Everybody Needs a Summer

Summer is still enchanting to me. Even though it no longer means months of leisure and relaxation as it did when I was a youngster, the feeling of possibility still floats in the air through the summer months like the scent of cut grass and sunscreen.

Last summer was a good one, and as part of the picture project, I've been downloading last summer's pics. We've covered Charise's visit to Las Vegas and now the time has come to cover my visit to Charise in Redondo Beach. I love the beach and I was fortunate to spend the weekend when the weather was absolutely perfect.












Aaaah, Redondo.

I Don't Know Where We Were: Picture Project Part 4

After the China Date Ranch, Uncle Steve took us to this strange little canyon. He explained that the property used to be privately owned, and the fellow who owned it was quite religious. He attempted to make a shrine of sorts, but he went broke and lost the property. Sadly, the monument in the center has been vandalized. I think Uncle Steve said the monument was a statue of Jesus but the head is gone so its hard to tell.






I also was welcomed to 2011 and told about planking and owling. I guess that's what the cool kids do these days, but I had never heard about it until that visit. The concept was so ridiculous I had to try it.





Visits with Uncle Steve and Aunt Rosa (and family) are always fun. But they're extra fun with Charise leaps into a photo in her classic Sasquatch pose. See if you can spot her doing this in one of these photos!



Charise and Carter went back to California the next day, so this post concludes the great visit of July 2011. But there are still many photos to go, so stay with me folks. Stay with me.

The Fun Didn't Stop There! Picture Project Part III

Pahrump, Nevada gets a bad rap. Sure, this quirky little town is home to brothels and rednecks. But it's also home to Uncle Steve and family! We paid Uncle Steve a visit and of course, we wound up on an adventure. First stop was the China Date Ranch in Tecopa, California.

Booh!


We got there just as the gift shop was closing so we weren't able to get any of the famous date shakes. But we managed to find lots of fun/creepy stuff whilst hiking around the ranch.










After the date ranch, Uncle Steve took us to another strange place. Stay tuned!

Catching Up: A Picture Project...Continued!

After hiking about the other park, we hit the road again and made the turn to Red Rock. I love Red Rock. I have a season pass. The only reason I missed the turn is I was too busy talking with my sister to notice where I was. It happens. Leave me alone, alright?

Red Rock is a great place for scrambling. Scramblers of all levels can find the perfect trail, and we found one where I could climb super high and little Carter could safely do a mini-scramble. Both Charise and I loved soaking up the desert heat through all this. We are truly creatures of the summer.

Catching Up: A Picture Project

I have a digital camera. I bring said camera to all kinds of fun activities. Friends and family constantly roll their eyes at my photo taking because they know they will never see the photos I'm taking. I'm notorious for taking photos and never uploading them. So today, in preparation for my trip to Spain I'm cleaning my camera's memory card and uploading the photos at last! I'm dedicating this series to my sisters as they are featured in most of these fun events where my photo taking occurred.

Event #1
Last summer, Charise and Carter came to visit! Our first activity happened when I missed the turn to Red Rock park and couldn't find a spot to flip around. My driving mishap turned out to be quite fortunate because we found a new little desert park complete with hiking trails and bathrooms. Hiding in the shadow of Red Rock, this little park seems to be unknown to others. We were the only ones there as opposed to Red Rock, where finding a parking spot at the many trailheads can often be a problem.







An enjoyable time was had by all...but the fun didn't stop there. Stay tuned to see what happened when we finally did make it to Red Rock!

Slotservations: What a Difference a Smile Makes

A common theme of Slotservations is the constant feeling that uniformed casino employees are treated as subhuman. You are no longer a person, you are a uniform. Last night the patrons were overwhelming me with this sentiment and I felt myself giving in and thinking "if you're going to treat me like an ape I will be have as such. I hope you like having feces thrown at you." Every guest I had helped with jackpots, ticket jams, etc had been nasty at worst and unpleasant at best and I wanted to return in kind. Just when I felt myself losing any and all resolve to stay "above it" I saw an old gentleman waiting with a ticket jam at video poker. He looked so sweet with his aged frame hunched over the machine confused as to why his money hadn't printed. He was so focused he didn't even notice me approach. I touched him lightly on the shoulder and said "Hello, need some help?" He looked up, saw I was an employee and smiled such a sweet smile of relief that all feelings of angst fell away immediately. This was only reinforced when his handsome young son walked up, addressed me by name and thanked me with an equally radiant smile. The two lingered to chat with me after I had fixed the machine and I knew I'd make it through the night without morphing into a pooh-throwing primate. I know I sound like a motivational poster from your third grade teacher's office, but I can't help but marvel at the difference a smile can make to another.

Sick Day Continued

How did sick people pass their achey, feverish time before the invention of television? Don't you dare told me they'd read a book. I love reading but when my head feels like it's stuffed with wet wool focusing on the written word is out of the question. Not to mention I need my hands free to rip the blanket and my clothes off and on repeatedly as my body temperature fluctuates between fever spikes and chills. How then, if I can't read, how then am I writing this blog? I'm not sure I really am writing it or if this is another fever dream. If it is a dream, that would explain why there is a baby tiger on my lap and a marching band upstairs. If not a dream, I need to move out of this house. STAT.