Hiking, hiking, and more hiking

Devil’s Punchbowl

When we first got there, we walked around a 1/3-mile circle. It was accidental, but I guess it got us warmed up.

We then walked the 1-mile Loop Trail. That was pretty brutal in itself, because there was a lot of up-and-downs, but we charged through it.

Then, Sis and Squid went home, and SS and I continued up to Devil’s Chair. Which kicked our ass. Once we got up there, we stopped to have a small lunch/picnic under a shady tree. Our legs were hurting so bad, it was really hard to think about turning around and going back the way we came. But after a little bit of sustenance, we trudged back down the mountain and charged through each and every painful step.

When we got back to the car, we wanted to cry. The trek was over and we were done. I was so very proud of us for sticking with it.

We started at 8:20am, and by 12:23p, we were high-fiving at the car.
Success!!

I’m extremely grateful I had such great hiking partners. Couldn’t have done it without them. And even though Sis and Squid did only the first 1-mile, I’m so super proud of them for doing that. It was hard, I know. SUPER hard.

A Day at the Zoo

How many times, as a child, did you go to a zoo? How many times, as an adult, have you gone to the zoo?

Let me tell you something. No matter your age, the zoo is an AWESOME and FUN place to hang out! Especially when the zoo is across the street from the beach!

From the Penguins…..

…to the Elephants….

…and everything in between, each and every animal we saw, made us smile.

What’s your favorite zoo animal? Mine was the elephants. I could stand there all day and watch them do whatever they plan on doing for the day. Even if it’s just eating from a tall tree.

Our original reason for going to the zoo was to take the annual Anniversary photos of Sis and Squid. Every year, it’s somewhere different. This year, was the zoo.

 

After our morning at the zoo, we wandered over to the beach, and did a little toe-dipping. SS and Lil’ SS, climbed down some rock, and headed towards the water. Perfect way to end the day near the beach.

 

How did you spend YOUR weekend? Hopefully it was just as much fun!

 

Friday Letters

It’s Friday. Time to write some letters.

Dear Math Teacher: If you continue to yell at the students that don’t understand the Trigonometry you’re teaching, then you’re going to lose all of us.

Dear Squid: I really enjoy having the electronics class with you. You’re so good at math, so it helps to have that backup just right around the corner.

Dear Lil’ SS: You’ve been a huge ball of fun this summer. One DIY project after another, and we’re getting pretty good at them. The older you get, the more fun we have together. Hope that continues as you get older and veer away from your parental figures.  ;-)

Dear Sis: Get better ASAP! I can’t take good anniversary photos of you guys if you’re sick.

Dear Jeffy: Thank you for the multimeter, and thank you for walking me through my homework today. It’s a little confusing at first, but I think I’m getting the hang of it. And now that you have the Mustang all put back together and running, let’s do lunch!

Dear SS: You’ve been a good sport since I’ve gone back to school. Your support of me has been incredible. Late nights in class make me miss our nightly routine, but it’ll all be worth it in the end. I promise. We have a full weekend of fun planned, and I’m so extremely excited to say I’m spending it with you and Lil’ SS. I can’t wait.

15 Days of Happiness–Day Three

Day Three.

Day three brought on my first day of AC/DC Electronics. And guess who is taking the class with me? Squid!!

 

While I was out having fun learning about electronics, SS’s daughter was playing in the pool at her grandparents house. :)

 

Are you playing along? Leave a link in the comment section if you are so we can check it out.

See you tomorrow!

Always make time for fun

While we were out of town for Grandma’s funeral, we decided to take some time and play. Have to always find time to play. Playing is important.

 

The makeshift swing on a tree branch. My favorite kind.

We played with cousins….

…and King, the three-legged German Shepherd….

…I turned a sneaky kiss into a romantic moment….

…and I allowed this beautiful face to melt my mommy heart….

Family. We may not have it all together, but together, we have it all.

 

What’s Up Wednesday

I’ve been sitting in front of this blank screen for over thirty minutes. I begin to type something out, and then I think I don’t need to write about that, and erase everything, bringing me back to the same blank page. Frustrating.

I guess it’ll just be a What’s up Wednesday, kind of day.

a. It’s been six months since StepDad died, and this past weekend we finally had his memorial. His wish had always been to have his ashes spread out in the water of Santa Barbara, so that’s exactly what we did. He will forever be able to watch the girls in bikinis.
RJ was StepDad’s favorite grandchild, so it was very important that he be present. I hope that spreading his ashes into the water gave RJ some sort of peace with it.

 

b. I love these guys…. (you too, Squid!)

 

c. I’ve started thinking about moving out of state. Just so sick and tired of living in SoCal. The constant traffic everywhere you go, just makes my blood boil. It shouldn’t take 30 minutes to drive 15 miles, but it does. When I need to run down the street to the store, it becomes a 30 minute chore because of all the people/cars/horribly timed traffic lights. I’m just over it all and need a change. I need to move somewhere that isn’t in a constant rush. Somewhere that does things a little slower. I’ve gone so far as to throw a dart at a map to see where I should go. Unfortunately, Texas isn’t anywhere near where I want to end up. So, I’ll keep looking.

 

d. The new 2015 NASCAR schedule came out yesterday. Doesn’t really affect me much. The California Fontana race hasn’t changed, and since I watch all the rest on TV, I’m good with the schedule. Since we’re talking about NASCAR, let’s give a little credit to how well Jeff Gordon is doing. Great to see him back in Victory Lane. Again. (Better than Jimmie Johnson!) And hopefully Tony Stewart will be back to racing for the 2015 race season. (fingers crossed.)

 

e. SS and I went to our first wedding together. It was so much fun. His cousin got married at the top of a beautiful cliff that overlooked the entire Los Angeles valley. They spent a pretty penny on it, and it was nothing short of amazing. So glad I could be a part of it.

 

f. I jumped on the Ice Bucket Challenge bandwagon and did it! There’s video evidence. Don’t feel like putting it on YouTube just so that people can see it on here, but it’s on my Instagram feed if you want to check it out. The water was cold, so pardon my reaction.

 

Happy Wednesday!

Friday Letters

It’s Friday. Time to write some letters…

Dear NASCAR Illustrated : Thank you for the surprise hat. It may have been written somewhere that I would receive this in the mail, but I don’t remember reading it. Which makes for a great surprise when opening up my mailbox. I think I like SS’s hat better though.

Dear Sis & Squid : You both have lost weight over the last month. Yaaaay! I’m so happy for you. Keep up the good work. T-minus 52 days till the Magic Mountain 5K.

Dear RJ : I miss you! Come hang out.

Dear Neighbors : SS had to come over and have a chat with you about always blocking our garage. Thank you for listening. It’s so much nicer to get home from work and not have to wait 10 minutes for someone to move their car out of my way.

Dear Crunches : You suck. By the end of the month, I’m supposed to be able to do 200. I’ve gotten to 120. Ten more days. Time to get movin’.

Dear SS : I’m happy that you’re enjoying your new job. Keep up the hard work and it’ll pay off. I promise. ;-)

Stagecoach 2014

Hi Y’all. I’ve been away for a while. Southern California’s biggest country music festival, became the setting of the past weekend, so I finally have something to write about. Yay for fun getaways. Here’s the crowd from the main stage…

Friday: three stages of lineups. we saw everyone on the Mane stage, and a few on the other two smaller stages (all three days). Lynyrd Skynyrd was PAAAAAAAAAACKED! Busting at the seams. We couldn’t see well enough from where we were standing, so we didn’t stay. I didn’t want to miss Easton Corbin and Brantly Gilbert. And I’m so glad I didn’t. They were amazing. And if you ever hear anyone say that Eric Church is fabulous in concert, believe them. He’s nothing short of fantastic. By far, and a unanimous vote by all four members of our party, the best show of the weekend.

The gates opened at noon, so we got there early enough to get the closest seats in the general seating area. And we did real good!

 

Saturday: yes. I saw Don McLean. And at 68 years old, he’s still bringing the house down. In fact, at one point, he had SS in tears. Such a fantastic singer. Stepdad was a HUGE Don McLean fan, so it only seemed fitting that I see him. Dan & Shay are an up and coming band with one huge hit on country radio. They were great. Put on a heck of a show. They’ve got some great talent and will do fine in the future. Tyler Farr, Jennifer Nettles, Hunter Hayes, and Jason Aldean = G.R.E.A.T. Hunter Hayes can play just about every instrument, and has more energy than anyone I currently interact with on a daily basis. I don’t remember having that kind of energy at 22. Wow.

Here’s Don McLean…..

 

Sunday: If you ever get a chance to see Lee Brice, Florida Georgia Line, or Luke Bryan in concert, do it. Don’t pass it up. Trust me. I’m not a huge FGL fan, but they completely took over when they got on stage and put on a show that was over the top. And I loved every second of it.

This big festival weekend was the present SS gave me for my birthday back in November. So, thank you SS for one of the greatest weekend ever. I’m exhausted, and it’s taken me two whole days to recover, but it was worth every second.

Oh, and thanks for the Eric Church shirt… I’m sure to piss off a few people while wearing it.

 

 

Did you go to Stagecoach this year and write about it? Comment with the link and I’ll check it out.

Letter to…

I was driving around at lunch today, and Garth Brooks’ song “If Tomorrow Never Comes” came on the radio. I’m not a Garth fan. Never have been. Never will be. I always change the channel when he comes on, but this time, I listened. And then I started to cry.

What if I never got to tell RM#1 how much I love the way she makes our house smell? What if our trash man never knew I hated the way he leaves our trash cans?

Dear RM#1: Your need to have the house smelling good ALL THE TIME, makes me happy. It’s always nice when I walk in and it doesn’t smell like eleven dogs and two cats live there. You’re amazing!

Dear Sis: Have fun in Arizona this weekend. Don’t worry about your dog or your kitties. I’ll take great care of them.

Dear Squid: I’m getting anxious about the Fontana NASCAR race in March. I’m going to cheer so loud for KB and MK, that people around us will hate us. And be happy because we got another person to go with us!   ;-)

Dear RJ: I wish you’d come around more. SS and I do some really fun things. I wish you wanted to participate, instead of sitting at your dads house playing computer games all the time.

Dear SS: I love that we don’t fight. I love that we don’t even argue. I can’t count the number of people that would be shocked about this. Perhaps maturity does go a long way. I suppose the fact that you’re not an asshole to me, you pay attention and make my needs important too, and you communicate well, helps. I love you and can’t wait to move in with you.

Dear Jeffy: Remember when we had that conversation about six years ago, and we agreed that we’d never let anyone come between us even if we broke up? I hate that you lied. I hate that I can’t call you and talk about cars. I hate that I can’t call you and talk about racing. I hate that I can’t call you to ask for advice on something that’s been driving me nuts for weeks. And I hate that I can’t housesit for you when you’re out of town (just to get away from MY house).

Dear Stupid Drivers: Why do you cause a traffic jam by slowing down when you approach an incline in the road? Downshift your car and GOOOO! It’ll work, I promise. Cars are awesome like that. And even if your car is an automatic, it’ll downshift for you. FIGURE IT OUT!!

Dear Temp that covered for me the three weeks I was out: AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

Enough from me for today. Enjoy your weekend!

Letter to…

Happy Hump Day, Y’all!  :-)

Today I decided I would write to individual people. Some won’t see it, but some will.

Dear Sis: You ran a half marathon. HALF MARATHON! Do you realize what I just said? M-A-R-A-T-H-O-N. 13.1 miles. That’s 13 miles more than I ran that day. I’m so proud of you. Your will to push through all the pain, inspires me. Next year, we’re running it together. I can’t wait.

Dear RM#1: I understand your OCD and constant need to have everything perfect and clean, but just once I’d like to leave a dish in the sink and not have you wash it before me. ;-)

Dear RM#2: I’m anxious for you to come back. When I heard you were coming back this month (two months early!!), I was shocked, yet happy. There are some manly things around the house that need to be done. Hurry home!

Dear Mom: I’m anxious and excited for your visit this month, but I wish you weren’t staying at the hotel across the street from Jeffy’s house.

Dear Squid: Get your shit together. Stop getting speeding tickets. It’s cutting into your extra spending for NASCAR races and Stagecoach.

Dear Boss#2: If you don’t stop losing your credit cards, I’m going to lose my mind. I can’t keep covering for you with Boss#1. Oh, and thanks for the surprise $100 bill. HELPFUL!

Dear Jeffy: I still think about you. A lot. When certain songs come on the radio, I’m forced to change the channel simply because I refuse to break down and cry for you anymore. And when David at work asks about you, he acknowledges the pain in my face. It’s a side of David you’d never believe existed. But it does.

Dear RJ: I wish you’d let ME teach you to drive. I’m a much better driver than your dad.

Dear Mitch: Whatever happens, happens. Be a man in either situation. Allow her to just be her, but don’t let her take advantage of you. Don’t push (unless it’s from behind). Don’t make her sad, but allow her to cry if she is.

Dear Stepdad: You better kick this Cancer bullshit. I won’t tolerate you letting Cancer beat you.

Dear Kyle Busch: It’s been a rough Chase, I get it, but keep your head up and take on Phoenix and Richmond like never before. It’s a big year for you. You’ve shown an incredible amount of restraint in a few situations that I’m aware of. I’ve done almost everything I can to recruit new KB fans. I’m still working on a few. #KBShow

Dear Matt Kenseth: Please beat Jimmie Johnson.

 

What. A. Weekend.

 

I had the flu. It officially knocked me on my ass Saturday afternoon, but it started Friday night. Figures. A weekend without roommates, and I’m sick. Drat!

Sis and Squid came up Friday night to enjoy the quietness of 5.5 acres. We were set to enjoy three long days of doing NOTHING. Well, except for taking care of nine dogs, eight birds, and two cats.

Saturday morning was a tough one. Didn’t eat much breakfast because the “flu” feeling was getting stronger. I toughed it out as we walked down every isle at the supermarket, but by the time we were headed home, I was feeling pretty miserable. By 1pm, I was out….

Saturday pretty much sucked for me. As I tried to sleep, I’d get awaken by dripping sweat, or chills, or the cold nose of a dog wanting to cuddle. It just wasn’t great. I felt bad for Sis and Squid, but they were good sports. They not only helped take care of ME, but they helped take care of ALL THE ANIMALS!!

Y’all are awesome. Thank you!

 

Sunday morning I was beginning to feel a little better, but still took the cautious road early in the day. Until I knew I could do something other than throw up, I knew I’d better stick to soup. So a soup morning it was.

By lunchtime, I was feeling almost normal. And because I was feeling almost normal, Squid talked me into doing my oil change. Only problem….I was still dressed in the WHITE clothes I had been wearing. But, it got done. I learned from the best on how to do some things, and I know for certain, he would be damn proud of me.

With the new engine rebuild a few months back, I failed to ask what type of oil I should now be putting in my car. It’s different, I remember them talking about it, only I never asked. So, I stood in the middle of the store staring at the isle of oil, wondering what the hell to do. Sis suggested I call Jeff, but when my eyes immediately filled with tears, I knew that wasn’t an option. Didn’t even need to give it a second thought. :-/

AND THEN…….

Welcome to The Chase, Kyle!

Kyle Busch won the race at Atlanta, and secured himself a spot in the chase. I’m thrilled. Couldn’t be more happy. And I’m looking forward to him beating Jimmie Johnson to the line.