A heart rate of 210 and rising

Liz and I were up this morning in another days attempt to get in some outdoor time before the sun exploded into today's high of 103.
Liz was being so hard core about what I thought was just going to be a 'nice hike' that the next thing I know, I'm getting dropped.

By the time I caught up, she was taking a break and doing sets of wall push-ups. What up hard core. Meanwhile the dog was chasing a rabbit that I'm sure probably has the plague (we actually do have that here), and got herself on the other side of a rocked out gully. See I didn't need to do the push ups to raise my heart rate....Just put me on the opposite side of a cliff from my dog as she traverses over boulders and drops down, just to be able to climb up to where we were. Poor thing, her little legs were shaking so bad by the time she made it back to us. (my little legs were moving along in time with hers) She drank over half of my camelback..and I thought for a minute that we might have to carry her. She says it was worth it, and next time we'll have rabbit plague soup for dinner to show for it.

Hot bugs

Its hot. Again. Even Eyore has passed out. Oh bother.

I'm finding it hard to get my exercise in. Any exercise, and that's including the 22 steps outside. Imagine trying to muster up the energy to go to a bikram yoga class where the temp in the room is a mere 2 degrees warmer then the outside temperature. Yuck. This morning I did it. (morning class is key, that way it's 10 degrees cooler outside when I leave and I can say 'ah it's nice and cool out here') Then I jump in the Jeep and blast the AC.

On a separate note:

I'm having a bug problem in the garden. Now I'm not even sure where these guys came from considering I'm on the second floor, but they are taking over my peppers. I saw them once, and told them ' If you guys stay on this 1 plant, I'll let you live and you can eat it all you want'. But no. They've gotten greedy. So I went out with Liz today and found organic bug spray. Huuummmm. Do you think that it might just be water? Spray liberally until leaf is dripping and bug is swimming away.................

Its a sad day in Amandaland

Oh guys I can't even believe it to be true. The mechanic called me last night while I was out with Heather at the lakehouse. He sat down and typed the bus problems and emailed them to me.

Its a very long list, with some very long digits following.

Amanda?

Yea. (trying not to let on that my eyes have welled up and Im sure the crying hickups are seconds away if I speak more then a few bits at a time)

Look honey. I know that you really wanted this to be ok, but I wouldn't feel safe for you to come get this and drive it home without some MAJOR repair. Had you just put the battery in and gone, you wouldn't have noticed when the fuel line busted and the bus caught on fire.

Sweet Jesus the bus caught on fire?

Just for a second. Luckily it was in the shop at the time and we were right there to put it out.

Oh.

Amanda?

Yea.

Have you paid Kevin?

No.

Ok good. I strongly suggest that you pass on this and get out of the sale. Cut your losses before you get 20 minutes down the road from here and the bus dies, the frame falls off and your coasting to a stop because you don't have any brakes.

Yea. Ok. That would be bad. (especially if the bus was on fire at the time)

early morning

Since yesterdays high in Grand Junction was 101, and I melted into my couch gasping at the swamp cooler all day, I decided If I was going to get any exercise, it was going to be early. Luckily Erin had the same thought and at 7am, my phone was ringing. Sweet, 82 degrees at 7:30. How on earth am I going to make it through July?

Yea Baby

Sure. I'm crazy.


Anyone who knows me one bit, knows my true love for VW busses. I love them, they make me smile. I see one, and I wave to it. I walk by one, and I say 'hi bus!'. I'm an idiot, and obviously insane, but I love them. I do. And now.....I bought one on e-bay last night. Amy wrote a fantastic blog about what I put them through last night. http://desperatehousewifelife.blogspot.com

You can't wipe the perma grin off of my face. I've named her Pearl.

I've got to go get her. She's in Idaho. I thought about it last night as I lay in bed, wide awake at 2 am from excitement...... I haven't been this excited since I was little and got my first 'big' horse Annie. Suddenly I felt like I was 10 again.

And then I cried.

Not because I had just bought a bus older then I am. Or the fact that it's probably going to take me a week to get home. AND I'm most likely going to spend that week in and out of tow trucks. No. I cried because I realized how sad I've been for so long. Too long. How much I've let events in my life bring me down. Worry me. Frighten me.

My Pearl....has reminded me of the purity of happiness.

And this is my happiness.

FUH2

So, I've had this story for a bit (some of you have heard it already from when it happened), but I really felt that a picture was necessary for the full effect to blog it. So here we go.

I'm in the Vitamin Cottage grocery store and there is a very cute man flirting with me every other isle.

After being my fabulous self and shamelessly flirting, in the checkout line as he's paying, he scribbles down his number and hands it to me. You know, since I'm new in town, If I need a dinner date or someone to go the movies with. Ok. He's witty, and bold which is a double bonus, and the tall dark and cuteness hits the trifecta. Even the cashier looks at me after he'd wheeled his cart out the door with raised eyebrows and says 'wow, very cute'. I blush. I can't believe I just pulled that off.

So of course there is going to be a big flaw right?

As I'm carrying out my groceries I look over to see cut patutie over there, loading up his groceries into......you guessed it......a Hummer.

Oh hell no.

Seriously? Are you kidding me? (and of course I'm not) My boldness still alive and kicking, I march right over, set down my groceries behind this monstrosity of a car that is now blocking out the sun, and dig through my pocket taking out his number. With my arm held out dangling the paper I say:

'I need to give this back to you'

What? ..... Why?...... Are you married?

'No. This (pointing) You drive a Hummer. Frankly, knowing that, I can tell you it would never work between us. Honestly. I'm more like a VW bus. Your a Hummer. It's impossible.'

What? Are you crazy?

(damn it how does he know that I'm crazy?) Here. Take your number. (and he finally does) This Hummer (pointing in quick circles wildly at it), represents everything that I'm not.

Seriously?

Yea. (then I turned around, picked up my grocery bags and headed home)

I don't think anyone has ever won the trifecta.

Boohdra & Scarlotte

Molly and I maintained a water theme throughout the memorial day weekend.

Except for when we went out downtown in Glenwood Springs....then it was the usual budweiser and captain theme.

Day 2 we drove up to No Name (actual name of this town/exit) and hiked what I think I remember being called Jess's Trail. If you like a single track climb, that zig zags a raging river, this one is for you. The loop is 27 miles with a 5000 ft elevation gain, which considering the climb, it wasn't bad with the river there to keep a very cool temp. The water was so quick too we had to be on the dogs constantly to keep them out of the current. I've had to jump in a river once to get my dog, and I have no intention of letting that happen again.


Glenwood Springs is a cool little town. Good Food and shady bars.....what else could a girl ask for? Molly and I were Boohdra and Scarlotte for the night(we got to choose the others alias).

I want to do this for a living. Boohdra and I drove our separate ways after the hike....She and Abby are doing Awesome. Good choice for adoptive parents. Cookie and I are back in GJ and thankfully it has cooled down here, although she immediately resumed her spot in front of the fan within minutes of walking through the door. I guess you can take the girls out of the mountain.....

no boys allowed

Ahhhhh. Much better. Molly and I are having the 'Girls Memorial Weekend'. This is from Day 1 at Rifle Falls. Now, my intention of escaping the heat worked a little too well. Day 1 started out at 50 degrees with some on and off rain. The one time in my life that I didn't pack a rain jacket, or long pants, but we did have a flashlight, which according to the hiking guide is key to seeing into the caves.

As we were pulling up to the ranger station, Molly looks over at me:
'Um how much do you think this is going to be?'
I have 10, it can't be more then that. And if it is, we might have to show boobies.
'Um, lets hope they don't have high expectations'
So... These are the caves that you crawl around in.
Um.

I didn't know this about myself, but I don't like bats.

I REALLY don't like bats.

The flash went off on the picture below and I heard a squeak squeak, looked up and I could have died right then and there. I ran out of that cave, pushed Molly down to get passed her, and was a good quarter mile down the trail before I stopped. After that Molly kept the flashlight and I held the dogs as she crawled around the caves...
I think God got such a chuckle out of that, the rain stopped, and the rest of the day was beautiful.

Girls weekend. What a good idea.

Africa Hot

My AC hasn't been turned off in 3 weeks now.

It's hot.

It's Africa hot.

Everyone in Grand Junction says 'It gets to 100 here, but it's a DRY heat, so you don't really notice.'

that's bullshit.

Dry or not who doesn't notice 100 degrees? Sativa certainly does. She hasn't moved away from this fan in 4 days. So I've made an executive decision. We're getting out of this 'dry heat' madness.... Molly and Abby are meeting us 1/2 way, so it's going to be a extended girls weekend in new mountains. Have a great Memorial Day weekend kids, we're off to go cool down.

addiction

Hi my name is Amanda and I have an addiction to plants. Some women can't go into shoe stores, boutiques, or in Heathers case, REI. Me? Garden centers. Preferably Lowes with their 'one year you kill it we'll take it back' guarantee. As I was watered today I started counting them up. And I have to say, for a 1 bedroom apartment....Its slightly excessive. 14 in the house. 11 on the patio. (not including the 1 dead tree on the patio care of Abby, waiting for its Lowes dead tree exchange) I'll look into a counseling group.

Got some Abby news......
she's up to $2000.00 damage at Pete and Mollys. Yea, you know what? When someone says 'this puppy HAS to be in a crate when you leave'....I would listen next time. Little monster ate paneling, drywall, and the laundry room door. Ummm drywall. About 3 hours after the initial call I received with Mollys stern voice telling me 'this isn't working out', she called again to apologize. 'Abby, Pete, and I made up. But I don't think that we'll leave her out of the crate again.' (oh yea, great idea, glad you figured that one out)

We're a little on the boring side, this pup and I. I've tried to get some blog worthy material, but it's been all work and no play. Seriously. Graduation was this weekend and I picked up a ton of shifts to cover our Rockslide graduates. Sure I'm encouraging drinking themselves into a bloody oblivion and killing off those few remaining brain cells that secured their parchment paper. Of course I am. Congratulations graduates. Now sober up, put your clothes back on, and please go back to work.

I've attempted 2 bike rides this week, only to be pelted by hail on one, and blown sideways in 40mph wind on the other. Now Im no physics major, but I can tell you....my bike speed + 110lbs / 40mph cross wind = splat on the side of the road.

On a carnival note: the fair is in town. You know the one that sets up in the parking lot of the mall (I think every town has one). I saw on the news last night that The Gravitron ride (one of my favorites) got stuck on for 30 minutes (every bad kids dream)......The people inside on the ride were using their cell phones to call 911. I guess the carnie running that ride had just had enough and walked away. It took 30 minutes for someone to figure out how to stop it. I wonder why they didn't just pull the plug? And what do you think, because I'm curious.....

What do you think would have to happen to make a carnie quit?

trouble

I'm not sure what to do with myself now......

Teva is running around the house barking at me like the house is on fire.......

shouldn't you be studying?? Aren't there flashcards to review?? And what happened to that puppy?

I'll tell ya, first thing Monday I need to get myself into summer school asap. This 'time off' is doing nothing but raising my alcohol tolerance and sending me on a unarail to troubletown.

Abbys trade off went well. Per Petes request, I didn't cry in front of him because 'seeing girls cry make him uncomfortable'. Yea, well I did my best. Although standing in the parking lot of a Conoco gas hub waving like Forrest gump yelling "Bye Abby, I Love You, Bye", couldn't have made Pete feel very comfortable either. So one last picture of the sweet girl as she leaves amandaland and is Molly and Petes girl now. Word of advice to you two. Keep your shoes up....and the dog food....and the toilet paper, the trash, papers, backpacks, Kleenex and dog treats too. It's just precautionary measures.

So quickly time passes

Even the pups waited patiently to see how it went......

And It's official.

The semester is over.

About 20 questions into my Anatomy and Physiology exam I found myself becoming a religious person......

Dear God. Please please please let me pass this class. Or put a lightning bolt down in the lecture hall. Either one would work for me. Oh yea, and sorry for all the blasphemy. This test is harder then I thought. -Amanda



I was disappointed to find this morning that the drinking fairies had found me in the night and nit a sweater for my tongue.

Blah.
Don't worry, I didn't drive, but was a little confused this morning when I walked out the door and saw this.......

My god did I buy/steal/hijack a bus at the bar last night?

Huh.

Exams Smams

(I know its blurry, but I love the dog-play action shot. Plus look close....there are 2 busses in the background)) Ok, I'm procrastinating. I have 2 exams tomorrow and I've spent the morning at the park with the dogs. (I did have my notes with me though...)
(look at that...Abby has grown 2 inches, and her butt in now higher then Sativas. This is a friendly game of 'I said It's my stick you stupid puppy!')

Well, my days of running the black dog underground railroad are numbered. For those of you that don't know, I found a fantastic home for Abby with my girlfriend Molly in Winter Park. Abby will be helping her train for the NY marathon. I'll be a wreck on Thursday, (just so you know.) I've had to stop myself about a dozen times each day from calling up Molly and Pete and telling them that I've changed my mind. Molly and I talked after I had already decided to keep Abby, but the instant that she said 'oh I want her!' I knew it would be a perfect match. She'll be a Pub dog during the day, and a running coach at night. If you find yourself in Winter Park, make sure you swing by The Pub and give my girl some kisses. They owe me for dog training, so tell Pete your on the Abby's Freedom Free Beer Tab, and have one on me.

Now as far as exams are going, I'm trying very hard to stay focused. Focus.....Focus. Awee the dogs are so cute.....Ok, focus.

On a funny note: The two brothers that mom & dad left at the gas station in 83' have turned up and made a video for mom for mothers day. Check it out:
http://www.i-am-bored.com/bored_link.cfm?link_id=17234

now seriously, I'm going to go study now

mothers

"All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That's his."
--Oscar Wilde

To my mother and grandmother......

My wish is that I grow to become a fraction of the strong women that you are..............just please let that fraction be the sane part.

Happy mothers day Ladies

Coo Coo Ka Choo

I am so not cool. But this guy is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMH0bHeiRNg


Wow. I had an entire post eaten by the post fairy.

The story went something like this, only funnier:

I finished 2 exams yesterday, and as reward for not having more then 1 panic attack a day, the youngin took me out for a beer. Well, he drank beer, I drank captain.
So at the end of the night we're discussing WHY I'm not going to date the youngin. (note* youngin showed up at the house clean shaven and I realized....younger then I had guessed. But to his defense, after the bar he took me to, i'm sure he realized....older then he had guessed too.) Mrs. Robinson here almost shot Captain and Sprite out of her nose when he told me his age.
So. Of course his response was exactly as I had guessed. He stuck his tongue out at me and told me I sucked.

Exactly my point thanks.

Not what I remember

Things eaten thus far by the puppy:

Think! Shoes
All of the treats
something out of my backpack
the dissection kit out of my backpack (do you think it tasted like cat?)
1/4 bag of puppy food
The rim around the plastic container that I bought to keep her out of the puppy food
1 water bottle
1 tube of sunscreen
Velencia tree. (that's right, the tree. Out of the pot, roots and all tree)
6 pack of charmin toilet paper
empty bag (or was it?......)

So I went out and bought her a very stylish crate....Which after a put her in it and snapped this picture realized it has a HUGE design flaw.....She lays down and shifts her weight and the crate rolls. She flipped it 6 times all the way across the floor before I could get her to stop and pull her out. Looked like a hampster in a giant wheel....only square. Great. I betcha now she is going to have some serious crate anxiety issues.

Think!

Now that i think about it there seems to be a pattern. I take a deep breath and find my happy place.....(happy place happy place, deep breath, happy place).

As Im walking around the block at 6 this morning I realize Sativa did the same exact thing as a puppy. Only THEN the most expensive pair of shoes I had was a pair of Tevas that I had a week. (hence how she is called Teva sometimes) Umm huuuh. Is Abby now Think! ?

While I was at work......

Dog Initiation perhaps?.....

The half eaten bag of dog food was impressive. I have to admit. I have never seen a puppies belly so swollen. So last night in the wee hours of the darkness I was dealing with a throwing up Abby. I thought, like a horse, if they have gorged themselves, you walk them. Keep them moving....or is that with colic? Anyway. Bonus points to the youngin for showing up at midnight to walk me, my dog, and my sick puppy around outside, so that we wouldnt get mugged. Although Im pretty sure even the street bums would have passed on what we were selling. My only comfort at 2 am was the look in her little eyes that screamed......"I don't think your new shoes sat well in my belly.....dear god make it stop! " It's true.

(Abby says to Teva "I can't believe I made it through the night and didn't get tied to the meth heads door!"..........Teva says "Yea kid....me either....maybe you should go taste those UGGS")

Last Day, Race Day

Sucker is permanently tattooed on my forehead

Or is that still the mark on my head from falling asleep in class?..........

I'd be lying if I said that I had nothing to write about....It's just that I don't have the time to write about it. So lets do a short abridged version to get you caught up.

Exams start this week, so hold off sending the troops looking for me, as I'll be focusing on the arteries and veins of the human anatomy. Two weeks and the semester is over can you believe it?

The girls 5k is tomorrow morning, and like today the weatherman is calling for rain. Sweet. I do love jumping in puddles.

Oh yea. And I'm keeping Abby.

(oh wow did you hear my mothers 'oh amanda' from where you are too?)

Well Sativa and I love her, and she loves us, and the potential homes that we found for her didn't measure up to our high standards. They would have had her in a crate from 9-5, five days a week. And she doesn't like the crate. She breaks out of the crate, and lays on the carpet with cookie and promises that she wont chew anything. And I have about a million other excuses of why she belongs with me, so lets not argue about it. My landlord met her. I do have a washer and a dryer ya know, which qualifies me to enter the gates of grownupville, and now I have 2 dogs to run and play with me there. And mom & dad......I learned it from you two. So when she needs hip surgery like the puppy YOU kept from the side of the road, I'll call you to get a vet referral.

Soooo meet my two sweetest things.

Crash

I didn't get much sleep yesterday, and on top of my normal non-sleeping schedule, the combo shook my Spanish class in a belly giggling kind of way..

I crashed in espaniol.

Full on fought it for a good 30 minutes, and then as I was leaning forward arms crossed, I lost the battle.

WHAM!!!!! My head hit the desk.

Loud.

Of course it woke me straight up, jerking myself back to the upright position.

The big Hawaiian football player behind me let out an uncontrollable booming laugh. (he does have a great laugh, one of those that when you hear it, you don't even need to know what he's laughing about and you still smile)

Class stopped. I got up, apologized and left. The only thing is, by the time I closed the class door, I was laughing, and ironically enough....Wide awake. I look in the mirror now and have a red mark across my forehead from the chair back.

Ah yae yae.

Free Puppy

Meet Abby

When I pick battles, I pick HUGE ones where I'm most likely going to get my ass kicked by a crackhead.....well, you know what I say......Bring it.

About 4-5 days ago I started seeing this young black lab hanging out in the alley. Sometimes a few blocks over.....sometimes behind the house..... and suddenly shes in the house getting water.....needing food. So yesterday I put her on a leash and start going door to door. My neighbor says....yea, the neighbors just got her. Be careful going over there.

Im half way across the back yard when shady neighbors start coming out of the house.......

Long story short, they don't want her. And I couldnt take her off of the leash and let her run around the neighborhood anymore. I would bet my arm this girl is 100% black lab. My neighbors are shady, I think they got her in trade, so Im not giving her back. One very muddy bath later.....She is absolutely beautiful. And sooooo sweet. Maybe 6 months old. In her gangly lab stage. Total baller. Played Frisbee with the boys down the street until she passed out. I thought that she wasn't house trained, but I've had her now 24 hours and I think now her accident in the house was just that...an accident.

Cookie is less then amused. She says: "she is drooling all over my squirrel toy, I better be getting a new one, bc puppy drool doesn't come out ya know"

Free. Will deliver.