The view from the top

Taking off tomorrow to go see the Zoo. 3 birthdays in 5 days. Two of them have ages that are divisible by 5, so two people (not me) are slated to throw up. Then New Years in Charlotte with Daniel the Neighbor Kid, the NC mountains, then farm, then plane. May not see you guys till next year. So until then.....enjoy the view from the top....

Last night I got the chance to meet up with my old school buddy Martha. We sat up watching classic movies, quoting lines, drinking wine. It was very similar to how we hung out 10 years ago, with the addition of the huge flat screen TV and more appreciative taste for good wine. We talked life, love, wine, all the while in mid sentence stopping to quote a line or two from Pretty Woman as it played in the background. The last thing I remember saying as I pointed my wine glass at the screen......'Yea know, this doesn't really happen....There is no guy in a limo climbing up the fire escape....There is no GUY in the front YARD holding up a boom box. Why have we watched this for ten years? It has totally screwed with my reality of relationships.' Yikes. (like I can really blame this craziness on the film industry. Wait. Did I wake up in the barn?! Noooooo. Gunner and I had a good game of Horsey tag in the field. Mom videoed...personally I think she was waiting for something tragic, I mean funny to happen so she could send it into Funniest home Videos. Or possibly to show the Dr. when he askes...'how did this happen?'....actually, we have it all on tape...
(I'll show you thie pictures from mom and I's hike in the next few days......but notice that there ARE pictures)

Farm Life

Killing some time here at the farm, relaxing, sleeping, eating pie. Sleeping....and eating more pie. Yesterday was a personal best.....5 pieces of pie in 1 day. I am a freak of nature, I know. But trust me...it's good pie. The sun has finally come out after a few days of clouds and scattered showers... Just in time for me to get some playing in before I head out to see my sweetest girl and of course her parents too.....

United Frequent Liar

Yes, yes, I finally made it out of DIA, and flew into Carolina at about 1am this morning. Tiff picked me up, and after about a dozen high kicks, the dog and I hoped in the car with my sweet sister. Denver was a MESS. I was there 4 hours early, and stood in a security line that wrapped all the way around the airport....twice. Now you have to know here that I have already lied to numerous people about why MY dog doesn't have to go into a cage until right before the flight.... You see I have this..... Condition......... That my dog can sense before it occurs........ Straight to hell I know. But I couldn't stop there, nooooooo. Once I checked her in and was standing in the longest line of my life (except maybe for the one that I'll face in hell) I started in on my profession. You see Matt had let me borrow a carry on bag in Boulder since I haven't been home in....well since I took finals. So he gives me an Olympic Athlete carry on, which started my next session of lies. I became a professional athlete for 2 hours in a line at DIA. For the winter Olympics. In the loge. Skeleton to be exact. Which I don't know why I do it because it scares the hell out of me every time, and half way down the run I think I'm never going to do it again. But I do. Because I love the adrenaline rush so much. I sure do hope Satan likes my sense of humor.

Well it's obvious that the snow gods missed me isn't it?

I haven't been home since I finished my finals, I have 4 days worth of clothes and I'm flying home with the dog for two weeks. That is if I can make it to the airport on Saturday. But don't you worry about me. There is nowhere better to be when you get 3 feet of snow then a ski town.

Like butter dripping off a hot biscuit

Well it's been a whirwind of days, and I'm still flying around in the cosmos of it all, so please.....excuse my current absence.

I've spent the last few days in Boulder, relaxing with the break from school (3.2 final GPA), and sitting drinking with friends.














It's amazing what you'll eat when you've had one too many.....

My law stuff went well, and I am happy to say that part of my life is over and done with. Now if we can all point and laugh at the dumb ass that broke up with me a week before a settlement conference. Big loss on Christmas presents buddy.

Huge.

So now you may be thinking......What's a girl to do when there isn't the pressure of school, a lawsuit, and work to fret about? Well folks, she comes out of retirement.......

Absolutely fabulous. My new friend Erin was my partner in crime, and like a blessing from Buddha, about an hour into the day, the clouds rolled in and the snow began to fall. And fall. And fall. And each time I would get to the top of the lift, it would be a whole new ride of fresh snow. Like riding butter with a hot knife.

Pow pow. How I missed you.

I'm in Vail now, killing some time before I hop a plane and fly south for the winter. Sitting in a hot tub most of the time because lets face it.......two years off, just makes the body yell two times louder.

Were going streaking!!!!

So yesterday was the end of the semester....finished with my physics of radiology exam, and I passed. Well...I'm not 100% on that final, but I passed the class.....I think.

Anyways, last night was filled with laughter and food and toasts and lots and lots of beer. I don't think I have ever seen 18 people be more giddy. And pretty unanimously, everyone just wanted to sleep over the break.

As for me, my headache and I are packing the Jeep this morning for our trip across the mountains. Christmas plans are still up in the air....I have about 5 different invites if I don't sail out in a plane. But between you and me......I that plane ride sounds like a damn good idea.

3 Down, Two to Go.

Even the giant skeleton that jumped out of my closet last night can't slow me down. Silly skeleton.......It's different now, I'll just take you down bone by bone until your a little pile of appendages on my floor.

bad idea

Just because I'm not a great cook, does not mean that I should have to sit at the bake sale booth for the Radiology Club. I think it's possible that we lost money. I ate one of everything that we sold......

How do I sell cookies you ask? I yell at people.....

'Hey! (and they turn around) Do you have a quarter?' And they dig through their pocket and hand me a quarter.

"great, here is a cookie"

"hey, do you have a quarter?"

Whhhhaaaa???

Pssssttt! It's me, the sister! I've hijacked Amanda's blog to tell you all we missed a very important landmark. December 2 was Amandaland's first blogaversary! Go see how it all started...

Can you believe the girl has come this far?

Good job little seester!

Secret Revealed

Ok. I have a confession. One that will make the story below even more so intriguing for you blogging voyeurists out there.

You know who you are.

Anyway. My secret.

I completely lack the ability to hawk a luggie. Much to the disappointment of my farm raised family, I can not. My father is shamed by this I know. This lack of lugie hawking has lead me in this past week, to gag the second I cough, and anything hits my throat I soon throw up.
Say like at work. Where they wouldn't let me call in sick despite my appearance, I wound up gagging into the kitchen trash can until I can spit up a big wad of the nastiness residing in my lungs. Oh yea, and did I mention that I blew my nose so much that the blood vessels in my nose bust, so I bleed everytime I blow? Good stuff.

So your following me now right? You can picture the red crusty nose and pale, I've been living off of cereal all week and have zero nutrition value right now look right?

Right.

Which leads me to today. When I wake up and feel much better then the past 5 days. Sweet. (I think to myself) I go to class. Chauffeured by Dan, who brings me cookies at 7:30 in the morning baked by his wife. It's going to be a better day. Despite my appearance, The Cookies Have Spoken.

I get a 100 on my anatomy test, and pass my physics quiz with flying colors.

Good lord it looks like being sick and forcing myself to read since I couldn't move off of the couch all week is really paying off!

And then I go to my chiropractor appointment. And I walk through the door in my sweat pants and red nose, and the place is packed, and there is one chair left and look!!!!

Its right next to Ponches mom.

Oh sweet jesus. We all remember that the last time I saw this woman I stole the falcon from her house right? And her son broke up with me like two days later?!

Sweet.

So I sit down. Of course she is super sweet like all Midwestern moms are, but the place is packed and we are there for a LOOOONG time... Then the door opens, and there is Ponches best friend......and like 2 minutes later the the bell rings and the fiance of his other best friend walks in..and we are all talking, but avoiding what everyone knows...

I lean my head back trying to drowned out the circus music in my head..

da da dada da la da da da da da

And then it happened. Leaning back shifted something in my lungs and I coughed hard, and suddenly we are all faced with my little luggie secret. I gag. And I jump. And the bathroom is of course occupied, and the office is not that big, and now I'm throwing up the mother of all luggies in the hallway trash can. No one could see it, but I'm sure the sound effects in the waiting room were outstanding.

It appears that the circus has me as the headlining attraction.

sneezeer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lN5fSkcVzuY

I'm still sick, so I'm trying the laughter medicine thingy

*cough cough*

Plot twist no one saw coming

Just like that surprise week after sweeps where there is a big twist in the plotline that even the actors don't see coming.....

Ponch broke up with me last night.

In my theraflu, I'm sick blank stare, he broke up with me. I remember vaguely tilting my head to the side and thinking....

'That falcon better be in control of some great things if saving him was my purpose in this relationship.'

Now I have a paper to finish, a project to make, a 2 tests to study for, and finals next week, all the while my ears are plugged, my eyes are practically swollen shot and my legs are wobbly like after a race.

I'm sad guys.

Damn it.

On the bright side, I could get my hippie card back now that I"m not dating a cop.

The Falconer

So I'm a big geek and woke up very early yesterday in anticipation of the release of my falcon.

And yes I WAS calling myself The Falconer, and yes I WAS singing Free Bird.

You can go ahead and judge me for that one.

So I loaded up the dog and the falcon into the Jeep and gave that bird a good talking to.
Teva kept looking at me like: MOM! There is a Bird of Prey in the back of the Jeep!!

(ok, so it's really hard to see, but the Falcon is in the cage) So I drove a few towns over, far far away from their house and found a nice field to release into.....a nice field that backed another house with bird feeders in it to help entice the new location. He flew right out when I opened the cage....caught some air and looped around. Hum. I thought to myself. He's coming back. Oh god, he's dropping down.

So I opted NOT to take a picture of his graceful release and run back to the car just in case his intention was to peck my eyes out.

And THAT is the story of the Falconer.

Turkey and a Hawk

Ok, so your going to love this story. Love it I tell you!!

On my great tour of thanksgiving dinners, tonight's grand finale was spent with Ponch and his family.

Now. Before I get into the great amandaland story, I must say that the food was great, and the card game 'hand and foot', was really fun to play with everyone. But when we first arrived Ponches mom starts telling us about the hawk that has been preying on her bird feeder.

'It was chasing one of my little birds and flew right into the window....broke it's neck.'

Me, being genuinely curious and having never seen a hawk before, asks if I can go see it. Sure right? Ponch, his dad and I head down to the truck.....ya know, because now it's in a box. Somewhere down the lane it kind of slips out that the hawk may not be dead. Mostly dead, ya know but was still breathing when he put it in the box.

Yea, so guess what wasn't dead when they opened up the box.

'Thats not dead.' I look over at Ponch. He looks at the ground. Immediately he knows that this isn't going to be easy for him.

"Well, I thought it was dead (his dad says), just a little bit of breathing when I picked it up. Then I went to snap his neck and the bugger bit me! So I threw it in that box! Then we started on the turkey and I forgot it was out here. I'm sure it's wing is broken. I'll do it later.'

'Of course it bit you. You were trying to snap it's neck!'

Somehow now, in mass confusion and persuasion, the hawk (who I'm now referring to as the falcon) is put in the large cat crate, wings looking just fine. Ponch isn't making eye contact with me anymore. The two of them quickly realize that it was a bad idea to let me witness this. So we return inside discussing how this falcon it the killer of many a birds at the bird feeder, and eats them right in front of Ponches mom. Agreed. Falcon is a killer, and has disgusting eating habits.

Falcon is now residing under my steps in the cat crate until morning when I can safely relocate him in another valley. That's right. I stole the falcon out of the back of the truck as I was leaving. I'm like running and underground falcon railroad. I'll take pictures of it tomorrow when it's light out and we're on our freedom run/ witness relocation operation. Ponch of course knows, as I made him an accessory.........

'Don't even bother putting your seat belt on..(I said to him as we are pulling out of the driveway).

He sighs, shakes his head and zipped his jacket back up.

Well kids I'm moving a bit slow this morning. Clutching to my coffee and icing my wrist. Wait. What?!? What happened to your wrist you say?

Ah yes, let me go back.

My test from last Tuesday came back to me with a bomb drop of direct proportion to the ulcer eruption in my belly.

Son of a....

Before the class we (meaning the usual suspects) had decided since it was such a killer test that passers would by failures beer. Me, being the optimist came with money to buy a few pitchers.

6 pitchers later and money in my pocket, I should have been going to get my stomach pumped. Instead, opted to become a bookie and go bowling with the kids.

Yes yes. Bowling. I think this will be something that we can keep OFF the going pro list.






Ah look at that graceful form. Could explain what I did to my wrist......

I'll add bowling brace to my christmas list, and possibly explore my options for other professions...

Turkey Lurkey Dooo

So I'm thinking of doing Turkey Tour 2006.

Seriously, I'm in it for the pie.

Seems the true spirit of Thanksgiving is alive as I have gotten not 1, not 2 , not 3....but 4 invitations to Thanksgiving dinners.

People get sad when they ask me about thanksgiving and I tell them how far far away my family is. Last year Tiffany and I hauled a U-Haul into GJ and ate at an IHop with mom and dad on speaker phone. We had pie.

And here a year later...... Turkey Tour of 06. I thought of making shirts like at a rock concert, since I'm insisting on dragging Ponch with me. I'm telling 'sweet pea' that sits next to me in class about it.
'Maybe a handprint on the front made into a turkey'....
'yea' she says, then you can put THANK YOU GRAND JUNCTION!!!! on the back.

Thats perfect. Turkey tour 2006. 3 days of Turkey and Pie.

Duck a la sumthin sumthin

November 16th for Amanda
The idea of "mixing it up" to vary your routine can have an enormous appeal for you today. I wholeheartedly suggest that you explore your options and research new possibilities.

It's obviously in the stars.
So I decided this afternoon that since I failed a physics quiz yesterday, cried on my couch because I was homesick, threw a pencil across the kitchen (obviously testing physics), and failed miserably to follow through on plans I made.....all while in the presence of Ponch.....hey, maybe I'll make him dinner tonight. After all, he did have a rough week....and my horoscope did mention using a mixer....

Now, lets have a moment of silence for the fishy cookies the boy ate last time and possibly say a quick prayer (if that's how you swing) for tonight's dinner.

I have since learned lesson 1.
The apron that you used to dust off the cookbook, should be worn when using the electric mixer.

Wine. This is going to take lots of wine.

Ponchs debut on the blog

With blog posts getting so lame, I asked Ponch to go out and stir up some action for me. I didnt think he would go this far. It's like having sweeps week on the blog.

It's cold, and dreary outside, and possibly the best kind of day for me to get my studying in for this weeks tests. But do I want to? Heck no, I want to lay on my couch and watch a movie. and catch up with you! I haven't caught up with you in AGES!....but rest assured little ones, nothing spectacular is going on. I eat, I go to class, I sleep, and I mark off days on the calendar in the countdown to Christmas break. And before you even start, I won't be flying home to see the man dressed up in red. I have exams until the 13th, and then some law stuff in Denver on the 15th. Then depending on that outcome I may be spending Christmas in a hotel in Denver awaiting a court case the day after. Merry Christmas kiddo, you wanted anxiety for Christmas this year right? Ummm delicious.

On a non whining note, It's Papa Kings birthday, so in honor of the big guy, everyone should have fried chicken for lunch (or dinner) and at least 2 slices of pie. I am finishing up mine right now.

In the meantime, Im going to hop over to Tiffany's and look at the warm warm Jamaica pictures and pretend I'm on the beach. Studying of course with a fruity drink in my hand with an umbrella in it..

Oh, PS. The bastards at Nikon sent my camera back, without my letter, and the kept my birthday card that was in the box. If your reading Nikon guy, I hope you get anxiety in your Christmas stocking too.