It's been a while...

I haven't been very good about sitting down and writing stuff out lately.  I'm really not sure why that is, but I guess it just falls under one of those things that is low on my priority list, until I remember it (which is usually when folks start harassing me about it.  HEHE!!)

So catching up...I am still working all the dang time but my weekends are getting a bit freed up, since we got the cabin finished up and hunting season started.  Woo Hoo!!  We had a girl's weekend with our GNO (Girl's Night Out) group a couple of weekends ago, and we had a blast, as usual!!  Friday evening we went to dinner at the Golden Wok, which was really good, then we just went back to Pam's to chill, catch up and be silly the rest of the night.  In case there are any guys reading this, you can just imagine that it was all naked pillow fights, cuz that's what girls do when they have sleepovers, right?  ;-)

Saturday we got up, Pam and I made breakfast for everybody and then we headed out for a little retail therapy.  We caught the grand opening of Sam Moon Trading Company, which was both awesome and overwhelming at the same time!!  That place is friggin' HUGE and packed full of STUFF!!  I had never heard of it before, but Revonda had been to the one in Houston and of course, she KNEW that the one in Austin was having their grand opening that day!!  That girl is in the know about her shopping!!  Haha!!  We also went to Kohl's, which is always great and dangerous at the same time...too many clearance racks to peruse!!   We went to a few other places, then back to Pam's for a late lunch (our leftovers from Golden Wok).  They all remarked on my tolerance of the shopping that day...it's not usually my thing, but I guess I was just in the right frame of mind for it that day!!  LOL

We hung out for a bit at the house and relaxed, and then it was time to get ready to go out for the evening.  Blue Finger Disco was playing at Sherlock's!!  Pam and I had seen them before and enjoyed the show, so we wanted everybody else to see them...and they weren't disappointed!!  It was another great show, and a great time hanging out!!  I even got the lead singer to come take a picture with Claudine (she kinda has a crush on him now...heehee)!!  He was a good sport and is quite the ham, so that was fun!!  It was a great night, even though we kept Diana out WAY past her bedtime and I kept thinking she was gonna fall asleep at the table!!

Sunday Pam, Revonda and I slept in...when I got up, Diana was already gone and Claudine had been up for a while.  The rest of us hung out for a bit and visited, then one by one left to head home.  It was a great bonding weekend for the chicas again, and I am always sad to leave and eager for the next outing!!  I just love those darn girls!!  Perhaps our next outing will be another combined GNOs/Gulls meet-up again...heh?

Until next time....
Ang

The peanut butter sandwich story...

I was reminded of this story today when my friend Sue talked about getting licks in kindergarten for getting in a fight.  So, while pondering how RIDICULOUS it was for someone to fight in kindergarten, I remembered a story from my kindergarten career that is at least as ridiculous.  And here is the story, from my memory anyway...

See....what had happened was....LOL

One of my major partners-in-crime in kindergarten was Darren.  We rode the bus together and were just all around good buddies.  If I remember correctly, nap and recess were serious activities then.  Darren and I were NOT fans of the nap, and would get excused to the hallway because we would be talking and giggling and keeping the other kids from their nap.  I think these days we would both be heavily medicated for ADHD or some other such diagnosis...LOL

In the old kindergarten building, there was a common area with a round table in the center.  Now, on this round table was where our post-nap and pre-recess snacks could be found.  On the day in question, our snacks were peanut butter sandwiches.  Well, actually half sandwiches.  My fuzziness comes in whose idea it was (it could have easily been either one of us), but anyway we decided it was a good idea to take a bite out of every single peanut butter sandwich on this humongous platter.  We were both hungry, what can I say??  Hahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now granted, the sandwiches were there for all three classrooms, so there were a LOT of them.  Well, we were almost to the bottom of the platter when we got BUSTED!!!  CRAP!!!  I can't remember if it was Mrs. Benson or Mr. Pahachek (spelling??) that caught us.  I remember we were giggling like crazy and grabbing each sandwich and taking quick bites and then all of a sudden the bottom dropped out of my stomach and I was scared SHITless!!  Can you imagine???

Needless to say, we were in a LOT of trouble.  We didn't get licks, but we did get banned from recess for a while.  I can't remember how long it was, truthfully.  But the ultimate punishment was that since we liked peanut butter sandwiches so much, we should eat every single one that we had taken a bite out of...that's a LOT of bread and peanut butter!!  LOL  We also weren't allowed milk to wash it down, but had to go one at a time to the water fountain to get a drink every once in a while.

So anyway, it was not so funny anymore, right?  Nah, not really....as soon as they left us alone to eat, Darren started his maniacal giggle and I couldn't help but join him.  ;-) 

The giggles were no longer there when I got home from school that day....I get a twitch on my ass just thinking about the spanking I got for THAT one. 

Mi Vida Loca

My crazy life....yeah, I haven't been here in a couple of months.  I would like to attribute it all to the craziness in my life, but let's face it...the only part of the craziness that isn't "normal" for me was the move.  I did finally get moved, albeit to temporary quarters in the improved basement of some very generous friends.  I call it The Dungeon.  heehee  It will work out just perfectly for me for a few months so I can save up some money and decide what and where is next.

So, I work my regular Monday through Friday, 8-5 gig...two or three nights a week I work extra duty jobs for extra cash to make ends meet and almost every weekend that I am not on call for work I am at my parents' place, aka "The Ranch", working my butt off.  So I do stay fairly busy...one might say Crazy Busy.  ;-)

But honestly, I have time at the extra jobs to sit and peruse Facebook or read a few chapters of a book or pay bills or whatever I choose to do to occupy the extra time.  It's easy to sit and blog a bit....I'm doing it right now, as a matter of fact.  I just have not felt inspired or motivated to write about anything in a while.  Truthfully, I am not feeling very inspired tonight either...I am just tired of getting nagged about not writing one in a while.  I have some bitchy little nagging ass friends that just will NOT leave me alone about it!!  You KNOW who you are....hahahahaha!!!

That is it for tonight.  No frills, no information, nothing beyond my silly ass rambling.  I know, it is pretty freakin' lame, but what can I say?!?  Any deep thought I had today (if there was one at all) left my mind several hours ago. 

Peace!!
Ang

Life...

...has kinda been sucking for me lately. Whatever...that's the way it goes, right? But I have caught myself several times over the last week or so in "poor me" mode. Now, I know if I caught myself at it, then others have noticed it, too. That pisses me off!! Nothing is more annoying to me than someone who is constantly feeling sorry for themselves and refusing to see anything positive to turn their focus on...and that's not me!! So it REALLY pisses me off when I catch myself in that frame of mind!!

Now, I am ALL about the self-deprecating humor...I love it!! It is nearly always funny, and is a great way to lighten the mood when that is called for. No one can make fun of themselves much better than I can. I mean, the material is endless!! heeheehee

It is still surprising and amazing to me what a huge difference my group of friends make in bringing me through the dark times.  A text, a phone call, a voice mail, an e-mail...man, they can turn my day around in a heartbeat!!  It's a powerful feeling knowing that even when I don't FEEL loved, I AM loved.  Even when I feel lonely, I know that I am not alone.  I have a fabulous and supportive family as well, but my friends "complete" me, to quote a corny movie line.

What brought all this mushiness forth from me?  A phone call from my BFF.  It seems that she always knows when to call or text or somehow get in touch.  I am not the best about "reaching out" when I need it.  (Y'all can stop laughing now at THAT understatement of the year.  LOL)  I miss her terribly, and don't get to see her very often since she lives in Arizona.  But when we have our "catch up" sessions, it is like no time has passed.  I can "see" her facial expressions and hear her state of mind in her voice...yes Trace, I know when you are rolling your eyes at me, dammit!!

Anyway, earlier this week when she called and we were catching up, I was struck by how much her friendship means to me.  We can talk about anything, and I mean ANYthing...lol  There is incredible comfort in her unconditional love and support, the lack of judgement and the camaraderie I feel with her.  I LOVE YOU MORE TRACY(even though you are WAY older than me...hahahahaha)!!!!!

My BFF Tracy and I when I surprised her in AZ for her 40th

Now mind you, Tracy is my BFF and I wanted to acknowledge that with this post, but I have a lot more really close friends that make a huge difference in my life and in my outlook on life.  You all know who you are, and just know that I love and appreciate each and every one of you for who you are!!    I do NOT know what I would do without you ALL!!!

Peace!!
Ang

PS--I am adding a video to this post to see if I can make it work.  It is in honor of Tracy, because the song will always, always remind me of her!!  It's hard rock and quite vulgar, so don't listen if you don't want to.  When I hear the song I laugh out loud nearly every time, but always have a huge smile on my face!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6Uin-1bSTk

Hahahaha.....

So I am entering ANOTHER post to explain the previous post. I now have another resident expert (Auntie Pat) who explained how to fix the initial post. Now you can disregard my last post, since I was able to change the date on the "Been Thinkin'" post to the actual date I posted it, and it now shows up in the proper order.

By the way...she swears I am not a dumbass, but I am not inclined to agree at this point!! heeheehee

Thanks Auntie Pat, I think you will be my resident expert from now on (kickin' Sue to the curb(but I still love ya)...haha)!!!

***This will get really interesting when my family and the folks that really know me start wondering when I got an Auntie Pat!!

I'm a blogger dumbass...lol

This is just a note to show off my ignorance with the business of blogging. I posted a blog a couple of days ago that I had been working on off and on for a while. While still working on that one, I had posted an update on the truck. So when I finished the most current entry, I published it thinking that it would show up on top of the truck blog and all would appear normal. Yeah, not so much...LOL

I will admit to a few curse words when I did not see the blog and thought I had deleted the work instead of publishing it. After re-loading the page numerous times, I finally scrolled down the page...lo and behold, there was the entry. It had been placed there by the date I started writing on it. UGH!!

Okay, so there must be some little setting that needs to be changed to fix it, right? I look around on all the editing pages...nothing. I even ask my resident expert, my friend Sue...she doesn't know but she'll look. All the while, I am still poking around the site trying to figure it out. Sue and I are still chatting when I find it, inadvertently. I had seen a box that asked if I was using the old editor or the updated editor. There's an updated editor?

My curiosity made me want to see what I was missing by using the old editor (which is apparently what you get by default when you start a blog). I clicked to see the features of the updated editor and am reading and thinking to myself that the update doesn't seem all that different from the old one. And then there it was, near the bottom of the page...the updated editor now lists your posts by published date. Sweet!! So I am now using the updated editor!! Woo hoo!!

Now I told that long, tedious story to get to a point...there is a post that is dated April 22nd and titled "Been thinkin'" and it is BELOW the truck update. You'll have to scroll down to see it, because apparently changing to the updated editor does not auto-correct the layout. **insert a rolling of the eyes here**

So, now that you all know what a dumbass I am (cuz I KNOW you never thought that before now...heehee), you can return to your day and feel better knowing you are not alone...LOL!!!!

Have a great weekend!!
Ang

Been thinkin'...

I titled my blog "A Wandering Texas Girl wonders..." because I have wandered around a lot on my bike for the last 7 or 8 years, trying to see as much countryside as I can. But I have been slacking off the last couple of years, and I have been trying to figure out why that is.

Okay, so there's really not a lot to figure out, truthfully. I have several things that have worked against me in the "motorcycle travels" department. First and foremost, after my brother was murdered I lost a lot of the passion that I had for riding. Whether that was due to feeling my mortality more, not wanting to risk my parents going through the loss of another child or just that I plain did not care about a lot of the things I cared about before...I don't really care to dissect it that much (scary). I just don't have the same passion for it today that I had a couple of years ago.

Another large part of it is simply financial. I just do not have the same amount of disposable income that I had prior to changing jobs. I work extra, so I have less vacation time to burn as a result, as well...

So here's my plan...I am going to try and get in one decent length ride this summer or fall and see if I can renew my passion for it. I believe it will, just because experience has shown me how peaceful a long ride is. I need to find some peace, that's for damn sure!! LOL

There really is no feeling like it. I cannot explain how free and peaceful I feel when I'm out riding... I remember that, and want to get it back, but I just haven't been "feelin' it". We will see what comes of that.

I know there will be a LOT of short trips and commuting this summer, due to the truck situation. The bike and my county car will be my only means of transpo for a few months. The added miles on short runs may help me get my riding legs back and help me get back to what it was before. I have made so many new and life-long friends as a result of riding, I will forever be grateful and I certainly hate to think of losing out on making even more.

Time will tell how this all works itself out....the suspense is killing me!! LOL

Update on the truck situation...

Yep...more bad news in the world of Ang!! After the leaking radiator and water pump were replaced, it was time to trade vehicles back with Mom and Dad. (I had borrowed Mom's Suburban when mine broke down, just to have a way to get home and get around. Thank goodness I was blessed with such awesome parents!!)

So we were going to meet up halfway between us to have dinner and trade out vehicles...and as I was getting ready to leave my house to head that way, I got a call from Dad. Yep, the truck over-heated on the way to meet me and they were headed back home. No need to try and come meet them, they would take it back to the mechanic and figure out what was wrong...

The next call I got was the bad news...the block was cracked and will have to be replaced. Which means a whole new engine!! Are you freakin' kidding me??!! What have I done in the realm of Karma that has brought this huge thunderstorm down upon me??? Ugh!! So now, not only is there NOT a light at the end of the tunnel with my finances, but that tunnel has become more like a deep, cavernous pit of doom!! I know, a bit dramatic for me, huh? :-P But I do feel completely overwhelmed by it...

I'm stuck with the truck because I am still making payments(bought it used in '07 after a deer killed my perfectly good former truck that was completely paid for). If I scrap it and go get something else, I still have to finish making the payments on this one...counterproductive. So, I am going to be on my bike through the summer and hope I can make enough with the extra jobs over the next few months to get the damn thing fixed by fall/winter.

In the meantime, I will be buying a lottery ticket here and there and hoping for the best!! Y'all keep your fingers crossed that I hit it!! One can only imagine what kind of party there would be if THAT ever happens...LOL

Can someone tell me why....

Why, at every point where I SEEM to be getting control of my finances and reaching an even keel, SOMEthing happens? I know that everyone says this, but it really is frustrating for me!! As most of you know, I work a couple of "extra jobs" and I have been putting in lots and lots of hours at both of them lately, in an attempt to regain control.

One of the extra jobs is pretty steady and has served as an equalizer, basically filling the gap in my salary when I changed jobs. If not for working this first extra job, I would not have been able to stay at my present employer for the time frame that I have. The pitiful salary that comes with my job simply does not pay the bills. I knew this going in, and CHOSE to work at a place where I actually enjoy going to work as opposed to a job where I was miserable but made a decent living. I would make that same choice again tomorrow...

But that being said, the bills still have to get paid, so I do what I have to do. No big. Not looking for sympathy. I am a grown ass woman who made a conscious decision....

All the extra work had begun to pay off and I was just about to get caught up enough to start making a serious dent in my debt. Seeing a light at the end of that tunnel is HUGE in order to keep pushing forward and struggling with the added hours, lack of sleep and just general fatigue that comes with all that extra work time. AND THEN my truck breaks down...and it is going to cost between $600 and $800 to fix it! OUCHIE!!!

On the surface, I thought "No sweat, I have a extra job paycheck coming that should cover it". Which is true...it would...had I not made a double payment on another bill THE DAY BEFORE the truck broke down. LOL So here I am, wondering how I have induced this Karma upon myself...and wondering how to shake that off and find the good kind of Karma for a change!!

I know I will get it taken care of, because that's what we do. I guess I just wish that it wasn't so damn hard all the time!!

Okay....vent session complete. Onward and upward!!

Laterz,
Ang

So what DOES a wandering Texas girl wonder...

Well, I honestly wonder about a LOT of things, usually quite randomly, but mostly I wonder about PEOPLE. I wonder about the awful things that people DO to one another. I wonder about the awful things people SAY to one another. I wonder about the really amazing things that people do for one another. I have been witness to a whole lot of all of these...but mostly the really awful stuff.

Okay, so I grew up in the country, and I am very proud of that fact. I was raised to be a basically kind person...I was taught right from wrong and I was taught basic manners. When and where I grew up, this was the rule. It has now become the exception, and this pisses me OFF!! What I consider to be "common courtesy" is simply not common practice anymore.

You see, I work in public service and I have done so for about the last 15 years. In general, I see the very worst of people. But there have been a few exceptions to that...and these infrequent exceptions are what allows me to keep at least a wee bit of faith in humanity. It's out there, it's just not very visible, and it does not happen very often.

So this all comes to my question....How do we overcome this and revert back to a way of thinking and acting that is not completely divisive to our fellow man? I have no idea how this happens society-wide, but the best way to accomplish something as huge as this is to start with the smallest of steps. I can endeavour to stick to my own guns, and to not lose heart and give up on others. It is a basic lead by example issue. I feel like if enough people PRACTICE common courtesy, it will rub off on others a little bit at a time. For those with children, or in a position to influence children, you should be even more vigilant about this than the average Joe.

So, as cheesy as it sounds...practice those random acts of kindness and common courtesy daily. It may just rub off on enough people around us to make a difference, even if that difference is only for yourself and that one other person.

So that's what I was wondering about today...such deep thoughts it hurts my feeble brain. LOL

Good night and God bless!!
Ang

A Maiden Voyage into the world of Blogging...

This is my maiden voyage in the blogging department. I have always been told that I have a certain talent for the written and spoken word, and several friends have suggested that blogging would be a good avenue for me. So I finally decided I would try it out, and then a while after that I finally "got off my ass" and started putting words to paper.

So I guess I should tell you a little bit about myself, but honestly I think I will let my stories/limericks/bullshit tell the story for me. I will warn any reader coming in that I have what my mother calls "colorful" language. If you are easily offended by foul language or by a large amount of sick and twisted humor, TURN BACK NOW!! This may NOT be the blog for you!! To you, I will just apologize and say that I am who I am, and you should make the conscious choice to ignore my blabbering and cursing and go find a kinder, gentler blog. PLEASE!! ;-)

SO, that being said...on to the regularly scheduled programming (in other words, my bullshit!! LOL) Because one of my talents with the written word has always been making creative rhymes, I can generally come up with a decent rhyme or limerick on demand (if one could actually call that a talent). It helps if I know the person pretty well, because it is always more funny to work in a personal tidbit about that person!!

I am ALL about finding the humor in every dull, exciting, happy and sad part of life. There is not a lot more satisfying in life than knowing that you have made someone smile or laugh during a time when they would not normally even think about laughing. I have that ability, and have been blessed with a large number of great friends that have that same talent. We enjoy each other, and enjoy life a lot more because we have each other!! Thank God for my friends!!

So this particular entry doesn't have any particular topic or any real aim besides getting me started and allowing me to receive some feedback about whether I suck at this or not. If I do, I'm totally okay with that and will probably keeping writing crap, but just not share it with anyone. I have always found writing to be very therapeutic, I've just never written in anything other than a journal format, and then only for myself.

My general rule is that I don't debate politics or religion. On these two topics, there is never a winner of the argument/debate. Neither side will be swayed, as these are ingrained beliefs and ideas that will not be changed. So I won't discuss that particular brand of crap. I recently broke that rule after the passage of the "health care reform" bill by making several comments around Facebook and almost automatically regretted even saying anything. It is not the first time I have regretted the words that came out of my mouth, and I assure you it will not be the last!! In regards to religion, I will just say that I believe in God and in the power of prayer and leave it at that.

I guess that is a decent introduction into my aimless ramblings and how they may appear in the future. If it tickles your fancy, GREAT!! If not, TOUGH SHIT!! MOVE ALONG!! I tried to warn you!! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!! As I get more accustomed to the format and play with the blog some, I hope to add music and some other stuff here and there, so try and be patient with me on that one!!

I will end with a quick limerick, just to say I did at least ONE thing original in my first ever blog entry...For those that have witnessed previous limericks, you will notice the tame nature of this one. LOL

Ol' Angela sure likes to drink a cold beer;

And tries to live her life without fear;

Sometimes it works, and sometimes it don't,

Sometimes she will, and sometimes she won't,

But have no doubt, her friends she holds very dear!!

Laterz taterz....Ang