April 2006 Archives

Folks! I have been driving for *cough behind hand* 30 some years *cough cough*. I have never had an accident when I was driving. That came to an end yesterday.

I was driving with my granddaughter, Kaylin on the 51 (one of our main freeways). Rush hour traffic - stop and go - bumper to bumper. I had just got onto the ramp that splits from the 51 into the 202 east and 10 west (I was heading onto the 202 east) The car in front of me stopped short. I applied my brakes to not hit them. The motorcycle rider behind me was not so lucky. When I looked in the rear view mirror I saw this shiny black Harley bearing down on my trunk, with a guy on it who didn't look like he was having a good day. And it was about to get worse.

After he hit me I was extremely calm. It was kind of weird actually. I would have expected panic and screaming and maybe a few cuss words flying out of my mouth, but there was none of that. A slight panic though, until I looked back and saw Kaylin still sleeping soundly in her car seat. I think the impact knocked the binky right out of her mouth, though.

So here we are sitting in the middle of rush hour traffic, cars slowing whizzing by
us and instead of being the gawker ... I was now the gawkee. The cop came and we got a lights and siren escort off the ramp and onto the side of the freeway (10 west). This is where we spent the next 40 mins standing around while the officer did the paperwork. (Kaylin slept thru most of it)

Everyone was okay. The motorcycle dude hurt his hand (smashed between the bike and the car) but he didn't think it was broken. The bike and the car didn't fare as well. The bike was about 5 months old and a beautie. It now has a dent in the gas tank, a very bent crash bar, twisted lights and one foot pad was all contorted. MY CAR is now sporting a dented trunk, broken taillight and a pretty good size dent in the back quarter panel.

I got up this morning (still feeling fine) and called my insurance company. As I was on the phone to them, I got a call waiting beep. It was the motorcyle dude's insurance company. He admitted fault and my car is going into the shop on Monday to get fixed. I was hoping for money but I guess they don't do that anymore. So fixed it will be. I even get a rental car out of the deal until my car is done.

Want to see what my car looks like now. Check the extended.

Well Folks! I did it. I have gone plum loco.

You would think I had more sense than to volunteer to walk 60 miles and live in a tent for two days. But you would be wrong!

I just signed up to participate in the Breast Cancer 3-Day here in Phoenix in November. I will be walking 60 miles over the course of 3 days. I will be "camping out" with around 2000 other people in tents for two nights. And believe it or not I am excited about it.

So here is where you come in! *queue the begging music*

I need your money! No, this isn't a stickup or anything but I hope you might consider donating to a worthy cause. Here are the "technical details".

Thousands of women and men will unite in cities across the country and walk 60 miles over the course of three days. It's a weekend of hope, as we honor lives lost, celebrate survivors, promote breast cancer research, and help bring breast cancer care to those who so desperately need it.

Net proceeds from the Breast Cancer 3-Days benefit the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation to fund breast cancer research and community outreach, as well as the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund, to provide an endowment for breast cancer initiatives.

I am doing this :

• for all the friends and family who have been touched by breast cancer in one way or another.


• because I hope that my granddaughters may NEVER even have to know what breast cancer is.


• because I want to feel that I have actually done something for other in this world and what better cause to help me do that


• because all that training to get in shape for this walk is bound to make me lose weight

So there you have it. Now you must feel the need to help me out and donate a few dollars... or alot of dollars if you are so inclined. You can do that at my own little 3-day website.

"Show Me The Money!"

and

"Thank You For Your Support!"

I spent the last two days on our income tax. I hadn't done "ANYTHING" on them all year long. Not only did I have to deal with my business "stuff" but there was also STOCK crap that I had to try to figure out.

Hubby's company gave them stock last year and then sold some of the stock to pay for the taxes on the stock. This company does some really weird shit in their accounting department, this just being one of them. Plus there was the stock that I had that "merged" with another company. This one they bought out my stock and then gave me some of the new stock. Sounds confusing eh? Well, try and figure out how to put all that down on an income tax form. That is one of the reasons that it took me two days.

But they are e-filed and I am now waiting for them to be accepted. I owe federal and get back from state, so I am only going to pay out about $450 this year. Believe me! For us that is not bad at all!

Whew! I am glad that is over, that is one of the "biggies" on my list of things that I HAD to get done.

This time nine years ago, I was in Laughlin, Nevada getting married.

We were really married in a little chapel called "A Perfect Wedding" in Bullhead City, across the Colorado River on the Arizona side.

We had all our family and close friends there to share the occasion. It was just awesome.

Some of the highlights of the weekend:

• We shared dinner in the little Regency Casino, with 20 of the 40 people that came up for the wedding. Best Prime Rib on the river at the time.
• Hubby's "dad" showed up at 6am. He had taken the bus from Phoenix. He was NOT expected. But it was an OKAY surprise.
• E, my son who was 19 at the time, used his resources to open a can of punch (no can openers to be found at the chapel) The old saying "Used a rock and a stick" actually works.
• During the ceremony, the Reverend asked Hubby to put the ring on my left hand. Being right and left challenged, that I am, I gave him my right hand. That doesn't mean we didn't get married does it.
• Losing darn near $100 on craps the first time I played. Didn't really hurt too bad since my Brother gave us the money so he wouldn't have to play alone.
• And many many more

And that brings us to 2006.

I wake up this morning and head to the bathroom. There on the sink sits these

The most beautiful red roses you have ever seen. Nothing could compare to them.

So you can imagine my surprise when I walked out into the rest of the house and saw this.....

I took the laptop to work today because I had some extra time between customers. So here I am! The funny thing is that the shop doesn't have internet access. I am working off of some unsuspecting idiot out there who has an unsecured wireless network.

It's a good thing I am not an "evil hacker"!

So for now I get to surf the internet at my whim. Got to love it.