2009 Trip to Arizona

Temporary

This is a Windows Live Writer Interface. I’m just checking out how it works. 

I'm just putting this here cuz I don't know where else on the internet to put it. It's to help me track a humane treatment of farm animals bill in Congress.

My Brothers & Western Washington

Wow, it's been awhile. I've just been having too much fun.

I had a fabulous week with my brothers and their families -- just wonderful. I sure love them all and I feel really lucky to be close with them. It would take me too long to write down the whole experience, but suffice it to say I think we all had a wonderful time, including the kids. Carlos took Jamie, Mark and nephew Benny down some "epic" territory.

Below are a couple photos from the condos we all stayed at (Carlos' timeshare). It's a beautiful spot and great skiing 20 minutes away. They got a couple days of knee-waist deep powder, so I'm hoping they'll be back for more.

While they were here, Mom sent a most nasty letter about what a terrible person I am, but it hardly affects me at all any more. Just makes me sad she's still caught in her mental illness.

Massage biz is going great. I have just the right number of clients and chair massage gigs. And I'm still loving it.

Noah's learning to snowboard! And he's going to Special Olympics swim practice once a week. He got a text phone and he's really impressed us with how coherent he is. Much better than handwriting.

Chickens are doing great. Goat will come, but the class isn't for awhile. Jack and Blacky are still as dear as ever.

Carlos caught 2 squirrels this weekend, so we had it for dinner last night baked with risotto and mushrooms we picked. Mmmmmmm, delicious.

We still go to the gym a lot together, walks around the lake, just a lot of quality time with the love of my life and I'm very happy about it.

Margot, Carlos and I are going to see Etta James at the Paramount in February, on Margot's recommendation (we like her too, but Margot's really crazy about her.) So here's some Etta James music.

I think you can click on these photos to see them enlarged - and they are much prettier that way. All for now. XO

Snowy Birthday, White Christmas!

.

Wow, what a packed couple weeks. It started on my birthday with a few snowflakes and ended on Christmas day with a total of 14-16" in our yard. Carlos and I did some fantastic night sledding (Noah was too sick to sled.) I had a wonderful birthday with my lover. This year he got me books -- he knows me so well, they are all exceptional books (spirituality, small is beautiful, mushrooms, addiction & grace) and I'm almost swallowing them whole. And also a high-tech coat I was needing badly (and would never buy for myself). It is Northwest Chic, and I was toasty warm yesterday throughout the downtown windstorm I had to walk in.

We did Christmas Eve at Carlos' folks' and it was lovely as always. Christmas Day was the best ever. And the kids didn't go to their mom's until noon so we had a nice leisurely morning with wild huckleberry pancakes before Carlos and I went to mass at St. James Cathedral (wow, what a beautiful cathedral and it was a lovely service too.)

We are readying for Jamie and Mark's visit out to do a week of skiing up at Mt. Baker. They arrive Thursday and I can't wait!

.

Here are some photos from the last few weeks. (Apologies for the quality -- they are only really posted to prove I was on a sled on a steep hill ; )

Carlos headed down the hill below me.


Mel on Shredder Sled


Carlos sledding down towards me.

Mel, Blacky and Jack

Mel, Blacky and Jack

This is Carlos' mushroom drying operation - pretty cool, eh?

All Walks

Interesting day. I have received word today, on separate occasions, about two former friends who struggle with alcohol. They are living proof (and I would have been) that alcoholism is a progressive disease.

One of these people is a multi-millionaire real estate developer. I met him before his drinking career was really up and running. He was (probably still is) an interesting, intelligent person who thinks outside the box. When I met him, he had sworn off drinking. He went back to it some time back and I've seen a slow decline over the years. Today I heard from a mutual friend that every time he's seen, whether it's 10 a.m. or 6 p.m., he's completely shnockered. His wife finally followed through with her threats to leave.

The other person was successful in local politics, succeeded in management, and won several very demanding athletic events. I learned today that he is incarcerated on theft charges. I doubt he's ever stolen anything, but this is the type of situation alcoholics often find themselves in -- trouble. Wrong place at the wrong time -- something that sober people seem far better equipped to avoid. I believe he has given up alcohol by now, but some of his past involvements may be catching up with him.

These stories set up an internal conflict for me. On the one hand, according to AA, as a recovering alcoholic I'm supposed to be there to lend a hand to any struggling alcoholic. On the other hand, I've worked very hard to eradicate drama from my own life. Getting too close to someone else's drama feels dangerous. In addition, Carlos has concerns about my involvement with these people (one is an old boyfriend), and I completely respect those. (I would be a basketcase if these were friends of Carlos' and the tables were turned.)

Also, I don't want to be an enabler. I've come to alcoholics' rescue before and all that's ever resulted is relapse at the very least, and the alcoholic resents my "help" in the end. Taking ones medicine, working through it on ones own, is really the only way. Finding rock bottom - something so horrible (losing your wife, finding yourself in jail) that it will make a person realize there's no other way on earth but to stop drinking.

I feel heartsick for these two, but I've decided my help, even if requested, is inappropriate for a whole number of reasons, not least of which is that I don't think there would be any benefit to them ultimately, maybe even the opposite.

I also feel a little shaken... these things could have easily happened to me. Things were starting to fall apart and I was very close to losing a whole lot more than I already had.

All for now.

Society Page

We had dinner at Edgar and Holli Martinez' house last night. We were invited with several other couples in appreciation for donations to their foundation. (I mentioned before we attended their gala/auction fundraiser in October and Carlos' company was one of the event's sponsors.)

Beautiful mansion, lovely people, yummy food, and lots of interesting conversation. There were 8 other people there with us, and I managed to sit beside the Dean of Education from Washington State University. On the other side of her, the Dean of Education from University of Washington. Judy (the WSU Dean) was a kick to talk with -- we got to ask her all kinds of questions about the direction of and failings of upper education, her thoughts on the WASL testing, how much of tuition goes to faculty salaries, etc. The couple across from us are involved in Habitat for Humanity (and a bunch of other charities), were salt of the earth sweet people, and very nice to talk with. A bigwig from Safeco was also there, but he too seemed pretty down to earth and interesting to talk with.

Anyway, it was total fun. Edgar and Holli gave each of us a photo taken at the October gala (below). By the way, I'm not letting it go to my head... we are having squirrel and weeds again tonight ; )