New Man...New Adventures!

For the past two months, I have been dating Mr. Grocery Shopper and we've been having the time of our lives! (You'd think it was meant to be as much as we ran into each other in our local supermarkets!) We've known and worked with each other for about 23 years, and he's also recently retired from the Department at the same rank as me. So, we have a LOT in common and are as comfortable with each other as an old pair of shoes! He's extremely funny, loving, kind, thoughtful and active! Plus, he can cook, which is a huge bonus! I am extremely blessed to have him in my life and I can't remember the last time I've laughed as much as this! And...he says he's got a "keeper" in me.....so it's all good!

Mr. GS was widowed suddenly about 18 months ago, when his wife; a popular and very accomplished local teacher, suffered an aneurysm at the young age of fifty! They were married about 32 years when that happened and it nearly killed him too! But, he's made his way through the worst of it and he's now enjoying life like never before! About a month ago we took a weekend trip to Lake Tahoe, and recently we visited friends who were camping at our nearby Red Rock Canyon State Park, where we planned a 7 day Alaskan "Sawyer Glacier" Cruise with them! The prices right now are very affordable and we scored a cabin on the 10th deck, with a balcony for $800 each! Wooohooooo! Photo ops galore!



We fly to Seattle on June 5th, departing from there the next day! We've got tons of shore excursions planned, including a train ride, salmon and halibut fishing, and a zip line adventure.... with stops in Juneau, Ketchican, Skagway, and Prince Rupert! Doesn't that sound Heavenly?

Oh...and you know the best part?

I had to buy all new clothes for the trip and I found the perfect little black dress and awesome strappy heels for the Captain's Dinner! I'll be some serious arm candy!

Of course there will be tons of photos after I rest up, when we return on June 13th!!

I Knew IT!

Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.

~Douglas Adams

It's official.

She got pregnant upon her Oklahoma arrival, about 8 weeks ago.

I guess we can say Ab is just carrying on a family tradition. I was also pregnant at age 17, as was my mother. In my case I had a miscarriage shortly after my 18th birthday. In my mother's case, I am the result of that backseat conception and personally, I am really glad to be here. My paternal great-grandmother was an unwed mother, when she gave birth to my beloved Grandma Jessie in 1916. Imagine the scandal during that day and age!

This is not something I would wish on my 17 year old daughter, but she and her boyfriend have made their bed...so to speak....and I will be supportive of them and help, without enabling. At their request, they are returning to California on June 16th to start again here. In fact, they are paying for their flight home, with money they've earned from working, which is impressive in itself!

Here, she will receive prenatal care under my insurance and I believe I will also be able to insure the baby once it is born. They want to get their own place and I am supportive of that, as long as they are able to make it on their own. As much as I am looking forward to having a grandbaby nearby, I really don't want them living here! So, I will assist them in whatever way I can. The baby is due at the end of December, just after Ab turns 18! She still plans to go to nursing school and has a positive outlook for their future!

It's out of my hands, so we'll all just make the best of this unexpected "blessing!"

I am hoping for a girl!!!

Might want to invest in a mask before getting near me!

It's not the swine flu...but close I am sure. I've seen corpses that have better color than I do right now. I've got it all, well...most of it. Temp. Body aches. Vomiting. Too much info, I know.....but I just want to whine here for a minute, okay.

After working in a prison for 25 years, I figured I'd probably been exposed and developed an immunity to most every type of illness known to man..........but, nooooooooooo!

Using my investigative techniques, I think I've narrowed down where I got this nasty little virus. I think Stevie Wonder could have figured it out as well. Yep. Two wild and germy little 5 year old boys that I was babysitting the other day.

As if ONE isn't bad enough? I had two!!

I believe the offending germs transferred to my 2 liter bottle of Diet Rite Cola, when the little monsters...ahem, little darlins decided to use their budding imaginations, and they began take turns rocking and placing slobbery wet kissess on the bottle of soda as if it were a baby?

I grabbed the slimy bottle away just about the time it looked as if whatever they were doing was going to get pornographic. Because, you know...boys will be boys! (I later discovered that the entire family of one of the boys had the stomach flu in the past few days!)

Later I latched on to the bottle, and stuck my hands into the ice bin to pour myself a tall icy glass of soda. And, the rest is history!

I've been banished to my room and Tam leaves fresh glasses of Sprite outside of my door, so she won't have to touch the doorknob because she has a serious puke phobia!!

If she escapes this one...I'll be really surprised!

Six Word Saturday.......

Grateful for my housekeeper's services today!






If you'd like to play along with Cate....click HERE!

Or NOT!!!

You know how there are some things you just know?

Those "things" that...deep in your heart and gut you know to be true!

I'd hate to compare anything like this to my "worst nightmare" but......it's kinda, sorta, like my my very worst nightmare.

It's certainly a terrifying and horrific thought at the very least!

ArrrGGGHHHHgggghhhh!


(Insert mournful and painful cry about broken dreams for your 17 year old kid HERE!)


I THINK....SHIT, I JUST KNOW.......... THE RUNAWAY AND EINSTEIN ARE PREGNANT!

Mourn...I mean, MORE later.

Lake Tahoe Photos-Click Each to Enlarge!

Lake Tahoe sparkles in the early morning light!




On a clear day you can see forever!




This shoreline is spectacularly beautiful!




Look how large the trees are in comparison to the man wearing a white t-shirt, just under the left group of trees, who's walking toward the center of the photo!!

Of Orthopedics and Oxygen..........

I fell hard for my new man in Lake Tahoe!

Literally.

Just call me Grace.

Believe me....It was not pretty and the after effects aren't pretty either, unless of course you are fond of all the brilliant colors found in bruising.

After a fun-filled weekend of food, family, and some loose slot machines, we finished up our visit with an early Monday morning sight-seeing trip around the lake. The natural light and array of clouds made for some awesome photo ops. I was quickly inspired and absorbed in the incredible beauty of the Emerald Bay section of the lake, which was back-dropped by mountain peaks covered in generous amounts of brilliant, glistening snow. A snow boarder's paradise, even this late in the season.

As I headed back to the car with my mind on the collection of natural wonder I was able to capture with my camera and looking forward to the editing process later that day....I failed to watch my step off the curb into the parking lot. Apparently, my right ankle rolled as it's done sooooo many times before and well............

SPLAT!



My camera went flying....OH THE HORRORS....as I heard a familiar snap in my ankle and I groaned with shock and pain, knowing I likely UNDID everything that the orthopedic surgeon worked so hard to repair just a short 3 years ago!

Lake Tahoe was still cold enough and of course, the perfect place to wear my very fashionable and warm chocolate brown Uggs, although they did nothing to support my ankle during the fall. However, I have found that type of footwear to be much easier to remove when the ankle/foot is swelling to impressive proportions!



(You may want to remember that little bit of advice if you are prone to dramatic falls) You're welcome!

We made the long 6 hour trip...("TRIP"...I cringe and shudder hearing that word now!) home with my ankle elevated on the dash, covered with an icebag that looked like this......



I had no idea such old-fashioned things still existed, but that's all we could come up with at the local Walgreen's. It definitely served me well, in that "building a better mouse trap" sort of way......with just a couple of stops for fresh ice on our journey.

Regardless of our prompt attention to the swelling, my ankle was severely traumatized and today, FOUR DAYS after the fact, this is what it looks like.....



Lovely, isn't it?

I saw the doctor on Tuesday and was examined and X-Rayed, then placed in a removable, padded walking brace that goes knee high. I am awaiting a referral to Orthopedics. In the past they've immobilized my ankle in a fiberglass cast for 6 weeks and I doubt this time will be different, considering the fact I had previous surgery to repair significant damage from the same type of falls.

FALLSSSSSSS...as in MULTIPLE!!!

Arggghhhhh!

As if injuring my foot and ankle wasn't enough....upon my return home, my CPAP machine became possessed!!! As I settled in to bed that night, the machine began to turn on and off and deliver a variety of air pressure guaranteed to cause me to either explode or die from a lack of oxygen in the night! I decided to try my luck without it and was pleased to wake up ALIVE the next morning...having apparently inhaled EVERY time I exhaled...which is extremely important to us people with sleep apnea! Yesterday I arranged to receive a new machine, under the warranty! I look forward to sleeping well....with my new machine tonight!

In the meantime, I am going to do a little reading, then take a nap and I will get to posting some of those Tahoe photos later today! I am happy to say the camera survived! Whew!

Lake Tahoe....Beautiful this time of year!

I haven't been on a weekend trip in quite awhile, but that's about to change! And, believe me......I seriously need a little get-away after all that crap with the rental house, so this is wonderful timing! Tomorrow morning a friend and I are heading to Lake Tahoe and we're going to stay and play HERE! It looks amazing and it was rated 3 and a half stars out of 4 on Priceline and you know the best part about it? I got the room for $69.00 a NIGHT using the "name your own price" feature!

I'm thinkin' that's a DEAL!! At least I hope so, considering the economy!

There should be some awesome photo ops too, so I will share a few shots when I get back next week! In the meantime, send me good thoughts for BIG wins on the slots!

Woooohooooo! I can't wait!