I Understand...

that with all the pics I posted from Vegas, that folks are having a hard time opening my blog. I am diligently (well, not at the moment because I'm on a lunch break from work) looking to fix that problem.

TWO DAYS POST at a time is my current temporary solution until I can figure out how to do in Photobucket what alot of you do in Flickr. If I can't do it in Photobucket, I will try Flickr.

SO IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR OTHER DAYS.....YOU'LL HAVE TO CHECK MY SIDEBAR AND LOOK AT ARCHIVES.

P.S. This will stay up until I have the solution....so look in archives for anything older than two days worth...
♥Pam

I Say...

CONGRATULATIONS

to Gary aka GKW of Gary's Memories fame. He and Pilot Mom submitted answers to my quiz in the post below. Gary made it in with 21 minutes to spare and Pilot Mom with 11 minutes. "Sorry" to those of you that submitted after the cutoff. Both of you had partial answers and your names were put in a hat and drawn by one of the neighbor kids.
Gary, you have WON a GC to Chili's Restaurant. Might get you a drink or an appetizer some night out with the wife!! I checked to make sure they have them in 'Bama...one is listed in Birmingham and the other in Homewood. I don't know where you live, so I hope it's convenient! If not, I do have an alternate. Let me know

Thank you SO much for playing.

I AM A Trekkie...

and damn proud of it too!! (Hey all you PSH Hunters....it's at the end of this post...)
So, my surprise is that we went to The Star Trek Experience at the Las Vegas Hilton. We went on the Klingon Encounter twice!! Snuck in the second time we did. ;0]
I don't think of myself as a Trekkie. I mean, I've never gone to a convention. But I do have a working (okay, it makes noise anyway) communicator badge. At one skinnier point in my life I looked a lot like Dr. Crusher! But, I was a fan, as were my parents, of Classic Star Trek. I didn't know about or watch TNG (The Next Generation) until I was in college and they had been on the air for 2 or 3 years. Then, I wrote a paper on Leadersip Quality's and used Captain Picard and Commander Riker as examples. Truly, they exemplified the traits and qualities of leadership ROTC was expounding on at the time. Remember, I was a ROTC N*zi and they put me thru college. Anyway, this was the only thing I wanted to do in Vegas. And happily, we went the first night. Had the place to ourselves we did. Many thanks to Bill and Mum for letting me indulge myself the first night in town!! Woohooooo.






Difficult to use a flash...it only projects 10 or 15 ft or so...had use available light which means....slow shutter speed...which means a tad blurry. So these bad boys above, were hanging in the center of the exhibit. Very cool.



Just some shots of the memorabilia on display. They had this timeline along the display area and it incorporates all of the Star Trek TV series and movies into one timeline. That is awesome. I think in busy parts of the season, this display is really just something to keep you occupado while waiting in line for one of two rides. The Borg Experience or The Klingon Encounter. Both are interactive with a "gimble" (?) ride. I just looked up "gimble" and I couldn't find it....it's where you sit in a seat and there is a very large screen encompassing your visual field and the platform that the seats are on, moves....
They use them on movie/tv soundstages and in flight simulators. Anyway, maybe someone out there knows what they are really called and can enlighten all of us.



Two different shots of my boy next to a costume from The Enterprise..(I think) anyone know for sure? I can't be the only Trekkie in blogdom.





Okay, at one time, I sorta looked like Dr. Crusher...but who wouldn't want some of her 'medical instruments'????



More TNG (The Next Generation for all you non Trekkies) stuff. TNG was my favorite even though I grew up on Classic ST.



Okay, let's see who is a Trekkie and who is just a Wanna Be and who is a Clueless.....hehheheeee.
The above shot, although blurry, has Bill standing next to something. What TV episode/Movie was it in? Who was in it?
I got a Gift Certificate for you....all correct answers to either or both questions go in a hat to be drawn tomorrow...Sunday, the 29th at 7pm (1900 hrs) MST. Answer both correct, get two entries.
(PSsstttt. Don't forget to turn your clocks back tonight!!)



Who wants a phaser? I want one for the front of my SUV.....



Another blurry shot of the Enterprises.



Okay, almost any Trekkie will tell you they like that episode where Kirk battles this creature...it's a Gorn, episdoe 18, Arena. I thought he was cute and we matched!! Again, blurry but I like how this came out.



Klingon Stuff.....I know of at least one blogger who likes or would like Klingon stuff...let's see if he comments.



I almost....almost, bought some Tribbles. But I know our dogs would just rip 'em to shreds so...not spending 15 bucks but they did trill and tremble. Soooooo cute.



I had a Hamborger and it was delish!!



Lastly, they had various 'characters' walking around sorta like hosts/hostesses. Bill really wanted his pick with this Klingoness warrior. When she saw the pic, she said it looked like he was having too much fun being choked. Hmmmmm, I see what you mean!!
Okay, that was it. My Vegas pics are done. Hope you enjoyed them.
Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.
♥Pam

I Hunt Safe

Hmmmmm.

What is "Safe" for me? What does it mean to be safe??? Are we ever safe? Too many things swirling in my head. Too many ideas. Too many questions. I can be brave one day and frightened of my shadow the next, not that you would ever know unless you looked reaaaal close.
I think this is "Safe" for me:




This is me at my desk. I feel 'safe' here.
♥Pam

I See Blue

as in BLUE MAN GROUP

and if you want to see what it's like to be at one of their shows....click here and turn up your sound for cryin' out loud!.

This was their Complex Rock Tour. (Yeah, sorry I forgot to tell ya about this show we won tickets for, or should I say Billl won.)

Words...well, they just escape me. Yeah, multimedia is one way to describe them. So many different levels....Be sure to check all four videos on the link above. We got hit with the "tp" as you can see here...

That's my girlfriend Patty...everybody say Hi to Patty!!!

This is what they used....I think...it happened so frickin' fast I dunno....to shoot the "tp" out. SO COOL.

(not bad pics for no flash at a concert with a dig, huh?)

This was such an experience... I truly don't have words. If you get the chance....GO SEE THEM! Yes, it cost a pretty penny. Well, I hafta admit...Bill won these off the radio station in town and they were AWESOME SEATS. Unfortunately, Bill had to work. And is working right now.....Sorry Babe. :0/

Geeky....Funny, Touching...Rockin'.......Cool....

That's about all the words I got.

♥Pam

I Got Pics Of

the Bellagio and some random Vegas shots.
Let's start with the floor shall we? Yesterday I had pics of the tile floor of the Wynn. I know this isn't a contest and I'm certainly no 'judge' but while they both have artistry and talent.....this doesn't quite compare to the Wynn. But...nonetheless, enjoy.


Although I think The Bellagio's atrium was themed better than the Wynn. Like I said, the Wynn, in many ways, replicates The Bellagio's layout. So, here is the atrium or conservatory at The Bellagio.



The hanging leaves were translucent and looked like they were made of glass.



They had air jets, pushing some air at the backend of these ducks to make the water ripple as if they were really in flight.




The last time I was here was in August...I don't believe the mill was here. Could be wrong but I don't believe so. Which means someone had to drag this thing in here and set it up. Whoa.




Another angle.You can see the conservatory roof .



Here's Mum and Bill. Right in front of them is that tile floor I posted up above. In this shot you can see more of those leaves.



Pumpkin's and gourds galore. I remember the large pumpkin on the left weighed around 364 pounds.



Stay off the flowers.....



Another display of pumpkins and gourds.



The Famous Dale Chihuly glass works in the Hotel Registration area of the Bellagio.



Another view of the Dancing Waters in the day time. I have a day time video of the Dancing Waters. Would you like to see it?



Here's Mum posing....while her chorus was in town, they had to be dressed in black and white. When we went to meet her this morning..we didn't recognize her dressed in another color. This is across the street from New York , New York.



It wouldn't be a trip to Vegas without a stop at the Fremont Street Experience. I have video of this but.....I forgot and filmed it in vertical expression/layout. You can't rotate video...fyi..just in case you didn't know that. So, do you want me to post this video anyway?? Let me know.



Yes, this IS a WALL of M&M's. It's so puuuurty. And smells so good in there, although poor Bill seemed to have this woman, with the most horrible BO, follow him around in there....he couldn't wait to get out. If you ever go...this is on the second floor of the store. Yes, three floors of M&M's and M&M merchandise....three floors.....no typo here.



Some posh haute coutre store, in either The Forum at Cesars Palace or at the Shops at the Bellagio. [I'm thinking it's the Bell(aaaah)gio.]



As you can read....this was at the Wynn. Some of you know I used to do cakes, so this totally caught my eye. John...think you could whip one up like this? Nope? Me neither buddy.




Some glittery, shiney stuff. Probably cost more than all our houses put together eh?



Had to get a pic of the Circus Circus sign all lit up. If you want to see the "Vegas Night Lights" you have to go down to Freemont Street. Yeah, there is some of it still on the Strip. But not like on Freemont street. You can take a bus, called The Deuce up and down the strip. As a matter of fact...this is what you will hear..."Have some Fun. Get out of the sun. Ride the Deuce. Two dollars one way, five dollars all day." Over...and over.....and over....and over....an....
Oh, sorry. Put myself in a trance. One thing you want to remember is this: at peak times....several buses may go right by you because they are full. Several. And buses only come every 15 mins or so. And once you are on the bus, you may have to wait at each stop for the nitwits who don't know that you have to have exact change. (Yeah, d'uh people, it's a bus not an ATM) So you could probably walk there faster then riding. Well, after walking up and down the Strip on the concrete...Mum's and my legs were toast. We'd rather sit and wait. What the hell else ya gonna do?

Oh, and one other tip? Take a taxi from the airport. Why? Well it's faster and if memory serves me right..it is about $8.64 (either total or per person). And it takes you right to the door of whatever hotel/casino you are staying at. You don't have to take a 'shuttle' and ride to every frickin' hotel/casino on the Strip. If you are tired and want to get there....take a taxi.



Yeah, I pulled the big knob on the big slot after putting in ONE quarter. No...didn't win anything. I won 10 dollars and lost.....the same. Well, except for the five I dropped in the slots at the airport. And I won $285 but.....Okay.
So, we stayed at Circus Circus, which is very aptly named BTW. I'll tell ya some other day folks. No time for too many details this am. However, because we called a 1-800 number, after seeing an ad on TV for Tahiti Village Time Share, we got to stay for free. Yup. We had to endure a 3 hour presentation but got 3 nights and four days at Circus Circus for free. Plus, 2 tickets to a Comedy show, $200 dollars in free slot play and some other thing....I dunno. Yes, overall it was worth it. 3 nights on the Strip for free!! You betcha. But the free slot money? Well, you only get to keep the money if you win. If you win in one of the following amounts...$500, $1,000, $1,500, $2,000, $2,500 or $5,000. Any other amount was just rolled back into the machine and you could play on it...but not cash out, unless you hit one of the above amounts. Bill would've won $500 had he bet 2 credits instead of 1...1 got him a $250 win. 2 credits would've gotten him a $500 win. Oh well. We didn't really lose anything now did we? We only lost the potential. Not the real thing.



Bill really wanted to see this car. Anyone know what/who it is? It's 'Eleanor'. From "Gone in 60 Seconds". It was on display at the Imperial Hotel on the Strip.


One last parting shot for today (don't forget, surprise tomorrow after PSH) of Paris. I thought about rotating this shot...but I kinda like it at this angle.



I like the way the sun is hitting the top of the tower and giving it a 'glow'. I sure wouldn't mind seeing the real thing someday.

Okay, more tomorrow folks.
♥Pam

I Post Pics

FINALLY...of Vegas.
So, I think you need some backstory.
My mum sings with Sweet Adelines. Her chorus, Sound of New England, won their region so they got to go to International competition which was in Vegas last week. Well, from the 10 to the 14th anyway. We joined her on the 13th and stayed till the 15th.
(BTW...I'm gonna be home all day 'cause we got us some weather.)

We are actually under a "Blizzard Warning". It was just 9 years ago yesterday that we had a blizzard. Hmmmm

View from dining room window Backyard

From the front porch

Anyway

Here are some pics.

We got there, late morning/early afternoon and met my mom. She was across the street from us at the Riveria(directly center of photo). We were at Circus Circus (foreground).

This is a pic of me taking a pic of me, in the ceiling of the Peppermill Restaurant. (And it's a really lame link and does the restaurant no justice at all.) Good food, lots of it and cool interior. Smidgeon on the pricey side but you get so much frickin' food... it's okay. We had been up since a godawful hour (actually, neither of us had been to sleep since the day before...Bill worked and I had stuff that had to be done before we left...) and we hadn't really eaten so this was a good thing.

Then we walked down to the Wynn. The newest hotel in Vegas. I think it is the best of the high end hotels/casinos but I didn't get into the NY or the MGM.
But before I show you those...one of the old Classics of Vegas is being torn down on Wednesday. Yes, November 1st, the Stardust will be demolished.



And while we were walking on the strip, we came across one of these machines. If you remember....it is the same type as the one in "Big". (Which BTW, is 18 years old!! Yah! 18 yrs!)

Anyway, back to the Wynn. The entrance is not flashy. As a matter of fact, it's like an oasis of green and sound. It seems as though there are outdoor speakers every 5 feet...yes, every 5 feet. And a rather sedate entry way compared to Vegas 'standards'. But the lobby is luxurious and whimsical. Here...see for yourself.

These are moving very slowly up and down. I believe they are called parasol chandeliers.
To the right is an exceptionally large window and this next pic shows you the view outside it.



This is a slightly different angle and a better pic, taken from the balconey off the Hotel Registration area.



Stunning water feature. It made me just want to join those copper statues... Notice the water? It was like it was almost ready to come to a roiling boil.

While we are in the Hotel Registration area....here's the flower arrangement on a table in the center of this area.

And a close up.



Again, the whole feel of the Wynn was whimsical. For instance, the floor from the entrance to the exits (except in the casino) is inlaid tile. Exquisite.

(Those are Bill's sexy legs at the top of the photo..hehehe)


And Mum is pointing out something or other....



This tile design matched the carpet in the casino areas and even portions of the ceiling. I will say the inside is laid out almost exactly as the Bellagio. I have some pics of there too. In a bit.

Although I said the entrance was understated...there is this stunning statue of a horse...



Again, I think it's kind of whimsical. That's the word I like to use when I describe this place. The Bellagio is elegant and posh....the Wynn, whimsical.

Lastly, here is the west side of the property....



That's Mum acting all nonchalant. Man...she's the best mom in the world.

Next stop is...
Paris!

This is my fav pic of Paris.



Here is Paris from across the street.



And just inside they were doing a little review of one of their shows...Mum was enthralled because it reminded her of "Chicago", the musical.



I'm not sure what Bill had in his mind but he wanted a pic of himself with the gals...so here it is.

Sorry it came out blurry Honey...*wink, wink...nudge nudge* and that we couldn't find them to take another pic after we figured out it was blurry!!!




The Hotel Registration area for Paris! Paris is fun and opulent. Fun, because the whole main entry way/casino area is like being on a street in Paris, France. Opulent as you will see below.



There were three rows of crystal chandeliers.


The ladies lavatory... I didn't take a pic of the toilettes.....but very opulent.



And, because I'm a goof...



Well, that's enough for today....dontcha think?

Random pics and the Bellagio tomorrow. And a COOL surprise for Saturday!
♥Pam

testing you tube

I Got Video

I Laugh

I am a Snapdragon What Flower Are You?

"Mischief is your middle name, but your first is friend. You are quite the prankster that loves to make other people laugh."

Well, who knew?? Does this sound like moí?

♥Pam

I Sing...

Happy Birthday to Kate

Happy Birthday to you, chachacha

Happy Birthday to you, chachacha

Happy Birthdaaaayyyy dear Kaaaate, chachacha

Happy Birthday to you.

CHACHACHAAAAA

Go wish her felicitations!!!!

I Got A Hodge Podge

of stuff. But first, I want to share this with you. I get Susan Branch's periodic newsletters. They are always delightful. And yesterday was no exception. I opened my email yesterday evening to find this peeking out at me:

♪ Just hear those sleigh bells jin-gle-ing, ring-ting-ting-le-ing, too . . .♪ Come on, it's love-ly weath-er for a Sleigh Ride to-geth-er with YOU ♪
We've had cold weather this week with snow
and the amazing smell of fires in fireplaces. I love this time of year.
Then, I went shopping on her site because, stuff sells out in two days....yes, two days. And I just wanted to share with you one of my favorite things...


I love her artwork, I mean I love watercolors....I love her sensibilities....her humor and her love of family.

Okay, on to the rest of the Hodge Podge....

I have been feeling unsettled. Like stuck in limbo. Here are a list of some of the things that I believe are contributing to this feeling.

1. Certainly my upcoming job switch is a major factor. I feel as if I am leaving so many things unfulfilled in that position. Never having had a chance to do it 'right'. Just when I was starting to get things really solid, it is over. I don't remember if I said this before but the writing was on the wall. My position was going away either because my boss didn't want to fire me but didn't want me in my current position or because she needed to cut the budget. I've always known that when that happened my position was in jeopardy. It's just business. What I don't know and honestly, I'm not sure I want to know is whether or not any of it was influenced at all by my performance. I don't think I could bear to know it if it was. Best not to ask.
2. My/our adopted grandparents are considering moving to NC. Bob and Kay moved in next door to me when I was single and living in my condo. That was over 14 years ago. Bill and I adopted them as grandparents even though they have children younger then us. Over the years we have celebrated anniversaries (their 50th), weddings (ours), holidays and we have helped each other thru many illnesses, house sittings with plant(them) and animal (ours) care. We share meals several times a month and always a game of cards or dominoes. Bill helps them with computer stuff and I'm always there (well mostly) for medical advice and just to keep an eye on them. They are the closest thing to family that we have here. Granted they spent the 'real' holiday's with their 'real' family but we didn't mind. Heck, most of the time, the 'real' holiday found one or both Bill and I working. Anyway, they went to visit one of their daughters last month who returned from being stationed in Italy and are now at Camp LeJune and said their aches and pains seem to disappear while they were there. So they've decided to go stay with their daughter while their son-in-law is deployed to Iraq. If they like it, they will sell their condo and move. I cannot tell you how much that saddens me. Just cracks my heart...truly that is what it feels like it is doing.
3. My mom just performed in Vegas with her Sweet Adelines chorus and announced she was quitting. For more than 25 years she has sung with them. She has a new love....the stage. But that break/change means an opportunity and I reopened the conversation of her moving out here. That means moving my sister, Kass as well. Well, my mother still doesn't want to move. Yet. So we discussed us moving back east. I had said a looooong time ago that if I ever moved back east it would be to VT or NH because I cannot abide southern New England any longer. Too damn many people. But I really want to be closer to my sister. Her medical and mental health problems are too hard to keep on top of long distance. I cannot tell you the guilt I have over not being more involved in her care. And I really want to be closer to my mother. I miss my mom. Lots. Now, if I had my druthers....I'd rather move to Montana but that is just not a feasible option unless we win the lottery because there is no work there for either of us. We have thought about Alaska too but.....I honestly don't think, with my history of depression, that it would be smart to entertain more than a vacation in Alaska. I no longer enjoy living here in the Springs. Too many people and it's starting to feel very crowded. (Claire, you can understand now that they have built those condo's behind is ....it's like being in a fishbowl) *big sigh*
4. The holidays are coming and as much as I ♥LOVE♥ the holidays...lately...it just means work and no family to celebrate with for Bill and I. We invite friends who are also without family to join us but....it's not the same. I feel disconnected. I am tired of working or having to be alone because Bill is working the holiday. I am tired of feeling empty because we have no one to share the holiday with...no children, no brother's or sisters, parents or aunts & uncles and cousins. Just us. Much as we love each other...it seems so empty and so much more so with each passing year. I've lived in the Springs for over 17 years. That's a mighty long time for me. Longest I have ever lived in any town. We've been in this house for over 11 years and that is longer than what I lived in my 'childhood' home. (Moved in when I was almost 7 and left when I was just 18.) While that is an accomplishment in my eyes...it doesn't fill the empty spot in my heart. I want joyous holidays with family. I want a reason to decorate and bake.
5. Finally, some of you may know, certainly Claire knows...I wanted a large family. 6 kids. I wanted to be the Waltons. But...I didn't really want kids until after I met my husband. I mean I may have daydreamed about babies but in reality I was afraid to pass on mental illness or become mentally ill with children in my home. It runs in my family. My relationship with Bill gave me the love and confidence and desire to be a family. Well, I developed severe depression anyway...who knows if that was because I didn't have a family or if I would have developed it regardless. Bill never wanted children. He was very upfront about that when we decided to get married. I still haven't been able to ascertain his real reasons for not wanting children. I think if I were to guess, it would be fear. But I'm not sure of what. Somethings you just can't browbeat your spouse over. We were pregnant once and lost the baby at 7 or 8 weeks. He was more excited about it in some ways than I was but...we never got pregnant again. I don't believe in going to extremes to get pregnant. That's just me. We did everything short of drugs and surgery. I know alot of you are saying...you're only 44 Pam...it's not too late. Well, your right of course. I just don't have a desire to raise children anymore. Heck, I'm struggling with our newest pup, Hank. He is quite the handful. Just about reaching a maximum safety tolerance level with him. He definitely pushes the envelope. So, adopting/fostering is not a solution either. Bill adamantly opposes that option because of the 'baggage' children come with in that situation. I understand that. Although I think he would make an wonderful dad...if you don't want to do it...you can't be and shouldn't be coerced into it.

In reality...as I look at all these things in orange and green .... hehehee.... it looks a lot like a mid life crisis. I don't feel in crisis. I feel just a bit lost. The thing that started all this was my sudden job change. And, I'm just superstitious enough to believe that silly 8 Ball that Gary has on his site. I asked it, while blogging in Montana, if I was ever going to live in Montana....negative response. So I asked it if I was ever going to live in Alaska...negative response. Then I asked about Vermont. Astoundingly positive answer. I went back and asked it (in essence) when and it was this year. Well, I better get crackin' dontcha think??? Bill suggested I ask it if we are staying in CO...the answer was...'very doubtful'. Sheesh...

I know I will get thru this. That's not the problem. And in reality...I don't have a 'problem'. I just feel unsettled. This *mentally looking around town* doesn't feel like home so much. And I really don't want to move back east. It sorta feels like I am giving up if we do that. I know that's silly. Downright ridiculous but....it persists. *Sigh* There is always the possibility that this is hormonal. Heaven knows I'm in perimenopause.

As I reread this...I am hesitating about whether to post it or not. Typically, I don't divulge these things. I keep my cards close. I don't like to look like I'm floundering. Just a protective mechanism. But it certainly feels good to write them. Helps with perspective. I think it's easier to write on my blog than to have a 'journal' or 'diary'. I've always hated the idea of one of those even though I tried several times to have one. Yeah, I'm that goofy.

And another thing niggling in the back of my brain...is the strong desire to talk about Shaklee. To share the things I love about it. With my going back to the field, I will have more time and energy, I hope, to focus on my business...to focus on helping people find better health. I was successful at it before I took this job and then had to let it sit while I figured out what I was doing. 18 months later, I'm just starting to 'get' my job and was looking forward to picking up the reigns again and now I'm looking at a new job. Hopefully, with some minor relearning of paperwork, I can pick up the rhythm of the field quickly and get back to the happy me I was, 18 months ago. I would SOOOOOO love that. I surely do miss that gal. The most grateful thing I can say is...I knew how happy I was and celebrated it every day. Truly I did. It's the most happy...and contented I've ever been in my life. I miss that person.... I want that person back.

Well, all that being said...it's time to wipe away the tears, smooth my clothes, fuss with my hair and put my chin out and my shoulders back and get on with it. As a matter of fact...Debbie Reynolds said it best in "Connie and Carla", "chin up, chest out, it's showtime".

♥Pam
P.S.

Update: here are the questions and answers I got from Gary’s 8 Ball:


Is this a good move to the evening position?
Better Not Tell You Now

am I moving to Vermont?
You May Rely On It

Is my husband coming with me?
Yes

when? (I forgot you can't ask questions like this...d'uh)
My Reply Is No

Will it be in 2007?
Reply Hazy Try Again


Will it be in 2008?
Very Doubtful


Will it be in 2006?
Outlook Good


Will we be moving to Vermont in 2006?
You May Rely On It


Will we remain in Colorado?
Very Doubtful


I know...don't say it...it's just a toy. pppbbbllltttt

I Hunt Dreaming

Today's PSH theme is Dreaming. I know we all use our pets and kids a great deal but....they kinda are a big part of our lives eh??
That's KoKo who was christened thusly, based on the series of books by Lilian Jackson Braun of whom I am a big fan. Her litter mate is named Yum Yum. And unfortunately, they were named before we had ascertained their respective sexes. So, Yum Yum is a boy and KoKo is a girl. *sigh*
Anyway, KoKo likes to lay on the blotter of my desk (when it's not covered in JUNK) while I'm on the computer. Sometimes Mouse lays there too. They try to get in my lap but have learned to settle for the blotter. Maybe I should put a 'cozy' on there for them...little turds.
Have a great weekend all.
Happy Hunting.
♥Pam

I Have One More Week and One More Day

No where near as nice as Leesa can get but it was my only shot of a Stellar Jay. Dang elusive birds.



♥Pam

I Love This

I got this in email...I'm sure a few of you have already and some may still. I can add some more of my own as well. I'll put 'em at the end in italics.

Gotta Be Over 40 to Understand

• Mom used to cut chicken, chop eggs and spread Mayo on the same cutting board with the same knife and no bleach, but we didn't get food poisoning.
• My Mom used to defrost hamburger on the counter AND I used to eat a bite raw sometimes, too.
• Our school sandwiches were wrapped in wax paper, in a brown paper bag, not in icepack coolers, but I can't remember anybody getting e.coli.
• Almost all of us would have rather gone swimming in the lake instead of a pristine pool (talk about boring), no beach closures then.
• The term cell phone would have conjured up a phone in a jail cell, and a pager was the school PA system.
• We all took gym, not PE... And risked permanent injury with a pair of hightop Ked's (only worn in gym) instead of having cross-training athletic shoes with air cushion soles and built-in light reflectors. I can't recall any injuries but they must have happened, because they tell us how much safer we are now....Flunking gym was not an option... Even for stupid kids! I guess PE must be much harder than gym.
• Speaking of school, we all said prayers and sang the National Anthem, and staying in detention after school caught all sorts of negative attention. We must have had horribly damaged psyches.
• What an archaic health system we had then. Remember school nurses? Ours wore a hat and everything, and she could even give you an aspirin for a headache or fever.
• I thought that I was supposed to accomplish something before I was allowed to be proud of myself.
• I just can't recall how bored we were without computers, Play Station, Nintendo, X-box or 270 digital TV cable stations.
• Oh yeah..and where was the Benadryl and sterilization kit when I got that bee sting? I could have been killed!
• We played 'king of the hill' on piles of gravel left on vacant construction sites, and when we got hurt, Mom pulled out the 48-cent bottle of Mercurochrome (kids liked it better because it didn't sting like iodine did) and then we got our butt spanked! Now it's a trip to the emergency room, followed by a 10-day dose of a $49 bottle of antibiotics, and then Mom calls the attorney to sue the contractor for leaving a horribly vicious pile of gravel where it was such a threat.
• We didn't act up at the neighbor's house either, because if we did, we got our butt spanked there, and then we got butt spanked again when we got home.
• I recall Donny Reynolds from next door coming over and doing his tricks on the front stoop, just before he fell off. Little did his Mom know that she could have owned our house. Instead, she picked him up and swatted him for being such a goof.
• It was a neighborhood run amuck.
• To top it off, not a single person I knew had ever been told that they were from a "dysfunctional family". (all the stuff before this next line is not my writing, all the italics is mine.)
• We played outside until the street lights came on and were usually several streets over or in the empty field far from visual or hearing distance from our homes.
• Walked to school by ourselves starting in kindegarten and came home and let ourselves in with a key. Yup...latchkey children.
• Rode bicycles without helmets...I don't ever remember anyone getting hurt. (am I dreaming here...help me out you over forty somethings...)
• We never ate out. EVER. I remember once going to M*Donalds. Very Big Deal. Although, in the summer, we go once a week to the D*iry Queen for a chocolate dipped vanilla cone.
• We also did what we were told, for the most part. I spent hours in the corner on my knees for misbehavior.
• We sat down and ate dinner as a family most nights. Actually spent time talking to each other instead of watching TV.

How could we possibly have known that we needed to get into group therapy and anger management classes? We were obviously so duped by so many societal ills, that we didn't even notice that the entire country wasn't taking Prozac! How did we ever survive?LOVE TO ALL OF US WHO SHARED THIS ERA, AND TO ALL WHO DIDN'T---- SORRY FOR WHAT YOU MISSED. I WOULDN'T TRADE IT FOR ANYTHING

Anyway, thought you might either marvel at the oddity of this or enjoy a trip down memory lane. Got any others you'd like to add?

♥Pam

I Have More Photos of Montana

My ALL TIME FAVORITE VIEW....the Oxbow just outside Grand Teton National Park. Last time I was here I was taking pics of moose about 35 ft away. No moose this time.

Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone NP


Yellowstone Valley, just north of the North Entrance to the park.


A pic of Ellen, taking a pic of me, taking a pic of her while I stood on my front tire to take a pic of a meadow....


Can I just say that I ♥LOVE♥ this porch and I ♥LOVE♥ this dog.....can I, huh?

Sinclair climbs on Ellen's shoulders after one of Ellen's daily soaks in the rejuvination chamber....she's either very brave or very.....

Caramel....smidgeon skittish but so sweet.



Ellen and I meet the Great OS in Butte for lunch....OS would be Osbasso. ;0]

(could I have more gum showing....sheesh)

Our lovely hostess with the mostess our last night on the road....Pilot Mom aka Aunt Claire.

(am I stoopid or what for posting this pic with my doofy/dorky smile???

But Ellen and Aunt Claire are too cute for words.)

Okay...I just have to post a relatively decent shot of myself...yes, I am just that vain.

Okay.....I guess I better get to work...*sigh* More photos later.
♥Pam

I Am a Nerd

I spent some time this evening waiting for something and finally learned how to take photos off my camera phone and send them to myself. So here is a shot of my drive home from work Tuesday eve. You asked for pics of snow...you got it.

Below is a quiz I borrowed from Leesa...."I'm White and Nerdy". Teeeheheee.

Pure Nerd 60 % Nerd, 34% Geek, 43% Dork

For The Record: A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia. A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one. A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions. You scored better than half in Nerd, earning you the title of: Pure Nerd. The times, they are a-changing. It used to be that being exceptionally smart led to being unpopular, which would ultimately lead to picking up all of the traits and tendences associated with the "dork." No-longer. Being smart isn't as socially crippling as it once was, and even more so as you get older: eventually being a Pure Nerd will likely be replaced with the following label: Purely Successful. Congratulations! Thanks Again! -- THE NERD? GEEK? OR DORK? TEST

My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 50% on nerdiness You scored higher than 56% on geekosity You scored higher than 77% on dork points

Link: The Nerd? Geek? or Dork? Test written by donathos on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test

I Got Snow

When I left work last night....1.5 inches at 1730 (5:30pm) but down at our house...maybe 0.25 inches...it's only 5 miles away for cryin' out loud!!
Anyway. I have to drive to Denver to give orientation so I have to scoot.
Here's another shot from MT.

Marble says Hello!!

♥Pam

I Am Dead

I am the walking wounded. Okay. That's a bit dramatic. Okay. It's really overly dramatic. But I am exhausted and have to go to work this afternoon. I have a gazillion things to do. And two and a half days to do it in.
Yeah. November 1st can't come soon enough. (That's when I am supposed to start the new evening on-call position.)

I want this:

"Is the new PENTAX K10D the digital SLR you have been waiting for? With 10.2 megapixel resolution, Shake Reduction, a CCD dust removal system and a weather-resistant body, it just may be! Advanced photography enthusiasts around the world are reveling in the abundant features, great ergonomic feel and affordable price of the PENTAX K10D. Even more, the PENTAX K10D is compatible with more than 24 million PENTAX lenses produced since 1964 "

Why? Well, I've had Pentax's since 1977. I've always had them. But I want to play with it first. I wish I'd played with Leesa's Canon while I was there. D'uh.

And speaking of Leesa...want to see a pic I took while I was up there?

Oh, I've got pics from this weekend but...

Let me just get back to 'normal' first.

♥Pam

I Share This

but I cannot remember nor is it noted anywhere who or where it comes from. My apologies to the author. Please let me know if you know the author and I will be happy to reference them.
I know it is associated with my Shaklee business...it could have come from my training as a Longaberger consultant. In any case...it is good info. Info we all should know. Because, I don't know a single soul who isn't afraid of something. (BTW...I've had enough folks let me know that my blog is too difficult too read with such a dark background so I am trialing some different font colors.)

Overcoming Fear

Fear is something that everyone experiences in many areas of their lives, and the home-based business is no exception. Fear of rejection, fear of making a bad impression, fear of coming across as pushy or uninterested in anything beyond making a sale, fear of the unknown. Whenever one ventures out into unfamiliar territory, one typically feels at least some degree of fear. Yet what is fear?

Fear can be summed up by the acronym False Evidence Appearing Real. It is nothing more than allowing what you believe to be true about the future affects your decisions in the present. Ironically enough, it becomes a self-fulfilling course of action. Focusing on one’s fears to the exclusivity of common sense, as is so often the case, actually serves to create the very situation that you seek to avoid. Thus there truly is nothing to fear but fear itself.

Countless observations of human behavior points to the evidence that what you focus on - what you see happening to yourselves - actually happens. The mind is a powerful tool that can be used to generate the kinds of lives we all want to lead. However, you can run it, or it can run you. You can hold fast to the belief that you can only see failure resulting in your actions, or you can decide, here and now, that you can overcome that belief. You can choose to focus on another result – a positive one.

By choosing to believe that an outcome is going to be positive, you direct the mind to begin working on figuring out how to get there. If you find yourself thinking, “I can’t see how I can possibly get a positive result”, stop yourself for a minute. Imagine you are completing the relatively simple task of crossing the room. What is the very first thing you do before you begin? Do you look at your feet and say “feet, I can’t imagine how you are possibly going to get across the room” or do you look across the room and focus on where you are trying to go? You look across the room, at the destination. Why do you do this? Because looking at the destination allows you to see any possible roadblocks and the best possible path to steer around them. Looking at your feet, you’ll likely fall over the nearest table or chair, which is what you imagined you would do in the first place. Do you see how this relatively simple illustration points out that your success or failure depends on what you are focusing on? It is the same with larger tasks, even if the destination cannot be directly seen with the eyes. It can still be seen with the mind.

One of the most fundamental tasks in the home-based business is talking to people. Without talking to people, especially those we have never met before, it becomes extremely difficult if not impossible to grow a business. After all, you only know so many people right this very minute. If you counted them all up and refused to meet new ones, you would already know how far your business could grow. Wouldn’t you like to know that it could go farther? It can, and another thing that can help is the acronym F.A.Y.C. Forget About Yourself Completely. If you’re worried about how people are perceiving you, consider this: Most people are spending their time worrying about how you are perceiving them. So don’t stress too much about how you are seen. Focus on making those you are talking to comfortable, and easing their fears, and you will find that yours have disappeared in the connection! They will remember you positively because you worried about their fears instead of your own.

I believe that what we need to do when we feel fear in sharing our business is to ask ourselves, "Is it really an anticipation of us feeling uncomfortable because of the unknown, an anticipation of what 'could' happen during our sharing process?" That is not a very fair thought for you to have when thinking about the true purpose of sharing. Just think, “I wonder, is this is someone who could benefit from what I have to say?” There should only be a feeling of possibly helping someone when it comes to sharing.

I hope that was good info for you no matter your walk in life. Enjoy your day.

♥Pam

I Don't Got Much

♥Pam

I Am Back...

and Ellen is on her way home and NOT in a car!!! She's flyin'. I don't think she'll be going on a car trip anytime soon!!! Poor sweetie.

I'm off to work. The last three weeks in this job. :0]

My mum is here, she flew in yesterday and is leaving tomorrow for Vegas. We will join her on Friday...ssshhhhhhhhh. I'm calling in sick on Friday. ;0]

Have pics and other things to load up but....no time to play just now. Off to work and then dinner for company tonight.

♥Pam

I Lament

...it's here. Our last night in paradise. Paradise for me.

We went into a neighboring town about 15 mins away, this afternoon. Bought some of this:

and some chips and Heath Ice Cream Bars. Who knew that we would both love toffee? Ellen's wishing she'd had Mike's instead of Zin. I thought she liked Zin. What do I know?

We've spent the day feeding animals and blogging/emailing and scrapbooking. Well, Ellen did the former and I did the latter. We thought about going up to Glacier NP but....some other time.

Ellen is in the hot tub. Dinner is in the oven, this is what we are having:

Spinach Cheese Enchilada's.

Winding down...getting ready to pack. Making driving plans. Seems so short. So fast. We just got here. Next time I/we housesit, I'll be flying in to Spokane. I enjoyed the drive but....now it's almost as expensive to drive as it is to fly. Unless we get our hybrid.

I hope they come back and are satisfied with how they find things. I hope we don't do something inadvertently. Once, we had someone house/petsit for us and they had the only key at the time and locked the door from the garage into the house.... We had to call a locksmith at 10pm. Lord don't let me do something foolish.

Hope all is well in your world. We are having a right jolly good time. Next time you should join us.

♥Pam

I Got Snipets

Okay...

We woke up to cooler temps and overcast. Good day to stay close to the house and fiddle fart around. Started the woodstove. Did daily am chores. Feed animals-cats, dogs, horses, birds and deer, clean litter boxes. Fill water bowls and troughs.

Then we blogged....Noooo, Really!!

Then we did the spa/facial thing!! Scented, steamed, hand towel to the face. Mineral Masque, then followed up with Enfuselle. Played with Shaklee's Minerelles Makeup. Made our selves geeorgeous...OOOOOoooooo......skin like a baby's bottom. And so purty too!

Then we made cookies.....(owe you a bag of Nestle*s chips Leesa!!) Brock was giving them the once over.

Then we played with Ellen's blog. I showed her how to change her avatar/profile pic. Changed her template and changed it back. Taught her how to use Photobucket. And some easy html...'course that's all I know!!

Then it was time for dinner.
We made this:

Smoky Salmon Pizza
§ 1 can (7-1/2 oz.) Alaska salmon, drained and flaked
§ 1 prepared pizza crust or Italian bread shell (about 12 inches or 16 ounces) (I use two Betty Cr*cker pizza dough packages.)
§ Cooking spray
§ 1 package (3 oz.) cream cheese, softened (if I used the two packages, I use a whole 8oz package of cc)
§ 1/2 cup red onion, thin sliced or chopped green onion* (I always go with the green onion...it's a matter of breath and ease of digestion)
§ 1/2 teaspoon crushed dried red pepper flakes
§ 1-1/2 cups (6 oz.) shredded smoked cheese (Swiss, Cheddar or mozzarella) (I use gouda!!)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place pizza crust on cookie sheet, coat lightly with spray. Spread cream cheese over crust. Add salmon, vegetables, red pepper, and cheese. Bake 10-12 minutes until cheese is melted.
*One cup broccoli florets, microwaved for 1 minute, can be substituted for onions. (I actually add them in addition to the onions)
Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Next time I make this I will add fresh dill to the cream cheese.

Then I looked at my scrapbooking stuff. I didn't pack very well for this. Brought no pens or cutting tools....d'uh. But I organized some things and reviewed layouts and cropped some pics with my mini paper cutter.

I went for a walk down to the crik before starting dinner.

Now...let me tell you some interesting things.....

• Brock and Taylor haven't eaten anything except treat bones since they left. Was starting to get worried. Took the salmon liquid and poured it over their food. GONE. Entire bowl!! No worries there Leesa! Little piglets.
• There's a Bermuda like triangle phenom going on. We cannot find the remote..the black one. We cannot find the large jug used to put out cat food. Disappeared. No idea where. Hopefully they'll show up before we head out. We have looked everywhere..repeatedly.
• You can sit by the windows and Stellar Jays will come up and perch and do all sorts of wonderful things....raise your camera to your face...no matter how slowly....POOF! They vanish.
• Trout feels compelled to hang on the back of your chair and use you as a climbing aid...like a jumar...YIKES. Thank goodness I trimmed his nails the other day.

And to sign off...here's a pic of Brock doing what my dogs do in my truck.

Leesa, do you think ya would miss Brock??? ;0]

♥Pam

I Share My Secret

Arwen asked me for my secret to making pies...well, it ain't no secret. I tell anyone who will listen. I've posted the recipe and my tips below...but like anything Arwen, it just takes practice.

I learned how to do this by making apple pies for Christmas presents while I was in college. I had no money and my college boyfriend’s family had a defunct apple orchard outside of Exeter NH. We gathered all the ‘falls’ and brought back 7 or 8 paper grocery bags full of them, every year. That makes a LOT of pies.. so I got really good at it, if I do say so myself.

I always use glass plates if I can and have several that I have bought at yard/garage sales. I put my marble rolling pin in the freezer the night before. I use a Pampered Chef crust protector and pastry blender. I have had the same cloth for rolling out the dough and only wash it once a year right after the holidays. (FYI, Flour and shortening don’t go ‘bad’. And if you wash it yearly, you get better results from your cloth.) I’ve always used this recipe and this is for a two-crust pie. I usually end up with leftover dough and make little tarts with jelly/jam out of the remainder. It’s a basic Betty Cr*cker recipe and here’s the link. http://www.bettycrocker.com/Recipes/Recipe.aspx?recipeId=35279

Two-Crust Pie
Mix 2 cups flour and 1 teaspoon salt in medium bowl. This is my secret right here: Cut in 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon regular shortening and 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon butter flavored shortening, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with 4 to 6 tablespoons cold water (I fill a glass with ice cubes and water before I start), 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost leaves side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary).
Gather pastry into a ball. Divide in half and shape into 2 flattened rounds on lightly floured surface. (Think large hockey pucks.) Wrap flattened rounds of pastry in plastic wrap and refrigerate about 45 minutes or until dough is firm and cold, yet pliable. This allows the shortening to become slightly firm, which helps make the baked pastry more flaky. If refrigerated longer, let pastry soften slightly before rolling.
Roll one round on lightly floured surface, using floured rolling pin (I use a marble rolling pin that I put into the freezer the night before), into circle 2 inches larger than upside-down 9-inch glass pie plate. Fold pastry into fourths; place in pie plate. Unfold and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side. (I roll the dough onto my rolling pin, works for me.)
Spoon desired filling into pastry-lined pie plate. Roll other round of pastry. Fold into fourths and cut slits so steam can escape. Unfold top pastry over filling; trim overhanging edge 1 inch from rim of plate. Fold and roll top edge under lower edge, pressing on rim to seal; flute as desired. Continue as directed in pie or tart recipe.

Making a pretty pie crust edge would be my next class. I think I will save that for another day.
♥Pam

I Have More Video

The days are flying past....two more and we have to head home. :0/
Here's a quick video of us enjoying Leesa's hot tub. We make sure we are outta there before dark!!



Now, I just want you all to know....that we are very respectful of Leesa's home and property and privacy. We don't want to give you the impression we are Old Ladies Gone Wild. We are actually pretty sedate and just relaxing. Truly!! Giggle alot and squeal, when we see bears but...s'all good.

We went up to Kootenai Falls (be sure to ask Ellen how she remembers to pronounce that correctly!!) My dig camera 1 gig card was full so all my pics are on my 35mm. These are from Ellen's camera.

Taylor, Ellen and Brock enjoy the falls. Such beauty. The color of the water doesn't translate well on to film. We had some moments on the walkway over the train tracks. Neither one of us "do" see-thru stairs very well. They are the kind you find on fire towers. "Don't look down" became our mantra.

Ellen and Brock. Isn't this a great shot of Ellen?

This was dinner last night. Yummy 'Hearty Ham Casserole'. Not much left when we were finished.

Guess who's drinking the milk and who's drinking the water??
♥Pam

Wooohooooooooo

WE SAW A BEAR, WE SAW A BEAR, WE SAW A BEAR, WE SAW A BEAR

Woooohooooo.

At 2219 or 10:19 pm I got up to go to bed...Ellen's on the computer. I went to the front door to turn out the lights and there it was. Black Bear coming up the front steps and on the porch.
"Ellen....." I hissed with URGENCY. "Come right now". The bear continued to climb the stairs and turn to the right so we scooted into Leesa's room and he saw movement thru the window and turned and scooted..

Sorry, no time for pics....This time...I saw the WHOLE bear and not just it's butt.

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG.

I just can't tell you.

I Have A New Job

I had my '21 minute' weekly meeting with my boss last Friday. Just my weekly update. She brought up a suggestion made by a branch manager, wondering if I would be interested in the 'evening on-call nurse' position. This would mean M-F, 2-10 seeing patients and taking call. Call means, I answer the phone, after hours and make emergency visits to patients should they need it. Well, by the post title, you know I've already accepted the position. Let me tell you the pro's and con's.

PRO's:

• I'm out of the corporate/office environment.
• I'll get a company car w/fuel to drive all week.
• I'll carry a caseload and see my own patients.
• I'll be making the same amount of money.
• I'll be working for the same company with most of the same people...in a different capacity.
• I'll be in Colorado Springs.
• I'll still get to do the remote vital sign monitoring program.

CON's:

• I'll still be working for the same company with most of the same people.
• I'll have to be on 'call' Monday - Thursday. This means I won't have Monday's off with my boy anymore, not to mention being on call can suck, for instance, if you have a patient that wasn't taught about call properly and rings you at 2 in the morning because they are constipated.
• I have to share the company car with the weekend nurse.
• I still have to go in to the office every day to do the remote vital sign monitoring program.
• I have to do the plethora of paperwork required for seeing patients. You have absolutely no idea, unless you are a homecare nurse, the volume and repetition of paperwork. None. Nada. Zilch. All because we are a litigous society. So, I have the entire nation to thank for that. I didn't become a nurse to spend a majority of my time charting what I have done, so that in the event that someday, if I'm in court, I can look at my notes and remember WTH I was doing five years ago on such and such date. That's the only reason...well, except in home care. It also generates a bill to the insurance company.
• They want me to project manage periodically when census is low. In other words....I could be the dumping ground if I am not careful.

I guess it's time to move on. I wasn't ready for this and wasn't planning on this for another 2 years or so, but the writing is on the wall. With the company's new software and hardware purchase pending (electronic charting in the field or point of service charting)...MAJOR bucks here....the budget has got to be trimmed. She was already talking redefining my position two weeks ago, come the new year.

I have mixed feelings as you can probably already tell. Normally, I make things happen for myself. I seek out new opps. I request guidance from the universe, who in turn gives me a heads up. Been doing this for years and was actually gearing up for this process. So, I had no forewarning. Sorta feel like I've been played. Not a particulary pleasant feeling.

Well, I can only go forward and hold my head up, my chin out (can't put my chest out any further...I'll fall forward) and my shoulders back. What will be, will be. I will embrace this with caution but with alacrity as well.

Here's me and Chips/Tweet Tweet. Normally, I wouldn't post this as it shows my double chin and my crooked teeth. (yeah, let me point out me faults just in case you didn't notice them for yourself.) I have become quite good at self photography and have realized and employed the benefits of downshots as opposed to upshots. But, what the hey.

♥Pam

I Love Thirteen

Thirteen Things I LOVE About Being In The Mountains

1. The Air- it smells of woodsmoke, pine, moldering leaves, livestock, and finally, a cleanness that you can't seem to find anywhere else. It transports you. It transcends you. It transforms you.
2. The Quiet-generally, you can hear no traffic. You know that noise...it's a low hum that has become such a constant that you can no longer differentiate it from the surrounding noise. No sirens, no dogs barking incessantly, no gunfire at 2 am on a Saturday, no neighbor kids screaching, no bass from some lowrider car/truck. You can hear birds calling. The flap of their wings and chattering. The sound the wind makes as it wafts thru the pine needles. The vocalizations of the squirrels at the invasion in their area from another robber baron squirrel or a cat or a human. And lastly, the newest sound to add to my collection...the loud huff deer make when they want you or another deer to step off. Very funny. They also burp alot. Who knew?
3. The Crush-actually the lack of it. What in the world am I talking about? This is hard to explain. I've tried to before. I feel such a tremendous weight lifted from me when I go to the mountains. Now, most might just shrug this off as being on vacation. I have experienced it several times while going up the pass to Woodland Park or Evergreen while working. It's almost like I feel the thoughts and energy of everyone bearing down on me and when I go to a less populated area....that weight is gone. Now this sounds great, except it doesn't work when I drive east, where there are even fewer people...so? I dunno. But I just feel better, lighter, freer when I'm in the mountains. The first time I felt this palpably was in 1982. I'd been hiking since 1976. I just don't know how to explain the feeling.
4. The Wildlife...of course. I rehabbed Legs for a month. Now, when I first asked Bill about doing this, his first response was...NO. And truly, he now feels this was one of the highlights of our lives...truly. I know you can't make wildlife your pets. That's not the point of being wildlife, yes? Domestication is a very loooooong process. But I so love being close to wildlife. Okay, the bear scared the pee out of me. But I wasn't prepared to have him come by so early...it was barely dark. And a park ranger once had to come tap my shoulder and tell me to get my *ss away from a moose. I am really not that much of a risk taker...I just wasn't paying enough attention because I was all googly eyed. My bad. I know that wildlife can be difficult to cohabitate with. Small dogs and cats become prey. Decorative flowers and bushes may not survive grazing. Property destruction...as seen on Leesa's blog of late. But cohabitating goes both ways. We used to have fox living behind us in the empty field. Now that field is condos. I miss the yip of the mother fox calling to her kits. When we first moved in to our home, we had a doe and two fawns walk thru our back yard. Can't do that now. When I was in the army, a long time ago, I did desert training at Ft. Irwin...before it was Ft. Irwin. I was the only one who saw a family of coyotes....about 6 of them drinking from a temporary water hole. (I know, I swear I'm the only one who goes to the Mojave Desert and it rains...heck it flooded). We were whipping along a surface road around 0530, with the sun not quite up yet and I spotted them in an outcropping just along the side of the road. No time for pics and had we turned around, they'd have been gone. But that pic is permanently etched in my brain. (Where is Robin Williams cutting abilities now??? yeah..obscure movie reference)



5. Peace-I have living proof...me...on why Leesa call's her blog, Peace of My Mind.
6. Sense of Self Reliance-although you have to be self reliant everywhere....you can't run to the store or call a repairman at the drop of a hat. You plan, prepare and make do. More people should learn to do that. Although I see what happens to some who give up. And you don't have to live in the mountains to do that. I have seen houses that would stun you...and not in a good way.
7. The Views-are pretty dang good no matter which direction you turn.
   
8. Rustic Living-I LOVE rustic things. Old rusty things. Rough hewn things. Things made out of other things not originally intended for that purpose. The ingenuity it takes to do this...thinking outside the box... in it's original form.
9. Value of Things-speaking of things...if you have to drive 30 mins or more, or hunt for an hour on the internet for something and when that thing breaks or is no longer working or used up...you're gonna treat that thing with more respect. Because getting it, is not convenient nor inexpensive. When we went logging the other day for firewood with the neighbors, you see the value in careful planning. Gathering the appropriate wood, from sustainable sites for the purpose of heating your home for the winter. Not convenient but somewhat inexpensive in comparison to hiring someone to do this or paying huge electricity bills.
10. Neighbors-nice segue from the above to this one.... We have good neighbors in Colorado Springs. We help each other out. Chip in when something needs doing. Sometimes socialize together and I try to not speak about them behind their backs... That becomes even that more important in rural areas. Your neighbor may be the one who rescues you when you fall off a ladder and have lain on the ground for 2 days. But your neighbor might not have come calling had you and he had a fight over something. On the other hand...lots of things can happen and no one would be the wiser.
11. Remoteness-which leads me to the next thing...remoteness is a good thing for me. I don't want to hear, see or smell my neighbors. I don't want to be totally isolated. I don't think I would move to the Outback of Australia or the wilds of Alaska or Canada. But I have had enough of hearing my neighbors party on their back porch until the wee hours. Enough of gun shots and sirens and road noise. Screaming children and barking dogs. Enough of humanity. I need to heal some. This job has pushed me to my limits and I'm done.
12. No Lights-You can't see the night sky for the lights in a city. Too bad we are so frightened, and rightfully so most times, that we feel the need to have lights on all night long. Such a sad thing in so many ways. Light pollution. *sigh*
13. Me in the Mountains-I like the 'me' I am in the mountains. I like the way I feel. I like the person I think I should be...could be.

Okay, that's it for now. I will be posting another later today or tomorrow. I have a new job. Found out about it on Friday. Very unexpectedly. And from an unexpected source.

♥Pam

I Must Confess

I am turning over this post to Ellen as she is a much better person er...she has a much better perspective on this whole incident....


We knew there was a possibility of bears. We’re in Monfriggintana. High up in the mountains. Bear country. We are invading their territory. The night before Leesa had seen one on the driveway, but no one was awake for her to call out for us to come see. They often wait till night to appear which is the way I want it. I don't want to think that these hungry, soon-to-be-hibernating bears just walk around the grounds like they were at a mall. Actually seeing Leesa’s pictures is good enough for me, but Pam has been dying to see the creatures.

So last night as I was writing on my postcards, a top priority for me, minding my own business, watching cable. This is the perfect vacation. We had already spent far longer than medically advised in the hot tub. And yes, Pam had kept the paintball gun nearby in case the bears appeared and wanted to join us in the tub. They can get in the tub, but hands off my wine. Of course, I was hoping all that white skin would keep them from coming too close. (We Irish girls are really white.) It’s kept many a man away. Why not bears. So we had already relaxed in the hot tub, had some wine, had dinner, and were settling in for a quiet evening in the mountains when Pam decided she needed to check on the horses. Ok, Pam, Leesa has already told us that the bears don’t bother the horses. As a matter of fact, if you are without the paintball gun and a bear comes along, she advised throwing yourself into the corral for protection. Every night we (and I use that term so loosely) are supposed to pick up the cat food so as not to entice the bears any more than they already are. They eat the food Leesa puts down for the deer in whole chunks (and poop it out the same way it goes in as a matter of fact). I can hear them now, “I don’t remember eating corn.” But along with bringing in the cat food, Pam thought it her duty to check on the horses. Don’t ask me why.

Without warning, I hear this incredible noise. At first I think it’s a gun. Pam had already shot off the paintball gun once to let me know what it sounds like. If you ever come up this way and need protection, bring Pam. She kicks butt. (She also knows how to shoot a gun whereas all I know how to do is conjugate verbs, diagram sentences, and type 80 wpm, none of which scares off bears.) Pam assured me later she never shot the gun so I have yet to figure out what that noise was, but it was a loud crash, bang, crack. Before I could look up, this speeding ball of human came whizzing by with a paintball gun in one hand and a mag light in the other. (Think night stick with a light) I have never seen any human run so fast especially while carrying various items in hand like a relay runner in the Olympics. Well, Flo Jo’s got nothing on Pam.

She’s screaming “BEAR BEAR BEAR” as she hurls herself through the door. I notice she isn’t as erect as I would think a sprinter should be in this situation and soon I hear her say, I PEED MY PANTS, as she hurdles her way through the house, hands full of aforementioned items. She is actually running while doubled over with her legs crossed. You just gotta admire that. Should I laugh? Should I scream? Should I get my camera? Should I put down my pen and stop writing postcards? I don’t think I moved off the couch while I started to laugh at my traveling companion’s dilemma. Then I am doubled over at the vision of her racing by me in an attempt to stop the inevitable.

What would possess her to go out to a horse corral at night in bear country? I would never wish any ill will on Pam or anyone, but she finally, after only 2 days in Montana, got her wish. Bears. I don't think she'll be checking on the horses tonight. Just bringing in the catfood at night is danger enough for us. And as you might have recalled from her Trampoline Incident of 2004, Pam has been doing Pilates and only dribbled a little bit in her pj’s. Me? I would have lost it on the front porch at both ends if it had been me running from the bear.

Life in the Montana Mountains. Over and Out.
Redhead Editor

I don't know about you, but I can hardly breathe for laughing so much while reading this. As I said...she had a much better perspective than I, and has a truly gifted way with words. So, if you've finally collected yourself, changed your own underwear, then be sure to tell Ellen what a wonderful story she has written.
♥Pam

I Shrivel

and so would you if you sat in the hot tub for an hour!! But it was so awesome. Wish you were here....and there was no jello, no diving and no speedo's. Wine, Paint Ball Guns and Old lady one piece suits, but no speedo's. ;0]




So.......who's feet are these??? Got two choices. Prizes may be involved here.
♥Pam

I Love Spaz

Here is Spaz...so sweet and friendly. Wanting to share my 'desk' as it were.

We've spent the whole day, so far, hanging out and blogging, emailing. Maybe we'll actually go 'sploring tomorrow. Right now, we're headed for the hot tub!!! For real!

♥Pam

I Made Pie

at home, before I left but am just now getting a chance to load it.
Vitals-
Blueberry
Organic
Homemade crust, my speciality

Here's the proof!! We are here...and so was Leesa!!

Ellen to the left of me, Leesa to the right, here I am, stuck in the middle....

ahh I couldn't resist.

I FINALLY Got It to Post

Here's a little video I put together for your enjoyment. Today is YouTubesday. Check out Stacie's new meme.



Okay, Dropshots won't load the whole thing. Youtube won't embed in the blog....ARRRRGGHH
So, you'll have to go here to see the whole thing. I'm so sorry folks. :0/


Let me just tell you, I'm very close to chucking this frickin' laptop out the window. I enjoy making videos. I enjoy using Micr*soft Windows Movie Maker until I have to find someone to host it. It's not an intuitive process. At least not for me. Thanks Michael, for your help. Now, I am going to have to download a program I can use to edit my pics because they are so huge that you can't load them somewhere and post them. Yes, I could shrink them in my camera....too much work. So, we are having a relaxing time. Both of us blogging, emailing and visiting with the cats and dogs. Feeding the horses and the deer. More pics to come....I hope. Unless I go laptop chunking.

♥Pam

I Dally

As in Dilly dally....

A meme I borrowed from Denny. (I'm furiously trying to problem solve putting my Micr*soft Windows Movie Maker video up for YouTubesday...so....hang in there.)

Are you happy/satisfied with your blog with it's content and look? Does your family know about your blog?
I am very satisfied with my blog. I have TNChick to thank for that. I've realy enjoyed changing colors and header for the colder months and then coming back to my African Daisy's in spring. My husband reads my blog occasionally. So does me mum and she posts. She's 'lakelady'. My Aunt Patty sent me an email a while back that said she reads and that she has a handsome nephew. (hubba-hubba Bill!) My cousins know about it and I know I sent it to my dad 'cause he's seen Legs but I don't know if he reads.

Do you feel embarrassed to let your friends know about your blog or you just consider it as a private thing?
Oh, heck no! I tell and show anyone, who will sit still long enough, about my blog. In a lot of ways...there isn't much private to my life but in others I am very private. It's actually something I've just learned about myself.

Did blogs cause positive changes in your thoughts?
Absolutely. Not just my thoughts either. Wenchy is an amazing woman and quite a riot as well. If it weren't for her I'd be seriously wigging out about my 'brain freezes'. Leesa and Laura reawakened my love for photography. Stacey the PQ made me remember how to flirt and keep that part of my person alive. There are so many others. I will see if I can do justice to all of my friends in blog land.
Claire brought me into this world (heheheee) and she will always be a special person in my life no matter how old we get or how far apart we live. I read her daily for vicariously living motherhood. She introduced me to her Aunt Claire, AC, who is like a sister. I can't wait to meet her someday soon. I look at life differently since I met Terry. He is a fascinating person and I hope to meet him next year when I'm in Nashville. I have a big ole blog crush on Colin. I used to think I could write until I read his words...silly rabbit (me). I also love how much he wants to be a father. How incredible is that? The Michaels...ABAHB and RMT, have stretched my mind in different directions which is a profound thing. Ellen, is my twin in so many ways. She is smart and funny and wise. Be sure to send your condolences to her...she has to spend the week with me!! Stacie, my airborne, hiking, Longaberger loving nut also makes me feel like a twin. And then there are some new friends that have opened my eyes and my heart...MB, Autumn, Silent One, Jennifer at Sob'ah, Janet- FOS and Willowtree, Ree, Denny and Julie. There have been some that have come and gone. Those are the ones I learned a lot from. People I wanted to be friends with but we never quite meshed in a syncopatic way. Stuggling thru those times helped me to come out on the other side a much more whole person. For them I am eternally gratefull, specifically Wendy and Shephard.
And the rest of you that I am still getting to know.

Do you only open the blogs of those who comment on your blog or you love to go and discover more by yourself? Oh now...I love to discover new places. Frog my Blog helped me there. As did Leesa and Laura's blogrolls in the beginning. But I usually don't just hop over to someone's place...I usually link from someone I know. I tried searching once and it didn't have the same feel.

What does visitors counter mean to you? Do you care about putting it in your blog? Ah, this topic, I found out, has a somewhat controversial nature. I originally like the idea of a stat counter. Once I found out about it, I put one up and looked at it weekly. But then, I started hearing about a blogger who wigged out about who was visiting their blog and it kinda soured me on the idea. And I lost interest. I really don't care who comes. Really and truly. I don't have a hidden one. I am not obsessed in who reads or visits and who doesn't. That's not to say I am not interested in my readers. I love comments. Good and bad.

Did you try to imagine your fellow bloggers and give them real pictures?
No. But it is important for me to know where they are in the world. I especially like to see them at their computer. I don't necessarily need to see their face.

Admit. Do you think there is a real benefit for blogging?
Hell yeah! Hello??

Do you think that bloggers society is isolated from real world or interacts with events? Some of both.

Does criticism annoy you or do you feel it's a normal thing?
Depends entirely on the delivery.

Do you fear of some political blogs and avoid them? Well, not the best worded question...and I don't feel like talking politics at the moment. I don't seek out political commentaries but I like current events.

Did you get shocked by the arrest of some bloggers? Have no clue what in the wide world of the internet this is referrrig to. Now I will have to go google it.

Did you think about what will happen to your blog after you die? Ahhhhh, STOP being updated?

What do you like to hear? What's the song you like to put its link in your blog?
Ah, hadn't thought about it. Don't have an answer. I love a lot of eclectic music. Flamenco, western, folk, classical...see my profile.

I Have Pics for You

Bull Elk in Yellowstone

Just west of Pinedale WY

I One Tired Chica

But very happy to be in Montana. We fiddle farted around in Grand Teton NP and Yellowstone NP. We saw Bison and Elk in the parks. We saw lots of deer on the last stretch of road up to Leesa's. We stopped in to see Old Faithful go off and toured around Mammoth Hot Springs.

We laughed and giggled and talked and sang. Ah, yeah....we sang. I'm not telling you what we sang, because I'll start laughing again. But my hinney is tired and my neck and shoulders are tight but otherwise it was good traveling. The deer did scare the crap outta me though....I had my eyes peeled for them. I have had the pleasure of hitting a deer before and in no uncertain terms, let me say that I do not want to repeat the experience.

Leesa and her hubby are wonderful and I'm glad I/we get to visit tomorrow before they head off to D.C. on Tuesday.

Speaking of Tuesday, I have a great, well, I have a You Tubesday video. And lots of pics from the trip.
There's a small part of me that feels this is all so surreal. Mostly, it feels amazing and very special. I'm One Tired Chica but also One Blessed Chica.

♥Pam