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‘The Lives We Live’ A Reality Show – HEROES: Series Finale

The final three. What innovation. Congrats to all for getting to the final round. Of course, HERE, I’m going to ask you to cast your vote for James Foster. My artist. My best friend. My future husband.

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Tags: art, artists, kkk, Love, Stetson kennedy, vote, writing

An awful haboob thrust itself through our town this evening – luckily (insert sarcasm here) it happened as I was driving home. I could see clear skies to the left and the right of me, but the bulk of the onslaught was ahead of me.

A ‘haboob’ by the way, is a WALL of a dust storm. Insane. And it comes here in monsoon season. Here’s a picture of it from someone elses point of view.

The devastation around it? I’ll finally give my location up and say, it was from the Willow fire. (google it)

Someone I care for has a brother who lost his home and all its contents to this fire.

We watched it for two days – it was dangerously close.

I digress.

I’m driving home – in a new-to-me car (Yes, I finally decided I was hemorrhaging money and if it totally gave out I would have NO bargaining power. )

Here’s the new car.

I didn’t pick it. I don’t care about cars. I DID research it’s reliability which is ALL I cared about. The dealer decided for me. Based on my budget. Beggars cannot be choosers. It’s a 5 speed, which is fun, considering I mentioned in a previous post how I missed a stick shift.

All I know, is when I wake up and have to go anywhere, I can get there – and get back.

Someone asked me today “Are you excited about your new car?????” And yeah, I kinda am. But, not in the way that we used to wash our first car within an inch of its life and bought extras for it. I’m just SO grateful to have a RELIABLE vehicle.

Does that mean I’m a ‘grown up’ now? Or, a non-materialistic chick? I don’t know. All I know is I’m happy to know there are only 33,000 miles on it and I can get where I need to be.

ANYWAY! I’m driving home, and the plan was, go grocery shopping. Heck no, not in those conditions. It passed quickly. Sprinkles happened. We’ve decided to go early in the a.m.

I could NOT see 10 feet in front of me. Crazy. Someone flashed their lights at me, and it could very well be because I still don’t know how to handle the ‘automatic lights’ and maybe I was on high beams. I’m learning.

Back to the haboob.

I arrived home – and things just don’t feel right. I feel awful for my honey. Stuck at home. Probably (hopefully) excited that I AM home – and I have nothing to give for at least an hour. I have to decompress.

He’s working so hard on his art – and the current competition he’s in.

But who doesn’t want to leave when they want to leave??

No one.

That’s who.

Nic asked me “WHY did you get a 5 speed??? What if I have to drive you somewhere in an emergency??”

Me: Learn stick.

But the thing is – my honey needs to escape.

As trapped and blinded as I was by the desert, I’m sure he feels that everyday.

We’ll fix this. Somehow.

Posted on August 14, 2015 | Link

The Menagerie – and the wounds.

Aug 3

Posted by debaucherysoup

My parents cool deck needs some work. They do what they can, but I came out of a day of swimming looking like I’ve been beaten up. I had to explain each wound to my co-workers.

No, he doesn’t hit me.

No, this isn’t a ‘sex’ wound.

No, I didn’t fall down.

I DID take full advantage of the pool. But the coating on the side is like cut glass – and when they’ve spent as much as they have getting the INSIDE suitable for water and swimming, who could blame them for waiting on ‘aesthetics’?

Not me.

But I suffered. Every knuckle. Every knee. Every arm that hung onto the side to chat, then turn to respond to someone – injured. I can LOOK at something and be injured by it. It’s ridiculous. I bruise so easily.

I bleed easily too.

I will not speak of that night. Let’s just say, 95% of it was freaking awesome, and the other 5%? Well, when you have people imbibing and that love one another – shite happens. Because we feel safe being ourselves.

And sometimes ourselves isn’t who we want to be.

Then there was the ‘plank off’ which I INSISTED on – although my very fit mom told me was not a great idea. My core is still hurting today. LOL!

Here’s some pics from the party, then we’ll get to the menagerie.

Fun time was had by all – until it wasn’t a fun time.

I have GOT to learn to let go.

To appreciate what I have and quit living in the past.

ANYWAY – this thing showed up ….

Did I NOT tell Nic “no more critters???”

So, now he has like a dozen fish – a hamster (the first critter, whose name is Scarelett, but forever I will call ‘Scratchy’.) Now a Guinea Pig who looks at me with sad eyes.

I thought tonight, ‘Eff it!’ and brought Butters in. Let her explore the new smell.

She did great! But then … Draper marched in – and I, in my ninja, stupid, only human mode did a tuck and roll onto the floor I’ve only seen in movies.

Was enough to alarm the cat who I’m sure was thinking “What the ‘F’ is she DOING??????” And I twisted my toe.

SO unnecessarily twisted my toe. Add that to the injury list. LOL!

Sorry Paltrow, I can never be a body double, because I maim myself just LOOKING at something.

Animals are settled for the night.

Nic is gone, because he’s saying ‘bye for now’ to his true love going back to college out-of-state – and I have my honey working his arse off for his art.

And wounds.

Wounds I couldn’t let go that 5% of the night.

And very visible wounds I can’t stop saying ‘ouch!’ to today.

Posted in Humor, Love, Motherhood, Uncategorized

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Tags: humor, injuries, Love, motherhood, party, Pets

Haboob and gratitude

Jul 30

Posted by debaucherysoup

Him: “Let’s go in, it’s really starting to come down.”

Me: “Oh my God, I just had a flash forward … is this us at 80? ‘It’s really comin’ down honey’.”

But when did we become this?

Not ‘we’ as in my honey and I, but ‘we’ meaning … I guess me and my age? Or, the anonymous ‘they’ at my age?

I was always taught by my mother “You’re not made of sugar, you won’t melt.”

I loved that.

I love the rain.

I love the sulphur scent – the asphalt and dirt kicking their unique fragrance into the air.

I love the misting on my body. Especially in the desert.

Love watching the lightning.

Bracing myself for the BOOM! of thunder.

As a result, and probably because I don’t wear a ton of makeup, I’m not afraid to get caught in the rain. (And yes, Pina Coladas and making love at midnight are nice too.)

____________________

I’ll cut to the quick – it’s almost 3 weeks since I’ve had my car.

Today, a dear friend and her husband loaned me their ‘beater’ which is anything but. It’s a trustworthy Toyota.

I was told to go home when a haboob presented itself – crossing the river.

(I did end up getting caught in it, which was bonkers.)

Was nice to be able to just go home – in juxtaposition to yesterday when I waited two hours after work for my son to get off of work and collect me.

Without a car, I feel so impotent.

But then I focused on the good.

That someone WAS coming – that I had a home to go home to bone tired.

That I was safe waiting where I was.

And knowing that NOW, finally, the mechanics are on my side (I really don’t want to go into that whole story, just know, it’s at least a ginormous post worth of negativity – and I don’t need negativity right now.)

Another part has been ordered, I was even offered a cell number to one of the owners and was offered use of his extra car.

Things are looking up.

And tomorrow is my honey’s birthday. SO glad he was born. And I’m gonna go sit back out in the rain – because life is beautiful.

Friends are too.

And here’s an old favorite of mine to put you in my rainy, yet grateful mood. Song is apropos for the time I spent looking for Jim to be back in my life too. God, how I missed him.

Posted in Gratitude, Love, Uncategorized

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Tags: cars, Desert storms, Haboob, Love, Pina Coladas, rain

T.G.I.F!

Jul 17

Posted by debaucherysoup

Today was bonkers – in a good way. If it’s bonkers, it means we’re busy at work. Which is always a very good thing in real estate.

But after staring at my computer screen, with my only break being cleaning the bathroom and collecting the trash – which, was a reprieve, I was done by 3:30 mentally, and completely grumpy – which, I owned.

At one point, one of the owners who was playing music asked “Everyone ok with this?” I’ll be honest. I always am. And, side note, I love everyone I work with – but to me, it was elevator music, and with my grumpy, I quipped without thinking, “I’m just waiting for the Macy’s girl to spritz me with perfume.” Which, got a laugh. And that was nice.

Car is still out of commission – it needs a new PCM. *sigh* $$$

Won’t be ready until middle-to-end of next week.

New PCM is coming from New Hampshire.

Then they have to ‘flash’ it. Poor PCM. I hope it isn’t traumatized.

The great thing is, my son has totally stepped up and taken me to work and picked me up. Reminded me of taking him to school, and that very rare one on one opportunity to just ‘hang’. We chatted, listened to the only music I introduced him to that he loves, Dave Matthews Band – and spent time together. I have cherished this. I have missed my kid. Yeah, my 20-year-old kid, but he’s mine none the less. I HAVE missed him.

So, maybe everything DOES happen for a reason.

Maybe we needed brief, quality time together.

So today, I had to find a ride home. First, it was “get off early, borrow my car and go grocery shopping.” Then I decided it has been a freaking long week and I would rather do anything less exhausting than going anywhere!

So, the men went shopping.

(Nic had to work and could not pick me up.)

This is NOT an accurate portrayal of how my men shop. I go to the store site, download coupons, and …. well, here.

My response:

So, I didn’t get that stuff, but our fridge holds sustainable items.

That’s all I care about.

I’m so into ‘enough’.

Enough.

Having what we need, not what we want.

Sometimes, you really don’t need what you want.

But, as thunder sounds around us, in surround sound – I’m feeling very appreciative of the desert. Hoping my car isn’t scared. (Yeah, I’m still into inanimate objects having feelings – she’s deserted! Wait – deserted in the desert … poetic)

Butters is curled around Jim’s feet, probably dreaming of the mini-lake that happens when it floods. She has such fun!

This was her last ‘pond’ in our yard:

Did I care that she was wet? Did I care that she brought mud in? Nope. She had a blast!

So … the week is over – and I’m hanging out with the man I love, who, by the way, made it through at the TOP of the survivor type blog. Thank you all who voted.

Get ready for next week.

And I hope everyone has an amazing weekend!

And Nic, thanks for taking me back to when we hung out and thank you for helping me get to work. And Jim, thank you for shopping today so I didn’t have to. Love you both So much!

Posted in Gratitude, Humor, Uncategorized

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Tags: Family, long week, Love, men grocery shopping, work