Tent Sweet Tent

I’d like to welcome you to my home!  This was it this past summer in Malawi.  Some nights I almost couldn’t wait to crawl inside it and curl up on my air mattress and soak in the night sounds.  In Zambia two years it ago, it was soooo cold at night that I dreaded “lights out”.  This year, despite being the neighbor to the east of Zambia, the Malawi nights were relatively warm.  Perhaps this was due to the proximity to Lake Malawi?

Despite its relatively small size, I was still able to often lose fairly important articles inside of it.  I lost my toothbrush once for almost a week.  You can’t just run down to the store to buy a new one, ya know?  I finally had the time to tear everything apart and find it, but by then the brush and interior of the case had mildewed.  Pretty gross.  So, what do you do?  You pop it into a pot of boiling hot water!  Good as new…almost.  (ew)

Even though I was very comfortable at night I often did not sleep much.  If I got five hours of sleep I felt pretty lucky (this from a 9 or 10 hour a night sleeper).  Since I didn’t have much time to myself during the days, I decided to embrace my sleeplessness and enjoy the nighttime “solitude” in my little home.  I would spend the hours thinking, remembering, planning, and praying.  It’s funny where one’s brain goes when one is lying awake on top of an air mattress and sleeping bag listening to the distant waves of a lake on the shore with the bright African moon illumunating brightly when one is in the uttermost part of the earth…I’d get flight of ideas and wonder…

…how well would I be sleeping if my cat was here with me…(and then I’d miss her)…

…will anyone puke tonight?…(and I’d pray not)…

…are the dogs in my “kitchen” again?…(and if they are, did I prepare well enough so they couldn’t rob me?)…

…are those REALLY waves I’m hearing?…

…if he has Aspberger’s…(or what?)…

…when the propane tank is going to run out, again…

…why the dusk malaria mosquitos are so small and the dawn dengue mosquitos SO HUGE…

…how much more food can I buy with the money I have left “in the food account”… and will there be anything more than sugar, tomatos, yams, oil, and eggs to be bought next time?…

…how it is possible that it’s going to be three years already since Connie died…(and then I’d miss her, too)

I would pray for whatever and whoever showed up in my mind and eventually I would drift off to sleep.  Occasionally I would dream.  But every morning, when I unzipped my tent and crawled out, I was met with the most brilliant skies reflecting off the lake and I’d forget how tired I was and I’d wrap myself in the beauty and wildness of it all.  And I’d wonder what I ever did to deserve this amazing life God had given to me…

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Mitchell’s New “Nintendo DS”

Click HERE to read my sister’s latest blog entry and see what a six-year-old kid does who wants a DS but isn’t going to get one!

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Go, Walter, Go!!!!

Here’s the latest update I received from Walter Moore, LA mayoral hopeful.  Because I love Los Angeles, I am excited to see such great progress being made by a MOST WORTHY candidate!

Congrats, Mr. Moore, on making such huge strides in your bid to clean up the mess that is Los Angeles

Great News About The Other Debates! By Walter Moore, Candidate for Mayor of Los Angeles, WalterMooreForMayor.com September 25, 2008Great news, my friends: tonight, our fellow Kevin James Show listeners pushed us across the $150,000 contribution level! That’s the minimum amount needed to qualify for matching funds. It’s important for several reasons: Double Your Money. From now on, when you contribute to my campaign, the City will match your contribution, up to $500. So if you contribute, say $100, I’ll get another $100 from the City, for a total of $200. That will double our ability to reach voters who don’t follow local politics. “Viable Candidate.” The (biased) local media have, so far, justified the “news blackout” on my campaign by claiming I wasn’t a “viable” candidate because I hadn’t raised enough money to be worthy. Qualifying for matching funds eliminates that pretext. Now they’ll have to stop ignoring me, and start lying about me. But even that will be progress, because our fellow voters will figure out, despite the disinformation, that they can get a Mayoral upgrade. Debate Showdown. Matching funds come with “strings attached.” One of those strings is that any candidate who accepts matching funds must debate any other candidate who accepts matching funds. So Villaraigosa will either have to debate me or forego at least a million dollars in matching funds. Either way, he loses, and we and the people of L.A. will win. If he debates me, we’ll win in a landslide. If he refuses, the public will infer, correctly, that he is afraid to try defending his record and his policies. This Is The Beginning, Not The End. Please do not make the mistake of thinking we can stop raising money. Quite the contrary. Qualifying for matching funds simply gets me in the arena. And I’m not sitting on a $150,000 war chest by any means: the money I’ve received so far has gone into all those ads you’ve heard so far, plus the yard signs and bumper stickers, rent for the auditoriums for the rallies, and so on. You know the expression: you have to spend money to make money. We still need hundreds of thousands of dollars to buy radio and TV ads to reach our fellow voters. You would not believe how much TV ads cost, by the way. So if you haven’t contributed yet, please do, and urge your friends and neighbors to do likewise. We can win. We can fix this city. Thank you so much for your support and your encouragement. I really appreciate it. And I look forward to seeing you at the rally on October 14, 2008, starting at 7:00 p.m. at the Woodland Hills Marriott. We’ll get to hear from Doug McIntyre and Kevin James, and we’ll have yard signs and bumper stickers galore, too.

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Photo Friday – “Colours (of Autumn)”

Firstly and most importantly, today is my little sister Liz’ birthday.  Happiest of birthdays to you, Lizzie!    I love you bunches!!!!!  (Crossing my fingers you get the ER job!!!  You will love being an ER nurse…)

Secondly…

 

I sort of wish this was NEXT week’s challenge as my OTHER little sister, Whitney, and I are taking her son Mitchell on a road trip to look at the golden autumnal Aspens up in the mountains tomorrow!  One day late!!    I made the same drive three years ago during my first fall in Colorado.  The pictures I took on that drive were with an old camera and didn’t turn out well.  So I am going to share a picture I took in the Rocky Mountain National Park two falls ago here in “Color”ado, or should I say “colour”ado!  .

 

Coming up, on Photo Friday…

3rd October: Eiain’s choice – Music (musicians, concerts, still life of musical instruments or musical  scores, musical boxes etc - I could go on and on …..) You may also like to add a YouTube clip of your favourite music!

10th October: Mrs Nascar’s choice – Night ( moon, stars or any interpretation of night)

17th October:CuriousCs choice - Bridges / Arches

24th October: Eiain’s choice - Paws for thought

31st October: Author’s choice - Halloween!

7th November: Tina’s choice - Action Shots

14th November: Author’s choice - Windows (unusual or favourite windows, in your own home, or other homes, or churches, buildings etc – you may even include the view through a window. This can be a selection of photos or just one favourite pic).

Please take the time to visit the work of the other players and tell them what you think!

Click on Mr. Linky so that you can access the links to the other participants’ blogs!

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Photo Friday – ARGH

For the second week in a row I am missing Photo Friday.  I am traveling.  I did take an awesome picture of the dinner I shared with my brother on Wednesday night (using my cell phone) and when I went to e-mail it to the computer I am borrowing it wasn’t on my phone anymore!  I guess I didn’t save it.  so I am missing the food challenge as well.  Sigh…

I’m a dope.

Catchya next week, I guess!

Hope to borrow a computer to get some comments out to those who partcipated! 

You go, too, and leave a comment for them!

Tall Chick

Eiain (apparently suffering from my disease, got confused on the dates and has shared some fab bridge shots!)

Author

SpatulaHandle

Mrs Nascar

Slim Shaney

PHOTO FRIDAY ADVANCE DIARY

26th September: CuriousC’s choice -  Colours (of Autumn)

3rd October: Eiain’s choice – Music (musicians, concerts, still life of musical instruments or musical  scores, musical boxes etc - I could go on and on …..) You may also like to add a YouTube clip of your favourite music!

10th October: Mrs Nascar’s choice – Night ( moon, stars or any interpretation of night)

17th October:CuriousCs choice - Bridges / Arches

24th October: Eiain’s choice - Paws for thought

31st October: Author’s choice - Halloween!

7th November: Tina’s choice - Action Shots

14th November: Author’s choice - Windows (unusual or favourite windows, in your own home, or other homes, or churches, buildings etc – you may even include the view through a window. This can be a selection of photos or just one favourite pic).

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Happy Birthday, Julie!

Today is my cousin Julie’s birthday.  A few days ago we decided, should the weather permit, that we’d drive up to the summit of Pikes Peak.  Until recently I didn’t even know that there was a road up to the summit, but there is!  It’s called the Pikes Peak Highway.  Parts of it are a little hairy, but we made it to the top without incident.  This was my second time up to the summit.  Last time it was winter and we took the cog railroad up.  Very cool!  Next time up, I hike!

Click HERE to read about my last trip up to the summit and see a wicked cute picture of my nephew!  And HERE to see another picture of my niece, Alaska, from the same trip.

Here Julie and I are.  Taking the requisite touristy picture in front of the summit sign.

From “down there”, those little red rocks in the middle of the right side of this photo are massive monoliths at the Garden of the Gods!  On a clear day, you CAN see forever!

Weird looking railroad tracks, huh?  These are for the cog railway that goes from Manitou Springs to the summit.

And of course, a foot picture.  We are facing west.  More of the Rockies off in the distance, and two lakes!

We had planned on stopping at one of the rest areas/picnic areas/scenic overlooks to have a picnic lunch, but time was not our friend and so we ate in the car while driving back down the mountain in the lowest gear my car had to offer.  It’s such a steep drive that there’s even a mandatory brake check on the way down, and if your brakes are hot, you are off the road until they cool off!  Never seen that before!  AND on the way back down we actually got snowed on!  It was a perfectly clear, bright, and beautiful day, and out of nowhere, snow!  That’s why they warn you that the weather is unpredictable up there.  Unpredictable, indeed!

Happy Birthday, Julie!  For sure we’ll do this one again!  On foot next time!

And under the category of “ask, they can only say no” goes this one!  I told the ranger at the tollroad that Julie was only 12 and that it was her birthday, and could we get her in for the child’s fare…

And he did it!  Ask.  They can only say no! 

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Photo Friday – “Old Cars”

 

Catching up on my assignments!  This was last week’s topic, but last week I did THIS week’s.  Cuz I’m a dope, basically! 

 

From the time I was a little kid, like most Southern California beach kids, I wanted a Volkswagon Bug.  An OLD one, the kind with the small tail lights, not the big round ones.

I was 23 when I walked into the garage of the guy who was selling the 1971 Beetle and I almost heard angels sing.  Fire engine red, factory sunroof, Hurst shifting, dual carbs, baja-style…shiny and beautiful.  It was a race car!  It cost more money than I ever imagined I would spend on a car…2500 dollars!  But I wanted that car.  I actually needed a car.  I’d never owned one and I was in college driving my dad’s old VW van with a shot tranny which threatened to die at any given moment.

I decided to get the car.  Before I even left the house that evening I was thinking “what should I name a fabulous car like this??”.  On a hunch, I asked the owner if the car had a name.  He looked at me quizzically and slowly answered…”yeeeeesss, his name is Dudley”.  Dudley he was and Dudley he remained.  The previous owner liked that I kept the name.  But if you knew Dudley, you knew he was a Dudley.  I think Dudley was alive, just like Herbie in Disney’s “The Love Bug”.  Ask anyone else who knew him, they’ll tell you the same.

In the dead of night one night I decided I needed to see if Dudley really needed that speedometer that went up to 250 mph.  I snuck onto a brand new freeway that was slated to be opened in the next couple of days and I opened him up.  I got him up to 117 mph before I freaked out thinking I’d end up with a felony on my record if I got caught.  But even at 117 mph Dudley was running smooth!!!  That was a GREAT moment. 

But old bugs can be fussy.  I took a basic mechanics class in college, so I was able to deal with small problems that would arise.  It wasn’t rare that I’d have to pull off the road and remove the fuel filter to bang out the rust from the fuel tank.  But years later I took a job that required very dependable transportation, transportation that wouldn’t leave me smelling like gasoline.  I kept two cars for awhile as I didn’t want to give Dudley up, but eventually it became clear to me that I needed to downsize to a single car, and I said good-bye to my old friend.

Now, do you think I could find a single picture of him to share here?  Nope.  I have some, but they are in a box somewhere.  I did know where the ignition key I kept was though, so I thought that might do for this challenge.  Here’s Dudley’s key:

Please check out the other participants’ work!  They are all doing “Stained Glass Windows”.  I’ll activate the links as I get them.

Author

Tina

CuriousC

Melanie

Mrs Nascar

Eiain

Just For Fun

 

 

Coming up on Photo Friday:

12th September: Author’s choice – Step Inside (Pics of inside your own home: they can be of favourite corners, or things, or windows, or unusual features or just unusual angles of somehing in your own home)

19th September: CuriousCs choice - Food (a still life, or food growing on the allotment or in the garden, or  at the market, or in a shop, or your fave food on a plate, or any pic of food)

26th September: CuriousCs choice -  Colours (of Autumn)

3rd October: Eiain’s choice – Music (musicians, concerts, still life of musical instruments or musical  scores, musical boxes etc - I could go on and on …..) You may also like to add a YouTube clip of your favourite music!

10th October: Mrs Nascar’s choice – Night ( moon, stars or any interpretation of night)

17th October: CuriousCs choice - Bridges

24th October: Eiain’s choice - Paws for thought

31st October: Author’s choice - Halloween!

7th November: Tina’s choice - Action Shots

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Thanks for the button…

I have a few collections.  (Okay, more than a few!)  I used to collect buttons when I was in my teens and twenties.  I had a load of them.  I got rid of all but the most interesting ones in one of my moves, but every once in awhile a button catches my attention and I’ll procure it.  Often this means asking the person who is wearing it if I may have it!    So, when I saw a link on Facebook to get a “free” Obama button from MoveOn.org, I figured I should send away for it.  Afterall, this IS one of the most interesting and historical elections I’ve experienced.  I am not voting for Obama, but wanted the button anyway.  So I followed the link and requested one.

I requested it using my blog’s e-mail address because I didn’t want a lot of Obama and MoveOn e-mail in my regular in-box. 

Want to see my bright new button?  Well, I’d love to show it to you, but here it is, nearly three weeks later and I still don’t have that button.  But apparently in requesting one I joined MoveOn.org!  No mention of THAT anywhere on the form.  There was a separate link to use for that.  And it seems that MoveOn.org has seen fit to sell my e-mail address to every possible person, corporation, and entity in the known universe, because I am positively flooded with e-mail to that address.

So, THANKS MoveOn.org.  Thanks for the button…

Not.

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Do you EVER stop moving???

I spent part of the Labor Day holiday weekend with my six-year-old nephew.  We had a great time.  He spent the night at my house, just him, and we did some fun things!

Yesterday while at the zoo, I just had to ask him about his state of perpetual motion.  That kid is all over the place all the time, a seemingly bottomless pit of energy and interest in his world.  It’s hard to keep up with him on any level.  He’s a blur most of the time, and even when he’s “sitting still”, he’s always moving around.  It cracks me up!  Even on the couch while watching TV he repositions himself about every, well, every 2-3 seconds!  I counted!!!  No wonder he’s hungry all the time, he’s constantly burning up energy.

So I asked him, “Do you EVER stop moving???”

He immediately began to tell me about how he used to live with Auntie Diane in California, and then he moved in with Uncle Phil, and then he moved HERE!

So, yes, he has moved A LOT! 

My sisters and I broke out in laughter!

NOT the answer any of us were expecting!

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