Early morning ramblings, er, RUMBLINGS!

Ooooo! Lots of excitement and activity this morning:  new pavement on my street!  Yesterday I found an official note hanging from my gate that said "sorry for the inconvenience, your street will be closed _______ date", with the blank filled in 29/30.  "If you want to be able to use your car, please park on an adjacent street, as you will not be able to drive on this one till it's dry".  My first thought was "that wont be till the end of the month, I've got plenty of time" and secondly, "yeah, right.  City workers.  We wont see them till 3 weeks after their estimated start date and it will take twice as long as anticipated".   Boy was I wrong.  On both accounts!  You should see the asphalt trucks lining up!  Hundreds of them! Well, ok, dozens.  Well, ok, about 5.  But it SEEMS like a lot!  Especially when they start rolling in around 7am.  I only just got my Tahoe out in the nick of time to avoid getting house arrest for 2 days!  Which would have been bad since I have to go to work this afternoon.  I guess grocery shopping is out of the question, too, since I'd have to hike my bags half a block from parking place to home.  And that's no small feat if you knew how long our blocks are out here!  With every property at least a half acre, most are more than that, each block is lllllooooonnnnngggg! So that's my early morning story and I'm stickin' to it.  And by the way, what the heck happened to July??  Happy Ashpalt to all!

Doofus, indeed!  Hmmph.  I think I'll go out and do something particular smart today.  Let's see, are there any kingdoms needing princessing?  World turmoils needing peacing?  World leaders needing ... ass kicking?  Oh wait, that's not smart, that's just gratifying.  Well, tomato/tomahtoh, what I might consider important just might be my own self-indulgency.  Wish me luck!

Allaying the doubt

Turns out that spell check doesn't think "princessing" is a word.  What could they possibly know?  Must not have any princesses on their software team.  It also suggested that I capitalize "ass".  Maybe they don't have princesses, but they do have jokers!  Hahahah!  Well, I cracked myself up seeing that!   Have a happy day!

cruisin'

Remember my ramblings the other nite, pooped from work and ready to tell the world about it... crawling in from an all-day'er?  Well, picture another one, just like before, but this time having stopped by way of the grocery store with BarBQ Makings in hand.  Another 12 hour day, another 90 plus temp, another group of "oh-my-gawd-what-was-I thinking-it's becoming-very-apparent-I don't-belong-on-2-wheels" novice riders.  But THIS time, after all is said and done, there are a half rack of Beef Ribs sizzling on the grill (and here's the best kept secret: after brushing on regular barbeque sauce, add a brushing of Lawry's Louisianna Red Pepper with Lemon Marinade sauce!  oh my gawd!)  2 ears of corn (barbequed in the husk of course!), a potato 'baking' in the microwave, and a cool ceasar salad.  NOW we're talkin' about it being all worthwhile!  Sometimes after a satisfying day, a MOST satisfying meal is like the perfect reward for the effort.  With this kind of a full tummy and a happy countenance of a job well done, it's easy to get all swooney and think: LIFE is GOOD!  I'm happy to report that my life is uncomplicated enough to readily admit to that!  Here's to hoping you have a full tummy and a good nite's sleep, too! 

I think my wheels are spinnin'

 
I'm very pleased with the new keyboard, this giver of words, enabler of wisdom and bestower of wasted hours.  There are plenty of new buttons on it that I haven't explored.  Alas, I wont be doin' any 'splorin' this afternoon, you see, I've effectively pissed away most of a day.   I'd love to feign innocent about how this might have come about, but you might be able to guess I'm still doing it right here, right now.   My sister has helped rekindle an old infatuation I had with my computer that I thought I was long over with.  Now, with the help of a true cyber-phile and some new friends, not to mention a few new tools and an old resurrected website, I'm once again off and running through virtual reality land.  But as I set down my virtual pencil, I  am now rushing off to pick up a real one and lead a classroom of 36 eager new novice motorcyclists-to-be.  I will use my powers of persuasion and creativity to try to hold their attention for 5 hours of motoring theory, when what they want to be is outta there and sitting on a REAL bike!  So, my phantom audience, I bid you adieu, I am off to go face my opaque audience.  Hold down the fort while I am gone!  See ya 'round the funny farm.  Hasta Luigi.  Buh bye. 

Ahhhhh.  There, that's more like it.  Like slipping into a new pair of jeans, JUST the right size when you first buy them, before they're changed and customized by wear and washing.  That new jean smell.  The stretchy feeling of brand new materials.  When sis asked how was the new keyboard, my only thought at the time was "it's SPRINGY".  I don't know that I'll ever be aware of this same sensation again, because this springiness will eventurally become just what is.  It wont be one thing compared with another, it will just be it.  The one.  The thing you use.  So therefore, ask me again, how is the new keyboard?  IT's GREAT! It feels good!  It ergonomically fits my fingers like a well designed pair of really flat, hard gloves.   AND... best of all?  It has a space bar, a capital T, a backspace key, and no extra letters or numbers that appear with each keystroke!  What was up with all that, anyway?  To truely know the experience, either she or I will have to re-play the conversation for you, the one we had while the keyboard was disintegrating.  She laughed so hard she wet her pants, while I was madly trying to make sense of it all.  Since then, re-reading it, I too have had to change clothes.  A number of times.   I don't know what michievious forces were at work, but we're pretty sure that one of our parents were involved.  Or, perhaps it was the Manihouni's, the mischief making Leprichaun style Hawaiian gods.  In any case, I'm back to basics, back to sense and sensibility, a level of grammar and decency that I can live with, and back to blogging!  Happy Day to all!  Hope you find something today that makes you honest-to-goodness laugh out loud! 

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Lugging my rear axel

A day-inna-life-a Ali, starts with a 5:15am alarm clock ring. Push the snooze for 9 minutes of guilt ridden napping, then have to wake up all over again. Ever notice how much more detailed and urgent that last few minutes of dreaming is? Up to make the best of bed-head (because I know what kind of stylistic damage I'm about to impart upon myself for the next 12 hours), and put on a pair of Levi 501s and a long sleeved tee-shirt. Neither of which was made to make a woman feel in any way confident. I've a mental check list which goes something like: cards-keys (tools for the day), sunglasses-sunscreen, helmet-gloves, food n' water. Then I start looking for the other things equally important, but have never become part of the mantra...cell phone, stopwatch, easy up, lawn chairs, sun hat, wallet, cooler, ice. Pick up the newspaper off the front drive, back out the driveway then stop to lock the gate behind me, then off to work by 6:05. Arrive to meet whichever instructor I will be working with this day, unlock the storage containger and pull out 12 bikes (backwards, and down a ramp), check each for gas, damage, and startablity. Then pack up the vehicle with bucket of cones, 2X4's, trash buckets, chairs, rosters, nametags, take these down to the "range" where we will be riding, and set everything up for the requisite skills exercises this day. Are we pooped yet? Oh yeah, by now it's only about 6:40, the students are starting to show up. Greet them, sign them in and assign them helmets and bikes, go through an equipment check to make sure they meet our liability requirements, and NOW we can start the day. Class time: 7:00am. They will be trained and entertained for the next 5 hours. Whew! What a day! But wait! When they're done, these ones will leave and the NEXT batch of students show up, and from 12 till 5, they TOO will be trained and entertained. When they too have fininshed,I now have to return these 12 bikes to the bin, break down the easy up and the chairs, pick up all the trash, reload all the personal belongings, and check out the paper work to indicate who showed, who failed, who will move forward. And oh yeah: Try doing all this when it's about 98 degrees outside. (Like today) So when my friends ask if I want to meet them for Taco Tuesday, and I say sorry, I just can't.... I always secretly hope that they understand. I'm pretty sure they don't. After reading through this tirade, I'm hoping that you, my blog friends, can in anyway understand how great it feels to crawl home, take a cool shower, crack open a beer and plunk down on the couch to sit for the first time today, to eat whatever is the most umcomplicated thing in my fridge, and to screen my calls and not answer most of them. And I usually plan to go to bed very early. Please don't think me unsociable, it's just that this is what I've chosen to do for a living. The teaching part is very very satisfying. It's all the work that goes along with it that makes it kind of sucky. Thanks for listening. Thanks for being tired along with me! G'nite, now

Slipping the clutch

"In ancient times, when men cursed and ranted and beat the ground with sticks, they called it voodoo. Today they call it golf."

So it's true, golf is called golf because all the other 4 letter words were taken. I am just in from my Monday nite league and tonite I SUCKED. And do you know what doesn't help? When people tell you "relax! it's just for fun!" Remind me to never tell someone that. It's all so strange and inconsistant, too, because it wasn't too long ago I walked in on AIR because I had had a breakthrough experience every golfer dreams of, happy, smiling, telling everyone I knew who I thought might give me the credit I thought I so richly deserved (in my little short lived golf heaven that is). I think I even remember saying "I love that man who invented this crazy game. Who is he?" Well, this little heaven didn't last long. Or at least not long enough. And you know what's the weirdest part of it all? Because I have a great big gigantic handicap (because truth be told, my sucky game was actually very close to my usual game) (just the attitude was different) my standing for tonite was tied for first! So what really happened was that I was given a food pellet for the wrong behavior! It IS a crazy game. If you haven't tried it, you oughta. Or not.

An American machine

Good morning world! I am happy to report that the shower was a complete success! The only other suggestive gifts had come from her girlfriends (not from parent types) (but I guess that fits because I was never very parent-y)and the one moment of "uh-oh" came when I realized sitting right next to Alex during the gift opening was her soon-to-be grandmother-in-law from Armenia (very old school traditional and straight-laced). When she asked in her broken English "what is this cooking with Aphrodisiac?" Alex coolly and without missing a beat told her it was a spice! That's my girl!!

And O what a place is the Ritz! sheesh! Remind me to play the lotto this week, for I have discovered a way of life to which I would like to become accustomed! But first, I think I have to buy a fancy new car (mine was the only Chevy in the entire valet area. And unfortunately it was sporting Norco-dust. There must be dust in old-town Pasadena but I think it's imported.

So today will be a catch up day, shopping at Costco to fill my shelves and fridge, doing a little laundry (and letting it go 'round with nothing but cool air... but that's another page) (funnily enough when the days are hot like this, clothes still come out dry!) and my new all time favorite pasttime: herding ants from one part of my kitchen to another. This morning they were clever enough to avoid where I sprayed last time and circumvented the entire pantry to get to where they were going. Giddyup! Have an eventful day yourselves!

Back on Track

This is what I really have going today.. my step-daughter Alex is getting married this fall, and today is the big Bridal Shower! Not only that, but it's being held at the Ritz-Carleton in Pasadena at a High Tea! woo woo! Fancy-schmantzy! So I have a pretty new gauzy summer dress (tea length of course!) and the perfect new shoes to match (I didn't have mom to ask tho, was I supposed to have gloves and a hat? I opted no, hope I'm not the only one without) (all of a sudden I'm feeling kind of exposed again) Anyway, moving along to the best part of the story: For a present I was really stuck. Shopped and shopped. Found a quite suitable fancy cookbook especially for "Bride and Groom" (useful or not, will be a keepsake kind of thing), but then, like it was being delivered from the hand of God (ok, ok, I'm sure Mom's hand was in it too) another cookbook leaped into my hand: "Aphrodisiac Foods -- Eat your way to Ecstasy" !! Oh my! Is that PERFECT for a newly-wed gift, or what?? It's a really nice book, too with beautiful pictures (some suggestive of people, some the foods themselves) lots of historical references, and of course, recipes and ideas. (Actually I think I'll go back and get another one for myself!) So I figured it's suggestive enough for a party but sophisticated enough to be opened at the Ritz. Thanks Mom! I'll let y'all know how it went when I get back!

Now for something completely different

Sorry! I apologise for the fault in the previous subtitles. Those responsible for sacking the people who have just been sacked, have been sacked.

I must have taken a side road by accident

Hello world! I'm feeling a little exposed now that I know I'm world wide, so bear with me (hahah! sorry for the unintentional pun) while I collect my wits about me. Is that the correct use of bear, by the way? What about if you bear down on something.. is that right too? Here, let me check. Wow! Check this out, it's evidently one of language's most useful tools! Bear: to carry, to support, to endure, to admit of (an interpretation); to behave or conduct (oneself); to bring forth or produce, to need; to give; to be patient, to have reference to (with 'upon'); to be productive; to be situated; bear down: to press down by weight, overwhelm; bear out: to corroborate; bear up: to keep ones courage; bearer, bearing, bearable, bore, borne, born. Oh yeah, and a big mean animal, too. SHEESH! Well, all... have a bear of a day!

Increasing speed prior to the upshift

Gaining a little momentum here, I've experimented around a little and finding lots of goodies (sorry Magz, haven't stumbled across how to add a permenant link yet) but what I need most is a little more instant gratification, or at least some more immediate validation of my efforts, there seems to be a lag time between posting/publishing and seeing the end result. It's during the lag time I begin to doubt that I've done something successfully and I end up either undoing it or messing up what would have been fine in the first place. Sheesh! Anyway, I'm happy to be up and running in this strange new world and looking forward to running with the big dogs (stay tuned, I have lots of ideas!) Happy Day!

Got it in gear, moving forward..!

Woo Hoo! I think I'm getting the hang of this thing! Hold on tight, I'm ready for the ride!

First time out

Testing, testing, one two three....

Am I on?