True life story number 1,589

This all started from a "joke" email I received in which had images from "our youth". One of the images was of Santa in a cigarette ad. So I thought, I wonder how many ads selling cigarettes for Christmas there were... I decided to do a Google search. I mean really, no wonder my parents generation were all smokers... and why so many of my generation got hooked too! Mom's and babies... TV stars... The Flintstones... Santa... and Doctors!! Geeze!!!! They make it look so fun and fabulous don't they? Be well... DON'T SMOKE! Tj.

True life story #691

Timing is everything!

My hubby and I drove down to a really awesome cactus nursery today, it was amazing but that isn't the story. The drive takes us down hwy 99 and right by a local sky dive school. Just as we were getting close I spied a couple of divers coming in for a landing then a couple more and then... the sky was full of parachutes making a landing! It was amazing timing, zooming along the freeway, and be right there at that exact time! Yes! This is the kind of parachute... be well. Tj.

True life story number 1543

My hairdryer broke the other morning. It made a big spark where the electrical cord meets the hairdryer. I panicked slightly and quickly unplugged it. Scared me, and luckily I did not have my hand over that area! But I truly got my monies worth. I purchased it at a thrift store about 12 years ago for $1! It was an old 90210 issue, looked much like this but with a pink 90210 logo on the side. I wish I would have taken a pic of it, for historical records but it went to the trash before I thought of it! Oh well. RIP good old hair dryer!

True life story #732

Driving down 16th street today this guy whizzes by me, black leather vest full of patches, little black half moon helmet, some big biker dude in a big fat hurry. Of course at the next light I come crusin' up next to him. I was looking at his patches on his vest, notice there is a flock of bats painted on the front of his... what... wait a minute... that is a Vespa! Ha ha ha ha, I thought he was on a Harley but it was a scooter! Now that was funny.... note to self, don't judge a book by it's cover! Be well... Tj.

True life story #99

I got a new laptop! Wow! This is amazing, clear, bright, colorful!!!!! I am having a little trouble typing... oh well! I will adjust!

Tonight my hubby and I had a date, some of a rare thing, one of us is usually busy with something. We went out for dinner and then to a belly dancing show. It was refreshing to see women of ALL sizes dancing and sexy and fun. Big is beautiful!!!! Nice event and a great evening with my honey! Be well... Tj.

True Life Story #1011 Drag Queen Bingo!

Yesterday a friend posted on Facebook she was going out with friends to Drag Queen bingo. I responded... what? I want to hear more about that!! But she never got back to me. So, I think, well… next time. I get home from work, my husband suggests we go out to dinner to one of our favorite hamburger places. Hamburger Patties. It is a bar/restaurant in midtown Sacramento, they have great burgers, friendly staff. The building was once home to Sams Hofbrau, a place my hubby and I knew very well, he used to play there several times a week so it is very familiar to us. Anyway, we go to dinner and we arrive and their parking lot is really full! The attendant tells us it's Drag Queen bingo night! What? We stumbled into it!! AND I won!!! BINGO!!!!!!! Yep the 2nd game we played I won. Which was too fun because if you win, you have to go up and they put a wig and crown on you and you have to walk/run through the restaurant while all the other players pelt you with their balled up bingo cards! No worries, the cards are just paper, yes I proudly took that! I won $30 in Hamburger Patties bucks so it paid for our dinner! The fates just wanted me there last night I guess... And I haven't laughed that hard for a while, what a kick!!! Be well… Tj.

True Life Story #682

I have been struggling in the last few days with a decision, kind of like Dorothy when she met the scarecrow, which way to go. My crossroad? To stay with the YMCA or to join 24 hour fitness.

The only reason this even came up is because of the break ins in the parking lot of the Y and the lack of response from them. I know of at least 5 incidents of broken windows and stolen objects. I mean really we are sitting ducks in the parking lot. We pull in, get out of our car with our towel or exercise bags, obviously we are going to be in there a while. The Y has cameras in the parking lots, but they didn't stop thieves from stealing my camera! Anyway, decisions decisions.

We went to 24 hour fitness and took a tour. They sure do have a nicer facility, much more equipment, more classes, a whirl pool, a steam room, AND it is less expensive! So what's stopping me? Well the pool for one. I go for the water aerobics classes at the Y. The pool at the Y is big, 25 meters and 6 lanes. It goes from 4 to 12 feet in depth. They have 4 nights of water aerobics classes and a Saturday day class and a lifeguard on duty all the time. 24 hour, has a 25 meter pool but it's only 2 lanes and only 4.5 feet deep, AND no lifeguard! They have 2 nights of water aerobics classes but earlier at 5:45. There is a 24 hour about 10 miles from my house that has 4 nights at 7:00. What to do…

Saturday afternoon I go to the class at the Y. As I'm walking in, a mom and her 2 kids are coming out, the kids have big bright smiling faces just having come from the pool. I go to class and enjoy it. Leaving, at the counter there is a young mom and her 2 girls, the older girl has a big smile on her face and is singing Y… MCA. Then in the parking lot a dad and his 2 kids running toward the building anxious to get in the pool.

The smiling faces of the kids. Those little moments of joy I get to experience at the Y. That won't ever happen at 24 hour. I go home and talk again with my family. Joe is perfectly comfortable with the Y, the equipment they have to offer works for him. Lindsey would like to go to 24 hour she has friends that are members and they could exercise together. So, our decision is… we keep our family membership at the Y, and get Lindsey her own membership at 24 hour. Yes a little more money, the break in thing? Well just don't leave anything of value in the car dummy! :)

I feel good about it, the family atmosphere at the Y, the kids joy that I get to share, that is priceless! Be well… Tj.

True life story #521

Lindsey, Joe and I went out to get a slice of pizza this afternoon, and people watch at the new ice rink they put in for the winter months. While there, the wind came up and the trees let loose of some of their leaves, it felt like a winter wonderland of snow... well except it was fake ice and leaves falling in place of snowflakes. Hey it was 60 degrees, what do you expect? The camera didn't really pick up the falling leaves, but if you click on the photo you can kind of see! Be creative! Tj.

True life story #87

So, there is construction going on in the lot behind us. It is about 25 feet from my bed. 2 new homes going in. So, they wake us up every morning now at the crack of 7:00am. I am not a morning person, and my hubby works nights so that is way too early for him. Bla... But we were supposed to get rain today, and we were hoping for an early morning rain to prevent the hammering so early... not.

But it has rained, everything smells wonderfully clean and fresh! Love that smell!! Love the rain!!! Makes me feel like dancin! Be well... Tj.

True life story #398

Lindsey got her braces off today!!!! I went with her and got to watch, hard process to watch, much harder to go through I'm sure, but look at that smile! Yahoo!! Love you honey.

True life story #623

In the opening scene, Ruthie Taylor, played by Lindsey Molineaux (my lovely daughter) is bitten by the bat boy. The bat boy is captured and taken to the local vet Dr Parker to be dealt with. Dr Parker's wife takes the bat boy under wing as her own. Dr Parker is very jealous of his wife's love for the bat boy. Ruthi...e, who has been hospitalized for the entire first act due to her injuries, is visited by Dr Parker, he is stricken with jealously and decides that if the bat boy can be blamed for Ruthie's death he would win back his wife. Of course he doesn't, but this is what takes place! Aha aha aha aha!!! God job Lindsey!!! And great job to the cast and crew, Bat Boy the Musical was fantastic!!!!! (Please excuse the terrible video work)



I did not know what happened to her when I saw Bat Boy the first time, I just sat there with my mouth open!!

True Life Story # 285

My hubby Joe and I spent Halloween night home together, we have not done that in years. It was great fun! We watched Night of the Living Dead, and remembered how scary a movie could be without all the special effects. We sat on our front steps and handed out candy to all the little ghosts and goblins. We even had a visit from the Pope! Ok, not the real Pope. He was about 3 feet tall, with the most wonderful white and gold Pope hat and robe! Must have been the mom's idea don't you think? Or do you think a 3 year old would say, I want to be the Pope for Halloween? We voted that one the best costume that visited our steps that night! Too cute!!!

This is witchy me with my daughter Lindsey's black cat, Pancakes, casting a spell! Waaahahahaha!!!

True life story #27

My beautiful daughter Lindsey before, and after stage makeup. This is her character in the second act of Bat Boy: The Musical! She is channeling my mom I swear. Same wig color, same wig hairstyle, same red lips... pretty funny!

True life story #43

A new lady and her teenage children started coming to my water aerobics classes about 3 weeks ago. She looked a little familiar to me, but a lot of people do in my class. We introduced ourselves, her name is Mary. Mary, I thought to myself, looks like someone who worked for the same agency I do some time ago. Years really. But I didn't say anything, she didn't seem to know me. So, we see each other in class a few times a week. Last night she said to me, you look so much like someone from my work. Hum… where do you work I asked? HA! Yep, we both still work for CalPERS! Different divisions, and she doesn't do the delivery run that she did all those years ago. We have not seen each other in years, and NEVER wet in our swim suits! We had a good laugh that neither of us figured it out sooner!! Funny stuff happens as you get old(er)! :)

Five more, three more, two more... you can do it!!!

Tru life stories #64 and 197

True life story #64

Tree removal happening 2 houses down from us. Well actually it's a small apartment complex, 6 units, sits on the side street from us. There has been a dead tree there for a few years, they are taking it out today. But those tree guys are scaring me! So, here are a couple of photos, the first you can see his legs in about the middle of the photo.






The next I zoomed out. You can see the top of the dead tree, he is now closer to the bottom of the photo. He cut that tree right there, and it fell down right on top of the roof of the front apartment! Ouch!! The guy on the ground with the rope didn't seem to pull at all. Did they mean to do that?? I have no idea. Tj.









True life story # 197


The street where I live is often like the whole world... the culture and diversity I see from my porch amazes me sometimes. This morning there was a drum core playing down at the park for some event. The beat of the drums were competing with the chainsaw cutting the tree next door. Here is my view to the park, zoomed it to see the festivities as they are winding down.


Our home sits half a block from the Southside park where concerts and all kinds of events take place, I zoomed out as if you are sitting on my front steps looking toward the park. I am 5 blocks from my office. We are about a mile from Old Sacramento, the Capitol, the K street mall, the Sacramento Convention Center and much more. It's a great place to be! Tj.

True life story # 443

No YMCA last night. There are no water classes on Wednesdays. Joe wasn't home, Wednesdays he teaches then straight to a gig. Lindsey is in rehearsal for Bat Boy the Musical, so she wasn't home. I took a 2 hour nap with my GrandDogger! I went to bed too late on Monday and Tuesday, so I was tired last night. I fell asleep watching TV with Pixi sleeping on my lap. We both woke up around 9 and I decided to paint. I am almost done with the 2nd laundry painting so I'll have something to share soon! Ah, lazy night.

This is Pixi, my GrandDogger (Lindsey's dog!) Be well. Tj.

Love story... numero uno!

Flashback, 20 years ago tonight, right around this time, my hubby and I met. On the stairs at Hogshead Brew Pub. 20 years??!!! This photo is a few years later, but proof we were young(ish) once! I love you honey!

True life story #17

Driving home from the YMCA last night, Eric Clapton's song "Let it Rain" was playing on my radio.

The rain is falling through the mist of sorrow that surrounded me.

The sun could never thaw away the the bliss that lays around me….

I drive under a street light just as he starts to sing:

Let it rain, let it rain,Let your love rain down on me.

Let it rain, let it rain, Let it rain, rain, rain...

My windshield was spotted with rain! And it hasn't stopped since.

Eric Clapton made it rain! Love it!!!

True life stories

I thought I would begin to do some short stories about life. Just to have a simple addition to my blog and a glimpse into my reality! Randomly numbered for kicks and giggles... I hope you enjoy!!

True life story #344

My daughter Lindsey lives in our basement apartment. She had been complaining that she was running out of hot water during her showers. Bla… ok the hot water heater downstairs is about 10 years old. Expect the worse. It probably needs replacing. So start with the basics, drain some water from it and see what it looks like. So, my hubby and I go downstairs yesterday, hook up the hose and get out the bucket. We thought ok, lets drain just a bucket full before we decide to turn off the gas and drain the whole tank. Much to our surprise the water was clear! No sediment came through at all, thank you Sac water! So, hum… what then? Ok, Joe notices the temp was turned way down almost to just the low warm setting. So we crank it up and voila!!! Hot water again. Whew… that was easy! Just love it when that happens!!!!

Here is some photoshop fun. Tye Dye happy face! Be well... Tj.