Things are finally coming together at work. The bar is slowly getting set up, new bartenders have been hired. the food is without flaw and I have convinced two servers to refer to me as "Big Poppa". I'm going to go ahead and chalk that up to a win.
With a set schedule now...you are going to hear more posts about Crossfit, trying to be gluten free (because apparently when you have thyroid problems, it can cause gluten sensitivities which I why I haven't made carbonara in about 4 months) and more post about my asshole fur children who are going through separation anxieties. In my blog before the last one I wrote, I mentioned driving by the Crossfit gym I like to go to. Well, I finally decided I was going to start getting back into a routine come hell or high water. I didn't lose as much progress as I figured I did but I wasn't quite up to par as the last time we went. It felt great though. I nailed my WOD and have been looking at Crossfit pins on Pinterest (obsessed much?). I'm also Stumbling Upon pictures of tattoos because I am finally getting my Merry Christmas half sleeve and I'm trying to make some decisions. Any time I see any pictures of females I'm all like "Oh wow, she's super skinny but I bet she can't lift like I can," or "She has got NO muscle definition AT ALL."
I know, I'm seriously ridiculous.
Do you know who's even more ridiculous than I am? My asshole dogs, that's who. In this past week, Hannah has peed in the bed while we were snuggling, Henry has chewed up two of the walls and they BOTH decided it was okay that while Zach and I were trying to take a nap on the couch, that they should be able to be up on the couch as well.
"Hey mom, I noticed you covered your face up with the blanket to abstain from getting kisses but I see you left your ear out. Let me remind you just how long and slobbery my tongue is by letting me stick it in your ear and surprise you! " "Arghfgh" "Mom, are you surprised?! Do you love me?"
I allowed Hannah and Henry to snuggle in bed with me the other night. I didn't get home super late but working in the hot weather really takes it out of you. I was all "Okay puppies, come snuggle with mommy!" They took no time into beating me to the bedroom and claiming their retrospective spots. Hannah is the snuggler so she curled up in my arms all cute while Henry was laying across my legs. It wasn't long before Hannah was trying to make herself even more comfortable by turning around in circles. Then I noticed her sitting. She normally doesn't sit on the bed...she's either standing or laying down. Plus she was sitting a bit lower than her normal sitting stance. I notice these things because I'm all motherly like that. That's when I went all ghetto and said "Aw Hell naw bitch, you better not be pissing on my mother lovin bed!"
"You little *expletive*! Yeah you *expletive*-ing expletive. You pissed on my bed you little *fatherless child*. Yeah you better run you *expletive*-ing reference of male genitalia. Damn it you little *expletive* sucking *expletive*!"
Then my wonderful husband said to whomever he was playing his new Halo game with "I think my youngest daughter is in trouble."
"Damn right she's in trouble. The little *expletive*-ing *expletive* pissed on our bed." - I yelled all of this as I chased that little jerk around the house, waving my arms in a fit of anger.
She booked it into her kennel and didn't even whine about not having a bed in there...which I had to remove because BOTH Hannah and Henry have chewed the zippers off of their bed and have strewn gorilla fuzz all over our house. This is not the first instance. I clean up gorilla fuzz on a regular basis. It looks like someone shaved a dozen orangutans and distributed the clippings all around our carpet. If you have dogs, I'm sure you understand completely.
Well, that's all for this edition of Riley Writes. Hopefully you enjoyed your brief little stay here.
Xoxo,
Riley Writes
*Input your own profanity strewn language. Or use your imagination. Either one.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Well, this is sure to ruffle some feathers...
With the election that just passed, there are a lot of angry people. A LOT. I know this because it's all over Facebook. This post isn't really about who won or lost, it's about being a good human being. With the results being in, I noticed an influx of negative and racist comments on my social networking feed. Comments from good friends, acquaintances and family members that were less than appealing and left me with a sour taste in my mouth.
I don't care who you voted for. What I care about is that you make an educated decision based on your own research, not what the media tells you. To be perfectly frank, I didn't care for either candidate. To quote my favorite TV show "Elections are always between a giant douche and a turd sandwich."
Now that that's out of the way, I'd like to pose a question. When I was in school, grade school, middle and high school, it was considered bullying to use racial slurs, discriminate against someone because of their religion and other things of that nature. So what gives anyone the right to do so, on a social network in front of our impressionable future? 1st amendment, yes. But what about being a decent person and having moral values? What about trying to be respectful and lead our younger generation by good examples?
You're telling me it's okay to call people out on age, weight, skin color, ethnicity, religion and anything else that people can poke fun at? You betcha! We reap what we sow and if we keep allowing such hatred to flow from our lips, you can be damned sure our next generation will be equally if not more hateful and uncaring. Then we will scratch our heads and blame everyone else while we're the real problem.
My momma would have beat my behind black and blue if I would have said some of the things I saw on my Facebook. The worst would be the disappointment though. My mother would be extremely disappointed in me that I would resort name calling and making slurs of sorts to get my point/opinion across.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I'm not saying you can't have it. What I'm saying is you sound more intelligent when you're making valid points instead of using religious and racial epithets. You are more likely to get others to at least ponder your point of view if you don't litter it with a stream of profanities or try to force it down their throats.
Stepping off the soap box.
Riley Writes
I don't care who you voted for. What I care about is that you make an educated decision based on your own research, not what the media tells you. To be perfectly frank, I didn't care for either candidate. To quote my favorite TV show "Elections are always between a giant douche and a turd sandwich."
Now that that's out of the way, I'd like to pose a question. When I was in school, grade school, middle and high school, it was considered bullying to use racial slurs, discriminate against someone because of their religion and other things of that nature. So what gives anyone the right to do so, on a social network in front of our impressionable future? 1st amendment, yes. But what about being a decent person and having moral values? What about trying to be respectful and lead our younger generation by good examples?
You're telling me it's okay to call people out on age, weight, skin color, ethnicity, religion and anything else that people can poke fun at? You betcha! We reap what we sow and if we keep allowing such hatred to flow from our lips, you can be damned sure our next generation will be equally if not more hateful and uncaring. Then we will scratch our heads and blame everyone else while we're the real problem.
My momma would have beat my behind black and blue if I would have said some of the things I saw on my Facebook. The worst would be the disappointment though. My mother would be extremely disappointed in me that I would resort name calling and making slurs of sorts to get my point/opinion across.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I'm not saying you can't have it. What I'm saying is you sound more intelligent when you're making valid points instead of using religious and racial epithets. You are more likely to get others to at least ponder your point of view if you don't litter it with a stream of profanities or try to force it down their throats.
Stepping off the soap box.
Riley Writes
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Why you gotta make me cry?
In true Riley Writes fashion, I am on the other side of this computer, my eyes welled up in tears and a glass of champagne by my side. Once again, I'm cooking. Those damn onions get me every single time. They're actually cooking at the moment but the whatever it is that makes you want to wear a ski mask is lingering in the kitchen and wafting out to the living room where I hear my husband sniffling because his eyes are watering as well. What is it about onions?
Hi, my name is Rachele and I'm an onion hoarder.
It sounds strange but hear me out. I never seem to use a whole onion. I have no earthly idea why! So since I never use a whole one, I open up the fridge and place it where the eggs are supposed to go. That is where onions and cheese go to die. I put them there (I think it's where you put the butter, in the door), I forget and inevitably cut a new onion up the next time I cook. As I pulled out junk to make dinner (I haven't been cooking too often and I'll get to that). I pulled out a glorious onion to add to my stuffed bell pepper (who's recipe I needed to look up on my own blog because I'm ridiculous) and as I went to put the onion in the fridge, I saw the onion graveyard. Maybe that's what brings the tears to my eyes. I must have close to 5 half onions in the refrigerator. Holy crap. Am I ever going to use them, you ask? Nope. Probably not.
Today in my quest to get qualified to actually work (because apparently you have to do that to bartend in Guam), I ended up driving by the Crossfit gym Zach and I were going to before I felt sickly and before I started working. I missed it terribly and part of me wanted to blow off what I was doing and go get some rounds of deadlifts in. I did not, however I did make a promise to myself that AS SOON as I stop working 6 days a week, I'm going to go back to the gym. Balancing a house, a job and two "kids" isn't exactly easy. Mad props to single moms who do it and have actual kids, instead of ones that think it's okay to eat my under-roos for dessert. Thankfully I have my pretty legit husband who helps a sister out!
Also, I'm missing a toe nail....again. For those of you unaware, I had a fake toe nail put on for my wedding. Long story short, I had a fake toe nail. It was beautiful and eventually my nail grew back. A couple weeks ago, in a flurry of trying to get out of the door the fastest, Hannah forced her whole body through the door and in turn, it combed over my foot, tearing at my delicate skin and lifting up one of my nails. Luckily for me, that pretty legit husband is in the medical field and hooked a sister up. It was bleeding and he took care of it, cleaned it out, bandaged me up and snuggled my face because I was crying. Three weeks later, my nail finally comes loose. Gross right? You're welcome for sharing. I probably won't get a fake one put on this time because I'm not getting married nor do I care....I just think it's rather comical to tell people I have a prosthetic nail.
So that's about it in this Riley Writes wrap up.
Xoxo
Riley Writes
Hi, my name is Rachele and I'm an onion hoarder.
It sounds strange but hear me out. I never seem to use a whole onion. I have no earthly idea why! So since I never use a whole one, I open up the fridge and place it where the eggs are supposed to go. That is where onions and cheese go to die. I put them there (I think it's where you put the butter, in the door), I forget and inevitably cut a new onion up the next time I cook. As I pulled out junk to make dinner (I haven't been cooking too often and I'll get to that). I pulled out a glorious onion to add to my stuffed bell pepper (who's recipe I needed to look up on my own blog because I'm ridiculous) and as I went to put the onion in the fridge, I saw the onion graveyard. Maybe that's what brings the tears to my eyes. I must have close to 5 half onions in the refrigerator. Holy crap. Am I ever going to use them, you ask? Nope. Probably not.
Today in my quest to get qualified to actually work (because apparently you have to do that to bartend in Guam), I ended up driving by the Crossfit gym Zach and I were going to before I felt sickly and before I started working. I missed it terribly and part of me wanted to blow off what I was doing and go get some rounds of deadlifts in. I did not, however I did make a promise to myself that AS SOON as I stop working 6 days a week, I'm going to go back to the gym. Balancing a house, a job and two "kids" isn't exactly easy. Mad props to single moms who do it and have actual kids, instead of ones that think it's okay to eat my under-roos for dessert. Thankfully I have my pretty legit husband who helps a sister out!
Also, I'm missing a toe nail....again. For those of you unaware, I had a fake toe nail put on for my wedding. Long story short, I had a fake toe nail. It was beautiful and eventually my nail grew back. A couple weeks ago, in a flurry of trying to get out of the door the fastest, Hannah forced her whole body through the door and in turn, it combed over my foot, tearing at my delicate skin and lifting up one of my nails. Luckily for me, that pretty legit husband is in the medical field and hooked a sister up. It was bleeding and he took care of it, cleaned it out, bandaged me up and snuggled my face because I was crying. Three weeks later, my nail finally comes loose. Gross right? You're welcome for sharing. I probably won't get a fake one put on this time because I'm not getting married nor do I care....I just think it's rather comical to tell people I have a prosthetic nail.
So that's about it in this Riley Writes wrap up.
Xoxo
Riley Writes
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Why shouldn't you be happy?
Once upon a time ago, I was dating a man who's father was an extremely prominent (in the legal system) in a very large city. I won't name names for anonymity reasons. Anyways, this guy brought his father into the bar I worked at one night so his dad could "finally meet the girl he'd heard so much about." I'll never forget the conversation we had.
"So Rachele, what do you plan on doing with the rest of your life? I know you don't plan on working at a bar forever. You will never get far if that's what you want to do."
"I have no idea. I like working at a bar, it makes me happy. I get to meet new people all of the time, mostly everyone is happy when they drink and I get to hear all sorts of live and up and coming bands. I don't see what's so bad about it and it makes me happy for the time being. If I'm happy, why do I need to change what I'm doing?"
"Well happiness won't put a roof over your head or pay for your retirement. How do you expect to make a living, being happy?"
I was mortified that he would say such a thing to someone he just met. I stood my ground and knew I wasn't born with a silver spoon stuck up my ass. I worked as hard as the next guy and deserved just as much as he did. The fact of the matter is that while I may not have been able to vacation all over the world or go to the "Catalina Ducking Wine Mixer" but I was raised with a strong work ethic, good morals and an appreciation for the small things.
A few weeks ago, I asked my mother if her expectations of me were close to what she thought they were. She said that she always knew I was going to do what makes me happy and to (expletive for intercourse) the rest.
She isn't wrong (she hardly ever is, she's a mom). I may not have the biggest goals, be extremely ambitious or want to takeover the world but what I am counts for 129845x that. I'm happy. I go to bed knowing that I'm a good person, use common sense and try to treat people as I want to be treated because I was raised that way.
That same guy once told me "I own a couple houses, a boat, a motorcycle, a car and I do (won't say for anonymity purposes). I'm going back to school for my masters in (I forget because it was in something that has a long word). Why wouldn't you want to date a guy like me?" I responded with "Well I hope all that keeps you warm at night because with an attitude like that, you're going to be single for the rest of your life."
That was just a snippet of the many arguments we had over the same thing. I may not have been raised with a silver spoon in my mouth (it may have been a spork for all I know), but I was most definitely raised to value things like love, hard work, family, friends and respect. After all, aren't those the foundations for prosperity?
Xoxo,
Riley Writes
"So Rachele, what do you plan on doing with the rest of your life? I know you don't plan on working at a bar forever. You will never get far if that's what you want to do."
"I have no idea. I like working at a bar, it makes me happy. I get to meet new people all of the time, mostly everyone is happy when they drink and I get to hear all sorts of live and up and coming bands. I don't see what's so bad about it and it makes me happy for the time being. If I'm happy, why do I need to change what I'm doing?"
"Well happiness won't put a roof over your head or pay for your retirement. How do you expect to make a living, being happy?"
I was mortified that he would say such a thing to someone he just met. I stood my ground and knew I wasn't born with a silver spoon stuck up my ass. I worked as hard as the next guy and deserved just as much as he did. The fact of the matter is that while I may not have been able to vacation all over the world or go to the "Catalina Ducking Wine Mixer" but I was raised with a strong work ethic, good morals and an appreciation for the small things.
A few weeks ago, I asked my mother if her expectations of me were close to what she thought they were. She said that she always knew I was going to do what makes me happy and to (expletive for intercourse) the rest.
She isn't wrong (she hardly ever is, she's a mom). I may not have the biggest goals, be extremely ambitious or want to takeover the world but what I am counts for 129845x that. I'm happy. I go to bed knowing that I'm a good person, use common sense and try to treat people as I want to be treated because I was raised that way.
That same guy once told me "I own a couple houses, a boat, a motorcycle, a car and I do (won't say for anonymity purposes). I'm going back to school for my masters in (I forget because it was in something that has a long word). Why wouldn't you want to date a guy like me?" I responded with "Well I hope all that keeps you warm at night because with an attitude like that, you're going to be single for the rest of your life."
That was just a snippet of the many arguments we had over the same thing. I may not have been raised with a silver spoon in my mouth (it may have been a spork for all I know), but I was most definitely raised to value things like love, hard work, family, friends and respect. After all, aren't those the foundations for prosperity?
Xoxo,
Riley Writes
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Why Don't People Come With A Warning Label?
Well now, I made it to over 1,000 views! Woohoo! Thank you. Except no one sent me their address so I take it no one wanted anything cool from Guam? It's okay, your loss. Not my fault that you didn't want a coconut postcard sent to your home address. Don't be all whining because you think I don't care, I do care, this is tough love.
In today's world, you have to be careful of the things you consume, have around you or come into contact with. It's unfortunate but everything affects your health in one way or another. Good or bad. It can affect your body, your psyche and your overall humanity. I believe the same goes for people. There are all sorts of people in our day to day life. There are amazing people that always have inspiring things to say, help you along your journey and teach you many new things. On the flip side of the coin, there are people who are toxic, poisoning your well of happiness and good thoughts. They bring you down to their level and make it so you are equally as depressed and toxic as they are. They key is spotting them, which isn't always easy.
And this is why people should come with a warning label.
They don't though. This is where you need to be able to learn the signs of having a toxic person in your life. I used to have tons of them and had no idea how to filter them out. I would spend 15 minutes with these people, my heart would be heavy and my emotional batteries drained. I felt like I could sleep for days because I was riddled with other people's constant problems and issues. I would make these issues my own and try to fix everyone but it just became too much.
After a breakdown of epic proportions after hearing a friend's mother had been diagnosed with a severe and aggressive form of cancer, I decided it was time to seek professional help. I thought that there were a lot of emotions dealing with things of that nature that I hadn't yet dealt with. I felt like my whole life was collapsing and I wouldn't be happy until I worked through my past.
Turns out, it wasn't so much my past but my present that needed to be worked on. I took the initiative, looked up a counselor and the first session, she said a few simple words that have forever altered my life.
"Maybe your breakdown is actually a breakthrough."
Simple concept right? It just took a complete stranger to bring it to my attention. After years of being the friend/girlfriend/co-worker who undertook everyone's misfortunes, I had accumulated a decent amount of these toxic people in my daily life and I was tired. Tired of being the one that people would call in the middle of the night knowing full well that the action wouldn't be reciprocated. I was emotionally drained, naive and exhausted.
Every week after seeing my counselor, I would leave sobbing and call my mother to discuss what I had learned. I was purging all that bad juju from my life and even though my face was ugly from crying, I always felt like the concrete had been lifted from my shoulders. I started looking at things in a new light. I knew I had to make some changes and I had to make them fast because obviously what I was doing hadn't been working. Then a certain someone showed up at the bar I worked at, all in his party shirt, ordering my favorite beer and made me all googly eyed and mushy. I had no qualms in telling him "Hey, I'm a nutcase and I see a counselor once a week. Are you okay with this because if you're not, you probably shouldn't hang around me because I'm crazy. No, seriously. I talk to myself and sometimes I answer."
He was okay with it and pretty soon, he was texting me after my appointments, asking how I was feeling, if I was okay and if I felt up to going on a date. (Ahem, apparently he likes the crazies because he married me.) I don't see the counselor anymore and I have cleansed the majority of those toxic people out. Sometimes I forget what it's like to be around draining and toxic people....then one of them pops out of the wood works and is all "Oh hey, did you forget about being emotionally drained? Let me remind you and make you feel like shit because my life sucks."
Then I remember what it's like. Then I also remember the super awesome support system I have in place to help me protect my sanity, to remind me that I don't have to have these types of people in my life and to also make it known that it's a privilege to have me as a sidekick and not an entitlement because I used to be there. Any kind of relationship is a two way street. There has to be give and take. If someone is in your life that only likes the one way street, put that junk out in the street for trash day. You're worth more than that.
Xoxo
Riley Writes.
P.S One of my most favorite things to remember and it always gets me by when these toxic people come a' knockin' on my door....their life sucks because of the choices that they made....not the ones you made. Don't let them make you feel bad.
In today's world, you have to be careful of the things you consume, have around you or come into contact with. It's unfortunate but everything affects your health in one way or another. Good or bad. It can affect your body, your psyche and your overall humanity. I believe the same goes for people. There are all sorts of people in our day to day life. There are amazing people that always have inspiring things to say, help you along your journey and teach you many new things. On the flip side of the coin, there are people who are toxic, poisoning your well of happiness and good thoughts. They bring you down to their level and make it so you are equally as depressed and toxic as they are. They key is spotting them, which isn't always easy.
And this is why people should come with a warning label.
They don't though. This is where you need to be able to learn the signs of having a toxic person in your life. I used to have tons of them and had no idea how to filter them out. I would spend 15 minutes with these people, my heart would be heavy and my emotional batteries drained. I felt like I could sleep for days because I was riddled with other people's constant problems and issues. I would make these issues my own and try to fix everyone but it just became too much.
After a breakdown of epic proportions after hearing a friend's mother had been diagnosed with a severe and aggressive form of cancer, I decided it was time to seek professional help. I thought that there were a lot of emotions dealing with things of that nature that I hadn't yet dealt with. I felt like my whole life was collapsing and I wouldn't be happy until I worked through my past.
Turns out, it wasn't so much my past but my present that needed to be worked on. I took the initiative, looked up a counselor and the first session, she said a few simple words that have forever altered my life.
"Maybe your breakdown is actually a breakthrough."
Simple concept right? It just took a complete stranger to bring it to my attention. After years of being the friend/girlfriend/co-worker who undertook everyone's misfortunes, I had accumulated a decent amount of these toxic people in my daily life and I was tired. Tired of being the one that people would call in the middle of the night knowing full well that the action wouldn't be reciprocated. I was emotionally drained, naive and exhausted.
Every week after seeing my counselor, I would leave sobbing and call my mother to discuss what I had learned. I was purging all that bad juju from my life and even though my face was ugly from crying, I always felt like the concrete had been lifted from my shoulders. I started looking at things in a new light. I knew I had to make some changes and I had to make them fast because obviously what I was doing hadn't been working. Then a certain someone showed up at the bar I worked at, all in his party shirt, ordering my favorite beer and made me all googly eyed and mushy. I had no qualms in telling him "Hey, I'm a nutcase and I see a counselor once a week. Are you okay with this because if you're not, you probably shouldn't hang around me because I'm crazy. No, seriously. I talk to myself and sometimes I answer."
He was okay with it and pretty soon, he was texting me after my appointments, asking how I was feeling, if I was okay and if I felt up to going on a date. (Ahem, apparently he likes the crazies because he married me.) I don't see the counselor anymore and I have cleansed the majority of those toxic people out. Sometimes I forget what it's like to be around draining and toxic people....then one of them pops out of the wood works and is all "Oh hey, did you forget about being emotionally drained? Let me remind you and make you feel like shit because my life sucks."
Then I remember what it's like. Then I also remember the super awesome support system I have in place to help me protect my sanity, to remind me that I don't have to have these types of people in my life and to also make it known that it's a privilege to have me as a sidekick and not an entitlement because I used to be there. Any kind of relationship is a two way street. There has to be give and take. If someone is in your life that only likes the one way street, put that junk out in the street for trash day. You're worth more than that.
Xoxo
Riley Writes.
P.S One of my most favorite things to remember and it always gets me by when these toxic people come a' knockin' on my door....their life sucks because of the choices that they made....not the ones you made. Don't let them make you feel bad.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Boonie Stomping/ Reasons why I like it indoors.
Today was quite the adventure! My wonderful husband, two pups, our favorite couple, their dog and I went on a hike. It was the first time for our little family and like all virgins, I wasn't sure what to expect. Luckily for us, we were able to meet up with our friends at the store who said "Make sure to bring some gloves, you're gonna need em'." If that wasn't a terrifying thought, the only other two things I could concentrate on were "Hannah for the love of God, behave yourself and do not jump out of the truck," and "What in the ever loving big man in the sky am I going to do if I run into a tree snake? I will not cry, I will not cry, I will not cry."
I was a little hesitant to let Hannah the asshole escape artist (she managed to unhook herself from the carabiners that kept her in the back of the truck and almost jump our at 40 mph) run around without her leash on but she proved to be the model citizen. She stuck by us and whenever she ran ahead, she made sure to wait and look back at us until we got close, then took off again. All Henry was concerned with was hanging out and keeping up with his buddy Helo the Husky. I was impressed with how well behaved they were. Not that I didn't think they were well behaved, because they're my kids and I like them. I like them more when they're quiet and listening though.
We walked through a grass clearing where there were hundreds of dragon flies just fluttering around enjoying the scenery. We walked through red mud and the pups couldn't have been more excited. Henry, Hannah and I are rather spoiled, we don't spend too much time outside because it's so damn hot all of the time. None of us are used to the weather and since they have been adopted and no longer have to sleep in a hard cement kennel in the heat, they don't really go outside unless it's to the dog park or to do their business. The first puddle we came across, Henry laid down and didn't want to budge. That was just in the first 15 minutes. After we made it through the "treacherous terrain" (read: the easy stuff), we had to walk through 1/4-1/2 mile in razor grass. This is where our gloves came in! Hannah and Henry were in heaven! Running around, acting like monkeys. I wish I could say the same for us. Lots of scratches on bare skin but the gloves made it easier to push it aside without tearing our precious skin.
The hike to the river itself was approximately 2.4 miles. The terrain varied vastly but it was enjoyable. We had to use a rope to repel down to the actual river itself but it was worth it. I was a little scared for the furry ones but they didn't seem to mind. We stopped at a few swimming holes that were at most up to our necks. Supposedly there was an awesome swimming hole down a quarter of a mile and then up stream where the two rivers converged. We took the pups upstream while the boys hid our backpacks. Zach brought his new camera so we could take some awesome pictures but there was a small SD card malfunction for the first half of the hike.
We hiked up several waterfalls to the big kahuna where all of us took turns swinging off the rope swing and the dogs (mainly Hannah who found out she LOVES to jump off the rocks and into the water) swam and swam. Most of the time swimming for me was spent lifting heavy puppies up. They would jump in and enjoy the jump and immediately turn into "OH MY GOD MOM I CAAAAAN'T TOUUUUUCH, I CAN'T TOUCH! PLEASE SAVE ME! Wait...I can kinda touch here. I think I'll be okaaaa...OH GOD I CAN'T TOUCH AGAIN!!!! MOM I'M DROWNING!!!! Wait, I see those rocks. I can touch tou...OH SWEET BABY JESUS I CAN'T TOUCH, REPEAT, CAN'T TOUCH THE BOTTOM!!!!"
Then they would both clobber me at the same time where I couldn't touch and I have scratches all over my body to prove it. And cuts on my shins from the razor grass. And a few scrapes from falling here and there because let's face it, I'm like a bull in a China shop. Nothing dainty about me.
I found the hike back less tolerable that the hike to. I felt like I was going to keel over and die. At one point while climbing back up the ravine, I lost my footing and had it not been for the rope and the gloves, I would have fallen down. Zach said "Babe, use that upper body strength! You haven't been doing pull-ups for nothing." If you read my previous post, you'll know that we haven't been to the gym as much lately and the only heavy lifting I do trying to decide how many champagne bottles I can hold without dropping them and making a fool of myself.
All in all, we did about 6 miles round trip, including the hike up the waterfalls to the final visit. I have decided that I may need to start doing shorter hikes to get me to work up to these "long" ones. Poor Hannah was so tuckered, she found a small ledge on the way back and tried to sleep there. Henry was nowhere to be seen hanging out with Helo the whole time. Hannah would wait for me to make sure I was still around and then run like the wind to catch up with the boys. They are currently all dirty and snuggled in their beds, they're too tired to take a bath :) I also saw my very first brown tree snake! Luckily for me, it was dead and on the last quarter mile of the hike. I would have cried if it had been alive. Enjoy some pictures and more laughs at my expense.
Xoxo
Riley Writes
I was a little hesitant to let Hannah the asshole escape artist (she managed to unhook herself from the carabiners that kept her in the back of the truck and almost jump our at 40 mph) run around without her leash on but she proved to be the model citizen. She stuck by us and whenever she ran ahead, she made sure to wait and look back at us until we got close, then took off again. All Henry was concerned with was hanging out and keeping up with his buddy Helo the Husky. I was impressed with how well behaved they were. Not that I didn't think they were well behaved, because they're my kids and I like them. I like them more when they're quiet and listening though.
We walked through a grass clearing where there were hundreds of dragon flies just fluttering around enjoying the scenery. We walked through red mud and the pups couldn't have been more excited. Henry, Hannah and I are rather spoiled, we don't spend too much time outside because it's so damn hot all of the time. None of us are used to the weather and since they have been adopted and no longer have to sleep in a hard cement kennel in the heat, they don't really go outside unless it's to the dog park or to do their business. The first puddle we came across, Henry laid down and didn't want to budge. That was just in the first 15 minutes. After we made it through the "treacherous terrain" (read: the easy stuff), we had to walk through 1/4-1/2 mile in razor grass. This is where our gloves came in! Hannah and Henry were in heaven! Running around, acting like monkeys. I wish I could say the same for us. Lots of scratches on bare skin but the gloves made it easier to push it aside without tearing our precious skin.
The hike to the river itself was approximately 2.4 miles. The terrain varied vastly but it was enjoyable. We had to use a rope to repel down to the actual river itself but it was worth it. I was a little scared for the furry ones but they didn't seem to mind. We stopped at a few swimming holes that were at most up to our necks. Supposedly there was an awesome swimming hole down a quarter of a mile and then up stream where the two rivers converged. We took the pups upstream while the boys hid our backpacks. Zach brought his new camera so we could take some awesome pictures but there was a small SD card malfunction for the first half of the hike.
We hiked up several waterfalls to the big kahuna where all of us took turns swinging off the rope swing and the dogs (mainly Hannah who found out she LOVES to jump off the rocks and into the water) swam and swam. Most of the time swimming for me was spent lifting heavy puppies up. They would jump in and enjoy the jump and immediately turn into "OH MY GOD MOM I CAAAAAN'T TOUUUUUCH, I CAN'T TOUCH! PLEASE SAVE ME! Wait...I can kinda touch here. I think I'll be okaaaa...OH GOD I CAN'T TOUCH AGAIN!!!! MOM I'M DROWNING!!!! Wait, I see those rocks. I can touch tou...OH SWEET BABY JESUS I CAN'T TOUCH, REPEAT, CAN'T TOUCH THE BOTTOM!!!!"
Then they would both clobber me at the same time where I couldn't touch and I have scratches all over my body to prove it. And cuts on my shins from the razor grass. And a few scrapes from falling here and there because let's face it, I'm like a bull in a China shop. Nothing dainty about me.
I found the hike back less tolerable that the hike to. I felt like I was going to keel over and die. At one point while climbing back up the ravine, I lost my footing and had it not been for the rope and the gloves, I would have fallen down. Zach said "Babe, use that upper body strength! You haven't been doing pull-ups for nothing." If you read my previous post, you'll know that we haven't been to the gym as much lately and the only heavy lifting I do trying to decide how many champagne bottles I can hold without dropping them and making a fool of myself.
All in all, we did about 6 miles round trip, including the hike up the waterfalls to the final visit. I have decided that I may need to start doing shorter hikes to get me to work up to these "long" ones. Poor Hannah was so tuckered, she found a small ledge on the way back and tried to sleep there. Henry was nowhere to be seen hanging out with Helo the whole time. Hannah would wait for me to make sure I was still around and then run like the wind to catch up with the boys. They are currently all dirty and snuggled in their beds, they're too tired to take a bath :) I also saw my very first brown tree snake! Luckily for me, it was dead and on the last quarter mile of the hike. I would have cried if it had been alive. Enjoy some pictures and more laughs at my expense.
Xoxo
Riley Writes
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Just call me Snaggletooth Tiger
As I was laying in bed unable to sleep, I caught myself thinking about braces. For the most part, my teeth are pretty straight and even though I have put them through hell and back, they are all still in my face and in relatively good condition.
Except for my snaggletooth.
Spell check is telling me that snaggletooth isn't spelled correctly but maybe when it's one word instead of two, it's more offensive? I don't know. Anyways, you're probably thinking "But Rachele, I have never noticed your snaggletooth?" Right. Well, neither do I until I do a lot of smiling, even though I know it's there.
Maybe it isn't even a real snaggletooth but calling it that makes me laugh so I will proceed.
You know what it looks like when a dog get's their lip flipped up and doesn't notice? They just sit there, smiling and oblivious. Then you start laughing hysterically because they don't have a care in the world. Not saying it's happened to me but....okay, it's happened. When I smile a lot, my teeth get dry and then my lip gets caught on my tooth. It's embarrassing but it's funny too. I normally catch it before (I think) anyone notices but then it sends me into a fit of giggles and it inevitably happens again. It isn't even uncomfortable. I, like a dog, very rarely notice. I look so ridiculous but I think that I wouldn't get braces because then I would miss telling people about what happens when I smile a lot (which is almost all of the time).
I'm one of those "Embrace Your Flaws" kinda gal. I have a lot of them but they make me my own special person and I'm pretty okay with that. Hell, it makes me like myself even more because I know it makes me different and I love to be different.
What's your favorite flaw?
Xoxo
Riley Writes
Except for my snaggletooth.
Spell check is telling me that snaggletooth isn't spelled correctly but maybe when it's one word instead of two, it's more offensive? I don't know. Anyways, you're probably thinking "But Rachele, I have never noticed your snaggletooth?" Right. Well, neither do I until I do a lot of smiling, even though I know it's there.
Maybe it isn't even a real snaggletooth but calling it that makes me laugh so I will proceed.
You know what it looks like when a dog get's their lip flipped up and doesn't notice? They just sit there, smiling and oblivious. Then you start laughing hysterically because they don't have a care in the world. Not saying it's happened to me but....okay, it's happened. When I smile a lot, my teeth get dry and then my lip gets caught on my tooth. It's embarrassing but it's funny too. I normally catch it before (I think) anyone notices but then it sends me into a fit of giggles and it inevitably happens again. It isn't even uncomfortable. I, like a dog, very rarely notice. I look so ridiculous but I think that I wouldn't get braces because then I would miss telling people about what happens when I smile a lot (which is almost all of the time).
I'm one of those "Embrace Your Flaws" kinda gal. I have a lot of them but they make me my own special person and I'm pretty okay with that. Hell, it makes me like myself even more because I know it makes me different and I love to be different.
What's your favorite flaw?
Xoxo
Riley Writes
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