Desert Oasis

If I haven’t disparaged my current residence enough, let me just say once again that I am in an oil town. The places where oil is found are not pretty. Dinosaurs left the pretty green areas and found barren wastelands to die in. They knew the end was coming and started walking until they found flat, cactus ridden, brown areas and only then did they succumb to death.

The town itself is not wealthy. Those that come to pull the dead animal juice from the ground take the money and split, going back to places where trees dwell. The lifers here are not very well-off and so the town doesn't have pretty well-manicured subdivisions. Or even pretty well-manicured trailer parks.

In my attempts to rise from the pissiness (and fatness), I have gone running the past 2 days. At the one spot in town where green is found, where trees grow, where I pretend to be Elsewhere. This golf course/park/recreation area is one area in town that is pretty. The grass hasn’t been snuffed out with rocks, the cactus has been cut back, and the tumbleweed carcasses don’t litter the fence lines.







There's No Place Like Home. There's No Place Like Home.

Do Do Do Do Do...I'm Loving It!

Still working on rising from the funk. And worse? I am a copycat. Thanks, Bev!


Things I am Currently Loving:

Homemade pizza. No worry that the pizza guy will a) think I am crazy for wanting cheese free pizza, and then b) pick off the cheese from the pizza because the pizza guy neglected to leave it off.

Not Craig. He is incredibly kind and loving to his crazy girl even after a ridiculously long day at work.

New Mexican Skies.

Viewing pics of Kitten (perhaps named Sophie, or Sofa, or Sofapilla) and comparing then with now.




Anticipation of meeting my new niece.

Clean sheets. It’s the small things, folks!

Thoughts of a new creative pursuit. Do I make an apron? Do I finish my 15 year old cross stitch? Do I dare try knitting again? I so sucked at that!

Kind words from innernet strangers in response to my funk.

Ebay sales.

Dreams of the future.

That the scorpion on my kitchen floor this morning was nearly dead. Which would add Orkin to the loving list.

Best friends.

That is a good start.... like a phoenix...I rise from the pissiness. Wait....that doesn't sound right....

My Lie

Here it is, Fun Monday so soon again. But as my last few posts have shown, I am not in a fun mood recently. I have been down in the dumps for a couple days now. I wrote this post and well, it isn't happy, it isn't fun, but it is oh so true.

So it stands.

But I will try to get cheery over the next couple of days. I promise. Or I will just start drinking before I blog. Hmmm...maybe this post can wait until I get a Shiner...brb....please entertain yourself while I take a drinking break...

mmmm....better already....

My lie is told by many, many women. I know I inherited the gene from my mother, who inherited it from her mother and so it goes back to Sweden where maybe this genetic defect originated. Damn Swedes.

So here we go:


I repeatedly tell a lie. The same lie over and over. I catch myself in the middle of it, yet am unable to hold back, take it back or admit the truth.

I say, I can do it. I can take care of it. I can handle everything. I can handle each and every task that is asked of me, along with my eleventy billion things already on my list and keep the house spotless and have a 7 course meal on the table promptly at 6:00.

I liken myself to Superwoman. I can do it all. In heels, with a smile. You need me to iron this shirt for you? Go buy a box of Twinkies? Complete all these TPS reports by 8:00 A.M. tomorrow? Sure, just as soon as I pick the house up off this poor little old woman and detail the car.

I know this is my problem. I know that all it would take is a single, one syllable word. No. But who do I need to say that simple word to? Them or myself?

I know that half of the problem is my neuroses. The world needs to be perfect, complete and well-dusted.

I know that I should ease up on myself. I know that if I did, if I could, I could be a lot happier, a lot more in the moment.

And I do. I ease up. I let the laundry basket get full, I let the trash overflow. I let dishes sit in the sink. I am proud of my ability to be (for me) slothful.

And then…. I am asked to stop at the store and pick up a 12 pack of Cokes. My boss asks me to redo the 17th revision of a Motion. And I am exhausted and overwhelmed. And I probably get tears. And then I start the vicious cycle again. My home is made spotless through the tears, my surroundings become organized while inside I crumble.

Yet I continue to do it. Because I am a liar. I can do it all. But I really can’t do it all. And I know that all I have done is lie. To you, to him, to her, to the cats. But most of all, to myself.

I May Have Found a New BFF

This is wholly inappropriate on a Sunday, but what am I, if not wholly inappropriate.



Lots o' cussing here. Because that's the way we like it, uh huh, uh huh.

TWF Seeking INBFF

As you get older, your friends thin out. The things that you had in common, school, classes, boys, love for the mall, begin to fade. Your common links become less and less.

Yet it is so hard to let go, to separate yourself from this person you called your best friend, your good friend, your buddy for so many years.

But I have moved past wanting a vacuous relationship based on a common interest in Macy’s shoe department. I don’t care to discuss ad nauseam what he means when he calls the day after you put out but doesn’t want to get together until 2 weeks from Friday.

I don’t want to go have over-priced margaritas while we talk about how that bitch you work with wore an outfit that didn’t match and she will probably get promoted even though she doesn’t deserve it, just because she has big tits.

I want to move past that, I want to grow up. I want to talk about our dreams for the future, how to save enough money to buy a house, how we are sick of boys and want to be treated right and find a man that is ready to settle down and buy a dog and watch CNBC with.

I would rather get together for an inexpensive meal at my place and watch a movie, than go get our drink on at the local meat market.

.......

How do you transform an early 20’s friendship into a mature one? How do you not leave your closest friend behind when you have moved past their greatest interests?

Can you walk the fine line between the two?

This Meme Means Happiness

I know I should be typing about Vegas here. But ya know, I don’t wanna. I feel poopy today and this is my little piece of innernet and, It’s My Prerogative, I can do what I wanna do, but not in a crack-smoking Bobbie way and definitely not in a whore-y Britney way, just My Way, more like Sinatra.

I have been feeling icky for the last few days. I can’t say that I have any real physical ailment, I haven’t been going to bed at a decent hour all week, I haven’t worked out in some time and there is a Tropical Storm in Houston and I am not there to enjoy it. And so I am feeling yucky and want to watch some crappy TV and snack all day. I want to curl up with my blankie and have my mom bring me Sprite and toast while I watch the Monchichi’s.

The Pop Culture Librarian tagged the blogosphere with the aptly named Stuart Smalley meme. The task is to list 10 rockin’ things about yourself. I need this right about now.

1. I have a huge heart. I can empathize like nobody’s business. I want you to tell me how life has beaten you up and then I will give you a big hug and cry with you.
2. I can have a good time anytime, anywhere. Wow, that sounds dirty. I don’t get bored. I make the best of whatever lame-o situation I find myself in.
3. I don’t hold grudges. I can’t. I can’t remember what bad, evil thing a person may have done to hurt me in the first place, in order to hold a grudge. I forget mean behavior in those I love, very quickly.
4. I love animals. I will feed all strays. I will take in wayward kittens. I will stop in the middle of the Houston HOV to rescue a stranded pup.
5. I am funny in a very goofy-make you turn that frown upside down-sort of way.
6. I am hardworking and diligent in both my personal and professional life. You want something done? Ask me to do it.
7. I am honest. I will not cheat or lie or take advantage of a person for my own gain.
8. I am optimistic to the extreme. I look on the bright side of all situations. I see the good in people and always give others the benefit of the doubt.
9. I am polite. I will open the door for others. I will wave when merging in traffic. I will pick up items that someone dropped. I say please and thank you.
10. I have gorgeous red hair. And some nice junk in the trunk. Hey, self love, folks, self love!
    

So ya’ll go get your self-loving on!! But make sure and shut the blinds first.

Next to the Last Vacation Post... (Unless I change my mind. Cuz it's my perogative. I can do what I want to do.)

So, we just left the Grand Canyon.

Before you hit Sin City, you have to go over the Hoover Dam. And it is a sight. My appreciation for the Dam multiplied or at the very least doubled, due to the Transformers movie. Hey, I am just a silly girl, not a history/geology/architecture buff. I couldn’t really care less about it. But it was perty in the movie. And, of course it stood between me and Vegas.


It is an amazing structure. It is fascinating that way back when they had barely created cars, they could build something of this magnitude. But ya know, my waxing all philosophic could have also just been the heat stroke I was experiencing.
So, the dedication of the Dam on September 30, 1935 by FDR, included a mural, star map, and winged figures with now quite well-rubbed toes which were designed by Oskar J.W. Hansen. The star map indicates “dates of historical importance, linking the moment the Hoover Dam was dedicated with such events as the building of the pyramids and the birth of Christ. Hansen believed that "in remote ages to come, intelligent people" would be able to discern "the astronomical time of the dam's dedication”.
So… follow me here, guys….on the most modern structure that, at the time, had ever been constructed, the crowning achievement coming out of the Public Works Project, which employed thousands during the Great Depression, on this testament to the genius of the American mind, there is a monument, a map for future visitors to our planet.

On a government project that, in the 1930’s cost $48 million, commissioned by the U.S. government, there stands a roadmap for aliens.

Oh, I understand. Roswell never happened. Area 51 doesn’t hold Martians. Yet the U.S. Government can pay a Norwegian immigrant buttloads of cash to send a message to aliens.
I don’t buy it, but then again, maybe, just maybe, FDR lost his ass at the craps table in Vegas and this Hansen guy bailed him out.

Vacation Summary Installment Deux

So after we finished walking around the beautiful city of Santa Fe, and after I reassured (with my toes crossed) my Dear that I was perfectly fine to travel cross-country, we proceeded to leave Santa Fe. However, the dear hadn’t been inside a Best Buy for a couple months. Every time we visit a city of any decent size, we make an obligatory stop at Best Buy. The Santa Fe Best Buy was surprisingly easy to find. In fact, it was quite close to the Motel 6 that drove me to tears the night before.

Here we are, two people, driving a thousand miles from home, with no real destination in mind day to day without as much as an atlas. What better to buy than XM? Tom Tom. Or Tomasina as I call her. The British lass who instructs me to turn right and take the Moto-way.

We then headed to the nearest Starbucks and set up Tom Tom. This system is EXCELLENT! Quite user friendly. Great price (we got the smallest one for $250.00). Excellent features. Absolute life saver! My new travel BFF.

Since I chose the first destination on our vacation, the Dear chose the second. And so off to the big hole we went.

Now that the car was loaded up with XM and Tom Tom, the drive was excellent. It was such a beautiful drive. I have lived in Kansas or the Houston area most of my life. I now live in oil fields. I am not accustomed to mountains. I was in awe. And have a lot of pictures to prove it.



We stopped in Flagstaff for the night. At the scariest hotel I have ever stayed at. Which is saying a lot. This is the hotel where you can lay on the bed and see the can. The hotel where if you are over 5’ 10”, you cannot pee standing up or take a shower normally. I think the only reason I slept is that I was still ill. Thank goodness for bad guac! And the price? A mere $75.00 for the worst hotel room ever. The most we spent during our entire vacation was $95 for the first night in Vegas. Out of 7 nights in hotels, this one ranked #2 in cost. Grr.

The following morning, we woke and began our drive to the Grand Canyon. But then we got hungry and with the help of Tom Tom, headed to downtown Flagstaff for some grub. The downtown area is so neat! It has been renovated with a ton of restaurants, pubs and cool stores. We wandered that for an hour or two. Flagstaff is at a high elevation which creates a wonderfully cool environment. Besides having the scariest expensive hotel around, Flagstaff seemed to be a wonderful city that, should we be required to spend more time in desert climates, I wouldn’t mind living in.

I don’t know, however, if Flagstaff can properly be called desert. There are a million pine trees, reminding me of the East Texas piney woods around Nacogdoches. They have a ski season. And it wasn’t the same temperature as the surface of the sun. Not too desert-y, in my opinion.

Anyhoo, after wasting more time, we headed to the Grand Canyon. The portion of the Canyon that we hit was called Desert View.





And has been previously seen, we stopped at a weird little tourist spot on the way, Yabba Dabba Doo!



We stayed at the Canyon for a couple hours. There was a storm blowing in to the East. We watched that roll in.



And then….we kept going west. With one city in mind.

Fun Monday: What is Your Treat?

Fun Monday is in full swing and the wonderful Beckie at Give It a Try has requested that we discuss our favorite treat.

It may be strange, but I am not a chocolate fan. I like various candies but nothing stands out as my favorite.

The one thing that popped into my mind upon reading this week’s challenge was….sushi.



It is my treat. It is my comfort food. It is my celebratory meal. It has been named as my final meal should I commit a heinous act and find myself on Death Row.

Unfortunately, in the area I am in, there is no sushi. Wal-mart sells frozen california rolls, but they creeped me out!

While on our tour of the Western U.S. this past week, it is all I wanted (Well, once I decided eating was ok again). When I visited Vegas earlier this year with my sister, every meal, except breakfast, was sushi for 4 days. We gorged ourselves on sushi.

So how many times did I eat sushi while in Vegas this go round? Sadly, none. I ate McDonald’s and Panda Express every day though. And man, I want sushi so badly!!

When I go to Houston in a few weeks, I plan on spending much of my earnings on sushi.

Santa Fe, oh Santa Fe

Last Friday morning, we woke up. We knew we were on vacation. We knew this was coming. We had talked about it for months. I asked you guys about Europe as we truly planned to go there. But then time got the best of us and Europe was scrapped. And another plan was never placed on the table. We discussed. I checked out books. And researched online. And we talked some more. And again, time got the best of us. So Friday morning comes, we know we are obligated to leave town, because we are NOT spending our 10 day vacation in this place we barely call home. Because then it would be a 10 day cry festival. And no one wants that.

I cooked a lavish breakfast that morning, because the practical girl I am, we needed to empty out the fridge. And we dined and discussed. And probably watched a bit of the History channel. While I played online. And then I packed some stuff. And decided that I better come up with a plan. Because if one of us did not just lay out the plan for the next 24 hours, we would end up staying home another day. So I picked Santa Fe. It wasn’t too far, the next stop could be either North or West without too much difficulty and well, I have always wanted to see Santa Fe.

We left our place around 1 PM and then we leisurely went to Wal-Mart. Ya’ll we have lived in the South long enough to know you don’t embark on a long journey without at least looking around Wal-Mart to ensure that you have everything you need. And apparently we needed XM. I drove to the next town over while Dear looked over the directions and readied the installation of said XM. We then stopped there for a half hour or so and got that all hooked up.

We then drove to Roswell. And stopped at Wal-Mart. I was starting to wonder about this whole vacation thing. Is it just going to be a tour of the Wal-Marts within driving distance of our home? I already mentioned the Roswell fascination with aliens. The whole town is covered in the little green things. And freaking Wal-Mart has a whole souvenir section filled with ‘em.




And then we continued on our trip. XM rocks. After we were situated with XM, we did not stop again until Santa Fe.

I still don’t know if I had the worst lactose issue ever or if I had some guac gone bad, but I was in a bad way from Thursday night until at least the Grand Canyon. With the threat of turning back home, I did my best to hide my misery. At night, it got worse. By the time we hit Santa Fe Friday night, I was pretty miserable. The roads in Santa Fe suck. Suck big donkey … toes. If you have been to San Antonio….very similar. We call around and find a decent hotel price. At least better than the $160 Days Inn look-alike. And we head there. Or at least we think we do. I talked to the front desk three times trying to find our way there. And I end up in tears. I was in pain, lost and very pissy.

After driving around for an hour, we end up scrapping that hotel. And finding a no-tell motel for $30 cheaper, much closer to the downtown area. And they didn’t make me cry. I crawled into bed right away….not getting to experience the Santa Fe nightlife.

The next morning we wake up and head to the beautiful downtown Santa Fe area. The city is gorgeous! Very Austin-ish. Except brown. Most buildings are brown or terra cotta, or adobe, whatever. I swear it must be a city ordinance. Adobe everywhere.






The downtown area is full of cute little shops, art stores and restaurants. They also have a town center park area where a festival was going on. Lots and lots of cool over-priced knick knacks. We ate at a gorgeous restaurant. Unfortunately, I was still not feeling well so we did not truly “Do” Santa Fe. I love the feel of the town, the look. It is a gorgeous city that I would love to see more of.





I sure wish I had more to tell about Santa Fe, but we needed to get on the road so we could get further away from home. I had already been threatened with turning around if I didn’t feel better. So I needed to put some miles behind us so even if I didn’t feel better, it wouldn’t make sense to go home!





Damn guac gone bad.

Final Chapter in Where in the World is Fianna?

Alright, so we first went to Santa Fe, then to the Grand Canyon. After that we hit the Hoover Dam. And well, since we were headed straight for it, we hit stop number 4. And stayed there for 4 days.

I have been wondering what to do with this clue. Should I even make it a WITWIF? Should I make you guess the hotel? Should I ask how much money you think we lost….or won? Should I take a poll on how much a Vegas lap dance costs? Should I take a poll on who believes that Elvis married us? Which is a real lion? So many potential questions.




So, I turned to the trusty WWW and found this:

Bugsy Siegel named the hotel we stayed at after the legs of his showgirl girlfriend.

Which hotel did we stay at?

And you can guess at the other questions, too. I may or may not answer them.

Where in the World is Fianna Episode 3

Autobots, roll out.

A Few Santa Fe Pics!

I have just a few minutes to post a few things before we are onto our next adventure. Here is Santa Fe in a few pics.

This is actually in Roswell. But I loved it!! I heart Arby's. And they heart aliens. I would hate to live in Roswell as the whole city is so centered on aliens, I would protest the color green. And I heart green, so that would suck.


Aren't these amazing pics!! So so pretty!




This was at the restaurant we ate at. Which is really to say that he ate at it. I was still sick as could be in Santa Fe. More on that in the summary. But it was perty!


And this cute kitty was also in the restaurant courtyard. I wanted to take it home.


That is all I have time for. I am keeping the dear waiting!!

More later folks!

Where in the World Day 2 AND Fun Monday

For those Fun Monday visitors, I am currently on vacation. A not planned, spur of the moment, where ya wanna go today vacation.

So we are having a Where in the World is Fianna game. Not as exotic as Matt Lauer, but play along!

First settled by Native Americans, it was not discovered by Whitey until around the Civil War time.

Depending on where you are at in the area, the weather varies. Much like Houston.

Around the time my parents were being potty-trained, 2 planes collided right near this here place. The crash changed many of the aviation rules that were in place at the time.

75 different species of mammal, 50 species of reptiles, 25 species of fish, and 300 species of bird call this place home.

And Wilma loves my old green apron that I found at an estate sale. This is an everyday get down and dirty cute apron.



The dino....he is looking smashing in the most amazing gift from my friend Kaytabug. She found it in a thrift store in our hometown in KS and mailed it to me. I believe she stated that she could totally picture me as a 50's housewife wearing pumps, this apron and throwing a dinner party for my dear. I totally agree, but would probably wear flip-flops instead of heels.



Here are closer views of each at a very scary hotel we stayed at.





















I will do my best to post the next installment and perhaps some pictures of Santa Fe later tonight or perhaps tomorrow. Never know Where in the World....is Fianna!

Everyone have a Fun Monday!!

Where in the World Day 1

So here we are....

First stop for the Matt Lauer wannabes. So...the hotel we are in as I type is interesting...No 3 prong outlets so I may hit post really soon as my battery is dying quickly. You can see the can from the bed...no door on it. Kinda crappy internet connection too, so I think pics are not gonna make it into this post. I had some nice ones picked out...but alas, some things are not meant to be!

It is the county seat. Its elevation is 7K above sea level. It was formally founded and made a capital in the 1600's, making it the oldest capital city and perhaps tying it with Jamestown.

The city used to have semi-pro basketball and hockey until the teams pulled an Oiler move and left for the greener pastures of Kansas and Texas.

Some visitors find the city particularly attractive around the second week of September when the trees turn colors. (Hey Wiki says so!).

If you want to fly in, there is an airport in town, but it is recommended you fly into the bigger airport an hour away.

My battery is nearly gone...pics cannot be loaded...hmmm...so if ya'll don't get it from the hints above...you will have to wait until we pick a better hotel. And that may not be until we arrive home, so waaa....See ya when I see ya!!

Where in the World is Fianna?

So... we are gonna play a little game, kiddos. Now that vacation is imminent. I will be posting pictures at random intervals and you can guess at where we are. You will get pics and clues and some irreverent commentary from yours truly. I will spill the beans when I post the next Where in the World, or when we are at a hotel with internet or when we get home.

I always loved me some Matt Lauer. Until he went all buzz cut. But darn, he is a very handsome young man.

And just to be fair, I will not be participating in this contest. Although I, myself, do not know where in the world Fianna will be.

Vacation Update

T-minus 23 hours until our vacation starts. We have not decided where we are going.

Told you we sucked at planning.