Michigan = Fishing = 12 Months

We fished all last spring, summer, and fall on this beautiful lake.


Don has been out there ice fishing for the past few weeks. He's been having fun catching an average 75 perch each time out. Okay, so most of them aren't keepers ... but the fun of the sport is still enjoyed.


Most of you know how I dislike cold, damp winters, so ice fishing wasn't ever on my radar. With Don's daily fishing reports, I kept getting the urge to get out and fish.

Saturday, I put on my jeans, a t-shirt, sweater, hoodie, hat, scarf, 3 pairs of socks, Don's ski pants, Don's ski jacket, 3 pairs of gloves ... and we headed out.

I could weigh anywhere from 100-200 lbs.,
who'd know the difference in this get-up?

The lake just doesn't look the same with shanties, four-wheelers, and snowmobiles.

(click on pics to see all these shanties!)

We moved from hole to hole [insert smirk here] and after a couple hours, I caught this one perch. Nancy 1 Don zero.


I guess it wasn't our day to fish or after Don's daily catches, they fear him. ;)

No Meaning, Just Words

The scoop, with bullets, for Sonia:

• PoolSideSlide
• WindowSilly
• AssWipe
• CartWheels
• AdmissionFree
• CallOfTheDialed
• JellyManKelly (a James Taylor song)
• RollingInThePlaydoh
• BillCullen ( host of the game show "Password")

These are some of my previous passwords. Analyze this ?!?! Any old weird ones you want to share with a meaning or story?

Lysol, Lard, and Fags

Who knew?

Sweet Sherry at Everyday Possibilities sent me an email with the most unbelievable ads from the 1930's. They are hilarious, but also make me wonder about the laughter ads from today's magazines are going to bring eighty years from now. Probably a good thing I'll never know.

Notice the good woman opening the beer,
probably for her good man.

Seriously, I remember my mother buying cartons
of cig's for Grandpa Kirk for Christmas!

Click on photo to read why women should douche with Lysol.
Should the pine scent version be saved for Christmas time?

I think you have to be British to understand this one!
(maybe)

Well, they ARE happy looking!

Now there's an endorsement!

Which ads of today do you think will be passed around in 80's years as unbelievably funny?

Right, Write

See why I don't make resolutions?

Just by making the statement that I was going to write more gave my brain permission to shut down. In the few years I have blogged, I've noticed the writers block that appears at the beginning of each new year. It happens to most bloggers at one time or another. I assumed it was because of all the fodder starting with school in the fall, on to Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and the finale of New Years. With all the commotion, in those last four months, most bloggers are burnt out.

I can't use that as an excuse. Yea, look back, I didn't blog much then. Eighteen posts in four months. I can't decide if that's because I was so busy or because I was tending to my FaceBook addiction.

It's been pointed out to me, on several occasions, that my brain spins around like a Rolodex. My thoughts usually are two rotations ahead of my speaking. I can be all over the board because of this. When I write on a regular basis, I'm more likely to keep myself in check and organize my direction better.


So where the fack am I going with all this? Who knows.

I've never been a writer, just someone that empties her brain out by way of blogging. It's getting crowded with clutter, I better purge more often.

To be continued ....

... for my own sanity.

"Live Like You'll Die Tomorrow, But Dream Like You'll Live Forever"

(Cabo Mexico 12.2009)

From birth until around age 20 ... I was clueless.

From 20 until 40 ... it was the day to day trials, tribulations, peaks, valleys, questions, some answers, and just finding my way through life.

From 40 until now (54) ... it's been an ever growing level of awareness. Aware of how and when I f'd up. Forehead slappin' of shuda's woulda's coulda's. Also an awareness of direction, discoveries, and realities.

My paternal grandmother lived just short of 104.
Maternal ... around 94.

I'll split the difference and figure I have about 45 years ahead of me ... on a good day.

Given the above breakdown, I DO have a chance for do-overs ... sort of.

I can't raise my children differently. I can't right all my wrong turns, only make U's. (or Michigan turns for those living here)

But, I can rethink, regroup, plot, plan, fly by the seat of my pants, and go with a new flow.

Recently, I bought a new T-shirt that says "simplify". I'm in.

From this day forward, as long as my health tips the scales in my favor, my direction is to live. Live each day as if it were my last.

Although my house hasn't sold yet, before next fall, I will lease it out. In the mean time, I hope to liquidate all the "things" I've accumulated that I just had to have. I want to get out and see anything and everything I can. I want to live a "Bucket List" without actually having one.

In these first "dressed rehearsal" years, I've done many "things" that got me through day to day existence. Next, I want to do the things that leave me with a smile and a sense of awe each night before I fall asleep.

Liquidate, organize, start a plan, begin the first days of the last days of my life.

Anyone want to buy my toaster oven?

Twenty Ten

Two Thousand Ten

Twenty Ten

Ten

O-Ten

A new decade, what are you going to call it?

I was born in '55, graduated high school in '73, my kids were born in '85 & '88.

So I think I'll just call this year '10


Don and I rang in the new year, '10, without and real plans. We love Luigi's, one of the best Italian restaurants in the metro Detroit area, so we decided to go there. We knew there would be a wait. On any given night there's always a long wait, so New Year's Eve would be a feat to get in.

While standing with a drink, waiting with the other 50 people ahead of us, Don spotted a couple he had sold boats to in the past. We started talking to them. Since we were almost an hour into our wait and almost that much ahead of them in line, we asked if they'd like to join us.

Most times, no plans work out the best. Paul and Stephanie were super nice and great people to ring in the new year with.


I had a Won.Der.Ful marinated grilled chicken with portabello mushrooms, roasted red peppers, over risotto with a pepper-jack cream sauce. Mmmmmmmmmm I dove into it without thinking I should have taken a photo of my plate first .... too late!

Don, Don had frog legs! Who orders frog legs??? I've never tried them. Paul and Stephanie had never tried them either. Don had a huge plate full and offered to share. We all passed.

Frog legs ???

Then Stephanie decided to try one ... well a pair of legs! First bite ... mmmmm, she liked it. She kept eating it and declaring how great they actually are. Paul and I still declined. Stephanie convinced Paul they were worth a try ... so he did. He too though they were great. Tastes like chicken without being dry, flaky and light like fish. I still passed ... in homage to Kermit of course.

So '10, I have no resolutions. I know I'd buckle under presser and FAIL ... so, I'll just have hopes that I follow through on as many of these new year wishes as I can:

• I'm starting a healthy diet ... 'cuz I sure have been pigging out the past couple months.
• I'm going to seriously purge my closets and sell what I can, donate what I can't, pitch the rest!
• I'm going to plan as many vacations I can afford *$ee above $cheme to generate dollar$*
• I'm going to surround myself with positive thinking people and send good karma to those that have a hard time finding the upsides!
• I'm going to dig this up ... it's not working!
• I'm going to read more books, write more posts ... good therapy for me.
  

My friend Debbie, who lives in Japan, wrote her New Year post about this being the year of Tiger. Both she and her husband are Tigers and the coming year predicts great things for the Tiger. Debbie, I'm hoping all the best for you and Issei, because I know for one Tiger, 2010 will probably prove to be the worst year evah ;)

Happy New Year to you ... may 2010 be the beginning of better things for all of us.