Busy Weekend

So, I had a real date on Friday night! I can't believe that I went through the range of Girlie Shit that I did to prepare for it. My BFF KW assisted with my clothing choices.  I kept sending her texts and pictures until we landed on the right outfit that wasn't overly done, or underly done.  UGH! Then came the shoes!  I could not find the right shoes for this outfit.  I'm not the kind of chick with 100 pairs of shoes.  I usually purchase as needed.  I have different kinds of boots i.e. snow, flat, heels and cowboy. I have different pumps for work, etc. I'm a little sketchy on the sandals and flip flops. So I had to shop for some.  I ended up with 3 pair. 2 are a little dressier, flats...one in beige and one in black.  I picked up a replacement pair of Sketchers sandals in black.  I wore out my favorite ones and busted the heel on vacation so now I have another pair (although not as nice as the ones I broke).

He came to my door with a bouquet of flowers and said that he would've brought unshelled pistachio's but couldn't find them (nice touch).  Opened the car door for me, and politely asked if I was ok with the top down on his BMW convertible. I love the wind in my hair and could care less if it wreaked havoc on my hairstyle, so that was a no brainer for me. We combined our ideas of Sushi and open air because the evening was so nice!  We headed to an open air mall, ate sushi and had drinks, walked outside and talked and just had a fabulous evening.

I had a great time. He's a great guy, cute, smart, witty, funny...I just have issues with Rule #6.  I just got out of something that involved my friends and their brother.  I am still suffering the repercussions of that decision.  I just had an incident with this brother and sister (although the sister doesn't know it) and I just have some real misgivings on this.  Which is so damned difficult because he's a great guy.

SATURDAY

I had an 8 a.m. appointment with the retractable screen guy and he measured out my doorways, etc. I choose the brown color for the edging and the screens are on order.  Should be here in around 10 business days.  I managed to save a little money because my french doors are small enough where the screen will stretch across, which I'm ecstatic about because it will leave my view unobstructed when the screens are closed in the bedroom and the living room.

I then headed over to my buddy DPs house to meet up with the group and do some wine tasting.  We headed to Bogle first and I picked up a couple of lamp kits that will make my wine bottles into lamps.  SWEET!  That will look so cool on the patio.

We then headed to the Old Sugar Mill in Clarksburg and proceeded to taste our way through the joint.  Every winery was putting on a show because of St. Patricks weekend, so they were pairing food with wines.  YUM! Thank God I wasn't driving (I usually do) cuz I got to toss down some wickedly great wines.  Todd Taylor had his wine release party and served pork tenderloin with brussel sprouts sauteed with bacon, shallots and garlic. The food was the bomb, and of course, Todd's wines are always exceptional.  He excels in the Reds and if you're good at one thing...stick to it.

Afterward, we headed back to DPs crib and had a meal of appetizers, red and white wines and dessert wine.  This girl put three different glasses in front of us. Holy Moly!  I kept my water close by because I knew I had to drive home. We always have a good time when we're there.

SUNDAY

The morning was an early one again as I needed stuff from the Auction.  I also knew someone was coming by the house to look over the property and give me a quote for the work that needs to be done.

I've been corrected about calling Denio's the "Auction".  I still think they auction off livestock there, and it's been called that since I can remember.  It's only the younger generation that isn't into purchasing livestock that wouldn't get it.  Ah well.  There's a woman there that sells spices by the ounce, which is better than purchasing it at the store, because you'll leave the store broke if you need lots of spices.  I love to cook and use my spices, so it's nice to know I can get them replenished at a decent price.

Plus, I can pick up fresh fruits and vegetables there.  I picked up a variety of peppers, including ones to make chile relleno's with.  Looks like I'll be doing some cooking. I always like seeing what's available there, what are the latest deals, etc.

My co-worker came by with her son to walk the property and bid on the cleanup.  It's a bit overwhelming and although I'm capable of doing it, it's difficult to hold down a full time job, then come home and spend time in the yard day after day. It would take me all summer to get it cleaned up and presentable and I wouldn't have time to enjoy it.  This way, someone comes in and does the heavy stuff and I just maintain it.  This will give me time to clean out the sheds this summer.

I was going to head down to Old Roseville for the St. Paddy's bands that were playing all afternoon, but I was tired out from the weekend activities, and basically vegged for the rest of the day.  I've no complaints though.  I had a hell of a weekend.  And now, I'm getting ready to head off to bed because I need to climb on Vin Diesel tomorrow morning and make him my bitch.  My body is feeling the effects of the workout vacation due to surgery and I want a hard body this summer, so I'm gonna have to pay for it.

Tomorrow night, I'm going to try and clear out as much as I can in the spare bedroom to move the sofa and recliner chair in to make room for the new furniture that should arrive.  I also need to go by Lowes and pick up paint to paint the door borders before the screens go in. I foresee a heavy week ahead of me. Wish me luck peeps!

Friday Funnies

It’s always nice to relate to people who have the same effed up, warped sense of humor that you do. Granted, I’m usually the instigator (No!....Really?) when it comes to the wicked stuff my Girlies and I laugh about. Now there are certain things that you are not supposed to talk about since they’re politically incorrect (those words are kryptonite to this chick), especially at work. But you know who you can and can’t talk to about certain things. If you don’t know, you need to keep your mouth shut or suffer the consequences.

There’s these two ladies “G” and “D” that I’ll end up laughing with until my sides hurt. Nothing is off limits of discussion and I’ll usually be the one to push it right over the edge. We have a standing joke about voodoo dolls that we pretend we’ve made of people who’ve pissed us off. We’re always coming up with new and exciting ways to torture these dolls so that the recipient will suffer the greatest impact. “D” says she’s gonna have 3 voodoo dolls of her ex so each of us can take one and torture it at the same time. We joked about banging them together, lighting them on fire, etc. When the SuperBowl commercial came out with the voodoo dolls, we cracked up over that.

We ended up talking about the times we’ve been mistaken for dead! I know…right? “D” was floating in the pool and her husband didn’t see her move and had to come out to make sure she was still alive. She told him “If I’m floating face down…that would be the time to check on me”. Too Funny. I told them about the time a couple of years back, I was at the Cabo resort lying on a beach towel in the sand. I fell asleep and the next thing I know, some lady is nudging me with her toe. I woke with a start and scared the crap outta her. She said that she was watching me from an upper balcony and that I hadn’t moved for a couple of hours and she was worried (I hadn’t been sleeping at night due to having to share a room with the ex during our separation). I laughed over that one. I told my Girlies that I’d have been more upset if she caught me drooling or something.

That sets “D” off on a tangent about men with beards and how she hates to kiss them because the water rubs off on her face and freaks her out. I’m just busting up over this. She then says something about not knowing whether or not it’s snot or another liquid. And I shot back that if it was snot, there’d be snot strings coming away on her face. And that was it…we were hysterical!

When the Mayan Calendar ended, we were talking about the people camped out at the Mayan ruins waiting for the end to come. I said that I certainly wouldn’t want them to be disappointed, so if I was there, I’d get behind the wheel of the tour bus they came in on and run them down. That way, their depiction of the prophesy comes true! Oh man…after that, they would constantly throw out…”Gee Diz, you gonna run us down in your bus?” They definitely keep the mundane from seeping into my work life!

FB and MM

Still a little weirded out about last night’s post on FB about replacing MM. It just hit me kind of hard. It’s partially because I know some history behind the band that MM kept on the DL. He was really furious that “J” was jacking him around, not returning his calls and acting unprofessional regarding how the band was run and lining up their next gigs. He was thinking about quitting the band because he didn’t want to deal with that stuff…he just wanted to drum and asked me my opinion on it. We went back and forth and he asked that I not let the guys know that we talked. He needed to think about it and decide what to do. Unfortunately God decided for him that it was time to quit.

Then to see that “J” had already lined up a replacement…well, I don’t know…just kinda freaked me out. I’m having friend withdrawals. I’m missing my little “I love you” notes and my XXXOOO’s that he’d send. And while I’m extremely blessed to have a small group of “die for” friends, and a larger group of really good friends, having one being taken out of the “die for” equation just wasn’t something I’d factored on. I guess I just haven’t wrapped my head around it yet. I think that to do so, would mean that I have to accept the fact that I could lose more…and I just can’t do that right now. I’m putting it on a back burner until I have the time and space to deal.

BitterSweet

On FB, "J" posted that G.O.D. just made magic with a new drummer. And I started to cry. Life is moving forward without "MM" and the band is starting over without him. My heart knows that life goes on, but I didn't expect it to move forward this quickly.

I don't know what I was thinking..that maybe the band would come up with a new name and start over.  Not that they'd just replace him. Are we all replaceable? If I'm gone tomorrow, does someone just step into my place? I'm not ready to let my friend go yet. I mourn the loss of something that took years to build.

I fear sleep will evade me for awhile...

Rants and Love Tossed My Way

Another great day in NorCal and this Brown Eyed Cali Girl couldn’t be happier.  Yesterday reached a high of 81 degrees.  Such a nice break from winter and a great segue into spring. Don’t get me wrong, I love all of the seasons in their turn. I love the crisp edge to Fall and watching the leaves turn color. Plus my annual trip to Mexico!  I love the Winter months with the cold, rain and snow. Nothing better than taking a walk in the rain and feeling the drops hit your face. Or warming up afterward in front of a nice fire. Spring brings blooms and green, lighter clothes, sunshine and good natured people. Summer brings heat, sun, swimming and rafting, partying with friends, outdoor concerts and almost no clothes!  I could definitely use a bit more rain (when I’m home to enjoy it), but it’s still nice.

This weekend promises to be extremely busy:

·       A visit with J and getting my nails done tomorrow afternoon

·       A date tomorrow night

·       8 a.m. visit from the Retractable Screen guy Saturday morning

·       A visit to Clarksburg and wineries Saturday afternoon

·       Farmers Market Sunday morning

·       A visit from a friend’s son mid-morning for an estimate on cleaning the property

·       Old town Roseville Sunday afternoon for St. Patty’s to listen to some bands

·       General laundry and house cleaning…

Although I don’t have anything down for Saturday night…if I know my wine buddies, we’ll be tearing it up afterward with appetizers and more wine consumption.  A promising weekend indeed for a single chick…my dance card is full this weekend and I’m thankful for it. 

FURLOUGHS

Sac Bee had a headline today that read “California’s furloughs driving up leave cash-out costs”. My response??? Fucking DUH!  We’ve been talking about this forever! The only reason I have as much leave as I do, and I’m unable to burn it fast enough to drop it to acceptable levels is because of mandatory furloughs!  We’re required to take our furloughs before any other leave time, which means I can save my vacation time until whenever.  My month in Cabo in October of 2010 was all furlough time.  I didn’t use a speck of vacation. The more money I make, the higher up I go in the classification chain, the more money my vacation time is worth, so why would I use it all up in a blaze of glory?  I got a bank of money just waiting until I retire if I don’t use it all (and I can’t with the kind of work I do).

While I love my employer, and I have a fabulous job….this is why California is going down the toilet in a mountain of debt and bureaucracy.  Politicians never think about the end…just a way to look good right now and capping on State workers who have jobs looks really good to those who don’t have jobs. Never mind what it will cost the State in the long run when it comes time to cash out my money that will be worth 2 to 3 times more than when I originally got it!  Now the federal government is looking to furlough their employees due to the “sequester” and you don’t think this exact same thing is going to happen?  It’s a horrible joke, but the politicians in D.C. seem to follow in the same footsteps as California…and you’d think we’d be a lesson to the rest of the Nation!  Nope.  Let’s just repeat the same mistakes and go to hell together!

As Armstrong and Getty would say…”Goodbye Sweet America!”  Whew…Damn Dizzy…tell us how you really feel!!!

Feeling the Love

As I was leaving work today, I ran into (no, not literally...although I wouldn't put it past my klutzy self!) Elias, a janitor I've known for some years.  I asked him how he was doing and how his family was doing.  He has two daughters in the Navy (awesome!), one works in a Pharmacy and the other is still at home.  You can see the pride beaming from his face.  He immigrated here from Mexico many years ago and is just an awesome guy. 

He was reminiscing about how long we've known each other and (he says) how I don't change.  I told him I do a lot of midnight dancing around bonfires to keep the Gods happy.  He laughed and said "We've known each other since 1995".  Holy Crap, I'm old! But I'm so humbled that he remembers when we met.  I don't see Elias as much as I used to.  We both worked at a satellite office, and I transferred to Central in 1998.  After we built the add-ons to the complex, all the satellite offices moved to central and he came with them in 05. So we've only seen each other sporadically the past 15 years, and he still remembers. He truly honors me.

That's the perfect note to end this blog post.  I'm off to exercise peeps.  Until tomorrow.

Dating and the Single Older Woman

I was talking about this topic with a couple of people (KW and AP) and I’m totally intimidated by the thought of “actually” going out on a date.  This is, of course, my fault because during the separation and divorce, I ended up not doing things the right way.  I went for something safe and comfortable.

Since I’d known B forever, it felt great to not have to do the awkward stuff.  But after a year and a half, I realized, we had never actually gone out on a date…just the two of us.  We’ve gone to dinner with friends, we vacationed as a group, and even Valentine’s Day was shared with another couple. The only one-on-one time was spent in the bedroom or the living room. I realized this and told him “you need to date me” and he didn’t get it. He didn’t take the time to learn the little things about me and felt like it would be a step back.

Now anything that happened in Cabo doesn’t count because I was on vacation and smacked upside the head with a (I don’t even know what to call it) stick.  It wasn’t a stupid stick because that whole thing was not a mistake and it definitely was not stupid!  I’d do it all over in a heartbeat. And there was one-on-one time outside of the bedroom and the Condo.  Correct me if I’m wrong, but reality is kind of suspended on vacation, so it’s hard to know if any of it is real.

Since I got back, I’ve been focused on friends, the job, the house, exercise, death (or is it that death has focused on me), blogging and holding it together.  It’s not like I’m out trolling for men. It’s not like I’m at the bars every night looking for a guy to date. I go to meet up with friends, dance and see my buddies perform. I get asked to dance, but the bar is not where I’ll be handing out my phone number to an interested guy.  I have a couple of buddies that joined a “Meet Up” group, and a couple more doing online dating. You already know my thoughts on online dating, and while I’ve met up with my friends during their “Meet Up” (at a bar), I’m not sure about that whole thing.

I was telling my guy buddy “AP” (KW is my Girlie) about the whole intimidation factor of going out on a date and this is our text exchange (edited to protect identities…you know, the whole super hero thing…).

 

Wait a moment.  Let me twist my arm around to pat myself on the back.  Ok, I’m ready… I already know I’m worth a lot!  Hello…a girl who is into Apple products, shoots, cooks, independent, low maintenance, intelligent, drives like a man, conservative, non-froufrou, ok in the looks department, can toss back tequila like a pro….. On the other hand, I am opinionated, I like to get my way, I’m a little goofy, scarred physically and emotionally, have a habit of saying Nice (Noice) and Just Sayin’, swears like a fucking sailor and can toss back tequila like a pro…. Alright, it’s a wash. At least I’m not a psycho chick who buries the bones of the men who disappoints her in the back yard (as far as you know). I don’t think he understood that it wasn’t really about what I’m worth, etc. It’s more like I haven’t allowed myself to be in a situation to actually “Date”, i.e. go out on one!

Since I’m no longer the 20 year old bar-hopping tart I used to be, what does a woman my age do? I don’t want to date guys I went to high school with. I need to avoid my girlfriend’s brothers (although the jury is still out on one of them). I have guy friends, but it’s not cool to do your buddy’s buddy.  We don’t need to have that kind of vibe going around. And we’ve clearly established that I’m NEVER dating the guys I work with.

What does one do on a date? What do you talk about?  Have much changed in 20+ years?  Is it still a dinner or a movie? Does the person doing the asking pick up the check or is it dutch? I still have “Sleepless in Seattle” and “Tiramisu” running through my head.  But then again…I’m totally over-thinking this whole thing. I just have to relax and “do me” not anyone I think the other person wants to see. I just need to totally WYSIWYG this and have fun!

The nice thing is I don’t have rules about what I can and can’t eat on a date.  I don’t care if the cheese string on pizza snaps back and hits me in the face. I don’t care if parts of my dinner end up on my chest (when you have a rack, it’s inevitable…it’s always been that way…can’t have one without the other).  I’ll even eat liver (although I hate it) if I need to be gracious about it. I’m not into going to strip joints unless it’s a committed relationship, but monster trucks, pro-wrestling (although I don’t get it) and rodeo’s are in. I’m pretty much up for anything and love a challenge (don’t forget, I HATE to lose).

Damn…it’s moments like these, when I can see my neuroses’ on the written page that I really wonder about myself.  Ok Peeps...I'm gonna go out into the yard and get some green waste into the cans for pickup tomorrow!!!

A Few Of My Favorite Things...

I love putting it in my mouth and swirling my tongue around to get both the salty and the sweet flavors. I savor the taste, and the cool sensation as it slowly warms to body temperature..because we all know if it’s too cold it just doesn’t taste or feel right. I love rolling the nuts around one side of my mouth and then the other before biting down. What??? Get your minds out of the gutter people…We’re talking Pistachio Ice Cream here!!!

Pistachio nuts. I love them! I prefer them in their shells so I have to work for the tasty morsels. If they’re pre-shelled they just aren’t as much fun…kind of like eating crustaceans (I LOVE Dungeness and King crab, along with lobster)…what’s the point if you can’t have fun cracking the shells and working for the sweet flesh inside?

I also love ice cream. I’m pretty picky about ice cream and love a really good vanilla because I can make whatever I want from vanilla, i.e. grab some fresh fruit from the fridge, or your favorite jam, chocolate sauce, etc. However, there is one flavor of ice cream that I absolutely love, but it’s hard to find a good brand. Pistachio ice cream is difficult because the industry standard is usually flavorless, and I eat pistachio ice cream to taste pistachios and to enjoy an ice cream with some crunch. I have a couple of recipes for homemade pistachio ice cream but I rarely make it because…I’d eat the whole thing and my waistline would be more difficult to maintain than it already is!

The funny thing is…I’m NOT a peanut fan! I can rarely do stuff with peanut butter. There is one idiosyncrasy I do have, and it’s an extremely weird one! I like to open a fresh jar of peanut butter and with a butter knife, break the smooth surface and taste that first bite. I prefer extra crunchy, but it really doesn’t matter. After that…I want nothing to do with the jar! Beware if you purchase peanut butter and see a tiny bite taken from the top….I’ve been there! When I was married and the boy lived at home, we always had peanut butter in the pantry, and the boys let me indulge in my weird little habit. Now, I just don’t buy it. If they only made pistachio butter, I’d be all over that!

I love the smell of Tide! Yes, the laundry detergent. It’s funny, but we all have those little things that we’re willing to spend extra money for. And buy generic in other things to save money. For me, I love Tide! I will spend the extra money so that my clothes have that Tide smell. The only way I’d ever change it is if my favorite perfume (Calvin Klein’s Euphoria) came in a laundry detergent!

I love Euphoria. I love the bath gel and the perfume. I had a hell of a time replacing the bath gel because no one seems to have it anymore. I used to get it through Macy’s and they totally flaked on me. I had to go through Fragrance.Net and order up a supply. This is a scent that both men and women always compliment me on, so it must smell good on me. To break things up, I’ll also wear the Euphoria Forbidden scent which is a little more complex and musky. I tried the Euphoria Blossom, but it was just too flowery for me. I gotta stick with a sure bet!

I love to drive, and I love the speed and power that goes with it. Something about being behind the wheel, pressing down on the accelerator and feeling my vehicle respond makes my pulse race and my knees weak! It’s almost akin to sex. If I’m not getting lucky (which almost never happens), I’m speeding around Northern California with my windows down, the wind in my hair, rockin tunes and a good luck charm around my neck to ward off the officers that should be ticketing me. The only times I tamp down the urge are when my angel Beanster is in the vehicle with me, and when weather conditions warrant it…and I’m not talkin’ a few raindrops…

I love Mexico! Yeah, yeah…I hear the spiel all of the time…”Oh, don’t travel to Mexico…the drug cartels will get you!” I’m home when I’m in Mexico (We won’t touch the illegal immigration issue here…). The people are friendly and upbeat, the weather is phenomenal, the food is incredible, the beaches are stunning and the tequila….well, Tequila and I have a very special relationship. I don’t know what the Mexican people were thinking when they invented tequila…but they must’ve had divine intervention by God. Cuz when I drink tequila…it’s as close to God as I can get (well, except for sex and fast cars...) and I feel blessed. Granted, I’ve done some really really (did I say really?) stupid things under tequila inebriation, but then again, I’ve had some magical moments with tequila involved. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a time and a place for all alcohol and I’ve cut back on my tequila consumption on a grand scale. I just broke the tequila seal a week ago after going without for a month! And I only had one shot last Friday night, so I’m doing great! Given that my marriage ended over alcohol dependence…I’m just not frakking going there! Back to Mexico…the evenings are magical! Just the right temperature and a walk in old town San Jose Del Cabo seems like paradise. If I had my way, I’d either retire there or on a boat. I can lead SCUBA tours and build websites on a beach (well after I get my Ranger BC refitted) and my retirement money should go a lot further. I’m gonna have to call my buddy Sammy Hagar and have him hook me up!

Anyway, these are a few of my favorite things. Sometimes my blogging turns a little dark and I need to open up the windows and let the sun stream through. Because in the grand scheme of things, I’m doing pretty damned good (knock on wood). I have my buddies, my health, my job, a home, etc. And the blog does help me keep my head clear. When I write about the dark things, it’s like my blog is my personal pensieve (Potter reference) and I can pull these things out of my head and store them here so they don’t bug me any longer. I do the same thing with my heart thoughts, but those are on paper and stored away in my nightstand! Good luck getting to those… Bitches!

Compliments

So I was talking with my work “J” today. He was razzing me about having a different flavor of cowboy every week, etc. I laughed because that is such an over-exaggeration! I had to set him straight and tell him that most of my nights are spent alone. Just because I’ve had a couple of adventures…that doesn’t necessarily make me the social swinger of the decade!

He leans over and tells me that I’m the only woman he’ll break his marriage vows for, and it would be a hell of an 8 second ride (bull riding term). I joke and say that no 8 second ride is worth breaking your marriage vows or risking your boys for. He looks at me and says “8 seconds, 8 minutes, 8 hours, 8 days or a month…whatever it takes”. I just turned all shades of red (and I usually don’t react that way) and said “J, we’ve been friends for 20 years, and this could be the death of that friendship. I can’t afford to lose you over something like this.” He says that would happen only if we let it.

I can see that I’m going to have to let a little time go by before we talk again. I can’t break Rule #1 and Rule #2. That just wouldn’t be right! Quite frankly, I’m gob smacked and humbled that a man would say that and risk his home life for me. I find it unbelievable because I had a man that gave up our home life together for his addiction.

I was also gob smacked last night when a wonderful man paid me the ultimate compliment…”You’re flawed and imperfect and beautiful and fantastic.” Wow! I love this compliment because it gives a nod to my bad side and makes me feel that I could be beautiful and fantastic despite those physical and mental flaws that I possess in spades! With this guy, I’d be breaking Rule #6 (my jury is out on Rule #6, but I already had an incident happen that leads me to believe it’s a good rule). Personally, I think both men are sniffing industrial glue, but I’m thankful all the same.

Is it a “girl thing” the inability to accept compliments? Is it a “girl thing” to question the sincerity and the message of the compliment? I already know that women tear themselves down and critique their every flaw, usually in front of their men. My nose is too big, I’m fat, my butt is too big, etc. I try pretty hard not to point out my flaws because you’ll figure them out sooner or later. I do have a flat butt, but that’s really only compared to my family and a couple of girlfriends. Men are totally confused when we rip ourselves to shreds because they’re trying to figure out the best way to react so we won’t be set off.

But make no mistake…men tear themselves down also…they’re just more subtle about it. Women have a hard time picking up on what they’re saying unless they’re really paying attention and most of the time…they’re not. Most women are too concerned with themselves or the day to day stuff that’s going on. They think men don’t have misgivings about themselves, the relationship or trying to figure us women out (we’re foreign). It’s not always what men say, it’s what they do that should clue you into the doubts that they’re having. If your man compares himself to other men, he’s having some doubts. Do something about it.

Men enjoy receiving compliments and sometimes we forget that or don’t realize it. Men don’t always acknowledge the compliment you give them right away. Sometimes you think they didn’t hear it. What they do is process the compliment and then comment on it later. “You said I’m delicious” (damn right I did).

They also have this innate gift of knowing when your compliment is sincere, or when you want something out of them. I love to compliment men because when I do it, I’m sincere and I don’t give a standard compliment. What would you prefer to hear…”You look really nice tonight” or “Damn, the way your shirt stretches across your chest…Mmmmm”. You do the math.

I’m actually a woman that will compliment other women too. Why do women feel so threatened about acknowledging each other? Why do we have a desire to tear other women down? I love to say something when another woman is wearing something cool, or has an attractive hairstyle, nice shoes, etc. Granted, I get that some women may feel like I’m coming on to them or something, but that should make you feel good too, i.e. “Everybody wants me…YEAH!” A woman once asked me what I thought of some shoes she was trying on, and I said that if she didn’t buy them, I would. She couldn’t believe that I would compliment her instead of sabotaging her to get to the shoes. Not my style!

Where am I going with this thread? Compliments, being able to give and receive them, etc.. That’s right. I know that the compliments I receive and my inability to accept them are my hang-ups. Yes, I’m usually decent looking (I have my bad days just like everyone else does) and that’s genetics. It’s the “I’ll screw around on my wife for you” compliments that are difficult to react to. If I didn’t know this guy as well as I did, I’d say that he was full of it and just wanted one thing (and that would be from anyone…not just me).

Ah well...As you know (if you know me), I collect military hats.  I simply cannot pass a Veteran by whose selling these awesome hats, knowing what they've done for my freedom.  I just added to my collection today. So I'm posting the latest addition first, then a group pic of my hats!

My Latest Baby!

I'm missing a Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard hat. It's obvious I lean toward Army since the Boy and his brother (my Nephew) were both Army..and Marine since my Cousin's son Ricky is a Marine. 

Took this in 2010. Too bad it doesn't go lower, cuz that's an awesome VS bikini top!