I wasn’t really too worried about sharing my story. Truth is this is stuff I’ve dealt with over and over again. I’ve poked, prodded, examined and reexamined this part of my life over the years, many, many times. I’ve become so comfortable with this part of myself, that I don’t worry about sharing it. I’ve shared it with my daughters, because I’m convinced that they need to know exactly how dangerous that path is and possibly how vulnerable they may be. Someone mentioned that they bet my girls didn’t get away with anything. That is so true. As sneaky as I was, I’m on high alert. But on top of that, I’m open with my girls, we discuss everything…. more-so with Ducky who has always been more communicative, but both girls can talk to me about anything and everything. I make it my business to know all of their business, but not in a mean, punishing, judgemental way, more of a I want to help you make smart decisions and learn from your mistakes kind of way.  I snoop into their lives and I make no bones about doing it. They know to expect it, and they know why. They laugh about it, but the truth is they know that I’m keeping on eye out on them and if they make a decision to do something their dad and I wouldn’t agree with, that they will have to face the consequences when we find out. Not if, but when. I believe that makes them consider their choices more carefully. At the same time, they can talk to me about any mistakes, bad decisions or just events in their life without fear of reprisal (most of the time) and judgement. We have a good relationship, and their not perfect but I’m proud of them and the choices they make. In a joking way we I tell them that if they don’t hate me during their teen years, I’m not doing my job as a parent. I let them know that I’m not afraid to have them angry with me, and that I’m their parent first, not their friend. It’s a tough balancing act, but one that’s worth it.

Now I say all of this because I have the impression that a lot of my regular readers were stunned and blown away by my entry. While I think my entry was very personal, it’s doesn’t feel that way because I’ve shared it so many times over the last 24 years. I’m not detached from it, I reread my entry thinking back on those days and remembering all the emotion tied to them. But it’s not a secret, and it’s not a sore spot, it just is what it is. My story. It’s intense, but not more so than many other stories out and much tamer than many that I’ve heard. 

I guess I’m saying all of this in order to make this seem more….normal? I just felt like a lot of people were shocked and stunned and I don’t want anyone to feel like I’m any different than I ever was. Hmmm…..  this isn’t really making sense, so I’m going to stop with the explanation and move on to something less emotionally charged.

Any Survivor fans out there? Was Ozzy brilliant tonight or what? And I have to say this, I don’t like James. I never really have, but the more I see of him, the less I like him as a person. He thinks that because he’s strong and in a position of power he can do and say whatever he wants and be a total jerk. I hate that type of superiority complex. Ugh. That would be one of my pet peeves if I were to answer the featured question. Along with talking on cell phones while driving, and eating with your mouth open, interrupting and being a one upper.

What is your biggest pet peeve?

Featured_Grownups gave us several choices to write about this time, and truthfully, I wasn’t sure I was going to get this challenge done, but luck is with me and here it is. Since I have already written a letter to my younger self: read it here, and I already wrote about being Xanga true – you can read that here, I will go with Choices. This is especially fitting as in my last post, some of those choices came out and many people commented on them. So, now I can explain and meet the challenge at the same time.

CHOICES ~ Life is all about making choices.  What choices have you made that have worked well for you? What choices have you made that taught you some of those hard life lessons? CHOICES

So let’s start at the point where this came up. Before I was 10 I had taken my first drink and started smoking. Of course it wasn’t something that was recommended, or good or any of that, but I was 10 (actually 9) what the heck did I know? I hadn’t been talked to about the dangers of smoking, drinking and drugs. Maybe in passing once or twice, but never seriously.

My home environment wasn’t really conducive to a life without those things, although the drugs were never an issue my mom ALWAYS smoked, my dad usually did too. On top of that both parents drank, my dad heavily and was what I would learn later is a “functioning alcoholic” meaning that he drank every day, but still managed to keep his life somewhat on track. He held a job, managed to stay married (how I sometimes wonder) and never got in trouble (should I say, caught) by the law.  So at the young age of 9, me and 3 of my friends who came from remarkable similar settings, sat down in the alley and tried a stolen cigarette. Not long after we obtained a beer and tried that as well. Now, that would have been all well and fine, except it didn’t really end there. We kept getting cigarettes and beer. By the time I was 12 I had smoked my first joint and was a regular cigarette smoker. By the time I was 15 I was a daily drinker, daily smoker of both pot and cigarettes and had tried many other drugs on a regular basis. Since I was so little body mass wise (I was less than 5’0 tall and weighed about 90 lbs. soaking wet) I became a blackout drinker. I found out later that my body was so saturated with alcohol, every time I put anymore in, I would blackout.

This was much more dangerous than I realized, but at the time who cared. Let’s face it, I wasn’t doing this for “fun” I was doing it for a deeper reason. I hated my life and escape was all I wanted. I didn’t want to feel. I didn’t want to care, or hurt. I didn’t want to deal with the anger in the house, or the pressures put on me by my parents. For you see, I had learned from the best, and even though I was at this stage, I was still getting straight A’s and participating in all kinds of things. From the outside, I was the perfect daughter, well-behaved, good student, with a bright future.

Nothing was farther from the truth. When I began to hit bottom, I knew that I needed out. How though? The choices I’d made seem to bury me and I had no where to go. My parents, because of my fantastic façade, had no clue. My friends, who never really knew what was going on inside, couldn’t help. My teacher’s had no complaints, as my work was stellar.

Then one day it happened. An assembly, where a teenager only a year or so older than I came and talked. He talked about drinking and drugging and not being able to stop. He talked about how to get out and they gave us names and numbers if we needed help. I knew that day that I needed that number. But how to go on from here? The choice in front of me was daunting. They were talking about changing my entire life. Opening myself up, and letting everyone see the real mess inside instead of the mask I wore. Could I do it?

Not right away. I became depressed. I started thinking about not wanting to go on. I felt hopeless and unable to get out of the situation. I started doing things like stepping in front of buses. My friends became worried. One day I had a blackout episode. I came out of in my parent’s bathroom with a handful of all the pills in their medicine cabinets and a carving knife in my hand. That was no accident. That was God moving in my life.

Those last couple of months, the façade began to crumble. I came home so drunk, I couldn’t stand up. I would throw up on myself in bed, Mom – being that good co-dependant she always had been – cleaned me up and put me back to bed to sleep it off. I guess they reached their bottom too as one night after letting me sleep a couple of hours they woke me up.

I remember vividly trying to fool them, saying I wasn’t drunk, just sick. But they asked me to walk a straight line and I kept falling over. Then they asked the right question – what can we do to help you? A couple months prior to this I had told them about this treatment center for adolescents. I told them I wanted to go talk to them. They misunderstood, and thought I was looking into going into counseling as a career path and was interested in interning there. When they asked that question, I knew, here was my choice. That night I said two words in response “Call Westcenter”. On Sunday we went down to the treatment center. Again I faced a choice. Mom and dad weren’t really keen on me going into treatment; I think they really wanted to believe it was just a phase or something. They told me that it would be completely my decision.  When the counselors at WC asked if I thought I should say I wanted to scream NO!! Just let me go home and everything will be fine!! Instead I cried and said quietly – yes, I need help.

That was over 24 years ago. It was a rough road, and I did go back to drugs and drinking for a month when I was 17. Since then I’m a non drinker – although nobody really notices. Mainly because I can get just as crazy without drugs and alcohol, and better yet: I remember it, can still drive and don’t wake with a headache!

So the choices I made when I was 9 and 10 started me on a hard path. The choice I made at 16 changed my life and who I am forever. Would I do it differently? That’s a tough question. I am who I am because of what I’ve gone through and what I’ve experienced. I like who I am. Would I have liked to have skipped that? Sure. Did it complicate my life? Definitely. Regardless of my choices though, I feel as though God has a plan for my life, and puts things in my path that guide me to where he is. That boy at the assembly, my parents question that night, and all the other people that touched my life all helped to guide me.

So in the end, the choices I’ve made have sometimes been good, and sometimes bad. I don’t recommend anyone ever take my path, as it was not easy and still to this day I sometimes struggle with it. Now most of my struggles show up in cigarette smoking, which I periodically return to in times of stress and then abandon for all the right reasons. While I don’t recommend my path, I can’t really say I regret it. And I’m forever grateful that one night while I was drunk and my parents stood in front of me, I made the best choice of my life, the choice to live.

My Kween asks us to think back and remember things that happened to me before we were 10. Truthfully, my memory is my worst trait. I blame it mostly on the horrible choices I made during my teen years. (This I believe will come up in more detail in my featured_grownups post). At any rate, thought I jot down what I could remember. So here goes.

Before I was 10:

I had moved 5 times, 4 cities, 2 states and 5 neighborhoods.

I watched men walk on the moon – I was 2. My mom woke us up and I remember I was sitting in an easy chair with mom and my sister, excited about being up after my bedtime! I didn’t understand fully the impact of what I was seeing.

My friends, my sister and I put on musical plays on the back patio for all the grownups to songs such as: I Shot the Sheriff, Billy Don’t Be a Hero, and Kung Fu Fighting.

I got my first pair of glasses. – hated them, large plastic tortoise shell frames. Ugh.

I got my first boyfriend and had my first kiss – just an innocent peck on the cheek, but the first kiss none the less!

I had 4 different dogs and 3 cats. One of those dogs was perhaps the best dog I’ve ever had, still. A golden retriever named Sooner. Sooner house broke our other dog Whistles. Sooner knew how to open the sliding glass and screen doors and whenever Whistles would squat, Sooner would grab him up by the nape of the neck and take him outside. Sooner also knew how to climb our chain link fence and would go wandering, when he wanted to come back in, he would go around the front and ring the doorbell and wait by the front door. He was killed trying to protect another dog from a vicious attack by a doberman – he was injured so badly he died.

I took many road trips in the back of a station wagon, with pallets in the back for the kids to sleep on and the dogs and cats with us.

I took my first communion.

I smoked my first cigarette.

I drank my first drink.

I made honor roll every year.

I became a latch key kid, when my mom went back to work full time. We were alone every afternoon until 5:30 or 6:00 pm.

I got my first ten speed, which would open my world up.

I loved Barbies and paper dolls and could spend all my free time doing nothing but playing with them.

I learned to swim. I actually learned very early and showed no fear of the water, as my mother will attest to when I jumped off the diving board at age 3 into the deep end at the Elk’s pool, unfortunately, this was before I knew how to swim, but I learned soon after!

I had my first experience with domestic violence. I was spending the night with my best friend who lived behind us diagonally. There was a large empty lot and alleyways between the houses. Her parents were getting divorced. That night her dad got drunk and came over and tried to break into the house. He was screaming and yelling and had a gun. He eventually got in and had the mother up against a wall screaming at her and threatening her with the gun. The police came and they took us to one of her mom’s friend’s houses. They wouldn’t let me call my mom, and wouldn’t take me home. When we finally got back the next day, I remember my mom standing in the middle of the street waiting for me to get home. She was LIVID! She couldn’t find us and wanted to know why we didn’t call her. After that I wasn’t allowed to sleep over that house. I’ll never forget that night. All I wanted to do was go home.

I remember coming home and finding out that my dad was in the hospital. He had a bleeding ulcer and had been throwing up sinkfuls of blood. He had a transfusion.

We helped a hunter and his family. Returning from a camping trip we saw a car that was on fire driving down the freeway. We stopped them and told them, but they didn’t care because one of the sons had been shot in the eye and they were on the way to the hospital, we took the dad and the son to the hospital. He was fine and we exchanged cards with the family for many years.

I too looked for Bloody Mary in the bathroom mirror.

I built forts in the ditch behind our house.

Mrs. Beasley was my favorite doll, I carried her everywhere.

I buried dishes that I broke while washing in the alley.

I explored my grandmothers dirt basement and will forever more associate the smell of damp dirt with my grandmothers house.

Wow. I guess I remembered more than I thought. Strangely, most of the events are bad. Hmmm…. why is that? I guess those memories are more vivid. At any rate it was lots of fun. I hope you enjoyed my trip down memory lane –

Please stop by the Kween_of_the_Queens and read the other great entries. And don’t forget to comment and star!

Once again I refuse to go with the crowd. Ducky got the respiratory flu, then while she was still sick, I came down with it. Then hubby came home and he was infected, he got better, I’m still sick. Now Squirt’s turn — but guess what? I’m STILL sick. I thought I was getting better so I went to work on Tuesday, and again on Wednesday. Yesterday my voice went from hoarse to — going, going, GONE! I was kind of wheezing something to Ducky and then – nada. The mouth was going, air was coming out, but no sounds what so ever. Great. Just Great. Do you know how hard it is to teach if you can’t talk? Yup, that hard.

So today I blocked out the day and called the clinic. Ahhh… if it wasn’t for my bad luck, I’d be totally luckless — cause once a month the clinic (yes, the ENTIRE clinic) is closed for training. Guess what day today was? Uh huh. No clinic for me, so I talked to the on-call PCM and after hearing my symptoms she felt I ought to go spend the rest of my morning in Urgent Care, just in case you see.

Fun.

Only, not.

Although I did get some reading done.

And actually, it went pretty fast, and the urgent care center was really nice…. not too terrible. I can deal.

In the end I have bronchitis. But no. Not just any old regular cold and flu induced bronchitis, I — special like I am — have to get some freaky version – tracheal bronchitis. Great. Add another uncommon ailment to my growing list. For crimeny’s sake! The good news is that this evening, after several doses of prednisone and some antibiotics, my voice came back. Of course I celebrated by talking as much as possible and now my throat is sore again and I getting hoarse. I was supposed to rest my voice, but those of you who actually know me in person will realize exactly how nearly impossible that is for me.

Not that I talk a lot.

When I’m sleeping.

The rest of the time I’m pretty vocal. Not as vocal as the hubby and I pale in comparison to his mom, but let’s just go with — I’m not shy.

Tomorrow I am going to get to those challenges, and around to visit everyone. Squirt had a temp of 102.0 when she went to bed, so I’m betting I’ll be home with her tomorrow, just a guess, but after witnessing this nasty bug 3x now, I’d say it’s more of a prediction based on evidence than just a guess.

Alright, Question of the Day:

Avid talker or content to listen?

I’m much better, unfortunately, hubby came down with the crud. Even though he wasn’t home all week, one of the ladies that was in their team had the same stuff and managed to share with him. Lucky him. I still have a cough and some congestion, but am much better all in all. So it’s back to work for me – hooray!

Saturday night I went to a book club meeting. It was very nice. It’s so nice to be out doing things I enjoy. Now if I could just find some ladies to scrap with on a regular basis, I will be a happy camper! Thursday night I will attend camera club again. I’ve just really been enjoying all the activities, although I’m looking forward to spring – first for some warmer weather and secondly for pretty flora and fauna to take pictures.

Tonight was the first time I felt even remotely interested in spending time online. Why – I don’t know, just didn’t have the energy I guess. Tomorrow I hope to get to the challenges, both the Kween and Featured Grownups have new challenges up – And both challenges look good, so I’ll get on those in the next day or so.

Not much to say – life has consisted of the recliner, hot tea, kleenex and Dark Angel. Nothing new to share or talk about. Just wanted to touch base and say hello to everyone. I’ll be back soon to get to those challenges — promise!

Riddle: aha! Several guessed it right off — the pack was a parachute that didn’t open!

Alright, first let’s get the obligatory greetings out of the way:

Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you celebrating and not boycotting — I’m kind of celebrating. Not because I’m not a fan of V Day, although to be honest it’s never been a huge deal, but more because I’m only now starting to feel human and can’t summon up the enthusiasm required. Monday was the worst of it, but the last three days haven’t been a picnic either. Monday however, I was convinced death would be a great improvement. Unfortunately I had to cancel my jobs for Mon and Tues, and turn down tons of other ones for today and yesterday. I’m thinking I may work tomorrow, depending on how my night goes. Another night like last night and I may just hold off till Tuesday. You know the kind of night, waking up several time in coughing spasms so severe you end up choking. Waking up drenched in sweat and shivering — your basic nightmare. The up-side to all of this is that I”ve hardly eaten a thing all week, so I’m betting the scale will at least show an improvement, even if the thermometer or the mirror don’t.

I haven’t been around to visit, just haven’t felt up to it. I haven’t been on the computer much at all this week, so please understand if I’m way behind in my commenting! 

Ducky got flowers from Duckman yesterday — they are so sweet! Red roses and pink and white daises (her favorite flower) in an adorable vase with pink and red polka dots on it. Totally fits her. Both the girls made little bags of chocolate hearts and conversation hearts to give out to their friends. Hubby comes back into town tonight, so I thought I’d brave a trip to the store and get them all a little something. If nothing else, just so we have some chocolate in the house! LOL

OK, I’m out of energy, I’ve done too much today I think – cleaned the kitchen, stripped the sheets, picked up the house. Now I’m feeling drowsy and unenergetic – I think it’s time for a short nap and another cup of herbal tea. I’ve discovered that herbal tea and honey are fantastic for sore throats and coughs — I’ve gone through a significant portion of my expansive collection. I’m going to have to restock.

I’ll try to get around to everyone later – until then have a great one!

Riddle Answers:

No one answered the first one which was: What goes around the world but stays in a corner? – A Stamp. The other two were indeed fire and a river – hats off to WineCountryGirl, LIF1955, and suzyQ_darnit for nailing those ones!

Here’s another one:

A man was found dead in a field face down. On his back was a pack. It caused his death. How come?

Worked yesterday, already have jobs for Monday and Tuesday. Unfortunately, today I woke up with my chest burning and a nasty hacking cough. I’m perched on the chair watching old movies and trying to rest. I really need to work. We have a lot of catching up to do financially after three years in Maui with me not working. It’s another 5th grade class. That’s all I’ve taught this last week and the one on Friday was lots of fun. They were a bit loud, but lots of fun. On Wednesday I subbed for a 5th grade class that was pretty good, but very argumentative — I guess their teacher encourages that.  Anyways, I’m really starting to enjoy the older students. The last couple of 2nd grade classes I had were nightmares. I’m now thinking 3rd or 4th may be the ticket, even 5th. But truth be told, I’ll take whatever I can get in the beginning! I just want a full time job.

So evidently I’m Xanga True. Who knew? I’ve seen these all over the place now, and have to admit, well.. nothing really. I’m not really that impressed. Although I think it’s kind of cool, really it’s a scarlet letter that says “you have no life and waste entirely too much time on the Internet and xanga in particular”. Although I have to admit, the changes with the minis I like. I like the fact you earn credits through usage rather than having to buy them.

Alright, not much to say, I’m not sure my brain is working properly. Here’s some riddles — just to keep your brain functioning!

What goes around the world but stays in a corner?

Give me food, and I will live; give me water, and I will die. What am I?

What can run but never walks, has a mouth but never talks, has a head but never weeps, has a bed but never sleeps?

So, another horrible teaching job. Not for the same reasons, but rather for the reason that teacher had not implemented any routines, procedures or behavior management systems. Their wasn’t even a class daily schedule posted. On top of that I got the call at 8:00 and the job started at 8:05. Next time, I think I will turn down the job. On top of all that, the school itself was organized weird, I didn’t like it all. But hey, it money in the bank right?? Right!

Today I spent the majority of the day trying to get the last bits of paperwork together in order to get my NM license and to get everything ready to apply for teaching positions once I submit my application. I’m just about ready to pluck out my eyebrows in frustration. Once again it was roadblock after dead end after u-turn. Ugh.

To top that off I had to contact the high school Ducky went to in HI – as they never sent her records or transcripts. Her school here has requested them 3 times (according to them), when she first enrolled,  back in December when she met with her counselor, and then last week when they were getting ready for registering. When I called last week, no response (what a shocker, I’m getting used to that!). So I called again today and they claim, ‘they no remember any request at the beginning of the year for her’ (like they remember every single request that comes in through there) and that her school never requested them. They just requested them last week for the first time. Uh huh. Sure. So I ask if they are going to send them or what. They reply oh yah, sure we send them. Good. Can you fax her transcripts as they need her transcripts so they register her for her senior year – currently they show she need 20 credits next year to graduate. Now Ducky’s a good student, but she’s not that good! :sigh: So I ask them to fax the transcripts and then forward the rest of the records by regular mail. Her reply? What other records we have here? Ummm… I don’t know, that’s your job, not mine. :rolls eyes: Eventually we establish she will fax everything, so to clarify I ask “you’ll fax this today or tomorrow at the latest right?” — she talks to someone else in the office and the finally decided that yeah, they can probably do that.

Yay, that was how my entire day went. Calls, emails and wasted trips. Honestly. I should have vacuumed – which I didn’t do because I was busy trying to get the rest of this stuff done. If I would have vacuumed however, at least I would have felt like I accomplished something!

I’m worn out from all the rigmarole. I think I’ll hit the sack early — and accomplish some sleeping! Muawhahhahahahahhaahha! Work tomorrow – and then camera club (I think). At lest I have something to look forward to!

QOTD:

What are you looking forward to this week?

Since I’m working on changing over my site, I need some pictures to create a new header, although I must admit, I love my Maui header. So… I took my cameras and headed out this weekend. I had hoped to get downtown and to the zoo as well, but no such luck. Hubby and I took a nice hike in the Sandia Mountain area. It was quite a shock to us both. We are used to taking off and being in breathtaking scenery right away, this hike however we walked for about 1/2 hour in nothing but brown desert – and I began to wonder if I should have bothered bringing my camera. Eventually however, we happened upon some winter beauty. I can’t wait to see this area in the spring and early summer when it’s green!

Here is some water, rock and ice — I loved the color of the rock underneath the water in the first one!

New Mexico Glaciers:

Here’s a rock formation, that from one side looked like a giant dog carrying a hat — and hubby

The sun was just in the right position to make these clouds have rainbows in them, and then a shot of Albuquerque from on high.

As we were headed back the clouds and sun created a unique pattern, I took several shots, and several in B&W –Pretty cool huh?

In other news, hubby will be in and out for the next month. He has conferences in Monterrey, Orlando, and Maryland. The good news is that he will be here for the RUSH concert (which we just bought tickets for) and for another ski trip to Red River (which we already have reservations for) – so that’s good! I’m looking forward to Rush, and to skiing of course, but Rush was probably my all time favorite band growing up, so this is pretty cool. I saw them once when I was a teenager, but it was in their sell out phase and they really weren’t that great! Hopefully, this one will be much better.

We are also running regularly in order to train for a 5k, then a 10K, then a 1/2 marathon with the ultimate goal being a marathon. I’ve been running 1 to 1 1/2 miles just about every night. Now mind you, I’m in round shape, so my mile takes a LONNNNGGGG time, but hey, I’m doing it! Yesterday we went to the gym (to avoid the weather) and I did 2 miles on the treadmill — I walked 1/2 a mile of that in warm up and cool down, and ran the rest with no stops — now that’s something for me!

Several people commented on my phrase the other day “I’m off like a herd of turtles” — that is a Jimism, taken from my Father in law, who passed away too soon. He had lots of those. He was a good ‘ole Texas boy, and he really could turn a phrase. Boy do we miss him!

I think for the previous question of the day there was a general consensus that while many people regretted some of their choices, they wouldn’t change them because they made us who we are today, I have to agree with this. I had to go through everything I went through to get to where I am today, and I can’t regret any of it, because I’m very pleased with where I am today.

Question of the day: What is your favorite phrase? And did you borrow it from someone or is it your own creation?

I’ve been lucky so far. One of the reasons I don’t care for subbing is that you’re in a whole bunch of different classes and none of them do things the way you would. Part of being a good sub is being flexible and able to work within the teacher’s existing environment. However, sometimes there are just some classes that aren’t going to behave, no matter tricks or tips you have up your sleeve. Thursday I subbed for 2 different classes – a first grade class in the morning. They were wonderful, well behaved, friendly, a little chatty but over all a great group. Afternoon, second grade – class of 20, 14 of which are boys. That’s right, 14 boys! Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not sexist, but let’s face it, generally speaking, boys are more active than girls, more apt to misbehave, and more likely to need redirection and individual attention. I love boys. Always have. I’m not the teacher who favors the well behaved smart little girl in the back row. Nope, I tend to get attached to the bad boys, the ones who are smart alecs, constantly in trouble and rarely doing what they ought to. Don’t ask me why, just thank the heavens that this predilection did not carry over into my attraction to men! (OK, it did a little, but I ended up making smart choices – remind me to tell you about that some time, it’s really interesting) — back to the class.

So here I am, predisposed to like bad boys, stuck in a room with 14 boys, half of them fitting my bad boy model. You know what? One bad boy is fun and likable. 7 bad boys is just a headache in the making! The first grade teacher I subbed for came over after school to book some sub days with me and told me that the teacher for that class is at her wits end this year. She’s tried everything, and I can attest, she is doing all the “right” things in terms of behavior management, but to no avail. Bless her heart. Those are the years that teachers dread. And we just hope against hope that we only get one year like that at a time — because believe me, when you get two or more years like that you start to reevaluate your career and life choices – he he he.

That being said, I’ve decide to spend some time out this weekend with my cameras and try to capture some of the beauty of our area. This will (I think) tie in nicely with the new featured grownups topic. When all is said and done I also hope to revamp the site in order to present a more accurate picture of my current life.

Alright, I’m off like a herd of turtles…..

Question of the day:

Do you ever regret your life choices?