Coming into myself

Who would have thought that finally in my forties I'd start to feel comfortable in my own skin?  That I'd lose some inhibition and go for things I want?  Well I never would have predicted it but so far in 2014 I have sang and danced in the musical Aida with a great cast.  Me?  Dancing? On a STAGE? in front of an AUDIENCE?  Well it happened for real!  This is me, in the center right under the guy standing up on a platform in the back.

And I have worked on 3 short films so far in 2014, as an actor in one of them and Producer on all of them.  One more to go and I will be acting and producing in that one as well.  I have an IMDB page - for real!  :)  My IMDB page is HERE!

And yesterday I actually auditioned for a lead part in a musical.  I was nervous and felt a bit silly trying out (many, many child parts and I was the only adult who auditioned yesterday more tonight).  BUT I nailed it, I really did.  My singing was right on the money and I read for the part I wanted and did very, very well I believe.  So now I am hoping no one better shows up for tonight's auditions.  I want this part, yes I really, really do.

So yes the things that most people are doing in their 20's finding themselves and expressing themselves and being all artistic, well I'm doing it now.  In my 20's I was too busy working 3 jobs trying to make ends meet to be artistic.

Don't worry if I get the part you will know for sure as I will shout it from the mountaintops to anyone who will listen.  :)

So what do you do....

When you are semi-depressed and tired of being stuck at home because you don't have time to go anywhere good and even if you do take an overnight you will have to pay hundreds of dollars and find someone to take care of your dogs?

Well we found a way to weekend for much less money (eventually - obviously start up costs are steep on this endeavour) and take the dogs with us. We bought a small camper. We started out looking at pop-ups but really they were too much like tent camping to me - sure off the ground but lots of tent to be cold and damp and wet if it was raining. Then we saw this:

And we wondered - can our truck pull this beauty? So we asked and as it turns out yes, yes it can! We looked at several models - some with slide outs that gave a bit of floor room but that were several feet shorter overall, we decided on the 24' with no slide out and can't wait to hit the road on June 3rd for our first camping trip.

This is the view from the entrance looking toward the front of the trailer.

This is standing by the bed and looking toward the entrance.

It is perfect for 2 people and has plenty of floor sleeping room for 2 big dogs. We can't wait to hit the road with it and give it a try.

My new love...

It's a boy, 11 weeks old, 25 lbs. Cute as can be. He needs a name, so far some contenders are Jackson, Tristan, Indiana (as in Jones), Luke, and we are looking for more suggestions - so far nothing really fits him. Naming Xavier took us 5 minutes and we both loved it and agreed, but this pup is not so easy. Many have suggested Max, it could be an option too.

p.s. we decided on Max and he already comes to this - he is a great pup. I <3 him so much.

Happy Halloween!

Things you see in a small town...

So far I really am enjoying my new job - I am out and about 95% of my time in my car driving from business to business asking for advertisements. My success rate is low but I'm just starting out and many of these people will make me do face time - I will have to see stop in to see them week after week after week before I may be rewarded with their advertising. I can handle that.

So in my travels the last two weeks here are some strange things I've seen:

• A man with a fishing pole sitting on a bench on main street, as I walked by he winked at me and I said "catch anything?" and laughed - his reply "maybe - you are the first nibble I've had all day" LOL!
• Today was 75 degrees out - a beautiful sunny warm fall day - there was the lady in the down parka walking along main street.
• A few days ago saw a guy mopping the sidewalk in the middle of the bridge over the river, no water or bucket just him and a mop swirling it around on the concrete. Weird.
• There is the guy who drives his riding lawnmower around town, have seen it parked at the bank, the diner, the grocery store, yep AWESOME!
• And today I saw a woman in a motorized wheelchair laden down with bags of laundry and a basket of laundry in her lap, she could hardly see around it all as she drove up main street toward the laundromat.

Yes you indeed see some very odd sights in small towns.

Coming Soon to My Backyard

So I decided that it's time to get something I really want, something I have wanted for YEARS. We had the money and I decided a pool was more enticing than a 7 day cruise and long term I'd get much more enjoyment out of it. So sometime in the next few days this is going to be installed in my backyard.

I see pool parties, afternoons floating with a book, maybe a suntan (or maybe not?) and hours of fun. And for years to come I will LOVE my pool.

New Friends...

So yesterday's post was about an old friend (well 5ish years) that disappointed me recently BUT today's is about a new friend that I'm coming to count on more and more.

We met about a year and a half ago at church. She's quite a bit younger than me (12 years to be exact as she shares my birthday) but we have similar interests. She really pursued me for friendship asking me to lunch, to go shopping, to hang out, and this was kind of new for me. Usually I'm the one that makes the effort. She told me she's never really had many close friends which is hard to believe as she is funny, smart, talented, beautiful, and more. Being around her made me feel my shortcomings more acutely at first until I realized that she doesn't see them. She truly likes me for me and has no expectations that I should change to be more like her (I wish I could).

Her husband grew up with a similar background to me - Christian School, Christian College, Church, Youth Group, Sheltered for sure. So we have a bit of a bond there - he's a great guy and he and my husband get along well. They talk about video games and music and sports and things guys talk about. My husband really likes him a lot which is an amazing plus. We have couple friends something that we have never really managed to do.

Having them in our lives is good for us, hopefully we are good for them too. I know that despite our lack of talent they do aspire to be more like us financially - home ownership specifically. :) Right now they rent an apartment in her parents house and it's good but they do want to buy their own place some day.

And when I say talent I mean TALENT - they have a band that is amazing and write all their own music. She is a former dancer (10 years in a company) and now has her own dance studio that she teaches classes for ages 2 to adult. She sings in the band, she plays violin, guitar, piano, she teaches voice. She draws, paints, sculpts, sews, and more. There isn't anything she can't do. Her husband is a fantastic guitarist - he is teaching my husband how to play. And he's making progress, my husband who has difficulty retaining new information is actually learning and can now read music and play some basic stuff on his guitar. Now that is TALENT to be able to get him to retain this stuff.

So these are our fantastic new friends - even our dogs are friends! They have a yellow lab too and the two dogs LOVE to run and play together.

My greatest fear in this friendship? Someday they will have a baby and my guess is all this will change dramatically. Guess we'll see.

Le Meow...

This is Felix - thankfully he is a sweet, cuddly and forgiving cat. We were bored on Monday and I found a Sharpie. Nuff said.

Mustache is already gone today, he furiously washed his face all night I think? :)

Remembering the good old days...

I spent this weekend at the NYS Fair in Syracuse, NY. Specifically I spent most of my time in the goat barn. As crazy as this sounds it is the site of some of my best memories as a teenager. From the age of 13 up I went to the NYS Fair every summer to show my goats and participate in the 4-H Youth activities there.

1988 was my most memorable year - I had made some very good friends and we all hung out together in a gang of sorts. We spent hours playing Pictionary in an empty stall or out in the aisles. We spent hours preparing for all the competitions, showmanship, confirmation classes. judging contest, and more. If you weren't a farm kid none of this will make sense to you but it was fun.

My closest friend there was Dan, he was also my biggest competition for the coveted showmanship trophy. He and I worked hard together to get ready but once we were in the ring for showmanship all bets were off. In 1988 I was 18 years old and had just graduated from high school. Dan was 19 and had just finished his first year at Cornell, it was his last year to compete in 4-H (because they use age as of Jan 1 to calculate eligibility). He wanted to win so bad he couldn't stand it. He had tried his hardest for several years and had several 2nd place finishes to show for it. He was sure this was his year to get his name engraved on that trophy.

The class began and friendships became secondary as we all went out there with one goal in mind - WIN THAT TROPHY!!!! It was a long class, with 20+ kids entered it took several hours to sort us all out and for the judge to make their decision. At the end of this long and grueling process when the judge is starting to make his placings he points to me for 1st place and my heart leaps for joy. And for 2nd place - AGAIN - for the 3rd year in a row, my best friend Dan. He was a gracious loser, he congratulated me heartily and he meant it. He kept his disappointment at bay and let me enjoy my win. He was the best kind of friend.

Since that day - for the past 20 years Dan has worked at the NYS Fair with the youth program. For many of those years he's been in charge of the program. I became a licensed judge and first in 2006 and again this year in 2009 Dan has hired me to be the judge for the youth show at the NYS Fair Goat Show.

On Saturday we were reminiscing about the good old days. Admiring the showmanship trophy which is still in circulation and has an engraved plate that lists my name and the year 1988 on it. Dan says to me "you know what I regret about those days?" and he had planned to go on and say something nice it was obvious but I threw out a one liner that had everyone around saying "good one" - I said "that you never got your name on that trophy?" and he was speechless. I feel a tiny bit bad but not too bad because that is the kind of relationship we've always had Dan & I. His wife loved what I said and high fived me.

What he had been planning to say was that he regretted not getting to know me sooner...

Awwww - I feel like a shit. :( but maybe not for long.

It felt like old times again, me and Dan trading one liners. All was right in my world for a few minutes and we were 18 and 19 again.

20 Questions

I'm stealing this from K13 at Someday I'll Get There - you should check out her blog!


1. Where did you go on your first airplane ride?
Just around the area - it was in my Grampy's single engine plane and I wasn't yet 2 years old! :)

2. What is your earliest memory?
I climbed over the fence to get out of my yard and then ran across the road to visit my aunt. It was a house we moved away from when I was 4 so sometime before then.

3. What was your second grade teacher's name?
Mr Case

4. What was the last thing you watched on tv?
Army Wives

5. My uncle once:
gave me some career advice I wish I'd followed

6. How long was your longest relationship?
Pete and I are coming up on 13 years right now

7. What do you want to be?
Secure, happy, at peace, employed

8. What was the last thing you received in the mail?
A $10 gift card to Red Lobster

9. If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?
I couldn't possibly just pick one and can't think hard enough to narrow it down this morning

10. Would you prefer 10 inches of snow or 100 degree weather?
I'd take the snow!

11. What is your homepage set to?
my iGoogle page.

12. Last 5 websites you visited:
Facebook, Google Reader, VBC's Blog, The Mantel, Twitter

13. Were you a planned baby?
yes

14. What do you believe is the meaning of life?
I wish I knew

15. What bill do you hate paying the most?
My mortgage - only because it is so big - LOVE that I own my home

16. How many schools did you attend through grade twelve?
three

17. The Cosby Show or The Simpsons?
I liked both

18. Three signs Summer is here:
humidity, heat, ice cream!

19. The last time you had your feelings hurt:
oh well that happens every day in this house

20. Who was your first best friend?
Margaret, we became BFF's in 2nd grade. She died from leukemia when we were 14, it was a defining moment in my life.

Top Thrill Dragster...

This is a roller coaster at Cedar Point - the best amusement park in the USA at least - with 13 roller coasters and a great many more THRILL rides. I spent the day there yesterday with two of my long time friends and my husband. The Top Thrill Dragster is a "strata coaster" this thing shoots you out at 120 mph in 4 seconds, then you go straight up (90 degree angle) for 400 feet and over the top and twist back down. The entire ride is over in 17 seconds. I said "NO WAY IN HELL AM I RIDING THAT THING" in fact I've been saying that for weeks. My husband echoed my sentiments - just too much. So spending the day with my best friend Jackie we somehow decide sure we are going to ride this. Jackie and I often do things together that neither of us would do alone.

So we got in line and talked for the 45 minutes we had to wait, me with my back to the actual ride and trying to ignore it. I didn't want to think about what I was about to do. YIKES. We got up close and I started getting nervous. We got in the car and I was really nervous. Pete and my other friend Crystal who were too chicken (or too smart maybe?) to ride were watching from the sidelines and laughing at me as I closed my eyes and held on for dear life.

It shot us out of there and in 4 seconds we reached 120 miles per fucking hour! I clenched my jaw and thought about opening my eyes and suddenly I was coming back down the other side - STRAIGHT down and my eyes opened just as we leveled out and came to a stop. Yep I rode it - maybe next time I'll keep my eyes open? :)It was a hell of a ride.

Monday...

So today begins my 3rd full week not working. The first week I relaxed, took the dog for walks, watched TV, slept a lot. The 2nd week I babysat for my nephews - more work than work ever was and they wore me out but I had a great time too and how could I not when seeing this face every day:So this week will be a busy one - today I have a list of chores to accomplish:

1. Clean the cat litter boxes
2. Take out the trash
3. Do 4-5 loads of laundry
4. Clean the kitchen
5. Clean the living room (including behind and under the sofa where one of my cats found a mouse yesterday! EEEEEK)
6. Vacuum the entire house

Tomorrow I have more chores:

1. Get the tires rotated on my SUV
2. Get the oil changed on my SUV
3. Go to petsmart for more cat food and cat litter
4. Take hubby for his Tysabri infusion at 1pm
5. Pack up everything needed for trip to Ohio on Wednesday

Then Wednesday we will be up early, driving to Ohio. It's about 8 hours to where we are going. Thursday will be spent with two of my best friends and my hubby and we will be pretending to be young and adventurous at Cedar Point. Friday starts my husband's 25th class reunion - there will be drinking on Friday night. Saturday is my mother-in-law's 70th birthday party during the afternoon and then the big event for hubby's reunion in the evening. Sunday is recovery day. Monday we drive home.

So I'm going to be working hard this week too - but in preparation for some fun times.

Not cut out for the mommy gig...

I spent today with my nephews - the oldest is nearly 6, the younger is 21 months. To say these boys wore me out today would be an understatement!

We started out with breakfast - Cheerios EVERYWHERE is a good description. Then we got dressed and watched some Baby Einstein. Then outside we went for some good yard play and swinging. Back in to pack a lunch and take the oldest to swimming lessons, then an hour and a half in the play park trying to get them to eat lunch. 1pm open swim at the pool and I FROZE while they played in the water. The older had a few whiney fits - the younger learned how to say whiney - love the way he copies everything I say! LOL Luckily I didn't say something I wouldn't want his mom to know I said! LOL

To prove how bad I am at the mommy gig - I forgot to bring a clean diaper for the younger one so we had to drive home with his wet swim diaper still on. Then I also forgot the older one's dry shorts and undies so he also drove home in wet shorts. Yep I am the model aunt, but not such a good mommy.

Baby took a nice nap but then woke up screaming. He was super snuggly and clingy for the next hour which was actually pretty nice - nothing sweeter than a baby snuggling up to you.

So I'll be trying to do this again tomorrow, and Thursday, and Friday.

Vacation Tales... (with photos)

This is the beach house we were renting, it was very, very nice!


This is as close a shot as you are going to get of me in my bathing suit:




The famous corona shot:



Me sneaking a kiss between shots while playing pool on Friday night:


The annoying friends:


So there you have it - my vacation in pictures!

Where I get my childish ways...

This is my dad - he is 62 years old and last week he was having a blast riding a merry-go-round. I take after him in most ways - my tendency to worry too much, my tendency to shoot off at the mouth, my tendency to feel insecure and insignificant, but also the good things, my sense of humor and my ability to have fun anywhere I go.

I know Father's Day is a few weeks away still but I got this picture tonight and I just wanted to share my daddy's fun picture!

A Friday MeMe .....

Stolen from Remember Moments a little meme action for a Friday:


What is your best friend's name?
Julia

Where is the weirdest place you have a mole?
I don't have any moles

Who was the hottest teacher you ever had?
Never had any hot teachers

Have you ever made out in a movie theatre?
Unfortunately yes

What body part do you wash first?
I always start with my hair and work down.

Do you hover over the toilet in public bathrooms?
Nope

What's the strangest talent you have?
I have a Sorority Girl talent - can tie a cherry stem in a knot with my tongue. I thought that might impress you! ;-)

Do you have an innie or an outie?
An Innie THANK GAWD - outies are *shudder* creepy!

What's your favorite flavor of Pringles?
Cheddar or Sour Cream & Onion.

Have you ever been tied up?
No

Do you want to be?
I'll try anything once.

What's the last thing you got grounded for?
Far too long ago to even have a clue.

Do you parallel park or drive around the block?
I am a champion parallel parker!

Have you ever had two dates in one night?
Maybe?

Which shoe do you put on first?
Whichever is closer - probably right.

Have you ever been to a gay bar?
Nope - but I would go!

Is there one thing all of you love interests have in common?
They were all men but that's about it.

Did you French kiss before you were 16?
Nope

Have you ever been cow tipping or snipe hunting?
Not officially! Cow tipping was discussed a time or two. Snipe hunting is a way of stranding some dumb city kid in the woods cause there's no such thing as a snipe! :)

Who is the last person you usually think about before you go fall asleep?
Depends - probably Pete most of the time.

Have you ever had a poem or song written about you?
Yes a poem once - it was terrible.

If you had to choose to not ever wash your bed sheets again or not wash your bath towel ever again, which would you rather not wash?
Hmmm - not sure I can pick here - I guess towel and then I'd start drip drying! ;-)

Have you ever found anything in your parents' bedroom that was questionable?
Nope

What was your childhood nickname?
Tricia - although in high school some guys started calling me Patio cause they knew I hated it and there were ad's on then for a brand of burrito's called patio burritos. Yeah good times.

When was the last time you played air guitar?
Never? I was always the singer! :)

Have you peeked in the opposite sexes locker room?
Peeked? No not me - I just walk right in and then panic cause I'm in the wrong one!

What's the weirdest thing you've done while driving?
Changed clothes.

Have you ever been on the computer for more than 5 hours straight?
Every day

How do you eat your cookies?
Is this a trick question? How many ways are there to eat cookies?

When working out at the gym, do you wear a belt?
No?

Name something you do when you're alone that you wouldn't do in front of others?
Tweeze those crazy hairs that just show up on your chin overnight!

How many drinks does it take before you get drunk?
A few - as in 3-4

Have you ever sniffed an animal's butt?
Nope

Do you scrunch or fold your toilet paper?
Fold

How many times a day do you pick out a wedgie?
Never

Do you have any strange phobias?
Can't sleep with closet doors open.

Have you ever stuck a foreign object up your nose?
Probably as a child - don't all kids do this? Not since I remember let's put it that way.

What is the stupidest thing you've ever done at a bar?
Sing karoke songs all night long

Have you ever been dared to do something that you totally regretted?
No one dared me to do most of the things I regret.

Have you caught a guy/girl farting on a date?
Sure?

Have you ever played naked Twister?
Not officially

Have you ever been drunk at work?
Yes in my 20's I sometimes went to work STILL drunk. :)

Do you want to bring sexy back?
Where did it go?

Pay it Forward - Giveaway!

I got this from An Eclectic Pagan and it sounds like fun!

The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me. This offer does have some restrictions and limitations so please read carefully:

1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make
   
2. What I create will be just for you
3. It’ll be done this year (2009)
4. I will not give you any clue what it’s going to be
   
5. In return, all you need to do is post this text into a note/post of your own and make 5 things for the first 5 to respond to it.
6. Please send your mailing address to tricia.mswalk@gmail.com
   

IMPORTANT: This offer is null and void if I do not see you post your own note to pay this forward.

What happens in Vegas...

Should definitely stay in Vegas! Unless you are me - then you do crazy things in Vegas while on business trips with co-workers and it becomes the stuff of legends by the time you get back to the office.

Before I start with the story let me tell you that this happened in November 1997 when I was hopelessly young and desperately single.

I worked for the textbook publishing company and was in Las Vegas for some giant trade show that catered to teachers who by the way are insanely crazy people when not torturing little children with said textbooks. I had my own room at the Las Vegas Hilton and was there with approx 10 of my co-workers the majority of whom were also in their mid to late 20's and ready to party for the entire 5 days we were there. Traveling to Vegas on an expense account is great - fabulous dinners, free flowing booze, free room, and only 6 hours a day that I was expected to be "working". We started out strong with about 3 hours of sleep on the first night and it only got worse from there! We stayed up until the wee hours riding roller coasters, watching fountains erupt, pirate ship shows, wandering around picking up random cards from hookers (to see who could get the most) and doing everything but gambling (we were all rather poor and gambled away our spare change on day 1).

By the last night there I think I had a permanent blood alcohol level of WASTED. We went to the Motown Cafe for dinner - a group of about 8 including one single sales rep that I had an amazing crush on. I started out with Top Shelf Long Island Iced Tea in a 23oz Beer Glass (souvenir of course) and things just went downhill from there. The place was HUGE - had to be about 300-400 people packed in there and it was karoke night! I don't know if I've ever mentioned it but when I'm drunk I fancy myself to be quite the diva and it didn't take much for my friends to convince me that I should TOTALLY sign up and sing. After my 2nd 23 oz Top Shelf Long Island I was able to drag my tongue off the table long enough to agree with them but not long enough to pick a song but never fear - my friendly co-workers took care of that for me.

About an hour and a 3rd drink later I heard my name over the speakers - WHAT? Why were they calling me and more importantly how did I get on this stage and were those fuzzy blobs out there really people staring at me? Then the music starts and the words are on the screen in front of me - a microphone is in my hand and I start singing - I Will Always Love You - the Whitney Houston version. I was starting to sober up - I think it was the adreneline - and I was horrified. I stumbled through and finally exited the stage by missing the last step and falling flat on my face, thankfully my co-workers dragged me up and out and thank GOD I didn't have to go back to the table. They all told me I sang beautifully. I'm sure they all lied through their teeth, I could hardly hear the music, I was barely able to stand, and the words kept blurring before my eyes.

As we exited the restaurant there was a vintage convertable behind velvet ropes filled with wax dummies of the Four Tops I think? A nice big sign said "DO NOT TOUCH" and somewhere there is a picture of me laying across the hood holding the sign in my teeth. Unfortunately I am no longer in possession of said picture (I might have burned it?) but it made the rounds at my office along with the entire brutal story once I got back. Sexy sales guy I had a crush on avoided me like the plague after my performance and I have a vague recollection of perhaps dedicating the song to him?

There are reasons why I don't drink like that anymore (other than wanting to keep my liver) and the desire to avoid complete and utter self humiliation is at the top of the list! If you want further proof of why I shouldn't drink - try reading this one.

Thankfully just about 3 weeks after this crazy week in Vegas I met my now husband and my life started to settle down.

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A Recipe - Jose Cuervo Christmas Cookies

Jose Cuervo Christmas Cookies (not going to post this one on 2 Hot Dishes)


Ingredients:

1 cup water
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup nuts
2 cups dried fruit
1 (750 ml) bottle tequila (Jose Cuervo or your other
favorite brand)



Directions:

1. Sample the tequila to check quality.
2. Take a large bowl; check the tequila again to be sure it is of the highest quality.
3. Pour one level cup tequila and drink.
4. Turn on the electric mixer.
5. Beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl.
6. Add one peastoon of sugar.
7. Beat again.
8. At this point it's best to make sure the tequila is still ok, so try another cup just in case.
9. Turn off the mixerer thingy.
10. Break 2 leggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit.
11. Pick the frigging fruit off the floor.
12. Mix on the turner
13. If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaters just pry it loose with a drewscriver.
14. Sample the tequila to check for tonsisticity.
15. Next, sift two cups of salt, or something.
16. Who geeves a sheet.
17. Check the tequila.
18. Add one table.
19. Add a spoon of sugar, or somefink.
20. Whatever you can find.
21. Greash the oven.
22. Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall over.
23. Don't forget to beat off the turner.
24. Finally, throw the bowl through the window, finish the quetila and make sure to put the stove in the wishdasher.
25. Cherry Mistmas!

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It's the little things...

Yesterday was a bad day. I was down for sure, having some issues at work with clients and just bumming all around. I went home not in the best of moods but knowing that I had dinner in the crock pot at least made the evening something not to dread.

When I got home my husband got off the couch and gave me a hug. We talked, we laughed a little. I made some mashed potatoes and corn to go with the roast in the crock pot. We had a nice dinner.

After dinner we watched Mama Mia! And my bad day dissolved away as I laughed, cried and sang along. This scene in particular made me want to get up and dance with them:



I explored the special features which allow you to jump right to a song and I watched this scene again. And then I watched this one which also makes my heart sing along:



I know I'm a dork but I <3 ABBA and I don't care who knows. Thanks Mama Mia for turning a shitty day into a nice evening!

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