Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Ralph's Service Station

Located in the Armory Park neighborhood at the corner of 19th Street and 4th Avenue in Tucson, Arizona.

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

If You Need A Reason To Cook More Often, I Think I Have One

This morning, my mother and I were talking about a meal she made last night. She was attempting to make a pot roast, but somehow it came out more like a stew.

"What do you usually do when you make the pot roast and why did it come out so different?" I said to her.

"Well, I followed a different recipe, browning the pieces of meat like they instructed, but it didn't come out as I expected."

"But why did you cut up the meat? Aren't you supposed to put the whole roast in the pan?" I said, confused.

"Yeah, normally I just put the whole thing in the cockpot and let it cook all day."

"The cockpot??"

My mother looked at me, confused; not really sure what I was asking.

"I guess every girl needs a cockpot. It probably makes cooking so much more fun." I teased.

She laughed, finally comprehending what she said and her ongoing laughter made me giggle. So there we stood, laughing about her faux pax; me imagining a pot full of cocks, literally standing in the air, and my mother? Well, she was so amused with herself, that her shoulders were still trembling from laughter as she walked away.

I don't currently have one, but when Eddie and I move into our new house, I'm definintely going to ask for a cockpot as a house warming gift. I'm pretty sure it'll be one of my most used kitchen appliances.

Monday, February 26, 2007

Windows Vista, Trucker Style

I captured this California landscape last week, which Eddie said reminded him of the Microsoft Windows desktop picture most of us have seen on our computers; except this one is real life!

Sunday, February 25, 2007

Golden Eye

I really like this picture. I don't know what it is, but I have a thing about taking pictures of my eyes. Ed is always like, "What the hell are you doing?" and I always answer, "Nothing."

When I was done doing "nothing," I manipulated the photo to keep my eye color in its original state and made the rest of the photo black and white. I think it looks freakin' cool.

I've been trying to get a picture of Eddie's eyes, since they are blue, so I can try the same thing, but I can't hold him down long enough to get this close to his eye. He's very squirmy and keeps getting away. I might have to pry his eyes open while he's sleeping!

Saturday, February 24, 2007

Tracy Hilltop

Photo taken in Tracy, California while cruising on Interstate 580. Eddie driving, of course.

Friday, February 23, 2007

Silver Snowscape

This photo was taken in Ashland, Oregon while I was waiting for Ed to finish chaining the truck tires. They closed the interstate the night before due to the weather and didn't open it until late the next morning. We needed chains if we wanted to continue over the summit. Everything was blanketed with deliciously fluffy snow, but it was very dreary outside, with no sun, which resulted in the odd silvery-gray color of the photograph. I kinda like it.

Thursday, February 22, 2007

I Think I'm Dating A Narcoleptic

The other night, Eddie and I were lying in bed talking about re-doing the truck. We're interested in a "Trick My Truck" sort of re-do, except without the popcorn machine and strobe lights. We want to add another 102" to the sleeper, making it more like a rolling RV rather than a regular tractor. We'd add a bathroom and shower, kitchen (w. fridge, microvave, sink and cooktop), a queen size bed and tons of extra storage. We have been talking about this for a while now and just recently got in touch with a guy up in the Seattle area who does custom work just like this.

As we were talking, Ed expressed his concern about the weight of the new sleeper. Too much weight can possibly hinder the opportunity to haul certain loads. We discussed getting a lighter trailer, possibly an aluminum one to eliminate some of the gross weight of the truck. I wasn't sure exactly how much our current trailer weighed, so I asked.

"So, what's the weight on the trailer we have now?" I inquired.

"Well, this trailer weighs..."

"........."

Nothing.

I'm waiting for his answer now; a little longer than I usually give him to answer because I figured he was doing weight calculations in his head. Ed often doesn't answer right away (which drives me bananas) because he's formulating his answer before he provides it. How annoying, huh?

"........"

Still no answer.

Then all of a sudden I hear heavy breathing, and I don't mean the good kind. I thought maybe he had fallen asleep, or more likely, was playing a joke on me and not answering so I'd shut up and join him in the land of slumber. I shoved him and said, "You cannot be asleep!" No answer. "Are you asleep???"

".........."

He fell asleep; in the middle of his sentence.

Out. Like a light. Snoring and everything.

No need to worry about shutting me up now, since he thinks he's found the perfect solution; just fall asleep in the middle of a conversation. Little does he know that I didn't actually stop talking. He just couldn't hear me anymore.

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Coke Crushes The Competition

Since I am a huge fan of Coca-Cola, I took this picture because I thought it represented a perfect summation of brand competition. Although they intermingle worldwide, there is often a clear favorite. This was taken at a customs broker storage facility in Canada; notice the French "Classique" label on some of the cans.

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Rushing No More

I'm not really one for getting all excited about historical landmarks, national parks or things of that nature and since I've never been to Italy or Greece or Mecca, for instance, where things are really old, I guess I have yet to see much of anything that would completely wow me.

My travels have been confined to border towns in Mexico, seven provinces in Canada and all of the United States. I've been to the top of the Empire State Building, I've seen the Golden Gate Bridge, I've driven the Alaskan Highway and I've been to the Grand Canyon. Blah, blah, blah. As with most of these things, once I see it, my reaction is usually the same. "Wow. Awesome. Let's go have lunch."

If the place has any historical significance, there are only rare instances when I'm interested enough to read about it. History was never a favorite subject of mine so I investigate only the things that really intrigue me.

But, this past weekend, I was wowed; right here in America. Awed. Amazed. Speechless. How did that happen, you ask? Eddie and I visited
Mount Rushmore in Keystone, South Dakota, that's how. This was my first glimpse as we drove up the mountain and I guess I was surprised to see it right there on the side of the highway, since "Oooh! There it is!" burst out of my mouth. It kind of looked tiny. As we got closer, we were able to see more detail, but it was nothing compared to seeing it up close. If you click on the pictures, you'll see a larger version.
Once we got into the park, we were able to face it head on. This is what the mountain looks like when you're standing in the viewing area, right in front of the sculpture .I zoomed in on some of the details so you can see the work. Here is Washington's eye:A marbelized Teddy Roosevelt, complete with his pince-nez glasses: and Abraham Lincoln, looking all serious (as usual): I didn't get a close up of Jefferson, but I was amazed with all of them. Mostly, I was impressed with the story of the sculptor himself, Gutzon Borglum. It was said that he wasn't the most pleasant man to work for, but he obviously had enough talent to have been chosen to do this monument. The Lincoln Borglum museum on monument grounds, named for Borglum's son Lincoln who worked with his father and finished this sculpture after his father's death, contains a bookstore and major exhibits on the carving, the presidents, the sculptor, the workers and the history of the United States. I think it's one of the first exhibits I've been to where I read almost everything on display. Usually, I have the attention span of a small child.

Ed kept asking me why I was so "wow-ed" by it all, and the only thing I could think to say was that it wasn't just a
natural phenomenon, like the Grand Canyon or Devil's Tower or a Glacier; it was something that a man created, by hand. He literally sculpted a mountain.

I felt as if it were one of those special things that not everyone has an opportunity to see in person. There are many things people come across when traveling say, across country. But this isn't just one of the things along the way. This is something you actually have to plan to see. Because really, what other reason is there for going to South Dakota anyway? Which was exactly the plan that Doane Robinson, the state's historian, had back when he concocted the idea of carving people into mountains; he wanted to increase tourism. And since over three million people a year visit, I'd say his plan worked.

To me, this is something I'll never forget. I actually think I'd like to go back, and maybe next time, I'll plan my trip to coincide with Sturgis; the other reason people go to South Dakota.

Monday, February 19, 2007

Sunday, February 18, 2007

George And Ira

It was late and Eddie and I were driving in the pitch black, listening to XM Radio and fighting over the temperature controls. He kept making it hotter, I kept turning it off.

"You can't possibly be hot over there." he said.

"Well, I am. The heat is coming up from underneath and my legs are on fire!"

"Well, my legs are cold." he said. Like I care.

So I reached up to get my little lap blanket and handed it to him, "Here, put this over your legs."

"Absolutely not." he answered; in a voice that sounded so horrified at the idea, you'd think I had asked him to fashion it into a babushka to wear on his head.

"Why not? It works great. Just put it over your legs to keep them warm and then you won't have to put the heat up so high."

"No."

"Well, you're the one who is cold and I'm not going to sit over here sweating my..."

At that moment, his hand flies up, stopping me mid-sentence to say, "Shhh! I'm listening to Gershwin."

He just shushed me for Gershwin.

So, after I stopped laughing, I let him have his silence so he could listen to the rest of the program.

It was Gershwin, after all.

Saturday, February 17, 2007

Pillars

(Picture courtesy of My Eddie, taken at Mount Rushmore National Memorial )

Friday, February 16, 2007

Ditched

This house is nestled in the Sierra Nevada mountains, located in Eastern California near the Nevada state line. A nice sunbeam when I took this shot might have given it a very Kinkadian look, but the heavens decided to only give me snow, no sun.

The house looks as if it just slid off the side of the road into a pile of snow, and that's exactly what the highways look like right now; littered with cars that have literally slid off the road into piles of snow. I can't tell you how many cars I've seen in ditches in the last hour alone.

Hellooo, people! Slow the hell down. It's SNOWING. Do you not get it?? I can only imagine what the side roads look like if the people on the interstate are spinning into ditches.

And we haven't even hit Montana yet. Blizzard, anyone?

Thursday, February 15, 2007

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

The Sultan Of Love

I just love this guy.

Have a wonderful Valentine's Day and in the meantime, feast your eyes on some of his beautiful words:

"Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.”

“The way you make love is the way God will be with you.”

“This is love: to fly toward a secret sky, to cause a hundred veils to fall each moment. First to let go of life. Finally, to take a step without feet.”

“Let the beauty of what you love be what you do.”

“The minute I heard my first love story I started looking for you, not knowing how blind that was. Lovers don't finally meet somewhere. They're in each other all along.”

Monday, February 12, 2007

I'm Not Exactly Sure What You're Proposing Here

Eddie and I were sitting in Barnes and Noble one night reading magazines, drinking lattes and talking.

We somehow got on the subject of a man's inclination to cheat, otherwise known as having no willpower when it comes to saying no to sex, no matter who is asking.

I said to him, "So what would you say if some hot twenty-one year old walked over to you, right now and said, 'Hey there. You're kinda cute. Wanna do it?'"

"Do what?" he said.

"That's what you'd say to her??"

Eyes crinkling in amusement, he answered, "Yep."

I'll never say never, but it seems like I'm pretty damn safe when it comes to my guy being dragged off by some young thing.

Sunday, February 11, 2007

Happy Bee

One of the many unique images found on the notecards created by Due Amici Designs. Click here to see more.

Saturday, February 10, 2007

What Is The World Coming To When The Girls Next Door Think They Are Fat??

Have you ever seen the show The Girls Next Door, about Hugh Hefner's three gorgeous girlfriends?

Every once in a while, when we're not in the truck, I get to see it since it's on E! and we don't get that channel on the road.

I really can't decide who is my favorite. I love Holly for her gentle nature and stunning beauty, Bridget for her intelligence and bubbly personality and although Kendra is my least favorite, she still has adorable qualities.

Today I happened to catch a repeat episode where the girls are planning to make their own fitness video. They do a little warm up exercise for the trainers, to see where their fitness levels are, etc.


As I sit with my squishy, out of shape body sprawled across the hotel room bed, I hear them point out their trouble spots.

Kendra hates her thighs, Holly wants a flatter stomach (because she has a pooch and looks bloated all the time, she says), a tighter butt and she wants to work on that little fat pocket on the back of her thigh under her ass cheek and Bridget wants a flatter stomach and toner thighs.

If I hadn't made a nice indent in the mattress and wasn't burrowed under the covers for the night, I might have just gotten up and thrown myself off the balcony.

Because when Playboy Playmates complain that they are fat??; the world is truly coming to an end.

Thursday, February 08, 2007

Finally! Someone Who Thinks I'm God's Gift To Man

A few days ago, on his birthday, Eddie and I were talking about gifts when he said to me, "Well, you're my gift. I even told that to your Mom."

"Told my Mom what?"

"That you're my gift from God." he said.

"You told my mother I was your gift from God???"

"Yeah. I told her that since I had been through a lot in my life and worked really hard to get where I am, I feel like God brought you to me."

Just as I started to cry, he said "I'd say you were just a gift, but you're also a pain in the ass. That's how I know you're from God."

"Why would God give you a gift that's a pain in the ass?" I asked.

"That's how God works," he said, "He just doesn't say 'here's a gift and it's perfect', he says 'here's a rose, but it has thorns' and 'here's a really cute animal, but he might bite you' or even, 'here's a cure for your disease, but you're going to die in three years anyway.'"

"That's how God works, huh?"

"Yeah. You didn't know that?"

Uh, I guess not. But what do I care? I have a man who thinks I'm God's Gift.

Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Spring Has Sprung In My Hotel Room

These are the flowers that my Eddie bought me this week; I've been getting a gift a day since February 1st. One for each day until the 14th. Which is??? That's right! Valentine's Day!!

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Happy Birthday My Sweet Eddie!!!

Your date of conception was on or about 16 May 1974 which was a Thursday.

You were born on a Thursday under the astrological sign Aquarius.
Your Life path number is 3.

Life Path Compatibility:
You are most compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 3, 6 & 9.
You should get along well with those with the Life Path numbers 1, 2, 5 & 11.
You are least compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 4, 7, 8 & 22.

The Julian calendar date of your birth is 2442449.5.
The golden number for 1975 is 19.
The epact number for 1975 is 17.
The year 1975 was not a leap year.

Your birthday falls into the Chinese year beginning 1/23/1974 and ending 2/10/1975. You were born in the Chinese year of the Tiger.

Your Native American Zodiac sign is Otter; your plant is Fern.

You were born in the Egyptian month of Parmuthy, the fourth month of the season of Poret (Emergence - Fertile soil).

Your date of birth on the Hebrew calendar is 25 Shevat 5735.
Or if you were born after sundown then the date is 26 Shevat 5735.

The Mayan Calendar long count date of your birthday is 12.18.1.10.5 which is 12 baktun 18 katun 1 tun 10 uinal 5 kin

The Hijra (Islamic Calendar) date of your birth is Thursday, 24 Muharram 1395 (1395-1-24).

The date of Easter on your birth year was Sunday, 30 March 1975.
The date of Orthodox Easter on your birth year was Sunday, 4 May 1975.
The date of Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent) on your birth year was Wednesday 12 February 1975.
The date of Whitsun (Pentecost Sunday) in the year of your birth was Sunday 18 May 1975.
The date of Whisuntide in the year of your birth was Sunday 25 May 1975.
The date of Rosh Hashanah in the year of your birth was Saturday, 6 September 1975.
The date of Passover in the year of your birth was Thursday, 27 March 1975.
The date of Mardi Gras on your birth year was Tuesday 11 February 1975.

As of 2/6/2007 12:01:28 AM EST
You are 32 years old.
You are 384 months old.
You are 1,670 weeks old.
You are 11,688 days old.
You are 280,512 hours old.
You are 16,830,721 minutes old.
You are 1,009,843,288 seconds old.

Celebrities who share your birthday:
Masaharu Fukuyama (1969) Axl Rose (1962) Natalie Cole (1950) Bob Marley (1945) Michael Tucker (1944) Fabian (1943) Tom Brokaw (1940) Mike Farrell (1939) Rip Torn (1931)
Mamie Van Doren (1931) Zsa Zsa Gabor (1919) Mary Leakey (1913) Ronald Reagan (1911) Babe Ruth (1895)

Top songs of 1975
Love Will Keep Us Together by Captain & Tennille

Fly, Robin, Fly by Silver Convention
Island Girl by Elton John

He Don't Love You by Tony Orlando & Dawn
Bad Blood by Neil Sedaka

Rhinestone Cowboy by Glen Campbell
Philadelphia Freedom by Elton John

That's the Way (I Like It) by KC & the Sunshine Band
Jive Talkin' by Bee Gees

Fame by David Bowie

Your age is the equivalent of a dog that is 4.57455968688845 years old. (You're still chasing cats!)

There are 365 days till your next birthday on which your cake will have 33 candles.

Those 33 candles produce 33 BTUs, or 8,316 calories of heat (that's only 8.3160 food Calories!) . You can boil 3.77 US ounces of water with that many candles.

In 1975 there were approximately 3.1 million births in the US.
In 1975 the US population was approximately 203,302,031 people, 57.4 persons per square mile.
In 1975 in the US there were approximately 2,152,662 marriages (10.1%) and 1,036,000 divorces (4.9%)
In 1975 in the US there were approximately 1,921,000 deaths (9.5 per 1000)
In the US a new person is born approximately every 8 seconds.
In the US one person dies approximately every 12 seconds.
In 1975 the population of Australia was approximately 13,968,881.
In 1975 there were approximately 233,012 births in Australia.
In 1975 in Australia there were approximately 103,973 marriages and 24,307 divorces.
In 1975 in Australia there were approximately 109,021 deaths.

Your birthstone is Amethyst. The Mystical properties of Amethyst:
Amethyst is used to increase spiritually. Some lists consider these stones to be your birthstone (birthstone lists come from Jewelers, Tibet, Ayurvedic Indian medicine, and other sources): Bloodstone, Onyx, Moonstone

Your birth tree is: Poplar, the Uncertainty

Looks very decorative, no self-confident behaviour, only courageous if necessary, needs goodwill and pleasant surroundings, very choosy, often lonely, great animosity, artistic nature, good organiser, tends to philosophy, reliable in any situation, takes partnership serious.

There are 322 days till Christmas 2007! There are 335 days till Orthodox Christmas!

The moon's phase on the day you were born was waning crescent.



** To get your own birth date information, check out the Birthday Calculator here.

Monday, February 05, 2007

The Old Beneath The New

I took this at Underground Atlanta, which we explored after visiting the World of Coca-Cola, the one place where I can immerse myself in Diet Coke and several Coke products from all over the world; which include carbonated soda flavors like Apple from China and bitter apertif from Italy (which was yak!).

Friday, February 02, 2007

The Blondes Come Marching In

I am plumb out of ideas right now, so I'm using a "filler" that a friend sent me in an email. Here we go...
THE MOON
Two blondes living in Oklahoma were sitting on a bench talking........ And one blonde says to the other, "Which do you think is farther away.......... Florida or the moon?"
The other blonde turns and says "Helloooooooooo, can you see Florida ...?????"

CAR TROUBLE
A blonde pushes her BMW into a gas station. She tells the mechanic it died. After he works on it for a few minutes, it is idling smoothly. She says, "What's the story?"
He replies, "Just crap in the carburetor"
She asks, "How often do I have to do that?"

SPEEDING TICKET
A police officer stops a blonde for speeding and asks her very nicely if he could see her license. She replied in a huff, "I wish you guys would get your act together. Just yesterday you take away my license and then today you expect me to show it to you!"

RIVER WALK
There's this blonde out for a walk. She comes to a river and sees another blonde on the opposite bank. "Yoo-hoo!" she shouts, "How can I get to the other side?"
The second blonde looks up the river then down the river and shouts back, "You ARE on the other side."

AT THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE
A gorgeous young redhead goes into the doctor's office and said that her body hurt wherever she touched it. "Impossible!" says the doctor. "Show me." The redhead took her finger, pushed on her left breast and screamed , then she pushed her elbow and screamed even more. She pushed her knee and screamed; likewise she pushed her ankle and screamed. Everywhere she touched made her scream. The doctor said, "You're not really a redhead, are you? "Well, no" she said, "I'm actually a blonde" "I thought so," the doctor said. "Your finger is broken."

KNITTING
A highway patrolman pulled alongside a speeding car on the freeway. Glancing at the car, he was astounded to see that the blonde behind the wheel was knitting! Realizing that she was oblivious to his flashing lights and siren, the trooper cranked down his window, turned on his bullhorn and yelled, "PULL OVER!" - "NO!" the blonde yelled back, "IT'S A SCARF!"

BLONDE ON THE SUN
A Russian, an American, and a Blonde were talking one day. The Russian said, "We were the first in space!"
The American said, "We were the first on the moon!"
The Blonde said, "So what? We're going to be the first on the sun!"
The Russian and the American looked at each other and shook their heads. "You can't land on the sun, you idiot! You'll burn up!" said the Russian. To which the Blonde replied, "We're not stupid, you know. We're going at night!"

IN A VACUUM
A blonde was playing Trivial Pursuit one night. It was her turn. She rolled the dice and she landed on Science &Nature. Her question was, "If you are in a vacuum and someone calls your name, can you hear it?" She thought for a time and then asked, "Is it on or off?"

FINALLY, THE BLONDE JOKE TO END ALL BLONDE JOKES!
A girl was visiting her blonde friend, who had acquired two new dogs, and asked her what their names were. The blonde responded by saying that one was named Rolex and one was named Timex. Her friend said, "Whoever heard of someone naming dogs like that?" HELLLOOOOOOO......," answered the blond. "They're watch dogs!"

Thursday, February 01, 2007

Shifting The Sun

Not a day has gone by in the past year that I haven't thought about my father. Today is one year since he died. This week has been especially difficult, knowing the day was approaching. Even more difficult is knowing that I won't be with my brother, to take him in my arms to hug and comfort him; which in turn, comforts me. We will cry through phone lines. Alone while driving in cars. In hotel rooms and kitchens during the wee hours of the morning.

In my mind, he will always be the smiling little boy in this picture and I will always be his big sister, who loves him more than he can ever know. Very similar to how Daddy felt about him; loved more than he can ever know.

(My father and my brother. Circa 1970)

Shifting the Sun
By Diana Der-Hovanessian

When your father dies, say the Irish,
you lose your umbrella against bad weather.
May his sun be your light, say the Armenians

When your father dies, say the Welsh,
you sink a foot deeper into the earth.
May you inherit his light, say the Armenians.

When your father dies, say the Canadians,
you run out of excuses.
May you inherit his sun, say the Armenians.

When your father dies, say the French,
you become your own father.
May you stand up in his light, say the Armenians.

When you father dies, say the Indians,
he comes back as the thunder.
May you inherit his light, say the Armenians.

When your father dies, say the Russians,
he takes your childhood with him.
May you inherit his light, say the Armenians.

When your father dies, say the English,
you join his club you vowed you wouldn't.
May you inherit his sun, say the Armenians.

When your father dies, say the Armenians,
your sun shifts forever.
And you walk in his light.