i'd rather eat lima beans!

My most favorite saying when I don't want to (1 do something (2 eat something or (3 be somewhere is , "I'd rather eat lima beans!"

Today that ole lima bean mantra was repeated over and over again! 

Why? Do you have to ask? I'll tell ya why.....  it seems the good old DMV (yes!) of California missed me.  The lovely letter I received in the mail, highlighted stapled and duplicated 42 times on black and white glossy 8x10 photographs...(oh sorry started to relive the saga of Arlo Guthrie's Alice's Restaurant.....)

The letter so nicely informed me that I didn't show proof that my car was registered in the state of NJ when I first visited....was I asked for any official document?  NO.  And, kids you cannot have any omissions or cross-outs on your submitted form.  OOOps, my black inked out writing mistakes got me into a heap of  trouble.  I was educated in public school which didn't let the likes of Sister Joseph rapping my knuckles to teach me to be neat with my writing.  Public school willingly let me explore my own style of penmanship!  Maybe Sister Joseph is running California's DMV now????? 

What else do I have to do with my days?  

 I along with the throngs of other non rule followers stood on the long, long line to the information desk.  Watching the clock tick away  25 very slow minutes it was my turn for that coveted bingo number B82! 

Pizza is always ready in 20 minutes, so is take out Chinese food.  In twenty minutes I was ready for take out too!  I approached my new friend behind the counter of mismatched and misguided rules with a nice happy smile on my face, and a little wave.  

I can be nice when I need/want/or have too. haha.

I then explained why I was back, and wholeheartedly apologized for having messy penmanship; all the while hiding my knuckles just in case Sister Joseph rounded the corner!

All is good, all is taken care of.  But wait, the TRUCK!! When will that be rejected??? 

I will eat a bowl of lima beans before  I step back into another DMV office again!  Phill is officially tagged, "he is it!"  

Run away and hide!  

stuff...

Tonight I made a recipe that I got in my cooking class during senior year of high school "Scalloped Potatoes and Ham". Needing only 5 credits to finish out my senior year,this was the perfect 3rd period class. Tonight  while preparing this labor intensive recipe (not really, but always makes one sound like a top notch chef) my mind started to wander and think about stuff.

Good, bad or indifferent ~ I haven't worked in over a month now.  Exactly 34 days -  the scratch marks I am making on my giant sized Special Dark Hershey's chocolate bar coincide with my count!  Once I get hired, I will partake in knoshing on my daily reminder.  Now that we are settled in, it is time to get my working show on the road.

Being alone most of my days, I have huge conversations in my head.  I win all arguments, and do listen to reason too!  The mantra my inner centered self is always telling me, 'haste makes waste'.   I have been taking my time and doing everything slow, correct, and sure.  You should see how I have perfected the remote control aim at the tv!  

It is only January, and I am planning opening day tv with my Yankees.  I have almost solved how not to miss a game.  I have my favorite hat ready, and you can bet it will be hot dogs for dinner that night!  April...12th or something like that.  I can hear the announcer now.....

Today I was driving down the highway (ooops... freeway 5) south.  While driving under this huge concrete overpass, my heart started to flip. What if an earthquake hit now? Oh my gosh, hurray up traffic move on, move on!  This had me pondering that I am basically a brave girl....maybe....

Then I started to list what gives me the creeps and willies....

bugs 

cheap fabrics

oranges and pulp

bad smells

concrete overpasses that defy gravity

As a young girl I could set my mother into oblivion by just quietly stating that I didn't want the orange juice with pulp.  Have you ever seen a rather calm  and loving Italian mother be told no to food? Immediately her voice would raise an octave or too, and I knew her blood pressure would rise faster than a Ferrari racing down a road with a turbo engine going 110 mph! I was in serious citrus  trouble.  I still see that stainless steel strainer, resting on my juice glass.  I knew in minutes torture was mine to drink (with a smile on my face!)

It is all just fun stuff.   Smile, dance and eat a marshmallow daily.

**Thankfully, my sister saved this age old 1976 high school recipe since it is so delicious!  As you can see in the photo, I am still cooking for an army.  Anyone want some leftovers???? Actually, I doubled the recipe.  You never know who will drop by for dinner.  

*** keep reading if you want the recipe......

Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

4 c thinly sliced potatoes

2 c ham cut into small strips

2/3 c finely chopped onion

mix together - 2 tbs flour, 1/8 tsp pepper, 1 tsp salt

3 tbs butter

1 1/2 c scaled milk

Grease 2 qt casserole.  Arrange layers of potatoes, ham, onions, sprinkle w/flour mixture, dot with butter.

Ending w/po layer on top.

Pour hot mile over all.

Bake 45 mins @ 375 degrees.  Cover and bake 15 min longer or until tender.

Enjoy.

a 3-ring circus...HoOps of fire....and a 2 trick pony...

What an experience....the California DMV.  Enough said? And to think that I had NJ in the lowest of lows of all DMV's on earth.  Nothing to compares to California's  'the most craziest show on earth!'

  What you want to move to the lovely state of California??? You better get your game on!  

We walk into the local office...all very subdubed except for the incessent calling of bingo numbers... G22 window 33 please..A19 window 1....

Explaining to our counter host we just moved in to socal (better lie about that move date....or $$$$), we get our forms to fill out.  We now have access to the "sideline"...oooh. Oh my gosh, you can't have more than 3 items of buisness....what??? It is okay, you just get additional bingo numbers to listen to.  Okay, no prob there...why is my wallet sweating in deep depreciatonal value??

Finally, B33 that's us! That's us!! Walkng over to counter 19 with filled out forms in hand we are ready.

What you have 2 numbers? Oh you better listen to it being called! Wait, am I supposed to clone myself at this point?  No problem counter #3 came to moi! Go figure.  

Whoa, woah, woah..... you can't register your car, truck and motorcycle....not now! You need to go to the Smog R Us  across the street and get a nifty $58 certificate to state you won't stink up our Sunshine State.  

Well okay....while we are being informed of the rules we didn't follow; counter #3 wants me to run over to her spot.  Okay, so I run and get the bucko rules on my license.  You pay $28 and we let you take our nifty test and take your thumbprint and lovely pic.  I was wondering what if I didn't have a right thumb.....

Run back to counter #19 whaddaImis...

Oh look, you didn't get to the Vin checker.... oh the vin checker!!! What the heck? So now our lovely DMV 'chuckles the burgandy haired clown' stated sorta like...would you look at, that the vin-ners don't come back until 1:30.....it is 12:15!!!! 

But wait, let's get you paid, and started on your paperwork...$450 please! What??

 

Wait, I just moved here (remember the move in date penalty clause??? Thank God I was wearing the correct color of the day!!) But chuckles I said with a nice happy face (was that a chore to do!), please I said so sweetly with my gapped tooth smile,  "we just signed our lease"....schmoozing the clown..it worked! Okay now you have to pay $345...more reasonable.

Here starts the hoops of fire.....YOU HAVE A TRUCK????? 

By gosh and you be screwed golly...you need a certifiable weight certificate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A what?????

(as I type this, Phill is driving one hour away to the closest certifiable DMV you be screwed you ever came to our state another $58 dolla weight scale in LA!)  

Amy the ever diligent, followed every rule, every $$ (remember Little Man that hit my car? His money mommy sent for my repair $$ now has been donated so gratefully to DMV....everything happens for a reason!!!)

  

I passed Smog R Us, waited a long time for the vin-ner to arrive- passed! 

And then waited on-line for my thumbprint, photo, and drivers test!

No kids, I went in cold. No studying for me!! I passed~ missed only two (hence the two trick pony...) As I am waiting on another line, sweating more than my wallet I am worried at 51 years old the happy test checker will say too loudly "you failed"  I had thoughts of how much I could pay her off...$$ Strangers all around give each other thumbs up when passing! I immediately was transported to 2nd grade worrying how I did...but in the 60's we didn't know thumbs up....hahahah. I did receive a smiley face on my test! Almost better than a gold star...and to think the test was corrected in that pc green ink.  No hard feelings from me!!

....The motorcycle...oh that didn't even get processed....Phill will be working on his wheelies and riding while standing on the seat trick!  Then he will report to counter...

fuhgeddaboudit..

your ship has come in........

While walking and discovering Dana Point Harbor, I found my boat!  Honestly, I didn't know I was looking for it, but alas you can see it is mine all mine!!

Dana Point is named after Mr. Dana, I am pretty sure his name wasn't Mr. Point; in fact if I read the plaque that adorned his statue I could probably tell you more than you would ever want to know.  So thank me now for just taking a pic of his impressive statute.

Dana Point is a harbor on the Pacific Ocean.  It is impressive, breathtakingly beautiful, and has really cool pelicans dropping into the water here and there.  Their splash is one short of a cannonball!   

Living recently near the intercostal waterway on the east coast, I was always regaling in it's splendor. Hours were spent there enjoying in the beauty of the water and of course the scenic view.

   Yesterday, I was tickled to find another place to sit and ponder life around me.    I have to say I will most likely be spending many hours at the point.  No doubt about it.  

Oh yes, my east coast friends ~ It was vewy, vewy cold while I explored the point.  Yes, it was!!!!  (Okay, I am fibbing just a little.  It was um, like you know 80 degrees. With yes, yes gale force winds. Okay that is a little lie too.) But I did shiver just a little; a teeny tiny shiver of gleeful oh my gosh what have we got here shiver!  You were all in my thoughts and prayers of warmth.

To own a boat in my opinion you must have a really cool name for the vessel. It is amazing to see how many clever-minded watercraft aficionado's there are at the harbor! I came up with the name, "What the hull you lookin' at".  Phill after spying a dingy came up with, "Size doesn't matter!". 

Anchors aweigh my friends. enjoy the ride.

It must be here somewhere....

If home is where your heart is,  then in bits and pieces somewhere in all these packing boxes I am finding small pulses of my heart.  We had 363 boxes delivered yesterday, so the scavenger hunt of finding heart warming jigsaw pieces is on!  From little knick knack gifts that were given to me throughout the years, or treasured pictures that must be front and present on the fridge.  These little do-dads of love are slowly warming up this socal home.  Needless to say, after 30 years of marriage a skeleton or two did show up in the closet!  The biggest warmth of all yesterday was my big brudder Mark, he gave us his love and support unconditionally.   Thank you Marky Maypo.

Thankfulness and wonderful memories with  family and friends warms a home; alongside laughter and tears.  It brings the blank canvas of house to life.   Today unpacking each box  I am crying this house to life.  

Tomorrow let's hope the laughter starts! 

 Mattie and Ollie knew just what to do during moving in day....hunker down and take it all in.

Coffee warms the heart too...time for more. 

overheard in laguna beach

As Phill and I were taking in the sunset this Sunday afternoon, we heard something so extraordinary, so explicit, so prolific that we just had to share....

 a little wiggly, giggly 3 to 4 year old girl monkeying around in the sand with her family taking in the sunset said,

"ciao, sol."

What a wonderful way to end the day....out of the mouth of babes.

SHakE RATTLE!! AND ROLL......

Most of you know that I had my Nonni's pasta pot for my earthquake helmet.  That life saving pot is in storage right now.  I had to use a emergency back up earthquake helmet.  

Yes, boys and girls. We had an earthquake tonight.  How do I know? The couch was shaking, and shaking and shaking. I looked at Phill and he had the same "oh crap" look in his face too!  

I I ran and got out from my luggage my wind up flashlight and my wind up radio.  I am now prepared.  

I also did the proper emergency technique and got under the table! 

Obviously these pictures are all staged, but the quake, rattle 

and roll was not!  Honestly it was the same feeling during a horrific thunder and lightning storm.  Just waiting for that final KAPOW!!

My heart is a little a pounding, and am pretty sure I am going to go eat that full box of cookies I bought at Trader Joe's today.  If I am gonna go, I am gonna go on a full stomach of Trader Joe's Jo-Jo's.

This probably measured a .5 on the Richter scale, but to me it was huge. I hope I sleep tonight!!!

UPDATE!!  THIS WAS A 4.5 RICHTER SCALE SCARY!!

HuCkLe BuCkLe BeAnStAlK.....

as young kids my brother, sister and i would play huckle buckle beanstalk. if you never had the most thrilling enjoyment of hiding something from others and waiting for them to find it, you haven't lived!  the joy of the game???  is to find that pesky whatnot and yell at the top of your lungs, "huckle buckle beanstalk!!"  i have fond memories waiting in a room and running out looking everywhere for the old maid deck of cards my brother hid.  it was a rainy summer day....we finally found it in the kitchen oven.  too much fun!  

so finding a place to live in socal has been like hbb...some places you are sure the golden gem of home is hidden in the walls, and some when you run out as fast as you can so you don't gag had no golden gem hidden in it at all. traversing and traveling far and wide huckling and buckling looking for that pesky golden gem of home.  this is the ultimate grown up scavenger hunt of all time. somewhere i have lost my childlike giggle while i huckle buckle.  while i am on this all out hunt for home, i am ever so grateful for those little yappy dogs that live rightside so very where near the huckle buckle golden gem of home might be hid.  i am pretty sure the yappy barks are subtle hints to run as fast as you can....

possibly as early as tomorrow phill and i will be yelling, "huckle buckle beanstalk". this will certainly in turn scare our new neighbors, or maybe start a new game in the neighborhood.  i am ready to scream my lungs out!  

california bump and grind.....

it's not what you think. not at all. 

look at lil' blue....   phill was so upset he ran and got the scrape fixed.  he thought he must of hit something.  i arrive in caly and phill finally tells me what happened.   

oh no not again! 

  

would you believe it?   it seems someone in the parking garage where our temporary housing is had scraped my car. we approached the head of security, and his reply was do you know how expensive that bmw is that hit you? 

what????  we are now in the process of trying to contact mr $$ bmw to see if he can $$ us.  man oh man..

oh the show continues .... yesterday driving to costa mesa heading out on my own for the first time lil' blue and i get rear-ended by a teenager.  he accuses me of stopping short....well let's see if was driving in traffic and the road had a lane closing for repairs...driving carefully and slowly....nope didn't stop short.  well i take that back, i stopped short when my car was hit from behind and my head did one of those back and forth bobbles we all try to avoid.  needless to say, i was very shaken up.  needless to say the young man has some years to grow up.  

mr little man's mom promised me as i had to talk to her on his cell phone, that they would cover all repairs.  i called the police after little man left, i felt that was the proper call to place.  it seems little man's family called police and stated i was the cause.  nope.  the repair for my car shouldn't be to much...it is even hard to see in the picture.  but most definately i probably will stay off the road today.

ROSE BOWL PARADE FLOATS!

So today we head out on an hour or so north journey to see and smell the "Rose Bowl Parade Floats!" Being rather excited, and juiced up on advil (still fighting my flu like symptoms) off we buzz up the road.  Using our cell phone gps's (I am being accused of holding mine upside down), and reading road signs where to go...we get off the floral splendor track.  However stopping at a local donuts shop, we figure out  we were not on track! Somehow my phone map was upside down...go figure.  So finally we arrive in beautiful Pasadena.  You can see the crowds milling towards the gated entry at Victory Park.  Finally finding a parking spot down a steep hill, we slowly make our way to floral fantasy!  

Upon getting to the gated kingdom we are told that no more tickets are being sold today.  What???? I tell the young man that we came all the way from New Jersey to see the floats.  He then responded that some have come as far as Vegas! Yes, in my Jersey Girl head I wanted to teach him a lesson on maps and distance from Jersey to Vegas, but alas I was considerate of his map disability and said, "Oh, okay."  I had to ask though, "can you smell the flowers?" "Only in the early morning," my map mismatched guardman replied.  With hunched over shoulders, and dreams blown away like the fuzz on the front yard dandelions we walked back downhill to our awaiting car.

Did we feel like bimbo's?? Maybe.  

This misadventure put us on a new road towards home ~ Freeway 605 to Seal Beach.  What is Seal Beach? That is the mystery....it is near the Navy base (hence...Seal Beach) we think.  But, it is also close to LEISURE WORLD!!!

Not sure what you do at Leisure World, but some day in the not to distance future we might just find out.    p.s. 9000 retired guests live right at the moment in Leisure World! 

I do think that our next floral fantasy drive might just be right here:

2009 smoke and mirrors kids......

back to the instant replay, back to the video tape....the ball drop here in socal was a rerun!! we called "home" at 9p.m. our time, and celebrated on the phone with the fam as the ball dropped in nyc/jersey.  we searched tv here, and no luck to see it drop. magically at 11:45 socal time the smoke and mirrors show appeared on tv! 

we did celebrate twice though.  everyone saying good riddance to 2008, and a hearty hello to 2009. bang those pots and pans~wake all in whoville and raise the voices for all to hear!

let's hope 2009 is alive with promise, and prosperity.