Busy Busy Busy....

Wow life has been busy busy busy and I have been neglecting my blog, so I am back at it and catching up.

I have stayed out of the gym completely for about 6 weeks and concentrating on eating and gaining weight. This has been to no avail. I am still holding at 97 lbs. Hopefully a doctor and labwork will eventually figure this out. All hopes of the Emerald are for certain pushed way back, but that is how life goes sometimes.

Cheyenne is doing good and growing fast. She is still struggling with Math in school so we are working on that with her at home each night. This week will start working on her fractions through cooking. She is going to adjust all my recipes for me to the proper amounts. Her reading skills are several years ahead of her age group as is her science. History is a good subject for her as well...now just to work on her writing and punctuation.

We are getting roommates next week. Summer and Steven are coming back to Oregon from Missouri. Their hopes and dreams were based on deception and they have both been deeply hurt by Summer's mother. So, they will be coming here to stay with us. We are looking forward to it also because they are both wonderful people and fun to spend time with so, we will celebrate the holidays together. They can heal and we can all discuss the future and our goals...it is nice to have someone else to talk with and get a new perspective on such issues.

Springtime means baby chicks! Husband is going to let me have chickens, so I have picked out the three breeds I want and am pre-ordering them for spring. I already designed their hen house and run, have the roofing material and now just waiting to get the rest of the materials and the babies in the spring.

I will catch up more later, now time to clean the kitchen and get some things moved around for Summer and Steven's arrival.

Later...

Catching up on life!

So much has been going on that I sometimes feel like I do not have time to stop and breathe freely. Between helping my friend with her business, working on individual projects for myself and a couple of friends, spending time with Samson before he goes to New Mexico, housework, fighting to VA and dealing with the Army's latest stupidity...I am worn out!

To day we went to the Wild Cat park here in town and it was tons of fun. It was a spur of the moment thing so I did not have my camera with me...this is okay that merely means I get to go back. I remembered back in January, the sound of a lion's roar waking me in the middle of the night. That is not a sound you normally hear in the US countryside...well I got to meet the producer of this roar today. His name is Shaka and he is close to 500 lbs of 12 year of lion. He is absolutely beautiful. They believe Shaka has some lineage with a not extinct species of lion because of his mane. African Lions get big bushy manes that go just past their shoulders...Shaka's is more like the extinct species of lion....his goes all the way back to his hips. Gorgeous animal. Unfortunately they have been unable to breed their lion and lioness because the two animals hate each other. The lioness is extremely aggressive and she stalks the children that come to see her. I mean she runs towards them growling and roaring and jumping at the fence! True predator behavior...she wants badly to grab a small victim of opportunity. Thankfully she is behind a 20+ foot tall chain fencing and a concrete bottom perimeter that is about 3 feet tall under the fencing. So she is not jumping out of there.

Then there was my personal favorite...the tigers. They did not have any siberians but they had three beautiful Bengals. They have a white bengal and he is gorgeous. Not true white like the siberian whites but more of a very pale cream or buff color between his stripes. Then there were the black leopards, lynx, leopards, snow leopards, cougar, cervils and ocelots and african wildcats which look just like the domestic housecat. They are where the domestic cat came from. Cute little guys. The two jaguars were awesome. Two brothers in the same enclosure. They only exist together without killing because they have never been separated. A mere 24 hours apart and they could never be put together again because they would fight to the death. They were very cool to watch. Cheyenne got a kick out of learning about them...she learned that the only two big cats that purr are the panther and the cougar and they are the most shy of the big cats...the roarers such as lions, tigers, jags and leopards are more aggressive and more readily seen. She also learned that leopards are the most difficult to work with and the most dangerous. The owner of the cat park, Craig, is a leopard specialist and we were able to see him walk into the enclosures with some of the cats and play with them. Often during the summer, he takes the tigers swimming in the river here. People have gotten used to seeing him swimming with his tigers and the locals just give them plenty of room and go about their business.

So that is all for the catch up, tomorrow is going over to meet Samson's new owner, go riding and give him treats. We are going to be talking to him about building a custom saddle for him and Samson. That will be a fun and LARGE project. :)

More later!

The kid is back!

Well Miss Cheyenne is back from Florida. She was happy to get home and we were glad to have her back. The house is never the same when she goes to visit the grandparents...there is no caos or havoc, no noise, no 100 questions in a 10 minute span and no loud TV and laughter from the hall.

We have a little bit of time before school starts so we have been just goofing off so far. We went over to Eddy's on Sunday and wished her a happy birthday and played with the horses a bit. Knightmare and Fancy were tickled to see Cheyenne and even more pleased when they realized she had bought an apple for each of them. Samson as usual was thrilled that I was there and as he expected, I gave him all of my attention. He has begun to play games with me now and is giving horse hugs. Horse hugs are great but when it comes from an 1800 lb percheron, it can be a bit knee buckling. LOL.

Cheyenne and I are going to hit the Wild Cat park this week...she wants to see the lions, tiger, ligers, cougars and such up close and personal. I have not warned her about how horrid the breath of a lion is when he growls...I think I will let her find out for herself.

Well off to bed for the night and more later.....

Its a new day...new choices

I woke up this morning feeling like there are things I need to get accomplished and open matters I need to close. So, I made a list and am going to start working on them one by one until they are completed. Some of them are great things to get done and others will make me a bit sad...but nonetheless, they need to be done.

Our free time is nearing its end. Cheyenne flies home Saturday and we will be going to Portland to pick her up. While it has been a nice break for her and us, we are all ready for her to be back home. She is more than ready. She is excited because her new school year starts soon.

She is growing up so quickly and changing each day. I think she is going to make a wonderful young woman. She has courage, strength, intelligence, drive and determination. She will do good.

The garden is going well and I have harvested my first squash...now soon the tomatoes shall be ready. yay.

Well off to get started. Have a great day.

Ponderings about our government

I often wonder what is going on in the minds of corporate America some days. If you are in the military, lenders think you have stable income but demand you carry tons of insurance in the event you are killed they get theirs, when you get out and you have a steady retirement, they do not trust their own government enough to be able to pay your retirement years from now and they want "more solidl" earnings. I ask you WTF? This scenario just happened to an acquaintance of ours. How ridiculous.

Recently, I was graced with this editorial and it says so much...I wanted to put in my blog. Hopefully, some government official somewhere will read it and get a clue!

Editorial:

I bought a bird feeder. I hung it on my back porch and filled it with seed. Within a week we had hundreds of birds taking advantage of the continuous flow of free and easily accessible food. But then the birds started building nests in the boards of the patio, above the table, and next to the barbecue.

Then came the poop. It was everywhere: on the patio tile, the chairs, the table... everywhere. Then some of the birds turned mean: They would dive bomb me and try to peck me even though I had fed them out of my own pocket. And others birds were boisterous and loud: They sat on the feeder and squawked and screamed at all hours of the day and night and demanded that I fill it when it got low on food.After a while, I couldn't even sit on my own back porch anymore.

I took down the bird feeder and in three days the birds were gone. I cleaned up their mess and took down the many nests they had built all over the patio. Soon, the backyard was like it used to be...quiet, serene and no one demanding their rights to a free meal.

Now let's see...our government gives out free food, subsidized housing, free medical care, free education and allows anyone born here to be a automatic citizen. Then the illegals came by the tens of thousands. Suddenly our taxes went up to pay for free services; small apartments are housing 5 families; you have to wait 6 hours to be seen by an emergency room doctor; your child's 2nd grade class is behind other schools because over half the class doesn't speak English; Corn Flakes now come in a bilingual box; I have to press "one" to hear my bank talk to me in English; and people waving flags other than "Old Glory" are squawking and screaming in the streets, demanding more rights and free liberties.

Maybe it's time for the government to take down the bird feeder.

Amen to the author of that piece!

There are some things in this life that are worth everything. Moments like this with the love of my life are it! As parents and grandparents we often miss moments like this in just dealing with life's daily routine. We are all alone for about a month...the nest is empty while our daughter visits grandparents. So now the trick will to see if we do as we normally do...nothing but sit and enjoy the quiet and calm or maybe this time, we will let our hair down and go out or sneak away from it all for a day or so. I have very lax in updating my blog but it seems when summer rolls around and no school hits, there is just never enough time. I am determined to take some time and heal my inner spirit and enjoy my husband. One way or another...it may mean disconnecting the phone, pulling all the blinds, hiding my van so no one knows we are home...but whatever it takes So Be It!

A new gift!

Hubby bought me an antique rolltop desk...it is about half the size of his. The previous owner had placed a matching back on it rather than leave it open. I am going to remove that eventually, strip and refinish the desk to remove some scratches and such. But it was a sweet surprise and gift. I already am using it and love it!

Workouts have been going great but I am still down in weight. Summer is so hard for me to pack down food and gaining weight is always hard for me. Losing it easy. I am sure there are tons of women in this world that would love to be able to burn off fat the way I do, but it is not a good thing when you are trying to gain size and muscle...you need a little fat too. Sheesh.

Hubby's trainer competed this weekend in the Colorado Pro Am. The judges had said they wanted drier, leaner and harder and he was ripped and ready. What did the judges do...the went with size...and just the opposite of what they said they wanted. He is so discouraged right now he cannot see straight. A year he has busted his butt for this and he could have stayed at 240ish and gotten better than third...when in reality he should have taken first...second at a minimum. The judges and their system, blindness and wishy-washy attitudes in infuriating at times. No wonder good people like BuffMother, Kat Meyers and others stop competing.

Well off to get my consistency report done for the week and my new POA. Yay!

More later...

Another hot day!

Thursday was hot as hades outside. I am so thankful for the cool mornings and nights here...but midday was blazin. My poor little squash plants started to wilt midday...but I watered them really well at dusk and they are standing tall again.

I am currently in the process of writing out my plan/schedule from now until the Emerald. Complete with reminders to register with NPC and for the Emerald, posing clinic appointments, workouts, diets, when to start contest prep, when to order posing suits and etc. There are a ton of things that have to be done for a first contest for sure.

Meanwhile, the overall plan...heavy bulker through December then start contest prep after the holidays...about 16 weeks out from the Emerald. Start with trainer in August and until then keep at what I am doing, make plans for Cheyenne's trip to Florida, Hubby's re-evaluation at Fort Lewis in July and the normal tons of other daily stuff.

Time to go climb in bed with hubby and get some sleep....more later

Some excitement,,,,some laughs

My golden sage plants are doing nicely and the smell wonderful! They are growing with some Spearmint. My tomato plants have been transplanted into the raised bed with the squash and sweet red peppers. From the seeds that Phoenix sent me, I ended up with two Beaver Lodge, 1 Russian Black, 1 Oregon Star and 4 Cherokee purple. The veggie stealers got the broccoli and spinach, so I have re-started those and some Seneca Corn.

The deer are just too cute. They watch me watching them and move closer to my veggies. I step out on the deck and they stop. When the realize I am not going to leave, they head across the road. So now I am patrolling my garden area early mornings and at dusk. The baby is growing like crazy and is still beautiful. They are growing on me...LOL. The corn plants I started are primarily for them. I also threw some tomato plants (I picked up from a lady down the road) up on the ridge for them.

Last night got real interesting at 1:30 in the morning as we were going to bed. I was doing my door and window check and two mountain lions decided to start vocalizing LOUDLY right outside our bedroom window. So the two of them (mama around a 100 lbs. and baby about 70 lbs) raised cane and finally took off across the street to my neighbors. So I woke her up at 2 am to let her know so she did not walk outside early morning without looking.

Workouts are going well but my progress is not. I have lost 2 pounds..grrrrrr getting weight on me is a nightmare. But I am just going to eat more, lift heavier and do less cardio. I have almost a year to get the weight on.

Well off to the gym for tonight's workout.

Gardening and updates

I have been getting boulders moved, raised bed finished, tomatoes transplanted and working out. Not to mention a 10+ mile hike across the river and into the mountains. These beautiful wild ruffle leaf lilies are growing everywhere are my house and they are gorgeous.

I have just hired a trainer who will start training me after his show in mid-July. So with his help, Hubby's help and the grace of the Creator, I will be ready for the Emerald Cup in April. So far so good, I just came through a major cutting cycle and trimmed off 18 pounds...15+ of which was fat. So not back to bulking...which is always fun because I do love food.

Cheyenne has graduated the fourth grade and is excited about the upcoming year at the Dome School. They learn their basics like math and spelling and etc but they also learn alternative education subjects....hikes in the mountains learning survival, recognition of native plants, different wildlife signs, holistic health care, organic gardening, alternative power sources and other skills necessary for living in this environment. Most importantly, she loves it and thrives in the environment.

So, off to bed and tomorrow is a new day!

Good Day and Media Sucks!

As hubby is still recently retired from the Army, I still think like a military spouse and I am so strongly against the media right now that I think the constitution should be changed to gag their stupid butts! They spend so damned much time telling 1/4 of the story and only half of that is true. I cannot believe that the citizens of this country are so stupid as to believe the crap they read and hear from these lying morons. And then on the flip side, the media personnel have no sense of common decency whatsoever. Case in point is the latest reporting on the young soldier who has been missing for a couple of weeks along with two commrades, his body was found floating in the Euphrates River. They could not stop with merely saying there was speculation of it being a US Soldier...oh no the heartless weasels must print that he was wearing a US military uniform, had been shot in the head and chest, had whip marks on his back and a tattoo on his hand. Now back here in the states, some mother is reading this and knowing it is her son...thank you reporters...that is one hell of a way to tell a mother her son has died. The reporters, newspapers, news stations and all of them make me totally sick! They basically use the constitution as a shield to be over paid liars, drama queens and bad news mongers. One day you will answer for your actions...you may say it is just your job...well for your sake, I hope the Creator sees is that way. Personally I think you are screwed when that day comes.

Now on a happier note...workouts and eats are going great. The weekly mini-challenge of 100 lunges per day is going great and my butt is feeling it. Tomorrow yowza andother great workout scheduled...so time for a hot soak and relax a bit for sleep.

More later.....

Decisions Decisions...always interesting

The weekend is over, the new week started and there are decisions to be made. I am still fairly hacked about a situation that just does not sit right with me. Why can a person get so caught up in their personal insecurities thank someone and then turn and snipe them. Granted misunderstandings happen and miscommunications occur, but that is the case for everyone not just 'the other person" or "someone else" but whatever. They can either wake up and smell the coffee and realize that life is too short to cause a stir over a picture that anyone can get and a statement made from miscommunication. Well, life is too short to me, to continue wasting my time on the matter. I have other pressing matters in my own life.

School is almost out for Cheyenne, this is her last week and still the child's father has not made her flight arrangements to go to Florida. I still have to meet with the oncologist and see if surgery is possible yet, schedule some dental surgery and manage my workouts and volunteer stuff.

Daily grooming and such of Samson is ongoing and will most likely continue through the next show in late August. My son is having some trouble in NC and I need to figure out what is going on with him, He was struck by a car a couple months ago and I need to get on the phone and get on some cases.

Time to go catch some shut eye and in a few hours I have gardens to get put together and planted, housework to do and a play at school to go watch...and DH's medical appointment.

Night night...more later

Tournament of Knights done...

Well the event is over and it went really well. As anytime you work with animals, there are always those moments that require improvising. Today was no exception. Lady Nightmare, while looking beautiful in her yellow blanket, had a moment. LOL. The first show went well and in the second show she decided that she would not charge my husband standing holding a shield. She has such wonderful manners and she just would not 'hurt' someone...so halfway down the run she put on the brakes, did some side prancing and said "Nope...not gonna do it". LOL.

Now we focus on the big 2-day event in August. Live steel sword fighting, spear fighting, archery, horseback archery and 12 Knights from 4 states jousting it out for a cash prize. Well, I can think of worse ways to spend my birthday other than on horseback. Sounds good to me.

I am exhausted and going to sleep...more later...

Wow Long day and trip!

Well Miss Cheyenne has made a new friend and he loves seeing her show up everyday. Siberius is the German Shepard of Sir William and Lady Edie. When we show up to brush and feed, Knightmare and Samson, Sib is right there ready to play. So they do the throwing sticks and fetching, chasing each other and of course TONS of hugs and petting goes on. LOL. She really misses Ben...the taco bell beast is okay but she misses being able to grab on to a big dog.

It was a LOOOOONG day...I feel like I have gone around the world in 1 Day! But everything that needed to be done was done. I talked to my mother at length today and it is going to be awhile before she is able to fully accept the loss of her brother. Today was also his birthday and that just made matters so much harder for her. But she is a strong woman and will get through it.

Meanwhile, practice, preparations and running around getting ready for Sunday's three shows is still ongoing. But, we all have our period clothing ready, I am putting the final touches on the script for the show, Edie is finishing the sewing on Knightmare's blanket...when I last talk to her she was getting ready to sew the black squares on it. So, I will check with her tomorrow morning and see how she is coming along. Then I must run to Grants Pass to pick up printer cartridges, a rubber chicken and anything else the guys think they need. Then it is off to the printers to copy the script for everyone, then over to check on Samson, exercise him a bit hopefully, if not, groom him and make sure his tail and mane are conditioned really well for the braiding.

Sunday the shows are at 2 pm, 4 pm and 6 pm and then we can all rest Monday and get back in the swing of things. We have plenty of time for the slow planning and preparation for the 2 day medieval event in August. That will give us more time to get Samson up to a good charge and dealing with the long lance leading him. He is not too pleased at having this long lance out in front of him. But he is a good boy and very eager to learn so he will do fine...he just needs more time and practice to get really comfortable.

So, now it is time for to read emails and catch some winks before the start of another busy day. More later.....

Not a good day but not a bad day...

Well we were hopping all day. Numerous telephone calls with my mother, rushing to the gym, rushing to pick up cheyenne from school, rushing to the field for practice for Sunday...I am frazzled. I did not ride Samson today, we got a late start. So I groomed him and did the kissy face thing with him and did his most favorite thing...gave him food. LOL. He is such a sweetie...massive but gentle. Now if I can somehow convince him that he can go faster than a trot...all will be good. He is 16 years old but has no clue about neck reining...he only plow reins. he was a carriage and pulling horse...so asking him to charge down a jousting line is just not something he understands...he fast trots and can lope down the line but he must get that mass up to speed. Knightmare on the other hand is just the perfect lady for the job...she will charge that line at full speed and is very menacing looking in the process. She is a prissy picky girl...a beautiful Friesian who is all about William. He is the "Knight" that rides her and owns her...she totally loves him too pieces. She likes Cheyenne coming inside the fence to give her attention and brush her...I do believe that feeling is mutual on Cheyenne's part...she just loves Nightmare. Although she was brave today and wanted to sit on Samson. LOL.

William's wife, Edie, is making a beautiful yellow blanket for Knightmare and we walked out into the enclosure and were in the process of trying the blanket on Nightmare for size when Edie's horse, Fancy Doll, decided she had just had enough of Nightmare and Samson getting all the attention this week....so she walked under Knightmare's neck and just stood there, tried to pull the blanket off nightmare, then tried to chew on Knightmare's mane and basically demanded attention. Cheyenne led her away a few feet and brushed her. LOL.

Tomorrow is run a couple of the boys to Grants Pass to pick up their costumes for Sunday, get some large enough envelopes to mail the packages to the BuffMothers, get ready for a long trip, rush to the gym, rush back and give Samson a workout and then I think collapsing is in order. I think next Monday I am taking the day off and doing absolutely nothing more energetic than walking from the bedroom to the living room...unless I want to. LOL.

More later....

The weekend in Portland was a lot of fun. We had the opportunity to see how the competitions operate here in the NW, the show was nice but the women competing were not very impressive at all. I was shocked to see clearly out-of-shape and overweight women competing in the bodybuilding divisions. They were very unprepared. The men made a much better showing. Although, the judges seems right on target with all but one of their decisions where the women were concerned, they were not as on target with the men.

We enjoyed ourselves though and Cheyenne had a great time with Summer and Steven. She took the train downtown and went to the mall and a huge open air market. She of course found a pet shop that had two beautiful black n white rats...as she stated "they were fat squishy boys". I think I will talk to her dad while she is away this summer and see if we can talk him into letting her have a pair of male rats for Christmas. They are great pets, and while not being for everyone, she really loves them. She misses Kittsipimi a lot since he passed away in November. She has done excellent in school this year and I think she has proven she can focus on her schoolwork and maintain some responsibility to getting another pair of rats is not a bad thing.

Week 2 of the Consistency Challenge has begun and it is also the week of cutting bread from our diet...well the clean eating, workouts and water will be a breeze but giving up my bagels proved TOUGH. I did not succumb to the bagel, cream cheese and lox but the craving was certainly there at every vacant moment.

Workouts are going well, I am up almost 3 lbs and I am sure I will lose most of that but that is okay...I will keep bulking and growing so I can handle burning the fat too. At least I will not have as much to cut later.

We are gearing up for the big equestrian medieval event at the fairgrounds this weekend. Tonight was archery practice, riding "Samson" the massive Percheron, working on costumes for Cheyenne and I. Tonight I have been working on the Itinerary for the show...minute by minute. So, it is down to the wire and getting the knights ready, the archers, the swordsmen and the fine details....wow. But it will be great, the big show is in late August and that one will take tons more organizing and planning.

Well, it is off to bed soon, so more later.

Back and Traps Oh My....

Wow what a day and workout. My wonderful daughter surprised me for Mother's Day with a really sweet gift of sorts. She really can be a sweetheart when she is not being a prepubescent nightmare. LMAO.

My eats were really good today and frankly they were constantly it seemed. I was starving all day. That is a switch for the better. Hubby and I made it to the gym about 5:00 and we were working back and traps. He stuck to his plan and lift heavy for a few exercises and I went totally nuts because I felt good and felt like lifting. So I ended up lightening the weight a little and hitting everything...pulldowns, deadlifts, rows, upright rows, bent rows, DBs, BBs and machines. It felt great. I am a tad sore around my right shoulder but not at all in pain. We will see what tomorrow brings.

Tomorrow is going to be a busy day...run everyone and drop them off, do some laundry for the weekend trip, get our stuff packed and then head to Portland in the late afternoon. My Mother's Day gift this year is tickets to the Oregon Ironman so it is going to be a busy weekend but back home Sunday.

Off till later....

Wednesday Cardio & stuff

Wednesday was cardio only...I hate cardio only days. But I got some work done outside, had a great day of good eats and did a bit of shopping. I went to the Midnight Oasis and bought a new bikini...it is this cute little silver thing with a thong back. I also picked up another two piece which is black with pink flowers and has little boys shorts for the bottoms. Love it. And for grins and giggles, I bought a pair of undies with smiley faces on it...that glow in the dark. HAHAHA

My legs are so sore today from Tuesday's leg workout that I have felt like a feeble old woman. So it was a good workout. As they say LOVE THE BURN.

I have got to get busy and decide what I am sending my mother for Mother's day...I think a nice bouquet of flowers is in order. I cannot wait to see them in August when I go out to pick Cheyenne up. And I will get to spend a couple of days with my grandson too. YAY I miss that boy.

It is getting close to bed time so a nice hot soak is in order. More later....

Great workouts....

What a fabulous few days...the weather has been beautiful! It has been nice and warm so going outdoors and doing some yard work has been great! I am preparing to transplant my little veggie plants to an outside bed. So I have gotten the top soil, steer compost, potting soil and all I need know is mulch. I also have to move the rocks off the ridge down to the bed area to line the bed, I have given up trying to make the bed with all the rocks in the ground here so I am making a raised bed. I also have to get some tall fencing to try to keep the veggie stealer and her baby out of my veggies. I am going to take some veggie plants up on the ridge for the two of them along with their salt/mineral block.

Meanwhile, Hubby and I have been having great workouts. Our eating is clean and on par with our schedule. The new contest in the Rally Room with the BuffMothers began yesterday..so for the next 10 weeks the word is "Consistency" ... that is the challenge. With consistency we can all make major changes and get closer to our goals. I have been very fired up about this challenge and this new workout cycle for me. I am aiming for the cup next April and will make it.

We have had a major mountain lion problem and are in desperate need to find it and kill it. It has killed goats, cornered and elderly woman at her patio, attacked and killer a little doggie and it is just too brazen and dangerous to take chances with it around our kids and older people. This thing is huge too and has become too comfortable with walking right up onto some one's patio. So the game warden has had so many calls about cats on our road that he cannot keep up with them all or track them all. He knows of three nuisance cats and suspects there is more. So, I keep a loaded 30-30 with me whenever I am outside doing yard & garden work, I make sure Cheyenne is in the house by 5:30 pm in the evening and not outside alone before 9:00 am.

So we go on and keep focused on daily life, our fitness goals and our family time. Hubby is taking me to the Oregon Ironman this weekend for a little Mother's Day getaway and he has arranged for a sitter so we can have an evening out together. Plus, we will get to visit with friends in Portland. So it should be a fun weekend and we will be able to workout while we are there to.

A Conservative Celebrity Comment...how odd

While not agreeing with everything about this war, I am very supportive of our troops and wise enough to realize that one man does not hold the blame...we have a government and individuals who relay information to the head of the government who then must make decisions based on the information he has...but celebrities have been asses about their ridicule of our President for the most part...so seeing these comments from Jay Leno surprised me but made me feel better about celebrities. While being a conservative in many ways, I am not a fanatic about it..but this made so much sense.

By Jay Leno:

"The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across some poll data I found rather hard to believe. It must be true given the source, right? The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is headed and 69 percent of the country is unhappy with the performance of the president. In essence 2/3s of the citizenry just ain't happy and want a change.

So being the knuckle dragger I am, I started thinking, ''What we are so unhappy about?'' Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter? Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks have a job? Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store at any time and see more food in moments than Darfur has seen in the last year?

Maybe it is the ability to drive from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without having to present identification papers as we move through each state? Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along the way that can provide temporary shelter? I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around the world is just not good enough.

Or could it be that when we wreck our car, emergency workers show up and provide services to help all and even send a helicopter to take you to the hospital. Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home. You may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of a fire, a group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames thus saving you, your family and your belongings.

Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar or prowler intrudes , an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against attack or loss. This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90 percent of teenagers own cell phones and computers. How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoy that are the envy of everyone in the world? Maybe that is what has 67 percent of you folks unhappy.

Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the world has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S. , yet has a great disdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are. The most blessed people in the world who do nothing but complain about what we don't have , and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the good Lord we live here.

I know, I know. What about the president who took us into war and has no plan to get us out? The president who has a measly 31 percent approval rating? Is this the same president who guided the nation in the dark days after 9/11? The president that cut taxes to bring an economy out of recession? Could this be the same guy who has been called every name in the book for succeeding in keeping all the spoiled u ungrateful brats safe from terrorist attacks?

The commander in chief of an all-volunteer army that is out there defending you and me? Did you hear how bad the President is on the news or talk show? Did this news affect you so much, make you so unhappy you couldn't take a look around for yourself and see all the good things and be glad? Think about it......are you upset at the President because he actually caused you personal pain OR is it because the "Media" told you he was failing to kiss your sorry ungrateful behind every day.

Make no mistake about it. The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have volunteered to serve, and in many cases may have died for your freedom. There is currently no draft in this country. They didn't have to go. They are able to refuse to go and end up with either a ''general'' discharge, an ''other than honorable'' discharge or, worst case scenario, a ''dishonorable'' discharge after a few days in the brig.

So why then the flat-out discontentment in the minds of 69 percent of Americans? Say what you want but I blame it on the media. If it bleeds it leads and they specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch a car crash with blood and guts. How many will watch kids selling lemonade at the corner? The media knows this and media outlets are for-profit corporations. They offer what sells , and when criticized, try to defend their actions by "justifying" them in one way or another.

Just ask why they tried to allow a murderer like O.J. Simpson to write a book about how he didn't kill his wife, but if he did he would have done it this way......Insane! Stop buying the negativism you are fed everyday by the media. Shut off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the bottom of your bird cage.

Then start being grateful for all we have as a country. There is exponentially more good than bad. We are among the most blessed people on Earth and should thank God several times a day, or at least be thankful and appreciative." "With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, "Are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?"

Jay Leno

I Love Derby Day!

Today was the 133rd Kentucky Derby...and what a Derby it was! Even with the loss of the fabulous Barbaro, last year's Derby winner, the atmosphere was electric as always. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip were in attendance which was a first and also added the air of excitement.

I had chosen my horses as always and settled in to watch. I picked Curlin, Street Sense, Hard Spun and Imawildandcrazyguy. Well it ended up being a fabulous win by Street Sense followed by Hard Spun who led the entire race until the last 1/4 mile, followed by Curlin who got slowed up and crowded at the start from the 2 slot and the long shot Imawildandcrazyguy blazing into fourth. It was a thrilling race!

Street Sense dropped back into 19th place at the start of the race and he headed for the rail. From there he just slowly moved up to about 17th. As the hit the pole marking only a 1/2 mile left, Street Sense kicked on the afterburners and ran the rail so close that Jockey Borel's silks were touching the rail. He ran up to take over fourth place and seemed trapped behind Hard Spun and Curlin...a slight opening opened up and instinctively, Street Sense charged through the opening and around Hard Spun ... he won it by about 2 lengths. The only horse that did not run that I was so hoping to see was "From Rags To Riches"...the big red filly. They pulled her from the Derby and ran her in the Kentucky Oaks at the Downs yesterday...which she won with ease and no one near. I will be looking for her on the field at the Preakness in two weeks.

I called my daddy and we chatted about the race...just as we have done since I was 3 years old watching my first Kentucky Derby with him. It was a fun jabbing conversation as always...he telling me that he had the winner picked the whole time...knowing full well he did not. LOL. It is days like this that I really miss being a little girl with my daddy. :)

Meanwhile, I am gearing up for the new contest and challenge issued by BuffMother ... 10 weeks of consistency. I took my measurements and "before" pics this morning and completed my first Consistency POA...so now I am ready to begin first thing Monday.

More later....

Deer and Veggies

Well the mama and baby deer spent the entire day outside the house today. Mama comes up on the deck and looks in the sliding glass door and baby is coming real close now too. My poor baby veggie plants will not stand a chance if I do not figure out a way to keep them away from them. I am going to plant some of the veggies on the hillside and put their mineral/salt block out for them and hopefully that will buy them off and keep them away from the veggie plants. Meanwhile, I have the beds all designed and will be picking up the top soil, potting soil and compost to make the beds and prepare them for transplanting the babies to it.

Workouts and eats are going great, although I am battling getting in the calories I need each day. I just have no desire for food or an appetite during the warm weather. But I am forcing it down as much as possible.

Well time for bed, another appointment for hubby tomorrow courtesy of the VA so we are going to hit the gym on our way home from the appointment.

More later....

Excited and Setting Goals

I am totally fired up about my workouts, meals and the Emerald Cup next year. I can do it and I KNOW IT! I was searching for more motivational things and I came across this beautiful one-piece posing suit. Oh I just love it and I want it...so, this is one of my new motivational items. I will own that suit and make it look good!

Workouts are going fabulous, eating is clean just not as much as I want, and life is looking great! Husband is excited about this new goal also and he is fired up over it. He has been hitting the weights heavier and hard also. We just sorta feed off each other's excitement and it works fabulously.

I am in the midst of planning our path to this event. Husband wants to take classical dance lessons, I want to attend a posing clinic and a good butt busting boot camp of sorts, I want to get my surgery scheduled for as soon as possibly practical so I have time to heal without affecting my progress. Cheyenne is even getting excited about this...she was looking at posing suits online and sending me pics of them. Too Cute.

So for now, all is flowing along and the plans are being worked out and our plan laid out. It will be great to see it written and start the countdown to the 2008 Emerald.

The Plan

Now is the beginning and big changes are in order. We have 1 year to get ready to compete together in mixed pairs...we are aiming for the Emerald Cup in Seattle in April of 2008. I have much mass to gain. I have currently cut down to 115 lbs. This is just not big enough! So, enter the new lean bulk time!

I am revamping my meal plan and my workout schedule, increasing my caloric intake, cutting the fat level and lifting like a total beast! The heavier the better. Hubby's back injuries and so forth mean that he is working on stengthening and I am working on mass gaining. I have to catch up with him to keep the symetrics in line if we hope to stand a chance. His injuries and disabilities will not stop us, we will work with them and reach our goal of competing together. It is good therapy for him to have this to focus on.

I am also preparing to start a new BuffMother challenge...the 10 week consistency challenge. I cannot wait to start this one. Consistency is a killer to many but I will be consistent and I will reach my goals. Now I am setting new goals based on this 10 week challenge. One bite at a time as they say.

Life is good and we will meet the obstacles and conquer them...together.

The new plan...

The Emerald Cup has just taken place in Seattle and the results are posted. I looked long and hard at the winners in each division, especially mixed pairs as that is what hubby and I are shooting for next April. The winners are from Oregon also, which was encouraging. It made me feel better to know that it was not a 'local' couple who won...that hometown advantage thing did not apply. So our goal is set and eyes are on April of 2008.

The next plan to be worked out is our new workout schedule, my meal plans for the next month and my new goals for the month written out and hung up for me to see constantly. BuffMother is beginning her newest challenge ... a consistency challenge for 10 weeks and I am all over it. She has weekly mini-challenges which are a great help also. So, the time is now to get a move on. I have a lot of progress that I personally want to make and hubby has his own set of goals for himself so it will start getting intense around here as far as our workouts and home life goes...but that is what it is all about. This is our chosen lifestyle and so therefore, let's rock it!

Time to get busy on the written plan. Later

I think I have kicked the cold...Yay!

I feel lucky and I think I have finally beaten this cold. The only remaining symptoms is a little sinus trouble. That I can deal with as long as can breathe well enough to workout effectively.

My little veggie plants are growing up a storm, I now have spinach, squash, 4 types of tomatoes and broccoli. With everything going on with my best friend and my ex-husband regarding Cheyenne, a little life, growth and greenery is a welcome addition. Plus, now it gives me direction on planning my beds to start on them next weekend.

I am also working on the deck area for the hot tub, I cannot wait to get it finished, get the tubby up and get in a good soak. I have two pair of boot mocs to get cut out and made. This means a trip to Fire Mountain Gems to get some special beads and adornments for the pair for Phoenix. I do so love planning out unique projects.

Well more later...rest now.

I have a cold and new tomatoes

I have new little tomato plants sprouting along with my broccoli means the makings for a great salad are in progress. I cannot wait for spinach to come up and then the peppers and I will only need chicken for that salad. LOL.

I woke up this morning with a sore throat and running nose...I am now runnig a low grade fever and feeling yucky. DH decided to share his cold with me. I was shocked that I caught it, I have not had a cold in years aside from my sinus infection last year I have been good. Oh well I guess I was due. I just want it to be gone soon.

More later...on Cheyenne, shaving and workouts. Time for a hot bath.

A nice day and evening

So my legs are getting a little big for that skirt...oh well. We had a nice day and evening, very quiet. We just did what we wanted ... if we wanted to. We went for a coffee, watched a movie, I did some housework, Hubby worked on some deer hides he is tanning.

Miss Cheyenne had her TV scheduled back to back for most of the day so she rarely came out of her room. LOL. She schedules the movies and stuff she wants to see for Saturday and Sunday. During the week, she does her homework and catches a little of TV but mainly just listens to her music channels on the dish. She really loves the dish music channels because she can listen to just about anything she wants to.

Hubby and I spent some time today talking about future plans and upcoming events. We have a VA appointment on Monday which shoots our day and then sometime in July, I have to take him back up to Fort Lewis for a 2 day nightmare. Why they think it is necessary to re-evaluate him less than a year since he retired from the Army is beyond me. It is not like they can call him back to active duty but they feel the need to torment him anyway. It really makes me angry because he will go through their stupid dog n pony show and then be in bed with migraines and back pain for 2 or 3 days. Gawd the stupidity never ceases to amaze me. We also have to make arrangements for Cheyenne to fly to Florida for her visitation with family which will be for about 6 weeks. So we will have some alone time. It is good for her but we always miss her when she is gone. Well more later...

Thursday Back and Bis

Yesterday was a good day. My seedlings are starting to sprout. Well at least three little broccoli plants are sprouting. I cannot wait to get that tray full of little seedlings and then be able to move them to larger pots and outside. I love watching stuff grow. I have a really neat variety planted in this tray...some veggies, an herb and some crafting stuff. I planted two different types of gourds. I planted some bird house gourds which make awesome martin birdhouses and those little guys eat tons of insects and mosquitos. They are also great gourds for painting, beading and other neat crafting stuff. I also planted some dipper gourds. Primarily they were used for water dippers but they are also great for various craft projects. I planted four varieties of tomato, spinach, broccoli, a sweet red pepper, summer squash and some echinacea. We went to the gym and I had a great back workout but my bicep workout was kinda weak. My right shoulder is really giving my trouble and it would not let me handle the heavier DBs. But I got the workout in using the 20 pounders and a barbell. I am feeling it today for sure which means I worked it enough to feel it. Yay! Well more later.

It is Wednesday...Tonight is LEGS!

I do so love leg workouts. I have actually been looking forward to hitting the gym all day. It is odd how I look forward to certain workouts and others I cringe at. LOL

Meanwhile, I am going to call my son and check on him, call my mother and see how she is feeling following her recent procedure and then cook before heading to the gym. The weather is sort of threatening rain so we will see how that goes.

Cheyenne is doing fabulous in school and gearing up to start a huge end of the year project that will require tons of stuff...a model, presentation, oral report, interviews and so forth. This should prove to be fun...just deciding on a topic has proven to be interesting. But we shall get one chosen this week for sure! More later....

I often wonder why things happen in our lives...and yes, I know everything happens for a reason. But when things go south because of a misunderstanding, I was always taught to believe that adults can talk things out and work it out. I now realize that requires TWO adults wanting to work it out. Maybe by circumstance or situations, one person is too occupied to realize that the other is hurting. Maybe it is because one person refuses to see the other is trying to reconcile and mend the matter. Or maybe the relationship just was not as important to one person as they once thought...maybe they do not have time for it any longer. Whatever the reason...it just plain sucks. I always believed in being honest and accounting for your actions...saying "I'm sorry" when you were wrong and trying to make right the wrong. I guess there are some that do not take "I'm sorry" with as much value as I do.

There was so much I was looking forward to in moving to the NW and also so much that I feared. I tried my best to make the best of every situation and circumstance thrown in my path...but my fears won out anyway. I guess it is life's way of reminding us that nothing lasts forever. So I guess I must now focus on the future and not on what I wanted in my future...time to punt and re-plan.

Some losses are so much worse than others but nothing matches the loss of a sister and best friend. This is a heartache that will take a very long time to mend...if it ever does.

This and that.....

Hubby and I took a nice little day trip today with some friends and all of our kids. It was a nice ride, we drove into and out of a snow storm on Mt. Ashland, as we headed south to Mt. Shasta in California. We spent several hours in Shasta, letting our friends' kids visit their mother and then we headed back, one kid short, and called it a day. Delivering kids for visitation is always stressful and tiring. But, it went pretty well and the oldest went back to Nevada with her mother and the boys came home with their father. Cheyenne is tickled because she will get to go spend the night with our friends possibly next weekend, which means a night of PS2 with the boys. We know it is hard on her being the only child at home and we also knows she misses her brother very much. Ben was her buddy and playmate and since he passed in January, she has been a bit lonely. Hopefully, making new friends at her new school and the boys, will help ease some of that loneliness for "kid" type interaction. We parents as adults can only compensate so much.
Next week is starting to stack up to be another busy week...much running to Grants Pass and much stuff to get done. Tax week always bites. LOL. More later...

All in 2 days work....

A fun filled week. I had the wonderful pleasure of friends coming to visit and spend a few days, during which we had a photoshoot here. It was great! Steve is an excellent photographer and made it fun...even outside when it was quite chilly. We turned the livingroom into a photo studio as well as the mountain behind us and several other places. We did over 1000 pics and spent much time chattinga nd enjoying the visit.

We talked about PSO stuff, websites, web graphics and all even intentional communities. It made for a nice time for sure. Steve and Summer brought their 10 week old bunny, Rose, with them and she was such a joy. She was so cute and cuddly, Miss Cheyenne had a fabulous time with her. Rose was thoroughly spoiled during her visit with fresh broccoli, carrots and other nibbly things.

Hubby has an appointment with the VA tomorrow so that will blow the afternoon and early evening for sure. Nearly 4 hours of commuting to and from not to mention waiting for and seeing the doctor. Grrrrrrr. I also need to make some phone calls to get on the ball about the re-eval in July.

So much to do and so busy, but I am getting in my workouts and feeling good. I am also spending a lot of time with hubby which always makes me smile. Cheyenne is excited as we are making plans for her month plus in Florida this summer and her Grandparents are thrilled also. One set is making plans to take her for a week to Puerto Rico and the other set is making plans to simply spoil her for a week. Gawd help us when she gets back here. Hubby and I are making plans for a long overdo 'honeymoon' of sorts. Basically just some quiet time together and maybe get away fro a couple fo days, as we never got to enjoy a real honeymoon as normal because we were moving across country with the military...we are looking forward to the time just to re-connect and enjoy each other.

My chest is on fire!

Wow my chest is on fire this morning...but it is a good feeling. I worked chest and tris last night and hit is pretty hard. I am really enjoying my workouts and the time with hubby. As always, our time in the gym is not only important to us but also "our" time. No kids, no dogs, no phones...just us and the weights.

It is nice because we have a 30+ mile drive to the gym each way and it allows us to spend time talking about our workouts, retirement, our search for property to buy, what we want to build, our daughter and tons of stuff. It gives us time to laugh also.

I am going to change up my workout exercises and add some different ones, just for the chance. I think I am going to throw in some romanian dead lifts, cable crossovers, reverse crunches, more skull crushers and more lunges. That is not the big issue for me right now as much as my diet is...it is getting warmer and I tend to eat less. This is not good as I want to be eating more! Trying to force down a minimum of 2800 calories a day is near impossible. But I will not give up...I will eat more each day.

I got a new picture of my grandson in the mail yesterday which tickled me. I am amazed at how much he has grown. It is now time to start my birthday shopping for him as he turns three on April 17th. YAY. Son is doing well back in NC and I miss him. But I am very proud of him also.

More later...back to work here.

Some great workouts have been happening!

Hubby and I have been hitting the gym hard...we have had a great Leg workout on Tuesday, Wednesday was a day off and last night it was shoulders, traps and Abs. I love working my shoulders and traps.

I did 3 sets of everything I did, hit is hard and lifted heavy. I did overhead barbell presses, DB lat raises, DB front raises, DB shrugs, Knee ups, twisted knee ups and straight leg knee ups. It felt great!

Tonight is Back and Bis...I love working my back so this will be another great night. I am still struggling with increasing my caloric intake and getting the food down. Eating clean and trying to cram 2500 - 2800 calories down per day is not easy. I wish there was some way I could stimulate my appetite during the warmer weather. Sounds like a new research project for me.

This weekend should be fairly relaxed but next week is going to be crazy! Thursday is a trip to the VA hospital with hubby and then drive to Washington state and load up the remainder of our stuff there. Whew! Then the fun part starts...unpacking and sorting through all of that stuff.

More later...

Things as usual are heating up with the military and finally I have made some headway in getting hubby's retirement pay corrected, the VA has finally made a decision and I can now start getting his medical care taken of again. I also learned that in a very short few months, he must be put back through all of the horrid testing he went through before getting out of the military. I am not looking forward to giving him that news. They have no idea how upsetting it is to continually be tested over and over for the same thing...of which nothing has changed since 2003! He worries me some days because of his depression levels but, we will fight our way through this as well. Eventually, maybe, one day they will just stop this ridiculous stuff and fully retire him so I can finally stop getting some normalcy into his life again.

Our anniversary was a bust with sitters pulling a no show...but we had a nice evening at home as a family and are making plans to spend at least one evening by ourselves soon. Meanwhile everything is status quo...still trying to sort through the gunk to find our new life after the military. The more the days pass and the more soldiers I come across who have been royally abandoned by the military, the angrier I become over it. Their medical treatment botched, the discharges and retirements botched and getting little assistance after they leave active duty. It is just so wrong in so many ways. Not all of them have wives who are still there and supportive and some never had wives. It is very sad indeed.

Well onward and upward...tomorrow is another day!

Finally an update!

Well 2007 has not been off to a snappy start. So much has happened, so much has changed and a major loss suffered.

We are still in Oregon and now have a cute little place we rented, hubby is wonderful, Cheyenne is in a neat school and loving it and I am embarking on a new enterprise here at home. But on January 30th I had to say goodbye to my 13 year old wolf. He had an inoperable bladder tumor and I had to have him put to sleep. I would not see him suffer or be in pain yet, it was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. I was with him the entire time and right to the end. Even after he was gone, I stayed there with him, finding it hard to hear the thought of leaving him. He has been cremated and is in a nice box on a special shelf with his lead...so I am adjusting to him being physically gone.

Hubby and I are still lifting weights and embarking on a new bulking cycle so I will get even BIGGER....yay. I have my eyes set on a competition in October in the bodybuilding division and if I am not ready I will try for the Emerald Cup in the spring of 2008. Marriage is great, retirement great & frustrating and hopefully freedom from the fight with the Army will appear somewhere on the horizon.