Way To Wreck A Great Song, Ladies

The song is 'You Shook Me All Night Long' by AC/DC, on the Back in Black album, and re-released on the Who Made Who album. The first train wreck cover is performed by Shania Twain: The second train wreck cover is performed by Celine Dion: These ladies should really stick to their own type of songs. They both really are train wrecks...I cannot imagine what possessed either of them to cover this song! WTF???

Why I'm Voting Republican...

I'm sure this will piss some people off, but I'm not really concerned with that. Please note, the opinions expressed in the video are not necessarily mine, however, I found it interesting. For those of you who can't see the video, here's the link to it.

A Great Story

Mr. Motorcycle commented that he found Big D's blog, and wasn't aware that my husband even had a blog. Well, he does have a blog, and at first I don't think he knew what to do with it. Then, last October he started writing a story. The way he tells it, he was only going to write the one story and he was done. My friends and I had a different idea, though. This was to be chapter 1 of his first book. :) He wrote 6 chapters and posted them on his blog: Big Daddy's Idle Thoughts. This particular story is biker fiction, so some that read my blog may not be that interested in it, others may be very interested. Some stories are his brand of comedic relief, and some are serious. Here's the link to The Rider (Chapter 1) if you're interested. A lot of our friends, knowing Big D very well, were shocked that he actually wrote this stuff. I know that I'm totally biased, but I think this story is great and his writing is excellent. If Big D notices that people are visiting his blog, I may be able to get him to start blogging again! If you do visit, I hope you enjoy it as much as our friends did. :)

How Cool Is That?

Both Jenn Ann and Queen B blogged for me today. JennAnn blogged about the benefits of the Wii, which I guess I still don't get, but I do appreciate the blog! I'd just rather be outside, I think. Even when it's really hot. And Queen B saw a Dunkin' Donuts at the airport and took a picture for me! Like I commented on her blog, there's nothin quite like a Dunk's iced coffee to cool you off when it's 113 outside! However, they can not be found on every street corner here in AZ as they can back in MA. This fact makes me sad. :( Thanks for thinking of me, ladies!

Belated Birthday Shout-Out!

I am so absent-minded lately, that I forgot all about my great nephew, Jason! Sunday was his first birthday, the day before his mom, Shelly's birthday! Jason, I hope you had a great birthday, darlin'! I hope I get back there to see you again real soon! ;)

Birthday Shout-Out!

A big shout-out to my niece Shelly! She's celebrating her birthday today, and I really wish I could have spent it with her! And NOT just because it's not 113 degrees where she is, either! ;) Shelly, I hope your birthday is all you want it to be! I love and miss you!

Our New Addition

Here he is...our grandson, Christian Leo George Nelson...

And he was 10 lbs 2.6 oz! Not 26 oz, as told on my voice mail! :)

My All-Expenses Paid Tropical Staycation??

Yeah, you read it right: staycation. I first heard this word on the news a few nights ago and decided to Google it. (Yes, the job search is going badly.) Over at Urban Dictionary, it's defined as follows: 1. staycation: A vacation that is spent at one's home enjoying all that home and one's home environs have to offer. 2. staycation: A vacation spent close to home. With the price of gas soaring, a staycation is what most Americans will experience during the summer of 2008. I couldn't agree more with #2. My staycation (if I should decide to take one) will consist of waking up at 4:00 am, because Big D still has to get up for work, having a cup of coffee with him, going back to sleep until 6:00 am, then doing some laundry, and light housekeeping. Probably unloading the dishwasher, and making the bed. Then after breakfast, I will lounge by the pool until 10:00 am, at which time the heat will become unbearable. The rest of my day will consist of playing games with Vicki (inside, of course), making lunch for us, maybe a nice afternoon nap, and then making dinner. There will be no gambling, no beach, no tours, none of that stuff, as the economy and my wallet will not allow it. If I am still on the hunt for a job, there will be at least 6 hours/day of looking for a job and following-up on leads and/or jobs I've applied for. No long walks anywhere, as it's too damned hot. I could expound on this subject for a while, but I will spare you. The only glimmer of hope is this: my Harley is now paid for. Can I get a hallelujah?! By the time it cools down (in October or November) it should be finished, I should have my license and be ready to terrorize my neighborhood! :) Maybe that's when I'll take my staycation!

Happy Belated Anniversary and Some BIG News!

I'm a bad mother/mother-in-law! I missed my son and daughter-in-law's first wedding anniversary! I'm so, so sorry, Rex and Deja...can you ever forgive me?

One year ago, on June 16th, they were married in the most beautiful ceremony ever, right on Virginia Beach. Deja was the most beautiful bride I have ever seen! I'm so glad you guys are happy! But you're so far away in Okinawa now...we miss you!

I guess I'll be forgiven for missing the anniversary, though. Deja gave birth to my 2nd grandson, Christian overnight. I don't have all the details, yet. Just a voicemail at 2:30 this morning that said he was born at 5:08 p.m. in Japan, which is 1:08 a.m. here. And that he was 10 lbs 26 oz (which has to be wrong) isn't that 11 lbs 10 oz? I'm no conversion expert, but I believe there are 16 oz in a pound, right?

Anyway, he's a very big boy and was delivered via c-section for obvious reasons, but Momma and baby are doing just great! Pictures will come soon, as Rex is a photographer in the Navy, so he has no choice but to take pictures...no excuses, Rexxy! :)

Congratulations!! We love you guys!!

Happy Father's Day

Since I lost my Dad, Father's day has been tough for me. But this year is better. Happy Father's day to all you Dads out there! Specifically, to my husband, who is a wonderful father and a great husband! Also, to my son-in-law, Rodrigo...you're a wonderful first time father! And to my son Rex, who is expecting his firstborn any day now. I really thought he would've been a Dad by Father's day! Happy Father's Day, everyone! Have a wonderful day!

Christmas in June - Andrea's Closet

Today was the annual Christmas in June Toy Drive for Andrea's Closet. Andrea's Closet is a local charity organization that helps the kids at St. Joe's Hospital in Phoenix; when kids face frightening medical treatments, such as procedures to treat cancer, burns or other life threatening illnesses, Andrea's Closet brings them comfort and distraction from their pain by allowing them to choose a special gift from a toy-filled closet.

Today...we filled that closet. Not only did we fill it, but they had so many toys, that after filling the closet they had to re-fill the trucks to take the rest of the toys to storage!!! How cool is that?!

The ride was good, but it was HOT...it was 89°F at 6:30 a.m. today. I think it was 102°F when we started the ride at 10:00 a.m. It's 111°F right now (4:00 p.m.) Not pretty.

Not too many idiots on the ride, but there were a few. With so many different groups riding together, there really was no road captain, and that made it difficult. However, a big thank you goes out to the large group of crotch-rocket guys...they blocked traffic for the ride, and they did a great job! Hopefully next year it will be a better ride, and a little cooler!

Here are some pics. Hope you enjoy!

Big D getting ready to roll out. (Actually he's telling me to get the hell on the bike!)

One of the trucks bringing toys to the hospital.

So many bikes....

You can't have Christmas in June without Santa! I can't believe he didn't pass out wearing that suit! It was soooo hot outside!

Whisper waving at me as we're lining up.
This is Tim...he works with Big D...
Getting on the freeway.University of Phoenix Stadium...home of the 2008 Superbowl.
You'd think it would have been cooler in the tunnel, right? Not so much!

And here's a look at today's gas price...it'll probably be $4.23 tomorrow...

Everyone standing behind the Christmas tree was on a bike.

Look at all those toys!

Big D and Stretch with one of the kids from the hospital...

And my final thought for the day (and my favorite patch)...


Ride safe and have fun everyone!

Sticker Shock

I bet by looking at the title you think I'm going to blog about the price of gas...well, let's see, I paid $4.07/gal today, and thought it was a good deal. This is a problem. But the real problem (aside from the well-known and well publicized gas issues) is groceries. I went to Fry's last night to do some grocery shopping and could not believe how much the prices had jumped in just one week! WTF? Things that were $1.99 last week are $2.79 this week! Even with coupons, I spent over $110, and when I opened my refrigerator today, I wondered what the hell I spent it on! This is a very sad state of affairs. Pretty soon, I'll be able to take the motorcycle on a grocery shopping expedition because I won't be able to afford anything more than what fits in the damned saddlebags! Argh! And, to top it all off, I received notice on Monday that my position is being eliminated and I have 30 days to find employment either within or out of the company. Isn't that sweet? I guess I should be happy that I got 30 days' notice, instead of my walking papers on-the-spot! :) I knew it was coming though. A few weeks ago, a large number of reports that I'm responsible for were discontinued. I knew that no good would become of it. Big D took a new job on Monday, after being unemployed for 6 months, but he took a paycut to get it. They also don't offer health insurance, so if my job goes, so goes our health insurance, too! So, for the past few days, I have been networking, networking, networking. My phone is burning up the minutes, but I think I have a few good leads. And I have more friends in the company than I realized. I've been getting phone calls all day today! Hopefully, I'll find something within my 30 days. And with any luck gas prices will go down, and with them, the prices of the damned groceries!

Then And Now

Saturday night, I had my friend Tanya's kids over for the night. They were so good, you wouldn't have known that I had a 5-year-old and an extra 10-year-old in the house!

On Sunday morning, Vicki and Kaetlyn were talking about how long they had been friends (8 years) and Vicki was remembering past events together, but Kaetlyn couldn't recall them. So I showed her some pictures from the first summer they met. They were 2 1/2 years old, and so cute. Kaetlyn finally started remembering some things we'd done in the early days.

Here they are then:

Kaetlyn and Vicki circa 2000.

And here they are now:

Kaetlyn and Vicki circa 2008.

The only thing that has changed is now Vicki is taller! :)

My Hellacious Flight Home

After my wildly successful Memorial weekend trip, I had to suffer the indignities of flying home on a commercial airline. There were no Lear jets available on my budget...I checked. I got to Logan International in Boston a bit early, so I treated myself to some Sushi...which was excellent! That was really one of the last good thing that happened on this day. We boarded the plane on time (a first) and then the announcement came from the pilot that there was some rather nasty weather in the NY area and we would not be able to take off. We would get an update in 20 minutes. Since I was flying Air Tran, I just plugged in my headphones and listened to some Satellite radio. No problem. I had a one-hour layover in Atlanta, and a 15-minute delay would make no difference to me. Others were already whining. (At least 'Large & Angry' wasn't sitting next to me this time!) 15 minutes later, we got our update: we would get another update in 45 minutes. OK, now I knew I would miss my connection in Atlanta. No big deal, right? I'm a seasoned traveler, so this didn't really ruffle my feathers too much. I called Big D and asked him to go online and check for Air Tran flights from Atlanta to Phoenix that night. Bad news: mine was the last one. We finally took off for Atlanta after over an hour of sitting at the gate. At this point, my knees and hips were screaming at me, and my neck was ready to give out. I couldn't take my pain medication because I would have been inoperable upon arrival in Atlanta. So, I took a few Advil and listened to some Bob Seger. I find that Seger is always soothng to the soul. :) After landing in Atlanta, I immediately proceeded to the Air Tran customer service desk. Apparently, two flights to LaGuardia, NY had just been cancelled due to the previously mentioned nasty weather. So there was a very long line of angry New Yorkers ahead of and behind me. When I finally got to the customer service desk, the woman was really very nice. I felt bad for her, because angry New Yorkers are not kind, and she had been taking verbal beatings for quite some time. I explained my situation to her, and she checked on flights for me. The next available flight to Phoenix was at 10:15 the next morning. I told her (using my extra-special nice voice) that having recently been in a car accident and with my arthritis issues, there was no way I could possibly spend 14 hours in an airport overnight. I said, "You need to make this right." Here is what she told me: (looking at all the angry New Yorkers in line behind me), "Go have some dinner (here's a voucher), and come back to see me in one hour." I said thank you very much and went first to the smoking lounge and then to grab a bite. The smoking lounge was also full of angry New Yorkers, so I had a quick ciggie and got the hell out of dodge! Had one of the worst burritos I've ever had in my life and then back over to the Air Tran counter. The angry New Yorkers had mostly dispersed, but there was one left, and he was yelling and screaming at the woman who had helped me. She had to get a manager involved, and I seriously thought that airport security was going to come and get him. Once he was settled down, I was given a voucher for the Airport Sheraton, and another meal voucher for breakfast at the Sheraton in the morning. She booked me on the 10:15 to Phoenix, and I was on my way. The Sheraton was nicer than trying to sleep on an airport bench, but it wasn't home. It had been a long trip with little sleep and I just wanted my own bed. Regardless, I slept soundly after a quick shower. My flight to Phoenix the next day went without incident, and my bags arrived safely, too. That last angry New Yorker? After all his yelling and screaming and carrying-on, all he got was a discount coupon for a crappy off-airport hotel. I guess that just goes to show that being nice pays off! :)

Questioned

I have taken this from Mr. Motorcycle's blog. For those of you who ride, feel free to re-post with your own answers on your blog, or you can leave your answers in my comments section. Ride safe!

Favorite brand of bike? Harley Davidson

Favorite color of bike? Purple and chrome with a bit of custom pinstriping.

Do you always wear a helmet? No, never. I enjoy my freedom to choose in the state of Arizona. I don't have a windshield, seatbelt or airbags on my motorcycle either.

Most miles ridden in a day? I think the longest we went was about 200 miles to Parker AZ in one day. That's no fun on the back of an '88 Sporty :(

Do you belong to a riding club? Not a 'riding club' per se, but we just joined Bikers Against Child Abuse, Maricopa County Chapter.

How many bikes do you currently own? 5, but only two are currently up and running.

Do you wave at passing bikers? Yes...always.

How many brand t-shirts do you own? I own about 5 or 6, and Big D owns about 10.

Do people think you are obsessed with motorcycles? Oh yeah. And my 10-year-old daughter is now pointing out motorcycles to us wherever we go! :)

What is your favorite type of riding? I love riding with groups, but also love doing the 'lone wolf' thing, too.

Do you have any riding superstitions? Gotta have a guardian bell on the bike or I won't ride.

In Memoriam

On Saturday, May 31st, we lost a dear friend, and fellow biker. The Silver Fox lost his life after a tragic non-motorcycle related accident in Mexico.

We will miss you, brother. Ride on.

My Super Sneaky Memorial Day Weekend: The Party

Saturday morning, we got a call from my niece, Shelly. Christine was going to get her nails fixed, but the people who did them didn’t have time to fix them for her. So she is really upset on the phone with Shelly and Shelly is calling around to different nail places to see if they can fit Christine in for a fix.

Meanwhile, I’m helping Gayle put stuff for the party into her trunk. We had signs, a huge picture, candles, decorations, etc. I said, “If she comes over now, the gig is up!” After loading up Gayle’s car, I was supposed to go to lunch with Mom. But I had to wait to see where Christine was going to get her nails done, first. She could pop-in at Mom’s house at any time, just as well as Gayle’s house. We finally got the call from Shelly on where Christine would be, and I was OK to go to Mom’s house.

Mom and I decided that we’d have a quick lunch and then get a pedicure. I had to be back at Gayle’s house at 2:00 to help her pick up the flower arrangements. While we’re finishing up our pedicures, my nephew Steve calls Gayle and says, “Uncle Eddie said he might stop by the house this afternoon.” OK…NOW we’re in frickin’ panic mode! Gayle calls me and tells me to park at Mario’s, the restaurant where my niece works and she will pick me up there to get the flowers. If Eddie stops by the house, he’ll be going in the barn, so we can’t hide my rent-a-wreck there!

We go to pick up the flowers, which were beautiful, and went back to Gayle’s house. Jen got a text from Shelly, to tell us that Eddie was at home in front of the TV in his pajamas. At that point, Amanda took me to pick up my car.

Are you following all this??

So, it’s finally time to get ready for the party. None of us can stand this sneaking around shit anymore! We got there early and set up the hall. It looked gorgeous. The cake was perfect. The DJ was on time. The bartender was on time. Let the drinks flow!

Someone finally said, “They’re here!” Everyone gathered around the door and were waiting with there cameras focused for the big moment. The DJ was directed to play, “All You Need Is Love” as they walked in the door. He had to play it twice, because it took them forever to get inside! (Then they danced to Al Greene's "Let's Stay Together).

The look of shock on my sister’s face said that we had succeeded and that all the sneaking around had really paid off. She was weepy all night. She was shocked to see me, and shocked to see her daughter, Jen, who lives in Washington DC. Everyone was so relieved that, not only was it over, but it was a total success!!

At one point during the party, Ed took over as bartender; it seemed our bartender was MIA...free drinks for everyone! :)

The party was great (as it always is with my family) as demonstrated by the following pictures.

This is Jen, having a glass of wine on Gayle's back porch on Friday night.



Gayle and Shelly on Friday night.



The beautiful cake!!!



Picture of Christine & Ed, blown up and put on fiber-board so everyone could sign underneath it.



Christine & Ed walking into the hall...check out the total look of confusion on Christine's face!



This was a big deal, because they didn't do this at their wedding. :)



Closer to the end of the night, this is Gayle wearing one of the DJ's many hats. Yes, it runs in the family! :)

Happy 30th anniversary, Chris & Ed! (Their actual anniversary is tomorrow, June 3rd.) I love you guys!!


The only thing left to tell now is about my HELLACIOUS flight home!