! No, we don't have anything for Chanukah at this location. Maybe try the Bell road / Arrowhead store." She then said "I didn't know that there were that many people around here who were interested in Chanukah" (again speaking at the top of her lungs.) Next she told me that I could go online and let them know that I wanted this location to carry Chanukah stuff, and Passover and Yom Kippur too. She loudly followed that suggestion up with; "Do you know how to do that?" To which I calmly replied; "I think I can figure it out." Linda thought she was being ever so helpful when she wrote the store id # down on a sticky note for me; so I'm sure that she was shocked to find out that I went right to her manager to complain about her. OK, It's true, I was fuming. I was not only insulted that Target carried nothing for Chanukah, but then to be spoken to by Linda,the way that I was; honestly, if I was looking for items for my Kwanzaa celebration, would Linda have told me "Oh, I didn't know that people around here were interested in Kwanzaa;" if you know what I mean. When the manager came over I calmly told her that I wanted to make a complaint about the way I was spoken to by one of the associates. I went on to say "I was in your holiday section, but I guess you can't call it that since there is only one holiday represented over there." I then went on to tell her what had happened. I explained that Linda's raised tone of voice, which caused other shoppers to look over towards our conversation, made me uncomfortable and that I felt very insulted when she asked me if I knew how to leave a comment online; almost as if she was saying "You're Jewish so you must be stupid." And I told her that I was very disturbed by the fact that there were only Christmas items available. The manager apologized profusely, because of course that's all she could do - and we left the store, determined to find Chanukah candles before nightfall.

Disgusted by Target, we went to Walmart, but they too were void of any Chanukah provisions. I then went to the other Target location that Linda had recommended and again had to ask an associate as I didn't see any Chanukah anything. She told me that she thought they were on an end cap because they had recently been marked down to clearance and when we walked over to where she thought they were; there were none to be had. I suppose that no one in this area has an interest or use for Chanukah candles until they go on clearance. Out of desperation I went to Cost Plus, and they in fact had some beautiful Chanukah candles, for $12.99 and 50% off. I purchased the $7 Chanukah candles, shocked that I had to do so, but I reasoned that we spend a lot more money on Christmas than we do on Chanukah, so a $7 purchase for my holiday was justified. I tell you, I don't think there has ever been a year that I've wanted to light those candles and say my prayer more. I felt persecuted and sad, because it's not as if I live an area where there is no Jewish population; just a small one. I thought of my grandparents who were killed in the Holocaust JUST BECAUSE they were Jewish, and there was no way, that I would ignore Chanukah because it was difficult to find my candles.

Now, this experience didn't make me resent Christmas, or the good tidings for a Merry one. I LOVE Merry Christmas, I say it myself; because to me it isn't necessarily a religious salutation or sentiment; but a wish for a wonderful and special day. It is the one day of the year that most people share peace on earth and good will towards man but at the same time; no one else should be denied or slighted for their beliefs. And I think that I am feeling compelled to mention this because a day or so after my Target incident, a Facebook "friend" had put her status as something like, "I was so happy to see a Merry christmas sign at Target, " and then I can't remember her exact words but her implication was that she was tired of having to endure a Happy Holiday or Season's greetings sign and instead of Merry Christmas, just to be politically correct. Well, it was all I could do to keep from leaving a comment, but I knew that it probably wouldn't have made a difference if I had. She felt denied her preferred greeting, but I shouldn't feel bad that my holiday wasn't even acknowledged by this store or others? It's not like I was celebrating Festivus for crying out loud. On the other hand, a very kind soul sent me an email apologizing because she knows that I was raised Jewish, but she thought that she, may have sent me a Merry Christmas card as opposed to a Happy Holidays. I thanked her for being so thoughful and considerate and explained that I had no problem at all with receiving a Merry Christmas card. I don't expect someone to send me something different just because Christmas isn't my religious holiday. I am thankful for any kindness and I am happy to be the recipient of whatever well wishes the person wants to send.

And so, on this wonderful Christmas day; I wish you all the VERY Merriest Christmas, Season's Greetings, Happy Holidays and YES, a Happy Chanukah (although it's already passed.) I will not wish you a happy new year as yet; as I am going to try and rise to the occasion and complete another post by the 1st of the year and offer My new years wishes then.

Till next time...

Queen of EVERYTHING

Winter Wonderland

2009-12-11T08:42:00.016-07:00

The older you get ,the faster time seems to go, (with the exception of time spent at work of course.) I mention this because in addition to it being the holiday season, it's also the birthday season at my home. Kelsie is celebrating making it to her 6th birthday today, and Lyndzi will be turning 8 just one week later on the 18th; so naturally I've been reflecting on how quickly these incredible years have passed and looking forward to all that I will share with my family in the years to come. As a parent it is bittersweet to watch your babies grow. In some ways you want them to remain small and always in need of your help and in other ways, it is delightful to think of all the endless possibilities that lay await and all of the new experiences that we will encounter at each different stage of their lives.
I think back to when I was Nicky's age and try to remember what I was like and what I was thinking then and it's hard for me to believe that we have already gotten to that point with our amazing boy; but we have. Nicky's grade recently had "THE Talk;" and it just doesn't seem possible to me that it could ALREADY be time for that, and yet it was. A few weeks after "THE Talk," Nicky came home and was very excited to tell me that he was going to be bringing home an invitation for the 5-8th grade Winter Wonderland, school dance and I was smacked in the face with the reality that my babies are no longer babies by any stretch of the imagination.

Nicky was really looking forward to going to the dance and protective mom (ok OVER protective mom) that I am, feared this dance would be his ruination, for despite the fact that Luis and I can both bust a move; our boy has no coordination whatsoever. To say that Nicky is rhythmically challenged might be going too far, but suffice it to say that my memories of the spasmic displays that I've seen during holiday parties and other dancing opportunities were not inspiring my confidence. I wanted to coach Nicky without insulting him and so I recommended that he subtly bounce to the beat and keep his hand gestures to a minimum. Thankfully he was receptive, as I explained that I knew first hand how cruel kids could be and that if anyone found a reason to make fun of his dancing, they'd probably never stop. And for those of you who are fans of psychology and may think that I was transferring my own stuff on to Nicky, so be it.

I was teased mercilessly as a child and pre-teen and if I could do anything to help my child avoid that; psychology be damned; I'm gonna do it!! Now, don't get me wrong, I certainly didn't want Nicky to be scared to go to the dance; just PREPARED; I mean it's what I would have wanted someone to tell me, if they knew something that could possibly protect me from a world of hurt; and luckily Nicky and I have the type of relationship that he knew I was trying to help him, not hurt or intimidate him.

I told Luis about the dance and he too was concerned that Nicky might not use the best judgment about dancing and ultimately do something to embarrass himself; so we agreed that one of us might volunteer at the dance just to give him some encouragement and keep a watchful eye. I asked Nicky if he'd like one of us to volunteer at the dance and though he is usually happy to have us on his field trips, he said " That's OK; I got it." And so we had to let him go.

Nicky got dressed for the dance according to the Winter Wonderland dress code: Black, Navy, White, Silver, or Red. He wore black pants, a long sleeve, stone grey, knit Henley shirt and black shoes ~ And my boy looked GOOD!! When we dropped Nicky off, we couldn't help but notice how grown up all of the kids looked and how excited they all seemed to be. Luis even commented on different kids outfits; in particular this one little girl in a red, shiny,shirt. Leaving Nicky at the dance was definitely taking a leap of faith for us, but we drove off hopeful that he would have a wonderful time.

The 2 hours flew by and we went back to pick Nicky up. Luis pulled up to the curb content to wait for Nicky to come out, but when I saw some other moms going in; I wanted to do the same. Luis felt confident that Nicky would come out on his own but I reminded him that I had friends inside that were teachers and I could try to find out how it went and Luis responded with a typically male "Do what you want to do." So the girls and I were off like a shot.

Upon entering the building we were greeted by Nicky's teacher; who told us that the dance had gone very well and that Nicky had danced with a girl (I will call "B") for most of the night. I said that I didn't know B and his teacher said that she was in the other class. His teacher told me that so many of the kids had come up to her and said how surprised and happy they were to see Nicky dancing, because he is SO shy and she told them to leave him alone so he could have a good time and reminded them that you can't judge a book by its cover. Well, of course I was on the verge of tears; but just then Nicky came over to me and I held it together. I asked Nicky if he'd had a good time and he said "Yes," and promptly gave me my change for the evening. There couldn't have been more than 2 minutes left to the dance so I asked him "Are you ready to go or did you want to finish up?" And he said "Can I finish up?" so I said "Sure," and with that, he went back out on to the dance floor and proceeded to put his arms around the waist of the little girl in the red, shiny, shirt. Her arms were around Nicky's neck and they danced slowly to the last song of the evening. I was frozen in my place as I watched my baby dance like a young man, in the arms of this pretty, little girl with hope on her face; and Nicky's teacher leaned over to me and said "That's B." Once again I was almost in tears, but in a way they were tears of joy, because I can now look forward to a new phase in Nicky's life. He had made it through the dance without incident and was beaming with a confidence that I rarely see in him. He said good night to B, and thanked his teacher and we got into the car. I whispered to Luis that the dance had been a success and that Nicky had danced with B most of the night and then pointed out that she was the girl in the red,shiny, shirt; to which Luis replied "Well, I noticed her first."

Nicky regaled us with all of the details of the dance and it turned out that B had asked him to dance and he gladly accepted her invitation. Nicky had the time of his life and his new found confidence was thrilling. I told him that I was so, incredibly proud of him and that he probably made B's night; (because I totally can remember what I felt like after my first dance;) and I commented that he seemed so confident that he might even score a goal at soccer on Saturday; and HE DID! I actually heard one of the mom's say; "Nicky should go to a dance every friday night;" and I honestly wish that he could.

It is such a fantastic feeling to witness the growth of someone you love; whether a child, a spouse or a friend. To watch a person strive towards their potential and realize who they are, what they can do and what is out there for them. Life really is a wonderland!!!

Till next time...

Queen of EVERYTHING

Simple Pleasures

2009-12-04T09:31:00.010-07:00

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

SCORE!

2009-10-17T15:50:00.007-07:00

I have been waiting for this day for weeks.... Opening day of soccer season for USA Soccer. I'm happy to say that I'm getting a reprieve this year in as much as my 3 kids will be playing on only 2 teams since Kelsie is playing up a year. Kelsie should be playing with 5 & 6 year olds; but since she started early (at age 3) everyone thought that she would be just fine to play with Lyndzi and the 6 & 7 year olds, so both of my girls are able to play together on The Shockers. WOOHOO!! Nicky will also be playing with The Shockers; but the 10 & 11 year old team and Luis is an assistant coach for both.

We started practicing just a couple of weeks ago and though all 3 kids were ready to start playing again it seems that Nicky has decided that this is the year for him to become a soccer player. Soccer seems to be making more sense to him lately and he is playing more purposefully which is so beautiful to see considering that he is not naturally an athletic kid. Nicky is an academic overachiever and he isn't used to be second best, but thus far at soccer he has not been a reliable, outstanding player and he is determined to change that NOW. Nicky has been plagued by an event that took place 2 years ago when he scored his first goal in a game but as luck would have it; after play resumed, the ref blew the whistle and announced that the goal hadn't counted and Nicky was devastated. All of the parents and his teamates assured him that it was an excellant goal and even though they weren't counting it, he still SCORED A GOAL; but he just didn't buy it and has been trying to vindicate himself ever since. So yesterday after practice, Nicky told me that he had been scoring many goals; that he knew that he needed to kick the ball to the side of the goal in order to score AND that he felt like he was going to score a goal on Saturday. He then said "What would happen if I scored a goal tomorrow?" And I replied "I would party like it's 1999." Which only served to date myself and confuse Nicky; but I thought it was hysterical.

Luis and I gave all 3 kids the usual pre- game pep talk. "We want you to play hard and give it your all; but most importantly HAVE FUN. It doesn't matter if you score a goal, (although it would be great if you did;) just try your hardest. And then we were ready to go.

We started our soccer day on the field at 730am. Nicky had the first of his double header at 8 and his team won 6-4. There was a noticeable difference in how Nicky was playing; so much so that one of the mom's commented; "Nicky seems to be playing with more confidence, he's more aggressive." And another said "I don't think it's going to be long before Nicky scores a goal," To which I replied "From your mouth to God's ears." Not because it's so important to me; but because it's important to him. We praised Nicky during half time, moms, coaches and players alike. Everyone told Nicky what a great job they thought he was doing and I think that really helped him. The game ended and we went on to watch a couple of friend's games before the girls warmed up at 1030.

Coach Russell decided to let Lyndzi try her hand at playing goalie and so in the hundred degree weather, Lyndzi put on the long sleeve goalie jersey on top of her uniform AND the soccer gloves, and she was raring to go. Lyndzi did a respectable job considering she hadn't had any practice as goalie and no one was really playing defender but for the second half she played forward and really played well. Lyndzi has scored goals in the past but today she scored an AWESOME goal and we all went wild. Now, what can I say about Kelsie? Kelsie is a natural fighter; so of course she played HARD. She held her own and then some and I couldn't have been more proud of my 5 year old running up and down that field, kicking with such determination and never giving up. Kelsie made a goal attempt and wasn't successful BUT I have no doubt that she will be scoring in the near future. The "Little" Shockers did far better than we had anticipated and it seems like they have a lot of potential; even though they lost.

Win or lose, I never tire of watching my kids play; which is a good thing since we had to head back over for Nicky's 2nd game of the day. We were joined by my friends Jackie, Tina and Kristin which just made our day even more special. I am so grateful to have friends who would sacrifice THEIR free time to come out to the soccer fields on such a hot day and watch MY KIDS play. And I am SO glad that they were there to witness Nicky in his glory. The game had only just begun and Nicky had a REALLY good kick. I was impressed by how hard he had kicked the ball and never in a million years would I have guessed that this kick would score a goal BUT IT DID! I felt like I had been watching the kick in slow motion; like Steve Martin in "Parenthood" when he is waiting to see if his son Kevin was going to catch the baseball. And although I didn't get on my knees and dance across the field, like Steve did; I screamed and clapped so hard that my hands hurt. Jackie said that she had NEVER seen me so excited and I coudn't agree more. I was SO overjoyed for Nicky and his accomplishment; that it was truly one of the best moments of my life. The moms were cheering, the coaches were astounded, and his teamates congratulated him; but MOST importantly, Nicky was satisfied. He was proud, he was confident, he was victorious. What a moment! What a day! Life is good!

Till next time...

Queen of EVERYTHING

A Friend in Need

2009-10-07T21:16:00.006-07:00

Up until 2 hours ago I had very different plans for tonight's post. Basically it was going to be a grammar lesson of sorts, or a tirade about grammar is probably more like it; but then I got this email from my friend Cheryl and suddenly grammar didn't seem quite so important (at least for tonight.)

The email was titled "If I Get 10 Donations by Friday Night, I'll Run/Walk 10 Miles in a Pink Wig!" And read: So I already know I am crazy training for a Marathon to try and cure blood cancers, but just to prove it to all my friends and family, if I can get 10 donations by Friday night I will wear a pink wig while I do my 10 mile training run. Pink is in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month and all of the women I’ve loved who have been taken by or have beaten this disease. Many of the advancements by Leukemia and Lymphoma Society funded researches benefit all types of cancers, including Breast Cancer. Just go to this http://pages.teamintraining.org/sfl/wdw10/cbakos link to make an online donation. You can also read about why I am on a Quest to Cure Blood Cancers, like the one that took my father from us over 10 years ago.

I’ve already gotten 1 donation since I sent this challenge out via Facebook. Will you be # 2, #5 or maybe lucky #10 (or #15?) I promise to post pictures on Facebook and email if you help me reach this goal. Some people have asked ‘is there a minimum donation?’No, I know you will give what you can (but do keep in mind that I will be trekking 10 miles in 90 degree weather in a synthetic pink wig.)

With love and Heartfelt Thanks
Cheryl

I'm running a marathon to find a cure for Blood Cancers
I know I can do it, because I know why I do it!
http://pages.teamintraining.org/sfl/wdw10/cbakos

Well, I read that and I felt compelled to help her. September, someday between the 10th and 12th (I have blocked the day out of my memory) marked the 23rd anniversary of my Mom's passing and I could not in good faith refuse the opportunity to assist Cheryl in her fight to raise money; ESPECIALLY when she had offered to wear the pink wig to honor breast cancer awareness month. I immediately used the link and made a $25 donation and then because I wished that my donation could have been more, I forwarded Cheryl's email to my friends,with the following note from me:

Hi ALL;
The below email comes from my friend Cheryl; who I grew up with. Please take a moment to read her email and if possible make a donation to support her efforts. I know that our wallets are all a little lighter these days; but if you donate anything at all you will receive a receipt to use for your taxes including a tax ID #.
I believe that one of the women Cheryl is trying to honor is my mom, Lee Howell who passed away in 1986 after a terrible battle with Cancer and in her memory I would truly appreciate any donation that you could give to support Cheryl’s efforts.

Be Well!!

MUCH Love,
Paige

Within a few minutes I received 2 emails from Cheryl; and as she has given me her permission; I am going to share our correspondence with you because I think it is more powerful than any story I could tell:

Dear Paige
I cannot being to thank you enough for helping my efforts as I work towards raising money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). It’s overwhelming (in a good way) to know that the people that have meant so much to me at different times in my life have reached out to support me now. I love the thought of honoring your mom as well as my dad. I remember so many fun times at your house, having tea parties and drinking Constant Comet. Your mom always made me feel so at home. I know how hard it must be without her sharing in your life now. I will always miss my father... but it's been nice to ‘spend a little time with him’ every Saturday morning, as I work towards erasing the very disease that took him from us. I know that once again he'll be there with me on race day, and I am so happy that together we can honor his memory in this way.

Please let me know if you want me to wear your mom’s name on my shirt when I complete the Marathon in January.

Hope you and the family are doing great. How wonderful that Facebook has put us back in each other’s lives.

With love,
Cheryl

PS: I will keep you posted about whether I hit 10 donations and wore the Pink Wig to training. You were the third donation, but I have a lot of faith that you won’t be last.

And then Cheryl sent another note in regard to me passing on her email:

This gives me perma-grin and tears me up. So very special of you Paige. Your mom will help me get through those 26.2 miles on January 10th. I will definitely keep you posted on my progress and get ready to see me in my pink wig soon.

To which I responded:

Hi Cheryl,
It would be my fondest wish to do the 3 day in honor of my mom one day, and so I figure until I can make that happen I will do everything I can to support you and your efforts to eradicate this cruel disease. I hope my email can bring you even one donation that you wouldn’t have had. If anyone donates PLEASE let me know, so that I too can thank them.
Thank god for the power of Facebook, for friendship and memories.
Xoxox
Paige

And then 3 more emails followed; one from my brother who also made a donation in honor of our beloved mother, one from my EXTRAORDINARY, friend Dawn who plans to make a donation and the last of the night from Cheryl, which said "Thank you – this means the world to me! Heading off to bed. Assured to have wonderful dreams now."

What more can I say? Silly question coming from me. But I guess I could quote my brother who just wrote to me and said "feels good to donate!" And you know what... He's RIGHT!! This donation has made me feel useful in a completely different way. I feel like I am contributing in hopes that others will not have to suffer the way that my beautiful mother did, or the way that my brother and I did or the way that Cheryl's dad or her family did AND since you too are my friends, I am asking for your help as well. After all, if THIS isn't about THE GREATER GOOD; what is?

I meant what I said in my email to my friends; ANY AMOUNT will due; so please help Cheryl to make this run / walk her most memorable and profitable yet. Your contribution would mean the world to us.

Till next time...

Queen of EVERYTHING

You Know You Have A Problem When...#7

2009-09-30T20:48:00.009-07:00

You Know You Have A Problem When you cut through a can with a "Forever Sharp Knife;" just so you can have black olives in your taco salad.

We don't use a lot of canned goods in our home; which I suppose is why we've never owned an electric can opener and always opted for the hand held kind. Now though we don't typically open a lot of cans; I distinctly remember that my hand held one had been giving me trouble for a while and that I needed to request Luis' assistance on more than one can opening occasion. Well, upon returning from our last camping trip, Luis deemed it necessary to throw away the can opener; so on my next trip to Walmart, I bought a new one. I perused the can openers (probably longer than most people would have ~ because I am the Queen of INDECISIVENESS) and I finally decided on a sturdy looking can opener that cost all of $1.97

Luis just happened to be home for my inaugural use of the can opener and I bragged "Look how great this can opener works. Who needs a $10 can opener?" I then proceeded to open a few more cans (because I was making pasta sauce) and with my inimitable Paige luck; the can opener ceased working. It was BROKEN. Well, now I know what you get for $1.97

I have yet to replace the can opener and apparently that slipped my mind, when I wanted to open a can of black olives for my taco salad the other night. Oh yes, I guess I could have gone without them; but what's a taco salad without some black olives? "Think Paige, think;" ~ and I did... Suddenly it came to me ~ "The Forever Sharp Knife."

A couple of months ago the kids and I were in Sam's Club and to make a long story short (yes, I will;) we saw a very impressive demonstration of the "Forever Sharp Knife." I had no intention of buying the knives but my kids were SOLD by the presentation, the price was super and the knives appeared to be awesome ~ so purchase them we did. The knives have been fine. Nothing extraordinary about them thus far; UNTIL I got the idea to cut THROUGH THE CAN with the knife. I remembered that the demonstrator had showed us how the knife could cut a hammer ~ so why not an olive can, I thought. I got out my "Forever Sharp Knife" and cautiously started

cutting THROUGH the can and within 5 minutes I had the can cut open. OH MY GOD!! I was SO HAPPY that I almost jumped for joy. And so now you're thinking "Wow, she must REALLY love olives;" but that's not it. I mean yes, certainly, I LOVE olives; but my delight came more from my sense of accomplishment AND the realization that I had proficiently completed this task without amputating one of my fingers in the process.

Oh those olives tasted divine in my salad, and I enjoyed every one of them; but I will promptly be purchasing a new electric can opener during my next vist to Walmart.

Till next time...

Queen of EVERYTHING

What a MAN!

2009-09-28T16:44:00.042-07:00

The news of Patrick Swayze's passing was sad, but if I'm being honest; I didn't really give it much thought until I watched the tribute to him on "Dancing With The Stars" last week. Although it wasn't quite the same as watching the original; I thought the dancers did a very good job on the recreation and I will admit that I was moved to tears.

It really doesn't matter how many times I've seen the "Time of My Life" routine or who's dancing it; my reaction is always the same ~ I just love it! I love the song, I love the dance, and I LOVE the movie.

I was a junior in college when "Dirty Dancing" premiered and I couldn't wait to get to the theater. I so related to what this movie was about: a setting just like The Pines, a guest / staff romance, AND dancing. It seemed like this movie was made for me. I fell in love with "Dirty Dancing" and the character of Johnny Castle upon first viewing. No, it wasn't that I had a crush on Patrick Swayze but THE MAN that he was portraying. Yes, Johnny was such A MAN to the girl that baby was and I think he made all of us girls want A MAN. (A man as in a mature being ~ no offense ladies.)
I remember how hopeful I felt watching the love story of Baby and Johnny. How I cried when I watched the scenes between Baby and her father, because my father was gone; and I truly remember feeling that I was ready to have a MAN in my life as opposed to the boys that I'd been spending time with. And all of these feelings drove me back to the theater to see it, again and again and again. I bought the soundtrack upon its release, the video and the DVD and yet, every time I come across it on TV, it's one of those movies that I can't pass up; even though I could just as easily take it out of its box and watch it commercial free. Oh who amongst us didn't want to crawl across the floor with Johnny to "You're the one," didn't want to dance with Johnny in his room while it poured, or have him for their very own? As a young woman I found watching their relationship exciting and compelling and I wanted one just like it; dancing and all. Oh I could list hundreds of reasons (and you know I could; ) why I loved / love "Dirty Dancing" so much, but I think that one of the most profound reasons is because it was actually the first romantic movie that I had seen where it wasn't just the man rescuing the woman. Yes, Johnny did rescue Baby, (from the corner) but she rescued him too. She showed him that his life could be different from what it had been and that he could choose to have whatever type of life he wanted; and then he even told her (and everyone else) that she had done this for him; which in my opinion made him even more of a MAN.

Not only did Patrick Swayze play a good MAN; he was also capable of playing a very good woman. For those of you who never saw "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar;" I highly recommend it; if you are looking for a feel good, B rate movie that will give you a tickle; (and I am the Queen of B RATE MOVIES after all.) Patrick Swayze, Wesley Snipes and John Leguizamo in drag; need I say more? Probably not, but you know I will... Patrick Swayze's character, Vida Boehme was not just a man dressing up as a woman but a man trying to live his life as a GOOD woman. And I must say that he was a lot more graceful in body and spirit than a lot of the "real women" that we encounter in our day to day lives. Vida Boehme was the embodiment of what she believed a real woman should be: feminine, thoughtful, kind, well mannered, respectful and strong. She was poetry in motion; and we have Patrick Swayze to thank for that example.

During his life, Patrick Swayze may not have won an Oscar but he did win our hearts; and I'm sure that he will not be forgotten. I hope that Patrick Swayze had the time of his life and that he rests in peace.

Till next time...
Queen of EVERYTHING

Good Stuff

2009-09-21T11:12:00.015-07:00

It's a BEAUTIFUL day in Arizona. It's still quite

warm but not excruciating and you can tell that Fall is on its way. Luis is at work, I dropped Lyndzi at a birthday party and since we're in the vicinity of Wet n Wild, I've brought Nicky and Kelsie over to the water park for an hour and a half while we wait for Lyndzi;(ahh the benefit of season passes.) Not feeling like putting on a swim suit myself, I put on my Queen of TIME MANAGEMENT hat instead because I thought I could use the time to write (excuses ~ BE GONE) and so here I sit, writing away, enjoying the slight breeze, and conjuring up another Bumpy Ride as I move from water slide to water slide with the kids.

Last fall I shared some of my favorite finds of the year in the post "Reasons to be Grateful (and a smokin travel discount opportunity.)" The post was very well received, and so in the interest of (say it with me) "The GREATER good," I have a few new finds / ideas to share.

1. Cinnamon Pecan Special K - I discovered this find a few months ago (when I first thought about writing this post - ahh time;) and I tell ya, I'm IN LOVE with this cereal. For some reason I keep referring to it Cinnamon Pecan Circle K; but nonetheless it's DELISH.

I actually think that I could go on the Special K diet eating this perfect combination of cinnamon, pecans and crunchy rice and wheat flakes. Even if you're not a Special K fan, give this one a try; it's a yummy way to start your day and even makes a super snack.

2. Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos - Now I know what you're thinking; how in the world do I expect to lose weight if I'm eating Doritos? And the answer is "EVERYTHING in moderation." Just because I tell you that I enjoy the Asian inspired, sweet and spicy chip, does not mean that I eat an entire bag in one sitting. Yet, I can attest that a couple with lunch from time to time makes lunch divine. Now you know that I am not usually someone who likes spicy food, but the particular spice of these chips is really different and uniquely pleasant; so when you're in the mood for something different with your sandwich give these delectable Doritos a try and let me know what you think.

3. Wendy's Iced Coffee - Yes, ANOTHER food item; and for this one I refer to my "100 Random Things" post ...#34 - I love iced coffee and even drink it when it's cold. So with that said; on Wednesday I was going to work at soccer registration and I was picking up a quick dinner for my kids but none for me, in the hopes that registration would be too busy to allow me the time to eat. I had planned to have a salad when I was done and so I thought I would just get something to drink for the meantime. I wasn't in the mood for a diet soda or an iced tea and I wanted something more than the bottled water that I'd brought, so I gave Wendy's iced coffee a try and it blew me away. The strong coffee flavor was far superior to McDonald's and I savored EVERY sip. So, if you are an iced coffee fan, I highly recommend this drink. I always order mine light on the syrup because I don't care for drinks that are too sweet. A large drink has 6 pumps of Vanilla, Mocha or Hazelnut syrup and I think 4 is plenty - if ordering a medium, modify accordingly and ENJOY!

And for a bonus plug for Wendy's I'll tell you that if you are stopping by at breakfast time, their biscuits ALSO top Mickey D's. They are BIGGER, less greasy, and taste more like homemade, so ultimately you are getting a lot more bang for your buck by purchasing THEIR biscuit breakfast sandwich. And no, I do not now nor have I ever had a relative who has worked at Wendy's ~ I just like to pass along good info about good stuff, when I find it.

Ok, so if you know me, or have ever read "The Bumpy Ride" before, you know that a close second to my love for food is my love for a GREAT DEAL. So # 4 is more of a tip and it is certainly not meant to insult your intelligence any ~ I'm just passing along an idea in case you haven't already done this yourself; because in the face of this disastrous economy I think EVERYONE deserves to save a little money. So # 4 will be called "The Disconnection threat." In the interest of saving some money any way I can, I was considering switching from my current cable/Internet/phone company to another service. I did some investigating and then I called my current cable etc. provider and to make a long story short, (oh yes I WILL;)

I ultimately got a great discount on my exact same service, by threatening to disconnect my service. Now not only did I get a discount for the upcoming 6 months, but I was told that as that time was coming to an end that I should call back and tell them that I wanted to continue at that rate and I would be able to do so. Imagine that!! So my neighbor is most likely getting the exact same service as me, for several dollars more all because I threatened to discontinue my service - OK works for me. I mean don't get me wrong, I think it's pathetic that it has to be done this way but nonetheless I am thankful for my savings so I thought I would pass along the tip; especially because I just had a very similar experience with my cell phone provider and Yup, I threatened to disconnect and I am now saving well over a hundred dollars on my new phone. SO, if you would like to save some money, I would suggest taking a few minutes and making a call. You don't have to be nasty, remember you get more flies with honey; you just have to tell them that you are going to disconnect, and believe me they won't ever say OK.

Lastly, I would like to share my newest, favorite TV show. Rachel K had mentioned Top Chef to me a number of times, but guess

what; I could never find the TIME to watch it. Well, the kids and I dvr'd the Top Chef Masters marathon and we enjoyed it no end. We may be some of the last people to have caught on to this great show, but just in case a few of you haven't seen it either; I want to recommend taking the time to check out "Top Chef." In our opinion, Top Chef kicks Iron Chef's butt because the challenges are a lot more specific and they are always different. I could go on and on (and you know I could;) and tell you more about why I enjoy this show but let's just suffice it to say, if you fancy the Food Network, Food Challenges, or just shows about Food in general, I think you will really eat up Top Chef on BRAVO, Wednesday nights.

So there you have it; just a couple little tidbits to make life a tad more enjoyable. Like I said in the beginning of this post; Fall is on its way and though that is the time that we usually remember what we have to be grateful for; I say be grateful for life's little delights as you find them. Don't reserve your time for being grateful to Autumn only and in the interest of (say it with me) "The GREATER good" share your finds with your friends ~ I'm always so thrilled when mine share with me. I am grateful to Michelle K for her Dr. Pepper rib recipe as well as her BBQ chicken legs in a bag. I am thankful that I have hardworking friends who inspire me by their success and compel me to pursue my dreams. I am grateful that I still have a job, although I now get paid less to do it. I am thankful for my wonderful children who love me and make me SO proud on a daily basis. I am grateful for my husband who nurtures and loves me more than I usually deserve. I am thankful that soccer season is upon us because I am a total soccer mom and I love to watch my kids play and laugh, not to mention that I thoroughly adore the camaraderie of our league (Yay, USA Soccer!) I am grateful for new friends and new readers, I am thankful for old friends and dedicated readers. I am grateful that Luke proved to the world that "More to Love" actually was worth watching and I am so pleased that he thought not only with his heart but with his head and made the best TV love connection that I have seen in a very long time. And lastly (for now,) I am grateful that all of my favorite TV shows will be back on the air within a matter of weeks so that I will have hours of viewing pleasure and hopefully, some observational humor to share.

Till next time...

Queen of EVERYTHING

To Camp or Not To Camp...

2009-09-15T10:24:00.016-07:00

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

Shame on FOX

2009-08-14T23:23:00.008-07:00

Although I LOVE to write, I find that when I haven’t done so for a while I get the same feeling as when I’ve been away from the gym. The longer I wait the easier it gets to stay away and I can always find reasons not to go back; BUT this week I went back to the gym and I’m coming back to “The Bumpy Ride too.” Now as usual I gave A LOT of thought to what I was going to write about. I thought about explaining my absence, or about my kids going back to school and I came to the conclusion that I had 2 choices ~ I could write something nice and sweet and play it safe or I could speak my mind and call it like I see it. Well, get ready riders, cause I’m writing this post with guns a blazin….

I had more than just my 42nd birthday to look forward to on July 28th ~ I was taking a trip to Sedona with Jackie, Susie and my kids, I was having dinner at Carraba’s, Luis bought me a delicious Tiramisu cake AND FOX was premiering their new show “More to Love.” I was SO excited about the prospect of a show that featured average and plus sized women as I thought it was an opportunity for FOX to show the world that average and plus size women were THE RULE these days and NOT THE EXCEPTION; but I must say; ”Boo FOX, Boo!” How dare you give such a degrading title to a show whose subject matter could have been ground breaking? “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette” make no references to the size of the contestants and I don’t understand why Fox felt the need to. I wonder if FOX thought that the fact that these were supposed to be average and plus size women would allude the audience during previews, without the assistance of the telltale name. “Boo FOX, Boo!” Why must the ladies weights be displayed along with their personal information? If this is supposed to be a show that’s giving average and plus size women a chance at love, why does FOX feel the need to deliberately call more attention to their weight by posting them? Why should it matter? I feel like FOX wants us to believe that being average or plus size is a handicap; but I can tell you that I presently weigh more than most of these contestants and my husband still thinks that I am beautiful. Although I was thinner when we met, I was in no way a tiny thing and even at my lowest adult weight I still could have qualified (weight wise) for this show; and yet, I was never lacking for male attention or someone to date; but apparently a truth like that is a little to REAL for this reality show.
“Boo FOX, Boo!” How are 20 average and plus size women competing for the love of ONE man any more pathetic than 20 size 2’s doing so on “The Bachelor;” and why is this the picture that FOX wants to paint?

I say “SHAME ON YOU FOX” for allowing your casting department to choose women who have never had dates before (which they attribute to their weight,) and women who always thought that their boyfriends thought they were ugly (because of their size.) These are women who need counseling, not women who are ready to be looking for a husband on TV. Really, in this day and age you want us to believe that a 21 year old girl who has never had a date before would be ready to get married to this guy that she competed for on TV; REALLY? In my opinion there was only one average to plus size woman of merit cast; and ironically she didn’t make it past the 2nd cut. Why did they choose all the forlorn, basket cases when I am sure that there were / are so many more average and plus size girls out there who would have represented us in such a more positive way. Average and plus size women who would have shown that we may be bigger but we can also be better. Women who would have made it clear that there is nothing strange about us compared to smaller women; but that’s not what they’ve chosen to do. Instead “More to Love” will have people believing that all the average and plus size girls out there either believe they are unlovable because of their size, have little confidence, or are desperate and I am here to tell ya; this just ain’t so. Like me, most of my friends are average or plus size women and they are positive, beautiful, funny, successful and committed; either to a relationship or to themselves (by giving themselves the lives they deserve.)
Oh shame on you FOX! I think Paula Abdul said it best “Take 2 steps forward; take 2 steps back.” This show had the potential to change the way America viewed average and plus sized women on TV and they have blown it, in my opinion. FOX has done us such a disservice and has turned what could have been a milestone into a mockery.
Now, on a positive note; I am happy to say that I think Luke (the fella) is adorable and I am so thrilled to hear him talk about how and why he likes bigger women; I just wish that they had found him some that he didn’t have to therapize. I mean c’mon, it’s not healthy to start off any relationship by airing all of your dirty laundry; but that is exactly what’s been going on here. I don’t think that Luke needs to hear all of their horrific or non-existent dating histories. I don’t think that Luke should have to try to convince them that they are lovable and worthy of his love. They need to see a Doctor for that. No, any woman who needs to be validated by a man is not a woman who is going to be in a partnership with a man. I think they should have found women who already knew that they were deserving of love just like everyone else and regardless s of their weight. Women who weren’t going to let their size be a crutch or get in their way. Women who could offer Luke a healthy, mutually beneficial relationship; but they haven’t.

So, will I continue to watch the show? Yes I will, because I am just too into this B rate, sappy type of stuff ~ but I am thoroughly disappointed about FOX’s missed opportunity; Oh, what could have been. Boo Fox, Boo! You should have taken the high road.
Till next time…
Queen of EVERYTHING

The Tale of the Dog ...

2009-07-13T23:23:00.018-07:00

When last we left off in the tale of the dog; we had just brought our Chihuahua, Hershey home from Mexico. We were all getting used to having a puppy and loving every minute of it. Fast forward, seven months later and we are STILL loving every minute of it. We are all enamored with Hershey, and she seems to have this effect on all who meet her. No, Hershey is not like most Chihuahua's ~ she loves to snuggle and play. She is very endearing, and affectionate, until she's not. You see Hershey is a monogamous dog, at least "in the moment;" which is to say that if someone is loving on her and someone else comes along and tries to pet her or get her attention, she responds quite adversely. It starts with a low gurgle of displeasure and it then can build up to all out snapping. Now although she has not hurt anyone thus far and we have all learned how to tame this beast; we have a bit of a conflict because although Hersh enjoys momentary monogamy, my kids are more of the orgy type; which is to say that just as soon as someone sees Hershey enjoying the company of someone else; they think it looks good and they HAVE to get in on the act. Of course Hershey would prefer to love the one she's with, so a conflict ensues; and I probably don't have to tell you who her biggest opponent is ~ that's right, it's Kelsie or as she'd be known if she was Native American "Hated by dogs." I had actually thought that Kelsie and Hershey just had a love / hate relationship but then today Kels tried to befriend Tina's dog Max, in her typical dog tormenting fashion and I heard that same displeased gurgling sound rising up from Max and so I've come to believe that my girl just might not be a dog's best friend. Now don't get me wrong; Kelsie isn't what I would call mean to Hershey (because I wouldn't stand for it, ) it's just that they are so much alike they tend to butt heads. Both require a lot of love and attention (and it's my pleasure to give it to both of them.) Both are strong willed, both can be mischievous, both like to have what they want when they want it, both like to bark and whine and both can nag like there is no tomorrow (oops, nope that's just Kelsie.)

Now, although Hershey gets very frustrated with Kelsie, they both love each other regardless. (This picture is the perfect example of the Kelsie / Hershey dynamic. Kelsie was so happy to be taking a picture with her puppy, and Hershey is devilishly biting on her.) Regardless of how Kelsie can annoy Hersh, there have been many times when Kelsie has fallen asleep downstairs, and Hershey has laid down right on top of her or right next to her, as if to protect her. I know that Hershey loves Kelsie; she just seems to like her better when she is sleeping.

Oh to love a dog the way that we all love Hershey is not anything that I expected. When we took Hershey for her Rabies shot,our Vet had asked about getting her spayed. Up until that point we honestly hadn't thought about it, although Michelle K did express an interest in having one of Hershey's puppies if ever she was to have any. The Vet explained that if we were going to breed Chihuahuas, we would need to have a couple thousand dollars saved in the bank as often times Chihuahua's require emergency C-sections. I asked why and the Vet explained that because their heads are so big, they often have a hard time with the delivery; and even though I am pretty sure that most Chihuahuas in Mexico were not born via C-section; we decided to have her spayed because we didn't want to risk her life.

We took Hershey to the Spay clinic at our Vet's office but it was a very emotional experience. No matter how many times I explained the procedure to Lyndzi, she couldn't help but be upset. Based on what I had heard form other dog owners I had told the kids that Hershey might have a little space collar on to keep from biting her stitches, and even though I offered to show them a picture on the Internet, Lyndzi declined, but proceeded to get hysterical. She actually said, in between sobs "I don't want her to live like this!" I explained that Hershey was not sick and she was going to be just fine, but Lyndzi asked if she could stay home in the morning as she didn't feel that she could leave Hershey at the Vet's office. I agreed; and took Kelsie with me. Kelsie was wonderful ~she held Hershey in the car and gave her a pep talk and then when we got home, she reassured Lyndzi that Hershey was going to be just fine.

Time passed very slowly on Spay day as we awaited the Vet's call; but once we got it, we were all overjoyed to hear that Hershey was doing well. The kids could not wait to bring her home, and so I rearranged my schedule so that I could go and get her. When we walked in to the Vet's office, one of the Vet's assistants was telling us how adorable she thought Hershey was, but no sooner were the words out of her mouth, another assistant came out and said "I'm going to let you get her because she is growling at me." I picked up my little angel and we brought her home. She was doing well, but had an accident and peed on the couch. The kids kept telling her "that's OK Hershey, it was an accident, we know it was an accident;" and I'm sure she found it very reassuring in a Charlie Brown teacher's voice kinda way, but I think they were more so trying to reassure themselves because they thought that Luis would get rid of her if he knew that she had peed on the couch. Well I'm on their team so they needn't have worried about my reaction. I peeled the slip covers off of the pillows and threw them in the wash, and just in the nick of time, I zipped up the last pillow as Luis walked through the door. I mean I was like Tom Cruise in "Risky Business" when he finished placing his mom's Faberge egg on the mantle JUST as his parents walked in the door. I took a deep breath and let out a sigh of relief, and then asked Luis if he could pump up our Aerobed because we all wanted to sleep downstairs with Hershey in case she wasn't feeling well; since we knew he wouldn't let her sleep with any of us. We ALL slept downstairs for a week and Hershey made a lovely recovery just in time to go camping.

Hershey enjoyed the camping trip (from what I could tell) and she has been such a good traveler that we just assumed we would be bringing her on our next vacation with us. We changed our plans so many times that we never thought that we would be taking a trip that she wouldn't be able to join us on; but alas that is what happened. We were supposed to meet my friend Susie in Vegas, and since Paris Hilton and other pet toting celebs seem to take their pooches everywhere, it never dawned on me that the MGM Grand might not allow pets; however, they do not. Perhaps one day when I am "Observational Humorist ~ Paige Ramos" rather than "just your average girl next door," but for now, NO DOGS ALLOWED. We revamped our trip and changed Susie's flight, however, we could not plan a cost effective trip that included Hershey, so I needed to make pup care arrangements. Now, asking for a favor does not come easy to me, even though I would give a friend the shirt off my back. I did bite the bullet and ask a couple of friends but for various reasons no one could take care of her. I called the Pet Smart hotel to see how much they would charge and although I didn't think the $27 a day was bad I didn't think that walking her twice a day would be enough; so I made arrangements with my babysitter who agreed to come over four times a day to let her out, feed her and play with her. I was concerned about the time that she would spend by herself; and so when our friends Russell and Shelly came over the other night and Russell was snuggling with Hersh, I asked if he would be willing to come check on her while we're gone and then he magnanimously offered to watch her the whole 4 days. Whew - what a relief. I let my babysitter know that we had made other arrangements for Hershey; just because we thought she would do better with more attention and she was clearly disappointed and I don't think it was just because of the $100 I was going to pay her. I then worried if we were doing the right thing. I mean I liked the idea of Hershey being in her own home, I just thought that she would be lonely; and I liked the idea of Hershey having company and being well cared for at Russell and Shelly's I just worried that she would think that they were her new family and that we gave her away. Both Michelle K and Rachel have assured me that staying with Russell and Shelly will be the best thing for her. Rachel suggested that I put one of my shirts in her kennel so that she can smell me while we're gone and I think this is an excellent suggestion; so I will make sure to bring over a shirt, along with my picture which I would like them to show her several times a day - LOL (just kidding ~ OK maybe I'm not.)

I honestly don't know how we are going to survive this vacation without her considering how poorly we did while she was at the Vet's but maybe that was because we knew she was having surgery. It's funny how a little animal can change your life. We all love her more than we ever thought possible; especially Nicky who never even thought he wanted a dog. I guess the universe really does give you what you need.

Till next time...

Queen of EVERYTHING

You Know You Have A Problem When...#6

2009-07-01T17:20:00.008-07:00

You Know You Have A Problem When you feel the need to conference call the latest restaurant that you're going to boycott, to inform them that you're going to be boycotting them. ( Need I say more? But you know I will...)

It was two weeks ago that I was feeling a bit like Mommie Dearest where Nicky was concerned. On Monday I took him to the Orthodontist to have his bottom spacer put in and it was not quite what we were expecting. He's had the top spacer for almost a year now, and it's a small piece of plastic (like a MINI retainer) that is affixed to the roof of his mouth and attached by thin wires to two bands on his top, back teeth. I had expected the bottom spacer to be similar, having the plastic sit flush up against the back of his teeth, but this was not the case. Instead, there was no plastic, only a thicker wire, (somewhat like a fat paper clip) in the shape of a U (for lack of a better description) and it backs up to but does not touch his teeth. It just looks like a metal barrier and suffice it to say, I wouldn't want it in my mouth. Nicky was none too happy about it and I apologized profusely but in the long run there was nothing that could be done to make it better; so instead, I made it worse. Nicky's Orthodontic plan for the summer not only included the spacer implementation but also the removal of two permanent teeth and as I had no idea that the spacer would be so unpleasant, I had scheduled his Dentist appointment for Wednesday, FOLLOWING the well checks that I had scheduled at the Pediatrician's for all 3 kids. Thankfully none of the kids needed any vaccinations; so Nicky got a temporary reprieve, but the extractions were unavoidable and my guilt was IMMENSE.

Nicky came through with flying colors and although he was experiencing some discomfort, he did not complain and took it all in stride. Nicky had been given Nitrous Oxide prior to the Novocaine and when I asked him if he had felt the shot, he said "it was just a little pinch." The next day I had an appointment to get a small filling and though I went through my typical anxiety over making a trip to the Dentist; I kept telling myself that I would be brave like Nicky and follow his example, though it may have been a little easier for me if I had Nitrous too. Nonetheless I will admit it was a quick and painless procedure and I think I did Nicky proud.

As all mouths were doing fine, the kids and I went to their swim meet; but we didn't finish until 645pm so I was challenged to find something for dinner that would be both quick and soft, so that Nicky could eat it. I suggested that we get Chinese food from Big Heng because Nicky liked their Lo Mein noodles, no meat, no veggies (which I could order as a side dish) and the girls shared egg rolls and a combo of Terriyaki chicken, and Lo Mein. I didn't order anything for me ( I refer to my list of 100 things #81. Since I try not to eat carbs at dinner, Chinese food has lost it's appeal.)

When I picked up the food I noticed that there were no fortune cookies in the box and since my kids are actually fans of fortune cookies I asked the cashier if I could please have 3. I knew that Nicky wouldn't be able to eat his that night, but I figured with their extensive shelf life he could have it once his mouth had healed. The cashier then informed me that she could only give me two cookies based on what I had ordered. I politely explained that the Lo Mein was for one person and the combo was being shared by two others and the cashier begrudgingly provided me with a third cookie as she was advising me that she would do it this time but her boss would be very upset with her about it. I handed back the third cookie, and told her that she could keep it, but that I wouldn't be coming back. I then proceeded to call Michelle K and say "this is even more shocking than Michael Jackson passing away." I told her the story and then she told me that she had actually ordered food from the same place the night before and that it had been lousy. Then when she took a moment to think about it, she realized that they hadn't been given fortune cookies either, although it didn't bother her at the time. In typical fashion we both agreed to boycott Big Heng; but Michelle really wanted to let them know about it; so we conference called them. I know, I know; WE have a problem; hence the title of this post. Michelle called and asked to speak to the manager which the person who answered the phone claimed to be. Michelle explained that she had ordered $43 worth of food the night before and it wasn't very good AND they weren't given fortune cookies. She then went on to say that her friend had just called and informed her that she had been denied a third fortune cookie with her order. The woman asked what I ordered and I explained. I also informed her that I typically ordered food there once a week and as it so happened I had ordered food twice during this week, but that I would NOT be coming back again. Michelle then asked why the restaurant would give her a free order of Crab Puffs but deny a customer an additional fortune cookie, and that is when we found out about "THE FORTUNE COOKIE POLICY." Yes, you read that right, the "Manager" claimed that I could only have 2 fortune cookies because of the fortune cookie policy, that you receive 2 cookies per entree. The Manager told us that sometimes people received handfuls of cookies and then they didn't eat them, so they installed the fortune cookie policy. I assured her that I wouldn't have asked for the additional cookie if I didn't need it. I asked how I was supposed to get 3 children to share 2 fortune cookies and she told me that she would speak to her boss about changing the policy. I of course told her she could do as she liked, but that I was not going to be coming back, nor was my friend nor whoever else I decided to tell about "The policy." Of course the manager brought up the poor economy, so Michelle suggested that they not give away FREE crab puffs with a $30 order (another unannounced "policy") when cream cheese cost far more than a fortune cookie. I also advised that the effects of losing clientele would be far worse for the restaurants economy than the cost of providing me with one extra cookie. The manager agreed and said that she was going to have a meeting with the boss to discuss the fortune cookie policy. Michelle then asked if it would be an open meeting that we could attend and asked if there was an overcooked Broccoli policy as well. As we laughed like loons, I knew that there was nothing else that needed to be said; and we ended our call.

When I got home the kids immediately asked why there were only 2 fortune cookies and I had to explain to them about the fortune cookie policy. I also explained that we were now going to be boycotting Big Heng and the kids fully understood why (maybe that should be problem # 7 - LOL)

Now do I feel GOOD about the boycott; no not necessarily, but hey it's a matter of principle and I am the Queen of PRINCIPLES. I mean you may read this and think that I am absolutely out of my mind and think that there are far more important things to worry about or focus on, and I don't dispute this; but this "policy" was so ridiculous, and so the type of thing that I encounter all the time, that it just had to be shared because (say it with me) "Who could make this stuff up?"

When Luis called to say he was on his way home, I told him that we were now going to be boycotting Big Heng and he said with a laugh in his voice "Oh I can't wait to hear this one;" and as soon as he walked in the door the kids regaled him with the inane story of the fortune cookie policy. Hmm, Mommie Dearest; maybe not quite but it's going to be an interesting ride for them NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.

Till next time...

Queen of EVERYTHING

Keep On Truckin

2009-06-25T21:26:00.007-07:00

OK, I'll admit it; I have mixed feelings about the death of Michael Jackson. Now don't get me wrong; it is always very sad when someone passes away; ESPECIALLYsomeone who has contributed so much to the world of entertainment the way that he did ~ but if we're being honest with ourselves, didn't the Michael Jackson that THRILLED us, the Michael Jackson that we knew and loved, die a LONG time ago? Back in the day Michael was BRILLIANT. He was unstoppable, and untouchable; but then he started touching people who should have been UNTOUCHABLE and he was never viewed the same (at least by me.)

Oh I loved Michael Jackson just as much as the next person. In fact, the first concert that I ever went to was The Jackson 5 at the Nanuet Theater-go-round. I learned to do the robot, to "Dancing Machine," I rocked with him "off the wall" and to this day I have "Can You Feel it" on my IPOD. I've used "Man in the Mirror" on the "Scrapbooking From The Inside Out" playlist numerous times, and I would definitely consider myself a fan; BUT I can't excuse his pediphilia, just because he's dead; IF he's dead... I don't know, I can't help but get the feeling that his death is going to be treated like Elvis' (where people STILL think he's alive and they see him places;) or like Selena (who although was never rumored to still be alive I still can't REALLY believe she's gone) or of course, Princess Diana. People thought that it was a hoax when Princess Diana died, and finding out about her death was very painful for me because I thought I was responsible. Yes, you read that right...

It was 1997 and I was working in the coffeehouse when I had an idea for a "Seinfeld" episode. I called the episode "Keep On Trucking" because Kramer decided that he was going to revive the expression "Keep on trucking" because he thought that it was a perfectly good expression that never got enough play. And then although I hadn't written it all out, I had it all planned in my head and I shared my idea with just about everyone who came into the coffeehouse. Well, about the same time, I came across a joke that I just fell in love with. I don't remember who first told it to me; but suffice it to say I told it to EVERYONE. I even got up at Open Mic night and told this joke; and it went like this:

Dolly Parton and Princess Diana both died and went to heaven. They were waiting at the pearly gates and St. Peter came out to greet them. St. Peter told them that he only had room to admit one of them and asked them to each tell him a bit about themselves and then he'd decide who could stay. Dolly went first, and said (in her southern drawl of course ~) "Well, I'm Dolly Parton, I'm a country music star, I've written lots of songs, I have a theme park , I have tried to do lots of good for people; and, well, I guess I'm best known for my boobs." St. Peter thanked Dolly and asked Princess Diana to speak (and she did in her lovely English accent~) "I'm Princess Diana, and I was a school teacher before I married Prince Charles. I've done a lot of charity work and I douche every day." St. Peter thanked them both and announced that Princess Diana would be walking through the gates. Well Dolly was astounded and asked St. Peter why and he replied "C'mon Dolly, everyone knows a royal flush beats a pair."

OK, so I was at work at the coffeehouse and Bobbi called and said "Oh my god you're thing came true!" I had NO IDEA what she was talking about for a second, and then it dawned on me; "she must mean my Seinfeld episode." I couldn't figure out how that would have happened, but I asked; "You mean my Seinfeld episode?" And she said "No! Princess Diana is dead." OH MY GOD! You could have knocked me over with a feather. I wanted to run and hide under my bed, because I felt like I had brought this on by telling my joke everywhere; "Princess Diana died, Princess Diana died" OY! The guilt was immeasurable. Now, of course I know that it wasn't really my fault and it was just a freaky occurence because (say it with me) "who could make this stuff up?"

Of course I know that I didn't cause or predict Princess Diana's death; just like the poor reporter on TMZ last week had NO IDEA that MJ would die a week later. Yah, I don't usually watch TMZ but just before "SYTYCD" came on, I caught a bit with a reporter going up to MJ's car. His face / head was all wrapped up and the reporter said "Are you alright Michael" and MJ's reply was unintelligible but the subtitle said "Why wouldn't I be?" I guess that's just life; and these are JUST coincidences.

I am saddened by the loss of the King of Pop, and hopefully the world will remember his legacy but not forget what he became. The loss of his childhood, and his mind were terrible wastes; but I hope that in his afterlife he will find peace and keep on truckin.

Till next time...

Queen of EVERYTHING

A Lil Bit about Arizona

2009-06-21T09:20:00.028-07:00

When it comes to living in Arizona I go through phases. There are times that I can't wait to venture out and try something new and others when I think that we are really lucky to live here. Lately it seems that I have been in "really lucky to live here" mode; and I recognize this because as I'm driving down the street I notably appreciate the most often blue sky as it contrasts with our flourishing landscapes. I relish the picturesque views and the overall friendliness of the local residents. I am thankful for the cost of living and the affordability of my kids chosen activities and when I talk to non-Arizonians I find myself promoting the state and all that it has to offer.

Luis and I moved to Arizona VERY unexpectedly. We had been living in Orlando for about two and a half years and we were finding it extremely difficult to make trips home to Puerto Vallarta since that wasn't a place that people were really travelling to from Florida and we started thinking about moving West. I called my friend Hollie, who had moved to Phoenix at the same time that we had moved to Orlando. Hollie had been attending Thunderbird (Graduate school for Global Management) and as a side project, she and two friends decided to open a coffeehouse. (I refer to my list of 100 things ~ # 82. Hollie Castro is the most ambitious person I know; and I think she is truly awe inspiring.) The year was 1996 and Starbucks hadn't come to town yet; so their business was doing quite well (they were voted Best Coffeehouse & Best Cup of Coffee, by both the "New Times" and "Arizona Republic" shortly after opening) and as upon her graduation in December Hollie was moving to Italy to work for GE and her partner Julie was moving to Houston, this was going to leave her partner Bobbi looking for a manager. I thought that managing a coffeehouse would be a welcome change from being a social worker so Hollie told me to call Bobbi. After speaking to Bobbi for a half hour, I got the job and Luis and I moved to Phoenix, sight unseen.

People always ask if I miss New York and the truth is that I miss my friends ands I miss the food but that's about it. I LOVE food! And though you could probably guess that just by looking at me, I firmly believe that not ALL overweight people LOVE food. Some are just overweight because they eat (whatever) to fill a void, or because they have poor metabolisms, or don't exercise enough, or because they eat the wrong foods; I however, LOVE food. I love to watch Food Network shows of all kinds

(especially $40 a Day.) I like to read restaurant reviews and menus even if I know that it is for a restaurant that I will never go to. When I'm in a hotel, one of the first things that I do is read about the local eateries and whenever Rachel K is going to a new restaurant she always emails me the menu so I can check it out; because we share a love of food.

Now, because I love food, you have to understand that moving from New York to any other state presents a culinary culture shock like no other. Upon the transition from NY to Florida I recognized the absence of the "Mom and Pop"

style restaurants and the non-existence of Diners ( I refer to my list #7 ~I totally miss New York Diners. Seriously, if there is anyone with some restaurant savvy, and you're looking to strike it rich ~ move to Arizona and open a Good, Old Fashioned, everything from Omelets to Crab stuffed flounder diner, and you will make a Gold Mine.) Aahh the Diner; where you could go any time of the day or night and ALWAYS get anything on the menu. The Diner, with its rotating cake cases with slices as big as your head. The Diner, where I first learned to love french fries and brown gravy and first tasted Baklava (that one was for you Judy; who ALWAYS asked EVERY waiter or waitress at WHICHEVER Diner; "How's the Baklava?") The Diner, where I spent countless hours after a school concert, or having a family dinner or an early morning snack after leaving a club. Aahh the Diner - choices were unlimited and yet I always got the same couple of things ~ BUT alas the chain was the thing in Orlando and the home cooked meals from Italian restaurants were no where to be found. The lack of dining diversity in Orlando somewhat prepared me for the gastronomic deficiency that I first encountered in Phoenix; the land of "Erto." Yes, the Phoenix area is overrun by 24 hour Mexican drive thru joints that frequently have a name that end in "erto." We have Filiberto's, Heriberto's, Hilberto's,Humberto's, Poliberto's Roberto's, and Roliberto's, (just to name a few,) and I'm sure there must be a Berto's too. Now Michelle K has been living in Phoenix a lot longer than me and she had informed me that Erto means meat of the cat; but I have developed my own theory. I hadn't had much exposure to Mexican food prior to moving to Phoenix, and YES, I know that I am married to a Mexican man; but his mom's cooking is not the type of fare that be offered in a Mexican restaurant; although it is DELICIOUS! No, growing up in New City, the only encounter that I had with Mexican food was Tacos at Jack In the Box (a few towns over; ) AND that Jack closed down within a few years. No Mexican food was not prevalent in Rockland County in the 70's and 80's and I offer further proof by explaining that in the 8th grade my Spanish teacher actually planned a field trip to the one and only Mexican restaurant in the county. Now I ask you, if Mexican food was commonplace would our class have been taking a field trip there? Probably not; but I digress...
The "Erto's" are not exactly purveyor's of Mexican cuisine; they are sellers of what I have come to call "ASS BURRITO." Yes, you read that right. Now you can decide for yourself what type of ass I am referring to; but basically I dubbed the popular Carne Asada burrito (from ANY of the "Erto's) ass burrito because it is meat that is typically overcooked and void of taste, (in my opinion) and subsequently not only did the Carne Asada burrito come to be know as ass burrito in my house, but now ALL of the "Erto's" are just generically and affectionately referred to as ass burrito; so, ass burrito is now not only a meal, but a place; or several places. "Aahh, the diner;" she said longingly...

Ass burrito is extremely popular in Phoenix and especially with my family. I honestly think that Luis could eat EVERY meal there and my kids would be righ tbehind him because they love the Quesadillas and beans.

A couple of months ago a brand new Filiberto's was getting ready to open in my neighborhood and to say that Luis and Nicky were waiting for the opening with baited breath would not be an understatement; so the day that I drove by and saw the balloons outside, I knew EXACTLY what we were having for dinner. I told my guys that Filiberto's had opened and they literally could not get there quick enough and because I am the Queen of FAIR; I will admit that the ass burrito was actually good. It had flavor and everything. Now does this mean that I'm a fan? Absolutely NOT, but I will give credit where credit is due and I will eat it out of necessity, although I order a shredded beef taco salad without beans and NOT a Carne Asada anything. Well, last week Luis was at work and time had gotten away from me, so I went to the A.B drive thru. I got the food home and discovered that I now had an additional reason to call them ass burrito because although my receipt said "a pint of beans" these payasos (Spanish word for clowns) sent me home with a pint of rice. Now I ask you, what choice did I have? I loaded the kids into the car and went back to A.B. I requested my beans and asked that they remake my order because I didn't want the kids to eat cold Quesadilla; AND I am now boycotting Filiberto's (not like that's such a hardship for me really.)

Now, although my disclaimers usually appear at the beginning of a post, let me say this: There is A LOT of fabulous food in Phoenix despite the excess of the "Erto's" and if you're visiting, even those are worth a try. A lot has changed food wise since we moved her 12 and a half years ago and the choices now abound. I hope to see ya here sometime because it really is a beautiful place to visit, a great place to live and a wonderful place to eat.
Till next time...
Queen of EVERYTHING

Camping - take 3

2009-06-15T21:35:00.016-07:00

Ever since our last camping trip in October, we have been looking forward to going again. Michelle (legally) K and I made reservations all the way back in February for a weekend in June at Pinegrove (19 miles from Flagstaff) and for a weekend in July at Houston - Mesa (North of Payson;) and this past weekend was the Pinegrove trip.

Now I know that there are still many people who are still stunned by the fact that I actually enjoy camping, and this was evidenced on Facebook when on Friday morning I posted my status as "Paige Howell Ramos is going camping...Yes, camping!" and I received the following responses:

- Now c'mon Paige. Let's not be telling stories! Let me guess, camping at a hotel?
- "roughing it" at the Marriott??? ;-)
- I think it means she's bringing a sleeping bag to sleep on the king sized bed! :P
- In a motel?
- You mean a place where there's no bathroom???

Funny friends, but who can blame them; me camping is STILL an idea that I'm not quite used to and yet I LOVE IT.

We were all very excited to be getting out of town and trying our hands at camping again. As is customary, we were running late (so I refer you back to my 100 things about me list - #58 " I HATE being late; though all too often I am.") We were supposed to meet at 10 called to change it to 1030 and then again to 1045 because we had to call in last minute Asthma meds for Nicky, who wasn't feeling well. Thankfully the Kalka's were easy going and very gracious about our delays, EVEN when we FINALLY arrived and announced that Luis had forgot to put ALL of our sweatshirts in the car and needed to return home (20-25 minutes; EACH WAY.) It was absolutely unavoidable as the temperature was expected to be about 39 degrees in the evening, so Mike and Luis went back to my house and me, Michelle, the kids and Hershey hung out outside Carl's Jr. awaiting their return. An hour later we were finally on our way. We stopped for lunch at Camp Verde and I think that we even commented on how smoothly things were going now (or at least I thought it.) Michelle and Luis switched places and Mike and I drove. We made it to BEAUTIFUL Pinegrove around 330 and proceeded to unload and set up. Everything was going well and so Michelle asked me to go with her to get some water. I agreed and she asked me to drive but when I went to look for my purse/keys I couldn't find them and began to panic. We realized that I had left my purse in Camp Verde when we had lunch. Michelle got the number and by the grace of God, they actually had my purse. I suppose that karmically this could be considered pay back for my frequent efforts to promote the greater good .

At 5 , me, Michelle and my girls hightailed it back to Camp Verde with Michelle at the wheel; because she was afraid for me to drive without my license considering the way my luck had been going. We played a few rounds of Six degrees of Kevin bacon to pass the time and then retrieved my purse and its contents, completely intact. I asked Jose (who had held my purse) if someone had turned it in and he told me that he had found it when he was cleaning up. I gave him $10 as a small token of my appreciation and bought some ice cream for my crew as a thank you for their company; and yet again headed back to Pinegrove with Michelle at the wheel.

By the time we got back it was 715 and Luis had our camp all set up and the grill ready to go. I prepared the corn and beans (and by prepared I mean boiled them;) and we sat down to eat sans the Coke Zero that Luis left at home - so that was 3; as Mike pointed out and we were hopeful that nothing else had been forgotten.

We finished dinner and had a wonderful evening. We sat around the fire making Smores with the kids and as is one of our traditions, I suggested that we go around our circle and tell something that we are thankful for (because I do believe that we always have something to be thankful for and should express our thanks every day.) Well I was of course thankful to have gotten my purse back, thakful to be camping with our extended family, and I had to give a GREAT big thank you to Michelle for driving me back and forth to Camp Verde. The others were thankful for family and food and then we got to Max (Michelle and Mike's son;) who said that he was thankful for Bacon and his family (exactly in that order.) We laughed and laughed until it was time for bed.

We got up and made breakfast and then Michelle and I did what any campers would do ~ we went to Walmart. OK, OK course I know that's not what ANY campers would do; but we had a coffee issue and by issue I mean that we were in dire need of coffee as our generator wasn't strong enough to power the coffee maker that we had brought; not to mention I still needed Coke Zero (or some diet, caffeinated beverage) and somehow we were also running low on plates, cups and water (and yes, we had been there less than 24 hours) and I was sure that we had brought more than enough of all 3 of those items, so don't ask me where they all disappeared to.

Michelle and I drove into Flagstaff and went to Walmart. We were scurrying (yes, I said scurrying;) through the store because we didn't want to waste too much time and just as we were grabbing a playground ball I stopped dead in my tracks and said "Oh my god; Michelle look." And standing right there in the Flagstaff Walmart were Darth Vader, Chewbacca, A Storm Trooper, An Imperial Pilot, Darth Maul, and Boba Fett. We couldn't believe our eyes. We had struck the Star Wars mother lode and we knew that Nicky and Max were going to be so disappointed that they had missed it; so we did what any good moms would do and we took pictures with them with our make up free, camping faces. (Hence no picutes are beinbg posted on the Bumpy Ride.) When we got back to camp we said "Guess who we ran into at Walmart?" And after everyone made their guesses we said "No, them; " and showed the pictures.

We thought that we would finally be able to get down to the business of relaxing, but alas it was lunchtime and children and husbands wanted to be fed. After lunch Michelle and I played Scrabble, and because I know that she would want me to tell you this and because she has every right to boast; I will publicly announce my defeat as she beat my butt by about 100 points and she then declined any other invitation to play Scrabble with me because she wanted to revel in her win. She did; however, let me teach her how to play backgammon.

Dinner time rolled around and at 8pm the campground was offering a program called "Bear facts" which Michelle and I got out of going to by pointing out that someone had to clean up the dinner stuff, so the guys opted to take the kids to "bear facts" ~ HALLELUJAH! I mean I don't love camping enough to have sat through a presentation like that; however, when they returned Mike and Luis informed us that in the course of the time that we had been there, we pretty much had done EVERYTHING you could possibly do to ATTRACT a bear. We had poured bacon grease on the ground, we had a barking dog and we had what sounded like our own snoring bear ~ Mike. Once this was explained I just had one thing to say "Nice knowing ya." I was slightly relieved to find out that the closest bear was spotted 2 miles away and that a bear hadn't come into the campground for 30 years - but hey; how lucky could I expect to get in one weekend? I had already gotten my lost purse back; so I thought we were bear bait for sure.

We awoke - THANKFULLY, Sunday morning; had a light breakfast and packed up for home. We were definitely sorry to be leaving the serenity of the pines, but reality called.

It's funny but as relaxing as it is; camping is A LOT of work; and somehow you don't seem to mind and it's all worth it because when you are able to relax and hang out, it is that many more times peaceful and relaxing than anywhere I've ever been.

"I'm hoping that our next trip will leave more time for fun and relaxation and less time for mishaps," said the Queen of MISHAPS. And yet mishaps included, it was still a GREAT trip all around.

Till next time...

Queen of EVERYTHING

Discovering HOPE

2009-05-31T17:43:00.016-07:00

Although I am NOT the Queen of Self Confidence, there are a few things that I believe that I was born to do ~ be a mother, be a writer, and a contributor to the betterment of this world; and I can honestly say that I do believe that I am currently doing all 3 and I will continue on this path for as long as I draw breath. To be a mother was my hearts desire, there was no way that I was going to miss the opportunity to share my life with children, and all that entails. I believe that it is my calling to be a writer; to communicate and share ideas both for the purpose of entertaining and for being socially responsible; which lends itself as well to contributing to the betterment of this world; and I don't mean that arrogantly; I mean that EVERYONE should do their part from picking up garbage in the street, to showing compassion for man and animal kind etc. Now all 3 of these things require a certain amount of courage; and a certain amount of courage is about all I've got; but yet I am putting myself out there.

It is intimidating to say the least to actually share your thoughts and feelings and risk criticism and disapproval; but when I receive your thanks and your praise; it is the SWEETEST reward; so PLEASE keep those cards and letters coming; and by cards and letters I mean comments on "TBR" on Facebook and your emails. I am on a literal high from the outpouring of encouragement and support that I've received over my last post and it only fuels my fire to write, write, write; so I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

May's theme for the "Scrapbooking From The Inside Out" kit club was Hope. Now although the kit was delightful, I have currently made zero lay outs with it due to an extraordinary lack of time. Nonetheless I have come to realize that if you don't have HOPE ; you don't have anything and that ALL THINGS are possible if you have HOPE. I have also discovered that hope can be contagious and it is something that people love to be inspired to feel. Now, I don't necessarily write my posts to share constant sweetness and light; and I've told you before that Mary Sunshine I am NOT; but when I feel things, I feel them strongly and therefore I can be extremely positive or a caustic biotch and that's just how I roll. It seems that the people that I'm hearing from love to read about accentuating the positive and pursuing your dreams and if that makes you happy; then I am more than ready to take this journey with you.

When I was growing up, Paige was NOT a popular name; in fact I was teased mercilessly throughout elementary school and junior high. Of course I'm sure that it didn't help my cause when one day (in I can't remember what grade,) someone asked where my parents had gotten my name from and I replied "in a book." OK, well of course I meant a book of baby names, but it was TOO late; the damage was already done and would linger for many years to come. (Now of course I can't go into a play place or store without hearing 10 moms calling out "Paige, Paige;" Oh if only those Paige's knew how easy they had it... They're the new Stacey's and Brittany's.) Interestingly enough; my ENTIRE life, if someone called me by the wrong name; they ALWAYS called me "Hope." I always thought that it might have had something to do with the fact that both Paige and Hope were old English names; but now I'm starting to think that there may be something more to it. Maybe people were seeing something what I've been waiting to discover. I have mentioned before that writing a book at this point in time seems a bit too far out of my reach and part of this belief stemmed from the fact that I am my character. I write about ME and I believe that I need to find a way to develop a fictional character who has my traits; and thus today "Hope" has been born and I couldn't be more thrilled. I have often wondered if there was any rhyme or reason as to how authors decide what to name their characters but for me this is an obvious choice for I AM HOPE. And so this is another step in my journey and I feel so blessed that you are coming along this Bumpy Ride with me.

Till next time...

Queen of EVERYTHING

Not Quite The Bluebird of Happiness

2009-05-26T21:05:00.006-07:00

My phone rang at 1AM on Monday morning, or Sunday night; however, you want to look it at. It was a man from an accounting department in a hotel in Saudi, Arabia and I believe that after repeating myself 3 times, I conveyed the message that it was 1AM, I was sleeping, the next day was a legal holiday so please call me back on what would be Tuesday here at 430AM. Now although I was looking forward to the tad of flexibility that the summer might afford my schedule, I knew that I needed to get up at 415 so that I could be ready and on my computer in case he called back. Which by the way, he did not; he sent an email.

Anyway, I took Hershey outside around 500AM and 45 minutes or so later she seemed interested in going again, so I opened the door, let her out and although I NEVER do this; I left the door ajar so that she could come back in at her leisure.

I went back to my desk and continued working until I heard her barking inside the house. I didn't think much of it, until I heard what sounded like a very distinct whistle; which startled me. I slowly got up to go see what it was; and when I went in the playroom I noticed that a medium sized bird was sitting on the top of my banister. OK, so I did what any normal woman would do (I think) I SCREAMED which naturally woke all 3 kids up and caused the bird to go flying into my picture window that doesn't open. The bird resumed its perch and although I opened the door for it to fly out, it took 2 more stabs at making out that window. After a couple of minutes the bird flew out my front door and the kids and I took a minute to talk about how bizarre it was to have the bird in the house.
I gave them breakfast and went back to work until 800 when I had to get ready to take them to the pool for swim team practice. Once practice started it seemed like it had been no time at all since we had been there last summer; and was just another reminder of how quickly time flies. Nicky practiced at 830 with the 9 & 10 year olds, Lyndzi & Kelsie practiced at 9 with the 7 & 8 year olds; but when Kelsie saw the 5 & 6 year olds start their practice, she decided that she wanted to swim with them at 930; so I indulged her for the first day. I thought she was a trooper to swim for 2 practices, and sometime before the week is through I'm sure we'll figure out what's best for her. I left the pool, went home to work for a half hour and FINALLY made it back to the gym.

I never thought that I would see the day that I looked forward to going to the gym; but I surely did today. I rode the bike for 10 minutes, used the treadmill for 35 and the elliptical for 10; and I felt good. Lesa G had been with me for the bike and treadmill but by the time I made it to the elliptical, I was on my own and without my Ipod; so it really gave me a chance to think. I was very aware that I felt SO much better about everything, when I was exercising. When I had to take time off from the gym, I was also taking time off from my blog; and although I don't know exactly what the correlation is there, I don't think it's a coincidence. It's almost as if I was punishing myself by having to let everything go. I completely recognize that I always feel good when I am at the gym and it is a great way for me to get my creative juices flowing. So, I hope that I'm not making TOO bold of a statement by announcing "I'm back!" I'm back on the path to CREATING the life that I want. The life filled with good health, and a future as a writer. And so I would like to share part of a little project that I did while I was in Santa Monica a few weeks ago, celebrating Rachel K's 40th birthday. Rachel had asked each of her guests to choose a word that represented something that they wanted to work on this year; and my word was CREATE. We made cubes "Scrapbooking From The Inside Out style;" and each side was supposed to represent our word. My 6 sides were as follows:

1. "Achieving Starts With Believing" Author unknown (and then I decorated it very simply.
2. Inspire, Dream, Create
3. "The Future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams" - Elanor Roosevelt (and then I decorated it very simply.)
4. Creation is my goal... Creating is not an option for me; it's a NECESSITY. Every fiber of my being tells me that I AM MEANT TO BE A WRITER; and it is MY ultimate goal. There is no time to waste. It is time to CREATE. - Paige Ramos
5. I will CREATE a home where the kids feel emotionally & financially safe & secure. I will CREATE an environment of positivity & understanding. I will CREATE lives that are full & rich with experiences & LOVE; for CREATION is the manifestation of our DREAMS. - Paige Ramos
6. Now dancing the Samba, WRITER Paige Ramos & her partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy.

So a bird flew into my house today; and instead of it bringing gloom and doom as wives tales would suggest; it was just a bird who flew into my house; and that is how I choose t see it. I think things are looking up; I feel recharged and I can't wait to see where my creativity is going to take me ~ Hawaii I hope. So stay tuned because I'm planning to CREATE like it's no bodies business.

Till next time...

Queen of EVERYTHING

Reflections

2009-05-14T13:54:00.017-07:00

The past few days I've found myself doing a lot of reflecting. Maybe it was because of Mother's Day, or because Kelsie is graduating from pre-school tonight, or because Nicky and Lyndzi will have completed another school year next Thursday, or because my first born is turning 10 on Saturday. Maybe it's because no one has been majorly sick this week so I had some time to change my focus; or maybe it's because both "American Idol" and "Dancing With The Stars" are coming to an end next week. Well, regardless of the reason; you know what this means... I have A LOT on my mind.

It seems that I am constantly replaying moments in my mind (and yes, I'm sure that there is some psychological diagnosis for this;) but for the sake of this ride; I'm going to work backwards (now there's a twist.) For instance, I'm wondering when exactly Sanjaya (American Idol Season 6) became a celebrity. AND, we know that he IS a "celebrity " because he's going to be on the next season of "I'm a celebrity...Get me out of here" along with reality show whore, Steven Baldwin. Now don't get me wrong; I actually enjoy Steven Baldwin (on reality shows, ) I just think it's fascinating that someone who has already worked as an actor, would now be spending most of his career over the past few years, appearing on reality shows. By my count he's done "The Celebrity Mole "- twice, "The Celebrity Apprentice" and now just in case we forgot that he's a celebrity, he'll be appearing with other big celebs; (like Sanjaya) in "I'm a Celebrity...Get me out of here."
Now typically I write about both "American Idol" and "Dancing With The Stars" in a timely fashion; however, this season I have completely dropped the ball. If you're following Idol, my commentary is well overdue but I do want to go on record saying how much I have absolutely LOVED, LOVED, LOVED Danny Gokey. I am SO sorry that he did not make it to the final 2; but I have no doubt that we will be hearing from him again and that he will outsell Reuben, Fantasia and Taylor Hicks combined. Trust me, Chris Daughtry is no worse the wear for not making it to the final 2 and neither will be Danny Gokey. Now, why Gokey you may ask... It could be because I think he looks like Robert Downey jr.(and ya know how I LOVE him;) but I really believe that it's because his singing moves me. His voice tells a story (not only the words.) And, unlike Adam Lambert; the man can REALLY sing! Now all you Lambert fans; don't get all mad at me. I'm NOT putting Adam down, it's just that he doesn't always SING the song. He has the ability to hit those REALLY high notes and when he does, sometimes it sounds (to me) more like shrieking than singing while Danny is a PURE singer. Adam is a performer through and through. I think he puts on a great show which is why I think he is primed for the revival of "The Rocky Horror picture Show" ~ and I'm sure that he can even provide his own costume ~ wink wink; I mean did ya see the boy STRUT down that staircase; that's just quintessential Frank N Furter. And in the inimitable words of Forrest Gump "that's all I gotta say about that."
As for "Dancing With The Stars" this season I have been absolutely wowed by Gilles; and although this probably sounds like an odd thing to say; I prefer him with his clothes on. For those of you who don't know, Gilles Marini came on the scene in the "Sex and the City" movie when he played Samantha's naked, neighbor. As a matter of fact, he was so NOT famous that when "DWTS" was announcing who he was, they pretty much said "naked guy from Sex and the City movie;" which is why I am SO glad to see him doing so well. He is a FABULOUS dancer and it seems to me that people are voting for him because of his dancing and not because of his popularity because even he has admitted that coming into the show he had a small fan base. The opposite may be said for Ty Murray who though he tried so VERY, VERY hard his technique wasn't there, but his fans votes were; and he was able to knock out the extremely entertaining Lil Kim. I must say I was really sad to see her go, because I had really high hopes for her freestyle; but alas Cheryl Burke IS the Queen of The Freestyle in my opinion, so I'm sure that Monday's finale will be all that and a bag o chips. And while on the subject of "DWTS" I also want to say how much I LOVE seeing some of the dancers, from "So you think you can dance" now appearing as pros on "DWTS." Lacey, Chelsea and Dimitri all hale from SYTYCD; and my boss has actually said "Maybe they should rename the show "So you think you can dance with the stars" ~ which gave me a chuckle.

Now believe me when I tell you that it takes longer to read and type these things then it really takes me to think about them, and there really are more important thoughts going on in my mind; but before we get to that, and since I rarely cover TV anymore; let me just make a few more comments that I feel are worth sharing.

First I want to say KUDOS to Joan Friggin Rivers. I am ecstatic that she has won the "Celebrity Apprentice" and though some of you may think that ecstatic is a really strong word to describe ones feelings over a reality show, I have to tell you that it is so much more than that. It was the battle between good and evil and GOOD won out. Joan Rivers proved herself to be a force to be reckoned with and gained the respect that she is so deserving of. Her work ethic, professionalism and compassion were all exemplary. Did she verbally attack Annie Duke; you betcha but she did so because she thought that Annie was two faced and sneaky and she told her what she thought right to her face; unlike Annie who let the cameras hear her thoughts about Joan (like, I hope she dies) but didn't say anything to her face. Joan worked hard no matter the task. She was a GREAT role model, a leader and a humanitarian (I mean WAS on the show, not like WAS as in she's dead;) and I hope that the American public has gained a new found respect for her. Oh sure, I like most thought that she was obnoxious to say the least on the red carpet, but ya' know what, I see now that it was all just a part of her act. What you saw on the "Celebrity Apprentice" was the real deal; and I am ECSTATIC for her and her charity.

Now, though it may sound as if I watch A LOT of TV the truth is I DVR a lot of TV and try to fit shows in while I'm cooking, doing the laundry, paying bills etc, etc, which is why I STILL have a month and a half worth of "General Hospital" to catch up on. Nonetheless, of all the shows I DVR ,there are 2 other than GH that are NOT reality shows; and those are "Ugly Betty" and "Grey's Anatomy." I don't really have anything to say about "UB" I've just been enjoying it for the good, clean fun that it is. But "Grey's" now that's a different story. I smell an Emmy or 2, people. The story lines have just been brilliant. And Katherine Heigl has been spectacular. The show makes me cry and emotes feelings that a typical TV show does not. I know that the finale is going to be a real tear jerker, and although I don't enjoy crying over shows and movies; I know that I will be all the better for watching it. I know that it will reinforce the fact that we need to live each day as if it were our last and live with no regrets; which is what REFLECTION can help us to do; and what it did for me; on Mother's day.

This Mother's day was truly significant for me, because although I fully acknowledged my own Mom and remembered the magnificent woman that she was; I was finally able to allow this day to be more about what I have than what I have not. I was able to appreciate the gifts of my family and how very lucky I am to have each one of them. I cared not, where we had breakfast, lunch or dinner or that no flowers were involved; I just felt honored to be the Mom that Luis, Nicky, Lyndzi and Keslie bestow their love upon. I felt blessed that they recognized all that I do for them and that they wanted to celebrate that and honor me. I remembered why I wanted to become a Mom and what my goals are for raising my children; and when the day was done I felt TRULY satisfied and EXTREMELY proud.

As a Mom it is bittersweet to watch your children grow. Every time I drop Nicky and Lyndzi off at school I marvel at the independent people that they are becoming. Although they are my babies, they are no longer babies; but capable children who can make their own way when they need to. And now tonight, my baby, my Kelsie will graduate from pre-school and begin a new path. She is going to sing "You Light Up my Life, and I have no doubt that I will be moved to tears; just as I was when she sang "What a Wonderful World" last year; in her tiny, sweet voice. Oh yes, Kelsie is my biggest challenge thus far; but I could not imagine my life without her; and I am certain that she is going to do great things in her lifetime.

Now if my mind wasn't reeling enough from all that I have been contemplating, My Nicky will be turning 10 on May 16th and THAT is just mind boggling to me. Nicky, my first born, my only boy, my protector, my sidekick; is going to be 10. Boy does time fly. It seems like just yesterday that I was giving birth to him; and I love to sit back and remember EVERY moment of it. I remember feeling each contraction and saying to myself "I'm one step closer to seeing Nicky, I'm one step closer to seeing Nicky;" and when I did see Nicky; I cried tears of joy as I do EVERY time I relive that moment in my mind. I don't write about Nicky as much as I write about the girls because quite honestly; he's just not that funny. I mean he has his moments; but given that I'm prone to writing about the ridiculous and he is the most complacent, low key guy; he doesn't typically provide me with a lot of material; unless I want to brag about his straight A's or his humongous heart. Nicky has compassion like I have NEVER seen. He has been able to demonstrate empathy since he was only a few years old; and he is wise beyond his years. Nicky has memorized almost every episode of "The Amazing Race" and dreams of going on it one day - hopefully with me. He has a BEAUTIFUL singing voice and can easily get a perfect score on Karaoke Revolution without really trying; and oddly enough he will sing in front of anyone who will listen. Nicky tells people that I am a great blog writer; which is just the icing on my cake. One might say that Nicky is painstakingly shy, and often times awkward but the boy has HEART and to me that is MOST important. He did give me a laugh today today though when I picked him up from school and he informed me that HE; is the King of Solitaire. Wonder where he got that expression from?

When I reflect on my 10 precious years with Nicky, I relish EVERY moment that he has been on this earth and I feel so fortunate that he is my son. And just when you thought I couldn't possibly have anything more to reflect upon; my cup has runneth over. Summer is upon us here in AZ. School gets out next Thursday, and I cannot wait. I love having them home; and spending time together. I love taking them to swim team practice and watching them compete. I love our freedom and flexibility and the endless possibilities of what we might do. And although I want everything to go VERY slowly, so we can savor every minute; I also look forward to all the times ahead, when I'll be able to reflect back on all that we've done.
Till next time...

Queen of EVERYTHING

Kelsie Strikes Again

2009-05-06T19:37:00.013-07:00

I am a big fan of Sweet Tomatoes ~ aka Soup Plantation if you live in California and if you're not familiar with it by either name; it's a soup and salad bar restaurant. Anyway, each month they have a different theme in addition to their regular offerings and April was lemon month; which I adored, so I was determined to go there for dinner on the 30th so that I could have my favorite salad just one more time. And because I know you'll want to know; it's lettuce with spiced pecans, cranberries, and blue cheese, tossed in a lovely lemony dressing. - YUM!

I took the kids to swim school, and ran them home to shower. In the meantime I checked my email and just in the nick of time, I received a Sweet Tomatoes BOGO coupon. Now as an aside, and in the interest of the greater good, I highly recommend that if you enjoy Sweet Tomatoes / Soup Plantation, you should sign up for their Club Veg; because they will email you GOOD coupons a couple of times a month.

Anyway, the kids and I pulled up to Sweet Tomatoes (Luis was in class ) and I realized that I didn't have any cash with me for a tip. This had happened to me a few weeks ago too (when Luis was in Vegas) but Nicky had money in the car and temporarily bailed me out. But this time; no such luck. I thought about it for a minute, because I really didn't want to go to the bank and come back; so I told the kids that if Amber (the cashier that we're friendly with) was working I'd ask her what my options were. Again luck was with me because Amber was there. I started piling up my plate with my yummy salad, when all of a sudden I heard Kelsie say "Um, Amber my mom has no money and she needs to ask you a question." OH MY GOD! I started waving my hands around like I was trying to clear the air or something; all the while saying "NO, that's not true; I just have a question;" and before I could say anymore, Amber said "I know what you're going to ask," and I said "no, I don't think you do;" and again she said "yeah, you want a coupon;" and again I said "No, I actually have a coupon; I just wanted to know what my options were for leaving a tip because I don't have any cash with me." And then I said "Thanks for giving me my next blog Kels." Amber told me that my only option was to give the waitress a check. And so when Luis called I explained this to him, but he vetoed the idea; so I told the waitress that I would go to Target and get some money and come back with a tip; which of course I DID.

Oh, it's never a dull moment with Kelsie around. Bring on the hiccups; I have a new most embarrassing moment that I can try out. I honestly don't know where she gets her chutzpah from (OK, yes I do; ) but I'm sure that I NEVER did things like that at her age; (5 going on 30.)

Now I ask you, how could I be anything but a writer when I have such marvelous stories to share - Hello Parents magazine...

Till next time...

Queen of EVERYTHING

And The Saga Continues...

2009-04-29T21:23:00.010-07:00

Just as I have previously promised that this was not going to be an all political blog, or an all scrapbooking blog, or an all Maks blog; I also promise that this is not becoming an all family health update blog; however, under the heading of "who could make this stuff up," I feel that I have to share the details of my last week with you.

So when last we left off, Kelsie had the croup; which was just the latest of illnesses to afflict my household. SO Thursday morning I woke Nicky up at 530AM because he had to be at school by 615 for his Outdoor Ed field trip to Flagstaff. I had volunteered Luis to chaperon, but so many people had volunteered that they had to have a lottery; and Luis just wasn't that lucky; (or was he?) I was a little nervous about Nicky going on the trip because they were going to be doing a lot of hiking; and not only does he have asthma; but he's his mother's son; so he is a little klutzy. Nicky on the other hand was not nervous at all (thankfully,) and he was beyond excited to go.

A few minutes after Nicky came downstairs we were joined by Lyndzi, which was highly unusual because she typically likes to sleep as long as possible and she didn't have to get up for another hour and a half. I said "Good morning!" And immediately asked what was wrong. I'm sure that you can probably guess that she said, "My throat hurts." To which I LOVINGLY replied "Of course it does." I gave her some Ibuprofen and told her to lay down on the couch. We drove Nicky to school for his field trip and by the time 7AM rolled around, she was feeling well enough to go to school. At 2pm when I picked her up, she looked like she had been through the ringer. She was extremely congested but her biggest concern was that she didn't want to cancel the girl's night that (upon Kelsie's suggestion) we had planned with my friend Tina and her daughter Kristin.

Lyndzi, Kelsie and I sat outside Shane's BBQ waiting for our friends, all the while Lyndzi's nose was dripping down her face. I knew that Tina would not be able to believe her eyes when she saw Lyndzi because she was aware of all the illnesses that we have been plagued with during the past few months; and sure enough when Tina saw Lyndzi she was just amazed.

We were standing in line to order when my cell phone rang. I didn't recognize the number and I thought I heard Nicky say "Mom," but then no one was there. Two minutes later the phone rang again and the voice on the other end said "Is this Nicky's Mom?" My heart must have skipped a beat as I nervously answered "yes." The voice then explained that she was Nicky's chaperon and that their bus had broken down. Say it with me, "Of course it did." And they expected to be delayed about 2 hours getting home. WHEW! What a relief; but again Tina was amazed. I think that she may have even said "Who could make this stuff up" and if she didn't I'm sure she was thinking it. Lyndzi's nose continued to run but the promise of Cold Stone ice cream kept her going. We had a really nice girl's night with Tina and Kristin and as we got in the car to leave, I commented to my girls that I missed my Nicky and I wanted him to come home. They echoed that sentiment and then the phone rang - it was Luis asking if I'd heard from Nicky again and as soon as I said "No;" my phone beeped and it was Nicky. He said "Mom, I know I've been gone many hours and you probably missed me, but I'll be back at school in a few minutes." Were we in sync or what?

On Friday, Nicky and Lyndzi had the day off from school for a testing break and Kelsie stayed home with the Croup. I went to work in my office and Luis got a call from a friend our friend Russell, asking if he could watch his 2 kids because I had kind of said that he could. When I called to check on every ones health Luis' report made me feel confident that we could skip a Doctor's appointment for at least one day. Luis asked what to give the kids for lunch and I suggested that he run over to Little Cesar's pizza and pick up 2 pizzas for just $10. Shortly thereafter, Luis called to tell me that he couldn't go to Little Cesar's because the minivan was dead. Say it with me "Of course it was." I told Luis to wait for Russell to come over to pick up the kids and to get a jump. They followed my advice, took the car to Autozone, got a new battery since ours was under warranty and we were back in business.

Saturday morning Luis woke up complaining of a sore throat. (Do I even have to say it this time?) He tried resting, but he just didn't feel well. I kept telling him to take some Tylenol for his fever, but he put it off as long as possible. He rested most of the day; but he still felt lousy. He took a class until noon on Sunday and then asked me if there was someplace that was open to see a doctor on Sundays; so I directed him to Urgent Care, to which he responded, "And they're open on Sunday?" To which I replied "Yes, that's why they call it Urgent Care." I took the kids to a birthday party at Chuck E Cheese and Luis called to let em know that he did indeed have Strep throat. OF COURSE!

On Monday morning both Lyndzi and Kelsie woke up complaining of sore throats. I made appointments for both girls to be seen at the Pediatrician's office and even stopped by to see my friend who swore that she hadn't been thinking about me. Both girls endured throat cultures and both came back negative, though both had red throats and Kelsie still had a bronchial mess from the Croup. Kelsie was given yet another antibiotic after saying to the nurse practitioner "Can't we just get this over with already." I'd like to think that she meant being sick all the time, but I know that she really can be just that fresh; God help me. I'm still waitng for the lab to call back to confirm that neither has Strep; so please keep your fingers crossed.

Now the question that seems to be on most people's minds is how I've avoided getting sick myself; and my answer is, I just might be sick, but I am too busy to pay attention to it; so I just keep go, go, going. I am getting on a plane by myself on Friday though. I'm going to Santa Monica for Rachel K's 40th birthday weekend; and I must admit that although I don't want to have a self-fulfilling prophecy; I'm afraid that once I have 5 minutes to myself; i'll be sick as a dog.

Well, what more can I say? I wouldn't dare tempt fate by asking the most natural of questions. I'm just going to continue taking everything in stride and trying to make everyone as comfortable as possible. And hopefully next week I can move on from these dreary reports and finally share some other thoughts.

Please keep us all in your prayers.

Till next time...

Queen of EVERYTHING

You Know You Have A Problem When...#5

2009-04-22T19:19:00.013-07:00

You Know You Have A Problem When you go to the pediatrician's office and one of (the many) receptionists tells you that she had been thinking about you, because you hadn't been in for a few days. (This was last Tuesday.) I responded by saying "You haven't seen me in a few days because my husband brought my younger daughter in on Friday."

So let me rewind. In my "Lyndzi's Advice" post, I regaled you with the details of Lyndzi's recent illnesses; but in light of the past few months I feel the need to offer a recap. For brevity's sake (yes, A new concept for me;) I'll only go as far back as January.

OK, so upon our return from beautiful, Puerto Vallarta both Lyndzi and Kelsie were suffering with their allergies and asthma, and ultimately Kelsie was diagnosed with pneumonia and Lyndzi with RSV. This stint brought us to the doctor's office every day for a week; and this one, kind, receptionist took notice of this fact, and just shook her head in dismay every time she saw me walk through the door. She shook her head again a few weeks ago, during spring break when I came in for Lyndzi who was diagnosed with Strep throat. She shook her head less than a week later when I came in for Nicky who had been running a high fever, and complained of a terrible sore throat. Because we were so convinced it was strep, I ran him in for the test but we didn't have an exam. Trust me when I tell you that this was not the exam to skip, because the culture was negative, but the next night we wound up in Urgent Care because Nicky had double pink eye. The doctor also gave him an antibiotic for Pharyngitis, and when all was said and done; Nicky had missed 4 days of school. 2 1/2 weeks later, Luis brought Kelsie in for fever, congestion and discharge from her eyes; and she was diagnosed with both a sinus and ear infections. AND then a couple of days after that; I returned to the pediatricians office, and this is when she shook her head at me and made the comment about thinking about me; when I brought Nicky in due to another high temp, headache and congestion; and he walked out with strep throat. On my way out the door, I reported to her that it was in fact strep this time and jokingly asked her NOT to think about me again. Nicky returned to school on Monday, after missing ANOTHER 4 days; but yesterday Kelsie started running a temp and she was really congested, and this morning it sounded like I had a seal take up residence in my house; so guess where I went today? Once again she shook her head and uttered the words "Oh come on; I just can't believe it." I asked her if she'd been thinking about me; but she swore that she hadn't.

Kelsie and I waited in the examining room and entertained ourselves with MANY games of Tic Tac Toe. While we were playing I noticed that Kelsie had really fat fingers below her knuckles. I LOVINGLY commented that I had never realized that she had such chubby fingers and she said "Everyone does." I said "No, not everyone ;"and I showed her my fingers which aside from my feet are the only thin thing on my body. When she realized that not everyone had chubby fingers, she said "I guess I'd better do some exercise;" and it was the cutest thing in the world. She followed that up with, "And you should probably do some exercise too Mommy." To which I replied "I would love to; if my children would stay healthy so that I could put them in the childcare at the gym or send them to school." The nurse practitioner then examined Kelsie an as I was leaving I stopped by the desk to tell "My friend" that Kelsie had Croup. Oh yes, it's not just for babies. My friend and I recapped that since January my household has now experienced allergies, asthma, Pneumonia, RSV, Sinus infections, ear infections, Strep throat, Pink eye and Croup. I said "What's next, pestilence?" And she kinda shrugged and said "well," like it wasn't an impossibility; so I swear I am totally considering scrubbing them all down with Lice shampoo, just as a precaution.

Now I honestly don't think it's enjoyable to read about all of my kids ailments and I have tried to spare you all the gory details; but of course I have a point and that is; now you know where the heck I've been. I have TONS of things that I have been thinking about writing about. I still want to share my Ass Burrito story, I have been dying to comment on American Idol and Dancing With the Stars; and I'm totally itching for someone to throw another Six Degrees challenge my way; however, instead I have been caring for my sick children and trying to balance my life.

I saw a book about Diablo Cody in Barnes & Noble the other day, and I looked at it longingly thinking, "now maybe if I become a stripper, someone will want to publish my writing." Then again, I'd really have to get back to the gym in order to make that happen, and given the health of my family, who knows how soon that will be. So instead, I am really going to commit myself to getting this blog out come Hell or high water or Strep, or Croup. I need to take a pledge like the mailmen; no rain or snow or sleet or hail ... will keep me from writing my blog; as God is my witness... Now there's gotta be some kind of recognition for combining the postmans pledge and a line from "Gone with the Wind;"... or not. But at least I feel like I'm getting my mojo back. Ya'know once I start rambling, "The Ride" is getting back to normal.

As for my kids, please send positive thoughts their way.

Till next time...

Queen of EVERYTHING

My New Weight Loss Plan

2009-04-02T20:08:00.006-07:00

I haven't written about my weight loss in quite some time; because much to my dismay there hasn't been any news to share. Oh, don't get me wrong; I'm still going to the gym and I'm still sticking to my no carbs during dinner or after ,(for the most part) and for the most part I mean when no sadistic restaurant is introducing menu items such as "The brownoli." Oh yes, you've guessed it, 2 of my weaknesses combined into one dessert. Yes it's the brownie stuffed with cannoli cream - OY! This is while I'll NEVER be thin. Now don't get me wrong; when I went to the newly opened Meatballz; one of the reasons that I agreed to go was because my friend Shelly told me that in addition to being able to order a hero (sub) or an entree with pasta, you could also order an entree with salad. And then of course the second reason was that she told me about the brownoli. I just had to try it; so I ordered one (I mean I could have saved it for the next day; that's permissible,) but then what do you think happened? The place was packed so we decided that we would get our food to go. It was just over an hour when I finally got my order and was told that they had run out of bread (and of course Luis had decided to cheat on his diet and order the hero) and the guy wanted to know what I wanted him to do about it. YES, that's what he said, and I quote "I'm sorry, we've run out of bread; what do you want me to do about it?" To which, (after I gave a New York raised sigh of disgust,) I said "well what are my options?" And he actually replied "Well, I could give you your money back, or you can have anything else on the menu." Give me my money back, did I hear that right? I had waited for over an hour with not so much as a free cup for water and the guy thought that I might choose to leave WITHOUT food? Now, I'm sounding a lot more outraged here then I let on to him, which must be why he decided to reward me with an extra brownoli; but in the long run, they were so busy that they must not have been paying real close attention to my order because when I unpacked my order at Shelly's, I found THREE orders of brownoli. Maybe that's an indication of how they ran out of bread. Anyway, I still have brownoli in my fridge. I'll just say the idea of it, actually sounds better than what it is ~ at least these. So see, I really do have a bit of self control, and I have been trying to exercise it all over the place, since I can't seem to find the time to exercise IT, at the gym.
Now when I say that I'm still going to the gym; I should clarify and say that when I began my weight loss plan, I was religiously going to the gym 5 times a week; and then soccer season hit and in addition to that, my work load was enormous, (and I usually take a break from work to go to the gym;) so given these two factors, my attendance slowed down to 3 or 4 times a week. I know that these sound like excuses, but wait; I'll gice you more. The next thing I knew it was December, and I had extra things to do because of the girl's birthdays and leaving for Puerto Vallarta; so I was convinced that I would start the year off like gangbusters and get back to my 5 time a week routine ~ yah, but in the long run; not so much. Kelsie came down with pneumonia, Lyndzi's asthma was out of control and then she got RSV, and since you can't take sick kids to the gym, again I had to miss a few more days than I should have.

Every Sunday, my friend Lesa and I try to plan our out at least 3 or 4 days that we can meet up at the gym during the upcoming week. We then call each other Monday morning to check in and make sure that no one has stayed home from school. Lesa also works from home, and so there are days that she bails on me; but I STILL go; because it really is important to me, and even though it's more fun with her there; in the long run, I'm really no there for fun.
Fast forward to 2 weeks ago; spring break, and Lyndzi had strep; so again I had to stay out of the gym. So last week, I went by myself on Monday; got one day under my belt and was feeling optimistic about making a fresh start. Then Tuesday morning, Nicky woke up with a fever and sore throat, so that was another day gone. Wednesday morning; same deal, and Wednesday night, along came the double pink eye (for Nicky.)
Come Monday, I again went to the gym alone. Lesa joined me on Tuesday, and it was then that we realized that we should be filming a YouTube show from the gym, because this is where we have our very INTENSE discussions about important things like who we think is going to be leaving "American Idol" and "Dancing With the Stars." Lesa wasn't able to stay that long, because she had a haircut appointment, but I pressed on. I wound up having a REALLY good workout ; probably the best that I'd had in quite some time. And later that day I called Lesa and said "If I bought it for you; would you wear the men's cologne of my choice, to the gym?" She gave a hearty laugh and said a very loud "WHAT?" So I explained, that a few minutes after she left, a semi-good looking guy (who I'd never seen there before,) got on the treadmill that she had been on; and he smelled TERRIFIC! I think he was wearing Fahrenheit, or some cologne that I really like, and he smelled so good, that I actually added time to my treadmill; TWICE! We both laughed ourselves silly; and though she thought it was a good idea, she couldn't comply due to allergies; so I'm actually considering putting some cologne on my workout towel. Never underestimate the power of smell. With this new plan of action, I just may take off those additional hundred pounds within the next 2 years; or at least I'll be happy trying.
Till next time...
Queen of EVERYTHING

#5 - I Don't Think That I'm A Very Good Driver...

2009-03-31T06:15:00.006-07:00

My 100 random things about me list is actually proving to be most useful. I realized that if I'm in need of an idea for a post, I can always go back to my list and write about any of my random things. Ironically, and sadly; shortly after that post, I proved #5 - I don't think that I'm a very good driver ...in full effect.

Now luckily I haven't endured that many accidents; unless you consider 5 in 24 years many. Of the 5 only 2 were my fault (one weather induced, and the other ~ well you'll see;) and the other 3 people hit me. Now it's not like you have to fear driving near me when I'm on the road, or even be afraid to drive with me; I mean I have kids for god's sake; I'm a SAFE driver, but maybe just a little overly cautious and like most things; I KNOW THIS ABOUT MYSELF.

Anyway, I was driving to my office on a Friday morning, a few weeks ago. it was just after 6am, I was on the highway and it was still dark out. I was in the most right hand lane and ALL OF A SUDDEN out of nowhere there was a VERY big object in my way. I had no idea what it was, but it was like the size of a roll of carpet. I couldn't tell if it was hard or soft; all I knew was that I was going to have to hit it, because if I swerved to get around it, I would have gone in someone else's lane and possibly hit them or got hit myself. I hit the object (whatever it was) and I think it went under the car; but again; it was dark. I immediately got off at the next exit and pulled into the shopping center that was there. I got out to inspect my vehicle and much too my surprise I saw no damage. I couldn't believe it. I felt blessed; and confused - so I bought a bagel and went to work.

Several hours later, I went out to my car at lunch time and was shocked by what I saw. I called Luis and tried to explain what happened. I told him that I hadn't mentioned it earlier in the day, because I hadn't seen any damage. (Remember, it was still dark at the time.) I really expected that Luis would be mad at me; but instead he just said "well that's why we have insurance;" and boy was I relieved.

When I got home I showed him the damage and called the insurance company. Allstate assured me that I did the right thing by hitting the object and I felt a little better, but not entirely.

The car was repaired in record time, and luckily nothing was hurt except my ego.

Till next time...

Queen of EVERYTHING

"Let me get this straight"

2009-03-24T11:52:00.005-07:00

As much as I complain about my job; I know that I am very fortunate to make my own schedule. Because I AM the Queen of COLLECTIONS; my boss doesn't seem to care if I work at 4AM or 9PM as long as I work 40 hours a week and the money keeps coming in. During the school year I try not to stray far from the schedule that I've made for myself. I start work at 430AM, stop at 7 to get Nicky and Lyndzi ready for school; work again by 8 and on Monday and Wednesday I stop at 830 to get Kelsie ready for school and resume work by 930 (Tues & Thurs I can work form 8 on.) Throw in a trip to the gym and / or store; pick up Kelsie at 1:15, Lyndzi at 2, Nicky at 3; and I'm usually done working for the day by 430PM.

Enter - Spring Break, and my schedule goes out the window. So, last Monday I thought "if the kids sleep in, I can just work from 5-12 and be done for the day." I wanted to go to the gym, the library, Sam's Club, Fry's, Walmart and/or Target; and YES, I know that's a lot for one day; but that's how I roll. Queen of PACKING AS MUCH IN AS POSSIBLE; that's me!

As the morning started to pass by, I decided to re-evaluate my plan and make some slight modifications. I was going to postpone the gym till later in the day (which by the way, NEVER proves to be a good idea;) give the kids lunch and then go to the library. Since we had to be out and about, I told the kids that we could have lunch out. Nicky and Lyndzi both wanted Del Taco but Kelsie wanted a grilled cheese from Sonic, and as both are near the library (and by both are near the library I mean, I'm a sucker;) I agreed to go to 2 different places.

As we pulled in to the Del Taco shopping center, Kelsie noticed that there was a Subway and asked if she could have that instead. I explained that I wasn't getting Subway today because I had coupons for there but I didn't have them with me; and as Kelsie is the Queen of NOT TAKING NO FOR AN ANSWER; she did her best to try to change my mind; but I stood my coupon loving ground; and pulled up to the Del Taco drive thru. As I was approaching the menu, I made the mistake of remembering, OUT LOUD; that I also had coupons for Del Taco, which of course, I'd forgotten; and Kelsie wasted no time before she said "So let me get this straight;" (and when a 5 year old starts off with "so let me get this straight; you KNOW you're in for some trouble.) "You don't have coupons for Subway; so I can't have Subway; but you don't have coupons for Del Taco and Nicky and Lyndzi can still have Del Taco?" Precocious little thing; isn't she? So what could I say but "well, you've got a point there; but that's just how it's got to be today." (But what I really wanted to say was "Yes, you've got that straight so just go ahead and add that to the list of complaints that you're going to be giving your therapist about in 20 years or so;" but she probably already made a mental note of it.) See what I mean; Kelsie's mind is like a steel trap; so half day kindergarten ~ I don't think so.
Anyway, I explained that even without a coupon Del Taco is still a lot less expensive than Subway; and then I bribed her by telling her that she could have a pretzel at Sam's Club.

We went to the library and discovered that Lyndzi had a sore throat. We ran a few errands but she just wasn't up for the big shopping fest that I'd had in mind; so we cut our day short, and I'm sure that I don't have to tell you, Kelsie reminded me about her pretzel quite emphatically. Again I had to let her down and explain that I wasn't going to Sam's because Lyndzi wasn't feeling well. I offered to ask Luis to stop at Sam's on his way home and she was appeased. OK; so why should this day have gone any way I planned? Although Luis always calls me on his way home; on this day he didn't and so he arrived home sans pretzel. I had plans to get a pedicure with my friend Arlene, so I didn't give Sam's another thought until my cell phone rang at 9pm and it was Kelsie asking if I'd gotten her pretzel. I gently told her no and promised that we could get it on Tuesday; which we did ~ OY!
Kelsie believes that she wants to be a "Dentist - girl" and a rock star which in and of itself is hysterical considering how I fear the dentist; but I think she'll have a real future as a litigator or an actress - the apple really doesn't fall far from the tree ya know.
Till next time...
Queen of EVERYTHING