Grrr

I noticed on my online bank statement a local retail store charged me twice. Over $100 twice.

Call bank. "Call store"
Visit store with receipt in hand "Call bank"
Bank closed it's evening.
Show statement - don't have it yet. Can't print it - out of ink. Not buying ink to print statement to show store THEY charged me twice.
Nice lady, trying to help but geeze. What a hassle.

Yay!

Yay! It's almost the 4th and I get my Lenny hugs!!! And we have parking there. First one to arrive, last one to go! Yay! T-Time for me!!! Yay!

Sur la Table! Yay!

Beechers! Yay!

Starbucks every 10 feet - Yay! Yay!

Ferries! Yay!

Mountains! Yay!

My Baby! Yay!

Shopping! Yay!

Yay! Yay! Yay!

Reunion Update

There was an update to my family reunion. The newstations are going to cover it. We're a Centennial family and have some significant contributions to the state's history. We also have letters of congratulation from one of the state Senators and one of Chief Justices of the State's Supreme Court.

Cool huh?

Superman's Cape

Today I had yard chores and housework to do. Grabbing my clothes this morning I found myself in many of my camino clothes. And, while packing for my much-anticipated Olympics' hike, pulling out "certain things" because they were just second nature "to hike with". I had energy, I had peace, I had memories.

I now know how the Super Heroes can make their transformation be so magnificently - it's partly the "uniform".

Walk on!

The Project

When I was in Oregon last month I saw some art pieces at my friend's brother and sister-in-law's house that I fell in love with. The artist happened to be a friend of theirs. They gave me a website and email address. I studied his work. I wrote to him.

And he wrote back. And I responded. And he responded. Etc., etc.

I may need to get a couple more jobs before I'm done, but he is going to do a custom piece over the fireplace...that big expanse (the size of Montana) that goes up to the 2nd level.

It will bring my love of nature and mist and mystery into a permanent display into my wonderful home.

I'll ask him to take pictures as he works - it will be more momentous than The Wall.

With his work and my brother's - I'll have an art gallery of my own.

Movie In Motion

Remember what it was like when you were a kid (or have you seen it in a movie) where a movie reel is running through a projector and frame by frame you past was flickering past you?

Last night this happened to me. We were sitting outside enjoying the encroaching coolness. The sprinkler was going and a puddle was forming near us. It might have been me, or my grandson, or even my daughter, but one of us started the launched the tiniest of effort of getting someone wet. Then it became puddle stomp and then a wet chase around the cars. At one point we just picked my grandson up and set him in the puddle. And then I got a dustpan and had the lead because I had a scoop. And then my grandson got a bucket (which didn't work well because it was a puddle). And then he gave soaking hugs. We were all soaked and happy.

Robert and the kids and I did this every summer. And sometimes during the "off season" with tap, water we did it in the house too. (You never really knew when you'd be soaked at our house.)

Giggles and farts and snorts and hugs. And the coolest thing? The cameras are still rolling.

Great Balls Of Fire

http://www.carpetestes.org/

My favorite? The sing-a-long!

Celebrating SweetStuff

This weekend is SweetStuff's birthday. I won't be celebrating with him, but that doesn't mean I can't rejoice in his presence on this planet. Birthday's are the perfect time to celebrate the fact a person has touched your heart. Ready?

Here are the reasons I'm glad to know him: Roses-so many, so sweet; picking me up at the airport when I came home from Paris - no one has ever done that before; his laugh - so genuine and so hearty - it never fails to make me smile; he's a great Dad - no one ever loved their children more; he tops the male shopping companion list - no contest.

Happy Birthday SweetStuff - hope you had a fine one!

Friday Night and I Got Nobody

This solo Friday. Woo hoo! But there's an upside. All those recipes everyone has been bugging me to post are about to land on Oh-Oh!

YippySkippy

Yeah - I just got home. But...

Despite hell-week last week and long hours this week, (yeah, I just got home) it's all good. I finally got the info I needed, pretty much, to complete my overdue task. The details that I pointed out last week are being brought forward this week as if new - which fine - it validates that I was RIGHT! The CFO stopped me in the hall and thanked me for something I'm working on - would have thought he'd be happier with A than B, but I'll take B - that' s OK too! The news that I got last week that knocked me off balance - I've decided I'm just not going to let matter. It was inevitible anyway with my luck, LOL I'll still end up working this weekend - but what's new? The accidental overdose of decongestant didn't much phase me today.

So tomorrow, I kick it in high gear, get today's things off the list and MOOOOOOVE on!

I'm alive, I'm kicking, I get to play with customers next week, I'm going to be in a giddy-ful magical, wonderful place next weekend. What's not to be estatic about?

Flips and Flops

Flips
Choco pancakes
Tomato Basil Pizza
Wheat Bread
Lemonade Pie


Flops (sort of)
Homemade biscuits. Let's just say they didn't rise to the occasion. But - my grandson age about a dozen of the medallions :)

Still TBD - T-Lime Pie.

Posting

I wish the Post Secret was meant for me.

Running Through My Head

Emotional night....things that ran through my head:

Cluster Ducky - My first implemention job had an engineer who came up the term instead of using the non-professional explative it replaces. We had a set of small rubber ducks in our project room.

Script Kitty and Flush Puppy - Terms of endearment exchanged on same project. I blushed a lot when the guys (engineers) were guys hence Flush Puppy. Script Kitty coined the FP term for me.

My brother visiting and no one telling me. His son moving to Colorado and no one telling me. Me going to Spain last year and none of them following my trip - only mentioning how nuts I was to do it. They all forgot my birthday. More, but not worth mentioning.

How Lenny calls me T

How desperate I felt in Spain, needing to find Joop and stopping and turning my head and finding him (or rather the back of his head). We're talking three days since I'd seen him. And how every couple of months he recalls what I said to hem that day.

I miss my cats.

How pretty the river outside my window is and how little time I've had to enjoy it.

It is 2am again. Just dawned on me - I need to pack.

Have You Ever?

Have you ever had a wound so deep that when it opened (and it will be), that you find yourself absolutely incapacitated and helpless to quell it?

Yeah - it sucks.

A Glass Or Two Of Wine...

...can really change your perspective.

Overheard....I'm heading to the lobby so I can see the much hoopla-ed moon-rise. 2 glasses of wine inside. Coming off the elevator are two men. One says: "I lost 7 inches in the accident". I burst out laughing.

The moon was pretty.

And today, I almost had to rethink my posting about plaids. I saw refutable evidence of such.

The Road Rose Up To Meet Me

I've noticed lately that once the Camino was that thing that I did and now I marvel how it has become, me and mine. Almost an appendage. I am it and it is I.

One gal, whom I envy, went back and stayed. Here's something she shared this week:

...She gave me Benedetti, in Spanish. No te salves.
Here you have it, then. Below. Treat number 2, as I've just googled it. A quick look hasn't yielded a translation I love, but this is my favorite, transcribed below. No te salves.
No te salves/Don't Save Yourself by Mario Benedetti
Don't stay motionless by the roadside
don't freeze joy or love halfheartedly
don't save yourself now or ever
don't save yourself
don't become serene
don't keep only a still corner in this world
don't let your eyelids droop heavy like judgements
don't stay without lips
don't sleep without dreams
imagine you're bloodless or judge yourself in haste
but if
after all you can't help it
and you freeze joy
and you love half-heartedly
and you save yourself,
become serene,
keep a still corner in the world
let your eyelids drop heavy as judgements
and stay without lips
and sleep without dreams,
imagine yourself bloodless,
judge yourself in haste and
stay motionless by the side of the road
and you save yourself
then don't stay with me.

Amen sister, amen.

Reunion - Huh?

The reunion organizer sent me a nice note in response to my news today and then shared a little bit of interesting info:

"Also, it was a great time meeting your brothers R & L over Memorial Day weekend. A and R were terrific hosts to both me and my daughter, E. I'm sure it would be equally enjoyable to have you mixing it up with all of us!"

Oh really?

How nice, how very, very nice.

Reunion - Not

I've had a family renunion planned for two years. I scheduled the time off 49 weeks ago. I canceled my plans today.

I was instrumental in it happening, I was a part of it's planning. My genealogy work contributed to what groups would be included. Many of the people attending won't be around much longer. Many I haven't seen in 30+ years.

The decision is my own. I chose not to do a CLM and proceed as planned. It is self-imposed. My company supports me, but I can't in good faith go to my customer and say "too bad, so sad". That is just not me. And I am, if nothing else consistent....this is the 3rd or 4th reunion I've missed. The others were small annual or bi-annual events. This one is the mother of all my "kin" have ever created.

I do though know how to stimulate the economy - plan a reunion that includes me.

Hate That

There's a point in the night that you become so very tired that you feel hot and prickly. No, that's not what I meant, nor what I said. It's the point of exhaustion where if you don't give into it - it's going to seriously come back and haunt you manana.

Yeah -that's the ugly feeling. The post time is unaltered. I have a sneaking suspicion - it's going to be one of those weeks.

It's A Secret

Plaid on Asses

Plaid parked on asses should be banned. I don't care how long, how tall, how thin, how old or young, how wide, how short the piece of clothing is or how warm it is out side....plaids do not belong on asses!

Seeing three-states worth of worthy specimens this weekend, makes me qualified to comment on this topic.

Plane or Sugar?

I love airplane coffee. I love the way it smells and I love the way it tastes. The flight attendant wrinkled her nose when I said it - but for me it's nirvana.

How Much Love?

How much love can one experience in a weekend?

Snuggles and loves with 4 of 5 grandchildren, the 5th being very three.
Learning an 8th is on the way!
Getting Bronco gear from your son in law who is a die hard Steeler's Fan.
Surprising two of your grown daughters on their birthdays.
Meeting one daughter's new boyfriend and likin' what she saw!
The unwavering love of the closest one can get to their own mom in mother in law form
Spending time with the sister like sister in law.

I'm the luckiest mom alive.

Boy Voices

I think on many days this is the single most thing I dislike about being single is the absence of boy voices. I love listening to a man's voice. And in this day and age of emails, chatting and IM's the art of real, spontaneous, interpersonal conversation is being lost.

Caller ID - the nice thing about this little bit of technology is that one's eyes can light up like a Christmas tree knowing that "the voice" is about to be heard.

What is really, really neat is having email is being able to stay connected to my Camino friends and they have ALL come out of the woodwork this week. And the very neatest, most wonderful thing is when the Caller ID is a male voice from across the pond.

OK - I feel so much better now.

1-2-3 Dip

Yup - that's life!

Another Eighty

And this eighty was allllll for me.

I had a wonderful, busy, can't really say relaxing, but will say fulfilling, vacation. I got a lot of stuff done for the house, generally for the family and an a lot of cooking done. I'll update oh-oh later this week with my fabulous recipes.

I have little scraps of paper lying all around with the measurements I used for my recipes last week. I did pull some out of a hat and they turned out well. A couple need some work to get the flavors that I want but....some I hit just fine. And the Penzey's recipes....to die for.

I have little open mouthed birds now when it comes to my treats: "Those were all good. Not sure if I could pick a favorite because they had different flavors. Really enjoyed the nuttiness of the bread though. Keep up the baking, it’s sooo good!!!! Thanks!"

I did so much I really need to go back to work to rest.

Longing For The Camino

The longing has returned. Friends are returning to the Camino. People whom I met, are still in touch. My reunion asked about accomplishments. It's all coming back.

The groups, the backpacks, the solitude, the experience.

Hug the Camino Bear Teri and take a deeeeep breath.

Wow - Is That Really Me???

My 30th Year Class Reunion is this year. Other than the big sticker on the envelope telling the entire USPS system how old I am, I'm looking forward to going. In said envelope was a questionnaire - and it is a good one - I thought I'd share it with you - I was AMAZED when I filled it out. This is my life:

Who is the most famous person you have met and what did you do with them? (The word "most" is inhibitive). David Cassidy kissed me. I worked out with Richard Simmons. I met Lord Wedgwood and he signed a piece of china for me. I met Mark Harmon and talked to him for about 15 minutes. Robin Wilson, Gin Blossoms, grabbed my camera from stage, took a picture of me. Then he jumped off the stage, handed my camera to bystanders, had them take a picture of us, all while singing. I met the Monkee's, Davy Jones and spent a few minutes talking to him and having him sign his book. Other authors: Ann Rule, Earl Emerson, Ridley Pearson, and Sue Grafton. I have exchanged emails with Rosemary Mahoney, Tom Clancey, Paul Coehlo, Sue Kenney, Ken Griffey Jr.

What is your best accomplishment since graduationg from high school? (not kids). The Camino de Santiago. I did 275 miles of a 500 mile hike from St. Jean Pied de Port, France (Pyrenees) to Santiago de Compostella, Spain (western Spain). I did not know this person was in me: http://mi-viaje-a-santiago.blogspot.com/

What is your BEST high school memory? The come-as-you-are-party Denise and I threw the morning after Graduation. That would also be the morning after the senior kegger at the Sand Pits. It was really, really early and everyone was really, really hung over.

What was your most HAIR-RAISING high school memory? What happened in high school stays in high school.

What was the highest amount of money you spent in one day since high school? I haven't a clue - and have probably blocked it out.

What is your dream job? The one I have now. Always busy, always challenging, always new.

How many states in the U.S. have you visited since high school graduation? How many countries in the world? List them please. States - 34: Colorado, Washington, Utah, Hawaii, California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland/DC, Virginia, Massachusetts, South Carolina, North Carolina, New York, Kentucky, Ohio, Illinois, Florida, Texas, Iowa, Minnesota, Kansas, Nevada, Nebraska, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona. Countries - 7: Canada, Mexico, Santo Domingo, Spain, France (3x), Netherlands, Portugal.

What is the nicest car you've ever driven? My Miata.

Who from our class would be most qualified to run our country? I don't know what everyone's been doing. This will be interesting to find out.

What is the greatest miracle you've ever seen? Two shooting stars while carrying the remains of St. Philomena across a church courtyard. The family of storks landing in the church bell-tower at dusk in Belorado, Spain. The "presence" who/which helped me find my way in the dark in Spain so many pre-dawn mornings. Seeing the Milky Way with not a single city light to diminish it. And the gene-pool present in my children (ALL of them!).

Yes, this is my life and I LOVE IT! I don't want to be anyone else but ME!

It's Hard To Be Green

I'm really trying to do my part to be Green this week and it is really, really hard. I bought a push mower a couple of years ago. Not because my postage stamp sized yard cost me a fortune in gas to mow, but because it would be good exercise and well, unconventional (yes, my middle name).

Now the mower has been well loved and is in need of a sharpening. I don't want the grass blades yelling at me for unnessary pain caused by ripping them by their roots. And...the thing doesn't push well when it's pulling and not clipping.

Can I find a sharpening service? No. Do I want to drive to SLC with a push mower sticking out of my baby trunk? No. Do I want to drive to SLC for a blade sharpening? No. Are we just buying new mowers when the blade goes dull? I hope not!

The service aspect of possible places that might sharpen blades is lacking: Yesterday: Place #1 doesn't do sharpening, recommended place #2. Place #2: 3 calls, 3 messages, no return call. Today place #3, today, disconnected. Place #4: doesn't do that and can't recommend another place. Place #5: I found after patiently waiting for 9am to roll around (I learned that lesson yesterday after trying to call at 8am), is pen 10am-7pm, and I can't leave a message for them to call me because they flat out say they don't check it.

On goes the quest.

More Green for Me

I drove up to Sundance today to do my glass recycling. What a beautiful drive. Sun up, top down, cool air - gotta love the Summer!

Today was a ultra yummy cook day. Persian Pomegranate Walnut Chicken, hummus, and 'elfie cake (another Penzey's recipe). My daughter just kept saying "oh that's good", "oh this is good", "THAT was really good!".

I also did about eight loads of laundry. Hers. She pulled between 60-80 hours the last couple of weeks. Knowing what that takes out of you (I have the same T-shirt) I wanted to help. I was up early and home today so it was just a few trips up and down the stairs.

Oh, and everything we planted is still standing strong!

Preservation In All Its Forms

I did two things this morning in one little gesture. I subscribed to the local paper's e-edition.

1) I am contributing to the preservation of the newspaper industry. It's preserved me all these years - time again to give back. I have so little time and aptitude for just sitting and reading the paper in my lap. And the paper would be "home" more than I tend to be. But I thirst for the news and I love the industry. Now I can have it all.

2) The e-edtion keeps the paper from hitting my driveway and the recycle bin. Save those trees. Save the industry. Save my intelligence. Love the Web!

Perfect Day

I don't think I realized how fast I've been going. Today was one of those that didn't end (oh do I love the DAYS of summer).

I started the day making Penzey's Scotcheroos for my grandson - a much more detailed recipe than those I compared on the web. I finished up the BBQ (with the roasted corn and cole slaw I made yesterday, this was nearly a picnic)! And then set the crockpot to working with Mom's Spaghetti Sauce.

My daughter and I went to the hardware store for plants. I make a quick trip to the office. Then we proceeded in weeding the garden and planting. This evening we all sat on the patio and took in the perfect warmth of the day.

The weather, the work, the cooking, everything made for a perfect, perfect day.