Keep Them Maters Rolling!

Tomatoes are finally starting to roll in now!

Race Course Blues

This past Friday was my birthday... Sigh. Another year older... so glad I am still in my 20's... Ha Ha Ha
A couple of our good friends from back home made the trek up to Marietta and we all piled in our truck and had a nice night in Atlanta- supper at The Vortex in Little 5 Points and then on to the Blue October concert... Of course, the venue was hot and full of sweaty people but the band rocked! We were pretty much deaf by the time we left and it was pouring rain on top of that. But, we still had fun none the less...
After our guests left the next morning, Hubby and I ventured up north of Atlanta to Gainesville to check out the race course where my upcoming triathlon will be taking place. I really needed to gage just how "ready" I am for the big day. And oh how surprised was I to found out that almost the entire first half of the 13-mile bike ride is pretty much ALL uphill!!!????? I had an awful feeling in my stomach just riding it in the truck! Hubby kept mumbling how sorry he was for me... and I just kept taking in the long uphill grade passing by us as we rode the 13-miles of highway. Needless to say, I was very bummed about it for the rest of the day. It kinda of ruined the whole fun birthday part of the day for me.
I had pretty much decided by the time we got back on the interstate headed southward that I was going to have to nix the clip in pedals and go back to the basics... and just wear my running shoes on the bike because if I couldn't pedal up those 6 or so miles... then by golly, I will PUSH that bike up those hills! No where did I read in the race rules that you HAD to actually RIDE the bike 13-miles... am I right??!
And of course, Hubby has agreed for me to go ahead and buy a road bike for the race for my birthday... looks like I am now road-bike shopping this week... I just hope it helps me on race day...

First Harvest

First big tomato finally came in this week... Picked it last night and put it in the window to finish ripening.. We shall how good it tastes later this week!!!

Squirrel Update

8/18/2009- Squirrel Update:
Squirrel showed up again this morning only after I discovered our geriatric black lab trying to retrieve him off the top of the same top handrail on the back deck... same behaviors as last evening but Sampson managed to get him by the tail with his mouth and I (of course) freaked out because the last we need is Sampson to get more sickness. So being the born and bred redneck that I really am... I shot the squirrel.

Sleepin' Squirrels!

THIS is what greeted me when I got home tonight from work- a sleeping squirrel on the top rail of the back deck. Well his eyes were closed when I first spotted him... I was not sure if he was sleeping or dead. Very creepy either way! I go out the back door and onto the deck to see about him and when I rounded the corner he opened his eyes but did not move... shocked maybe? I made of couple of motions with my hands and he moved a little and eventually jumped over about a foot or two when I started doing a jig (keep in mind I am at least 15 ft from him- gotta keep a safe distance in case he decides to attack)... And his mouth was moving funny... after about a minute or two it is evident there is something wrong with him. So I go inside and watch him from the sunroom windows... I snap this pic with my phone and email it to Hubby titled as "Sleepin Squirrel". And his response? "Get the .22 and put a hole in that varmint". We are so ready to move to the country!
8/18/2009- Squirrel Update:
Squirrel showed up again this morning only after I discovered our geriatric black lab trying to retrieve him off the top of the same top handrail on the back deck... same behaviors as last evening but Sampson managed to get him by the tail with his mouth and I (of course) freaked out because the last we need is Sampson to get more sickness. So being the born and bred redneck that I really am... I shot the squirrel.

Happy Trails

In my ongoing preparation for the upcoming triathlon next month (less than 5 weeks away now mind you!) I decided to do a long bike ride at the vacation resort back home while we were down there this weekend. Callaway Gardens (CG) boasts of miles and miles of bike trails and it has been YEARS since I have set foot (or tire) on them. After visiting their website last week I discovered that the daily rate to just enter CG is $15 per person... and well, that is not going to work out for our budget since it would be $30 for both of us every time we want to ride the trails. So I researched further and found that a Local Family Pass is only $88 for one year and that will get us plus four other people riding with us into the gate- Score! So yesterday morning we head to the resort and get routed to the annual pass counter just a couple of miles in past the gates. Well, it was all well and good until the employee helping us saw our non-local mailing address... needless to say, I spent the next 10 minutes trying to convince this lady that I am not only from there but we pay two different sets of land taxes in that county. She needed proof of a local address... we have land with no address since there is nothing built on it and a newly-inherited house that I just changed the utility bills on... The worse part of this whole scenario is that I have a really hard time even having to BUY a pass to CG since I have NEVER had to in my entire life. I am a Retired Employee's child! Paying that $88 hurts... and then having to recreate my lifetime to some stranger makes it worse. It is like I am proving who I am and how I really am a "local"... I gave her the address to the house and of course it pops up my Grandmother's name... I tell her that she is my Grandmother who just passed away and she was a Retiree Spouse in the original Pioneer Club at CG since my Grandfather retired from there in 1991. Finally, she gave in... halleluyah. So then we head to the trails...
I gotta tell you- the outer loop of the main CG is about 6.7 miles and all I remember about it from the last time I biked it (in my highschool years) was really struggling on it. Well, I biked it twice yesterday and I rocked it! What a great feeling! I did the second loop by myself and never stopped- 6.7 miles in 26 minutes- and considering all the twists, turns, ups, downs and dodging other bikers, I feel better now about my level of ability. The race is 15 miles and surely it will be much straighter and such. Hubby and I are actually gonna make the trek up to the park where the race will be held and try to see how hilly the course is- hopefully this weekend. Once I know the course, it will tell me just how much more training I need to do in the next 32 days. My biggest worry right now is how light-headed and sluggish I felt after hopping off the bike when I finished... I felt like crap and I am not sure if I am yet capable of exerting myself like that and then move right into a 3.2 mile run... Of course, this was in the mid-day heat and the race is early in the morning. But like I said... just things to think about in the next 4+ weeks...
Not sure if today's weather will permit a bike ride after work today or not but, I did bring my bike and clothes to ride. I led the boot camp workout this morning so I did not get to exercise other than running all over the place. So a bike ride this evening will be good for me for this day of tri-training. And tomorrow evening a nice 800M-1000M swim is on the agenda... gotta love it.

Summer Veggies

My tomatoes have finally started to ripen more and more in the last week or so. This is what greeted me when I arrived home this afternoon... For all you folks in the country, this is how we garden in the city!

Blind-Siding Is Not Cool

Another shocking story, another sudden unexpected broken up marriage! I received the message last week from the wife... husband called her while out of the country on business to tell her he wants a divorce. He tells her he will be bringing the papers home with him when he returns home in a couple of days. He says that his mind is made up, that there is nothing to discuss, no negotiations, no nothing. His response when asked by the completely blindsided, bewildered wife why he wanted a divorce... he does not think that they are compatible. HUH? WTH!!!? After 12 or so years of marriage and two young daughters later and you have NOW decided that you are not compatible? That would have been my question!

And did she even have the faintest idea this was coming? Heck no! This man, her husband of 12+ years total BLINDsided her! And because they are not "compatible"... some please tell me what am I missing here! The only thing I can figure is that he must have found someone else with whom he IS compatible with in order to decide that he is NOT compatible with his wife. Or else he is coming out of the closet...? Who knows! It doesn't matter what the reason, he is an awful person for this. He told her he had been planning this for months... and then we waited until the girls just started back to school... great timing you idiot. And wouldn't you know that wife has several months left to finish her Masters degree, only has a part-time job and is basically a stay-at-home Mom/graduate student. How will she support herself and 2 young daughters?

I am seriously worried for her and all of the other 9 or so busted marriages that I know about from the past year- same crap, same circumstances, same behaviors, same stupid reasons- or no real reason at all. What is it with folks today? Why are people getting married and pledging to live the rest of lives with their spouse and then BAM one day decide to jump ship? I am really trying to understand this concept... I am trying to trace a trend of some sort to see if this is a certain "type" or group of folks that are prone to do this... I do see it happening more to those who married in their young to mid 20's and now 8 or more years after the wedding they change their mind about their spouse...?! Or is it that old concept that these people did not "sow their wild oats" before taking their vows? You know where they graduate from highschool or college and marry their sweetheart and then realize after several years of marriage and 2.5 kids later that they need a break to go party with their single buddies? That this marriage is getting in the way of their "me" time...? Puh-leeze! That is such a crock! Shame on you for being naive and stupid way back then! And now your newly ex-spouse and 2.5 kids have their worlds turned upside-down and are permanently scarred for life just because you feel like you are "trapped"... Unbelievable.

Of course, being married myself for just under three years now and having not married until my almost-mid-30's... stories like the one above really scare me. I mean how can I ever be assured that my Husband wouldn't come home one day and tell me he is over US? I mean it is possible... every thing is possible. And what do I do when I hear about these stories? I call Hubby and tell him about the current mishap... and he assures me that this will never happen to us. He tells me how much he loves me and how we are like Peas and Carrots. And that, my friends, is all we need. Period.

Attempting The Impossible

My reality slapped me really hard today. When I saw the subject line of the new email in my Inbox, my heart fluttered....and the realization of my destiny hit me like a ton of bricks. It was the official confirmation email from the Georgia multi-sports company alerting me that they have received my application for the sprint triathlon next month. Oh my word, what have I gotten myself into? Did I forget to mention that I got a wild and crazy hair and decided to sign up for a triathlon? That's right folks, I am going to attempt the impossible. I am hoping to prove to myself that I CAN exert myself for over two hours and not die in the process from heat exhaustion, heart failure or just plain ol' fatigue. And it's all for a GREAT cause- Alzheimer's research!! Heck, writing that check to the Alzheimer's Association was the easiest part! It's the actual race that worries me... and I wonder why!!???
So now it is (as of today) T minus 37 days to my newest goal... my D-Day, September 19th. 37 long days of training for the inevitable... will I make it? Your darn skippy I will! Even if it kills me....;-D

How Sweet It Is

How excited was I when I discovered this at the local grocery store last week?



They are now selling teeny-tiny little packages of mini ice creams! Seriously, they HAD to of been thinking of me when they came up with this genious idea! They are equal to one scoop or one serving of the very evil dessert, ice cream. Yet, only one serving so one cannot "accidentally" cheat and keep on eating! And they are only $1.00!! And the other great part? Even Ben & Jerrys has them!! Personally, I am a plain chocolate or mint chocolate girl myself... but, for those days that I HAVE to have something sweet... $1 will take care of that craving!! How sweet it is...

Most Portable Hair Utensil Ever

I saw this gadget on a television commercial a few weeks ago and thought it was a pretty cool idea. And then last week I found it on the shelf at BJ's Wholesale while shopping for new beach chairs.
I could not resist the $14.99 price tag while consumed with the idea that this could be the most portable hair utensil EVER.

So I bought it and lo and behold it works! I can put this in my backpack or my briefcase or my gym bag and it is so small that it takes up hardly any room! Especially with my new chopped off hair-do, it helps maintain my daily frizz... even better!! Oh, and it comes with a cute little bag to transport it and its long cord in too.

Back To The Beach!

Back to the beach again this past weekend... some really good friends of ours invited us down for the weekend in Seaside... Had a great time with a great family!

Our New Pets

How surprised was I last week when I arrived home to find a hawk perched up on the power line about 20 feet from our house? Now we have heard a hawk for several years around our land... we just assumed he/she roams our area of east Cobb County since we are a more wooded area. Well other than flying hundreds of feet in the air, I have never actually laid eyes on it until last week. And what a beautiful site it was! Well, while sitting in my car and looking up at it through my windshield I was slowing taking my cell phone out to snap a pic when all of a sudden another one flew into the yard from the woods! Holy cow, TWO hawks at the same time... I couldn't believe it! What are the odds? So I sat in my car for over 5 minutes just watching them. Finally, they both took off into the woods. The next evening both of them were sitting on the power line about 40 feet apart from each other and this time they had the look that stated "don't even think of getting out of that car or I am gonna peck your eyeballs out"... So I sat and waited again. At one point they started their war screaming from the power lines and eventually left.
Well, guess what woke us up on Saturday morning? The hawks in the back yard screaming... by now we have figured they must have a nest somewhere near. I grab the good camera and try to sneak out on the deck to snap their pic...

Well both of them we sitting on this limb and the other one flew off just before this shot finished. Isn't it a beauty?
Man, I love living in a wildlife preserve in the city!

One Last "Hoorah" Thru The SW

After a long hiatus from work travel, I was instructed to make one last "Hoorah" trip to the southwest and finalize some open issues on my project in El Paso. So I made arrangements to leave early Wednesday morning before last flying one way to El Paso, one night hotel stay there and then drive up to Albuquerque for a two nights stay and then one way back on Saturday morning. Sounds like a great trip, huh? Uh, wrong! First off, it took forever to get through security so I rushed the entire way to the gate...only to find out when I got there (profusely sweating and all) that the plane was there but no flight crew. Huh? Yep, the crew did not show up until 10 minutes after our departure time. After a battle with one of the airline's finest over whether or not I had to gate check my carry-on, I made it to my seat... on the back row next to the restroom! Yes, I spent the next two hours watching folks go in and out of the bathroom- no snoozing for me! Besides the fact my left shoulder was like one inch from the door handle so I was "brushed" every time someone grabbed the handle. And the smell after the first hour was horrific.
Finally made it to the Houston airport and headed to the gate... only to find out when I got there that they had changed the gate for my connecting flight. Why does this happen everytime I fly this airline? (Keep in mind that I HATE connecting travel trips) Every freaking time I am forced to fly this airline, they are a) always late on departure and/or arrival and b) they change my connecting flight gate EVERY time! And then I find out that my gate is all the way back over where I just got off the plane from Atlanta! Now I am even more furious than before. So again, I retrack my path back over to the other gate. I sit down long enough to eat my protein bar and banana and then board the plane. I arrive in El Paso and am instructed to go out to the lot to pick up the keys to my rental car. I head out and it is blazing hot outside... and there are no attendants around. After baking in the sun for about 20 minutes, the desk guy shows up with keys to a different car... whatever- just gimme the keys before I turn to leather.
My time in El Paso was a total waste considering the subcontractor who we were supposed to meet with that afternoon did not show up. I did get to see the finished project with my own eyes and snap lots of photos.

I barely slept all that night... kept waking up every hour... I felt so badly from lack of sleep that I did not even work out the next morning. Finally made my way to the hotel restaurant for free breakfast. Finally decided on the breakfast burrito from the limited "free" menu list... I knew when I took the first bite that I was going to regret ordering that burrito with the sausage option. Something felt weird as I chewed the first few bites of it. I doused it with A1 sauce thinking it was just a mental thing.... managed to get thru half the burrito before I realized that I was in trouble. I left my tip and took off to my room. And then I spent the next hour and a half on the toilet. Checkout time was 12 noon and at some point in my foggy mind I told myself that they were going to have to kick me out before I lifted my fanny off that seat. When I found out around noon that my Superintendent was not going to make it to work after all since his wife was out a commission at the doctor for tests all day, I finally checked out and made my way westward to start my trek to Albuquerque. Quick stop at a drug store to buy pepto and toilet paper- just in case- I mean this is a long drive thru the deserts of New Mexico!
A four hour scenic trip thru southern New Mexico was pretty cool. I really do enjoy siteseeing in the car... even by myself! I jammed out to old Michael Jackson hits the entire way... just like catching up with an old friend and with a great view all the way around.
Albuquerque was uneventful for the most part the first night except for my ongoing queasy stomach from the burrito. I checked into my hotel and crashed. Amazingly enough I slept through the alarm and realized that I had slept over 8 hours straight and was now late for work! How is it when I travel to the time zone two hours AHEAD of my own that I STILL cannot get up and to work by 8am their time? I plow through that extra two hours just like I need a 26 hour day to get all my junk done. I worked at the office all day and stuck with basic sandwich meals since I was now skiddish of any thing mexican or "southwestern". After work I decided to make the drive up to the tram that takes folks on scenic tours of the mountain range just outside of town.

I wanted to snap some good photos of Albuquerque since I hauled my big camera out there and who knows if I will ever be back. I had no intention of taking the tram to the top since the views from the tram start were just fine. I found some really cool cactuses (sp?) to shoot with the city in the back ground....

Well wouldn't you know that while trying to snap the "perfect" photo I managed to get tangled up with a low-lying cactus and the shooting pains in my right calf hurt like hell. After trying to ignore the pain, I finally lifted my jeans leg only to find all of these little red prickly things stuck in my leg and how they got through denim to my skin is beyond me! I tried to pull them out but they just kept breaking off at the surface leaving the other half in my leg... now I was worried- what if these things have some kind of poison and I die up here? I mean no one had any clue as to where I was.... and who knows when the locals might find me! So I head back to the rental and cruise back to the hotel. I did get a really up close look at my cactus bites that night and tweezers were the only way to remove them... so I would have to wait until I got home.
Saturday morning came way too early even in their time zone and miraculously enough my flight left on time for once. All in all, my last "Hoorah" trip was well... hopefully my last.

Bob Is Officially Officially Off The Market

A dear old friend of mine sent me an email yesterday with a link to a very interesting article...

Robert Redford Marries German Girlfriend

Even at 72 years of age, he still has it. Period.

I actually blogged about it (check it out) when they engaged back in May of 2008- still kinda makes me sad and happy at the same time... Hee Hee.

What The Heck?

What the heck is this? It is blooming all over El Paso.... it is like a flowering desert bush or something. Very eye-catching riding down the road and very pretty!

Beachin' It

We just returned from a little vacation trip down to the Destin/Seaside area of Florida. Got a little sun, ate a lot of seafood, caught up on some serious sleep and really wished I did not have to come back to this concrete jungle.

One Day At a Time

So this past Sunday would have been my Grandmother's 81st birthday. It was on my mind all day long- very haunting memories of past birthdays... I remember this time last year when I was planning her 80th birthday. I called on a circle of her closest friends from back home and invited them to the assisted living center where she resided. I had a beautiful birthday cake made for her and we all celebrated her special day that afternoon on her actual birthdate. She was so surprised and so excited! We had a wonderful time telling our favorite memories of her and some folks shared how they met her YEARS before. And even at her level of dementia at that time, she seemed to remember their experiences. Of course, that was the same day we were surprised with the news that my father had remarried (unbeknownst to us)... his (supposed) wife enlightened the entire party that day when she introduced herself as "Mrs. Kelly's Father" and my Grandmother just turned to me with her mouth gaping open in shock. I reassured her that it was okay and made a mental note to fuss at him later. So it was a crazy day all the way around!
And then back in February of this year, my Grandmother's Caregiver baked a birthday cake for the other lady being cared for in the household and my Grandmother got so jealous... we assured her that we would bake a birthday cake for her on her birthday too... looks like we never made it. Her Caregiver called me on Sunday to see how I was doing and to tell me that this was the day she marked on her calender to bake that birthday cake... I just teared up. And then I laughed and said, "well, did you bake one? we can always drive down and help you eat it!"... That is how she would have wanted it.
It is hard to believe it has been almost six weeks since she died. Oh well, one day at a time...

Another Legend Gone

I have to admit that I was pretty bummed out when I heard the news yesterday that Michael Jackson had died. I know a lot of folks do not like him because of his strange behaviors outside of the music world, but I believe he is the greatest artist, singer, dancer and entertainer I have ever witnessed. Every thing about his music touches my heart and always has since I was a child. I have listened to his music for years and I feel so much joy when I hear his words and the beat. His music makes you dance inside your own heart. It is a shame that his odd antics in his personal life will forever haunt him as a person and make the world hate him enough to forget his musical talents. But, to me, he will never be forgotten. I will all always respect him for his courage to be the odd ball in a ordinary world, for having such passion to write/perform the music that makes the world want to moonwalk, and for taking me to my happy place when I hear the fruits of his labor . What an extremely talented man!
My first 33 was the Thriller album in 1983...

I would dance and dance and dance in our living room for hours listening to that record. It was shortly after my parent's divorce and his music took me away from it all. I loved his music so much I even bought the CD's of his newer stuff in the 90's... I drove my college roommate crazy playing his album "Dangerous" when we lived in the dorms... what a great album to study to! And then last year they released his 25th Anniversary album... and you know I went out and bought that too.... such an amazing collection of songs...

All I ever wanted during my middle school years was the red leather jacket with the silver zippers and netting on it and instead wound up with the white glove... Oh well, I was the coolest redneck with that glove and the dance moves it bestowed upon me would make the neighbors jealous- Ha Ha! I spent many an hour practicing the moonwalk, his spin and tip toed jump....
What great memories and the best part of it? His music still lives on! Here's to MJ and may his beats live forever and he RIP.

The Warrior Spirit vs. Darn Ol' Cancer

I am so happy to report that our beloved dog, Sampson seems to be on the up-slide in the past week! We are estatic!! After 5 or so weeks of not willingly eating any thing, laying around virtually comatose for hours at a time, etc., Sampson the Warrior has bounced back (somewhat) and has been eating hamburgers, pizza, steak, veggies, sausage, fish, sandwiches, etc. We (us and our good neighbors) had been shooting baby food and blended chicken/rice type foods down him with a syringe-like shooter almost every 2-4 hours for the past several weeks just to get nutrition in him to hopefully give him the energy to stay mobile. He has lost so much weight that the bones in his head and hips are so evident now. He almost has a svelt-like figure now! But, just like that, in one day (last Thursday as a matter of fact) he just all of a sudden wanted to eat! And on his own- by himself! With no shooter! We had him all weekend since he stays with the neighbors most weekday nights and days and he did wonderful. We took him for a ride in the truck, bought him takeout, played with him the yard, etc. And he slept all night in the house with no problems too. He even looks like he has gained a little weight back... so fingers crossed that maybe the Warrior is winning the fight against that ol' cancer mass! We plan on taking him back the Vet this Saturday- pray for a good report.