Flashback to the 90’s

When I was in middle school, I was very much into music that wasn’t Country. Can you believe it? There once was a time I didn’t listen to Country? I was into Rap, Hip Hop, and even boy bands. Crazy, I know. My very first concert was Billy Joel, which I attended with my parents and some of their friends. The next concert after that, was Michael Bolton. Then Bruce Springsteen. Again, all with my parents. They weren’t the type to allow me to attend a concert on my own, or even with friends without adult supervision, so bands like Bel Biv Devoe and Naughty By Nature weren’t concerts I was ever going to attend. And I just had to accept that.

As the years went by, I attended dozens of concerts, all in the Country music genre, secretly wishing I could go back in time and see those other bands I enjoyed as a preteen, but as an adult.

Then….a Facebook post came across my feed about a concert that was taking place at The Hollywood Bowl in June. It was three artists I absolutely loved when I was growing up, but knew for sure I’d never see. Although Sis lives in another state, I still sent her the post with four simple words “Wish you were here…”. Within one week, she had a flight booked and tickets ordered. We were actually going to be seeing Boyz II Men, Paula Abdul, and New Kids on the Block. It was a dream come true for a preteen.

I have some video from each of the performers, but because of YouTube’s policy about uploading videos from concerts, I’ll hold off on that for now. But know that we had an amazing time.

Boyz II Men shocked the hell out of us by playing a few Lenny Kravitz songs. Didn’t even know those guys knew how to play instraments. Just assumed they only sang and danced.

We were a little skeptical about which Paula we would get. 90’s hip hop Paula, or 2017’s pill popping/alcoholic Paula. To our surprise, we got 90’s Paula. She was so right-on!

The New Kids on the Block were phenomenal. They sang songs that everyone was familiar with from the late 80’s, and 90’s, along with songs from their new album, which were pretty good. They sound just the same, but they look waaaaay older. I did think it was a little strange of Jordan Knight to be rubbing himself and humping the ground right after they sung Happy Birthday to a 13-year-old girl that was in the front row, but whatever. Apparently her mom knows what’s best for her.

There were way more men at the concert than I expected there to be. I assumed they were there to see Boyz II Men, but they were singing along to all the Paula and NKOTB songs as well. There were a LOT of groups of women. Some of them it seemed as if they were seeing each other for the first time since high school. Some were unneccessarily drunk and ridiculous, but most people were nice and courteous and just there to genuinly have a great time.

Sis and I had a memorable evening. We didn’t have any issues with anything, and I can’t wait until the next time we get to experience something from our past.

Miss you, Sis.

I miss my sister. A lot. Especially right now during this time of year. As friends and coworkers head out of town to spend it with their loved ones, I think about how much I’d love to be spending it in the rainy city just outside of Portland, with her and her hubby. 

But I can’t. And that’s just going to have to be okay. I’m grateful she’s still alive and that we can video chat, text, and IM to make up for it.

Friday Letters

It’s Friday. Time to write some letters…

Dear Boss#1 : I’m happy that you’ve gone away for the weekend, but I miss my house. And I miss SS. Hurry home so I can go back home. Plus, Annie misses you too. :-)

Dear Concrete Pouring Guys : When I’m in my office working, it’s hard to hear and concentrate when you’re outside making lots of noise with your big beeping truck. And loud talking.

Dear Udon : It’s been a pleasure having you stay with me this past week. You’re a great companion and an even better cuddler. Thank you for making me smile.

Dear Sis : Thanks again for dinner last night. ‘Twas soooooo good. And filling. Hit the spot. Squid is up next

Dear SS : I miss you when I’m staying at Boss#1’s house. It’s lonely there, even though I have the company of four dogs. It’s just not the same. Can’t intertwine my feet with Udon’s. He doesn’t quite understand it.

Friday Letters:

I’ve been watching Paula do this for a while, and figured I would make it a weekly thing just like she does. Hope I can keep up. I’ve written letters to people a few times on here, so why not make it more regular. I have fun doing it.  :-)

So, let’s write some letters….

Dear SS’s daughter : I have really enjoyed you being with us this week. Your presence around The Ranch has been particularly great. You’ve learned a lot, have some cool stories (and photos!) to go home with, and a great appreciation for the animals you see on TV now. Score!

Dear Sis : Happy Birthday!! See you tonight for chocolate cake.

Dear Production Companies : When we tell you that it’s not kitten season, but you continue to insist on us finding them in a specific age range, don’t get crabby when we tell you there are only four in all of LA County right now that age. How about trying again in May?

Dear Dancing With The Stars : I’m soooooo happy you’re back. Like always, there are several people I don’t know, but I’m looking forward to seeing them shake their hips. And welcome back, Maks!

Dear Mom : I’ve been meaning to call you, but life gets away from me sometime. Before I know it, it’s been three weeks. Whew. I’ll call you, I promise, but you have to answer this time.

Dear Pitbull : I don’t know what it is about you, but you are one sexy guy. I even dislike bald, yet you still do something for me. It’s weird, but I roll with it. And you sometimes blare out my car speakers. 

Dear SS : Be worried. I might run away with Pitbull. Ha. I kid. (Kinda.)  But seriously, when I listen to Taylor Swift’s song Red, it makes me smile really big knowing I’m never going to feel like that again. Thank you. Now go find that Chicken-Rabbit. We could be millionaires!!

Playing with Birds

RM#2 is a Falconer. That means he plays with Falcons, Eagles, Doves, Owls, Ravens, Starlings, Macaws, Hawks, Pigeons, and any other bird he can get his hands on. Here’s a look at what we’ve been busy playing with at the house.

Me with Darwin…

 

Squid playing with Darwin…

 

Sis the bird whisperer…

 

RJ was a little scared at first, but he came around…

 

And look how big the owl is getting. Remember what he looked like at 31 days? (click here)  Here he is sitting on top of our drive-in gate welcoming me home.

 

I hope your animal experiences are just as cool.

Weekend Fun

Sometimes it feels like Sis and I don’t spend enough time together. Sometimes it feels like it’s been months since we’ve talked, only I know that’s not true because we talk, text, instant message, email, facebook, instagram, and communicate through her husband, every day. Still. Sometimes it just isn’t the same as being together in person.

It’s a very simple kind of bond that we share. One that nobody, no matter how much they attempt to understand, will never get.

Squid, being from Wisconsin, and one of the biggest Packer fans I’ve ever met, attended the Green Bay vs. San Francisco Playoff game on Saturday (pic above is from their seats). This left Sis home along with her beast of a dog. She came over and introduced her dog to the pack of dogs we have here. They got along just fine.

 

Although the Packers lost, I’m sure it was an experience that he’ll never forget. Just like it was for Sis to have one of the birds try to share her beer….

 

Who did YOU hang out with this weekend?

 

Farewell…

Dropped Sis and Squid off at the airport this morning so they could catch their flight to a happy honeymoon.

Have a fabulous time, y’all!

See you in TEN DAYS!

I can’t wait to see the pictures.

xoxo

Lovely Sunday

Hi Readers! How y’all doing?

It’s been a fabulous Sunday. It started off a bit weird, but that’s life. What can ya do about it?

Doorbell rang at 7am this morning. Ugh, really? I’m not expecting anyone. Maybe it’s an emergency. I open the door and there stands a man. I whisper “Can I help you” in the nicest 7am voice I could muster. He takes a step backwards and says, “I’m here to pick you up for the airport.” Ha. If only I was flying somewhere, I wouldn’t be so annoyed with the fact that I’m not at the Phoenix track this weekend. “Nobody at this address is flying anywhere. You have the wrong house.” He fumbled for a minute, obviously caught off guard, while I closed the door. I stood in the kitchen window watching him, and after a few minutes, he drove away. Hmm. He didn’t go to any other houses and knock on their doors. How could he possibly get the ENTIRE address wrong, not just the house number? Ugh! And all this at 7am.

Naturally, I couldn’t fall back asleep. I exchanged a few texts with a friend, and eventually, sleep came. I woke up just in time for driver introductions to the NASCAR race.

Once up, I freshened up so I wasn’t a walking zombie, played with the dogs for a bit, and realized, Hey! I’m gonna drive to McDonald’s and satisfy this Big Mac craving I’m having. I know. My mind is so random. And I don’t know why I do this, but when I go to McDonald’s, I can’t just order one thing I want to eat. I order several things that multiple people would eat. I’m not expecting company of any kind, but what if I get back home and wished I’d gotten nuggets? I don’t want to be annoyed that I don’t have any after driving there. And the Ranch Snack Wrap? Why the heck did I buy that? Old habits die hard. It’s just going to take some time.

Let’s see. What else is rambling around in my head?

I would rather see Carl Edwards win the NASCAR title, than Tony Stewart. Since the company I work for provides the animals for the Aflac commercials, I am obligated to cheer for Carl. I mean, come on. How cool would it be to have the Aflac duck at the awards ceremony with him? And if Tony wins, fine. I’ll be forced to listen to the taunting of the neighbors across the street, but it’s okay. Kyle wins way more than Tony does.

Sis & Squid are officially moved into their first place. Yay! Finally they can live as a married couple. No more Dad knocking on the door while their having sex. No more having to listen to Dad yell because they left their clothes in the dryer. Soon they’ll be going on their honeymoon, so NOT coming home to Dad’s house was very important. And I get to stay there while they’re away. Smile.

Congrats on your first place guys.

This will be part of my lovely view…

I’m obsessing over Luke Bryan’s new song I Don’t Want This Night To End. I wish he’d wear his pants one size larger. Just one. They look so funny on his butt. And he stands weird in them. But watch the video. I’ve watched it about 50 times. Can’t.Stop.Singing.It.

I’ve got some more car issues. And unfortunately, this doesn’t seem to be something I can do myself. I’m sad about this, because playing under the hood of my car has become something I rather enjoy. Sad face.

Dropbox is so convenient. I use it all the time. I’m so glad I was introduced to it. It prevents me from becoming annoyed with not being able to email something too big. I just say I’ll Dropbox it. So awesome.

I’m thinking about going for a walk. The race is over, my eggs for egg salad are done boiling, tea is almost done cooking out in the sun, meat is almost thawed for tacos tonight, and the dishes are clean. I think I’ll put my iPod on shuffle and just walk. I always get stopped at bff@work’s house, which is fine if mingling is what I want to do. Sometimes though, I just want to walk.

The NHRA guys were at Pomona this weekend. A few of our trainers mentioned they heard them while down at one of the lakes prepping for a job. Winter Nationals is something I’ve been to a few times. It’s an incredible experience, and if you’ve never been, it’s something I fully recommend. It will literally blow your mind. Being able to stand in the pits while they test out those rocket machines, is an experience you’ll never forget. Some people can’t stand there for longer than one or two seconds because the smell is so overwhelming, but that’s part of the experience. When your sitting in the stands, and one of them takes off, your eye balls rumble in your head. I swear. And for only 3 or 4 seconds, you’re reminded why you love racing. Why you love speed. And what you have in common with the thousands of other people sitting there with you.

Happy Sunday, y’all.

Funday Sunday

Whoa, Kyle Busch. What happened? I was away from my house today, so I was unable to watch the race. However, I did look at the standings and see that a 33rd place finish has brought Kyle down two points in the standings to 6th. OUCH!

Talladega is the kind of place, now, that requires the help of another car in order to be successful. Kyle doesn’t want to have to rely on anyone else out on the track. And most people feel they don’t particularly want to help Kyle. Rivalry is in this sport for a reason. He’s a One-Man-Show kind of guy, and this partner drafting crap isn’t pleasant to a guy who’s teammates can’t keep up. Plus, cars that don’t know how to drive with this kind of two-car drafting, ruin it for several of the others. Several cars were unnecessarily taken out of the race (Kyle included) because of lack of drafting skill. Listen up, drivers. This is your job. Figure out how to do it well. And if you can’t, find another career. Racing in NASCAR isn’t for everyone.

While out shopping today, I found these…

The perfect cute little hand towels to hang in the bathroom of Sis and Squid’s new apartment. Finally! A place of their own.

Every single time I go shopping, I lose my car in the parking lot. Unless I’m parked in the first spot in the row closest to the store, I have trouble. I’ll walk down isle after isle before finding it. I’ve actually seen people laugh at me. But it’s okay. Maybe I’ll be the subject of their blog for that day. :-)  To insure I didn’t lose my car today, we parked waaaaaay at the back. And the fastest way I knew to get back to my car, was …

Then…to make the day even better, RM#1 says she’s going away for the night. Awesome. I’m home alone. The only thing that would make it end perfectly, would be an ice cold iced tea. And a Big Mac. Yeah, a Big Mac. Mmm.

For my seeeeeester

Just a few cute pictures I found. LZ loves elephants, so this post is for her…

 

 

 

 

When a tree falls in the woods, it DOES make a noise.

Whew! What a busy few days. After getting back from vacation in Oregon, I spent the week getting caught up at work, fixing a few things that went wrong, and getting ready for another vacation.

LZ and Squid wanted a weekend of camping, so camping we did.

… This is where we camped …

                    … and here …                

… This dragonfly hung out with us the first night we stayed …

… BFF@work came up with his wife. This was her chair …

… Here are the critters that annoyed us the 2nd night …

    … BFF@work and meee, cooking breakfast for all …       

… we all went for a walk (except Squid. he stayed to clean up camp) …

… this tree fell the first night we were there. sitting around the campfire, and all-of-a-sudden, it fell. cracked at the base. weird.

I saw, for the first time, poison oak. Guess what? It has THREE LEAVES! That’s all everyone kept telling me all weekend. I felt like saying, Isn’t here another plant in the world that has three leaves? What if I mistake all three leaved plants for poison oak now?

All my summer vacations are over. I have come down with what seems to be the beginnings of a cold, and I’m thankful it waited until vacations were over. Remember that episode of Friends where Monica had a cold, yet she thought she was still sexy enough to have sex with Chandler? Ha. That’s totally me right now. No matter how bad my cough is, or how runny my nose is, I’m still looking for …

Never mind. G’Night all!

Hello NyQuil. Welcome to my Monday night!

I now introduce Mr. & Mrs. Squid

It came and went, and we’re exhausted. An entire day off work today to just relax, was the best thing I could have ever done. Who knew dancing so much would make my legs unable to function?

The wedding was fab. Couldn't have been more perfect. It’ll be a few weeks before the pictures come back from the photographers, so this post will be short of professional wedding pictures. But fear not, I have a few from a friend.

LZ and Dad…here comes the bride

LZ and Squid…dancing

Last I wrote about my +1 for the wedding, it was still a secret. I didn’t now if the plan would fall through, so I didn’t want to talk about it and get excited. Turns out it worked out perfectly.

My date for the wedding was RJ!! The X let me against court orders take RJ for the entire weekend. It. Was. Amazing. At times it was overwhelming, but it was definitely a learning experience and I don’t regret one second of it. During the reception, RJ had a song dedicated to me. While Richard Marx sang Right Here Waiting, we danced and sang to each other. I was crying, and so were a few other people watching. RJ kept wiping my tears away, but he couldn’t keep up. They just kept falling. They were happy tears. I was in heaven.

RJ and I…

Seeing friends and family was fantastic. Reuniting with some people always makes me realize why it’s so long between visits. ha.