The collection of any random thoughts that pop into my head, or the culmination of some damn thing that happened at the Nelson house, because you all know there is never a dull freaking moment in our lives!
Words to Live By
Don't be afraid your life will end; be afraid it will never begin.
Joker, I was thinking of your last post, and how you were thinking of cell phones at an inopportune time...so I found this leather cell phone case that might interest you. :)
I thought twice about posting this, but I know you can take a joke...that's why you're Joker! ;)
On Saturday we decided to get the hell out of the house for a while with our friends Jeff & Jen. We decided to catch the monthly 'Hogs & Dogs' event at Buddy Stubbs HD in Phoenix first. We had a great free lunch and did some shopping around. Big D, whose road name is now Caveman, wanted to get his bike washed by the Miller Lite girls, but we just didn't have enough time!
Jeff had some plate issues, as you will see in the slideshow, and we attempted a quick fix, but it was no-go. Hope he gets that issue solved soon!
Then it was on to The Hideaway in Cave Creek. The ride up to Cave Creek took us through parts of the beautiful Sonoran Desert. I feel so lucky to live here, and to be able to ride through beautiful scenery like this.
The Hideaway is a great place to hang out and have a beer with other like-minded souls. It's largely a biker hangout, and full of friendly faces. We really enjoyed it there this time. Last time, not so much. Maybe we were there on the wrong day last time, whatever.
We ran into a bit of trouble on the way home with a white Jeep full of bitches. That's the only way I can explain it...they cut us off, and I was not happy...but I did get their picture. :)
Hope you enjoy the show!
I may have mentioned that I had to give a presentation in class on Tuesday night. I was really worked up about it because I really hate public speaking. Really. Hate. It.
So I had to ask the professor about expectations. This is how the conversation went:
Me: So, what happens if I get up in front of the class and pass out?
Mr. H: Pass out dramatically and I'll give you points.
Me: OK, I'll work on that.
Well, I'm happy to tell you that I didn't pass out. In fact, I kicked ass...but I only had to speak for 3 minutes. In 5 weeks, I will have to give a presentation and speak for at least 10 minutes. I hope I make it through this school thing. :) I guess it's a good thing I'm not a road whore like some of my blogger friends admit to being! LOL!
I will post a slideshow of our visit with Samantha, Rodrigo and baby Jayden this weekend. What a great visit! I was really sad to see them go. I miss rocking my grandson at night. :(
You know when you have one of those nights that just turns out perfect? That's how last night went. It was awesome! While I didn't tend bar for too long, I did have fun! I was anxious to let the drinking commence (my drinking, that is)!
I hope you enjoy the slideshow. Warning: there is music.
I want to apologize in advance for the quality of some of these pics...my camera was on the wrong setting and Big D didn't notice and I was too drunk to care! :)
Well, my college days are now. Yes, I have my wild parties, and I know how to have fun, too. But I don't believe I'm the 'typical college student'.
I just finished the final draft of my first paper. The title: Motorcycle Helmet Laws: The Great Debate. It's a subject I'm passionate about, so it should've been easy. However, throw in some APA formatting, in-text citations and references, and suddenly it's terrifying!
I felt like I should've been wearing a helmet to write the damned paper! But at least I still can make that choice in Arizona! :)
Hope I get an 'A'!
I've had a lot of people asking me about my new job, and I promised to post about it, so here it is.
I work for SCF Arizona supporting the Manager of Legal Compliance and Risk Management. I'm sure my niece will be happy to hear that my boss is an attorney. You see, my niece is also an attorney, and when I was out of work, she asked if I had thought about being a paralegal. I then told her that I hated all things legal. :) So now I'm supporting an attorney, but she's really down-to-earth, and very laid back...I love her.
But, I digress. Even though I've only been there one week, I am totally loving it. The people are great...and they're all genuinely happy there. When I was interviewing with my boss, I told her that I attend class every Tuesday night, and asked if that would be a problem, to which she said it would not. Then, when I started on Monday, she asked what hours I wanted to work (she's really flexible), and after I told her, she said, "And on Tuesdays you're leaving early for class, right?" Very cool.
The benefits are outstanding. We have an on-site fitness center for employees. The health insurance (which starts on October 1st) is better than what I had at the last job, and it's 1/2 the cost, too. They also have some great perks like on-site mammography screenings twice a year (company paid), and health screenings, flu shots, and pnuemonia shots for the whole family each year, also company-paid.
And the best part is, I have a free bus pass. Now, you may be questioning why this is the best part. Let me tell you, driving a Buick into downtown Phoenix every day really eats into my budget. And an Express bus pass costs $68/month. So, now, I just drive to the park and ride, hop on the bus, and read my book all the way to work! No stress, free bus pass, only driving my car 11 miles/day and I get some exercise every day, too, as I walk a few blocks from the bus stop to work.
It's very funny, and Veronnica will really get this: my boss reminds me of an old boss, Marcie. Marcie was the boss from hell. She hated me on sight...not sure why. But my new boss really looks a lot like her, and I was very afraid. But now that I know she's cool, it's all good. But she totally looks like Marcie. I usually win the bad boss lottery at every job I have. Last year being the worst one in the history of bad bosses! :)
In summary, the new job is great, I love my boss, the benefits kick ass, and I'm very happy. Now, I just have to get through school. That's every Tuesday night for the next 3 years. Wish me luck!
Is this poor, misguided crotch-rocket guy (it has to be a crotch-rocket guy, right?) having the time of his life, a mid-life crisis, or his 19th nervous breakdown?
In support of BACA (Bikers Against Child Abuse), I will be a celebrity bartender at Famous Sam's next Friday night, 9/19.
I'm really excited about this, because it's going to be a fun night. And all our tips go to BACA. I'm hoping to learn to make some really cool drinks, too! :)
So, if you are going to be in the Phoenix Metro area that night, email me, and I'll let you know where to go for the best drinks in town!
Pictures will be posted the following day!
I recently received the following email from one of my nieces. I was smiling the whole time I read it. I figured since we're getting so much of one side on Ms. Palin, I would air out the 'other' side. I'm wondering if people are forgetting about these things, or maybe they just don't know.
Dear Friends, compatriots, fellow-lamenters,
We are writing to you because of the fury and dread we have felt since the announcement of Sarah Palin as the Vice-Presidential candidate for the Republican Party. We believe that this terrible decision has surpassed mere partisanship, and that it is a dangerous farce on the part of a pandering and rudderless Presidential candidate that has a real possibility of becoming fact.
Perhaps like us, as American women, you share the fear of what Ms.Palin and her professed beliefs and proven record could lead to for ourselves and for our present or future daughters. To date, she is against sex education, birth control, the pro-choice platform, environmental protection, alternative energy development, freedom of speech (as mayor she wanted to ban books and attempted to fire the librarian who stood against her), gun control, the separation of church and state, and polar bears. To say nothing of her complete lack of real preparation to become the second-most-powerful person on the planet.
We want to clarify that we are not against Sarah Palin as a woman, a mother, or, for that matter, a parent of a pregnant teenager, but solely as a rash, incompetent, and all together devastating choice for Vice President. Ms. Palin's political views are in every way a slap in the face to the accomplishments that our mothers and grandmothers and great-grandmothers so fiercely fought for, and that we've so demonstrably benefited from.
First and foremost, Ms. Palin does not represent us. She does not demonstrate or uphold our interests as American women. It is presumed that the inclusion of a woman on the Republican ticket could win over women voters. We want to disagree, publicly.
Therefore, we invite you to reply here<<mailto:womensaynopalin@gmail.com > > with a short, succinct message about why you, as a woman living in this country, do not support this candidate as second-in-command for our nation. Please include your name (last initial is fine), age, and place of residence.
We will post your responses on a blog called 'Women Against Sarah Palin,' which we intend to publicize as widely as possible. Please send us your reply at your earliest convenience. The greater the volume of responses we receive, the stronger our message will be.
Thank you for your time and action.
I think that pretty much sums it up! Thanks Jen!
I have been so busy starting my new job, and attending school that I haven't had time to blog lately! I'm so sorry I haven't been posting or commenting! I promise to spend some time catching up this week! I have a great weekend update coming! :)
Have you ever had a memory so strong that it literally took over all of your thoughts? This memory of mine has invaded my dreams, seeped into my subconciousness, and taken over every last thought in my head. I figured maybe if I post about it here, I'll be able to clear my thoughts before I start my new job on Monday.
I'm 5 or 6 years old. It's a weeknight. We had just finished dinner, and were in the den watching the telly. I can remember being in my pajamas and sitting with my Dad in the recliner. The anticipation is absolutely killing me. It's just 5 minutes away, and I cannot stand it anymore. "Please, Daddy, make it start!" Dad answers, "Just a few more minutes, now. Why don't you go get us a cookie?"
I run into the kitchen as fast as my little feet can take me to get us each a cookie. I climb up onto the counter, to get to the high shelf in the cabinet, where Mom hides the cookies. I eat one as I'm getting down, and bring two into the den; one for me and one for Dad. As I'm climbing back into the recliner with Dad, it finally starts! I'm so excited, I can't sit still and then I squeal with delight! Here is what I was waiting for:
This memory has been extremely strong over the last few days. So strong that I had to find this on youtube, so I could get it out of my system. But when I saw it, it just made it stronger! Funny how a 53 second introduction to a television show can absolutely invade your every thought.
But I don't think it's just the show. We watched that show every week when I was a kid. It was a big deal, because back then, there was no cable or satellite dish, you just had 13 channels of crap, and kids didn't watch a whole lot of TV. I was outside all day, running around and playing with friends. So watching this one show each week with Dad was very special to me.
It makes me wonder what our kids will remember about us when we're gone. Will they have some special memories like this? Certainly not like this one, as TV was not and is not a special treat for them these days. I'm sure they'll remember some special times, as we've had quite a life together. I just hope they are strong enough memories to carry them through the tougher times when we're not around anymore.
I'm not sure if it was because I looked so nice today, or if it was because I wore my 'good' perfume. Maybe it was because it was my birthday. It might have been because I had three interviews with these people. Or quite possibly, it was just the odds. Whatever it was, I really don't care.
I got the job!! :)
A lot of our concepts of beauty, art and form come from the classic Greece.
Our sense of democracy was born in Greece.
Greek architecture still prevails our way of building homes and buildings with class.
Many of our greatest story's,myths and history come from that illustrious country.
And Greek women's features are still the standard of which we judge beauty.
Classic statues and legends.
I understand how a face could launch a thousand ships.
I know why men dreamed of Aphrodite's and Venus.
I watched as the sun playfully danced through your hair as you stepped out to view the sunrise.
I could see the rays shout in joy as they caressed your lovely features.
For this illuminating of your radiance is surely why the sun makes it's long journey to the earth.
When it finds such a treasure it coaches flowers to bloom in tribute.
Early morning birds sing to herald your entrance to the day.
Trees bend in the wind just to catch a peek.
A famous quoter's author surely had you in mind when his pen was put to paper, To love is to admire with the heart; to admire is to love with the mind.
I do both easily and with gratitude.
You make it impossible to do otherwise.
Your greatest gift is to allow those around you to be who they are.
I am nurtured and guided by the example you set.
And humbled by your support.
Once a joke was told of now being able to trade you for two eighteen year olds, It would be a fool's bargain.
For in that I would surely be selling a diamond for two pieces of coal.
Happy Birthday Love. I look forward to being there for many, many more
Last night, some friends came over for our annual Labor Day/Birthday party. A good time was had by all, as usual. Here are some pics.
This was my gift from Big D. He made it for me at work. I can't wait to get some candles on it!
I was on the counter getting the picture above, and tossed the camera to Big D for some double eagle action!
Then he made me pose for this pic. He thinks its the perfect pic.
Later on, we couldn't remember if it was the double-eagle or the double-owl club, so we did a little of both, just for Joker! :)
Jeff is wearing Vikky's wide brimmed straw hat...doesn't he look cute? LOL
Thank God it wasn't too hot out yesterday. We were actually able to sit outside while the sun was still up!
Jenn, Veronnica and me in the pool. I think this was taken pretty early, as we all still had something on. ;)
Those are really the only pictures I can post here for you. For those who didn't/couldn't come: you missed one hell of a party! No worries, though, we'll do it again next year!
I was on the counter getting the picture above, and tossed the camera to Big D for some double eagle action!
Then he made me pose for this pic. He thinks its the perfect pic.
Later on, we couldn't remember if it was the double-eagle or the double-owl club, so we did a little of both, just for Joker! :)
Jeff is wearing Vikky's wide brimmed straw hat...doesn't he look cute? LOL
Thank God it wasn't too hot out yesterday. We were actually able to sit outside while the sun was still up!
Those are really the only pictures I can post here for you. For those who didn't/couldn't come: you missed one hell of a party! No worries, though, we'll do it again next year!
