From the seat of my Bike

Welcome to the Great Northwest

Country Roads take me....on an adventure

Lopez Island, Washington

Mt Loop Highway

Silvana Washington

You can't tell from here but that's a bald eagle

It's good they told us!

Isn't she cute!

On a ferry to the San Juan Islands

"The Red Bridge" Mt. Loop Highway

Arlington Washington

Just look at the road whizzzzing by!

Mt. Loop Highway Granite Falls Washington

Centenial Trail

Burlington Washington

Off a bridge near Bellingham Washington

Lake Sammish

Oh the wonderful things Mr. Kleetus can do...

867-5309 I got it, I got it

I think it's time to share with you the origination of my blog title. In 1982 this song was released by Tommy Tutone. There isn't much to it but a very catchy tune. It's got a good beat and its easy to dance to.

Did you click on the link? So '80s. The hair is actually a little small for the time but notice the mullets and little curl on the forehead? Also, did they have a Boy George complex? Do I see makeup?

Oh the 1980s were a great time to be a teenager! I think I feel a great movies and music of the '80s post brewing!! (Great may be an overstatement but it was still a very fun time to be a teen!)

The following was taken directly from the ever accurate Wikipedia. Thanks Wiki!

"867-5309/Jenny" is a song written by Alex Call and Jim Keller and performed by Tommy Tutone that was released on the album Tommy Tutone 2, on the Columbia Records label. It peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number one on the Rock Tracks chart in 1982. Co-writer Call came up with both "Jenny" and the telephone number and completed the song with Keller.^[1]

Many believed 867-5309 was the real phone number of a girl named Jenny. The song caused a fad of people dialing 867-5309 (which was then a valid phone number in dozens of North American area codes) and asking for "Jenny".^[2]

Although Tommy Tutone is primarily remembered for this song and commonly considered a "one-hit wonder," they actually had a Billboard Top 40 hit in 1980 — two years before "Jenny" — with "Angel Say No", which peaked at number 38.^[3]

867-5309/Jenny

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“867-5309/Jenny”
Single by Tommy Tutone from the album Tommy Tutone 2
B-side	"Not Say Goodbye"
Released	1982
Format	7-inch vinyl
Recorded	1981
Genre	Rock
Length	3:47
Label	Columbia Records 02646
Writer(s)	Alex Call Jim Keller
Certification	Gold (RIAA)

Kleetus

What do you think of when you hear the name Kleetus? Oh, yes. I am perfectly aware that the name is typically spelled Cletus. When I think of the name Cletus, I think of an old tired horse. Cletus, who pulled the buggy uphill and down. Who listened to young romance and shared the tears of a broken heart. For a time, he pulled the plow over 60 acres of sugarbeet farmland. He was awakened early each day as Bessie's milk squirted melodically into the metal bucket. He carried the boy on his back through fields and forests year after year. But now Cletus is tired and he spends his days in his own field eating grass and reminiscing of the happy life he had ~looking forward to the time he will run through the green fields of horsey heaven. This is who I picture when I hear the name Cletus. Today I want to introduce you to another Kleetus. Kleetus Wida Kay. Kleetus is my friend. He has been with me uphill and down. I have ridden on his back through rain, hail, sleet and snow. We have had some very happy days together with many more to come. Kleetus is not tired or worn down. He is young and vibrant and very patient with me as I coax him up long gradual climbs or when I make him stop in the middle of short steep ones. He doesn't whine when I won't let him race down hills as fast as he would like even though he knows he can do it because he understands my fear of high velocity. This is my friend, Kleetus.Years ago there was a professional baseball player (a shortstop I believe.) He was a great player snagging the short bounce touching second and popping it off to first for a quick double play. His baseball gloves were given to him by the maker. Good advertising for them. Every now and then through no fault of his own he would make an error. Now, I say through no fault of his own because on the rare occasion when he did make an error... He threw away his mitt. He threw it away in the garbage because it was the gloves fault. Eventually the company who made his gloves kindly informed him that they would no longer supply him with free baseball mitts. (Maybe the occasion of error wasn't as rare as I said)

Naming Kleetus is kind of like that. When I am struggling up one of those long gradual climbs. Pounding the pedals and feeling the burn I can encourage Kleetus through the pain. "Come on Kleetus, you can do this, keep pushing." Or on the speeding downhill rush, "Okay, Kleetus. Slow it down a little."

Personification, it really works... It's not me, it's Kleetus.

By the way, Cycle Guy rides Thunder. Thunder and Kleetus are a good team. Kleetus knows he will never be as fast as Thunder but he's okay with that. It's in the name.

Do you have an inanimate friend who you've named? I want to hear about it!!

Fruit Smoothies...Yum

Spinach Smoothie
Now, don't turn your nose up til you give it a try.

Ingredients:

Baby Spinach (I have no idea but go ahead and try adult if you like)

Banana (I like the small ones just barely yellow, oh the sweetness)

Frozen Blackberries (So sorry if you aren't blessed with acres of wild blackberries across the street from your home. Come on over and pick with us.)

Kiwi (Something new I tried today. The tartness was a nice addition.)

Ice (The moosh of the fruit is less obvious to the pallet when ice is crushed in)

Water (Cycle-Guy likes it with milk, I like it with water. He would probably want whip cream on top too.)

Put enough water in the blender to cover the blades.Can't see the water? I guess you'll just have to trust me.

Add 1-1 1/2 cup fresh baby spinach (Now don't be bothered with the fact that they're babies, you haven't robbed them of life. This is the purpose for which they were grown):Nice Flowers! Cycle Guy likes me!

Blend thoroughly

Add Banana (don't worry about slicing it up the blender can do that for you)The sweetness comes from the banana, without it...well you can try if you want.

Blend

Add Kiwi (skin and all)Blend

Add Frozen Blackberries (please don't thaw, the freeze is part of the joy)Okay...that does look a little, well gross...give it time
Blendstarting to come around to looking good...

Add water if needed (sometimes my blender needs it a little thinner to be able to blend well)

Add iceBlend until ice is crushed to desired crushness.

Pour in chilled glass(or not, it just sounds more romantic to say that) and Enjoy!!Now, that's what I'm talking about. Purple I can deal with!

I promise, no flavor from the spinach but oh the nutritional value!

We often change it up. My big girl doesn't like banana but without it you have to add sugar or some other sweetener (hmmm... honey maybe?) My little girl likes to add cilantro~ great health benefits, but a little too strong on the savory side for my fruity taste.

Frozen strawberries are yummy, but with spinach the color MUST be ignored...no, the comparisons will not be discussed here.

Peaches either frozen or canned (of course canned at home. You don't? Well, come back in Sept. I'll teach you) are superb with strawberries or blackberries. I don't like the texture of fresh apples blended in but grapes are good.

I even added some pecans the other day. Nice nutty addition of some protein.

My friend sometimes adds beets. Haven't tried that, it scares me a little.

You can take this healthy little blend to any heights. Try it, I think you just might like it. Let me know what you think.

My friend needs this dress

This dress was made for my friend Kim. It's cute, it's her, check it out, she needs to win.

Sunday Laundry Shirt Dress GIVEAWAY!!!!

Weight Loss Throwdown and Burgers

Mike has received some interest from others that would like to join in on our weekly weight loss challenge. I would also like to extend that challenge. If you have a pound or two you would like to shed, join us. It helps to have some competition and trash talk is really fun!

The official rules are in his post at this link Weightloss Throwdown . Besides helping you get in shape, lose some of that extra baggage, and feel great, it will also help in the fight for cancer! As you will see in his blog, if you are not the weight loss king/queen of the week you will be required (have the privilege) to donate to LizzyLou's Livestrong page to benefit cancer research. Your donation should be somewhere in the range of $5 - $15 depending on how badly you feel you got beat.

The official invitational begins this Friday, March 6, 2009. Of course Cycle Guy and I are still on for this week and have not had a very good start. You see...

Our younger boy is a bit of lets say, a selective eater. He tried his first hamburger last week and found a new passion. Sunday while he and Cycle-Guy were out on a drive together Cycle-Guy described all of the different fast food joints and what made their burgers great. Sam's new ambition in life is to try them all and decide for himself if the Whopper really is the best burger in town.

So Cycle Guy sprang for Carl's Jr. last night. I told myself all day that I would have something healthy, but alas the call of the burger was just too loud and I answered with exuberance. It was delicious and I enjoyed it. I guess I'll just have to stick to spinach smoothies and granola the rest of the week.

Teenagers-can't kill 'em, might as well love 'em

What is it about teenagers that makes them so........what is it about teenagers?

When we had 3 little kids one of the things people warned us was that in 10 years we would have 3 teenagers. You know, people whose bodies send them strange messages, grow faster than their coordination can keep up with, and create strange smells and sounds that they don't recognize as their own.

That time has come. And, yes they are a different breed of people but I like them!

Why I like my teenagers:
~ They are smarter than me and dinner conversations are very "educational"
~ They can help each other with their math homework which passed my level of understanding in about 4th grade.
~ They like to laugh and they make me laugh
~ They are fun to talk to
~ They have great friends who help them make good choices
~ They know how to push my buttons and for the most part stay away from those buttons. (by the way, Cycle Guy doesn't agree that they stay away from those buttons.)
~ They set me up on Facebook so I could be their friend
~ They know that sometimes I have to be the Mom not the friend
~ They forgive me daily
~ They know my "looks" and usually respond quickly and correctly, (ie. you're in trouble, don't laugh now-wait til later, I'll explain when we get home, is that person serious?, way to go!)
~They prove to me every day I really don't know that much about teenagers

I have 3 teenagers in my house right now and in a few days another one is moving in.

That's right, we are gaining another 18 year old boy. That makes two boys 18, one girl 15(for 3 more weeks), one boy 13(for 4 more weeks) and one girl 9.

New Kids family is moving and with 3 months left of his senior year the thought of leaving was not what he had in mind. So because we love teenagers so much at our house we decided that gaining one more couldn't be half bad.

A friend suggested that we make a contract for him to sign. Not sure if we'll make him sign anything but the thought of putting family rules on paper sounded downright smart and I think all of them should sign it!!

So....tonight in Family Night we are writing out the Family Rules, all of us, I think the kids will probably be better editors than me or Cycle Guy. Things like curfews, dinner cleanup, Saturday jobs, checking in, daily jobs, refrigerator raids, etc. (please share suggestions, I will love it and, well, okay, I'll probably be the only one to love it)