(In-law, that is)

We got the news last night in a series of e-mail pictures from Shannon that she is engaged.

Russ proposed to her while they were hiking on top of the Sandia Mountains, out of Albuquerque. First she sent pictures of the view from atop the mountain, then she sent a picture of her "favorite view". It was a picture of the beautiful ring on her finger. I'm so thrilled for her.... she is a very happy girl right now. She wants a summer wedding, but since they are in the process of a move from Albuquerque to Seattle in the next month, she's not sure if things will be settled enough to get a wedding planned for this summer. We might be waiting until next summer... which would be a good thing since I didn't know quite how to tell her we spent her wedding money on a motor home! haha

We can always hope she doesn't want to stick with tradition where the bride's parents pay for the wedding. Maybe they'll start a new tradition where the groom himself pays for everything. Yeah... that works for me. He's loaded... especially now. He's got the best treasure of all.... he's got Shannon.
 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UejelYnVI3U

I heard that 70's tune "Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road" today and I can't get the stupid thing out of my head! Crazy how something so ridiculous is still remembered forty some years later. I remember a gal I went to school with (a former beauty pageant contestant) actually sang that song at our 20th class reunion. Interesting choice, I thought.

This all brings to mind a night in my past where, by some miracle, I escaped being doused by one of these cute, black and white furry creatures. (this one wasn't dead in the middle of the road though)

We'd been having trouble with wandering dogs all that summer (we don't have dogs ourselves). They'd been coming around at night while we slept, terrorizing our outside cats. Several mornings we'd find the five gallon plastic bucket in which we stored the cat food in, tipped over with the lid off. It was very irritating to be feeding all of the neighboring animals as well as our own.

One night I woke up to a loud racket outside and decided I was going to go out and scare off the thief. Sam was working out of town at that time so it was up to me to take care of business. I quietly snuck out through the front door and tiptoed around the side of the house. Sure enough the bucket was tipped over and even though it was dark, I could tell the intruder was still chowing down. And, even though I was blind, because I had not thought to put on my glasses before heading outside, I could see this thief was smaller than I had thought I'd find. I determined it was one our own cats who was getting into the food each night!

So I soundlessly crept over to where it was preoccupied inside the bucket. I got down to it's level so I could get a clearer view of exactly which cat was the culprit. Then, getting even closer because of my poor vision, I said out loud, "Which one are you?"

The creature back itself out of the bucket and turned to face me . . . nose to nose. My eyes had had time to adjust by then and it didn't take long for me to realize this was not a cat but a skunk! I wish I'd have had a video of that moment because I suspect I defied gravity and broke the sound barrier all in the same instant. I swear I was back inside the house the exact moment I saw the white stripe. I never knew anyone, let alone myself, could move THAT fast!

No spraying was done that night... but several nights later we were woke out of a sound sleep by this hideous odor wafting through the house. We'd left the back door open and the skunk must have had a run-in with one of the cats and sprayed the back steps. For the rest of the summer, whenever I put the hose to the steps, the smell revisited us. Ugggg!

Oh yeah, there was a dead skunk on the highway a week or so later... stinkin' to high heaven.
 

My husband had a dentist appointment this morning so I let him take my car to town because it gets better gas mileage than his pick-up. On his way back home, less than a mile from our house, he hit a dog. It was one of those unavoidable accidents. Apparently there were three very large dogs chasing a pick-up truck coming toward Sam. Right at the point where Sam and the pick-up met, the dogs decided to stop chasing and return to their yard.... right in the path of my car which was traveling at 55 mph. Luckily he only hit one of them, but it had to have badly hurt that one dog. Sam stopped, but the dog had managed to get up and go into his yard. The other two dogs were barking furiously at Sam from the yard, so he stood beside the car hoping somebody would come to the door and see what was going on, but nobody ever did and he wasn't about to go into the yard with those dogs, so he came home.

My car was damaged some, which really bums me out. The owners of the dog should be liable for fixing my car, but now, how does one go back to the house after having left the injured dog there unattended? How do you tell the dog owner they have to pay for a damaged car when their dog might be dead for all we know? How do you prove the damage was caused by their dog, with no witnesses to support your story?

We have a very high deductible on our insurance, so the carelessness of others is probably going to cost us. We are both just sick about this. It's just not right. Too bad Sam didn't take his pick-up to town today.

Why can't people be more responsible for their dogs? There are too many that are allowed to roam free. I have seen dogs on the road at this location more than once, so, if they had just gotten loose today... I'm pretty sure it's happened before. You'd think the owners would figure out how they get out and fix the problem. Maybe they don't care. Poor dogs.




 

I had a really embarrassing thing happen at work just before I went on vacation which made me realize how desperately I needed a break. (or maybe it's just another age thing)

It was a very busy morning at Silver Shears (the beauty shop where I work). It seemed like every time the phone rang, all the other gaIs were in the middle of shampooing or had their hands in hair color and couldn't get to the phone, so it was up to me to answer the phone, make appointments, plus try to get my own clients out the door without getting too far behind schedule. So it was 10:40. Unfortunately, I was running ten minutes behind. I looked at my watch... realizing my 10:30 perm appointment hadn't arrived. So I looked up her phone number and gave her a call to see if she had forgotten about the appointment. This is the conversation:

"Hello?"

"Hi Marie... this is Sandy at Silver Shears."

"Yes?"

"Marie... I had you scheduled for a perm this morning at 10:30."

"Yes, I know."

"Uh.... are you on your way?"

"I'm here."
(At this point I'm looking out the window for her vehicle, wondering why, if she's here, she's not sitting in my chair for heaven's sake!)

About this same time I make a full, slow turn and face the center of the shop. There, in the reception area, sits Marie talking on her phone... to me! I never even heard her talking... just over the phone!

Silver Shears is one large room with four stations around the edges. No walls... no way I could have missed her IF I had looked. But apparently when she arrived, I was on the phone with my back to the door and never knew that she had arrived about ten minutes earlier!

We all had a good laugh at my expense! Nothing more I could do but laugh at myself. What a goofball!

Just this week when Marie was in for another appointment, she announced herself to me as she came through the door, saying "I'm here, Sandy!" I was sure disappointed, because I was actually going to call her when I was ready for her, to let her know she could come get in my chair.

Foiled again!



 

I've always been a bit bugged by the idea of a muse! I never could quite grasp the concept of this "make-believe" creature stealing my thunder when I happen to write something decent. So I amused myself by taking an old piece and adding something new to it.

The Uninspired Poet writes:

Today I dragged
my dead-beat muse
through barren brambles
that fill my mind
and tossed her out
into the world.
But now I hope
she'll find her way back
and fill this aching void.

A Vengeful Muse writes:

My poet is dead!
She had it coming —
blaming me for
her writer's block.
She simply wouldn't listen,
choosing instead to loll
in mindless crap
behind unopened eyes.

She now lies sprawled
across her desk —
face firmly planted
on a blank sheet of paper —
dull, wooden sticks jabbed
in her eyes —
yellow number twos.

Silently she bleeds
unwritten words
from wide-open eyes.
She heard me too late.

 

We spent several hours in Lake Havasu City looking for regulator parts so Sam could use the air compressor that runs the brakes on the motor home to blow out the water lines etc. Since we knew we might be heading into freezing temps on our journey back home, we thought it best to winterize on the road.

Just outside of Las Vegas we stopped at Starbucks for free wi-fi so we could look up where to dump our holding tanks. Remember, we are still quite new at this motor home business. Also had to look up weather reports for up North. With all that out of the way, we made our way through Las Vegas. Thank goodness for the GPS which guided us through busy streets to the RV dealership who charged us $10 to dump our holding tanks.

We discovered there had been a winter storm go through a part of where we had to travel, so we decided to use an extra day and give the roads time to melt off since the prediction was for rain to follow the snow. Instead of driving all the way back home in two days we'd do it in three, staying again at the Parangat wildlife refuge the first night, back to Jackpot for the second night, then home on Friday.

I'm getting pretty comfortable with driving the motor home by now, but still avoid driving in towns. The roads were good and clear all the way, but we drove through some very strong winds from mid-Nevada to Jackpot. It was exhausting trying to keep the Cutter on the road.

At Jackpot we ran into the couple (Sam's cousin and wife) who set us up on a blind date 34 years ago. It was quite a surprise reunion for us all. We sat and visited until well past midnight. Had a great time reminiscing.

We finally made it home at 2:00 on Friday Jan. 20th. It's back to work for me on Saturday, but then I get the next three days off so I can have time to slide back into my comfortable rut at home.

We are already talking about taking three weeks next winter to go South. I'd rather do four... we'll see.
I'm looking around my house now... and DANG! I still have Christmas to put away!

 

We laid around the desert all morning being lazy, then took one last walk among the Saguaro. It was so warm (mid-70s) that we actually were able to put out the motorhome's awning for the first time this trip. About 2:00 we folded up camp and headed to Parker, Arizona.

Driving, we made it as far north as the Blue Waters Indian casino. We parked in their parking lot along with a hundred other motorhomes. It wasn't long before Sam and I each walked away with $100 from the slot machines. That did much to boost our gambling spirit, after the beating we took in the Nevada Casinos. As we were heading back out to the motor home, we heard a country-type band performing so we stopped and sat at a bar near where the band was playing to enjoy the music. As the band was playing some real toe-stomping, hand-clapping music, I looked around at the other twenty or so people, in various stages of intoxication, sitting around the U-shaped bar and realized that Sam and I were the only people who were NOT of Indian descent. Sam, wearing his black felt cowboy hat, said he hoped they wouldn't suggest a game of cowboys and indians 'cause we were way outnumbered. After I laughed my ass off, I realized we'd had too much to drink and decided it was time to head back out to the parking lot where we'd be safe with the old folks in the motor homes.
 

(Note: Made it home today and finally have time to post the rest of the entries from the trip. Wi-fi has been very limited this past week.)

Salome
— Saturday
Mike and Sandy took us all out for a drive into the desert to a place where Patton trained the army's armored division (tanks), for the invasion of Europe in WW2. There's not much left there except paths upon paths, all lined with rocks. The desert here is loaded with beautiful rocks. I'd love to take a bunch home with me to landscape with, but of course I didn't disturb them.
We had a picnic then wandered around looking at the various plant life. The Saguaro cacti are so stately looking — until you get up close. Then you see just how old and beat-up they are. I understand they are quite old, like maybe 150 to 200 years old. They are found exclusively in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona. I almost don't see them as plants at all, but as some sort of immobile creatures who watch over the desert. I just love the old guys (they all seem male in my mind... maybe it's their shape ). I'd love to be able to talk to them. In fact I did walk up to one and start to talk to it, but when Sam came too close I stopped. I don't need him thinking his wife has lost her mind.

— Sunday
Russ and Shannon had planned to fly out early Sunday morning and we were going to say our goodbyes to Mike and Sandy. We were anxious to take the motor home out to the desert and "boondock" some, before we had to head back North and home to the cold, cruel winter.
It turned out to be a cloudy, chilly morning in Salome. The kids got the plane ready to depart. I noticed the front tire seemed low, but when I mentioned it, I was assured it would be fine. (So what more could I say? After all, what do I know about airplanes?) When they climbed into the plane, I noticed it went even flatter. I could not take my eyes of the tire.
"What happens when you land a plane on a flat tire" I asked Sam, letting him know I was extremely uneasy about the tire.
They had already started to taxi away when, luckily, a gentleman from the airpark drove by and got Russ's attention pointing to the tire, so he shut down and took another look. Whew!! What a relief!! The tire indeed had gone flat. They were off to find a flat repair kit and fix the tire. After a couple more hours, we were finally off — them, to Albuquerque in the plane and us, out to the desert in the S.S.Cutter.

We found a great spot to park the motor home, out by ourselves like we wanted. It was still cloudy but had warmed up some. We walked out into the desert and again found ourselves among the Saguaros, my new buddies. We discovered a skeleton of a dead Saguaro lying on the ground and I found a piece of one of its arms that had broken off to take home with me. I like the thought of having a piece of one of these guys with me at home too. Besides they are very cool looking. There doesn't seem to be very many dead ones around. I wonder if it's because they just don't die very often, or if people, like me, haul off their bones.
We built a campfire and was about to roast some hotdogs for dinner when we noticed a beautiful sunset developing. I grabbed my camera and headed into the desert to get some Saguaro sillouettes with the orange/pink backdrop. It lasted about 5 minutes but I managed to get some nice photos.
Two bottles of champagne somehow disappeared. Not sure how that happened, but my pounding head thinks it knows what happened.

Monday
It rained last night, but the clouds have moved on this morning and we again have sunny skies. Darn it... the wind is blowing though. Still, compared to home, the temps aren't bad... in the mid 60's. We went for another long walk amongst the Saguaro.
We sat by the evening campfire with hot buttered rums after dinner and were visited by a fat, little kangaroo mouse. It ran around our feet, making me a little nervous. I thought it might run up my pant leg the way it stood with its front paws on my shoes. I finally threw out a pork chop bone and some wilted lettuce and it immediately grabbed onto the bone and drug it off — to its home I suppose, leaving the lettuce. Go figure.

Tomorrow, it's back on the road again... heading North.




 

Today was a lazy day here in sunny Arizona. I actually got to do what I've been dreaming of doing since we first planned this trip....sit in the sun and do absolutely nothing but enjoy the sun's rays penetrating to my bones. I don't know how hot it was, but sitting out in front of the hangar waiting for Shannon and Russ to fly in was like heaven. I finally had to go put on a tank top because it got so warm. Russ made a great landing... I was quite relieved.

Not sure what's in store for tomorrow, but I think we will be going out to see some more desert. I hope I can get closer to one of those saguaro cactus. They intrigue me. We'll probably head out in the S.S.Cutter on Sunday after the kids fly out. We would like to spend the last few days we have down here out in the desert "boondocking". which we found out is what they call dry camping in an RV. We'd like to get out by ourselves if that's possible.

Finding a Wi-Fi connection out in the desert might be a problem so I will probably disappear for a few days. Not to worry... I'll be having a good time.
 

Yesterday we sailed the S.S. Cutter into Salome, Arizona where we met up with a couple that we know from our antique car club, Mike and Sandy (same as mine )They live in Washington, but winter down here flying their Sesna back and forth. Their home here is in one end of a hanger along a small airstrip. Interesting lifestyle. Last night they took us to a jam session where about 20 musicians gathered and played various country western songs. Mike (from Washington) plays bass. It was quite enjoyable even though some of the singers could not carry a tune.

Today, Mike got his airplane out and flew us over the desert a bit so we could see the millions of RVs out there. We flew over Quartzsite and was amazed at the ocean of motorhomes and trailers down there. Then we flew over to Lake Havasu for lunch. Had a great pulled pork lunch and saw the London Bridge, (from the air) it was nothing special to look at. It was a very nice day.

Tomorrow, Shannon and boyfriend Russ will fly in from Albuquerque for the weekend. Russ has been flying maybe a couple of years, but not that often and not this far. I'm very nervous to have my only child up in a small plane. He's not instrument certified and can only fly in good weather. I hope all goes well. But it WILL be good to see them again. I think we will finish out the weekend here with the wonderful hospitality of Mike and Sandy, before heading out into the desert for the duration of our trip.

Hoping for warmer weather.... it was jacket weather today.