It's Electric!

The tranny went out on the 2012 PT Cruiser....  So I finally took the plunge and bought a 2013 Leaf.
It took 25% of the power to get to and form work today, and I didn't charge at work, which I plan to do. The issue ended up that I needed to upgrade my phone in order to use the charging gestation apps.
Up to the iPhone 6s.
So far, so good!

Sometimes, Amazing Moments Happen

The BF and I were at Fig Tree brunching last Sunday, there were two tables next to us.
One was 2 white males, and a matching young lady, the other was three African-American men, and an African-American young lady. 
Towards the end of the meal, one of the white men, asked the young black men if they were Marines.
They confirmed, and the man at the table shook their hands, and took their check.
He bought their brunch and thanked them for their service.

I was close to tears as we left the eatery.  To see real gratitued and kindness, it just warmed my heart.
Especially with all the ugliness swirling around in the past few weeks.

And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah....

Friggin Teenagers Maaann!

Today, my 15 year old daughter, ubered herself at 7:30 am on a Saturday to  

Fleet Science center to do the orientation to be a museum ambassador.

What's the deal with teenagers today?

To See Them With My Eyes

Local Natives are playing Wrex the Halls this year! Seems I have missed every times they passed through. The words were so striking, I had to read the story of the Bodhi Tree and Siddhartha Gautama,

 Oh, some evil spirit, oh, some evil this way comes
They told me how they fear it
Now they're placing it on their tongues
For to see it with my own eyes
For to see it with my own eyes
No food or water for the better part of ten months

Quietly he sat between the folds of a tree trunk
For to see it with my own eyes
For to see it with my own eyes
All the men of faith and men of science had their questions
Could it ever be on earth as it is in heaven?
For to see it with my own eyes For to see it with my own eyes

MLP in the OB

This was a good read, cool to hear stories of OB in the 80s. Sounds like nothing ever changes.
Audiobooks read by the author are key!

Any Place with DFW...

If you got art of David Foster Wallace on the wall, the BF will be pleased.
The foot at Spitz was delicious and the back patio is way chill!

Gossip Grill & Lesbian Brunch

After an somewhat awkward coffee date, we needed drinks. Stat.
Popped into the Alibi for a pre-noon beer and some moose hunting video games. As we were leaving, we heard the sweet sweet sound of trivia, and promptly headed that way. The game had already begun, but our fabulous server at Gossip Grill quickly got us situated  with food & drink and tools to kick ass. 
I totally loved way they played, for final trivia, they took the 8 teams and put them into a 1 on 1 game of categories, in a circle for all to cheer on. I put the BF up, and he killed it, he WON! <3 p="">

Most Expensive Things...

Co-worker let me drive his car up the 5 and down Genesee at work today.
A. Never driven a BMW
B. Never driven a  car worth more than like.. 15K
C. Driving with the top down, is my CA dream come true!

So This Begins!

Life Balance and Pushing the Limits of Sanity

While juggling so many things, I often drop shit.  I am really trying tho, to keep up.

 This fall my my schedule starts this way :

• Monday:
• Work 7:30 - 4:30
• Lunch break spent in gym
• Bootcamp 6 - 7
• Scrimmage 7-9
• Swim at EOS 9-9:30
• Each month,  Monday also have an Orientation & a Monday Night Meeting
•  Tuesday
• Work 7:30 - 4:30
• Lunch break spent in gym
• Bootcamp 6-7
• EOS 7-8
• Homework 8-9
• Wednesday
• Work 7:30 - 4:30
• Lunch break spent in gym
•  Statistics 6-9:15
• Thursday
• Work 7:30 - 4:30
• Lunch break spent in gym
•  Bootcamp 6-7
• Ref Class 7-9
• EOS Swim 9-9_30
• Friday
• Work 7:30 - 4:30
• Lunch break spent in gym
• Guiar Lesson 5:30 - 6:30
• Weekends
•  Bouts once a month
• and my BF is so sweet to spend any open time with my crazy ass as possible.

As the semester drags on, I drop more and more and try to not feel bad that I when I don't make it to practice cuz I'm tire, or I didn't study has hard as I should have.  Also, my job is not easy.  Every moment of my day is spent in a frenzy of hard work. I absolutely love it, as it reflects my life.  Usally I am plagued by a car that breaks down, and money that never seems to go as far as needed.

The support from my team at work, my family, my BF and all people I rush by in my day to day is fantastic. I with thee were more hours in the day.

 Wish I was better at this

 This shit is not easy.

But I'm trying...

The Best Thing EVAH

Finally! We placed 3rd!

Our team consists of 2 DOD engineers and a dude with and MBA from Holland, and me, who think she knows everything except what these 3 ought to know, and we had been consistently placing out of the gift card range. Which perhaps is 4 and under, but NOT tonight, baby!
We took 3rd and a GIFT GARD! w00t!
 Now, if they'd just stop asking less questions about friggin TV, man.

New Baby!

Don't You Hate That?

When Labia has fallen?

Friday Nights

Playing with Dolls 5

1st time Shea was able to scrimmage was at Playing with Dolls 3, she was terrified. She had sheer terror in her eyes.  She went up to Regulate-Her and said she would play, but didn't want to jam. Reg's said to her very sternly, "Everyone will play every position" and Shea looked over at me frightened, and I had to walk away. I had to  trust in this very tough woman to be Shea's coach.

Its such a fine line, that tough love.  You want to believe them to  do whats best for your snowflake.

Sometimes, we gotta force them to do something scary, to take that first step.

  

To be part of the team.

 And to be coached by amazing women.

And it took that 1 little push, from a very intimidating woman.

Thank you Regulate-Her.

For being tough, but not cruel.

She needed that push.

It takes strong woman to believe in you, to tell you that you CAN do it.

Now we need to her over this newest plateau.  

Make a goal, cross it off.

Big ones, little ones...

This year at Playing with Dolls 5, she was getting coached by Lo.

Lo was the most intimidating LADD Jr, there every was.

Lo had to leave the track for a sec and she handed Shea her whistle and told her to run the drill.

Shea hasn't blown a whistle in her 2  years of reffing.

Its pretty ridiculous.

But.. did she tell Lo no? No. 

She took blew that whistle.

She had more respect for her to say no.

Again, she conquered a fear, big goals, little goals.

It was funny to watch.

As a mother, I hope that she never sees anything or anyone in such a way to quit working.

May nothing stand her way of anything she wants to do.

From scary people, to tiny whistles.

Thank you SDDD for helping to make her amazing.

Get Down on Your Knees Again

Back to the Grind

Officially enrolled in a fall class, lets see if I can get thru Statistics..
Also signed up for my notary this weekend.

Goals, Goals, Goals

I'll Be Your Emmylou

Oh the bitter winds are coming in
And I'm already missing the summer
Stockholm's cold but I've been told
I was born to endure this kind of weather
When it's you I find like a ghost in my mind
I am defeated and I gladly wear the crown

Now so much I know that things just don't grow
If you don't blessed them with your patience
And I've been there before I held up the door
For every stranger with a promise

But I'm holding back, that's the strength that I lack
Every morning keeps returning at my window
And it brings me to you and I won't just pass through
But I'm not asking for a storm

And yes I might have lied to you
You wouldn't benefit from knowing of the truth
I was frightened but I held fast
I need you now at long last

I'll be your Emmylou and I'll be your June
If you'll be my Gram and my Johnny too
No, I'm not asking much of you
Just sing little darling, sing with me

- First Aid Kit

Guitar Lessons

So far.. my daily practice is

1. Natural Scale
2. Blues Scale
3. Elenor Rigby (chords)
4. Yellow Submarine (tabs)
5. Stand by Me (tabs)
6. Money (bass)

Hoping to add some Pixies and some Hollies

Sunday Brunch

For Sunday brunch we went to The Mess Hall and had a Bloody Mary that came with Mastiff Sausage and Venissimo Cheese (aka lesbian cheese), and I had a asparagus quiche that came in the little cast iron skillet, so cute!! He has duck, which I am still not up for trying.. one day.. one day..

For desert we had Sangria and Lemon Mousse at Solare!

Pub Trivia

We've been doing Trivia down that Ye Old Pub.  It maddens me (or saddens) that the crap we get wrong is such bullshit that people shouldn't' know any way... crap about Desperate Housewives and football. meh. 
But I'll tell ya, when they ask a question and the answer is "guanine" and  he knows it off the top of this head like its no big deal.. the <3 br="" goes="" patter.="" pitter="">

The Finals Girls & Joshua Miller

Midnight Movie and Joshua Miller was at the Ken. That guys is so cool!

My man turned to me and said, "Why are you here?"

Standing on the street corner.. was one of the coolest moments of my life. 

Pauls Boutique!

New York ,New York In a Day

We flew the Red Eye out of San Diego, arrived in Dulles as the sun was coming up, and with the few hour layover, we napped on airport benches. There is something about napping on airport benches.
There is something about flying jacked up hours that I wanted to do with the 15 year old. I find traveling is always more of a wacky adventure when your days are nights,  nights are days and your sleep deprivation is depraved.  Plus, come on, you have to just go with it, and sometimes going with it means grabbing a few weeks on a bench at Dulles. And being grateful you are horizontal;;, and not upright like trying to sleep on the plane.

The hop to Philly around 8 am was beautiful, we flew low and was able to just watch greenest of greenery go by.

The plan was to take the Philly train to 30th, change trains, go to Trenton, Trenton to Penn.
And it was smooth! I kept remarking how the public trans was amazing! Once we checked into the Jane, and rested up, we ventured out into NYC.  Walked along the Hudson towards downtown.

This is Jersey City in the background, taken on the Hudson.

There is a Seaglass Carousel in Battery Park, and yes 'Carousel' by the Hollies the entire ride.

Griffin is from Jersey, and told me the Staten Island ferry was free. What a great Pro Tip, when all you want to do is boat past the Statue of Liberty and get a view of Manhattan and Brooklyn from the water.  Plus, scenes from the Basketball Diaries ran thru my head.

 Brooklyn side is cold!

 

 Not a fan of the Time Square, but its obligatory

 Top of the Jane

 National Donut Day, Central Park West

 Columbus Circle

 Shea was all into brick walls...

Battle on the Bank, PJRD 2016

Live Weird

We are staying at The Jane, its an old hotel that was originally in the style of captain and shipmates.
The cheap rooms are $115,  which is a great deal in Manhattan.  The rooms for the sailors are a small affair, perhaps the size of a parking spot. Offers bunk beds, each with its own tv. However, it also comes with two robes, slippers, and the bell boy brings a bucket of ice for the fancy bottle of water provided. It is absolutely perfect, as we had taken the red eye in to Philly from SD, and had barely slept.  We didn't mind sharing a bath if the trade off was being able to lay horizontal!
After quickly checking in, we did as much NYC sightseeing as our feet would allow.

The Jane is located in the Meatpacking District, from there we walked down the Hudson to the World Trade Center, or where it once stood. We rode the carousel made of sea glass in the Battery and took the Statton Island Ferry back and forth passing lady Liberty and Ellis Island. 

The next morning, I wondered down to the french themed cafe and wondered in.
The radio was playing my jam, and I sat and ordered a coffee. It was before noon, but the man a the bar was having a martini.  While making small talk, I met an incredibly interesting man, who was in town form AZ as a radio DJ. We mocked the industry, AZ and he noted that it was important to 'live weird' It was such a memorable conversation. So NY.

You get a shiver in the dark It's raining in the park but meantime South of the river you stop and you hold everything A band is blowing Dixie double four time You feel alright when you hear that music ring Well, now you step inside but you don't see too many faces Coming in out of rain to hear the jazz go down Competition in other places Oh, but the horns, they're blowing that sound Way on down south, way on down south London town You check out Guitar George he knows all the chords Mind he's strictly rhythm he doesn't want to make it cry or sing Left-handed old guitar is all he can afford When he gets up under the lights to play his thing And Harry doesn't mind if he doesn't make the scene He's got a daytime job, he's doing alright He can play the honky tonk like anything Saving it up for Friday night With the Sultans, with the Sultans of Swing And a crowd of young boys, they're fooling around in the corner Drunk and dressed in their best brown baggies and their platform soles They don't give a damn about any trumpet playing band It ain't what they call rock and roll And the Sultans, yeah, the Sultans, they play Creole, Creole And then the man, he steps right up to the microphone And says at last just as the time bell rings "Goodnight, now it's time to go home." And he makes it fast with one more thing, "We are the Sultans, we are the Sultans of Swing.

B Sides with The Cure

Cherry took me to see the Cure.. and it was bizarre! Wonderful Date, bizarre show. Of course , we left during The Walk.. argh :(

1.      Intro

a.      Open

b.      High

c.      Pictures of You

d.      Closedown

e.      This Twilight Garden

f.       A Night Like This

g.      All I Want

h.      Push

i.       Jupiter Crash

j.       Last Dance

k.      Lullaby

l.       The End of the World

m.    Lovesong

n.      Fascination Street

o.     The Hungry Ghost

p.      From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea

2.      Encore:

a.      It Can Never Be the Same

3.      Encore 2:

a.      At Night

b.      M

c.      A Forest

4.      Encore 3:

a.      Step Into the Light

b.      Us or Them

c.      Burn

d.      Wrong Number

5.      Encore 4:

a.      The Walk

b.      The Exploding Boy

c.      In Between Days

d.      Doing the Unstuck

e.      Friday I'm in Love

f.       Just Like Heaven

                 g.     Boys Don't Cry

Friday the 13th

Black Anvil Tattoo out on Adams has a great special. They put up 20 or so pieces of flash that each had a corresponding number a wheel, half were good, half were "questionable" and you spun for $20.00. What you landed on, you got.
All funds went to the Surfrider Foundation.
Let the halarity ensue...

I was lucky..

As was Dicks

Idealism

You're always up to some crazy plan, you always set these high expectations, these wacky adventures. I hear them say.

If I can accomplish 25% of the crap I dream up, that will be 25% more than the average life accepted by way too many.  If the calendar says 4 things I want to do today, and I only do 1 of them, that is better than having nothing on my calendar at all.

My kind if idealism...

Damn You Hallmark Holidays

Truly hate Mother's Day... Here kids, lets set up some failure.. if you don't get it perfect, you're an ass.
So, I fixed it.  Put on the spin.

Mother's day is the day you air your grievances to your mom. Yes, like in Seinfeld. A day to tell Mom everything she did to piss you off over the year, to get it off your chest. And mom has the chance to listen and make right.

My eldest called early and said "I've been waiting for today to tell you this, are you sure it won't hurt your feelings?"
"No, lets hear it, lets face it, lets clear the air"
She goes on to say that after I moved to California, her dad use to watch the "O.C."
(which is hilarious in itself)
However, she continues say that when the theme song played, it made her sad.
( I also assume anger was there also....)

It gave me the chance to face what my actions did to her, and to take responsibility and to apologize.
To take hurt and try to heal. It was exactly what I think Mother's Day should be.

Honesty is key and this is the hardest job and most easily to fuck up.. and with dire consequences...

My BF and youngest too me to play disc golf for the rest of day, and it was lovely.

What did he say?

I am going to cross the Delaware.

Old Tom Pissing Off Mom.. Again

My dad use to play this record often, my mom would get pissed off and 

tell him to turn it off.

Now I wonder if it was just the line she didn't like...

"'No devil, there's just god when he's drunk"

I could see her train of thought thinking that was all .. 

blasphemous. .n stuff

Madison Blues....

Would be a good name for a kid.

Donnie Darko

Film Out SD played a fave at the Hillcrest Ken, 

it was a bummer for us we go tthere late, 

it was a bummer for everyone else we stunk to bad. :(

Being This Age Always Seemed So Far Away

me>

 

I’m carrying a heavy bucket back from the well.
Trembling hands and losing water, losing my will.
When we got home, nothing was left but knots in the lease.
Now I’m heading west or someplace far from the East.
Cortisol and Serotonin, stable’s a thrill.
Anhedonia at the surface. Here, I’m in hell.
I’m carrying this empty bucket, I wanna empty myself.
Because, everything is getting rid of everything else.
Pacing parking lots, ignored. We are the same, but opposed.
Something else is supposed to happen.
You aren’t having a good time anymore.
It felt easy before I left, left in dust to carry myself.
I really did dig my own hole, and I’m climbing out.
I really did dig my own hole, but I can see the top. I’m climbing out.
I really did dig my own hole. I’m climbing out. I’m climbing out.
You can smell life here, what we call life above the ground.
Hands stained dirty, but there is water to wash them out.
Being this age always seemed so far away.
How is life here, can we bring our trash outside the house?
What we call life above the ground, left in dust. Left in dust to carry myself out.

#2 St. Louis Blues 1925

I took a course in the history of black music back in college, was one of my favorite classes.

Wrote the final paper on the importance of the Bo Diddly beat. :)

The Voyagers

#1 O Solo Mio

Song of the Day

1 of 1001

From Rock Rock Rockaway Beach

By the Throat by the Pound

You cannot ask for love.
It may come
If you wait
year after year after year.

Love is the tide it
Rises and falls,
Strong like the ice but
Gone with the thaw.
Love is the rain that
Falls in the night,
Hard in December
Dry in July.

What do you want from love?
What do you need?
Is it something sweet
To make you feel complete?

Love like a rope can
Strangle or hold.
Love like the wind won't do what it's told.
Love like the fire that
Burns on the shore,
Those flames can warm you
And they can destroy.

But I have you now,
By the the throat by the pound,
But I have you now,
By the the throat by the pound

- Holy Holy

You Know Whats Pretty Fun?

Disc Golf! With a good SPF!
At least my BF is really good at it, my discs go all over crazy!

Polar Extreme Dating

I am well over 40 and still love date night, it still makes me giddy and gets me all excited!
Its Friday night, and I leave to a little less than normal traffic and the house is empty, I have time to go for run and get ready to date all leisurely, including curling the hair (wtf) yeah, that never happens.

His VW is a loud and my heart still runs wild when he pulls into the driveway.

Wondering hand in hand, we dine at Bleu Boheme in Kensington.  I drink red wine, which I never do, but I am trying new things, getting outside the confort zone, go with the flow, even tried duck and steak tartar.  The goat cheese cheesecake was impeccable!

The Ken is across the street and we just like we did  a year ago, sit in a wonderful old theater, and again I didn't know what was better the movie or the compay. :) Yes, the company, but Blazing Saddles was great as well!

The extreme of fine french dining directly to Mel Brooks is perfect, to me.
As is he.