Touching Base

who would buy this?

 

http://news.yahoo.com/story//eonline/20080828/en_celeb_eo/26366

 

Sometimes I would like to be taken literally.   How would I be represented?

State Fair Saturday

I was pretty lax about the State Fair this year probably because it was really hot and I pretty much melt while in direct sunlight.  So, this year it was Juli, Jennifer, Gina, Beth, Jason L, Chris L, Pete and his wife Elsa, Nicole, Scot and myself.  Last year we only had 6 so we were all over the place- always in a smaller group traveling around.  It kind of lost it’s appeal of hanging out all the time as in previous years but it was still a lot of fun.  Getting together a group this large to hang around each other all day is a feat. 

Things we did/saw……

Watched Pete/Elsa ride the log ride, ate a giant dill pickle with Chris L- very tart and very tasty (could not eat a full one- good thing we split one), had some dippin’ dots (chocolate and banana split- yum), watched Beth eat her yummy deep fried twinkie drizzled with chocolate sauce, helped Gina eat her fried chicken and fries, went through all the exhibit tents and didn’t buy everything in site.  Only purchased a really pretty orange amber sterling silver ring and some keyboard decals.  It’s actually quite cool, the only thing that does’t work on my ergonomic keyboard with the icons will be the space bar.  I hope to put the decals on tonight and start using my brightly colored keyboard tomorrow at work.  We all enjoyed the wine slushies (memories from years past), had a really yummy cinnamon roll while waiting for Juli to finish her shift at the Placer County Exhibit.  Gina, Nicole, Jennifer and I danced around (while Beth observed standing with her one crutch and knee brace) doing the chicken dance.  Solano County had this revolving sun hanging from the ceiling, a giant chicken was the whole outside of the exhibit that moved, jelly bellies were passed around, I even saw a picture of my cousin the olympic swimmer (Natalie Coughlin) picture from Athens in there.  You know… she grew up in Vallejo!  Investigated the insect pavillion while others looked at frogs, hydroponic vegetable gardens.  Walked towards the petting zoo to watch the sea lion exhibit, yes there was a sea lion there at the Fair.  I thought it was a little unfair since it was sooo hot, but he had a pool.  At this point- Juli, Jennifer, Nicole, Chris L and Scot, branched off and went to watch the Chinese Acrobats while Pete/Elsa, Jason L, Gina, Beth and I went over to watch the horse racing.  It was really hot at this time and the horse races is air conditioned on the inside and fully covered from the hot sun.  Beth, Gina, and I devoured 3 large nachos, while Jason L. drank a beer with Beth and Pete/Elsa were the only ones betting.  They even won several rounds.  We all had fun- I finished melting and after 1.5 hours we were ready to battle the sun again.   We were going to meet the rest of the group at 8 pm but Pete/Elsa and Scot went home to do other things and the rest of us- Jennifer, Juli, Nicole, Beth, Gina, Chris L. and myself got back together after Beth and I had gotten ankle henna tattoos.  We watched Terry Stokes hypnotist show- every show of his is a good laugh.  I brought many of us back to our childhood roots of having glow bracelets while at the Fair, we each got two colors- blue and yellow.  Does glow bracelets remind you of the fair as a little girl?  It does for me :)  After the hypnotist show we walked around ther rides, mingled, didn’t expect the rides to be soooo expensive, got some food and headed out the gates at 12 midnight.  I didn’t get home until 1:40 am.  Jason L didn’t get home until 2:30 am.  It was a very fun day.  We ate so much junk food but who really does that everyday?  We/I don’t!

my Mom hates……

My Mom hates my Henna tattoo on my right ankle.  I showed it to her the day after I returned home from the State Fair with my friends and she looked at me with disappointment.  I knew she would, anything having to do with body art is a sin in her book.   I am quite fond of it, it has grapes on it with leaves and I find it very fitting for the wine harvest festival next weekend.

China has disgusted me….

Opening Ceremony on 8/08/08 was really boring for me and I was rather disappointed during the opening ceremony.  Yeah, there were some ooh’s and aah’s coming from me but it was sparse and few in between.  I wasn’t really all that impressed. 

Then all the controversies began:

1.  The lip synching girl during opening ceremony: lets put the prettier one that can’t sing over the girl that has missing front teeth.  All children at one stage in their life is missing their baby teeth.  Come on!  What kind of complex will this instill on the poor girl with missing front teeth.  If I had her name, I would insert it here.

2.  Also during opening ceremony- some of the Fireworks were LED enhanced.   What else were enhanced, what else was falsely performed?

3.  Now the controversy that really strikes my nerves and I want to scream: strip the medal from HE KEXIN (female gymnast) and give her GOLD to the runner up, then strip women’s all around Gold from China and give to the deserving legitimate USA Women’s team (WOO HOO).   Check out this link on http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/beijing/blog/fourth_place_medal/post/IOC-orders-investigation-into-He-Kexin-s-age?urn=oly,102564

So, what else has China’s government done?  I might have to research this more on my spare time.  What other sports other than Gymnastics?????  I bet some of China’s divers are not of a legitimate age. 

What’s really unfair are the legitimate aged gymnasts that had to forefeit their spots on China’s team for the underage 14 year olds that are better.  Where is the loyalty and following the rules/regulations?    Those legitimate 16 year olds will have to wait another 4 years to participate.   I don’t plan on going to that crummy Country anytime soon and I have actually lost some respect for China and it’s people that stand behind their government.  What do you expect from a communist government anyway!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, what kind of message is China trying to convey for future Olympics……?  As long as you are the “host” country…….. you fill in the blanks!!!!!!

Truckee for the weekend

I haven’t been to Truckee all summer.  Last time I went was in early April.  Going to Truckee is always like going away on a vacation.  We are away from home, we are in someone else’s house, eating someone else’s food.  It’s almost like a bed and breakfast except our beds are not made.

My husband’s parents took us our to a Concord by the Reno Philharmonic.  Lots of music by Lloyd Weber, solos by Sal Viviani and Rachel York.  I guess Rachel York played Lucy Ricardo and she is starring in a Hanna Montana episode.  Sal sang one of the song’s from Phantom of the Opera really well, better than the person that sang it at the Curran Theatre in San Francisco back in 1997.   We had a picnic in the grass, sat on blankets, lawn chairs, enjoyed the sun and the crisp air of the Truckee night.  I like picnics- we always have fried chicken, potato salad, deviled eggs, wine, soda and other assorted varieties. 

Sunday, my husband played golf with his Dad doing a 9 hole game on the Tahoe Donner course while my mother in law and I played Mah Jongg with her friend.

I forgot to mention that I went shopping on Saturday afternoon- my husband and I took a stroll through the downtown shopping area in Truckee and enjoyed the outlets- he bought a nice, short sleeve, wrinkle free, stain resistant shirt while I bought a cute pair of Bass sandals (black), 2 pairs of socks and a pair of khaki carpis’.