This weekend we took one of our summerly trips down to RP and my friend 'J.D.' and I decided to take a short walk to Phase III of Las Palomas. Rumor had it that they had built a new pool area and the building next door had been completed since the last time we'd been down. The walk was to be brief enough that 'J.D.' did not put sun screen on... She would realize that this was a mistake.
We made it maybe a quarter of a mile, which in the heat felt like three, when this cute kid, swim goggles in hand, approached us from the opposite direction. He appeared to be 4th or 5th grade, but what do I know since I don't have kids. Anyway, we said hi to him and asked if he was okay. He said, "Yeah, I'm fine", and started to walk away when his face got suddenly long, "I can't find my family". Apparently, he had been swimming and drifted down the beach. When he got out of the water he did not recognize anything.
He didn't know where he was staying but 'J.D.' noticed that he had a bracelet on with the name of his hotel.
We were on a mission... we proceeded to walk him back in the opposite direction knowing that all of the other condos were at the far end of the development. On our trek he talked to us about where he was from, his two sisters, cousins, his mom (who apparently had some sort of eye problem and was unable to drive), his dad's job, his XBox...
When we finally made it near to where he was staying a frantic woman came running down the beach towards the three of us, with several security/police officers close behind. When she finally let the boy go, caught her breath and was able to talk she told us that she was his aunt. His mom soon followed. If the sun had not sucked all the fluid from my body, I probably would have been bawling. She was so relieved to see him and couldn't stop hugging and crying on him.
With "T" safe with his family, 'J.D.' and I had to find another way back because walking was NOT an option at that point. Then a nice Mexican man, we'll call him Banana Boat Guy, offered to give us a ride back in the boat... the banana boat. We handed our mucho expensive digital cameras to BB Guy, donned our floaty gear and hopped up onto the giant floating banana. This is when my bikini bottom and I decided to part ways and I ended up bare-ass to face with BB Guy. Nice. Gracefully, I flopped up and over the banana seat and into the middle area of the boat. I can honestly say I have not laughed so hard, in so long, as we did on the way back in the middle of that boat, bouncing along trying desperately to keep our cameras safe.
Lastly, we made a plan to get back to shore while keeping our cameras dry. I jumped off of the boat, directly onto the rocky reef below (ouch!), grabbed the cameras and rode the waves into the beach. Picture it, I am crouched like a crab, my life jacket like floaty-shell, crawling along the rocks, riding the waves. My left arm is full of flip-flops & sarongs, my right arm far above my head with the cameras. All I can hear from behind me is 'J.D.' yelling, "BIG WAVE COMING!"
If only I was a people watcher on shore....
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Adventures in Rocky Point
Friday, June 22, 2007
SPF: Fresh
Stuff Portrait Friday: Assignment for June 21, 2007
Air Freshener
How do you keep your house smelling good? Is it open windows? Is it Febreeze? A fan? Removing all children from your house thus removing teenage FUNK stank?
This week Kristine over at Random and Odd was a cleaning fool. This week I am not. This is how I keep my pad smelling oh so fresh, so fresh, exciting... and so inviting to me. (Have it stuck in your mind now? heh heh... gotta love Kool and Gang).
Candle from Tres Amigos- scent unknown
Incense from Pier One- scent is Zanzibar clove & Cedar and Balsam
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Weekly News: Vanilla Soy
For this week's new experience I am making a change.
Several people I know have told me that their triglyceride and cholesterol levels are high. A doctor of one of these people actually detected a plaque in her carotid artery. Just last week I had my levels drawn and am still waiting for the results. I really want both of us to work on bringing our levels to normal (or below), as I have a significant family history of heart disease, heart attacks and strokes. I have taken care of people who have had strokes and all I can say is that I DO NOT want to end up living my life the way some are destined to after that sort of event. My friend has been doing well with the changes she's made and I hope she keeps it up. She is very important to me and words can not describe what I would feel if something happened to her.
In the spirit of getting healthier (and thinner), I decided to make some changes in the way I exercise and eat. A small change, but hopefully a beneficial one, I have taken the advice of a fellow healthy person. He suggested replacing milk (the HORROR!) with Soy milk. Today, I did.
It's yellow. It's sweet. It tastes nothing like milk.
I love milk.
I'm going to miss it... after this gallon is gone : ).
*6/21/07 2148 Addendum: Great. I just now checked voice mail from the last two days. Dr's office called to report my labs are back. They want me to call them and schedule a follow up appointment regarding my lipids. I should have known... but I thought I was doing so well!
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Bloody Hell!
As you may know, I work the night shift. I have two front doors, both which have door bells. I tend to park close to the main one in the drive so that the back laundry door is the most accessible to those who come-a-knockin'. This is the doorbell that I can not hear while I am trying to sleep during the day. This week I worked six twelves in a row so that I may have this weekend off to go to Mexico (so excited I can hardly stand it). Three is normal, four is an occasional extra shift (and bearable) but six drives me into the ground. I have averaged 3 1/2 hours of sleep per day the last five days. Needless to say, I am beyond exhausted. I was really looking forward to a long, uninterrupted sleep today. Nyquil on-board, I don't even remember hitting the pillow.
Fifteen minutes ago, the bell I try to cover up was rung, and rung, and then rung again. I managed to slink out of my bed, stumble down the hall and peep through the hole to find the solicitor, a mere stick figure, making his way back down my driveway. He did leave a calling card... see above photo.
I am more than frustrated and now unable to sleep again, hence this irritable post while visions of homicide dance in my wee little head.
God Bless and Holy Mother of Pearl (that was for you 'K').
... right back atcha, JW.
Friday, June 15, 2007
SPF: Back to Basics
I didn't really want to take a picture of my literal back so I decided to go Back to Basics. How much more basic can you get than peanut butter and jelly? Suddenly, I'm reminiscing about kindergarten, long summers, my Grammas and home. I can think of quite a few comfort foods but nothing stands the test of time like a good ol' PB&J. The only difference now-a-days... whole grain wheat bread and crusts left on. Still delicious!
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Weekly News: BINGO!
The last time I played Bingo I was in either elementary school or Junior High. Gramma Mary went every weekend to play with her senior friends from Saint Anthony's and would bring Christine and I along, on occasion. The two of us would spend the night at her house on Friday night, eat ice cream that she bought with change she made from recycling aluminum cans and sit on her couches watching 'Murder She Wrote' and 'Columbo' before bed. We shared the full sized bed in her second bedroom and stayed up giggling and talking. Sometimes she would come in and tell us to be quiet and go to sleep.
We played with Gramma's Bingo group during our summer vacation in a small two-room building on the side of the church which was hot and had a swamp cooler that seemed to work only half the time. The games were played for pennies and Christine and I used a collapsable plastic cup to hold our pennies in. Most of the regulars would have a jar of pennies and about 20 cards in front of them. C and I would have one or two, which is probably as much as we could handle. I also remember that they used to have clever ways of calling out certain numbers. Such as "B - ELIVIN... one, one", or "B - four... be-fore I grew up and I was a child...", and then everyone would laugh.
Last night, my friend 'K' and I went to the Ft. McDowell Casino to play Bingo. It was my first time going to play and I have to say that it was a totally different experience than Gramma's Bingo. There are hundreds of people who play, everything is electronic and a winning bingo can look like a "Crazy Tree", "Picture Frame" or giraffe. Although winning $1.26 at Gramma's Bingo was very rewarding, I could handle winning $100,000 for a $3 game. Yes... I could stand that.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Moving On
I have had discussions with several people this week about friendship. We talked about how important it is to have people around us who will enrich our lives and make us better people. At the same time, we are there for those who need us and to do the same for them. We laugh. We joke and play. We cry. We support one another and create memories and a foundation that give us stability for those times when we need strength.
A sad part of having friends is that, inevitably, some of those friendships end. For better or for worse, it hurts when you come to the realization that the connection you have clung onto is no longer there or that circumstances have changed so drastically that it is impossible or undesirable to maintain the relationship.
Sadly, this week I did make the decision to not attempt to renew a friendship that had been on the rocks more than it's share of times. It has to be said that I was feeling kind of like a failure in friendship because I was told that "I am oil and everybody else like water". All I could think about was how I've failed as a friend, the people I've lost contact with in my life and why couldn't it ever work out with this particular person? I have been tempted at times to email her or call her up but, in all honesty, I have no desire to resume a relationship with her. My trouble is, and always has been, my guilt complex.
As I was talking on the phone with my mom about my decision, I flipped through a pile of mail on my coffee table and came across a piece of real mail. A pretty green envelope with a handwritten address and return on it! A welcome surprise, for sure, among the numerous bills and junk I normally am accustomed to. I opened the card and read it. I started to cry right there on the phone with my mom. Her timing could not have been more perfect.
The card read: "Friendship is one of life's most precious gifts. How thankful I am to call you a friend."
My friend wrote: "Kathy, Just a quick note to say 'Hello!' I just want you to know that you are a wonderful person to be friends with, and that I appreciate you! : )"
It was pure perfect timing that she sent the card as she was not aware of what I was going through. A simple gesture and her words took away all of the doubt and self-blame that I had been made to feel. A little affirmation was what I needed to realize that I am a good friend to those who are receptive, giving of themselves and respectful to our friendship. I now also see that not all relationships are meant to be and that I am not fully to blame for the wreckage of this particular one or incidental related ones.
Although, it still makes me a little sad to think that this is the final chapter and that I am the one to close the book, I am content with the ending, knowing that each of us will have moved on and be happier for it. I wish her the best and will always love her.
p.s. thank you C.A.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
SPF: My Bounce
Self Portrait Friday assignment for June 8, 2007
Kristine over at Random and Odd had a rough week last Friday. This week she has her 'bounce' back and thus inspired this weeks assignment:
Show me your bounce. (this could get interesting!)
SPF is usually light and fun but this weeks topic of "Bounce" for me involves a time of letdown, anxiety and self-dislike but eventually resolve.
I received another email from someone who I have considered a friend for most of my life. Everybody has their problems and issues but we two have never quite been able to communicate effectively when a conflict arises.
Being the sensitive and emotional Cancerian that I am, I tend to take things to heart, am very emotional and super sensitive. I recognize this in myself and try to react and respond to situations in an objective manner and to use kind words in order to spare others any pain. Another thing about me is that I HATE conflict of any kind. This is probably the reason that I avoided the debate team in High School, keep my opinions to myself and change the channel immediately if Jerry Springer or Judge Judy come on.
I am also prone to anxiety attacks when confronted with certain kinds of stress. In this case, insulting, insensitive and hurtful comments. This is not the first time my friend, a Gemini, has been hostile and cold to me. I am tired of feeling hurt and sad over the way things have gone. Even more so, I am sick of being made to feel bad about myself because of the things she says and the way she has treated me in the past, and now.
Friendship should not be exhausting. Friendship should not be such hard work.
I have decided that I can't go on like this anymore. Although, it is a tough decision and it makes me a little sad to have to do it, I also feel a sense of freedom and relief when I think about not having to hold my breath for another angry response or endure another stinging and spiteful remark.
I am going to concentrate on the important people I have around me now... to be a good friend to them while I get respect, love and encouragement in return.
I have bounced her email back to her (a feature I have only recently discovered on my Macintosh. It's genius.)
She will not know that she hurt me for the last time.
Saturday, June 2, 2007
7 More Things
Jenni started this off by 'tagging' me with seven random facts about me. Here are 7 more things that just came to my mind.
I am at work at 4:10 am. All my tasks are done. Everyone is sleeping (thank you, Ambien). Here are 7 things I do to occupy my time:
1. Write in my blog.
2. Play Text Twist.
3. Read my book or various catalogs/magazines.
4. Surf the net and answer email.
5. Eat.
6. Walk the stairs (12 floors!)
7. Plant my face in the desk
