Bestie In The Corner

 I don't know when or why this photo was taken, and I don't know what she's doing, but this is a photo of my best friend in Tucson sitting in the corner at my mom's house.  



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2023: Sorry, no post on this day.
2022: Sorry, no post on this day.
2021: Sorry, no post on this day.
2020: Sorry, no post on this day.
2019: Sorry, no post on this day.
2018: Mother Nature Needs A Kick In The Ass
2017: A Good Place To Start Praying
2016: Summer's The Best
2015: One, Two, Three, Boom! You're In The Bronx
2014: A Beautiful Time Capsule
2013: I'm Giving Up Trucking And Going Into Clothing Design
2012: Wynning Diamonds
2011: Donuts From Heaven
2010: Captain Of The Most Expensive Fried Seafood This Side Of Arthur Treacher’s
2009: Eddie Acts Like A Monkey Friday
2008: I Might Like It If There Were Some Balling Involved
2007: Very Large Cheek Pouches Come In Handy When Traveling
2006: The French Are So Romance Savvy
2005: Wyoming Clean Air Act 

Jitterbug

 

My grandmother at eighteen years old, dancing with her friend Smitty to Count Basie's Band at Club Fordham in Bronx, NY.

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2023: Sorry, no post on this day.
2022: Sorry, no post on this day.
2021: Sorry, no post on this day.
2020: Sorry, no post on this day.
2019: Sorry, no post on this day.
2018: Really Great Mountains
2017: Friends In High And Rugged Places
2016: No Middle Ground
2015: Check Out These Links Before The Big One Hits
2014: In Six Months, They'll Know Right Where To Put It
2013: Musical Parking Spots
2012: Me And The Thunder
2011: Her Cup Overfloweth With Idiocy
2010: Dear Arizona,
2009: Come Sit In Our Cab For A Spell And Let Us Take You On The Road!
2008: How Well Do You Know Your Stringed Instruments?
2007: Meat. The Old Fashioned Way.
2006: Kicking The Hell Out Of Texas
2005: Look, Mary!

Wind Power

One of the many windmills at Zaanse Schans in Zaandam, Netherlands.

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2023: Sorry, no post on this day.
2022: Sorry, no post on this day.
2021: Sorry, no post on this day.
2020: Sorry, no post on this day.
2019: Sorry, no post on this day.
2018: What Would The Sioux Think?
2017: 360 Degrees Of Blue Sky
2016: Sunlit Trees
2015: Kitchen Troubadour
2014: The Earth Is 75% Water. Grab A Fork.
2013: Reflection On The Island
2012: Sprinkled
2011: Prized Good Luck Piece
2010: Summer In The City
2009: I Should Get A Job Working The Pole At A Boy Scout Camp
2008: The Flavor Of Life
2007: I’ve Been Everywhere Sunday
2006: Again??? But You Just Got Off The Phone With Her!
2005: A Cow’s Opinion

A Scenic Spill

The Croton Dam, also known as the New Croton Dam, stretches across the Croton River in the town of Croton-On-Hudson, New York.  

The spillway, seen below from Croton Gorge Park, offers a great view of the dam and the spillway. The park is a 97-acre property that offers plenty of space for other outdoor activities.

Isn't New York beautiful?  I miss it daily!

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2023: Sorry, no post on this day.
2022: Sorry, no post on this day.
2021: Sorry, no post on this day.
2020: Sorry, no post on this day.
2019: Sorry, no post on this day.
2018: My New Squeeze
2017: All Tatted Up
2016: Trapping Tourists Since 1965
2015: Selfie In 53
2014: Storm Warning
2013: Another Home Run By Big Ed
2012: A Window On New Mexico
2011: My Man Makes A Mad Meal
2010: Less Is Not More In All Cases
2009: Grain Gone By
2008: The Absolute Beauty Of It
2007: Not Only Did He Pray, He Posed
2006: Camera Phone Coolness
2005: Life Is A Salt Shaker

Serenata In Cucina

My maternal grandfather in the late 1950s playing his guitar in the kitchen.   He was always playing a tune somewhere!

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2023: Sorry, no post on this day.
2022: Sorry, no post on this day.
2021: Sorry, no post on this day.
2020: Sorry, no post on this day.
2019: Sorry, no post on this day.
2018: Daisy Debut
2017: Getting Probed In The Nevada Desert
2016: Texas Hay For Sale
2015: Summer At Ninth And Gansevoort
2014: The Prayer
2013: At Least They Don't Have To Worry About The Fourteen-Foot Bridge Clearance
2012: Ladder 11 To The Rescue
2011: It’s Got Lipstick Written All Over It
2010: Liquid Crack
2009: For All The World To See
2008: Studio Blue
2007: Eddie Tests His Spine Friday
2006: Almost Twenty
2005: Thinking

The Ranger On The Corner

 

This Texas Ranger shrub sits in the yard at the corner house just down the street from us.  I love it and wish we had them in our yard.  It's such a great pop of color in an otherwise bleak and colorless landscape.  

The next time Ed adds plants to our yard, I'm requesting this one!

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2023: Sorry, no post on this day.
2022: Sorry, no post on this day.
2021: Sorry, no post on this day.
2020: Sorry, no post on this day.
2019: Sorry, no post on this day.
2018: It's Life
2017: Rock Hound
2016: The Bronx Terpsichoreans 
2015: Best Shopping Trip Ever
2014: Laying Down The Hot Mix
2013: Yes You Is
2012: Window Shopping In The East Village
2011: Waiting For Someone To Service Me
2010: Rockin’ Rockaholic Haul
2009: Just Don’t Call Me Late For Dinner
2008: In This Case, R & R Means Recumbent And Recuperation
2007: Posthumously Famous In The World Of Cheap Lodging
2006: What Better Reason To Dine Out?
2005: Hudson Valley Summer

The Farmer And His Family

These sculptures are part of The Tin Family, the farmer's son is below.

Created by artist Gary Greff, these sculptures and more can be found along the Enchanted Highway in Regent, North Dakota.

If you have a chance to swing through North Dakota, make this part of your road trip.  It's a fun sight!

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2023: Sorry, no post on this day.
2022: Sorry, no post on this day.
2021: Sorry, no post on this day.
2020: Sorry, no post on this day.
2019: Sorry, no post on this day.
2018: Checking Every Nook And Cranny
2017: Equestrians Crossing Since 1493
2016: We Will Rise
2015: The Whitewashed Domes Of León
2014: Tormenta De Polvo
2013: A Bridge To Baytown
2012: Sometimes We Like To Lay Low
2011: Pick ‘Em Slowly And Gently
2010: Listen, Learn, And Laugh
2009: Where Is Robin Hood When You Need Him?
2008: All American Eddie Friday
2007: A Hippie Dippie Woo Woo Town Sporting Lots Of Leg Hair
2006: Flowering Rocks
2005: The Cool Mom

Sunset Stars

The stars of Texas, backlit by the setting sun.

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2023: Sorry, no post on this day.
2022: Sorry, no post on this day.
2021: Sorry, no post on this day.
2020: Sorry, no post on this day.
2019: Sorry, no post on this day.
2018: Jaune
2017: No Small Adventure
2016: Do What Happy People Do
2015: Te Voglio Bene
2014: Dry Like An Oven
2013: I Saw And I Said
2012: Juicy Driving Treat
2011: Reckless In Rome
2010: Back And Forth, Back And Forth, Back And Forth…
2009: Eddie Enters A Copper Mine Friday
2008: Oshkosh B’Gosh!
2007: Queen Of The 21st Century
2006: Sketchbook

A Mammoth Proposal

Seven years ago today, the best man I've ever met asked me to be his wife.  He proposed at the top of Mammoth Mountain in Mammoth Lakes, California. 

Our first date was twenty years ago on July 21, 2004.  Twenty years! 

And I knew after our first date that I wanted to marry him. 

And then I did.

It only took him thirteen years to pop the question, but better late than never!

I got my man!

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2023: Sorry, no post on this day.
2022: Sorry, no post on this day.
2021: Sorry, no post on this day.
2020: The Day Began With A Burst
2019: Sorry, no post on this day.
2020: Delicioso Since 1969
2021: Monsoon Afternoon
2020: The Day Began With A Burst
2019: Sorry, no post on this day
2018: Sin In The Distance
2017: Often, The Trees Speak To Us
2016: How I'm Feeling Lately
2015: Ed Goes With The Flow
2014: Big Coin Was A Big Hit
2013: Painting The Serengeti
2012: Why Fig Newtons Will Always Be On My Shopping List
2011: Losing The Wallet At Your Convenience
2010: Bridge Over Troubled Roadway
2009: If Only The Streets Were Truly Paved With Gold
2008: She Reigns Supreme
2007: A Match Made In Heaven
2006: Proof
2005: Caped Crusaders

Bound By The Road

Photo courtesy of Bound By The Cloak website

I was recently asked to be interviewed for a podcast called Bound By The Cloak. 

Chandi Guntapalli contacted me because she and her co-host,  Zoe Marshall, wanted to get the perspective of a woman truck driver and tell the story about what we experienced on the road as a truck driver.

I love talking about my job and sharing what happens in my daily life on the road.  Many people seem interested in this profession and don't always know what our days are like.  So Chandi and Zoey asked the questions they were interested in and I answered!

You can listen to my episode HERE.

Enjoy!

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2023: Sorry, no post on this day.
2022: Sorry, no post on this day.
2021: Sorry, no post on this day.
2020: Sorry, no post on this day.
2019: Sorry, no post on this day.
2018: Welcoming Wyoming Wind Power
2017: Not Really A Loop
2016: Food For The Spirit Inside Of You
2015: These Little Piggies Went To Market
2014: Just Another View From The Road
2013: Polly Needs More Than A Cracker. Polly Needs A Roll Cage.
2012: Hats Off To Tits And Ass
2011: Approaching Chi-Town
2010: Paneful Outlook
2009: Gray County Silhouette
2008: This Little Piggy Went To Market
2007: I’ve Been Everywhere Sunday
2006: The Heat Bog
2005: Five

The End Of Another Day

 

They say Arizona has the best sunsets.  This is the one we see from our driveway.  Some days it's very fiery, other days more subtle.  But since the sun inevitably sets every day, we get a good mix.

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2023: Sorry, no post on this day.
2022: Sorry, no post on this day.
2021: Sorry, no post on this day.
2020: Sorry, no post on this day.
2019: Sorry, no post on this day.
2018: Flightless
2017: Halo Of Color
2016: Western Exposure
2015: Heroes And Legends In South Tucson
2014: A Decade Of Love, Travel, And Monkey Business
2013: Thirty-Thousand Square Feet Of Stuff To Spend Money On
2012: Truckin’ With Ed
2011: Way Better Than Seven Years In Tibet
2010: His Charm And Understated Humor Is Totally Contagious
2009: The Creature Comforts Of Home
2008: Checklist
2007: Happy As A Clam
2006: Two Things
2005: Good For Licking

The Land Of Enchantment

 

Somewhere in New Mexico...

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2023: Sorry, no post on this day.
2022: Sorry, no post on this day.
2021: Sorry, no post on this day.
2020: Sorry, no post on this day.
2019: Sorry, no post on this day.
2018: So You Want To Start A Trucking Company?
2017: Shores Lined With Fir
2016: #NeverKale
2015: Blue And Yellow Make Green
2014: An Instagram Glimpse Of Interstate 64
2013: More Fun Than Mr. Potato Head
2012: Triage
2011: They Claim To Have The Most Sky
2010: No Escape
2009: Help Wanted. Must Have Own Cassock.
2008: It’s All An Illuuuuusion
2007: Tipping Point
2006: Snap Decision To A Healthier Life
2005: Lazy Hazy Crazy Days Of Summer

Stormy Skies

 

During the monsoon season in Southern Arizona (June 15 to September 30), we typically get rain every afternoon or early evening.  The wind starts whipping, you might see rain somewhere in the distance, and the skies get a weird, eerie glow.

Then the rain comes, sometimes torrential, soaks every inch of the earth and leaves the air smelling like creosote. 

That's what it's like here during the summer.  Oppressive heat all day, rain in the afternoon, and then a little muggy after the rain.  Rinse and repeat.  Every day.

This is Arizona. 

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2023: Sorry, no post on this day.
2022: Sorry, no post on this day.
2021: Sorry, no post on this day.
2020: Sorry, no post on this day.
2019: Sorry, no post on this day.
2018: Peacocks In The High Desert
2017: The Place Beyond The Pines
2016: He Needs A Personalized Plate
2015: Get Down With Oscar
2014: Embrace The Heat Of Miami
2013: Oh, To Be A Kid
2012: Kind Of Like A Virtual Celebrity Bodyguard
2011: Jack & Jill Went Up A Hill To Fetch Some Aircraft Parts
2010: Live Longer. Live Better. And Be Sure To Have A Devil Dog Once In A While.
2009: How Can You Not Be In Love With The Man Who Invented Kisses?
2008: And We Wonder Why We’re The Fattest Nation On Earth
2007: Star Gazing
2006: Only A Southerner
2005: Do You Take Wolfgang Winkelmeyer To Be Your Lawful Wedded Husband?

Throw The Duck In The Air

I saw this bronze fountain sculpture in Reservoir Park in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.  I'm not sure why she's throwing a duck and has a fish between her feet like a pet dog, and I don't recall seeing a plaque giving an explanation, but she seems really into it.

If you have any idea what this sculpture is called or know what she's supposed to be depicting here, please let me know.

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2023: Sorry, no post on this day.
2022: Sorry, no post on this day.
2021: Sorry, no post on this day.
2020: Sorry, no post on this day.
2019: Sorry, no post on this day.
2018: To Be A Kid Again
2017: Light Traffic
2016: Stop Taking Pictures Of Me
2015: Sooners Have Always Been Takers
2014: The Original Walking Dead
2013: Hey! It's A Million Degrees Outside. Wanna Help Me Move?
2012: Kind Of Like A Virtual Celebrity Bodyguard
2011: Things Are Going Just Swimmingly
2010: A Real Truck Driver Meets A Real Housewife
2009: Stars Glowing, Wine Flowing, Sax Blowing
2008: Western Ed Friday
2007: Salena Kandinsky
2006: Bam! Traumatized.
2005: Swing Low Sweet Chariot

Too Hot For Sitting

 

Patio bench.  Tucson, Arizona.

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2023: Sorry, no post on this day.
2022: Sorry, no post on this day.
2021: Sorry, no post on this day.
2020: Sorry, no post on this day.
2019: Sorry, no post on this day.

2018: A Bolt On Your Head
2017: Man Bun Burrito
2016: Boys And The Barn
2015: Not Your Average Meme
2014: Marine Transport

2013: Italian, French, And Classic Canadian
2012: A Hodgepodge Of Fun
2011: Sleeping Pill In A Swirl
2010: Putting Death On Hold
2009: Eddie Brings A Guest Friday
2008: The Things We Do For Love
2007: A Million Comedians Out Of Work And I’m Lucky Enough To Live With One
2006: Ah, The Primitive Beauty Of The Desert
2005: The Perfect Storm

Boys To Men

 

My youngest nephew turned 21 earlier this year.  My middle nephew turned 24 earlier this month.  And my oldest nephew will be 26 in a few months.

I'm officially old.  

I have been going through old photos and coming across so many of the boys when they were little, like this one.  I remember this day as if it were yesterday.  We were at my brother's house and the boys were all decked out in their motorcycle gear, riding the track my brother built on his three acres.

They were always so excited to ride.  And if I was around, I was the official photographer for the event.  

Now they are all working and living on their own; one in Hawaii, one just a few hours away, and another soon in North Carolina.  They're advancing in their careers, one running his own business and another learning a trade, while the third pursues a medical career caring for and helping others.  I enjoy celebrating the little successes along the way.  

I miss them at this age.  But I'm also so proud to watch them do the things they love most and look forward to the giant bear hugs I get from them when I do get to see them in the flesh!

They certainly do me proud!

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2023: Sorry, no post on this day.
2022: Sorry, no post on this day.
2021: Sorry, no post on this day.
2020: Sorry, no post on this day.
2019: Sorry, no post on this day.
2018: Forty Years And Counting
2017: The Checkpoint Of No Return
2016: Stalemate
2015: If It Won't Fit, Don't Commit!
2014: The Breast Tour He's Ever Been On
2013: Joisey Tomatoes And More
2012: A Very Gradual Climb
2011: Out With The Old, In With The New
2010: Urban Rest Area
2009: Within Striking Distance
2008: An Island Of COWS, Lobsters, And Girls In Imaginary Prairie Dresses
2007: Freakin’ Ewww!
2006: And People Say All The Good Ones Are Taken
2005: Ahhhhh, Bahston

Lemon Garlic Bliss

 

I discovered this post online two years ago when I was looking for a new salad dressing to serve at a dinner I was hosting.  I wanted something new, light, and tasty.  This appealed to me because I love lemon and I love garlic.  And that's two of the four main ingredients. 

Is there anything more delicious than the combination of lemon and garlic?  I think not.  

Well, not only did Ed and I love this dressing, but my dinner guests gushed about it SO much, that I printed a copy of the recipe for her to take home.  She later told me that it was the only dressing she'd been using since that night and that she and her husband loved it.

Trust me, it's truly delicious.

I like more garlic, so rather than rubbing it around the bowl and discarding the garlic clove (blasphemy!), I grate at least two cloves (three if they're small) on my microplane so the pieces of garlic in the dressing are all small and smushy.  Yes, smushy.

Not only have I used this on salad, but I've also used the dressing on chicken, both grilled and baked in the oven.  

If you love lemons and garlic, this is the perfect dressing for you!



INGREDIENTS

½ lemon

1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed

1 spoonful of Dijon mustard

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Good quality extra virgin olive oil

1 head or bunch of salad greens (the freshest you can find), torn into bite-sized pieces if needed

INSTRUCTIONS

Squeeze the juice from ½ lemon into the bottom of a large salad bowl.

Add the garlic, and rub it around the bowl. If you like a mild dressing, you can pull the clove out (I always leave it in).

Whisk in a spoonful of Dijon mustard, and season with salt and pepper. Whisk in olive oil—you’re aiming for about twice as much oil as lemon juice.

Dip a lettuce leaf into the dressing and give it a taste. Adjust the flavorings as desired.

Pile the lettuce leaves into the bowl. If you’re not eating the salad right away, stick the bowl in the fridge (without tossing).

Right before serving, season the greens with salt and pepper, and toss them with the dressing.

Click HERE to print the recipe.

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2023: Sorry, no post on this day.
2022: Sorry, no post on this day.
2021: Sorry, no post on this day.
2020: Sorry, no post on this day.
2019: Sorry, no post on this day.
2018: Summer Desert Flora
2017: Illicit Scrawl
2016: Wake-Up Call
2015: Chippin' It
2014: Dreaming Of A Craftier Life
2013: A Surprise In The Park
2012: A Little Red Water Never Killed Anyone
2011: Instantly Sexy
2010: Natural Light In Waterloo
2009: So, What Brings You To My Neck Of The Blogosphere?
2008: Eternity Is Going To Be SO. MUCH. FUN.
2007: I’ve Been Everywhere Sunday
2006: That Eddie Guy
2005: Pee Bum Head