tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63753379140207518462024-03-05T04:28:23.489-08:00Life Ever ChangingB.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00598057523770603981noreply@blogger.comBlogger124125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375337914020751846.post-36591384706346078552014-03-05T10:02:00.000-08:002014-03-05T10:02:49.225-08:00The Big MoveI wrote a post almost two years ago titled "Sometimes it is the destination". In that post I wrote about a trip we were getting ready to take to visit family in Utah. The trip was wonderful, and life-changing. <br />
It was wonderful to see hubs with his whole family. Everyone was there, with the exception of my son, who was with his dad for the summer. One evening during the trip we had a family dinner at my in-laws house. At one point after dinner as all the nieces and nephews were playing and brothers and sisters were visiting, I looked over at my mother-in-law. She was just sitting there looking around at her family with the happiest look on her face. I could just feel the contentment radiating from her, and at that very moment, I knew. I knew where we needed to be.<br />
Hubs has mentioned wanting to move back to Utah many times. I have to say that I was adamantly against it. I grew up about an hour from where his parents live and I hated it. I hated the slow pace, I hated the snow, I hated all of it. My life was in California now. It's where I had lived for the past 18 years, it's where my son was born, and the only place he had ever lived, it was the place I considered home. It WAS the place I considered home, until I saw that look on my mother-in-law's face. At that point I realized my home was where I felt warmth from family. I didn't have that in California. I had many good friends, I had parents of my son's friends who I felt like I'd grown as a mom with, but as far as family? Nothing. It was me and Bubs, until Hubs came along, then it was the three of us. We made the most of holidays, but they never really felt like much, just us. Even on the occasions when our friends were nice enough to invite us to share the holidays with them, it just wasn't the same.<br />
The more I started thinking about it, the more I realized how much my son was being ripped off. He needs family, he needs that connection. Not to mention the fact that where we were living, he couldn't even go to the park across the street without fear of being shot. Our neighbors were junkies, and almost burnt our house down when they started theirs on fire. Yeah, nice neighborhood.<br />
When I told Hubs that I wanted to move, he was in disbelief. I don't think he fully grasped it until we were on our way out here. <br />
Bubs was on board. I was actually a little bit surprised. He said he would miss his friends, but seemed excited at the prospect of getting to know a whole new part of his family. He was excited about all of the activities he would be able to experience here.<br />
There was one major issue with the move, and that was my ex-husband. Unfortunately things got pretty ugly for awhile and we had to fight it out in court for almost a year. It was one of the most stressful situations I've ever had to deal with. It put us all through so much, but I knew in the end it would be worth it. I won't get into details, but I will say that I had made a very generous offer to my ex regarding the move and visitation, but he chose to be a hard ass about it, and in the end ended up screwing himself. My son sees his dad as much now as he did when we lived in the same state, but that's a whole other story.<br />
We sold pretty much everything we owned to make the move out here. We had no jobs lined up. Thanks to our in-laws we had a place lined up to live temporarily. It's a cozy little cabin in the woods. Our move was a total leap of faith, and it paid off. Two days after we got here, I had a job. I was starting out making more than what I made in California. A month later, Hubs got a job, a job that actually allowed him to cash a paycheck. Bubs started school, and loved it. He made friends right away. <br />
It has been almost 8 months since we moved here and I consider it a huge success. It has been tough at times. Like when it was -20 degrees and the cabin wouldn't get warmer than around 58 degrees. Or the first few snow storms when I couldn't get down our steep dirt hill. But those are temporary things I had to deal with, and they have already passed. Our lives are so much better. We are happier, we are less stressed, we are in a better position financially (a fact that helped out immensely when my mom got sick and I had to fly to Tennessee with one day notice). <br />
Eight months later, I am also still amazed by how beautiful it is here. The mountains, the wildlife, even the snow, it's all amazing, and something I hope I never take for granted. <br />
I am thankful to be here. I feel at peace here, and I know that this is where I am supposed to be right now. B.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00598057523770603981noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375337914020751846.post-80159150333204178612014-02-05T10:49:00.000-08:002014-02-05T10:49:14.369-08:00Here I Go AgainHow many times have I said I was going to start posting on my neglected blog, only to start ignoring it again? You know how it goes, life gets in the way. When life is exciting with so many things going on, I may want to write about them, but I don't have the time. These days, it's easier to put a two sentence status update on Facebook than it is to write a whole blog post. And then of course, when I have the time to write, my life is boring and I have nothing to say that I think anyone would be particularly interested in. Of course, maybe nobody is even interested in reading the things I perceive to be exciting. Oh well. I write for my own benefit, and if other people get enjoyment out of it then that's just gravy.<br />
I've decided I need to make the time to write. It's something I enjoy and it's good for me. Sometimes I get so lost in my own head that I need this escape. I need to get all my extra thoughts and words out of my head, even if at times it's just babbling. <br />
So, I'm back...again. It's been about a year and a half since my last post, and SO much in my life has changed. I guess while I'm waiting for the next exciting event in my life, I will spend some time catching you all up on what's been going on. So stay tuned, there is so much more to come.............<br />
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B.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00598057523770603981noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375337914020751846.post-6522313469698912062012-07-18T11:13:00.001-07:002012-07-18T11:15:43.298-07:00Sometimes it is the DestinationI have an exciting vacation coming up. The hubs and I are taking a road trip with 2 of our 3 kids and our grand daughter. While on vacation we will be visiting family and attending my 20 year high school reunion. As excited as I am for the vacation as a whole, there is one thing that I'm doing on this vacation that makes everything else pale in comparison......<br />
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I get to see my Grams!!!!! Some of you may remember me talking about my Grams before, she is one of my most favorite people ever! The last time I saw my Grams was almost two years ago and she was laying in a hospital bed recovering from a broken neck and serious head trauma. She had taken a pretty bad spill, and considering her age (85 at the time) the doctors didn't really think she would make it through. So that visit was spent with my Dad and brother making funeral arrangements and attending to all of Grams affairs. I still want to cry thinking about it. <br />
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By the time I had to leave to come home, Grams was doing a little bit better, but they still weren't optimistic about a full recovery. Even if she did make it through the immediate danger, she would probably go into a rest home and never be the same. I remember the day I said "good-bye" to her in the hospital, I remember thinking that would probably be the last time that I ever saw her, and I remember thinking how happy I was that the kid was with me on his trip. He had met Grams plenty of times, but this was the first time he was old enough to probably remember really well. And even though she was in the hospital, all banged up, he would be able to know who she was later on when I talked about her and what an amazing woman she was. <br />
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Now, when I say amazing woman, I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea...Grams is no Saint. She is one stubborn, crazy, troublemaker. I probably relate to her more than anyone else I've ever known. She can be a sweet woman, but she also won't stand for any B.S. and she'll tell you how it is when necessary. <br />
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Well, Grams did recover from her injuries, almost fully. She has to use a cane to get around, and she says she can't do her daily crossword puzzle anymore. But I think the same could be said for a majority of 87 year olds. She has been fortunate enough to continue living on her own. She lives in a very small town and thankfully there are some really great people who stop in to check on her and make sure she has everything she needs. <br />
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I am so looking forward to seeing Grams and giving her a big hug! I already felt blessed that she was a part of my life, but I have felt especially blessed the last two years, and am thankful for every extra moment I get with her.B.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00598057523770603981noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375337914020751846.post-82517498377097920452012-07-09T17:37:00.000-07:002012-07-09T17:37:44.132-07:00Catching UpWow, I can't believe that next month my hubs and I will celebrate our second wedding anniversary. The last two years have gone faster than any other time in my life, even if at times it felt like I was stuck in slow motion with no hope of ever moving forward. <br />
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Many things have changed in my life these past two years, besides the normal changes that go along with hitching up with another human being. I think the biggest change has been my decision to let go of things (or people) who brought nothing positive to my little world. <br />
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I've had to distance myself from some "friends" who brought nothing but upheaval into my life simply because they thought they knew certain dynamics of the sometimes complicated relationship that my husband and I share. I admit, that if I were an outsider looking in, I might not understand what the two of us have. But the important thing is that the two of us understand what we have and our love is the kind of love that defies logic. I know that sounds silly, but it's totally true. I have an absolute love and respect for my hubs, and he knows that, so as long as he knows how I feel about him, I don't care anymore what anyone thinks or their perception of how I treat him. <br />
Wow, sorry, didn't really mean to go off on that. But I guess it was bothering me and I wanted, or maybe really needed, to get it out there.<br />
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Despite the fact that a few relationships may have fallen by the wayside, the relationships that I need to be in tact are better than ever. I continue to have a beautiful relationship with my son, even as he inches closer and closer to becoming a teenager. With every year I realize more how blessed I am to have such an amazing child. He really has a beautiful soul, and is one of the kindest people I know. I love the open communication that we are able to share, and I know some people say that will change, but honestly I don't see it happening. I also have been able to share the relationship with my stepchildren that I had hoped for, but worried wouldn't happen. They are amazing kids, well, adults now. We have been able to start spending more time with them and it's been wonderful getting to be there for milestones. I've also been fortunate enough to forge a relationship with their mom and even her side of the family. They have all been so kind to me, and treated me like a part of the family. I cannot even express how much it means to me. I am so happy that we can all come together at the important moments in our children's lives and not just tolerate one another, but actually enjoy each other's company. <br />
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Life is always evolving, and we can either evolve with it or become sad and bitter. I have spent plenty of time being bitter about things that I should have let go a long time ago. My goal now is to just keep moving forward, and to do it (mostly) with a smile on my face.<br />
<br />B.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00598057523770603981noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375337914020751846.post-18218778357228540982012-06-30T14:01:00.000-07:002012-07-02T17:09:37.030-07:00Change is in the airHi, my name is B.B., some of you may remember me. Where have I been? Really, honestly it'd be easier to say where I haven't been, which is on my bike. Some of you already know this, but I have decided to sell my sportster. It's been a hard decision, and that must be why I haven't really put that much effort into actually trying to find someone to buy it. But for reasons that are beyond my control I have to get on it and get it done.<br />
I have decided I would really like to get back into my blog, but obviously it will be changing quite a bit and will focus on other aspects of my life and where it's headed now. <br />
So it may not be of any interest to some of you any more.....of course I haven't written for so long, I don't even know how many people will actually even read this. But I hope that at least some of you will find some use for my ramblings about daily life. <br />
In the next week or so I will be changing the title of my blog to better fit its content, so stay tuned because change is in the air......................B.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00598057523770603981noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375337914020751846.post-26021924567394203042011-04-11T19:19:00.001-07:002012-07-02T17:09:42.216-07:00Beyond FrustrationSo I just looked at my last post...January 5th...What the hell? And that post, while very relevant to my life, had nothing to do with riding, in fact neither have the last 10 or 11. It has been 9 months since I've been on my bike. So that explains why no riding posts, it also explains why I'm a little absent from commenting on other blogs. Because although I love, love, love reading the experiences of those of you who I've come to count as friends...honestly it also pisses me off a little bit. I'm feeling angry, I'm feeling resentful, I'm feeling left out! Please don't take this the wrong way, it's just honest sharing between friends and obviously it isn't your fault that I am where I am. I work hard to support my family, and take care of what needs to be taken care of, and I'm happy that I'm able to do it. I am very happy in general with where I am in my life, but I just feel like when it comes to the bike, I can't get where I need to be. My bike hasn't been registered since July and every time I get "caught up" on everything else something else comes along that needs attending to. Every time I go into the garage I want to cry, my poor bike is just sitting there. And then I start feeling sorry for myself, and then I get pissed off at myself...how can I have this pity party? I have so much more than so many people, and I'm going to whine about what I can't do right now? I also could have put off my upcoming vacation so that I could get the bike registered, but I have made a vow to put people before things in my life, and I need this vacation, I need time with my husband, who has been working 60 hour work weeks ever since we got back from our honeymoon (mostly without pay) and I need to spend time with my son, and mostly I need to see my family. I can't believe how much I miss them, and I can't believe that I'm just now realizing this. I don't know what I'm going on about, just feeling pissy right now I guess. Bottom line is that I am truly blessed! The bike is safe and sound in the garage and not going anywhere, and when I am able I will get back on and make up for lost time, and in the meantime I am going to enjoy the people I have in my life, and I will even try to read all of your riding posts without shedding any tears and shorting out my keyboard.B.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00598057523770603981noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375337914020751846.post-60413736371039663912011-01-05T20:48:00.000-08:002011-01-05T21:09:06.604-08:00You're a Good Man Viking Dave!Obviously I think my husband is pretty great, otherwise I wouldn't have married him. However, even if I look at him not as my husband, but only as a man, I think he is one of the most wonderful people in the world.<br />Some of you are familiar with Dave's business situation. He owns a coffee shop and he gets all kinds in here. I'm not trying to scare anyone away, but you can usually find more than a handful of down and outers hanging around. There is the group who comes over from one of the recovery centers down the road, there are the old guys who stay at the mission at night, but have no where to go during the day, and then you have some people who never talk to anyone but themselves so you don't really know their story. Most business owners would chase these people out the door before they could step in it.<br />Not my Dave, he not only gives these people a place of refuge, but he treats them like human beings, which a lot of people have forgotten they are. He talks to them and shows an interest in them and lets them know that he is here for them. He helps them on the computer if they need it, or anything else they may need help with.<br />I know he grows impatient sometimes, I can see it in his face. And even when he confides to me that he is going to 'stop being so nice' I know that he can't. He is who he is supposed to be, he can't help it, it's his nature.<br />He inspires me to be a better person, and I can't think of a single person other than Dave who I would want to be my son's role model of what a real man should be.<br />What I want to share with Dave (and everyone) is this....your kindness can save people. That young man who I'm sure was interrupting your game tonight....he had no one else to talk to, nobody else in this world cares where he is right now or if he's safe, healthy, and fed. You gave him a precious gift that cost you nothing. I know you were getting a little annoyed, but the point is that he didn't know it, all he knew was that for a few minutes somebody was treating him the way a human being should be treated.<br />He is just one example, I see you do this with people over and over everyday. It doesn't go unnoticed, and maybe, hopefully, by your example others will decide to open themselves up a little bit more. We could really use more people like you in this world.B.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00598057523770603981noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375337914020751846.post-63261284770453824032010-09-13T16:57:00.000-07:002012-07-02T17:10:08.493-07:00LavapaloozaEven though I was in Lava dealing with family crisis, there were some positive aspects of my trip. I reconnected with some family who I've been out of contact with, I got to have an awesome road trip adventure with my boy, and I got to witness 'Lavapalooza'.<br />
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What is 'Lavapalooza' you ask? It is when over one thousand motorcycles take over the tiny little town of Lava Hot Springs Idaho. Okay...so nobody actually took over anything, but when you have that many bikes in a town that has a population of about 500, it kind of feels like it's being taken over. What a crappy day for my camera to stop working! But I know you all have great imaginations, so you can all picture it as you will.<br />
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When I first started seeing bikes rolling into town on Friday afternoon I asked my aunt what was going on. She owns one of the towns two bars and I knew she would be able to give me the info I was looking for. She told me about the event. Just your run of the mill rally....bikes, bikers, bands, drinks, vendors....wait....no vendors, guess it's even better than your typical run of the mill rally. I immediately got on the phone with Dave and told him that if he and Willy got on the bikes right then they could make it by the next afternoon, but alas, they had just done their Arizona trip and couldn't make it. I started having major withdrawals for my bike. And my silly dad told anyone who would listen about how "his little girl rides a Harley", I was getting embarrassed, but it was cute to see my dad proud of me for that.<br />
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I was excited to see all the goings on, but then I started thinking logically....I was staying at my Grams, in her apartment, above the other bar in town, the big party was going to be on Saturday night, I had to be up at the crack of dawn on Sunday and drive 16 hours to get home. Oh boy, this could be bad.<br />
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Saturday night I tried to go to bed around ten, I would much rather have been down at the bar partying with my 1000 new friends, but the safety of my child came first, I needed to make sure I would be in good shape to drive.<br />
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And here is the breakdown for the rest of the night.<br />
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10:15- Loud, people yelling having a good time, laughing.<br />
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10:30- Arguing, escalating, can tell there is going to be a fight.<br />
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10:35- Screaming, women hysterical, fight, guys yelling, ends pretty quickly.<br />
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11:00- More arguing, different people, look out the window, two feet from my car, 8 guys, two different clubs, pushing, yelling, punching, getting closer to my car, one guy screaming,"I'll kill you if I have to, don't make me kill you", one guy on the ground, almost right on top of my car, guy down on the ground, another guy kicking him in the head, me thinking let them beat the shit out of each other, but what about my car, visions of my car getting a broken window and me running down in my p.j.'s yelling at the guys for breaking my car.<br />
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11:10- Cops roll up, guys jump off each other, assure cops they're 'all good', cops yelling at them, "why you guys have to act like a bunch of jackasses", some guy mumbling something I can't understand, cop smacks him up side the head and tells him to "shut the fuck up", guys hug each other, shake hands with the cops, everyone leaves, I get back in bed thinking 'this is the weirdest shit'<br />
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11:15- First bit of quiet for the night, interrupted by woman screaming, "oh my God, no! Don't do it", running, punching, again by my car, cops must be waiting around the corner, couple people cuffed, I go back to bed....I have got to get some sleep<br />
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After this point I lost track of time, but it went this way until 4 a.m., laughter & fun, fighting & screaming, back and forth.......<br />
I have never experienced such madness in my life. Dave & I are planning on making it for 'Lavapalooza' next year..........anyone wanna go with?B.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00598057523770603981noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375337914020751846.post-49822140935397676962010-07-18T12:06:00.000-07:002012-07-02T17:10:16.346-07:00Life is Grand!Ahhh, life is so good right now. I have not been riding nearly as much as I would like to this summer, some of it is because I'm so busy, some of it is because I have neglected some things that needed to be taken care of, that's a long story and I'll post more on that later.<br />
But.....life is good! Minus not having the kid here, it has been an amazing summer. Dave's kids have spent time with us and that was just awesome! Spending time with Dave's kids has made me realize even more how much I love him...if that was possible.<br />
The wedding is close, and in spite of the changes of some plans, things are great on that front also. I am more excited than stressed, lately the lyrics for the song Anticipation keep popping into my head!<br />
We have mice babies...okay, that may not seem significant to most people, but I just think it's really cool. Watching life start out amazes me, even if most of them will become snake food...it's still pretty amazing.<br />
I tried yoga for the first time today, it kicked my ass.....but I feel awesome right now. I have a ton of energy, I'm typing like 100 words a minute right now, and the funny thing is...I don't know what's moving faster, my brain or my fingers. Okay, so maybe I'm just a little scattered too.<br />
I just wanted to check in with my friends, I hope you are all doing amazingly well.B.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00598057523770603981noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375337914020751846.post-91870965057949899132010-06-26T19:35:00.000-07:002012-07-02T17:10:25.080-07:00A Little Story About PlansRewind 11 years ago....I was pregnant with the kid. In my childbirth class the instructor told us we should write a birth plan. I am a huge planner, so I was more than happy to do this. I wrote a detailed plan about how my birthing experience would go.....the day came, and we might as well have flushed that plan down the toilet when my water broke. Every single thing that I wrote in my plan happened in exactly the opposite.<br />
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Okay, present day...Planning a wedding. First let me say, that to me, the most important part of our wedding day will be the fact that I will be married to the most wonderful man in the world. With that said, I have put a lot of thought, energy and time into planning for things to be the way that we would like them to be for that one day.<br />
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We are 42 days away from the wedding and in the last few weeks, my maid of honor has backed out, along with taking the flower girl (her daughter) with her, honeymoon plans have changed (due to the fact that the kid starts school earlier than usual this year), and now the cool porcelain flowers that I wanted for my bouquet are no longer available.<br />
Now, like I said before, the day will be perfect as long as Dave and I are married at the end of it. It's just frustrating that I spent all the time planning for all the icing on the cake just to have it melt before I could enjoy it. Yes, I am disappointed, yes I broke down and cried today, yes it sucks. But I am also keeping my perspective, and I know what matters. And seriously when I think about it, more is working out as planned than not.<br />
I look forward to marrying the man of my dreams and spending the day with people who I love and who love me back. It's going to be an amazing day, no matter what. But my new plan........no more planning!B.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00598057523770603981noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375337914020751846.post-52277715300137935342010-06-09T22:59:00.000-07:002012-07-02T16:50:02.329-07:00HiHi everyone! I am still here, I'm still breathing, and yes, I'm still planning on marrying the man of my dreams. All is well, well almost well! I'm busy, busy, busy. And I'm dealing with drama in my life right now, but nobody is going to steal my joy....you hear that you control freak, want everyone to live their lives for you, stupid jerks!? I'm happy and I don't give a shit if you aren't. When I go to sleep in 58 days, I am going to be married to a wonderful man who shows me more love each day than you will ever know in a lifetime! So thanks for making me appreciate what I have even more than I already did! Go ahead and continue living your lives of lies!<br />
And to all of you who try to add to my joy rather than subtract from it....Thank you! You may not agree with everything that I do, or don't do, but I appreciate the unconditional love and forgiveness that you show me, I know a few people who could learn a lesson or two from you right now!<br />
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Dave....I am so thankful you are the man you are. I am so blessed to have you. I wouldn't want to be on this crazy adventure with anyone else. You are sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo loved! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for letting me be myself and for loving me no matter what, and for letting me use my own brain, and not treating me like a child who needs to be told when to wipe their own ass! <br />
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Okay, whoa...I guess I needed to vent more than I thought that I did! Thanks for letting me! :)<br />
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Oh, yeah, and in case you missed it..................58 DAYS AND COUNTING!B.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00598057523770603981noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375337914020751846.post-29252469406543744372010-05-13T18:48:00.000-07:002012-07-02T16:50:41.485-07:00Greetings From Tennessee<span style="color: #003300;">Hi everyone! I just arrived in Tennessee tonight. I'm spending the next few days here to see my favorite niece, Nastassia, graduate from high school. If you only knew the week I had, and all the obstacles that tried to stand in my way of getting on that plane.....big sigh of relief, I made it! </span><br />
<span style="color: #003300;">Anyways, I will have stories and pics of my trip when I get home to share with all my friends.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #003300;">Dave- Thanks so much for helping me get through the past week and helping me stay (somewhat) sane. Thanks for being such a great man that I can leave my son with you and know that he will be well taken care of! Miss you guys, but I promise to be a happy camper when I get home!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #003300;">Nats- I'm so proud of you. You are an amazing young lady and I'm blessed to have you in my life!</span><br />
<span style="color: #003300;">CONGRATULATIONS!</span>B.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00598057523770603981noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375337914020751846.post-56709488934116027892010-05-09T14:42:00.001-07:002012-07-02T16:51:04.875-07:00Happy Mother's DayA very happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful mothers I know.<br />
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Thank you to my kid for making being a mother such an amazing experience. You make being a mom the best thing in the world.<br />
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Thank you Dave for supporting and loving us, and for helping me get through the tough times of motherhood.<br />
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Thank you also to my ex for recognizing that even though I wasn't a good wife to you, that I'm a good mother to our son.<br />
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Thank you mom, as I've gotten older I realize that you did the best that you knew how. I realize now how hard it can be sometimes, and I forgive you for any hurt you may have caused. Thank you for teaching me to be forgiving, and for forgiving me as well for the hurt that I may have caused you. I really do love you.B.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00598057523770603981noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375337914020751846.post-78952306551393563212010-05-06T09:45:00.000-07:002012-07-02T16:51:11.619-07:00HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY LOVEJust a quick Happy Birthday to the love of my life. I hope you have a great day. I look forward to spending many more birthdays with you!B.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00598057523770603981noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375337914020751846.post-49936510403481329282010-05-04T09:59:00.000-07:002012-07-02T16:51:29.706-07:00Generation Beer PongA bunch of my co-workers were trying to plan a social outing where we could all relax and enjoy ourselves and get to know each other outside of work. I put a lot of thought into whether or not I would go.<br />
First of all, I'm their boss, and I've learned from experience that when you're the boss it's best not to get too chummy with the employees. Second of all, I work with mostly twenty somethings, and I haven't been twenty-something for awhile now. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with my age or my ability to have a good time, I just get annoyed sometimes with people who have not had enough experience to know when to say enough. Not to say that you always get that with age.<br />
Well, in the end I decided that I should go. They planned it for Monday night since we're closed on Monday nights and nobody would be excluded because of work. I figured a Monday night outing would be pretty mellow.<br />
I arranged for the kid to stay with friends, and told Dave to clear his schedule, we're going out. We don't go out a lot just for the sake of going out. We go out for our rides, and occasional social obligations with friends, but just to go out to a bar...not so much anymore. We like sitting at home snuggling on the couch and watching T.V. Does that make us old? I don't think so, I just think that means we enjoy each others company and we love the time that we have when we don't have to share each other with anyone else.<br />
Okay, I digress. As we were getting ready I told Dave not to be surprised because we would be the oldest people there. He just kind of laughed. Then he informed me that if we were supposed to be there at 8, we shouldn't show up until 8:30. That made me laugh, because my sweetie has no concept of time anyway.<br />
We had a surprisingly good time. We played pool, talked, drank, all the usual. Then somebody mentioned Beer Pong. I've never played so I thought I'd give it a try. Dave was my partner and since he was driving I had to drink the majority of our losses. We did pretty good for being the old folks who had never played before. We won our first game and then took on the winners of the table next to us, we lost that one.<br />
At one point one of the girls was saying how she couldn't believe that we had never played before. I told her that we didn't have Beer Pong when we were in our twenties. We played quarters and Up The River and made beer bongs. The look on her face reminded me of my kids' face when I told him that I didn't own a computer until I was twenty.<br />
In the end I had a good time and I think it was good that I got to show my co-workers that I am more than an ogre who tells them what to do everyday.<br />
I'm sorry if this is long and pointless.....a few mixed drinks, two rounds of Beer Pong, and only a few hours of sleep....It's not as easy as it used to be.B.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00598057523770603981noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375337914020751846.post-67276630862551007642010-04-29T10:14:00.001-07:002012-07-02T16:52:02.499-07:00100 Days and CountingSome things have really gone by the wayside here lately. I haven't done a riding post for awhile, I haven't ranted about the restaurant, crap, what have I been doing?<br />
Well, a lot of wedding planning is what I've been doing. We don't have Internet at the house right now, so I have to do everything at the coffee shop when I have time.<br />
The planning is going really well. Most everything is in place and I'm just really happy. I've been talking to a lot of other people who are also planning their weddings, and they all keep talking about how stressful it is. I'm not stressed. Maybe it's because this time around I'm doing things that way I want them to be done.<br />
Of course I want everyone who is at my wedding to have a good time, but in the end it's about what Dave and I want and that's the way it's going to be. And if anything goes wrong....who cares? In 100 days I will be marrying the man of my dreams, who also thankfully is the man of my reality.<br />
Dave keeps asking, "What are you going to have to look forward to after the wedding?"<br />
My response, "The rest of my life with you my love!"B.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00598057523770603981noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375337914020751846.post-10843461725214397492010-04-22T10:12:00.000-07:002010-04-22T10:22:22.021-07:00To The Jack Ass Who Hit My CarI found out that you hit my car when my man went to pick my son up from school. I really wish you would have left a note, I would have liked to thank you in person for the cute red pinstripe that I now have...oh yeah and the nice dent in the door.<br />I'm sure considering where my car was parked that it would have been really difficult for you to figure out where I was working and come in to give me a heads up. But hey, who doesn't love a surprise right.<br />And I'm sure that you must not have had a pen or paper handy to leave a note on my windshield, but maybe you should consider carrying one from now on so the next time you hit a car you will be prepared.<br />Or maybe you just didn't know what to say, in that case here are some examples you could use next time:<br /><br />"Sorry I hit your car, I'm a drunk and after I hit it I couldn't stumble out of the car to do anything"<br /><br />"I was on my way to take my wife to the hospital to deliver triplets, I was afraid I didn't have enough time to make it. I intended on coming back after the delivery, but hey, I have triplets now, I'm really busy."<br /><br />"I'm illegal, I have no license or insurance, in fact the car I'm driving is stolen, I hope you understand."<br /><br />"I'm an inconsiderate asshole who doesn't know how to drive, or read or write. Besides, why would I care about the fact that I hit someones car who I don't even know. My car is a piece of shit anyway, you can't tell one dent from the other. Deal with it!"B.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00598057523770603981noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375337914020751846.post-36902452112284267322010-04-01T17:10:00.000-07:002012-07-02T16:52:38.651-07:00Recharging the BatteryI have been extremely busy lately. Wedding planning, working, taking care of my child, taking care of my man. When I had time to ride, it was pouring down rain. When the weather was good...no time. So no surprise when I went to start my bike the other day to ride to work and the battery was dead.<br />
I was really looking forward to that little ride to work, it would've only been a five minute ride, but hey, five minutes is more than no minutes, right?<br />
So Dave got home that night and promptly hooked my baby up to the charger. She was getting a good charge, so thankfully I would be able to ride on Saturday. I had a day with time, and beautiful weather.<br />
After putting 140 miles on my girl Saturday her battery is good and charged, and you know what? So is mine. <br />
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P.S. 128 days and counting.....B.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00598057523770603981noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375337914020751846.post-1153665741529407772010-03-14T12:03:00.000-07:002010-03-14T12:09:29.110-07:00Restaurant Rant of the WeekI love kids, I love it when people bring their kids into my restaurant to eat. What I don't love is when people let their kids run around like it's their own personal playground.<br />Please, please, please, don't let your kids run around in restaurants. First of all, it is really rude to other people who are out trying to have a good time, and don't necessarily think it's cute when 'little Susie' is running into their chair and making them spill their drink in their lap.<br />But mostly, it's dangerous. Your children could be seriously hurt by spilt soup, hot food, or just being run over by a server on their way to a table. I would really hate to see your child with a scalded face because you couldn't keep them at the table.<br />If you want to go somewhere where you can eat and the kids can run....go on a picnic at a local park, or to a McDonald's that has a play yard.B.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00598057523770603981noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375337914020751846.post-69268108265342374912010-03-12T09:36:00.001-08:002010-03-12T09:36:16.809-08:00Do Something Big - with Shaq<img style="visibility:hidden;width:0px;height:0px;" border=0 width=0 height=0 src="http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bHQ9MTI2ODQxNTMzNjcwNyZwdD*xMjY4NDE1MzY5NjIzJnA9MTIwNzQxJmQ9TFFBNlFqMjJLS3AydDNfMyZuPWJsb2dnZXImZz*y/Jm89YTg1MmVlOTA3OGFjNDI2YTgzMTAxMTdjYjk5MDNjYTAmb2Y9MA==.gif" /><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" id="playerLoader" width="160" height="250" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/get/flashplayer/current/swflash.cab"><param name="movie" value="http://farm.sproutbuilder.com/load/LQA6Qj22KKp2t3_3.swf" /><param name="quality" value="best" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><embed src="http://farm.sproutbuilder.com/load/LQA6Qj22KKp2t3_3.swf" width="160" height="250" name="playerLoader" align="middle" wmode="transparent" play="true" loop="false" quality="best" allowScriptAccess="always" allowFullScreen="true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed></object>B.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00598057523770603981noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375337914020751846.post-71242013351582504132010-03-11T10:16:00.000-08:002012-07-02T16:53:12.492-07:00Okay, Seriously...What Next?Sunday night we picked the kid up from his dad. He gets out of his dad's truck with a huge grin on his face and holding an empty sprite case...well, almost empty.<br />
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"Mom, I caught a new pet!"</div>
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For those of you who don't know, we already have a snake named Rex, and two mice, named Pardon and Ralph 2.0.</div>
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I look into the box, and there he is, or she, who knows. A huge toad! My first thought was how cool his/her eyes are. My second thought....he wants to keep this thing. </div>
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He then tells me that he caught him/her all by himself, he's beaming with pride. I asked him why he didn't keep him at his dad's house since that's where he caught him. </div>
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"Well, (step mom) said there is NO WAY this THING is going in her house. And dad said since we practically have a zoo already that you'd probably let me keep him." </div>
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Hmmm, thanks (ex)! </div>
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So, long story short, we have a new pet...Meet Koopa, our Western Toad. I figured since I was taking pics of him/her, I would share pics of all of our 'zoo' animals. :)</div>
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<br />B.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00598057523770603981noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375337914020751846.post-31380463305991868062010-02-23T09:46:00.000-08:002010-02-23T10:06:22.503-08:00B.B. Has a New MeaningOver the years my nickname, B.B. has stood for many things. But it stands for something else now.<br />B.B. stands for Bride to Be.<br />Yep, that's right folks, Dave and I are going to tie the noose, err....I mean knot. The Saturday after Thanksgiving Dave asked me to marry him , and I've been dying to share the news with all of you, but there were some people who needed to be told first and we wanted to make sure that they were told in person and didn't read about it on the Internet.<br />We are very excited! Most of you know that I have been waiting for this, and I always knew it was coming, but I can be very impatient at times. Even though I have felt tortured at times waiting, I'm happy that Dave waited until the time was right to ask me.<br />The details of the proposal will remain private and intimate, but I can tell you that it was perfect.<br />We will be getting married August 7th and are planning a possible honeymoon trip to Sturgis. I will keep you all posted on the plans, 165 days and counting!B.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00598057523770603981noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375337914020751846.post-40727107279310158922010-02-20T11:17:00.000-08:002010-02-20T11:26:42.791-08:00Restuarant Rant of The WeekI approach a table, ask if they are ready to order or if they need more time. One, or sometimes all of the people at the table say. "We're ready to order."<br />Okay, ten seconds, okay, twenty seconds, "Okay, well let me give you all a little more time to make your decisions."<br />"No, we're ready now."<br />Okay, ten seconds, okay, twenty seconds, okay, now I'm starting to stare off into space or looking around at my other tables who might be waiting for me to get them something while you're monopolizing my time while you read the menu.<br />If you aren't ready, say you aren't ready. I will come back. Not only is it completely uncomfortable for me to stand over you at your table in silence, but it is also rude to all the other guests in the restaurant who are also paying for my time and attention.B.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00598057523770603981noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375337914020751846.post-56039828739040052192010-02-17T09:14:00.000-08:002010-02-17T09:28:56.160-08:00Does Riding Your Own Make You a Better PassengerWhen I first started riding on the back of Dave's bike he always told me what a good passenger I was. He said he usually forgot I was on the back, which sometimes was apparent by the way he rode. So when I first started learning to ride my own I wondered about how that would affect me as a passenger. At first I thought it was making me a better passenger. I started understanding more why he did some of the things he did. I started to anticipate certain situations, and it especially helped when riding in a group because I became aware of possible hazards that I could point out to riders behind us.<br />Now I've been riding my own for about a year and a half, and have only ridden on back with Dave a handful of times. Saturday we went out for a short and sweet ride with a couple who we have recently become friends with, thanks to the friendship of our two boys. I wasn't feeling very good, but I still wanted to go out, so I decided I would ride with Dave. I started realizing that maybe riding my own didn't make me such a good passenger. Once you are able to be in control of something, it's kind of hard to give that up. I found myself trying to help Dave control the bike, which I'm sure made things difficult for him. I kept telling myself to relax and go with it, just like I had done for so long all those times I had ridden with him, but it was really hard.<br />I don't know if anyone else has this problem, or if it's just another area in my life where I'm over thinking things. But in my conclusion, in my case, I feel like riding my own has made me a worse passenger. With that being said, I guess it's just something I'll have to deal with on those rare occasions when I ride on the back, and remember that being in control is one of the things I love about riding my own. If I have to choose between being a good passenger and a good operator, I think the obvious choice is being a good operator.B.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00598057523770603981noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6375337914020751846.post-5134738910079293092010-02-14T10:29:00.000-08:002010-02-14T10:33:42.296-08:00Restaurant Rant of the WeekOkay, I'm busy as hell so this will be short and sweet......Seems like common sense to me, but I hear it a lot so I guess maybe it isn't.<br />"I got here before them, why did they get their food first?"<br />Duh.....things don't always take the same amount of time to cook. If you ordered a 1/2 lb. burger well done, and the other table ordered a salad, what do you think takes longer to prepare?<br />Told ya...short and sweet.<br /><br />Hope you all have a great V-Day....hope even more that this isn't the only day of the year that you do nice things for the people you love!B.B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00598057523770603981noreply@blogger.com6