Welcome

welcome to the world Samantha Jane Rurup, we are awfully glad you are here!! Lots of love from your auntie!

Sam arrived at around 1pm, weighing just under 9lbs and was laying peacefully with her Mama last night when they called to let me know she was here :)

trick, no treat

I am ok, but last Wednesday night between 10:30 and 11:30 pm, I was robbed. Someone or ones, broke into my car, into my laundry/storage shed and attempted to break into my house via the back door, they also did much the same to my nextdoor neighbor. It was most likely young teenagers, and not someone wanting to hurt us, but it wasn't a fun experience and it has resulted in my general jumpiness. Even though I live in a very small town, its a fairly rural area, and I live in one of the most remote parts of town. I have always felt so safe there, and I look forward to feeling that way again, because it sure isn't how I am feeling right now. This too shall pass, however investing in a little home security helps :)

treat, no trick

Happy Halloween!

random

I got an email today, which in itself is not so odd...

but it was written to me in French

and it was referencing a blog site I created last year for the National Write a Novel in a Month Contest - which I had entirely forgotten about (and did not complete beyond the first 5 chapters)

and is written in English...

Once I translated the email in babelfish, it loosley translated into:

"I like this, I am busy now but will come back later to read more, your blog is very pleasant"

How random is that??!

clumsy week

evey few years I experience what I call "my clumsy week". It's when for no reason I can determine, that I seem to have an above average number of random "accidents" to my person. Apparently, this is my week.

Friday night, I lost my balance while sitting on a walkway railing at our company party due to a wardrobe malfunction and not only bruised my back pretty good, but also my pride. Saturday night, I somehow misjudged the distance while getting into my car and smacked my head so hard on the door frame that it made an awful sound and I literally saw stars, which has resulted in a nice goose-egg that doesn't feel anything fabulous just above my right ear.

Mostly, I find it fairly amusing, but of course, I would prefer to laugh about other things. To say I am now doing everything VERY carefully, would be an understatement. :) Hope it passes soon :)

the thunder rolls

An odd storm brews outside, plump grey clouds have been moving in at various speeds all day. It’s got a very tropical feeling to it, as the temperature outside is at least 80 degrees. Quite unusual for this area which generally gets cold weather storms and occasional spring showers.

I can’t even recall a true thunderstorm in the past 2.5 years I have lived here. In fact, I believe that the first seasonal rain was just this time last year, and it definately wasn't warm.

The first drops have just begun to fall as I write this and I cannot ignore the connection of what a mirror it seems to my emotions the past few days. Partly sunny, partly cloudy, possible thunderstorms. Although I am generally pretty happy, I have felt quite oddly melancholy at times for no specific tangible reason I can discern. There are certainly a few things going on that have a stressful quality to them at the moment, but this has felt much deeper and more unfocused.

I hesitate to admit that I actually cried myself to sleep last night, fat hot tears absorbed into the pillow, a frustration and despair that felt a bit overwhelming and even a little scary. I cannot recall the last time I did that. It made me long for the days when my parents could hug and comfort me and I believed them and it made everything alright.

Sometimes it is hard being a grown -up! :)

a few pictures

some of my latest and greatest

Fall-ing

Although we are definately experiencing "Indian Summer" days, I still feel Fall coming on. I can feel it in the light of the day, in the chill of the evening, in my bones. I feel the pull to hibernate, to eat and drink hot things, to ready the house for the coming Winter. In fact, a fire burns in the woodburning stove of my little livingroom as I write this and a cup of hot tea is brewing.

As much as I dearly love the spring and summer, sun girl that I am, I do like Autumn. The colors, the scents, the happy memories. Fall cooking and baking are some of my favorite things about the season. In my kitchen, two small pumpkins await the honor of becoming a delicious from scratch spicy pumpkin pie. Holiday spirit starts to fill the air and I still feel a little bit of that childlike magic thinking about Halloween being just around the corner.

I am ready for hot apple cider, big comfy sweaters, and cozing up to a good book by the fire. And they say we don't have seasons in California :O)

Update to paying it forward

I am very pleased to announce that we raised $7000 for Katrina relief at our fundraiser. :O)

paying it forward 2

I received this comment:

At 6:01 PM, Anonymous said...

How much did you make on tips?

it was just a matter of time before you got involved...

A.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To this I reply:

I didn't count the tips since we put it all back in, but if I had to guess I would say it was easily more than $500 and probably more like $800

And now a question: before I got involved in the fundraiser or being a bartender?? :)

Thanks for writing! :)

paying it forward

A good friend organized a fundraiser for the victims of hurricane katrina, which was held this past sunday. The hope was that even though we are a small town, it would be a good turn out.

I was not in a position to contribute much financially at this time, so I volunteered to bartend and donated my tips back into the fund as well.

What a special day! So many people showed up, it was a beautiful sunny day, many people donated food and beverages for purchase, prizes for raffle, tipped us rediculously, danced to the bands who donted their time and talents - it was a caring community in action. I am quite touched by the way this little community comes together to support each other, and even more so to see them do it for those out in the world.

I think everyone had a great time and felt good about being a part of it, I sure did! As the bartender I got to see just about everyone, had practically a front row view to the bands, and felt like I had really helped.

It has been a long time since I worked that hard on my feet, and dealt with that kind of service and the pace it was at, but it was actually fun and I thoroughly enjoyed myself, so much so I wondered if maybe I missed my calling as a bartender. Heh heh!

Hurricanes & Tornadoes

The images flying around the internet of Hurricane Rita's progress are pretty amazing. One picture I saw earlier this morning (that I can no longer find for some reason) showed a gnarly black sky against some scarily raging waves. It reminded me of the one and only time I have experienced something like that.

I was driving across country, many years ago now and my ex was at the wheel. I slowly began to notice how dark the sky was growing, and commented to him about it.

"I think they say when the sky gets that black a tornado is coming. I can't remember where I heard that, but its the first thing I thought of when I looked at it."

Neither of us took me all that seriously, it was really more of a, "hey listen to what I heard." kind of a thing, because being from California, I really only know about earthquakes.

All of a sudden the semi-truck in front of us (a 3 trailer truck, mind you) wildly swerved across all three lanes as it got blown off the road. I freaked, yelling to my ex to pull off the road and find some shelter, and by some miracle we got off the pavement safely and found a closed but pretty stable freeway-side fruit stand with a large and sturdy looking overhang to park under.

The noise and the sheer strength of the wind was defening and so scary as it whipped around the truck, literally causing the truck to move around and pumping air through an entirely closed vehicle.

Once it passed, we turned on the radio and heard the annoucer say, "A tornado just touched down in Wizard Wells, Texas folks, y'all be careful out there." We waited a while and then decided to get going, but both a little shaken.

I can only imagine how much more scary it is for the people on the Golf Coast facing Rita, and how horrific it was for the people who endured Katrina. If you can spare some time or money to help them out, plese find a reputable charitable organization to donate to. :O)

Most Epic Swells of My Lifetime

So we are having the biggest south swells since 1968 according to this mornings surf report . I borrowed the following from www.surfline.com

This is a Surfline Surf Alert for Central California effective 09/11/05

Big South Pacific Swell Brewing!

A very strong storm is now just starting the first stages of its development this morning. This system is currently located in the Southern Ocean midway between New Zealand and Chile, which is a great position in the swell window to send surf to the US West Coast, Hawaii, Baja, Mainland Mexico, and Central America. Current forecasts have this storm deepening to a very-low 954mb central pressure, which should crank up wind speeds into the 50-60 knot range in the swell producing side of the system. To put this in perspective: This SW swell has the potential to be one of the bigger, if not the biggest, swell of the summer.
--Adam


Dude, I just can't wait to go take pictures!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Blogiversary!! Born: 9/9/04

It's official, I have been posting here for over a year! For those of you that stay tuned, thanks!

Baby Showers - its raining baby girls

1) Friend and co-worker Erika and hubby are expecting their first child/baby girl - there was a lovely lunchtime shower for her at a local restaurant last wednesday, outdoors next to the creek (and to my total joy 18 women from my office attended - when I started I was one of only 5 women)

2) My best friend and her hubby are expecting their 3rd child and first girl - Samantha. I attended an equally lovely shower this past saturday to welcome baby Sammy...

3) Where I saw two of my best friends' sister in laws, both with brand new baby girls