Thoughts and other things

Avalon and I are headed to Great Falls, Tuesday and then Friday Jeff is coming up and we are all heading up to the cabin at Seeley. I'm looking forward to relaxing, swimming at the pool, seeing some friends and their munchkins. I'm excited for Avalon and I to have to girl time(yeah I know we have girl time every day right). But its nice, Joelene cooks dinner for us, no laundry, lax schedule and I'll read all those books I've been collecting..

Speaking of books, I'm getting my spanish texts out. I've got a work book I bought a while back. Thought I would freshen up my skills. A friend asked me for some help translating. Kinda reminded me that "yeah, I have those skills, don't want to lose em." I do use enough of it around Avalon that she has started saying a few things: gracias, vamos(lets go), adios, hola. So until, mi amiga has some more translating she needs done, I am gonna try to keep fresh.

But aside from the drive from Billings to Great Falls, I'm looking forward to this week. And it's not even that bad of a drive but I get nervous giong long distances with Avalon. I try not to think of what could happen and because I am nervous it makes me hyper aware but I still pack, major caffeine so falling asleep is not an issue. And thankfully she is a much better rider than when she was little. And I got a super safe ride so that helps.

I don't know how to say this without sounding like a cheeseball. But Amy Winehouse's death struck a chord with me today. In the last 5 or 6 years, I kid you not, I think I have bought two CD's. Hers and Bruno Mars. You have to have one hell of a CD to get me to buy it.

I think she had an incredible talent and sadly like too many other people, addiction cost her so much. Granted we don't know what caused her death today but I'd venture to say that even if it weren't an overdose, it is related to her addiction in some way.

And if you haven't had to face addiction closeup, you may not realize that if affects more than just the user. It affects every body around them. It truly is a disease. I feel for her family. It took prison for my brother to confront his addiction. But his addiction left an exwife and son in the wake not to mention parents and siblings worried and concerned for him wanting to help but trying at the same time not to enable.

Its funny how those sort of things touch you. The only other time I remember a celebrity dying was August 31st 1997. The day Princess Diana died.

Speaking of deaths, a couple of things in the news lately have just made my faith in humanity that much less. The slaughter in norway of 82 people at the camp is shocking. How can one personhave that much hate? How can it take the police 90 minutes to show up? Sometimes I feel too naive to the ways of the world.

And because Great Falls is my hometown, I keep up with the news there as well as what Joelene tells me about what's going on. And the domestic/child abuse cases in the last year have numbered far too many. Children left with a mother's boyfriend, have proved very dangerous for too many small children.

I did recently read the book "Stolen Life" by Jaycee Dugard who was kidnapped at 11 and held captive for 18 years and gave birth to two children fathered by her kidnapper. I think aside from my past, I would have read this book. The story is fascinating in that she was found all these years later. But I think because of my abusive upbringing, I am drawn to books of this nature. I could give you a list a mile long of the ones I've read. And as bad as it may sound, but I think i read these books beccause in a way, i don't feel like such a freak. There are others out there who have had crappy things happen to them. And don't a lot of people want to know they aren't alone? Twisted I know.

Going to another open house tomorrow of the same house we already looked at. We're taking Jeff's parents because we appreciate their objective view. It is in a great area on a HUGE lot, double the square footage of our house, has a sizeable garage and kitchen. On the downside, it is a little dated. It would need, in my opinion, all new carpet. But the carpet is decent, just dated, wouldn't need to be changed immediately. But the neighborhood is terrific and it would be a good school for Avalon. So we'll see. Its the first house Jeff and I have agreed on for a long time.

Anywho, things are on the up swing!

My Munchkin is Four

We celebrated Avalon's birthday this last Sunday the 10th, the same day as Jeff and I's wedding annniversary. I know everybody remarks about kids growing up so fast, but it's true. It abslutely doesn't not feel like 4 years has passed.

Jeff and I had a hard time this year deciding what to get Avalon for her birthday. She's at the age where she sees something fun and she wants it. And frankly, I think she has everything else. So we had to decide what she wanted most. And I think everything came out all right.

Below is a pic of one of her oddest gifts. She has asked me to buy her this huge thing of cheese puffs for months now. She had them last summer at a picnic and has wanted them ever since. And its not that I'm opposed to her eating them(even though they are junk, she never eats much of anything), but what are we going to do with three gallons of cheese puffs? But as we were struggling with gift ideas and she had asked twice the previous week for them, we figured why not? And just as i thought, I have nowhere to stick three gallons of cheese puffs, but she likes them and that's all that counts. And, she was so excited to see them on her birthday that she was licking the lid. Silly kid

She has all but given up TV shows. The only one she has any interest in at all is Sponge Bob, and as you can see if was very prevalent at her party.

She had asked and asked for a "yata" as she calls pinatas. (Not sure why or how she knew about them) We got it about a week before her birthday and she played with him the whole week. They had tea parties, and he was her baby etc. So we thought she might be sad if he was destroyed. So we talked about just letting her keep him but she ultimately decided she wanted to stuff him with candy and wack him open.

We were not prepared for a four-year-old hitting machine. She hit that pinata with incredible ferocity. We didn't know she was that strong or aggressive but she got the job done, and we picked up the candy we had just stuffed in their a couple of hours before. But apparently, eating candy out of a pinata is much more fun.

In other news, we've just been trudging along. We've got plans to go to Seeley and the cabin at the end of July. Just like last year, Avalon and I are going to go to Great Falls early and Jeff will come up on Friday. So Great Falls peeps, if you wanna do something, shoot me a line.

We have plans in late August to go through Yellowstone and stay at Chico Hot SPrings during that little trip. I don't know who decided they loved Chico lately, but I'd appreciate it if they stopped. I can't get reservations there to save my life and we used to be able to go whenever.

I haven't been baking much as I've been trying to watch what I eat and it's been too damn hot to turn the even on. But i'm not complaining. It's about time for some decent whether. But feeling an obligation to blog about what I bake, kinda takes the fun out of it.

And we've just been busy. It seems like every day is filled with something to do and we spend so much time outside that its usually pretty late before we come in. Avalon hasnt made it to bed on time once yet this summer. But that's what summers are for right?

I've been running a lot more when I work out. I still have that unfulfilled goal on my list from the first of the year to run a race. I think a friend and I are going to run the labor day race in Red Lodge and maybe one in October in McCleod. It gives me a goal to work toward. But it feels good to be running again. I ran a lot in high school(not for a team but on my own, in an attempt to control my weight so my father wasn't mad) but I really learned to love it and its taken a while to build up the stamina but I'm getting there.

I do have a sore ankle that doesn't help thinks especially since I really hurt it hiking last week. But my knees have quit hurting. I think the weight loss has really helped with that. I haven't lost anything recently but I kinda took the last couple of weeks off from obsessing about exercise and not count my calories. It didn't hurt me, which teaches me to quit obsessing but I gotta get back to losing.

Alrighty then enough of the epic update, lator gators!

Holy Buckets

It's been over two weeks since I last posted. And I don't have a lot to say tonight even. But I am stilll alive and will be backing to posting soon I hope.

Later Gators