What Have I Done?

I finally got a smart phone. It was just after Thanksgiving and I walked into my cell phone provider's store to see when my contract was up. Now, you must know, I was perfectly happy having a phone that I only had calling and texting on. I didn't need all that fancy stuff. But, when I walked out of the store I had a brand new smart phone. I actually told the guy he was a very good sales associate because I typically don't fall for sales pitches but I couldn't resist the shiny, black, smaller and thinner than my current phone, contraption.

As time went on I got used to using it. I hadn't really downloaded any apps since I'm a simple person and didn't feel I needed any. Then, two days ago, I downloaded.......wait for it.........























ANGRY BIRDS!!!! What was I thinking! This is the most addicting thing I have come across since I completed boot rehab (remember last year when I kept buying boots for no good reason other to have a lot of pairs of boots?)!

I'm seriously considering de-installing it. I'm sure I will once I've played all the different versions. I'm getting pretty good at it and I want to beat my highest score before I give up. And then there's always Angry Birds Rio. Kinda curious about that. I'm sure I can handle it.














Do you think there is an Angry Birds rehab?

It's the Little Things in Life

Pretty Girl and I needed our Pretty Doctor fix so we headed south. I had found out that there was a miniature museum down there. Actually, like a mile from Pretty Doctor's house. I insisted we go there. The wanted to also.

When I was a little kid a friend of mine had this extraordinarily cool doll house her parents made for her. I was in love with it. I couldn't wait to go to her house to play with it. I was obsessed with small things.

So back to today. We went to the museum and it didn't disappoint. AT ALL! OMG I loved it!



















Typical night in Soho.



















Toy Store.



















Floating Market



















My favorite





































Oh Christmas, how I love thee!



















There was even a Christmas Town under glass!



















Then we found some miniatures of our own.





























































Larger than life day!

Home in record time!

Well, not really. As most of you know Obama was here today. He was visiting the new Intel plant in south Chandler. The reports were that they were going to close the freeway. They called it a rolling closure, segments at a time. But noooooooo, that's not what they did. They closed the entire 15 miles of freeway at one time. At RUSH MANY HOURS (rush hour is NOT 1 hour! Like Happy Hour is not 1 hour.)! So all those thousands of people had to use the surface streets. Yes, Obama was messing with my commute. I like the guy but he should have realized that I was trying to get home.



















That's right, they were all in my way. Impeding my ability to just get the hell out of work and go home. Work has been stressful lately so I was so looking forward to working out. Ok, so it's not actually working out. It's more like walking. But I walk fast and for a long distance. I'm also lifting weights, which makes my arms soar. Yeah, I know, wah wah wah.

Anyway, I finally got near my house when I noticed all the vapor tails in the sky. Vapor trails you ask? Yeah, I know what they are. If you don't, look it up. I couldn't figure out why there were so many of them until I remembered that Obama had it out for me today. They were fighter jets keeping the friendly skies friendly.



















I was able to snap this photo. Not such a great picture of all the vapor trails but I was busy at the time trying not to just get a shot of the sun and, you know, I was also driving. Yes, that is unsafe but I had to show you.

So, that's what happened today. Fascinating right?

Rich Folk, not Queer as Folk

Yeah, yeah, yeah. You're absolutely correct. I have been gone for a very, very long time. I don't know why. I just didn't think I would be entertaining to you. But I was sitting here (yeah, I do that a lot) thinking about the car I bought for Pretty Doctor and Pretty Girl when they were in high school. Not sure why that car came to mind. It was a sweet ride. Don't ask the Pretty's about it. They didn't like it much but it did get them to where they needed to be.

It was a Daewoo. You heard me right, a Daewoo. I used to refer to it as "The ever popular Daewoo." I'm pretty sure most people were jealous of it.















What I was actually thinking as I sit here was when I bought the car. My Grandmother had died and left me some money. I didn't know what to do with the money so after stressing about it I decided to put it in the bank and think about it another day. Then I realized I needed to buy the Pretty's a car to get to and from band practice and to the band room on game days.

After enlisting my BFF's son to find a good, reliable car for little to no money I ended up at a dealership in Scottsdale that had several of the ever popular Daewoos to unload after Daewoo stopped selling in the US or went out of business, I'm not sure which it was. Anyway, I ended up at the Scottsdale dealership with my BFF's husband and the Pretty's. I'm not sure it their son was there or not. It was a stressful evening and I don't do well with memory under stress.

After it was decided that I was buying one I sent the Pretty's out to pick the color. Not a whole lot of choices, they had green and blue. They had a few green and a few blue so I told them to pick out which green or which blue one they wanted.

Now, you have to understand that the whole entire time I was at the dealership I was crying. I always cry when I have to make a financial decision that will cost me more that $100. The salesman was afraid, understandably. My BFF's husband pretended every thing was normal, which added to the salesman's fear. I sent the Pretty's to pick the color because they were really afraid since I couldn't stop crying.

















The deal was I was going to pay cash and we would drive the car away. The deal was $8 ,000. When I got to the point of signing the papers the paperwork had the figure of $8,000.02. Ok, if any one knows me, that figure meant they lied on the price. That's right! After all I had gone through ( me crying for 2 hours and my BFF's husband wheeling and dealing for 2 hours) i was not going to let them rip me off like that. You know how car dealerships are, they're always trying to rip you off! Well, they didn't know who they were dealing with (some bawling freak and her 2 poor kids)!

I was half temped to write the check for $8,000 and throw the pennies in the guys face. I was pissed! But then I started to think about it and realized that it was only 2 pennies and the Husband had worked really hard, the Pretty's were already freaked out and the dealership was staying open late to close this deal. I decided to be the bigger person and write the check to include the pennies.

Needless to say, the Prettys and I drove the blue car home, the Husband (and possibly son) went home hoping I would never darken their door again and the dealership had one less Daewoo to unload. Ah, good times.

Tonight!

So exited!

Where have I been?

I skipped a whole month. No, I wasn't in a coma, just depressed I'm not at the beach. This has been a very hot summer but I think we made it through. At least I hope so. I also hope I get better at blogging. I'm sure the 3 of you that read this are fed up and don't come here anymore.

I got some very good news the other night. I get to go see Joe Walsh. I can't tell you how excited I am! My very first concert was Joe Walsh in 1975. OMG that was a long time ago! I went to Winterland in San Francisco with my brother and Kevin Rich. I wonder where both of them are today.

Winterland was THE place to go to concerts. It closed in 1978. I cannot even tell you all of the memories I have from that concert. I remember my Mom said I couldn't go because of the reputation of the venue. That's when my brother said he and his friend would go with me. That made my Mom feel a lot better. I never understood why because those two boys were trouble, a lot of trouble!

Any one who was any one played at Winterland. Here is an example.

















The concert isn't until the end of the month but I'll let you know how it was.

Beach Blanket Bingo

Ok, so we didn't play bingo, just a lot of drinking games. Ok, so not a lot of drinking games, just drinking.

You know you're there when you see this...



















We just hung a right and then down the street to the beach house. Once inside, right back outside to the deck to see this...



















Can't wait to get out there but first we have to unload and put together this...



















Coolest BBQ ever! So, then, on to the beach?



















NOOOOO! We have to toast the beginning of our vacation! Now on to the beach? Of course!



















For a little while anyway. Then back to the beach house for...



















And that was just the first night! And no! We didn't finish the box-o-wine but we did finish the 3 bottles of pink champagne.

First beach house sunset (you'll be seeing plenty more of these!).



















Then dinner made on the coolest BBQ ever.



















Sliders!



















I can never take these kind of pictures (even when I haven't been drinking!).



















Beer Pong at the neighbors. What is it with people under 30 that don't know how to play Beer Pong right?



















Next morning, back to the beach. This isn't something you see anymore, advertisement for Captain America.



















Pelicans, sometimes there were 35 or more in the formation.



















How many times do I have to remind you that there is no underage drinking on the beach!



















Some nights we'd entertain ourselves by playing Yahtzee. This picture is of her Yahtzee, focus people!



















Another pretty sunset...



















Next morning, back to the beach. But not before...



















That's right, orange juice. You know, Vitamin C? There may or may not have been champagne in the orange juice.

























Ok, there was. Plus other stuff we drank that evening (this photo is a cumulative account of consumption. No, really!).

Daytime temps, and nighttime too!



















We're having some fun now, am I right???



















Hell ya I'm right!!!



















Sunset (duh!).



















Next morning, yeah that's right!



















Got engaged. Oh wait! No, we didn't drink that much. Robin let me try on her ring. It added about 10 pounds to my weight so I took it off.



















It takes talent to fall out of your chair when you're just sitting in it.



















That's all for now. I'll wrap up the rest of the beach house vacation in a day or two.

Aloha