Something I Learned on a Morning Walk

I meant to post this last month, when it actually happened but you know how life goes.  Also, I pretty much just forgot about it until this morning.  

So last month I learned something I felt important to share with my two readers.  

Don't.

Look.

In.

Other.

Peoples.

Truck-beds.

Seriously, do not do it. 

We were walking our normal morning route and I just happened to glance into someone's uncovered truck bed.  There was a carcass there.  There may have even been more than one.  I don't know. I couldn't process what I had seen.  I didn't stop, I didn't do a double take, but there is no doubt there was a carcass back there.  David and I guessed deer, and maybe a rabbit or some other smaller animal.  They were both skinned.  Once seen, it cannot be unseen.  Lesson learned.  If you don't want to potentially see some really weird shit, do not look in peoples uncovered truck beds.   

Hard to be Back

Jeep at Pilot Butte

I had the best intentions of trying to blog while we were in Bend, but it was just so lovely there...and I didn't even have the slightest itch to pull out my laptop.  So I didn't.  We had a lovely time, and did take some pictures.  I'll try to work on getting some of those up in the next few days.  I think right now I'm just missing it too much.  Did I mention we had a really lovely time?

It's Been a Year Since This Happened....

My nose piercing!

I get excited about really silly things, I'm easily amused.  I can't believe a whole year has gone by since this event occurred!  I still love it.  Thank you to my husband who puts up with my weird needs, and thank you to the Crimson Cohort for accompanying me on the adventure last year.  

Ender's Game

I am a pretty crazy reader.  I go through these insane bursts of reading where I go through books like chocolate and wine.  Then I have my quiet periods where I just can't get into a book, like all my reading ability has been drained and I need to wait for it to recharge.  I just came out of one of those quiet periods and am once again devouring books.  I am on Goodreads, which I have been horrible at updating.  I think I was trying to blog reviews here, which I was also horrible at doing.  Sometimes I just don't have words after I have finished a book, and sometimes rather than letting the books sink in, I dive into the next and the previous book is usually forgotten (well, not really fresh enough for me to blog/review anymore).  David and I just read a book together, and I think it's still fresh enough to write about.  I'll try not to be too spoiler-y, but I can't make any promises.  David-you can add to this if you feel so inclined. ;)

So the book we just finished was "Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card.  I read this book a really really really long time ago.  Long enough that I really had zero memory about what happened and it was like I was reading it for the first time.  It is a science fiction novel, which is right up my alley.  It takes place on earth, briefly, and in space (yay!).  We follow Andrew "Ender" Wiggin though his journey, and the side stories of his siblings Peter and Valentine Wiggin.  These children, and I do mean children, are incredibly (frighteningly) talented.  Earth is in a sort of holding state on the cusp of war with the "Buggers", and children are being bred and groomed to be the army that goes to war.  The result is some incredibly aggressive, mean and chilling children.  In Ender's family, his siblings were not chosen to follow the path he was. His brother Peter made me think of Mike Meyers as a young lass (but school smart).  Valentine wasn't abusive, but she was manipulative.  Most of the book is told through Ender, except for some snippets from those shaping the youth of that day.  We follow Ender through his training, and how he perceives his world, and the actions of others around him and to him.  It wasn't entirely easy to read because of the things that happen, especially when you remember it's happening to children, many of which are not even in their teens yet.  The manipulation and abuse was frightening.  I would relate my emotions reading this book, not unlike what I felt watching Hunger Games (and I will point out I have not actually read Hunger Games, I have only watched the movie).  Different plots, but both terrible scenarios.  Having said that, I still feel Ender's Game was a good book.  It was thought provoking and even if it made me feel icky, I'm still thinking about it.  If I'm still thinking about it, it was a good book.  Hope I didn't give anything good away, I tried to be generic.  Actually now that I've written this I feel like I should give Hunger Games a read.  Especially since I will see the Ender's Game movie after it's come out on DVD.  

Wish We Were Here....

This is a sunset shot from from our first stay at our new beach getaway.  It's still so new and special I won't even share the name, maybe after our next stay (and we have a few more stays planned before the end of the year).  Our first time here was so relaxing.  We had an amazing room, it was lovely inside and very comfy.  This was our view from the balcony.  We spent a lot of time the first night just sitting outside on that balcony absorbing the ocean.  We had a bottle of wine (or three) and just talked and took in the view mother nature gave us.  That first night, we left the window open and piled quilts on the bed-it was the best nights sleep I had had in ages.  We came home from the lovely weekend recharged and refreshed.  When I close my eyes and go to my happy place, this is my view.  Wish we were there...

Puppy

So, it's been awhile since I've posted any Riley photos. Here is our lovely beast-cranky as ever!

(she is clearly pleased about me taking her picture)

New Addition!

Well, it was really a new addition last month...now it is an official part of the family!  Meet Jeep:

Pretty sexy huh?

David has wanted a Jeep for, well, a really long time.  It was nice to be able to get him into is dream vehicle, especially since thanks to him I've been driving mine for almost 2 years now.  The sad side to this whole deal was we said good by to Truck.  Truck has gone many places with us and there are many fond, and traumatic (what happened on that crazy drive to Nebraska with the worst storm EVER stays with Truck) memories associated with our time together (and to be clear most of the memories are fond).  Truck:

Gone, but not forgotten.  Thanks for all the great memories! 

Now we get to make new fun memories and go on fun adventures with Jeep.  I'm looking forward to many adventures!

How Could I Forget My Lock!

It may be small, but I love it just as much as my larger pieces!  I got this beauty (once again from the one and only Alena Chun at Icon Tattoo in Portland Oregon) when David got his first ink.  Again, not the best of photos, but you get the idea!

Healed Crow Tattoo!

Look at that face!

This is my most recent piece from the wonderful Alena Chun at Icon Tattoo in Portland Oregon.  This one is a little longer than the owl, and harder for me to snap a full pic with my handy dandy iPhone.  I'll eventually do a post with nicer pictures of all my finished pieces.  For now, this is what I've got.  I believe this finishes up the bird tattoos (but one never knows).  Once again, I couldn't be more pleased with how it turned out!  On to the next... (October-yay!)

Healed Owl Tattoo!

I realize this isn't the greatest picture (the bottom is cut off), but considering I took it myself with my iPhone I feel pretty happy about it.  My owl is another fabulous piece by the one and only Alena Chun at Icon Tattoo in Portland  Oregon.  It took a few sittings, but it was worth every single minute!  I am so pleased with how it turned out.  On to the next! ;)

Meh

I look at this (neglected) blog (that I love) and realize what a boring person I am.  Okay, maybe not completely boring, but I look boring if I judge myself by this blog (which I do some days).  I hardly ever post, and when I do it's kind of a whiny post (like this one).

Maybe part of the problem is pictures, as in I used to take a lot more of them and would post them here along with the adventure behind them.  We are still going on adventures, I just haven't been taking pictures.  Then I wonder, why have I stopped taking pictures?  It's not because I hate having my picture taken (I do).  I don't hate our camera.  I usually don't mind dumping the photos to my laptop (but it is kind of a chore).  Have I really become that lazy?

We've had a few lovely trips to our new place on the coast and I didn't blog about it, or post pictures (except for a few on facebook).  I don't think I've even pulled the pictures off the camera.  Now, we are getting ready to go on another get away (YA *kermit flailing*).  I am going to try harder to post about this one.  

We've also been busy taking care of some things around the house (planned and then the unplanned).  I am so thrilled with the changes, I'm sad I haven't even blogged about those!

I just need to brush aside the lazies and get blogging about some of this stuff.  There may or may not be a onslaught of posts coming.