Snow

We flinged at the Bing. Christmas has come and is about over and in a few days we shall ring in t

New Year and 2010 is here and my question is - Where is the snow? Last year Spokane was knee deep in snow and this year you can't see a little tiny snowflake. Where has all the snow gone? Is is coming back? Why do we complain when there is too much snow? Why do we complain when we don't have a snowy Christmas? What is it about the snow that affects us so? Admit it we have a love/hate relationship with it. It is like a lover we can't wait to see but when we have had too much of them we can't wait to run as far away as possible. Who ever came up with the saying -Pure as the driven snow. What is so pure about it? Seems to me like it causes us a lot of grief. We are either shoveling our way out of it, complaining that we don't have it when we need it and constantly drying our dogs paws off so that they don't mess up the house. I have been obsessed about the snow for can you imagine Nothing Like a Redneck Christmas without it? I certainly can't and thus am on a tight window to get things rockin and a rollin. All I have to say is Let it snow let it snow let it snow.

An afternoon at the Spokane Gun Show

Yes your eyes are not playing with you. There are two sides to every coin. The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and The People Eating Tasty Animals. Which side of the fence are you on? I would gather that most of the people at the Spokane Gun Show are on the side of eating tasty animals. The nice man that had this poster up was actually selling jerky of every kind. He asked if we wanted to sample it and we politely refused. We had just had lunch and with all the germs flying around, sampled food doesn't sound too appetizing even if it is Elk jerky. We meandered our way through and I felt as if I was in a foreign land. My friend with me actually was. He is French. Our eyes vacuumed over all of the interesting artifacts ranging from guns to Wolverine skins. I actually learned what a wolverine was today. I hope as should you to never run into one. On our way out Samuel asked "Can I buy a gun?" I didn't know so being the inquisitive nosy Nelly that I am I had to get to the bottom of it. We sauntered up to a booth selling guns and I asked if I could buy a gun. "Are you a Washington resident?" "Yeah, sure" " Do I have to register it?" "No" So... that's it. You have the cash you get the gun. So in the Christmas season that could be a nice little present for yourself. You can't buy it and give it away. I was told I could not buy the gun and give it to Samuel for then I would be a straw buyer. Well I know what that meant having spent my childhood summers on a ranch. Straw is worthless and I was not about to be a worthless buyer.

The characters response from Nothing Like a Redneck Christmas

Gabriel

That is not funny the PETA poster.

Dale

Sure it is Mexican

Samantha

Don't talk to my boyfriend like that, moron.

Dale

Do you have to fight for your man?

Dolores

Would anyone care to try the coconut flavored Christmas cookies I just baked?

To be continued...

Happy Trails!

Car Shopping in Spokane, Washington

What? You've got to be kidding me? Is what I'm seeing real? Yes, yes, and yes. I went car shopping over the weekend with my cousin. She is looking for a 3/4 or 1 ton Cummins Diesel, Long bed, 5 or 6 speed. No white and under 100,000 miles. We traipsed all over Spokane in search of her Dodge truck and the only luck we had in locating one was at this dealership. So we hopped in the truck and off we went, Erika grinning ear to ear. After our spin around the area we cruise back to the lot and of course go inside to the snake pit or shall I say Elk den and begin the negotiations. Our sales guy excuses himself and I lock eyes on the elk mounted on the wall. I think back to my last experience in buying a car which was in Beverly Hills at the BMW dealership. I don't remember any dead animals on the walls but I do remember some surgered women walking around and a fair amount of silicone breasts. The sales guy was real pushy so I pushed back and told him to think about our offer and off my friend and I went to have lunch at The Ivy. Brittney was there as were many other celebs dining on who knows what and drinking a fair amount of mint juleps. In Spokane, we dined at a nice little authentic Mexican restaurant, however the music was Colombian. I know for we had a Colombian in our party that even sang along to the music. The food was actually better at the Mexican restaurant and for about 1/50 of the price. So after our negotiations Erika stuck to her guns and did not cave. Everything was pretty mellow and it was the friendliest car experience I have ever witnessed. Everyone and everything is friendly in the Northwest. Even going car shopping can be the experience of a lifetime.

Dale from Nothing Like a Redneck Christmas responds.

Dale - I am a hunter and proud to be one. At least I'm not some hypocrite who buys their meat at Walmart and I'm not some crazy tree hugger.

Samantha from Nothing Like a Redneck Christmas responds.

Samantha -My brother is an idiot. He doesn't know what he's saying. He doesn't even know what the word hypocrite means.

Dale - I most certainly do. It's what you are.

Samantha - Like I was saying. An idiot. I think it is just awful to kill a poor defenseless animal.

Shell from Nothing Like a Redneck Christmas responds

Shell - Oh get over yourself.

Debbie (Shell's wife) from Nothing Like a Redneck Christmas responds

Debbie - Stop picking on Sam.

Stay tuned for more from our cast of characters from the film Nothing Like a Redneck Christmas.

Trick or Treat

Where is the trick? I only know the treat. I just got in a few minutes ago and for the first time in years I thought you know I should get some candy just in case I get some trick or treaters. So I go to Rousaers, the local grocery here in Spokane, peruse the aisles and find some candy. I think well let me get some mounds and some kisses because if I have left overs I can eat it. We rush home eager to see if we are too late. So as we are driving through my neighborhood I see hoards and hoards of kids. They are everywhere. They have taken over the neighborhood. I ask myself, where did they come from? We run inside, feed the dogs and the bell stops going non-stop. In just a few minutes we are out of the mounds. I didn't even have one. Okay, we are onto the kisses and like an avalanche the kids keeping pounding on us never ending. They are all dressed up, polite and as we start to get low on candy we just give them one kiss a piece and their sweet little faces never complain but instead politely say "thank you." My next store neighbor comes over with his son and his little boy who couldn't be a day over three blurts out "Hi, I'm your next store neighbor, what is that noise?" I reply "My dogs, they are in the bedroom for I didn't want them to scare you" He shouts out "I don't want to meet any scary dogs, I have a dog. he's a boy" So this charming little boy and I have a lovely exchange on my front porch. He is much older and wiser than his age and I am completely enchanted with him. I look out onto my street to a sea of trick or treaters and wonder what I am going to do for I am about out of candy and my food stock is low. I could give them each a piece of bread for I bought a fresh loaf but I don't think that will go over too well. My charming little man's Dad apoligizes for not telling me that our neighborhood is "The" neighborhood for trick or treating. He tells me his first year here he ran out too and that when you do you just turn your light out and everything will be fine. I feel like such a coward but I know that this is my future. He proceeds to tell me that people from all over Spokane drive to our hood, park their cars and sail on through. He tells me there is a major traffic jam at the end of the main street and that cars are lined up a mile long. We talk another minute or so and they leave. Two teenage kids, one taller than me are our next ding-dongers. They spit out that they are not from around here but that our area gives the best candy. They say a term that I don't hear to well but from what I can gether it means really good. They said thank you but looked into their pumpkin holder full of choice candy and gave a look as if to say, that's it? One lousy kiss. I almost wanted to take it back for I was running out and I never did get my mounds and now I wasn't even going to have a kiss. No kisses on halloween? That is not what this girl is looking forward to.
So my lights are off and I am huddled up in my house pretending that not every child in Spokane is out on my street. I want to give out more candy but I have none to give. I am in desperate need of a trick or a miracle. I wish I could do like Jesus and multiply my mounds and my kisses but alas I am not able to. I don't want it for myself but to share it with the kids but unfortunately I just can't do it.
Oh I wish I could see another little kid, teenage kid, or proud parents face. What a treat, that was my treat but I wasn't prepared. Again, I am not in NewYork anymore and I didn't think there would be so many kids. I certainly didn't know I lived in "the" hood for trick or treating. I wonder what else I don't know about my little community. Maybe, it is time for me to find out.

Thought for the day - It's not always nice to be nice.

Happy Trails!

Tick- Tock Tick-Tock

The race against the clock. It starts the minute we are born. From the minute we are born we are racing against time. What are we racing against? Big picture - we are racing against death. Is this why time stresses us out so much? It does stress us out and if you are in denial you are a big fat LIAR. Because, you run to work, hurry to get ready for that hot date, make sure you pay your bills on time. Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock. You know what the hay you can do with that clock. I am guilty. I will admit it. I am racing against the clock like a mad dog. I want to stop it. I want to break the cycle but how do I do it? Do you have the answer? Is there an answer? There must be for the solution comes before the problem. The problem is there to lead you to the solution. Think, think, think. Take a breath. Aha. There it is. What are you going to do to stop the clock? There's nothing you can do so just realize that wherever you are is where you are supposed to be. Now for you couch potatos, sitting on your fat you know what is not an excuse, but for those of you out there, trying hard to reach your goals, cut yourself a little slack and know that you are exactly where you are supposed to be. Now, I am going to try hard and follow my own advice. Stephanie are you reading this??? Stephanie and myself have been working hard on Nothing Like a Redneck Christmas. We are a two-woman show doing the daily things that must be done in order to get a movie made. We have our checklist - script, budget, shooting schedule, web site, blog, actor's, DP, and on and on and on. But the main thing is that date, that shooting date which stares at us, teasing us, asking us "Are you gonna make it?" "Do you have all of your ducks in order?" "Is all the money raised?" Well... we are committed. We have jumped out of the plane so now the only thing we can do is pull the cord. We don't have a choice. But in doing so we have to take a breath and now that we are going to hit the ground with our feet planted. That we will make our date and that all will work out. It might be different than how we first envisioned it but it will still be Nothing Like a Redneck Christmas. A concrete plan of action that we came up with this week is a fund raiser here in Spokane, Washington in December. This is where Nothing Like a Redneck Christmas will be filmed. So for anyone interested in being a part of this, please reply. For anyone interested in holding a fund raiser in their city, please reply. For anyone interested in hopping aboard the redneck team, please reply. We welcome any and all suggestions.

Now I must bid adieu for I have a very important 1:00 appointment and yeah, I am racing against the clock but with a smile on my face and knowing that I am exactly where I am supposed to be. Are you?

Thought for the Day - Pay more attention to what comes out of your mouth as opposed as to what comes in.

Snow Yeah or Nay?

Our first snow of the season. Is it a yah or a nah? I talked to my friend Linda in Boca this morning and when I mentioned the word snow she purred like a kitten and said "nice." I looked outside my window and all I could think about was that I had a meeting in Cheney, yoga later in Spokane and I DON'T HAVE SNOW TIRES. Remember, I recently relocated back to the area having spent most of my driving years in California where knowing how to drive in the snow doesn't rank high on the list. Adults think of the pain and hardship that snow brings along with it whereas kids have fun making snow men and throwing snow balls. So should I choose to be a kid or and adult? A tourist or a spy? A tourist or a spy??? What does that mean? A tourist is always looking for the positive in everything where as a spy is looking to see what is wrong. With that in mind, snow is really what we make of it. If we choose to look at it as bad then it will be and if we choose to look as it as fun, it will be. Now, those of you reading, griping to yourself saying "yeah, yeah, it is a heck of a lot of fun to plow my driveway at 6:00 AM or sweep my porch in the freezing cold." I say it can be with the right attitude. Maybe the snow is falling down upon you just to give you the opportunity to adjust that attitude of yours. Did you ever think of that? Why is snow white? Probably because white represents all of the colors and thus signifies unity and purity.

I just looked out my window and noticed that it has stopped snowing. My heart skipped a beat and I felt something missing. How odd, because when I woke up this morning my heart skipped a beat because it was snowing. Just when I said "bring it on, snow, I am ready for you" It stopped. Just when I gave into my fear of it, it stopped. Maybe that is what we all need to do, accept, embrace and know with real certainty everything is always working out for our highest good. Don't let FEAR take over our lives. So the next time you encounter the snow, ask yourself am I going to be a spy or a tourist? An adult or a kid? You can even take this over into other areas of your life and ask yourself these simple questions and believe me you will get a simple answer.

And last but not least what do rednecks and Christmas have in common? Stay tuned for "Nothing Like a Redneck Christmas."

Now tip for the day: Driving in the Winter
Before Departure If at all possible, avoid driving until conditions improve.
Listen to your radio for weather and traffic information.
Plan to move your car off the street if a large amount of snow is expected. Check to see if a snow emergency has been issued and what to do for your area.
Use public transportation, if possible.

If you plan to drive, try not to travel alone. Check the following:
Your car emergency kit. Replace missing items and make sure it is INSIDE your car, in case you get stranded.
Check antifreeze and oil levels, battery status, and tire tread and pressure. Fill wiper fluid reservoir with de-icing solution.
Make sure your spare tire is in good condition and properly inflated; carry a jack and other tire-changing tools with you.
See and be seen; clear all snow from the hood, roof, windows and lights.
Fill your gas tank - if you do get stranded, you will have enough gas to run the motor and heat the vehicle.
If the outside temperature is below freezing, warm up your engine by allowing the car to idle for a minute or so before driving. Let your car idle a bit longer in order to de-ice it.

Take it easy as you begin to drive. The car will still be warming up. And don't forget to smile. :)

Happy Trails!

The modern world

Facebook, Twitter, E-mail's, Instant Messaging, Texting, Skyping, Cell-phones. Am I leaving anything out? Does this make your life easier or is it one big pain in the you know what? How does it change your life? The lives of those around you? For starters everyone and everyone is reachable. No longer the days of sitting around waiting for a return phone call. Ever watch an old movie and it seems so weird to watch one of the characters waiting at home by the phone so she doesn't miss that "special call". Weirder yet, is watching people use pay phones or old fashioned answering machines. I wonder are those machines considered antiques yet and what has happened to all of the phone booths? You ask a kid today what his address is and he will give you his e-mail address. I still think of an address as a physical place. Am I a dinosaur?

I recently went away to New York and I did not check my e-mail for five days. That was my all time "personal best". I told this to a few people and in their eyes I could see that crazed look "Are you nuts?", "How did you do that?", "Why did you do that?". I rationalized that if people really needed to get in touch with me they could find me via my cell-phone. I didn't go completely a-wall. It felt liberating and I realized that I spend a lot of time on the computer and maybe, just maybe, I spend way too much time tweeting, facebooking and e-mailing. Being away for five days I realized I am not an addict. I can walk away. Can you walk away for five days? Can you go out to dinner and leave your cell-phone in the car? Can you not tweet or peruse your friends latest photo posting on facebook and still get through the day? Try it and see what happens. Maybe use that time for a little old fashioned quality family time. Reach out to a friend you haven't spoken to and write them a letter. WRITE A LETTER? Who does that? Not many, but you for my money there still isn't anything more lovely than going to your mailbox and opening it to find a nice letter waiting for you. Usually, all you have waiting is a stack of bills, junk mail, and on a good day maybe a netflix movie.

Thought for the day that I just read posted on my facebook from a very wise and special facebook friend: If you find it difficult to tolerate someone, think of three things that you love about them and ask yourself is this behavior worth destroying a relationship over.

Happy Trails!