Musings of Newt

I am packed. The nice thing about a road trip is that you don’t have to limit your packing. I don’t need to worry about the knife in my purse. Or the small bottle of lotion.

However, the down side to that is I can pack anything I want. And when you do that your suit case gets mighty darn heavy. And I packed WAY more shoes than normal. I did leave the 4 inch heels at home. Those just won’t be good walking shoes. Even if they are sexy as all get out.

Besides, there are SOOOO many shoe stores between here and Indy.

I was at Target last night picking out car snacks for the trip. I was debating a box of Cheese Nips so I called Girl J to see if she liked them. She cracked up because she had just pulled a box of cheese nips out of her grocery bag. We think alike. Which is probably a good thing since we are stuck in a car together for 10 hours or so.

Another down side to road trip vs. plane trip, you can bring food. And lots of it. Between the two of us we have enough snacks to feed a small army. But there is nothing wrong with that. Girl J said something about calories not counting on way overdue vacation road trips. And I believe her.

Books are another plus to the old road trip. I packed 3. Chances are I won’t read all of them. And sure I could have picked up a book if I need to while I was there. But why? When I can just throw them in the car with no consequence??? But then I have to go back to that down side of road trip: heavy stuff to lug around.

So, aside from all of that I am going to dearly miss the hubster and the zoo. As always I was close to tears having to leave my babies. But maybe after I come home I can look forward to an additional baby joining our household. If the Petfinder Fates decide it should be so.

On a different note:

The hubster and I sometimes end up on the same wave length about very odd and random things. Then one of us will say something, sometimes more like thinking out loud, and the other one of us will pipe up with “Hey, I was thinking about that………..”

We had another occurrence of this phenomenon on Monday. The hubster asked me how many movies or shows I actually watch on Showtime and or HBO now. And I told him I had actually been thinking about that over the weekend and the answer was none. And I went on to say that I was thinking maybe we should cancel the two premiums and sign up for something like Netflix instead. And we’d probably get more for our money. He started to laugh because he had spent the afternoon looking at the on line rental companies and talking with co-workers about who they used. So, yesterday we kissed HBO and Showtime goodbye. And today we will say hello to Netflix.

And that kids, is the end of my ramblings of Newt for the day. Newt’s Muse will be closed till Tuesday September 5th. Until then, I will be hanging out with four fellow bloggers in the beautiful town of Indy.

I hope maybe future travels will take me to other blogger towns. Or maybe your travels will take you to mine. We all need to have a few personal blog cons!

Hugs all around! Be safe. Have a great holiday weekend.

Cheers!

Newt is in trouble

Nuf said!

Yeah, yeah, I know, we already have a zoo. She's not part of our household yet. But when I get back in town if she is still available I think we need to go down and meet her. She's a puppy mill rescue in pretty bad shape. Major trust issues. Scared to death of pretty much everything. But then, so was our Sophers when we got her.

And:
The sun will come out tomorrow
Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow
We’ll be gone!

Tomorrow Tomorrow
Can’t wait for tomorrow
You’re only a day away!

Yes, you guessed it, we leave tomorrow for my own private blog con!

**Update**

I got this crazy idea to change my profile picture. So I put in a photo dating WAY farther back than I want to confess to. But that is me and my daddy!

Newt on a stick

Fair food review:
Tater Tot Hot Dish on a stick - Thumbs up! I will get this next year
Wild Rice Corn Dog - ehhhh, I'd stick with regualar corn dog
Deep Fried Chocolate Chip Cookie on a stick - First off, no stick, secondly, this is tasty only if you love super gooey cookies - more like warm cookie dough.
Kettle Corn - Ok, not new, or anything special, but in Heritage Square I got the best Kettle Corn I have ever had!

See pictures of our day at the fair here.

I posted a little bit more about my Aunt and Uncle over the weekend so if you didn't catch it, read the post below this one.

Days till we leave for my own personal blog con: 2

Wednesday afternoon seems so far away right now..........................

A little bit more........

When I post at work I can't always get pictures to load. So, I wanted to share with everyone my Aunt and Uncle. Behind my Uncles shoulder was their camper. We went everywhere in that little thing.

For day trips we would go up into the foothills near Big Bear in Southern Cal. There was a little town up there who was known for it's apple orchards. There was an amazing little cafe that made the best apple crisp in the world. They also had a little farm with goats. We used to get such a kick out of the little guys. They would come right up to the fence and let us pet them.

If we were really adventurous we would spend a few days camping up at Big Bear. On one trip we took our fishing gear and headed up into the mountains. My Uncle said he knew about a great fishing spot. We walked and walked for hours. He kept promising us that the lake was just over the next hill. At a few of the hill tops we saw some of the most amazing lakes off in the distance. But as night was closing in we had to turn back. Our lake seemed to evade us. But on the way back we stopped at this lodge. It was out in the middle of no where. My aunt and uncle ordered a cup of coffee and the waitress made me a cup of hot cocoa. The nicest people sat down and chatted with us. I remember one of the people was an old cowboy. He even told me I could call him Uncle Jim. It was an amazing end to a very fun day. It didn't matter that we never found that lake.

We had another favorite town that we would go to. Bishop, California. We went up there all the time. We camped or stayed at a Hobo motel. ( I can't remember the name of the hotel but their logo was a hobo) For my Aunt and Uncle's 25th Anniversary we went up there. They asked me what I wanted to do for dinner (it was their anniversary dinner remember) and me, being the total kid that I was said that I wanted to have peanut butter and marshmallow fluff sandwiches in the hotel - picnic style. We also needed to have oreos and milk. So my aunt and uncle happily went to the grocery store. Got all the necessary picnic foods and there we sat on the hotel room floor having an anniversary picnic.

For their 50th Anniversary I sent them a package with all of the same ingredients.

They taught me to fish and to take pictures. They bought me my first camera and then took me out on a road trip so I could learn to use it. I have slides of the trip to the elusive lake. Including a picture of Uncle Jim and the lodge we stopped in. I have to have them transferred to film or put in digital form. They actually were amazing pictures.

Because my favorite color was green they surprised me with a little fishing pole that was of course green. Their favorite color is blue. And it has always been a joke between us. My aunt will say "you turned out okay, little Becca, except what on earth did we do wrong that you like GREEEEEEEN?" "You're supposed to like blue."

We have the same joke going about Coke vs. Pepsi. They are hard core Pepsi drinkers. I prefer Coke. When I go to visit them they always get me some coke but they tease me about how hard it was to pick it up off the shelf and put it in their cart. They also make sure there are Oreo's in the house.

As soon as I get to their home I give them big hugs and kisses. And then as soon as I can I do two things. I go into the kitchen and smell their pantry. I don't know what is in there, or why it smells the way it does but it is a smell that triggers a million memories. I have only once smelled it outside their home and the wave of thoughts that hit me was amazingly powerful. Secondly, I go wash my hands with their soap. They use a soap I can't ever seem to find in the store but the scent is so distinct and so them. It triggers the same rush of memories.

Those memories are so filled with love. I think that is why I love to go sniffing around their house. That probably sounds weird. Am I alone in this little freak habit of mine? Or do other people out there experience the same rush of memory from a certain smell.

I thought I had blogged about it but I can't find my old entry so I'll finish this entry by telling you that last fall I happened to come across a reissue of a perfume my Aunt used to wear when I was a little girl. She gave me a bottle of it when I was really young. The bottle was almost empty but it had enough for me to feel like a big girl when I wanted to. I held on to the bottle my whole life. I still have it. And when I missed her I would open the lid and there she would be again. The perfume had been discontinued in the 70's. So I couldn't believe that Vermont Country Store managed to get them to remake it for them due to customer request. So I ordered her a bottle (and me). I couldn't wait for her to get it. I called her a few days after when it should have arrived. I just started the conversation with hi, how are you. And she went on to say "Your Uncle and I got a box the other day. And when we opened it we both stared at what was inside for a very long time. We couldn't believe what we got." then she laughed a little "Becca, how did you find it? I can't believe you remembered."

The more I write about them the more I feel the need to go visit them. I think a trip to Cali is soon in order.

Heart Attack on a stick - Here I come!

Minnesota state fair is now open

In honor of opening day it stormed. In fact about 40 miles south of the cities there was baseball size hail. One guy that drove in to downtown had both front and rear windows completely smashed in. He was driving when the storm hit. See pictures from around the cities here.
This doesn’t happen very often. We aren’t really part of tornado ally. Though every year there are twisters it’s not commonplace. When it comes to extreme acts of nature we actually fair fairly well.

Hail Minnesota style






















Uh, honey, put down the cheese curds and get into the basement.












Had I an automobile I would have skipped work and gone straight to the fair. No one goes when it rains.

2 days before we gorge!
Boy J, R, and myself will be heading out to the blessed event on Sunday morning. I can almost taste the artery clogging delights. I will be on the prowel for: corn fritters (I’ve never had them before), chocolate chip cookies on a stick, tater-tot hot dish on a stick, wild rice corn dogs, deep fried twinkies, fried cheese curds, and other yet to be determined delights. Now, keep in mind, we all share in the artery clogging delights so it’s not like I will personally consume all the above mentioned foods. It’s more of a sampling approach. And we walk A LOT! This helps to extend the snacking time.
It helps that some of the favorites are portable and can be taken home. Like the fresh salt water taffy.

5 days till my own private blog con! Road trip, good friends, shoes, musicals, dances, great little eatery’s. This is going to be so much fun!

Have a great weekend kids! I’ll see if I can get my hands on a digital camera so you can see what artery clogging fun looks like Minnesota style!

How Newt got her Newtness

My Aunt and Uncle. They helped raise me. And I love them very deeply. They are proud of me. Tell everyone they meet about me, and consider me their baby. When I am talking to them on the phone, or visiting them the entire world seems to disappear. And I feel like we are the only three people in the entire world. They are the kindest people you will ever meet. I know this because strangers feel a compulsion to be nice to them. They are from a different time, when people were kind, respectful, and would do anything, including give the shirt off their back, to help someone. I am always amazed at the lengths people will go to to help them. Even bored disinterested teenagers working a summer job at the deli find themselves preparing their meals just the way they like them and then sitting out on the curb waiting for them to drive up because they know it’s hard for my uncle to walk. Another restaurant they frequent offered to deliver their food to their house. Even though the restaurant is 25 miles away and has no delivery service.

They love each other more deeply than most of us could ever hope or dream for. They live solely for each other. It is a love so deep that you can feel it in the air. For 55 years they have held each other’s hand, kissed one another every time they sit down on the couch, kissed before he sits her down into the car and kisses her again when he gets into the driver’s side. (The rolls are reversed now and she drives but they still follow the same routine) They dress in the same color schemes, always wearing their best when they have to go out in public. They are from a time when a man was a gentleman and a woman was a lady.

My husband adores them. When I talk to my Aunt she still giggles about the first time he met them. It is a pretty funny story:

My aunt and my husband were in the kitchen cooking dinner. My aunt was straining the tomato soup. She doesn’t like tomato chunks. My husband stopped in mid sentence and stared at her. He then walked into the living room and stared at me. My uncle and I looked up at him and said “What?” (my aunt, curious, followed him into the living room)
He just kept looking from my aunt to me, silent, with his mouth hanging a little bit open.
And then he finally smiled and said “I get it now, I know where you come from.” We just burst out laughing. He said in that one moment he completely understood me. And my Aunt and Uncle and I just grinned from ear to ear. I was like them, and they were like me. And we, we were a family.

Hump Day Ramblings of Newt

We have had chats before about good commercials. And last night I was reminded of a very good campaign.

One that seems to be making a come back is the Bridgestone “And the wheels go round” with the flashy dancers moving flawlessly around and through spinning tires. This I think is one of the most beautiful and interesting campaigns for something as mundane as tires. Sure they could have gone with the panicked soccer mom in the SUV barely escaping certain death because her tires caught the road but instead they went with a flashy, interesting and quite addictive little number. I sit enthralled by these commercials because the fluidity they manage to create between dancer and tire is awe inspiring.

Alert Alert: Girly moment coming – boys you have been warned!

I treated myself to these little numbers last night. They were 70% off as a season end clearance sale. I am not one to worry about labels and I go by a quantity vs. quality philosophy in shoe buying but these were TOO cute not to get. And SOOOO me. I had to do it. I just had to.





Ok, girly moment over – normal blog will resume

Last night I watched yet another funny and wonderful episode of Eureka. If you haven’t caught it, do so. It’s a total treat!

Funny line:
“So, Carver, when a lightbulb goes off in your head is it what 15 or 20 watts?”

**Snort** That lines cracked me up and rolled me right off the couch.

Then of course I had to watch Miami Ink. And damn them if they didn’t run two episodes. The first one was new, the second one was the first episode which I hadn’t seen. So that meant I went off to bed after 11. And of course I have to read before I fall asleep so that meant more like midnight. (normal lights out bedtime is 10:30)

We were woken at 3:46 this morning by the promised thunder boomie. It was absolutely fabulous. It was apparently raining in a circular fashion because every window around the house was rain drop covered. We ran around the house stumbling and grumbling to close all the windows. Sophie needed to run out and go potty. And then I did what all self respecting quality employee does. I set the alarm for an hour later. I just knew that between going to bed late and the hour or so I lost due to the storm, I just would be worth crap if I didn’t sleep a little longer.

Days till fair opens: 1

Days till I consume way too much fat on a stick: 4

Days till my own private blog con.: 7

Tuesday ramblings of Newt

Did you ever get into the shower and then daydream just enough that you forget what you need to do?
For instance this morning I was thinking about bloggers for some reason and reached for the soap only to stare a little dumbfounded because I hadn't washed my hair yet which always gets done first.

Why are people cruel to animals? I'm just curious. Even the bible said that we should love all gods creatures. But it seems that people, even the self righteous holier than thou seem to ignore that part. I don't get it.

I need to start working on increasing my jewelry inventory for craft shows this fall. They start in October and I haven't made anything all year. I was supposed to make stuff all year so I wouldn't be in a time crunch come fall. I failed that goal miserably.

I think I failed because I prefer reading to all other activities (except one particular activity, mind you).

My hubster made blueberry/peach cobbler last night. We haven't tried it yet.

The worms and birds are going to eat/destroy all the fruit on our trees before we get to have any. Sigh....

I got this new age c.d. that combines native drums, nature, and cool music. I'm going to put it on as soon as I am done here.

Though I will probably switch to the ipod mixes since the drums might put me to sleep.

I had a great time last night with Girl J. We went to Kohls and then Noodles and Co. It was just one of those perfect evenings with a friend.

My tattoo itches

My puppy Max is sleeping on the floor right by my feet.

Dogs are so trusting and love you unconditionally. Why is it so easy for people to be cruel to them?????

We leave for our own private blogger convention in 8 days!

The fair opens in 2 days.

Days till I gorge on cheese curds and deep fried twinkies: 5

That is all, have a wonderful day kids.

Weekend recap

Saturday was my birthday so my girlfriends took me out for a fun day. We started the day off at Black Sheep Café. Coffee and bacon/cheese scones. (The yummiest scone EVER)

Then we headed to Hudson Wisconsin for a day of shopping. Hudson is a quaint little town along the St. Croix river. The shops are all small family owned businesses and we had a lot of fun wandering around. The girls got me a birthday girl crown so I got to parade around look’n a bit silly.

Lunch was at San Pedro Cafe. We shared their scrumptious nachos as well as a pizza. The crown did come in handy though because birthday guests get dessert! So they topped off the meal with Key Lime Pie and Chocolate Chili cake. The chocolate chili cake was phenomenal. They both were actually but the chocolate chili was like nothing I had ever had before. Now I crave two things from this place.

In the evening the hubster and I just hung out with the puppies. He got me the Brisco County Jr. DVD collection. It’s all I wanted for my birthday! Late in the evening we walked down to our Dairy Queen and had treats. Mud Pie blizzard! (fudge, coffee, and oreo’s mixed into ice cream)

Sunday was a nice quiet day at home. I managed to finish one novel called The Nameless Day by Sara Douglass as well as Crusader’s Cross by James Lee Burke.

Weekend word challenge

If I had a digital camera this would be easier, but since I don’t you’ll have to use your imagination:

Fantasy:
(Picture, if you will)
a clean, dog hair free, vertical surfaces visible, couch cover straight and barf free, dusted, fresh smelling, living room

Reality:
(Now picture if you will)
A disasterous mess with newspapers all over the floor, cat and dog hair tumble weeds all over the place, a crooked couch cover with cat barf on it, a coffee table with no visible vertical surface, dusty shelves, dog bones, toys, and shoes scattered all over the floor, living room.

Campfire Newt

From Tink:
What "save the day" memory sticks out most in your mind? Pull up a log, sit by the fire, tell me if the fish are biting, and join me in some blogger camping.

Well kids, it was a dark and stormy night………..(just kidding)

Many years ago my high school class had a night time field trip to a farmers field in rural New Jersey. The destination was not the field, it was the night sky. And Haley’s comet. It was at it’s most visible that evening and our teacher was determined that we would get to see it. So we all bundled up in mittens, hats, and coats and headed out to the darkest, more rural corner of the county we could find. And sure enough, in all it’s glory we got to see Haley’s comet.

While shivering in the field I noticed a lone figure walking across the field towards us. It was my dad. And he had brought with him big thermos’s full of hot chocolate, and boxes of doughnuts for the entire class. He thought we might be cold and want a snack. Seeing Haley’s comet was really cool and truly a once in a lifetime event, but having the coolest dad in the world that would drive out to the middle of no-where to bring an entire class of kids some hot chocolate on a cold night. That is a memory I will cherish my whole life.

Save the Day memory #2
When I first moved to Minnesota my husband took me to Boundary Waters to go camping. It’s a little different than regular camping in that you move from lake to lake with a canoe. And in between the lakes you do something called portage. Basically you pick all your stuff up, throw the canoe on someone’s back and hike it through the woods till you get to the next lake. Eventually you stop for the night along the banks of a lake. There are designated camping spots throughout the Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness.

We set up camp at a beautiful spot for a couple of nights. In the early evening we started to hear some crunching through the forest and trees started to fall. Then we heard some grunting noises. And more trees were toppling over. Ok, it’s probably a bear. So we gathered the food pack and got it ready to string it up into a tree. The hubster got a big stick, and our friend J got a spatula. And they figured if they met up with the bear they would make a lot of noise and scare him away.
But as the grunting got closer and more trees were toppling we realized whatever it was was WAY bigger than a bear. Low and Behold, my defenders, with their stick and their spatula, came face to face with a giant bull moose rutting away through the forest. He was rubbing his antlers on the trees which was causing them to fall over. He continued to wander up to and through our camp. He paid us no mind. Of course he really didn’t need to considering we came up to his knees. I had no idea that moose were that big. This guy was HUGE.

Save the Day memory #3
On my next trip up to the Boundary Waters we went to celebrate our first anniversary. It was June and we thought we would have beautiful spring weather. Alas, it was cold and rainy. But we are good sports and we gave it a go anyway. So we pulled up to the first portage to unload our stuff – and scraped the bottom of the car against something. Ok, no problem. No damage done. Then we got all the stuff in the canoe, we parked the car for the duration and we headed out for our grand adventure. It rained on the first lake. No problem, we’re still having a fun romantic trip. We cross the first portage. It was kind a long but we got all the stuff to the next lake and off we went, well, that is once we managed to wade through the deep and thick mud.
And then it rained on us again.

So we made camp at the other side of the lake. And it rained on us some more. And it got colder. Dropping down to the low 30’s. And then the mosquitoes found us. Every single mosquito alive in the state of Minnesota hung out at our camp site. We hid in our tent. They buzzed around us. It was like a Hitchcock movie. Buzz Buzz – come out – buzz buzz – we want to eat your blood – buzz buzz – come out – come out – buzz buzz.

The next morning we packed it in. We went back across the lake, waded through the mud, back over the portage, back across the second lake, and back to the car. We got in the car, we headed a bit down the highway till we were back along Lake Superior. We stopped at a tiny little motel. The kind woman had a room – it was dry and they had hot water. Bless her, she saved the day and our sanity.

The next morning we headed down the lake shore a little farther and found a beautiful resort that we got a little suite at. We had a balcony that overlooked Lake Superior, we had a fireplace, a little kitchenette. It was the perfect place to end our Anniversary trip.

I wouldn’t have traded a second of that trip for anything. Even the mud, and even the 2.3 million mosquito bites I got. The “vacancy” sign at that little motel really saved the day. And the sweet woman that ran the place made it even better somehow. I think she was extra kind to us because we had a polish name and we were drowned like little rats.

Snore-------

Tink, wake up!----------

Snore-------------

Tink, you should go to your tent now-------

Snore--------------

(cover’s Tink with blanket)------------

sweet dreams----------------

Way Coolness!

Well, there she is! Total time: 3 hours. That includes making a stencil, drawing out the daisy chains, and the mountains. So probably less than 2 hours actual tattoo time.

She's beautiful. I just about cried when I saw her all done.
Yes, it hurt, I won't deny that. For the most part it just sort of tickles, but there were a few spots that got mighty tender. But I put on my big girl panties (super girl ones to be exact) and I dealt with it. And it was TOTALLY worth it.


Now the new countdown begins. 13 days till we leave for vacation! And my own personal Blog Con 2006! I can't wait. It's going to be fun. Ok, so it's only 4 bloggers. But still.............

This one's for Kell

HOT DIGGITY DAMN!

No musings of Newt today- tattoo time!
We are off to the heart of Wisconsin to see a man about a fairy.
Who ever thought those words would all go into one sentence?

Pictures should post Thursday.

Until then, hugs and kisses to everyone!

Monday Newt

First order of business:
The scout trip was fun. We had a great time. The dogs have been the mascot for the group since it’s inception. So they fit right in. The kids love the dogs and were glad we brought them along. Also since the scouts are all teenagers they were a big help in taking care of them and being responsible enough to watch them and ensure they were safe. Max suffers from selective hearing (and poor training) so were he to get loose he would be somewhere in eastern Pennsylvania before he realized we were not tagging behind. And given that the only things out there besides us were deer and squirrels he would have taken off like a shot after some poor little woodland creature. The camp is in some of the most beautiful country I have seen here in the mid-west. It is located in a heavily wooded cliff top overlooking the St. Croix river.

I drove separate from the hubster since he had to stay with the troop and help with the food concessions at the boat show. I grabbed the soundtrack for Garden State and listened to that on the drive over. There is nothing more relaxing than good music and a quiet drive in the country. It was such a peaceful moment.

On my way to camp Saturday night I realized about half way there that I didn’t have a book with me. And that just can’t happen. So I stopped at Borders on the way over. The karma cow was smiling. On the new in paperback rack at the front door was the latest book from my revered author James lee Burke. Hot diggity damn! Cracking open a new Burke book is practically a religious experience for me. A couple of the scouts are book worms like myself so we all curled up on one end of the picnic bench and read the night away. I couldn’t have been happier.

Then when I got home the next morning I put on the C.D. I always listen to when I read my JLB books. Blasted that on the stereo, curled up with a cup of coffee, and read to my hearts content. Pure heaven.

Lastly on my agenda for today:

At one time in my career I worked as a student investigator for the DA’s office in San Jose. One of the investigators had a child’s shoe on his desk. I asked him why it was there. He said he had found it in the middle of the road. He had kept it with him because he had always wondered why the shoe was there. How does a baby shoe end up in the middle of the road? Maybe the owner of the shoe simply lost it out of the stroller when they were on a walk. But maybe something more violent happened to that child. And the shoe was a reminder to the investigator that his job was to be a voice for that child, to be it’s guardian. It was a reminder to him that it was his job to ensure other shoes don’t end up in the middle of the road. If he caught the bad guys and put them away maybe there would be a few less shoes in the road.

Ever since then I have always thought about him and that conversation. That there is a story, a chain of events, to every shoe in the middle of the road. That as human beings we should do what we can to help people. Even simple acts of kindness, charity, or even simple awareness can help to make the world a better place. Just asking questions can sometimes lead to helping someone in a difficult situation. I’m not sure where I am going with this. But I wanted to share it with you. I saw a couple shoes on the freeway this weekend. And it got me thinking……………….

It's Friday - Yeeeeehaaaaawwwww!

4 Days till tattoo time!

Tonight I will be sleeping at a scout camp on the shores of the St. Croix river in Wisconsin. I am not sure how happy I am about that. But the pups will be with me. The hubster will be down stairs on the main level and I will be upstairs with a room full of teenage girls. Is this really a good thing? I guess we will find out. I get to do it all over again Saturday night.

The saving grace of this whole weekend is that because of the dogs and the fact that they can’t hang out at the marina I only have to deal with the evening events. I get to take the dogs home during the day. The hubster on the other hand has to work the food concession all day.

By the way, shameless plug here. If anyone who reads this would like to contribute to Sea Scout ship 248 please let me know. Since our inception almost two years ago the kids have acquired two sail boats and a classic wooden speed boat. The fund raiser pays for supplies to refinish the boats and hopefully they will start to raise enough additional money to participate in the big Wind Jammer on Lake Michigan that occurs each summer. Additionally they need boat covers for the three boats they have. And we guesstimate them at 700 bucks each. Yikes.

Alright, shameless plug ends…………………….

Well, actually I really don’t have that much to share today. I guess the shameless plug was all I really had.

So have a great weekend! Live, laugh, and love often.

Archangels, Musicals, and Blizzards

So I am reading this book called The Nameless Day by Sara Douglass. It is about a friar in early Europe – mid to late 14th century. He is visited by the archangel Michael and sent on a quest to save the world from satan’s minions.

But is it Michael that is really guiding this man? That is the question.

I find this book intriguing because I don’t know where the author is going with this idea. The friar’s beliefs as well as that of the supposed archangel is very negative toward women. But that is also in keeping with the times. Most of our history since Christianity was invented has been very negative where women are concerned.

I’m anxious to see where this story goes. Who is good, who is bad. Where redemption truly lies.

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I watched part of The Girl Most Likely last night on TCM.
It was a so-so little musical starring Jane Powell. I love to watch TCM because the movies they show come from such a different time. I love the innocence, style, and outlook these movies had. Drugs, drunks, guns, and hate hardly ever factor into any of these movies. Even the suspense movies don’t have bad guys on the level of today’s monsters. It’s refreshing to watch something that doesn’t offend the eyes and ears at every turn of the projector.

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5 days till tattoo time!

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Today is Miracle Treat Day at Dairy Queen. Go have a blizzard! Calories don't count due to it being for a good cause.

Yo Ho Ho I could drink a bottle of rum

It’s been one of those weeks folks. And it’s only Wednesday. Not to do any excessive whining here or anything but dang! I actually had a distributor leave a V/M telling me that he was going to fly up to St. Paul and kick my $%&! Who says that sort of stuff?

We had a “town hall” meeting this morning in which the CEO told us how the company was doing. I have now discovered the difference between working for a 11 billion dollar fortune 500 company and working for a small family owned 30 million dollar corporation. The special effects and video for this meeting alone exceeded my annual income. Holy Hanna! For a minute I thought I was at my local Imax watching one of those high action speed films. With the racecars and jet airplanes, you know the ones I’m talking about. It was very impressive.

Don’t you love it when:

You have been learning something new and you work hard to absorb absorb absorb the information. Then one day you are helping someone with information related to what you have been learning and the most impressive stuff spews forth from your mouth. And you realize, Hot Damn, I actually learned something. Then, it even get’s better when the person on the other end of the conversation says “wow, it is so refreshing to be able to talk to someone that really understands the industry and the work I am doing.” - I had to give myself a pat on the back for that one! I started learning this specific industry in February and trust me, it might as well have been the physics of space travel. Cause I knew squat. Actually less than squat. And when millions of dollars are at stake over how the project turns out, it puts a little pressure on the old noggin of knowledge to do it right.


Random Newt:

6 days till tattoo time!

There are 420 books on my reading list
Of that I have read 85
55 of those books I have read since I created the list March 24th 2006
That means I read on average:
1 book every 2.5 days
2.8 books per week
12 books per month

At this rate I should be able to get my entire list read in 28 months (or2.3 years)
Of course that only works if I stop adding books to my dang list.

I got white meat peaches and nectarines at the grocery store last night. I haven’t had a white meat peach since I left New Jersey. I wonder if they are even close to as good as the ones that grow in Jersey?

I have discovered in my adult years that New Jersey was actually a great place to grow up. My only problem with it was that it was cold.

I sorta miss New Jersey

Each time I have typed “New Jersey” I have put an “a” in it. What’s that about?

I have a pink and purple beanie baby dog hanging over my computer screen.

My nails are getting so long I am having trouble typing. Maybe that is why I am spelling New Jerseay.

I used to bite my nails

I had a salad for lunch. I ate it at 2:30 – it’s 4:11 and I am starving………

Random Newt

Farmers Markets Rock!

Speaking of farmers markets, fresh corn on the cob is the best best best part of summer.

Miami Ink finally repeated last night. I recorded “the body” for Girl J and brought it in this morning. She agreed, and suffered hot flashes.

One week till tattoo day!

22 days till I leave for my own personal Blog Con

Mean people suck

This seems like a long week already

Saying on a picture in my cube:
“I get up. I walk. I fall down. Meanwhile I keep dancing.”

I read it every time I’m having a bad day.

And then I dance.

There are the prettiest purple flowers growing in my yard. They are coming from a plant that spent the first part of summer mostly dead despite all my efforts to water and baby it it always looked droopy and sparse. Then after we got so much rain and the temperatures dropped a little it got big and green and put forth the most beautiful flowers. This proves two things:
- Never give up – even the saddest and weakest in this world have great potential
- All of us have beauty, but for some it is hidden inside and only after someone gets to know us and hang around us does that beauty have the chance to come out.

Weekend in recap

Once in a while during our lives we come to a moment when we feel at peace with the world. A moment out of our daily lives that is filled with nothing but contentment. No worries, no distractions, no pending responsibilities, just a moment, to ourselves in which we are nothing but breath and life and stillness.

I had one of those moments Friday night while I waited for the pizza dude. I took my book and the pizza money and sat out on the front steps. The neighborhood was quiet and only the twittering of birds reached my ears. There were hundreds of little birds gathering around the houses near us. They were in our gardens, lawns, and hopping about the roofs. At one point a noise startled them and they all flew up to the roof of one house. I was just enamored with the sight. Those little tiny miracles of nature hopping around the roof happily chirping away. I forgot about reading for a while and just watched them. They were amazing.

Then my husband let Sophie outside to be with me. He said she was just sitting at the door anxiously awaiting me to come back. As she bounded down the steps happy to be with mom the pizza dude showed up. I looked up at my neighbors roof and all the little birds were gone. The moment was over and it was time to go inside, eat our dinner, and enjoy our evening.

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The wedding was wonderful. Very elegant, very extravagant. My friend looked genuinely happy and I wish him all the happiness in the world.

Gorgeous J was an usher at the wedding. He’s a very handsome man with eyes that can make you feel as if you are drowning if you look into them too long. He said I looked ravishing. Awww, wasn’t that sweet. Of course he also mentioned that there was a coat room we could go visit. Alas, the hubster was right behind us so I had to decline his offer.

All kidding aside here. It was fun to be at a formal event. It has been ages since I have been to an event in which everyone looked like a million bucks. We can’t even go to the symphony anymore with that expectation. You would think people would have the class to actually dress up for the symphony, and most do, but there are more than a few that show up in jeans and t-shirts.

We sat with a wonderful couple that had come out from Denver to be at the wedding. T&P were very nice and we found we had a lot in common. We were the same age, no kids, same interests when traveling. I knew they were a fellow soul couple when they asked if the Twin Cities had a botanical gardens type place. That is one of the first things hubster and I look for when we make plans in any given city we visit.

The hubster, now he looked ravishing. He bought a black sport coat and looked very handsome in it. As happens most days of our lives I fell in love with him all over again. That happens a lot to me. And I am so thankful for that. He is my best friend, my muse, my conscience, my critic, my coach, my lover, my life.

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Every Sunday I watch Midsomer Murders. And it makes me want to move to England.

I would love to live in a house like this

And bicycle around towns that looked like these

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Sophie got to see her buddy Shadow this morning. They really seem to like each other. We have to pry them away from one another in order to continue on our merry way.

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It’s coffee time. Talk to ya later kids.

Tagged for a meme and other Friday ramblings

The Five meme
I was tagged by Susan

5 items in my freezer:
1. strawberries
2. peanut butter m&m’s
3. thin mints
4. unknown meat
5. coffee

5 items in my closet:
1. wedding dress
2. more shoes than I will admit to
3. step stool (too short to reach the shelves)
4. sweatshirts – ahhh my favorite thing about winter
5. bucket of lego’s

5 items in my car:
1. sun reflector for front window
2. Ipod converter to play tunes in car
3. driving glasses
4. broken ring
5. shoes – damn, there’s where those went

5 items in my purse:
1. keys – with Lego Hagrid keychain
2. cell phone
3. fairy check book cover – with checks inside of course
4. Kitty cat coin purse I got in Dallas
5. tape measure

And added by Tink:
5 items in my junk drawer
1. wine bottle corks
2. creepy kitty cheese spreaders
3. wine jewelz (decorative rings for glass to let you know who’s glass is who’s.
4. batteries to who knows what
5. clothes pins – to seal chip bags, ice bag, etc.

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J&R came over last night and we watched V for Vendetta. I liked the movie even more the second time around.

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Miami Ink did not repeat last night.........bastards.............

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Thank God it's Friday - last night just before I closed up shop and headed down to meet the hubster a meeting invitation was sent to me. Yeah, I get to find out what I'll be doing as a career going forward. Yippee! I have a gut feeling I know where we are headed and that doesn't make me all too happy. But, I have my health and I get a pay check. And I can post out for another position.

Speaking of gut. I don't cope well with this sort of doomed anticipation. So of course I spent the evening with a giant pit of despair hanging around in my stomach. Which lead to a completely sleepless night. Which led to the bigger pit of despair this morning.

I tried very very hard to convince myself this would all work out and I would remain happy. I tried, honest I did. I always try very hard to be on the bright and positive side of the universe. I pride myself on my tendency toward positive thinking. Unfortunately sometimes, pessimism gets the better part of me.

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On a brighter note, I have breakfast with the girls tomorrow (we're doing the coffee and Black Sheep pastry thing - yum) and I have a fancy to do in the evening. Yes, kids, it's finally here.
I'm going to the black tie optional wedding. I'll tell you all about it Monday.

I thought it was Friday

Nothings craps out your day like realizing it's not Friday.

My apologies to anyone that tried to find Miami Ink last night to look at the hot guy.
I am baffled as to when that show is on. My t.v. guide says it will be on at 8 and 11 (or12) central time tonight on TLC. But who the heck knows since neither TLC or Dish Network shows it on the schedule. Sigh..................

It's a small world after all:

#1 : I took a co-worker out to lunch to thank her for all of her help. She works in our customer service department and has been a godsend to me.

While chatting about the who what when where and how of who we are she mentioned that she grew up in W. St. Paul. She's about my age so I asked her if she knew of my hubster's family and some of his friends. She and her brother grew up with them. She was happy to hear about what they were all up to.

#2 : I was googling an artist last night in search of an MP3 download. I was clicking on promising sites. And came across the name of one of my regular blog reads. I thought the odds were higher that it was just another person with the same name and not really him. But it was him.

Conversation with the hubster (warning, no where near as funny as a Tink/Hoop conversation)

Newt: "Honey, I think I need to go to the doctor, I have a really annoying pain in my middle finger on my right hand."

Hubster: "Really? That's weird, so do I."

Newt: "Really? on your right hand? Mine feels like the joint needs to crack or something and won't. Sometimes I can't even grip something like a stapler and make it work."

Hubster: "That's so odd, it's exactly the same for me."

Newt: "Mine started a couple of months ago. It comes and goes, right now it's really bothering me."

Hubster: "Yeah, me too."

Hubster: "I don't think it's from me giving you the finger all the time." as he flips me the bird.

Newt: "Huh, I don't think that is why mine hurts either. " as I flip him back.

Hubster: "Well, why don't you go to the doctor and find out what is wrong with us."

Newt: "Why don't you?"

Hubster: "Cause I'm too lazy."

Newt: "Fine then" flipping him the bird, "I'll go and I won't tell you what is wrong with me."

Hubster: "Oh, I know what is wrong with you." he grins.

Site stats:

First August search term that brought people to my site:
"johnny depp" "could be my daughter" - I'd rather he be my man toy.

Best July search terms that brought people to my site:
"newt's wedding at sunshine" - actually it was at dusk
"curley newt big boobs" - I have no response to that

Top Countries in July:
#1: US
#2: Canada
#3: France
#4: UK
#5: Australia
#6: Singapore
#7: Malaysia
#8: Spain
#9: Italy
#10: Ireland

Authors note: Though I have stolen some of Tink's style I have done it badly. I hope I do not offend.......................There is only one Tink. All the rest are merely shadows.......

Mysteries solved and jaws dropped

Mystery Solved

Well, as weird coincidences go the customer who's last name matched my angry wife caller's actually called me yesterday morning. As soon as he said who he was I thought "Uh Oh". But as it turned out he only needed some technical info on our products. And I chickened out of asking him............

I did have to email him some information. He needed details on a floor stripper. And when I emailed him I originally titled the email "Stripper Info." then my brain kicked in and I renamed it with the actual product name.

But alas later in the day I had to call him again with a contract negotiation request. His company is changing their relationship with us and I needed some documents for our legal department. So, after he and I discussed what I needed from them I sucked it up and I asked.

"So, T_______ I have a question to ask you. And I just want to let you know that it is one of those way out in left field sorts of questions."

Laughing he said, "Ok, I'm forewarned, what is your question?"

"Well,.............are you married?"

Again, he laughs, "Uh, yes, I am."

"Can I ask you what your wife's name is?"

"It's J________ why?"

"Well,,,,,,,,,,,,"

"Just say it, what's going on?"

He's still laughing by the way.

"Well, she called me"

"She did? Why?"

"Well, I didn't speak with her personally, she left me a voice mail. But basically she said that you and I need to keep it professional and stop with the personal stuff."

He's still laughing...............

"Oh man, I'm so sorry that you had to get involved in this, alright, I'll tell you what is going on."

"She and I have been separated for 10 months. We got separated because she was seeing someone else."

"Now, I have started to see someone who happens to be named Rebecca."

"So, I am guessing she got your name from my contacts."

"I'm so very sorry that this had to happen to you."

"That's ok, I am actually happy to at least know who called me. And the fact that you are 6 states away makes me feel a little safer."

"I'll take care of it, she won't be calling you anymore. Again, I'm very sorry."

"No worries. Just take care, and good luck with this whole thing."

"Thanks, I'll be talking to you.........."

So, there you have it Mystery solved. I notified HR what the deal was. Hopefully this doesn't put a mark on my record :-) Guilt by association.

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Now on to Jaws dropped

As you know I am a fan of Miami Ink. Last night they had a new episode on. A guy came in to the studio to have a snake put on his arm. Apparently this required him to take off his shirt and pull his pants down to about mid hip.

HOLY SHIT

That man didn't just have a 6 pack. He had, how do you say it, he had the body that Michelangelo had in mind when he sculpted David. I don't know if I have ever seen a more beautiful body. (Sorry honey, I love you very much, but DAMN)

I fell off the couch.

Repeat Wednesday night - TLC - 11:00 central.

Voyage with a Twist

I had some time on my hands so I made up a list. Play along kids if you would like.

Let’s say you are going on a space voyage. You have to make some choices. They will personalize some preferences for you. And they will transmit new information within your stated preferences. So, for the voyage what would you choose? Please note that some things may appear duplicate but they are not. For instance, you can have one specific book AND you can have the collection of one specific author. And each time that author writes a new book they will “beam” a copy to the ship. The ship will also have a garden so you get to pick items you would want in the garden. As well as some items for your private quarters.

One Book: Shantaram
Author collection: James Lee Burke
One Album: Garden State Soundtrack
2 Musical Artists Collection: Bruce Springsteen, Mozart
One Movie: Love Actually
Actor Collection: Johnny Depp
Actress Collection: Ashley Judd
Clothing (2 pieces): jeans, hooded sweatshirt
Beverage(water provided): milk
Alcoholic Beverage: Baileys Irish Cream
Breakfast meal: Eggs benedict w/ hashbrowns
Lunch meal: Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich , pringles
Dinner meal: Spagetti, garlic bread, tossed salad
Dessert: Spumoni
Candy: Take 5
TV Show: Stargate
Cable Channel: TCM
Cartoon: Simpsons
Comic Strip: Get Fuzzy
Furniture (bed provided) (2 items): oversized chair, bookcase
Art work: Birth of Venus
Artist collection: Frederick Church
Magazine subscription: Smithsonian
Flower: Daisy
Tree/Plant: Weeping Willow
Hobby/Craft you would want supplies for: Jewelry making
One place to visit that they will download to the holodeck: New York City
One board game:Scrabble
One video game: Neverwinter Nights
One Website you want access to: Wikkipedia
One entertainment item/ toy: stuffed eeyore
Exercise item: swiss ball
Transportation item: bike
Animal Companion: Sheltie
One item from your home: Scrap book