Travel

I'm sitting in the Albuqueqrue airport - waiting for my flight to board.  I took a picture, but then realised my chord is in my suitcase.  Darn.  Today's blog assignment was about "water" and there were some great pictures of it out the window of my plane, but my iPod was in my purse, locked away in the overhead bin.

My phone battery is dieing.  And my plug is in my suitcase.

Can you say POOR PLANNING?  LOL

But I'm have a good time.  Sat beside a really nice lady who got a new Kindle for Christmas and hadn't really used it yet.  Somebody loaded a book on it for her, and she was planning to read it on the flight from Orlando to ABQ.  But she couldn't figure out how to make it work.  It was quite comical, the two of us trying to figure it out...  (It's a different model than mine - more basic - with no clear indication of how to make it work...)  To make matters worse, she had long, fake fingernails and it appears not to recognize taps from those...

We finally got it working and she spent a happy hour reading.  (the flight started out rough - she had minor surgery on her foot this morning, just hours before her flight, and the meds they gave her made her really sick! So her flight started with a trip to the upchuck room.....  poor lady!)

I'll try to keep updating while I'm out of town.  But you know us jetsetters... hard to pin us down!

Day 16: Morning

Yup, it's morning.  And here is the aftermath.

A little "vet wrap" that was on my arm earlier, but it was too hard to type.  (Couldn't bend my elbow...)  I got to start the morning with a stab with a sharp instrument and despite even getting up in the middle of the night to drink more water, I was still on the dehydrated side and my veins were not cooperating.

Kudos to the phlebotomist though - she took it all in stride and, if she hadn't said something, I wouldn't have known she was digging around looking for a source of blood.  (Normally I'm cringing and squinting and doing my best not to slug somebody - usually the guy digging around in my arm!)

I'm going to be out of thyroid pills in a couple of days, so have an appointment with my doctor on Monday to check my blood levels and get a new prescription.  However, I don't have high hopes for this one.  I switched to the generic this month and haven't really felt "right" for most of the month.  So... this will be interesting.

Meanwhile, I'm getting excited (and a little punchy) about my trip next week.  It's been forever since I've seen most of the members of my family.  Not everybody will be there, but the vast majority will be - and maybe we can toss in a Skype session on the big screen and pretend we're all together...  a la

Meanwhile - Rod is enjoying his new job - learning lots and gearing up for being on his own pretty soon.  He is having a little trouble with the TINY writing on the form he has to use - but I gave him a little magnifying thingie last night and we'll see if that helps. 

I'm working.  I sort of have some of tomorrow off - need to put in about 3 hours tomorrow - but I'm also planning to ride my horse with my husband.  (If the weather will cooperate - they are predicting afternoon showers - he has to run to Orlando to pick up a 4-wheeler and is taking his Dad with him so they can get in some visiting time...)  And then I'm teaching another review class on Sunday - my trainee from last week is joining me, along with her Mom.  It will be neat to get together with them!

And then Monday is PACKING!!!!!  (And a doctor's appointment, and an 8 hour day at the office... whatever...)

And that's all the news that's fit to print.

Hiding?

You'd think I was hiding - but really, I was just busy.  (And my extended family is out of town, so I didn't think they were looking... LOL)

This past weekend was my 4-day school up in Orlando.  I got to train another new instructor, which is always fun!  I love teaching new teachers... (and it's awesome that they do all my admin stuff for me... lol)

Anyhow - when I got to school on Friday morning (which was an adventure in and of itself...)  I had to stay at a different hotel since my usual place was booked solid.  (Spring Break in Florida...)  Since this is only the third time I've ever taught at this location, I wasn't really familiar with the area or where I was going.  (Yah yah yah, we all know I'm directionally challenged, which is why my Darling Husband bought me a GPS several years ago... unfortunately, Dorothy {GPS} also sometimes suffers from the same malady!)  This was one of those mornings.  She suggested (she's "so polite") I turn RIGHT out of the parking lot (the school is to the left...) but I followed her suggestion.  Next you know she has me on a toll road going AROUND the school, past it and doubling back!  Sheesh!  ETA - 18 minutes. 

Now, the school and the hotel are ON THE SAME ROAD.  But she actually had me on TWO DIFFERENT toll roads!  (And my Epass transponder battery died on the way up, so I was having to go through the cash lanes... sigh.)  So.....  I was late.

Anyhow (again) when I finally arrived (I called the other instructor to let her know so she didn't panic - I wasn't VERY late - only about 4 minutes, but I wanted to be EARLY...)  and we got to meet for the first time, she looked VERY familiar.  It only took a few minutes, but I realized she was the daughter of an RVP (Regional Vice President) I substitute taught for several times several years ago!  In addition - when she originally got her license (10 years ago) she went through MY class!  (I remember her and actually talk about her in my lecture!  LOL)  She made an impression because she was NOT enthused about being there (she was with her brother who was much more on point...) as she was "in the fashion industry".  She was only there because her parents told her to.  (As an RVP you are a business owner and can actually "will" your business to your heirs, but they must be licensed...) 

In the years between, she married, moved to Portland, started her own fashion business, sold her business, divorced and recently moved back to Orlando.  Full circle.  And now she is teaching the class!  She was equally unenthused about teaching - but her Mom insisted she should at least give it a try...  By the end of the first five hours, she was much more excited.  Class has changed A LOT (and so has she...) and we are able to be much more flexible and fun.  (And I like to think I've improved as a teacher over the years.)

Anyhow (some more) when school was over for the day, I turned OFF the GPS and just headed up the road.  I pulled into my hotel parking lot in 8 minutes FLAT.  Woot woot!  (And no tolls...)  There was a Logans Steakhouse in the parking lot, so I just walked over and helped myself to a 6 oz filet mignon with bleu cheese crumbles, a baked sweet potato and some of the best grilled mushrooms of my entire life!  (I only ate 3 oz of the steak - too much meat for me...)

The rest of the weekend passed pretty uneventfully.  We only had 15 students (last month we had 27) but they were quality folks and all passed but the one gentleman who speaks Dutch as his first language and was having a real challenge with the English.  (And he only missed by 4 questions...) 

On the way back to the hotel Saturday evening, I stopped at Lowe's and got the battery changed in my transponder so I could get home.  And stopped at a WalMart to get some batteries for my wireless mouse and a new Wite-Out for all those little boo boos in life. 

Sunday evening I realized I was passing over the same road the temple is located on, so I gave Dorothy a second chance, turned her on, and had her guide me over there.  It was SO nice to just be in the neighborhood.  Naturally it was closed and all the gates were shut, but I pulled over for a few minutes and just basked in the Spirit that resides there.  I tried to take a couple of pictures, but the trees were blocking the view. 

 

Monday I spent the day teaching with one part of my brain, but thinking about Rod with the other half.  (Luckily I've been teaching the same stuff for 12+ years now, so I can do stuff like that... lol)  It was his first day on his new job - out training with his trainer John.  (Same name as his trainer when he started with KLLM - a good omen...)  For the first day, John just had him "watch" - Tuesday John stood back and let Rod take over.  There are a gazillion steps, and they have to be done in the exact order - so there's lots to learn - but Rod is excited to be doing something a little different.

For the next two weeks he is driving from 5 am to 5 pm (although it's been closer to 6 by the time they are done) so between going to bed by 8:30 and up at 4, I haven't seen a lot of him.  But then he'll get his own truck/route and will be working 4pm to 4am.  But he will get TWO WHOLE DAYS OFF each week!  That's pretty exciting!  I still work 29 days out of each month, but at least I'll be able to stay home in the morning and spend some time with him - or go in early and get home early and spend the afternoon/evening with him.  Either way...

So... in a nut shell.  Life continues to be wonderful here in Paradise.  Hope it's going well for you too!

Day 15: Happiness

Happiness is having a husband with a JOB!

He starts orientation tomorrow and training with his trainer, John (recent winner of the 1,000,000 Mile Award) on Monday!

Thank you for taking such good care of us DARLING!



What I'm Reading

What am I reading? 

Right now... I'm reading a book called Without Any Warning by Peggy Edelheit.  I just finished The Puzzle by the same author.  Both were free through Amazon. 

Most of the books on my Kindle are free downloads. 

I'm cheap.

I originally borrowed The Hunger Games for free through Amazon Prime, but enjoyed it so much and wanted to read it to Rod, that I went back and bought it.  (And then the rest of the series as well...)

I'm also reading my daily scriptures - The Book of Mormon  on my computer at work every morning. 

http://www.readthescriptures.com/ sends me 1 chapter each day to my inbox.  It's a great way to begin the day...

In My Bag

So good morning!  I'm feeling pretty good today... how about you?

I got a GOOD night's sleep last night (really struggled the night before...) and that makes all the difference in the world.

Today's assignment is "In My Bag"... so here's a quick glimpse of what I carry around in my "bag" every day.

All those cards?  Those are the ones I DON'T use on a regular basis.  The ones I DO use are in this cute, handy little carrier...



I don't like to take my purse into the store - my phone fits in one pocket and my little red guy fits in the other. 

There's not much in my purse, and yet it weighs about 9,875,467 pounds.  How can that be???  I have a wallet, admittedly full of cards I need but don't often use... (insurance cards, hotel cards, Parelli club card...) and my little colored glass blobs that represent the members of my family.  (I've carried them since Soni gave them to me at Grandma Hanna's birthday party in Utah a gazillion years ago!)

Of course, there are my glasses - I can't read without them - a spray bottle of B-12 Plus - helps me make it through a 10 hour lecture... and an envelope to collect all my receipts when I'm out of town.  (Love living on an expense account...)

A check book, a little silver pill holder (from Nancy), my bluetooth earbud, my iPod Touch (from M&D) and it's wire, and a hair scrunchie.

That's about it...  Oh yah, a REALLY OLD gross packet of gum.  Guess I could toss that out, eh?  (I don't actually chew gum, but once in awhile I buy a pack "just in case"... lol)

And that's your peek into my bag...

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Update:  Rod did his "physical/strength" test at 8:00 this morning and is now sitting in the doctor's waiting room for his DOT Physical.  I expect him to pass both with flying colors...

I'm getting ready to run over to a local church to pick up a 40 pound box of FRESH organic chicken - http://www.zayconfoods.com/ - hopefully it's as impressive as they advertise.  I need to take it home and food saver it in 2 breast packs.  They say the breasts are pretty big, so 2 should be enough...

Close up

Today is supposed to be a "close up" photo.  But I haven't thought of anything to take one of... 

But this morning, on my drive in to the office, I wished I could have snapped a picture.  With the change to Daylight Savings time yesterday, it was a little early - the sun was just coming up over the ocean.  There is usually a nice breeze coming from the east (over the ocean) and this morning there were lots of sea gulls and pelicans enjoying the lovely morning.

There was one seagull I noticed, in particular, that was riding the thermals - zooming along parallel to the river, and then he would turn into the wind and just seem to hang - wings outstretched, tips angled "just so"...

I tossed off a "Good Morning Jonathan Livingston" as he zoomed off again, perfecting his technique.

Day 11: Where I Sleep

Here is where I sleep.  I don't spend as much time here as I would like, but I'm pretty lucky to average 7 to 8 hours a night.

Aaaaaahhhh

Yes, there are horses on my bed spread.

However, sometimes I've been known to catch a few winks here...

And, of course, here...

Where do YOU sleep?

Day 10: My Childhood

Just a couple of pictures (courtesy of Burke) of my fantastic childhood



Loved those Stampede outfits!  Such a talented Mom!




That is STILL how I eat a drumstick!



Happy Valley - the BEST place on earth. 
But the gap between the ground and the trampolines was nightmare fodder for YEARS!

Who else had an Uncle who was a REAL MAGICIAN!

And who else had their own, personal Santa Claus? 

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 Update - today Rod and Kyle are out shooting their guns for a little.  Kyle works noon til 7 on Wednesdays...  then it's back to the shop for Rod. 

His big appointment is tomorrow - please remember him in your prayers.

As soon as we know how this is all going to play out, I'll let you know...

Day 9: My Daily Routine

Oops!  This was supposed to be yesterday - but the boys came home Sunday night, so I got discombobulated.  LOL

So, first things first - my daily routine.

In the mornings, I get up and workout.  Then I take this little lineup of goodies.  Left to right - first there is my Premium Blend Alfalfa.  Since taking it, my thyroid has either been working better, or my body has been better able to use the synthroid.  Either way, I've been able to lower my dosage twice!  That's great!  It is also helping with both PMS and Menopause.  I am completely symptom free from both!  (One hot flash to date - and no cramps/back aches/etc... although I reserve the right to blame my random crankiness on hormones... a woman's gotta have SOME benefits!)

Next up:  Turmeric.  I take 2 capsules every morning and am watching a couple of pre-skin cancer things vanish.  Loving that!

Then we have Milk Thistle.  Long known for cleansing the liver.  I know with all the fast food I've eaten over the years, my liver has to be a mess!  So I'm taking it... hoping for the best, but honestly, it can't hurt, right?

Of course, Flaxseed Oil is for those all important Omegas.  Just couldn't love the fishy burps I was getting from Fish Oil, so switched to flaxseed.

Then my favorite!  D3.  I take 5,000 units every morning.  I up it to 10,000 on the days I'm teaching (to ward off all the germs I encounter with all those strangers, and also it helps me sleep in a strange bed...) and up it again to 50,000 if I feel a cold or flu coming on.  Last winter I cured a terrible flu using 100,000 D3 and vast amounts of Oil of Oregano for 3 days.  I started getting sick on Tuesday and was able to teach my regular schedule that weekend.  (All around me, people were down for the count for an entire two weeks!)

Finally, of course, is my Synthroid.  (although this month I switched to the generic - we'll see how it goes...)

No idea about the random coins.  (Well, actually I bought a Snickers from the vending machine a couple of days ago and that was the change in my pocket... it's not like people are putting change on my dresser...)

So.  That's my morning routine.  Behind my daily bottles there are a couple of others - some cayenne I take when I'm having sinus issues (haven't taken any in a year - should probably check the expiration date on it) and my Oil of Oregano pills - haven't needed any of those either!  I gave some to Sabrina to help with her infected molar, but her dentist put her on an anti-biotic, so I had her quit the OoO. 

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Update on the guys.  They had a load to deliver to Ft. Lauderdale on Sunday, and since I was teaching down in Boynton Beach, after school I hung around for a little bit and then they pulled into my parking lot!  We got to "convoy" home - stopping in Ft. Pierce so they could scan and fax their load papers and we grabbed some dinner at Denney's.  They are home for a couple of days while Rod has an important appointment.  Since my blog is "public" I can't say more yet - but prayers would certainly be appreciated.  We are hoping and praying for the best possible outcome..... (duh)

Meanwhile, last night we went to a Town Council meeting to discuss the trails behind the house.  The land is EELS (Environmentally Endangered Land), owned by the County, and they have "closed" them to horses and are only open to bikes.  They were also proposing closing some of the trails in the Town's property at the end of my road!  WHAT???  The town emailed me wanting my opinion - so I gave them what I had and then went to the meeting to speak last night.  They tabled the discussion, not wanting to make any decisions yet - but I'm certain they won't close the town trails - too many of us are horse owners in town (although no other horse people showed up at the meeting - we aren't organized like the bike people are...)  I met with the County guy afterward (in the parking lot).  I've met with him a couple of other times over the years (although he says he doesn't remember...) and hopefully we'll be able to work it out.  Kyle and I are out there regularly, trimming the trails and keeping them maintained for the bikes, the horses, and the walkers. 

Rod got to go to lunch with his Dad yesterday.  It was good to spend some time with him. 

I'm SUPER excited to get to spend time with the Arizona contingent in a couple of weeks!   (THANKS AGAIN NANC!!!!!  You are such a dear!)  I have another ticket I have to use before the end of August - I'm thinking I might swing over to SLC sometime this summer????  Soni?  Bean?

Day 8: My Sky

Ok, better late than never, right?

It was a BUSY day today...  Started out early with a phone call to Rod first thing in the morning.  They were on their way to San Antonio, TX, he was finishing up an all-night drive.  I got up, dressed, fed the horses and headed off to work.  Was out the gate by 7!

Off to the office to put in 3.6 hours (to finish my 40 for the week) and then back home.  

Sabrina and I went back out into the woods for a walk with Ozzie.  We met a couple of gentlemen with a pretty lab puppy - he and Ozzie "met" each other and then Ozzie had to let him know he was small, but tough!  LOL  

It was HOT out there!  We walked (fast) for nearly an hour - then home for a nice cool shower and get all my stuffed packed.

And then drive down south to my school.

All that fresh air makes me sleepy, so I set my alarm and took a quick power nap at the hotel (except I got caught up in a Nat Geo show about bears, so didn't really snooze...) and then off to school.

Had 10 students - a good group - a little of everything, some young, some middle, some older.  The back row held a young couple who are getting married in 11 days!!!  (And going to a 40 hour school in the meantime... wow...)

Finished up at 10:00 and then chatted with Rod for a bit.  He's on a run to Ft. Worth and then heading to Ft. Lauderdale!!!!!  Yippeeeeee!

And now it's time for bed.

But I leave you with a couple of pictures of today's beautiful sky.  (From my back porch)

Day 7: Favorites

Wow.  How do you decide what your favorite thing is?  If I only had ONE favorite, I'd be even more boring!

So... here goes...

(I'm cheating and using pictures from my files...)

(also - these are in no particular order, mostly because I can't get blogger to let me move them around... grrrrrrrrr!)



Favorite horse:  Andy.  Duh!



Favorite dog:  Fuzzy!!!  He'll always hold a special place in my heart.



Favorite Red Neck:  Nobody does it like Jimbo!




Favorite Cowboy:  Rod.  He's my favorite EVERYTHING!




Favorite puzzle builder, travel companion, house mate, buddy:  Kyle.





Favorite "Nearly Daughter-in-Law":  Sabrina (pretty good house mate, too!)



Favorite picture:  Just makes me SMILE!





Except this is my OTHER favorite picture that makes me SMILE!





Favorite Hat(s):  Festus and Festus Jr.




Favorite Role Models:  My Amazing Parents!  LOVE YOU





Favorite Sisters!  (They are so creative!)