Nearby Nature

Catalina State Park in Oro Valley, Arizona.  

Home to nearly 5,000 saguaros and desert plants (who's counting these??).  5,500 acres of foothills and canyons offer opportunities for camping, hiking, and bird watching. 

I'm not a hiker, so I just drove up to the mountain and took its picture.  

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2024: So Polite
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: Open Top Touring
2017: A Warm Welcome
2016: Happy Thanksgiving!
2015: Remembering Italy
2014: We Are Not Government Issued
2013: A Railfan Mecca
2012: When I Was A Kid 
2011: Nuts About Thanksgiving
2010: On The Way To Turkey Day
2009: Winding Down For The Big Holiday
2008: Pssst! The Fish Are In The Water. Check The Water.
2007: Elphaba’s Long Lost Sister?
2006: What Boys (And One Girl) Do On Thanksgiving
2005: Cold Turkey

Lily Of The Incas

 

A bouquet of Alstroemeria to welcome Spring.  Ed buys these for me often.  They come in a variety of colors and last a long time, so there's always a little pop of color to bring joy to my kitchen.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2024: The Blue Line
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: Shopping For A New Big House
2018: Meticulous Coloring Of The Eggs
2017: A Fool On The Sidelines
2016: Fools With Heart
2015: On Duty, Not Driving
2014: Big Plates, Small Food
2013: Getting One Answer Right Seems To Be Good Enough
2012: Span Of Blue
2011: Why Don’t Lobsters Have Two Tails??
2010: Ramp It Up
2009: Shouting From The Rooftops 
2008: View From Fifteen
2007: The Sun Before The Storm
2006: This Is No Joke
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

My Mother's Hand

This is my mother's hand.  82 years old.  Lifelong nail-biter.  Gardener.  Watercolor artist.  Diaper changer.  Crocheter.  Master coloring book colorer.  Home cook.  Christmas cookie maker.  Wielder of a wooden spoon.  These hands, this hand, have done a LOT.

What I love about this photo is the way she has the blanket woven between her fingers.  She's been doing this since she was a kid.  When she's sleeping, sitting in her recliner with the silky blanket the cats love, or on a road trip with a lap blanket.  She's always done this and still does.  She likes to rub the fabric between her fingers - bonus points if it's silky, or soft and fuzzy.

For as long as she lives and for a lifetime after, I will always remember her doing this with her hand.  

Next time I see her, I'm going to make sure to hold that hand and remember all the things it has done.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2024: I Drew A Forest
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: Circling The Mosque
2018: Shopping For A New Career
2017: Just The Facts
2016: Blue And Crabby
2015: Drive Less, Make More
2014: While You Were Sleeping
2013: Between Brattleboro And Bennington
2012: Man At Work
2011: Under A Rock
2010: Practicing For Retirement
2009: Truckers Are So Sensitive
2008: Light Sweet Crude
2007: A Antiquing Conundrum
2006: How Can You Not Love This Face?
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

Sun Damaged

 

This is a sign in front of one of the medical buildings I went to.  Look at how the sun has absolutely destroyed this sign!

THIS is why you need to wear sunscreen!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2024: Side Eye
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: Not Your Average Potted Plant
2018: The Sun Sets On The Sea Of Cortez
2017: Metallum Warrior
2016: Woman With Dog
2015: The Supers And More
2014: Objects In Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear
2013: House For Sale: Goats Included
2012: Hanging On By A Thread
2011: Does A Bear Have A Diner In The Woods?
2010: Would You Rather Sit On Your Ass All Day Eating Cheetos And Watching TV, Or Would You Rather See?
2009: The First Bit Of Spring
2008: Pop Secret
2007: The Kind Of Shopping That Makes Me Want To Commit Suicide, Right There In The Middle Of Macy’s
2006: The Benefits Of Memory Loss
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

The Tree Is Tickling The Sky

 

Sunset beyond our driveway.

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2024: Costiera Amalfitana
2023: Sorry, no post on this day.
2022: Sorry, no post on this day.
2021: Sorry, no post on this day.
2020: I See Stupid People
2019: Sick Mountains
2018: A Spin Around Town
2017: A Little To The Right
2016: Around Town In 80 Days
2015: The Gold On The Hill
2014: Be Happy You Don't Have A Bolt In Your Head
2013: Seriously Up To Our Ass In Alligators
2012: Such A Fragrant Sprig!
2011: Coast To Coast
2010: The Joke’s On Us
2009: Eddie Monsignor Starbucks Friday
2008: All The Better To Smell You With, My Dear
2007: Neon Railroad
2006: I Left My Heart…
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

Into The Stratosphere

A view of World View in Tucson, Arizona.  They claim to "set the standard for stratospheric exploration via high-altitude balloons".

Check out what they do here.

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2024: Bee Natural
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: It Took $1000 To Get This Town Named
2018: Go Fish
2017: Flatout New York
2016: Hill Town Transportation
2015: 651 Miles To Go

2014: I May Not Love Your Traffic, But I Do Love You

2013: Astonished That Anyone Could Schedule All Those Things

2012: A World Of Imagination Left Behind

2011: Betty’s Got It Going On

2010: Don’t Miss The Latest On TDR. Today At Eight, Noon, Six, And Midnight

2009: No Hothouse In Sight

2008: ’Till The Cows Come Home

2007: Salt Lake City Special

2006: It’s More Expensive To Say No
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

The Sunny Side Of The Street

Pulling into our neighborhood, the sun was at our back and we were driving toward a stormy mountain as the rain clouds drifted out of the area.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2024: A True Reflection Of The Marquis
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: Go To Your Room!
2018: Beach Boy
2017: Atomic Appetizer
2016: There's Always Time For The World Wide Web
2015: There's Always A Church
2014: The Parking Problems For A Big Rig Never End
2013: Need I Say More?
2012: Despite The Name, This Might Not Be Your Place If You’re Truly Bashful
2011: Then Someone Lit The Flame And Plain Rode Away On Lion’s Mane
2010: It Once Had A Life
2009: Life’s A Planet Beach
2008: I Wasn’t Even Fishing, But I Certainly Got A Great Catch
2007: Royal Air Force Typhoon Blows Into Nellis
2006: This Dandelion Needs Rogaine
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

Dirty Windows In Wikieup

 

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2024: A Snarl In The Valley Of The Sun
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: Hidden Prayer Garden
2018: Picking Peccary
2017: Sometimes Inspiration Comes From Having Cool Tools
2016: Roll On
2015: Adiós
2014: Shades Of SOBE
2013: Set In Stone
2012: How To Make A Mustache Famous
2011: Homemade Dessert Is The Bombe
2010: Olga And Eddie Travel The Country Viking Style
2009: They Say
2008: Eddie Lounges In Cozumel Friday
2007: I Think I’m Dating A Narcoleptic
2006: Groundhog Surprise
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005! 

Custom Design

It's not the prettiest picture, but it is photographic evidence of my sewing skills.

Ed came to me with a problem - deteriorating airbags.

The airbags on our sleeper, like all airbags, are made of rubber.  We have five airbags on the back of our sleeper that you can see here - three in the middle, one on each side.  Over time, with exposure to the environment, road schmutz, chemicals, and sunshine, the rubber deteriorates and the airbags need to be replaced.

What Ed wanted, was a way to shield the airbag from these destructive elements.  He gave me the tarping material he wanted used and asked if I could sew a cover.

Well, I did.  With the measurement of the airbag Ed gave me, I created a little jacket for each airbag.  It was a very simple sewing project - I pleated the material all the way around to create a curved sheath that would hug the airbags, and closed each one with a wide piece of velcro so they'd be easy to remove if needed.

Ed loves them!  And they work.  

I can now check this project off my to-do list!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2024: The Giver Of Much Delight
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: Winter Tree Warning
2018: The Dog From The State Of Sonora
2017: More Like A Submarine Sandwich
2016: Good Stuff, Maynard!
2015: Spiky On The Outside, Sinfully Delicious Inside
2014: The Most Awkward Descent Down A Snow Covered Hill. Ever.
2013: At The Top Of My Favorite Cities List
2012: Not Looking Anymore
2011: There Is Hope
2010: Where The Bunnies Of The Desert Hang Out
2009: The Marion County Shirt Factory Incident
2008: Eddie Roams The Mayan Ruins Friday
2007: Self Service Antiques
2006: Begin At Once
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

Moonrise Kingdom

This picture of the moon rising was taken by our neighbor John, in his backyard.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2024: Wandering The Place Of Deer
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: An Icon Of The Old South
2018: Free Spirits
2017: May Your Guiding Light Be Strong
2016: Rock The Moc
2015: Hustle And Bustle In Ancient Guatemala
2014: The Flakes Got Up Early And Stayed All Day
2013: Headed For A Slow Boat To China
2012: A Roaring Forties Tasmanian Devil Of A Blue
2011: Waiter! There’s A Beer In My Soup!
2010: I’d Rather Go Naked Than Wear Wolf
2009: Eddie Getting His Licks Friday
2008: The Place Is In Ruins
2007: Winter Shadows
2006: The Angels Of The New York D.O.T.
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

Blazing Across The Night Sky

Last night while on a rest break in Bagdad, Arizona, from the side of Highway US-93, we saw the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket!

It launched 23 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, 521 miles from where we sat!  

We’ve seen one of these launches before but the skies are very dark in this part of the state so the visibility was great and seeing it come over the mountain was pretty spectacular. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2024: Personal Space
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: The Worst Bar-B-Q In Texas
2018: Bestie In The Caldera
2017: A Living Snapshot Of Another America
2016: C'mere, Give Me A Hug
2015: La Bufadora And Almejas Gratinadas
2014: In The Nick Of Time
2013: This Business Means Business
2012: A Nodding Donkey On The Hill
2011: What A Croc
2010: Flash Of Pole
2009: They Hire ‘Em Young These Days
2008: Setting Sail At Sunset
2007: Happy Bee
2006: It’s Not Unusual
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

Morning Rush Hour

Back to the grind.

This was the extent of the traffic this morning when we left our  house. About 15 cars ahead of us. 

Here we go, people!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 
2024: Floating Into Victoria
2023: Bienvenido A España!
2022: Sorry, no post on this day.
2021: Sorry, no post on this day.
2020: Sorry, no post on this day.
2019: Moto Cop
2018: ¡Salud!
2017: Eddie On Ice
2016: My God, This Reminds Me Of Why I Love Adele
2015: Making Friends And Dinner Plans
2014: It's So EXHAUSTing Being Right All The Time
2013: A Marriage Of Two Loves
2012: I Love A Man Wearing A Damn Good-Looking Workboot
2011: MMXI At Full Throttle
2010: Maybe There’s A Reason Ed Never Lets Me Out Of The Truck
2009: Napolitos
2008: Pull Up A Chair
2007: The Story Of The Uppity Barista: Otherwise Known As A Texan Gittin’ Above His Raisin’
2006: Rock, Paper, Eddie
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

Shen Yawn

Today we attended Shen Yun at the Linda Ronstadt Music Hall in Tucson, Arizona. 

My friend Kim bought tickets for her and her boyfriend to attend but they were both sick so she gave us her tickets. 

I’d love to be able to say as many nice things about it as these reviews do, but I’m seriously wondering if they saw the same show we did.  

Sure, the dancers are talented. Yes, the costumes are colorful. And the orchestra played as an orchestra does. But the show was boring with a capital B. We left at intermission. An hour was enough. I don’t think I could have made it through the second hour. The guy next to Ed was asleep the entire time. I nodded off a few times, and Ed even said he had some trouble staying awake. 

I read a little about Falun Gong a little before the show, but other than the quick Wikipedia scan, I’d never heard of it. Not AT ALL my kind of people. I’m glad I didn’t give them my money or more of my time. I about the controversy regarding their labor practices. 

During the performance Ed leaned over and whispered in my ear, “They should call this Shen YAWN.”  Best thing I heard the entire hour we sat in that venue. 

On the way out we saw several other people escaping the show. In the elevator we spoke to another couple, asking them if they were there for the gem show - it’s being held at the adjacent convention center - because we saw them holding a pamphlet with gem show info on it, and they said they were also there for Shen Yun. They told us they were from Los Angeles, go to a LOT of performances, and this was the most boring thing they’d ever seen. 

We were not alone. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2024: When Life Gives You Lemon Sailfins
2023: Sorry, no post on this day.
2022: Sorry, no post on this day.
2021: Sorry, no post on this day.
2020: How Deep Is Your Love For New Artists?
2019: Barging Through Downtown
2018: Maybe This Time
2017: Queen Of The Copper Camps
2016: He Ran By And Told Me To Share Links
2015: Heading To Shore
2014: Chocolate And Gnocchi - The Best Of Any World
2013: Looking And Smelling Good Behind The Wheel Of A Big Rig
2012: Necessary Evil
2011: Getting Drunk On Summer Fun
2010: How Is It The Fish Don’t Freeze???
2009: A Meal Even 300 Year Old Monks Would Love
2008: Not A Knock Knock Joke
2007: Eddie Shades Friday
2006: The Idiot And The Box
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

Smokin' Birthday

We went to dinner at Sullivan’s Steakhouse in Tucson, AZ for one of Ed’s many birthday meals this week. He ordered a dry-aged steak and Smoked Old Fashioned.  

This is how the Old Fashioned came to the table - in a box, a sprig of rosemary, a thick peel of an orange, and smoke billowing out before it was served.

Very on trend. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

2024: I Love You

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: Daisy Mae Was Nowhere To Be Found

2018: Beware, Stupid People

2017: A Creator's Paradise

2016: The Naked Truth

2015: True Civilization

2014: Late Afternoon In South Dakota

2013: Farm To Market

2012: Providence Silhouette

2011: We Got Fatter But We Lost Weight

2010: Stripping, Vitamins, And Cheesecake

2009: Ocean Front Crowd

2008: He Wouldn’t Recommend His Wife To Anyone He Knows

2007: Spring Has Sprung In My Hotel Room

2006: High School Hottie

2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

Half A Century In The Books

 

Today is Ed's 50th birthday!!  I've been fortunate to be with him for 20 of those 50 years and I am looking forward to the many years we have ahead of us.

He's been busy during his pre-birthday week and this birthday week. 

Last weekend we were in Las Vegas where he attended a stock market boot camp, visited Sim Coaches, and went to our very first timeshare presentation.  

He went to California for a week with his buddies the week before - spending an entire day at Disneyland going on rides and attending musical shows that our neighbor's son plays in.

And this week he went to Top Golf and had lunch with a friend, tonight we'll have dinner with friends and family, go to another dinner on Sunday with our friends Kim and Brian, and then he'll get to have dinner alone with his beautiful wife, yours truly, at a special place I picked out to celebrate my sweet husband.

Us at The Fontainbleu Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Ed is a man to be celebrated.  He's one of the best humans I've ever known.  He's honest and kind, loving and generous, reliable and hard-working, handy and smart, shares his time and experience with others, is an excellent provider, and has the patience of all the saints combined.  This is not to say that he isn't a pain in the ass at times and that we don't have some very spirited arguments, but overall, he's a blessing in my life and I'm fortunate to have him by my side through everything. 

When it comes down to the most important things, Ed ranks at the top of my list.  I love him, I know he loves me, and I'm thankful to have him in my life.

Later this year we will embark on a grand vacation to celebrate his 50th in style.  We've already started planning!  We haven't been working since June 2024 and plan to head back out on the road next week. 

We've had a great time being home these last nine months; we got a lot done and were able to spend time with the family, fit in a little vacation, and check things off our to-do list,  but we are also looking forward to getting back in the truck for a bit.  

It's nice to end our time home celebrating Ed's milestone birthday.  

Happy birthday, Baby!  You're really a classic now.

Ed with a gift from Cousin Deana

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2024: Hanging Around
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: An Inflatable Party
2018: First Birthday As A Married Man
2017: Established 1975
2016: Happy Birthday, My Sweet Prince!
2015: Celebration At Sea
2014: Winter Baby
2013: Let Me Count The Ways
2012: He’s Been Waiting For This Day For Thirty-Seven Years
2011: Twisted Raoul
2010: The Spring Chicken Celebrates His Big Day
2009: Eddie It’s My Birthday! It’s My Birthday! Friday
2008: As Pisghetti Gains Another Year, I Lose Eight
2007: Happy Birthday My Sweet Eddie!!!
2006: The Many Faces Of Ed
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

Semi-Solitary Confinement

 

Last week I went for an MRI of my cervical spine.  I've been having intermittent numbness in three fingers on my right hand (thumb, pointer, middle).  The doctor thinks it might be something in my neck.  I read that the C5, C6, and C7 vertebrae correspond to those three fingers in the case of numbness, so he might be on to something.  He is a neurologist, after all.  

I always thought people who had anxiety in an MRI machine were just pansies.  I would say, "Why can't you just close your eyes and take a nap?" 

Well, that was before I had to go into an MRI machine.  My first time getting an MRI was after an accident about 6 years ago.  I almost couldn't do it.  I was extremely anxious.  Being slid into that donut shape was horrible.  As a large person, it was very tight.  The top of the machine practically touched my nose.  You might know, they tell you to stay very still, don't move.  Which only makes you want to move more.  All I could think about was moving.  And the fact that I was in a tube. 

I absolutely HATED it.  They even gave me a sedative which didn't work at all.

One of the machines in my area was called an "open" MRI.  It was like two tortillas that you lay between like you're a quesadilla.  I couldn't do that one either because they couldn't close the tortillas enough to get the image.  And then when I went for a cervical spine MRI, they had to put a cage over my head which then wouldn't allow my whole body in the machine because they couldn't get my shoulders in.  It was a nightmare.

So we found a stand-up MRI place in Phoenix.  They have a machine like the one in the photo above.  You can stand up or sit, depending on what body part they are scanning, and the entire area of the machine is open so you don't feel claustrophobic.  In my case, since they were doing my neck, I just sat in the machine, they attached a little collar to me, and I watched TV for thirty minutes while they scanned me.  I still hated it because as a larger person, I was still squished between those two plates and I still couldn't move, but it was less anxiety-producing because nothing was in front of my face and I didn't feel as confined.

I hope this is the last time I have to do one of these.  If I ever have to do it again, I think I'd like them to knock me out.  

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2024: No One Was Run Over By A Reindeer At This Shindig
2023: Sorry, no post on this day.
2022: Sorry, no post on this day.
2021: Sorry, no post on this day.
2020: Yellow Gaze
2019: The Beautiful Cabbage Flower
2018: Waiting In Wilmington
2017: The Wild Life Of Trucking
2016: Special Order
2015: Clooney Was Not At The End Of The Pier
2014: Where They Build Palaces Out Of Corn
2013: Modern Market Girl
2012: A Berry Good Time
2011: Traveling Through Mountain Ranch
2010: Backroads
2009: If Only I Could Fit All Of This Information On A Bumper Sticker…
2008: Gambling Haze
2007: Published
2006: Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!