I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry

"Did you ever see a Robin weep,
When leaves begin to die?
That means he's lost the will to live
And I'm so lonesome I could cry."

Well, my little Lucky dove finally gave up the will to live and went to the Rainbow Bridge sometime after I covered the birds up for the night last night.

He was pretty old to begin with, and he's always been a little on the psychotic/neurotic side; has always picked his feathers and then started picking at his skin. It's actually amazing he lived so long, but.....every time I found him on the bottom of the aviary when we were in Napa, I'd nurse him back to health and even with his picking, he lived a pretty good long life.

Poor little guy; the last few days he really picked himself and was bleeding which wasn't really anything new, but I had a feeling this was going to be it.

I put a heat source on the cage so he wouldn't be cold and his little Parakeet friend TweetyBird kept him warm too. Tweety's been calling for Lucky all morning long; it's sad. He's not ready to make friends with my other dove, Cocoa, so for now he'll have to just look at him thru the cages' bars.

I suppose I should be relieved that Lucky's out of any misery he has been in, but he was born in the aviary I had in the back yard of my apartment and he was the only dove I brought to the desert with me. I gave all the others to a friend of a friend, but I knew nobody would care about Lucky because he was such a head case, and I had committed to caring for him, so I brought him along with the cockatoos to the desert.

He had a kind of a rough start to life I think....he somehow got caught by some rodent or something one night and I found him almost dead on the bottom of the cage. Of course, I NEVER find ANYTHING all the way dead; I find them ALMOST gasping their last breath and I'm compelled to bring them into the house and spend months nursing them back to health. But poor Lucky (is that an oxymoron, LOL?) had had his skin all ripped to shreds and had a gaping wound under one of his legs. It eventually healed over, but no feathers ever grew back on his abdomen at all, so he sort of looked like a plucked chicken over most of his body except for his head and wings....and then he started pulling his feathers out all over his body...in the photo, you can see he's missing a big area near his tail....but he always kept on keepin' on. I've lost track, but he was at least 12 years old. The little guy is at peace now, but I miss him, he was a sweet little bird.

Today is making plans for Valentine's Day. I refuse to go out to dinner b/c the restaurants all raise their prices and offer different things than they usually do, so you never know what you'll wind up with, plus the service is usually lousy too~ I finally figured it's just not worth it. So, Melanee and I will come up with a FABULOUS menu (we've already got the champagne and caviar on the list), and my very BFF just called and we're trying to coerce him into flying down here for a few days so it will be a REAL celebration. Nobody enjoys champagne and caviar like Roy and I do! Huh, Roy? Of course, nobody enjoys anything as much as Roy and I do, because we were elected at birth to be the ultimate enjoyers of everything LOL. And we take that responsibility VERY seriously!

So, we'll have to drink a special toast to Lucky Dove now that he's flying free, beautifully feathered and healthy and happy again~

OHHHHH, what a Beautiful Morning!

...oh what a beautiful day! This is what I woke up to this morning~ just outside my bedroom, the moon going down behind Mt. San Jacinto! Snow covered Mt. San Jacinto! So, yes, we had RAIN! And now we've got COLD, brrrrr! But it's sunny and beautiful, something to bask in, that's for sure!

I'm excited today because my friend Melanee will be back here again (with all her stuff, LOL). She's going nuts, and I can't say I blame her. I DETEST moving, and the last few times, I've had movers pack just about EVERYTHING (including a stick of butter that was wrapped separately and carefully placed in the china butter dish with the lid carefully placed on top, LOL)~ I don't think it makes a bit of difference, it's painful no matter what!

The little YE's are being the Yorkie Terrorists again; it's TUESDAY....garbage and gardeners day. They LOVE Tuesdays. I was hoping the gardeners would be here early while I was out running errands, but noooooooooooooooooooooooooo....that only happens once in a blue moon. I think the boys hear the gardener's truck when it gets to the cross street leading into our development and go FLYING off my lap or whatever they're perched on at the time, barking like a pack of wild dingoes; Max snaps at Madison b/c he wants to be the ONE who "gets" them and Madison is like a snarling, growling, barking beast! It's shocking. And they're MINE.....all MINE, LOL. Madison is extra happy today b/c it's so cold and he gets to wear his favorite pullover. Max had his on, but he already peed on it, so he's going au naturale for the rest of the day unless it gets colder and then I'll put something else on him which will please him no end. That's ok, b/c Little Pie will be here later on and that will take his little doggy mind off the indignity of being clothed.

I'm still waiting for that phone call from a prospective employer. Gosh, I sent 4 resumes out over the weekend. So humbling, LOL....I remember the good old days when interviewing was merely a formality; I always knew I'd get whatever job I applied for. Of course, if I were applying for a full time NIGHT shift job in ICU, it probably wouldn't be any question either. I've decided to preserve my sanity for as long as possible though, LOL and TRY to find something else. I just know there's something out there for me!

Well, I've gotten everything done that I really need to do other than some ironing (God, I just LOVE ironing...NOT...but you know how it is like when you stop hitting your head against a wall and it feels so good when you stop?? That's how I feel about ironing; it's so nice to have it DONE). So, I'm off to the ironing board and to wait for the onslaught of gardeners who'll whip my dogs into a complete squirrelnutzipper frenzy..yeeeehawwwww!

Out to dinner tonight for good food and LOTS of wine~ believe me, I think it's gonna be one of those days, haahahahaha.

And They Call it Puppy Love.....

I'm sorry.....I just HAVE to post these so cute photos of Max's sister~ I'm glad I've got my boys, but oh gosh, she's such a little doll baby! That's it for today, LOL....just cuteness! Oh...this is Princess Little Pie

Take Me Out to the Ball Game...

Ok...I'm not really ready for baseball yet, but I found these last week and I think they deserve at least a mention.
Let me just qualify this first, by telling you that I'm not a hot-dog person, so if they aren't as good as I think they are, just consider the source!
In fact, I pretty much refuse to eat hot-dogs unless I happenen to be at a ball game, which these days is pretty rare. Dh LOVES hot dogs though. So I buy them for him and he tells me always to get Ball Park Beef franks. So I do.
Except last week, when I was looking at all the different types, these caught my eye~ Ball Park Angus franks. They cost a little more (actually, they were just something like $3.25 at Walmart)but they're WONDERFUL! They have that sort of "crunch" when you bite into them and they have a really good flavor, not like a bunch of ground up parts of stuff. KWIM?

If you like hot-dogs, check these out. I've actually eaten TWO of them so far ;).

Listen to the Rhythm of the Falling Rain....

Pitter patter.....we have RAIN!!! The patio is actually all wet! So, it's like, REAL rain, not just a sprinkle of it like usual; just enough to make a big mess of everything that was, up to that point, dusted with sand.

Yikes, where have I been and what have I been doing since Thanksgiving for heaven's sake?

A little busy, a little anxious, a teensy bit depressed (well, not clinically depressed but you know, when you just feel blah?).

Lots of stuff going on with our friend buying a restaurant and the launch for that.

The Bob Hope Golf Classic, big party at Tim's house on the fairway, Playboy golf girls and the Marines hanging out at his house. Oh gosh, the girls were so cute and so sweet (and SO YOUNG!!), and likewise the Marines....so handsome in their uniforms, but it breaks my heart to think of such kids fighting a war. They're just so young!
It was a great party though; Alice Cooper and Kurt Russell and a guy named Jeff Lind (one of the Travelling Wilburys...now, he's someone I could relate to, LOL).
Everyone was well-behaved, which is saying a lot. You know how some of the celebrity-pro tournaments can get, especially when it's one party after another along the golf course. But everyone maintained some semblance of sobriety (except for one little girl named Janelle....she just had a WEE bit too much to drink, and the Playboy people whisked her away before she got into any weird predicament.

Oh yeah...and a "girl" named Shelley Michelle...all dressed up in a little sailor outfit with LONG red gloves....involved with some show called the Hollywood Sizzle. Somehow I've missed that. Her claim to fame (other than the stunningly popular aforementioned tv show) is that she's a "body double", having worked with Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman....geeze, how LONG ago was that movie made??? All the PR photos are supposedly her body with Julia's head just stuck on. I guess that's b/c Julia has such a yucky body :S. Right......anyhow, quite the interesting group of people. It felt like being in a Fellini movie actually. Or like the King of Hearts movie. Sort of surreal.

So, then it was the Craig's List experience (a good one), sold one bike, took my other one in to be "tuned up"....hmmm...yes, it's VERY tuned up now....cost me almost $400...needed new shifters, new front derailleur...HOW does that happen when it's not even being ridden? Oh well...it will get ridden NOW....well, once the rain stops, haha. I'm excited about that anyway.

The YE's are doing just great, thanks! They just got a bath yesterday (after Mr. Max had to chase the stream of water that I was watering the gardenias with in the sand and got not only soaking wet, but covered in sand as well. Crazy dog! They both needed bathing anyway. Madison licks so much he smells pretty 'doggy' a few days after a bath, so it was time. They're loving the weather here lately. It's really been beautiful.

My brother Scott is having some problems in the hospital. Some bleeding, and after an endoscopy, they've found something pre-canerous that needs surgery in the next month. I wish he could just talk; at least we'd know how he felt about all this. 15 yrs is a long time to not be able to move or speak. I love my brother and he surely doesn't deserve this life. It reminds me that I need to make better use of my time and make better choices. Ugh, such a wonderful man and I hate to say it, but life just isn't fair, darn it. My poor Mom and stepdad too. They're really angels.

Almost had a GREAT job! It would have been PERFECT...but the Dr. gave it to someone with EXPERIENCE in the clinic, can you IMAGINE that, LOL? Oh well, he was very nice; said he interviewed 25 nurses and it had come down to this other guy and myself....darn! I really wanted (and needed) that job. Only 1 mile from home too! Oh well, I suppose everything happens for a reason and something better will come along. I just hope it comes along SOON! With so many people losing their jobs, I fear that dh's will disappear too. Anyway, my job search continues.....

My girlfriend Melanee is moving back to the desert....I think she literally had just finished unpacking the boxes in her condo when she decided she didn't like it there and wanted to be closer to her friends. So, she's all packed up again and will be here this coming Tuesday. I'm glad she'll be here, but I would never have encouraged her to move back b/c I know how much she really hates the weather here. I guess sometimes you just have to compromise. We figure we're all going to find our way together. Honestly....50 yr olds having to "find their way"......who woulda' thought we'd be in this position a few years ago? Crazy! The good thing is, all the doggies will be together again, LOL. Oh, her little Pie is so adorable! Max's little sissy and Madison's girlfriend!
And we're all starting a diet plan when she gets here. Only we'll have to hit Mario's just once before we do that, LOL.

Today I'm going to find a good book to read and curl up with the puppies~ tomorrow's another day and I want to be prepared for whatever might happen :). Need to find something interesting to do to pork chops for dinner too.....I'm off!

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.