News Archives
January 24, 2012
I bought an end table at a yard sale last summer and am finally getting around to doing my magic with it. I have to go get some square tile to go around the edges of it, then fill in with glass scraps, let that dry, then do my grout. It'll be a be beautiful conversation piece in my living room.
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January 7, 2012
I LOVE Sierra Mist's Cranberry Splash. Problem is, it only is available 4 months out of the year. So today I took my husband's advice and asked if there was any left - there were some liters out on the floor but non-diet. The guy asked me how many and I'd say as many as he had unless it was 40 or 50.
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December 13, 2011
Way back in 1996, a website was born - this one! Now it's become my primary 'sandox.' I'm a web developer and this is where I come to play. The site has become quite a jQuery playground lately - not so apparent to the viewer, but my management system that runs in the back is going largely to a JavaScript GUI.
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December 4, 2011
I'm said to have great Flea Market and Garage Sale Chi. Let's see...last summer I found (an oldie but goodie) HP laser printer for $10 and it works great...a pressure cooker (BIG one) for $7 for canning, and the list goes on.
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November 26, 2011
Brutus is a funny cat and he guarded the remote on Thanksgiving. I guess he wanted to make sure he could watch some bowl games...not sure how he found out about them...
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November 21, 2011
So I'm getting ready for Turkey Day - I had hand paintined glasses last year and have more guests this year, so I went to the dollar store - and they had the same ones again. I spent the afternoon painting 6 more. They came out pretty nice.
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November 16, 2011
So work gave me vpn - which means I can do work from home. Problem is, the nature of the content I work on...anyone passing by could see my monitors and what I'm looking at/working on...so I had bought this wonderful dual monitor arm and set it up on the side 'return' of the desk which it was designed for anyway...
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November 6, 2011
It went from Indian Summer to brrrr cold almost overnight. Our 'middle' fireplace puts out a lot of heat - our landlord mentioned this to us (the only thing we ever burned in it was duraflames....) so this was our first actual wood fire in it.
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November 4, 2011
While showcasing the power of CSS3, one of Google's programmers created this cool easter egg.* Go to google.com and type "do a barrel roll" without the quotes in the search field. Geek fun!
*Easter egg: an intentional hidden message or in-joke which can be hidden in a computer program, web page, video game, dvd, etc. www.eeggs.com has a pretty complete list.
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September 18, 2011
I've been waiting for this moment for a long time. I had started this project a few months ago and now that I have taken a class in CSS3/HTML5, I went in and blew up what I had done. It is my pleasure to introduce the new Spacerock.
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August 14, 2011
So I've been working for a while on a facelift for this website. The 15th anniversary of this website is coming up on December 10th - I thought it was in 2012 but just checked. Wow.
I've been working in a lot of new technologies lately - particularly HTML5, CSS3, and taking the much needed leap to learn javaSccript. The new site will launch hopefully by September 1. You can take a look around by clicking here.
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June 12, 2011
It was cold and windy over here, so we rode over to my mom's - my mom has been really wanting to ride, but her neck problems make it tough with the weight of the helmet. She said "Let's go!" and put on her neck brace.
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May 3, 2011
My 2008 105th Edition Road King aka Thor II
Yes, I finally did it. It happened quickly - so quickly, my head is still spinning. On the weekend, I said ooo that's nice looking...sat on it and found ooo it fits me like a glove and Monday May 2, 2011? Riding it home....
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April 16, 2011
It was one of those moments..."we went to get cat food and came home with a new grill.." It wasn't easy - we had to call the cavlary to find a friend with a truck to transport it home.
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April 10, 2011
So I got a cool vase at a garage sale yesterday but it turned into a puddle. DOH. So I tried a little blue bottle I had gotten at the flea market LAST week to try again...as soon as I saw it starting I shut off the kiln but it was too late. Ugh. I WILL get this right one of these days...
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March 16, 2011
I did this in "Gallery Glass" in 1983 - Gallery Glass is where you squeeze the 'leading' as latex stuff out of a bottle (tracing a pattern) onto clear glass, then you use eyedroppers to drop the 'stain' in the pools formed by the latex once it dries. I have wanted to do this in actual stained glass ever since, so finally, I've done it!
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January 28, 2011
I don't know the origination of this pic but how cute!!!!!
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January 21, 2011
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December 23, 2010
Greetings! 2010 has been quite a year for us. I won’t go into lengthy details, but basically it took us until about the end of March to finish moving from the old house to the rental house (which does not look like a rental at all!). My old house looked like the rental! The old house sat vacant until the end of August when the short sale finally went through. It was bad - high school kids used the back yard to party, someone broke in, it just went on and on.
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December 22, 2010
This new hobby of mine has come in handy for Christmas! I sold 5 business card holders, a couple of nightlights and I'm giving this hummingbird feeder to my mom.
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November 28, 2010
One thing leads to another I guess - I got this Fuseworks Microwve Kiln - it has a little firing area big enough for jewelry pieces. 4 minutes and you have a piece. So I got a book on wirewrapping so I could do something with these pieces I've been working on and look at this!
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October 23, 2010
Was at the grocery store and stopped in my tracks when I saw this one...Goat Chunks...sure...how appetizing (NOT!)
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October 14, 2010
I got an email from a true blue friend of mine with a slide show, and there was one photo of a young Marlon Brando with a typewriter in his lap and a sleeping white kitty on his shoulders. I found this photo, obviously taken at the same time.
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July 14, 2010
Rather than entering pickles and preserves at the fair this year, I decided to enter products from my newest hobby-stained glass. We were allowed to enter two per category, so I entered these two in Beginning Stained Glass, and my ship in a bottle in the regular 'foil' Stained glass category.
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June 27, 2010
I guess summer is here - today Oreo was chasing his rectangle of sun cast by the hall skylight. It's hot here today - 94 degrees.
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March 14, 2010
Spring is in the air! We went to the old house and got the last of our things that we are taking. We just have the shelving in the garage and the rest, the bank can deal with! So now we're getting our new back yard ready for spring!
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December 22, 2009
I went to print my Christmas Newsletter and ran out of ink - and the cartridges are "in a box someplace" as is a lot of stuff I am looking for.
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November 24, 2009
About this time last year, I posted a message about All I want for Christmas is to save my house. Well, it didn't happen. The mortgage co went back on me. So I came out of mydarkness, put the house on the market, and found this beautiful rental home.
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October 31, 2009
We were at the dollar store and, well, I couldn't resist. What would look better on my little, shiny Tuxedo Cat? He tolerates bow ties off and on - he has his everday red tie, black tie for New Years Eve and a Red and Green tartan for Christmas...
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October 15, 2009
My mom's fiance, Bill, got a 2010 Ultra Classic LImited Edition. I got the opportunity and privelege to take it aroundthe block! It is has a beautiful paint job - black ice - which looks blue sometimes, purple sometimes, black sometimes. It handled very well too - which surprised me. It was a 300 pound jump from my bike!
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October 9, 2009
Remember the time we went camping with Guy Fieri?
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July 27, 2009
Years ago, my father shot a picture of me up at Tahoe riding a moped, and later gave it to me, framed, calling me a free spirit. We went to Tahoe and decided to shoot the picture - 30 years later.
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June 28, 2009
This weekend, for the first time, I did the ABCs of Touring in a day. What it is is you go to a city or county, for each letter inthe alphabet, get your photo taken in front of a sign with your bike, holding an issue of HOG Enthusiast magazine. We started at 5:45 am and got to Quincy at 5:35 pm. What a DAY...and then we came back...
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June 25, 2009
Every now and then I like to change up my website...and I was inspired to do so. I was really trying to revamp my commercial site, came up with something that decidely works better here...
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June 13, 2009
I've watched this lady out at the Alameda County Fair for years -- she spins. It's fascinated me for about 10 years that I've been going out there and visiting the building with the old machinery and have often thought "I have a LOT of cat hair....why not spin it?"
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May 17, 2009
I love Fremont Freecycle! In case you are going "huh?" what Freecycle is is a bunch of location-specific Yahoo Groups where you can literally offer something you are giving away - or if you are looking for something, you can put "WANTED: such and such." You have to act quickly if you find something you want though. Such was the case on Friday night when i saw OFFER: 26" Flat TV. I jumped on it.
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April 26, 2009
I recently brought the aquarium in from the office - since I am working fulltime I no longer have the luxury of working from home from my Garden Retreat, and that's where the fish tank was.
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April 19, 2009
Yesterday I headed over to Regan's Nursery to get some tomatoes - they have everything, so I was able to get some unusual varieties. 4 cuke plants - 1 of them is Lemon Cucumbers, and this year I put in canteloupe and strawberries.
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April 13, 2009
Bomber loves to play in the cat tree and I caught him dangling the kitty. This reminded me of the Michael Jackson Incident where he dangled one of his kids over the edge of a balcony.
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March 15, 2009
Oreo is strange; this is an established fact...he is showng here eating cantelopue. Believe it or not, Oreo is not my first cat who loves this melon...
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March 1, 2009
The kitchen has recently gotten some nice little upgrades - nothing major like new cabinets or anything, but a fresh coat of paint, a new refrigerator, stenciling and cabinet knobs.
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February 23, 2009
So I get to start a new job where I get to do all kinds of web geek stuff - my kind of fun. You know what they say - "Do something you love and you'll never work another day in your life." Yep. So, on my last day of being nemployed, I put together an organizer for my belly rings. It's amazing how many I've collected since I took the dare and got it done 6 months ago. (I just changed it for the first time days ago)...
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February 10, 2009
It's been more than 20 years since I gave a rat's posterior about the Grammys or any awards....but then again I had an unusual year and got back into listening to music - and found there is good music still out there even for old people like me. I was driving home from a craft class one night and heard this most unusual song come on...and I was hooked...
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January 21, 2009
Cats are such funny creaures. One afternoon I came in from my office and noticed that Simone was in a basket on my kitchen table fast asleep. She fit perfectly as you can see.
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December 24, 2008
Simone was definitely not thrilled to wear a Santa Hat...wishing all of my web visitors a Merry Christmas.
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December 14, 2008
So finally...I got my house situation settled and the good news is that I get to keep it. It's been scary - lenders not even wanting to talk to you until you're in default...or worse. I was afraid to do anything - even a deep cleaning - until I knew my fate.
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December 3, 2008
I've been learning a lot of new web tricks lately and realized I'm not showcasing them where I should be - on my website which I show potential employers/clients! Take a look around - there are more coming.
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October 23, 2008
Every year at the Altamont Raceway Park, the season culminates with the Pumpkin Smash event. Fans arrive to the track and there are pumpkins all over it. What for, you ask? So that way the fans can come down and smash them onto the track - and then a truck will come by with soapy water and then what--there's a race! Or is it a demolition derby? Or both?
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September 23, 2008
With cold weather right around the corner, my gent friend, Eddie and I decided to slip in a late season camping trip to my favorite spot, Huntington Lake.
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July 31, 2008
I can't believe it is July 31st. What HAPPENED? It seems like it was just Spring. I had a promising summer building (that crashed and burned with the loss of my job and the breakup of what I thought was a relationship with a lot of hope in it). Now I'm finding myself going into August and what happened?
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July 28, 2008
I guess I really suck at relationships. I've never been lucky in love, or in this case, like. I thought things were going really well and then things started to feel weird; communication broke down and the affection began to wane (I'm super affectionate), I found myself being spoken to rudely, and well, it just fell apart.
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July 23, 2008
A long time ago, I had my nose pierced. I took it out several years ago and have been thinking for about a year I ought to do it again. So today was the day. What the heck - I am making changes so I had this place called Body Exotic in San Jose recommended to me as being hospital-like clean, so off i went.
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July 17, 2008
So I had my second 'overnighter' trip with my HOG group - and it was a blast. We went to Mammoth Lakes and I had my first look at Yosemite. I know, I know. I was raised in the Bay Area and had never been to Yosemite - well I can't say that now.
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April 30, 2008
My first long trip was at the end of March to Death Valley. I rode a different bike (which had a handlebar I had to reach for - agony) on Friday to Ridgecrest - 380 miles. I was in pain so Bob offered to take me 2 up on Saturday. It was a new experience to ride 2-up!
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December 21, 2007
Don't tell me I've gone to the "Dark Side" or start calling me "Darth Marian." It's true; I'm working for Microsoft now (as a contractor) in Mountain View on their Windows Live Agents team. It's a very cool place to work!
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November 30, 2007
So I came home from work and Charcoal came in as he sometimes does. It was dark...he had dinner then sat on the living room coffee table - a slick spot on his forehead. Oh great...so I whisked him off to the vet and he came home today looking like this...
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November 10, 2007
Argh! Just as the 2007 TV season got underway, the TV writers have gone on strike. I don't blame them for wanting some of the royalties from DVD sales and such. I say PAY EM THEY DESERVE IT and "we want you guys back!"
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November 3, 2007
This was a flea market find - a recipe book from Sunset called Sunset's New Kitchen Cabinet Cook Book. The inside cover proclaims "Now for the first time, SUNSET'S NEW KITCHEN CABINET COOK BOOK gives you all of the recipes published over a period of nearly 10 years - from February , 1929 to June 1938!" WIth scary sounding titles like "Bacon Delight" and "Nest Egg Supper Plate" I will be featuring recipes here. So hold on to your fork and get ready to measure your cholesterol levels!
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September 19, 2007
This was during the Open House at our Fremont Harley-Davidson Dealership. They were having demo rides, so I decided to try out a Heritage Softail. What a ride!
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September 4, 2007
...if you have your washing machine outside in your front yard hooked to the hose and have a load going...yes, we really did. A homeowner's nightmare happened and we tested the washer to make sure it wasn't the washer...
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July 30, 2007
This came out of simpsonizeme.com to promote their new movie. Hilarious...
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July 23, 2007
Outlaw bikers gather before the Fremont 4th of July parade...pictured here is Marian "Webmistress" Briones, left, and Joel "Unix" K on the far right....
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July 19, 2007
Yes, it was the 4th of July and we were in Newark, CA where safe and sane fireworks are legal. This was pretty darn funny to say the least, and this year we have VIDEO!
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July 1, 2007
I was in San Jose today for a HOG function today and decided to take a trip down Memory Lane (more specifically Nomark Court) and headed to see the house I grew up in. It looks NOTHING like it used to!!!
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June 24, 2007
For many years, I have attended our Alameda County Fair and have always been delighted by the Hobby Exhibits. I decided to finally do my own, and guess what, it won!
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June 16, 2007
I spotted this photo in my local paper of a golfer named Phil Mickelson who was having a bad day. Apparently, the golf course opened up and swallowed him whole....Photo by Chris O'Meara - Associated Press.
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June 4, 2007
I was heading out on a chapter ride with my mom's Bill right behind me - we were heading to our Chapter Picnic in Pleasanton. Did I mention the route was Pleasanton by way of Tracy? If you are needing directions to get somewhere quick, never ask a biker!
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May 29, 2007
This cat arrived at about the same time Ariel did; summer of 2003. He used to be so afraid of us that he would run away if we even came to the window. Finally, he got so I could get within 4' of him, but never closer. He showed up about 10 days ago with a broken front leg, hobbling. Of course we couldn't catch him or help him. He succumbed under my office. I feel sad that he would never let us take care of him properly. So long, E.C. See you at the Rainbow Bridge!
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May 19, 2007
On Mother's Day this year, I rolled 13,000 miles. It means I've ridden 12,000 since my bike had 1000 miles on it when I got it.
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April 15, 2007
Whoa! I was on an early morning grocery run this morning and on my way back, I came upon this scene! It happened around 5am or so, the police said.
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March 18, 2007
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January 28, 2007
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December 30, 2006
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October 12, 2006
Well, I have managed to cross the 10,000 mile mark on the bike! The bike had 1027 miles on it when I bought it; I put 9000 more. The speedometer is actually 61 miles short of its actual mileage as I had it replaced (it got scratched) and we had to guess now many miles would be on it by the time it came in. I know, I'm so AR....
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August 25, 2006
Remember Big Head? Well, his owner had a life change, moving in with his fiance who is a really nice lady who has a bunny rabbit. She is also allergic to kitties, although she loves Big Head (aka Frank) and his mom. They were able to take 'Frank's' mom as she likes to stay outdoors only and is gentle, but Big Head is a big aggressive and plus he likes to be indoors as well as outdoors.
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July 5, 2006
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October 30, 2005
Well, my biker life continues...my Fremont H.O.G. group does this annual Haunted Hog Run on Halloween weekend, and this year was my first. One of our stops was the locally popular Pirates of Emerson haunted house. Now this is one where you are walking in almost pitch black conditions and guys are leaping out at you making you practically wet your pants. My husband has been teaching me martial arts for 2 years. In short, I popped a pirate in the face...
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August 29, 2005
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This was a sad week for us...we lost Kimba to our busy road. She decided to get off the frontage road and venture out into the main thoroughfare...very sad. So, we now have a little orange guy. I've never had an orange cat before. The photo shows Oreo's acceptance after only 30 minutes of acquaintance. That's Oreo for you...
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July 5, 2005
Wow, what a time we had...there is this annual Freedom Rally in Hollister where, as my friend puts it, 100,000 Harley riders descend like locusts. It occurs on 4th of July weekend. Read about how George literally met 3 couples on the side of the road, befriended them, and we hung out the rest of the weekend...I think this was one of the more memorable 4th of July's I've experienced!
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May 31, 2005
What a Memorial Day Weekend! We rode to my mom's which is about 60 miles away and I got my first taste of freeway speeds and gusty winds. We did get to go down some wonderful country roads and wound up leading a group of other riders which was fun. We did our safety class (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) last week and passed our test. We sure are having a lot of fun!
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May 1, 2005
Never is an awfully long time. I may have thought about owning/riding a motorcycle in my youth but after losing some friends and family to motorcycle accidents, I said no way. Well, the scooter started it, and now I have a Harley Sportser 883. It is very powerful!
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March 28, 2005
Gas prices have gone waaaaaaay up...going over $2.50 a gallon nationwide, but in California in particular. Our Grand Am was in the shop for MAJOR engine work. For a few months I've been poking around with idea of getting something little an easy on gas to do little errands around town....I wound up with this little scooter....
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March 6, 2005
Here in California, we are blessed with the ability to start our veggie gardens early. I've decided to log my garden this year, in geeky fashion.
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February 11, 2005
It's been about 3 years since I have redone this site, and it was time.
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January 1, 2005
December 15, 2004
Quite a difference in girth between the last time we saw him (June) and now...
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December 12, 2004
Bighead showed up after a 6 month absence! Home for the holidays, I guess...
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October 1, 2004
Oreo has taken to styling hair...
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June 20, 2004
I got to fly to Washington DC and do a 4 mile power walk throughour nation\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s capital.
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May 6, 2004
Oreo is weird. I think he is weirder than Squeak ever was, or else Squeak has come back dressed in a tux this time around...
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April 18, 2004
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I went from 20-150 to 20-15 in one day. Wow...
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August 16, 2008
I'm one of those who loves hot sauce so much, I am usually 'packing Tabasco sauce' in my purse. Once at the County Fair, I visited The Hot Sauce Guy and he gave me the hottest stuff he had and it didn' t make me run laps around the hall or anything.
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October 31, 2011
Can't believe it's that time already. I saw this template in my HTML 5 weekly newsletter last week and couldn't resist.
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January 18, 2010
The craft room is set up It came together very quickly and it also packed up that way - thanks to the organization of my supplies in the drawer units, bins, etc.
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