I'm leaving, on a jet plane...

but I know when I'll be back again!

Yay. Going to Rome. In two days. With my hubby. Who, by the way, has been really awesome lately. Maybe it's Christmas, or maybe it's the upcoming New Year, but I have so much to be thankful for, and so much hope for this next year.

Merry Christmas! Or...Buon Natale!

On Fire

When you lose everything, you come to find out that it wasn't really everything.

- A semi-direct quote from church yesterday after the devastating fires in our community, in which there are more than a few families who really have lost everything.

Although I know there are really, really tough times ahead for many of these families and individuals...I also know it has been comforting to see a community gather around and display an amazing amount of generosity and love to those affected by the situation. It reminds me that people are genuinely good hearted and giving.

I also think that when a situation is in our backyard, our first response is to give and help in any way we can. When these are the faces of people we know - it is our first instinct to love. And give open-handed and open-hearted. And that is incredibly encouraging.

Need/Want

I haven't shopped in ages. It's because now that I'm married I'm broke.

Don't get me started on why...it just amazes me how TWO incomes are LESS than one. Despite simple math, people, it is true. How, I don't know. But it is.

So, long story slightly shorter, I haven't shopped in a long, long time. And today I have the urge.

It started when thinking of the Christmas party and how I probably should wear a black dress I have, then went on as a stream of consciousness: how about that little black dress, and what shoes? Well, I have a few. But they all hurt. Especially now that my big toe is injured. I know, very Shaq-like. I'll probably look Shaq-like huge in that dress if I wear flat shoes. Better not go there. What shoes do I have that I like? Oh, those brown ones. Those are cute, and lower heeled, and I've only worn them ONCE! Do I have a brown dress? No. Well, yes, but it's too formal. I'd sure LOVE to shop for a cute, flattering, brown dress. I could save money by just using shoes I have (avoid thinking of the dress cost). I'll just get a simple, affordable, classy chocolate brown dress. And makeup. Natural colored brown makeup....

And so it goes. Pray I resist the shopping. And the internet.

Against My Better Judgement

I have gone and done it.

Gone and done something I never thought I'd do...or try...or get hooked on...or be into in any way, shape, or form.

And it's called golf. G.O.L.F., people. Who knew? Who knew I'd actually like that silly sport? Actually, let me rephrase. Not sport, game. I do intend to hold that it is a game, not a sport. I don't sweat while playing (unless it's weather-related rather than activity-related), and while it is difficult and requires much skill...there are highly skilled, un-athletic people out there participating. Kind of like poker on ESPN. Just because a sports channel covers it does not make it a sport; game is still the category. But a conversation for another day, another time.

Right now I'm still amazed and focussed on the fact that I have now played multiple times...and LIKED it. So many times that we just bought me new clubs because the husband's are too heavy. My own clubs (they were on sale). For golf! Seriously. What has the world come to?

I have to say though. I love being outside, with friends, having a beverage or two, all while golfing!

What's it gonna be next? Lawn bowling? Who knows.

Our New Puppy

New Family

While everyone around me seems to be popping out the kiddies, we have a new addition of our own to announce!

No babies! But a puppy!

We now are the proud parents of a new little lab baby boy. He's 7 weeks and oh-so-adorable. We bring him home tomorrow, so I'll try to take pics and post.

Today's Rant

OK.

Last week it was hitting contaminated material and having to have all of my crews in respirators and Tyveks. The week before it was not having the right-of-entries for the properties that we are BUILDING THE PROJECT ON.

This week? Picketing.

Yes, picketing. We had to call the cops to have the people moved because it was a safety hazard.

Now I'm not going to go into the whole union worker issue here because I just don't do that publicly. However, I will go into this. We are trying to get a job done that will help the community. I am building a sewer, for goodness sakes. A MUCH NEEDED sewer, at that. If we don't build it, I imagine that you will have many more problems in the community then PICKETING a contractor who is just trying to build. He is a union contractor. He pays prevailing wage. Just because you draw your 'this union/that union' line in the middle of freaking town, DOES NOT mean that he should not be able to work here. Or to give you the right to make all of our innocent, law-abding, lives miserable, causing double the work, for this entire job.

If the two unions need to have a pissing match, can you please just do it at your hall or something? Picket there? Please?

Advice

If there were any men who read this blog, I would give them some friendly words of advice:

Do NOT, under any circumstance, EVER challenge their women to actually be crazy.

Tip: We ALL are crazy. In our own little ways, all different, yet ALL crazy. Yes, I said CRAZY. You can disguise crazy with synonyms like passionate, lively, full of personality. Yet it all comes back to the same thing. C.R.A.Z.Y.

So. When you are discussing an issue in the relationship, and you happen to ask for 'patience' or 'understanding' or 'tolerance', please, please, please remember that if she is sane at the moment, and merely raising her voice, she is most likely ALREADY giving you these things. If she were actually being impatient or lacking tolerance, she would be showing you CRAZY.

And it would be very, very wise to not ask to see what it would look like should she NOT be giving you patience and/or tolerance. Because you do not need to ever see what The Crazy looks like. Never. Ever.

Just some friendly advice from someone whose husband probably would have appreciated it prior to this morning.

Yep.

It sure is Monday.

Wow.

Not sure I can do another one of these things. You know, overachieving Mondays that insist upon being very, very difficult.

But I'm alive, and that is good. So that will have to do for now.

I'm baaack.

And I'm hurting. Just a little.

55 miles on the body, backpacking carrying 30 pounds, contrary to popular belief, does NOT do a body good. Well...ok. Some good. Just not all of it.

Including the bruises. I have more mystery bruises from backpacking (ie. sleeping on hard ground at night and continuing to beat up my body by day) than from when I 'accidentally' get drunk.

But all that being said, it was a great trip. I'm pictured above being WAY too excited to be above tree line walking in moon rock. But after that climb, anything felt like downhill.

That being said, the best parts of the trip were:

1. Being with the hubby for a week, pushing our limits together, getting along amazingly well.

2. Seeing my dad and grandfather in their element.

3. Learning the only thing I miss about civilization is a bed, running water, and friends.

4. Remembering that the only things in life that are important were right there with me. And they didn't cost anything at all.

So, welcome home, me.

Random Friday!

TGIF!

And I have my doggie here at work today, which makes me very, very happy. Funny how relaxing having an animal is. If I could only bring her every day.

In other random-Friday-non-important news...I'd really appreciate if my knee could heal immediately. Next week I leave for a backpacking trip with my dad, and it would be really beneficial to the trip if I wasn't stuck 20 miles in the middle-of-f-ing-nowhere with a debilitating knee problem.

Oh, and that triathlon? Would be really awesome to run if my knee didn't feel like it should be cut off every time I run over a mile!

However, this low-impact exercise thing has apparently been great for the body. I don't know why in the heck it works, but working out with the knee problem puts me much closer to my goal weight. So - I'll try not to complain about that...and just would like it fixed sometime in the future so that I can do the activities I love to do.

Also, I drive a lot. And I'm getting tired in the car. I'd love some keep-you-awake suggestions for the car. Maybe some killer book on mp3? I've listened to some, and it's great for some books, and not so great for others. I can't quite figure out why - tone of the reader, content, or what...but some are just a lot better than others. Have a great playlist? An in-the-car stretching routine that you can do while you drive? Help me out please. :)

Go Figure

Marriage is so completely baffling to me.

One day, we absolutely cannot stand to be in the same house. Granted, my house is small. But not sure that is the problem. I mean, I'm sure we'd have those moments even if we bought a larger home. The 'if only we had...' syndrome I'm sure could be another post in itself, so I'll save that one.

But then the next day (or shortly after), I am absolutely smitten with my husband. Loving him to death, he can do no wrong, can't wait to be home from work to see him, that sort of thing.

And sometimes, you find that spot in between that is just best described as comfortable. I think we have jumped from those three options quite a bit in this first year actually. It's definitely not easy, but I think it is worth it.

And today we have been married for exactly 10 months. Almost a year. Sounds short, and feels...well...feels long in some ways and like it flew by in others.

And speaking of flying...wish he wasn't flying to another state right now with weather delays & being far, far, away from here...here's to many more months and years and decades of 'us'.

Love Song

Oh, probiotics, how I love you!

Why did I not meet you earlier in my life? I'm so glad we found each other though. You have changed my life and made me a different person. I'm so thankful for you.

I won't go into details people, but I've always had a love/hate relationship with my stomach. Love to eat food (therefore need the stomach). But hate how it makes me feel.

And that was all before I started taking probiotics. Life changing, I tell you. L.i.f.e. C.h.a.n.g.i.n.g.

The Things I love...Today.

Good Friends & friendships

Those friends being in town

Drinking good wine with said friends

Laughing and good conversation

Seeing my hubby smile

The ocean

Warm summer rain...that happens in California - yesterday

The smell of plumerias

NOT working. :)

Relapse

Ever think you are in a different stage of your life than you really are?

You know...like closer to 18 or 21? I always get that when I'm standing in the grocery line and it tells you how old you have to be to NOT be carded. And I'm always amazed how "recent" those dates seem to be...you can be born in 1987 and drink? Wow.

Anyways, this weekend I thought I was much closer to college than I am. I dressed much closer to being in college than I am. I acted much closer to being in college than I am. And I sure as heck drank much closer to being in college than I am.

I can't wait to post a pic of the afro & 6" glitter heels that I sported for WAY TOO LONG on Saturday. And I can't wait for the weekend hangover to subside to reveal the brain that I need for work today.

Ill-bluetooth-erate

I am officially Bluetooth-impaired.

I don't know if it's just me, or if everyone has problems with this since the new heaven-forbid-you-make-a-cell-phone-call-in-the-car policy was implemented in California.

Seriously? I'm more of a hazard on the road trying to get that earpiece crap to work with my phone then I was when I made a good old fashioned handheld call. It inevitably connects to the wrong phone (work vs. personal, or vice versa), runs out of battery, or just cuts out so that either I or the person I'm talking to is incomprehensible.

Is this a conspiracy to just eliminate any sort of call during driving? Perhaps. Or one to just purchase the most expensive Bluetooth, because it might actually work as opposed to the third most expensive model.

Newsflash: not a good idea, convenient, or environmentally sensitive to have two cell phones...however, when you are not allowed to make personal calls on a work phone, there are few remaining options.

So I break the law and have to talk on the "handset" (I only know it is called that because my phone now tells me this). Or I pretend that I'm not, and put the phone on speaker. And the entire decision making process involved in this leads to more. distraction. while. driving.

Take that, CA lawmakers.

Like it Used to

Didn't string cheese used to be more "stringy" back in the day? I used to love that stuff.

Today I had some and it seemed just like mozarella. No different. Just in stick form.

I mean, it still tasted good and all. Just not as 'special' or something.

There's kind of a lot of things in life like that. Things that used to be way more exciting when you are younger. Going to the pool. Christmas morning. Pancakes for dinner. OK, maybe some things are still just as anticipated. But on the whole? Our level of excitement seems to wane with age.

I know a friend who married an Ecuadorian who has lived in Quito all her life. Never been on a plane, or to the ocean. And to get married, they needed to fly to the coast to do the paperwork. I received an email describing what it was like to travel with a woman who had never been on a plane. Never stepped foot in the ocean. What it was like to see her watch in amazement as the buildings got smaller, and the clouds were closer. To see her childlike excitement when her feet touched the waves that she was slightly scared of.

Childlike. I'm going to try to be that way more often. Childlike Excitement. Childlike Faith. Childlike Hope. Childlike Trust. Childlike Laughter. Because we should all be so blessed to see the world through the eyes of a child. I think it is more like the way we were intended to live. A little more innocent, a little more grateful, and probably a little more joyful.

Maybe I should go try that string cheese one more time.

Of All The Things...

Could I have kept the Gatorade AWAY from the computer?

Apparently not. And now I cost my husband and I, well, whatever the cost of a new computer is. Since I spilled and FRIED his work laptop. Darn.

I wrote a more 'reflective' post on it here:

http://roaringin.blogspot.com/2008/06/flood.html

But in all reality, I'm still just bummed that I did it. Careless mistake. Live and learn.

Most Inspirational

I’d say that it changed my life, but I haven’t done anything yet to back up that fact. So it will have to suffice to say that it has changed my perspective on life.

http://www.threecupsoftea.com/Intro.php

You should definitely read it yourself because any commentary I write will not do it justice. It will give you a new perspective on education, gender roles, poverty, conflict, and war.

Whoa, that just made it sound depressing. It's not.

Let me rephrase. It will give you hope in humanity. It makes peace seem like a reality instead of an ideal. It is only depressing that governments around the world don't seem to embrace this concept as effectively as individuals like the author. Maybe it helps that I heard him speak the other evening, but I still think the book will speak for itself.

So, please. Go read. If not for you, for the children around the world that don’t have the opportunity to even learn to.

Can't Go Back Now

One of my new favorite songs...by the Weepies...with the breaks where I want them, and the words bolded that are my favorite:

yesterday when you were young
everything you needed done
was done for you
now you do it on you're own
but you find you're all alone
what can you do
you and me
walk on, walk on, walk on
cause you can't go back now

you know there will be days
when you're so tired
that you can't take another step
now you will have no stars
and you'll think you've gone
as far as you'll ever get

you and me
walk on, walk on, walk on
cause you cant go back now
yeah, yeah go where you want to go
yeah, yeah be what you want to be

if you ever turn around you'll see me

i can't really say why everybody
wishes they were some where else
but in the end the only steps that matter
are the ones you take all by yourself

and you and me
walk on, walk on, walk on
yeah, you and me
walk on, walk on, walk on
cause you can't go back now
walk on, walk on, walk on
cause you can't go back now

Vacation!

Sometimes it's fun to leave my normal life behind.

No work.

No cooking. No cleaning. No chores.

No budgeting. No saving. No tracking. No planning.

No gym.

Just me. And two good girl friends. In another country.

Relaxing. Retreating. Refreshing.

A whole lot of catching up.

A vacation!

Someday can be right now

Right now, I'm thankful for:

• Free flights
• Great friends to share things with
• The heart of June, a very special lady
• Summer weather
• The ability to dream
• Friday is one day closer than yesterday
• Grace

Right now, I'm praying for:

• Safe travels
• Financing for our mission trip
• OK, financing in general
• The sun to peak out today
• My hubby to find his wallet
• To see the big picture
• An attitude of thankfulness, joy, and peace

What about you?

A Wonderful Life

I spend a lot of time on "maybe somedays". And not as much time on "how about today's". I think everyone is a lot like that. And if they claim they aren't, they might just be setting low expectations for themselves, or perhaps selling themselves short...or maybe, just maybe, they are pretty exceptional and accomplish all the things every day that they set out to do.

I like "maybe somedays" because they give me a goal. "Aim for the stars, miss, and you still get the moon", right? Sometimes it's true. Sometimes with goals, you lose sight of the important part - the journey. Either way, it's just a philosophy. Just a take on life. Just hope and a little faith.

Lately I think a lot. Sometimes about this sort of thing, sometimes less, sometimes more. But the main side effect of marriage for me is thinking. Thinking, watching, analyzing, waiting, wishing. Hoping, praying. Thinking. And thinking again.

Maybe Someday...

• I'll finally go to graduate school to study something I actually want to learn about.
• I'll drink enough water to be fully hydrated
• I'll love more unconditionally
• I'll be in a World Series of Poker
• I'll learn to communicate with my husband effectively
• I'll stop being angry inside. Or outside.
• I'll work out and eat healthy every day.
• I'll be able to give back as much as I've taken
• I'll pray more
• I'll take my Nana to Venezuela
• I'll have an unshakable faith
• I'll go home after work with no expectations
• I'll decide that someday is today