THANKSGIVING DAY~2008

A very happy Thanksgiving from The Princess~ may your friends and family be many and may your heart and table be equally filled with the blessings of this day.

The Christmas Questionnaire

Oh, I was so motivated this morning....got all my little household and animal chores done and was going to just step into the office for a few minutes....but my first email was this, sent to me by one of my most favorite people in the world, so of course I HAD to acquiesce~ (and I DO love these things anyway):


1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I like to wrap gifts if I have enough time

2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial; are you kidding, here in the desert a real tree???
3. When do you put up the tree? Usually as soon as my husband leaves after Thanksgiving; sort of depends on how motivated I am!
4. When do you take the tree down? Anytime between just before New Year's or the week following it. Depends on if I'm entertaining for New Year's Eve or not and if I am, it still depends on the mood I want as to whether it stays up or not.

5. Do you like eggnog? I've always loved eggnog, especially with brandy in it.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Do you really want to hear about my damned bike again, LOL?

7. Hardest person to buy for? My Dad~ what do you get someone who's got everything?

8. Easiest person to buy for? My mom~ she's got everything, but she's always so thrilled with anything she gets.

9. Do you have a nativity scene? No, but have been thinking about one for the last couple of years. Don't really have anywhere to put it at the moment though.

10. Best Christmas gift you ever received? Being with my family and friends last year at Christmas time; it really meant a lot to me.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I feel terrible for saying this b/c I know my parents TRIED to get me what I wanted, but one year I wanted some really cool knee high black boots~ they got me some black fake leather, fake fur-lined boots that came about to mid-shin and looked more like Santa Clause boots than anything. I HATED those boots! But you know how you have to pretend that they're just exactly what you wanted? UGH. I was so disappointed, LOL.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie or Movies? Hmmm...so many good ones; I love Miracle on 34th Street and A Christmas Carol; for funny ones I loved Home for the Holidays with Holly Hunter and Robert Downey Jr. in it.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? The few weeks before Christmas. I love being part of the Christmas bustle.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?? No, I can usually find a use for just about everything.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Oh, I love our traditions! If we're entertaining on Christmas Eve, I make 3 different kinds of enchiladas; if we arent', it's oyster stew. On Christmas Day, Prime Rib with all the trimmings.

16. Lights on the tree? All white; although I enjoy seeing the colored ones on other people's trees.

17. Favorite Christmas song? I'm a Gemini, so I get to pick two of everything, LOL....Carol of the Bells and Silver Bells.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? We usually travel up to N. CA, but this year we're staying HOME. I know I'm going to regret it by the time it's too late probably

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? As anyone who knows me will tell you, I can recite the entire 'Twas the Night Before Christmas book, so yes, I know all their names.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? To be honest, I really don't remember what I put on the top of the tree; I think maybe a big bow b/c it's too high to really get to. I know it's not an angel though.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Not so much annoying as sad; I remember when we were REALLY well behaved during the holidays because we thought Santa was watching us; now it seems like kids are given carte blanche to be as bratty and squally as they can possibly be.

23. What do you want for Christmas this year? Health, happiness, love and prosperity for all my friends and family and just to be with my little doggies. Anything else would be icing on the cake.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

I know, I know...We still have Thanksgiving to get thru, but I just LOVE this time of year! It's just the feeling of how sparkly and happy everything gets during the holiday season.

And when I look forward to the burgeoning season, all the memories of Christmases past come flooding back ~
that bike was the BEST present I ever got! I was BREATHLESS when I woke up to find it! I remember the feeling I had when that picture was taken like it was yesterday.
I was SO excited to get that bike (which was really too big for me, but that made absolutely NO difference to me, because I KNEW I could ride it). It was a second-hand bike, but to me it was new. And it was beautiful. And it was PERFECT. A REAL bike!
No more little kid's bike for me. I was so excited, I was afraid to smile too hard, lest that might break the spell and the bike would disappear into thin air. My breath truly was stuck in my chest.
I LOVED that bike. I rode it and rode it and rode it, and I loved every single second I spent on it, my hair pulled back in a pony tail so that it wouldn't blow in my face (because doncha know, I HAD to ride FAST!). It was a sad day when I finally had grown too big for it; it was like giving up my best friend. Fast forward 40 years and I'm still a bike fanatic....only the bike on the right is how I roll now, LOL. I LOVE my bikes!

I also wish I had a hundred dollars for every guy I got to ride and/or buy a bike ;). Ahhh...the good ol' days!

So, I'm thinking about the holidays. We're not going anywhere this year, just hanging out at home. We've gone up to the Napa Valley the last 2 or 3 years, but it's such a long drive especially with 2 dogs now~ dh is not very patient about pulling off and giving them time to "go".....he thinks they should poop on command...or at least according to his time schedule, which means "pronto, so we can get to where we're going. He's really not a very good travelling partner, unfortunately. So we'll stay home and avoid the aggravation. Which means, I get to decorate! I have been decorating every year, but I left it at doing a bunch of smaller trees, since it is so much work to put up the big tree and get it decorated, since I am soley responsible for it and I really hate getting up on that ladder! But this year, I'll probably do it...it's about a 3 day job, but it's so nice when it's all done.

I'll miss all our friends up in Napa since this is the time of year when we usually get together if just for a drink somewhere; but a lot of the times if we go up, it's hard to get to everyone to spend time with. At the holidays, we sort of try to devote our trip to running here or there to try to get together with as many as we can. It's sort of what makes Christmas, Christmas to me now. Gifts don't matter anymore, it's the sharing of good tidings and time with good friends and family that makes it special.

We gotta get back there, LOL.

Wishin' and Hopin'

"Wishin', and hopin', and thinkin', and prayin',
Plannin' and dreamin' each night of his charms,
That won't get you into his arms".

Ohhh....MY good ol' days...the days of England Swings and Carnaby Street. I miss Dusty Springfield. And I loved this song.

This is what dh told me the YE's did all day yesterday while I was working at the Art of Food and Wine event; he took this with his Blackberry. Aren't they the BEST EVER? Just staring at the front door, LOL. Too cute.

Today, however, Madison is wearing his "Little MONSTER" tank top....the barking beast! He's such a sweetie though; he's actually learning to SIT! It takes him awhile longer (like a LONG while longer) to "get" things than Max does, but he makes up for it by his happy-go-lucky personality.

Yesterday and the day before were really fun. It was a little too warm on Saturday, and it was a little too cold on Sunday, LOL. And the morning was really windy. It did finally warm up though, once the front passed over us, sprinkling a teensy bit; but it didn't seem to deter the wine drinkers.

I worked at the wine tasting seminar tent, setting up wine glasses for each seminar (usually 6 per person) and then pouring each wine. I tasted only the last wines b/c we had poured almost all glasses for each setting, but not that many people showed up for it, so we sure didn't want to just dump it without at least tasting it! Unfortunately, for me anyway, the last seminar was one on "Affordable Burgundy", so they were all French wines. And I guess I'm a dyed-in-the-wool California girl....I really didnt' care for any of the six. I guess I thought the second one (a chardonnay) was good....and also, I hadn't eaten all day, so I imagine they all would have been better with food. I'm just sayin'....I wish the New Zealand wine seminar had been last, LOL..I LOVE their wines! And would have loved to have tasted some of the ones I've never had a chance to.

Anyway, I was EXHAUSTED by the time we were done; I started off the day zip-tying tablecloths to the tablelegs so they wouldn't fly off with the wind or up-end the wine glasses. There were enough wine glass casualties as it was! Not to mention one woman whose backside was larger than she thought (or she'd had too much wine before she got to the seminar), and hit the glasses on the table behind her (which had already been filled) and knocked over about 12 glasses, half being red wine. UGH.

This morning I'm tired, I should go run a few errands, but not sure if I'll get to them. Everything can wait til tomorrow I'm sure.

I think we're finally over the really too warm weather for this year, and hopefully can settle into some nice reason-why-canadians-come-here-for 4 months type of weather!

Dh's birthday is coming right up too; I need to get something planned for this weekend since he'll be gone on THE day to work. Life in the fast lane here.....

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things....

With the holidays approaching, I was thinking yesterday about all the cooking that goes on during them~ preparing special foods for company or visiting relatives, preparing the holiday meals, making specialty foods for gifts, and cooking for parties.
I LOVE cooking. I love making a whole bunch of different things and the best part is knowing that it will be enjoyed by people you care about. It's a lot of effort but it's so worth it.
There's a few things that make all this cooking and preparing even more enjoyable though, and these are a few that I am ga-ga over: the Williams-Sonoma veggie chopper and cute aprons, which you can find HERE.

The veggie chopper is something I wanted ever since I saw it on a TV infomercial, LOL. My mom had one and told me she got hers at Linens N Things or Bed, Bath and Beyond...I forget now. But then, several online cooking friends had all gotten one at Williams-Sonoma, and I just happened to have won a $500 gift card there (which you can read about HERE ), so I got myself down there and that was the first thing I bought! I am THRILLED with it! So much easier than hauling out the food processor for smaller amounts of things and it does quite a nice job. I don't use the garlic mincing part of it, b/c I prefer to chop my own garlic, but it's an option for those who aren't so picky about their garlic, LOL.

And, if you aren't wearing an apron while you cook, you MUST! It gives the whole process a totally different dynamic! These aprons are just the cutest ones I've ever seen, and when you're dressed up (or even if you're not) it's just nice to have something cute and "girly" on. Makes you feel kinda flirty while you're cookin' with gas, LOL.
Plus, it reminds me of simpler times~ grandma always wore an apron.
And what would be cuter on Christmas Day when you're all dolled up than wearing a really beautiful apron over your pretty Christmas ensemble? Love them! Check this catalog out; she's got some gorgeous aprons!


And one of my favorite luxuries is voluptuous vanilla~ and I get the best direct from the vine :D; my dad grows it~! I am currently on the prowl for a phenomenal vanilla muffin of some sort. When I find it and test it, I'll post it.

My other little kitchen luxury is candles~ my all time favorite is Yankee Candle's Fig and Olive, but for the holidays I try to find something a little more festive and fitting, like Bayberry or Christmas Pear~ which you can find HERE, along with some other interesting and unique holiday scents.

After talking about these lovely things, I feel like getting into the kitchen, putting on a cute apron and making something interesting!

What now, my love??

"What now my love? Now that it's over,
How can I live, through another day,
Watching my dreams turn into ashes;
And my hopes into bits of clay..."




I'm still in a state of shock. History has been made. And now we'll have to wait and see what we're left with....will it be promises kept or promises abandoned? Only time will tell.

I am a dreamer, and I believe that people are basically good. I believe when people show faith in you and support you, that you rise to their hopes and expectations in order to not let them down. To show them that their faith and their trust have not been misplaced. And to show them that hope can and will be, rewarded when we bother to care.

Will Obama rise to the challenges that are ahead of him and make decisions that are best for the nation and the world, and for the glue that holds us all together?

I hope so.

But I'm scared of the enormity of what lies ahead~ health care, environment, an impossible war, the economy, homeland security and rebuilding the optimism of this great country. It's a very big order.

The die has been cast; let this be a lesson to those who think it's useless to take the time to vote. Shame on you. We can no longer sit back and hope that we have a majority when the cultural demographics have so drastically changed. I wish Mr. Obama good luck and pray that he will surround himself with experienced and intelligent advisors and rely on them when he is overwhelmed by what he's about to experience. That he will listen to the good people of this country and respond appropriately.

Change is never easy. But it's how this nation was even conceived and established; and it's the only certain thing.

Aside from the presidential race, I am thrilled by the overwhelming victory of Prop 2 in CA. I'm sorry that people who raise livestock for food didn't set things up humanely to begin with, and now it will be a burden on them to do so, but IMO, we ought to be down on our knees worshipping animals who's only purpose in life (unbeknownst to them of course) is to provide us with food. I just think it's disgraceful what some people think is acceptable or tolerable conditions to keep animals (or ANYTHING that sustains us). Just disgraceful. I'm VERY happy about the passage of this proposition.

In the words of Ghandi: "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."
Word.

I'm dismayed however, by the passing of Prop 8~ banning same-sex marriage. I think we need to move beyond this bias. And I'm totally, completely and thoroughly DISGUSTED by the media's handling of this proposition. AS IF it's not been going on for time immemorial, and as if it will not continue. To turn a blind eye does not make it not so. It's so incredibly hypocritical that it makes me ill to think of how many people fell for that crap about it being taught in schools. AS IF kids aren't going to learn about it on their own. Just because information (I.E., "teaching") is provided, doesn't mean that it's encouraging it. I mean, for God's sake; slavery is taught about in schools too, does that make it mainstream or encouraging it? NOOOO. WAKE UP PEOPLE. It makes me ashamed to know there's so many hypocrites out there. Look at your own family, look at your friends, look at your acquaintances....if you think you don't have gay people in your inner circle, you're ignorant. SOMEWHERE, they're there, for sure whether you know it or not. And if you don't truly want happiness and safety and security for them, WHETHER you agree with their choices or not, then I feel very sad for you, b/c you can't expect it for yourself if you can't want it for them too. We're all different; and it's not MY lifestyle either, but we're all human beings and deserve the same civil liberties and freedoms and respect as each other.

I won't even say anymore about how disgusted I am with the media; they do this all the time.
I call it abuse of power; they know the power of the written word, and yet, they refuse to be unbiased. Because, somewhere, sometime, palms are getting greased; they twist and turn things to reflect their own opinons (or the opinions of whoever signs their paycheck), when they are well aware of the fact that what they're saying is basically dishonest. Why even communicate if you can't be truthful and unbiased? Anything else is just a lie and worthless rhetoric.
Well, over and over again, they prove that "the pen is mightier than the sword". They must be so proud of themselves.

Oh...did I say I wasn't going to say anything else about them????

Even after all this verbal purging, I'm still scared.

So I'm going to make bread....put the anxiety to good use for a change, LOL.

My weekly sourdough will be interesting (at least to MOI) this time; it's previously been really warm outside (and inside), but yesterday was fairly cool~ my dough turned out very very sticky; I added extra flour b/c it was practically unworkable. I used 2/3 cup more flour than called for and it was still sticky, but I was afraid to add any more and at least I managed to get it out of the mixing bowl and into the oiled bowl to rise. This morning, it had risen higher than any other batches I've made to this point. I used a well-floured surface to divide and knead it on before putting it into loaf pans and it firmed up nicely. So, I'm anxious to see what the results will be after it's been baked. I need to keep a journal of this stuff if I'm going to be serious about it.

The YE's are presently snoozing away after their midmorning "snack", I'm sure they're dreaming of their noon-time "treat". I swear, Max has an alarm clock in his stomach. Those sweet, dark brown eyes will be boring a hole thru me in about 33 minutes, LOL. Oh, I Love them soooo much! Sweetness personified!

Age of Aquarius

THEY WON!!!!


"I will feel equality has arrived when we can elect to office women who are as incompetent as some of the men who are already there". Maureen Reagan


Wow. All I can say is "wow".....well, not really, that's not really all I can say of course....like my friend Roy says, "you can talk a dog off a meat wagon". And I take that as the supreme compliment, haha.

But really...WOW! I thought working with heart transplants when Stanford was the only place in the WORLD doing them was seeing history in the making. And it was. .....but this...THIS, is MUCH BIGGER. A BLACK man has been elected PRESIDENT of the United States of America!!! I truly, honestly, sincerely, never thought I'd live to see the day!

Now, I'm not saying I voted for him~ obviously, I wouldn't have needed to anyway. But, I think we can all appreciate the historical significance of it. It's HUGE, MASSIVE, and amazing. I only hope that it will be the dawning of a more united and compassionate country (within our own borders), and that it will bring a better understanding and appreciation of each other. I have to mention also, it was kind of heartwarming to see Oprah and Stedman and Gail in the CROWD as opposed to at his right hand ;).

McCain's speech was, as always, classy and generous. He's such a good man, it makes me feel so badly for his loss. Doncha wish you could have a crystal ball and see how things would be if one got elected and another one showing how things would be if the other was? We'll never know how things may have evolved if McCain had won; he won't be running again. But we will know how things will evolve with Obama as our President. Doggone it, I really wanted Sarah Palin in there....but, she's young....hopefully, she'll be back. I liked her. I really really liked her; even if she did say she killed animals...I guess that's an Alaska thing though. I have friends who live there; that's what they do all day long I guess. Another story.

One thing for sure: I think we need to hang onto our hats; we could be in for the ride of our life. Let's just hope it's a fun one! I have faith and will pray for our new President to make prudent decisions and lead our country back to greatness; we deserve nothing less.
I'm going to bed, saying "WOW! Martin Luther King Jr. must be beaming up there on his cloud! I am LIVING history!". Just Wow. What will tomorrow bring?

Ain't That America?

"Ain't that America, for you and me,
Ain't that America, something to see;
Ain't that America, home of the free....
Little pink houses for you and me.."

I love John Mellencamp!

It's election day! My stomach is tied up in knots~ don't know why; it's in the hands of the American Public now....will we make US history today or not? It's really almost overwhelming to think about; no matter which way the chips fall. The very fact that we have the choices we do is overwhelming alone.
There's a few propositions I'm intested to see also....namely, Prop 2 and Prop 8. There's either going to be a lot of celebrating in this area, or it's going to be very dismal; as this is a very gay-centric demographic.

I will DEFINITELY be glad that the campaigning is over though; I'm SO SICK of those manipulative ads they put on....ALL of them! It's so annoying and if I NEVER hear that stupid, stupid ad with Gavin Newsom (SF mayor) saying "Whether you like it or not" it will be TOO SOON! Word to your mother. Not only does it send a horrifically ugly message at it's very root, it's just plain annoying to hear that over and over and over. Even if I were against Prop 8, I'd vote "No" b/c that ad was so aggravating. One of my many quirks.

It's Tuesday again, so that means gardening day; the YE's are getting all tuned up and wouldn't you know, we were graced with a visit from the Fed Ex guy....I think I need to do some training.....it would probably be easier to train the Fed Ex guy, but he HAS to ring the doorbell so I can sign sometimes....O, the trials and tribulations of owning a guard dog or two, LOL.

I guess I need to go work out so I can get into the "endorphin nirvana" phase of my day...it didn't help getting another supercilious, self-aggrandizing, communique (that's military speak, doncha know, cuz he's UBER impotent in the Reserves) brother in law. He's a "2" if ever there was one. Yeah, that's on a scale of 1-10 people. He's actually more like a "1", but I'm a nice person, so I gave him an extra point for no other reason :S. I really hate liars and cheats, along with thieves. But that's just between us ;). Off to the gym with my sorry butt before any more garbage crosses my mind or falls from my lips!

Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind?

Did you ever have to make up your mind?
Pick up on one and leave the other behind
It's not often easy, and not often kind
Did you ever have to make up your mind?

Remember the Lovin' Spoonful? Crazy name, great band though :).

But yes, I have a dilemma! With a capital "D"! I have committed to volunteering at a big Food and Wine event being held here in town next weekend. And not only that, I said I'd work an extra shift on Sunday b/c some people who had volunteered earlier had dropped out and they needed me then.

I kept Friday paper's business section b/c I noticed an article on Martha and KB homes coming to the desert; La Quinta to be precise. I assumed it was just an article about plans on building some of those homes here, and was curious about them; since in these pitiful economic times, there are quite a few large, brand new housing developments that have been started, and the homes are sitting half done, which is how they've been for over a year now. So I thought it was interesting that someone would be serious about building now.

ANYWAY, I finally get around to reading the article and when they said Martha and KB homes were COMING here, they meant COMING here. Martha will be HERE!!

AND, they're running a contest which 100 people will win a lunch with Martha and compete in a cupcake making contest .....on SUNDAY :(.

Anyone who knows me, knows I am a long time Martha admirer. I have all her books, stationary, if it says Martha, I've probably got it~ almost as bad as my Ironman stuff, LOL. My two passions; Martha and Ironman.

So, I'm torn. I really can't flake on the Food and Wine Event. That's not right.

But I'd give ANYTHING almost to be even in the same ROOM as Martha. There's not a lot of people who I am longing to meet~ I get to meet celebrities often, and that's nice, but.....it's not Martha or Cher, or Ellen, or...hmmm...who else am I dying to meet???? Irene Pepperberg, maybe...Bobby Flay! Or Gordon Ramsey~ those are MY heroes. Andrea Immer. I guess the people who you share the same passions with and are your mentors. People who you learn valuable things from that make your life more complete and enjoyable. I don't remember the last valuable thing I learned from Posh Spice or Madonna...even though I like them and their craft, and it would be fun to meet them, I won't feel incomplete if I never do so.

I'm getting off on a whole other subject...oops.

So, do I enter the contest, and then be angst-ridden if I win and can't go to meet her? Or should I enter it, and if I do win it, try to "fix" my volunteer schedule, making more work for the organizers for my own selfishness?

UGH, why do I have to be so responsible to a commitment I've made? I have some thinking to do....and I need to get over to La Quinta to submit my contest entry, haha.

Thriller

It's close to midnight and something evil's lurking in the dark
Under the moonlight you see a sight that almost stops your heart
You try to scream but terror takes the sound before you make it
You start to freeze as horror looks you right between the eyes,
You're paralyzed

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYBODY!!! We're off to see Ms. Patti LaBelle tonite~not only seeing her, but meeting her and having our photos taken with her. Don't know how that happened; all I know is that now, I'm going to have to put some effort into getting dressed, LOL! Dang, it's always something! Hope everyone has only treats, and no tricks!

Simply Irresistible

1. Where is your cell phone?
AMAZINGLY, I know....right in front of me on my desk!

2. Where is your significant other?
Well, I THINK he's at work in the LA area, coming home tonite.

3. Your hair color?
Dark brown, with hopefully, covered up grey

4. Your mother?
Living too far away from me in N. CA, wanting to buy a ranch now

5. Your father?
Daddy-O living the island life in Hawaii with my stepmom and their kitties.

6. Your favorite thing?
I have tons of favorite things; but my little M&M's are at the very top of the list. Especially crawling into bed with them at the end of the day.

7. Your dream last night?
I don't KNOW....but I sure did sleep well!

8. Your dream/goal?
Get back into shape/fitness like I was 2 yrs ago, move away from the desert and closer to my friends and family.

9. The room you're in?
Office

10. Your hobby?
Tablescaping, decorating, dreaming

11. Your fear?
Oh, I'm afraid to say

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years?
Back in the Wine Country...wherever; just so there's REAL produce that you actually SEE on trees or in the ground.

13. Where were you last night?
At home, watching Dirty Sexy Money

14. What you're not?
Over adolescence probably

15. One of your wish list items?
For my brother to be cured and restored to good health.

16. Where you grew up?
Napa ....when it was prune orchards and nobody knew where it was other than the state hospital.

17. The last thing you did?
Picked up kangan water at the water store.

18. What you are wearing?
White Tommy B capris and a black sleeveless sweater (my nod to cooler weather, LOL)

19. Your TV? Channel 3...soaps for ironing time, except I'm sitting here doing this instead, haha.

20. Your pet?
OH my goodness! You'd have to be living under a rock to not know about our Maxalicious and Madison, the Yorkies Exquisite, the light of our lives and the answer to world peace! I also have my Cynthia, a Maine Coon cat, who's very lonely since Cesare went away and my psychotic dove, Lucky, pictured above with his booster rocket, Tweety bird, the parakeet; and Coco, the dove who was a big surprise years ago when we came home from a trip and the petsitter had brought him over for "Lucky".....NOT a match made in heaven, so now I've got TWO cages instead of just one :S.

21. Your computer?
Dell laptop and desktop, dh has a Sony Vaio laptop that's BROKEN :(.

22. Your mood? Happy and getting excited about the holidays

23. Missing someone?
My friends in Napa; very much

24. Favorite restaurant?
Wow....where? I'm spoiled...Napa Valley has a plethora of phenomenal restaurants, I don't think I could choose just one. But the food's always consistently excellent at Fume.

25. Something you're not wearing?
Shoes or socks (what else is new?)

26. Favorite store?
My real favorite is Nordstrom's or Saks, but lately it's HOME GOODS....I could go CRAZY in that store!

27. Your summer?
BORING; extremely HOT, extremely DRY, very windy and sandy except for a few weeks I spent with my mom up in Napa Valley, which was fabulous!

28. Love someone?
Probably too many people ;)

29. Your favorite color?
Green!

30. Last time you laughed?
A few minutes ago when dh IM'd me; sometimes he's such a knucklehead.

31. Last time you cried?
Oh gosh, I cry at the drop of a noun; but I really cried the other night when I was talking to my friend who is getting me some information on an animal communicator in case she can contact my Nova and Valentino at the Rainbow Bridge. I just can't get over losing those birds (as anyone who knows me is aware of already). God help me if anything happens to my mom or my dogs :(.

OK, I get to blame Jan for this, LOL....I love reading about other people's stuff too, so feel free to fritter away some time on this yourself!

Stir It Up~

Remember Patti LaBelle? Wow, wonder when this photo was taken? I loved her songs from Beverly Hills Cops! And we're going to see her tomorrow night! I wonder if everyone will be all dressed up in Halloween costumes? I hope not, I hate costumes, especially on adults. On kids it's ok, but it seems kind of freaky on adults. Bad freaky, not good freaky. Anyhow, it should be fun. Even though I'm a LITTLE disappointed that we aren't going to dinner with the M&M's tomorrow night; I've got the cutest little tank tops for them for Halloween....Madison's says "Little Monster" on it, haha. Max's just has cute little ghosts and bats and stars and moons on it and says "eek" and 'Boo!" on it....oh well, they can wear them during the day I guess. Madison will be SO EXCITED to see his new top~ he's crazy about clothes, the litte stinker! He's a funny boy!

It's one of those days....you know, when you get up to a totally clean house, nice, neat kitchen,it's calm and quiet, you had a great night's sleep and the coffee is perfect?

For some reason, my coffee is sometimes PERFECT, and sometimes not so much. I don't know what the secret is....my BFF Roy, makes PERFECT coffee....every time. And he doesn't measure anything...just grinds it and pours it into the coffeemaker. Perfect. Me, I fill the coffee pot with water, set it on the counter, get down to eye level with it to make sure that the water is EXACTLY on the line. And then I get out my trusty coffee measuring scoop, and make sure it's not too full and not exactly level either....geeze Louise, you'd think I was performing neurosurgery! I make sure EVERY lump is smashed (b/c I keep our coffee in the freezer) before I push the start button too....no taking chances with my morning fix!
And sometimes...perfect, sometimes not so perfect. Anyway....today was one of the perfect days :).
I don't drink more than a cup or two, but I want it to be exquisite! It's always nice to start the day out on a positive note.

Which leads me to my next adventure of the day; my meeting for orientation for the volunteers for the Art of Food and Wine Festival.

I was running just a teensy bit late, as princesses are prone to do....or is that Divas? Hmmm, I think my mom told me that Princesses were always on time~ (yes, I know.....but I'm so much better than I used to be), but I knew exactly where I was going and it was only a little over a mile from home.
Of course, once I got to the hotel where the event and meeting are taking place, I went to the wrong end of the property, so had to turn around and go to the other end....couldn't find where we were to park, so had to make another round thru security gates and make u-turns...ugh. You'd THINK they'd tell you WHERE the meeting WAS on the property and WHERE to park.
Oh well, I figured it out eventually. Once I got inside, the meeting had been moved to another building...I got over THERE, and found out it had been moved all the way across the hotel to where I'd started out when I first drove in....I hightailed it over there, just in time to meet everyone on their way back to where I'd just come from :S. Yay.
So across the pool area, over the bridge, across the esplanade, up the stairs (and it's probably about 90 deg and most of the people who were there are WELL over 70 yrs old.....I felt bad for them).
Finally, we get to where I'd started out, in the grand ballroom and everyone got to sit down.Yay.
It didn't take long, we got the info we needed for parking on the day of our shifts and acceptable attire etc....no biggie. I almost was so disgusted at having to drive back and forth at first, that I was going to bag it, but I'm glad I didn't. It should be a fun event.
Plus, there will be some "celebrity" chefs...Sara Moulton, who I'm excited to meet and I'll be working with her (or around her or at least in the same general area) on the Sunday of the event, and the Hardy Boys (who I don't really know much about), and a few others....if you are interested, check it out HERE.
The weather will be beautiful I'm sure, and proceeds go to great charities, one of them being Meals on Wheels, which is a wonderful, wonderful group!
OH, the more I think about it, the more excited I get....I'm sure I'll bore everyone to tears by the time it's done :).

Well, another gorgeous day here, the lawns are greening up after being re-seeded for the winter. I have to say, that's ONE thing I LOVE about the desert....the lawns....and it's mostly appreciated, b/c MOI is the one who cleans up the doggie poo here.....no searching for it, wondering if you might step in it....the lawns are all FLAT, like a golf course; I LOVE that! A kitty litter scoop and I'm golden, LOL. No wrangling around long bladed grass..yep, there are some nice advantages living in the desert if you look for them, LOL.
Along with it being in the 60's in the mornings, about 90 during the day and the 70's in the evenings, I suppose this time of year I can't complain TOO MUCH! Not much wind lately either (me even uttering that is the kiss of death of course :S). The YE's can run in and out b/c I can leave the sliders open and the A/C is OFF, if only intermittently. I'm beginning to feel like a lizard, LOL.

It's my friend, Lizzy's birthday today too...one of the sweetest, lovliest women in existence, with more patience than 99.99% of people I know, and is the very BEST mom, and has brought so much joy, smiles and laughter into my life over the last many years than I can even say.....HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GIRLFRIEND~ I truly do appreciate the day of your birth! My life is so much sweeter because of this day! Hope it's everything you hope for!

Ooooh....tomorrow.....halloween!!!

Celebrate Good Times

I just got the good news about my online friend Jan's Yorkie, Maggie~ her tests after surgery for her liver shunt came back clear and the little girl is in perfect health! THAT is cause to celebrate! You can catch Maggie's story on Jan's FANTASTIC blog (hold onto your hats, b/c it's LOADED with FUN!!) RIGHT HERE So, if you have any inkling how precious these little souls are, raise a glass and toast Maggie tonight. It's always a good day when a little animal's life is made better!

Java

Remember Al Hirt?

I've been thinking a lot about memories lately....and coffee, LOL.
This is one of my favorite artworks; done by Karin Diesner~ you can find out more about her and her art HERE

I love it so much because it combines two things that have been such a big part of my life...coffee and the Chron, and makes me think of relaxation and contentment. And I remember when I first saw it at an impromptu art showing in the park across the street from Saint Peter and Paul's church in SF~ Roy and I had gone to see his Nana, the irrascible Rose Pistola; and saw the easels being set up, so we went to check it out....I fell in love with what's called "Morning Fix" and although I couldn't afford to buy it then, I got the name and the card of the artist. Later on, I purchased it for Roy for his birthday. We spent many hours talking over coffee and the Chronicle back in the day. Another nice memory associated with the work, was that when I called Ms. Diesner, she shipped it to me before I even mailed her my check (or money order, or however I paid for it). Things don't happen that way much anymore.

I've been remiss in tending to my blog, not because I had nothing to say; just not enough time to get it down in black and white. Kind of like "I'm writing a book....I've got the page numbers done" sort of thing....

So, to rewind a bit: The Fergie concert was excellent! We were in the second row,she is very cute, and such a wonderfully talented singer. Dh and friend were well behaved, didn't complain about ANYTHING (other than a brief comment by dh about "it not being quite loud enough" Haha....VERY funny. He even said he enjoyed it! I think however, he probably enjoyed a cute girl and her young, nubile dancers more than anything, since I'm almost 100% sure he didn't understand one word of any of the lyrics. Evidence: as we were walking out, he and friend Tim, were discussing the fact that they thought she was really good, but they couldn't BELIEVE she'd sing (or they'd LET her sing) a song called "F@#K-a-licious". OMG. Men. Being that my maiden last name happens to be the same as hers, and having grown up with a grandpa that everyone called Fergie, it was just too much for me to ignore, LOL. I turned around and hissed "it's called FERG-A-LICIOUS; her name is FERGIE, get it???". Honestly.

The Golf Cart Parade was the next day down on El Paseo....I don't know WHY we didn't plan for it sooner; I just wasn't thinking I guess. It's a HUGE day for all the restaurants down there, and we should have made reservations LONG before but it has been so hot, I just didn't really think about going and sitting out (b/c I KNEW dh would NOT want to do that). But then, it's been a little cooler and the place we go often with the YE's has a patio in front that's misted and we'd be able to see the parade really well since that's the turn-around. Or we WOULD have been able to if I'd thought about it a couple of weeks before and made reservations, darn it. We could have gotten reservations at another place with a patio, but the dogs couldn't go and it's no fun to go without THEM :). So we didn't. Next year. In fact, I think I'll make our reservations now, LOL. In my own defense however, the parade used to be in December, so it was a surprise to me when I got an email about being in it from the Animal Samaritans....and then realized it was just in a week! Like I said...next year! And yes, it's really golf carts all decorated up; it's pretty amazing and a lot of fun.

Now, it's planning for a few little events. Like Dh's birthday, Thanksgiving, our 10th wedding anniversary and Christmas. My head is spinning....memories, memories....

The YE's are behaving (basically), but the cat..not so much. I've been letting Cynthia out for short bits of time during the day and evening with us (she's got her own bedroom and bath) outside b/c I know she's lonely without Cesare, who was PTS last month. She's like about 15 yrs old...hasn't been out of the house in probably about 13 yrs...and what is the FIRST thing she does when my back is turned???? She caught a little bird and KILLED it...there were feathers EVERYWHERE on the lawn! The worst thing is, unless I go vacuum them up, there they'll stay til the gardeners deem the new lawn long enough to mow. UGH. What a mess. At least the grass is greening up after it being brown and stubbly for the last couple of weeks...but Cynthia is on a short leash now. Killing a bird....not acceptable behavior at this casa, kitty! She's obviously forgotten about the two demon parrots who used to bite her tail when she wasn't looking. Maybe I'll have to think about adding one to my little menagerie again. Yeah, right.....over dh's dead body, hahahahahah......talk about memories ;).

G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S

"Flyin first class, up in the sky;
Pop the champagne, livin the life
In the fast lane, I won't change;
By the glamorous...."

Oh boy! Tomorrow is the big day! We get to go see Fergie in concert and we have (I think) front row seats! At least, we'll be up front somewhere! I'm excited to see her in person. Dh isn't so sure and it's definitely NOT his style of music, but since Frank Sinatra and all his buddies are dead, it's getting tough to catch one of their live concerts :S.

We'll see how long dh can hang with it; he only lasted a couple of songs at the Foreigner concert b/c it was TOO LOUD for his sensitive ears. I know I'll enjoy it though!

I'm definitely getting into the Fall-ish mood. It's at least cool here in the mornings and evenings. Not quite cool enough to consider chili, but enough that I feel like decorating. Martha had David Monn on the other day doing a beautiful tablescape and I loved the leaf cascade! One of my most favorite people is sending me a box of LEAVES so I can use them for decorating! Aside from the fact that it's downright pathetic to have to be SENT leaves, it's so sweet and so thoughtful for her to do. But, that's just the way she is.

And even though we're going out for Thanksgiving, I'm seriously considering cooking the whole shebang on Saturday afterward for us and a few friends. Not that I'm a big turkey day foodie, but last year we made the most flavorful, not to mention PICTURE PERFECT turkey~ I brined it first (ONLY I only used 1 cup of salt and 1 1/2 cups of sugar in the brine instead of the gigantic amounts of both called for)and I'm serious; it was THE BEST I've ever tasted. I also didn't use any quince, but I don't think we missed it. Otherwise I followed the instructions to the "T"...here's the CLICK for the recipe and method if you're interested. I'll never do turkey any other way.

Well, it's one of the YE's 10 favorite times of day: feeding time!!! Crazy dogs!
I had an interesting conversation with my mom last night; when I asked her about my brother, she told me that my stepdad had used the letter-board with him and he spelled out that he didn't have a stroke. Amazing. That's what I've said from DAY ONE. I don't know what it was, but it's just not typical in any way of a stroke. At least nobody I've ever taken care of with a stroke presented the way he did, nor ended up with the same sequelae. Interesting that Scott feels the same way. If only we could unlock him somehow....he never deserved anything like this to happen to him and it's robbed him of all his prime years. But just him saying that gives me some sort of hope somehow. Lots of things to think about......

You put Da Lime in Da Coconut...

Yeah....that's it! Since I spent the better part of the last couple of days hunting and gathering, looking for that blasted coconut creme pudding (who would know it would be SO elusive here?...for God's sake, we're drowning in Palm trees, you'd think even if they're date palms, it would be a little easier to find it), I thought this was an appropriate title for this post.

A lovely lady provided me with the recipe which you can find HERE....it was worth every mile I drove to find that pudding mix, LOL!
Besides, her blog is FABULOUS FUN!

So, I was thinking about telephone manners today. Most people seem to have a pretty good grasp of how to initiate calls and how to say at least "hello" and "goodbye". MOST people.
I'm trying to figure out what happened to some people though. One is my father. Not that he's rude. And maybe it's just the advent of cell phones that has some people stymied. But the other day, I was in traffic and got a call on my cell from my dad. As you may or may not know, it's illegal to use a handheld phone while driving in CA now. So I had my bluetooth in good working order and when I saw it was my father, who usually doesn't call in the middle of the day, I answered it.
This is how the call started out:

Me: "Hi Dad!"
Dad" "Hello????"
Me: "Hello"
Dad: Hellooooo??? Can you hear me?
Me: Hello~ yes I can hear you just fine.
Dad: Silence
Me: HELLLLOOO????
Dad: Silence
Me: CAN YOU HEAR ME????
Dad: Yes, I can hear you.

By this time, I was wondering if my cell phone had dialed him somehow accidentally :S.

Me: Well, did YOU call ME????
Dad: Yes, I called you.


Me: WELL, SPEAK!!!

GEEZE....you start wondering if you're losing your mind and making random phone calls or if you're losing your hearing. Anyway, I finally had a conversation with him while he was at the Miami airport on his way to Ecuador. I AM glad he called to let me know they were off on another adventure, but it's like pulling teeth sometimes. Phone calls shouldn't be so painful, LOL.

And then there's my dh, which I've gotten used to and now adopt the same manners when he calls me:
He calls me, I answer "Hello?"....
Him: Yeah.....and then launches into some long story about what's going on at work, and when he's done talking, he never says "goodbye", "bye bye", "Later", ....NOTHING...he just hangs UP! Was he raised by WOLVES or something???? I mean, really, WHO interacts with their wife or even acquaintances that way???

I've taken to being very discriminating as to which calls I answer anymore. I hate being assaulted by my own phone!

Coconuts, nuts....it's either too much or not enough, haha.

It's a Beautiful Morning...

"I think I'll go outside for awhile~
And just smile"...
'Memba that song by the Young Rascals? I love music. No. I LOVE LOVE LOVE music! Almost any kind of music and I can remember all the music of my life. I can see the album covers, and the one I posted today I used to just be mesmerized by. Not only the cover but when you look at the cover while you're listening to the music of Martin Denny, you (or I) felt as if I had been transported to somewhere exotic and jungle-y. A place of lushness and waterfalls with sweet flowers scenting the air and wild animals calling to each other. A place that only I knew about and was the only human inhabitant. Ok....now I'm getting lost again.

So, yeah, it's beautiful here again today. Don't you love it when you sleep all night? Well? I slept so well for the first time in so long I can't remember. Madison's new thing is to, as soon as I'm climbing into bed, run up right next to me and situate himself just under my armpit as close to my body as he can be. Is that sweet or what? This is the dog who, when I first brought him home, wouldn't even sleep in the bedroom; he slept on the floor in the hallway. He went from there to the little dog bed I have in front of my nightstand, to sleeping at the vERRRRY end of the bed, to sometimes sneaking up next to me to now, the primo spot, LOL. Don't think Max is all that impressed with his evolution though; Max sleeps under the covers right next to my legs, and he thinks Madison is cramping his style, haha. I swear, I wonder how I got so lucky to have acqired such sweet, wonderful dogs. And how did God make something so sweet and loving and charming as them? If only he made people like them. If only he'd made ME more like them. They're both "10's", that's for sure!


OH~ and speaking of MUSIC....I'm over the moon that AC/DC is TOURING America! And their new cd after 8 yrs is coming out on MONDAY! YAYYYYYYY! AND...almost the best thing....Walmart has little AC/DC logo dog clothes :D...double YAYYYYYY! I couldn't decide if I should get the YE's both a AC/DC hoodie or tanks. So cute! I can't wait to hear their new cd; it's called Black Ice....yeah, let's have some new headbanging music! Don't misjudge me people, I love classical music, jazz and like I said...almost any music. But there are times when you just are in the mood for a little Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap! The so un-princess part of my life ;).

I need to find a personalized license plate. I'm so torn about what I want it to say. If I come up with anything, I'll let you know. I always thought "2DRNK2DRV" would be fun but it's too many characters. AS IF, hahahaha. I have some good ones dreamed up though...have to see if they're available.

I am, I am, I am seriously going to put in a separate recipe blog here; I'm thinking daily stuff and holiday stuff. I've got so many phenomenal recipes and I love collecting more especially for the holidays! So much I want to do, only 24 hours in a day! I'll get to it. And I've made a vow~ to start wearing those aprons I've been collecting too. In fact, I just found out I'll be getting a new one when I am volunteering for the Food and Wine festival next month. That will be fun! Do you wear an apron when you cook? You should; it's a wonderful traditon. Kind of like a nursing cap, only useful, LOL.

I have been blessed with some people in my online life who are talented and kind and generous with their technical advice, wonderful recipes, business advice and creative endeavors and just all- around- nice- human- being- support stuff. I know it's a big big cyber world out there and people can just appear and then disappear after you feel as if you know them, but I just want to say how very much I appreciate each one of you and whatever time we are able to spend in each other's company. You make a difference in my life, even if I never meet you in person. I hope I can return the favor.

My quest for coconut pudding mix is next on my to-do list today~ What's up with you?

Oh What a Beautiful Morning!

Wow. Two words: Full Moon! The moon was so, so beautiful last night (or at 1 am when I got up for the first time during the night and saw it). And now that it's staying darker later in the mornings, it was still as bright as could be when me and the YE's jumped out of bed (yes, we ALL jump, LOL).

Today, the first thing I did though, was turn the oven on~ I had 3 beautifully risen loaves of sourdough that I've been cultivating since I began the starter a week or so ago. My first attempt at sourdough and my first starter! What an epiphany! Fresh bread baking in the oven first thing in the morning....it makes me think back to when I was in high school and Buttercream Bakery was just down the street. Now I know what my dad was talking about when he used to tell us about working in the Napa Bakery when he was young; and how wonderful it smelled in the mornings! Only this was in my OWN house! The bread turned out so pretty and yummy too....it's not the sourdough I'm used to from good ol' SF; it was not as firm, and slightly sweet, but with a definite "twang"...I think I could have let it bake a bit longer, but I'm going to be working on this one for awhile and then I'll move on after I've read a LOT about it.

It's fun to learn new things and to perfect them~ one thing I find frustrating (about myself, mainly), is that I want to learn as much as I can BEFORE I even get started. It's like I'm scared something terrible will happen if I'm not armed with all the knowledge ahead of time. And I continually come to the same realization after getting my feet wet: a lot of information is way over my head at the point where I'm starting~ you need to TRY it and THEN ask questions when you've had a little experience and found a pitfall or two. So, sourdough is my newest process~ I just hope I don't have to get into the real chemistry of it that I'm seeing some people do to achieve luscious loaves.

And the next endeavor is doggie biscuits. Now, THOSE I really need to work on~ mine come out looking a little rough, LOL...very amateurish. How many dog cookbooks do I need?

OK, you knew it was coming; stand back, I'm ready to spew...DWTS. Is it just me, or does anyone else feel manipulated? I really HATE the way they drag the results show out anymore. Just to kick one couple to the curb? I can understand a special guest with the pro dancers, but three of them plus children dancing has bored me to death. I'm sorry, I'm all for youthful talent and you don't get to be excellent all of a sudden one day, but there's something uncomfortable about watching children being told that they "shake their bum alright".....yes, I UNDERSTAND that's the nature of the dance, but .....I don't know; maybe it's just all the JonBenet stuff and child porn and abductions out there that makes me question whether these kids are being exploited or what. Whatever it is, I don't think I like it. Anyway, I turned it off last night and sure enough, the losers are top of the news this morning on the internet, so what really did I miss? And not only THAT.....I think I've about had it with Cloris Leachman; she's made the entire show a joke in my opinon. The dance they did a week ago, was absolutely disgusting; it looked like two animals humping each other and wasn't dancing at all to begin with. It used to be fun to watch, but it's deteriorated into stupidity. I'm not watching it anymore. And that's my FINAL answer, LOL.
I'm going out to enjoy the somewhat crisp morning, before it turns into a 90+ day~Dannyman, you are in my prayers today. Hang in there! Me and the YE's love you.

The Day After....

Oh, Normann! Isn't he cute? And such a really NICE guy. Unfortunately, even though he was leading during part of the race yesterday, he wound up fading toward the end (somehow I missed exactly what happened)and came in in 12th place with an 8:44:04. And the winner, Craig Alexander won with an 8:17:something....AMAZING! Remember when they were amazed when the 10 hour mark was broken? Yeah, those were the days when you could just sit back and cruise thru the race, LOL. Uh huh....swim 2.4 miles, then bike 112 miles in the heat and the hellacious winds and THEN run a marathon. And oh yeah, be back by dinnertime please. Dare ya!
I have to admit that as much as I love those German boys, and the Canadians and the Aussies, I sure do miss seeing hot contention being between my American heroes....the Big Four; Scott, Allen, Tinley and Molina! Let's bring back the crown to the US! And yeah, I lost it when Craig Alexander turned onto Alii Drive....it's just SO EMOTIONAL to think about all those people roaring and cheering you on and

OK, OK, I KNOW tris are super boring to anyone who's not into them, so I'll try to shut up about them for a minute. I spent part of the time while watching the race online at the Williams Sonoma website (probably why I missed Normann's fade :S) and ordered these:





That's in hopes of making a pie that looks just like this one:







~ oh yeah....little Miss Piemaker here, haha. The running joke. I'm going to have to practice a lot I think. But I'll have the tools to do it, hehe. I had to have the turkey though~ I don't have many Fall holiday decorations mainly b/c I've never been a big brown and orange fan, but these are so cute...and even though we won't be doing Thanksgiving dinner here, it will be nice to have the decor, especially since I already have the dishes ;).

Well, doggies are outside barking, which is a good thing. It means it's cool enough for them to run in and out of the house, so we're just going to sit out and enjoy the beautiful weather today and rest up from the race yesterday, haha.

IM update

Wow! I've got goosebumps right now...just watching Normann Stadler coming off the bike was amazing....after 112 miles with a head and side wind at least the last 15 or so miles, he was actually SPRINTING to the change tent! That's my guy! So, now he's in 2nd place, yayyy! Tojrbornne Sindballe is ahead of him, but we'll see what the Gods have in store for all of us....right now, I'm on the edge of my seat. The live coverage is absolutely STELLAR...the video is so exponentially improved over even last year's coverage, I'm thrilled! If I have to be sitting down watching it, I guess I don't have much to complain about....now, they just need to get that aroma technology going so I can smell the ocean and the pikake! GOOOO NORMANN!!!

It's the Hap, Hap, Happiest Time of the Year......

YES!!!! It's IRONMAN DAY!!! My FAVORITE time of year and my most favorite day of the year (next to Christmas and my birthday of course :)).

What's SO sad though and if it isn't a testament to the passing of time, I don't know what is....I didn't even know it ws today! I just happened to wonder WHICH Saturday it was going to be this October and checked in at Ironmanlive and it turned out it was today! I missed the starting gun for the FIRST time in ...gosh, how many years now? A lot. Oh Daddy-O, I sure wish I were there, hanging out with you and Mad and reconnecting with some old buddies, but maybe next year. I sure hope so. I am going through Kona and Ironman withdrawls. Oh, the FUN I've had during the two weeks surrounding the race there....sigh.....at least I can watch it live online, so I can REALLY feel homesick, LOL! Looks like it's hot today and windy (what else is new?? Remember the year it was so bad, the littler girls were getting knocked off their bikes on the Queen K?); maybe just as well that I'm missing it this year! Gee, I'm looking at my old buddies Greg Welch and Paula Newby-Frasier and Dave Scott....and they look..ummm ....kinda OLD :S. And OMG..the Timex 30th anniversary IM watch...and I'm MISSING it!!! Oh gosh, how will I live with myself now? I was there for the 20th and the 25th editions....how does the time go by so fast? And oh myyyy....compression socks? I feel so OUT of it, LOL. Really glad I've missed out on those. And gosh....Cervelo was the top bike in the bike count at the transition check in yesterday....remember the good old days when it was Softrides, Cannondales, Kestrels and Quintana Roos??? And Litespeeds were the hot ticket. Now I feel really old. Even the bikes have passed me by. Maybe I should get back into it....Yeah, that's the ticket....new bike, new stuff.....I can definitely get into that. I at least have the bike case....and I do love my bikes! Ok, it's Ironman Day in my world.... I have to focus on the race, LOL..... Norman! Norman! Stormin' Norman is on the hunt! Go fast, cutie pie! I'm pulling for ya!
Oh....and yeah, G.....I'm thinking about YOU!

Mahalo and Aloha..................

The Sunshine Boys

Oh, what a beautiful morning! I woke up with the Yorkies Exquisite wriggling around and then jumping on me, licking me all over my face. OH they're SO CUTE!!! Madison is always so excited and wants to lick everything....Max is his second favorite target and Max gets so disgusted, and backs away from him as soon as he can, LOL. Then they're off the bed and out the door; Madison doing his galloping down the hallway into the kitchen. Their breakfast is the first priority of the day of course, nothing else exists in their minds:).

The house is quiet and still~ the only noise is the doves cooing (as loudly as they can :S). No guest bedroom door opening and another little Yorkie spilling out of it this morning. It feels so empty here this morning. I know it will get back to normal, but it just feels empty. I'll have to give Mel a call later to see what she and Pie are doing. She's got a ton of unpacking and putting away to do, but I'll bet they get a walk in~ now that I think of it, they'll pretty much HAVE to since she's got no back yard or balcony either. I can't wait to see her little place!

I think the weather is cooling down; it was certainly cooler this morning and supposedly will only be 68 deg. tomorrow evening (I only mention that b/c dh (not sure if I'm invited and it makes no never-mind to me) is going to the Phoenix Suns basketball game which is being played in the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, which is an outdoor venue. And he's got a cold (MINE...sorry about that :(). But I guess 68 isn't exactly frigid.

I have been so industrious today~ laundry all done and I got a new batch of sourdough starter going. I had to throw out the first one b/c there really was just no room in the fridge to keep it while Melanee and her sister were here since she'd brought so much and we always had leftovers stuck in there too. So, I've got a shiny new batch of the starter bubbling away on the counter again. Maybe this time I'll get some bread made from it ;).

Dh is almost home, I'm happy he called ahead and asked if I needed anything at the store; I'm making the EDF Chili Chicken Tacos I wrote about last week that he never got any of and I needed lettuce and sour cream. I can't wait for him to taste them! I also can't wait for him to get home and see what the sofas look like with the painting and plants all arranged....home sweet home! But for now, my little Sunshine Boys and I are going to go enjoy the wonderful cool breeze!

Thursday's Child Has Far To Go

Ahhh...maybe not THAT far, but it will seem like a long ways after being in the same house for a month and the same town for a few years. There's me (or my car)visiting Melanee in a month :D.

As hard of an adjustment as it was for me at first,(and probably for her too, being out of a house of her own unceremoniously and having to move in somewhere with a cat and a little dog)(and a sister for a week), my sweet friend Mel has moved lock stock and barrel to the beach!

And as much of a loner as I am, and as much of a neat-freak as I am, I am going to miss her and the adorable Little Pie, and her laid back kitty, Beau so much. I guess I didn't internalize the fact that she was really leaving, so in the few days before today, it started hitting me. Getting everything done that she needed to take care of before she left, we both realized it was becoming more and more real. When she sold her house and moved before, she always had a tether (all her furniture and belongings were in storage here, as well as the little dog she loved so much b/c she belonged to someone else then) back here. But now the only tether is her friends. She really has escaped the desert! As I told Little Pie the other day, since she's never been to the beach before "Oh, the places you'll go and the things you'll see!"...I'm so envious b/c I'd love to be in the same area too, and I know the doggies would love it! But for now, we're still here. Time will tell~ the doggies here are really going to miss Little Pie and Auntie Melanee though, that's for sure! I know she's going to find true happiness and contentment there and that makes me happy b/c she's a wonderful girl, a fabulous friend and she deserves it! YOU GO GIRL!

So, today I had planned just on getting the guest room and bath cleaned up and such, but got on a tear to clean the entire house, move furniture, and hang that gigantic painting (try hanging a 6 ft x 5 ft painting ALONE....aligning two hooks that far apart isn't as simple as it seemed, LOL...I had to make a few adjustments in the location of the nails I used for the hangers :S. But the house looks great and everything is clean. The doggies are wiped out tonight; you'd think they'd done all the work, haha.

So, a new adventure awaits us all, I'm sure of that! And Happy Birthday, Tim :).

Wednesday Cooldown

Ahhhh....FINALLY.....it's the time of year that I can actually drive with the top down~ without worrying about sweating to death or burning the bejeezus out of the leather! 'Course, I still have to have the A/C going, but there's something so freeing and primal about driving topless :). Especially on a beautiful, clear and sunny day with the mountains all around me. Now I get why our population triples beginning this time of year. As I still say; it's a great place to vacation, but I want outta here, LOL!
I love the Fall with the changing weather and the leaves changing colors and falling, falling, falling. But most of all, I love to "nest" and decorate. And dream about the holidays to come. Summer is the time for running around outdoors.

Yesterday, Mel and I went shopping~ one store, 4 hours, I don't think a single item went untouched or noticed at least! I've decided that Home Goods is my favorite place. The glassware and dishes alone, especially the seasonal stuff....an entertainer's Nirvana! If my digital was working, I'd have pictures of everything, just so I can remember what I want when I have the money for it, lol. Of course, this is the kind of place that if you see something you want, you'd better get it right then or it will be gone the next time. It's also the kind of place where you check your sanity at the door on your way in.
I swear, earlier in the morning, I had emptied my buffet (pictured behind the table above) of EVERYTHING (and it's packed FULL) so that we could move it to accomodate the new sofas, and all I could say is "I have too many dishes"

...so what did I do while I was there? I found a set of Tuscan style dishes and HAD to have them. They're PERFECT for Fall and for Thanksgiving. And there's so many other dishes that compliment them. Yep, I got more dishes. And I'm contemplating going back for some more; I got one Fitz and Floyd plate that is so adorable with a little chick in the center. It goes perfectly on top of the Tuscan plates. Hmmm...decisions, decisions. One plate I can use as an accent piece; more I can use as breakfast dishes. It's this change in the seasons that's getting to me. Time for new stuff.

Melanee is the one who's got the excitement going though. She leaves tomorrow after being here a month. The movers will be meeting her early in the morning to load up her stuff from storage and then she, Beau her kitty; and Little Pie, Max's Yorkie sister; are off to the beach! I know she's super stressed out but she's going to have so much fun getting settled there and I just know she's going to find happiness there. It's such a calming and healing environment and I can just see her and Pie walking along the boardwalk. I can't wait to see her place and help her decorate!! She got some really cute things though for it already. I hope she'll find a really nice guy there too; she deserves it.

So, today is a get things done day for both of us. I need to hang a 6 ft x 5 ft. painting on the wall and am having the darndest time figuring out exactly how I'm going to do it~ honestly, I remember the days when I just slapped a nail in the wall and hung things up (that was just after the thumbtack and poster days I think :D). Now, I've got 8 different measurements written down, marks on the wall and I STILL haven't figured out where to put the hangers, LOL. I want it to be done when dh gets home though; he's going to be surprised (particularly by the fact that I extricated the painting from behind every single other box that's stacked up in the 3rd car garage and have already gotten rid of the packaging it was boxed in. I'm so proud that I got it all done on garbage day, haha....now I just have to put all the other boxes I pulled out back so he can get his car in the garage :(. Oh well, it will be so worth it.

Later on, we're going out to dinner~ our last meal together before she beaches it. I'll miss cooking dinner for her and I bet dh is going to miss having her around to laugh at his corniness (I'm a little over it after 10 yrs). I'm happy for her though, and the realization that she'll be gone again is just starting to hit me. It's hard living with someone else when you aren't used to it and it was a little rocky at first, but there's just nothing like a friend who "gets" you. Or at least accepts you and your annoying habits and makes the best of them. I can take some lessons from her in being more tolerant of other's idiosyncrasies, that's for sure. Maybe that's why she's a great personal assistant and I'd be a lousy one.

Anyway, since this is a "get-things-done" day, I guess I'll go get some things done (and expound on DWTS later).

Saturday Night Fever

Oh my gosh! Did we ever have fun today! I had NO idea that it's been so long since we'd been to the Indian Wells Club for anything. We used to go there all the time for breakfast on the weekends, but dh has been so exhausted usually, we just stay home on the days he's home. For some reason, he got a bee in his bonnet and wanted to meet our friend, Tim there for lunch.
The new IW Club has been totally remodeled (it was actually torn down and redone); a project that took 2 years! YIKES..where does the time go? I can't believe it had been that long since we'd been there.

I was amazed at how incredibly different and beautiful it all was. Waterfalls and waterways are always pretty beautiful, but living in the desert, you really come to appreciate them in a whole different way! And water they had!

I will try to post a photo, but it won't come close to doing it justice. When you drive up to the front entry, there's a huge waterfall in front of the valet parking area and that's just the begining.....

When you walk into the lobby, there's a reception desk and behind it is a big granite wall with water spilling down the front of it. I thought that was pretty fabulous, but then I went into the ladies room~ Oh MY GOD!

There was a mirror that stretches probably 12-15 feet across that's facing the main doorway and it's got water spilling over IT....below it is a grainte trough that runs the length of the mirror (or width I suppose)with the water faucets placed at intevals along it. Absolutely gorgeous. The materials they used in the flooring and the walls; the doors, everything are just exquisite! The stalls in the bathroom are a thick frosted glass with a large mahogany frame around them and when you open up the stall, there's of course, the toilet, but behind and above the commode, is a niche that's probably about 3-4 ft deep with a block glass window at the back which spills light into the area and they have a piece of beautiful glass art sitting in the niches.

The bar itself is a gorgeous design; such a huge difference from what it used to be! And the drinks are AMAZING! I went wild and ordered a Bloody Mary, which was practically a meal in itself! They put it into a very tall glass, then stuck a green onion into it on one side of the glass with the long tops sticking up above the rim of the glass. Over that, they put a ring of sliced red bell pepper. On the opposite side of the glass, they had a green olive and a pickled spear of asparagus, and to gild the lilly, they set a chilled prawn on the side of the glass! Fabulous presentation! And the asparagus spear was DELICIOUS! As was the drink.

The food has improved drastically also, although Tim had the tuna melt and he wasn't impressed. That's what I usually order, but I knew they had never done a very good job on them, so I was glad I hadn't opted for it this time. Dh and I both had burgers which were perfectly cooked, great flavor and served beautifully. The service was excellent too and they had a sort of carousel with flat screen tv's across from where the tables were so that people could watch whatever game they wanted to. It was really pretty impressive. I love good surprises :), and this was definitely one!
If you're ever in the Indian Wells locale, it's a must-see; you won't be disappointed!

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Bill and Happy Birthday Nancy! I love you guys!

Friday I'm in Love

Actually more like "Friday I'm sick". I've had something like a cold since Tuesday. UGH. I detest being sick and feeling like crap. Which is pretty much what I feel like. Kinda like having a perpetual hangover. Thank goodness for Alka Seltzer Cough and Cold. Or cold and cough..whatever. It helps. The saving grace is that Max is better; maybe I caught it from him, haha.

I feel pretty lucky that he IS ok b/c yesterday when I was walking into the master bathroom, I saw him sniffing at something on the floor (and the Lord knows there shouldn't be ANYTHING to sniff at on my floors, LOL) and I went to look at what it was...it was a SCORPION! ICK! He was about 3-4 inches long and sort of a clear-yellowish color. I HATE them. So I squished him and sent him to scopion heaven. That's where all scorpions should go. I can't wait to move out of the desert. I will NEVER miss it. Anyhow, that's a subject for another day.

It's supposed to be cooler here today; in fact, they SAY (but we ALL know that "THEY" lie) it will only be around 87. That's 87 give or take 10 degrees of course. That's the part they don't mention :S. But that's good enough for me. I'm ready for some cooler weather. I saw some beautiful white pumpkins at the store the other day and could just picture them arranged with Fall leaves and a big metal-edged lantern-type candle holder on the front entry. Well, not HERE, of course, because the pumpkins would be caving in on themselves after a day or so in this heat. That wouldn't be very attractive. But I can think about it anyway. Kind of like I think about the fountain I want to put there, haha.

Today is going to be a stay-at-home day I think. I don't feel like going anywhere or doing anything and we're going out to lunch tomorrow, so I need to get well for that. I just need to figure out what to make for dinner since the hubby will once again, grace us with his presence for the weekend.

I made the MOST delicious chicken tacos the other night~I've been telling everyone about them~ they were in Martha's Everyday Food magazine this month (Oct). They're called Chili chicken tacos and you put everything in the crockpot! It was SO easy and it turned out so tasty. Not only that, I discovered those already made taco shells! I know, I know, they've been around forever, but I've never ever bought any or even tasted any.....and I actually bought regular corn tortillas just in case I chickened out (no pun intended ;)) and decided I just couldn't use the pre-made ones. But they were the perfect ticket for these tacos...I got Mission brand and they weren't the least bit greasy; they were light and crunchy. Something new and different to add to the cooler weather repertoire.

So, off to get well....

Ruby Tuesday

I love Tuesdays. Why? I'm not sure, but I think it's because it's not Monday :).

Monday is always total cleaning,linen changing, laundry and get the garbage containers out day. And yesterday somehow, I realized I needed dryer sheets before I could even start the laundry, so that took up some time. So I was sort of behind all day long.

But Tuesdays are so much better for me. And today, the Y.E.'s went to the groomers! I'm SO EXCITED....I can't wait to see them when they're done. Mel's Little Pie went too, so we'll have 3 super cute Yorkies in residence here :D. I think we've decided we should parade them down El Paseo afterward b/c they'll be so cute. Aren't we goofy? I'm especially excited about Madison; this will only be his second grooming appt. since I've had him (probably his second EVER) and the first time I was afraid to have him cut too short like I get Max b/c his hair is so different. I was afraid he'd be bald, LOL. But his hair had been so matted before, it looked like he didn't have much hair, but he really did.

Poor little Max had a little gastro-intestinal issue yesterday....don't know what he ate, since I watch pretty much everything that goes into his mouth, and he didn't have any problem EATING all day or running around, so I guess he's ok. . At least he'll eat his food with plain yogurt on it. And I gave him one of Madison's Pepcids just to help out. I hope I haven't plugged him up now :S. Great nurse I am, haha.

I am horrified by the Wall Street plunge yesterday. I wonder what will happen next? I know things will get better SOMETIME, but it's scary isn't it? And with the elections coming up; ay yi yi! If I think about it too long, my stomach starts churning, so I'll divert my thinking to more pleasant things....at least, things I can do something about. I just empathize with anyone who's heavily invested in the stock market~ it's like, you'd lose if you pulled all your money out just prior to the House vote, and now it's a no-brainer. It would be a hard decision I'm sure. The only way it could have been a positive would have been if they'd voted for the bailout. I guess it really is gambling.

So, I found what looks like a good recipe for chicken tacos (I wonder sometimes if anyone eats as much chicken as I do? I eat a LOT of it..grilled, roasted, sauteed, poached, rarely fried, but if it can be made with chicken, you know I've probably done it in the last week) in the latest issue of Martha's Everyday Food...think I'll make that for dinner for me and Mel tonight. Results of DWTS will be on, so it's defintitely a stay-at-home night for me. I need to get on that sourdough too; the starter has either fainted or outright died, so off to the kitchen I go......oh, the reason for the title today; chicken chili tacos with SANGRIAS :D.