Almost feels like spring

I can't believe that a week ago I wrote that I was glad to be home. The ocean, the palm trees, the sun, the sand, the r-e-l-a-x-i-n-g. Ahhhh......... But I really am glad to be back in this hell-hole that is Tacoma. :)

And as the title says, it "almost feels like spring". Spring to me is new beginnings. New tasks. New obstacles. New life out of the dead of our rainy and dreary winter. This one being especially rainy and tumultuous. I sincerely believe I have changed and morphed over the past year, since the previous spring. It's funny who floats in and out of your life. The constants are there, but not yours to keep. For whatever reasons. But spring brings the promise of new and exciting things to come. I *love* that feeling. I've been feeling it for the past week.

I finally got to see Super Deluxe after about a year!!!!!! God, I forget how much I love them. They put on the greatest live shows!! The show was at Neumo's in Seattle right off Broadway and although I had to open the next morning (6:30 am), it was my idea to go, so Shawn drove. The band on before SD ended (couldn't tell you their name, have you met me and my memory??) and on the way to the bar we bump into Braden Blake, the icon of a popstar that he is. Shawn has seen them umpteen times and the two rambled about random show venues. I threw in my two cents about them playing at (what was) Fenders in T-town. He even introduced us to his wife who was having her 39th birthday that night. He's a normal joe. Although I've met them all before, it was usually *after* the shows when we were all pretty trashed.

Their set was fantastic and although I have to admit I've seen better, nothing compares to the whole crowd singing all the lyrics to Years Ago... "despite the fight of intellect, instinct will rule...". Beautiful. Neumo's is a fairly small venue and it was packed! With Shawn singing in my ear behind me, I was in musical heaven. :)

And the weekend just got better from there.

Sunday was a casual, lounging, snuggling-on-the-couch kind of day. Breakfast and coffee and Dazed and Confused..... My type of relaxation. :)

Been catching up on some of my "list of movies" also:

Cold Mountain - Highly recommended. Gut wrenching and a realization that you're stronger than you think. Renee Zellweger steals the show! (and those of you who know me, know how much I can't really stand the woman - divorcing Kenny Chesney?? don't get me started...)

Eternal Sunshine for the Spotless Mind - Brilliant. I'm going to have to watch it again for my own sake, but really amazing.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith - .....ugh..... I hate to admit that I watched it, not to mention that I liked it. The whole Brad/Angelina fiasco turns my stomach - me being a HUGE Jennifer Aniston supporter. (he's a slimeball and Miss Jolie, who used to wear the vile of Billy Bob Thornton's blood around her neck?? forgot about that one, didn't ya?) But I really want their kitchen in my future house!! That was kick-ass!!

I'm looking forward to moving forward. Spring - it's right around the corner. Our days are already getting longer! It's still light out at like 5:15 !!!!! Woo Hoo!

Tan and glad to be home

I know, can you believe I said that?? "Glad to be home"?? What is she thinking??

Mazatlan was beautiful, don't get me wrong. A pristine mile long beach to walk. Soft, smooth golden sand to lay on. Colorful and exotic shells to search for. Palm trees in place of Evergreens. The best - and strongest - margaritas I've ever had. Being practically clothes-less for 12 hours of the day. And sharing the whole experience with my brother and sister. It was Heaven.

We had a blast, to say the least! Other than my brother getting heat stroke the 2nd day we were there and then pulling a calf muscle helping with a banana boat, we all seemed to have a restful vacation.

I think we all went down there with the mindset of doing close to nothing. We all ventured to the Juarez Mercado to do a bit of "local" shopping on Sunday. What an adventure! It was a local street fair/swap meet freestyle. Tons of color and flavor of the city. They even saw pig heads on sticks. ( If you know me, you get the fact that "they" saw them. It's all hear-say to me ) We saw a man blowing fire on the street corner. And met a man holding his Chihuahua who growled at us every time we came any closer, "He no like gringo's".

But really, the trip consisted of us sitting on lounge chairs on the beach. Taking in all the rays we could manage. When we left SeaTac, it was a record 26 straight days of rain. And my sister and her girlfriend, coming from Minneapolis where it barely gets over 30 degrees for 6 months in a row. We needed this. Our biggest dilemma was where to eat every night. We were all a bit disappointed with that as well. The food pretty much sucked. No real, authentic Mexican food to be found. I think they were just trying too hard to make it more "Americanized". Everything came with refried beans!! No whole beans whatsoever. And believe it or not, their refried beans were worse than Azteca. Tsk, tsk.

I did get some great new silver rings, :) an X-rated photo with Mr. Senor Frog himself, fantastic photos of the palms and flowers, and even a resident iguana - at our pool! The margaritas still stick in my mind. My poor sober sister had to deal with her drunken sister all week. Ugh. ( many apologies! ) They even wrote my room # on a slip of paper from the hotel and stuck it in my pocket - just in case. :) Ohhhh.......... good times. ( "Solamente!" )

I missed Cole more than I knew how to handle. With my siblings and their talk of "missing their dogs", I was about to scream! ( I love y'all to death, but...) I left my 4 year old at home !!! I was scared to call home to my parents for fear that if I heard his voice I would crumble. I didn't want him to get sad and weepy on the phone because that would make me sad and weepy. Ugh. Kids. There were so many kids at the hotel, too! Which made me miss him even more. I've realized that he'll go with next time. No matter what my situation is. If I'm single or if I'm married, he'll go too. It's too hard otherwise. By the time I pulled into my parents driveway and saw him playing outside I was in tears. I was just so happy to see him. :) Oh.... that boy....

Back to reality. Which is good. Sometimes you need a vacation to give you a little clarity. To make you realize what is most important in your life. To make you appreciate your roots and realize that you have wings hidden back there as well.

Irritated...

I've said it before:

I heart/hate technology !!!

I posted the "Mexico" blog Tuesday night and it *still* hasn't shown up! It's now Thursday morning..... Grrrrr.

Hope you are all well.

And what do I care about this blogging anyway - I'm going to MEXICO, baby!!! Sun. Surf. Senors. (it doesn't have the same effect without the squiggle above the letter. Dang.)

M E X I C O !

Woh, Mexico...
it sounds so simple,
I just got to go.
The sun's so hot
I forgot to go home,
guess I'll have to go now.

Mexico, James Taylor


Ohhhh yeeeaaaahhh........ In about 3 days, I'll be in sunny Mazatlan !! Away from this drab and dreary-ness. Ahhhhh.....

Are you jealous?? Cuz you should be. I say that with the most love. :) This was my "divorce" present from my parents (LOVE them!). I've been to Mexico before, Puerto Vallarta with my brother about 5 years ago. If you've met my mom, you know the story that goes with it. I won't repeat it - it makes me wince every time.

I plan on doing Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Yes this, to me, is what a vacation is. I know we'll hit the local market and maybe take a day tour to one of the villages in the mountain/jungle. But other than that, I plan to park my keister in a lounge chair and sunbathe.... Soak up the rays.... Revel in the planet that is the ruler of this Leo.... Jumping in the pool or ocean to cool off every hour or so.

It's a sort of family trip, also. I'm flying down with my brother Sean and sis-in-law Chantale. My sister Kathy and her girlfriend Emily are flying down to meet us there, from Minnesota. I was worried about being left out as the only "single", but my sister put me at ease early on, "I want to spend time with my *siblings*", she said emphatically. Yay! :)

This marks the first time I will really be *away* from Cole. Since he was born. Ugh. I did have my first vacation to Sun Lakes last summer without him, but it was only 4 days and a 3 hour car trip. And yes, he stayed at his dad's for a week between Christmas and New Years, but again - a 3 1/2 hour drive away. Plus I was busy with work and friends. Not lounging around, doing nothing. We'll see.....

I joked with friends that I will get down there and phone my parents at the end of the week to,"send me Cole - I'm not coming back." Don't laugh, it could happen. It very well could happen. I would miss my family and friends, but the rat-race really gets to me sometimes. What I wouldn't give to chuck it all and start over sometimes. In a warm, tropical place. Ahhhh.....

As I sit here and "write" this, I think of all the mix of people that read it: family, friends, ex's, co-workers, high school alumni, older, younger and possibly complete strangers. Funny how many lives you touch.

So....... bring on the margaritas!!!! I'm ready!

I blew out my flip-flop
Stepped on a pop-top
Cut my heel, had to cruise on back home
But there's booze in the blender
And soon it will render
That frozen concoction that helps me hang on

Wastin' away again in margaritaville.....

Margaritaville, Jimmy Buffett


Adios !!