Rebuilding The Chaos

The California stadium that housed millions of refugees from the California wildfires is closing thanks to the thousands of people now returning to their homes. What homes? The pictures of the devestation were horrifying to watch on the nightly news. It was a natural disaster rivaling that of Katrina. The sight of million dollar homes laying in burning ruble were disturbing, but not even as much as the average suburban homes completely destroyed. Even those lucky enough to have stood through the flames, and it was amazing seeing pictures of a home standing where the garage next to it had been incinerated are still going to be devestated by the smoke, and water. My heart goes out to those in the southern California area. They're work is cut out for them, they will have a long time rebuilding from the chaos.

Just The Two of Us

When my children were young, we all loved to go camping. The four of us, my husband, me, our two kids would pack up all the camping gear and head for any one of the many state parks either close by, which there are two of, or down state. I miss those days. We used to have so much fun. For some reason now that it's just me and my husband at home, we don't seem to have as much drive to go camping. All the gear is still in the garage, sitting forlorn and forgotten. This time of year is perfect for camping. It's not too hot, it's not too cold. The mosquitos have headed south for the winter (lol, or wherever they go in the cold, I don't really care as long as they go). Crisp nights are perfect for a nice warm fire to sit around while you look up into the bright, autumn night sky. Can you tell I miss it? I think this weekend would be a nice time to surprise my husband with a little excursion into the wilds, just the two of us.

Jogging The Metabolism Into Gear

I seem to be plateauing in my diet. That's so aggravating when that happens. Everything was going along so well. I was losing between three and five pounds a week, then it just comes to a standstill! I am thinking about reaching for some diet pills to jog the old (and I do mean old) metabolism into gear. I think that at a certain age it not only tends to slow down, it falters and just plain old stops at times. Come to think of it, it might not have anything to do with age. It happens to young people too. I used to hate plateaus when I was in my 20's and dieting too. Hum. Well in any case, it's time for some serious measures to get it moving again.

Me, a Fashionista?

I've been cleaning out my closet now that I'm losing weight and going through what clothes I need to replace. I have riding apparel that is not only out-dated but way too big now that I'm going to have to purchase for the next show season, and forget about work clothes. My work clothes consist of sweat pants and t-shirts for the most part since I work at home, but I've always had to have a certain amount of dress clothes for those times I have to go out and meet my 'adoring' public, or attend meetings with editors and the like. None of that fits anymore. Sigh. Well, I have all winter to get my wardrobe in gear. I don't do anything in the winter. I hate cold, and don't much care for driving in snow, or on ice either. By next spring I'll be a fashionista once again... yeah, as if. Well, at the least I'll be ready for the summer's events.

Tyler Perry's House Of Brilliance

I watched Tyler Perry's 'Diary of a Mad Black Woman' last night on DVD. Actually it was his current movie out at the theaters now 'Why Did I Get Married?' that brought the other movies of his to my attention. I'm sure glad it did. Actually, to be more truthful it was my comment to a friend on how I couldn't wait to see 'married' that made her ask if I'd seen any of Tyler's others... well Diary is fantastic!! It's both a spoofy type of comedy (with it's Madea and Joe characters), and a complex relationship drama all rolled into one great, and inspiring movie.

I HAD seen the sitcom Tyler Perry's 'House of Payne' and loved that. His writing is witty and insightful in there too while at the same time making you laugh at the characters and their situations. Using comedy to get a very serious point across is a fantastic tool, but one that only a few writers can accomplish. Mr. Perry does it brilliantly.

Take Those Breaks

I spend long days sitting behind the computer at my desk here and sometimes forget how important it is to get up once in a while (beyong an occassional trip to the bathroom, or the kitchen for another cup of coffee). I got a wake up call a few months ago when I found my ankles swollen at the end of the day to the size approximately that of an elephant. Um... not good. Since then I've tried really hard to spend a few minutes every couple of hours getting up, stretching, even exercising some. I've been a lot better ever since, and haven't had a case of swollen ankles afterwards either... thank heavens.

If you spend a lot of time sitting at a desk, either at home, or in an office, don't forget to give yourself a break. In an office that's more likely since there are regularly scheduled breaks. It's funny how when you work away from home you watch the clock for those breaks and make sure you take them, but at home you lose all track of time and don't even think about taking a lunch sometimes. Schedule yourself as if you worked in an office surrounded by fellow employees all watching the clock for that treasured break time, and make sure you take them yourself... it's nice to be a workaholic, but you have to make sure to take time for yourself too.

What Price?

Wow the California wild fires that are raging now in the Malibu down to San Diego areas are just frightening to watch on TV. Seeing that kind of total and mass destruction caused by fire in an age where we are so technologically advanced seems incomprehensible, and yet nature puts us in our place yet again. We are helpless to stop her, unable to control her, we can only get out of her way. Hubby kind of quipped about my wanting to move to California--it's always been a dream of mine. It's true but I'd like to live a little further north, in the LA area, and yet they've been hit too before. In fact the current devesatation isn't too far from LA, they're just lucky that the winds are blowing south and not north. I think everyone fears fire in their home. We all know what kind of destruction it can cause, and if you happen to be sleeping at the time, how likely it is that someone will perish in the flames... but until you see how wildly out of control it can get under the right circumstances, most people don't fear entire cities, towns, or parts of the state being destroyed by it. I really would like to move to California, but I'm not sure I'd ever have the gumption the guy on the news last night had. They showed a resident of the area who had refused to leave his home in spite of evacuation orders. He was all singed, his eyebrows half missing, his face reddened by the heat. He'd spent days hosing down his property to keep the flames surrounding his home at bay. Apparently it worked, but my goodness is he lucky. Smoke inhalation alone could have--should have--killed him. But, he got to keep his house. You kind of have to ask what price you're willing to pay to save some memories, and a roof.

Exotic Employment

There are a lot of exotic places I've dreamed of living, and working. London may not be truly 'exotic' but to me it is. It's an overseas land, it's steeped in history, it has a different political hierarchy--it's beautiful. Finding a job would be vital prior to picking up and leaving the country to work in a foreign land however. It's possible though.

There are great ways to find jobs in London using companies geared toward finding work for you just as their are on this side of the 'pond'. Using them can make your efforts more beneficial and speedy, and have better results. Making sure that your London jobs really fit your criteria for payment and benefits, as well as your skills can be tricky on your own, especially if you're not right in the area, or accustomed to the surroundings.

You need to know if where you are looking for your jobs in London are in the area you wish to locate. A good job service can help you determine what is appropriate to the area of your choosing. Get the information you need and start looking for that exotic employement in London today. You might find yourself living in the land of the Queen before you know it.

Thin and Happy--Who Knew?

I read an article this morning on how a lack of sleep can make us irrational. There are a lot of things a lack of sleep can do, if you're dieting it can destroy your efforts by still making you store fat rather than burn it--part of the bodies self defense mechanism. It is such a vital area that I know occassionally I lack in. Take this morning for instance when I woke up several hours early and decided to come online instead of opting to try and get back to sleep. I think women have it particularly tough in the sleep deprevation area. Weight gain, irrational behavior, those are things we deal with plenty even with enough sleep. LOL. Okay that may have been a sexist statement, but I'm a woman so I can say it. It's true. I need to pay more attention to the amount of sleep I get. I could be a thin, and happy person--who knew?

A Girl Can Dream

Now that the kids are long since grown and out of the house, I'd love to create a movie watching atmosphere that is elegant and comfortable. The kind you see on the channels that show rich people's houses in their entertainment, or cinema rooms. Hubby and I love to watch movies and it would be wonderful to have home theater furniture and a huge screen, not just a big screen mind you, a HUGE screen. There are so many options available now that it really is possible. We have the room too. Our living room is really big and would easily accomodate some luxurious seating and a big screen. A girl can dream.

Enjoy The Show

When I was younger I used to love to go to concerts, the really head-banging type of hard rock concerts like Led Zepplin, Motley Crue, and such. Now a days I'm much more mellow and prefer the lovely music and scerene type of stage presence of artists that are more laid back. Artists whose fans are more laid back might be a better choice of words. Getting Celine Dion tickets would be a good choice. She has very dedicated fans but the atmosphere of that kind of concert is much more relaxed and enjoyable. There isn't the same type of frenzy, or when you come right down to it, dangerous element in the air. You can actually enjoy the show, and she does put on a beautiful show.

Perfect Lighting

I need to get better lighting in my kitchen. It drives me nuts. It's a big old country kitchen and you'd think that the sheer size of it would make for great lighting, but there are lots of cabinets and they block the light on the countertops. What's worse is the wiring in this house is ancient, and I had a huge problem with my office (old daughter's bedroom) ceiling light. Turned out to be a simple switch malfunction that hubby was able to fix in a matter of a few minutes after a trip to the store to get a new switch. I was so worried it was a short in a whire somewhere. Thank heavens it wasn't. It's wonderful to be able to once again go in my office and flip the switch and have there be light again. I was using an old desk lamp, but it wasn't in a good position for lighting. I much prefer overhead in my office area.

In The Country

The big thing online now is YouTube and free videos. I love to make my own, and I love watching other people's too. I sure wish I had high-speed internet, I'd be watching them a whole lot more than I do. As it is it takes me about an hour just to watch a short 2 or 3 minute clip so watching the longer ones is almost out of the question. When is the real world ever going to come to the country? That's the biggest drawback to living in the sticks. It takes forever for us to catch up to current technology, and when we finally do, that technology is old news, and there's something else that we won't get for decades that's 'in'.

In Your Own Backyard

'Man makes helicopter in backyard'... that was a headline today. I don't usually bother to read the articles, the headlines are usually funnier. But the thing is with the high-speed connections, and advanced technology of the internet, there's nothing we can't learn how to make. I watched a tv show a few weeks ago ... not sure but I think it was 'Icaught' where they showed how people can even learn how to make bombs on the Internet, and there were kids learning how to do it from simple household items and blowing things up in their backyards... is that safe? Probably not. It kind of amazed me how some of the parents reacted nonchalantly about their kids activities. It's kind of scary the things we can learn so easily now. In the old days if you wanted to learn how to build a bomb you had to do it the old-fashioned way, get in with a street-gang, or other criminal element, and learn from the pros. Hey, at least it was an apprenticeship program that hopefully would keep you from blowing off your own hand while you learned--right? More than that, it would keep average kids who didn't have access to street gangs, or hoodlums from practicing the fine art of explosives. What's this world coming to when any kid can learn to build a bomb, and Joe next door can build a chopper as a get-away vehicle?

Okay With Me

I've always been the Tomboy type, preferring slot cars, model airplanes, and jeans, to dolls and frilly clothes. I'm still like that more often than not. I prefer sweatpants to silk, messing around in the dirt with the animals to an afternoon tea, and wear makeup when the occassion warrants it, but it better not warrant it often.

I don't have anything against women who dress up every day, put makeup on before they ever think of leaving the house, it's just not me. I don't think I could ever be 'that' person, not happily anyway. Lately I've been feeling a little more 'dressy', but it's still me, it's still the woman who spends half her day playing in the dirt, and the other half shoveling it out of stalls. LOL It will always be that way until the day I die I suppose, and that's okay with me too.

Fine Tuned and in Good Working Order

I think it's important in life to do a 360 degree evaluation every once in a while. Sometimes you can get so caught up in what you are doing that you don't even realize when things aren't working right, or as efficiently as they could. That's true in business, and it's true in everyday life as well. If you're a business you have to do in depth analysis preferably done by professionals who know what they're doing, but if you're an individual who just needs to take stock in their lives, a little concentrated meditation will often do the trick. Clear out the cobbwebs and make sure everything is fine tuned and in good working order.

Maybe It's The Glitter

I've begun to wear jewelry a lot more lately, and have rekindled my love for diamond rings, necklaces and the sort. I've also come to realize there's a time and a place for all things in life. For instance, while you're banding a young goat may not be the best time to wear a diamond ring. While you're cutting down trees may not be the best time for long flowing necklaces. You think I'd know that by now, having lived on a farm for better than ten years, and such, but for the last ten years I really haven't been wearing jewelry much so the experience of doing things with fancy jewelry on really hasn't hit home until lately. Still, I think the animals are appreciating the 'new me' a lot lately. I've noticed some of the stallions looking at me with renewed interest. Maybe it's the glitter.

Sorting It Out

I watched Barak Obama on Jay Leno last night. I've never actually heard him speak. I've read about him, his issues, his stand on politics, but never really saw what a really enjoyable person he is to listen to. Leave it to the Democrats to have such smoothies running for office. I've always said I thought he was 'too smooth'. Really though I found him a lot more enjoyable to listen to than Hillary. I've never cared for her. I get a very sly vibe from her, always have even when she was first lady. I've said up until now that I don't really care for any of the candidates, but I think I've just changed my stance on that. I think I'll lean toward Barak. I still say you can't tell what a person is going to be like as a President just from campaign speaches, but you have to try and sort it out the best you can I suppose.

Waitakere World Junior Badminton Championships

For sports enthusiasts there's no better place to be than New Zealand for the Waitakere World Junior Badminton Championships 2007 from October 25-November 4. Get behind your favorite young athelete and experience the joy of competition while learning about a much under-appreciated sport. Teams from twenty-six countries will be competing for the World titles at The Trusts Stadium.

Auckland accomodations include beautiful scenery, and restaurants as well as fabulous Auckland hotels and other tourist attractions to keep you on your toes for your stay in the beautiful New Zealand countryside.

Enjoy all of the wonderous sporting endeavors for you and your family like sailing, and hiking as you experience the unique culture of Auckland. All of the fun and entertainment can be yours at great prices with your hotels in Auckland deals.

For more information on the Waitakere World Junior Badminton Championships 2007 and other spectacular events for you and your family check out visitor information here and get started on planing your amazing New Zealand vacation today.

Being A Better Person

An article on Yahoo this morning had a headline about how a sense of humor makes for a better boss, and working environment. Well don't you think that holds true to all aspects of life? I've found it to be true in my life I know. They say laughter is the best medicine, and it really is. It relieves high-blood pressure, stress, and makes you feel less fatigued. You have to have a sense of humor to get through life sometimes. Especially when it gets really tough, which it has a habit of doing. So smile, laugh, and see the humor in even the toughest of things, and you'll be a better boss, worker--person.

Asbestos Dangers

There are a lot of serious medical problems being advertised on commercials lately, like maliganant mesothelioma. This is a very serious problem and if you've been diagnosed with it and it was caused by asbestos exposure due to a job, or somebody else's property, or even inaccurate information about your own property then you have every right to find legal help in regards to the care and suffering encountered due to it. It's scary that we even need such commercials. What's very important is that those who suffer from this deadly cancer find a treatment center that is experienced in handling such a dire form of cancer and its specific needs. They also need a lot of emotional support from friends and family. There is no known cure for maliganant mesothelioma at the moment so they need to be sure their family is provided for and cared for in the future. What we need to do is find a way to make this type of exposure completely unacceptable. Alhtough I'm not sure it's even possible. I saw a news segment a few weeks ago where they were picking large pieces of asbestos off the beaches around lake Michigan. They don't know who to blame, but it has to be coming from somewhere.

Watch Out

I really need a new watch. I need one with a good second hand on it to help me get my pulse rate while exercising, and one that is easily readable. I like big watches too, not delicate little 'girly' watches. LOL I found some really cool looking Panerai watches that I really like. They're not cheap by any means, but they look fantastic and have lots of options to choose from. I've had my fill of cheap discount store type watches anyway. They work for a little while then stop keeping the right time much less anything else. I think I'll ask for one of these watches for my birthday.

Going On The Go

I love long road trips but the older I get the harder it is to hold 'my water' so to speak. I often think I should use some adult diapers, sometimes it seems like the gas stations and whatnot are so far apart. I read recently of a woman doing just that so that she didn't need to stop at all between one point and another because she was in a hurry to get where she was going, something about her husband having an affair. Sorry, but if that's the only reason, I think I'd take the time to make pitstops, it isn't all THAT vital to get there at any certain time.

Sin City

There are a few places I'd like to go on vacation that I haven't been to before. One is Las Vegas, another is London, and another is Paris. I'd love to stay at the Excalibur Las Vegas. It has such a cool theme, and looks very luxurious. I love King Arthur themed stuff, and all the movies and such, so staying there would be a real kick. I just really want to go to Vegas once before I die though. LOL I mean really everyone needs to visit sin city at least once in their lives.

Selling Out

Even though I once had a realator's license I think when we finally do decide to sell this house, which is an oft topic of conversation around here, I will look for a
realtor to handle the deal. It's been years since I had my license and even though I rememeber in real estate classes being told that I would forever have to 'disclose' my realator status when selling property, I have no clue any longer. The laws involving real estate are so complex. I do know that selling 'by owner' is probably the most dangerous thing you can do, and usually the most ineffective way to sell a piece of property, especially now in this depressed real estate market. I want someone who knows the business presently, and has access to as many sales venues as possible.

Beautiful Country

Sometimes living out in the middle of nowhere is fun. This is a little scene right outside my backdoor on my laundry lines.

Mr. Falcon flew in:

Stopped and set a spell:
Then looked about before taking off again:

I love those beautiful birds. This is the first Peregrine Falcon I've seen in this area though. I've seen lots of chicken hawks---truly hideous birds on the ground, although in the air they too are quite stunning.