-The peace and quiet.
-How I can see all the stars and constellations at night.
-Hearing roosters crowing in the morning.
-That my boots get mucky enough I have to take them off as soon as I enter the house.
-Noticing kitty paw-prints all over my car.
-That Harley has made friends with at least one of the barn cats, who loves to rub herself against him as he sniffs her.
-Seeing cattle and horses on a daily basis. Actually, having cattle and horses to either side of my house!
-Hearing coyotes howling at night, sounding like wolves...and hearing the neighbor's donkeys braying defiantly in reply.
-Seeing green grass, even in winter.
-Christmas wreaths on the front of big-ass pick-up trucks.
-How friendly and helpful everyone is.
-Seeing cows grazing right next to an adult video store.
-Passing the "Northfork Ranch"...LOL
-The Red River
-Seeing cardinals every day.
-Passing a stretch of country road lined with trees, which seems to be the territory of a very large raptor of some sort, since I see it perched in one or the other of the trees almost every day.
-Saying "Y'all". :D
-The wonderful library and the lovely people who work there.
-The sunrises and sunsets.
-Oncoming traffic stopping to let me make a left turn (UNHEARD of in Las Vegas!).
-Really cheap auto insurance.
And finally:
-IT'S NOT LAS VEGAS!!!!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Haiku Time
Yes, it's that time again! I've woefully neglected Sparrow's weekly haiku contest, due to the whole moving half-way across the country thing, but I luckily made it this week!
So, go! Write haiku and submit them to the contest, it's for a good cause. You only have until 10 PM EASTERN to finish it, so don't dilly-dally!
So, go! Write haiku and submit them to the contest, it's for a good cause. You only have until 10 PM EASTERN to finish it, so don't dilly-dally!
Monday, December 28, 2009
Thanks
I owe thanks to so many people, I'm not sure where to begin. Well, I guess I should begin at the beginning, right?
Thanks to the wonderful FarmFamily in Colorado, and all the attendees at Blogorado in early November, who showed me what it's like to spend time with true, like-minded friends.
Thanks to Gay_Cynic, who mercilessly and relentlessly pummeled me with logic on our drive back to Las Vegas from Colorado. He made me realize that moving to Texas was not just feasible, but NECESSARY.
Thanks to my miserable, moody jerk-of-a-roommate in Las Vegas, who made moving out that much more attractive.
Thanks to all my friends and colleagues in Las Vegas, who didn't say I was crazy, but rather encouraged me to follow my dream and get the hell out of Sin City.
Thanks to my daughter Silver, who after a brief moment of fury at my decision, backed me up 100% and helped me move.
The most thanks go to my anonymous Knight in Shining Armor, who oh, so generously accompanied us on our cross-country trek, while putting up with driving the beast of a rental truck, dealing with my traumatized and occasionally ill-mannered pups, and the sniping that's common between mothers and their know-it-all teenage offspring.
Thank you, all you wonderful people!!!
*mwah*
Thanks to the wonderful FarmFamily in Colorado, and all the attendees at Blogorado in early November, who showed me what it's like to spend time with true, like-minded friends.
Thanks to Gay_Cynic, who mercilessly and relentlessly pummeled me with logic on our drive back to Las Vegas from Colorado. He made me realize that moving to Texas was not just feasible, but NECESSARY.
Thanks to my miserable, moody jerk-of-a-roommate in Las Vegas, who made moving out that much more attractive.
Thanks to all my friends and colleagues in Las Vegas, who didn't say I was crazy, but rather encouraged me to follow my dream and get the hell out of Sin City.
Thanks to my daughter Silver, who after a brief moment of fury at my decision, backed me up 100% and helped me move.
The most thanks go to my anonymous Knight in Shining Armor, who oh, so generously accompanied us on our cross-country trek, while putting up with driving the beast of a rental truck, dealing with my traumatized and occasionally ill-mannered pups, and the sniping that's common between mothers and their know-it-all teenage offspring.
Thank you, all you wonderful people!!!
*mwah*
Houston...
we have a problem.
Somehow I don't think I'll be able to walk my dogs here:
Sorry, this just tickled my funny bone! This pic is from our first night on the road, in Flagstaff. They'd had a foot and a half of snow the week before. Luckily, we had great weather the entire trip.
Somehow I don't think I'll be able to walk my dogs here:
Sorry, this just tickled my funny bone! This pic is from our first night on the road, in Flagstaff. They'd had a foot and a half of snow the week before. Luckily, we had great weather the entire trip.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Farewell, Las Vegas!
'Cause I'm outta here!
No regrets.
TEXAS, here I come!
I have no idea when I'll be able to get online, and no clue about my eventual internet access in my new home, so it'll be catch as catch can.
As a final token of my love for Las Vegas, I give you the smoke shop I always marveled at, the shop whose proprietor for the longest time I was sure was named "Huka", and you'll see why...
Ah, Vegas...you gotta love it!
No regrets.
TEXAS, here I come!
I have no idea when I'll be able to get online, and no clue about my eventual internet access in my new home, so it'll be catch as catch can.
As a final token of my love for Las Vegas, I give you the smoke shop I always marveled at, the shop whose proprietor for the longest time I was sure was named "Huka", and you'll see why...
Ah, Vegas...you gotta love it!
The girl is back in town...
Yay, Silver is here!!
Just in time, of course, to help me with the move. I'm so glad to see her!
Heh, she asked me if I thought she looked any older, and I said, "Nah...you still look like you're twelve!"
Hey, I'm the MOM, I get to say shit like that!
Isn't she a cutie?!
Just in time, of course, to help me with the move. I'm so glad to see her!
Heh, she asked me if I thought she looked any older, and I said, "Nah...you still look like you're twelve!"
Hey, I'm the MOM, I get to say shit like that!
Isn't she a cutie?!
Amazing.
So, Tuesday was my last day at the spa, and I had no regrets whatsoever at leaving. Most of the people who worked there with me from the beginning are long gone, having moved on to bigger and better things. (Sound familiar? ;)) Not to mention that I made a whopping $175 the entire last week I worked there.
It was a completely different story at the chiropractor's. Yesterday was my last day there, and I was very sorry to see my patients for the last time. A patient I've been massaging for months was scheduled, and since we always chat during our sessions, she knew it was my last day and that I was moving to Texas. This lady is unemployed at the moment, living with her sister, and has no car. She instead rides her bike all over the valley, taking enormous risks (in my opinion), since this town is not exactly bicyclist friendly! She's also a full-time student, and for obvious reasons, she's extremely short of cash. After the massage was over, I went into the room to change the sheets and found 15 one-dollar bills and a mound of change on the table, underneath her discarded gown. I was so touched that she'd literally emptied her pockets for me. It's nice to know that such a special lady is rooting for me and appreciates me!
One of my previously discharged patients called the office wanting to know who was there, since she had some home-made pomegranate jelly to give to everyone, and when she heard it was my last day and that we'd had a no-show, she raced over to fill the slot and paid out of her own pocket, her insurance benefits having been exhausted already. Oh, and I got a jar of jelly, too. :)
She also asked me, if I had time, to come over to her house this evening to massage her and her daughter, and I was glad to do so. Not only is she super-nice and one of my very favorite patients, but every little bit of money is going to help me with my moving expenses.
I'm going to miss these special people, but hope to still stay in touch. (H'ray for the intarwebz!)
Tomorrow I load up the rental truck (which I'm picking up at 7:30 AM...GAH!) and hit the road toward my new life.
I can't wait to get started.
It was a completely different story at the chiropractor's. Yesterday was my last day there, and I was very sorry to see my patients for the last time. A patient I've been massaging for months was scheduled, and since we always chat during our sessions, she knew it was my last day and that I was moving to Texas. This lady is unemployed at the moment, living with her sister, and has no car. She instead rides her bike all over the valley, taking enormous risks (in my opinion), since this town is not exactly bicyclist friendly! She's also a full-time student, and for obvious reasons, she's extremely short of cash. After the massage was over, I went into the room to change the sheets and found 15 one-dollar bills and a mound of change on the table, underneath her discarded gown. I was so touched that she'd literally emptied her pockets for me. It's nice to know that such a special lady is rooting for me and appreciates me!
One of my previously discharged patients called the office wanting to know who was there, since she had some home-made pomegranate jelly to give to everyone, and when she heard it was my last day and that we'd had a no-show, she raced over to fill the slot and paid out of her own pocket, her insurance benefits having been exhausted already. Oh, and I got a jar of jelly, too. :)
She also asked me, if I had time, to come over to her house this evening to massage her and her daughter, and I was glad to do so. Not only is she super-nice and one of my very favorite patients, but every little bit of money is going to help me with my moving expenses.
I'm going to miss these special people, but hope to still stay in touch. (H'ray for the intarwebz!)
Tomorrow I load up the rental truck (which I'm picking up at 7:30 AM...GAH!) and hit the road toward my new life.
I can't wait to get started.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
La Cucaracha
I don't know if I've mentioned this, but though creepy-crawlies in general don't disturb me in the least, I'm quite phobic when it comes to the dreaded, disgusting, disease-bearing COCKROACH.
I was preparing for a Diamond massage the other day, which is our most exclusive, expensive service. It involves a full-body scrub (exfoliation), plus a massage incorporating Swedish, deep tissue, and hot stone modalities.
I opened one of my cupboards to check how many sheets I had, and froze...as did the heinous cockroach sitting on the topmost sheet in the stack.
Now, when I say "phobic", I mean that I've mostly overcome the severe phobia I had as a child. I don't scream anymore, or gag, or jump on top of the nearest chair, table, bed, etc. Nor do I run away and cower in a corner, whimpering pathetically. (All behaviors which I have displayed in the past.)
Instead, as I felt my heart rate ratchet up while I started hyperventilating, I sprang into action. I HAD to kill this motherfucker, before the service started, and without alerting the guests on the other side of the door that anything at all was amiss. I slowly backed away, even as the noisome critter impudently twitched its antennae at me.
Bugspray! Where was the bugspray? Did we even HAVE any bugspray? Apparently not, I decided after frantically searching the storeroom. Foiled, I decided to return to the scene of the insectoid crime and dispatch the miscreant using more forceful measures...i.e. my shoe.
I pushed the table aside, so the bug couldn't run underneath, then, holding one of my shoes aloft, I started wildly pulling sheets out of the cupboard and onto the floor. Hey, they were soiled already, so who cares?
There it went! Unfortunately, it scurried into the next cabinet over, where all the towels and face cradle covers were neatly stacked. Great, now I'd have to replace all of those, too.
All this time, the clock was ticking down, every second bringing me closer to the moment when I'd have to collect my client from the lounge area.
I finally gave up, after emptying the towel cabinet, too. The vile critter had obviously scurried back into whatever hell spawned it, leaving behind droppings as evidence of its miserable existence. Droppings *I* would now have to clean up. Blech.
After hastily disposing of the soiled sheets and towels (and the poop, never forget the poop), I went and got my client and started the service. This was the longest hour and a half of my life, if you disregard the times I was in labor, of course.
The whole time I was massaging and scrubbing the nice lady who'd forked over a small fortune for this privilege, I kept seeing shadows scurrying out of the corner of my eye. You have to remember that the room is extremely dark, as well...this contributes to the client's relaxation. It was doing NOTHING for my blood pressure, though. Any time my ankle brushed against one of the dangling edges of a sheet, I imagined the skittering legs of the roach depositing germs in their wake. It was all I could do to at least maintain the semblance of calm. I had nightmare visions of the cockroach crawling ON MY CLIENT during the service.
I wanted to cry.
Finally, after about three eternities, we were through. I couldn't hustle the client out of the room fast enough!
I looked around my treatment room carefully: No roach.
I restocked my cupboards and went about my business, albeit with one eye always scanning the floors and walls carefully, wanting to make sure my nemesis didn't take me by surprise again.
It wasn't until the next day the villain showed its ugly face again, cheekily sitting on top of the clean sheets in the cupboard, causing me to experience serious deja vu.
Luckily, on this day I could employ my secret weapon: my favorite spa attendant, Maura! She who has no fear of cockroaches, and was blase about smashing it with MY shoe (hey, it was the least I could do, since she was willing to kill it, to let her borrow my shoe to do so), after I had rendered it a bit incapacitated but not dead by judiciously employing Lysol spray in an attempt to kill the damn thing.
My foe finally vanquished, I tidied up my room, new sheets AGAIN, and prayed I'd not have another encounter with an evil cucaracha.
You hear that, Cockroaches? Stay away from Christina LMT!
I was preparing for a Diamond massage the other day, which is our most exclusive, expensive service. It involves a full-body scrub (exfoliation), plus a massage incorporating Swedish, deep tissue, and hot stone modalities.
I opened one of my cupboards to check how many sheets I had, and froze...as did the heinous cockroach sitting on the topmost sheet in the stack.
Now, when I say "phobic", I mean that I've mostly overcome the severe phobia I had as a child. I don't scream anymore, or gag, or jump on top of the nearest chair, table, bed, etc. Nor do I run away and cower in a corner, whimpering pathetically. (All behaviors which I have displayed in the past.)
Instead, as I felt my heart rate ratchet up while I started hyperventilating, I sprang into action. I HAD to kill this motherfucker, before the service started, and without alerting the guests on the other side of the door that anything at all was amiss. I slowly backed away, even as the noisome critter impudently twitched its antennae at me.
Bugspray! Where was the bugspray? Did we even HAVE any bugspray? Apparently not, I decided after frantically searching the storeroom. Foiled, I decided to return to the scene of the insectoid crime and dispatch the miscreant using more forceful measures...i.e. my shoe.
I pushed the table aside, so the bug couldn't run underneath, then, holding one of my shoes aloft, I started wildly pulling sheets out of the cupboard and onto the floor. Hey, they were soiled already, so who cares?
There it went! Unfortunately, it scurried into the next cabinet over, where all the towels and face cradle covers were neatly stacked. Great, now I'd have to replace all of those, too.
All this time, the clock was ticking down, every second bringing me closer to the moment when I'd have to collect my client from the lounge area.
I finally gave up, after emptying the towel cabinet, too. The vile critter had obviously scurried back into whatever hell spawned it, leaving behind droppings as evidence of its miserable existence. Droppings *I* would now have to clean up. Blech.
After hastily disposing of the soiled sheets and towels (and the poop, never forget the poop), I went and got my client and started the service. This was the longest hour and a half of my life, if you disregard the times I was in labor, of course.
The whole time I was massaging and scrubbing the nice lady who'd forked over a small fortune for this privilege, I kept seeing shadows scurrying out of the corner of my eye. You have to remember that the room is extremely dark, as well...this contributes to the client's relaxation. It was doing NOTHING for my blood pressure, though. Any time my ankle brushed against one of the dangling edges of a sheet, I imagined the skittering legs of the roach depositing germs in their wake. It was all I could do to at least maintain the semblance of calm. I had nightmare visions of the cockroach crawling ON MY CLIENT during the service.
I wanted to cry.
Finally, after about three eternities, we were through. I couldn't hustle the client out of the room fast enough!
I looked around my treatment room carefully: No roach.
I restocked my cupboards and went about my business, albeit with one eye always scanning the floors and walls carefully, wanting to make sure my nemesis didn't take me by surprise again.
It wasn't until the next day the villain showed its ugly face again, cheekily sitting on top of the clean sheets in the cupboard, causing me to experience serious deja vu.
Luckily, on this day I could employ my secret weapon: my favorite spa attendant, Maura! She who has no fear of cockroaches, and was blase about smashing it with MY shoe (hey, it was the least I could do, since she was willing to kill it, to let her borrow my shoe to do so), after I had rendered it a bit incapacitated but not dead by judiciously employing Lysol spray in an attempt to kill the damn thing.
My foe finally vanquished, I tidied up my room, new sheets AGAIN, and prayed I'd not have another encounter with an evil cucaracha.
You hear that, Cockroaches? Stay away from Christina LMT!
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Yee-HAH!
My brand spankin' new Massage Therapy License for the State of Texas arrived in the mail today!
*whew*
I'm so relieved...now I can get right to work as soon as I get there!
Sorry for the ghetto "photoshop", I didn't want to waste time tinkering with the pic!
*whew*
I'm so relieved...now I can get right to work as soon as I get there!
Sorry for the ghetto "photoshop", I didn't want to waste time tinkering with the pic!
Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha
An interesting canvas...
I keep my car parked in the (tiny) driveway of my roomie's house. Yesterday morning, I awoke to find my car encased in a lovely layer of ice. I luckily have a rear windshield defroster, and I scraped enough of the front windshield with my gloved hand to enable me to drive to the stop 'n' rob to get my morning decaf coffee.
Today, as I was driving away from my veterinarian, I glanced in the rearview mirror and noticed some writing in the dusty residue on my rear windshield. Some witty person had written GLOBAL WARMING, MY ASS!!!! on it at some point during yesterday's icy morning.
I larfed and larfed!
I keep my car parked in the (tiny) driveway of my roomie's house. Yesterday morning, I awoke to find my car encased in a lovely layer of ice. I luckily have a rear windshield defroster, and I scraped enough of the front windshield with my gloved hand to enable me to drive to the stop 'n' rob to get my morning decaf coffee.
Today, as I was driving away from my veterinarian, I glanced in the rearview mirror and noticed some writing in the dusty residue on my rear windshield. Some witty person had written GLOBAL WARMING, MY ASS!!!! on it at some point during yesterday's icy morning.
I larfed and larfed!
Sunday, December 06, 2009
'Nother Update
So...I've found a place to live!
Actually, I found it via Craigslist the Saturday after Thanksgiving. :)
I'm renting a room from a gentleman who lives in exactly in the area I wanted to move to, so YAY!
He lives in a large home on several acres of land, raises sheep, rabbits, and chickens, and has a 2,000 sq.ft. garden in his backyard that he could use some help with. Hey, the price is right, and if I get to eat the produce from that garden, of COURSE I'm going to help! I told David (my future landlord/roomie) that as long as he showed me what to do, I'd be glad to help out. Oh, and kids and pets are welcome...he has plenty of room. (Yes, I googled him and checked the sex offender registry, give me some credit!) Plus, I do have good instincts about people.
In other news, I have a part-time (weekend) job waiting for me, too! At a brand-new spa about a half-hour (freeway) drive from Newtown. That was a complete shot in the dark, btw. They hadn't advertised an opening, I just googled local spas and emailed them with my resume attached. Then they contacted ME. Life is good.
Silver and I roll out of Vegas on Friday the 18th of December, and I do NOT plan on looking back.
Don't worry, I'll keep you posted.
Actually, I found it via Craigslist the Saturday after Thanksgiving. :)
I'm renting a room from a gentleman who lives in exactly in the area I wanted to move to, so YAY!
He lives in a large home on several acres of land, raises sheep, rabbits, and chickens, and has a 2,000 sq.ft. garden in his backyard that he could use some help with. Hey, the price is right, and if I get to eat the produce from that garden, of COURSE I'm going to help! I told David (my future landlord/roomie) that as long as he showed me what to do, I'd be glad to help out. Oh, and kids and pets are welcome...he has plenty of room. (Yes, I googled him and checked the sex offender registry, give me some credit!) Plus, I do have good instincts about people.
In other news, I have a part-time (weekend) job waiting for me, too! At a brand-new spa about a half-hour (freeway) drive from Newtown. That was a complete shot in the dark, btw. They hadn't advertised an opening, I just googled local spas and emailed them with my resume attached. Then they contacted ME. Life is good.
Silver and I roll out of Vegas on Friday the 18th of December, and I do NOT plan on looking back.
Don't worry, I'll keep you posted.
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
You know...
...you live in a questionable neighborhood when one of your neighbors is breaking pieces of styrofoam off of a box to use as "snow" for her outside Christmas display.
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
Update:
First off, I called the Texas Board of Massage Therapy today and my application HAS BEEN APPROVED!!!
Now I just have to wait for them to print the actual license and mail it to me. :D
Second, my lawyer, Denise (name redacted), received the medical billing statements from the opposing attorney and sent them on to Darci at the surrogacy agency, along with a sternly worded email. Something to the effect of: take care of this, or we'll be forced to sue you, and NOBODY wants that...
I'm having a good day.
Now I just have to wait for them to print the actual license and mail it to me. :D
Second, my lawyer, Denise (name redacted), received the medical billing statements from the opposing attorney and sent them on to Darci at the surrogacy agency, along with a sternly worded email. Something to the effect of: take care of this, or we'll be forced to sue you, and NOBODY wants that...
I'm having a good day.
Two weeks...
since I switched to decaf coffee. And I feel great! I'm sleeping better, except when Lourdes the 100 pound dog shares my double bed...
No headaches, the crankiness has subsided, and my mind is clearer now.
I've gotta keep this up!
No headaches, the crankiness has subsided, and my mind is clearer now.
I've gotta keep this up!
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