Goodbye, June ...

Wow, how did this become the last day of June?

It seems like this month flew by faster than any I can recently remember. It had it's ups and downs, but most importantly, it's ending way up!


Let's start with that. I spent yesterday going to a Race Walk Class and then to the Farmer's Market, sampling salted caramel chocolate, buying berries and hazelnuts and topping it off with coffee and a four hour conversation outside a cafe with my favorite girl, Jessi!

This month I also ate my way to a total of 47 lbs. lost since April 2013 and I feel like a million bucks. Not because I've lost weight, but because I have created a new life for myself by nourishing and resting my body while staying active and lifting weights. I feel so strong and healthy. This month I had my first "Gun Show."

So how is it that I don't feel a day over 30 and our son had his 30th birthday this month? Matt turned 30 and it's not working for me hard to believe! I'm grateful that we spent a week with him in Belize. Thanks, Lizzie! We really missed him on his birthday so Tim and I set out to celebrate him at his favorite restaurant. The parents go to Fire on the Mountain and we had a blast.

I can't let the 30th of June go by without mentioning that Tim has 3 months left until he retires! Tim has 3 months left until he retires !!! That's 44 actual work days with strategically planned vacations to make it easier while waiting for the magic day, September 30th! Retirement, here we come!

I can't leave out Belize. A wonderful week in paradise with our entire family and beautiful Lizzie. It was a trip of a lifetime and we made memories that will forever be with us. Goodbye, June ... Belize was great and so were you!

Almost Retired!

Things I learned this weekend ...

Things I learned this weekend did not come cheap. After some deep thought and reflection, I found a lot out about myself and the good news is that it's not too late to teach this "Old Dog New Tricks!"


The first thing I learned was that loving someone too much can hurt them.  That love that you think the other person should understand because you're heart is in the right place. That love where you are so passionate about what you're saying to the other person, you forget to listen.


The second thing that I learned was that too much passion towards a subject when it involves someones life other than your own is, well, meddling. I never meant to meddle, I never meant to not listen, I just meant to get my point across because I was that passionate about the outcome.


The third thing I learned was the outcome isn't mine.  I can care all I want and think all I like, but the outcome of another persons life is, well, not my outcome to shape. We all make choices and good or bad, we all have to live our own lives.


Yes, I am wise and yes, I know a lot about life and yes, I want to share it. But, no I cannot expect another person to take my short cut when they haven't had the chance to live their own life.


It hurts so bad to believe in your heart that you know what is best for someone and feel helpless when you cannot get through to them. Even though it hurts so bad, it hurts worse to lose their trust that you are there to listen and that they can trust you to be there for them.


I learned this weekend that my passion is really my fear. My fear that I will not be able to save someone from being hurt. The fear of not doing enough with the result of doing too much. I learned that I am better than that and that I can be more mindful of how I express myself.

It's not that I didn't know all these things before this weekend. It's that I forgot. What I learned this weekend is that once you hurt someone, even if it's out of love, you can't take it back. I learned that I really, really wish life had do overs.

He couldn’t Belize it!

What a great thing to be able to go on a family vacation to Belize. Not only a vacation, but also on a secret mission. Our mission as we accepted it after Lizzie emailed last fall was to surprise Matt by Tim, Jessi and I joining them on their vacation. It was very sneaky and was also very exciting to be able to see Matt before his 30th Birthday! Thank you, Lizzie!

So, Matt and Lizzie set out on a two week holiday on June 6th to San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize and Playa de Carmen, Mexico. The sneaky one is on the left ...

Tim, Jessi and I were also leaving on the red-eye from Portland on the 6th and since we couldn't post our woo hoo's or pics of ourselves at the airport, we slept. Once we got to Belize City, we had to catch a cab and then a ferry to the Island. Jessi did a lot of catching up on her sleep. The ferry was no exception ...

We made it to Belize on Saturday. We got to our condo and set it up for Matt and Lizzie's arrival on Sunday. Tim, Jessi and I explored the town, went out for a nice dinner and anticipated Matt's reaction when he found us there after we had lied to him for months.

Sunday came and to say the least, Matt was shocked. He could not believe we were all there. Big hugs all around. We planned to all be in the pool, but I snuck up to the condo to get pool drinks and they came in the door. I heard Matt's voice and froze in the kitchen. He came around the corner and could not wrap his brain around why his Mom was in Belize!

The rest was incredible and so was the place where we stayed ...

Our place and dock didn't come without a little excitement. First we thought a purple balloon jelly fish was a little scary.  Then a ginormous Sting Ray the size of a Volkswagon that passed by. What we didn't expect was what swam under the dock right after we had been swimming ... Shark!

One week went too fast. We flew to Belize City in a 15 seat prop plane and made our way back to Portland while Matt and Lizzie headed out to Playa de Carmen via plane, cab, bus and put on their "camouflage" paint to make the journey and cross the Mexican Border complete with Border Patrol, Customs, Machine Guns and Drug Sniffing Dogs in the Dark ...

I love these two! We all had a wonderful week in Belize. Matt was shocked! He turns 30 on the 24th. A big shout out to Lizzie for inviting his family on their vacation. She's incredible and very sneaky ...

When in Belize … Chicken's Poop!

When planning our trip to Belize, there were many considerations of things we could do. We could snorkel, fish, sight-see or … go to the "Chicken Drop.” This is a little contest they celebrate on the island every Thursday night. You buy a ticket with a number on it and if the Chicken poops  in the square with your number about 200 people erupt in cheers and you win money!

Another great Lizzie idea. Jessi and I received an email asking us if we "might" want to add a “Chicken Drop” night to our activities ... Can you say "hell yes" and chicken dance?

The day of the Chicken Drop, Matt had Montezuma's Revenge and Jessi was bit by something and had a swollen face. With all of that, do you think you could keep us from making a Chicken Pooping event? No! Most of us made it. Jessi was on the mend, but not feeling well enough to go. We thought it was only one “drop” so we told her we’d be right back and off we went in our buggy ...

We found Wahoo’s Bar and a crowd of rowdy people and an enclosed platform divided into 100 numbered squares. We “que’d up” to buy a drink wager and realized there were 9 “drops.”  Contests 1-4 were sold out of numbers so we decided to wager on the 5th, which was also the Main Event. All the rounds were $1.00 bets for a $100.00 payout except #5 which cost $5.00 a ticket for a $1,000.00. payout.

Tim and I waiting for Contest #5 ...

I bought two tickets, #41 and #69. The chicken’s butt hovered over #41 over and over in it’s 15 minute strut around the board. The “Hype Man” who was keeping the crowd drunk rowdy kept saying that “number 41 was looking very lucky” and “shit was going to happen!” All the while, I was being humble jumping around saying “I’m going to win” while my inner witch cheerleader was head chanting “41, 41, 41, 41."                           

Look what happened ... Plop!

No Shit, I won!

I had to pick it up to collect my $$$.

My handsome Body Guard … $1,000.00 !!!

We couldn't wait to get back to our condo and tell Jessi that we won! Tim drove us back through town yelling "Chicken Poop" the whole way ... What a blast!

I'm Back!

Hey, I'm back!

I've missed blogging and all the bloglovin girls. I had no idea I was so hooked. It's a lot of fun and I learn a lot about people. I wish my friends and family would blog. I'd love to know what you're thinking.

For me, I've been Spinning, Spinning, Spinning. Sleep deprived and malnourished while strategizing and plotting awesomeness our next move with my partner in crime to get the word out on City Hall and take them down.

Ugh ... What the hell happened to me? I have never been political. I vote, but that's the extent of it. I don't even recognize myself.

Let me tell you about my partner. We used to be neighbors. The "hi" and a wave type of neighbors who were busy raising our kids. Well, over 10 years later in the most unsuspecting way, we reunite over a political issue where we waged a war try to get through to City Hall.

So here we are, these two girls ladies who have put the media in motion, started a social media campaign, on first name basis with reporters and receive texts and messages from news media of all types wanting to interview us, but more amazingly, wanting to know who we are and if we're a PAC.

A PAC? Holy shit, get a grip, we're just two incredibly smart, clever and passionate women who see the injustice of the legislation proposed and the smoke and mirrors the politicians are using.

When will it be over? It could be some time. There's a council vote that will take place on Wednesday and if it doesn't go the right way, we're in it for the fight as far as continuing to get the word out and making the politicians uncomfortable accountable. Here's the challenge ...

Ugh! I want my life back and I hope this goes well this week. I'm not confident, though. These sneaky bastards had a master plan and although they didn't expect us, it's so corrupt and rotten, it stinks!

I'm happy to be back. Tomorrow I'm going to start Tuesday treks and I'm going to take you to some of the places I've been until I run out and then I'll find places to go.