AND SHE'S OFF..............!!!

 Busy week for Stevi.  She returned home from San Diego and her first day home, got herself into a bit of trouble.  Lost her phone and all summer privileges until she has paid her dues.  Earned the hard way.  $250 to be exact.  Her summer went from hanging with her friends  and sleeping in, to getting up with Mommy and going to work so she is not left alone with friends, and losing her phone.  I told her the only way to get her phone and privileges back is to earn them by getting a job.  No hands outs.  

 Today she started her first job at Pizza Reno, downtown.  As of now she is training and working 1-5, although today she worked an extra hour and she is also receiving tips.  She also finally got her drivers permit after 3 tries and went from a teenager going into her sophomore year to a young adult who now can drive (supervised), has a job, and is a Junior Cheer Coach for SYFL.  When you have more responsibilities, you tend to be more responsible.  I watched her grow up in a day.  I almost cried as they were taking her permit picture and as we drove down Kietzke Ln. in lunch traffic. (That was because I was scared to death!)

Her new boss Bob is amazing.  For those of you who have been in Reno for years,  he used to own the ShyClown, now Baldini's.  Great guy and very patient.  Been married 50 years with kids and grandchildren, trying to be retired......working more I'm sure than he has ever had to.  Sitting and waiting for Stevi, I watched a few young regulars come in and he knew them all by name and chatted away with them, serving them their usuals.  A small town feeling, with the comfort of knowing everyone.  For those of you that have never been to Pizza Reno, gourmet pizza, delicious and great service.  And an adorable girl making it for you and bringing it right to your table.  


Stevi will be decorating wine glasses for the upcoming wine walk which is the 3rd Saturday of every month.  Give the small businesses a chance and buy your glass there.  Also, he is looking for a girl bartender for evenings around UNR age, young 20's.  It is a young person hang out and atmosphere.  Check it out! 


PS.  The Baja Chicken Pizza is AMAZING!

Rough Year..time to take care of myself everyday....

 This has been a rough year for me and my family as well, emotionally and physically.  Still nursing my ankle, back , neck, you name it.  Somethings got to give.  This is my third day not waking up with coffee or artificial sweeteners , yesterday I had an iced tea so I didn't get a pounding headache going cold turkey from the caffeine and today I just had a water.  My body is working twice as hard to do half as much these days and I need to pay attention to that fact. I now need to adjust my workout habits from full speed ahead to slow and steady, my eating habits aren't too bad except for the occasional ice cream binge and my alcohol allergy has hit me in the face with a 2x4.  I can handle a glass of wine or 2 but any hard alcohol and it's over, which is fine, alcohol does nothing but damage on the body and soul anyways.  So here is a list of 10 things I am changing in my life so the next 44 years will be easier on me.

1. No more coffee, soda or alcohol
2. 6 hour work days 
3. Make time for breakfast and lunch
4. No more artificial sweeteners
5. Walk don't run, in every aspect.
6. Daily exercise for 1 hour a day 6 days a week, even if it is just a walk or using my bands
7. Continue my Chiropractic care.
8. Continue my therapy
9. Continue Al-Anon once a week meetings and daily book readings.
10. Continue to allow myself to be happy for me.

What are 10 things you can do to take care of yourself better?

My Dad was Pretty Cool for Old School......

My Dad was old school, really old school for sure.  But he left behind a family that loved him for all his idiosyncrasies and frustrating habits.  He had children in the house for 50 years of his life....My oldest brother Blair is in his 60's and my youngest sibling is in her 30's.  We all got a different piece of him, whether young or old, he was a great provider and a hard worker.  He led with an iron fist but with 7 children under your belt, wouldn't you.  I remember the moment I realized he was pretty cool.  It was my 15th birthday and I spent it at Kings Skate Country with my best friend Lori.  Afterwards he took us to Denny's on Wells Ave. for Ice Cream and then surprised us by taking us downtown cruising for a couple rounds, our radio station with the music blasting out of my Mom's Honda, yelling at boys out the window and people were saying.."That's so cool he took you cruising!!"  It was, it was pretty cool.  I miss you Dad.  Here are some, just a few, fun pictures of some of the family you left behind that misses you everyday.  Happy Fathers Day.

My 15th year........

 In my 15th year it was 1983.  The Mayfair Market was the meeting place to find parties or hop in cars to cruise Main St.  I remember my best friend Lori and I would go to Dairy Queen and walk downtown until we found cute boys and we would catch a ride for awhile but usually we would all just be bundles of hormones and smile, yell at each other and run up to cars to give a boy our phone number if he asked for it.  We used to go to King Skate Country every Friday night because there really wasn't much else to do.  The really bad kids hung out at Circus Circus so that became a spot that was not a frequent hang out.  The summer of my 15th year, I started "going out" with a boy named Pat, more out of convenience than feelings and for some reason got pulled into a world of mental and physical abuse.  He was kicked out of his house for drugs and dropping out of school and my mom took him in, not knowing who he really was , Hell, I don't think I even knew.  I was young and dumb and had a broken heart over a boy named Eddie who repeatedly cheat on me, so it was a way to get over him.  It was also a learning process.  I was already a pretty tough kid, growing up in neighborhoods and with circumstances that created Bubba, but being punched, having your hair pulled  and head butted by a boy was a new thing for me.  It finally ended with a violent fight in the bathroom because I broke up with him and he tried to flush my head into the toilet.  Back in the 80's, big metal Boombox's where all the rage and I had one sitting on the back of my toilet.  I remember somehow grabbing it and hitting him in the head with it and once I got up, I swung it as hard as I could and hit him in the head again.  He finally got the point and went out to his Mini truck to leave but I wasn't done yet and jumped on the hood of his car and kicked his windshield in.  That day, the final break up, he was on drugs, cocaine I think was his drug of choice, and drove down Dandini Blvd. to go to his mom's house  where he flipped his truck.  I went to see him in ICU to say my final goodbye and break up for good, but his other girlfriend Donna had come down from Los Gatos, Ca. to be with him, hmm lucky girl.  Probably just as well, I guess I got my closure, but he never did.  Another day another story, but Jay and I have had the "pleasure" of running into him from time to time since he got out of prison for beating his wife and mother-in-law with a cast iron skillet.  Nice guy.  Learned a tough lesson at 15 and my daughter wonders why I tell her to enjoy being a kid and not try to grow up so fast.  

For my Friend..............

We bare the shame and hide our pain

hoping it will go away

unwilling to share

we hold it all

we love so much we take the fall.

We gave them life

and love them through

the worry and pain 

if they only knew.

Sleepless nights 

as tears will fall

we would take it from them

big or small.

We see them always 

as they are

our precious angels

our shining star.

They break our heart

as they grow

its hurts so much

to let them go.

So with all our might

we hold them near

and hope to God

that they can hear.

We'd give our lives

to keep them pure

but nothing in

this life is sure.

For now we hold them

in our arms

and love them completely

through Devil's charms.

We are their mothers

forever will be

and hope some day

the light they will see.

by Lisa Lynch for my friend........

Should I stay or should I go?

 We finally decided that we are taking a weeks vacation.  From August 5-12.  No phones, no texting (business) and just being a family.  We haven't had a vacation other than a weekend here and there since 2005.  Now the money dilemma.  With Jayson's upcoming wedding and Stevi on the verge of driving, it's an issue.  Do we take a vacation or a staycation?  If we decide to stay at home, can we truly be on vacation?  Away from everyday life?  I found a cabin to rent in Bucks Lake for under $1000 a week, but then there is gas, food, other vacation expenditures so probably $2000 by the end.  Or we can stay home and save a lot of money and pretend we are here on vacation.  Can it be done?  We could go to Tahoe, Pyramid, Wild Waters, Six Flaggs, Truckee River, River Walk, GSR, Peppermill, Atlantis Day Spa, Genoa Hot Springs, Virginia City, Hot August Nights, Reno Tahoe Open.  We live in an area that is prone to tourism.  If you were on vacation here........What would you do and where would you go?

Walk it off............

 What's normal for me?  Go Go Go. Run. Cross Fit, Boot camp, Hiking and 5-10 mile walks around the block.  Since I broke my ankle doing Cross Fit back on December 6th, my body has taken a beating.

 My Cross Fit days seem to be over, I can't do anymore extreme hiking, or running and I may have re-broken my ankle.  Yes it was Guoda's Bachelorette Party , but sadly, it was because I so desperately wanted to be cute again and wear heals, that I bought a pair of platforms so I could wear a certain pair of jeans, and I rolled my ankle walking in Silver Peak to the bathroom.......BEFORE DRINKS!

Of course, Bubba didn't want to ruin her future Daughter-in-Law's Bachelorette Party, so she continued on as if she was okay.  That was around 9 pm and Thankfully the evening came to a crashing halt by midnight.  Yes, I kept my shoes on, yes I danced on it and yes I am back in my boot.

This is Jay's last week at work, I can't take any time off of work, I don't have paid leave and I am scared I possibly did more damage and may require some mending or rest.

I have the boot, and the pump and Advil, so as my Mom would say......"Walk it off!"  and I am........