I am a little blue tonight. Last weekend I was out of town and busy so my first boyfriend free weekend was filled with distractions.

I don’t think he is my boyfriend anymore…

I will keep my weekend busy but tonight I miss my boyfriend.

I’ll be fine.

Ok, so here are some distractions I have planned.

I scored the most awesome bistro set for my backyard.

I just re-did my living room, in fact the dust is still settling with David’s moving and the redecorating. I have also been motivated to clean up my backyard for a summer party this year. I have not had one for the past two years. I have had some really great shindigs back there. It feels like it is time to do it again.

This is what I had in mind but what I found is way nicer!

I thought it needed a metal bistro set and I was checking out craigslist (where I do all my furniture shopping) for something. I came across overpriced ratty stuff. Craigslist takes time. Weeks. It took me months to find my perfect antique bed for just the right price. Months!

On my way to work Monday I found a metal bistro set out on the curb for free next to my bosses home office. Free. Fabulous. Much nicer then anything I saw on cl. FREE.

It’s a Jungle Out There!

So this weekend I am going to clean my backyard. It is a wreck. Mowing, weed-eating, cutting back the vines, trimming the bamboo. Re-hanging the hammock. Clearing the garden box. The yard needs some major work. That will keep my mind off my blues. 

A friend is having a terrific yard sale. My friend Lauren, and her girls, said they would meet me. That will keep my mind off my blues.

And I will get less blue as time goes by.

I really liked my boyfriend. I enjoyed our time together. I thought he did too. I won’t go nutty over this. If he does not want to be on my team, I will hang out with my friends who do. I’ll get over this.

Work is busy which is great. This is the season of the Home and Garden shows all over Northern California. I get to help out with those. I look forward to them. I was in Chico last week and I will be in Truckee at the end of May. 

Who knows what a Roku is? David had a Wii and we streamed Netflix and Amazon for films. He took that with him, of course. I was asking around and heard about this Roku gadget. Whoa, it is the coolest thing ever. I have the Netflix and Amazon alright. There are thousands more channels for FREE! FREE! The Roku costs $50.  Best fifty bucks I have ever spent. 

I’l probably be watching more television then I ever have in my life. A fabulous distraction but not necessarily a good thing.

 She is so Tall!

I was able to babysit for my grand daughter the other evening. The best. She is so flipping fun and funny. I had a blast. She NEVER stops. NEVER. She finally fell asleep after 11:30 pm. I awoke at 5am because I heard Lola scratching about (we both like  a early morning pee). Juniper heard me and asked if everything was alright then stayed awake. Oh my gosh. Her dad did a house show in Davis and had spent the night. She wanted to go sleep with him once she woke up. They never went back to sleep. I went back to sleep for an hour or so. She turns three on April 27th. I had her late Easter gift and an early birthday gift. She loved the butterfly net I got her.

My son had a birthday at the beginning of the month. He is 26 these days. I have very grown up kids. He is doing well. Working, doing music. He and his sis are doing  a project together. I think it is doing well. I try to stay out of her business. But I am always so proud of all the stuff she and her brother are creating.  Michael does share all the music he is working on. I love it all. 

My pets are doing well. They got their grooming for the spring. Although spring is barely springing around here. We do have some sunshine but tons of wind and bits of April showers. Lola isn’t moping quite so much. Esme has taken full custody of  ”HER” side of the bed.

Have a great weekend xanga pals!

xxoo

I was in Chico California this weekend. It is in Northern California. I have never been there. I have been around this area (Redding and Yuba City) but never Chico. I expected it to be a little cooler but it may not be Chico’s fault. 

There was every size of camo wear – babies to  grownups but NOTHING for an outdoorsy dog!

I worked the Northstate Sportsman Expo – basically a bells and whistles gun show. All things outdoor and camouflage. They had trouts and antlers. Retrievers and rifles. Paint ball and monster trucks.

This is the first monster truck I have ever seen in person – thank you Chico for scarring this little girl and me for life

There is so much more. And the venue is right next to a Speedway (which was hopping the night I arrived to set up my booth). My view of Chico is of a specific demographic. My hotel is situated across the street from a sprawling mall, a Walmart AND an Applebee’s with a Red Lobster a short block away.

I advise that you DO NOT search this and watch the video – mark my words

I saw a family with young children practice target shooting at a booth. I over heard the mom telling her son how to hold the gun correctly. The shooting gallery looked like a long blow up bouncy house. I saw metal art with pistols that stated WE DON’T CALL 911. There is also a booth dedicated to an item called the Deer Zipper. Intrigued? A special winter sweater for deers? Their motto is Skin Smarter Not Harder. Sigh…I ain’t in Davis is I?

Like a Golden Oasis in the middle of this mall spotted town

I pictured Chico to be a bike friendly beer drinking party college town. This still may be true – there were several Sierra Nevada Brewery (Chico is the home of this consistently wonderful micro-brew) kiosks at the event, but I don’t have time to search it out. I am tired and Lola is tired. We are both hungry once we wrap it up at 5pm.  The prospect of investigating the town while trying to rustle my furry little hussy by myself when I could be curled in the room at my hotel drinking free beer sounds SO MUCH less aggravating.

I did discover an awesome public radio show here in Chico 90.1 KZFR. Check it out. I love it. They are streaming on the internets.

This sums up blue and sad pretty well, don’t you think?

My favorite traveling companion, David, has hit the road solo to Virginia. For various reasons. In the big picture I was not a priority in his future plans. We were not the team I thought we were. I am hurt and blue but we are friends and this is not a drama. It is a hump that I will get over. I will miss him. I love him very much. We had a really great time together. There that is.

I will get better about going places on my own. He left this past Wednesday, so my first solo trip is a little wimpy. I am having a good time just not the usual adventure. Lola is having an ok time. These expos wear her out. I do this for work. I have a booth that I explain the mortgage loan process and gather leads for my boss, who is a mortgage loan broker. I like it. I enjoy chatting up the people and I am pretty good at talking about mortgage stuff. Plus I love going to new places.

She is a little pooper trooper 

Lola loves to go but all these people make her cranky. We stay at pet friendly places. That makes things less stressful. The event venues always allow her in. I bring special travel bowls and what not so she feels at home. She misses David. She is confused by all of this. It is always the kids that suffer

Esme is glad to finally get her side of the bed back…we all know how our cat children view things don’t we?

 Tonight the hotel is filled with preteen kids and their parents (who are also enjoying the free beer and wine that the hotel offers). I think there is some sport thing with out of town teams and buses in the parking lot. These kids are screaming in the pool after dark, hogging all the happy hour snacks and running up and down the halls banging on doors. Yes, I was the cranky old lady that called the front desk and ratted them out!

Hope this finds you all well, my xanga buddies. 

Now that I got rid of my old ball and chain maybe I’ll have more time to blog!

xxoo

Cassi