June! Time to Return to Blogland!

 Life has taken some twists and turns as usual over the last few months.  Just look at this drive we took!  That's pretty much how it's been as we've navigated our second year in California. Beautiful, unpredictable, but always somehow finding our way home at the end.

I'm not going to attempt to catch you up on EVERYTHING, but I will just go over some of the highlights today and then perhaps in later posts show you some more pictures of  Mr. T's and my adventures.

I got new glasses! They automatically tint in the sun. Yes, there is an official name for that, I forget it at the moment.

We've been to some fun and beautiful places!

Self-explanatory

Ski-lift ride down from Mt. Baldy - my terrified phone picture :-)

Drive to Lake Tahoe - Definitely a post in itself!

THEY are still the same...

 I'm almost 12!

Darcy and Dexter living the life with The Maven

I'm still teaching my Japanese students along with my able Teaching Assistant, Bumby.

Stanley took over TA duties for a few days went I went to stay with him after a scary incident - another post, but he's okay now.  And a good teaching assistant, although his Japanese is rusty.

See? Better!

I'm eating "clean". Trying to, anyway. Another post-worthy endeavour at some point.

Trying to improve the looks and comfort of 'the old place'. Love these 'Poofs!

Still visiting Vintage places and dreaming...

Best twist and turn?  This, hands down!

One year out from surgery! Doing great. Recently took training to become a Peer Counselor/Advocate within the California Mental Health system. Passed with flying colors, is applying for jobs in her exciting, new field and has an interview next week!

What a difference a year makes!

I'll take those twists and turns as long as they lead to something better ahead.

Big hug to my special friend, Sandie at Chatty Crone.  Hope you get to read this because it means I'm thinking about you, my blue, Ball Jar friend!

And a big hug to all my friends and family who have been patient while The Boston Lady learns her new computer, adjusts to life and keeps on, keeping on.

(Oh, and I had to quit the dog walking job. Hated leaving those hounds, but something had to give!)

Thursday Thought: I'm a Liar....

I lie like a rug.

A red carpet, to be exact.

I'm not doing a follow up to my Boscar's Rain Delay.

I just can't!! 

I want to, but I just can't make myself do it.

I usually compile lists of the movies I've seen throughout the year and have comments to make.

The day before the awards I realized that my procrastinating ways were going to keep me from being on time.  I had every intention of doing a follow up post with my reaction to the show, but I....just....can't.

Monday through Wednesday I spend about 7-8 hours each day looking at the computer screen and talking to avatars that talk back to me. It's not a hard thing to do, but in it's own way it is exhausting.  I don't know if it the fact that I appear on camera (see? I'm in show biz afterall) to my students and must maintain a certain level of enthusiasm and cheer, (yeah, sure, and Cate Blanchett thinks she's a great actress). 

Or. If it is the 5am classes I have to be perky for. Or. The fact that I go back to sleep for an hour after my morning "performance" and then revive for my afternoon "matinee".  Sometimes I really lose my mind and throw in an evening performance just to test the boundaries of my sanity. 

All I know is that it is tiring and I've got to figure out a new way to get "real life" things done. Grocery shopping, laundry, housecleaning (what's that?), cooking (again, huh?) and blogging, of course, which has taken the low spot on the list of things to do.

This is the first week of not doing the dog walking. I thought I would have all sorts of extra time on my hands! Nope. And I have no explanation for why that is. It evaporated!

This is not hard work, people. But it's been an adjustment for me. It has disrupted my "engraved in steel" habit of grocery shopping on Mondays. My "I took having a washer and dryer in the house for granted and could do laundry anytime I want" laundry habits.

I grocery shop in spurts now.

 We are on an "as needed" basis with all food groups including the feline and canine food. I patronize five different grocery stores depending on the day, the need, the time available. I know, I know, my Orlando friends. Shocking. You used to be able to set your clock by my appearance in Publix on Monday mornings.

I've gone rogue.

And not by choice.

So, I'm going to change. 

I will cut myself some slack from Monday through Wednesday and save necessary real life chores for my two lighter days, Thursday and Friday. I only perform for the avatars in the morning those days.

So. New schedule. New Plan. No dogs. Piece of cake.

Until the clocks turn back on Sunday.

 I will have to learn the time difference all over again between here and where the Avatars live, Japan. I was just getting used to the way it was. 

I believe these issues are all called "First World Problems".

I'll get used to it.

By the time the clocks "fall" back.

Vicious cycle.

As for the Oscars....short version:

Loved Ellen

Happy with all winners

John Travolta made me feel better about myself

Loved Lupita's dress and speech

Loved Jared speech and Matthew's tux

What happened to Kim Novak

Pink rocks

I wish I was in that Selfie

Next year I will do a proper Boscar's post.

I hope.

"Boscars" on Rain Delay!

Boscar Rain Delay!

See The Boston Lady's Post-Mortem Reactions to

the Wet Results!

Special Extra-Edition Coming to a Blog Near You

 Later This Week!

(If anyone really cares...)

Although it's not really the rain that has kept me from doing my annual "Boscars" post, it does give me a special thrill to say 'rain delay', since it's such a rare event in CA.

It has rained for four days! Not constantly in our area, but enough to wreak some havoc on the roads and bring down some mud into neighborhoods.

The Oscar organizers in Hollywood have been struggling to get ready for tonight's show. Plastic has been their friend as they put it over everything.

 Hollywood Boulevard has been closed for about two weeks as they prepare the red carpet area and it will be interesting to see how they manage it all by broadcast time.

I will have to do a "Boscar Autopsy" later this week (for those who care about such things) - My last week wrangling dogs and training new walkers was really busy and I couldn't get organized for a proper post.

I will say that my hopes for best picture are long shots:

I always root for the low-budget, smaller underdogs.

What were your favorites this year?

Happy watching!

Did I mention......?

.....that we are pickup truck people now?

Mr. T was whalloped from behind on one of the highways here in November which resulted in his car being declared 'totalled'. Fortunately he was okay, but his beloved car/moving office was not. It seemed to be the final cap on our year of challenges.

Every week we had a new rental car for about five weeks while we waited for the insurance company to come to their senses.  Did we get the true value of his well-kept Ford Edge?

No. 

So we took what they gave us and got ourselves a used pickup.

It's how we roll now.

With our "Gator" sticker.

Our Gator colors.

And even a Gator sweatshirt worn to the beach this past weekend.

It was cloudy!!  A rare occurence in sunny SoCal.

Beautiful little cove in the Laguna Beach area that allows canines (even black and white ones) during certain months of the year.

We explored.

Admired the tide pools and vowed to come back at low tide some time.

Looked at the rich folks' houses.

Admired their plants on the rocks ...

...and their cute hidden stairways.

I even took a video of some wave action and the nice houses on the cliffs.

 Take a look at it if you have about a minute.

Yep.

We are pickup truck people now.

And we like it.

**************************************************

Braggy bit here:

We attended the "premiere" of Sammy's first on-screen casting credit with her married name.  

And Yes.

We cheered during the credits. 

Like the fools we are.