edens rose

the first eden rose of the season.

strike out

this is the corner of antonio and oso. 

also the home of "oso jack", otherwise known and jack in the box.

a common meeting place and hangout for hoodlum oc teenagers.

this is also the site of a teacher demonstration.

see, the teachers are striking.

apparently, the school board is corrupt.

and from what i have read, this is indeed true.

so, my kids are on vacation.

have missed 2 days already.

such drama in the oc...my kids are loving it tho.

however im getting a little worried.

and on monday, the books get cracked,

and home schooling starts.

home at last

on the curb at lax. apparently she had people following her around, asking is she

was ok lugging those big suitcases around. she does look like shes about

14, so i can understand their shock when told she was traveling alone.

what kind of mother would let her adolescent child travel abroad all by herself?

the welcome committee (who are home from school due to a teachers strike-long story...they went to seminary, then to mcdonalds for breakfast, then plunked themselves down in front of a tv for a day full of video gaming...such productive children i have), complete with left over pizza and carefully engineered banner secured with lots of blue tape and a stapler...

the laundry...and the horror of her telling me she only did laundry twice 

(apparently the washers "ruined" the clothes),

and NEVER washed her sheets...

she just giggled when i asked what color they were.

i never got an answer. 

maybe that was good.

the london treats, carefully packed in a carryon that weighed 2 tons.

no joke.

she thinks she is permanently lop-sided from carrying a shoulder bag for 4 months

how this little girl managed all of this cumbersome luggage, i will never know.

and all the loot. 

remember laura ashley in the eighties?  

cath kitson is the new laura ashley. 

very popular in london with those who are "in". 

so all you people out there who have april birthdays?

well...i just ruined the surprise.

or maybe you would like the boxer shorts with the tube map printed on them, 

or the big ben keychain.

i will let you choose.

and my favorite souvenir.

the hefty british mug that contributed to the enormous amount of weight in the carryon.

i collect mugs from everywhere i go, and now my children are bringing them back to me.

i have mugs from all over.

i like this one...it represents the trip i missed.

even cried about it yesterday.

what a boob i am.

just glad to have her home.

from now on...

"anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he has been robbed. the fact is that most putts don’t drop, most beef is tough, most children grow up to be just like people, most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration, and most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. life is just like an old time rail journey ... delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. the trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride."
- gordon b. hinckley

i lied

yes, i said i loved virgin airlines.

well, i lied.

now i love british airways.

i am telling you, this emotional roller coaster has got to end.

i am going to die from a stress induced panic attack.

so all of a sudden i get an "urgent" email early this morning...saying the virgin flight has been cancelled.

what?

i just confirmed it by waiting on hold for literally an hour yesterday,

with yet another woman who told me in her foreign accent that everything was a-ok.

so when you wonder what i do all day...

maybe i am living the care free life shopping or lounging by the pool eating bon bons...

NO

i am on hold with some airline that hires people who dont speak english.

im sorry, i am not biased at all, dont have any hang ups with others

who are different.

really. i love everyone.

actually love the diversity all around me, but excuse me mr airline president,

when you hire folks to take down very important information, make critical flight arrangements, and take

your credit card information from you, who are responsible for transactions which cost 

literally thousands, and if all added up, billions of dollars, 

i would hire someone

WHO SPOKE CLEAR ENGLISH.

am i the only one who thinks this is a no brainer?

i swear, i was so polite on the phone this morning with this nice gentleman

from india or somewhere...i must have told him thank you a hundred times

for securing yet another flight (were going for a record here) for my long
lost daughter stranded in london,

but...

i had to ask him also a hundred times to repeat what he was saying.

so enough of my rant, because my posts lately have been very negative and whiny.

i dont think i am a negative or whiny person, however after all of this, maybe i am.

or maybe i just have terrible luck.

will the bad luck fairies please leave?

small change

think we got it figured out now, since her wednesday flight got cancelled...

virgin atlantic is our savior.

just had to pay the big bucks, and fork over a little more change.

but hey, sometimes you cant be a cheapskate.

have never had such warm fuzzy feelings for a plane before.

cross your fingers, i will be seeing her bright cheery face waiting at the curb at lax on friday.

xanax please

still hoping emma can make her wednesday flight, 

which was changed to that date because i was supposed 

to be touring london with her...now a blessing in disguise, 

because she is one of the lucky ones who actually have a 

confirmed reservation. and luckily too, 

the byu folks decided not to kick all 40 or so girls out on the streets, 

so they do have a roof over their heads. 

so nice of them. 

bless their little hearts.

i guess all the frustrated, angry parents calling mr byu president in provo worked.

 there have been some little miracles along the way...so say 

a little prayer her wednesday flight will not be tragically cancelled.
and a big make my heart feel good moment,
when i was chatting with chuck pinner on facebook...i asked him to say
a little prayer for her and he replied...
"already have".

apparently this same volcano, 

about a 100 years ago erupted and spewed volcanic ash for 2 years. 

maybe instead of a hotel, we should be looking into apartments, 

or better yet, maybe my little oc girl, with her two GIANT silver suitcases, stuffed with frilly,
brightly colored tops, designer jeans and hot pink headbands
can just bunk with some members of the local ward 

or stay at a youth hostel.

sounds so fun.

not.

still sulking

and probably will be for awhile.

were off...maybe not

to london town...

well...

woke up to horrifying, terrible news on gma.
photos of a huge black cloud billowing into the sky,
potentially moments away from paralyzing all future flights to europe.
however, not affecting MY flight, of course.

got to the airport, driven beautifully by my partner in la la land, sister stucki...because i just could not
accept the harsh reality that this was somehow happening to me.
i swear, if she and i ever take a vacation together, it would be like the 3 stooges.
we would be lucky if we ever arrived where we needed to go.
see, were both a little ditzy.
call us traumatized dumb blondes.
sounds like a lot of fun, actually.
maybe that would make up for this huge debacle.

when we got to the ticket counter (sister stucki still in the vicinity of the airport),
my heart was seriously stuck in my throat.
then, we were promptly turned away by a nice united ticket agent.
"all airports closed indefinitely in europe"
right then and there i realized that my luck had indeed completely run out.
shock quietly crept into my soul.
then disbelief.

then this awful yearning for some bad food.
sweet potato fries.
apparently wood ranch does not open till 4, so el torito grill
had to do the trick.
and i even ate the tortillas (i know, first bad carb in like a month).
and the mexican special appetizer, and a big plate of fajitas.
and more tortillas.
and even more.


and why on earth did some random volcano in iceland decide to erupt
on the glorious day i plan a much anticipated trip to london.
that sounds too, like such an oxymoron.
fire and ice?
sounds like a tacky vegas show.

so here i sit, at home, in my kitchen,
my bags still packed and propped up
behind my chair.
dont think i have the courage to unpack them.

i am sulking big time.

and i think i just might die. 

last minute madness

emma celebrating the day hers arrived...say a little prayer for hunter

nothing like leaving things till the last minute. 

hunters passport "should" arrive today via fed ex. 

we leave tomorrow at 8am. 

i swear im going to die from all of the stress...

10:07am.
knock on the door...
there is a God.

silver shadow

this is my boy, otherwise known as my shadow...

i see this beautiful face, every second of the day...

until i get a suitcase out...

then he gets this worried look in his eyes...

then he sulks and sometimes hides...

i actually miss him when i am gone.

miss him following me everywhere. 

even into the bathroom and waiting for me patiently while i shower. 

i am so lucky, or should i say blessed.

long line

so i come from a long line of talented, free spirited artists, and math/science brains. 

the combination is fascinating.

this is my very talented nephew, who lives in oregon with his very darling family. 

and i remember him as a wide eyed toddler, his skinny, 

bow legs hanging out of a saggy cloth diaper.

micahhenrie.com

mapquest vs weather.com

so i wanted to check the weather for our trip to london. 

simple enough.

typed in the appropriate website and started plugging the 

 information into the little rectangle boxes.

a first grader can do this.

it wasnt working, 

so i saw a little box that asked if this

request was for europe. i clicked the box, and kept waiting

for this website to retrieve my weather information.

for some reason it still wasnt working.

because i was on mapquest.

duh.

i think i am officially losing my mind.

im a wimp, for sure.

you know, im not an animal activist by any means.

my heart does ache, however if i hear of any animal abuse whatsoever.

cant watch any movie or tv show where animals are harmed or in danger.

those slaughterhouse videos, i have nightmares over.

and the fact that toby is the product of a puppy mill makes me angry.

i have told myself over and over, that buying him, probably saved him.

if i hadnt come, and rescued this gangly half grown puppy when i did (he was even half price),

hed be stuck in a dirty cage and used as an abandoned, used stud dog.

similar to his own father, an un-socialized wreck of a weimaraner, 

banished to an outdoor, lonely prison.

now i am depressed.

call me a wimp.

so i read an article in the paper today.

still chickens are being crammed into tiny cages,

expected to lay a certain amount of eggs.

i understand chickens arent that smart...

but they still deserve a little respect.

after all they are Gods creatures, masterfully designed

to provide a nutritional little gem packed with 

loads of valuable protein. 

a wonder in itself.

so i challenge you to buy cage free eggs.

maybe if enough people get on board, we

can save even a humble few, miraculous

creations of a very all knowing God.

london bound

it's official. 

and this will be our home away from home for exactly 6 days, 5 nights

in the beautiful city of london. 

so excited i can hardly breathe.

get to bring home my girl too.

had the lovely experience of booking this trip

with a woman from south africa or guana or somewhere

like that. could hardly understand a word she said, 

and she kept getting her "g's" and her "j's" mixed up when 

giving me confirmation numbers.

let's just hope we dont end up somewhere else.

so frustrating...and all this was taking place at 10pm.

way past my bedtime.

and a big cross your fingers that hunter's rush passport cooperates.

we were literally running around the city of riverside yesterday,

(the 3 of us, because BOTH parents are required to sign in their presence)

trying to get the 101 pieces of official documentation

ready to send to san francisco by 4:30.

love it when the nice passport lady looks at you calmly at 3pm and says you

have the wrong birth certificate.

i guess the word "abstract" is a deal killer.

luckily craig saved the day, and ran to the

next building over and retrieved the correct one.

a miracle in itself.

nothing like living on pins and needles,

hyperventilating the whole entire time.

actually worried about the 10 hour flight too.

hope i can sit still for that long.

i wonder if i can take a tylenol pm.

i need a good book.

full circle

my dresses have found their rightful home. 

this photo needs no explanation. 

the smiles on their faces tell the story.

makes my heart sing.

koinsforkenya.org

cross your fingers

hopefully hunter and i will be here in about a week and a half.

found the bunny

still hiding easter baskets after all of these years. 

and will probably be doing it till i die. 

love easter and all it stands for. 

renewal. 

we all need a little renewal.

a fresh start once in awhile. 

and what a perfect heavenly being to lay it all in our laps. 

now, if we could just drink it all in. 

i know im going to try.

hope you find your bunny.

swimming seniors

had an official photo shoot yesterday. 

the senior swim boys. 

pretty cute bunch of guys.

one day hunter will be there...sooner than i think.