Long Gone are the days.....
Long Gone are the days of frolicking under waves of sweet smelly petroleum based gasoline- Do you remember tossing pennies into the large Italian like fountains, with gasoline spilling out of Neptune's mouth or whatever creature he was poised next to- Remember the sound of the smooth liquid streaming down into your gas tank and the smell filling up your lungs (temporally clouding your mind enough to allow you to forget how much it costs to "filler up") The fountains have run dry- Long gone are the days when you could fill up your gas tank for under $20 bucks- I was encouraged by my mother to fill up my gas tank TONIGHT- As the price will go up .40 cents or more- I only TOPPED it off and it cost me nearly $16 Bucks- Yeah -I only put in 6 GALLONS- I think I need a drink- Please make that a double-
What Book am I reading? You asked
I have never been one to read books- I must be a touch too ADD to actually sit and read- My mind always wanders off over there and then meanders back again- But in the recent years some books have held my attention long enough where I can actually finish the book- Like last summer when I read two of
Louis L'Amour books- I picked them up at a garage sale- I love Clint Eastwood westerns and thought these stories would be similar- One was even Sci-Fi (yep Western- Sci-Fi) Then this spring my co-worker Paulette, lent me the
Black Dahlia Avenger (the son of a suspected serial killer wrote a book- a movie will be coming out in 2006) Oooooh that one I could NOT put down- Disturbing, just the way I like em- She now wants me to start the
William Kent Krueger mystery series- He is a local writer who actually sits in my neighborhood to create murders and mystery - The settings for his books take place up in Northern Minnesota- I heard about
Eden Robinson and her book
Monkey Beach before I moved back to Minnesota- so I went to my local library and checked that one out- I really enjoyed that novel- I don't gravitate towards one genre or style- But mysteries can keep my attention better than love and romance- I am just now as an adult learning to enjoy written words- I am a visual kind of person- People watching or movies held my interest before- Here are some more authors that I have enjoyed
Laurie Notaro (One absolutely funny lady)
Tony Hillerman (PBS had made a couple movies of his books and introduced me to his good mysteries and Leaphorn) I recently finished
Goodbye, Little Rock and Roller by
Marshall Chapman- That book was a GREAT read- And I had never heard of her or the book- I purely purchased it because of the cover- It is great- One of the best impulse buys of my entire life, I think?- Now I am reading
Ghost Rider: Travels On the Healing Road by
Neil Peart- That is the book I mentioned in an earlier blog entry- You know the one I can't put down- I am hooked- The book is autobiographical- After he suffers a family tragedy he jumps on his BMW R1100GS and travels the Northern Continent- From Quebec to Alaska down towards Mexico and Belize- He needs to heal and has no destination other than to keep moving- I love traveling and especially the romantic notion by motorcycle- But I don't think I could ride 55,000 miles by motorcycle- I came across this book by accident- Neil just recently published
Traveling Music that I almost purchased (I buy books for the covers, really!) but decided to start with an earlier work and that is how I magically came across
Ghost Rider- I should get back to reading my book- Other authors worth mentioning-
The Road to Coorwain Jill Ker Conway -- One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Ken Kesey--
Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury--
Fight Club Chuck Palahniuk (not for the weak)-- There are so many great authors not enough room or time to get in too deep
Oh boy
Oh shit I screwed this up-Crap!! If you just tuned in and my blog is a very pretty pink- I tried something new and it back fired on me- I screwed up- not to worry I am in the midst of fixen it now- Wish me luck!! I lost all my links and have to re-type them all in- booooooo
Whose a Computer Geek?
I received my Poodle Boutique purchases and they are
KOOL- well cafepress didn't send it all together- so I may have a couple more packages coming- the quality is Fine- I purchased some magnets from another Cafepress Store
(so cool!) If you browse cafepress you can see all the fun stuff people come up with- It seems like a lot of the stores have talented graphic designers in their back sweatshop area- so Check it out!! Fun Stuff-
I have gotten into Photoblogs lately and they reminded how much I love photography- It has been a couple (many) years since I have felt this passion- I lost the passion back in 1999 -in SE Portland, Oregon at a previous job (no comment) But it is back and hopefully stays for awhile- so
Photoblogs are great- You don't have to go to galleries anymore to see
art- it is on the internet- And all over the internet- Like my dad said to me the other day
"you went from being computer illiterate to a computer geek" Yup I sure did- well I still don't know a lot about computers themselves- I guess that would be a techie- like my brother
I learned to use the hyperlink thingamabob- click onto (so cool!) and Photoblogs are great and art
The Brain has awoken from a looong Sleep
I was on the internet last night for like....5 and half hours (probably longer) I just could not stop my "groove" It all started with this cute package I got in the mail- I ordered some small Zines from one of my fav artists "the HOBO Artist" (d.Price) There was a website he said to visit- So I did- And I just went from website, to blog, to photoblog, to photoblog, to Website, to photoblog, to website, to blog, to website........through the "links" Art--traveling--counterculture--politics--and lots of PHOTOGRAPHY--My brain is on
fire from all the wonderful-- creative--crazy-- kooky-- information that I received- Isn't it great when your brain actually works and thinks about stuff- especially if it inspires you and gives you a small glimpse of passion--I wanted to write it all down- to save for a rainy day but it happened all so fast- I don't have very good short-term memory so I know all that information will just float around in my head for a very long time-Unretievable- That kinda bums me out- So I might retrace my steps this afternoon-
But beware since my brain is ON- there could be some interesting blog entries coming your way-
New Products in the Poodle Boutique
I have updated some of the Saratee Poodle Boutique products- I actually put in one of my "flower" photos- I used my macro lens to aim inside a pink petunia- the image is very commerical and well just plain "pretty" So you should check that out- I also recently purchased some products in the Poodle Boutique, so I will give yas a head up on the quality- I might not be updating my blog as routinely these coming weeks- I have found a book I just can't put down- when I am done I will give ya'll a book report- The book is 460 pages long and I am on page170. As some of you remember I created the infamous Vacation Travel Logs- Well, I finally found a book that has similar story structure- And thank God- I have been searching for a travel essay for sometime now- Check out the Poodle Boutique- Hell, some of you just might be looking at your "christmas" gifts
Pictures of the Pony Races
Matthew giving Sara good tips on horse racing
They're Rrrrraaacing-
Whose a WINNER??
Mark concentrating on his betting options
#4 is a WINNER
Matthew concentrating on his betting options
Went to See the Ponies
Yes, I went to the race track yesterday-
The Horse Race Track- It was a beautiful sunny afternoon- Just a perfect Midwestern sunny day- My dad and brother-in-law invited me to join them on there annual trip to the track (I couldn't go shopping with the "ladies & children") but I much rather hang out with guys anyways- I don't look like your typical tomboy but I "get" guys better than I "get" girls- As you may remember I have stitches on my right foot from my stint with the circus so I used a cane to hobble around the track- I am a complete NOVICE when it comes to betting on horses and my brother-in-law clued me in on how to "get-R-dun" We got to the track at 1:30 just in time to put in our bets for the first race- I didn't bet that race because I was more concerned in getting good photos (ya know for my blog) What I did notice was a interesting crowd- Majority of them were men and the average age fell into two groups the younger crowd of 25 year olds and then the older crowd of 50 year olds- The typical uniform was khaki shorts, tee-shirts or polo shirts, a baseball cap and sunglasses for both age groups- It did cross my mind the next time I am looking for a date- I would come to the track, because there was some good looking ponies- Anyways, we started with some cold beers and the educational course began- It can be very logical or just a wim when it comes to betting on a horse- Do you like the name? Do you stick with the best jockey? Have they ever run at that track? Who is the trainer? Blah Blah blah- Remember I am a novice- So on the third race I bet on a horse- I lost- It is just a gamble- We sat there for a couple of races and decided to move to the shady part of the 2nd floor deck- The best race was when my brother-in-law bet on a horse and while getting out of the gates at the start, the horse lost his jockey (it was disqualified) but
that horse was first to cross the finish line- Damn I tried to get a photo but it didn't turn out- I would say the WHOLE day at the track was a bit much- I could go for 7 races, but 10 put me over the limit-I only bet on 3 races and lost all of them- I had my fun now it was time to find some dinner- I did decide that I would make it to the race track at least twice a year- Here in Minnesota it is a seasonal spectator sport- The entrance fee is only $4 and if your a timid gambler you can bet $2 on each race- Your down only $24- But if your hungary that will be extra $$$ but I guess you can bring in your own cooler (I don't know the restriction on what you can bring in) So 5 hours at the track can be a fun filled day of soaking in the sun, fresh air, and relaxing for less than $30 (unless your winning!!)
Squisshed Pennies for your Thoughts
Majority of you know about my obsession with the
"Squisshed Pennies" My parents recently returned from a road trip- They drove to Colorado for a wedding- They brought me
8 squisshed pennies from their high roads adventure- OOhhh I am very excited- Too bad the Budweiser brewery doesn't have one anymore-That would have been a good one-but they got pennies from 2 states: Colorado & Nebraska- They also got me a booklet to store them in- (I am not sure what material it is made of, but it is very pungent and you could probably get high from it- I think I will put it under my pillow tonight and see what kind of dreams I have) I believe my parents have caught the squisshed pennie bug too- My nephew, Nathan brought me a squisshed penny from Iowa- Thanks Nate!! My sister Gigi got me one from the Duluth Zoo, but she lost it- Anyone else out there have pennies for me?? I'll give you the tally of my inventory-Maybe not- then ya'll know what a total dork I am- I will just say I have Pennies from Canada & USA: and from 11 different states- I collected majority of them, but many were given as gifts-
GRACIAS everyone!!Matthew the count is 41
Who's Yer Daddy?
Who's Yer Daddy?- Les is
my Daddy!!
It is SO good to have a co-worker with such a
SICK & TWISTED sense of humor as you do- Tu mucho LOCO!! as Paulette would say
"that is one step too far"
To Conspire or Not to Conspire
Conspire-
def. vi combine for an evil purpose, plot. Call it what you will- Every time my car is very low on fuel- the gas prices instantly rise at least .30 cents- I am starting to get a complex- Pretty soon I just might buy up all the aluminum rolls at the local grocery store and make a aluminum hat to protect my thoughts from "others" Conspire-combine
for an evil purpose.
Pierre and his Dagger
Have any of you ever gone to a real circus- where the freaks run the show?? You know fire breathing, tattooed faces, conjoined sisters, kind of circus? Well I recently tried out for a sideshow- I auditioned for the girl who stands against a wall and another person throws daggers at her- You know what I am talking about- I just wanted to get away from the 9-5 kind of job of sitting behind a desk answering the phone-I want to work where everyone is having fun and living life- Ya know?- So my audition was at 3:30pm sharp- I drove across town to the small armory building- I showed up on time if not a few minutes early- I thought, Who can't stand against a wall and be still for a couple of minutes? Surely I can do that- well maybe I trust people too much- I walked into a dimly lit room where a man is doing stretching exercises- He had this long curly hairdo- Something you would see on a doll- Tight ringlets- Seemed strange for a grown man but it is the Circus, right?- The circus officials had to measure my height and width, I guess for logistic reasons- so this guy 'Pierre the Dagger Thrower' started to warm up- he would take a deep breath and then throw a dagger- The motion was swift and seamless- The daggers just melted into the wooden wall- I could tell they were SHARP - it was mesmorizing to watch-He repeated this for awhile and finally in a thick french accent he said
"Zara, where is my darling Zara" I approached him and we spoke briefly- He said
"don't look me de eyez- You can shut your eyez if you like or keep them open, but don't look me de eyez, Okay? Zometimez the crowdz like it if you are a tad bit frightened, ya know. So pleaz stand there" I walked up to the wall and he positioned me- A spot light glared at me- My heart began to beat faster, but with a kind smile and a wink from Pierre I felt at ease- He walked briskly back to his daggers and turned around- His stare was intense and I remembered not to look him in da eyez- So I shut them- Then I opened them- Then I shut them again- I thought, just open your eyes no big deal- remember you are auditioning- So I opened them just in time to see Pierre raise his arm and begin to release the dagger- What was that?? What was that noise?? Was that a sneeze?? OOooh my foot felt like hot metal stabbed it- I looked down to see Pierre's dagger jabbed in my foot- affixing it to the floor- It happened all so fast- But I knew they would have to pull it out- I believe that is when I lost consciousness-
Fishline in my Mouth
So like I said the other day I had my wisdom teeth pulled. First day= Great (still pretty numb) the second day=So/So and the third day= Mommy!! (well it wasn't that bad but I was in the dumps- You would be too if you hadn't eaten good food in 3 days) Today is the fourth day and my stitches came unraveled on one side- VERY ANNOYING- I have (2) half inch fishline string-thinga-bobs swirling around with my tongue and saliva- They are supposed to be dissolvable but I don't think they will- It feels like hardy fishline-Maybe I should tie a hook on one end and see what I can catch- What I really would like to catch would be a medium rare 8oz sirloin with creamy butter mashed potatoes and corn on the cob with a cold tall one- Ooh wait, I want a sausage pizza and garlic cheesy bread with dipping sauce- I actually could just settle for a good bowl of salsa, queso, and chips- Can you tell that all I have eaten in 4 days has been strawberry jello and tapioca pudding-
I am very hungry!
No Teeth Necklace for Me
I had my wisdom teeth yanked out of my skull yesterday- That sounds a little harsh- I was put to sleep by the doctor and that was great!!- As a very young child I was given nitrous oxide-oxygen at the dentist office and once in the 7th grade I was put to sleep because I had surgery on my foot (I was running through the living room and stepped on a sewing needle that was lodged inside my foot) but that was long before I experimented with controlled substances- So this time around the "laughing gas" was not so scary- It was very very lovely- Too bad I was in a dentist office and staring at my heart monitor machine- I remember waking up and trying real hard to remember my dream but I couldn't remember it- Maybe I made up a dream by what the dentist and her assistants were talking about- That happened to me once or twice before, I fell asleep with the TV on and had dreams that related to the audio from the TV- I guess there was a Yanni Concert on cable once long ago that I slept through, but I dreamt about Yanni -- Go figure-- I asked if I could have one of the teeth- My dentist said it was against policy because it is a BIO-HAZARDOUS material- UMmm so your telling me I have bio-hazardous material in my mouth or does it become bio-hazardous after it comes out of my mouth??? I wanted to string my teeth on a necklace and become the crazy old lady down the street- When the little kids come around I would rattle my teeth necklace at them- That should scare them away- Ya think?
Next Destination
I have a game that I play with myself- I have this puzzle of the United States and it's borders- It has 100 pieces-Well, I shake the box and then pull out a puzzle piece- And that is how I determine where my next destination will be- Most of the time I really never get to those places because I have a job and no money (did I say that together-Job/No Money??) But I look into what the area has to offer for tourists and its economy (if I decide not to return) I love to travel and learn about other places- SO, my Next Destination (supposedly) will be Canada- The puzzle piece was from the Ontario area-That is kool -I love the Canadian accent!! Seriously! I want to be a mail order bride for some Cute Canadian- CANADA ROCKS!
Demo Derby Photos
I have tried 8 times now, to download my demo-derby photos and it won't work- Do you realize my frustration level right now?? Yah!! Here we go, one more time- Oh sweet Jesus, It finally worked-
Summer Rituals
I went to my first county fair of the year and it didn't disappoint, even Jesus was there!
DEMO DERBY BAAABBYYY!!I had a healthy appetite that fine sunny evening and I ate foods I usually never eat (ya know
Fried Foods) I like to eat nutritious foods- I know, I know that doesn't exist at county fairs but I can usually find something (Side story: I got REALLY sick from eating fair food once and it still haunts me to this day) So I had a footlong hotdog, freshly squeezed lemonade, corn on the cob drenched in butta, a few nibbles of onion rings, a couple bites of a vanilla shake/malt, and the ultimate
FRIED CHEESE CURDS!!!!! I wanted to check out the Demo Derby- The sign out front even said "DRIVERS WANTED" but my companions said if they couldn't find a seat they would rather not go- Well every bench, seat, slot of grass, patch of mud, cement retaining wall was taken, you could say it was a full arena. Those Republican Redneck Anokans they love this Sh%$# AND SO DO I!! We decided I would meet up with my companions later and I watched one heat of the derby(which seemed endless) I wanted some good photos but there was a fence in the way, so I went to the other side where there was no fence, but the sun was at a horrible angle. Needless to say, I am disappointed with my photos- but you get the idea-
The smell of car exhaust waifing over the crowd- the sound of engines revving- watching the firefighters duck behind a retaining wall from flying mud as a car fishtails nearby- the revving of an engine- the crunch of metal- the crack of two cars colliding-the sputter of a dying engine -the revving of a strong engine gaining speed and the roar of the crowd when two cars sandwich a third helpless driver. BOOOMMMMMM a gasket goes sending steam 15 feet into the air. The firefighters quickly grab their fire extinguishers when the cars collide. DEMO DERBIES should be a summer ritual. They are for me.
