Free Mulch! and Other Thursday 13's

1. Do you have a mulcher?
2. A pickup truck?
3. Do you need dead used-to-be green matter?
4. Boy have I the solution for you.
5. Our Christmas Tree has just recently turned brown.
6. We will hopefully not be there in January when we can safely throw it out without weird looks from the HOA.
7. But I don't think the tree will make it another year.
8. So, if you have a truck and need pot-purri (ok it doesn't smell so much anymore)...
9. Maybe you need mulch? (ok maybe it is a little dry now).
10. If you like lighting things on fire?
11. Maybe you need to decorate your kids' classroom (not guaranteed to survive the travel).
12. I know, maybe you are someone with some influence over Jamil?
13. TAKE MY TREE AWAY AND OUT OF MY HOUSE!!

Thirteen Things This Thursday

1. I can't believe how fast everything has happened.
2. I can't believe I have accepted a job.
3. I can't believe I gave my 2 weeks notice.
4. I must be nuts!
5. No more working from home.
6. No more travelling to cool places.
7. Ok, maybe I will still get to travel some.
8. I hate the unknowns.
9. I am the queen of What If's.
10. I can't believe I am leaving the job that was my dream job not too long ago.
11. I hope the new job is all it is cracked up to be.
12. I am excited that I get to see my family soon.
13. So much to do at the old job, for the new job and even to go see my family.

I read that stress can take as much as 7 years away from your life expectancy. I feel like I am under constant stress. I am not even sure stress for what or about what. So, there it is... I am really leaving this time, I try not to think about it to try to increase my life expectancy.

Jamil missed the deadline and I got stopped by a cop

Happy Anniversary to us. We got married on August 1st. And here is Jamil's gift. One day, I will tell you how he booked our honeymoon. I cannot believe people think he is THE nice one:



No fair! Jamil missed the deadline to renew our cars' tags and I got stopped by a cop early in the morning for it. This is my first time being stopped and they gave me a warning and let me go. I am very thankful but I am very upset that I wasted my warning on something that was not my fault.

So this has caused a change in perspective... Perspective of how this mythical stop would occur.

Before I ever got stopped here is what I would have imagined:
Officer: Ma'am, do you know why I have stopped you?
Patricia: I am sorry, I am not sure.
Officer: Ma'am, your registration has expired.
Patricia: Oh really, wow... Hey, I got some medicine here, can you check the expiration date on that too?

or

Officer: Ma'am, your light is out.
Patricia: Oh, serious? I am so sorry, I better run and change it.
Officer: Ma'am, also your tires seem a little low.
Patricia: Yikes! Can you check my oil level while we are at it?

This is what actually took place:
Patricia (thinking): Oh my God this police car is behind me... Oh my God it is still behind me.... Please don't run my tag, please don't run my tag.... Jamil will die if she...
Officer: *whooot Whoot* *Bright lights*
Patricia (thinking): Oh Crap!!... I was certain I changed the proper distance past the intersection. I also put my indicator and looked to the side. Jamil is sooooo dead, there is no way she will not notice now.
Patricia (talking loudly in the car in hopes that the officer can hear): Ok, where do you want me to stop? Please don't shoot, I am going to pull into the parking lot in front. Look, I am slowing down. Ok, where do you want me to park?
Patricia (thinking): I better put my hands on the wheel. But how can I open the window if my hands are on the wheel. Maybe the officer will tell me.
Officer: *Tap Tap annoyed that the window is up*
Patricia: Ok, she has no gun and has seen I have no gun so I guess I will put my window down... I wonder if I am supposed to...
Officer: Ma'am, the reason I have stopped you is that your registration is expired.
Patricia (very annoyed at Jamil): I know!! I just had this conversation with my husband. We got the cars inspected last night.
Officer: May I see the receipt?
Patricia looks and realizes she does not have it because dim wit Jamil kept it to register the car even though he said we better keep it IN the car.
Patricia: Crap, my husband has it, but I can call him and get the number from him.
Officer: That will not be necessary, do you have your driver's license?
Patricia: Yes, Ma'am (thinking she is grateful she took it, since sometimes she forgets.)
Officer goes away for what seems like eternity, Patricia prays really hard that she will not write a ticket and mess up her clea record, oh and she hopes she could have Jamil deal with the cop instead but the head blink and nod is getting her nowhere near this goal.



Officer returns license: Ma'am, I am going to let you off with a warning this time since we are still in July but you need to take care of this immediately.
Patricia: Thank you, thank you. I am really sorry.
Officer: I will move out from behind you first, then you can leave.
Patricia agrees and proceeds to call Jamil on her cell phone while trying to exit the parking lot, losing all common sense and driving in the middle of the road rather than the side of the road until she realizes the cop can still stop her.

This morning, Jamil had still not registered the cars... EVEN THOUGH HE HAD ALL THE PAPERS HE NEEDED!!! I called him every 5 minutes until he did and we are driving legally once again. Jamil is not as ashamed as he should be.

Me likes to travel...

...But when I had the time, I had no money and when I have had money, there has been no time...

I am much farther behind on the 50 state feat than I thought... I guess with the depressed dollar we will speed up this list since travelling abroad is so much pricier.

create your own personalized map of the USA or check out ourCalifornia travel guide

And unfortunately, I am just as far behind on this one as I had expected.



create your own visited country map
or check our Venice travel guide


Anyone up for a trip this year?