I knew IT!

I'm going to be a freakin' genius when I retire...read this. Interesting findings...HM!?

Paarty Time!

So we had a huge party for the 9 year old yesterday. Took the night off from job 1 and had a house full, pool full, and yard full of 9-10 year old boys and a couple of girls...I think there were some 15 or so total kids. Lost count, they move around a lot so it's hard to keep track...lol.

Anyway, it was a great success; I made the "best burgers and hotdogs with hardly ANY black on them at all" and it "rocked!" This was an actual quote by one of the boys. This after a week of craziness...Explorer had a flat which in turn cost us money in tires, then it would not start which cost a battery and is still in the shop for prev A/C issues. I've been in a rental since Friday which I am happily enjoying because as I've posted before, I'm going to, I MEAN IT, acquire a 9-3 Saab SOON so to run around in a car (which has new car smell!!!) for a few days is - well, I'm lovin' it.

Should be getting the old gal back Monday, perhaps Wednesday depending on the fight we may be facing - long story. So until then, I "have" a new car. I'm rocking out in the driveway with the stereo full tilt and the seat reclined ALL the way back. I was in there for 20 minutes the other day...ahhh, such heaven.

Also, started a women's group. Met several members Friday eve. Actually my partner started it on Yahoo. It's a GLBT Parents group. Other moms mostly have joined but dads are welcome and encouraged. The idea is to share experiences and be able to speak with others in the same situations as things arise. It also gives the kids someone in their own "true" peer group to discuss issues they may be dealing with as kids of gay parents or being raised in a gay household. The meeting went great. We were just talking for hours and no one wanted to leave. Crazy all the similarities and coincidences...REALLY crazy.

Everyone had so much in common from history, exes, living arrangements, etc. Being the person who joined a family it was nice to talk to other women who lived alone and then were instant families as well. We could share how we have low tolerance days and understand it and relate and give each other tips. It was really good. Made me feel like others really get it. We have a couple of functions coming up next month. It's an active group. We'll do camping trips, picnics, hikes, etc. Everyone is really excited and looking forward to it so it should do well. I think she had eight couples join the group within 24 hours.

It's been a very positive week. A lot of change in the air as this Summer season came to an end. The world smells sweeter. Perhaps that is because the windows are open now in the eves but I'll take it. Might head north for a quick turnabout to check on the change of colour. We'll see.

We were attacked!!!

Went camping this weekend. Just my partner, our baby (Ella), and myself. Oh, and then during the eve while relaxing by fire we were invaded by another who crashed our party.

This is a Hercules Beetle that dwell in New Mexico and Arizona, or so I've briefly read about. It's a D. Ganti, which is latin for really freakin' big ass beetle. It's eyes glowed orange in the light. I'll post some actual pictures when I get the chance. The horns weren't as developed on our visitor but it was definitely the same family and evidently is quite friendly. They are known to be the most gentle and handleable of all the beetle family of this size...yea, thanks but no, I'll pass.

Dog kept wanting to visit but I finally scooted it away from the site and let it on its way.

Oh yea, gotta love the outdoors - going back out with the kids in another month. We'll see if he's still out a bout.

Last Kiss

My partner scored preview tix last week and we checked out the premier of The Last Kiss. Heavy on the drama but well put together and life does often fall into pattern that way - it was a solid thumbs up for me. The soundtrack however, spectacular.

I've been playing a lot of Snow Patrol and Blue October lately anyway but the compilation of this album is truly something not to pass up. There's the Cary Bros., Remy Zero, Coldplay, the aforementioned Snow Patrol, and many, many others. Excellent selection and you'll perhaps notice many of the bands selected have been seen/er heard previously in other Braff pics such as Garden State.

Think he has some say? Anyway, it's a great story, but the soundtrack plays on well past the screen going dark. Really enjoyable; a do not miss.

A week later and my mind is still all over dialogue and sound from this pic. Wow!

Something to read and note

Found this over here - this is the moral of the story:
Sometimes people are on the outside looking in because they don’t have any money. But sometimes people are on the outside looking in because they don’t have any class. This is a great site with many other stories - check it out. There's another called bitterwaitress.com where people who experience crap tips call them on it.

Still fat smashin'...

As I posted .. eons ago, I was doing detox on the Fat Smash Diet and have lost just over 12 pounds and am into then next size down jeans * big smiles * ... I am sure I'd have lost more if I managed to get my ass in the gym however this was done being lazy. Not completely, I've been tasking chores about the house but not on the precor as I had envisioned. This week, 1/2 way into phase II, I will begin the gym journey and should increase my loss, I would think, twice as fast.

So, to recap, in a months time I'd have averaged 15 lbs. lost and maintaining a healthy eating habit to last me (hopefully) for the duration of life. That said, I turned - eh, 35 this week and actually feel physically better than I have in over a year. My energy levels have returned and my mind feels clearer as well, albeit full of strife...lol!

Actually, I voted in the primary today and hey, we do what we can and I'll just have to ease off the small stuff. I may not the be the twenty-something with a sign but I think I'll always have a bull horn in my heart regardless of how old I get. I'm just too Type-A.

Anyway, I continue to lose weight, gain perspective, and am everyday closer to nirvana. My eyes still on the prize which is Havasupai!!! Looking at making this happen - timeline definitely not October - anything later will be too cold so I'm shooting for March. I'm still very psyched. Oh, and my honey was out of town and brought me back some friends. Check 'em out...they are SO freakin' cool.

Strife!

Been filled with a bit of strife lately. Don't know how to squelch it but I've been on a soap box at work, on my blog, and everywhere else imaginable. As a youngster, I marched, protested, advertised, editorialized, and was quite the activist, as in my youth I should've been. I've held signs to the nation's capitol, the state capitol, and on many occasion, lent my voice and opinion on matters close to my heart and home.

I'm tired. I'm sick of the "drama", the mindset that nothing matters and quite frankly have grown tired of beating my head against the wall that is society, government, and more importantly, friends and family.

At this point, I am seeking a cave to crawl into and hibernate. As I said, I am tired. I found some quotes from 2Girls, which is an incredible site. Made me feel warm and good and valued as a person. We are not alone in this struggle. There are hundreds upon thousands out there fighting the good fight and in the next generations to come, this will be just another civil struggle in the school books that we will be victorious over and I will be proud within to know I was a part of it.

To begin this week on a positive note, some words of encouragement:

To love a person is to learn the song that is in their heart, and to sing it to them when they have forgotten. - Anonymous

Waiting for circumstances to change so you can feel good is like looking in a mirror waiting for your reflection to smile first.- Bashar

Love at first sight is easy to understand; it's when two people have been looking at each other for a lifetïme that it becomes a miracle. - AmyBloom

Lazy day

Totally ripped this off of Leesa, thanks woman.

Your Element Is Earth

You excel at planning and strategizing. You could be a champ at chess or Survivor. Well grounded, you are able to be realistic and rationalize. On the inside, you have a hard core. It's tough to phase you. You are super productive, and you are able to think anything through. Focused and super charged, your instincts are a good guide for your next step.

What's Your Element?

Melting Pot...YUM!

So my honey and I spent our actual anniversary date at the Etheridge concert and then Thursday eve I took her to The Melting Pot for our dinner. It was a dual celebration, actually. Earlier that day I had rec'd a call from my OB/GYN - I'd had a Cervical Cancer scare last year that I had a surgery for at the beginning of this year. After waiting the obligatory 6-8 months for healing - I went in a couple weeks ago for the follow up and it's gone. They were able to get it all so I'm a-okay and don't have to go back for a year.

I was surprisingly relieved. I say surprisingly because I had NO idea how much it weighed on my mind until I got the call; the one that says my doc has left me a msg. I'd had nose bleeds multiple times the week of the follow up test. Then when I got the call I just felt a wave of panic and nausea. But, my body prevailed - it's all good; hence dual celebration dinner.

Anyway, the main reason of the post was to brag about how unbelievably good dinner was. OMG the shrimp was just crazy delicious. Did the Big Night Out and had this amazing cheddar fondue with beer base, garlic, and spices, etc. Sweetened the deal by opting for the strawberry and almond salad with feta and light infused balsamic vinaigrette; also delish. Did the Coq Au Vin for the main entree and couldn't get enough shrimp or filet mignon and squash. Then to top it off; had hot milk chocolate, caramel, and pecans to dip fresh fruit, brownie and pound cake squares, marshmallow, and CHEESE CAKE - that was it; stuck a fork in me cause I was done and then some.

They are out and about the nation so if you get the chance, do partake. It's pricey but for a special night out; it's far beatin' your local Black Angus. For reference, without alcohol our bill for two was roughly $120 with tip. Would I do it again? Absolutely.

When it becomes personal...SB1437

So last week my partner receives an email from a high school friend. This woman is also godmother to her child, etc. They've remained close, in touch, and visit one another a few times a year. Said friend lives in So California. Evidently there's this prop on the ballot to give the public school more pronoun freedom in their curriculum. To put it in a nutshell, they cannot ban books or the use of same gender pronouns or people such as Jill and Jill instead of Jack and Jill. It allows teachers to be flexible when discussing families. This format would include single parenting, same gender parenting, bi-racial parenting, etc. You know, an actual portrayal of real life for children to identify with.

So, in the usual norm of blanket forwarding friends, this person includes my partner on her email to SUPPORT the fight to defeat this proposition which promotes understanding and acceptance. Just FYI - she's also a born again...okay. That said, my partner and I are furious. Because she is "godmother" to one of her kids, she took even more offense (if possible) at the idea that her "thoughts" on the matter are damaging to her children. She has never been okie-doke with my partner's choices in life at this stage of the game but always claims to love, etc. Blah! Yea right.

So an email was sent back to said friend and was cc'd to all of the people included in the original email list as she wants to be sure NO ONE identifies her as one of the people who feel the way of the "christian way right." Well, the whole next day the phone calls/voice messages kept coming. She asked that her friends not be emailed and that she really wants to talk and that she should be able to have a difference of opinion and that it's her beliefs just as it is my partners. Yada yada yada. My partner has not had a conversation with her yet as we're still feeling a bit bruised over this whole shebang to say the least.

What I have a hard time getting over - as does my partner - is how does this woman; hell, this group of "believers", sleep at night when they spend SO MUCH energy to make our lives miserable. Our goal in life is to find happiness and enjoy life; we don't wage props to remove rights from others. Why do these people feel they deserve to get married, or have families, or have benefits in case their partner falls ill or passes, etc... yet we do not? Do they truly feel better than us? Do they think they've earned it and we're just asking to be granted this special right? And the underlying factor here, the real bottom line as she puts it, is it's just a difference of opinion. Maybe for her. Whether this prop passes or fails, her life isn't affected. Mine is.

Althought I've never met her, I have never liked this said friend. I normally have no issues with people, especially those I've never met. But from the jump, when my partner and I first started seeing each other (the very first night), I heard stories of this friend that showed her to be a judgemental, ignorant, bigot who hid behind her faith as a curtain of all that is holy. My partner knows this for I've never made it secret. I knew I'd never want to meet her for I would not be able to contain myself.

I bust my ass for an average of 65 hours a week between two jobs including a third shift and I get two days off a month. My partner and I take care of our family, each other, our pets, our house, our cars, and take nothing from the state nor the government. We pay my taxes, maintain our property, and take pride in what we contribute to our society. We hold doors for everyone as we enter/exit buildings, nod or say hello when we see a stranger, and I am constantly giving people the current time or directions somewhere (really I do, all the time, I'm like friggin' Information). I've earned the right as a citizen to be granted the same respect as everyone else. I'm not asking for handouts, welfare, or pity; it's getting ridiculous.

In a country that is supposedly set up as a seperation of church and state our current government has really driven home its faith by trying to amend the constitution to DENY rights to a group of people. Our whole basis as a country is being tried and tested on the basis of one party's beliefs. How is this acceptable, especially in 2006?! Can someone explain why these people are so concerned with lives that have nothing to do with their own?

There's now a prop in AZ to remove the domestic partner benefits from people; which not only affects same sex couples but ALL folks of Arizona. Why? I don't understand this hate and fear and the notion that it's a matter of a mere difference of opinion speaks volumes. For us, it's our lives, our futures, our happiness. For them, it's a political button, a difference of opinion; a belief. How convenient.

Thanks Leesa!

Borrowed from Peace of Mind, this wonderful tool allows us to air our gripes. Officially on notice, per my blog: