Eric Clapton & B.B. King- Riding With The King

A week or so ago Randy's mom gave us a box of CDs. There were some great CDs in there (Eric Clapton and B B King... Riding With The King; example above) that we kept but many we chose not to keep... so off we went to the CD/DVD exchange store.

Now I don't know if you ever have tried to swap CDs or not. Our experience has been that we did not get much credit up P'land way. It absolutely blew my mind that the CDs that we did not want gave us $90 in credit! What a great treat! We went a bit nuts... he took off one way and I took off the other. We met in between and walked away with a good deal of great entertainment that included music videos, movies and CDs. Randy was able to replace his stolen Boris the Spider, long missed. (We have a big black spider that hangs in the shop named Boris and no he is not real or I would not be in the shop!)

So today in the spirit of giving and sharing... I give you a real treat... that I hope loaded well enough for you all to enjoy. Take a bit of time to go riding with the King! Meanwhile, I'll be watching Ian Anderson leaping and hopping about as he sings and plays the flute. Very cool beans, my friends.

News flash... Congratulations to daBear on another semester of top grades! WOOT! I'm soooo proud of you!

Snoopy vs. The Red Baron (Snoopy's Christmas) (CC)

Ha! My dad was a great Peanuts fan and my childhood Christmas always had this song in it. I thought you all might get a kick out of it.

Yikes! I've been working my fanny off. This past week it's been one customer after another and a line behind, all day long. I've been coming home and dropping like a rock.

But today its time for another Christmas tradition... baking cookies! "Fuzzy" has finished toys for all my grandkids and I've got to whip up some cookies to accompany them to daBear's. This is the first Christmas that I will not be with my kids since they were born. It is imparitive that they at least have my cookies there.

Not that I was a big baker when I had my kids. I think Christmas time was about it for goodies for them. Maybe a pie or cheese cake at Thanksgiving. My mother did not bake goodies at all. That's what Lock's Bakery was for.

In fact, C4C will recall this memory of Lock's Bakery (I don't think it was truly spelled this way, but that was how it was said.) When we were in our bizarre little private school, we had a variety of ages of students and we all did things together. C4C and I were on the upper end of the ages, though truth be told she was likely more mature than me, even if I was older.

Our school was temporarily settled in a fun area of town with lots of shops and places to eat. Lock's Bakery did as many bakeries have done over the years and gave cookies to kids. I'm sure you've done that... go shopping with your mom and get a cookie from the nice lady behind the counter. Hey... she gave you a cookie and that's proof of nice!

Someone of us, and I could not recall who, suddenly recalled the free cookies at the bakery and off a small division of us set for sugary sweet treats. Now there were two brothers who attended our school. J and T were total opposites. One was tall and dark and the other was short and blond with cute little chubby cheeks. A cherib of a boy. But don't let that fool you.

Locks Bakery was a neighborhood bakery that had been well established for many years. It was filled with grandma like blue haired ladies, looking very prim and proper. Some of us did our thing and were turning to go after polite thank yous. There back lit by the sun streaming in through sparkling windows were J and T. Mischief lit up their faces and I was compelled to stop and watch whatever was about to happen. T pulled a small plastic package and ripped it open, letting the smaller part that ripped off drop to the clean floor. A few drops of moisture leaked out as he pulled the rubber from its wrapper and proceeded to blow it up like a balloon... there in the middle of the bakery floor with blue haired grannie types and hoity toity patrons gasping in horror.

I admit that I covered my mouth to keep from laughing out loud. But it was that nervous laughter that you know means that someone is going to be in trouble laugh. Not that I did not clutch onto C4C outside and give it a good belly laugh. The look on those ladies faces.

However, as it happens in life, there are natural consequences for what we do and the result of that folly was the loss of free cookies! That was a crying shame.

Not much of a Christmas tale, but I know it will make C4C laugh and let's face it... we can all use a good laugh this stressful time of year. For the rest of you all I can do is tell you that I am baking cookies today... so close your eyes and think of your favorite Christmas goodie that screamed Christmas in your head. Was it the smell of ginger bread (cookies or loaf)? Was it sugar cookies iced with frosting and shiny sugar bits and balls? Was it Snickerdoodles? How about a still warm brownie with melty chocolate chunks? YUM.

Today... a day off for me... but not an idle day. I have many folk to bake for this year and this batch has to get into UPS soon if it will reach my grandkids and kids on time. No rest for the wicked... or was that the weary? No matter, I'm a bit of both. Big grins everyone!

FESTIVITIES

Yes... the Ducks are going to the national play off game! Yay! Yay! YaY!

Oh my, what a fun game to watch. By the time we finally got home after watching the game and later festivities... Randy was horse from cheering.

Yesterday was a gas. I got up, put on my "Duck" shirt with the fighting mad Donald Duck on it and off we trotted to T and K's for the game. Great fun... BBQ hot sausage, brats and burgers, dips, deviled eggs, and goodies galore!

If you follow college football, then you already know that we won our civil war and will go to the national play-off game. We hoped that Auburn would lose and we could play TCU but that did not happen. So Auburn will clash with the Ducks. Now all we have to do is wait for Jan. 10th to roll around.

Watching the game there is always fun. Interesting folk show up, everyone is happy and united on the same side. It was a rare beautiful day here without rain, so I spent much of my time on the patio. The living room gets crowded and loud.

You know at gatherings there is often someone who is a yakker... perhaps with a bit too much to drink... and past regrets to vent. That person found me. So much for the serenity of my beautiful day, watching the game in a quieter place. I could have gotten up and gone inside. I could have ignored her or been out right rude in response. I listened instead. I don't know why.

Once the game was over and all the joy began to settle back into normal, I thought I was going to escape and go home. Wrong. Somehow, someway, we got talked into going bowling... which is funny because C4C just went bowling with her kids.

I HAVE NEVER IN MY LIFE GONE BOWLING. Of course I sucked. Big time. I ended up with a 66... and a big portion of that was an accidental strike. But I did laugh a lot and had a great time throwing gutter balls. I tried looking for the Dude or Sam Elliot but neither of them showed up, not even Walter. And unbelievably, they did not serve white russians! But on the flip side, no "Chinaman" peed on any one's rug. You have to look for silver linings sometimes.

I expect today to be a nice quiet day. I have it off too. Randy is still snoozing. This is my quiet time. I'm hoping that he will take me to get a tree today. Which is where my Christmas head is right now. Buy a nice tree. Then make ornaments for it. Randy doesn't have anything at all... his ex got all the tree trimming stuff and I left mine for Max and Squeaky.

So here's the Christmas Count Down Question... What was your favorite tree trimming thing? Was it a big deal with hot cocoa and the family gathered together or what? I knew one family that threw tensile at the tree... I mean that literally. They stood back about 5 feet and threw hand fulls of it at the tree and it stayed where it landed. My favorite was stringing Trix cereal to hang on the tree like popcorn. Its much more colorful. And of course you have to cherish the things your kids make to hang on it. That is a given. So tell us... what is your favorite Christmas tree connection?

Big grins everybody!

LISTS

Today is my "independence day"... my one year anniversary of my divorce. Wow, it sure went fast.

Back to Christmas... Santa has a list. Are you on the naughty or nice list?

"Dear Santa,

Here is my wish list:
1) A warm friendly puppy.
2- 20) See above.

Love,
Anandagirl

What's on your Dear Santa list this year?

On the home front, gearing up for the civil war...Benny the Beaver hangs by the fireplace in his noose, tied with care. Duck Tracks ice cream (peanut butter, chocolate and caramel in vanilla) is vanishing from my freezer. MMMMmmmmm...

I am still coming home to be spoiled. Last night a BBQ burger, chips and dip followed later by the Duck Tracks.

My wipers went kaput. I drove home to the sound of screeching wiper blade on glass, very similar to finger nails on blackboard. Randy drove to the store and got replacements, stood out in the rain with a flashlight and replaced them for me,
then filled my washer fluid that had run dry. What an angel!

Get into the Christmas spirit... leave us a Dear Santa or tell us if you've been naughty or nice. (Sometimes I think naughty is nice. ;-) Hee hee.)

Big grins everyone!

Christmas count down

Okay... first day of the true holiday season for Christmas. So everyday until the big day, I will try and bring a bit of Christmas spirit to Funch.

Today's cheer is an easy one. Our store and the Maries have gotten together for a Toys for Tots drive. Yesterday, all day long, I rang up toys, toys, toys! I was so impressed by how many people came in just to buy toys for that good purpose. And not just small purchases that were cheap. People truly dipped into their pockets. Children came in with their savings to buy and give. Amazing. It was an exhausting but blessed day.

Gotta go get ready to do it again now. I hope this season brings you all joy and peace.

Let the games begin!

Today is the official start of our "Civil War Week". For those of you not familair with U of O football, this is the week leading up to our big game with the other major Oregon football team, the Oregon State Beavers. A very big game for O fans. Emotions run high and everyone shows their colors... parties are planned... and football leads most conversation as you shop, etc.

Last Friday I was dissapointed that I had to miss the Duck game. Randy taped it for me and stopped watching himself at the half so that he would have surprises when we watched together as soon as I got home.

That of course was Black Friday. It was busy and I was exhausted by the non stop ringing up and bagging. How many times can you say "Did you find everything you were looking for today?" and not sound like a robot?

The funny thing was that at a quarter to four, it stopped dead. The game was about to begin. People were pouring chips into bowls and popping the tops on beer all over town. Meanwhile I suffered a weird let down of sorts. As I said, it was an exhausting and busy pace all day long until that moment. Time flew by but by four o'clock, each and every minute was at least ten minutes long. Normally, my last two hours go fast and I feel elated that I am about to go home at last. This time, it took forever to get to the point where I could remove my till and count it out.

The drive home, which involves a trip through a busy part of town and a freeway looked more like it was three A M than six thirty P M. No cars. I sat at red lights and seriously considered driving through them since no other cars shared the road. As I neared my exit... which is also the Autzen Stadium exit... there was a big sign telling me that it was closed for football traffic. That put me a ways past my house and a bit of back tracking to get there. Several homes have their lights up, so at least I had pretty things to look at.

For some reason I had it in my head that I'd be working through the civil war game. Crap! Then last night Randy pointed out that I have that day off. YAY! I can hardly wait. For my birthday, T and K gave me a nice Duck shirt... which I will wear that day. You gotta show your colors right?

Mom and Ron are going to take tickets at the game in the VIP section. They earn money for their charity doing this. Mom is a Duck fan and poor Ron, is a Beaver fan.
I think we are all feeling sorry for Ron at this point. The Beavers are going down.
Not that it won't be a heck of a game. It will. Too much emotion and history are in this game. Look what happened to BSU this weekend. We don't want to count our ducklings too much before they hatch! But I do believe!

Meanwhile, I will work. Sigh. In fact, I have to go suit up now. So have a great day everyone. I hope you do something that you enjoy today and that many smiles grace your face. Big grins!

Black Friday

Ugh. Black Friday.

I get up very early every day, so its not the getting up early thing that bugs me about Black Friday. Its the idea that stores are this greedy to get a leg up on each other. Its nuts to shop before your brain can wake up... but as the news on TV airs behind me... I can see them there, brain dead and shopping.

My Turkey Day was nice. We went to Randy's mom's. Not a large showing, just us and Ron's step-son and wife and an older neighbor of theirs who was alone.

The food of course was good. Typical fare... green beans, salad, yams, turkey, ham, gravy and mashed potatoes. Goody wise there were pumpkin muffins, pumpkin pie and someone made a great blackberry cobbler that was all warm with a dollip of ice cream on top. MMMMMMMmmmmmmmmm. Randy ate enough of the cobbler to feed three of me and not much diner. He was saving space for the after Thanksgiving supper turkey sandwich. You know, the one that calls to you from the kitchen until you give in and eat it.

We left without my purse. OKAY... I left without my purse. Which was a problem because they live about an hour and a half away and I didn't figure it out until we were home again. Randy said he would go get it when he got up today. Unfortunately, it's Black Friday and like all retail workers, I have to work today. The card that I swipe to open my register is in my purse. Well, crap.

Randy is such a sweetie that he didn't get mad or rant about how could I do that?
Instead, he called his mom to confirm the purse was truly still sitting on their hall table... it was... and they agreed to bring it to me this morning before I leave for work. They have to have Randy help them install a stove in their rental here today anyway.

Other news:

On the birthday front, it was a nice one. Randy gave me my wedding ring set. His mom remarried a few years ago ( they met on eharmony too) and so she had the set that she used while married to Randy's dad, who passed away a couple of years before she met Ron. Randy is going to wear his dad's ring and I will wear his mom's. How cool is that? The rings get to stay together... you could make a cartoon movie about that couldn't you? You know, how the rings were separated and lonely, one in a jewelery box and the other locked up in a cold dark safe, missing each other desperately! Hee hee. I'm happy with it anyway. I think its very special.

His mom also gave me Randy's great grandmother's service for 12 china set, three casserole dishes and a George Forman Grill.

As for work, it goes well. I have been working a lot of hours and come home beat.
I am thankful for my job. But it does wear me out. All that bending and lifting , bagging and scanning while standing on your feet in one spot all day... ugh.

However, when I walk in my front door, there is a fire cracklng in the fireplace, a hot meal ready to be eaten, a frosty drink and a man who tells me how much he has missed me then gives me a welcome home kiss. Sigh... I love it.

So off I go to cater to the insane people who choose to shop on Black Friday (I would hide at home in bed if I could). I leave with a little black cloud over my head. Not because it will be crazy, though it will and not because I will miss Randy... because I won't get off until the Ducks are in the third quarter of their game with Arizona today. CRAP!

Randy will tape it for me. But you know that's not the same thing as watching it live. Oh well, things could always be worse. I will be thankful for the good life I have and grateful to be home when that time comes anyway. I hope you have a great day and my advice is... stay home and don't feed the greed!

Happy Birthday Day

Happy Birthday to me!

As it turns out, Dabear and daturkey could not make it down last weekend...

a car repair issue came up but they are going to try and make it this weekend.

So we went to T and K's house for the Duck game,

another giant sandwich and way too many goodies.

Hats off to the Cal Golden Bears defense...

they really made the Ducks work hard for their win.

Notably the lowest score the Ducks have had all year.

Little N called the Cal Bears "the Bees".

I had to ask why... she pointed at the fans in their stadium and yep, she was right...

there was a crowd of folk in black and yellow stripe polo shirts.

Looked like bees to me. Ha!

Sunday was quiet and lazy.

I love days like that.

Then yesterday, Monday, I got a call...

I got my second job. I'm glad that they are willing to let me do that.

So Mom and Ron came down to take us out for a celebration lunch.

Off we went to the Sizzler and Malibu Chicken.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm

Its what I always get. Last time I got it, I also got an endless salad.

It left me full and uncomfortable.

Of course I got the same thing this time!

But I did it smarter.

This time I filled my salad plate with everything I wanted and ate it all.

Then I asked for a to go box for the main meal... and that was diner.

Nice twice.

Today is my birthday. Yay!

I've no idea what we will do today.

I told Randy I want one of his schloppy burgers.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

We don't buy eggs, Randy's cousin has chickens.

So we called T and asked him to bring some eggs so that I can bake myself a cake.

I got the feeling that Randy and T are cooking something up.

Wonder what it is?

I guess I'll find out soon enough.

Whatever you do today... be happy and celebrate.

Life is sweet.

woot yay and all that

(My favorite Duck)

This will be a quick post.

Just a few orts to toss your way and to let you know I will be back blogging regularly next week.

Okay, I got a job. I like the people that I met at orientation. Its a short hop on and off the freeway... 5 to 10 minutes tops.

Its in a retail store. Its only part time.

But it will do... for now.

I am also in the process of getting a second job. I've done both interviews there and even peed in the cup for them.

All that's left is for me to pass my background check.

So maybe I'll have two jobs.

That's ducky.

:-)

The old gal is having a birthday next week. Yep!

DaBear and DaTurkey are coming down this weekend...

tomorrow to help us celebrate.

I can't think of a better present than to have my daughter and grandson here.

That makes our weekend full.

Sat. is DUCK day.

They play the Cal Golden Bears.

There will be goodies, beverages and fun times...

and a win.

And cake!

Yay! Yay! YaY!

M I A

Goodness, what a busy week! A weird one too. Nothing serious, just unexpected stuff. Randy's old computer was giving him fits and our service kept going in and out. I'd be in the middle of trying to post and it would go down... I'd lose everything and got so frustrated that I took some days off.

Then Randy got a new computer and I loaned him Hal's (my computer) monitor, mouse and key board so that he could transfer stuff from his old one to his new one. So Hal is currently down until that is completed. Meanwhile, Hal is off at the computer spa getting the works. :-)

Our service is still going in and out. They are coming to fix that and hook up more cable for us in our family room that we are trying to get moved into for winter. So I've no idea when things will be normal. I will continue to work on Randy's new one until Hal is re-set up inside the house. The time for patio computing is over for the year.

I had two interviews this week. One was yesterday and I think it went very well. Ironically, I didn't want the job that I thought I was applying for... only 10 hours a week, but the Emp. Div. says I have to apply. When I got there, very relaxed because I didn't care if I made a good impression or not, she told me that the short job was filled but would I consider more hours. Suddenly I was very interested in making a good impression. Ha. For once I think I did very well in the interview process. I'll keep you posted.

This weekend... off to T and K's for pulled pork BBQ and watching the Ducks Vs The Trojans at the Coliseum. There has been a lot of flack aimed at the Ducks from USC, but we retain the higher ground on mannors. The game should be a good one with high emotions adding fuel to the fire. The point has been made that since USC can't do a bowl game, this is their big fight for the year in the Pack 10.
Yikes! But I believe in my Ducks and hope for the best. Good luck to both teams.

Meanwhile, I'm keeping a close eye on BSU... scoping out a possible match if we go that far into nationals. All that blue turf! Ha... they call it "Smurf Turf". It seems to me it might give them an advantage, as it matches their uniforms and they sort of blend in... but I think that's an illusion because games are filmed from above and it's not 3-D. Anyway, they are looking good.

I hope you all have a great weekend. Sorry I've been off so much. No worries... its all great here. Big grins everyone!

Okay... a totally silly photo that I love. This is little N's uncle R after she put flowers behind his ears.


We had one of our usual football season weekends... as much football as we can squeeze into the days. Our Ducks were on their by... so we skipped around to watch the competition get beat and to scope them out .
As you know, Saturday is college football day and that leaves NFL for Sunday. Neither of us have a particular NFL team, but we know those we do not support. Kind of a weird way, but it works for us.


Hey... thanks Badgers for knocking those Buckeyes down!


A funny thing happened on our local news channel. The sports guy was talking baseball and mentioned that our head newscaster liked the Yankees.
But when the camera went back to the newscaster, he said very clearly and deliberately
"I am not a Yankee fan, have never been a Yankee fan and will never, never be a Yankee fan. I'm a Red Sox fan!"
I happened to be in the bedroom and Randy was in the living room... I could hear him laughing at my agreeing woot.
When I came out he said "So I'm guessing that Rick (news guy) is your new best friend?"
Yep. That's about right. I'm not the only left coast Red Sox fan.


Which brings us to last evening. I found a couple more fans.
Randy is not a baseball fanatic, but he enjoys the games with me when I can see them and is endlessly amused by my responses to the Yankees.
I tend to go by the saw "The enemy of my enemy is my friend" and in that spirit, I always root for whoever plays against the Yankees as a point of honor.


Randy has been wanting me to meet his friends N and M.
Last night they came over for burgers.
We ended up rooting for the Phillies, among other things.
When they arrived, M and I went to the store for buns and brews.
Now, I do not easily make friends with other women.
Its not that I dislike them, it just doesn't seem to happen.
I don't do girlie things. I like science, history, politics and some sports.
But by the time we got back from the store... I do tend to yak...
we discovered that we had tons in common.
Later, I found out that I have tons in common with N, her hubby, who is into great music and we danced through the same circles back in the days of Miss Bliss. Like Randy, N and I were likely in the same places at the same time... out there in the crowd, on many occasions.
They did not leave until 2:00 AM.


I was expecting a quiet weekend without a Duck game.
I could not have been more wrong. Lots of cheering, great games all around and good company.

I'm fresh back from an interview at a craft store.
It would be a good job for me. In fact, its only about 6 blocks away so I can walk to and from work. I think the interview went well, but they have to do my background check and will call me in about a week.
I also popped my head into the liquor store this weekend... and the gal seemed pretty pleased to see me. She said they needed to keep it open for another week, but she winked at me.
I hope she wasn't flirting.

Big grins everyone!

Golden Reflection

This is a little barn that Randy's grandpa made a bazillion years ago that he used to play with as a kid. Now it hides under our holly.


Today is a golden hump day!
One of those days where I wake up bright and cheerful to sunshine and pay attention to details that I would normally miss.

Not much has been going on to talk about, but things that have happened, tiny as they are have big meaning for me.


Last weekend was the Duck game of course... at T & K's.
They had one of those Subway sandwiches made for a giant and tons of finger foods. Our Ducks, now moved up to #2 in the nation won, but not without cost. Three of our best players were taken out by injury.
One hauled off field to the hospital with head injury after he was slammed in a totally illegal move. Helmet to face.
There is rumor that the gentleman who slammed him will be ejected, but that is up to the Pac 10 folk.
He seems to be okay, if you can believe what the news says, but we will see how long it takes before they allow him to play again.
If nothing else, it should prove that even with 3 of our very best taken down, we can prevail.
We have a by this week. A good thing... time for our fellows to heal.


The next day was our little N's birthday.
N is Randy's only grand daughter, who turned 4 and could not be sweeter or cuter. She sat on my lap and played with my blouse ties much of the time we were watching the game the day before.
I am completely captured by this little heart.
Her mom and I were drinking strawberry daiquiris.
Her mommy, Randy's only daughter, turned to me and said
"Yep, you're grandma... my mom hates that, but I'm okay with it!"
I appreciated that.


The birthday party was supposed to be at a Chuckie Cheese, but they were so crowded and they did not keep our reservation... so we moved it to another local pizza place where they were thrilled to put up with so many of us.


N didn't care. She was ready to play, eat and open presents!
In the end, it was a success... of course. N kept running up to me to show me her presents, and I got a great big hug when it was time to go.
Almost all the family was there. One of Randy's boys could not make it and his ex had to work. Otherwise it was the entire clan and many friends. My list of folk I know here is growing.


The last few days I have been busy doing the application thing.
Its like some wild river that never seems to reach the ocean.
Yesterday we took back the aps that I collected on Monday.
Here's one annoying thing... Monday I go to the place where the Emp. Div. sent me... with the warning that if I do not go there I can loose the benefits I've been denied and appealed. So off we go and its way out yonder in the paw paw patch at the outskirts of life here. I walk in and there is a big sign that reads:
WE ARE NOT ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS!
Swell.
About that time the phone rings and its Randy's best friend, who he has been trying to get over to meet me for some time now... she's at our house. My Emp. Div. wild goose chase caused us to miss that.
Well crap!


Otherwise, everything is still sunny and warm and my spirits are high.
The only real plans we have for now are to get together with his daughter and her two kids and his son's fiancee and her daughter for the fun of it.
His son, R just reenlisted in the National Guard and has flown south to train for 9 weeks. We thought that might cheer his fiancee up.


There you have it. Family is what I am gaining now. I have a wonderful family that I treasure, but there is room here for more...
these kind and accepting people have improved my life.
I find myself here on a golden hump day, grateful and happy.


Big grins everyone!

MAN AT WORK

YAY! YAY! YAY!


The man has a job.


As you know the guys are working a three large cabinets for a fancy
walk in closet. Two are the type that have shelves and drawers for everything from snuggy unders to jewelery. I can't imagine having enough jewelery to put in a big drawer, but hey... go for it lady. The other has a built in seat for sitting in when you put your shoes on. Me, I generally use the edge of the bed.
Guess that's why I don't need a fancy walk in closet.
Not that it wouldn't be nice. I'm happy with a normal closet.
In fact, I could not begin to fill the drawers in this thing.


But I've gotten off subject haven't I?
T showed up to work on the cabinets and told Randy that his boss could use him at the cabinet shop. Very cool beans. Its not full time at this point, but hopefully will work into it. But it is something and Randy happens to be very good at it.
In fact, Randy makes custom fine furniture on the side.
That's my happy news.


Somehow its made the sky brighter and the sun warmer.
I'm feeling pretty good about things today.
The only draw back that I can think of is that it's swing shift hours.
Hey... any work right now is good work.
But then there will be evenings when I am sitting here alone.
But when you get a gift, you have to be thankful and make the best of it right?


So... I decided that I will spend that time baking goodies for the man and getting a leg up on holiday baking. Normally I'd make something to give to my kids or buy something. Make something... quilts was what I had in mind, but its too spendy for us at this fork in the road.
So instead, just like Little Red Riding Hood, I'll be sending baskets of goodies.
And when Randy comes home, there will be wonderful smells in the house and something warm and sweet to greet him.


You can choose to view bumps in the road as nightmares, or you can write your own fairytale.
Given a choice, I'll pick the fairytale every time.


:-D


Have a great day everyone.
If you have any happy thoughts you want to share, please...
your comments are always appreciated here.



Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go find some little red socks.
(There's a joke in this... but its not something one puts on a blog.)
I figure if you know the joke, you'll laugh.

AGE DISCRIMINATION

I know there's a rainbow out there somewhere. I took this photo in front of our house last week when Blogger would not let me publish pics.


I am finding a curious thing on applications on line.
You know they all have disclaimers about being fair employers who do not discriminate against this or that politically correct issue.
You have to read these silly claims and then click a box that says you understand.


WHATEVER!

I have also found that they have ways of asking questions that belie their statements on age.
For example, several have boxes you can check with age categories.
Some just want to be sure you are over 18 or 21 for youth labor laws and selling items that require a minimum age limit like alcohol and cigarettes.
Understandable.
Yet there is another group that give you age groups such as
18-25, etc.
I have run across several now that only go as high as 40 years of age.
There is no box to check that is over 40!


This fascinates me. One would not even accept my application unless I checked that I was born after 1968!
Yet they all have the same anti-age disclaimer.


I had a good giggle too when the clerk at the liquor store asked me hesitantly if I could lift a box that weighed over 20 pounds.


I said "No problem. I'm a mom... I can carry two toddlers and four sacks of groceries and still use one hand to unlock the car door."


You gotta keep your sense of humor if you want to keep your dignity.
:-D


On the humor front... the man and friend T are still working on the huge cabinets they are building in our shop.
I enjoy sitting out there with my surround sound, watching them work.
Last night they were spraying lacquer over the stain... just outside the big shop doors.
I'm sipping my drink and things are kind of funny... I mean we are laughing a lot.
We generally do that anyway, but things were extra funny.
It wasn't the beer. It wasn't the jokes.
I think maybe now I understand why people "huff".
At one point, T says
"I think I lost three brain cells... and I was saving those."


It's hump day!
Enjoy!

HUNGRY

Imagine him seasoned with bits of parsley, sauteed to perfection and then liberally dipped in garlic butter.
Joy!

I'm off on a food trek.
I admit that for years all I truly did in the kitchen was make very large meals for a large family with a limited budget on a daily basis.
Not much fun, a chore for the most part.
It takes the thrill out of food when you come home from work tired and do not really feel like making a Thanksgiving sized meal, but someone has to feed the masses I call my family.
I fell into a pattern of making many of the same things over and over.
Blah.

Since my resurrection from the dedicated and somewhat depressed mom in charge into a single person with no more obligations to rear children and became a happy singleton, I have found renewed interest in the delights of food exploration.


Much of this is due to Randy, who is a great cook as well as back yard griller. I have always loved to eat food... which as you know can be a problem. The fact is that feeding children is not exactly a task that involves much praise from the eaters. You set something in front of them and they eat it.
Randy is generous with compliments and suggestions. We often cook together and for each other. Add into this our friends, T & K... who have a great recipe box as well and are generous with offerings... and we are all off and running. Especially with the new to me event of tailgating and game day BBQs.

Still, much of what is prepared involves store bought products that come out of a jar or bottle. For example, the guys like to make appetizers. We do muscles, clams or oysters on the grill and then dip them in a Thai Sweet Chili Sauce or like the smoked steelhead on crackers with cream cheese and the Red Pepper Jelly.

My new food trek is about making those jar items fresh myself.
So I've collected recipes for both, as well as Spring Rolls and I can hardly wait to try them out. I am sure that we will prepare them as directed the first time and then tweek them until they are to our liking.
For me, that's the fun part. But then, that is what is fun about cooking here... being able to present something that delivers satisfaction and pleasure to my eaters.

Its been a food sort of summer for me and I'm thinking that will continue for a long time. You know about the berries, the green beans and other various foods that I've been packing away in the freezer.
Yesterday I did up a bunch of corn for freezing... shucking, blanching and cutting nibblets off of fresh organic cob corn.
These were all grown at Mom and Ron's in their huge garden.
Next summer, armed with my compost efforts, I will have one of my own.
All I have to do is get through winter.

This year, Randy and T are not hunting.
Next year they will again.
I love the idea of giving my market less money.
By growing, hunting and fishing... well there will be much to play with in the kitchen. Plenty to share!

The Duck news is good. The Ducks, though behind at the end of the first half did what they do very well... that is to own the second half of any game. Final score, Ducks 52...Stanford 31. Both the Ducks and Stanford are ranked in the top ten nationally. This latest victory... and a heck of a game it was... pushed the Ducks up from their rank of 4th into the rank of 3rd. WOOT!

Unfortunately, next week our game will not be televised.
You can bet our ears will be glued to the radio.

On the issue of employment, I think I may have hit a bit of luck.
I am at this point willing to do just about any honest work to be able to contribute and then take my time finding a better job.
We happened to be in the liquor store yesterday and on impulse, I asked if they were doing any hiring.
She said that there was a part time job opening up, to drop by a resume.

Its only part time, but here... I can get part time employment benefits, which would resolve the issue of my qualifying for them.
The liquor store is quiet. Here, they are state controlled.
You don't go to the market for hard liquor, only beer and wine.
Hard liquor is all they sell.
Its small and as I said, quiet and calm.
I think that might be a good fit for me.
But then, maybe something better will show up too.
For now, that would do.


I hope you all had a fun weekend. Let us know what you were up to or what your hobby or passion is these days.

GAME DAY

Since Blogger has some issue with uploading my photo... sorry, just words today,

and quick ones at that.

The biggest news here is that ESPN's 

Game Day

has come to broadcast from Autzen Stadium.

Fans were up way before dawn flooding Autzen's outer areas to show their passion.

And passion we have here!

Today's game... our Ducks vs Stanford

will be aired on ESPN.

Kick off here is at 5:00 and I've no idea how that translates for any of you, but if you can catch it

it should be a hell of a game.

Stanford is ranked 9th and the Ducks moved up one space to be ranked 4th.

Don't let that fool you, it could go either way.

On the opposite coast... best of luck to 

Boston College's Eagles today too!

If I can, I will try to catch that game on TV.

This morning Randy and T are working on some cabinets, until its time for T to go to Autzen.

We'll be staying at home for this one.

No worries... we will do it right.

On the menu: 

Cony dogs with lots of onions,

smoked steelhead with cream cheese on crackers with hot pepper jelly.

Adult beverages of course.

Today the side by side cities of Springfield and Eugene will be LOUD.

Tomorrow I expect near silence...

voices will be left behind in Autzen

and all that will be left will be the horse whispers of fans... and hopefully the legacy of another win, evidenced by the big grins on local faces.

Whatever you do this weekend, enjoy and stay safe.

If you have a game... good luck to your teams.

If you have someone you care about...

be sure to show it and be thankful.

Life is sweet!

FRIDAY YAY!

Blogger is being a testy old lady today... and wants to take an eternity to upload a simple photo.

Sorry, I got tired of waiting.  Its a sky photo, which can come in handy any day.  So another day then.

Yay!  The weekend is finally here.

Not that we have anything special planned.

Tomorrow will be the next Duck game.

We play Arizona there... in the heat, which our boys are not very used to, so it should add an interesting element to the game.

I don't know how Arizona is ranked, but they should prove to be a better test of our ability.

Today it is beautiful here.  The rainy days are gone for a few days and I plan to get out in the yard to continue my endless battle with the weeds.

We slept in.  Mostly because of a wicked chocolate jones last night around midnight...

that sent us off on a run to 7-Eleven.

Not the cheapest way to shop for chocolate...

we left with twelve dollars worth.

YIKES!

Okay... I would like your opinion on an idea that popped into my head.

As you know, I'd like to be bringing some money into the house and my unemployment is still up in  the air.

So, I thought about contracting myself out as 

a "story lady".

That was part of my job the past 15 years and I truly enjoy reading out loud to children.

I don't have many books, but I've read soooo many and there is a nice library here that can fill my needs.

It was not unusual for a teacher to call and ask me if I had time to read a story or two to the class so that she could get copies run off, attend a meeting, etc.

So my brilliant idea is to make up fliers selling my services for teachers.

I have no clue if it would fly or fall flat.

I do know that every class has a budget for such things.

What do you think?  Would it be a waste of time or might it pull in a bit of pocket money?

That's really all I am looking for...

I doubt seriously that it could work into anything more than "extra money".

However, it could open up a door as well as keep me in good practice.

I honestly am interested in your opinion.

On another note... the rains have brought the snails and slugs out.

Walking last night, we smashed 3 snails in the short walk to the truck.

Ick.

Beware of tiny crunchy terrors

and have a great weekend.

STORMS

Wow life is a roller coaster.

We are having ups and downs at every turn these days.  I had to take a breather.

Last you heard I had three interviews... as it turns out, they were actually "screenings" for interviews.

WTF?

So I dressed up and waited until they got around to me and then was screened... which basically meant I had three minutes to introduce myself and present my resume, letters of reference and make myself look interesting enough to interview.

Now I get to wait for three weeks to see if I even get the real interview.  Sheesh!

I was ordered by the emp. div. to attend a job fair.

I complied.  I want a job.

So there I was in a line that went down the block and around the corner with hundreds of other hopeful suckers.  It took a long time of waiting on the sidewalk, in the parking lot, up against the wall in the lobby, on the stairs and finally into a room with so many people in it that the smell was enough to make me ill.

Every man and woman in there seemed to be wearing enough perfume to kill a horse.

I spent most of my time in line thinking about what the weight limit was for the room.  I kid you not... the floor vibrated and shook. 

I thought... well, at least I have my cell phone so that I can call Randy and let him know I'm going to the hospital when the floor falls through.

Let us say it was a totally unproductive exercise that to my thinking was designed to mollify the unemployed masses into thinking that they are doing some thing for us.

I know.  I have a bad attitude.

I got official word that to the emp. div. thinking... I should not have moved until I had a job, therefore I forfeit my right to benefits, because I gave up a good job without just reasons.

Clearly they have never lived in Dumb Potter's Hell.

So... my mood soured and it showed.

Randy has not seen my mood swing aptitude prior to this.

It affected his mood.  He was worried about me.

Ironically, that made me feel better.

I don't like to see anyone else down... so I pulled myself back up to cheer him up.

So we decided to take it easy for the weekend.  No applications, no job talking.

BBQ and football.

Ducks did it again... 69 to 0 against Portland State.

That made us smile.

This week we play Arizona State there.

But we will be watching it on the tube.

I think it will be more of a challenge... but we will see.

After that we caught ex Duck, Dennis Dixson playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Unfortunately, he was injured and carried off... but wow, what a great game.

After our lazy weekend, we did Monday Night Foot Ball at T and K's.  Watched the 49ners lose.  But it was a good close game and fun to watch.  The nachos and beer were pretty good too.

But the best surprise happened when T gave us tickets to see Heart at the Cuthburt.  He had purchased tickets himself, then won a pair.

It was an excellent concert.

The Wilson sisters are northwestern girls, so a huge crowd showed up.  The lead in act told us they went to college here.  But they did not confirm that or deny it.  So I can't say if that is true.  But they are from Oregon.

I have to tell you, Ann Wilson can really sing!

There were some surprises to be heard...

a mix of Gimmie Shelter and Even It Up was very effective.  They hit all their biggies and some new material off of a bran new album titled "Velvet Red Car."  But the real surprise came at the encore, when you would expect nothing but Heart songs.

Nope.

Would you have ever thought of Heart doing Led Zep's What Is and What Could Never Be?

Ann absolutely nailed it down tight.

Amazing.  Truly.

There was nothing about the show not to enjoy.

Ann still belts out rock and blues and her sister is no slouch either.

We had a great time.

Today we are back to the grind.

More online aps for me.

Oh yeah... I've got to go fax my appeal to the under employment monsters.

Then I have to wait 60 days for their new ruling on the matter.

Oh joy.
I think they are stalling in the hopes that I will get a job and not bother to collect the money I've been paying into it since I was 16.
Is there any way I can refuse to allow the money I put into my unemployment insurance to be used for their pay checks?
I'm thinking that they have forgotten who they work for.

GETTING OVER THE HUMP

Yikes! 

Fall is here already.  Outside trees are turning colors and we still have 5 days of summer left.

I'll  put up some photos of the color changes, but not today.   Today we begin a week of rain.

Oh boy!

It is once  more hump day.

This is a tough one for me.

Three interviews this afternoon and I am still working on the supplemental questions that accompany two of them.

Grumble.

But at least they are letting me answer them in a format and time frame that allows me to think and revise before I make a bafoon out of myself.

Good news:  My Ducks won their second game last weekend.  Was there ever a doubt?

Last night I got to watch my Red Sox beat the Mariners.  Hee hee.

Watching baseball in bed always makes me laugh when I think about that Woody Allen line... his therapist told him to relax and think about baseball to keep from being anxious in sexual situations and he says...

"But all I could think of was SLIDE, SLIDE SLIDE!"

There's your silly humor for the day.

I gotta go and whip this question monster into shape and then I'll be off to mortify myself

thrice.

This has got to end soon. 

Oh in the bad news catagory:

The state is unsure that I qualify for my employment benefits because I moved here to be with Randy.

I had a job 220 plus miles away that I could have kept.

Yep.  A nearly 3 hour commute should not have stopped me an iota.

Right.

If I can just get over this hump day,

I'll be grinning.

Hope you are all grinning.