Bargain Bin Bargain

So, we've all done it. We've gone to the clothing store knowing we can't over spend -- or at least going in THINKING that way.

I went to Target for some regular home supplies, some Miracle lunch snacks and toiletries. I thought I would take a look at the sales racks as I always find at least one thing that I just can't pass up.

Well, I found that one thing. I have been needing a solid black skirt of lighter material. I wanted something not too dressy and not too casual. I found what I thought I was looking for, but it was a little shorter than I wanted.

I looked at the price tag and read $4.98...

MMOOOAAAHHAAAA

(evil laugh at the thought I was almost actually STEALING this skirt!)

I didn't have time to try it on, but it seemed to be my right size.
I took it and we were gone. As I customarily do, I threw it in the wash. I hung it in the closest and sort of forgot about it. Until today.

I went in to put on my "stolen at a great deal" skirt and to my surprise.... It has shorts built in!!! Uh... what??? Did I get a sporty skirt or something???

Yeah... so now, if I really want to get crazy and feeling in a really exercisy mood, I can hike up my skirt, tuck it all up in the waistband and hop on my bike to get to work!!! When I get there, I can untuck my skirt and wear it normal again.

Brilliant!!!!

Me and my Miracle

We love this song and so much of it just sort of goes along with our journey together this far...

Soft thunder from across the meadow
Rain buckets on the kitchen floor
An old letter and the coffins empty
But all these storms I know we'll weather
All these storms we'll ride together

I never dreamed it would be so hard girl
Never saved up for a rainy day
Never thought that we
Might howl and shiver
But all these storms I know we'll weather
All these storms we'll ride together

Pick up your heart my love
Pick up your branch and dove
Canon in the name of the lord
We got a hole to mend
We got a fire to tend
We won't let these troubles grind us
We got friends and prayers to mind us
We got seven years behind us

Long rumble coming across the meadow
Rain pouring and the buckets full
Sky cracking and the house shaking
All these storms I know we'll weather
All these storms we'll ride together

Pick up your heart my love
Pick up your branch and dove
Canon in the name of the lord
My lady look alive
Our ride will soon arrive
Lift up your eyes my dear
We need some light in here
Jam ‘til the jam is through
We've got a hole to mend
We've got a fire to tend
We won't let these troubles find us
We got prayers on the road behind us
We got heavens horse's bridle

All these storms we'll ride together…

STORMS
by Railroad Earth

My Norton Commando burn!

I was talking to Miracle the other day in line at, of all places, Disneyland for another exciting ride on California Adventure. We were comparing, of all things, our owies and how we got them.

One in particular sort of made me cringe and crack me up at the same time. For any motorcycle enthusiasts in my little world of peeps, the biggest rider faux paus is getting your leg stuck on a very HOT tail pipe while trying to remove yourself after a really long ride! Wow that was such a painful experience, but unlike childbirth, I have no scar any longer... no "badge of honor", if you will.

Well, that happened to me when I was about 19 or so. My brother used to take me out on his Commando all the time and everywhere!! We really had some good times going to rallies, riding Ortega Highway, going up to the Rock Store, Cook's Corner, and just meeting up with other riders.

One time we went to a rally up in L.A. against the helmet law! Yes, those were much different times back then. I miss those times and reflect on them fondly as probably one of three things I had in common with my brother... and one of the three things he let me do with him.

Ride on, Jeff!!!

The Bullet Counter...

Suffice to say I'm not a movie critic, but I LOVE to critique movies. I grew up (am still growing up), the daughter of an engineer. Okay, here's some props to my POPS: He was one of the engineers on the first Space Shuttle Enterprise as well as the original Apollo Program. I was able to watch the liftoff of the Shuttle on TV in 1976 -- and yes, I remember it and yes, I'm dating myself!!! I got his logical mind minus the smarts, I guess. But, hey, who's complaining!

So, I was watching Alice and Wonderland this weekend. OhEmGee! What another great Tim Burton creation! Miracle and I both love Tim Burton and his genre of movies, his talent, his creepines, his creativity... so on and so forth!

BUT -- I am an undeniable bullet counter. It started as a wee one in the family room of our subaburnite house in "not that many people know where" hometown. My dad used to count the bullets in movies. I expanded that since I didn't -- still don't -- know how many bullets are supposed to be in guns. Now I see, subconsciously I guess, some mistakes in movies with the editing. Sometimes it's a bit of a pain in my royal because I notice them one after another and it turns into a mini challenge for me the rest of the movie. Thankfully, it doesn't hinder my enjoyment of the movie.

Spoiler: If you don't want to know what I found then stop reading --NOW!!!

In one scene Alice is riding on the back of the bloodhound, Bayard, to get to the White Queen (Anne Hathaway's funny in this and I don't really like her all that well, but I digress). She takes off with her bandage on her arm. In the next couple scenes the bandage AND scratch are gone. In the scene following, still atop Bayard, the bandage is back. Needless to say, I had a wee giggle to myself and fought the urge to Facebook about it since I FEARED being escorted out of the theater.

Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter are the best, of course and that goes without saying.

If you haven't gone to see the movie yet, you must go see it if you are even remotely a Tim Burton fan. If you are not, then you might not get it.... or, at the very least, be amused or entertained.

Happy Bullet Counting!!!

Changing the name...

So, I've decided to change the name of the actual blog... my blog, this blog.

Instead of Single Mommy Rants, it's now Single Mommy Musings... I hope there isn't another one out there with the same name. If there is... oh, well. Infringement issue? I wouldn't think so since blogger doesn't have you license your blog... Yay for me!!!

Anyhoo... I've decided to change it as Rants just really does seem to have a negative connotation and this blog isn't intended to be that of a negative nature. I may have a "negative" day or something, but it's not intended for me to just type out and hash out negative subjects as that wouldn't help in my "healing process"... Hahahah!

I don't want to end up looking like this lady ===>

Happy Monday, all! Enjoy your week! Today is Working Women's Day so try to celebrate it anyway you can... Cheer's to that paycheck!!!

Friday Funneez....

Okay, so I had to post these today... cuz... ya' know everyone needs a little bit o' fun in their lives!

Trampoline Dog - watch more funny videos

Dramatic Cat - watch more funny videos

Senile Cat Talks - watch more funny videos

Happy Friday, everyone!

Her giggles...

As with any parent, I feel my daughter is the cutest, the brightest, the most caring and nurturing of the bunch. I think all of our kids are the "top of the line"... [That's a play on words from my sister-in-law about a fellow employee that has to buy "top of the line". I hear it and it cracks me up! Sorry, I digress!]

I wanted to get down as much as I could about the love of my life: my amazing daughter and partner in crime! Crime, because that's how we roll...

I love her giggles that start out small then grow to be twice

her size and just as infectious.

I love her new thing now where she, completely out of the blue, yells at you to play the quiet game and who can stay the quietest the longest. I get a kick out of the progression of her facial features and her body language as she absolutely tries to hold in the laughter. Her nose starts to wrinkle. Her eyes squint up and her lips curl up and over her top teeth. A little brown Hotei totally comes to mind.

I love her high energy and how she is nonstop pretty much most of her waking life. But, then too, there isn't much quiet time in our waking life unless she's playing the quiet game.

I love how her little round body can move and groove to some pretty tricky beats. She loves to sing and dance and prance in her Sunday best with the highest, most gaudy shoes she can find. The uglier for me, the better for her! Although, she gets the jiggiest when she is just butt nekked and free... all the while giggling uncontrollably.

I love her early appreciation of music. We used to drill her on a handful of about 10 black musicians and what instruments they played. From the time she could speak, her daddy started this ritual wherever we went. She got to the point she could identify by sight with some as well. Those were some fun days.

"What does Miles Davis do?"... "He plays the horn"
"What does Bob Marley do?"... "Listen to Bob"
(all drawled out and mellow-like)
"What does Jimi Hendrix do?... "He plays the guitar"
"Who is James Brown?"... "He's the Godfather of Soul"
"Who is George Clinton?"... "He's the Godtather of Funk"
"What does Stevie Wonder do?"... "He plays the piano"

I love how she can endure, persevere and is overcoming her obstacle to learn. Near the end of last year she could not read. Now she reads beautifully and is working on her comprehension. Even with her struggles and extra workload, she trudges on and is still excited to go to school and is willing to learn. I can only hope and pray that tenacity carries her through life and takes her where she wants to go! I could really learn a thing or two.

I love how she is my little protector. She is always concerned how I feel and how others feel. She remembers the way things used to be and in her own mind and in her own little world, that was the best heaven a little one could ask for. Still are those quiet moments that we share together some memories of our old house wtih the great room in the front and the pool in the back and daddy bar-b-quing. She misses those younger times -- sheesh, she's only seven!! Now with daddy having a girlfriend that quite possibly will be moving in soon, she's concerned with my feelings. I hide my true feelings of resentment and anger trying to make her at ease when I feel her stresses. She's my Amazon, my little warrior princess -- and has a strong right arm comparable to Kimbo Slice!!!

I love her curiousity! Dang, but it trips me out sometimes. When my dad was in the hospital and then home after his surgery to remove cancer (yay to being over a year cancer free!!!), she was right there being his rehabilitation nurse -- telling him to drink his water, be careful when walking, making sure he ate his lunch... She is all about cuts and bruises and even the dog pooping. She's always wanting to know how things work and why and then cringing at the sight and the explanation, only to go back for more.

I love how she is a survivor. She came into this world in such an unfair, unfortunate way, but she fought hard and beat the odds. This little vulnerable creature was born to an older, misguided creature who decided not to take care of herself while carrying my precious package. See, I was told by a Lakota friend that children choose their parents. Being that Miracle is half Dakota, this story seems to apply to her. She was up there floating around in the heavens for about eight some odd years saying, "okay, would you hurry the hell up and be ready to be parents so I can be born?!?!?". It's unfortunate, or not, that she was not born of blood and bone to us, but born of the heart and on a much more difficult path to come into our lives.

Phew, enough of that!!

Here is a huge thank you to my little sassy frassy girl
and to all the kids and parents that we have in our lives.

We are just that much more rich for it.