6th Day Vegas

 The way home we left somewhat early and our GPS got confused.  Yes confused.  I know it does happen but for some reason it did it a few times on this trip.  It was going to take us to Utah then back to Oregon.  Craziness.  However we wouldn't have been able to go on such cool roads.  The picture to the right says AREA OF CRITICAL ENVIROMENTAL CONCERN. 
Yes apparently a turtle lives in the area.  I took other pictures of the area and there is nothing around so Bill and I thought this sign was slightly funny.

 Can you believe it there is a highway in Nevada called the EXTRATERRETRIAL HIGHWAY!!  It was fun.  There was nothing around but the sign and then a ways up the road was a inn that was called an ALIE-INN.  Hahahaha.  So funny.

 Walker Lake in Nevada.  It was such a beautiful sight. 

Free-range cows on the side of the road everywhere, ok not everywhere but where the signs were.  It was the first time that we got to see cows on the side of the road. 

Soon enough we were home on the coast.  I love the weather here I missed it!!!

It's Finally Complete

Ignore the ladders and the large piles of wood and the people around the house.  Focus on the house, on the siding.  See 2 sides are done.  In other pictures that I have there is a picture of each wall. 

IT IS COMPLETE!!  ALL 4 SIDES OF THE HOUSE!!

Granted I have to caulk every side of the house but once that is done the siding project is officially complete!!

What I Want For My Christmas Present This Year!!

This is what I want to get for my Christmas present this year!!  I think either way if Bill doesn't get it for me I'm going to purchase tickets for myself because I love the ballet and have always loved it.  I miss going to see ballets and watching the movement.  I miss doing things besides just driving around and the occasional hike.

Petrouchka / Carmen
A Holiday Revue
The Nutcracker
Giselle
Chromatic Quartet
Dance United

Those are all the ballets going on this fall, winter, and into the spring of next year.  The season tickets are only for 4 of the ballets and then you can buy the extra tickets for the other two.

My mom and I used to have a holiday tradition of going to the Nutcracker every year and I think now is the time to start it back up again.  I think that it will be fun and I'm looking forward to all the shows!!

Fifth Day - Vegas



The Aston Martin V8



The last day that we had in Vegas was quite fun.  Bill had his appointment to drive an Aston Martin around a race course so we did that immediately in the morning.  He got 10 laps (supposed to be 5 laps but people kept cutting him off).



The Race Track





The Luxor Hotel



After that, it took a few hours, we went to the Luxor Hotel and walked through to the Excalibur we were going to buy tickets to the Tournament of Kings.  All the signs that we saw all said nightly, unfortunately when we went to purchase them that night we found out that the show wasn't happening.  Sad news *tear*. 



New York New York

So I moped, Bill walked over to New York, New York and we fulfilled my dream since I was 12 years old.  Riding the roller coaster on top and around and in New York, New York hotel.  It was amazing!!  I haven't been on a roller coaster in 9 years so as we stood in line to purchase the tickets I was so completely nervous with butterflies in my stomach the entire time.  When we got up to actually getting on the roller coaster Bill told me that we had to be in the back.  The anticipation of getting on was almost unbearable.  We finally got on and riding out and up the first most gigantic hill I could feel the trepidation coursing through my veins.  Once we plummeted down the other side I couldn't contain my laughter!!  It was so fun that I wish that we bought an all day pass!! 



Pirate Ship

The rest of the day we hung out had dinner around 6:30 and then started with the evening shows.  First was the pirate show.  Completely corny but a must to see, then onto the Mirage lava show.  Lava cascading down the fountain, then onto the Bellagio to see the fountain at night!!  All of it was wonderful the only thing that wasn't the best was all the people.  The funny thing is I still hate tourists even when being one!  :) 







Lava at the Mirage

 I can't wait to go back!!!!



The Fountain at the Bellagio





 

My New Project

So my new project...I emptied out our pantry because Bill was going to take out the propane line and move it to somewhere else that goes to our fireplace.  By doing that I also took out the shelves.  When I had the shelves out I began to get an idea.  I knew that I had extra shelving paper left over from lining some of my shelves years ago so I thought that I would line the gross pantry shelves with it.  However I soon realized that I definitely didn't have enough paper left.  I could have only done one and a half shelves and I have 5 to do.  Definitely wasn't going to work out.  So I thought that was that I would have to put back in the gross shelves.  Gross meaning they are the particle board brown.  Then I remembered I have paint so what paint color should I use.  Black!!!  I know that it will make everything a little harder to see but it was the only color that I think would look good.  I'm also going to get some bright clear white paint and paint the inner walls of the closet, aka pantry and now that I'm thinking of it I think that I will make strips on the shelves so they will be white and black.  I am also in the future buy lights for the pantry so that I can see everything that I have in there.  I think that it will look great when I am done.   

I also believe that I should be cleaning out my pantry every few months because I found food in there that I forgot that I even had and some that I don't even remember buying.  So I think that I will be cleaning my closet out more frequently then I do now.  Which now is once or twice a year.  :)

Fourth Day - Vegas

Monday was a more relaxing day then the previous.  We spent the day in the car driving around making sure we could get around to the race track the next day for Bill to race his Aston Martin.  We went out to the track, Subway for lunch, back to the strip, off the strip, Barnes and Noble, Back to the strip, pretty much around everywhere.  It was also followed up with a nap in the hotel room.  That was nice.  It's the best thing to do when on vacation.  We didn't do anything special that night...we tried to see the Pirate show but it was cancelled that night because of wind, aparently it was too big of a wind for the show.  So we just hung out at the hotel and went to bed.  Slow night but very nice!!

Third Day - Vegas

Sunday...Sunday we slept in slightly 8:30 to 9 when we woke up. We looked out the window and there was almost no one outside on the street. It was amazing compared to the night before. Everyone apparently was sleeping. We started out our morning with Starbucks and started our death march. We walked through Treasure Island and walked out into the heat box. I'm sure that it was at least in the 90's already. As we walked from Treasure Island to the Mirage I could feel the sweat pouring off of me. It was disgusting and so hot. We ducked into each hotel to see what they had to offer and of course relax in the nice air conditioning. It seemed though that we missed every big act Bill Cosby, Tim Allen, Bill Engvall. That was kind of sad but next time we will plan when to show up to see the good shows. Walking through the Mirage we went onto Ceasar's Palace.

 They had wonderfully painted ceilings that were almost believable.  They even had a show but it was very loud and hard to understand.  It was also a very cheesy but you have to see it when you go.  It's just a must.  In Ceasar's Palace they have a Jimmy Choo store!!  They have the most wonderful shoes.  I really wanted to buy a pair but they are way to expensive for me.  I would feel such guilt if I actually bought a pair. 

On from Ceasar's Palace we went to the Bellagio.  They of course have the great fountain.  They have shows I think all day long.  We got to see one during the day and two at night.  After that we walked across the street and up the road back to Treasure Island.  It was Packed on that side of the street and there were a ton of people that wanted to give you things and then buy something.  I started to feel guilty for ignoring them and just walking by but you have to do it otherwise you're going to be spending way to much.  I think that I like the side of the road that our hotel was on it didn't seem like creepy as the other side did.  Walking from Treasure Island down to the Bellagio was almost a mile just walking on the sidewalks being that we walked down and back and into all the hotels we walked over 2 and a half miles.  My hip hurt afterwards and Bill's leg hurt.  It was still worth it though.  We went back to the hotel and took a nice nap though.  That night we went to the Circe du Soliel Mystere.  It was amazing like any Circe du Soliel.  The tricks were great and just made us laugh and sit there with our mouths open.  After the show we went to bed and had a great night's sleep.

The 32 oz Coffee

 

We saw a sign at a Coffee Shop called the Jitterbug just outside of Naches that advertised a 32oz Coffee for $3.50!!

Can you say Cheap!!  We had to stop and get one for Bill!  He was so excited and happy about it.

Dog Lake and Puppies

Dog Lake...Washington!!  It's very beautiful and looks like it would be great for Lucky.

We got puppies!!!!  Ok just kidding.  This weekend while up in Naches there were these 2 puppies that were left behind by someone.  They just left without them.  They were so cute and so incredibly well behaved even when jumping around.  They were starved for attention.  The brown one was my favorite.  He was just so kind and gentle and just stayed by me the entire time in the back yard until the person that was going to come and pick them up.  I have no idea how someone could just drop them off and leave them.  It's just crazy.  Also the crazy thing was someone was taking care of them before they dropped them off.  They knew how to sit and they were taken care of.  Yes, I was starting to get attached and if we had more room in the house and in the car I would have completely brought them home with me.  I named them Rose, the white one and Charlie, the brown one.  They were so cute and so adorable that I hope they get a home right away!!

Mt. Rainer and A Friend

Saturday morning we left for Naches, Washington.  It was a very nice drive up I-5 and out Highway 12.  The best part was Mt. Rainer. 

It was a beautiful day and the most spectacular view of the mountain. 

The reason for the wonderful trip up to Eastern Washington was to my old roommate from Ecola's baby shower.  I haven't seen, seen her since my wedding 6 and a half years ago.  It was so amazing to see her!  It was like a blast from the past.  It was just great.  Bill and I spent the night up there and we were able to put up our new tent!!  It was extremely easy to put up.  Only 2 poles and then another 2 poles for the top cover!  Amazing I know.  It finally means that we can go camping more often then we do now!!  :) 

The First and Second Day - Vegas

I have so many stories about being in Vegas and our traveling around down and back.  Don't worry I won't share them all at the same time.  I will pick one each time I write until I can't think of any more.

Traveling down to Vegas was quite fun and horrible at the same time.  We left Friday night after I got off of work.  So we left town around 6:30pm.  We drove about 5 hours and stayed at the Best Western down in Roseburg, Oregon.  We had a nice room...had one and a half baths and a separate living room (only room left)...however we laid awake until midnight because every time someone flushed the toilet the water cascaded down our walls so loud because we were on the bottom floor and the main pipe had to have been in our wall.  It was so loud that it was almost comical if we weren't so tired and wanting to sleep.  However we laughed a little bit until it just got old but around midnight the noise stopped which was nice.

The next day we woke up and left around 6:30am.  We drove down into California, the hills rolling up and down.  We even came to a tree decorated by shoes.  I wish that I got a picture but I ended up never getting one.  As we turned off I-5 toward Reno we started seeing signs for deer, bulls, cows, and horses.  It was amazing that they have cows everywhere, free range cows.  They had cattle guards everywhere.  They made nice sounds as we went across.  A long drive but soon we came to Nevada.  The reason I said that it was horrible was that when we turned on the AC the belt would make a funny, crazy sounds and make the engine stop hesitate for a moment so we had to roll down the windows.  That isn't exactly fun when its in the 90's and rising.

Nevada...oh Nevada.  What can I say it is boring, brown, sage brush everywhere, and had the rolling cliffs.  However, we eventually came to see a 20 mile lake, Walker Lake, and cactus's.  The way down through Nevada was long, long, and even longer.  We pretty much drove the length of Nevada all the way down.  We ended up in Las Vegas in the 100 degree weather around 8:30ish.

If you ever drive to Las Vegas never get there on a Friday or Saturday night.  The people were everywhere, taxi's everywhere, driving around trying to get the front of the hotel was awful.  We had to battle taxi's as well as people.  We couldn't get into the right lane in the first place so we had to drive across the street and around the block where we had then fight the people that don't know how to stop at the cross walk when the light is red.  We finally figured it out though and we ended up valet parking the car.  So incredibly nice, Valet Parking.  At that moment I told Bill that we weren't going to take the car back out until we were going to leave Las Vegas on our way back home.  Luckily the next day there was practically no one there compared the the night before.  We loved our room...it was on the 32nd floor with a view of the strip.  Well that is one story and more will come don't worry.

Trying to add something...

So on my latest trip I realized that I have been scared to try new things.  I don't like to do things by myself, ask questions to someone that I don't know, pretty much standing out.  Really I have always known that I have been scared to do things but I realized that I need to change that.  For the past 6 months I have wanted to take photography classes and I have been looking at classes at Clatsop Community for just as long.  So I decided to take the leap and sign up for the class.  Now the bad news...there is the class that I want to take however it's on Tuesday and Thursdays from 3 to 5pm...not the best time for me.  I unfortunately have to work when the class is going and I doubt that I can get the time off work.  So there goes that plan for now but maybe I can work something out.  I will continue to dream and try not to be afraid of trying new things. 

Off Again

Yes, we just got back from Las Vegas last night and now tomorrow we are heading up to Naches, Washington by Yakima.  We are going up there to Samantha, one of my roommates from Ecola's, baby shower.  I know that I don't go to baby showers usually but in this case I haven't seen her in 6 and a half years and I'm excited to see her and her huge belly.  I'm sure her belly is even bigger.  I'm extremely excited to see her and I'm also happy to go on another trip.  Another perk is that Bill and I got a new tent, curtosy of my dad, so we are going to try it out in Samantha's moms back yard.  Hopefully it works out well.  We will soon find out.

Las Vegas!!

 We're on the road.

 The fountain of Bellagio.

 This is my new car.  It's an Aston Martin V8.

 This is our view from our hotel room.  We were on the 32nd floor of Treasure Island.

 We had to take a picture of this sign.  The EXTRATERRESTRIAL HIGHWAY in Nevada.  Isn't it a fun name.

Walker Lake in Nevada.

We are finally home from Las Vegas!!!  It was a wonderful, well needed trip.  We both had so much fun and we have many pictures of what we saw.  However there is a shoe tree in California that I wanted a picture of but I missed it so unfortunately I don't have that one but I have many others.  :)

Issues with Vegas, maybe but maybe not...

Tomorrow is heading toward Vegas.  I'm so happy that the time has come but I'm even happier that my car is done and actually working.  I think that I should start at the beginning.  Before the trip down to Veags Bill decided that we should have the heads redone and the timing belts changed.  Apparently it was time for everythign to be changed.  I always have reservations about work being done on my car before a trip and this was one time that it was especially bad.  Bill took my car into the shop to schedule everything to be done.  It is a family friend and they refused to do the job.  Not very happy about that.  So because of that Bill had to do the job by himself.  It wouldn't have been to bad but he had to complete the job in only a matter of days.  He started it on Monday and had to have it finished by Wednesday or Thursday.  It probably would have been fine but there were complications the belts weren't wanting to cooperate with him.  I, of course just see looming in front of me Friday having to leave and take off toward Vegas.  Without a car however that wasn't going to happen.  Bills parents thoughtfully offered one of there vehicles which I'm sorry to say but I'm not driving someone elses vehicle all the way down to Nevada and Arizona.  Bill then said we could take the pickup.  Again, I don't think so.  I didn't want to drive that down there either when it drives on propane and it's so hard to find a place to pump propane.  Happy to say that Bill figured out the complications and we get to drive my car down to Vegas.  I'm hoping though that the car will remain intact and work all the way down there and all the way back.

Snowflakes. Part 7.

I woke up in a daze not knowing what really happened.  Just that my head was killing me.  The last thing I remembered was trying to unlock the last of my shackles.  Opening my eyes, it took me a moment to notice that I was being carried  over the shoulder of someone.  I slightly felt bad for the guy because I wasn't the lightest person in the world.  I think that he noticed that I was shifting around because he set me down and hooked me to the end of the line of prisoners again.  He was silent the entire time not even telling me to stay there, to not run away.  This place was so odd.  No one really ever talks. 

I've gotten used to just talking to myself in my head.  I'm sure occasionally I talk out loud and I look a little bit like kook but I at least entertain myself.  I don't know how far the guard had carried me but the scenery had changed finally from the day before.  Instead of just the trees, bushes, and flowers, it had turned into a very beautiful meadow but you could still see the outline of the end of the woods.  The meadow had the occasional tree and plenty of flowers of every color.  We continued walking for a little while heading towards our destination.  I just hoped that I would be able to get free before I had a new tattoo.  I was hoping that we would stop for another night and I was able to get of the shackles.  

The shackles hurt.  My legs hurt, my arms hurt the weight was one thing but what really hurt were the blisters that were starting to form on my feet, on my ankles, and lastly on my wrists.  Everyone I could tell were starting to walk with a limp.  We all I'm sure looked absolutely miserable.

All of a sudden we stopped.  There was yelling all around us.  Men and women were jumping up from hidden traps under the ground like in Robin Hood.  They swarmed around us knocking the guards over the heads and knocking them unconcious while some others were unlocking our chains.  There was so much noise, so much choas that it was hard to follow what was happening I just knew that I was free.  The man that was undoing the shackles was at least a foot taller then me and worked in a fast paced to get everything unlocked.

Everyone that was free ran in the same direction.  I wasn't sure if I should follow but it was better then the alternative of staying by myself somewhere I didn't know and get captured again.  We were all running the best that we could toward the thicker bushes back from where we came from.  No one stopped running until we were safe in midst of trees and bushes.  We all slowed to a stop and caught our breath.

I walked a little bit away from everyone else not sure what to make of everyone.  I didn't know where everyone was from and what they expected me to do.  Everyone looked around  some whispered to each other but it looked like we were waiting for a leader to arrive.  I slid in behind a tree unsure of what was going to happen when the leader got there.  He arrived shortly after a trail of important looking men.  "Let's waste no time.  Keep walking."  He said gruffly.  Everyone turned and started following him deeper into the woods.  No one talked.  No one did anything except walk.  I stayed far behind in case something happened to them.  I was beginning to not trust anyone.  I didn't know what was happening anymore.  Hopefully soon something would make sense.

The sun was setting slowly another day had passed and I still knew nothing about where I was and what was going on.  It didn't help that no one really ever talked.  Someone every now and then would make the occasional grumble but that was it everyone was silent.  I started to sing in my head "Don't stop believing."  Why that song I have no idea.  As the light was fading flickers of light kept popping up in between the trees.  They lights got brighter and brighter the closer we got and more started to appear.  Huts started to pop up closer and closer together.  It was the same type of hut that I ran to earlier in the week.  There were many people coming forming a crowd among us.  People started to hug, music sprang out of somewhere and a party soon conspired.  Suprisingly there was laughter and talking amongst everyone.  The mood completely changed and for the first time since I had gotten to this land I began to relax and smile.

Snowflakes. Part 6.

Each time I heard the whip crack I had sudden chills.  My body would lock up for a moment and I prayed to God that it didn't hit anyone.  When it did took everything I had not to start crying.  I had begun to think that it wasn't a dream, that this was going to be my life now.  I kept trying to imagine if I hadn't have fallen from the tree where would I be.  It was one thing to ask for adventure and want it and then actually get your adventure and realize that it wasn't what it was expected to be.  I definitely didn't imagine that I was going to be sold into slavery and be a slave for the rest of my life.  However I knew that God was going to be with me everywhere I went and I was going to get stronger for this.  I wasn't sure how I was going to handle it but God only allows what one can handle and no more.  Before I fell and hit my head waking up in this place the hardest things that I was doing was making sure my bills were paid and that I drove in a straight line.

Everyone was silent except for the occasional guard yelling at someone to walk faster.  We had walked all day and it was slowly starting to get dark out.  The scenery was the same from the night before but this time the guards had lights at least.  We walked for a bit longer until we came to a clearing.  In the clearing there were cages like they use this route all the time for slave trafficking.  The unlocked a couple of the chains and shoved 5 of us into each cage.  The guards built a massive fire and soon were drinking and laughing and having a gay old time. 

I was with the woman in front of me and 3 men.  As the guards got louder I whispered as low as I could, "I think we should find a way to escape."  All four of them just stared at me like I just spoke another language.  They all shook their heads and looked down at the ground.  I wasn't about to take that as any kind of answer.  I started fiddling with my chains trying to make the least amount of noise as possible.  I closed my eyes and brought in all my knowledge of movies when they picked locks.  I was glad that I had some bobby pins in my hair that way I could try to fiddle with it and hopefully break free.  I took the pins out and poked them in the holes.  All four of the captives just looked at me with round eyes.  They didn't speak but they almost looked horrified that I was even trying to escape.  It at least made me feel better trying to escape instead of feeling like I needed to pull out all my hair and cry. 

I wiggled the pins around and around thinking back on all of the movies that I had ever seen of picking locks.  I know that they put in a couple pins and work the notches in the right direction until a click.  I was honing my skills when one of the guards got up and came close to the cage that I was in.  He looked at all of us and then fell over.  I needed to get out of there.  I worked faster trying to get the chains to unlock.  CLICK was all I heard.  The first chain on my leg fell free.  I worked fast on the other one trying to remember exactly what I did previously.  CLICK.  Now having both legs free I began to work even faster on my had shackles.  CLICK.  I was on the last one when suddenly I heard noised behind me.  There were a couple guards walking past the cage slowly watching us all very closely.  I tried to hide what I was doing and make it appear like I wasn't free.  They slowed down and hit the side of the cage with a stick.  All of us jumped.  They continued on and eventually joined in the merriment.  I went back to working on the last lock.  I thought that I was beginning to get close when suddenly I was hit over the head.

To be Continued...

Snowflakes. Part 5.

Do you ever sometimes wish that when seeing or doing something not the best or in a situation that you don't want to be in you were dreaming.  That was my experience right now.  Looking up at the 5 men was the most horrifying experience that I have ever had.  I don't even know where to begin on what I was thinking but one thing for sure was that if I was dreaming it would be a perfect time to wake up.  Two of the four men jumped at me and yanked on both of my arms pulling me up to a standing position.  Pain exploded through both arms as the all held them so tightly I could feel the bruises beginning to form.  I looked at the man on the horse and held my breath waiting for something terrible to happen.  Hoping though that whatever happened didn't include the whip.  The man had dark brown shaggy hair, striking blue eyes, and was wearing what looked to me like a military type uniform.  He just stared at me for a moment pretty much like everyone else was.  I'm sure it wasn't every day that someone fell out of a tree in front of them.

"Chain her up."  The man suddenly said.  The burly men dragged me slightly down the hill past all the other prisoners that were also staring at me to the end of the line.  They clamped shackles on my legs and arms.  The whip sounded and everyone was walking again with me bringing up the rear.  Walking in shackles is a lot harder then one could imagine.  They were extrememly heavy and your steps were so much small then your usual ones.  There was a woman in front of me that kept turning her head to look at me.  She was very petite and had very big green eyes.  I did the best smile that I could muster up hoping that she was nice and that she could tell me where we were going and why we were chained up.  She smiled back and then faced forward again.  There were guards walking on either side of us.  The main leader on the horse was up front and then there were 4 guards on each side of the line we made.  There were at least 20 men and women in front of me.  It was completely silent except for the noises from the chains clinging and clanking together and the occasional sound of the whip.  I didn't even know that people still used whips in the 1800's.  Maybe this was a twilight 1800's version.

My mind was going through all the different scenarios that might happen to me once we get to the destination.  Every now and then while we were walking one of the guards would hit someone to get them to walk faster.  The sounds that I heard were penetrating my mind and giving me constant chills racing up and down my spine.  Finally we stopped for a moment.  The guards that were by us walked forward to talk with the other guards.  I whispered quietly to the girl in front of me, "Where are they taking us?  What's going to happen?  Why are we all chained up?"  I rushed through all my questions before she had time to answer the first one. 

"We are going to Dramden.  They are taking us to be slaves for the leaders of the town.  We are now all slaves.  When we get there we will be branded as slaves forever."

Slaves.  Slaves.  I couldn't believe it.  I was going to be a slave for someone.  I had horrible visions of getting beat for not getting something done fast enough or well enough.  I hated to be told what to do but in this case I'm sure I didn't know how to do anything.  I broke out into a cold sweat not knowing what it was going to be like.  Knowing that it was going to be horrific and miserable.  I knew that I needed to escape.  I needed to be set free.  I needed to help everyone get set free.  I needed to come up with a plan.  This was not the time to be just a girl.  This was the time that my life began and where I needed courage and strength.  I prayed to God for the strength and courage that I was going to need for the upcoming hours and days. 

Snowflakes. Part 4.

I kept dozing in and out of consciousness throughout the night.  Thinking that I heard noises.  My heart hammering until my eyes closed and I was asleep.  Soon after my head would drop startling me awake again.  I didn't breathe, I didn't move, I kept my ears open for movement.  The noises I heard were I'm sure of scurrying little creatures running through the forest going on with there day to day or more likely night to night business.  Not soon enough the sun began to rise.  Casting the shadows away and lighting up the forest.  I could start to see the bushes, trees, and flowers.  I pushed the branches apart of my shelter, aka bush, and stood up slowly.  I hoped that no one was around me.  I was so happy that no one saw me or tried to come for me since I heard those bloodcurdling screams. 

I stood for a moment trying to decide which way to go.  Obviously not the way I ran from last night but that still gave me three options.  I decided to go straight.  As I was walking through the forest I was running through everything that happened the night before.  Still bothering me of course were the screams but why on earth were they going to that place.  Did they not know what was going to happen to them?  I almost felt an urge to go back to the wall in the daylight and see what it looked like and see if I could find anything more out to help those people but that thought soon exited my brain as quickly as it entered.  As much as I wanted to help I couldn't be brave enough to actually face the fears and walk back there.  My feet and mind wouldn't allow it. 

I walked for what seemed like a few hours.  Still nothing in the scenery changed but I was getting used to it and actually enjoying all the wildlife and plants.  I started to notice small changes within plants from place to place.  I had been walking uphill for awhile and the walk started to get steeper then before.  Finally after almost falling down and sliding backwards I made it to the top of an actual mountain.  When at the top I decided that I should climb a tree so that I could see what was around me.  I grabbed onto the closest sturdiest looking branch and heaved myself up which was a feat because it had been ages since I climbed a tree and actually exercised this much.  I climbed branch to branch slowly not looking down until the limbs were not going to hold me and my weight.  Fortunately I was able to stick my head up out of the tops of the trees to see what was before me and around.  I did a 360 degree turn.  It was breathtaking the view that I could see.  To what I will call east was an even larger mountain, to the south was the wall that I walked from the night before, it looked rather small but I felt a chill rush through my body, to the north was what I could make out was a castle type building, and to the west was a body water that looked like an ocean to me.  I sat up in the tree for a moment taking in the rather beautiful sights.

While I was far up in the tree I started to hear many loud noises coming from what seemed like below me.  I froze like I was a statue.  I held my breath and looked down.  I slid closer to the tree holding on for dear life.  I tried to make myself part of the tree and physically hurting myself from the bark.  Looking down I started to see someone, then another person, and soon many people.  They formed a line and seemed to all be chained together.  They seemed to be struggling walking all together trying not to fall down the steep slope.  I was slightly glad that everyone seemed to be looking down at the ground not noticing that there was someone up in the tree but they all looked so sad, so miserable. 

Soon there came up someone sitting on a horse.  Once he got to the top of the mountain he just sat there holding a whip watching the men and women climb the steep grade.  Every now and then the man would strike the whip on the ground and very occasionally hitting someone.  I didn't move a muscle up in the tree.  I didn't think that I was actually breathing.  Suddenly a bird flying through the trees hitting me in my side.  I was startled and started to lose my balance and footing on the branch.  I started to feel body pitching to the right and I was suddenly airborn.  I hit a branch or two on the way down each time trying to grab at the branches to stop me from falling all the way down to the ground.  Finally I was sucessful at grabbing a branch.  I felt like my arms ripped out of the sockets though.  I squelched a scream and hung there for a moment until my arms gave out.  I fell the last 4 feet and landed with a big thud on the ground in front of the man with the whip.  I laid there for a moment looking up at the tree that I had just fell from.   There was a racous around me and quickly there were four big, burly, dirty looking men looking down at me as well as the man sitting on his horse.

To be continued...

Snowflakes. Part 3.

Walking.  That's all I was doing it felt like I had been walking for hours and not seeing any kind of change in scenery.  Trees, bushes, and flowers all around me.  Pink, blue, purple, and red flowers everywhere.  It was actually a beautiful scene around me.  I wished that I could take it in more but it was slowly beginning to get dark.  The sun was setting creating a beautiful play on colors.  Oranges, reds, yellows sparkling in the sky.  As the sun was setting though I was beginning to feel my chest starting to tighten.  I didn't know where I was.  I was beginning to think that I should have stayed with the people back in the huts but who knew what they were like when the sun went down.  Who knew if they were people that did human sacrifices at night for good crops the next season or something even more horrendous.  I didn't really particularly want to find out but being around other people probably meant that no wild animal would hunt me down and attack.

I knew that I needed to find shelter.  There were so many plants around that I figured I could make some sort of shelter using just my hands.  In my mind I felt like I might have been part of the "A-Team" but without real tools.  I started looking around for the best place to start building my hut.  Somewhere flat, somewhere nice, somewhere where animals hopefully couldn't find me and trees were easy to break apart.  Looking to left I found the place.  There was a slight spot where it was flat.  The trees were thin but sturdy.  I started breaking off branches and laying them on the ground in a pile.  As I was going I realized that I didn't know what kind of shelter I was going to make.  I didn't know how I was going support the branches or put them all together.  My mind quickly went from thinking that I could totally be in the "A-team" to being a woman who was completely and utterly clueless.  Man I wish that I had rope or twine or that I was in the girl scouts they were always prepared for anything.  However maybe not for time traveling. 

I looked at all the branches I had broken off and just stared thinking that maybe if I thought about making a shelter that suddenly it would just happen.  Unfortunately it didn't happen.  I started to arrange the sticks on the grounds from littlest to the biggest.  I tried digging a hole to put them in but that didn't quite work out either.  Soon the sun was down and it was dark all around me.  I still didn't have a shelter so I hid in a bush and called it good for now.  I finally realized that I was such a girl who knew absolutely nothing about the wilderness and I hoped nothing came for me because I would die in an instant.  As I sat in my shelter, aka bush, I noticed a flickering light in the distance.  It was faint but there.  I decided that I didn't feel like dieing in a bush so I slowly crept out of the bush and started stumbling toward the light.  I have heard that the longer you are in the dark the more your eyes adjust to it.  Soon I was able to make out more and more things.  I didn't stumble quite as many times as I first did.  I slowed down as I got closer to the light.  I started to notice more and more flickering lights.  They were all around.  They were moving through the forest as well all going in the same direction.  I followed them.  Getting closer I noticed that the lights were being held by men and women of all ages.  I didn't know where they were going or what they were doing but I at least figured that a wild animal wouldn't attack me. 

I followed them for what seemed like 15 minutes through the forest.  They all started to stop and look up.  I stood behind a tree and as I looked further in front of them I realized that we had come to a gigantic wall.  It loomed in front of us at least 50 feet tall.  There was a door however but no one ventured to it.  They all just stood there and waited.  I didn't know what they were waiting for but I wasn't about to go ask.  There was a groaning sound that I started to hear.  Soon it became louder and louder.  The door was beginning to open slowly as if whoever was opening the door was unsure if they really should or not.  A man soon appeared some 10 minutes later once the door was finally completely open.  The man just stood looking at the people with the lights.  He suddenly turned around and walked back through the doorway.  Everyone followed him as if mesmerized by him.  They disappeared one after another until the were all through the doorway.  I hesitated but only by a minute or two.  I crept as silently as I could toward the doorway wondering what was on the other side.  Just as I was about to step into the clearing beyond the last tree I heard a bloodcurdling scream.  Followed by another and another.  I didn't know what was happening past the wall but I felt my feet moving me further and further back away from the dark looming wall.  Soon I was back in the black of night in the middle of the forest without light, without knowing where I was, without shelter, hoping beyond anything in the world that whatever was happening back there wasn't going to find me.  I could just barely make out a bush in front of me.  I parted the branches to the sides so that I could get under them and sat down.  I tucked my legs up under my chin and wrapped my arms around them.  There I sat trying to get the bloodcurdling scream out of my head but knowing that I wasn't going to be able to.

To be continued...

Snowflakes. Part 2.

Day dreams.  Day dreams have been my way of life for as long as I can remember.  Most of my day dreams have always been the usual being a detective or spy, romance of course as well.  I couldn't stop these day dreams I just slipped into them liking them better then my own life.  However if this was a day dream it was far from my norm and completely realistic.  I didn't know where I was.  I figured I was heading north but who knows I never know which direction I'm actually going in.  Finally I came to another clearing.  The trees started to thin and huts started to appear.  The huts were made from sticks, grass, and mud.  They were round and all put in a circle about 10 or 15 huts with a massive fire pit in the middle.  I stood at the edge of the clearing looking into the the little village.  I  couldn't see anyone around but that didn't mean that they weren't around.  Something I caught the corner of my eye.  I turned to face it.  It was a wind chime.  However it was different from any wind chime that I have ever seen.  There of course are the wind chimes that are wood, plastic, glass, and metal but this one was made from rocks.  All different sizes of rocks.  It was interesting that I found my feet moving me closer to it.  As I got closer the rocks looked like they were painted each a different color.  

All of a sudden I heard commotion around me.  I was startled to look up and see that a group of people had formed around me.  They all looked at me just as the last woman had done.  I started to say something anything but the words fell short of actually exiting my mouth.  We just all stared at each other.  Soon one of the people grew rest lest and stepped forward.  "Who are you?"  

"I'm Lily.  Where am I?  Who are you?"  I asked starting to ask more questions but stopping myself from the endless questions that were running through my head.

"We are the settlers of this part of land.  We have formed this community to help each other when times got hard for us.  I am Edgar leader of the community.  We are the first settlers of Jimegar."

As he was talking all I could think about was how happy I was to find someone that could actually talk to me.  As aposed to running after me screaming or just staring at me.  Sure I was hesitant of them but grateful that they could at least speak English.  "What year is it?"

"The year is 1845."

My mouth dropped open for a moment.  I pinched myself thinking that maybe this was all a day dream.  Everything was become cloudy, unfocused, dark.  I felt myself falling again thinking yes this was just another day dream.

I woke up in a room filled with herbs and lots of glass jars with various things in them.  I was laying on a bed that was made of wood and straw.  I sat up with a start and started to take things in.  I was in a hut the ones that I saw earlier.  I didn't know what to think anymore.  So puzzled about how I could have gone from the year 2011 and end up in 1845.  How was it even possible.  I know that I hit my head but time travel was so far off in the future I didn't think that it was possible that people could even do it.  I got up slowly hoping that my legs wouldn't give out again.  I silently went to the door and cracked it open.  No one in sight.  I opened the door wider and decided that it was best if I got out of there quickly.  I walked fast to the edge of the circled huts and then ran as fast as I could in another direction.  I, being me, of course didn't know which direction I was actually going.  I soon stopped to catch my breath next to a massive tree.  I leaned against it and sat hardly on the ground. 

Okay, I thought, where did he say I was Jimegar.  Where was Jimegar?  I lived in the town of Hartingford.  I think that there was a town close to that that was called Jimegar.  So I'm close to home then.  Maybe this is the way to Hartingford.  I got up and started walking hoping that the way I had chosen was going to take me to Hartingford.  I felt slightly bad for running away from the people but I had to figure this out I had to find home.  This was about the most adventurous thing that had ever happened to me and it didn't entirely make sense to me. 

Walking among the trees, bushes, and flowers thoughts were rolling around in my head.  Thoughts that I didn't know why in the world I was thinking of them because they didn't necessarily pertain to me in the situation that I was in.  I was thinking about if I locked my front door, did I turn off the oven before I left, did I water the plants.  I rolled my eyes thinking these things.  Get a grip, Lily.  I finally came to what slightly looked like a trail.  I looked to the right and everything looked fine.  The same trees, bushes, and flowers I had been walking among.  The trail looked nice and even.  I looked to the left and though it was the same picture the trail itself looked haggard, rocks, holes, overgrown in parts. So I stepped on the trail and wen to the right.  Little did I know what was ahead of me.

(To be continued)

Cleaning, Cleaning, Cleaning

Today I got home and had tremendous motivation to clean my house.  I cleaned until I was sweating, yes sweating.  I was moving from place to place with great determination.  I cleaned the bathroom, living room, kitchen, dining room, organized the garage, a load of dishes, a load of laundry, folded the laundry and put it away, swept, vacuumed, dusted for spiderwebs and last but not least wiped the dust off my entertainment center.  I know it sounds like a lot but really my house is still not clean enough for me.  I want it to be cleaner and more organized.  I think that tonight I will continue in the back of the house with all the bedrooms.  It's time again to go through everything and either throw things away or donate.  It gives me such a thrill to have things cleaned, to throw things away, and give things away.  I find it so fulfilling.  I'm hoping one day the house will be as clean as I want it to be.  Back to cleaning soon.

Snowflakes.

Snowflakes. 

Snowflakes are individual flakes floating down from the sky.  It makes everything soft, quiet, peaceful.  Not like my life.  My life is not peaceful, not quiet, and soft well if you call my fat rolls soft then sure my life is at least that, soft.  My life has been slightly uneventful and with that I mean what I deem uneventful.  It has been a rocky ride for most of my life, like most everyone’s.  Life is life.  Ups and downs and side to side.  A lot of it my life has to do with not being on the right track.  Not being on the right track with God always straying from the right to the left never staying in the middle with God.  However, some people might think that my life is pretty eventful and maybe even together.  Sure I have done quite a bit in my life already.  Whenever the e-mail makes it rounds about what you have done in your life it makes me realize that I have done quite a bit.  Most all boxes are checked off.  Which satisfies me for a little while but only for a little while and then reality sets in again.

Soon, soon something will happen.  Before I know it I will be swept away into a world of complete wonder.  My name is Lily and soon, soon something will happen.

Slam, splat.  A bug hit my windshield snapping me out of my daydream.  I was in a yellow 1971 bug.  Yes a Volkswagen bug.  Not a pale yellow either.  The brightest yellow in the world.  It was supposed to make me happy and instead it just makes me think of a glow stick.  I bought the car a year ago and ever sense I have been nauseated by the sight of it.  I was on my way to my work sight.  I was a real estate agent and I was about to show my first house.  I was so close to the house I could start to feel my palms sweat.  Sweating palms the bane of my existence.  I couldn't get away from sweaty palms.  I always kept a handkerchief in my pocket so that I could wipe them off constantly without anyone noticing.

I pulled into the driveway of a beautiful dark blue ranch style house.  As I was getting out to my car the oddest thing happened.  I tripped and fell hitting my head on the cement driveway.  When I woke up I was in a field looking up at the sky with trees all around me.  "That's so odd."  I thought knowing that I had just been at the house that I was showing. 

As I was sitting up I heard screaming coming from behind me.  As I turned around I saw a strange figure running at me screaming at the top of her lungs.  I jumped up and started running the other way but she was gaining on me inch by inch.  I started to scream as well.  I could just picture someone standing on the sidelines watching both of us running, screaming.  One chasing the other.  I could have almost laughed but of course I was screaming.  I could feel her gaining on me almost even when she passed me.  I was so confused at that point.  I started to slow down and she just kept on running while screaming.  "Where am I?"  I started to wonder finally able to look around.  The crazy woman had long ago disappeared from my sight.  I was still surrounded by trees.  I didn't know what to do.  Should I start running and try to catch up with the crazy woman or should I go back to the clearing.  I didn't know.  I just stood there in thought again.

When I blinked there was someone else now just standing about 30 feet from me just staring at me.  I must have looked like a statue for a moment because I was lost in another day dream.  When I noticed the woman she just stared at me.  I started to move towards her but she just moved back a step still staring at me.  I looked down for a moment to make sure I wasn't going to step on anything and get tangled but when I looked up she was gone.  Now 2 people I have seen just have come and gone.  Still pondering what I should do I slipped into another daydream but at least this time I was at least walking.  Walking to where I don't know but that isn't what I was thinking about.

(Continued tomorrow)