IMHO

I know I haven't posted anything in awhile, and after such a long absence maybe I should be talking about what I did over the summer....but I'm not.

I'm sure you have heard about the tragedy here in California. 8 people died at the California 200 off-road race. My heart goes out to the family and friends of those who passed and of those who were injured. Being an off-roader myself it's troubling to hear of such news.

Another troubling report about this story is how race fan's were throwing rocks at the driver of the truck. As sad as this accident is, it was just that, an accident. Those people made a conscience decision to stand next to the road. I'm sure they knew the risks of standing so close to the road that they could reach out and touch any one of the vehicles that passed by.

What does it mean?

I had a strange dream last night. I was dreaming of my mom. My mom passed away in February of 1996, even though it's not unusual to dream about her. When I do it's usually in past tense not in present tense. Last night it was in present tense.

It started off with my mom coming down here to my house. We were going to take a trip to Kate's in Australia. In my dream there was no ocean to cross and I drove all the way. Next part of the dream that I remember is Kate serving (American style) breakfast to her Aussie and American friends (who now live in Australia) but she's trying to raise enough money so she can move back, so she's charging them for breakfast.

Then I remember my mom arguing with somebody (which was not in her nature) because Kate slaved so hard making french toast and the person didn't like it. Then I remember Kate saying something like "that was 60 cents down the drain". The whole time I was doing dishes (which I hate doing) and then Kate got mad at me because I wasn't being fast enough or she thought I missed a dish, something like that. I don't remember it clearly.

My dream ended there, because I woke up to lights coming from the living room, at first I thought it was a cop car because the lights were red and blue. I got up and realized that Sis was up watching cartoons, it was 4:30 in the a.m.

A few things I've learned over the years...

Here are a few things I've learned over the years, either through my own experiences or through other's experiences. These are in no particular order...

Always, and I mean always. Wash your hands thoroughly before rubbing your eyes, scratching your nose or using the bathroom after handling jalapeno peppers.

Never assume, that just because your dad raises Honey Bee's and your not screaming, that the Bumble Bee who has just landed on your knee isn't going to sting you.

Always make sure that your foot is firmly placed while climbing into a vehicle that requires running boards.

Never assume that you have learned your lesson the first time you cut yourself climbing through a barbed wire fence.

Never turn your back on a flock of geese.

Never assume you are far enough through a door way before you turn around. You'll blacken an eye for sure.

Always make sure that your body is fully out of the car before shutting the door. I've bruised my hip many times doing this.

Never! And I mean never, pull a http://http//www.zoingoboingo.com/ Zoingo Boingo out from underneath a chair. It will snap back and get you every time, and you'll end up on crutches.

Multiple pairs of underwear will not protect your bottom.

When drinking, never assume you can jump over that board with a nail sticking out of it.

Never assume that just because your sitting on a skate board, that you can't fall off and break your hand.

Never throw a pipe at a tire swing, it will bounce back and hit you in the eye.

I'll argue with you till we're blue in the face. Skunks smell better then stock yards.

And lastly

Never plunge a toilet while barefoot.

That's MY JOB!

My daughter turned 10 in February, she still plays with Barbie's and believes in Santa Clause. She is my only daughter and the youngest of my four children. I believe there is an appropriate time and place when a mother should have "the talk" about a girls changing body and sex. Well, unfortunately the 13 yr old next door neighbor girl has beaten me to it.

I knew that this was the year I was going to have to talk to my daughter about how her body was going to change soon. Like having to wear a bra and how she (hopefully not to early) would eventually get her period. I wanted to be the one who told her about it. Well a few months ago the girl next door told her about it. What she couldn't tell her, is why?

Last night my daughter informed me that the girl next door has now told her about sex (intercourse). Ok, this is where I'm drawing a line. I'm wondering if I should confront her alone or perhaps include her father in on this conversation. Either way I'm confronting her with this. I'm not going to ask her to stop. I'm going to tell her.

Teaching my daughter about the facts of life is MY JOB, not some un-informed 13 yr old girls job. Now I need to find out from my daughter exactly what was told to her, so I can make sure she is educated about it correctly. I would of preferred to have this talk next year or the year after that, but it's obvious that's not happening.

Letting go..

Here I am sitting on my ass, when I really should be cleaning my house. But I find this blogging thing is really very therapeutic. I started this blog in (looking for date) OMG! in December 2008! WOW! If had known how therapeutic this was back in 2008, I would have written (typed) more often. Anyway, here I sit shirking my responsibilities. Like the decorative plate my mom had hanging on the wall said "My house is clean enough to be healthy and dirty enough to be happy". I loved that plate! Screw the house today. I have other things on my mind.

My eighteen year old is going for his drivers license test today. Although I'm excited for him, a little part of me hopes he doesn't pass it. Oh I know, I sound like a horrible mother! I'm just having a little trouble letting go I guess. Gaining independence has many steps, and getting your drivers license is a big one . Next is graduation and then college, and honestly I don't know if he's ready for it all. Like most kids, Adam looks at life through rose-colored glasses. Although a little naivety is kind of refreshing he's 18, it's time to grow up.

I try to teach him about the real world through my own experiences (I've been through a lot) but all I get are eye rolls or "that was you!" The kids even more stubborn then I am, and I didn't think that was possible. Don't get me wrong, he's a GOOD kid. He has a good head on his shoulders. But there's always a part of me that worries he's not always going to do the right thing or make the right choices.

I've always taught my kids to be responsible for themselves and not to blame others for their own mistakes. I don't believe in peer pressure. If one of my kids do something that they shouldn't have, they better not blame their friends. Because they didn't do anything, that they didn't want to do.

I know he doesn't think he needs me anymore. But he does still need my advice, whether he knows it or not. Hell! I'm 47 and would love it if my parents were still around to give me advice. Hopefully he'll take advantage of the fact that I'm still around to give him advice or just lend an ear or a shoulder when he needs one.

Well surprise, surprise. I was called a bitch today, by an 8 year old. No, not by one of my kids, a neighbor kid. That's alright though, his mama has to deal with him not me. The house next door to me has been empty for over a year now (it was a foreclosure) another neighbor kid took his BB Gun and broke some windows a few months back. Needless to say, his BB gun was taken away. I always watch the house as closely as I can, because let's face it, I don't think the kids around here have ever been taught to respect other peoples property. If they have, it's not enforced.

Anyway, I caught potty mouth boy and BB boy messing around by the (outdoor) hot water heater to the house. Naturally I got on them about being on property that doesn't belong to them, and the dangers of messing around with the heater (it's obviously not turned on, but they don't know that) and about other neighbors possibly calling the police because somebody is trespassing. And for that, potty mouth boy called me a bitch. Then I remembered a homage to the word "bitch". I'd like to share it with you.

BITCH

When I stand up for myself and my beliefs, they call me a bitch.
When I stand up for those I love, they call me a bitch.
When I speak my mind, think my own thoughts, or do things my way, they call me a bitch.
Being a bitch means I won't compromise what's in my heart. It means I live my life MY way. It means I won't allow anyone to step on me.
When I refuse to tolerate injustice and speak up against it, they call me a bitch.
I have the courage and strength to be who I truly am, and won't become anyone else's idea of what they think I should be.
I am outspoken, opinionated and determined.
So go ahead, try and stomp on me. Try to douse my inner flame, try and squash every ounce of beauty I hold within me.
You won't succeed
If this makes me a bitch, so be it. I embrace the title and am proud to bear it.

Beauty In Total Control of Herself

Photo Tag Challenge

Well, my dear friend Katie at Tatersmama's take on things has issued a photo challenge to 8 of her friends. And guess who she picked? Yep, I was one of the lucky 8. At first I thought "why me?" Then it dawned on me that Katie was only trying to get me some followers. You see, I only have 1 follower and it happens to be Katie. Thanks for thinking of me Katie, I appreciate the effort ;)



Anyway, here are the directions..



Go to your photo files, and select the 8th photo folder

Select the 8th photo in that folder

Post that photo along with the story behind it

Then challenge 8 blogging friends to do the same



I have one little problem though. I just recently had my laptop fixed, and the Geek Squad replaced my hard drive so I no longer have photo's. But, I do have photo's on my facebook page so I guess I could just go there and get one. That means now I need to figure out how to add pictures on here. Oh ya I have another problem, No Followers! But OK, I won't flake out on Katie.


Here's my picture. This is my "Big dumb dog" or Betsy the Basset Hound. She thinks she's the same size as our Chihuahua, Scooby. She is seen here trying to get into his bed, which she obviously doesn't fit into. She only managed to get her head stuck and ended up bumping into things. I only wish I had this on video because this was hilarious.

OK Katie, I did my part and since your my only follower, I challenge you 8 times :D

SSDD

You'd of thought this was Monday. I've been sitting on my ass going through emails (almost 300 of them buggers) and eating Costco Mini Tacos. Going through some of my favorite hometown websites and accomplishing absolutely nada when it comes to my house. It's hot outside and these damn hot flashes don't help! I'm bitchy and bloated, my tooth hurts. I feel BLAH! And now I'm done whining :)

News?

There's a web site out of my hometown/county that I view on a daily basis. How would I describe it? It's news of the county and beyond, but then I don't think the people who put it together claim to be reporters in a sense. They inform the county of what's going on as far as, who's running for which office or if somebody is raising money for an event. New businesses that are opening, you get my drift!

My favorite part of the whole site is it's poll. And no matter what the poll is about, somebody is going to make it political. Then you have the transplants from the bay area and beyond (not all) who think because they're from the city, they're so much smarter then the uneducated country bumpkins. Almost like we're an Indigenous people or something, and we have no knowledge of the outside world.

It amazes me how they complain about the locals and their country way of thinking, but then turn around in the same breath and talk about one of the reasons they moved from the city is because they love that small town feel. Some of those people can get down right snotty with each other on that website. I'll admit it. I've partaken in the snottyness. I don't usually start it, but I will defend myself or any of the locals, who are being slandered. It's just that bitchy nature of mine. :)

Telling it like it is.....

You know when I first decided to become a blog spotter, I had no intention of writing my own blog. I only made an acct because my sisters MIL (mother in-law) lives in Australia (originally from CA) and I thought it would be a great way to get to know her. She's a wonderful blogger and I really look forward to and enjoy her posts.

I don't really consider myself UN-interesting, but my life's not that exciting, and I'm sure you don't want to hear about how many handfuls of Mulberry's I picked today or how disgusting I think it is to pick up dog crap. And as you can see I only have 1 follower. She's family, she has no choice.

So if you happened upon my blog, no doubt it was because of a typo or the Internet got all jumbled up in the atmosphere (if that's what happens) and directed you to my blog. For that I apologize. But if you happen to stick around to read this, Thank You! I appreciate it.

I'm a mother of 4. 3 boys and 1 girl, their ages are 27, 18, 14 and 10 and yes I know that their spaced out. What can I say, I'm a glutton for punishment. I've been 29 for years now. And although in my mind I think younger, my body sometimes feels like the 80 yr old man who lives across the street from me...old

Home is a small town in the Sierra Nevada Footills, but I live in the Southern California Desert now. Not by choice, but by necessity. Why would anybody really choose to live down here. Especially during the summer when it's 120 degrees. The winters are nice though, and while the rest of the country is freezing their asses off. I'm enjoying temps in the 70's.

My family and I like to go out to the desert and ride. We have a couple jeeps, a motorcycle and a quad. No, were not rich, they were all bought used. And my ole man worked plenty of OT to save up the money to buy them. I enjoy going out to the Hauser Geode Beds and digging up rocks (geodes). We like to go camping and fishing.

I'm short, (5'4") a 100 something pounds, I hate wearing shoes and I speak my mind, because it really hurts when I bite my tongue. I consider myself a Redneck, but my ole man calls me an Okie (my grandma was from OK). I don't do anything I don't want to and do things when I'm told I can't. Basically I'm stubborn. I'll be the first to admit that I'm a bitch, even before you call me one. But if standing up for myself and what I believe in makes me a bitch, then so be it. I'm a bitch!

Well it's time for me to get off of here and go outside and enjoy the rest of the morning. The days are getting warmer and it won't be to long from now that it's going to be to hot to do anything outdoors.

My Neighborhood

Let me tell you about my neighborhood. It's a nice middle class neighborhood, with a range of different people. We have retirees and families. People of different religions. We have the partiers, and the very straight laced. And like with most neighborhoods, we have the grumpy old man who hates everybody and the woman who yells at the kids who are misbehaving, disrespecting or causing trouble.

I pride myself on keeping the kids on the straight and narrow. Yes! I am the woman who keeps the kids in line. If I see a child who thinks it would be fun to run up onto and then jump on the hood of a neighbors car, I will correct that. If I see a child harassing somebody's dog, I will correct that too.

There's an older couple who has moved across the street from me. I'm assuming it's their daughter (but she doesn't live there) who visits the couple daily and usually is there by the time school lets out. She is a cop, of the rental kind. With a big attitude to match.

I kinda have to laugh (scratch that) I do laugh. Because she walks around in her uniform with her right hand on her hip, ready to whip out that pepper spray if the need be. I can just picture a criminal with a hand gun running away in fear with his hands flailing in the air, screaming like a little girl because she is armed with pepper spray and an attitude. NOT!

I've noticed that the kids, make a point to walk on my side of the street now though. Guess they like me better :)

My Poor Sis

Sis, my daughter (nickname of course) has really been spooked by the recent earthquake and aftershocks that we've been having. You see, she was at the local park on an Easter Egg Hunt with her neighbor friend and his Grandma. So when the earthquake hit on Easter Sunday she was basically alone (without her family).

She has been carrying around her Easter Basket with her favorite things (ipod, dsi, stuffed animals) and some things she feels she may need and won't be able to get to, such as Claritin, eye drops and her tooth brush. It's kind of funny when you think of it, but hey. Her allergies won't be acting up and her eyes won't be itchy, if we happen to end up homeless because of an earthquake.

She doesn't want to be left alone in a room by herself. Her Tio told her that you shouldn't close any doors, because in an earthquake they could get jammed and then you wouldn't be able to open them. So last night, she slept with me in my room. I finally convinced her to let me shut the door. I told her that if all else fails I would break the big double paned plate glass window. When she asked me what I would use, I told her that I would hit it with the barrel of my .22 rifle. She settled down and finally went to sleep.

I'm hoping as time goes on and the aftershocks lessen, she will be comfortable enough to be in a room by herself and not feel she needs to go to sleep with her shoes on, in fear of glass breaking and cutting her feet. But until then, I will be patient and reassuring her everyday that things will be alright.

Unforgettable Easter

Back in 1989 I was living in Redwood City when the Loma Prieta Earthquake hit San Francisco. I had no responsibility's back then other then me, myself and my job. It didn't seem to be to big of a deal. It was a story to tell. But, 20 years and 3 more kids later, things have changed. I live in Southern California now, about 10/15 minutes from Mexicali Mexico where the most recent earthquake hit on Easter Sunday.

This is an Easter I will never forget. This earthquake hit HARD. It didn't just shake the windows and rattle a few plates, it tossed the inside of my house around like a washing machine on a wash cycle. My youngest son and I got out of the house to safety, but my ole man, my 18 yr old son (who was in the shower) and his girlfriend were still in the house. I had so many thoughts screaming through my head. Is my daughter alright?! She was at the park with a friend and his grandma on an Easter Egg Hunt. Is Miguel and the kids going to make it out safely?! Please let them get out of the house before it comes crashing down on them! (as I'm typing this, we have yet, another aftershock)

I'm usually pretty thick skinned, but this recent earthquake really got to me. I'm now, (3 days later) getting back in my usual routine. I want my kids within yelling distance. As of this moment there have been 1350 aftershocks since the initial 7.2 earthquake, so you can see why I don't want them out of my sight. That's a lot of aftershocks and I've heard experts say it's possible for there to be an aftershock of 6.0 within a few days after the main quake. I'm not much for praying, but lets pray there won't be.


An update to this post. I was checking out the USGS website, they (USGS) updated their info to include a 6.6 magnitude earthquake within seconds of the initial quake on Easter just out of Ocotillo CA, which is just a few miles east of where I live. So it was 2 earthquakes within seconds of each other on the same fault line.

An update to my update: Now the USGS has omitted the 6.6 earthquake. I wish they would make up my mind! Hey ! USGS! Get your data straight before you post it will you!