Orangina - Naturellement Pulpeuse

Wow, this is so neat! Speaking of French, I have never been to France, but I remember going to Canada in my teens in the cab of a sixteen-wheeler. No shit. My step-father delivered produce all over the country and Montreal was one of his stops.

It was in the middle of summer, I was bored, it was a free trip, what can I say? My mother, sister and I traveled with my step-father all the way from Virginia to Canada and let me tell you, you haven't lived until you've slept with watermelons.

We stopped over in New York and because step-dad was so cheap, he figured a bed of hay was a good substitute for a nice queen-sized mattress. As if. I was never so cold in all my life. Although it was summer, New York can get chilly at night sometimes.

I'll never forget that trip. Summer of '69 or '70. Canada's border was spectacular...loved the streetlights. Once we were there and unloaded, Frenchmen were everywhere. Actually, Canadians with a French accent?

I flirted, they flirted, got in fight with Mother, walked out on a waiter when we found out how high the prices were, brought home midget coke cans out of a drink machine (that's before the States had them at Wal-Mart...did they even have a Wal-Mart back then?), got sick in the truck going home and generally had a great time. Doesn't that sound like the perfect vacation?

Monday Madness: New Sofa!

It's Monday Madness day for Boomer Chick! Today, they delivered my brand new curved plush oh-so-comfy-soft wraparound sofa today. It's a tan brown and looks heavenly in the living room. My daughter swiped the camera so you'll just have to wait to see it. I got a good deal, too - they even threw in a 5 - light chrome arch lamp that I wanted and was the real reason I was in there, so I got a really good deal. I have to wait a few weeks for that since they didn't have any in stock, but that is really going to tie this room together.

Now, the thing is, this is HUGE and I can't get my glass-topped end tables on either side, so I had to put them on the opposite end of the room on each side of the loveseat I already had in there. Loveseat will go one day and I don't know where in the heck to put these tables when that happens, but I guess I'll figure it out.

What's crazy is that when we moved in here, I vowed I would have a moving company do it next go around, but these guys were BUFF. One of them brought in one section up a flight of steps all by himself! Wowzers.

So, anyway, the living room is almost pulled together. I'm trying to get out of the country look and into the modern look and my 6 foot curio cabinet looks so out of place. I took the country stuff out and put in nautical stuff and that improved it, but still.

I'll have pictures soon...maybe I'll wait until my lamp comes in. Last week, BF and I went to Dover Downs and on the way back, we stopped off in a furniture store that had these lamps for over $300, so I'm glad I waited. This was actually free!

'Til next time...be good....signing off...

The Emu Killing on Assateague

I am outraged. In an article in last week's edition of The Eastern Shore News, an innocent and lost emu was euthenized (as they called it) because it had ended up on the Assateague Island Wildlife Refuge and the wardens had no other recourse than to kill it JUST IN CASE it had diseases that would spread to the other bird species there.

Now, to back up, the Assateague Island Wildlife Refuge is preserved as a natural and living habitat for many bird species and wildlife and I know there must be rules enforced to keep it safe for the other animals and birds, but when I read that they had killed it without rounding it up and checking for diseases, this just didn't sit right by me.

And, reading further, I discovered the bird was from Australia and was someone's pet that had escaped from its owner who lived on Chincoteague. Frankly, I didn't know an emu was over here, but I wish I had known about it because I would have loved to have seen it.

But, now I can't. Because it's dead.

The problem I have with that is that it just seems so inhumane to me and so being, I wrote a letter to the editor of The Eastern Shore News and sent it off today. This is what I wrote:

Dear Editor:
I am outraged by an article that appeared in last week’s newspaper concerning the ruthless death of an innocent bird that was KILLED at the Assateague Island Wildlife Refuge this past week. According to the article, an emu was found on the refuge and the wildlife people had no other recourse than to destroy and kill the animal just because it might be a threat to the existing wildlife. Hello? This is part of wildlife, people! But, let’s get this straight because I still cannot believe someone or some group of people can be that ruthless. A bird was lost and found sanctuary in a WILDLIFE REFUGE and there was no other choice but to kill it? What about the thousands of other birds who fly in? Are they to be sought after and destroyed, also, just because it wasn’t on the list of preferred bird species to inhabit the island? I am outraged. I understand about the cause of alarm and that it might have diseases which would be a threat to the already existing wildlife over there, but is that the best you guys can do? KILL it? Ever thought that maybe the bird just didn’t fly in from Australia and just maybe it might belong to someone? Ever hear about catching the bird and putting him in quarantine long enough to get some publicity out of it (which you’ve already done but not in a very good way, you must agree) and perhaps the owner of the bird claim it back instead of KILLING it? I am appalled. I have just moved to the island and this is my welcome? Guys, take my advice. Before someone enters your neighborhood unannounced, will you give him the benefit of a doubt that maybe he might be lost and stands a fair trial before eliminating him? And to the people of the Wildlife Refuge, if it's against the law to run over a seagull, then why is it okay for you to shoot an innocent pet?

I'm still seething.

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Book Marketing Buzz 10 - Book Back to School Book Giveaway Contest!

Book Marketing Buzz is hosting a 10 book giveaway extravaganza and the ten books they will be giving away are being donated by education expert and author Hal W. Lanse, Ph.D. in his fight to help our children learn how to read!

Yep, Hal is giving away TEN copies of his latest book, READ WELL, THINK WELL: BUILD YOUR CHILD'S READING, COMPREHENSION, AND CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS to TEN LUCKY PEOPLE! That's right, folks! TEN COPIES TO TEN LUCKY PEOPLE!

But, there's a catch. His instructions are that you've got to come up with the cleverest guerrilla marketing plan for his book - one that requires no upfront fees for him. Something that's absolutely and completely free. Sound hard? Put on those thinking caps and if you think you have the cleverest idea on how Hal can market his book, run over to Book Marketing Buzz and leave your clever idea in the comment box. Hurry! Contest begins today, August 13 and ends August 29. Winners will be announced on the blog on August 30! Tell your friends...tell your neighbors...let's celebrate the end of summer by helping children learn how to read so that back to school will be fun!

What better way to end your summer with a free book that will help get rid of illiteracy in today's children???

Good luck and help a child learn how to read! You'll be glad you did!

No, We Can't McCain Song

Yes We Can Obama Song

The Ultimate Challenge

There is some wise and supposedly knowledgeable person who once said to keep young, you must eat right and exercise. Hell if I eat right, but exercise? Since moving to the island, exercise has been something I've been doing since day one over here, but you can't help it. There are so many things to do, you can't help but to get out there and do it or you feel you're being left out. It doesn't matter if you're three or 103, you see everyone out there "doing it," so you feel you must "do it," too.

By this I mean, bicycling. This is like the #1 thing people do over here. You can't sit on your deck without having at least fifty cyclists ride by on any given day. Families, sports enthusiasts, kids, moms, dads, you name it. And while you're sitting in your chair, you see this and you say, "I need to get out there and do it, too!"

So, I bought 2 bikes actually. One man's bike and one women's and now I can also have company while I'm out there doing it with everyone else. My first trip by bike was to see if I could make it to town, which I did. One of my next trips was to see if I could make it to Memorial Park which is ten minutes from here, which I did.

My ultimate challenge was to see if I could make it to the beach. Now, the island isn't but 5 miles long, so I've heard, but Assateague is a bit more than than from my house. So, let's give it 7 miles. I had thought about making the trip alone, but my son was all gun-ho on going with me and it would give him a chance to exercise himself, so plans were made to schedule one Monday that I was off and we would make it together.

Keep in mind that seven miles to and from will equal 14 miles, something I don't believe I have done ever in my life and keep in mind that I'm a bit older since I was a kid riding all over town and back.

But, I wanted to see if I could do it.

My son and I started charting out the route and making plans. We would stop at the Pony Center which was ten minutes away, rest, then continue out to the beach street and stop at McDonald's, then see if we could keep on another two or three miles. If not, we would just return home.

The more we talked about it, the more we were seeing this as the ultimate challenge and we were either going to make it or go down trying.

I picked Ryan up about 3 and I believe we started heading out about 4. We took water with us just in case which did come in handy being as it was in the nineties. We hopped on our bikes and headed for the Pony Center and rested. Timing it at ten minutes, we thought we were making excellent time. After resting, we headed for McDonald's which was another ten minutes away. We slipped inside and got some food, then headed back out.

What we did, though, was so off the beaten path and I'm so glad we did it, but instead of taking the beach road where all the cars were going, we chose to go through the path in the refuge which would take us to the beach instead.

Let me tell you, it was the most beautiful place in the world back there. I've got pictures and I'll show them to you in a minute, but after you went halfway around "the loop," you took another road which only bikes are allowed and it led you right to the beach. You parked your bike and frolicked in the surf or whatever you wanted to do. I chose to collect shells and go wading as did Ryan. What a memory I'll have of this. He was having a blast.

But I will say there was something I found out which I would have never found out had I not done it, but bike rides can be quite exciting going. Coming back is a whole 'nuther story. Instead of talking to your co-riders and looking at the scenery, your eyes are focused on the road. You don't want to look at the scenery because you don't want to know how much further you have. Talk about exhausted? I died two deaths.

It's now been three days and I'm still sore. Would I do it again? Well, let me tell you this much. I would do it again if again happens once all my aching limbs are back to normal. And don't even let me get on the subject of bicycle seats. I wore two pairs of underwear which helped, but your backside will be sore for days. Mine still is.

Here's some pictures we took along the way!




















Now this one was taken on the bridge which separates Chincoteague from the refuge on Assateague. That's my son! The Assateague Lighthouse is situated to the right which I didn't get in the picture, but you can see it from the bridge.
























Isn't this beautiful? After we entered the refuge, we went through a wooded area just for bikes, then down another road which goes around this "loop." Next time we'll take the full loop, but we wanted to get to the beach instead which was halfway around the loop. I don't think you can make it out, but there are geese in the background. There were other native birds but we couldn't figure out what they were. According to a sign they had there, the water doesn't come in naturally, but instead, the game department rigged this up so that the wildlife could create habitats. It worked. I thought it would be even prettier in the fall, so we'll have to go back.





















Awesome, huh?





















Just more geese.


















We made it!!!! The Ultimate Challenge!!! This is my son trying to see if he still has a heartbeat.




















And me walking on the beach collecting sea shells! Had an awesome day. But...I'm still paying for it...my aching everything!

Chincoteague Pony Penning '08

I'm finally getting around to posting pictures. Pony Penning week here on the beautiful island of Chincoteague, Virginia, ended last week. I am here to bring you a few pictures and tell you what a wonderful experience it was to be a part of it. They estimated crowds of up to 40,000 - 50,000 but I think because of the gas prices being so high, it was way under that. Never the less, we had an excellent turnout.

I woke up at 6:30 and turned on WESR to find out when the ponies had left Assateague. Assateague is where they live and graze, but the last Wednesday in July of every single year, the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department don their hoses for horses and herd them off the island and into the channel to swim over to Memorial Park here on Chincoteague.

I had originally thought I would ride to Memorial Park but after my daughter and I rode down Beebe, we discovered too many people and headed back out to Main Street. We found a nice grassy area on the water (good for dipping toes because it was so hot!) and waited for the ponies to come through.

Here is where we waited:



















That's my daughter trying to look like she was having a good time, lol. I think we stood there for about a half hour in the sweltering heat. I was smart. See that water back there? I walked around and gathered shells. Neat ass shells, too. One was a bunch of clam shells that was embedded onto an oyster shell. I asked my son how this happened and he said when the mama clam had babies, they grabbed onto something and that's what they all grabbed onto. It's really neat knowing all of these shells sitting on top of the long oyster shell were sisters and brothers.

Anyway, on with the story...the ponies finally arrived and this picture here is them heading toward us...



















And here they are!







































































It was so much fun. My daughter and I rode behind the pony parade until we couldn't go any further (mobs of people and hard to maneuver our bikes going at such a slow speed), so we went on home. Later that afternoon, I went and grabbed my son from his dad's and we took off to see the ponies who the "saltwater cowboys" had corralled into the carnival grounds. Here's a few pics from that...





















































They auctioned off the ponies two days later. I know there were a lot of happy people who became new owners of the original Chincoteague Ponies! Stay tuned for a story about the Ultimate Challenge that my son and I endured - a ten mile bike ride to Assateague and back. Fun and pictures, too!

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