Om Na Mah Shi Va Ya.

Om Namah Shivaya.

I haven't blogged in over a month. And even then, it was one of dad's updates from Philly. So much to say.

In the past month, I have:

Worked... but not as much as I should have.

Visited Atlanta. I loved it - I got to see almost everyone, including a visit with Elton John and Billy Joel. Elton and Billy were looking and sounding great as usual. I was a little surprised when I learned that Elton had given up caffeine, but they both seemed like they were doing very well.

Read... a lot. Right now I am reading Eat, Pray, Love. We can credit that book with the title of this particular entry which is one of the author's mantras. It means "I honor the divinity that resides within me." I know it's touchy-feely and new-age-y, but I like it. And I like the idea that everything good and divine is here... I am "Cassie seeking... " but maybe I am looking in the wrong places? I am really being cheesy and too sensitive today. I should've (or should I ?) read this book immediately after my divorce. I see the things she thinks about herself and is going through and think...she is me. But she should be writing this blog. You guys were all great before, during and after the divorce and break-down... but I did feel pretty alone in my understanding that I was the cause - I failed at something. To hear (read) this amazing woman in Eat, Pray, Love blamed herself... and to see her forgive herself and really stop blaming herself (not just saying she doesn't blame herself)... well, it sounds good to me. :) I've been reading so much because as a bonus, the tax shop gave me a Kindle 2, which I've named BOB. The kindle is an amazing, amazing invention. I bought a bigger purse to carry Bob with me everywhere I go. This past weekend, I literally pulled Bob out in a bar and read. This trip to Atlanta was even more fantastic thanks to Bob. I carried him on ... and was never bored. My flight from Atlanta to Wichita was delayed... I didn't care.

Missed watching Kyler in Rodeo School. That's right - rodeo school. I was working. He rode a bull for about 7 seconds with no hands. I have a video... I have to get it on Youtube.

Gotten the daycare into full swing. We still only have 2 kids, but I had to battle the city a little. I spoke at a city council meeting... twice. We are now approved and licensed and actually - getting the 1st daycarte paychecks this weekend. They are paltry... but ... getting a paycheck feels pretty durn good.

Made an offer on a house... sort of. We called a realtor because with the stimulus package.. it seems like this is a good year to buy. But the realtor has not called us back in the past week... so annoying. We are going to get a new realtor. It's a little outside of town - but not far - like 1/2 a mile and has 3 acres. Plenty of room for horses, pigs, goats, dogs, humans, chickens...

Seen baby chickens born (or hatched as they say in the city). At least 20 chicks came all at the same time and I helped with the hatching...which mostly involved just picking up broken shells...I am very important.

Bought eyeliner. Someday I should grow up and be an adult. I think eyeliner is required in the inventory. I have used it once. Maybe next month I will be an adult.

Have not blogged. And I'm really sorry about that. I am having this internal struggle. I am busy - and I work a lot. But I find time to go out too. And that makes me feel guilty. And blogging feels like something extra. I have always been very good about completely immersing myself when I am reading. I am in the book (or Bob in this case). But most anything else I do for relaxing... I am usually in the back of my head "...Cassie... get to work..." so...if I blog and show and admit how much I've been just thinking about working, instead of actually doing it... well, I will be even harder on myself tomorrow. Which brings me to our closing mantra, also from Eat, Pray, Love: bar far niente. This isn't actually a mantra, just Italian, but it means, "the beauty of doing nothing". I need to learn to experience bar far niente. I do nothing all the time, but the whole time I'm doing it, I'm beating myself up. I need to experience the beauty of it... and deal with all the crap tomorrow. :)

Dad's last words (really just an email from Mom)

This is probably my last guest blog for awhile...at least until 1 of you travels! I just got a summary email from Mom that I think is very clever and wraps up dad's trip very nicely...

His plane left Manilla 2 minutes early at 9:58PM Manilla time. That is 6:58AM Arizona which is the same time as Colorado right now. He'll land in Los Angeles around 6:30PM tonight CA time. Which will be 7:30PM AZ time. He has a 4 hour layover in LA which will get him into AZ around 1AM tomorrow morning after a 95 minute flight. Now you know why I sound confused all the time. Allowing three hours to check in and get thru security and immigration was overkill... he said, "Been awake nearly 24 hours now. Immigration and security was super fast. Been sitting here for 2 hours. Seat will not be as nice. I will be in 16A." Not sure what it finally cost him to leave the Phillipines, but he had heard that he would have to pay 650 pesos to get thru immigration. The pix is the upper deck of the plane - I crudely marked his seat with the red arrow. Sorry to those of you who are colorblind. Just look for the squiggley funny colored line on the right hand side of the picture. Sorry to those who are directionally impaired - I just hope you are not colorblind too. If you are then maybe this will help - he's up there on that side of the plane by the window. If that doesn't help then nevermind. And that folks is the end of the presentation at this time.
Love, Caron





So jealous that he got to be on the upper deck!

Ok - this is not an update -

This should've been blogged about long ago - I think two weekends ago. I was hard, hard at work on strangers' taxes and Tommy and the boys were making me jealous. Not only was it a balmy 70 degrees outside, but they were going bullriding. I KNOW! A guy here in town raises buckin' bulls for the rodeos and Kyler is bound and determined that he is going to join the circuit (circus?) one day. So the guy who raises them invited Tommy, the boys and a bunch of other people to exercise some of the bulls after a long winter. The bull the young kids were riding is actually a pet and doesn't buck, but I'm pretty sure it made Kyler's week (he's wearing the chaps). Slayde was pretty excited about it too... I just wish I could've been there instead of just looking at the pictures. I'da been up there - you can bet on that. They say Tommy was riding... but oddly no pictures of evidence... suspicious, indeed.

Enjoy!
xBullriders extrordanaire

Daycare open for business - half run by very tired lady.

Well the daycare opened today - at 5:30! Do you know how much I wish I was kidding?? I took a sleeping pill last night around 8:30 ish so I could fall asleep and get enough sleep to get up at that time - thinking well the kid will sleep when he is dropped off. Not so much - got some sleep the kid was dropped off at 5:30 - and refused to sleep. We did watch Spongebob Squarepants and I admit I dozed, but every commercial, he would lose interest and look to me (OF all people!) for entertainment. Luckily Jenny came at 9:30 and relieved me - and I didn't have to work at taxes until 12, so I ran home and closed my eyes for a couple of hours. So I did ok - but I will sleep good tonight. Tomorrow no kids are being dropped off, I have to do taxes at 9, but I will sleep until 8:00. Soundly.

We still have some hoops to jump through for the city, including a hearing (!), but for at least the next 60 days the daycare is licensed and permitted. Right now we have 3 kids signed up - plus Jenny's baby. So things are a little slow, but we expect to things will fill up as the word spreads that we are open.

Sarah's movie -

Usually I think that being a baby again would be pretty awesome... but this would be one point when I'd want to kick someone in the nuts! And if you notice Sarah does smile for a moment and then instantly furrows her eyebrows.

Sarah's intestinal bypass surgery

Well Sarah has come out on the other side of her bypass surgery and now that she can digest, she's sure to start putting ON some weight!

#3 - the fruit bowl

YES! good for all of you Chimera is a female - she is from the Philippines. For those of you who id not know, the Philippines were run by the Spanish in the 1500s, the British for a while in the interim and the Spanish again in the 1800s. They gained independence in 1898. But most of the surnames and a lot of the first names are of Spanish origin.

Eating: Mostly, I have been eating a lot of fruit. I find Mango to be delicious - even had mango juice and mango fruit as part of one meal - YUMMY!

One day, I ate Eggs Florentine, the next Eggs Benedict - I prefer florentine :-)

I ate a breakfast roll that had some sort of fruit in the middle - it was gross! Now I have to watch out for it :-)

Security here is amazing - every building has an armed guard. The Mall entrance has armed guards, metal detectors and metal detecting wands. Some entrances even have male/female entrances separated. Every street corner has police. There are at least 10 armed guards around the hotel and at least 3 dogs around the entrance as well. If you bring a bag in, there is a guard at the door with a stick to poke around in your bag (including purses).

The people are all very cheerful and nice. But, I think they only know how to say Good Morning, Good Day, Good afternoon. And "table for one?". Everyone in the hotel smiles and greets you as you exit the building and as you enter the building. There is always someone at the elevators to hold the door and even sometimes push the floor button for you.

McDonalds for lunch today - Big Mac and Fries are the same her as in the US.

Everyday, I get fresh fruit. There have been bananas, oranges, and apples.