About me

Do you remember this boy?

For anyone who was alive in the '80s, this is likely an image you will never forget. 

Here's something you may not know about me.  I am a true crime buff and have been ever since I was about 10 years old playing hide and seek (more like hide and "they won't seek") and found a book under my aunt's bed where I was hiding. 
I have been hooked ever since. 

I am a licensed court reporter by trade and have been licensed since 1999.  I only practiced one year, but spent ten years doing captioning for the deaf and hearing impaired at University level.  My proudest professional work was captioning for one student in particular for nearly five years, including captioning her oral qualifying examination, and since then, she has held a Ph.D. in Immunology from the University of California Davis. 

Stenography, while not my passion, is something I am very good at.  I "retired" four years ago to stay at home with our girls and work on getting pregnant again.  ;-)  I still keep my CSR license current.  A smart move, in my opinion, in the current economy. 

If I had it to do over again, I would mix my two passions:  Photography and forensics.

But alas, I am a housewife with a perspective all her own. 

http://www.aolnews.com/crime/article/recurring-nightmare-did-jeffrey-dahmer-kill-adam-walsh/19419628

The recurring question:  Did Jeffery Dahmer murder Adam Walsh?  He was in Florida at the time Adam disappeared from the mall.  He had "access" to a van that resembles the one apparently used in Adam's abduction? 

Sounds like wishful thinking to me.  This is not to say that I am even convinced that this man...

Ottis Toole...

...did the unthinkable to that beautiful little boy. I think he would confess to downing the Twin Towers if given the chance.  I do think; however, that he is more likely a suspect than Jeffrey Dahmer, a man who murdered and mutilated (mostly) mature, gay men.  Keeping them around him in an effort to ease his loneliness.  Dismembering a little boy and disposing of his body is not Dahmer's MO. 

As much as human nature yearns for closure in situations that make us uncomfortable, stretching possibilities, while sometimes fruitful, often ends in false closure.  And honestly, I'm not even certain that's a bad thing sometimes. 

The tragic loss of Adam has turned John Walsh into a warrior.  And even though he looks like The Hoff in this picture...

he, too, is a face that brings our thoughts back to his little boy, and all John has done in his memory. 

Baby B with Brother and Mama

Daddy had to work and couldn't make it to the shoot. 

We will be rescheduling.

Big Brother shakin' his groove thang

(yah yah)

Little B wasn't havin' it.

So Mama gave him something to squick on.

Hush little baby don't say a word...

(Until Xty's done taking a bunch of pictures.)

Eskimo kisses.

A Leave-It-To-Beaver moment with our dog, Memphis.

It's Black...It's White...

View...

...from a television.

Trip to Nevada

We had some business in Reno last weekend and decided to extend the trip and have a min-vacation.  We took the kids to Virginia City, NV.  I have always wanted to go to a real "ghost town."  It was anything but.  I expected Old West, and what I got was Old Town.  It was much like Old Sacramento, or Old Folsom, Ferndale, CA, very quaint and picturesque and full of businesses and people.  Anything but a ghost town.

The cemetary was my favorite part of Virginia City.

This is the steeple you see in the background

of the first photo.

I couldn't believe how many babies are buried there.

So sad.

I took a bunch of pictures of headstones...

...but these guys are a bunch of hurry-me-alongs.

"Put down the camera already!"

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.

.

.

WhatEVER!  Uh!

Somehow

These people are lucky I take my camera everywhere...

Right?

(One day 100GB of photos will mean something to them!)

Mr. Man here decided to take off his shoes

leave his socks on

step in the snow

then walk in the sand.

Let's hear it for Eden.

Our HERO!

The kids now share a bedroom...

I wish!

This would is what their beds would look like.

Nice and cozy, yeah?

A little something for the men in town.

I'm sure the majority can relate to this feeling.

We also went to the Dog Splash show. 

 I have yet to thoroughly go through those photos. 

I will post those when I get a chance.

Here's one for everyone:

Why is the liquid blue in all diaper and maxi pad commercials?  For some reason, those advertisers need to try to convince us that their products work because they hold blue liquid. 

Meanwhile, is that "truth in advertising"?

Just for ONCE I'd like to see a diaper commercial with some yellow liquid, and add some brown appropriately-sized butt bricks -- and see the difference.  Now that's TRUTH in advertising.

As for maxi pads, some red liquid and perhaps some random gelatinous variables might be more realistic.  Sick, but realistic. 

I'm just sayin'...why the blue?  Is it because it is a safe, "sanitary" color over all other colors?

Where is the chivalry?

Someone I know questioned modern-day chivalry.  Here is my reply:


Chivalry, by this old-fashioned girl's definition, is a man who will open doors; a man who will do what is necessary to provide for his family; a man who knows there's a time to listen to her, cradle her face in his hands and kiss her cheek, and the time to set her straight, and a chivalrous man knows the difference; he is a man who loves her with her faults, not in spite of them; a man who spends his pennies with what he has today, not for what he may have tomorrow; a man who already knows all this, and does these things BEFORE making a committment to her because despite these superficial times, a chivalrous man is what a real woman wants, even if she doesn't know it.


Signed,


I didn't deserve a chivalrous man until I was able to accept the above.

Please Help!

I went to kindergarten with this little boy's mother, Eva.  Elias was taken to Morocco by his father and we are spreading awareness to this matter, and others like it, to reunite these missing children with their loved ones.  Someone out there knows the answers.  It could be you.  It could be someone you know...or someone they know.  Please do me this favor by watching Eva's YouTube video to see their story, see the faces, and spread the link. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88dLM2LvLco

A Very Mendocino County Weekend

I went back home for the first time in nine months.  It was quite refreshing.  My mom and I spent Saturday together at Vichy Springs (www.vichysprings.com) in Ukiah, CA and relaxed in the vichy baths and got pampered.  It was a much-needed break, and time alone with Mom is always a much-welcomed treat. 

I felt so rejuvinated and young.  I swear, you should have seen me.  I didn't look a day over 5 -- okay...6 tops. 

The kids had quite a fun time as well.  Each time we arrive at my mom's house, Tutu (my mom) puts little goodies in the guest room for the kids.  She even got the hot tub all warm for their arrival.

Everett got a cap gun, then Grandpa was taking some of Tutu's little flowers and putting them in the gun barrel so when it shot, the flowers shot out, too.  It was so cute.

"Stork chocolate Reissen, please Mrs. Lang."

Okay.  I know.  I just pulled that out of nowhere.  Does anybody out there even remember that commercial?

What goes on behind her head...

...stays behind her head.

Oh, innocent one.

Oh, Maggie the Moose.  I love that pup.  I think she was born within a day or two of Everett and the first time they met, she squatted and peed on him.  They were both like 2 months old.  She's much "dryer" now.

Water...

much like my words...

go in one ear...

...and out the other.

My beautiful mom.

Fresh caramel apples served at the hot tub.

Grandpa had a quad in the back of his truck.  Everett loves motorcycles.

Grandpa taught Everett how to turn it on.

...and how to drive.  Heavens ta' Betsy.

Okay.  Let me get this straight, here.

We have guns.

We have motorcycles.

We have fire.

Well, I forgot to get pictures of him in the plastic princess heels from the toy bin.  But that's okay.  He probably wouldn't appreciate my sharing that with people.

Sky lanterns are so beautiful.

The kids played with paper dolls.

We walked up to Harmony Hill with Papa to visit the sheep farm.

Here's Torso -- I mean -- Aya Rose.  It soooo wasn't cold out.

Sometimes she is such a dramatazoa.

Yeah, if ya didn't know, those little things can kick.

Whatever you're thinking about this picture, so am I.

"Well, hello, Mrs. 0562.  Do you come here often?"

Mr. G shows the kids how his sytem works.

Look at all that yummy corn.

Although three little hands offer up corn, they all go for hay. 

They're such sheep!

Everett thanking Mr. G.

After all that, we went across the street from my dad's and visited with his grandma -- my great-grandma -- my kids' great-great grandma.

How do you feel about redundancy?

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I think my kids are very blessed to have a great-great. 

Ahh...

...the story she tells.  ;-)

How many generations are alive in your family?