Not Here

Hello there. If you are looking for me, I've moved! Come and check out my new place HERE.

I just got served

All I have to say today is that if you're over 30 you probably won't know what the heck this post is about. However, since I err on the older side of all my friends, and they are still in their 20's, I know the inside scoop. Also, I blog and so I see all you kiddos "tweets". So I know the dealio.

For the record: I think that if you're over 30 and you're still "tweeting" you better have the most exciting life *ever* or you really need to get one.

(D.R.- you can be the exception, because your tweets are pretty funny.)

Now go check this out:
notes from the spencenator: you're no one

Summer's End On Camano Island

We were a merry band of five. Including a tiny Maltese/Something-I-don't-know-what- Mutt, who's name was Spike.

As we walked down the steep steps of the lake house to the water Gerard mentioned that all the stairs he built were actually ladders that he secured into the ground. It must have been many ladders then because it was a very long ways down. Long enough to make you catch your breath.

It was twilight and the heavy rain had finally stopped. The air was so rich and thick with the scent of earth it almost seemed surreal. It was a strong, clean, sweet smell and I couldn't drink in enough breaths.

The last step down to the sandy beach arrived and I jumped down to the shore in my pink rubber boots. When I looked up, I couldn't move for a moment. To the guys I knew it seemed expected. They were probably used to this view I'm sure, but to an urban girl who grew up in the heart of NJ I thought that I somehow fell into heaven.

The water didn't even lap at the shore, it was that still. As if someone had put a plate glass on top of the sea and it looked as though you could walk out onto it.

Although it was small, it was for sure their own private beach and as I looked to the left the sun was setting in sherbet colored swirls of pink, peach, yellow, orange and just a touch of purple. It wasn't florescent. They weren't loud colors. The sky was not screaming for attention, but it's understated beauty is what drew my gaze and I imagined that if love could show itself in colors, then that sky was revealing all to me.

I engaged in conversation but kept reverting my eyes back to the swirling colors that held me captivated as though a handsome man where trying to get my attention. Yes. It was truly that brilliant.

Then we noticed that off to the right in the opposite direction of the sunset was a rainbow. Not just any rainbow, but one that curved straight into the water so it's reflection bounced off of the still, glass like surface and doubled it's size.

At the same time as I tried to take it all in, a sea lion popped its head to the surface a ways out from the shore. My friend Evan had been skimming rocks that went so far out it must have caused the creature to think it was a fish so he stuck around awhile to catch the show. I watched his head bob in the water and then his back would pop out too until he'd go back under only to emerge another time in the hopes of catching a bite.

After many a rock skipping show with "No less then 10 skips", the guys hauled out a row boat complete with ores and life jackets for all. "Really?" I said. "We're going to go out on the boat? In the open water? I, I hope I don't get sea-sick." I stammered. They laughed at the city girl. "No Colleen. I don't think you have a chance at getting sea-sick on water that is as still as this." I hadn't thought of that. So I hopped in the boat along with the guys and the little dog and we shoved off into the water.

It was a delightful experience. In fact, it may have been my very first time in a row boat ever. I'd been in a canoe many times with my father on the lake in Vermont, but never a row boat, in open water. I wanted to get up and do a little "I-love-row- boats-dance", but that would have been a bad idea. So I didn't do that.

We talked and laughed and I think they liked the new girl. (Even if she was an urban girl, she was a country girl at heart.) We watched the Blue Herring fly over our heads and eventually rowed back to shore where my friends had finally showed up.

We spent the evening lounging, which is only respectable at a lake front house, eating and finished it off with my favorite, a blazing fire pit around which we all told stories and made S'mores. But I had to tell mine standing on top of a large tree stump next to the fire, while I made dramatic expressions with my face and hands and laughed louder than anyone else.

Miss Piggy

I don't normally talk about food a lot on my blog. However today for your reading enjoyment and because I don't know what else to write about, I will discuss my dietary meals for the day. Why? Because I might as well have eaten out of the trash can that's why.

Let's see shall we?

First Breakfast: Cereal and coffee. Eh, not too bad.
Second Breakfast: Brownies. A big one with milk.
Snack or Lunch Pathetic-O- A huge piece of Rhubarb pie and another coffee.
Pre-dinner snack- another brownie, only a small one.

This is very bad. Why did I eat like this? Because I baked brownies today and aside from the cereal, that's about all I had to eat in the house. Tomorrow I will try and do better. Now if you will excuse me, I need another brownie....just kidding.

Ohhhh. It's September.

September.

It's my favorite month. I'm obsessively listening to September Grass by James Taylor and his whole album October Road is wonderful and then I listen to this song a lot too because it's one of my all time favorites.

Plus, we are having a fabulous Indian Summer right now which makes up for the fact that winter lasted until June.

September also means that I pull out my delicious recipe for Pumpkin bread with chocolate chips which my mother, sister and I all make. It is do die for.

There is a great deal of change about to go on in my life and I'm still standing on the precipice of it. I can't wait to see what happens...

The Cave Woman

Me paint hair.
Me paint face.
Me paint nails.
Me shave legs.
Me no clown.
Me no cave-girl no more.
Me no look old now.
Me look good.
Me put down club.
Me meet man with beard.
Me pretend lady.
Man fall for it.
Me win.
Ugh.

Going Postal

Yes, that's right. Yesterday I almost went postal at the post office, UPS to be exact. Now, I know the age of chivalry is pretty much dead thanks to stupid women's liberators who act like two year olds in their "leave me alone I can do it myself attitude" and they had to wreck it for the rest of us ladies and don't get me started on all the dates I've had to pay for myself on because of it...

Anyway back to yesterday. I had a very large, very heavy cardboard box that I had to ship for my boss. As I pulled up there was a man who was sitting right next to the store. I got out of my car and managed to squeeze the box out as well but in a very awkward way. This guy watched me as if I was entertainment without even thinking to help. I wobbled like a pregnant woman over to the door and tried to pry it open, but it was extremely heavy and after two tries I stuck my head in the door looking for help. There were two men inside who were having a conversation and obviously ignoring me. I wanted to ask for help but I felt stupid because they were trying not to pay attention. So opened the door and heaved the box up onto my hip and wobbled in.

I dropped the box down with a thud and went back for the second load. This time I was so busy trying to get the door open that I didn't look at my feet and I swung the heavy door open right on top of my foot. (In my flip flop.)

I though I was going to lose it. I'm not one for swearing (even in my head) but it hurt so badly I thought I would scream and cry something I would regret. However, I was also so mad at all three of these bozo’s for witnessing a tiny damsel in distress and leaving her to figure it out that I bit my tongue and kept my trap shut.

I took care of business but I felt like a female version of a Very Cross Wookie with angry eyebrows in as much a fury as Chewbacca with a cross bow.