Cars, Kids and Computers

I think this is all my life is right now based on my blog entries! I am so enjoying those three things though. Check out this photo my daughter did using my MacBook, too fun!


I am learning so much that my computer does, makes me want all the family to have one, it is so easy! A friend told me that if more people and businesses used Mac, she'd be outta a job. So in that case, I guess I'll be happy there are so many PC's out there, but if you really want a good computer, get a MAC, hands down, no contest.

Oh, and the hybrid car, my Camry, love it too! Great gas mileage, drives like a BMW, has lots of bells and whistles, love it!

Here's the decided on photo

Ultimately it was Brandi's choice and she likes this one cause she's almost smiling.

My daughter is wierd!

But I love her, just glad they're aren't two!

Yard work

We spent this Memorial Day in the yard working. We planted 10 roses and a couple of large plants near the waterfall and little flowers in front of it. We planted flowers in the flower boox in the front yard too. It's all pretty out there. We had a fire in my fire pit I got from my best friends last year on my birthday and roasted marshmallows. I'll have to post some photos, but I am too tired and a little sunburned to do that. Oh well, the yard isn't going anywhere!

What did you do this weekend? On Saturday night we went to San Francisco and had dinner at the cheesecake factory, it was great fun with Justin and Heather and Casey and Curtis and I. It was a little cold outside where we ate, but I had a bikini martini and I was all warmed up.

The only thing I really didn't get to do is play with my new mac book! I decided on the smaller one, I've had a large heavy notebook for so long, I like small. If I wanted I could hook it up to the 9 foot screen we have, or buy a moniter, so I'm not too worried about it. Just happy I have it!

ha

Guess What I Got???

I'm such a loser!

I just went and got a pedicure! I decided those feet of mine needed some fixing up. Why am I a loser? Because my toe color matches the color of my car!!!

Inspired

I was driving a Suburban *gas hog* and it was actually keeping me from doing things or going places cause I just didn't want to waste my gas! I've had quite a few cars in my life, and until recently, two were brand new. I have always had the desire to switch cars all the time. The last vehicle I think I really liked was my Tahoe. It too was a gas hog, but had lots of cool toys, like XM radio, remote start and a DVD player.


I sold it mostly because my husband wanted a different car and was going to sell his Suburban. We had a travel trailer and needed a truck to pull it. So when another nice Suburban came along that was the same year as my Tahoe, I decided to get it.


Well, I never really got to the point where I loved my new truck. I just drove it, it was a 3/4 ton 4X4, so it was a lot to drive.
So we sold the trailer, which meant I didn't have to have a vehicle to tow anything. But, my husband wanted to get a BMW. So I continued to not complain much, except every time I spend over $100 filling up the truck!!!
My husband gets a used BMW, it's planned to be a in between car. You know, fix it up and sell it, buy a newer one, fix it up, sell it, buy a newer one.
Well, my sweetheart of a hubby decided I deserved a new car, (complaining about 12 mpg all the time was killing him). So he told me to go ahead and get whatever I wanted. So I did! I got myself a 2007 Toyota Camry hybrid that I am loving!!! I filled up for the first time after about 450+ miles! It was only $40ish to fill up too!!!
I'm so grateful to have such a generous husband!

Books

It is so nice outside, I want to be out there reading.
I've recently been reading a book by Jodi Picoult called My Sisters Keeper. Wow, I love the way the author allows you to read it from all the characters view points. It's a great read, can't wait to finish it!

Senior Trip

So my world right now is all about Brandi's senior year. I only get one chance to do this. One thing that I tried to accomplish is a Senior Trip. Some of her teachers were going to be taking the students, but unfortunately last years students were awful and they've decided to stop doing the trips. I would send Brandi anyway, but she's only 17, can't really do much without someone over 18, so the solution...

I'm taking the trip with her. I've made reservations in Mexico and have purchased the airline tickets. She's too young to go by herself, so I'll go with her. (I know, major bummer for me, ;)) Good news is she's really excited about it! Here's where we are going, Coral Baja. I'm really excited about it. We're leaving on June 15th, day after graduation, and returning June 19th. Classes start that week, so we didn't have a lot of options on the dates!

Senior Pictures...

Here is the 'smiling' picture of Brandi that I've chosen for her Senior Picture, (thanks for the advice Nikki!) I cropped it, I love her relaxed smile!

Senior announcements pictures...

So I have to get the senior announcements mailed, and since her official senior portraits aren't for a few more weeks, I thought I'd include one of these. Comment what you think please!

Going to Senior Prom!!!

Here are the photos from our day! We went to San Rafael Beauty Academy and the girls got their hair done in updos and full evening make-up.






This is what they were transformed into:

Then there are the fun photos! Loving that hybrid Camry!

Stefani's mini limo!

Eric with his two matching dates, very cute! (They're just close friends!)

And the gang in front of the limo!

50th Anniversary Album

It's finally done. Wow, what an experience, what an abundance of memories!


http://picasaweb.google.com/pookers714/50thWeddingAnniversary

One more entry...

Can someone please tell me why it matters so much what people say? Why is it that things have to be brought up and shared with the general public? Why can't someone give someone a helping hand and let it be? Why must they share their story about it with people? What if I made a mistake?

What if I needed you to help me out of it? Would you? And if you did, would you brag to your friends that I did something wrong and you had to help me? Would you keep it a secret and let me have some pride? Or do you need to be egotistical and brag to the world about your importance? How can someone be so thoughtful and loving, but with a price? And why is it that I need to seek out that approval?

I just bought a new car, do you know what I was thinking? I mean I'm there buying a new car, spending a lot of money. And I wonder the whole time, what is going to be said. What comment is going to be made? What past mistake will be brought up to put a damper on this moment for me? Why can't I just feel worthy of it all? Why do I have to have your approval? I know that I don't need your approval, but then again, I know that I do.

How can I explain, or begin to explain to you how this feels? How do I make you see what you do to me? I can never be as perfect as I know I have to be, I can never do the right thing at the right time and be rewarded with a compliment. I am turmoiled with questions about how this will be perceived and how you'll react to that. It's so hard living in these shoes. I just want to explode with my anger, but you don't deserve it cause you've helped me out. One time I'm going to say something, but I'll remain quiet cause you've done so much for me. One of these times, one of these days, maybe I'll grow up and be stronger than your words. But not today. Today I am still small, and I still need your approval.

Finally....

So my parents 50th wedding anniversary WAS on March 10th. I had this wonderful idea to present them with a memory album. I thought about putting lots of photos and stuff, but then I would be interpreting the memories. So I decided to invite

my brothers to help me with an album which included all of us. I asked them these five questions:

1. What is a prominent memory from your childhood that is directly associated with Mom and Dad? So when I say think of Mom and Dad, what childhood memory comes to mind? This could be a gift or a special thing they did for you. Maybe an important day in your life, school, marriage, divorce, job, etc.

2. Random memory. What foods do you remember? The memory doesn’t have to be one that had a huge impact, just something random.

3. How did/does the parents affect who you are today? Was it them sending you to school? Working for them? Role models for you as an adult?

4. Something specific to each of them individually: Such as a touching or significant memory with them, or something they did for you that was above and beyond anything you would expect. Maybe a sad time that they helped you through, or a illness, maybe going to something every week like boy scouts or getting a new car/job or graduating.


5. A personal congratulations message. You can handwrite it or type and email it. It can be as little as a few sentences or as long as you like.

So finally, so very late, I finally have the last bit of information from my brothers. What was I thinking asking them to write down their thoughts? Did I forget they were males and it doesn't quite happen? Well, better late than never. I have one final page to put in the album and it's done. I feel relieved. I so want to share it with my parents and show them how special they are and how much we love them. Tomorrow is the day! Yippee!!!!

Time...

Oh, my. It seems like time is just flying by! I cannot believe that Senior Prom is this Saturday! It's another one of those moments when you realize you're getting older. I have a daughter that's a senior in high school, she's graduating in less than a month! Where has the time gone?
I am very lucky though, my kids are great! Other than one being a little forgetful, (where is that wallet?) and one being a little spoiled, (I don't want to do the dishes. Can you do them please???) So they are not perfect, but they are mine, and I love them dearly. It's hard and wonderful to see them growing up.

We're going to San Rafael to get their hair and makeup done. They are going to San Francisco by limo to Pier 3 to go on the yacht for dinner and dancing. I hope it turns out wonderful.

Mothers Day

So here's the run down of Mothers Day. It actually started early when I went with Debbi and Jen to Confucius Restaurant in Rohnert Park.
Jen wanted Debbi to have a good time and asked me if I could go to. So I decided I could take Brandi and Casey with and make it a duo Mothers Day dinner. It was a great time, the kids get a long really well, and the food was yummy!

My Mothers Day started with the traditional party on the bed. My daughters came into our room and my husband and I talk and laugh and wrestle with them on the bed. This year was especially funny! For some reason, Casey's dog Abby decided to start biting at the seat of her sweat pants. She was playing tug a war with it for no apparent reason!

Next we got up and went to Santa Rosa and had a lunch at The Cantina. It was so yummy! Great idea from daughter Brandi who doesn't even like Mexican food! But she loves the Gringo hamburger they serve!

Then, off to the Plaza. You know, buy the girls some clothes and my husband some slacks. I wasn't very interested in buying myself anything, but liked watching the girls enjoy getting new clothes. Makes them feel good about themselves.

After that, we stopped by CompUSA and saw Heather, she was working. We looked around for a bit then left her to her customers.

After that we drove to my Mom and Dads. I love my parents!!! I'm so lucky to have them.

After that, home and dinner and we got to watch a mushy girlie movie! YEA!!!

Four things about me...

FOUR JOBS I HAVE HAD IN MY LIFE:

Waitress
Preschool teacher
Accounting Assistant
Warranty Clerk

FOUR MOVIES I HAVE ESPECIALLY LIKED

Medicine Man
Bridges of Madison County
Somewhere in Time
Notting Hill

FOUR PLACES I HAVE LIVED:

Highland, Indiana
Terre Haute, Indiana
Santa Rosa, California
Rohnert Park, California

FOUR TV SHOWS I LOVE TO WATCH:

Extreme Home Makeover
Survivor
Prison Break
24


FOUR PLACES I HAVE BEEN ON VACATION:

U S Virgin Islands
Hawaii
Wyoming
Montana

FOUR OF MY FAVORITE FOODS:

Spagetti
Pizza
Teriyaki Chicken
Filet Mignon


FOUR PLACES I WOULD RATHER BE RIGHT NOW:

Driving my new car
on a cruise!!
Disneyland
Hawaii

No Way!!!

OKay, so if this works, then read more....

Thank you sooooooooooooo much Jen! I thought I had it, apparently I really need to find my glasses cause your young eyes saw my mistake! Thanks!

I LOVE MY CAR!!!

What have you done?

A list from someone's blog that I thought I'd share! The ones I've done are in bold
1. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
2. Swam with dolphins
3. Climbed a mountain
4. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
5. Been inside the Great Pyramid
6. Held a tarantula
7. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
8. Said "I love you" and meant it
9. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped

11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer and a 300 gig external!
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving!
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites - Thailand and Cambodia
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an expert
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Eaten fugu (pufferfish)
89. Had a one-night stand
90. Gone to Thailand
91. Bought a house
92. Been in a combat zone
93. Buried one/both of your parents
94. Been on a cruise ship
95. Spoken more than one language fluently
96. Performed in Rocky Horror Picture Show
97. Raised children - well, in the process!
98. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was
looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn't have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds (45.5 kilograms)
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray
110. Broken someone's heart
111. Ridden a bike
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than states in the USA
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad and The Odyssey
135. Selected one important author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone's life

Expandable post summaries

Okay, I give up! No matter what I do I can't seem to figure out how to do this!! Any help out there??

Here's the instruction link

Help is appreciated!

Motorcycles

Isn't this the greatest picture ever? Love the dog!

What do you wake up to?

My husband is always the first one to leave in the morning. As he is heading off to work, we are usually just waking up and getting ready for the day.

It's been so hot lately, the house is like a sauna! So at night, the kids will open their windows to let the cool air in. (They close them before going to sleep). Even with knowing that, my husband likes to check on the kids.

This morning he comes back into our bedroom and asks if I have my camera, or my cell phone to take a picture. I was groggy but said yes, I have my camera in my purse (which I keep next to my bed at night). He tells me he needs me to take a picture of something. Not sure what he's asking for, I reply, "Do I have to be decent?" (I was wearing a tank top and panties). "No, you're fine".

So I follow him out of our room down the hall to Brandi's room. I open the door up the rest of the way, and what do I see? Take a look yourself-





I guess Bella (the dog) wanted an electric blanket, (TC the cat). Both were very happy with the arrangement. I always thought TC was Bella's cat. I guess I was right.

CKU San Jose 2005

(First let me say I totally lifted this from my friend Debbi. But the story is worth sharing.)

Nikki, Debbi, myself, Mary Gail, Claire, Ana Cabrera and a couple other ladies formed a dorm when we went to Creating Keepsakes University back in 2005 San Jose. Now, we had to decorate our door to compete for prizes. We created this game on our door that really worked. There's a gum ball machine at the top and 4 playing pieces for the game.

On the close up photo, you can see we added velcro to the squares so your game pieces stay. You can see the spinner on the left and the tubing which goes from the gum ball machine to the bottom of the door. Once you get to the end of the game you can take a penny out of the envelope and put it in the gumball machine. The gumball will travel through the tube to the bowl for your prize. Each of the game squares had a scrapbook star with a saying. The object was to get to CKU. One of the prizes was for most interactive door.

The door that won was Survivor CKU. It was clever, but all you had to do was read the question and lift the card for the answer. I think our was interactive, it had moving parts, game pieces, and a gum ball machine with a long tube that the ball travels through before it comes out the bottom.

(So I totaled lifted Debbi's post, but I worded it differently. The end result is, WE SHOULD HAVE WON!)

It's so hot outside...

Normally, I would never allow my cat on the table or counter tops. We adopted him 12 years ago, he was estimated at 5-7 years old then. It was so hot, and the dogs were playing on the hardwood floors, so he decided to nap on the table. I think maybe I should cut him a little slack. I've seen worse things on peoples kitchens tables. It doesn't take much effort to wipe it off. Apparently it takes a lot of effort for the cat to do much of anything in the 90 degrees heat!

My poor shoes

Stompted out a small fire at the elementary school while cropping there this weekend on National Scrapbook Day!

Great time!

Tiffani and Joy, Thank you guys for putting on a terrific crop. We had everything we needed, StarBucks coffee and yummy muffins, chocolate, taco bar with all the fixings and diet pepsi, dessert which included yummys like cheesecake and coconut macroons. We had great lighting, raffle prises and a silent auction, lots of conversation, cops, fireman, everything was perfect, lol!!!

This is a threat

Don't know what I want, but it's definitely a threat!!!





Love you Debbi!

I love this

I probably always push too hard, but I love to see my daughters together doing something TOGETHER! It doesn't happen very often, which makes me really sad. So when the moments come, I am tickled pink and happy!!! Maybe one day they will be best friends, just not today.



Check out how they've grown!