Are you feeling down?
Maybe a little tired?
Possibly beginning to feel as if the skin on your face is pulled just a smidge too tight and probably cutting off the circulation to your skull?
ME TOO!
At least I was.
Our weekend in Bend was lovely. The skin on my face feels a little less taught, my brain a little less frantic, and even though I lost out on the game of rock-paper-scissors and got stuck with Oly in my room all weekend and therefore was woken up in half hour increments starting at 5am (DAMN YOU DOG), I had a wonderful weekend.
When we went to Bend for Christmas I had crossed my fingers, toes, and extremities hoping this born in Southern Californian girl could finally have a white Christmas. And although there was indeed some snow on the ground and frigid temperatures it wasn't the fluffy snowman making variety I had been hoping for. This visit though, in APRIL apparently was trying to make up for what I'd lacked over Christmas.
Touché Bend. Why ever did I doubt you?
Adam likes to come to Bend with all sorts of toys in tow. Whether it is a fishing pole, a hunting bow, his dirt bike or a gun, Bend is the place to play with Man Toys. This visit being no exception. This trip Adam brought his newest tax return toy, a pistol. Apparently the same kind the police use. Can you hear the excitement in my voice?
No?
Gee I can't imagine why.
My therapist said maybe one of the things that might make me feel a little safer in our house when Adam is away and I find myself guzzling wine and hiding behind locked doors would be to get a gun. She told me that instead of feeling like a victim about what happened to my family I should instead get fucking PISSED.
After playing with this toy, I think instead of getting PISSED, I just sort of just PISSED MY PANTS.
Scary scary toy.
No. Thank. You.
So, Adam's new gun is all scary and way too much gun for me. But this guy right here, this gun that has been passed down from Adam's grandfather, to Adam's father, and now to Adam, this little tyke is more my style.
Mostly because when it goes off it doesn't make a noise so loud that I feel like I just popped my eardrums.
Those movies where people are rapid firing hand guns and killing all these bad guys and looking all calm is just LIES. Adam's seemingly little pistol is way louder in person, the kick back is wild, and the idea of shooting at a moving target while also maybe tucking and rolling, IMPOSSIBLE SHIT MY FRIENDS.
Just saying.
Please note the mitten on one hand and the pom-pom hat.
BAD ASS.
But enough about scary guns.
This man right here is Sage.
A wise old dude of 14 who wanders the neighborhood near Adam's folks house. He comes around the house a couple times a day and his favorite spot is on the back deck gazing those frighteningly blue eyes through the glass door at you while you try to enjoy a meal.
Talk about some pressure.
And this, well this was just cute. What can I say, I think snow is adorable.
Probably because I don't live in it.
Now that I think about it, those of you who live places it actually snows are cringing looking at something like this. Sorta like, "STOP SHOWING ME THAT HORRIBLE COLD STUFF!" You're probably twitching right now the same way I do when I look on Facebook and see all of Southern California being all, "Oh I love the rain! I want to curl up with a book and some coffee!" and I'm thinking, "I'm going to punch you in the face if you tell me how cool rain is ONE MORE TIME CALIFORNIA."
Wow.
Sorry, look at the pretty picture and forget I ever talked about rain.
The weekend wasn't all snowy goodness, or snowy badness if that's your cup of tea. On Saturday I put on my tights and my Oly Rollers jersey and took on the Lava City Roller Dolls. Compared to my first attempt at a this whole roller derby thing this time I didn't feel like I was going to vomit in my skate bag the entire time I was driving to the rink so in my book that's a serious UPGRADE!
It was a close game. Full of screaming, shouting, slamming about, and sadly a loss for the Oly Rollers. But, I learned a thing or two, had a ton of fun, and the Lava City Roller Dolls were great hosts (none of their fans told me to die this time so that was a serious plus). One of the great things is that when it comes to roller derby, even if you lose you can always count on the afterparty to be a HUGE success.
In my book there is nothing like an afterparty to pick my mood right up.
Ashley, the Accidental Olympian
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