Masks

Funny thing about masks
they are so easily slipped on
but
once you put one on
for any length of time
its kind of hard
to take off
since
removal
leaves you completely
vulnerable
and
naked
even if you're wearing
a
parka

A Reflection

September 11, 2001
was
such a wake up call
for most of us
before that day
we were in our own little bubbles
hate and terror couldn't reach us
we were invincible
In the horrendous aftermath
since 9-11
I have watched Americans
fight
bicker and argue
Christians against Muslims
Poor against Rich
War mongers against Pacifists
Brother against Brother
and
I think
if dividing this great country
into little pieces
was their ultimate goal
then
the Terrorists
succeeded

Mmmhmmm....

Dog Run

The motorcycle group I ride with
is always on the hunt
for
interesting spots to ride and stop for a bite
This particular place
is called
''JunkYard Dogs''
Its
out in the middle of nowhere
open air, not fancy
family run
and
has probably the best hot dogs on the planet

The wee one in the pink t-shirt was our ''server''
She is so funny
the last time I was there
she also brought out her own dog
along with mine
and
(without asking)
plopped herself down right next to me
and
we had lunch together

It's always nice to be able to keep an eye on the bikes
(there aren't any walls, so it's a really close eye)

Yep
This is it
The entire seating area
(you aren't seeing things, those are car seats)

I'm pretty sure Gordon Ramsay wouldn't approve

But
if you're ever there....get the Lancaster Dog
its
a hot dog with bacon
lettuce, tomato and mayo
on
a house baked soft roll
with a Diet Coke
(shush--I'm trying to balance here)
OH
be sure to tip your server
well
apparently, she has a bicycle to buy

Baggage Claim

I had coffee with a friend the other day
and she whipped out her iPad
and was showing me how cool it was
I have to say
it IS very cool
I don't have a lot of uses for it right now
since
I have my beloved Kindle
and a (pink)Blackberry
but
I can see why people love their ipads
Then she surprised me
and asked
''So tell me...what have you coveted for the past 10 years?''
After only a few seconds hesitation
I had to answer honestly
''I've always wanted a vintage distressed leather bag''
(exactly like the one above)
because for some reason
even though I've always wanted one
I've never found what I wanted
when I wanted it
(they are super hard to find...figures, doesn't it?)
To me
this bag just seems
like something that would
be useful
get better with age
always a classic
and
looks very Indiana Jones-y
practically bursting with adventure
(hmmmm....sounds kind of like me)
and
doesn't that just sound
like something
you'd want to carry around
close to
you
?

Balancing Act

Life is really a high wire act
it's all about
balance
courage
confidence
opportunity
trust
one misstep, however small
leaves you plunging downward
and
while you're tumbling
head over heels
all you can do is hope
you've set up enough
netting
to ensure the fall doesn't hurt
too badly

Homesick

I think I have finally diagnosed this feeling I've had for the past few months.

I'm homesick.

Oh, I've squelched it hard for the past 11 years since we moved here. I can find good stuff while living in Oregon. It's beautiful, clean and the people are friendly. The summers can't be beat. It's safe. It's solid. It's...boring.

Maybe I'm still longing for the way things were when we lived in Nevada. Our beautiful home on 55 acres. Great friends. A normal 8-5 work schedule for Wes. Snow skiing every Wednesday with the kids. Valet parking. Taking the boat out with a bunch of random kids and tubes. Fishing. Popping in to see a stage show whenever we wanted. Dressing up. Lavish cocktail parties. Big blue sky and even bigger weather patterns. Snow. A 24 hour town where you could do everything or nothing at 3am

Actually, in writing this I realize I'm not homesick.
I'm home sick
There is a difference
A big one
I miss having my kids at home
I miss being a family of four
I miss the day to day chaos and the closeness we shared
Lazy Sunday mornings in my bed, all four of us
The routines of school, music, homework, dinner
Funny inside jokes
Weekly Family Meetings, where we all had a voice
~sigh~
So in writing this post
I discovered
being home sick
means
your heart wishes for the past
and the rest
is just
geography