Quick summary

Saturday was far from normal. A visit from a dear old friend, White Jim from college,  whom I have not seen in damn near 20 years but with whom I have a fairly regular communication with. Jim is a well rounded fellow and it was wonderful to actually share some air and beer! I hope we can do it again soon.

 Might as well jump was the theme of Sunday.  After having a nice pancake breakfast at a fundraiser provided to us by the Castroville Fire Department in a kick off the Artichoke Festival event, Greg and I found ourselves with the keys to our new place and an itch to get some of it done. It was a very spontaneous day which alleviated half of our moving stress. A great big shout out to our friend Ray for his help on such short notice! We will finish the moving by next weekend. Woot!

The 4-runner has been taken care of. We got our money back from the seller without any issue. A hassle it has been but not a horror. Glad to have it off my plate. So that is one less thing to deal with. Now to turn around and get the other car fixed. That gets that problem resolved as well. Woot!

My good pal Nicole is in town today. Im hoping to squeeze in a visit there this evening.

Otherwise it is back to finishing out the school year and getting the last of the stuff packed and on a truck.

Whew.

Given out some Mother Love

I had every intention of whipping up an Mothers Day Blog, but in the midst of all that is going on, had to settle with a simple phone call and a few words of love and appreciation. But is that enough? Don't get me wrong. Mothers Day is a sappy sentimental holiday like V-day which has been played upon by our corporate overlords to get us to consume. I'm not saying that I need to buy mom a gift and I hope she understands why I don't. Why I am asking if "a phone call alone is enough" is because my mom really does deserve some extra recognition and appreciation. Not just one day a week but everyday.

I didn't realize and appreciate my mother as a mother until I was one. I didn't comprehend her dedication and selfless service to us kids. I didn't appreciate her rigidity and rules. I didn't recognize that being a mom is a job in and of itself. And that it is by far one of the most important jobs of all.  But I do now. And I realize just how amazing of a woman and mother she is and has been. My appreciation is beyond measure and no flowers or other superficial thing can even begin to come close to express my gratitude and love for the woman.

Thank you mom!

In other news.. Our new land lord is extremely kind and generous. He has given us 4 chickens and 4 geese  as well as the keys to the home a week early to help facilitate the move. Packing packing packing well under way.. Walls of boxes are beginning to cover what little walking space we had. We showed the kids the home on Saturday and they didn't want to leave! I am super excited about this new chapter in our lives. Saturday, I also attended a registration fair at the school my two will be going to next year. I knew it was going to be a decent school and was excited for them but, after meeting the staff and some students and seeing the grounds from inside the gates, I am even more pleased and think it will be fantastic for them. On Mothers Day we were invited to play at the beach and have a BBQ afterwards. We surfed, kayaked and got burned and exhausted. It was an awesome day! Greg whipped up an egg scramble for breakfast which was heavenly and Willow created some amazing chocolate covered strawberries which were to die for.

What else.. This week the CEO of Gregs work is at the plant and Greg is hosting the quarterly meeting. Its a big deal and one that has caused him to be on edge. Scratch that. It is not just a big deal, it is a production. Memorize these lines. Video crews setting up, Stages being built. Broadcast company wide. Hes never quite been in the spot light like this before and it comes with a certain amount of tension. But you would hardly know it. After that it is yet another week of traveling which upon arrive he will find himself welcomed to a new home. I have a crew of good peeps to help make the early move possible and which will save him the majority of effort and the trouble. He will get home just in time for a three day weekend of settling in and Adens birthday celebration. (We are planning to line up a paintball battle!)

And don't get me started on the car situation.. to late for that. We bought a 4 runner last month which is now sitting in a shop because it didn't pass smog. In this state, the car passing smog is the responsibility of the seller regardless of "as is" clauses.  Looks like the vehicle either needs a valve job or maybe even a whole new engine. The seller has been on vacation so today I will be taking up this issue with her and trying to get things resolved as amicably and without legal involvement if possible.

 And to top it all off we are coming to the end of the school year and frantically trying to wrap up all those loose ends.

Oh and to top it all off....  There are three things necessarily to life. Our food is one of them. And what is being done to our food is not right. On May 25th people from the world over are going to rise against these crimes against our health and wellbeing.  Here is a chance to stand up and show that you care. You do care don't you?!  Know and Go! here is a quick link to find where events will be held near you.. http://www.march-against-monsanto.com/p/blog-page.html

So with that I must duck out and dive in. If I am relatively silent for the next few weeks.. well.. I will be back.

Holey Mole!

We bougth the farm... well not quite... but still. Damn! Im set to go from homemaker to homesteader in a blink of an eye. A total dream come true in the making. Im so very excited. More than I have been in.. well is seems lik forever! All the while maintianing my cool facade. It does slip out at the edges. Willow giving me a quizzical look and asking what Im doing and why Im all wiggly. I explain that Im just doing my happy dance.

Our new rental is on 11 acres of which we are currently responsible for one. The Owner is a Director with Microsoft and has a vision of this being his retirement property. He wants a homestead and farm. It is not yet one. But it is raw potential. Potential that looks out at over strawberry fields and coast line mountains and is a prime place for me to sit and begin to write. Potential that includes the possibility of me owning and establishing my own mushroom farm. I have been telling Greg for years that the next animal we would have would be a goat. Damn if that isn't going to be the case.  They will be very helpful in maintaining the land. I expect to have them graze first where I will establish the garden and start preping that area. I need to look at some old gardning books for that. I have already started researching goats.

On a side note... There is an apple tree on the property which produces a red meat in it and which is highly prized and I can't wait to sample. (Hail Idunna). This is all so awesome, it almost feels to good to be true. But it is true. And it is exciting.

Also Ironically enough.. I had been planning for some time to cook up some Chicken Mole today. Yes its cinco de Mayo... a day Americans get drunk... but it was also a good excuse to try the dish I have always wanted to try.  But additionally Mole is a meal tradionally baked for celebration. And we are all celebrating. Now I shall fade into a bit of a  silence ( drunken?) while I attend to the work at hand.  We have a little bit of a hill ahead to yet navigate and Im begining to ramp up speed.

Oh and the city we are moving to is the childhood town of Marilyn Manroe where she won the first ..maybe it wasn't the first.. I don't know... anyway she was crowned Artichoke queen.  Maybe the girls want to try for the honor themselves?! I can imagine Willy reading this and her face slacking into a frown/grimace... Only if you want to. :) I wonder when the next festival is?!

Ok I have some shopping to do. dried ancho chilies here I come.. Spicy goodness with a lot of flavor! Oh yes Mole is the meal for today!

Vic..... Ouuuuut!

The dice hit the table...

tumbling.. our course narrowed down to two likely paths. Greg's return from Boston this weekend and it is decision making time... Factors to weigh and outcome to be determined. Ill be happy when we switch gears into action and hustle. Time to wrap up school, get things packed and do this thing. Space to breath and not be stacked in like sardines, however I must say that everyone has been a trooper in that department.

This whole house hunting really has been a chore. An interesting one. We have seen landlords who fit the mold of the used car salesmen. Smarmy and with no real interest in anything but a quick buck. We've seen beautiful perfect properties and been crushed when they went to someone who got there just a hair quicker and so we have sped up our game. We've been misled and we have pulled up to appointments in neighborhoods where we opted to just drive away. To another one that didn't allow pets but was torn up and tagged with gang signs inside and the owner was not going to correct those issues. And she would not allow a dog?! What?!  That one was strange in that the vibe actually made me start cussing before I even started seeing those crappy details. Very uncharacteristic of me in a setting where Im trying to make a good impression or any setting really. I think the long term effects of that house on my psyche (or on the rest of us) would not have been good.  

Anyway, We've learned what we want and we are poised and ready to pounce. I'm excited the end is in sight. Two totally different directions lay before us. A lovely house in a beautiful suburb (We were first in and it is as good as ours). Or a home on some land in the country (this one has another couple looking but I have hit it off already with the Owner and he is looking forward to meeting Greg. )  Which one? Do we want to be in the country or in the city? Either way, I suspect this weekend will wrap up in grand celebration.

In the meantime, our housemate, had a recent job interview up SJ way. She will hear back next week and our fingers are crossed. It would be right up her alley and be in the field/position she has strived to be in. Her odds are not bad from where we are sitting.  The law office she works in temporarily has connections there and she has made a very positive impression on them. She will get a glowing recommendations. Our fingers are crossed that it falls into place for her quickly. And if not there, somewhere else.

Car update... Geez...
We have a buyer lined up for our Housemates vehicle. Yay! Still looking to unload the gt3000 but its specialized and someone will want it for parts. That can be handled once Greg gets back. We picked up a 90 Toyota 4runner. It didn't pass smog so I have that yet to contend with. But it will all get done.

My dad is finally in the ground in a veterans cemetery near Whiskey Town. Hes been sitting on a shelf (ashes) for quite a while and when the anniversary of his death arrived, my bro jumped and got the deed done. Its good to have that little bit of business taken care of. We are going camping up that way soon and will be making a visit to see Pops along the way.

I have promised to talk more about Henna and, Karen,  I will ... soon...

Also, I plan to change things up on this blog a bit once things start settling.. there are many subjects that I don't discuss at home because I am living in the moment and dealing with everyday living activities but which I have strong opinions on. Monsanto for instance. So I will be occasionally getting a bit bolder and opinionated with my posts rather then just write personal narrative. Not that personal narrative alone is bad. It can be quite humorous at times really but I might as well put some meat on those funny bones.   Not sure how it will manifest but it will be something. Stay tuned for that.  

In the meantime, have you seen the new Red Dawn? The dude, Chris Hemsworth who plays Jed, reminds me of my brother sooooo much. I think it is funny he also played Thor. Billy, old red beard, ought to understand why.   :)

Ok I have to get back to the tasks at hand. See you on the flip side!

Shifting Sands

So much to talk about.. so much going on.. yet.. its almost as if we are suspended mid air... mid action.. balls in the air.. or in the hairs breath before the dice land.

I suppose there is a lot going on. The hunt for the house.. Yes.. No real word yet. Two possibilities seriously considered. One despite gorgeous details and whirlpool tubs.. yes plural.. just was not the right fit. The second one we layed our ap down on Saturday. There was another couple there chomping at the bit. We were told we would hear by Sunday. We told her we would do a 2 year lease. We didn't hear.  Ill follow up today.

Along with getting new glasses for Greg ordered. (His broke just as he was up and on his way out the door to Boston. He is going to have a long week without them.) I will be registering the 4-runnner. Which is the replacement car for the GTX3000 that had its timing belt go just after we bought it and resulted in a rod being thrown clear through the oil pan. That baby is dead. We are looking to unload it and given its specialized nature should not have too hard of a time getting it sold. We sold the Lancer to our room mate. Which made the purchase of the 4-runner possible. Now to sell her other car as well and that will go to moving expenses. Whew. But we have all our bases covered.

And speaking about those Blackhawks.. Not really.. I was talking about baseball but that brings me to my brother  and him mentioning being impressed that I have a team now.. but the thing is.. I've had a team for a long time. Ive had a team since... like... 1995ish. I don't remember.. college years a blur. But I became a Blackhawks fan for three reasons 1) What is black and white and red all over??.. you thought I was going to say a newspaper.. but seriously their colors are awesome! 2) Because they were aggressive and hard hitting and full of all sorts of grrrr... 3) and lastly there was a guy... isn't there always?!.. but seriously He was simply a hockey fan (and a Holsclaw.. but not the one I was dating) who gave me insight into the game... A teacher.. a mentor even if you will. And that was his team. So there you have it.. how I came to be a Blackhawks fan. All that aside... Its a stellar year for them.... Stellar!!

Back at home.. Teenage Dreams.. A week of bliss.. only to have the reality of the world crash back down on you. If only it could be like that all the time. But it can't. Life sucks sometimes. Now back to work.

And on a side note... I also want to take a moment to remember Dad. Gone but not forgotten.. And now yes.. its back to work.

Spring is springing

Cough cough hack hack.. not the way any of us wants (ed) to spend Spring Break. But here we are where sniffles and sneezes abound.

That is not to say that it has been a week wasted or lost. The down time has given me the chance to attend to administrative duties, paperwork, and house hunting. That's right a change is surely coming. The blow up with the landlord earlier this month, left us sitting and discussing options and working to determine what is in everyone's best interest. Greg and I have had the idea of taking permanent housemates for years as we understood that financial burdens would be lessened and quality of life would be improved. Perhaps we were somewhat idealistic in our vision of "perfection" ... I don't think either of us  envisioned jumping in with a single mom and teenagers.. Our sights were more on a childless couple...With home decorating talents and whose Two additional incomes would provide an extremely luxurious lifestyle with much travel... off to Amsterdam... or to France on a cruise ship..  or fly out to Japan.. whatever.. to visit friends abroad (I have a few!) once a year..  Retire early.. start our own business.  It was an awesome dream!

but...

Back to reality... And honestly the reality isn't bad. No its not "Ideal" and no we wont be likely to travel the globe just yet, but making this move will improve our lot in life. When Greg was first promoted to Director, he turned to me, and asked if he thought we would be able to host work functions at our home. As a Director, it is sort of expected. At least, all his previous directors have always hosted holiday parties and the like at their residences. And I am a decent hostess who is more than a little willing to offer Hospitality when it is necessary.. but we can't do it here. There is no way. Now with the promise of additional income to support expenses, we CAN have that house. Greg CAN be the boss he is supposed to be.

And there are other benefits as well. Our quality of living will improve and we can work on paying down some debt.  Also, there is the practical side of things. With Greg gone as much as he is, we have companions to keep us company. This offers him a peace of mind.

 With house mates, the chore distribution is more evenly distributed. In otherwords, Im stepping back in my role of caretaking/housekeeping. Which quiet honestly is a relief for me and good for my children to learn some responsibility.. like how to clear and wash their own dishes and cook a meal. How to clean a bathroom and run a vacuum cleaner. As things are now, everyone chips in and does their part and I get glared at if I slip into my bad habits of doing everything for everybody all the time. And they were bad habits. To proceed in the same fashion, would likely turn Con into a mamas boy who is incapable of doing anything for himself. That's not who I want him to be.

This might seem like a bit of a topic switch.. but hear me out..  have you ever seen the show Wife Swap? The goal of that show is to take two families from very different backgrounds and swap the wives. In doing so the new wife lives the old wife's life for a week then makes the family live by her rules for another week. The show can be comical  and it can be ugly.. just as all real life dramas can be. But in the end, the aim is for these households to emerge from the experience more balanced and with greater perspective. There is no "swapping" part in our situation, however, the outcome of this family being with us does give us just that... a sense of balance and perspective. Angele and I have very contrasting personalities.. eternal optimist verses pragmatic pessimist.. yet our goals and ambitions for our families are in complete line. Her presence makes me stronger, I in turn soften her up a little. Each of us finding a happy medium and in turn making us each better in our job as parent.

And what about travel? Well... there will be more of that too. We will be able to manage more vacations... we will save the globe trotting for later. This summer we have a number of camping trips lined up as well as a trip to Disneyland. Some of us have not had the experience and it should be done at least once in a kids life plus we will be celebrating a 16th birthday. on a side note.. you may be wondering how I plan to y navigate the noise and crowds (when it first came up I know I was)... Im hermitty by nature... Not because I prefer to be alone but because lots of people packed in small places and conversing (Even a restaurant) leaves me stunned and unable to fully function in a mental capacity. I sort of shut down because I process so much through auditory channels. As if in response to this my phone finally took its last breath and I was forced to replace it. Now I have the means to plug into music when I need to calm my frazzled nerves. Music does indeed soothe my savage beast. The kids are all stoked.

We dropped applications off earlier this week for a house in the hills. Beautiful country. Our fingers are crossed. Its going to take a few more days for the application to be processed. The property managers offices were impacted by the AT&T cables being sabatoged in San Jose. Im not going to talk too much about it as we have kept the kids in the dark a little until we get a confirmation. Don't want to dash hopes although they know we are busy looking. I hope by Monday we have definite word.

Also this week is the Sea Otter Classic Bike race. http://www.seaotterclassic.com/ Greg  volunteered 12 hours as a lap counter. Hes there as I write this... I hope he took sunscreen and a hat... and tissue.

Thursday I hosted a Beach Clean Up near the Aquarium for a a group of 250 homeschool parents and children from Grass Valley Ca. Stretching my voice far enough was rough but it was fun. We pulled a 5 foot tall 12 inch diameter PVC pipe out of the sand even. The kids aught to remember it a little.

Willow scared the heck out of me the other day... I ran to get some meds for Greg and noticed it was sunset so on a whim I drove to the beach for a quick survey. I pulled up and sat back to watch from the comfort of a semi wind block while I listened to the crashing waves through my open window. Three older people stood near by taking pics. I got lost in thought... daydreaming and embracing a moment of bliss. when.. BANG BANG BANG  willow starts hitting on the passenger window. Willow and Irie were laughing so hard I thought they would pee their pants. Im sure the look of shock and freaking out-ed-ness was hilarious but Damn! I know I about peed mine!

Let me take a moment here aside to address something very important... You CAN look cute in a helmet. How?!  http://www.refinery29.com/helmet-hairstyles  Don't let me catch you without one again.. missy! You know who you are and now Im done scolding you.

This weekend promises to be very active and busy. We plan to get a car, see sharks (in the sea.. not on the ice), go to a birthday party, Aden is off to Magic the Gathering Compitition, And Iries very nice long distance boyfriend with the last name of, ironically, Holsclaw but not a direct relation, has managed to sneak a ride across the state with his uncle (our neighbor and long time friends with our roommates)  who was picking up a puppy to surprise his own kids with and is on his way here now.   Was that a convoluted sentence or what?! Anyway.. there is much surprise and fun in the weekend forcast.. as long as we stay on top of this bug and don't let it get any better of us.

P.S. Mom.. you'd be proud.. I henna'ed my hair to cover up the expanding forest of grey. Now Im a bit mahogany.

living it up... just a little

The sun was just about to set as we reached Roys in Pebble Beach. We were out to celebrate all of our recent accomplishments. The view and the food were outstanding. The service incomparable.