Pictureless Wednesday

Got an extra twenty minutes?  Didn't think so.  Either did I, but it didn't keep me from watching this entire video yesterday and I'm glad I did.

Plastic bag is a very insightful video by FutureStates, but I'll shut up about it and let you watch it.  (again click on Plastic bag above to play.)

Yesterday it was about 80 degrees.  I am not kidding, we broke a record.  Not a vinyl record, but that sounds like fun.  Then I decided to go on a walk in the Garden of Gods after a very uneventful day of work.  That's when the wind gusted up to forty or fifty MPH.  That was pleasant. Now I know how Dorothy felt.

I have been the biggest  droopy-eyed sausage couch whore lately.  Click here for your funny mean name, best aimed at some unlikable  co-worker and not for yourself, but to be honest I have been so lazy since I got home from the Denver weekend. I deserve whatever is hurled at me, even if its from me.  I am so unmotivated. help.

Answer me this.  What to fuck is wrong with some kids today?  I am talking about those twats in Mass.  that taunted that girl so bad she hung herself rather than take anymore of their meanness.  I wonder what it takes to  raise brats like that.

Well I gotta get practicing my finger-picking, yeah, on my guitar wiseass.  Like I said, I've been a dull person lately and predictable and lazy.  Cheerio.

hmmmmm.......another annoying Monday

Hey sports fans, race fans, or whatever kind of fans,what gives?

Saturday night at the Russel's was worthy of mention.  It was a party for four guys that turned 50 either this  past weekend or in John's case today, Happy Birthday John.  Anyway there was also a woman there that turned 44 on Saturday and she was a riot.  I sure hope someone sends me some of the pictures with her wearing depends in various places and with the toilet lid light she was wearing on her cleavage.  So it was the birthday folks, some of their significant other's, and the fantastic neighbors, that we are included among, at this momentous event.  Thanks for the good time.  G2 managed to get out of bed and go snowmobiling Sunday 7:30 AM.  I was tempted but apparently more tempted by sleeping in.  It felt good to be home, in my own bed with my cat making all sorts of racket when I didn't arise at her beck and call.


 Sunday I had the laziest day ever...it felt so good.  The most I worked was making the beds, putting a few loads of laundry through and using my thumb to depress the TV remote.


The Annoying Part.

Okay after thinking, not deeply but clearly, I'll bite my tongue on this a bit.  The web is a far reaching source of information, good and bad, and it can come back and bite you and me.  I'll just say I am annoyed at people who have no sense of the term humble.  Inflated ego.   That said, I am also annoyed at work for telling me to go ahead and send those robotics photos when they had no intention of ever running them.  Yeah, they didn't tell me to shoot them.  My idea.  So they had the option to use them if they have space or not. Understood.  I am still annoyed.
 'Nuff said.

Don't be sad.  I am not.  I'm a realist, plus I'm humble.

Robotics overload and pants on the ground

Where was I?.....that's a good question.  Where do I begin?, another question., How ta fuck are ya?.  I know it's not polite to drop a f-bomb right off the bat, but I have been surrounded by high school robotics kids, hundreds of them, plus their teacher's, mom's, dad's, mentors and I've been on my very best behavior and I need the release.  Two days straight, oh, they are all nice enough ..ok I feel better. But let me start at the beginning, which would be Thursday morning with a drive to Denver, about an hour plus north to the Museum of Natural History.

The Body Worlds Exhibit came back around town.  I guess it's a little different concentrating on the heart this time.  The tickets were pricey but I thought, this is our Spring break.  Anyway, first we walked around a gem exhibit. If not for the preschoolers running underfoot and screaming I would have really enjoyed this.  OK, what do preschoolers need to know about minerals and gems?  They can't even fucking read the little notes on them.  I know they are starting to learn.  I get it.  Just wish people would control their toddlers, is that too much to ask?

After that we went in to the IMAX show called Hubble, yeah, about the Hubble telescope.  This was awesome.  It said it would answer life's questions like what's beyond the edge of the universe? and what's the meaning of life?, these questions were not answered.  I would definitely let you in on information  if I found out that.

  It did show real footage of the repair work done on the telescope by astronauts this past Spring.  It was pretty amazing.  Then it showed images of stars and galaxies trillions of light years away that the updated telescope was able to see.  It even showed what the stars in Orion's belt looked like.  It said it went to the edge of the Universe but I think they were just saying the stars and such were farther away than they've ever seen.

After that we went through the BodyWorlds exhibit.  Using preserved cadavers, some using plastic along with real bones and tendons, the inside of the body was shown in various positions.  Athletes striking a pose typically.  Like this:

Nothing was left to the imagination. After ten of these, I loss my interest for the other twenty er so.  They also had cabinets full of various body parts, healthy, diseased, fat and such. You name the organ they had a case full of them.  We all felt the same, it was interesting however, redundant. It was very Euro art,  billions made off of donated cadavers.  They took this one off the tour, I guess there were too many complaints:

Thanks Gunther Von Hagen, this is real informative art.  I am sure the school kids would have gotten a kick out of it.

Ok after that we came out to my car and the battery was DEAD.   I thought the same thing, bad karma for swearing under my breath all day at little kids.  However, I have these really long jumper cables and a nice guy in a pickup gave us a jump.  When we got back to our hotel I discovered I hit the parking light switch when I wiped down the dash.

Ok the rest of the trip went like this: got up, went to robotics,walked to eat out at lunch, more robotics than went back to the hotel, walked to go eat dinner, back to the hotel to watch Discovery Channel, like shipwreck salvage and Bermuta Triangle mysteries. Went to bed about ten and did that over.  There was no bar in the hotel to go hang out with plus we were staying in the same place as the team and teachers and really didn't want to get an undeserved reputation...we should have gotten a hold of Denver friends but we didn't cause we didn't know what to expect.

Bub's team wore bright green shirts and hats, on left.  Their team name was 2945 BANG!.  The robots were controlled by joy sticks and computers.  The whole idea was to score goals by the robots pushing or kicking the balls into the goals.

I know you're dying to see what my son looked like.  That's him walking on the left, on to the playing field. A couple girls on the team knitted them all hats.  I thought they were CUTE.  The team ended up in the quarterfinals, then the semis and ended up in 7th place out of 42 teams way to go BANG.

OK this is what I don't get.  Can this fashion folly go away PLEASE?

You know what I am talking about.  Jeans belted way low with sagging crotch, typically boxers hanging out at top.  And to think they actually think this looks good?   I know that's what they were saying about my generation, about what?  bellbottoms? mall hair?  More on my cut-line faux-pas on photos I sent to the paper, tomorrow.  Sorry I was long-winded.  Off to John Russel's 50th b-day party.  So there should be good stories on that as well.   XXO,  C.

Where's Spring?

Today I woke to 6 inches of the heavy-wet tree-killing kinda snow you get in the Spring when your supposed to be enjoying 50-60 degree weather. ugh.  I know we need the moisture.  Thats the catch phrase out here in Colorado when anyone goes to complain about rain or snow.

Excuse me my coffee's done.  I'll be back.


Ok. I know a little late for the first cup, however I have not had half and half for three or so days and since I didn't have to go to work this morning, I graced Safeway with my unkept presence.  (I did put on pants today.)  I am feeling a little smug after using a dollar off cat food coupon meant for the higher price fancy feast elegant entrees. Take that Safeway and Fancy Feast.  Speaking of the cat, she's lounging somewhere because she's as sick of the snow as I am and has now designated herself a literal fair weather cat.  She's such a lazy bitch, not really a bitch cause that's a dog.  But while I was shoveling snow and she was watching me from her warm perch on the back of a chair, if she could, I bet she'd be filing her nails.  Good thing I got coffee.

American Idol-
  Wow such a contrast in talent last night. My favorites are still the hippie girl Crystal, the rocker hippie, Casey, the alt rocker, Lew, fresh faced kid, I forget his name, and the toothy big-noter, Shibon.  Anyway some of the others I actually felt sorry for they just tanked.

I read another book I'd like to mention, Gap Creek by Robert Morgan.

Yeah I know I usually don't go for Oprah's picks but this was given to me by a friend to read on my NY trip and I gotta say it was a great traveling companion.  The story focuses on Julie, one of five children growing up in the poor Appalachian region of southwestern North Carolina.  Tragedy after tragedy ensues (why Oprah picked it) and these tough as nails folks just persevere. The girl works like an ox for her family.  Matter of fact, I think she was her family's ox. The real journey begins after Julie gets married and leaves home to Gap Creek. You name it, fire, flood, starvation and a cantankerous mother-in-law are all part of their lives.  I was always hoping for these people to catch a break.  Anyway the author speaks from the heart in a gritty, poetic way.  It's a page burner and took me a round-trip plane ride to finish it off.  Good Read.

Happy Monday

Well, well, not a bad weekend.  Just not an exciting one.  The kids and I holed-up in the house Friday night while it was wintery out. Didn't warm up Sat., but the sun came out, but we didn't.  Thats a lie.  I actually went to Safeway in my pajamas. Yeah I know, I always say, nothing says I give-up like wearing sweatpants to an event.  Well nothing says, I don't give a shit like going to the store with pajama pants on.  It was in fact, necessary.  A scramble to get an i-tunes gift card for a party Bryce went to.  Anyway don't cha love the gift card at the grocery store convenience?

Went over to the Jones' for a very nice dinner with neighbors that evening. Wonderful wine and food. Played a little guitar and met Chris' friend's kid and her boyfriend. Maybe was her husband, well forgive me, I didn't take notes.

Mags and I wildly cleaned the upstairs of our house Sun., the reward was a bowl of French Onion soup from LaBaguette.  I can confidently say this is the BEST french onion I have ever had. OMG, the best.  We licked our bowls clean.  She even ate my bread crumbs off the table.  If you live here or plan on visiting get a hold of me and I'll give you directions.

West Colorado Ave, location is my favorite.  Remember, the west side is the best side.

After eating this soup I went home and took a three, yes, a three hour nap.  Now I wonder if Mags called ahead and asked for a sedative for mine?

Speaking of Mags, I checked her facebook page, part of the deal.  Under favorite movies: Bad Santa, under religion: atheist.  No agnostic, she just cut right to an unbeliever.  I get the Bad Santa ("Want some sandwiches? God damn it kid what are you fuckin with me?", How do you not love that movie?).  She is a good person and that's what counts, isn't it? 

I only have to work two days this week and then I am gonna have me a little Spring break.  Just going up to Denver to to see Bubba's BEST robotics competition.  In the off-time we will go to the Museum of Natural History to see the Body Works exhibition, (click to see what's up.)  I'll add more before I go.......C.

Bitchslap and sadness

Yesterday I went on an assignment to photograph a guy who was hit by a car when he was returning from a convenience store with a friend,who was also hit.  It was a hit and run with the cops saying there's little or nothing that can be done to find the driver with no witnesses.  The guys had been drinking, and reportedly not in a crosswalk.  They cannot work and have a stack of bills as a consequence on no health insurance. I do have some pitty, however, I lost some of that sympathy when I  entered the house and the cigarette smoke was so thick I could  hardly see the squalor.  In his defense, both of his legs were broken during the accident. No excuse.  That's where the bitchslap comes in.

Hence the after work shower.

Earlier I was at the zoo for a new gate opening.  I also went on the chairlift ride to see if I could get some overheads for a co-worker who is doing illustrations that use a technique to make the elements in photos look like they are toys.  I tried a few.

Anyway I think a more severe angle would have helped.

Today I hit the road early to get some weather features.  Not many were out in the sleet and snow.  Ended up with a few inches of snow, the streets stayed wet most of the day, but I am sure they iced up quick at night.  Hello Spring, get here quick!, like tomorrow.

They even cancelled school.  I was happy about that because I was wondering, "how to hell am I going to get two kids to two different schools at the same time?".  School cancelled , so no problem.  G2 left very early to go snowmobiling up north of Glenwood Springs, the Flattops.  I felt like a sailor's wife watching as his ship sailed into stormy seas.  He probably did drive into some snow but nothing he couldn't handle.

Sometimes I am on an assignment and I feel like breaking down and crying like a baby.  Today I did when I went on an assignment to photograph a husband and wife who lost their 10 year old son, his Grandparents and Aunt, last March in a car accident .  They were crying and talking all about his likes and their hopes and now he's gone and they still can't look past it.  I'd be the same.  I could never get over that loss.

I was so upset I couldn't even get a good composition. Donations of guitars have been made to the school and also an arts scholarship in his name, so his memory will live on. RIP Christopher.

Please enjoy your family and friends this weekend. Give 'em lots of hugs too.

My night out at El Toroso and Avenue Q

First off I had a wonderful evening on my not so often week-night out on the town.

KJ and I had a hankering for Santa Fe style mexican.  I am sure it had a lot to do with all that talk about going down to Santa Fe earlier this month.  The paper did a dining review on a little place downtown.  I had done the photography and KJ read it and we had to check it out.  Disclaimer here, when I left after photographing the food for the review that had packed up the tostadas I photographed.  They said take them, we will throw them out otherwise and you are soooo thin.  Ok, I lied about the thin part.  The point is we are discouraged from taking food that is being reviewed by the paper because it will look like we are unpartial.  I do not write the reviews anyway.  So I took the bag and there it sat in my car until the following day when I thought, what ta hell is smelling up my car?  So I did what anyone else would do and ate the tostadas with my hands from the styro package.  I know should of ate it when I could of had crunch out of the tostada.  It was delicious none the less.

We enjoyed both plates we ordered and split.  One was a rellano stuffed with goat cheese, the other pork loin ( I don't know how they got the loin so tender) served in a red chile sauce.  Heaven every bite.  Also had a couple of margaritas while we both spoke about how much we have both cut down on drinking.  I know, but we really have. The rating food and company: A+.

We walked over to the Pikes Peak Center and met up with the others to watch the play.  I had heard both good and bad things so I didn't know what to expect.

First off the seats Denise got us were fab.  About eight rows out from the orchestra pit.

It was a puppet show but the puppeteers stayed on stage and made the same expressions and hand movements as the puppets they were operating.  Seven cast members and three of them didn't run puppets.  One of the characters was Gary Coleman,right above, as child star turned building super.

The main plot involves a young English grad, Princeton, moving to Avenue Q in NYC after graduating college and realizing it's tough going.  "What do you do with an English degree anyway?", he asked.  Other subjects examined are: life's purpose, the internet best serves porn, come and commitment, everyone's a little racists, even minorities, and being gay and coming out of the closet, all relevant.  They were a little foul-mouthed but surely as someone who has been foul-mouth most of my life, this was rated PG at best.  A little puppet humping was all.  I enjoyed it and laughed, the singing and theatrics were great.  If I didn't have to pee so bad during the first half I probably would have enjoyed it more.  I know, I need a stadium pal (ie.David Sedaris)

If this show comes to your town and you like humorous entertainment and have an extra fifty bucks to see it GO.  B+

 I will tell you about today tomorrow.  Here's a sneak preview: I came home from work, took a shower to get cigarette smoke off of me and took a two hour nap. Whew!

It's a beautiful day

Today was more like Summer than Spring.  A balmy 61* and predicted to be warmer tomorrow.  And because I have Wednesday's off that's awesome.

I went to a Catholic Church, St. Dominic, that was getting ready for it's Dedication Mass.  No, the walls didn't crumble when I walked in.

  You can see the mountain views and in the background the Venetucci Farm that donated the land.


Next post I'll tell you about the Avenue Q, off-broadway show I am going to tomorrow, promise.


 Happy St. Pat's Day!

May your glass be ever full.
May the roof over your head be always strong.
And may you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead

Movie Reviews and so much more........

Hi friends and neighbors,  Hope you all had a good weekend.  Didn't do too much, besides walk around a RV show in a wind driven blizzard.  I know at least I can walk, and for that I am grateful.

I am writing to you from my Mac, yes it's back.  I am loving life.

I also watched two movies this weekend, "Up" and "Homegrown", and I saw "Alice in Wonderland" at the movies today.  Let me say for all the differences in these movies they all have the same message, which is: if you answer true to yourself and truly know yourself, and fight for your cause, you can find your purpose and then happiness.

First up is UP.....

I guess I  have been living under a rock and didn't realize this was an animated movie.  It was cute and heart warming but some of the story-line got messy in the middle with talking dogs and all.  I loved, loved, loved the old timey movie art.  I'd rate this Pixar gem a B.

Homegrown (1998)

Homegrown starred one of my favorite actors Billy Bob Thorton.  But he wasn't funny. Even he and Hank Azaria, who I also enjoy,  could not save this pot-growing thriller. Yes, a paranoia thriller. Had more holes than a bong screen.  And quite the ensemble cast, although most in strange cameo roles:  John Lithgow as a dead guy, Judge Rienhold, as a sheriff on screen for less than one minute, Jamie Lee Curtis, just plain awful, Ryan Phillipe, was nice to look at naked, Ted Danson, really, a mobster? and Jon Bon Jovi , I know WTF, an unlikely pot dealer, I guess if yer hanging around the house in a coma and want to relive the pot days, then watch it.  Just don't pay money.

Alice and Wonderland 3D

Well done Disney.  Great casting (except Ann Hathaway, she'd been better off as one of the horses).  Good blend of animation and real characters, albeit some distorted.  Johnny Depp was just right creepy as the Mad Hatter, (too creepy as Willie Wonka).  You know the story, but this ain't it.  It's a mix of Lewis Carroll's  original Alice, Through the Looking Glass and Tim Burton's imagination.  Anyway a big recommend on the big screen, in 3D A+.


I know, so now I'm a flipping movie critic.  Well maybe I am if I think I am.  Just like in the movies.

Ron, Mayberry RFD, the rooster and the horse rescue

Last night we went over to the Plush's for Survivor.  Anyway it was Ron's birthday Tuesday and they went ahead and celebrated it without us but that didn't stop us from presenting him with gifts he could not live without.

 Denise and Noel game him beer and a beer stein.  I think after Charlotte, Ron loves beer the most, well maybe after turkey, the wild kind.

Anyway, not to be out done, The Guinta's gave him an Irish coffee mug with a Irish prayer on it and a rooster cause now every year I gotta find some sort of rooster after giving him a huge concrete painted one last year.  I know, I give good gifts.

He loved it.

John had made a couple of posters before heading up to the mts to ski.  Here's my fave:

His kids didn't even know who Barney Fife was. (they are in their early 20's) They gotta start putting that shit in history books so the legend lives on.

Survivor is doing this Heros and Villians theme this season.  Same old.  It's interesting although a bit predictable.  I like some of the villians better than the heros and the heros keep loosing.

This morning I was giving Mags a ride to school and a co-worker calls to say a horse is stuck in the mud on a farm down south.  Luckily I was dressed for work and not in my PJ's. This was a major rescue operation.  They saved the draft horse named Sky.

This wasn't mud this was manure and mud.

Hoisting the beast to safety with a tow truck.

They game him some oxygen.  He wanted to eat the nose piece.

Washing him off.  He's gonna be okay, yay.  I had met this horse and it's owners on a draft horse project I shot a few years back.  What are the chances I had met this horse before when I don't regularly meet horses?  I cannot fathom.

Have a good weekend.  And whatever you do stay out of the shit hole, so to speak. C.

Notables about my life

Ok Here's the deal, Bev from Out of my Head ... into yours has given me an award. 

I think.  That's because I am pretty stupid when it comes to these things, but all's anyone can ask from me or anyone else for that matter, is to do the absolute best we can.  So with that in mind, here goes:

The rules:
List seven interesting things about myself and then pass them along to seven others.

1. In college and early adult years I was a Dead Head.  In total I saw 34 Dead shows, including those on an east coast tour when I told my college professors I'd be away because my Grandmother had died.  When I got back one of them asked me if she was gratefully dead.  I was suppose to go Dec.1 '96, but I went into labor with my son.  Jerry died that May.


 2.  My Dad was giving me and a friend a ride home from college.  There was a cute hitchhiker that I demanded my father to pick-up.  Something like "Pull over dad that guy looks cold"  Anyway, after he got in the car I preceded to open up beers all around.  I can't remember what my Dad said.  He probably just shook his head. (This story is still told today, matter of fact just a few days ago when I was there to surprise the same friend for her 50th b-day.)


3.  A friend, the same friend with the hitch hiker,and I talked our way into the pits at a Walkins Glen race where Paul Newman was in a beer tent.


4. I've climbed 12 of Colorado's 52 fourteeners.  Quit when I had kids.  Maybe I'll start up again.


5. I photographed Bill Clinton and Pope John Paul together when they were in Denver for World Youth Day several years back.  People always ask who is the most famous person you've photographed.  


6.  The police showed up at our honeymoon suite at the Marriott.  Somehow the party at our reception ended up there.  Someone even smuggled our dog up the elevator wrapped in a blanket like a baby.


7. I have been watching Survivor with the same group since the second season.  We even meet when Survivor's not on cause we all look forward to it.  Is that interesting enough ?, at the risk of being strange I'll add on a 7 1/2 

7.5  I've been interested in numerology for years now.  I was born on 11/11..Veteran's Day, my closest sister 1/1 New Years and married 5/5 Cinco de Mayo (without realizing it at the time)

My kids birthday's 12/1/94.....       12=1=13 and 9=4=13

and 11/4/96  ......                              11+4=15 and 9+6=15  

I know I have too much time on my hands.

OK here's the part where you all help me out, please send a link with your seven interesting qualities or stories.  Link them from facebook notes, blog or my comments.  You can do it.  I've bared my soul for you; help me out. Love, that's right I love you all, Carol

The Aftermath

When I got back into town Monday and I flew into the Springs I felt so lucky to be living here.  Even though the skies were overcast, it was so beautiful.  Our airport is so clean and the people don't glare at you like they'd like to rip out your heart and eat it, like they did in Chicago. 

Monday night we had a dinner mostly to honor a longtime editor that undeservingly got the axe last layoff.  I know, when does anyone ever deserve to be laid off?  This guy was beloved and worked his ass off for nearly thirty years for our paper so what did they do for him? yep boot 'em in the ass, right out da door.

There were about 15 er so of us phototgrapher types, some from earlier layoffs,some that just left and the rest survivors.  It was a fun time catching up, had a few beers,blah,blah blah.  Well as I was rounding the corner out of the room to use the restroom, somehow my heel went under the hem in my jeans I next thing I know is I am sprawled out on the ground kinda halfway in the hall but in full view of most of the table.  Everyone laughed wildly and I was embarrassed, but I wasn't hurt besides my bruised ego and a sore elbow.  I coulda broke a hip, that would have been embarrassing. 

I got stuck with the real estate section and to be truthfull, and fair, it was my turn.  It entails driving around all the neighborhoods in the Springs and photographing one median priced house in the area.  I preplotted my routes and Tuesday hit it for the third day of this shit.  I got it down. I pull up right in front snap the picture, look to see if it's sharp, if yes, get back and go.  I've only been asked three times what I was doing.  One of the last houses Tuesday a girl was looking out the window and she asked me why was I photographing their house so I was yelling the answer case she was inside and I thought to myself I am never doing this after three o'clock again.  Too many kids looking out the window.  Maybe I shoulda been thinking I need a new job but I really don't mind it.

I watched American Idol last night and I am really liking Crystal Bowersox.. she brought out the electric guitar for a performance of Tracy Chapman's "Give Me One Reason." IMHO she's the number one talent of the girls.

This morning a few of us that were at the photo dept. dinner met for a short hike at Red Rock Canyon.  Went about 3 miles and it was fun and now my legs are a bit sore since I haven't been on the treadmill.  I went to my guitar lesson after but he wan't expecting me cause I didn't know what day it was when I asked to reschdule for later and he was rather short with me.  That's all for now I am exhusted. C.

The Big Deception......

.....didn't want to say lie, but the last two posts where I told you I was going to Santa Fe was just that, a lie.  That's because I went and took a last minute long weekend to Buffalo for a friend's surprise 50th birthday party.  Her husband Jim and a some of her girlfriends put it together and it was a real surprise.  I stayed in the background with probably her longest friend, Shell, who she was also very surprised to see and let her greet and hug everyone and at one point in time we were back-to-back.  Anyway when she saw me she looked like this.

Later on we resembled this.

Donna, me, Shell and Lyn, I know I wish I could lose a chin and gain eyebrows.  Working on it.  I've known Lyn and Shell since the summer before 9th grade.  Lyn, Donna and I were also college roomates.

The Joes

Me and Shell with Lyn's friend Claire and her sister Jenny.  Got the red wine mouth already.

The only photographs I took at the party cause I can't have that camera out when I drink.  But the blowing out of candles is important to document

.

Lyn and her sister LouAnn.

It was a fun time and I fell off the proverbial wagon I had self-imposed after the kidney pains I had in early Feburary.  But in reality I drank so much water, even though I drank a bottle of wine and a couple rum and cokes I really wasn't that spent Sunday morning.  We had a loungy Sunday watched a movie, ate beef on weck ( another Buffalo delicacy) and then the Academy Awards.  (I'll go on about those a later time)

On the Friday before however I was not so smart.  My friend Donna and I did a little drinking before during and after our Fish Fry which explains this photograph:

Yep that's my fish fry. Big Fish probably out of Lake Erie, which I hope is safe. Donna wanted to get a photo of me and my fish, so here it is.  I know I hold nothing back.

Later we went to a neighborhood bar in downtown Hamburg, NY.

We looked a lot like this while we sucked down some foo-foo martinis.  They were gooood. Too good.

This guy got a kick out of us and he served as our private photographer and without us knowing paid for our wonderful martinis.  Thank you dude who once worked in cable TV and lived in Denver.  He was out with his sister and I 'll leave it at that.

 Anyway we woke up Sunday morning and we both had furry tongues and a tad slow but we came around rather quickly and took a trip to Niagara Falls with Donna's boyfriend Peter.

Peter and Donna with the American Falls in the background.

It was a forty degree day but was chilly with the wind and mist.

Niagara Falls. Ontario, is in the background.

We stopped at the famous Anchor Bar and attempted to eat 50 chicken wings but only knocked out maybe half of them.  I probably ate the most.

  They were marvelous.

The rest of these are Buffalo at 60 mph.

Most of the Steel mills are closed.  A few work at minimum capacity.

Many of the old closed mills have lake front property.  Some renovations are being planned but some are protective of the historical buildings, which befuddles me because sometimes history must be razed for the good of the city.  It's like the plague, it must be eradicated.

How would you like to like in this neighborhood with a old mill looming in the background?

Anyway had a great time, it was a last minute whirlwind trip and I saw only Buffalo people.  I didn't get a chance to see my family but I plan to in May, I promise.  The end.

Oh by the way, O'Hare airport is the smelliest place with the rudest MF's, take that Chicago.  You don't deserve Jay Cutler.

Road tripping to Santa Fe

eeeewwooee.  What can I say, another day off but did more today than I've done at work in months.  Wednesdays like Saturdays but mid-week.  I am getting used to it. 

Getting ready for my trip.  Last time I went to Santa Fe I talked Sharon into taking a clay class with me.  This was a technique using American Clay ( click on the American Clay for a live link, just in case you didn't realize that.)  I was looking for a new career, life path and wanted to check this out.Then KJ, who knows I really hate to drive offered to go and do most of the driving and that was road trip. After driving about 4 hours , we rolled into Santa Fe, and guess what, it was fucking dark out and it looked like some city USA with alot of stucco buildings.  We ate at some Mexican place, hailed by some travel guide as the be all end all to Mexican/Santa Fe cusine, I am not 100% but I think its this place Marias Kitchen ( again click to see the place).  Anyway we were tired an hungry and ended up very disappointed because we were promised diamonds and got zirconia.  It was still packed at 8:30 Thursday night, waited along time for the food,  and the food was no better than some of our local mex places and margaritas just OK,for some reason Sharon only drank a half of Margarita.  (Later found out she was pregnant) but that was good cause she drove us the last hour to Albuquerque where I had rezos for a room at some budget chain.  Not Super 8 budget but this joint Hawthorne Suites by Wyndham. Sounded nice and our Wyndham is a nice place. So we get there and even though we were  promised 2 queens and  a rollaway, the rooms could not accomadate the roll away plus there were only full beds or a king size and a pull-out couch.  So the guy at the front desk was this black kid with a gold grill and lots of BLING, His name was Billy or Jimmy something juevenille and he said "well take these room key cards and check out what these rooms look like", so we went up to the third floor first and went to the room and opened the door.  The door was caught by the security chain and there's this guy just alaying on his bed in his underware watching TV, and KJ slammed the door shut and we screamed like girls all the way to the elevator.  When we got down to the front desk, KJ threw the key card at the gangsta wanna-be and said "Jimmy did room 325 call you yet?  Well he's gonna be."  we were so embarrassed but in the grand scheme of things he could have been doing some kinda erotica stuff (alone?,ask Michael Hutchence aka INXS) that'd give us something to really talk about. 

    The next day we did the clay class so KJ went to Jazzercise cause we were addicted to that for awhile.  She found out after a lot of mean stares that she was supposed to stand on a star on the floor to do her exercises but not a star that was a regular member's star. 
    
     After the clay class we drove back to Santa Fe where we rode the luggage card down through the coutyard of the Marriot.  Much,much nicer.  Not the cart the rooms.  We decieded to get us some authentic Mexican down on the square.  We made reservations at Guarduno's, I think, it was downtown anyway.  For the love of Pete, we could not find this place, even with an address and directions. Finally an old lady with a cane walked us to an alley and inot the secret lot. We were an hour late and so frustrated I downed a margarita and  a tequilla pretty quick.  Sharon who was driving and secretly pregnant wanted to slit her wrists but we talked her into a drink instead.  The dinner was great.  We all loved the cactus (Napal) appetiser.

We went through Taos on the way home and ate in a gallery.  It was cinco de Mayo and that's my wedding anniversary so when we all pulled in our husbands met us at the house for a nice dinner.  Actually I think we all went home first but my memory deceives me on a daily basis.

Case in point, today I am putting away the shower cap I wore not to disturb my new style I got last night.  I cannot get the same results as the hairdresser not matter how I try.  Anyway, I do not know where I put the fucker, I looked in all the regular places, the trash, the freezer, the underware drawer to no avail.  Well I am a long-winded MF tonight.  Glad I got that out of my system.  I'll have more stories when I get home.  Hope you find your shower cap or whatever your looking for.