The Wind Cries Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

His Palms Are Sweaty    Knees Weak    Arms Are Heavy    There's Vomit On His Sweater Already   He's Nervous         But On The Surface He Looks Calm And Ready     To Drop Bombs    But He Keeps On Forgetting What He Wrote Down   The Whole Crowd Goes So Loud    Snap Back To Reality  

Eminem 

Lose Yourself 2002 

FOOTBALL:

Can you believe this NFL season?? How many games have come down to the last possession?? How many times could both teams win the game at the final two minute warning mark?? All season long showcased teams losing by one field goal or a touchdown. And the stat that blew my mind , KC Chiefs only lost a single game this season but have yet to cover the spread! Think About That 

Ever since giving up my allegiance (   New Orlean Saints  you can read about that in this here link ) I am enjoying the NFL so much more. Catching games for the pure entertainment value so rocks the casbah and when I am unable to watch , who cares. No biggie there my friends. And my "gambling" has dramatically improved for sure as I no longer insert my emotional baggage into the equations. That So Kicks A$$

And this year has been no different. We had approximately 24 willing bettors in the league for Last Man Standing. Maybe 26 but I just cant recall the official number at this time. For those of you that have never played in a last man league or know zero of what I am referencing here, allow me to enlighten you. Last Man Standing is basically this , you only pick one team to prevail each week. HOWEVER , once you choose that team , no longer available. Meaning , nobody is allowed to camp out on KC every week for the win. If you pick KC week one then KC is off the board for the rest of the season. If you pick your favorite team week 5 , then that favorite team of yours is unavailable for the rest of the season. Yikes  

In the true spirit of a cut throat league , if you suffer a loss after week one , you are out. Our league is so flipping pathetic that we implemented three strikes and THEN you're out policy. This year , by week 4 , we lost half our members even with the three biffs rule. The game that took everyone out was The Vegas Raiders flying to Baltimore back in week two or three or whatever week that was. Something like 14 of us figured that The Ravens would bitch slap Vegas around that week. OOPS 

So my point is this , by week 11 in the NFL , our league is down to just three of us standing. Me and two other ladies for the $$$$$$$ and bragging rights. Our league always breaks down the cash so that 3rd place receives their entry fee back , 2nd place walks with a nice chuck of the pot , and the top dog collects some righteous bucks. Thanx Spicoli

With two weeks left of the regular season , it was STILL us three and yes we all three have suffered two loses during the season. And yes , all three of us were picking the powerhouse teams. And yes , who knows who is about to pick who. Its Fantastic 

Last Sunday , with two weeks left in this Last Man Standing Season , I was all in for picking the Jags at home. Unfortunately , Vegas saw a swing in betting and Tennessee became favored and something like a 72% chance of winning the game BECAUSE of the threats of heavy rains in Florida. I noticed that the Indy Colts were an 84% chance of winning and obviously Vegas knows more than Bo. Come to find out , us three last remaining in this years league ALL picks the Colts. Yup , all three of us lost last Sunday. All three of us banked on Flacco and the Phuc N Colts. Yes , we jinxed each other without knowing it. Which means we split the pot three ways for something like $75 each. Classic

I was super bummed with not picking with my gut as The Jaguars handled the Titans just like I figured but oh well. When the group text began rolling in , I waited. Then , I went for the high road attitude and sent out a humble text expressing what an honor it was to play in the league this year and how pleased I am that we have a trifecta claiming the cash. Like the lottery , instead of an 800 Million Dollar winner , why not have 800 one million dollar winners?  Share that wealth baby. Of course I was quickly faced with disgruntle replies and take that hippy sh*t elsewhere statements. Funny how losers react when faced with optimism. Smile On I Do 

Now , I leave you with a parade of blue lights from the Botanical Gardens. A field trip for sure next year as this is a must experience. Hip Hip YAHOOOOOooooooo 

XMAS:

As many of you long time readers , I welcome you new discovers , I absolutely despise this whole commercialized holiday production thing we call Christmas. It's rather repugnant. Growing up in the heart of the Sierra Mountain Range , deep , wet heavy blankets of snow was the norm. Banks of snow and glowing nineteen seventies lightbulbs under fresh layers of snow was what I was accustom to. Our neighborhood homes would gather for games and what nots and every home would decorate their lawns in true story book fashion. Maybe someday I will post old newspaper clippings from those days. You Wont Believe Your Eyes 

That fairy tale lifestyle rug was ripped from under my feet in nineteen seventy-nine when we relocated to sunny San Diego California. Experiencing mid 80's Fahrenheit / 26C on Christmas Day was a far flipping cry from the anticipated holiday spirit. Christmas has never been the same since and every year after that sucked it more and more. 

Sure , SD was totally a privilege. San Diego was chock full of opportunities. There was this overflowing amount of explorations and I could hardly pack them all into full capacity of living back then. Back in those rowdy cowboy days  (now Ted Williams Parkway connect the house to DelMar State Beach in about 6 miles / 9.6K)  a BMX bike ride took me just about all morning to accomplish. The journey became an adventure. And believe me , I never , like never , like ever never ever wanted to tackle that return trip as I knew what awaited me. 

So for years and years now I am not a fan of December in general. Not a fan of the unannounced stress or the time restrictions built around needless expectations. And don't even fire me up with the plastic one time use products heading strait for the landfill with the horrific end result. Meaning METHANE GAS  

The trajectory of this holidaze was flying towards another disappointment. I definitely learned my lesson during Turkey Day Dinner and was planning to steer clear of the Ham and dairy fats for sure. My guts no longer have them thar enzymes for breaking down cow butters , heavy starch , oil fats , and/or enriched flower products. No Thanx

Then , holy smokes people , The Dude saved the evening!! Like the jubilant man that he is , that son of a gun purchased these capes for all of us. I was completely stunned and the excitement in the living room painted the picture of CHRISTMAS. Everyone opened their gift with eagerness and childlike enthusiasm. The Dude's alive Christmas Tree that was draped with lights was encircled with giggles and sighs of delight as if a painted scene only a Hollywood script could portray. Outside We Booked It 

To the neighborhood streets we flocked with wild congenial gratification in our bones as our rainbow capes flowed like busy river currents of light. At one point , some passerby's checking out Christmas lights stopped and backed up their car just to have a look down our side street. They sat idle for a few minutes before carrying on their way. Talk About Stoked 

MEMORIES: 

The Dude opened up a gifted Christmas box and that sucker was full of old photographs. I didn't think to much of it until I started flipping on through them and WoW. And talk about wild flipping dreams that night for me. 

The Dude is flipping through one of the albums here in the above photo. Loads of pictures from back in the nineteen hundreds and all of us appear to be baby faces just like little Iris there. The photo below is of Mikey and Moo Moo. She Was Such A Loving Soul 

The photo below has Papa T in the background with Mikey and baby Kalinderrrrrrrrs. Mikey would drive Moo Moo and Papa T out to Denver Colorado from Sacramento for family gatherings and visits. That box was packed with old family albums and I stared at hundreds of old pictures that night. The crazy aspect was I was able to recall the moments or the happenings around each of those photographs as if they were captured last year. " I forgot about that." was the standard comment I heard after I shared my version of a photo. Why am I able to remember those times but I cant seem to find the glasses that are top of my head?? Oh Well 

This photo below is from the Colorado Mesa University's parking garage tonight. I was in the process of time lapsing the last sunset of 2024. Our low might be 17F / -8.3C tonight and tomorrow offers a forecast for a high of 33F / 0.5C   Oh Baby Lets Cuddle 

GOALS FOR 2025:

1. Upload At Least One Activity To Strava Everyday
2. Survive While Being The Better Person
3. Post A Photo Here Everyday 
4. Perform A Solo Gig With Visuals 
5. Challenge Myself Mentally & Physically 
6. Research Another Cooking Program/ Classes 
7. Explore These Woodworking Options 
8. Start Attending Live Shows Again 

And A Very Happy New Year To All Of You !! Experience All The Best Days In 2025 With Your Best Foot Forward !!

Cheers 

After All Its Just Time

Look Out Of Any Window     Any Morning      Any Evening      Any Day       Maybe The Sun Is Shining      Birds Are Winging Or Rain Is Falling From A Heavy Sky        What Do You Want Me To Do        To Do For You To See You Through       For This Is All A Dream We Dreamed     One Afternoon Long Ago   Walk Out Of Any Doorway     Feel Your Way       Feel Your Way Like The Day Before        Maybe You'll Find Direction    Around Some Corner Where It's Been Waiting To Meet You 

Grateful Dead

American Beauty 1970 

GIFTING:

Rolling Holidaze ideas around my noodle , which you all might point out as a brain , brought me to my latest project. Landed on a random algorithm via YouTube and gave it a go. Prototype 1.0

Now , do I really have the spare time for these X-Mas gifts?? Oh boy , here I go. I started off with a pencil and began free handing a few sketched out designs. There was so much to learn about placement and cutouts. Kinda Cool Really 

One of my biggest hurdles right out of the gate was removing the under boards of the pallets. Removing the under boards allows the blade of the jigsaw to move freely. Without stability , a jigsaw becomes a flappy diving board type of reaction and borders danger really. Remembering to cut out the top portions of each tree last also took a minute. So after navigating through those minor hiccups , spitting out these little gems wasn't all that exhausting. I would hold the shop vac hose in one hand and use the jigsaw with the other hand. The second pallet went fairly smooth with these pervious steps figured out. 

Basically , started streaming Secret Agent first , threw on the ear protection next , sawing out patterns like buttery clock work , grinding down each tree with precious details added in , and before ya know it , I created a BoB Ross forest of happy little trees there my friends. And plenty of fire wood as well. So Thats Cool 

And yes , thanx to old covid , I still wear a mask all the time. I not only wear my mask at work or in the office but I wore it religiously while mowing the yards on my route this past Summer. And while sanding down these individual trees , my mask was a must. Like Second Nature 

I began staining these trees with two different tents of stain. My thought was adding a shading element to the trees and then I quickly became obsessed with all these color pattern options. Some of these trees only received the dark walnut stain down the left side and I began brushing under coats of stain and then only adding dark stain to the grooves and I clearly began to overthink this project like I always do. Phuc Me 

Then , reality hit. Once I drilled out the bottoms , added supporting dowels , lathered on the wood glue , assembled them all to the proper hand carved out pedestal , I just did not care for any of them. Isn't that flipping weird ?? Seriously , I just don't dig these. Not sure what it is but I lost my boner for these trees. 

So my next move , with the backyard full of vibes offered up by Secret Agent , back to whittling away on pallets I went. Now I am all about pushing the envelope of this jigsaw thang as my confidence soared. I picked up a new $10 metal grinding disc for going ape SH*T on details and I cant wait to begin to stain these new wave of trees. This 2.0 version has become fascinating I tell ya. The original learning curve helped tremendously and my creative juices were thriving once again. I even trimmed cutouts in my foam brush for adding extra details in all these nuances carved throughout these trees. I cant wait to start staining these.  Oh Baby 

YOUTUBE:

The poor old GoPro3 Silver ( the new GoPro13 is on the market ) just doesn't have the battery life that it once held. I go back and forth with this time lapse hobby of mine. Should I Stay Or Should I Go 

I mean , is it worthy of my time?? Should I still be building these clips? Here are the facts and why I am NOT building these video. Definitely not creating content for "my" audience. Yes, uploading these time lapse is actually my therapy. Creating these buggers scratches my itches and my itches only. 

As you can see , most folks click away within the first 30 seconds. I am well aware that folks only catch about 40% of the content. No Biggie 

And this stat below totally cracked me up. I was under the impression that SUBSCRIBERS were key to growing ones channel. According to this YT stat below ( less than 20% ) subs carry zero merit. So again , I am capturing these here time lapse videos for my own desires. Hopefully Mother Nature continues to showcase her beauty because I'll keep looking up. And for me , there is joy when I watch the final result. 

I am not creating content for the views obviously. Over a decade ago I was under the impression that views were my main focus for growing. These means I am not receiving any monetization for these time lapses and doubtful that I will ever meet the YT standards for receiving any $$$$$$$$. I am just capturing what I am capturing for the pure joy of it. Would be stoked to surpass the criteria of YT but my future in time-lapse videos is far from the all mighty dollars. 

But there are these tiny little byproducts that are captured that continue to inspire me. BIRDS !! That's right , birds in motion. These little snap shots bring smiles to my heart. So I guess , what I have discovered , I love birds. I do love time lapses but I just love bird watching. 

I take pleasure observing them along the banks of the Gunny or Colorado Rivers. You know that feeling , when you are by yourself , across your path fly's a Robin or A Red Tail or Crows squawking about or a happy little momma duck just doing her thang. Love It 

Or hearing Canadian Geese calling out to each other from those arrow shaped migration patterns. I so dig their arrow position and they so crack me up when one bird barks at the flock about LANDING SOON !!!!! Like let us all land right there because it is as good as the last patch of land or body of water. So what I have processed here in my noodle is that I guess I will just keep uploading until I stop uploading. So Deep Today , Classic 

And then YT sends this little tasty bone to chew on for awhile. Is This To Inspire

 

WHICH WAY:

The Dude & I added to the future of the Disc Golf World the other day. And that outing lead me to this blog post. Such as , what the flock of seagulls I am doing?? Better yet , what will I be shooting for ?? I have this little appetite for presenting you all with daily photos in 2025. But I sort of feel that by adding "daily" photos is really just a cop out. I mention this because writing a blog , updating today from what went down a week ago has lost its appeal. I truly don't believe that it is writers cramp or a stagnate situation by any means. It all boils down to the fact that I just haven't prioritized this blog like I once had. So maybe with daily photos , that might , just maybe , who knows , might spark interest in life sharing stories here with this blog. Not sure but we shall see how it all unfolds itself. Hopefully below is a moment in time that the grandkids will always remember. Hopefully 

Below was an interesting discovery. I played in this tournament down in Durango Colorado back in 2001. That tourney was pivotal as it would be my first and last ever podium. Yes , I placed third in that tournament in the Mens Open Category. It would also be one of my last tournaments because the guys I competed with or against were such dickheads. They basically took the mojo out of the game for me. I enjoyed competing , the companionship , the competing or competitive spirit of the game , and most of all , THE TRAVELING. But there was this shift from about 1997 - 2000's and I know that it stems from the all mighty dollar but still. So after that Summer of 2001 I never registered myself for another event. We obviously still play but we play for free and we only account for the birdies. I don't miss scorecards and I surely don't feel the need to prove myself. Plus , let's be honest here , the game has evolved and has definitely left me in the dust. Play On Boys & Girls 

So in closing , I will persist with the trend of uploading here and on YouTube. After all , as I keep this on the forefront of perspective , it is just a straightforward hobby. Sometime I do agree that this blog is sporadic at times. Just as this particular post was random as Sh*t. I have said it before and I will definitely say it again. Happiness is only real when it is shared. So I am looking forward to 2025 and do have great hopes that Mother Nature will hold on over the next four years. Life is chock full of surprises and let those adventurous dreams become reality. What did the janitor say went he jumped out of the closet?? SUPPLIES 

Keep It Simple ,

Cheers 

Moving Through Time And Space 2024

I Heard That You Were Talking Sh*t     And You Didn't Think That I Would Hear It     People Hear You Talking Like That    Getting Everybody Fired Up      So I'm Ready To Attack         Gonna Lead The Pack      Gonna Get A Touchdown       Gonna Take You Out    That's Right      Put Your Pom Poms Down  Getting Everybody Fired Up A Few Times I Have Been Around The Track      So It's Not Just Gonna Happen Like That     Cause I Ain't No Hollaback Girl      I Ain't No Hollaback Girl 

Gwen Stefani 

Love. Angel. Music. Baby 2004

DOGS:

We should start off with dogs , right? Allow us to simply ease into this entry. No Pressure , Just Try 

Scored with this job during Turkey Week. All paws up throughout this adventure of needs , wants , and feed me now demands. But I Dig It 

Doggie time is what you read about in romance novels.  They love me unconditionally and that is my peace. I truly love those special quick eye contact moments during meals or while a backyard whiz sessions is in progress. Animals Rule 

THANKSGIVING:

I went ahead a set some solid boundaries as my way of avoiding amateur status. Basically , gave the old oats , wheat , and barley a back shelf for the evening as my way of watching my P's & Q's. Boy , Did That Ever Pay Dividends  

Even if I elaborated , in the back of your mind you just might call BullSh*t. Wouldn't blame you but it is all true. 

Now I am still rocking the VEGAN gig but I really haven't shared it with anyone. Its not like anyone will ever ask in this newest Me Me I world. So the dessert that I prepared was this extremely simple Tofu silk carob pie. You wanna talk about mouth watering !! Simply set up a water bath for melting down the carob chips and then hit these two ingredients into a food processor with a lifting hint of vanilla extract. Easy Peasy 

My main offering was discovered in the YouTube world. I followed this recipe and what a treat. Roasted Brussel Sprouts with a light soy sauce, powered garlic , and powdered onions to compliment the roasted Tofu in Corn Flake Cereal for breading , the most whipping spicy sweet and sour sauce drizzled over the top , and garnished the plate with fresh pomegranate seeds , fresh cut rosemary , and diced green onions for extra color. 

With a wink towards the adults , shared with the kids that I was only thinking of them when I baked off these delicious Chicken Tenders. Classic 

I hosted a crafts night a few days prior to Turkey Day and forced everyone to create their own Pinecone Turkey for the table setting. Once the glue gun rolled out , all was in favor. You know , throw your bobber out there and start reeling them in. SH*t Fire 

DISC:

While Mother Earth is cooking our precious spinning ball , opportunities for throwing some plastic is acceptable behavior under these November conditions. Today , December 7th , we are approaching 55 F / 12 C for our high. Sunbathing Weather I Tell Ya 

Let's face it , throwing some plastic is all about walking with Loki and The Dude. It is all about being outside for some fresh O2. It's really all about hearing , sharing , and exploring ideas. It's refreshing and rather needed really. Attitude Adjuster 

My throws aren't improving what so ever because we simply never practice enough. We might have played a whole 3 times during the summer months and about the same in the spring. This October/November were banner months as we played probably 3 times EACH month. And yes , only keeping track of the birdies. The non mulligan birdies anyway. 

But throwing some plastic is time well spent. Noticing the Colorado River levels , that choice moment when a Bald Eagle quickly soars on by , and/or gaging the windy conditions that's rises eyebrows but just the same regardless. Outdoors Baby 

However , when a disc releases from your grip , you just know. When your drive off the concrete T-Pad follows your intended flight path , that sensation is pretty damn exciting I tell ya. When you watch your approach shot nearly dropping into the chains , hot damn!!! If you sink a putt that you know you have the skills for , Captain Jack. Throwing a free round of Disc Golf opens doors my friends. That is ALSO what it is all about. Opening Doors 

DECEMBER:

What a drag. Can't believe that December is already upon us and as you know , Not My Favorite. Seven flipping days in and I cant even count the amount of times I have shook my head in disappointment. 

Xmas tends to lead a downward trajectory and that's has been the case for years now. I shouldn't admit that but Phuc the commercialized Xmas deal. Let's just choose to focus on snowshoeing and random acts of kindness. 

Now I would not say that I am pointing any fingers here but ever since my finger laceration my phone receives daily spam text messages. Like an unreal amount. There are multiple times when I hear my phone but I don't even bother checking. The other day , first time in decades , I made the conscious decision to leave my phone on the dresser. I even had the fleeting thought of WHAT IF?? Sh*t , I just figure it out and I don't need to rely on this phone to navigate life. Talk About Freeing 

I traversed through life without a cell phone in my pocket for an entire day. I haven't been able to do that in years , if not decades. Countless times I grabbed for it , didn't actually need it , but the habit was there. Couldn't even imagine my headspace if I was on Instagram or CrackBook. What Am I Missing Folks 

I mean , Hey Frank??? These here spam messages are running rampant ever since I filled out all those Phuc - N forms in order to receive my 6 stitches. Coincidence 

So tonight is something that I do enjoy participating in. Tonight is the annual Light Parade on Main Street were just over 100 floats meander around town. I have actually rode on three separate floats over the 25 years. But most often it's me and a few of us walking along or riding or bike along the route. Tonight , I have over dressed my cruiser with LED lights , most likely a three gummy night , and will definitely mix up a couple of batches of very hot coco for my two red plaid thrums. Thrumusiss ? Thurmus X2 sis ? Thermoses ? Not sure about the correct grammar there. Ether way , I am still doing it wrong. In closing , will be mighty cheery while I ride my well lit beach cruiser long Main Street as a true renegade of the Holidaze Spirits. Picture An Ear To Ear Grin  

Oh Well. Just moving through time and space. Somedays I'm in complete control. Somedays I wonder more than I should. Somedays Are One Of Those Days 

Stay Spicy ,

Cheers