Grandma's getting younger

G-ma had her birthday today.  Sunday most of the family drove up to Oroville to start the pre-partying.  I got to see most my cousins and G-ma was more excited and happy than I have seen her in a long time.  She was absolutely glowing.

My grandma is amazing.

No one likes a bummed Rijel

Including me.  Which is why every time I feel it coming on, I try to fix it immediately!!!

Things that make me happy:

 Family

 More family

Love

Donk Magazine

Rhino vs. Donk

Pigs

Food

Coffee AKA Mocha

And amazing sunsets.

Roadtripping and re-gifting

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This is the plan for Wednesday - Sunday. It's approximately 2,800 miles and 2 complete days of driving under regular conditions. I'm completely stoked! It looks like it'll be snowing in Yellowstone most of the time we'll be going through it, but I've got chains and we're packing very, VERY warm. I'll also be crossing off 4 more states and finally having the West completed!

RE-GIFTING IS GRANDMA'S FAVORITE

A few years back Gma had come and done Christmas with us. We were all opening our gifts and when my turn came up I chose the gift from Gma. For whatever reason, the item I was opening up seemed familiar. Jeannie Mae looked over at what I'd unwrapped.

"Hey!!! Mom?!?! Isn't that the gift Den & I got you last year?!" Jeannie Mae exclaimed.

"Oohh...I don't know. Maybe. I give her now." Grandma says and points to me.

"You can't just do that."

"Oh. Why not? I no use it. I don't really like it anyway."

(Gma rules)

Jeannie Mae

My mom always amazes me.  Besides all the gifts that she's MAKING for everyone she knows, she also makes hats, scarves, headbands and blankets for the homeless.  This year, apparently she's also making things to give to the students at her school.

Between her and another lady at the school, they've pitched in and every morning before school starts, they put 20-40 items under the school's Christmas tree and the kids who get there early enough can have 1 item each.  I guess the idea is to get the kids to school on time, or even early.

Jeannie Mae is a saint.

Quality time with the Hirata family

After a day of hornswoggling and running errands...the day ended as most days should: at the bar.

Brandon's cousin is in town and his sister brought her downtown to hang out and get some real "family time" in.  Alissa and I got the pleasure of meeting their cousin and hitting up a few bars with them.  His cousin scored a free lighter, we played shuffle board (and I'm pretty sure his sister and cousin are hustlers), and got chicken softs.

It's sad when I think that tomorrow (technically today) while everyone's getting the weekend started, I'll be heading to work for my Monday.  Oh well, only one more month and then it's to sweet days off.

Christmas gifts are moving along pretty slowly; I really need to pick up the pace.  Gotta stop doubting any talent I think I might be in possession of and get the ish going.

Time for sleep.  I'm going to take advantage of being tired before 4am.

Today was.

Things that shouldn't be complicated are complicated.

This holiday weekend has been a little dreary.  I didn't realize I'd miss my family on Thanksgiving as much as I do now that the day is over.  The Thursday at the end of November has always been the one time the whole family made an effort to get together.  I want to hug my grandma pretty bad right now.

Things didn't quite work out the way I'd hoped today, but I have amazing friends with wonderful words and good timing.  I was happy far more than I was sad and laughed 98237542089 more times than I frowned and that's A LOT of times!!

What's there to be bummed about?  I have a Norton in Lincoln and a donk in my room.

PMA ALL DAY.

The game needed me

This "weekend" of mine has flown by.  With friends making coming in from out of town for the holidays, the baking and the xmas crafting I haven't had much time to sit around.  Gone are the days of being a cripple who does nothing.  It's a blessing and a curse I suppose.

Tuesday I got to craft in a group and it was amazing.  I hope it can be a more regular thing and not just a once.  Ever.

Wednesday I was supposed to go shopping, but decided I should sleep instead.  I never usually turn down shopping, as it IS one of my favorite past times, but I was tired.  Brandon comes and wakes me up about 40 minutes later to see if I wanted to ride motorcycles.  I couldn't go back to sleep so the two of us did about an 80 mile trip out to Lincoln and back.

Katie was in town and we went to dinner and then to the bar.  I had a ton of fun and chair danced a lot of the night.  There were quite a few people there and it was far from a dull evening.  I didn't get to bed until about 4.  I was very tired when I woke up at 9 to get to my folk's place to start baking.

Today I made 3 lemon meringue pies and helped with the pound cake Jeannie Mae made.  I ate so much I thought my stomach was going to explode.  I filled myself so full I didn't have much room for dessert, but...me being me, I shoveled it in anyway.  Fat kid status.  Brother and I got so full that once we sat down we were physically unable to get up.  It's a good thing I spent that 3 minutes working out on the rowing machine before dinner got started.  I showed that meal who was boss.  There were only 8 of us for dinner, which seemed awfully empty, but it was an extraordinary group of people that I was very happy to have close and share dinner with.  I can't think of a single Thanksgiving where the entire party could fit at one table.

Katie came over pretty late after visiting with her family and I drove her home.  I'm not looking forward to going to work tomorrow, but I am happy there won't be any traffic.  Gotta be happy about the little things, right?  Gotta keep that PMA until my new schedule come January!

Uptown got it's hustlers...

Bowery got it's bums.

Still one of my all time favorite songs.  Thank you, dad.

This is still one of my favorite Etsy items.

Yellow is still my favorite color and is still the color of my gma's house.

I still wish my folk's had a sandbox in their front yard and a giant wooden play structure.

Regardless of obvious animal cruelty issues, I still think it would be way sweet to own a pig with wings.

I've got to clean my room before Tuesday night.

My favorite blanket is still the one my mom crocheted for me when I was 15.

I'm happy to have received the cash money I was missing in the mail.

Stoked to pay off my dentist entirely.

Excited to have found my necklace with the sewing machine on it.

Need to make more time for working out my knee.

Need to make more time for crafting.

Need to make more time to turn into Betty Crocker.


Grandpa's birthday is coming up soon and I miss him dearly.  The holidays make me miss these two glorious, amazing people.

There's a war around the corner

with no guaranteed winner.
Don't think I'm all political...totally not.  Those are lyrics, don't be silly.


This is the week of domestication apparently.  I'm waking up at or before 8 every day and even making  breakfast.  I tried baking some pies at my house and I don't think it went so well.  They just didn't turn out as good as I'd hoped.  There's something about baking at my folk's place with mom's recipes that just makes everything turn out well.  I feel like I should redeem myself with pies baked at her house!!!  During this pie baking extravaganza I threw in a gluten free pie for Brother and Brother's wife...it looked better than I expected and Amy even said it tasted good.

Last night I also mastered the incredible cable stitch.  It was something I was a little intimidated to do.  I'd tried it once before and failed (probably because I didn't have a cable hook) and refused to try it again, UNTIL last night.  I sat around watching the tele with the 'rents and Jeannie Mae and I knit up a storm while Dennis Lee flipped through the channels and critiqued my cabling.  Hahaha...he just didn't know what they looked like before sweater-form.

I'm pretty impressed my stitches are as consistent as they are.  I'm not used to purling, so I don't think this is toooooo bad.  I see small flaws and I know gma would, but I wouldn't expect any less from a woman who's a self-taught knitter since the age of 5.

I've also got a craft day set up for next week and I'm EXTREMELY excited about it.  It feels good to have friends who are into needle arts to work on stuff with.

Domesticated?

This is the homemade wonton soup Alissa and I made for dinner.

These are the pumpkin pies that I made for dessert.

The wonton soup was a little salty, but it was still pretty delicious!  Especially for our first time ever making wonton soup...especially from scratch!!

The pumpkin pie may taste like crap because I totally forgot to add a can of evaporated milk.  I was doubling all the ingredients to make 2 pies...and so I've only got the one can in the mix.  Yikes!!!

I think I'll make bread soon too.  Sweet bread is the BEST!!!!  Plus quality time with Jeannie Mae!!!

Knees in the breeze

I got on a motorcycle today for the first time in over a year.  I took Suzi for a spin around the block and when I got back Alissa jumped on the back.  I'm not going to lie...it made me a little nervous to have someone on the back of the bike, but I would never put anyone's safety at risk.  It felt good being on a bike again.  REALLY good.

Once Alissa hopped on the back, Brandon, her and I hit the road and headed to my folk's place.  We made it to good old Rio Linda and made a vat of wontons.  I think we made enough of them for about 13 people.  There were only 5 of us.  Yikes.  So if anyone wants to come fry some left over wontons that may or may not be good (it's unknown at this point)...please let me know.

At my folk's place Alissa got on Brandon's bike and took it for a spin.  She's basically a natural.

My dad also took the bike for a spin.  I was extremely surprised he didn't come back and tell me it was "a piece of shit," but he did tell me it needs some work (which I already know).

After Alissa took off for 15 minutes, Brandon freaked out and got Suzi and went to find her.  Apparently she made it down to THE busiest streets in a 7 mile radius.  How she did this...I have no idea.  She made it back safely and we were all off again first to Scotty's and then to Kip & Mel's for ANTM Wednesdays.

The ride from Kip & Mel's back to our place was...cold.  I kind of forgot and luckily for me Kip had hooked me up with a good scarf for the ride back.  My neck was warm.  Sore from keeping my head up against the wind, but warm.  I forget all the small things about riding.  Like how much I should get a full face lego-man helmet or how good it feels to have my wrist hurt from pulling in the clutch.  These things are bothersome, but in a very, VERY good way.

There was no game of Shoot the Gap.  I'm still trying to keep the bike in my half of the lane...especially with someone else on the back.  Besides, I would never do something that dangerous.  I'm responsible?  Pshyeah right.  Before you get off congratulating me, I'll probably be playing that game in no time as long as weather permits.

I love my new gloves.  I love my cowboy boots.  I love my friends.  I love my parents.

Who listens to Dashboard Confessional still?

Oh...that's right.  Me.  Living 8 years ago all over again.  But it's sooooooooooo good!!!  Especially at 6am?  Maybe.

Even though I am half actively trying to get on a more "normal" schedule in the past week I've gone from waking up at 11am to waking up at 3pm.  Oops!

This week I've got PT and doctor's appointments I've got to be awake for, so maybe that will help out with my hours.  After waking up and getting ready today I took Brandon to school and after I picked him up I headed to Aunt April's for Monday night dinner.  It was good to see the family even though I didn't get a chance to mosey around and talk to everyone.

During dinner Jeannie Mae was telling me about the rest of Aunt Nelly's 83rd birthday party.  Apparently Mom told Nelly that her sister (April) said she was sorry for not making it out, but wanted to wish her a happy birthday anyway.

Aunt Nelly looked Mom in the face, hugged her and told her, "Well that's awfully sweet of her to do that.  But I don't think I'm going to remember it soon anyway!"

A little bit later Nelly tells Mom it was her 84th birthday.  A little while after that Mom hears Nelly tell someone else it was her 85th.  There she was...aging years right before our very eyes!!!  Nelly's wonderful and has an amazing spirit and sense of humor.  Especially toward her memory!

After I got home my friend Grant came over and we went to Temple and had delicious tea.  Afterwards we came back to the house and I did some crocheting before getting sucked in by the interwebz yet again.

I want to get tattooed soon.  I've got some ideas in mind.  It'll be a while before anything happens, but I'm okay with that.  Priorities.

Less than twenty hours.

Good ol' fashion nightmare

I have so many ideas and so many started projects I keep getting sidetracked by each of them.  I really want to get back into embroidery and have quite a few ideas I would like to come to life.  I also have the baby blankets I need to get done pronto as well as the scarf I'm working on.  Oh yeah...and the cap I've been working on since last year that will only take me about a half hour to finish.  I should probably stop buying yarn and use up what I've got.  I mean...it'd keep me busy for the next year or so.

This weekend went by pretty quickly...picking up Gma and visiting with friends were the extent of my activities.  I've been slacking on some of my exercises and know I need to get with it.  I need to actually make it to the gym and get on that stationary.  Come Wednesday I'll be at 75% and I need to make sure my knee and surrounding muscles are up for the challenge.  Do you know what me being at 75% means?  It means in JUST OVER 2 weeks I'll be WALKING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I can't remember the last time days drug on like this.

I got a call Sunday from an extremely excited friend.  He got the gift I had sent and LOVES it!  The gift was this fantastic robot painting done by my friend Adam.  He's fantastic and is working on a project called 100 Robots.  He's selling each robot for $10 postage paid...you can read more about it on his blog here.

When I feel more like typing I've got another amazing story of Gma fixing mistakes Jeannie Mae's made.  Otherwise, this week looks like it's filling up with errands to run including going to the DMV to get my license renewed.  Who knew you can't get into the bar with an expired license?!  I do now.  Oops!

Number six? Really?

Or am I just making mountains again?


For the past 2 weeks or so, as my knee has been catching and locking up on me, I've become more and more concerned with my healing...which has led me to small pity parties with only me in attendance.  Luckily, they only last as long as I am alone.  Once someone comes over (or home) or when I get messages  it usually cheers me up enough to not think about my knee.  I've got extraordinary friends and family.  Even when I don't think I seem like I'm putting out a Debbie Downer vibe, someone seems to know the right things to say or do.


The catching that's happening is obviously something deep inside my knee and it's cause enough for me to have called the doctor just before 5pm today.  Apparently he works pretty late and shows concern for his patients because I received a call back from him around 9pm.  Once I explained that my knee is now catching multiple times throughout the day and causing me pain on the regular he asked me to go in tomorrow morning so he can take a look at it.  He reminded me that there's probably not a whole lot he can do, especially from just taking a look at the outside of the knee.  We quickly talked about an MRI to check if we can see anything as far as progress goes.  He also indicated that it's possible he'll have to go back in arthroscopically.  Fortunately I still can't walk yet and arthroscopic surgeries are cake.  There would be little rehab for the procedure.


My gut feeling is that this surgery hasn't taken.  Wow.  Writing that down makes it real, doesn't it.  Maybe if I strikethrough that I still have a chance?  Ahhh...that feels a little better.  Still not quite reality.  


Other than that silly knee thing, today was fantastic.  I woke up late, got lunch made for me, was dropped off at PT and even though once I'd crutched home the doors were all locked, Brandon showed up soon after I had gotten there and let me in!!  I got great news earlier and I'm going to try to make it up to my grandma's on Friday.  She's a guaranteed "pick-me-up!!!!"  What else is a fantastic pick-me-up?!  


SHOPPING.
Handmade sweater jackets

I'll need these for my "uniform" for next year

I need these just because

This is funny and matches my wallet

Who DOESN'T want a mustache?

Upon my search of stuff for Jody and Amanda

I found things like this

But I can make things like this

But not like this. Link 80, go crazy.

Autumn is settling in quite nice

The weather today was beautiful.  I woke up early (for me anyway) for the second day in a row and went to breakfast at Vintage Cafe with Jack & Jill.  I got a delicious breakfast quesarrito (yeah...not quite a quesadilla and not quite a burrito) and tea for under $4!!!  The 3 of us got to sit outside and people watch and while Jack barked at other dogs, Jill and I conversed with ourselves.

After I made it back home, Jack (from Florida...not Jill's dog) came over to visit with Alissa and I before he heads home to the east coast tomorrow.  It was nice visiting with him while he was here!!!  I was able to talk Brandon into making elk chili for dinner and invited Jody and Amanda over to taste the scrumptiousness that B makes.  I also had some crane melon delivered which is almost gone already.

After reading The (not so) Little Things about banned books (including The Giver, which is still top 7...but probably only because I hardly read any more) I went and ordered up a couple books.  I'm actually pretty excited about them getting here.  I've actually wanted to read the past couple weeks and that isn't a feeling I've had in YEARS.  I ended up getting the 2 books by Lois Lowry that followed The Giver and I also got Scepticism, Inc.  Although I have absolutely no doubt that I will start all of these books (at separate times, of course), only time will tell if I actually finish them.

Tomorrow is physical therapy, pool time.  I'm hopeful that my knee won't lock while I'm in the water.  I AM looking forward to "walking."  I can imagine it will be the reason I will be excited to wake up in the morning.  

I think a miracle happened today.  A ton of things totally fell into place.  I got 5 robots from AdamD (check it and reserve yours: 100 Robots).  I communicated with ALL but 2 of my closest friends and BOTH brothers today.  I ate grapes instead of ice cream, cookies, brownies, yogurt or candy.  I had tea instead of coffee or a mocha.  I'm gonna keep that PMA and say tomorrow will have such treasures. 

Pawn Stars

New favorite show.  It's like Antiques Roadshow, but for dirty bikers and low ballers.  


Friday night I hit the porch and Saturday I ended up canceling on multiple people and stayed home since I had the house to myself.  I cleaned 90% of my room.  I washed all my clothes.  Working on the unfinished projects.  Also still working on getting out of this funk.  The roommates are helping with this...so are a multitude of other friends.


Today I went to breakfast with Brother, the usuals and Amanda for the first time in over 2 months.  Not only did I enjoy pretty good company, but I was also able to shop at Target and get heavy items since I had plenty of help around.  Later on in the evening I went with Brother to his and Brandon's soccer game.  They ACTUALLY won.  One of the guys on the other team was being a baby and getting all pissy because his team wasn't opening up for him.  So what'd he do?  He decided to get angry and physical.  Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with a physical game, but I DO have a problem with someone getting overly angry and going out on the field with a vengeance when it's not warranted.  


Now...I would have had no issues with him being extra physical with Brother had Brother done something to him first.  BUT he didn't.  This asshole had the ball and was getting mad at Brother for taking it.  Then taking it again.  And again.  So what's he do?  Once Brother has the ball dude throws his elbow into Brother's back and then throws his entire body.  Then I saw Brother take a tumble.  Dude can body check all day, I don't care.  But the elbow?!  What the frick?  I literally almost jumped up from the stands and ran onto the field.  Luckily, I saw Brother get up with a GIGANTIC smile on his face!!!


After soccer Brandon and I hit up Safeway for some ice cream.  He made me a secret recipe Hirata Family Shake.  It was pretty delicious.  Chris came over and shortly after Jack & Jill followed.  The two of them ALSO got to try out the Hirata Family Shake.  


OHHHHHHHHH yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!  I also got to talk to Nick who was IN ITALY!!!!  Well...via facebook chat anyway!  I'm so incredibly jealous of that man right now!!!  Galavanting around eating in Italy and peeping the Vatican!!!  


Two biggest reasons I miss walking: 
1) Motorcycles  
2) Traveling


Breakfast with Jill in the morning!!!

Tiiiiiiiired

Party time with Kevin, Melissa and the kids.  Party time with Scotty.  Party time with Jody & Amanda.  Party time with Jeannie Mae and Dennis Lee.  Party time with Jack & Jill and the porch.  Party time with Alissa, Kristin, Jack and 984572043 people I didn't know.  Party time with sweet tea.


I'm wiped.  Still jealous I'm not in another country and still on crutches.  Missing people who've moved away.  Thinking I need to call my grandma when I wake up, I'm becoming a terrible granddaughter.  Besides, she's got the most adorable accent and I miss her terribly.  Perhaps a trip to the hills is in the mix.  I'll have to see how my knee will hold up.  Probably not well enough...stupid thing still turns purple and my toes still get pudgy.  My knee still sucks.  I might be able to convince Jeannie Mae to go get grandma so I can hang out with her and talk yarn.


I need to get out of this funk.  I need to finish cleaning my room.  I need to do a massive amount of laundry.  I need to finish some in-progress projects.  I also NEED to get a pedicure.

4 desserts. 1 day.

I should've taken pictures of all the lovely treats before I devoured them, but I did not.


This weekend consisted of an epic urban adventure, the best of friends, porch sitting, delicious dinners, laughing until I cried, Shirley T's and making new tremendously fantastic friends!!


I'm growing more and more excited every minute about being able to stand up straight with two legs on the ground.  Come Wednesday I will hopefully make that a reality.  I miss standing up straight to put on make up, shower, talk to people, look in the refrigerator, etc.  These are things I generally took for granted.  Lucky for me, I've had to deal with this type of recovery in the past (not quite as bad before) and I took advantage of every walk, jump, skip, squat, shuffle, stair I could.


I think I might make it to the gym tomorrow to get on the stationary bike and try to work off 1/4 of one of those desserts.  Probably won't happen, but it's the thought that counts, right?!  RIGHT?!?!?!  Maybe I need the Scotty work out video instead so I can become a hard body.


Here's a pretty sweet picture of Brother, Grandma, Grandpa and I circa 2003.  Check out my super sweet double chin, thin eyebrows, long-ish hair and 15 extra pounds.  Grandpa LOATED taking pictures...I'm glad he was a good enough sport for this one (even if he wasn't looking at the camera).