No wonder I left him....asswipe !!

Yep, I started it with "Asswipe".  It is the most appropriate word I can think of.  My daughter's father...ok ok "my ex" sucks ass !!  After many years of severe drug abuse and abandonment with no interest in a relationship with either of his children my daughter out of the goodness of her heart decided she wanted to try to get to know him about 3 years ago.  When she decided that she wanted to see him he was serving a sentence in the Metro Jail in the city where he lived.  After that visit he wrote her regularly until she was actually ready to talk to him on the phone with my assistance and then after a good year she finally started talking to him on her own.  She has always been very skeptical about him "falling off the wagon" and he knew that if he screwed up once she would cut if off.  So over thanksgiving he had made plans to go back and visit my family and while we were there go see him also.  Well due to an dental emergency and a sick cat our travel money was gone in one day so I had to back out of our plans.  He flipped out so bad that he threatened to take 2 shots of Vodka and a Lortab.  Welp, that was it for her.  She said that that was too much pressure for her that he would blame us not making the trip for his "falling off the wagon" as much as their relationship was based on his sobriety.  So the asshole actually called her last week and told her he was "done" and that he could not "do this" anymore.  DO WHAT you asshole?  Be a father?  Oh my goooooodneess.  Like I would have ever expected anything more....shame on me.
NO WONDER I LEFT HIM IN THE FIRST PLACE !!!
My sweet girl is so strong and thank god did not listen to his message, she just deleted it.  Saved her a broken heart.  The one that opened this up for a second chance in the first place.
*sigh*

Get a room ?

Sooo my ex of 18 years called a couple of weeks ago because he caught wind of the girl and I going out to SLC in January to visit my family.  He propositioned me that if he got a motel room if we could "hook up"? WTF??  I asked him to repeat himself, which he did enthusiastically and I proceeded to tell him NO !!  He got a little bent out of shape that I could answer so quickly and asked me to just take my time and think about it.  Again I thought about it for about 2 seconds and answered NO.  He said  "why not, we are familiar with each other".  Dear god !!!  I guess I could take it as a compliment, but NO that's ok.  And now I don't want to go out there at all.  Nice.

SLC Vacation is a bust....

It has been so long since I have blogged that I get "stuck" on what to write even though I have so much I want to say.  So I guess I will start with what has happened this past week. 
This next week I have off due to built up vacation so I decided to take my daughter and drive out to Salt Lake City to see my dad, stepmom, brothers, etc... So promptly last week my daughters wisdom tooth decided to make a rippin, roarin showing with no mercy for our damn vacation and one of my kitties, Baxter had some sort of stomach bug and had to be taken to the vet.  This is all within less than a week before we were supposed to leave.  Weellll now the whole thing is a bust and I am pissed about it.  Yeah I know "things happen" but dear god....really???  My family so sad and that makes me sad.  Oh well, nothing I can do.  So we are gonna try for my daughters birthday in January during a holiday weekend.  So cross your fingers !!!
So I have this whole next week off with nothing to do.  Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining, I just wish I were in a better place to have some "fun" !!  Sssalllll gooood !  I know !!!  I can get the kid out looking for jobs !  She had been totally phobic about physically looking for a job.  I mean completely scared !!  It has been so long since I have had to look for a job.  The good ole days of walking in, filling out an applicaiton and talking with a human being are OVER !!  It is sooooo damn frustrating.  I can't blame her for being intimidated.
I tried my hand at making homemade enchiladas and I must say they turned out AWESOME !!!  Oh my gosh I had seconds and now I am so full I could puke !  Gotta love it. 

Just because this was funny !  Baxter

Only Women Touch the Grapes...

We had such a blast stomping the grapes for a wonderful cause. Breast Cancer !! My Uncle Rick holds this fund raiser every year in memory of my 2 aunts who have passed from breat cancer. I am truly so proud of him. He then produces an AWESOME Cabernet from it and all proceeds to go a fund he has set up with the Sutter Creek Womens Center for women who don't have health insurance to be able to get a free screening and mammogram !!! Here are a few pics of our day ...

getting the grapes ready...

sexy !!

need I say more !!

getting our stomp on...

Dry Creek Valley...

Cheers !!

A week off...

I am nearing the end of my week off.  I have enjoyed every minute.  I actually got my landlord to help me and give my little place a fresh coat of paint and trim my tree so I don't look so ghetto !!  Mind you it takes a lot out here to NOT look ghetto.  The kid and I took off for an evening and a day to spend time together and it was real fun.  Went over the hill to Placerville.  I have never taken the time to stop and look at how beautiful and old it is there and it really was worth it !!  Back to the grind of the justice system next week.  Oh joy !! 



Old Town Grill has the best burgers !!



A little hangman action

Seattle..No Depression...

I have been introduced to a whole different kind of music and the more I open my mind and ears I am learning to really like some of it.  During this weekend in Seattle we went to this music festival called "No Depression".  It was a very liberating experience.  Again, eye opening.  My favorite was the band at the end "The Swell Season".  Watching, standing in the audience with a 3/4 moon, dark blue sky and listening to this wonderful music touched me .... deeply !!!

Waiting for the show to start

Head and Heart

Sooo much fun.  After a full day of music and great new friends we ventured out to find he famous D'Ambrosio gelato shop.  We found it and what a find !!  Only what dreams are made of !!!  I had the carmel and fig gelato and it was the most incredible treat I think I have ever had.

Seattle...

I was truly blessed to have been able to make my first trek to Seattle thanks to a wonderful, kind, beautiful friend who made it all possible.  I was able to experience a weekend away without family, kids or significant others.  It was so much fun experiencing such a diverse city that it really opened my eyes to the wonderful places out there that I would love to visit and go back to. 
We first got to Seattle just in time (barely) to check in to our magnificent hotel and in a whirlwind, changed into our grown up clothes and freshen up, hop in a cab to take us to Dimitriou's Jazz Alley to see an amazing singer by the name of Sheimekia Copeland.  She just knocked it out and was so beautiful !!  With that show we also had an incredible meal and an even more incredible bottle of wine !!

After the show we decided to put our feet to the pavement and venture out to find a fun place to experience the rest of the evening.  We happened across a small bar on a corner with a 70's music cover band, that I have to admit was one of the best cover bands I have ever heard.  Aaawww the Stacking Clowns.  LOL funny name but great guys !!

We stayed and partyed the evening away !!! It was wonderful.  Met some great, great people !!  Learned to never say "Warshington" again !!