A New Week

I got a new J-O-B, yay for me. (That was my sing-songy voice.)

I had been after something completely different initally, but with no hope of that working out, I went on a two hour interview week before last for a company that can make me some really good connections- for now and for the future-and can provide job security. I get a discount on a several number of things, including-yay for me- a certain type of vino. I start the week of the 18Th, and cannot wait- especially since my office will be about ten minutes from my casa. Ten minutes! I could even ride my bike there. (Yeah right, like I'd do that more than twice...okay, once).

Needless to say, the end of this year is looking to be super busy. With the new training for my job and Renaissance Faire coming up, I think every weekend until the end of the year is now booked. I can safely say to some people that I wont see them until next year- and it's only August.


Happy Tuesday, yo.

Flying the Napa skyway...

So Big A and I had reservations with The Hubbies (The Hubby and Hubby B) to go hot air balloon riding over the Napa Valley this weekend. We had put it off once before due to all the California fires, so we had been looking forward to it already for months. Wouldn't you know it though- we get rip-roaring shit-faced drunk the night before with my awesome in-laws. I think The Hubby said there were 11 empty wine bottled when he woke up. We also went through a small bottle of lemon cello. Ouch. The next thing I know (after dragging out of bed at 4AM), we were in Napa getting coffee while it was still dark. A 5.30 reservation comes awfully fast when you don’t go to sleep (read: pass out) until 3AM.

In case you didn't know, this is how you properly gear up to jump in a hot air balloon:

We made it there, still under the influence- with Big A yelling at me to stop blasting the iPod on my iPhone since she was pretty sure the other people in the van didn’t want to hear my music. So what if she was probably right- it was a really, really good song, dammit!

After almost landing on a homeless shelter’s roof, then ramming into the side of the hill (not to mention that the operator [instructor, pilot, WTF is he called?] decided to take a liking to Big A and pin her souvenir on her shirt himself, practically taking her nipple with him):

We landed in a lovely field covered in spiky weeds, and were whisked away to a champagne brunch. We do have some doubt on the validity of them being able to call it a brunch when it was before 8AM, and on any other day we would have guzzled down the bottomless mimosas, but were starting to become hung-over at that point, and all Big A and I could think about was bacon and spinach.

Big A had the great idea of a nap in what we deemed the “Audi Inn”. How odd would it be to see 4 adults sleeping in a car in the parking lot of a busy restaurant? We only got one knock on the window (that I remember), and it was a few of the other people that were in our basket- laughing at us. They asked what we were going to do after we ate, and I suppose they thought that Big A was joking when she told them we were going to sleep somewhere.

When the wine tasting commenced, we proceeded with being not quite sober, but not quite not (heehee), and sayings like “Code Click 47”, “it didn’t rock my shock”, and calling Rocky Mountain Oysters “Sweet Idaho Potatoes”. The important thing to remember here is that we thought we were SO funny. Since Big A’s Hubby was driving and as a result needed to remain sotally tober, I’m sure we weren’t as entertaining to him as we were to ourselves, but the vino made sure we didn’t care at that point.

This is us thinking we're cute, when in fact we're just drunk:

We made another trip to Castillo de Amorosa, and because Big A and Hubby B are wine club members, we felt super special when we were whisked away to our own private tasting room deep within the castle.

By the time we made it to dinner I think we were all fading pretty fast. I’m happy that The Hubby and Hubby B put up with the Big A and JL show…Not that they have a choice. I think it helps that we’re cute, not to mention that they’re married to us. Suckers.

Sewing 101

Although I admit to being sucked into certain TV shows, I hate waisting hours in front of a tube. So, I decided to teach myself how to sew.

Behold, the sewing station:

My mother-in-law decided a few years back that she should get a new sewing machine, I assume with every intention of using it- at least at some point. Years later it still sat completely untouched, mounted to a new sewing desk. After one of their moves it came to reside in our guest bedroom.

So there I sat, brand new sewing machine mocking me, while I kicked myself for never learning anything beyond simple tacking and mending. My grandmother was an *amazing* seamstress, and she made me countless garments. But did I do anything beyond watch? Nope. So I took my ass away from the TV and into the guest bedroom. After teaching myself how to thread my bobbin (or whatever it's called), I put the bobbin in the thingy and thread my needle, and I was ready. Here's what I managed:

Oh- yeah baby, it's a straight line. I rock. I even did a nice little corner and a few more lines. I think I need to work on keeping my line straight, but for the most part I felt my first self-taught sewing lesson went well. I think I'll play around with the different stitches and what-not for awhile- you know, maybe make a pillow case that probably wont fit a pillow properly, that kind of thing.


I'm a crafty bitch.

To Blog, or not to blog...

I have gone back and forth on creating a blog for well over a year- going as far as setting one up and posting an initial blog, only to come back and delete everything a week later. I have kept a diary/journal off and on since I was eight years old (honestly-I still have the damn thing and boy was my spelling atrocious! Oh wait- it still is!), writing constantly through my travels, and countless entries during a heart break or some tribulation. But now....Yeah, not so much.

One of the issues I have with blogging is that it's public. So- do I keep things anonymous (crazy spelling ninja...)? I guess not if I want any response to what I write. Maybe some-what anonymous? Don't drop any names, but those who are in the know will understand? Or do I keep it as a Weblog, updating those who I am unable to see with the goings-on of my oh-so-important life here in the middle of nowhere?

Maybe I'll try to find a happy medium. Oh- and hope that nothing comes back to bite me in the ass.