It's My Birthday!

I refuse to say how old I am, but suffice it to say that many years ago today a 4th generation Idahoan was born in "Twin" (that's for Shinshige) and it's quite nice to celebrate my day in Idaho again! Even if I have to work on my birthday for the first time in eons.

Thanks to Dad and Pattie for the gift card, Mom and the Aunt for watching Little Bit while TH was in Utah! Tonight - drinks and snacks at Murphy's with the gang and Big Bit arrives on the "big airplane" where he lives when he's not with us (that's what Little Bit used to think when he was a toddler. He'd see a Southwest jet, point at it and say "Bubba's up there").

Then on to Halloween! Seriously, can things get any better? Oh, yes, TH can get the job some guy at a software company contacted him about this week. It would be simply awesome, and at least it's lovely that someone contacted him when they heard he was coming back because they had a job in mind. A nice compliment.

Have a good day everyone!

BatKid! And More.

BatKid was out in full force this weekend in anticipation of his Boo at the Zoo haul. We didn't get to spend as much time there as we hoped, but we scored a year membership, so we'll be back to see more of the animals.

Many years ago, we began going to Boo at the Zoo, taking Big Bit in his Simba costume (Lion King) etc., and there were people there, but nothing like now. They were limiting tickets to 13,000. I don't think they quite sold out, but it was truly insane. Even worse than the last time we went, which was I think three years ago. At any rate, it was worth it, because BatKid was in his element and we were at a nice zoo, which is adding giraffes and lions! I remember when the most exciting thing there was a porcupine.

BatKid in various poses:


First, battling EvilCat in the privacy of his home (EvilCat as opposed to Catwoman):



Next:

I'm wondering why I can't see my enemy? Where did they go? Oh, my mask is in my eyes:



What else? I took some pictures of the leaves turning from the sixth floor of my employer. Kind of pretty. (Note, I am on the first floor. I am okay with that, I hate heights).

Pretty huh?

Next up - I have a birthday, Big Bit is here for Halloween (he got to go to the Obama rally in Reno Saturday, whether you agree with the man or not, seeing him in person is a historic moment) and then as to the weekend, TH comes home for 10 days Wednesday night and we have a big yummy dinner at Epi's Basque Restaurant in Meridian Saturday night. Celebrating Mom's birthday, mine and just being home.

Miss Cocoa the dog is out of the hospital and doing well so far....Dad has to go to Utah for an appointment Thursday and to see what's next...

Oh, and TH might be working at Bogus Basin ski resort for the winter. He has a 2nd interview Saturday. Getting hired could pay the rent and get him a free ski pass - and then we are all good until April. Fingers crossed, please!

I Went To Junior High With Lori Otter

Not that we were close, or if you asked her she'd know who I was lo these many years later, but I've never been particularly proud of the association until now.

The reason I'm proud is not that she gave money to a Dem, though that's a small part given she is the First Lady of a VERY red state, but I also think it's great that she and her husband obviously have a relationship capable of allowing independent thought. I actually agree with Gov. Otter on a few things. Not many, but a few. Now I can include being proud I "knew" Lori, an independent Idaho woman.

http://www.idahostatesman.com/newsupdates/story/548482.html#none

The Most Beautiful Sight I've Ever Seen

Since I'm on my old crappy laptop you'd have to click on the pic to blow it up, but there's the "Welcome to Idaho" sign!

First weeks' observations:

Things are weird in Idaho, too. I always knew that, but it's now reassuringly weird instead of control freakingly weird.

There is a melting pot of election signs in my neighborhood. Obama, Ron Paul and McCain. It feels good to be in a mixture instead of a one party ticket (and I would mean that even if it was my party).

Mom's pooch, Cocoa, is not well still and is headed to a specialist here in Boise tomorrow. Prayers for that neurotic, yet sweet Lab that is our Margarita's sister.

Got to see my Grandma today, yay! She is up at my aunt's and it was good to see her, though just briefly today. (P.S., my aunt is the best ever, she's going to watch Little Bit while TH finishes up his job. I owe her big time).

The trees are turning on the Greenbelt. Going up to the Donnalama's office tomorrow to get some pics - she looks towards Julia Davis Park and the Depot. I can't complain though, I turn around and look at the Foothills. But she's got the better view.

Oh and my DSL is finally working, as is the cable. We might actually live here in a few more days. Yay! Yay!

I know the honeymoon won't last forever and I'll have some 'splainin' to do on some subject but for now all is good!

Pics of Little Bit at Boo at the Zoo coming Sunday. It's fun and we haven't been in eons. Yay again!

Another Meme

Because Shinshige tagged me, here we go (sorry I'm late).

1. If your lover betrayed you, what would your reaction be?

I think I know what it would be...and then again, I've not had it happen. So I must demur.

2. If you have a dream you’d like to come true, what is it?

Just has, I'm home. Even if I do have a house payment and a rent payment. TH, Little Bit and I are back in the land of our birth and the place we LIKE to call home (I like to think they're connected but who knows?) and this is huge for us. Big Bit likes it as well and that makes us all happy.

3. Whose butt would you like to kick? The EHFH and Russell (if you see a 21 dealer at the 93 and his name is Russell, don't tip him. Honest).

Oh, and a certain CEO of the old Mother Ship with the initials SRA. All three of you don't read this blog but if you did you'd know who you were. You deserve it. (I wish I was more of a pacifist).


4. What would you do with a billion dollars?

Heavens. You think it's so much and yet...I'd give bunches of money to various charities. I'd buy a semi-small cattle ranch for my Dad and Pattie to run and my grandmother to live on in a palatial house. I'd buld my Mom a really cool house in Jackpot on the golf course and buy her pooch a new liver (Cocoa's having issues, as 10 year old labs do). I'd send Big Bit wherever he wanted for college and convince Little Bit that college is great through its monetary rewards if nothing else.

And TH and I would have a snug condo in Lake Tahoe on a golf course.

5. Will your best friend always be your best friend?

I hope my best friends will always be thus.

6. Have you ever loved two people at once?

Not really, looking back. The beauty of maturing is that you can see when you've been a damned idiot. I have, but I'm glad to say that I don't seem to be much of one anymore.


7. How long would you wait for someone you really loved? As long as it took.

8. If you won the lottery, would you quit your job? The paying one, yes, lots of things to do on a volunteer basis
.
9. Who is on your celebrity top 5…you know, the ones…that if you ever had an opportunity…

1) Hugh Grant
2) Brett Favre
3) Robert Downey, Jr.
4) Robert Redford (about 30 years ago)
5) Rick Springfield (any age)

10. What sucks the life out of you? The Ex Husband From Hell. People Who Think Barack Obama's the Anti-Christ (as opposed to disagreeing with him politically, which I agree is very much your right to do).

11. How would you see yourself in ten years time? With a couple of happy, fulfilled children and sitting on the greenbelt in Boise taking a deep breath.

12. What’s your greatest fear/phobia? Fear of failure. Or maybe of drowning. Maybe they are the same thing.

13. What kind of person do you think the person who tagged you is? I have not met Shinshige, but I would love to sometime. He obviously is kind and a good person.

14. Would you rather be single and rich or married but poor? I've been both and it depends on the situation. Currently I'm thrilled to be married and poor.

15. What’s the first thing you do when you wake up? I say yay, I'm HOME!

16. Would you give all in a relationship? Yes, probably to my detriment.

17. Is your career vitally important to you? Nope, but somehow it keeps paying the bills. I do enjoy the sense of satisfaction of a job well done very much.

18. Would you forgive and forget no matter how horrible a thing someone has done? Some things are unforgivable. Thankfully, not many.

19. Do you prefer being single or having a relationship? I like being married to TH. Someone else - maybe not so much. I am grateful for the wonderful husband I have.

Some True Mavericks

I'm just sayin'....

I love these guys. I bought the CD this song is on many moons ago during a difficult time. It means a lot to this day.

Happy Friday! Flying to Utah tomorrow to retrieve my life (and, most importantly, The Husband). The Bits are at a) Big Bit's Dad's and b) Grandma's house in order of age. They are most important too and will be retrieved as well, in their various respects, and quite soon.

Dear GenreBusters

Are you ever going to give Cousin Steve his forum back?

What gives?

Sincerely (and offended on a cousinly basis),

foundinidaho


p.s.

I feel really ovewhelmed by work. But being here seriously rocks.

I know, the happy posts need to stop. I will become muy boring.

Sunday Update

Just a quick update to say it's Sunday afternoon and I'm sitting at Bardenay on the Basque Block having lunch and watching football.

And I couldn't be happier.

We drove up yesterday and managed to get stranded on Interstate 80 in the Pequops because of a freak snowstorm that took (apparently) the Nevada Department of Transportation and truckers alike by surprise. Three lanes of traffic at a total standstill while trucks chained up whereever the spirit moved them to stop...sigh. It took for flipping ever to get through there.

We managed to stop and see Dad and Pattie after we dropped off Little Bit at Grandma's. He's having a feeding tube put in his stomach this week to help him get enough food in to gain lots of weight. He may also have to have some chemo, rather unexpected, but more precautionary than necessary. He looks so much better, though he doesn't seem to believe that. He's even getting some hair on his head.

Then we had to get to Boise to pick up the keys to our new pad from friend Allen. (Bless you, Allen for picking them up). The pad is small, but is clean and other than a few random irritating things about rentals (the deadbolt on the front locks with a key from the INSIDE as well as outside...the garage door won't open), and the fact there's a Ron Paul supporter about two houses down (just kidding) I think it will be fine. The Bits are going to be devastated about the size of their bedrooms, but what can you do?

The Husband's flying back to fair SLC tonight and I will go down next Saturday to help pack and move (hopefully) most of our stuff. Anyone want to help?

Yeah...that's what I thought. Happy Sunday and good luck to your teams (except for the Bears, of course).

My Own Private Idaho

Amazing...it's really happening.

And in celebration, I give you the B-52s. This was the first time I heard my home state immortalized in song (I guess the state song "Here We Have Idaho" escaped me until later)...I was SO impressed that cool people with funky hairdos even knew the name of where I lived. (Sorry, for those of you with a Lego fetish, this video contains real live people. But Lego videos rock too.)

I'm really glad it isn't my own Private Idaho (Shiggy's in Idaho now, and we're glad to have him!) - all of you are invited to partake for at least a visit to my fair homeland, because if you read this, you are someone I'm more than happy to share space with.

After two years that in many ways have felt like a wilderness (often, I admit, of my own making) I am happy and humbled to get to go home, and after twenty some years (no snickers about my age!) I'm still a Wildcat from Filer High dancing in a miniskirt to this very tune, somewhere in my mind.

Home...ahhhhhh....

Vegas Baby!

So...because I've officially checked out (mentally) at work - with all apologies to my boss (the anti-Sybil) I wish I could focus more, but I can't.

Since I am really not worth much the rest of this week work-wise, Little Bit and I are off to Las Vegas for two days to join TH at his conference/seminar that he gets to attend, though our illustrious employer can't afford to let him work out of Boise permanently. I know, the logic boggles the mind.

He's staying at The Luxor which has a great swimming pool with a bar(!) and the Inclinators (elevators that go up the corners of the pyramid shaped hotel). The weather will be in the 80's and the people watching will be fun. TH won't get to spend a lot of time with us but Little Bit and I will keep each other plenty entertained. Perhaps we'll drive race cars at the NASCAR Cafe.

Plus, JetBlue had tickets for $60 round trip! Little Bit and I have our bags packed and we're ready to go roll with the Rat Pack. I'm sure it's the last time we'll get to go to Vegas for a long time, so I'm pretty excited.

And...it's not Utah. Hee hee.

It's Been A Long Season

Well, here we go again, football fans. Is there anyone that's not playing hurt or out that I like?

Homeboy, aka Jordan Gross of the Carolina Panthers, will not start this weekend. He has started every game since coming to Carolina in 2003. I did not realize he was knocked out last week against the Falcons...I would have been concerned.

Why the interest in this guy, you ask? Well, if you look him up, you will see he is from a little burgh in Idaho called Fruitland. As is The Husband. We do not know Jordan, but TH did go to school with his older brothers and sisters and lived down the street from the family. He probably saw Jordan as a toddler now and then. (Yes, they have a big family).

Though not a huge Panthers fan, or a University of Utah fan (where he went to college), we are big Jordan Gross fans. I hope he's okay. Here's a shout out to Homeboy - get better man!

Progress...or Lack Thereof

So it is now Thursday. I have accomplished almost nothing I wanted to this week.

• Little Bit's room is still a disaster waiting to be packed
• There are still no boxes of books neatly packed
• The back yard is not yet mowed and we have guests coming over Saturday (yes, Yvette, it will be mowed by then and we're glad you're coming)

The only things I've managed to do are shred a big bag of stuff (I've needed to do that for oh...a year), and run the dishwasher about five times (Little Bit and I home all week = too many dirty dishes), oh and one really productive thing, we got our lease signed and the phone and DSL set up to move. I guess that's something.

I've been pretty much looking around, hyperventilating and waiting to hear if The Husband would be able to continue working for our current employer, cocooned in a cubicle at the Mother Ship, and the answer came back last night. NO. Surprised? Not really. Disappointed? Yes, because it looks like his job, and others who are not moving away, will be sacrificed so we don't have to lay off people in a foreign country. Even though, in this case, that is what makes the most sense.

I love American corporations. No, I don't, I hate most of them.

This sounds like whining, and it probably is, but at the moment, I'm feeling stressed, not grateful. Think I will go read my Martin Luther bible study and get some enlightenment on how ungrateful I am. Honestly, it really will help.

Then I have to drink before the VP debate tonight. That's all I'm going to say on that subject.