If You Pray....

Please send one up for my friend, KC. He was in a bad car accident a few weeks ago. He was thrown from the vehicle breaking bones in his back and injuring his neck.

He's paralyzed from the chest down. But he had feeling and the use of his arms and hands.

Today, he lost that. The doctor's don't know yet what happened to cause this.

If you pray or think positive thoughts or send vibes....

I'd like to ask you to send some his way.

Cheap Ass

Although I'm one of the lucky ones that still has a job, it's crossed my mind that I could become amongst the jobless. I work in construction and right now, in TN...it sucks. Our company has one meager project and nothing on the books after that.

Which is why lately, I've been trying to cut back. Find ways to save and make a few extra bucks.

I've been cruising the coupon sites. And finding some mighty cool stuff....

There's a free RoastBurger from Arby's (you've gotta buy a drink)!
A buy one, get one free sundae from Baskin Robbins. Click here.
The spend $25, get $5 off from Rite Aid. Click here.
There's a free fry and drink coupon for Jack In The Box.

Sadly, none of these are helping my ass get smaller.

My latest obsession is Swag Bucks. It's a search engine powered by google, but every time you search you can win 1, 2, 5, or up to 100 Swag Bucks and then trade them in on tons of cool prizes . I've been using it for about two weeks and am well on my way to a $5 Amazon.com gift card. Not much....but I don't have to do anything different and I like getting something for nothing.

You can search for Swag Bucks on their blog or on their Facebook page. And I may have done that on my breaks about a zillion times.

If you're so inclined, check it out here: Swagbucks.com


Yeah, they give you a little referral bonus. How's that for being upfront? If you wanna try it and don't want to give me a referral, no biggie. I just think it's fun to use their search feature and get free stuff for doing what I do anyway.

Do you know of any cool free stuff? Cuz I'm just. that. cheap!

The Best Ice Cream In The World

These last few days, I've been reminiscing about my trip to South America last March. This is the one story that will never leave me. I may forget the dried llama fetuses and chewing coca leaves to scare off my headache, but I will never forget this ice cream.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Our last day, in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia is Palm Sunday. We are waiting in the grand courtyard in front of a Catholic Church with palms laid on the front of it. It's 10am and our plane leaves at 11pm. We have an entire day to sit in the courtyard and people watch.



My aunt Kathy wants an ice cream. Just like she does every day. I walk with her through the palm trees in the park where hundreds of people gather to spend Palm Sunday afternoon. It is 70 degrees and sunny and a breeze makes it a perfect day.

We hear music in the corner building on our way to the ice cream shop. Obviously, a child's party is going on. Balloons are everywhere. Arches of balloons. A live band. Food and drink.

We walk past the noise coming from the open windows beneath gorgeous architecture. On the sidewalk sits a beggar woman on a blanket. A little girl accompanies her playing shoeless in a blue velvet dress that is almost too small. It's a special day and she has dressed her in her best. She holds out her hand, and I place my coins inside the brown wrinkling of her hand.
I wait on my Aunt Kathy amidst dozens of people getting ice cream on the warm day. People shuffle around me and no one notices her. She has two balloon remnants from the party that she's not invited to and is filling them from a drain tube coming down the side of the dirty wall.

Normally it would drain onto the ground, but she's thirsty. She fills the balloon and drinks. I feel myself staring.

Aunt Kathy asks me again if I'd like some ice cream. I'm not hungry. I don't want any ice cream. I can't believe all of these people are oblivious to this little girl.

I say, "Yes, I do. A child's portion."

The guys behind the counter are laughing and having a great time. Asking me in broken English what I want mixed into my ice cream. My throat closes and tears well up in my eyes. "It doesn't matter."

They laugh and ask me again. Surely I want some thing mixed in!

Strawberries? Chocolate syrup? Oreos?

"Si, oreos. por favor."

He hands me a huge portion of ice cream with a middle layer of oreos with a tiny spoon and napkin.

She's still filling her balloons. I squat beside her and peck her velvet covered shoulder. Her eyes light up. She takes the ice cream and sits on the blanket.

Her mother looks at me, smiles, touches her brown hand to her heart and points at me.

That was the best ice cream that I've ever had.

Traveling Without Certainty

Last year, on this very day I was planning to leave on my trip to South America. I was completely discombobulated. Leaving on a plane tomorrow. I hadn't had the luxury of planning for six months as I usually do.

There was no losing 30 pounds. No knowing exactly where we are going. I don't understand altitude sickness and the lack of air.

No certainties. No plans. No expectations.

I miss it. I love the getting ready of it all. The little tubes of toothpaste and what to put in my backpack for the plane. What treats to take for the children. Balloons? Candy? Chocolates?

We're going to Vegas this summer with a gaggle of other lesbians for three birthdays. My Love's, my best friend's and my best friend's sister's girlfriend.

I'm excited about that trip, but what I really hunger for is another trip with my uncles and aunt. I'd love to take my girlfriend so that she could experience another culture without plans. Tasting quinoa soup with Godknowswhat floating around in it. Local wines. Smiling at people who don't understand me hoping that they can feel the love in my heart. I want all of that for the woman I love. I want her to experience what I love about travelling with my family.

We will go with them. Maybe next year. But not this one. Everybody's cutting back this year. Including us. But next year...it might be China. Or Morocco, Spain and Portugal. Or Africa....like my aunt wants.

My question for you is....if you could go anywhere, where would you go? and why?

The Boob Tube....Actual Photo

This is it. A dimly lit hallway. Lesbians on each side.
Just waiting for some unsuspecting female to need to "go."

After the hockey game on Saturday night, we make our way to the Lipstick Lounge for a libation. After standing in the middle of the dance floor for five minutes, I head for the hallway near the bathroom. There are never any tables or standing room left by the time we get there. I'm annoyed.

Soon, everyone gathers in the hallway after saying their hellos and grabbing something from the bar.

Without Becky, my Boob Tube partner from last time, I relax back against the wall. Until someone that remembers us comes through and requests to be boobed. Imagine women lining a hallway and shimmy-ing their boobs against you as you walk through. Heaven, I know.

And so it began. Again.

THEN, the cutest little femme came up to me. I immediately recognized her as Kelly from The Keeper of the Sanity. (And yes Kelly, you DO need to blog more. )

After reading her blog for over a year, I finally get to meet her. What a sweetheart! She either loves the Boob Tube or she has a horrible bladder control problem. I'm thinking the former. She must have tubed ten or twelve times.

But we never turn down a victim or new friend as the case may be.

I'm The One In The Middle

After the Preds had sufficiently smeared Detroit's ass in hockey Saturday night, we decided to walk down and get a calendar of the smokin' hot Predator's Ice Girls. As lucky would have it, we ran into them. Of course, they asked for a pic with me. Who am I to turn down a couple of hot chicks with gold pom-poms?

There's lots more to tell about that night. Lots more. Including more Boobie-Toob adventures and the meeting of another local blogger.

Come back later.... and I'll tell you ALL about it! ;)