~@ costco......

STU: i'll go thru first ....i have to renew our memberships...
ME: ok...i'll help load your purchases...
STU: thanx..
ME: ok...i think thats it.....'cept for your meat....& EW!~ u know i cant stand to touch that...
STU: u've never felt that way before....((in a whining voice & loud enough for all the other people standing around to hear))

ME: unable to control the laughter.......

yeah....nothing like going shopping with your platonic friend when everyone thinks we're a couple...

~Yellow~

~538:YIP~...Yellow~, originally uploaded by ~mintas.fotos~.

well...
spring ....
is most definately here.....

this beauty was in my accountant's backyard.....

she called me to tell me the cactus was blooming in her front yard....
& after firing off a few of the cactus & the poppies....

we went into the backyard to see if any of the iris's were still foto-ready =)
this reminds me of my mom.....her fave colour is yellow.....

well....its 1 am ....
just did a couple loads of laundry....
caught up on some tivo'd stuff....
took the garbage out...
watched the 5 minutes of rain that fell ((practically a storm for phx))
checked the calendar for meetings tomrw....
& crawled into bed to write this =)

so....nite nite poodles....

~makes the sinus meds work better?~

BIG sinus headache for the last couple days....
seems allergy season is in full swing for me....
BAH!.....
still waiting on my fed refund....
the website said it was to be here by 11th....
UM...today?!
so....hopefully its tomrw....
if not...i will be raising holy hell......
the state check showed up last week...
& i wanted to deposit them together...
:::nicer impact to the checking acct:::

i have to miss the zoo trip tomrw w/ stubeans & the nephew....
stupid interview that i prolly won't get an offer for....
since its also w/ the same org that must have a huge X across my previous file....
i just wish someone would verify the dragon lady's got something to do w/ it all...
but that would prolly be career suicide for that honest person....
dont cha wish just once in a while.....
u had the ability to see the outcome of some peoples karma?!?......


i did get a chance to pop off some of the lomo camera shots...
can not wait to finish the roll.....& get the negs back....
i finished labeling ALL the pics on my image site....
that was a chore in the mundane....
ever sit & try to think of all the simple words that would lead a search engine to pull up a pic?...
BRAIN DRAIN....
anywho....click HERE to see the new galleries & their contents....=)

~Leapin Lizards~

well..
not really.....
since i do not have a lizard to leap w/...
well....i DO have a bearded dragon...
& technically it IS a lizard....
i was really referring to a lizard appendage.....
& well....
don't have one....
not even one to attached to someone else that i could leap over .....

::::le sigh::::

ok....so anyway....went to see that new Dennis Quaid film..."vantage point"...
& quite honestly?...
got a headache....
toooooo much chase scene.....
& i usually luv that stuff in movies....
then went out to dindin w/ Stubeans & his friend from NY (what is it about people in my life flying in from NY this month??)...
they ate fish flesh....& i had orange chix.....
mine was delish....
they hated theirs...
what would u expect?...
um..besides the fact that this is the dessert (far far away from coastal access???)
theres the fact that its GROSSSS!!......fish eggs?.....!?!?!?!?
EW!?!?!
ok...i'm done.....

lets see...what else.....
i filled out what i anticipate to be my last yr of federal school loan papers yesterday....
should be a good yr...
since i did not work 1/2 the yr last......

had an interview yesterday... went well.....
but the dragon lady may have left her influence around ....
we'll see what her lasting effect was .....
if its anything like how the smell of death lingers after killing my career there.....
well...
there just is not enough air-freshener to clean her stench out of the area.....
& well...everything happens for a reason.....

i spent many many hours last nite...
loading all the pics i would like to share for sale....
onto the image site where that is possible...
so...go there!
buy sumptin....
allow me to pay my bills w/out panicking .....
go look at least....
u'd be surprised.... =)
linkypoo ...in the top posting....

i have to rewrite my abstract in the future tense...
then when the study is over?...i rewrite it in the past again...
fuckin games.....

i think after i send off the proposal tomrw....
i'll go blow off some steam
((read sexual frustration))....
at the gunclub.... =)
its always nice to see all those sexshay mens in their cop/fbi/homeland security garb.....
perhaps i will do something which causes me to 'assume the position'.... RAWR!

~OH my LAWD....~

i haven't laughed so fuckin hard in a loooooong time....
i thought the first post was hilarious....
but then...
the pixie ...
in true star-form....
followed w/ THIS POST....

thanx for the thought babe!......
& the laugh....
i heart u!

~busy fun in the sun weekend~

this weekend was a busy one.....
Andy, a friend of mine left the snow & cold of NY state...
to enjoy the sun poolside....among other AZ delights...
the pups didnt really know what to think of that noise he kept making.....but i thought it was rather nice...... =)

of course ....
saturday we did the drive up into the mountains to Sedona.....
i always luv the reaction when visitors see the RedRocks for the first time......
after exiting the hwy...
you take that corner ......
& BAM!
beauty.....
never fails.....
u tell people about the Red Rocks.....
but until they see them.....it doesnt really make sense....

Afterwards we took the detour over the mnts back home....
thru jerome.....
always a nice drive...=)
there was snow ....quite a bit actually....
not really what Andy left NY to see.....but i thought it was beautiful......
after getting back into town....removed all the redrock dust...& got ready to meet Amy (see below) but her kids were sick....
so..we did the next best thing...
we went to the taste of Thai instead.....YUM!....
Andy ate FIRE....& i had a delicious sweet-n-sour chix.....

Sunday ....we arranged to see Amy...
a friend of Andy's at the Scottish highland games.....
& for the record....before we go any further...
can I just say how f'in hot a man in a kilt is?.....
((more delicious pics on my flickr site...(see above))
RAWR!
ok....anyway......Amy & Andy had a chance to catch up after 16 yrs... kewl =)...
& afterwards...we went out for delicious Mexican food @ cafe Bario (best guacamole made at the table I have EVAH had) on 16th street just south of Thomas......

Monday.....
after sleeping til noon ....LOL
......um...yeah....not me...Andy......
people....I have told u about that bed!...
I of course being the hostess w/ the mostess.....
gave Andy my room.....(w/ Bella & Zoe....(traitors!)...
while i was on the couch....(w/ korkor....)....
so...natually ...I was not seduced into a coma from that bed.......lol
anywho....I digress.....
when we finally got rollin.....
we took the cameras out back...
played w/ the pups & my collection of ducks in the pool......
later we tried to capture the sunset.....
(u can see from the pics...Andy's camera was permanently attached to his face the whole time he was here....)
& took the pups for a walk before taking Andy to the airport for his trip back to the frozen tundra of NY.....

all in all ....a nice weekend.....

~trying to do 'the right thing'..whatever that is....~

ever try to do the right thing?...
with all the best intentions...
move forward wondering if what you have decided was noticed?...
reflected upon w/ positive intent?
knowing that it is really all u can do....

put it out into the universe...
hoping the universe will deliver the message w/ the love & acceptance w/ which the decision was made?

then later....
come to find out ...
thru 6 degrees of separation...
that your actions were...
in fact viewed ...
soooooooooooo not the way it was intended in the first place...
w/ love...
plain & simple...
w/ respect & love....

well...
that is where i sit...

after getting a phone call yesterday....

actually....i was told twice last week.....
"they knew who said it"...
fist off...
ask me if I care who the 'they' are in this whole scenario?..."yeah"...not so much....
but...
i do care about & miss dearly the person who this whole incident revolves around.....
we all worked together for years.....
the usual groups of friends formed...
inside & out of the work environment
bottom line?...
i am who i am either place....
yes...that prolly has been all along...
my downfall to reaching above the ranks i was at...
& thats ok....
i knew....i could sleep at nite....
i dont mince words....
i speak the truth.....
((& yes..i have learned over the yrs to ask..."are you sure you want my opinion"...))...
this behaviour trait of mine .....
has won admiration....caused rifts between people....& some people have left my life because of it....
& thats ok too....

so anyway.....

back to the issue.....
this person & i used to be thick as thieves.....
roadtrips....
pinky sweared secrets...
experiences that went into 'the vault' ....never to come out....

but that is now....
yrs ago....
she has since ....
accepted her 'cousin' who to my last understanding ....
was still married to a man...& father of her 4 children...
as her life partner....& were living toether in my previous friends home.....
so be it.....
i accepted ...
worried?...yes.....
but accepted.....
so many different dynamics going on....
such possibility for an unhappy ending
but they seemed to be getting thru it....
so i was happy for her....

unfortunately....
our bond fell to the wayside....
which is understandable....
new responsibilities....
less & less free time....
which when avail.....
now was focused on her relationship......
no more roadtrips.....
no more shopping sprees
no more just hanging out.....
times change...

so.....imagine my surprise when i read on her blog ....
they have bought another home ....
& moved......
no phone call....
no email...
no invite to the housewarming party that was shown in the pictures on her blog.....
hurt?...yeah i guess....
used to it?....also sadly yes.....
......u see .....we used to live w/in walking distance.....
now....who knows where she moved to....
& evidently....she didnt want me to know either.....
& i was more than willing to accept this .....
i'm not in the community....
a hetero....a bi...a non-lesbian....
i guess thats how i rationalize this all....
she & her 'cousin"partner...w/the four kids are now fully integrated into the community.....
no time for nonfamily friends......

now...the old DrM2B would've continued to email.....
invite for a random saturday roadtrip.....
like we used to .....
but i made a conscious decision to take a step back.....
not intrude....
not force an invitation....
not obligate....
after they moved .....w/ no word.

so....now ......((if you're still w/ me here)) we are present day....
& this previous friend still works where we used to together.....
& has very openly displayed the sonograms of her & her partners (& ?doner?) twins on her blog......
was i shocked....
no ....she had always wanted to be a parent.....
was i surprised they actually went thru w/ adding two more mouths to their family?....
not really....
i guess at this point.....i am so far removed .....i'm viewing it all as someone looking in.....
not a friend involved in the event.....

was i wondering 'wtf' when i heard thru the grapevine.....
that she 'had' to make an announcement at work regarding the babies.....
because 'someone" ((read...me)) had spoken to another previous co-worker....who then told someone who still works there....who then decided to ask her 'if she was preggers"......

yeah.....i was more than miffed...
first off.....why would someone NOT want to share something that is supposed to be a wonderful joyous loving event in their lives?.....
what kind of vibe does THAT send to the babies?....
why place blame on me....
when its public info....(um..out on the internets)....
i, unlike others w/in that org....still have working adult relationships w/ people i worked w/.....
relationships built on friendships....
we catch up on the phone....have lunch....check in on each other ...
the relationships didnt end....just because we didnt work together any longer....
i cannot say the same for all the others who still work there.....

& so now u see....
we're back to my original point...
i am who i was.....& will continue to be so going forward.....
someone who cared ....
someone who dearly misses her friend....
but also someone who thought she was respecting the space which grew over the last couple yrs.....
unfortunately.....also ....someone who is an easy scapegoat.....
& thats o.k.

~2nd & 3rd runner up isnt all that bad....~

it was prolly this ^ pic that cost her the crown.......

yeah.....
its hard to take yourself seriously....
when your BBF's from HI sends these.....
god....I miss her them..... =)

~~It's ready....time to support the arts!~~

Well....I finalized the new imagekind site .....

where U can now buy a ~mintas.fotos~ creation =)

Here is the link: http://mintas-fotos.imagekind.com/~mintas.fotos~

unfortunately....~mintas.fotos~ LLC & copyright papers are still in the works....
so the selection is limited to one gallery......
hopefully w/ in the week?...
I will have the ability to expense the next membership level .....
& will add new categories as well as more foto's........

Please click on over .......
I would love to share my pics =)

~Happy whateverthehellitisucelebrate~

Sending health & happiness to you & yours!

Whichever way u celebrate.....

be nice out there.....

& be thankful for those sentient beings in your lives.....

Namaste'

((picture taken in Brugge Belgium by mintas.fotos))

~ the TuTu strikes again ~

my bad.....
been busy .....
playin w/ the camera...
the TuTu...
& my BFF David from Maui
go HERE for more TuTu pics =)

~~BlesseD AutumnaL EquinoX~~

Various names for the Autumnal Equinox include: Mabon, Fall Equinox, Second Harvest Festival, Festival of Dionysus, Wine Harvest, Feast of Avalon, & Winter Finding.

Interesting tidbit re the Autumnal Equinox is that the length of both the day & the night are equal & the sun rises directly in the East and sets directly in the West.

For us Pagans =)

Mabon marks the end of the 2nd of 3 Pagan Harvest Festivals. Usually, the majority of crops have been gathered…& thoughts turn towards balancing our lives…

Reflection & honor on our aging Deities & those who have passed over to the Spirit World.
Giving thanks is of importance……hence the non-pagan holiday of Thanksgiving…Halloween…or all hallows eve & Dias de Los Muetos….where we visit the graves of our loved ones to celebrate them.

Many pagan activities may include: wine making, decorating of graves, walking in wild places and forests, gathering seed pods and dried plants.

These items are often used to decorate the home or altar, protection, & others saved for future herbal magick. But always be respectful if out walking….as it is considered taboo to pass burial sites and not honor the dead.

Recommended Spellwork:
Focus on protection, wealth and prosperity, security and spells to bring a feeling of self-confidence. In addition, spells focusing on the energies w/in your home and life situations to create balance & harmony.

Rituals include: the praising or honoring of fruit as proof of the love of the Goddess and God, and a ritual sprinkling of Autumn leaves.

To preserve turning leaves…..they can be dipped in paraffin. (dip the leaves in melted paraffin, and put them on wax paper). When the leaves are dry, you can put them in a huge decorative jar with a sigil of protection carved lightly on some or all of the leaves.

Appropriate colors for this Sabbat are: red, orange, deep gold, brown, russet, maroon & violet.
Candle colors: orange, dark red, yellow, indigo, or brown.

Altar cloths: made of material w/ Fall designs.

Stones to use during Mabon: amethyst and yellow topaz, carnelian, lapis lazuli, sapphire, & yellow agate. River & stream stones gathered over the Summer can be empowered for various purposes.

Animals associated w/ the Autumn Equinox are dogs, wolves & birds of prey.

Mythical creatures include gnomes, minotaurs, sphinx, cyclopes, andamans & gulons. Plants associated w/ Mabon: vines, ivy, hazel, cedar, hops & tobacco.

Traditional herbs of the Mabon sabbat: acorns, asters, benzoin, ferns, honeysuckle, marigold, milkweed, mums, myrrh, oak leaves, passionflower, pine, roses, sage, Solomon's seal, & thistles. Incense for the Mabon Sabbat Ritual might include any or all of the following: frankincense, aloes wood, jasmine, cinnamon, musk, cloves, benzoease.

~~(information obtained from : http://moonlit_goddess.tripod.com/mabon.htm )~~

~It's hard work not working......~

whew!....
it is exhausting not working!.....

it may have only been 2 mo's since the dragon lady did her thing...
...but
in these last 2 mo's?.....
i have managed to really get A LOT of shit done....

well....I can't take all the credit....
Stubeans has been quite the handyman around here....
& D has put up w/ numerous trips to the various 'home-stores'...

Lets see.....i passed some kidney stones....
shopped my little heart out on-line..
took & framed pictures i would not have had the opportunity to take had i been stuck in a cubicle...

attended some gr8 concerts....((& still look forward to seeing : velvet revolver..alice in chains...peter frampton...alice cooper (halloween bash) the scottsdale arts music festival...))
created a tutu..(pictures to follow...)
learned the ins & outs of photoshop

had the gun safe installed....
cleaned & got motorcycle ready for fall riding...
power-washed the driveway...
shredded 10+ yrs of reciepts, docs & other outdated papers...

gone to Cali, Prescott, Sedona, Paige Springs & Tucson...
Fixed both side gates (including new hardware & padlocks)....
re-did the shelving in the linen (extra toiletries) closet...

& today...Stu & I finished putting up the coolaroo sail in the driveway...... =)
Looks pretty cool -huh?...

OK...
need to finish some laundry....
take a nice hot shower...
grab a beer....
& retire to bed w/ the babies to finish a good book =) ...
tomrw is another exhausting day of getting that shit on the 'home-owners' list done....

~~it's how we roll~~

gr8 wkend...
Prescott,AZ...
to the mountains....
daytrip...
ArtFairE
♥

~~My GetWell SpongeBoB Cookie~~

I managed to collect some germs...

while in the moshpit w/ D

during the Korn Concert last week....

as a result.....

I have one hell of a chest cold...

My friend Stu brought over a

'get-well' SP cookie .....

On the way back to bed.....I recorded his demise....... =)~

~~sooo cheezy...~~~

Three handsome male dogs are walking down the street when they see a beautiful, enticing, female Poodle.


The three male dogs fall all over themselves in an effort to be the one to reach her first, but end up arriving in front of her at the same time.

The males are speechless before her beauty, slobbering on themselves and hoping for just a glance from her in return.


Aware of her charms and her obvious effect on the three suitors, she decides to be kind and tells them, "The first one who can use the words 'liver' and 'cheese' together in an imaginative, intelligent sentence can go out with me."

The sturdy, muscular black Lab speaks up quickly and says, "I love liver and cheese."

"Oh, how childish," said the Poodle. "That shows no imagination or intelligence whatsoever."

She turns to the tall, shiny Golden Retriever and says "How well can you do?"

"Um. I HATE liver and cheese," blurts the Golden Retriever.

"My, my," said the Poodle. "I guess it's hopeless. That's just as dumb as the Lab's sentence."

She then turns to the last of the three dogs and says, "How about you, little guy?"

The last of the three, tiny in stature but big in fame and finesse, is the Taco Bell Chihuahua .

He gives her a smile, a sly wink, turns to the Golden Retriever and the Lab and says







(ok this is good)


















"Liver alone. Cheese mine."

~~Ebb & Flow~~

We've talked......
I've cried......
we've sat in silence....
I tried to explain...
we both apologized....
he reached down inside.....
I reminded myself of 'no expectations'....
Living in the moment is so much easier to say than do....

we're good again.....
I missed him so......

~~updates to follow~~

well....Baxter wouldnt stop tormenting Pebs....
& doesn't seem to reaaaally understands the words "simmah down"
after much drama....
too upset to talk about it now....
he is now in the loving care of
minpin haven
at minpinhaven.com
her name is Patricia
& she calmed me down ....
er...stopped me from opening a can of whipass
on the neighbors....
he more than she...
oh...& white trash whore of a whatever U are?..
get off your daisyduked ass
hang up the cell phone....
& get your baby out of the street!!!
Off to D's for some lovin.....
good old fashioned F'in actually....
but its just not polite to talk that way......
toodles......

~~BAX, BOOKS...& a DayTrip to Cali~~

Friday, BAX & I went w/ STU for a daytrip to Cali...
might as well...huh?...
not working or anything.....
It was a looooong day....
but...could've been worse...
BAX was a GR8 car pup...
as long as we didn't talk... heehee....
from the start to the first rest stop...
he was in my lap....
or sleeping at my feet under the dash...
but the majority of the way there....
he was in his crate with a bone....
& toys....
once we got to Cali....
Stu went & did his contractor thing....
& BAX & I hung out ....
went for walkies.....
took pics......& left free books from a fellow Flickr Author.....
SMALLDOGSPRESS.com is her site.....
she had become very disenchanted w/ the book publishing industry....
& decided to just send her inventory
out to anyone who would agree to leave them
as a travelling book project.....
I took pics of the places along the way to Cali...
that I left one or gave them to people.....
I have quite a lot more to give away....
but surprising it is a gr8 way to meet people....
tell them her story....
& share two gr8 books !!
click on my FLICKR side pics to see the pics so far =)

~~I thought Mercury was done w/ his shenanigans....~~

I'm off to run errands....
unemployment wants paperwork...
my fax machine is not cooperating ....
so I think I'll take the opportunity
to do some other shite...
U know.....
pool water analysis......
groceries...
puppy treats
drop off donations.....
tar-jaaay....
cause its the happiest place on earth as far as I'm concerned..... =)
toodles poodles....