All The Better To Cook With, My Dear

Ed bought me this fantastic frying pan for Christmas, and although he's been using it more than me lately, it really is fantastic.  When he bought the frying pan, he got a gift certificate to go back and buy something else in the store.  So that's what we did this week.

I wanted to buy everything in the store.  I can go crazy in there.  I swear if I had more room in the truck - or I could convince Ed to give me an entire side box for kitchen gadgetry - we'd be in trouble.  In trouble, but in heaven at the same time.

I walked out of the store with a few new things for the truck kitchen which aren't fancy, but useful.  Next time I go back though, I may not have as much restraint.

And my new gadgets complement my new knife nicely.  


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2013: I Fancy The Castle Life
2012: There Are No Prison Blues If You Have Naan
2011: Now I’m No Longer Alone
2010: Rings Of Spring
2009: Map Schmap
2008: A Willow Weeps In Arizona
2007: Double Team
2006: Turning One Million
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

Sunset Cycling

Today we went on our first bike ride of the year.

We're still home and we've been doing a lot of nothing.  I think I may have mentioned that we watched every RedBox movie available, we've done some shopping, we went to doctors and dentists, and ate out a lot.  Oh, and I finally watched The Grocer's Son, which I've been wanting to see because I'm completely in love with Nicolas Cazalé.

It felt good to be outside today.  It's not hot, so I was happy, and since the sun was setting we only did four miles - a quick loop around the neighborhood.  I actually rode through an area I've never been to, about a mile from my house.  I passed this street a million times in the past 30 years, and I've never driven down it.

At one time, from what I've heard, this was all horse property and ranches.  The houses are all in the $600,000 and up range and all of them has horses - one even had individual open stalls outside, containing at least twenty horses.  And there were quite a few people out exercising their horses - or whatever it's called when they trot them around.

The sun was setting as we headed back to the house, and we were home in time for dinner.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2013: Pit Stop At Home
2012: Adding A Few More Wheels To The Big Rig
2011: Again And Again And Again
2010: Hood Ornament
2009: Eddie Out Of Control Friday
2008: My Boyfriend Simon Is Back In Town
2007: A Little Taste Of Miami Beach
2006: Ooooohhhhhh, Jabra!
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

Strength In Numbers

The WOWs

When my mother lost her husband in October 2011, she joined a support group provided through Hospice.

Within that group, she met other women who had also lost their husbands.  Week after week they'd meet, share (or just listen) to the stories of the others in the group, leaning on each other's words, comforting them if but for a moment, letting them know they were not losing their minds, it was not the end of the world, and they were not alone.

Grief is an extremely powerful emotion.  Even though I've lost all four of my grandparents, and my own father, I didn't realize the grip it had until my mother lost her husband of 32 years, my step-father.  In the immediate aftermath, I didn't recognize my mother.  I could swear she'd stepped off the set of The Walking Dead.  She's different now.  Better, but different.  Although there was that bat-shit crazy stage, which I sometimes still think she's in.  

But the best thing to come out of her loss, if you can even identify a "best thing", are the women she met through the grief support program.

Week after week they'd go for their meetings or individual counseling sessions (provided free of charge through Hospice), and afterwards go for lunch.  It became a regular thing and little by little, more women were added to the core group.

My mother eventually started hosting the group at her house, to celebrate the birthdays of the women, something joyful to fill the sadness, once a month.  The honoree got to sit in the birthday chair - I guess they duked it out if there was more than one that month - while they all ate cake, drank coffee, and talked, laughed, and cried.

After some brainstorming, my mother put it to a vote, and it was decided to call the group the WOWs - Women of Widowhood.  I'd only met two of the WOWs in the past, but today Ed and I got to meet quite a few of the rest since we were still in town and the meeting was taking place at the house.  Usually there are about twelve in attendance, today there were only seven who made it.

I was SO thrilled to finally meet the women who have given my mother such joy.  I even baked a cake for the occasion!  And I wasn't even concerned that they knew LOTS about me - not all of it very flattering - because I have Mina's pixie dust . I wasn't too worried.

I got hugs from everyone, and I'm in love with them all.

Christine smells delicious.  And after she hugged me, I smelled delicious too.  She's incredibly kind, with the joy of a child in her face.  It just lights up.  She reminds me of my Nanny.

Jo gave me the warmest, tightest, longest, best hug I've ever gotten.  She has happy, twinkly eyes, and she's got travel in her blood.  She's been to every state in the nation in an RV, and has traveled the world.  She and her husband even lived in Saudi Arabia for several years.  I can't wait to sit and talk more with her someday!

Jean has a laugh that fills the room and takes over her body.  She jiggles with joy.  She's the second WOW I met, she knows practically every step Ed and I take, and she's my biggest cheerleader.

Diana sat with me right away, showing me pictures of her dog, and of her gorgeous farmhouse in Wisconsin.  I noticed in the photos that there was truck parking, and I think I may have kinda invited myself for a visit.  What?  She's got a barn and a bunkhouse!  There's plenty of room.  And I'm a great houseguest!  

Kristie (with an e!) also hugged me immediately, recognition of who I was in her eyes.  Boy, I wonder what my mother's been telling them??  I didn't have a chance to really chat with her, but as with the other women, I couldn't help but notice how happy they seemed to be among their friends.

Little Jean, the oldest of the group, exuded a calm serenity.  She had the kind of super-soft hands that only come with age, where the skin is like your favorite set of sheets - worn, yet full of a lifetime of dreams.  And she was so tiny, I wanted to put her in my pocket!

And Terry, with her thick New York accent (a good 'ol Brooklyn babe!), reminded me of home.  All we needed was a stoop to sit on, and I'm sure I would have gotten some good stories out of her.

I can see why my mother, and each of these ladies, loves to be in each other's company.  Ed and I left after meeting everyone, because we knew in addition to the joy and laughter they share, there are also personal moments and tears.  It's their thing, their bond, their little world.

They are a formidable group - in the sense of inspiring awe, admiration and wonder.  To look at them, you'd never know of their losses.  You'd never know it's hard for them to eat at the kitchen table, or buy perfume, or listen to certain music without crying.  You'd never know the challenges they've dealt with or hurdles they've crossed.

But they know.

And I know.

And if you were to meet any one of them, you'd know that WOW more than aptly describes them.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2013: Woman Cannot Live On Bread Alone
2012: Why Milk Is ALWAYS At The Top Of My Shopping List
2011: Fun For Sale
2010: Dublin Is Incredibly Corny
2009: Welcome To Snowhio
2008: When Big Hair And Denim Were King
2007: Open 24 Hours
2006: Lucky One Eye
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

The Cockroach Cowboy

Cockroach Cowboy courtesy of Google Images and Ed and his crafty Photoshop skills.

Ed went for allergy testing today.  It was done in the doctor's office, in less than an hour.

The testing was done by dipping the ends of this contraption into the allergen, then placing it on his back in rows.  Once they were all placed, they waited to see what the reaction was to each allergen.

He also got 41 shots in his arm.  Also in rows, with a number at the top of each row written in ink by the nurse.

When the test was finished, we learned he was allergic to several types of weeds, molds, trees, bushes, and dust mites.

And cats.  Suprisingly not dogs, though.

And cockroaches.

And horses.

I don't know how easy it'll be to know when he's around a tree or bush or weed that's going to bother him, since we're not friggin' botantists and I'm pretty sure he doesn't plan to carry a picture around of something he may have a reaction to, and since they only tested for allergens in this area, it's pretty useless considering we travel all over the United States and at any time he may come into contact with one of these things.

He'd have to go for regular visits to get shots, which will eventually cause an immunity to be built up to whatever he has a reaction to.  The thing is, he's not a sneezy, sniffly, watery eye kind of allergic.  It's more of a sinus pressure thing that causes discomfort.  Once we have another meeting with the doctor, we'll know more about how to proceed.

In the meantime, we'll have to keep him away from cats, horses and cockroaches.

I'm pretty sure that won't be a problem.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2013: Slap 'Em Right Up Here, Ma'am
2012: A Documentary In My Head
2011: Weeding Out The Assholes
2010: Does It Fall Under Some Kind Of Secret Guy Code?
2009: Over 140 Million Years In The Making
2008: If “G” Means Good, Then “I” Must Mean Incompetent
2007: Ft. Lauderdale Storm
2006: You Don’t Need Makeup Or Starbucks
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

Field Two

The field number on the fence at my youngest nephew's baseball game.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2013:  We Are A Very Rich, Blessed, Lucky, Fortunate Lot Aren't We?
2012: Passion Creates Pure Art
2011: Reflecting On The Day
2010: Crunching The Numbers
2009: Looking Grand At The Grand Canyon
2008: Overshadowing Government
2007: Miami International
2006: Did You Check The Solenoid?
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

Next Blog, Please

You see up there at the top of the screen....at the very, tippy-top....where it says "next blog" with two arrows?

I don't know who uses this button, and I haven't done it for YEARS, but today I decided to keep paging forward to see what I came across.

You know what I found?

Crap.

I had intended to link to some really cool blogs that I thought I'd be coming across as a result of my devil-may-care clicking.  

I'm sure there are clickers who breeze right by me - Wait!  Stop!!  Come back! - and that's fine.  Can't be everyone's cup of tea.  In the course of my clicking, I found blogs that hadn't been updated (for years!), a disturbing number of religious blogs, a gluten-free cyclist, mommy and daddy blogs with pictures of kids sleeping, eating and I think one who was throwing up.  It was really a disastrous random blog-finding journey.

But then I found this one:

Vito, of Bill's Magical Mystery Tour.  I don't quite get the name, but he rides his bike in the snow!  A bike that has handlebar gloves - or whatever they're called.  Can I love him more??

He apparently rides a LOT - year round - and he's got some pretty amazing pictures of his travels.  He even has one of a really damn big deer.    I'm certainly not at his level of bike riding - mountain trails, lakeside sojourns, snow - but it's inspiring and really makes me look forward to the spring.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2013: My Mother Never Fried Chicken Like This
2012: Shocking
2011: Awesome All-Star
2010: Have Pots And Pans, Will Travel
2009: This One Contains A Young Rider
2008: When She’s Not Sleeping, She Tries To Look Purty
2007: Eddie McSteamy Friday
2006: Pepparkakor Cat
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

The Ninety-Two Year Old Horseman

El Charro Café in Tucson, Arizona, is the nation's oldest Mexican restaurant in continuous operation by the same family.  The original restaurant is located downtown in the El Presidio Neighborhood, where Tucson began as a Spanish Colonial outpost.  Today, they have several locations.  We went to to North location, on our side of town.

I love the decor of the restaurant.  It's a large, open space, with exposed ceilings and private dining areas which can be closed off from the main dining room with the sweep of heavy, ornate curtains.

We've only been to this location once before and I don't remember being impressed with the food, but we thought we'd give it another chance.  And boy, are we glad we did!  The food was fantastic.  

Ed had the Poblano & Carnitas Relleno Bandera Style (carnitas stuffed poblano in Dos Equis tempura with red, white & green sauce) and I created my own platter with one Charro Birria (slow cooked shredded beef, with mild green chile & seasonings) taco, one Carne Seca (marinated lean Angus beef dried in the Sonoran desert, shredded and flash-grilled with green chile, tomato and onions) taco, and one Fresh Corn Tamale.  Every morsel of my plate was amazing.  I usually get a pork tamale but the fresh corn just sounded so...fresh.  And it was amazingly light and full of flavor.

One of my favorite elements in the restaurant is the lighting.  The boxes above, made of punched tin, are awesome.  And the starbursts below.  Wow.  I love them and want one in the truck.

I have my favorite Mexican restaurants in town - my absolute favorite being La Parrilla Suiza - but I'm now adding El Charro to my list.  I'll definitely be going back for their carne seca and birria.

And I like their motto:  We are not the best because we are the oldest.  We are the oldest because we are the best.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2013: Where They Store The Crop Goodies
2012: Inside The Trucker’s Studio
2011: The Next Project
2010: Why Would You Want To Be A Zero When Looking Like This Is Clearly A Plus?
2009: The Giant Dirty Bird Goes Sailing In The Four Corners
2008: Soft Core Porn
2007: Almost Fully Integrated
2006: Downtown Scenery And Deals
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

It's So EXHAUSTing Being Right All The Time

A few weeks ago when we were home, I walked into the kitchen and stopped dead in my tracks.  "Eww.  What's that smell??"  I said.

Ed was making breakfast and he was just getting ready to fry up some bacon.  I picked up the package, smelled it, and said, "That's bad."

"No it's not." he said.

"Yes it is.  It smells disgusting."

He looked at the date and said, "It can't be bad.  It's not even past the date yet."

"Well, it is.  I wouldn't eat it,"  I said.  "But you do what you want."  And I walked away.

He cooked it anyway.  After taking one bite, he realized it was bad.  And because he cooked his eggs in the bacon grease, he had to throw away his entire breakfast.

When I walked through the kitchen and saw his breakfast heaped in the garbage, I had to say it.

"I told you."

Personally, I would have rather he just listened to me and got rid of the bacon right away.  I knew it was bad.  My sniffer told me.  I mean, why would I want him to go through the lengthy process of making breakfast, to possibly eat something that was going to make him sick?  But, sometimes you just can't tell someone what to do.

Even though I try on a regular basis.  Bossiness is - according to others, not me - one of my less desirable personality traits.

Which brings me to the latest sniffing tale.

For several months I've been telling Ed I smell exhaust.  

I didn't know where it was coming from or what was causing it, but I knew I was smelling it.

"That happens when you turn on the defroster," he said.  "It sucks in exhaust from the other cars."

"Um, no.  I've been using the defroster on this truck for almost five years and it has not smelled like exhaust."

"Well, you don't know what you're talking about." he said.

"Well, I know you're not supposed to get asphyxiated when you defrost your windows.  I know that's not supposed to happen."

"It's in your head." he said.

"Um, no...it's in my nose.  I.  Smell.  Exhaust.  IN my nose.  It's coming from somewhere, and it's making me nauseous."

So he looked for it.  Couldn't find anything.  Or maybe it just didn't present itself when he looked.  But as soon as he started driving, if I were sitting up front with him, I'd smell it.

"There it is again.  I don't know how you don't smell that.  It's so strong."

"You're too sensitive." he said.

"I don't know why you're not taking this seriously.  You know how I am with smells.  I can sniff out anything.  You're the one who calls me a bloodhound.  You joked about renting me out to Border Patrol.  Remember??"

Fast forward to this week.  Yesterday we took the truck in for repair.  We had to get new mufflers because the weld on one of them broke.  But that wasn't where the exhaust I was smelling came from - because this weld thing was a new problem.

This afternoon Ed came back from the shop.  I was standing in the kitchen making cookies, and he came in the sliding door with mail in his hand.  He approached slowly and said in a serious tone, "I have something to tell you."  Oh crap.

Then I saw him looking a little sheepish.  Shifting.  I swear he was kicking a patch of imaginary dirt with the toe of his shoe on the other side of the counter.  

He shuffled from one foot to the other and said, "So, uh, I was at the shop.  And the guy said he was checking out the system and he found...um, under the passenger side of the truck...there was a loose clamp.  It was way up underneath.  He said that it was so loose, he's surprised it didn't come off."

"Uh, huh." I said.  "And?"

"Well...it seems there was a leak."

"So I was right?" I said.

"Well..."

"Sounds like the exhaust I was smelling was probably coming from there, huh?" I said.

"Well, I told the guy that my girlfriend kept telling me she was smelling exhaust, and I kept telling her she didn't know what she was talking about, and now I have to go home and tell her she was right.  And the guy said, 'Yeah, I hate that.'"

"So does this mean you'll listen to me in the future when I tell you I hear something not right, or I smell something funny?"  I said.

"Yeah."

"So where's my apology?" I said.

"That was it."

OK.  I'll take that.  


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
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!

Books Are So Much More Interesting Than Guns

This is a new sticker on the window of my local Barnes & Noble, a store I worked at when it first opened over fifteen years ago.  I spend a lot of time in this store, and I can't believe they have to have a "no guns" sticker on the window.  It's a little creepy.

Other than the occasional group of weirdo teenagers walking through after the movies, this is a pretty quiet store, and it's in a good neighborhood.  The cafe is typically filled with old people, students, and people like me who just get a coffee to accompany their stack of magazines.

I don't really know what a sticker like this accomplishes.  I'm pretty sure the guy with the gun isn't going to say, "Oh, crap.  Did you see that sticker?  I can't go in there with this gun."  And unless they're frisking everyone who walks through the doors (which we weren't), how do they even know who has a gun?

Crap.  How am I going to concentrate on my magazines if I now have to look over my shoulder while I'm sipping my latte?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2013:  Contemplating Broccoli Cheddar
2012: I’m Totally Contemplating Thievery
2011: Some People Are Just Fucking Nuts
2010: 7am In Beantown
2009: Eddie Taking A Moment To Enjoy Nature Friday
2008: Pull Up A Chair
2007: Brad Blows
2006: Expressly American
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

Who?

Thanks, National Geographic Photo of the Day.

Don't know what I'd do without you.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2013: Doing A Complete 180
2012: Apple Is My Life. I’m Living It To The Core.
2011: Men (And One Little Man) At Work
2010: Miss Me Like It’s Forever
2009: Speak Already!
2008: On The Hunt
2007: Cash For Life
2006: Nice Melons
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

Ugatz

Lame.

That's my brain this week.

I'm still home.  I haven't done anything worth blogging about, and it's already the seventh day of the year.

I've shopped.  Cooked.  Shopped more.  Returned items I bought.  Went to lunch, dinner, and coffee with a friend.  Rented every RedBox movie we haven't seen yet.  Cleaned out a shed.  Almost had a garage sale.  Did countless loads of laundry - I keep washing the two outfits I go out of the house in.

I am used to having a lot of time on my hands and I've realized that I'm better when my time is limited.  Only because it provides a deadline for me to get whatever things done that I need to do.

We're having mufflers replaced on our truck now.  Waiting for the parts to be delivered.  They're coming from the east coast, and with a third of the country experiencing below zero temperatures, in addition to snow and ice, we're not really sure when they're going to arrive.  They were supposed to be here today.  They're not.

We also got a call today for a load.  Going to California.  We can't go to California anymore and told that to the agent.  They said, "Yeah, that law is really hurting us."  Oh well {{shoulder shrug}}, California obviously doesn't care.  We don't go to California that frequently anyway, so it's not a huge problem for us, and they do care enough to give us about 1,000 miles a year in their state.  Whether we'll use that remains to be seen.

For now, we get the truck mufflers fixed and look for a load to get out of town.  Until then, we sit.  

So, see?  Lameness abounds.

I was thinking about doing a "photo a day" for 2014.  As you can see, I'm seven days behind on that project.  Maybe I'll make it a "photo a month" instead.

I do a lot of thinking on a lot of things, but don't do a lot of doing.  Don't get me wrong, I get a lot done in a day when I'm being productive.

So, yeah, I guess I'm rambling here.  Filling space, trying to think of something exciting to tell you about besides my dentist appointment and my failed garage sale.  But I've got o cazzo.  Look that up - o cozzo - it was a favorite phrase in my family.

Tomorrow, I'll post a lame photo.  Unless something exciting happens between now and then.

Don't hold your breath.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2013:  All The Better To See You With My Dear 
2012: Gratuitous Cute Dog Photo
2011: How To Kill Bees
2010: A Mirage Of Sorts
2009: Clouds Aflame
2008: When You Get One Like This, Don’t Let Him Get Away
2007: A Good Tipper Can Always Get Away With Being A Little Bossy
2006: Like Day And Night In Utah
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

Third Time Is Not A Charm

Second trip to the dentist in two weeks.

I love my dentist, but I'm really not interested in seeing her a third time.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2013: A Sure Sign You're In A Truck Stop
2012: Waiting For The Bell To Ring
2011: You Don’t Need I.D. To Buy Booze If You Have One Of These In Your Pocket
2010: The Pros Slip In And Out With Ease
2009: Mine. All Mine.
2008: No, You Can’t Fly It
2007: Flying Parasols
2006: Seattle In Motion
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

I'm Pretty Sure I Was Born With One

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2013: Gettin' The Juice To Stay On The Move
2012: Light On My Feet. Literally.
2011: We Got Smashed
2010: One Provides Light, The Other Just Stands There
2009: Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are!
2008: C’Mon In
2007: Eddie Hits The Bricks Friday
2006: Take It As It Comes
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

A Room With A View

This is the view from the bedroom of our house.

Yes, those are bars on the window.  Kinda unsettling, huh?

Years ago, this was a popular design feature.  Many houses in the area had them.  They were sort of a status symbol.  If you had bars on your windows, you had enough money to buy bars.  Which I guess would mean you needed the bars.  I didn't then, and don't now, think we "need" bars.  

We've never really considered removing them.  Some people have, when they've upgraded or changed the appearance of the home's exterior.  But, whatever.  You can't help but feel safe in a house with bars on every door and window.
There's no way to get out of the house if you don't have a key.  Every door has a deadbolt and every window has a lock that releases the bars.  They've been there so long, we don't even notice them anymore.  And we're so used to locking the door the minute we come in the house, that if there's a guest in the house and they don't know they need a key to get out, there's always a look of panic that comes over their face when they think, for a split second, that they're trapped.
Those of us with keys have been known to accept bribes.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2013: Is The Coast Clear Yet?
2012: Why So Angry, Birds?
2011: One Hand In The Air For The Empire State
2010: Hitching A Ride From The Frying Pan Into The Fire
2009: Don’t Look AT Me Like That. No, Really. Don’t. You’re Making Me Melt.
2008: A Mid-Winter Pick Me Up
2007: I Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You
2006: How To Get Rid Of Your Girlfriend
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

You're Not Alone

Flashing truckers.

Not that kind.

I'm talking about headlights.

No, not that kind.

A few weeks ago, on one of the trucker social media sites, I was reading about the practice of flashing your headlights at a trucker after they pass you, to let them know the lane is clear for them to move back over.

Comments varied:

"I don't need anyone flashing me.  I know where the goddamned back of my truck is."

"I never use my brights.  Some drivers use their brights.  They should know better."

"These newbies don't know the meaning of courtesy.  Why should I help them drive??"

"I like when someone flashes me over.  I think it's nice."

It went on and on.

I remember when I was younger growing up in New York.  The only time we flashed headlights at other people was to let them know the cops were hiding in the dip over the hill on Route 17.  They always hid there, everyone knew it, but as a courtesy we flashed our lights, to let them know that today, they were definitely there.  When I moved out West, no one did it.  It was weird.

Then I started trucking.

Everyone's seen it, the trucker who flashes his lights to let the other trucker know he's clear and can move over into the slow lane.  Or whatever lane.  Or that he can merge into traffic from an entrance ramp, and the trucker doing the flashing will hang back until they come on over.

We flash the trailer lights, too.  As a thank you.  Once you've passed another driver, after they've given the signal, you give 'em a little flash of your trailer lights - some people use their 4-way flashers - to thank them.

To me, the flash of lights means more than just thanking another driver, or telling them they're clear.

For me, it's about acknowledging our sameness.  That we share the same lifestyle.  To let them know that someone else knows what their experience is and I'm nodding to it.

To say, I see you.

I am you.  


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2013: More Bling Than One Person Can Handle
2012: Instantly Tucson
2011: Start With An Ollie, Finish With A Shred And Grind
2010: Fire In The Sky
2009: Free Advertising For Erectile Dysfunction
2008: High Flame Toni
2007: Ripped From The Headlines
2006: Our Truck Looked Reallllly Good…
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

Because...Perché No?

So that idea lasted one day.  If you haven't been keeping up, I'm talking about the yard sale idea from yesterday.

After getting all the big stuff out of our shed - two truck seats that Ed sold on Ebay, a KingDome unit, A truck tire, extra parts for our trailer, snow chains we don't need, etc. - we had a surprisingly small amount of stuff.  I'd actually be embarrassed to ask people to make the 3-4 turns it would take for them to get to our house from the main road.  Can you imagine....people pulling up expecting good yard sale stuff and then seeing old flip-flops and a few cloudy Tupperware containers?  So I boxed it all up and we're taking it to Goodwill.

And because I don't have any exciting yard sale stories to share with you, I'm going to hit you with a few new Flipboard finds:

Ed has wanted to go to Times Square for New Year's Eve for years.  I've made it 46 years without going and I'm not going to start now.  Some good reasons why.

Banff has been on my list for a long time.  If only I knew how to ski.

Andrew kinda gets around.  I've been to Central Montana, so I can nix that one, but I'm adding Scotland to the list.  Ed has a family clan tartan, or kilt, or crest or something that goes back to the country.  

Fine.  I didn't want to go there anyway.

Do you drink pop, soda, or coke?  And while you're drinking it, do you wear sneakers?  

Oh, the miserable memories.  I'm so glad we didn't do the UPS run this year.  And I'm so glad I'm not one of these yard dogs.  Mostly because I can't back into a hole that fast.

I'm going to retire in the glow of 60-watts.  The future is in light bulbs - I should probably get out and buy a few cases now that the shed has been emptied.

And, one last thing...

Because we all know the Italians know how to do everything better.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2013: The Big Little Giant
2012: All The Color I Need
2011: Bobbin’ Around The Neighborhood
2010: Getting Ready For Bathing Suit Season With Bananas
2009: Ed Happy Little Trees Friday
2008: Sorry, no post on this day.
2007: Forty Two Days
2006: I Should Have Never Had That Last Drink!
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

Good Luck And Prosperity Is On The Way

The first day of the New Year and what are we doing?

Sorting junk.

These are the first two tables of crap we pulled out of our sheds.  I thought we had a lot of stuff to sell but when I started digging around, it didn't seem to be as much as I had remembered.  It was just very unorganized, so looked like more.

We were going to do the Friday, Saturday, Sunday thing but now I think we'll just do a one day junk sale since we don't have enough to sustain three days.  Not that I'd make it that long haggling with people for fifty cents.  Anything that's left over will go to charity.

We'll work on everything a bit more tomorrow and hopefully have everything set up so we can enjoy the rest of the weekend.  Even though the yard sale was my idea, I'm kinda regretting opening my mouth about it.  I don't want to do it anymore.

Our evening ended with my a Southern New Year's Day tradition - Black-Eyed Peas and Cornbread.  Ed's been asking me to make this dish for almost ten years and I never have.  Today he went to the store, bought the black-eyed peas and a ham hock - I've never touched a ham hock in my life, let alone had one in our house - and my mother made him his black-eyed peas and cornbread meal according to Ed's mother's recipe.  He even called his mother to make sure he had it right.

It was pretty good, lots of flavor.  I had a small bowl and some cornbread.

Apparently now that I've eaten them, I'm ensured good luck and prosperity throughout the upcoming year.

I'm just glad I didn't get any loose change in my soup spoon.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2013: As Pure As The Driven Snow
2012: Quiet On The Set
2011: I’d Rather Get A Little Taste Of Mark Ruffalo Than Eat Swiss Chard
2010: Two Very Different Ideas Of Fun
2009: Caution: New Year Ahead!
2008: Fresh Dreams. Clean Slate. High Hopes. New You.
2007: Two Thousand Seven
2006: Happy New Year!
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

I Am Gonna OWN You, 2014!

As I've done for the last several years, I'm wrapping up 2013 with a year-end meme.  Here we go...

1. What did you do in 2013 that you’d never done before?

Got published in an well-respected, world renowned newspaper.  Took a 3-day cruise to the Bahamas which was awarded to Ed in recognition of 10-years of safe driving.  I got asked to write a column - with Ed! - for a brand new digital trucking magazine.  Visited the Outer Banks.  Went to Montreal for a week with friends.  Bought bikes.  

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? 

I don't think I kept any of them, but this year I'm writing my goals down.  My friend says that's a surefire way to make sure they happen.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Not close to me, but my virtual friend in Italy gave birth to a GORGEOUS little girl - Marisa Caterina Fabio.  

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Thankfully, no.  

5. What countries did you visit? 
The Bahamas, for a cruise that Ed was awarded for ten years of safe driving.  And Canada.  How could I forget Canada??  (Thanks, Marlaina!)

6. What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked in 2013? 

More time in the mountains and green states - the ones with lots of grass, four seasons, fall.  Some time in a boat with Ed because I know he really loves that.  And a vacation to do a European River Cruise. 

7. What dates from 2013 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

Meeting and hanging out with Sputter at the Mid-America Trucking Show - because well, she's a trucker, she's a female, and she was in Oprah Magazine!  I will remember May 9th, because that's the day we bought our beautiful new bikes and they've been so much fun.  I've been wanting a bike for SO long and we finally got them and with them, found and rode some very cool bike trails.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Getting published in The Guardian - both the print and online version.  Actually, my friends were more thrilled than I was.  Marlaina is a former journalist and they are both world travelers, so they know the caliber of the publication.  It's so great to have that on my writing resume...if there ever comes a time when I need to use it.  And the best part is a reader named Linda who I met through my blog and who lives in the UK, has sent me the paper version of every issue.  So now I can save them forever!  Very awesome.

9. What was your biggest failure? 

I can't think of one.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? 

Yes!  I had Sciatica.  Holy mother of GOD.  I have never felt such pain in my life.  Excruciating.  No relief.  Couldn't sit or stand comfortably.  Had to alternate positions.  I was pretty miserable.  And it IS something I'd wish on my worst enemy.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

Well, I didn't buy anything special for myself, but Ed bought me a fantastic 12" Calphalon frying pan and a, a new Chef's knife, and an Aerobie AeroPress to make Keurig-like coffee in the truck.  And I bought my mother an iPad Mini.  She's in love and so engrossed, she has forgotten my name.  

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

Who? 

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? 

This question should be changed to just "appalled", because no one's behavior ever depresses me, but I'm frequently appalled at how people act.  From the corn incident to the moron smoking in the fuel island.  There is just an abundance of stupidity out there and it seems I encounter it several times a week.  Stupidity and ignorance is what appalls me.  

14. Where did most of your money go? 

Retirement fund, food, and entertainment.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

This is so hard for me to answer because I don't get so excited about things.  The Guardian thing was and still is a bit exciting for me, and I think the opportunities presented to me because of this job are exciting, and I'm definitely following every lead I can! 

16. What song will always remind you of 2013?

"Electric Feel" by Preston Pohl on The Voice (I love his version), and  "She Keeps Me Warm" by Mary Lambert.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: (a) happier or sadder? (b) thinner or fatter? (c) richer or poorer?

I'm pretty much always happy.  I'm still no thinner.  And I always, always feel rich.  I have what I need, often get what I want, and I have Ed.  That's the richest gift of all.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Take photos and videos.  I might have to deem 2014 the "Year of the Video" because I plan - doesn't mean it's going to happen - but I plan on taking more video of stuff on the road.  My new iPhone has iMovie and by golly, I plan on figuring out how to use it!

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Read the comments sections of trucking websites.  Talk about ignorance and stupidity.    

20. How did you spend Christmas? 

At home in Arizona, with my family and trucking friends, cooking like a madwoman.  

21. Did you fall in love in 2013?

I'm still lovin' on Steady Eddie, but he's the only person on my list.  I tend to love a lot of things - like Amazon Prime - which I use for movies and buying all sorts of things from the comfort of my own home/truck.  It's the best way to shop.

22. What was your favorite TV program?

Still into Nashville, Scandal and Grey's.  I love The Bridge.  And I've added Hostages - oh my God, it's fantastic!  I'm also all caught up on Downton Abbey - through Season Four - which is truly spectacular.  I love it and I'm adding England to my list of countries I must visit.  

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? 

I don't hate any new people, but I have a deep hatred for the dumbing down of our population by idiotic reality TV shows.

24. What was the best book you read? 

Didn't do any actual reading, but I did listen to "The Lost Wife" and enjoyed it.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery? 

Mary Lambert.

26. What did you want and get?

I got a week in Montreal with my friends.  And Ed bought me a new iPhone 5S.  And I'm getting eyelash extensions.  

27. What did you want and not get?

A real vacation, just Ed and I, away from the world.  Looking forward to that happening in 2014.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?

It's never easy to pick one, so I'm listing several.  I love to laugh, so I really liked "The Heat" - Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy make me pee my pants.  "Identity Thief" - again, Melissa McCarthy and one of my favorite actors, Jason Bateman.  "The Internship" - typical Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson, kinda funny.  "Admission" with Paul Rudd.  "We're The Millers".  "The Way Way Back".  And not that you asked, but worst movie?  "Gravity".

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

We were in Port Townsend, Washington for my birthday.  I turned 46 years old.  We explored the area, ate at a few local restaurants, took pictures, and enjoyed our parking spot on the water.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

I don't think there's much.  I was very satisfied this year and didn't really want for anything.  So nothing, really. 

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2013?

When you spend a majority of your day on the road, "fashion" becomes less important as time marches on.  In the truck, I like comfort, so yoga pants and tank tops or t-shirts.  When we go out to dinner, or shopping, or visiting, I have some easy flowy tops and capri pants with little leather ballerinas - black and silver are my staples.  

32. What kept you sane?

Self-entertaining (podcasts/movies/music/TV/books) and naps.  

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

I'm kinda diggin' Pope Frank this year.  I'm not one for liking religious figures, as they're all charlatans in my opinion, but for a Catholic, Pope Francis is really teaching the Christians how to be Christ-like.  And even without the red shoes, he's pretty popular. 

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

Guns.  The fucking guns.  WHAT is the deal??  How many people need to die?  We need to get rid of them.  Soon.  Too many people are dying, and the mass killings are becoming a footnote rather than important news that should be altering the way we live our lives.  

35. Who did you miss?

My father.  This year, with all the cooking I did for both Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, I really missed my father.  He was my first phone call for cooking chat.  I also missed my father's side of the family - my grandparents and my Aunt Jennie and Uncle Lawrence.  They were the last great cooks in the family.  I did call on my aunts and mother, but it's not the same.  It's just not the same.

36. Who was the best new person you met?

People.  I've met people.  All through my blog.  The first is Linda from Irlam, Manchester in the UK - she's the one sending me all the Guardian articles - who found me because she made a transition from the job she was doing into getting her C&E to drive a lorry (big rig) around the UK.

The second is Mick - who found me through the Guardian articles - and who lives in Keswick, Cumbria in the UK - he and I share a connection to the Catskill Mountains in New York which I found out about when he started reading about me on my blog and told me the places he's been and where his family had businesses, etc.  Both him and Linda have graciously extended invites to Ed and I to visit if we're ever in their neck of the woods.  What they might not count on is the fact that we might actually plan to be in their neck of the woods just to get the British Grand Tour!

And the last, which I think I might have met prior to 2013 but don't remember, I just know we've been connecting a little more frequently this year, is BA Norrgard.  She has overhauled her life to live in a tiny home and she's all over the place lately telling people about it.  You can follow her through her blog, A Bed Over My Head.  

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2013.

Wake up happy.  I always wake up happy.  My mother says since I've been a little girl.  I was always joyful in the morning, chatty, arms up and ready to get out of my crib, talking non-stop once I could talk.  Just pure happy.  I'm still that way.  Granted, there is a tendency to go downhill after that, getting annoyed or arguing with my sweet Eddie (going to work on that in 2014) and others I love.  But I still always wake up happy.  And often, when Ed is still in bed, I will blast this tune and dance around the truck in my underwear.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

I don't know how I came across this, or why it was this year, I think it might have been a song I heard on one of the singing shows and when I went to look it up I found the versions by Fantasia and Jennifer Hudson.  They are both amazing.  I'm Here evokes such emotion in me.  Fantastia does that to the song.  It makes me want to cry and shout for joy at the same time.  I don't need a ballad to know I'm beautiful - I just know - but it's always nice for one to have a reminder that they're HERE.  

I believe I have inside of me
Everything that I need to live a bountiful life.
With all the love alive in me,
I’ll stand as tall as the tallest tree.
And I’m
Thankful for each day that I’m given,
Both the easy and hard ones I’m livin’.

And my slogan for the New Year...DEVOTION.




~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2012: Wrapping Up A Year Of Making My Own Sunshine
2011: Later, 2011!
2010: That’s A Wrap!
2009: Out With The Old
2008: Another Year, Another 365 Days
2007: All Good Things Come To An End
2006: The Symphony Of A Thousand Saws
2005: Suicidal Firewood