Christmas ~ 2008

Our Annual Christmas Lights Display

My Confession ~ I Have A Lover.....

I may as well admit. I know a lot of you have already suspected as much in the last few months. This is a bit hard to put in the written word, but, okay, I have a lover. No, not, Jerry, another lover. I do think that he suspects there is something going on and he has for some months now. How could he miss it?
At times I find my mind wondering to the times that I have been with my other ‘man’. Oh what wonderful times we have had together. It doesn’t have to be anything really special that we do. Just hanging out, going to the store, sometimes just to pick up a few groceries, or just to run a few errands together. You know, it’s not always in the quantity of the time, but sometimes just the quality. And man, let me tell you, he does give me quality time! I don’t think there could be any better quality. I truly don’t.
Sometimes, at night, I have found myself dreaming of the times we’ve been together. And if not the previous times we’ve been together I have had dreams of the things we will do in the future. Oh, yes, I know we will have a future together. I just can’t seem to wrap my mind around the possibility of having to give him up. Just the thought of it puts me into a deep panic. What would I do without him? When I have those dreams of our future endeavors I wake up feeling so invigorated, so refreshed, as if we really have been on a great adventure together. Sometimes it helps me make it through the day to remember those dreams. And to know that we can make those dreams come true one day. It might take a while but eventually we can reach every goal we make. Sometimes it helps me make it through the day just to remember the times we've spent together. Wow, what great memories we have made. Often times when he is resting I find myself just staring at him, gazing at his beauty. God, is he beautiful. I’ve never seen a better specimen. Oh, there are others, but not like him. He’s the best. I can’t be swayed by anyone else. I’ve found my perfect match. No one else will do now. I just know my thighs were made to wrap around him. I get such pleasure from rubbing him, massaging him and making sure he is in good shape. And why shouldn't I? He is so good to me. Shouldn't I return the favor?
It started out innocently enough, but then I started buying him little gifts. Just small little things that I thought would make him look better. And looking better makes you feel better, right? Well, they did make him look better and then the obsession just got worse. Therein lies the problem. The obsession just keeps getting worse and worse. Our time together is like a drug, it really is. Sometimes if I have had a stressful day I can meet up with him and my stress just goes away. He relaxes me like nothing else I've ever known. How can you explain something like that? Our time apart is increasingly difficult for me. The longing is just like a drug. And now I have a feeling that we have been spotted out together. He is so unique that if we were seen out in public everyone would know it was us. That is what I am worried about. The secret will soon be revealed. What to do? So I just must go ahead and confess now.
There is a song that reminds me of him. Actually my Idol, Alice Cooper, must have written this very song about my lover.

Somebody better shake you
Somebody better turn your head around
I'm scratching like a wild cat
I'm spitting fire on the ground
You got my venom running thru ya
Ain't gonna let you run off wild
I'm Snakebite
I'm your only man
Snakebite is your lover
You'll never hide, baby understand
Snakebite drags you under
I'm Snakebite
They call me Snakebite
Nobody gonna take you
Nobody gonna touch your rebel skin
I'll break 'em like a matchstick
Cuz baby that's the kind of mood I'm in
My face is tattooed on your shoulder
Your name is scratched into my bike, yeah
You got my venom runnin' thru ya
If you're gonna run
Go running scared, I'm right behind ya

So now I must confess. Here he is.

My Lover, the One I Was Born to Wrap My Thighs Around.
Snakebite.
My 2008 Softail Deluxe

Fortunately We Are Not In Control!!!! or Why I Love Willie Nelson ~ Take your Pick....

I love Willie Nelson. Of course I love his music. His songs have made me cry, laugh, chill out, and sent me deep into memories. But I also love his passion and his approach to life. I love his Bio-fuel bus. I love that he does karate. I love the fact that he plays Trigger, the same guitar he has had for more than 40 years, because why buy something new when the something old sounds so damn good and you love it so much. I love the fact that he bought the town and the surrounding buildings that he was born in. I love the fact that he keeps his family close. His sister Bobby is his piano player, his children work for him. I love the fact that he told the State of Texas to screw themselves when they wanted to name a freaking Turnpike after him. I mean really, a freakin’ TURNPIKE???? For Willie Nelson, the LEGEND? How about a DAMN FREEWAY? WTF.COM???? I love the fact that when you see Willie and you want to talk to him, he does it, and he looks you in the eye as if you really matter. I love the fact that he helps the common man, the Farmer. He cares for people.

That is why several weeks ago when I saw a book at Barnes and Noble titled “The Tao Of Willie” I scooped it up as quickly as I could. It’s not a big book, just a small book billed “A guide to the happiness in your heart”.
Willie is a very funny guy and I knew it would have some funny stories in it.

I read a couple of chapters every once in a while. I just open the book to whatever page the book opens to and I read it. Some of the chapters are insightful and some are just really funny stories.

This past week I have been having a really tough time of it. I don’t really want to splash it all over the internet, but my friends know what I’m talking about.
Jerry had a stressful morning and after he went off to work I picked up the Tao of Willie and flipped it open. I have no idea why this certain chapter popped up, but boy, did it give me a bit of perspective to live by during this time. It fit his morning perfectly and it also has given me a mantra to repeat several times during my trials.

Fortunately We Are Not In Control!!!!

While I was reading it and thinking about our predicaments I was laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes. Cooper was looking at me like I was crazy. (she often does that) The only problem with the laughing was it was causing some pain. Oh, well, it was worth it to get a good laugh so early in the morning.

I once read that to keep yourself healthy you should have one good belly laugh a day. I haven’t had enough of those lately. I should try harder. Well, maybe not for a while. Or maybe some small little inside laughs. Big ones hurt too much.


The Tao Of Willie

ISBN # I-592-40197-X


Here is Willie’s story that gave me so much insight and joy!

Fortunately We Are Not In Control

We wake up in a new world every day.
And we wouldn’t have it any other way.
~ Willie Nelson, “Wouldn’t Have It Any Other Way”


”Don’t sweat the small stuff” is one of the best pieces of advice I’ve heard. Or is it “Don’t pet the sweaty stuff” – I never can remember which. Confused?

Join the club.

Does it sometimes seem as if you have no real say in what happens in your life?
There may be a good reason for that.
Do you feel like the years are racing by like fence posts outside your car window and you’ve misplaced the steering wheel?
There’s a good reason for that, because you are careening out of control, flying through the universe at a million miles an hour.

AND THERE’S NO BRAKES!

Let me guess: now you’re really confused. Am I talking about your life or the cosmos? To be honest, I’m a little too confused to say. But here’s the good news.
A certain amount of confusion is inevitable in life. Every day – possibly every hour – we are all faced with a thousand decisions, What to eat? What to say? Where to go? When to stay? Why do this? Why not do that?

As I say to the band, indecision may or may no be our problem.
I’m sure your life is also plenty complicated, but since I don’t know about yours, pretend for a moment that you’re me. This year, like just about every year, you’ll travel tens of thousands of miles in the company of four or five buses, several semi-trailers of members, roadies, technicians, and various assorted hangers-on. All of this will be scheduled around a couple hundred audiences, each of which numbers in the thousands, and it all has to happen on time or everything will fall apart.

Each night, I have to decide which songs to sing and in what order, and the only thing that’s certain is that we’ll run out of time or the venue will run out of beer before I run out of songs.

So things tend to get a little complicated – as things tend to do – and the most single important thing for you to remember is not to panic.

When the panic – among other things – hits the fan, there’s one key phrase to remember.

Fortunately we are not in control.

Sounds so good, I think I’ll try it again.

Fortunately we are not in control.

There. I feel better already.

“Fortunately we are not in control” is my way of saying it ain’t my fault, and probably isn’t anyone else’s fault either.

So if we’re not in control, you’re probably wondering who is in control. And the answer is: I don’t know. But it ain’t me, and it ain’t you, because….

Fortunately we are not in control.

Here’s the good part. Once you admit that you can’t control everything, then it becomes clear that sometimes you just have to let things happen. It just makes everything so much easier, and it keeps you a lot happier with they way things work out.
Think of it this way:

If you get out of bed thinking everything’s gonna be wonderful, all too soon you’re going to see things happen that aren’t so wonderful. And if your walking around thinking everything’s going to be terrible, then you’re gonna obsess on that and miss what was good.

So where does that leave us?

An excellent question, because we are left with the simple fact that the beauty of life is in the discovery of things as they happen.
Like my first wife Martha, used to say, “Don’t worry about a thing….there ain’t nothing gonna work out right.”

I’m not sure I knew what she meant at the time, but she seemed happy when she said it.

Sixty years ago, if Id had the opportunity to lay out my whole life just the way I wanted it to happen – whatever I would have planned would have paled in comparison with what’s actually happened.

And all I can say about that is….Fortunately, I wasn’t in control.

Richard Wright

I wrote these words for my travel/vacation blog. I have yet to post them as it is not up to date yet. I feel compelled to post it today with the passing of Richard Wright. He helped to write the song I speak of in this blog. Now, I guess he and Syd may be contemplating the other side together...... As we left the City of Santa Fe, I heard these words from my IPOD Remember when you were young, you shone like the sun. Shine on you crazy diamond. Now there's a look in your eyes, like black holes in the sky. Shine on you crazy diamond. You were caught on the cross fire of childhood and stardom, Blown on the steel breeze. Come on you target for faraway laughter, come on you stranger, You legend, you martyr, and shine! You reached for the secret too soon, you cried for the moon. Shine on you crazy diamond. Treatened by shadows at night, and exposed in the light. Shine on you crazy diamond. Well you wore out your welcome with random precision, Rode on the steel breeze. Come on you raver, you seer of visions, come on you painter, You piper, you prisoner, and shine! Nobody knows where you are, how near or how far. Shine on you crazy diamond. Pile on many more layers and i'll be joining you there. Shine on you crazy diamond. And we'll bask in the shadow of yesterday's triumph, And sail on the steel breeze. Come on you boy child, you winner and loser, Come on you miner for truth and delusion, and shine! Looking at the mountains, the sunshine, the beautiful sky, and feeling as if I was leaving such beautiful experiences behind I couldn't think of a more appropriate song. It also made me think that maybe when people think of poor Syd Barret, maybe he wasn't really 'poor' Syd Barrett. Maybe he just saw things that other people couldn't see, heard things that others couldn't hear, and was sent here to this earth to leave a gift for many people and to touch many lives. After exploring the mountains and valleys for so many hours I believe that I have come to the conclusion that perhaps what my grandmother said was true. People are sent to this earth to accomplish certain things. And when that is done, they simply leave. For some that time may be short, and some long, but no matter the time, all leave a lasting impression. Thanks, Syd: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=barrett&GSfn=syd&GSbyrel=in&GSdyrel=in&GSob=n&GRid=14893566& Since I wrote those words another great musician has left us. So, now, sadly, thanks Richard Wright. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=29816925

Santa Fe or Bust

Today we embarked on our longest journey on our motorcycles to date. By the time we get home we will have traveled roughly 2000 miles!

Here is our itinerary:

August 14th ~ The Woodlands to Junction, Texas 367 Miles ~ COMPLETED!

August 15th ~ Junction, Texas to Carlsbad, New Mexico 340 miles ~ COMPLETED!

August 15th ~ Carlsbad, New Mexico to Roswell, New Mexico est. 74 miles ~ COMPLETED!

August 16h ~ Roswell, New Mexico to Albuquerque, New Mexico est. 59 miles ~ COMPLETED!

August 20th ~ Albuquerque, New Mexico to Santa Fe, New Mexico est. 60 miles ~ COMPLETED!

August 25th ~ Santa Fe, New Mexico to Amarillo, Texas est. 275 miles ~ COMPLETD!

August 26th ~ Amarillo, Texas to Palo Duro, Texas est. 30 miles (home of the Cadillac Ranch ~ I'm going to paint them) ~ COMPLETED! (And Painted!!!)

August 26th ~ Palo Duro, Texas to Wichita Falls, Texas est. 246 miles (home of Brett, and where Shooter Jennings got Busted in Baylor County) ~ COMPLETED!

August 27th ~ Wichita Falls, Texas to The Woodlands, Texas est. 351 miles



Traffic in San Antonio close to Fiesta Texas




Kerrville, Texas


On our way to Carlsbad, New Mexico! Beautiful scenery started just out of Junction, Texas.





We stopped in Ozona to get gas and I was visited by two beautiful butterflies. No matter where I go on my travels she always manages to visit, letting me know that Butterflies are Free and Spirits Never Die. Unfortunately one butterfly was in transition. That is why it was on my motorcycle seat.










Here are some of the T. Boone Pickens Windmills that are producing electricity right now. We saw eighteen-wheelers moving huge parts for the windmills during our drive. Here is a bit about his plan:

Studies from around the world show that the Great Plains States are home to the greatest wind energy potential in the world — by far.
The Department of Energy reports that 20% of America's electricity can come from wind. North Dakota alone has the potential to provide power for more than a quarter of the country.
Today's wind turbines stand up to 410 feet tall, with blades that stretch 148 feet in length. The blades collect the wind's kinetic energy. In one year, a 3-megawatt wind turbine produces as much energy as 12,000 barrels of imported oil.
Wind power currently accounts for 48 billion kWh of electricity a year in the United States — enough to serve more than 4.5 million households. That is still only about 1% of current demand, but the potential of wind is much greater. Read more about the plan here:


http://www.pickensplan.com/theplan/




We stopped in Pecos to get some water for our evaporation vests and talked to a few very interesting characters there. One old biker guy wanted us to come to his 'store' 25 miles straight ahead. We never figured out what was in his store but he gave us a card, and, oh, yeah, he likes our bikes. And an old man has a brother who works for the Indian Motorcycle Factory and he gets to ride the motorcycles to check them out. Yeah, Pecos is a real happening place. It is the site of the Worlds First Rodeo ~ July 04, 1883... Don't blink or you'll miss it.



WHOO-WHOO!!!!
We made it! New Mexico. We crossed the state line on our bikes.









After making it to New Mexico our first destination was to be Carlsbad. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Carlsbad, New Mexico. We took it a bit easy and ordered Pizza Inn to our room as we new the next day would be a busy one with a lot of walking through the Caverns. Overnight the rains came, however, that morning by the time we we loaded up the rain had stopped. Let me just say this about Carlsbad. They do not know how to control their water. It stands in the streets as it came down from the sky. They have no water control system in the city. We put on our rain gear bottoms as we didn't want to walk around all day with wet pants.

Lovin' every minute of it!

Jerry In His Rain Pants Ready to Go!




Don't I look Sexy??? I almost didn't post this photo because of the strange occurance of the appearance of the front of my pants...





We made it to the Entrance to the Caverns and were ready to make the trip to the top.








It is really hard to put into words how beautiful it is driving the road up into the caverns. The winding roads make for a great ride on a motorcycle. The mountains in New Mexico are quite different from the mountains we have seen in North Carolina and Colorado. The trees are different and the rock is also different. They are beautiful, but different. Once we rounded the corner and came to the actual top of the mountain it was an awesome experience. We parked our bikes and went inside. There are a few options for touring the caverns. Two self-guided tours and several guided tours. We opted for one self-guided tour that took one and a half hours and the King's Tour which was guided and also took one and a half hours.

You may notice throughout my blog that some of the photos of Jerry going down the road might not be that great. Also some of the road signs might look imperfect. I have a mount on my handle bars that lets me take photos and movies while going down the road. Since I have a windshield there are times when the sun shines and makes a reflection or there might have been some bugs that have decided to sacrifice their lives in the only good way for a bug to go - on a Harley windshield. So although the quality is not perfect, at least I have a memory and a photo.







Here are a few shots of what the inside of the caverns look like.

















Jerry giving me the "Patsy" during our break between our tours.





When we left the caverns we went to our bikes and there were several more bikes parked in the bike area. There was a bike there with a trailer. Since Jerry is interested in a trailer he looked at it a few minutes. We started to huddle up and then a couple walked out toward the bike parking. I was sitting on my bike and they guy walked over to the bike with the trailer. I asked him if it was his bike and he said yes. I asked him if my husband could look at his trailer and he said 'of course!'. Well, that conversation turned into about a 45 minute long visit. They were from Louisiana and had just come from Roswell, but had been to Sturgis. They had traveled 4000 miles thus far in their trip. We looked at their trailer and they told us the virtues of having it. They had just gotten it at Sturgis and were already in love with it and had seen the advantages. After looking over his bike, a 105th edition Harley Ultra, it was on to our bikes and their questions about our accessories and such. We made sure to tell them about the Silver Eagle Evaporation vests which they were really happy to hear about. They said they had almost burned up on their trip and were happy to hear there was a solution for the heat. They had not heard of the vest before. We had used them on the way and were not hot one single minute. They had a few more miles to go on their travels so we wished them a safe trip and they us and then we were on our way to ROSWELL.

Here is the link to the Silver Eagle Evaporation Vests:


http://www.silvereagleoutfitters.com.au/MCV.htm

As we left for Roswell GIZMO, our GPS unit sent us on a little detour. For some reason he sent us on a circuitous route that went to a dead end street. It led to some sort of private club. I have no idea what was going on in there but it was weird. We had to turn around and go right back out the same road and go back to the highway. I am one that believes that everything happens for a reason, so there must have been a reason for the one hour delay in time. I don't know, perhaps an accident was bound to happen on the freeway and we missed it because of this delay, or maybe we missed heavy traffic because of it. Whatever the reason is we saw a lot of beautiful scenery along the way. As I always say, It's not the destination, It's the journey.

As we headed the 'real' way to Roswell the rain started. We already had our rain gear on because we knew the rain might start at some time during the ride. It wasn't bad. That is until the last 40 miles. It wasn't so much the rain, it was the night. It got dark and with the rain it was just a very interesting ride to make it to Roswell. Once we made it there we took all of our things up to our room and walked next door to a steak restaurant. It was straight up 10:00pm and they close at 10:00pm. We walked in and the door person said that they were closed but the manager came over and said 'have you all been driving in the rain tonight?'. We said yes and he said 'come on in". I swear, sometimes when people see you are on a bike they are just so damn friendly! We went in and they had the most wonderful salad bar I have ever seen. It must have been 20 feet long and had everything known to man on it. I had that and cheese sticks and Jerry had a steak. It was just like a shelter from the storm.

The next day we went to the International UFO Museum.

http://www.roswellufomuseum.com/

The museum was interesting, however, I already knew most of the information contained there as I have done extensive research myself. My old acquaintance The Alien Hunter has a display in the museum. I was around before he was famous!

This Alien was created for the 1994 movie Roswell.




















Even Walmart gets in on the theme of the UFO! Look at this bus stop in the Walmart parking lot. I was sitting at the bus stop with my friends, the Aliens.



And Walmart actually has a sign on the building with the UFO theme. So Cool!



Roswell has a beautiful courthouse. The Chaves County Courthouse is a beautiful building that has been added on to but the integrity of the original building has been left intact. Wonderful!




We left Roswell and headed for Albuquerque. The scenery was so beautiful. There are really no words to describe them. It's just something you have to experience. There are miles and miles of land with nothing on it. Just small squatty trees. Every once in a while you might see a few sheep or a few cows. This is the old Route 66. Going along I was imagining how in the days of old this was the only way to travel. Just one highway, Route 66, and it was famous. I have never seen a road so straight in my life. I told Jerry they had to have surveyed the road to make it that straight. There were hills, but no curves.

Finally, a break in the straightness! Clines Corners a famous stop on old Route 66.



When we got to the top of the mountain in Encino it was like someone turned on the air conditioning! It was so cold and it felt wonderful. There is nothing like traveling the highway on my Harley looking at the beauty of the mountains or just the beauty of the sky, listening to some great Allman Brothers or Alice Cooper and just letting my mind wander.





As we were driving into Albuquerque the sun was setting



The winds at night in Albuquerque pick up quite a bit. They were pretty high when we arrived at the hotel. When we got there we unloaded the bikes and went up to our room. This stop would be a treat as we were staying for three days. Aaron, our bellman was going up in the elevator with us as were two other guys. Aaron said to the two other guys, 'you're with a band, right?', and they said yes, 'James Blunt'. And I'm thinking, no, you're not with the James Blunt band, you ARE James Blunt! He had a beautiful accent. And not to be ungrateful for riding the elevator with a celebrity, but if it happens, why, oh, why, can't it be ALICE COOPER?????
We went to our rooms and unloaded and then went back out for food. As it was Sunday night everything closed at 9pm so we headed back to the hotel and ordered room service. I had a wonderful Cobb Salad and Big Daddy had a Hamburger.







Albuquerque has several areas of town that are interesting and have art and other things of interests to see. The first section we went to was called Old Town. There is a very old church there, San Felipe de Neri Church, located across from the town square. In the courtyard of the church there are beautiful grapes growing on the vine. as I was photographing the sign at the front door of the church a hummingbird visited.






http://www.sanfelipedeneri.org/









As usual, if it's got bars on it, I'm gonna be standing on it!