My Lego Project

For those of you who noticed...there was a night last week I didn't do a thing on Facebook. ;) That's cuz I was busy. It's healthy right? To do something other then Facebook?




I don't know what it is with me and toys lately...but recently when I was in Target I picked up the above lego set. The intention was to pick it up for the kids to play with, but since it went a whole weekend and nobody touched it, it was fair game. Oh my gosh! I have never had such peace of mind and a feeling of accompishment as I did, while I put this together. It's relaxing. I enjoyed it so much that I want to get another kit. But first I will complete the 3 house designs that came with this set. Here is the 1st one.

Getting Started



The final result



LOVE the lego chicken!



"knock! knock! Anyone home?"



There is even a satellite dish. No detail was left undone.

Big Wheels

Time to reminince again. I was just thinking about my favorite childhood memories and one of the ones that stand out are riding the Big Wheel. Unfortunately it wasn't my Big Wheel. My folks didn't get me one, so I rode the neighbors Big Wheel. I loved when I had the opportunity to get to ride it. My brother and I would fight over who got to ride it. The poor neighbor kid never had a chance. I'm not sure why we enjoyed it so much, except for the fact it was almost like you were driving and you definately weren't walking! We did have a long drive way with a bit of an incline. So the best part was getting to ride up the driveway and fly back down it.

Come to think of it, my brother and I had skateboards. So we traded the neighbor the use of our skateboards for the Big Wheel. I don't think we ever rode those skateboards the right way either. We were always sitting on them and riding them down the driveway in a kind of backwards "S". That was fun too! We perfected going down the driveway on that skateboards after a few skinned knees and elbows.

I think we were riding that Big Wheel up until Middle School. Then the plastic base started to give away and it cracked. Very sad day when we became to heavy for the Big Wheel. That was THE coolest toy ever! I know that John annd I got one for Michael when he was little. It wasn't the original. If I remember correctly Michael's was black. And I remember him riding it all over our old neighborhood in the cul-de-sac.

Good times...actually simple really good times. And for snack a graham cracker. ;)

There is a website where you can order the original Big Wheel. They've been around 40 years! Seems like forever, but geez, I guess that's right.

http://www.originalbigwheel.com/

Ramblings about the weekend

I'm sorry that the weekend is over. We had a great time! A group of us were out in the desert. Actually let me re-do that....a group of us bought homes out in the desert and we are all neighbors. Which is fantastic! There are about 10 homes out there that are officially our fun homes. (well, one is his full time home, but technically, he's out there on the weekends with us too...HAVING FUN!)

I've been wanting to take pictures along the route to our house from Escondido, to the Salton Sea. So....when I rode back home with Deb yesterday (as John waited out there for some friends to show up, that literally just bought a house by us!) ((another new neighbor!)) We stopped in Henshaw for a potty break. The routine is when we leave the "fun" house, we swing by So. Cal's largest AM/PM market by our desert house and grab a drink and a snack. By the time we get to Henshaw, that drink is wanting back out of our system. This is when I pulled the camera out and started to take some pics from the parking lot of the restaurant there. I also took a few coming down Palomar Mountain.

Dude aka Deet da dee and Roxy sitting in my lap on the way home. I love how Roxy just kind of lays on Deet da dee.



Next trip, I want to take some going down Montezuma Grade into Borrego. That is some AMAZING scenary. Enjoy the pics and they're not perfect, but they are after all taken from the front seat of Deb's truck through the windshield! ;)

Rose in our Backyard

 

Playing around with camera and new software.

More Ramblings from the Couch

So if you don't know, I'm a HUGE OBSESSED fan of facebook. I love it. It's a social networking site. It allows me to keep in touch with all of my friends. I love to share what I'm up too and see what they are up to as well. This includes friends that I haven't seen since school days. It's an incredible advance in technology today and how we use it. It used to be snail mail and postage stamps. Thanks to the internet, (and fedex and UPS) the post office is having to shut down several of it's office nationwide. Including one in our home town of Escondido. Think about all of the technology we use today and how did we live with out it.
I know you've seen emails with similar stuff, but here are my memories.

Folks my age.....remember when:

We had just one black and white television in the house and you had to get up to change the channels??

I remember when we got our first microwave oven when I was in High school in the 80's.

I remember visiting my first video rental store. The had VHS and Beta movies for rent. We rented Beta as my dad worked for Sony and he brought home a betamax. We were SO cool. ;) The pic below is identical to the Sony TV and Betamax that we had!



Speaking of Sony, my dad also brought home a Sony walkman for me. And it was cool, cuz when you unhooked the headphones (with foam earpieces!) there were speakers on it so I could share my tunes with everybody!



Our telephone was a rotary phone. I remember doing phone tree lists to call people and my finger getting sore from dialing.



I didn't get my first computer until after I was living on my own and it was an Apple IIe with two 5 1/4 in floppy drives. One drive was used for the operating system. The other was used for programs. I only had three programs...Appleworks, Hitchikers guide to the Galaxy and Printshop.



I thought I was SO cool when I got my first cell phone in the early 90's. It was a handset attached to a brick that was installed in my car.

It's amazing how much stuff has advanced. It will be even more amazing to see what comes up when our kids are grown.

I'm rambled enough, time to get off of my soapbox, but I had to reminisce. It's fun to do it every now and then. ;)

Make it a GREAT day (or night!)

Random Ramblings from here on the couch

It's Monday and the 2nd week of school for Kevin's senior year. Just packed his lunch for the day. I haven't officially counted how many lunches left to pack before he graduates high school. Not sure if I am ready for that.

I've got a busy day ahead of me....as a matter of fact, it's just a busy week! I'm afraid to write up the "to do" list for fear it will be a little out of control. I'm thinking of all the "to do"'s for work right now, haven't even begun to think about my personal life and the house. Although, admittingly, that's popping up in my head at this exact moment. Heck, one thing at a time, and it will get done. Fortunately today is an office day for me, so I might mix a little of the personal stuff in with the work stuff...meaning, load of laundry, go downstairs, do email, switch laundry over to dryer, add another load to washer, go downstairs, answer phone calls, fold laundry, go downstairs to do work expenses. Sounds exciting huh? oh, maybe unload the dishwasher of the clean dishes and load up the dirty ones too.

What a cute little dog ;) Currently she is sitting in my lap as I write this up.



I think I have two trips to the "OC" this week, although, I haven't fully consulted my calendar yet. Remembering from memory. Although, it might be 3.

I think this is officially one of those rambling blogs....it just goes on and on with useless information, but yet, you are reading this! ;) Yeah you! Cuz if you got this far and you see the words, you're reading it! Wierd how that works and how I know. I'm sorry if I wasted valuable seconds of your life reading this!

Well I'm off to get my day and week started. My baby 17 year old is up and having a bowl of Golden Grahams cereal for breakfast.

I am looking forward to getting away to go to the desert this weekend. It's definately an escape!




Make it a GREAT day!

Interesting and Useless Facts

Table salt is the only commodity that hasn’t risen dramatically in price in the last 150 years.

AND



There are 2,000,000 different combinations of sandwiches that can be created from a SUBWAY menu.

Did you know?

The Country Store in Baker has sold more winning California State Lottery tickets than any outlet in the state?


Hmmm....interesting. Being that is the last pit stop before you reach the Nevada border on the way to Vegas, or the first pit stop in California leaving Nevada. So, the lesson here is buy a lotto ticket in Baker on your way to Vegas, just in case you have a losing streak there, cuz the odds of winning the lotto in Baker might be better.



Baker is also the home of the World's tallest thermometer and Alien Fresh Jerky. Just writing about Baker, I'm wanting to take a road trip. I love that stuff like this is in seemingly the middle of nowhere. Yet, so many people are there just passing through.

It's been a while since I drove to Las Vegas. I usually jump on a Southwest flight and I'm there in an hour. Although, if you look out the window from the plane you'll notice the captain will usually start his descent into Vegas just after passing over Baker. Sit on the right side of the plane and you can see the tiny little town. (although, the worlds largest thermometer is not visible from the air)



Here is the link to the Baker Chamber of Commerce. Next time you head out the 15 northbound. Stop at Alien Fresh Jerky, get a snack, go to the Country store, DEFINATELY buy a lotto ticket, then take a gander at the Worlds Largest Thermometer.

"http://www.bakercc.com/default.asp"

Fun Interesting Fact

Apples are more effective at keeping people awake in the morning than caffeine.

Quote of the Day - August 11, 2009

Experience is a great teacher.

- John Legend

Happy Birthday to my BFF

There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship.

- Saint Thomas Aquinas

Happy Birthday to my BFF Julie!

- We've raised our kids together (Simple pleasures, like dunking their heads into coolers)

- Taken trips together (Hey! Hoover Dam is only a mile away!)

- Shopping together ( did you ever use the bargain pressure cooker? I never used mine!)

- BIG cutting board; little teeny cutting board

- BIG dog; little dog



- Matching Dresses in Hawaii and the Salton Sea (both vacation destinations!)

- I ran up that flight of stairs on the way to the Hoover dam 10 freaking times for 10 bux!

- VEGAS trips!!!



- Riding down the Valley Center grade at 4 mph in the driving rain as your passenger in the 1970's era motorhome that was WAY groovy!

- Disney Cruise, getting in trouble together for being TO OLD to be on a certain beach. (that sucked)

- Roaring Rapids in the Hurkman pool with the kids

- planning our lives around menus and food.

To my good friend remember....

You'll always be my best friend....you know to much!!!!

ENJOY YOUR DAY!!!!!!!

Are these the LAZY days of Summer? More Rambling.......

We have a week and a half before school starts back up here in Escondido. Well, at least for the high school district. I'm feeling pretty good. We cleaned off the deck this past Sunday and now we can go out and enjoy the evenings. It's always so nice to have friends over to enjoy it with them. We're having friends over tonight for another evening on the deck and I am looking forward to it.



Our clean deck with the playhouse that John just painted. He also painted the railings on the deck.

This last Sunday was great. John was out painting the playhouse, Kevin was helping me clean off the deck. The ipod was shuffling through some tunes. Roxy was patiently waiting by her ball just willing myself or Kevin to kick it so we could start the process again. Dude aka Deet da Dee was freaked out by the water on the deck and wasn't sure what to make of it. So he hung out on one of the deck chairs and watched. Occasionally he'd run after Roxy when she was chasing the ball. How is it that it is relaxing while you are working? That Sunday it was and I think Kevin even had fun helping out. But only because he would torture Roxy everytime she ran by. The hose would magically shower water over her. (of course with his help!) Needless to say both the dogs got a bath that day as well. (in the kitchen sink)

Right now I'm sitting on my couch looking out the slider which is open and letting in the morning air and I have a great view of the valley. Mostly tree tops, but a nice view. I have Roxy in my lap and Dude sitting next to me. We are savoring this moment. House is silent too as Kevin and John are still in bed. But I can hear the neighbors chickens. Although, typically you can hear them all day long.....that is until the Red Tail Hawks come flying through, that's when they shut up. John LOVES those hawks. I've got my cup of Dunkin Donuts vanilla Coffee with Vanilla flavored soy creamer (which I swear by). Life doesn't get much better then this!

Here is the view with Dude aka Deet da Dee enjoying it with me!



I do have a busy work day ahead of me and I've got to break this relaxing moment to go downstairs and start printing up my propaganda and prepare for the day. Besides Roxy and Dude aka Deet da dee, just left my side and went running out onto the deck to go check something out that they heard. (or thought they heard)

Make it a GREAT day!

50th Wedding Anniversary

This weekend was a special weekend for the Donnellon Family. We had a SPECIAL celebration of a love that has lasted 50 years and is still going strong!


John and Rosemary Donnellon were married on July 25th, 1959. They had five children, Mary, Laura, John, Noreen and Kevin. Out of those 5 children they now have 11 grandchildren.





Friday evening was spent at Kit Carson with all 23 members of the family doing the official family photo. It was really neat to have everybody together. Saturday night, we celebrated the anniversary at Bill and Mary's house in Carlsbad with our family and friends.



Mary (the oldest) and Kevin (the youngest)both toasted their parents 50 years together. Both touching toasts.

50 years - that's a lot of kisses, thru sickness and Health, 50 Christmases, 50 Valentines days, and most of all, LOTS of memories.

Two slideshows are below of all the festivities. Enjoy