I Survived 2013!

I am relieved to say that I have survived 2013. The first half was fine, but the second half has been a very intense roller coaster.

I survived money problems. Barely.

I survived the miscarriage of pregnancy number three, but more importantly, I survived the emotional black hole that followed.

I have so far survived pregnancy number four, and believe me, it has been worse than previous pregnancies. I have survived being so nauseous I needed Zofran, the headaches, the dizziness, the inevitable fatigue, and the extreme hormonal mood swings.

I survived Christmas. I don't know how, but I did.

As the year ends, ponder this: sometimes saying you survived something is as good as it gets. It's not " I won the lottery", but it's something.

To sum up, here's an appropriate song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWMv6VHaiBs&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Thanksgiving Day Gratitude

I know I complain a lot, and I certainly spend a lot of time wallowing in envy. I really am grateful for what I have, it's just hard for me to see the god things sometimes. Here's my list:

* I have a house, with a roof that doesn't leak and windows and doors that (mostly) keep out the cold.

* I have plenty of past travel experiences to remember fondly any time find myself staring forlornly at the suitcase I haven't used in far too long.

* Even though I've had, and am still having, financial problems, the situation really could be so much worse.

* My kids are happy, healthy, intelligent, imaginative, energetic, and loving.

* I have an awesome husband who is funny, creative, a great dad, a hard worker, an excellent travel companion, appreciates my eccentricities, and is understanding of and patient with my irritating quirks, both big and small.

* People all over the world who serve others, in big ways and little ways. They give me hope that there is kindness and compassion out there.

Judgemental Rant

Hey, I'm human, I judge others. I just usually keep it to myself. Today, not so much. Some things just really irritate me. Here's my list:

** Women who think they should be able to walk around in low-cut, super short, skin-tight clothes without getting gawked at. If you choose to put it on display, you are inviting people to look.

** People who insist that all Muslims are terrorists. Give me a break. Are all blacks criminals? Are all hispanics drug dealers? It's the same thing.

** Liberals who believe in free speech,  but only when what's being said aligns with their views.

** Any parent who doesn't teach their child basic manners.

** Any parent who gives their child a name that is impossible to spell and/or pronounce.

** Any person who thinks the world should revolve around them. (There are far too many of them these days.)

** Anyone with bad cell phone habits... i.e. not ending a call before going through a drive-through window or a check-out line, texting while driving or walking, not turning your phone off during a performance of any kind, not using headphones in a public setting (bus, store, break room). Seriously, people, there's more to life than your phone.

** People who get "facts" about a person or group of people from anywhere other than that person or group of people.

** People who believe every rumor they hear. Especially the internet rumors.

** People who assume that their way of doing things is the only way. This especially applies to moms. Moms are the worst at this.

** People who assume they know something about me without actually trying to get to know me.

** People who refuse to believe a disease or medical condition exists and insist that the person in question is just being lazy, or is complaining too much, or just wants attention, or should be able to "snap out of it."

Coming soon, a list of things I'm grateful for.

Realistic Reasons Why Having A Lot Of "Stuff"Does Not Make You Happier

1. More stuff to keep track of.

2. More stuff to clean.

3. More stuff to pack if you're moving.

4. More stuff for your kids/grandkids/pets to destroy.

5. Not remembering what stuff you have when you go into your storage room.

My Annual Oscars Rant

Dear Planet Earth,

The Oscars are not a popularity contest. The Oscars awards given by the film industry for artistic and scientific (yes, scientific) achievement in film. If you want to watch an awards ceremony for movies that were really popular, may I suggest the People's Choice or MTV Movie Awards? If you don't like the Oscars, don't care about the movies and film industry professionals who were nominated, and don't want to sit through a three-hour event, then just don't watch it. No one is forcing you to turn your tv to ABC on Sunday night. Pop in a movie from Redbox, or watch a different channel. And do all of us who do care about the Oscars a favor: stop whining, and leave us alone.

Sincerely,

Fans of the Oscars

56 Songs On My Road Trip Playlist

In no particular order, they are...

1. Rockin' Down The Highway - Doobie Brothers
2. I Can't Drive 55 - Sammy Haggar
3. Violet - Savage Garden
4. Lost Highway - Bon Jovi
5. Life Is A Highway - Rascal Flatts
6. Take It Easy - The Eagles
7. Real Gone - Sheryl Crow
8. Every Day Is A Winding Road - Sheryl Crow
9. Steve McQueen - Sheryl Crow
10. Keep The Faith - Bon Jovi
11. Desert Rose - Sting
12. Route 66 - John Mayer
13. Albuquerque - Weird Al Yankovic ( Yes, I listen to the whole thing.)
14. Holiday Inn - Elton John
15. My Father's Gun - Elton John
16. Dancing With Myself - Billy Idol
17. Listen To The Music - Doobie Brothers
18. Smooth - Carlos Santana feat. Rob Thomas
19. Raise Your Glass - Pink
20. Amoreena - Elton John
21. Country Comfort - Elton John
22. Love For Sale - Bon Jovi
23. Hotel California - The Eagles
24. So What - Pink
25. Running On Empty - Jackson Browne
26. Layla - Eric Clapton
27. Harmony - Elton John
28. Empty Sky - Elton John
29. Where The Streets Have No Name - U2
30. In God's Country - U2
31. Trip Through Your Wire U2
32. Té Dejo Madríd - Shakira
33. 500 Miles - The Proclaimers
34. Chicago - Kate Voegele
35. We Built This City - Starship
36. Ventura Highway - America
37. I Got A Name - Jim Croche
38. America - Simon and Garfunkel
39. Jump - Van Halen
40. Old Time Rock n Roll - Bob Seeger
41. The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota - Weird Al Yankovic
42. Respect - Aretha Franklin
43. Up Around The Bend - Creedence Clearwater Revival
44. Free Bird - Lynyrd Skynyrd
45. America - Neil Diamond
46. Paradise City - Guns N Roses
47. Marco Polo - Loreena McKennitt
48. Wanted Dead Or Alive - Bon Jovi
49. Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves - Cher
50. Here I Go Again - Whitesnake
51. The City Of New Orleans - Steve Goodman or Arlo Guthrie
52. Go Cubs Go - Steve Goodman (it's a family thing - we're Cubs fans)
53. Get Over It - The Eagles
54. Life In The Fast Lane - The Eagles
55. Blaze Of Glory - Bon Jovi
56. Alice's Restaurant  -  Arlo Guthrie

Why I'm A Homebound Gypsy

I have a lot of fantasies about almost every kind of travel. Route 66 by motorcycle, the U.K. by train, Eastern Europe with a backpack, and the Greek islands by yacht top my list.

The sad truth? I don't have a passport, don't have the funds, and have never been further out of the country than Tijuana, Mexico (back in 2002 when it was safe enough to visit). The most exotic place I've ever been is Honolulu, Hawaii, and quite frankly, most of that was on someone else's dime.

True, I've been places. New York, Chicago, L.A.,  and San Francisco, for example. The problem is that some were back when was single, and the others were pre-economic crisis.

What depresses me most some days is that I never knew I would be interested in backpacking across Europe or traveling cross-country by bus until about a year ago. My husband and I were considering an overnight hiking trip, and I searched Google for a suggested list of items to take. I ended up on a website about the *other* kind of backpacking,  -- http://travelindependent.info/index.htm --which led to travel blogs, and I've been obsessed ever since.

Now I am 32, fat, boring, with a husband, 2 kids, a mortgage, and a guilty conscience that kicks in any time I start harboring fantasies about said backpacking-across-Europe trip. I discovered it too late in my life. By the time my kids are grown, my bills manageable, and my guilty conscience faded, I will be 50.

I'm not giving up, but I am willing to face the reality that family trips to Disneyland, maybe 1 more time to Chicago, and various cheapy local trips, are probably it for me. No Spain, Greece, Croatia, or Isle of Mann. My only hope for significant income is becoming a published novelist, and any writer with an adequate sense of reality knows how likely that is. So, for now, I travel via travel blogs, travel memoirs, Google Earth, and the Travel Channel. And that's ok, I guess.