New years rez

Happy new year Australia! (because its new years day in oz right now) Many years ago I made a new years rez to never make any more new years resolutions. I'd make goals. I'd write them all out. Short term goals, long term goals, stuff I need to do, stuff I want to do, stuff I should do. And them promptly forget all about it. Right? Who's with me so far?

All good rez were made to be broken so I'm only making resolutions that I know ill be able to keep. You ready? Here we go.

New years resolutions for 2010.

Make those amazing meatballs! There's five different ones and they all look de lish! If I made 1 meatball recipe a month I could knock this rez out in, well, five months.

Replace the trackball in my phone. I need to take care of it soon or it'll freeze altogether rendering my phone practicaly useless.

Get a new phone. It may be the same phone or it may be a different phone but when my contract expires I will get a new phone.

Get new contacts. I've been legally blind for months now, putting off the dreaded optometrist visit for some odd reason. I was going to wait until January but Bh refused to let me drive and I had to take care of this before I left. So one rez taken care of. A positive way to start the new year yes?

Let's see what else, oh yeah, de Christmas my house. I'll start that tomorrow and I should be done by Monday. Another positive for the new year.

Bh is a nagging so were off to California. See ya tomorrow!

Good bye 2009!

Mesa Wednesday

Did a little shopping yesterday afternoon after lunch at the Kirkland store and a couple of thrift stores looking for lamps (Elvis spotted!) nothing good was found and we came home with no new treasures. This was my 2nd Elvis sighting this trip but I have no way of posting the pictures so you'll have to wait.

Today we'll un- decorating and putting everything neatly away for mom.
Note 2 Stella and gunther: oh yes they are amazing meatball recipes and if you can't get your hands on January bon appetit magazine I will be posting the recipes later.http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=24155175&postID=8548939800057057964#

Monday Monday Mesa

I meant to post yesterday and even started a post but we went antiquing (a new piece of, what else, Pyrex and oh what a piece of Pyrex) Then had lunch at Fudruckers which was good , really good but different. The kind of different where you should go with someone who's been there before so they can explain. Fuds is a burger joint. A build it yourself burger joint. It was crazy busy and the cute girl handed us one of those flashy buzzer thingies and we found our own table. After receiving our meal with awesome fries we sat down and realized our burgers were naked and we had to get up again to dress them. After burgers we headed home and all settled in for a long winters nap. Except it was in the 70's and didn't feel very wintery. And then, because it was Monday for the rest of world, we answerd calls of needed repairs and heaters that failed to heat. Evidently it is not in the 70's back in LE.

Today we have plans to play rumicube after we visit Falcon Field to look into a rental plane. A cross country trip is being planned but I'm not sure we'll be able to pull it off.

Talk of de-Christmasing moms house is going on at the moment. Shall we undecorate today or tomorrow? She very much would like to keep them up longer but she is unable to put them away by herself. There isn't much. A delicately ornamented faux tree with a little beaded garland a few bulbs and a gold silk ribbon tied in a bow for a topper. The only personal ornament is a ceramic snowflake with a picture of her first great grandchild. A few green wreaths are on otherwise blank walls. There are outdoor lights that need to come down. All and all it should not take more than an hour to box it up and put it all away.

We've decided to head out for lunch.

TTFN

P

Mesa madness

We're enjoying the peacefulness that is Mesa. Sister Rose and hubs will head back to Kingman this afternoon after a week long visit and this morning is busy with packing up and changing sheets and taking inventory of depleted food and sundries. While mom is at church Rose briefs us on the health issues affecting mom. Nothing serious at the moment but at 80 something, has potential.

Breakfast was a buffet of blueberry English muffins and crumpets with imported jams. A gift from the Pats. Rose and I got identical gift boxes just prior to leaving so we both thought it would be lovely to share with the family. It was and we're still enjoying the English delicacies.

I've brought more food. Not one but two quiches. These were made for Christmas morning but were not eaten. They were easily warmed up and served with salsa and chopped cilantro. A wonderful lunch. No muss no fuss.

This afternoon has an important itinerary of football games and maybe a little shopping. Diet cokes have been added to the list. If not for the need of this very important beverage we may not leave the comfort of the couch.

Our internal clocks are off as is common when we travel. AZ is an hour ahead and we've not had a normal bedtime in weeks. Compounded this morning by the hotel clock that was set one hour ahead of AZ time. A full two hours ahead of CA time. Tonight we'll stay here at moms as Rose and hubs will be home. I look forward to unpacking, putting my feet up and reading the Bon appetite mag I threw in my bag. Meatballs are on the cover. "5 amazing recipes". I think I'll find out what is so amazing.

TTFN
P

Merry after Christmas peeps!

I'm blogging on the fly. In about an hour we'll be in Blythe for our about 1/2 way pee stop and leg stretch. We are on our way to the not-inlaws for a holiday visit. So what did Santa bring ya-all? I'm gonna do a Whore your loot when I get back so get ready for some cool shiz. And I wanna see all your cool stuff. Oh and I just cannot wait to tell you what the Gnomes did. Or rather what they didn't do. They really outdid themselves this time. The story promises not to disapoint. I'm still pissed about it so I'll have to share when I'm calmed down some. In the mean time I'm getting a little much needed R&R. Maya B. is with mum. She hates to get left and looks entirely pitiful when we go. Mum walks Charlie dog twice a day and Maya, who never walks, has gotten into the swing of things already. She is fat and lazy and mum makes her walk. While she usually takes a day to adjust this time she ran out to the car on her own. (mom drives to the park to walk them). Oh were in Blythe already. Gotta pee. Be back soon. P

Abie, Nebraska or 'I see dead people'

Have I mentioned that there is not much in Nebraska? Cornfields. Many many miles of corn and soybeans I found out!

So what do you do whilst in Nebraska? Well once you enjoyed the company of your cousins and cornfields you visit the graves of those who've gone on before you. BH still has many relatives 'living' in NE and many are buried here. Not the living ones because that would be weird. This is Abie's Catholic cemetery. It has this ginormous cross right in the middle of it.A Spatz. Jer and BH's moms were sisters Spatz.And the cornfields behind

For a young child

And the Votava's. Jer's fathers rele's are all camped here for eternity.

I don't know who this is. Russian? You think?

Another unknown but sweet

Another Votava. Now that's a marker!!!
I'm worried a little about Jesus falling on us. That thin pole is all that's holding him up there.

I'm quite sure he could cause some damage if he fell

Killed by Jesus in the Abie Catholic Cemetary. Right in front of his mother!

Check this out!

I don't know who he is but this area is heavily influenced by Czech's and Bohemians. BH likes to call himself a Bohonk. (or a Bohunk!)

A wild flower for the Pohl family

Cornfields to the left of me
Cornfields to the right. . . . here I am
stuck in the middle with you

I really could not get over all the cornfields!

Little Lamb Eliska. One date on her headstone.

Another Spatz

More Votava's

Wonder what it says. I'd like to have taken rubbings of some of these markers they were magnificent.

More Spatz'z. I think these were BH's grandparents. I'll have to ask. BH that is as these guys are not saying much.Or maybe these. I forget now

Time to go. Back into the cornfields. ~~if you build it. . they will come~~
I do not know what this is. I took a picture of the ethanol plant and this just may be it.

Maybe not

Church in Abie. I think it's Abie. Notice the dirt roads? Yep. Not uncommon to have dirt roads in these miniature cities.

Welcome to Omaha

Our flight to Omaha Nebraska was incident free. Packed. The plane did not even have breathing room. Southwest does a strange thing. You get boarding letters, A B C. A's of course board first, then families with children or people that need assistance. BH and I had different boarding letters so I was able to board first and save a seat for him.

We had a 2 hours stop in Phoenix where we were once again issued different letters. There really is nothing to do for 2 hours so we camped at the Fox bar and had a couple of beers. All of a sudden I hear our names over the loud speaker telling us to get our asses on the plane or they were giving our seats away! (true but sad story folks)
No matter what I did I could not get a nice picture of this sign. We had been warned that NE was experiencing brutal heat and humidity. I braced myself for the life draining moist heat and was relieved when I noticed the heat/humidity was not bad. I think it was worse in CA and I'll tell you, I don't know why the plane doesn't melt when it lands in Phoenix because that place is HOT!
It's about 90 miles to Columbus where BH's cousin Jer and wife Bet live. Once we left Omaha proper there were corn field for miles and miles and miles. Seriously 90 miles of cornfields and another crop I couldn't identify, but mostly corn. The sky was swimming with darkish clouds and I thought it might rain.

BH: Maybe a tornado brewing.
me: What was that? A tornado! Really! Is this tornado season?
BH: I thought you liked tornado's.
me: Love them, from the safety of my couch NOT car!
BH: Don't worry tornado's come from the west, southwest.
me: Which way are we heading?
BH: West southwest.

I am not amused.

me: I can't believe you brought me to Nebraska during tornado season!

Perhaps I should have researched that just a little.

The cousins live in a lake community I called Lake Votava. I was sitting on their little swing chatting with mum and taking pics of this beautiful place.
So the grandkids can swim in the water. You can't see it but there is a tiny asparagus plant growing right there by the ladder. Bet chats non stop Oh yeah, that is asparagus, we didn't plant it but Jer wont let me pull it. The grankids pull on it but it still keeps coming back. . .

And the neighbors house. Everyone has their own dock in this neighborhood.

Kind of looks like Florida don't it? BH and Jer are from Bruno. A small town not far from here. Yep, population 141. I find it hard to believe there are that many people there.

Mushies! These were just so cool looking. I was hoping this pic came out better.Just on the other side of those trees, to the left of this picture is the train tracks. It is so peaceful and serene here and then every once in a while you hear the train and feel the tracks.

Travel time

I'm still hovering somewhere between Nebraska time and California time.

I tried so hard not to do the jet lag thing. I knew I'd be coming home on Sunday. I knew I'd have to go to work the next day. I knew it was rent week and I'd be up to my eyeballs. I knew I didn't want to deal with the travel flu.

I kept my watch and phone on California time. That way whenever I looked at my watch or phone I'd look at the time and say. Self, you are on California time. You are not on Nebraska time. You do not need to switch time as you will not be here that long.

I don't listen to anyone it seems, even myself.

My body, mind and whatever else gradually began the time shift.

It's not so bad really. Kind of like Daylight Savings time change. (why do we do that again?) I am curious how it is taking more time to readjust to CA time than it did adjust to NE time.

HOW is that possible?

Travel tips

If you insist on bringing not one but two bottles of perfume please know. . . .

*Calvin Klein Eternity smells beautiful and Victoria Secret Garden Pear Glace is yummy enough to eat, mixed together they smell ghastly
*The liquid does not have to touch the pill organizer to make the pills inside of them taste like perfume. Make that a nasty combination of perfume.
*The plastic pill organizer will have to be destroyed because you can never again put pills in there.
*You will need to wash any clean undies you packed because wearing them will make you smell like an Italian whore. (a French whore would know not to mix her perfumes)
*Perfume will act very much like bleach on your purple bathing suit and the color WILL be transfered on to other articles of clothing.
*It will replace the stink of your own feet with the stink of combined perfume on EVERY shoe you packed.
*Your family will complain loudly while you try to air out your suitcase.

Good things to know while in your hotel room

*Remember to check the batteries in the flash lite you keep in your travel bag BEFORE you leave for your trip.
*Your phone will work much like flashlite
*As long as you can find it
*And don't forget its plugged in.

Up Up and Away

I'll be gone for the next few days. Out of town. Out of state out of town. On a wonderful new adventure that includes airplanes and relatives. Not mine, as that would mean leaving the country. But this is pretty far.

I'll be tweeting if you'd like to follow me. Because of a certain stalker I've kept it private and you'll have to get permission. If I don't recognize your information you can email me @ nailark(at)yahoo(dot)com

I'll be checking my email of course.

I've also got a few posts scheduled while I'm away. And don't forget to comment! I'll get the email notice.

I know you'll miss me.

I'll miss you!

ta ta!!