Life's Not Sexy

How does my garden grow?

2010-04-06T10:43:00.000-07:00

It is growing pretty good right now, thanks for asking.

So this is the raised bed garden I put in last October. It is about 4 feet x 8 feet. This cold Arizona winter, even though we had a good amount of rain, has made it grow very slow and my tomato plants along with everything else barely produced anything. I was really counting on some sort of might bounty for Thanksgiving or Christmas when I put this together. Still waiting. It is going pretty well now that we have more daylight and warmer days.

I have been spending quite a bit of time working on my own personal "Farmville". My biggest concern, next to keeping all my plants from frostbite this winter has been bugs. I had a little trouble with something eating my lettuce earlier in the fall, but a bird netting seemed to make short work of that. I have been so happy, NO BUGS!

Well I celebrated to soon. Last week I found bugs. Nasty, teeny, tiny, disgusting, white, plant, sucking BUGS! I think they are white flies and aphids. >:(

Well you can't keep a good farmer down so I got my best garden tool, The Internet, and devised my plan to eradicate the unholy creatures.

My plan.......................................................

Killer Lady Bugs!

For the cost of two Venti Caramel Macchiatos (large fancy caramel coffee for those of you that don't know Starbucks) I received my army of 1,500 killer lady bugs. This is what 1,500 lady bugs look like.

The instructions said to rinse off the bag and put it in the fridge until we were ready to strike. They need to be released after the sun goes down. I guess they fly off into the sun otherwise.

I thought I had drowned them after I rinsed them off, not much movement in that bag. Next step, put in fridge. What the heck, they aren't moving anyway. Crap! Let me also back up one day. I think they sat in the hot mail box for at least a day. I thought they were coming in UPS. We don't always check our mail. These better be some Marine quality lady bugs!

I should have spent my money at Starbucks.

Our recon mission took place around 10:30p.m. I know it was a bit late but we went out to dinner. A girls gotta eat. (thank goodness they didn't go AWOL in my fridge. Can you imagine? Yuck!) There were a couple still moving so I opened up the bag (outside) and scattered them around the plants and in the morning I had live lady bugs in the garden.

The disgusting bug problem has been drastically reduced in just a few days.

Now some of you may remember our OLD house in Indiana. It was infested with lady bugs. Every spring when we would get a sunny warm day they would be out in swarms! No joke, you couldn't walk through the yard without running into them. They would be all over the house and in my house and they have this weird stink. I use to get so mad about cleaning up all the stinky dead lady bugs. It was endless.

I can't believe I payed money for Lady Bugs!

Well here are a few pictures of my bounty. It isn't much, but it is good dirty fun!

Happy Spring! Now go get dirty!

All my best,

Les :)

Easter 2010

2010-04-04T11:08:00.001-07:00

Thanking God for washing away my sin 365 days a year! Have a Happy and blessed Easter everyone.

All my best,
Les :)

Just Dogs

2010-01-03T17:50:00.000-08:00

"Peace On Earth, Goodwill Toward Men"

2010-01-02T15:00:00.000-08:00

Happy 2010!

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and a safe and great New Year! We sure did. Very relaxing and mellow.

This holiday season has given us lots of weekend time to goof off and go junking, one of my favorite things to do. Today was the first 50% off Saturday of 2010 at the Goodwill stores out here in AZ. Mark and I went out to the Apache Junction store yesterday just for the heck of it, not looking for anything special.

I came across a chair I sort of liked, but they were asking 80 bucks for it and I really wasn't THAT interested. I can get lots of JUNK for $80. I have sort of a thing I do when I junk shop. If I love it, I grab it right up. If I'm not sure about something, I will walk away and if I remember it before I leave the store I will go have another look. It may be yes buy it or Naaa not interested. Sometimes I get home and can't stop thinking about something. Well last night I remembered today was 50% off Saturday and I couldn't stop thinking about that stupid Goodwill chair. I could see having that chair for 40 smackers!

So I asked Mark if he would take me back to Goodwill in the morning for the half off chair. I don't think he was interested in any chair from Goodwill but I really needed his help. One, I needed him to help me get the chair out of the store and into the truck. I could have gotten one of the workers there to help but that takes so long. The second reason I needed Mark to go with me was to run interference. You see on the morning of the 50% off Saturday at Goodwill, it is Bedlam!

I tell Mark it is an 8:00 a.m. opening this morning. We got over there about a hour to soon, however there were already a couple people lined up at the door. Mark gets out of the truck and goes up to the doors to check the time for me. He comes back to inform me 9:00 a.m. is when they open and he has already had words with someone. "What?"(it could be a record for him) I guess one of the three people standing at the door told Mark to get lost, they don't open until 9:00 and HE was in line first and was going to get whatever it was Mark was there for. Which Mark responded with a "Fudge You!" (only he didn't say Fudge) He makes friends everywhere he goes.

We went to kill some time at Micky D's in A.J. i.e. have coffee with all the snowbirds. Ten till 9:00 we are back at Goodwill and now there is a BIG line at the double doors. But there is a second set of double doors (the exit) and there is one lady sort of standing over there. I decide I'm going in those doors, screw that big line. There is no "line" rule at the Goodwill as far as I know. Mark is tagging along behind me. My personal Goodwill rule is don't make friends in line when you are getting a sweet deal at Goodwill. This is WAR people. First person to the best junk wins!

The next thing I know is there is this huge dude walking up to me and this other woman. We are talking over 300 lbs. I'm thinking, CRAP what does he want! He asks me what it is I'm there for. I reply, "Oh just some clothes." I mean he is definitely not my size so no confrontation here. He says he has been there since 7:30 a.m. and he was there for the sectional couch and he is not leaving without it. My hopes were that he was not lying like I was.

Meanwhile, Mark was in the background sipping his coffee and deciding what he was going to have to do if this guy gives me any trouble getting in the doors. Oh and he was making friends with all the old ladies from Minnesota now in line behind me and the big guy.

The doors finally open and I make it in behind the woman in front of me, but in front of everyone else, big guy included. I mean she was there first and I didn't want to be rude. That's Mark's job. I made a beeline to the chair and it is mine! Other than some guy in the checkout line with two bikes trying to cut in front of me (Mark gave him the business), the purchase was a success. No one was harmed during the purchase of my chair. I heard many complements about the lovely chair as we hauled the sucker across the store and out the doors.

So here is my first Goodwill deal of 2010. Drum roll please...................................................................

TaDa!

I gotta say I'm pretty happy with it. I cleaned it, used the AMAZING Steve Henry enzyme cleaner all over it and dried it in the sun all day. It is going to look really cute in my Girley guestroom. Now I have to take the bedroom door off the hinges to get it in the room. Sort of a lot of work for a $40 chair. Oh well, Mark won't mind.

Good luck with your sweet deals this 2010!

All my best,

Les ;)

What I'm Thankful for...

2009-11-26T01:37:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone. I hope every ones day is filled with family and food. Break out your moo moo girls, it's time to eat.

I am so fortunate to have a long list of blessings in my life. I am really thankful for them all, but I thought I would share a few of the more unconventional things I am thankful for. You know me, I'm usually rather unconventional. Here goes........

I am thankful I have a husband who does not have the need to pass gas every time he is in my presents or even every time he walks in a room. Isn't that what brothers are for? (or even a brother-in-law) Was that a frog or a duck? Oh, it was the "dog"!

I'm thankful for my mom who always, always "Has a great idea!"

I'm thankful for my brothers that can't tell a joke to save their life, but can make me laugh so hard I cry or have to pee!

I'm thankful my brother married a girl who loves to shop at Goodwill as much as I do. Yeah, we're a classy group, DON'T JUDGE ME!

I'm thankful for my lousy uncomfortable bed. I once saw a documentary about a group of women who live out on the African plain ( I think that is where they were) who slept sitting up, Indian style, propped up on one arm with their neck all kinked over to that side while holding their smallest child in their lap with their other arm. Why did they sleep this way you ask? So bugs didn't crawl in their ears! *UUUUUUUUUUUUUUGH! shiver* Now be thankful you don't sleep in the dirt!

I am thankful for my husband's family that still loves me even though I stole their Mark off to that dreaded Arizona. p.s. I thank God everyday for Arizona! I need the sun!

I'm thankful I live in a country where a girl like me can run her own business. I'm thankful for my partner in crime who I share my place of business/torture. I wouldn't want to get lost with anyone else. (GPS, don't go anywhere without it!) I am thankful for vain women. I am thankful for every client of mine that wants to look younger, prettier, and less hairy and isn't afraid to pay the price for it in money and pain! Eyelash extensions, bikini wax and chemical peels, oh my!

I'm thankful for my long time girlfriends. They love to laugh, lunch and shop. Each of my very best girlfriends, though they all live far away now and I miss them, have a Coach outlet store near them! I love you girls!

I'm thankful there is a Walgreens on every corner at every Arizona intersection. The reasons for this are many, but it basically comes down to needing cookies at 9:30 at night.(or anything with major amounts of sugar. Low carb much?) I mean, not that I ever went to Walgreens for cookies at 9:30 p.m., but this way Mark doesn't have to drive very far and he gets back pretty quick. Don't forget the milk!

I'm thankful for my smallish size 6 and a half feet. At least I can still wear one size I wore in high school! Pass me another Fudge Stripe please.

I'm thankful for Christian parents that rarely took us to church. I can't say I was ever thankful for tights and shiny dress shoes. Sunday dress up clothes were a drag and the pews were so hard and uncomfortable and the minister sooooo boring, but we are blessed to be saved and if the lack of a bit of church means I'm "pushing a broom in heaven" (as my Dad always says), well that doesn't sound to bad (I've pushed a few brooms).

I'm thankful for spell check so I don't look like a completely uneducated boob. I am also thankful for the dictionary given to me for my high school graduation, which I use now more than ever so I know how to correctly spell words like moo moo and pew. Spelling, not my strongest subject. Might want to work on the grammar too.

I think we are all thankful for the big things in our lives, family, a good husband or wife, (I could use a good wife myself) children if you have them (dogs if you don't), good health, good friends and neighbors, our free country and the soldiers who fight or have fought for us and others, so we all don't have to. Don't forget to take the time to be thankful for the little things too.

Now pass the black olives, I've got ten empty fingers and it's time to eat!

Happy Thanksgiving!

All my best,

Les ;)

Xtreme Lashes on CBS' The Early Show

2009-11-19T14:00:00.000-08:00

Xtreme Lashes on CBS' The Early Show

Passionately Pink For The Cure

2009-10-09T12:10:00.000-07:00

Dear friends and family,

October is breast cancer awareness month. Anyone living under a rock, that is what all the pink stuff is about.

I normally use this blog to keep everyone up to date on all of the goofy things going on in my life.
Today I am going to use it to get the message out for breast cancer awareness and prevention. Ladies, make sure you are doing your monthly check. Men, (though it is rare) 1,910 new cases of breast cancer will be found in men in 2009. So if you guys find any lumps, get them checked out.

I am leading a team on the Passionately Pink For The Cure fund raiser. I would sure appreciate any donations you could make on behalf of Team Lashology. I will try to give you some instructions to make it simple.

1. Go to
http://www.info-komen.org/goto/lesliechurch
This page should say Lashology on it.

2. Click on the big pink button that says "Donate to this team"

3. Follow directions and donate what you can.

All money donated will go to the Passionately Pink For The Cure. Let's not lose one more person to this disease. Thank you for your support.

All my best,

Les :)

This link is really great to check out for questions reguarding breast cancer.
http://ww5.komen.org/breastcancer/understandingbreastcancer.html

"Colorado, not hot."

2009-09-29T10:24:00.000-07:00

Hey there. I am back from my weekend in Colorado. "Colorado, not hot." is what my girlfriends kids use to say when she would ask them where they were moving. It actually sounded like Colowado, not hot. I guess when it is 200 degrees in the car and you have to crawl into your burning car seat in the middle of an Arizona summer, you get concerned with the temperature at the early age of 2.
The weekend was beautiful, not hot. I left the 106 degrees of AZ and got a little taste of fall. I even put on a jacket. Jill promised junking, shopping and eating on this trip and she did not fail. I got there Thursday at lunch and we headed straight away to her fav Mexican cafe and then Goodwill. I hardly got all my purchases in my suitcase to go home.
The Franklin's did convince me to take a day off from shopping and eating out to go on a picnic. We went up to a place called Beaver Meadows. That is the photo up above. Don't ask me how we got there, we used the GPS and I paid no attention. As you can see it was very pretty.

This cute bear was carved out of a dead tree. It was along the path of our hike. We had seen where the beavers had dammed up part of a creek and the place was called Beaver Meadows, I guess we or should I say, I had beavers on the brain. When we got to this bear and I saw that fuzzy little guy sitting on the bears head, I started yelling "Hey its' a beaver!" We were soooo excited. Reality set in and as we watched and saw no evidence of a flat beaver tail or coarse beaver hair or big beaver teeth. Travis decided it was probably a marmot. He most likely thought I was a complete idiot but he was to kind to mention it. Maybe they should have named the place Marmot Meadows. It has a nice ring. You would think after being with Mark the mountain man all these years some of this outdoor junk would rub off on me.

These are my Foo Wu Franklin's. They are as smart as they are cute! They get that from their Mom. ;)

This is Bentley. He is the newest Franklin. I call him Mr. B. He thinks he is pretty BIG Stuff.

7 lbs vs 100+ lbs Mr. B. plays like he is the 100+ lbs . This is my Gurley's brother Gambit. We are in love.
Well those are the highlights. One more thing. I did make it to the Coach Outlet where I did considerable damage. Jill did get a new bag too, hot pink and sassy! I'm not going down alone.

Thanks to my long time girlfriend Jill (I have know her since 8th grade. Just a couple years longer than Lyndra) and her family for all the fun, food and shopping.

I'll be back.

All my best,

Les :)

Assateague, Chincoteague and Norfolk! OH MY!

2009-09-02T09:58:00.000-07:00

I don't know where the state of Virginia gets it's names, (I guess I could look it up on the Internet, nope to lazy) but they sound like bad words. My favorite is Assateague!

p.s. people in Norfolk don't pronounce the "L" in Norfolk. And the "O" sounds like a U. You put it together.

So what does this have to do with anything?

The last weekend of August I went out to Virginia Beach to visit my old Angola High School buddy, Lyndra. We have been friends for over 20 years, UGH I can't believe I'm old enough to have a friend for that long. I feel so OLD! It has been a year since we got together, so I went east to visit for a quick weekend. MMMM good friends, good food and taking pictures. My favorite things.Monte (her husband) drove us all over Virginia (and a little of Maryland and a little bit of North Carolina) just like two little old ladies. We kept him up way past his bedtime all weekend and I am sure drove him a little crazy with all our girl chatter. Great payment for all his generosity. He made us breakfast and everything. I did try to earn my keep. Monte is building himself a two seater airplane and I helped out with a few of the rivets in the bottom of the plane. I also scratch the aluminum with the rivet gun. Yikes! I am a huge helper. I am gonna need the experience once we start riveting our Airstream back together. That story to come when the weather cools down.

I won't bore you with all the details and giggling so I will just hit some highlights.

I will start with our trip to Chincoteague Island. One of two very cool little islands of the coast of Virginia and Maryland. We rented bikes(no helmets, I like to live on the edge). Mark just laughed when I told him we rented bikes.

WHAT!?

I haven't been on a bike in quite some time and I am sure it looked as stupid as it felt. Especially from behind. www.llbean.com/parksearch/parks/html/6346gd.html This is one of the better links I could find to explain the island. Think massive wetlands.

Thank goodness it is to cold up there for alligators. We did find this handsome devil though. He could use a pedicure!

Wild ponies (stocky little horses they call ponies) live on this island. They are thought to be descendants from horses off a Spanish ship that went sank off the Virginia coast a couple hundred years ago. The horses swam to the island of Assateague and set up shop providing tourist on rented bikes something on the island other than birds, water and grass to look at. Check out www.chincoteague.com/pony/ponies.html for the real scoop.

Assateague the second island had a pretty cool lighthouse. Sadly it was closed up when we rode over there.

We did go to the beach on Assateague or Chincoteague, I'm not sure which it was. What I am sure of........Don't wear jeans to the beach! I was told there were going to be mosquitoes on this little trip. T-shirts for sale on the island confirmed this. "I gave blood on Chincoteague" with a huge picture of a mosquito. So I only got away with about 3 bites on my arms. What I didn't get away with was dry denim.

I was pressured into taking of my tennis shoes and rolling up my jeans to sit and enjoy the ragging surf! Monte taking in the full experience.

Then I was pressured into taking a walk down the beach. Come on the two of them said. So with my trusty $800 dollar camera and $700 dollar lens I went for a walk down the beach. I tried to stay on the dry sand I really did. The waves were barely reaching my feet. The roar came from behind and and when I turned to see where the pounding surf was coming from, it was just to late. I managed to get the camera over my head and out of harms way, but the Atlantic had done its damage to me and my jeans. I was wet to up to my butt cheeks. The ringing of laughter in my ears, one of them said, "I guess this wouldn't have happened if we hadn't of gone for a walk." You think? Good thing I am crazy about them.

Wet sandy jeans at the beach, UGH! I am not even sure how much those babies weighed, but they felt like 100 pounds. Lyndra loves me though and wiped my legs and feet off(of course she was laughing the whole time) as I sat with my legs hanging out of the car. That is a good friend. No wonder she has been around for so long.

The weekend went so quick I felt like there wasn't enough time to catch up with Lyndra. So she will be out to AZ in about 3 weeks to get her Arizona fix. It is gonna be a quick one for her so I'm gonna have to figure out where I'm gonna take her to rent bikes. But this is AZ so maybe we'll rent burros instead. Maybe I can convince her to go for a dip in the pool in her jeans ("Swim Slacks" are all the rage). I think that may even things out.

This is Ginger. She is just to sweet not to mention. She was around all weekend hanging out with us girls except for the occasional bolt to the backyard to chase a squirrel off the property. She is part of my Sweet Baby club for dogs. Look at that face.

All my best,

Les :)

The White Mountains

2009-08-17T09:08:00.000-07:00

I have decided they need to write a book and a movie about me called, "The Estimators Wife". On the weekends of hunting season, when there is work to do at home, he disappears. Swoosh...........

Well as you can tell, it is my favorite time of year, hunting season. Just in case you all didn't know, turkey season opens soon here in AZ. Mark lured me up to the White Mountains this weekend for a turkey scouting trip. How can a girl say no to that? My birthday present this year was a new camera lens. He was offering this trip up as a scouting/photography op. I do have a hard time turning down a chance to take pictures. I just had to get through all the turkey junk.

So off we go, four hours into the wilderness. I try to love the wilderness, but it is so dirty out there. We were nearly in New Mexico by the time we got to the best turkey hunting ground in AZ. My response was, "can't you find turkeys closer than this?" ( I know, I'm fun.)

This is what it looks like where the magical turkey roam. Back in those trees. I can't wait to walk all the way back there. I get blisters just looking at it. My other thought was, are there ticks up here? YUCK! The saving grace was the temperature, 80 degrees. Mark took a deep breath and asked me if I could smell it. I said what, the green?
This is what it looks like when you are looking,"scouting" for those tricky turkey. Looks a lot like a guy standing in the middle of BFE don't it?

Well we were not alone out there. We ran into some free roaming bovine. So cute with their babies.

Then there was this guy. He was HUGE! I just had to get a few pictures. I wanted to get closer, but with my inexperience in bull fighting and all, I thought I better leave some room between us. Man he was BIG!

We trekked all over the woods looking for signs of turkey, or a sign from God. That day we had neither. We did see elk and a baby mule deer. That was cool. No turkey. What we truly were looking for was turkey feathers and poop. Man he knows how to treat a lady. I guess I was his extra pair of eyes. I really don't think he needed me to help him find the two dropping of turkey poo he found. (and of course picked up) Let's hold hands and take a romantic walk through the woods. UGH!

Anyway, I was to busy taking pictures.

I am sure I will never enjoy the outdoors as much as Mark does. I really enjoy my house stuff, crafts and decorating and such. I will continue to try to get out on my once a year field trip to the outdoors. I will try to camp (in my Airsteam, check back for updates on that project) and be supportive of his hobby. As long as I can decorate our campsite/camper, take pictures, read a good book, eat lots of junky camp food ie smores, get some sun, not have rain or snow or heavy winds or dust storms, have a flat screen tv with HD DVD, lap top, my dogs and get a good night sleep, I will gladly follow my man into the wilderness.

All my best,

Les:)

Summer

2009-08-04T20:11:00.001-07:00

Summer is always a fun time to take pictures, if you can stand the 110 degree weather. I took these the end of last summer. Morning and evening are always the best light.

I was just messing around with some Photoshop and Blog stuff and thought I would share it on my blog.
The photos are mine but the arrangement comes from www.coffeeteaphotography.blogspot.com This gal has some great Photoshop help.
The My current blog background comes from www.shabbyblogs.com Another blog design talent.
I aspire to make my own backgrounds one day.

Their buttons are now on my blog.

Until then this isn't to shabby!

All my best,

Les :)

My Vacuum Totally SUCKS!

2009-06-30T11:34:00.000-07:00

Yeah you heard me right, it totally sucks and I am soooooo Happy about it. I really didn't think I would ever get excited about a cleaning tool, but here I am blogging about it!
I just got a refurbished Rainbow Vacuum. I have been wanting a Rainbow since my in-laws bought one several years ago. A couple problems here. The price tag.....1200 BIG ONES! That's right, $1200 for a vacuum cleaner. Here is the other problem.....it is worth every penny! Darn It!
The Rainbow is a crazy super sucking vacuum system that collects all of the dirt and junk into a bowl containing a couple inches of water. There for no bags. You still have to empty the bowl, but dump it in the outside trash (tip from a good friend) and rinse. Every time you vacuum you have a clean bowl and no doggy smell.
The first time I used a Rainbow it was my mother-in-laws. We lived with them and had our German Shepherd, Ace, living there too. Ace had a lot of hair and the carpet in the little backroom we lived in showed it. I put the new Rainbow to the test. There wasn't a hair on the carpet when I was done. What I neglected to do was get instructions on running the fancy new vacuum. I thought there was water in it when I started. I didn't know you had to fill and empty it between each use. So I put the amazing machine away and forgot about it. The next time my in-laws went to open the vacuum what they found was the bowl jammed packed full of dog hair. Bill said it looked like someone stuffed a wig in the bowl. (sorry guys!)
I have used it twice now and I love the results. Hair free carpet and a vacuum bowl full of muddy, dog hair soup. (I will not include pictures of this, the description covers it.) It is a canister, not my favorite. It is like dragging a body around with you while you vacuum. I have thought that of canister systems since I cleaned houses back in the 90's. But it rolls easy and the results are the trade off.

I have a couple of friends with newer Rainbows. I am pretty sure they spent big bucks and I know they love theirs. So they will understand why I am hugging mine. I would like to thank my brother-in-law, Old Man Henry (aka Steve) for the hook up on the refurbished model. www.henrycompany.com

Thanks so much man....it totally SUCKS!

All my best,

Les :)

p.s. Mom, let me know if you want to borrow the Rainbow

Maui 2009 Photos

2009-05-26T15:17:00.000-07:00

Maui Photos are now on the slide show

Still Crazy After All These Years

2009-05-26T09:12:00.000-07:00

Well we made it to 18 years of marriage without killing each other.

We went to Maui again this year for our anniversary and we had a great time as always. We even came back with all of our stuff. We did kick around the idea of going back to Paia( the town were our stuff was stolen last year) and beating up any hippie that crossed our path. We figured that might be a good way to get those jerks. You know the whole kill them all let God sort it out mentality. Instead we just honked at any hippie we drove past as we went through their town. Stupid stoner hippies!

So here is a run down of our wonderful trip this year and some pictures to match.

We were on Maui about a week and we were going to just be lazy, but they are 3 hours behind AZ time so I was up around 4:30 a.m. most mornings. True story, Leslie was up before the sun! She was also in bed by 9:30 p.m. Yes we partied like Rock Stars. I think we were both to excited to be on vacation and just ran ourselves all day until we dropped. I love vacation.

Snorkeling is always so fun. This year was a dud for anything really cool. Just fish this year, no turtles or eels or sharks thank God! We had a couple of idiots run right into us while we were snorkeling. The one guy grabbed Mark by the leg from behind to let him know he was there. He is lucky Mark didn't kick his head right off his neck. The other guy ran into me from the side. I am not sure if it was the murderous look from behind my snorkel mask or Mark screaming "JackAss"! through his snorkel, but they swam off pretty quick. The entire Pacific Ocean to swim in and they run into us. DUGH!

We did a fun tourist attraction this year. There is a submarine (Atlantis) off the coast of Lahiana that takes about 45 people out to coral reefs. It goes down about 100 to 140 feet. Pretty cool for people that don't dive or snorkel. The tug boat in the back ground is Roxie and the sub is towed out and back each day to save the energy on the batteries. Yes the sub runs on batteries. They charge them up each night at the dock. We were taken out to the sub by boat (about a mile out). Crawled down into the belly of the sub and then "Dive, Dive,Dive!"

Fun way to kill an hour and 80 bucks. There was a old whaling ship that had been sunk about 3 years ago to provide a means for a man made reef. The fish seem to be taking to it well.

We went to the upland part of the island this year. Higher elevation and more farm country. Beautiful! We toured a lavender farm and a goat dairy. Not your normal Maui vacation stuff, but we don't always lean toward normal. http://www.aliikulalavender.com/

http://www.surfinggoatdairy/

We took a ton of photos at the lavender farm and as much as I hate goats, the dairy was really nice and the goats didn't stink. You know how I am with things that smell!

The surfing goat dairy is run by a German couple that decide Maui needed good goat cheese. So what else do you do but pack up your lives, sell your computer business and buy 42 acres on Maui and a small herd of goats. That's what I would have done. The mistress of the goats (Eva Kafsack) was out and about on the day we were there. Mark was waiting on our lunch and I was taking pictures of goats when Eva got into one of the pens with the goats and the babies. (There was a new baby born on Mothers day, very cute even for a goat.) Eva grabbed up one of the kids, male, a couple of weeks old. She set him in her lap petting and giving him attention. She whipped out these long weird looking forceps. She did some quick grab between his little legs, talked sweet to him and set him back down on the ground. I was the only one standing there at the fence watching and she says to me like only a German woman could. "I juzzt castrated hem!" I thought, yeah you did! They do this with a band when they are small and their little stuff just falls off. It is more "Humane" then cutting them off. I guess surfing goats don't get to keep their balls. Everyone makes a sacrifice to live in paradise. "Goodbye city life!"

We had fun playing in the ocean. Mark was looking for good waves. What he got was pockets packed full of sand. I stayed on the beach to alert beach rescue.

Mark is going to body board. The waves are calling to him.

There he goes!

Here he comes! You are suppose to be on that board man.

Mark's body double!

We ate and drank ourselves sick and silly. We were on a quest for the islands best Hawaiian shaved ice. Not as easy as it would seem. Shaved ice people, not snow cones. There is a difference.

We picked up a bunch of beach/sea glass. You hardly find shells on Maui.

We went to the ocean center and took a bunch of pictures. Those turned out better than our underwater snorkel pictures. Mark wants to SCUBA with the sharks now at the ocean center. Something for next year I guess.

I am really blessed to have a husband that will go along with whatever crazy plans I make.(Goat farms and hunting for beach glass are not every mans dream vacation) I am not sure he was smart enough to know what he was getting into 18 years ago, but I am sure glad he stuck around anyway.

All my best,

Les

I am going to try to post more photos on Picasa so they are easy to view.

What's That Smell?

2009-04-02T10:20:00.000-07:00

I have finally taken the time to sit down to the computer and plunk down a blog. I thought to myself last week, I really need to update my blog. The sad thing is I haven't done it since January and the last two months flew by. I have been busy but not with anything exciting. Just the same old stuff.

So as I am driving home from work last week I am thinking, what do I blog about when there is nothing new to share? That day I had a conversation with one of my clients about how sensitive I am to smell. She said she was also sensitive to smell and then on goes the comparisons of what we thought was smelly. I run a classy business with intellectual conversation, what can I say. So as I drove home that night I had to giggle at myself for even thinking of a blog on smell.

Back to sitting here at the computer! I was going to show off some new pictures for lack of material, but then it hit me. The ( sadly familiar) pungent, nose hair burning aroma only a 13 and a half year old dog that eats S#*T or an eighty five pound Labrador Retriever on a venison and rice diet could produce. UGH! I don't know which one did it, but it is just the three of us here and I know it wasn't me! So I guess the topic for today is smell (good, bad or ugly).

I have tiny flashbacks to my childhood when certain smells hit me. Some are good and some are not. Sometimes they are such a quick flash that it is like de ja vu.

I have a distinct memory of the old style Mary Kay makeup my Mom use to paint on my face every Halloween. The eye makeup was in a neat little pink case and you had to get it wet to apply it. The smell was not anything special, but I remember it vividly. I also remember the smell of the clear mask they put over my nose and mouth when I had my tonsils out. It had sort of a sweet licorice smell. This was thirty years ago. Strange right?

The smell that gets to me is the smell of a school. I hate it! I loved the smell of crayons and pencils and Elmers paste. (No I didn't eat it. I know that is shocking. Though there was a chubby kid named JD that did. He also wore his winter coat like a cape and said he was Superman. Maybe it was the paste, who knows.) The smell of school brings up old time panic attack feelings. I can't find my class, the teacher is going to call on me and I don't know the answer. I can't find my bus and I will never get back home.(Oh buses have a smell too. Stinky kid, vinyl, rubber and diesel mixed) I really didn't find my comfort zone in school or on the bus.

Home, now that is where I was comfortable. It always smelled great. Mom had something cooking in the pressure cooker and it was onions, celery and some kind of meat. Yum! The clean laundry was wonderful too. I love fresh clean sheets. *Sniff Sniff *mmmmmmm. Speaking of Mom, she always smelled great, but I loved it best when she and Dad would go out to dinner. She would put on pretty perfume and look like a million bucks!

Well I can't leave Dad out. I think of him every time I smell Mennen Speed Stick deodorant or a mechanics garage. It must be all of the motorcycle fumes. My brother Tom's garage smells just like my Dads use to. Is that genetic?

Some colognes remind me of old boyfriends. Polo, Stetson, Musk...You know who you are. When Mark and I dated he would wear the same cologne as his Dad. I have got to say this was disturbing for me. I found something else for him to wear pretty quick. I think he is disturbed at how smell sensitive I am. This guy isn't even bothered by the smell of cow crap! Really!?

I love the smell of English roses, fresh cut grass, wet dirt, burning pinion wood and puppies. I think I should have been a dog. Food is always on the list of scents I love.(baked goods:) ) That list is just to long to begin to touch.

My house smells like the two dogs and the husband that live here, see above reference to dogs for what that must smell like and just add husband, interesting! When I clean the house it smells clean for about one whole day. That's a good day!

Well I could go on all day about how smell can trigger all sorts of emotions. I know that as we age we loose our sense of smell. Just as well since we loose a lot of things as we get old. If you don't know what I mean, take an old lady to Wal-Mart and walk behind her for a while. You'll get it! You'll hear it too, just as well the hearing goes too. What?

So take the time while you can to stop and smell the roses (the English ones are the best).

All my best,

Les :)

p.s. Let me know what your favorite smell is or isn't

p.s.s. next months blog...What's that noise? ;P

Our New Cando

2009-01-21T08:13:00.000-08:00

Well there is a new addition to the Church family, no not another dog.(yet) Her name is Rosie and she is a 1969 Overlander Airstream. Isn't she a doll? This photo is of her best side, don't judge her! Length-27' and weight-4500lbs. I know it is rude to tell a girls weight but Rosie is tough and can handle it.

We picked her up in St. Johns, Arizona a couple of weekends ago. She was sitting up there all alone being used and abused in a mobile home park. She was left unlocked with windows open and all of the electrical and plumbing cut. Thank goodness her windows were open. That way she didn't smell to bad. Poor girl, I think there were Hippies hanging out in there.

Mark and our kind friend Doug got her moving ready with new break lights and then we were on our way down to Sho Low to get her a new pair of shoes. Everyone feels better with a new pair of shoes. I know even when I am to fat for my clothes a new pair of shoes will make me feel better. Back to Rosie. The Big O Tire got us set up in no time. It looked a lot like the Nascar guys except really inbred! But Cletus and his boys got Rosie up and out of there with out any problems and we were on our way down the mountain.

We are going to do a renovation on her. I don't think we will restore to her 1969 version. Every 40 year old needs to be up-dated, so she is going to get a make-over. We are going to exfoliate and smooth out her exterior and make her skin shine. On the inside we are taking everything out and make her a modern woman.

I have wanted an Airstream since I was a kid. Granted, we had wonderful campers and motor homes to camp in when I was growing up. The Airstream was just so cool looking. Very Jetsens! I also love that not everyone has a "Silver Twinkie". (that sounded bad didn't it?) I know, I have been told I'm unique.

As an adult I find it a challenge. Take something in disrepair and make it pretty. I love decorating and this is just one more thing to get my hands on. Mark and I took the dogs camping a couple of years ago. Well, he went scouting and we tagged along and called it camping. While he was scouting I rearranged the "campsite". I thought to myself, My Gosh! You are redecorating a slab of dirt, rocks and tree stumps. I have some issues. I won't tell you how that trip ended up. That's a whole different blog. I will tell you that I love the idea of getting out to see this beautiful country with Mark and the dogs without roughing it.

Now Mark and Doug have quite another motive when it comes to fixing up Rosie. Doug has been Marks hunting/camping buddy out here in AZ for the last couple of years. Doug has spent some time with Mark out in the back country and has found out how fast Mark can fall asleep at night(30 seconds or less, I am not even joking. Nothing like 6:00p.m., it is dark with NO Burn laws in place. That means no camp fires because sometimes it is to dry here in AZ. Oh good, I guess it's time for bed.), that he snores like a bear and he likes to spoon. I am positive Doug is looking forward to getting Rosie fixed up....asap!

I have no real idea how long this project is going to take. Most of you know we take these projects on and they never go quite the way we plan, so we'll see what happens. We got half of her cleaned out this weekend and she looks better already.

I do have one question. Is it still camping if there is a microwave and a satellite t.v.? What about leather furniture?

She sleeps four, who's first?

Wish us luck!

All my best,

Les:)

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T16:05:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year Everyone!

Well the first baby of 2009 is Sugar Babbies. I went 17 whole hours without sugar or candy. Then I broke down while blogging and broke out the Christmas stocking candy. My New Years resolutions start riiiiiiight NOW!

I don't think I am going to make real resolutions this year. As you can see my "stop eating candy" resolution was short lived to say the least. Mark bought me 2lbs. of See's candy for Christmas (Evil or Wonderful Man I am not sure) and what has not yet been devoured, I put in the freezer for "Emergency's". That way I will have to wait for the piece of chocolate to thaw out before I eat it. You know make it a long process so I can't just bull doze through those little beauties like a monkey in a banana tree. Mark seems to think the emergency will be more like an emergency trip to the dentist for a broken tooth do to my lack of self control. I can see it.

We are going to make a bigger effort to eat at home. Mark made a prime rib roast for Christmas dinner that was great, so he can't say he is unable to help me cook. We hope this cuts the food bill, we are eating ourselves into to poor house. We also hope it cuts the weight. Portion control is not a term either of us are familiar with. We'll see.

As far as the loosing weight goes, I am pretty good at talking about getting rid of it. I am going to try exercise again. I have hear it works, but I think it takes more than once every couple of months. We'll see about that one too.

Mark said we should try to be nicer to each other. What does that mean? I'm nice!

Well I am looking forward to 2009. I can't wait to be skinny, sugar free, eating home cooked meals while being nice to my husband. This is going to be a lot of work!

May you all have a healthy and blessed New Year!

All my best,

Les : )

Christmas 2008

2008-12-27T09:13:00.001-08:00

I hope everyone I sent cards to got a kick out of the 2008 card. I crack myself up once I get the dogs in there. Mark went to Mount Rushmore this year and with the election and there being four of us, I thought this was most appropriate. Have a great 2009!

All my best,
Les ;)

97 Christmases

2008-12-26T07:26:00.000-08:00

97 Christmases is what my 97 year old Grandma has seen. She looks pretty good doesn't she?

Every year I celebrate Christmas with my family I share the same, deja vu moments like Can-berries at the table, Dad in the wine, Mark having some sort of tantrum, stuffing ourselves until we are sick and stories about old times.

The last few years have been a little altered as Gram has gotten older. This I can say for sure. It sucks getting old. Everything runs a little bit on the weird and stressed side as we try to make her feel like a part of what is going on.

Her moments of clarity come in and out. If you have not changed your hair style, she may recognize you on first sight. If not she will eventually be convinced by one of your siblings who you really are. She is having some trouble seeing things. It is not that she can't see. Mark swears she can see the clock on the microwave across the room better than he can. The problem is what she is seeing. The mind and the eyes don't seem to be playing nice with each other. The eyes see more people ( or cats or cars or birds) than are really there and the mind says who are all the people (cats, cars or birds). Eventually we convince her she is seeing things and she says, "Well that's just crazy!" or something to that effect.

We now try to help her fix her dinner plate by having her take a seat while we put it together for her. This way she and Mark don't have to have a shoving match in the kitchen when she bulldozes her way through everyone and she also doesn't do a header over one of our many wild dogs running free. This is similar to what you would do for a three year old except you can't make this kid eat the brussels sprouts if she doesn't want them. In fact, just take them off the plate would you. That generation just seems to have checked their tact at the door. And then there is the, oh she is so full. Well let me tell you something ,this old Swede can put the dessert away on a full stomach. Not that the rest of us can't. And don't get in her way of the sweets. I have seen this woman who is a bit tipsy on her feet, practically run people over to get to the pie and cookies and candy. I am sure I will be the same at 97, it's in the genes I can tell already. I love sweets!

The memory she has is down right comical. I am sure some of you out there have what we all call "senior moments". Her ears and mind aren't playing nice together either. You can straight up ask her a question to her face about something she did or saw that day and you get a blank look. I'm talking, "Anybody home?". "Did you hear me Gram?" Yes she heard you but it is not computing. Or she will come out of left field with an answer to a question no one asked. That is always fun to try to figure out. The funny thing is she is always up to date with current events and even sports. She knows more about sports than my brothers and I do. We were talking at the dinner table about how much our old little Angola, IN town had changed over the years. About stores that had come and gone. We were trying to remember the name of the old grocery store in town, one of two grocery stores in town. Out of the 6 of us that lived there and remembered the store none of us could remember the name. Out of nowhere Gram pipes up from her dessert and says,"Millers" like she was just there yesterday. That store has been closed for twenty years. How did she remember that? She probably remembers what day of the week they went too.

It is sad to see people you love get old and cranky. The fact of the matter is we are all going to do it.(get old that is) I guess we just have to keep a sense of humor about it. My Mom and I laugh about it because there is nothing else we can do. Sometimes we just laugh so hard we cry. Gram gets grouchy with my Mom and vise versa at times and I am not sure how my Mom keeps her sanity. I am sure it is tough living with your Mother for twenty plus years and seeing and feeling the age take over. I believe Mom said she has pills for this.
The Swedes live long lives, I hope they still have pills in about thirty years!

All my best,

Les : )

Merry Christmas Cards

2008-12-18T08:12:00.000-08:00

Well here are the last of the Christmas bunch.

Christmas 2004 we moved into our new house, that is it in the snow globe.

(We missed 2005, sorry about that one.)

Christmas 2006 was a big Texas Hold'm year.
Lucky and Gurley are in the back of the picture. I couldn't teach them to pass each other cards.

And of course....
Christmas 2007, White "Trash" Christmas.Christmas 2008 is in the mail, you should be getting it soon.

All my best,

Les : )

Christmas 2001-2003

2008-12-16T19:21:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2001

Our first AZ Christmas.

Christmas 2002.

Our lab, Gurley was the new baby that year.

Christmas 2003.

Inspired by The Matrix movies. No animal were harmed in the making of these Christmas cards!

More Christmas Past

2008-12-13T17:50:00.000-08:00

Here are more cards from Christmas past.

1998

1999

2000 I think this is my favorite Card. Super Friends, I love Mark as a blond and I always wanted to be Wonder Woman. I even had the spin down!

Be on the look out, 2008 is on it's way Monday!

All my best,

Les :)

Christmas 1996 and 1997

2008-12-09T12:46:00.000-08:00

Christmas 1996

Lucky was our newest addition. He was so cute. Who knew what stink pot he would turn out to be. Ace, excited as ever to get his picture taken! I had to take a black Sharpie marker to about 30 Christmas cards so his excitement wouldn't show. (This was before Photoshop) Click photo for a larger view.

Christmas 1997

It felt like we were just getting fatter each year so I wanted to hide our fat faces. We each drew our face on a bag (Those were my red lipstick days) and a tree in the background and called it Merry Christmas. Our Grandmas didn't fall in love with our picture this year. Yes, we were in Indiana and yes Mark was wearing shorts.

Here are some shots without the baggage.

Why didn't anyone tell me my hair looked so stupid?!

What well behaved dogs! HA!

More Merry Christmas to come......

All my best,

Les : )

Is it 20 or 21 days to Christmas? Do you count Christmas Day?

2008-12-04T16:22:00.000-08:00

Yes, counting down the days to Christmas and the Church's annual Christmas card. So today is the 4th of December and I really don't have much started on our Christmas card. I better get going, every year it takes a little longer to photoshop the lbs. away. ; )
This is where it all began! 1994, two skinny twenty something year olds and a camera shy German Shepherd. At the time I though we looked like crap! If that looks like crap, I'd take ten pounds of it today! Who knew?
I will be posting our cards from the past through the month of December. Enjoy the transformations.

All my best,

Les : )

Family Traditions

2008-11-25T08:01:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving

This may seem like an odd choice for a Thanksgiving photo, but it is a classic for the Schwarz family Thanksgiving. Yeah, I could have choose a turkey we always have that or mashes potatoes or even green been casserole. The "Can-berries" are a staple on the Schwarz Thanksgiving table. They are always beautifully displayed on a crystal dish in one single gleaming tube of ruby red sweet and tart loveliness and served with a small silver spoon. I never understood how important this traditional condiment was until I tried to put on my own Thanksgiving.

Mark and I rented a very small house (postage stamp, under 1000 sqf) when we were first married and for some reason I thought everyone, my family and his should come to our house for Thanksgiving. I think we are talking around 13 or 14 people. People with not much in common. My Mom who is always such a huge help said she would make the turkey. That was a relief, I was not ready to make my own turkey. This was in my Martha Stewart want to be days, o.k. I still want to be Martha. I knew you had to get up pretty early to cook a turkey and early is not really my style. I thought all I needed now was the perfect side dishes and table decorations and I would be set. It will be a "good thing".

Everyone arrived and crammed into the house. The card tables stretched from the kitchen through the living room leaving no room to watch football. Big mistake! Mom was going to put the turkey in the oven to keep it warm while she made her yummy gravy but my side dishes were still cooking. Now I was going in to a cold sweat because I still needed to bake my pie and the sides were not done and I didn't want the turkey to get cold. I can't remember what sides I had made but I do remember the panicked feeling that dinner was not coming together. This was harder than it looked!

We started to serve up turkey hoping the sides would get done as we passed things around. What a joke, we are all sitting elbows to a-holes at card tables in the living room trying to pass food down the line. We ate our dinner in courses as each side finally finished cooking. I kept apologizing for the food. I wanted to die! Martha Stewart would have had my head on an antique stoneware platter!

The one thing I did have ready were the cranberries. I made them the night before with a very fancy recipe. I cooked them in sugar and orange juice and a ton of other ingredients, it was very gourmet. I had to cook them for quite a long time and had to babysit them so they didn't burn. So the cranberries were sure to be a success. I was very proud. Now I don't think I ever put cranberries on my plate in twenty years of Thanksgivings, but I knew my Mom always had something (the can-berries) that represented cranberries and she and dad and gram ate that. This would be a real treat for them. Homemade cranberries.

So this a the part where I began to understand about traditions. You see, being newly married I wanted my very own traditions. Everyone coming together to my house with my decorations and my side dishes. Joining our families together. You notice I said my and not our? Mark is a realist. He can take away the flash and glamour of something and tell you just how things are going to turn out. I am sure he thought this was going to be a disappointing mess for me. The thing about me is I don't ask for opinions I know I am not going to want to hear. And the thing with Mark is he is smart enough to keep his mouth shut when it comes to my projects.

My dad is looking around the table for something, he usually is. My mom asks him what he needs. "Cranberries, were are the cranberries". "They are right there in that dish, I made them from scratch" I said. "No, the kind we always have." "Tom, Leslie worked hard making those!" my mom says. I could tell he was extremely disappointed there was no slimy tube on the table and my mom was horrified (once again) at his lack of tack. I was a little disappointed, I worked pretty hard on that relish,but he can't help it, it's what he likes. He was not expecting homemade cranberries.

I realized a few things on that Thanksgiving. First, don't cram to many people in a hot little house and expect them to have a great time. Second, no matter how many times you watch Martha Stewart make a beautiful Thanksgiving meal on t.v. one has to realize she has lots of help and years of experience. And third, don't mess with tradition. People like tradition for a reason. They feel comfort in it. They know what's coming. Our Family traditions typically involve certain foods each holiday. If it ain't broke don't fix it!

From that Thanksgiving on I always serve jellied (can) cranberries so no one is disappointed. They're on the table right next to the black olives.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving and thank God for all your blessings.

All my best,

Les : )

I think I have the flu.........no I just worked out!

2008-11-18T13:54:00.000-08:00

It is no real secret as to the way I feel about working out. I HATE it! That could be the reason I have skipped over a daily work out for about 3,650 days now.

I was never athletic in school. I was lucky to have a pretty good metabolism when I was in school. I hung out with the boys and ate like the boys. I was in good shape for a teenager, not over weight, but not a stick either. I always thought I could loose some weight off my legs, but all in all I was average. My girlfriends always acted like they loved working out. I just never understood.

I am now 37+ years old and the metabolism has reeeeallly changed. I should no longer eat like a boy even if I can and let there be no doubt, I can! I love sugar and junk food! Just thought I would through that in there. I am out of shape. Well pear is a shape just like round is a shape, but not a shape I want to be.

I have been low-carbing for the last month with some luck, but it has been slow. Slow and steady is good right? I am not very patient when it comes to weight loss. So I have fallen off the wagon this last week. In an effort to save some of the work of the last 5 weeks, I thought I would work out today.

Here's how it went:

Get dressed. Get dressed? Why bother I am home alone with the dogs. It's 2:00 in the afternoon and I am still in my underpants & undershirt. Why sweaty up more clothes? Just through on sock and tennis shoes. O.k. Done! I am farther along than normal. Getting dressed is half the battle. Hurray!

Put in 10 minute work out DVD. I know I can do 10 minutes, the old guy on the infomercial did it and I am half his age. He looked great! I am going to look great in no time. Well 10 minutes a day. It's only 10 minutes!

Today it is cardio. "Ten moves in ten minutes." No problem! I won't even need water. Start DVD.

It is all rather a blur after that.

It was only 10 minutes like the Handsome Tony Horton said it would be. Only ten moves. I was a football manager back in my high school days and I watched those boys do these moves everyday to get conditioned for football season. In the summer they did them twice a day in the humid Indiana weather in full pads. Props to them, I couldn't even do them in my air conditioned living room in my underwear.

Half way through (5 minutes in) I thought my throat was going to close up, I need water! My legs are not moving right, I'm loosing feeling in my legs! Oh my God, I have 5 more minutes of this. What is that sound? Oh it's just my heart pounding in my ears. Oh and what's that, that .....taste? I should never have eaten that huge spoon full of peanut butter 20 minutes ago.

You can get through this, pick up those feet, high knees, quick steps. Crap! I almost twisted my ankle. O.k. at least do the last 30 seconds of each move. You can rest for the first 30 seconds. Come on! The old guy did this!

Finish 10 minute work out. Walk it off. That's what the coaches use to tell the boys. So I am walking around in my underwear and tennis shoes in my living room to cool down. I think I am going to be sick! I think I am going to explode! I don't know which end is going to go first! This wasn't in the infomercial! (*In bathroom thinking* I just don't thing eating sugar is worth this!) I think I am dieing! Maybe I have the flu?!

Well at least I didn't barf. Lay on the floor to finish "cool down". Should I have flu like symptoms? Sweating , nausea, cramping, shortness of breath. Maybe if I just died right here on the bedroom floor everything would be better. Open eyes, Wow my bathroom floor is dirty!

So that is how it went. My 10 minute work out was 5+ minutes and now I know my bathroom floor needs cleaned. I will tell you my initial intent was to do an additional lower body 10 minute work out, but I can hardly walk down my stairs as it is.

To all you people out there that stayed in good shape over the years, I commend you. To all my girlfriends I share diet and workout/ war stories with, I dedicate this to you! Fight the fight girls and keep on keeping on and when your current diet is not working out or you want to know about some new work out DVD, give me a call I'll get you hooked up with another one.

All my best,

Les
p.s. Now I just wait for those endorphins to kick in!

The friendly skies

2008-11-10T18:58:00.000-08:00

While we were at our gate to leave Indy this weekend they announced TSA would be doing random checks on the carry on bags and passengers. Mark and I thought this would be sort of over kill, I mean we were at our gate. We already went through security. So as they started to board our plane they stared to pick people out here and there and do their checks.

Mark and I were standing back watching. You know taking it all in and making fun of the whole stupid situation. It is what we do best. Anyway Mark was teasing a girl standing next to us. She had tall boots on and he told her they were checking everyone wearing tall boots. Haha we laughed. Then he says to me, "I bet your next". Well I was not wearing tall boots I didn't see how I would be next. Besides he is always the one that get singled out. He tells me, "yeah your standing here all cute in your little t-shirt and your fancy leather jacket and bag, they will surely pick you." Guess what, I was next.

The TSA agent walked right up to me and asked me if I was on this flight and I was to stupid and slow to say no. "Yeeessss" I say as I shoot invisible eye daggers at her. "Will you please step over here?" she says to me. Over here where? We are in the middle of the friggin airport terminal at our friggin gate, C3. No privacy, no little hall, not even the ladies room. We are in the middle of everyone. I know, I was just making fun of the last girl they searched. So here I stand facing those fancy black airport sling chairs, you know the one that are always full of people. My rear to everyone in walkway and my front to everyone seated waiting for there plane, arrivals and departures. I was like my own little show. I have my arms straight out to the sides like a scarecrow and she runs the metal detector all around me top to bottom in and out between my legs 3 times. I have to take my belt off again and empty my pockets. Mark is sitting there not looking at me. I think he was afraid to crack a smile. Smart man. Then I get a pat down. She also makes me lift my shirt and show her the inside band of my jeans. I mean what kind of bomb am I going to put in there. My stomach barely fits there. I barley get those suckers buttoned. Holy crap, I wanted to die!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Find your happy place Leslie, find your happy place!

I can find the humor in this today. It was not quite as funny yesterday. The funniest part of all this is that cute little t-shirt Mark was talking about. Here it is.

I can picture the whole image. It would have been funnier if Mark had taken a picture during the search, but then again the brunette that was wearing this shirt was not having fun and it could have been dangerous. Smart man.

Good luck to all of you. Have fun on your next flight!

All my best,

Les : )

There's more than corn in Indiana

2008-11-10T17:55:00.000-08:00

Well we went back to Indiana for a quick weekend. The 2008 Mark Church Memorial Hunt took place on Old Manikowski's farm this year. Well, near his farm anyway. We had a great time seeing old dear friends from school, eating tons of good junk, some drinking (as Darby says, "he's not much of a drinker."), shopping for the girls and hunting for the boys. Friday was beautiful weather, sunny and 60's. It was also great to see fall color. That is something we miss seeing in the AZ desert.

Bill (Mark's Dad) met up with the boys on Friday at the butt crack of dawn to start the big hunt for quail and pheasant. The beautiful weather on Friday turned into the normal Indiana cold on Saturday and Sunday with some snowflakes to boot. I am sorry to report, although PETA will be happy to hear, very few birds were killed in the making of this blog. I am not at liberty to give out any numbers, but it was just a couple. A couple is two right?

While the hunters were out, I got a chance to get to know Lauri and Joe's kids better. Abby was just a baby when we moved away and I had not met the boys. I must say they have some pretty smart kids. Abby was nice enough to give me her room during our stay, Thank you Abby. She is 9 and very grown up. Sam "the man" is into video games and basketball. Nate is 3 1/2 the baby and is a tractor man. He told me all about the different farm equipment. He has a very impressive amount of knowledge on this. I now know what a M series tractor is. He also loves dirt. He is going to be a big help to his Dad someday.

We had a really fun time laughing and being silly. Mark and Darby had an on going ping pong tournament all weekend. Who knew you could sweat so much while playing ping pong. The boys told stories I am sure we have all heard a million times, but they still make us laugh and we all stayed up way past our bedtimes. This getting old and responsible makes it hard to party like rock stars.

It is no secret to anyone that knows me that Indiana is not my favorite place in the world, but it is where some of my favorite people in the world live. There is more than corn in Indiana, there are good people and great friends!

Mark, Darby Kline and Joe Manikowski. Bill Church headed out early and we miss getting him in the 2008 picture. He and Darby did buy us a great dinner on Saturday night. Thanks Darb and Wild Bill!

Thanks guys!
All my best,
Les : )

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T09:22:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween everyone.

I hope you all have a spooky and safe Halloween this year. Since Halloween falls on a Friday night this year I am sure there will be some pretty scary partying going on. We will be home passing out candy to the masses. Some wee ones will be cute, some will be crying and some will be way to big to be trick or treating. Mark has a big time passing out candy to the little cuties and empty beer bottles and bottle caps (not the candy ones) to the kids that are to big and didn't put much thought into a costume. A sweatshirt with a hood and a pillowcase to collect candy is not a costume people.
I haven't dress up for Halloween myself in a few years. I am a little gun shy about it. We had been invited to a party one of the neighbors had a few years ago. We were all dressed up, Mark was a bottle of beer and I was a pirate. We looked pretty good. We get to the neighbors house and we walk in and not one adult is dress up in a costume. Mark and I give each other a holy crap look. Didn't the other neighbor say he and his wife were going dressed as a pair of dice? I swear I saw them spray painting boxes in the driveway!?! The host takes one look at us and say, "why are you guys all dressed up?" We said, "well this is a Halloween party, right?" His reply was, "Yeah.....for the kids." Well they might have mentioned that part on the invitation!!!!!! We drank a lot of beer at that "kids party". Be safe, check your candy and your invitations.

Have a good one,
Les

p.s. The photo above was last years Christmas party and the invitation DID say to dress up 70's style. Mark's pants fit in the total retro style (like a cheap motel)!

What's in the backyard?

2008-10-28T16:11:00.000-07:00

I didn't have any appointments today so I thought I might get some housework done, like clean my gross floors downstairs, give dirty dogs a bath, clean a toilet or two or three.
This morning I wanted to take advantage of the early a.m. lighting and take some photos. I have not been behind the camera on a regular basis for awhile.

I just switched over to digital camera this year, per Mark's request. He thought it would be smarter to use the money on a camera instead of film and developing. He was right, holy crap...did I say that! I didn't think I was going to like digital as well as regular film. I love it! I can have my pics. right away and I don't have to be disappointed if they didn't turn out. I just check them right away and do them over. Well sometime I can do them over. Bugs and animals are not very cooperative when it comes to a retake.

Here are some shots from my backyard today.

It is amazing what weird thing you can find in the backyard. I may try the frontyard this evening. I know the neighbors will think I am a nut job. Well I bet they already do so nothing lost. Maybe I will clean the house after dark, yeah right!
Well got to go, dirty blonde dog is drinking out of the dirty toilet, Yikes!!!!!!!!!

All my best,

Les :)

Photos of 2008

2008-10-21T15:55:00.000-07:00

Here are the 2008 photos I was talking about. We went quite a few places this year to visit friends and family. I hope this is not to boring!

I went to Nashville, TN in Feb. to see Miss Julie, Daren and the girls. The only pics I took are of the eyelash extensions I did on Julie. We had lots of good laughs at the expense of our men and her kids. Sorry guys! We did some running around and went to see Juno at the movies. Julie and I laughed ourselves silly! Oh yeah we went to the Coach outlet too! All good things.

In March we went to Las Vegas and stayed at the Wynn. It was really beautiful. I couldn't get over all of the color and the awesome tile floors. They loured us there for two free nights. Don't believe the word "FREE". We didn't pay for rooms but we went to Le Reve, ate and gambled. We PAID!

Oh Yeah, I forgot about the Coach Outlet in Vegas, we really PAID!

May was our 17th anniversary. Holy Crap that went fast. We went to Maui again this year we really love it there. The vacation was great but we had our lap top with all my good Maui pictures was stolen out of our trunk (I knew better than to leave anything in the car) on the very last day we were there. It put a big bummer on the end of the trip, but I made Mark reenact our trip at the airport so we would have something better to remember. These are only reenactments of the Luau, Hiking at the Plantation and swimming with turtles, these are not the real photos.

p.s. the airport Mai tai sucked.

June, we went back to Indiana for a fast weekend. Our niece graduated from High School this year. It was really nice to see everyone. Kelsi has really turned into such a pretty girl. Austin was just so funny, likes to tell stories like all the other Church men. I hear he is a maniac on the football field too, no fear!

Oh yeah we also went to the Coach outlet.

July and August were busy with birthdays. Tom and Becky Jo in July and Me and Mark in August. Here are some pics of the party animals.

The very beginning of September I went to Virginia Beach to see Lyndra and Monte. It was great to see them. It had been about a year. Monte took me around the Navy base and I got to see a lot of cool "Top Gun" sort of stuff. Radar room and Air tower along with some crazy cool military ships and planes. Very cool. We also went to Busch Gardens. We rode roller coasters all day. Lyn took me over to the boardwalk at VA Beach, it was packed for Labor Day weekend but it was nice. It was a pretty great time.

This is just a fake scream, we hadn't even moved yet.

We just got back from Fort Collins, Colorado. Well I did, Mark went on up to New Castle, Wyoming to antelope hunt with his Dad and Brother Matt. I was dropped off to visit Jill, Travis and the girls. The girls are getting so big and so funny. Mark played with the girls while he was there. Jill and I shopped till we dropped, put eyelash extensions on Jill and we painted little fingers and toes. I took some family pics of them on the one good day I was there. It has been my luck that crappy weather blows in to Fort Collins every time I show up. I guess I will just have to keep trying for better weather.

We have one more trip this year to Indiana in November. It is the annual "Mark Church Memorial Hunt" named by of course Mark Church. He and the boys (his Dad, Darby Kline and Joe Manikowski will make manly attempts to shoot big mean birds like quail and pheasant on the Manikowski back forty. They have gotten together for 8 or 9 plus years for this hunt and the boys even got together on the years Mark could not make it back from Arizona. There will be lots of stories, lies, harassing, lies, arguing, lies, and everyone will go home planning for next years "Mark Church Memorial Hunt". I am tagging along this year so I can see Lauri Manikowski, her kiddos, and of course The boys.

This has sort of turned out like one of those goofy Christmas letters you get in the mail every year from that random relative you only here from when you get that letter. I always make jokes about those. I know, I'm a goof.

We have been blessed with good friends and family and lots of good things in our life this year. I thank you all for being a part of that. I hope to keep up with this on a much regular basis so I can let my friends and family know what's going on in our lives. Like I have said before, I am not very good at making phone calls or writing so I hope you all forgive me. I would of course love to hear from any of you.

Take good care of yourselves. Let me know if anyone else has a blog, I would love to check it out.

All my best,

Les :)

p.s. the dogs are good too.

I can't believe I'm blogging!

2008-10-18T14:46:00.000-07:00

Alright friends and family, I have been at this blog thing for a day now with only a little success. I just can't stop! I am not real good at getting this organized so I am taking forever. Mark has been a blog widower this weekend, good thing there is a football game on somewhere.

It has been a really busy year for Mark and I. Work, thank goodness, is keeping us going and we have been visiting family and friends on and off all year. It has been great seeing all of you. We miss you all!

I am going to start this blog off with pictures of this last year since those of you who know me well, know that I take a few pictures. I also think this blog will be a good way for you all to keep in touch with what we are up to since I am really crappy at returning e-mails and letters and I rarely make phone calls ( sorry, don't take it personal I do it to all of you including my own Mom. Sorry Mom!)

I am also going to use this blog as a link for http://www.lashology.com/ which is my new eyelash extension business. If anyone would like me to promote them or anything they have going please let me know ( good networking you know). I would love to add other people's blogs to this too, I want to make sure it is cool with you all first. Let me know if any of you have tips and tricks for blogging since I am really not very computer smart.

Good to talk to you all. I will have pictures up soon.

Les : )