The Boss or Bust!

Monday Steve called me at work to see if I could take Tuesday off.  Why I asked. So he could take me to see Bruce Springsteen in concert in Portland!  Hell yeah I could take Tuesday off!!  What a cool surprise!

I made my way to Steve's house Tuesday afternoon where we met up with his sister and her husband to carpool to the concert. We made our way to Dr. Jakes by the Moda center for dinner, along with a bunch of their college friends.  Dinner was good - very noisy with lots of people waiting for The Boss to start.  It was also fun spending time with his sister, who filled me in on lots of stories about her baby brother.

Time to go in and we made our way to the most awesome seats - super close to the stage. Springsteen and the group came out at 8 and they played for over 3 hours.  Incredible show and he even crowd surfed. It was one of the best concerts I've ever seen and definitely entertaining.

We wound up back at Steve's place where I hit the road for home.  I got home about 1:20 am, fell asleep about 2am then back up at 6 to get ready for work.  Needless to say I'm pooped and ready for bed early tonight.  Thank you Steve for an amazing evening!!!

Blessings Abundant

I'm happy to say that my prayers were answered and in less than two weeks my insurance claim was processed, money from the claim was received, and last night I purchased a new car - a 2014 Toyota Camary.  Gorgeous car, certified, and still under warranty. Phew!!!  Everything moved quickly and I can breathe easier now that I've got wheels under me.

I can't say enough about the speed in which Allied Insurance processed my claim and how quickly Dick Hannah put together a financing package for me. It all fell into line and it was such a great blessing. Also a big shout out to my coworker who allowed me to use her Mercedes in my time of need as well as my work who comped me a room for a few nights.  

To celebrate, today I'm getting the gray washed out of my hair (including I'm sure several new strands)

Before

After

A Week of Big Bummers and Blessings

This past week has been one of stress, frustration, and prayer.  Last Sunday evening son Sam made a poor choice and drove my car while drunk.  His choice wound up with  DWI, night in jail, and hitting a parked car, thus totaling my vehicle. The good news is he was not hurt. The bad news is he spent a night in jail and was fired from his job. I was unable to go to work on Monday and Tuesday as I was working with the insurance company on the claim.

However, there have been a few blessings in this very stormy week. I was able to stay at my work from Wednesday through Friday which reduced my commute to nothing. Sam lost his job on Tuesday but started a new job on Thursday at a place within walking distance of home.  On Friday one of my co-workers loaned me an extra car she wasn't using - a Mercedes.  Such a blessing to have transportation while I wait for the claim to go through.  I had a good cry at my desk when they dropped the car off to me.  Friday afternoon the auto adjuster called to let me know the car is considered a total loss. By Tuesday  the total loss guy should be contacting me with next steps to replace the car. Hopefully it will be a quick process.

Sam begins weekly counseling next week then he has a court date in April.  He feels horrible about his choices and I'm hoping he uses this experience for the life learning lesson that it is.

As they say, that which doesn't kill you makes you stronger.  After this episode is over, I ought to be able to bench press 1,000 pounds.  The bottom line is that it is much easier to replace a car than my son.

Revenant and Red Hair

In the popcorn line
at the theater

Last weekend Steve took me to see the movie “The Revenant”, starring Leonardo DeCaprio.  It was the first time for me in the new Kelso Regal Cinema, which included lots of movie options along with several hallways.  The movie (which Sam had already seen and recapped for me) was long but entertaining.  Lots of outdoors, lots of beards, and lots of wildlife – right up Steve’s alley.  Steve teases me about posting pictures on Facebook;  however, he was the first one who suggested we take a selfie while we were waiting for our popcorn.  Silly guy.

After dinner we made a pit stop to see Jordan and Candy, and then ventured across town to Fred Meyers so Steve could pick up some groceries to make dinner.  We arrived home and he then whipped up a batch of his famous salmon chowder, which was yummy. 

I have been trying, okay half-heartedly trying, to get back into the gym.  I seriously need some motivation or a partner to go with me.  Anyone out there who wants to get into shape?  Give me a holler and maybe we can set up walking sessions!!!

This weekend it’s time for my hair to be trimmed and colored.  It is finally back to normal shape after my disastrous asymmetrical hair cut last year.  If I ever get the urge to cut it that way again, somebody slap me!!!  In addition, the hair policy at work was recently relaxed, which has resulted in purple, pink, and bright red hair.  While I won’t be going that far, my hairstylist will be adding a few auburn streaks into my locks this time.

 

We also have another new policy at work where we wear earbuds for the radio.  A person learns how truly deaf they are when one ear is plugged up and you have to rely on your other ear to hear.  Along with the earbuds it may be necessary for me to order a megaphone to hold next to my ear simply so I can function!

Looking forward to April when Steve and I will be going to Arizona to visit his parents, who live there in the winter.  Sunshine come to mama!!!!

Here's another pic that I couldn't resist taking at work - hey, a sense of humor will make any working day go by faster!!

Just me and George hanging
No, that's not a mole but a rivet!!!

 

 

 

Think Before You Vote

I’m no politician nor do I follow politics.  However, I cannot believe how popular Donald Trump has become as a Republican candidate.  This is a man for whom the following quotes are attributed:

 

·        “Beauty and elegance, whether in a woman, a building, or a work of art, is not just superficial or something pretty to see.”

·        “There were 26,000 unreported sexual assults in the military-only 238 convictions. What did these geniuses expect when they put men & women together?”

·        "It's certainly not groundbreaking news that the early victories by the women were, to a very large extent, dependent on their sex appeal."

·        “I mean, we could say politically correct that look doesn't matter, but the look obviously matters. Like you wouldn't have your job if you weren't beautiful.”

·        “Women have one of the great acts of all time. The smart ones act very feminine and needy, but inside they are real killers. The person who came up with the expression ‘the weaker sex’ was either very naive or had to be kidding. I have seen women manipulate men with just a twitch of their eye — or perhaps another body part.”

·        “While Bette Midler is an extremely unattractive woman, I refuse to say that because I always insist on being politically correct.” 

·        “You know, it doesn't really matter what [the media] write as long as you've got a young and beautiful piece of ass."

·        “All of the women on flirted with me -- consciously or unconsciously. That's to be expected.”

·        “Look at that face. Would anybody vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president?! I mean, she's a woman, and I'm not s'posedta say bad things, but really, folks, come on. Are we serious?”

·        “My favorite part [of 'Pulp Fiction'] is when Sam has his gun out in the diner and he tells the guy to tell his girlfriend to shut up. Tell that bitch to be cool. Say: 'Bitch be cool.' I love those lines.”

·        “One time I was referred to as a 'financially embattled thousandaire' so I sent the writer a copy of the column with her picture circled and 'The Face of a Dog!' written over it.”

·        When asked if an attorney could take a break during an interview so she could pump breastmilk for her infant daughter, he reacted very poorly. He got up, his face got red, he shook his finger at her and he screamed, 'You're disgusting, you're disgusting,' and he ran out of there.

This appears to be a very sexist, chauvinistic, and old boys club character.   Do you really want someone like this running our country and representing the female population?  I sure don’t.

Off to the Gym I Go!

Reluctantly and dragging my feet, I'm finally returning to the gym tonight to begin working with the trainer.  I think I've gained about 10 pounds but it has all shifted around since I quit going to the gym.  Now is the time to get back at it before I morph into Jabba the Hut!!   I always feel better when I work out but it's taking that first step that is the killer!



 

21 and Counting!!

Last week my baby boy Sam turned 21 - wow!  We went out to dinner to Mexican food and they didn't card Sam or his two buddies, including one who is not yet of legal age.  That never would have happened to me!!

 

This last weekend was pretty uneventful.  Poor Steve was battling a cold so he stayed far away from me!  I spent a lot of time cleaning the house, doing laundry, and putting away all my clean clothes.  Good times!!