doncha hate it

when you get to work, realize something "smells funny" and then have to go sit in a room, hunched over a waste basket digging not-so-firm dog poo out from the little tiney zig-zags from the bottom of your shoes? Yeah, banging them together just didnt' touch it.
Thank you Vinnie!

assisted skateboarding

When the day comes and I decide I'm too old for skateboarding, I may feel the need to consider something like this.
At roughly 55 lbs, I would just hope that it would not break down.

purple hooters and gary the retard

First off, I want to apologize should anyone finds my title offensive. I do believe that is how most people, especially those Howard Stern fans, know who Gary is without going into great detail. I was fortunate enough last night to join in on the YMCA participation dance next to Gary, while a lively group of Albanians (folks from Albany) sang the song karaoke. Come on now and admit you can’t hear that song without raising your arms over your head and turn yourself into a twisted, human alphabet. It was SO MUCH FUN! I am sure part of the excitement of being in a room with a celebrity was magnified with the sweet, candy-goodness of the Purple Hooters that I impatiently nursed. They were so good, I had to restrain from gulping them down like a big glass of kool-aid on a hot summer day.

I was enjoying the company of my niece and her groovy husband to celebrate the 47th birthday of my youthful sister. A friendly, karaoke-er thought she was a young, thirty-something. Yes, we were blessed with good genes! Thanks dad! The night was thoroughly enjoyable and I would have been thrilled to celebrate my own birthday in such a joyous way. The only sad part was my sister's super-cool husband was not there to join us in the festivities. I really do miss him when he’s not with us. My thoughts are with him as he drives long hours across the country.

Now it’s time to get responsible, get off the computer and get busy. Happy weekend to you all!

a foot note...hahah!

If interested, you can read about the whole "tango" thing here.

how many does it take?

I often think I have no interesting things to blog about. True, my next ramble may be uneventful to some but at least it’s a little bit-o-history for when I wonder what on earth have I accomplished in my life? On that note…I am dancing into a new chapter and feel the need to note it.
Hahah…such punny writing!
Ok so last night, a friend and myself attended our first official tango lesson from a fantastic Portland teacher, Alex Krebs. He and his lovely girlfriend make the first night, essentially learning how to walk, a fun and exciting experience. I am excited to post more as the experiences arrive.
Just know that I am going to be walking around, with the constant urge to get in dancer’s stance with my right arm up and my left hand out to meet my partner’s….yes, I have an invisible partner…(insert grin here)

No more yuck mouth!

GOOD NEWS! My dental hygienist told me that I am "pretty-much-perfect" when it comes to brushing and flossing. Obviously, there is always room for a little more flossing but she let me know not to worry. I left the office hearing “we’ll see you in 6 months!” 6 months? No appointment card in hand, I left without the immediate need for new fillings or crowns and my doctor did not do his usual groaning and sighing when examining my freshly polished teeth. I figure we’ve spent over $15,000 (between me and my insurance) on fillings, root canals and crowns in the last 5+ years so it is about time I notice improvement.

During the relatively painless cleaning, the hygienist asked me if I used tarter-control toothpaste. Apparently, it tends to make the mouth slough away into a slimy film. I have always wondered why that happened and now I know. Apparently, most current toothpastes have a chemical, which causes the sloughing. I decided to investigate and see that Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) is known for that and also makes mouths susceptible to canker sores and ulcers. It has been YEARS since I’ve had a canker sore (knocking on wood) and I give thanks to my dentist and his hard work to keep my mouth as healthy as possible.
I also want to thank the makers of Oral B because I know my little spinning electric toothbrush gets my teeth much cleaner than any manual, rectangular toothbrush ever could.

Back in the 70's, there was a public service announcement that used to play on tv and the main lesson was not to be a “yuck mouth”! The song has been with me all these years so for those of you who can remember, please feel free to sing along with me!

“They call me Yuck Mouth,
‘Cause I don’t brush,
Oh I like my teeth like this,
They call me Yuck Mouth,
‘Cause I don’t brush,
Hey, how ’bout a little kiss?

I got some beef in my teeth,
And some chicken, too
Ow! That’s a cavity,
Hey, that’s new!

If you don’t brush your teeth
Then you, too,
Can be a Yuck Mouth”

NEW ADDRESS

Please be aware that Pochagrrl.blogspot.com has now changed. The new address is downhillmonkey.blogspot.com. Please make note of it. Thank you and have a good day.

ice

ice
Originally uploaded by Pochagrrl.

I have SO many better pictures of the iceicles hanging from branches and deck railing but they are on my laptop at home and I don't think I'm going to get to updating them... today.

So, here was the first sign that we weren't heading to Seaside Saturday morning!

little tweeks

So I added a few new links...just for fun.
I also changed the blog title from "Pochagrrl on wheels" to "Downhill Monkey".

After recently losing my instant message name, Pochagrrl, I decided I should probably re-think my blog name, title etc. First of all, most people can't pronounce Pochagrrl without it sounding x-rated. Second, I am not always "on wheels". I do like going down hill, whether it be on skateboard, snowboard, running shoes, my face, state of mind, etc. Currently, I am still using my old Burton, Custom "monkey" snowboard so downhill monkey just seemed appropriate. Perhaps when summer arrives I will yearn for a new identity but for now, monkey it is!

Eventually (hopefully sooner than later), I plan on changing the address so instead of pochagrrl.blogspot.com, I am hoping to secure downhillmonkey.blogspot.com so for anyone who visits this site, consider this your 5 minute warning! (yes, IF I can figure it out)

For now, I'll leave it as-is and attempt to change the address next week sometime.

the kneed to update

I got a call from the doc and not only do I have torn meniscus but ACL as well. I do not know the specifics but I do have an appointment with the Ortho Feb 18th.

At this rate, I'm guessing surgery may happen around summer? 2006? hee hee...ok that was a joke.

I guess I better re-evaluate my 2005 exercise goals. Go back to the gym? Break out the old 10-speed? Get a subscription to AARP magazine, take up quilting and join a bridge group?

Now that I think about it, my Grandma has had bad knees and for YEARS and sprays WD-40 on them every morning. She swears it works wonders. I better add that to my shopping list!

monkeys and rocks

scratch
Originally uploaded by Pochagrrl.

The 2 do not go well together. As davey gets ready this morning to head up to the mountain, I remind him the snow is sparse and to watch for rocks. I am so glad I had taken my "retired" board as you can see in this pic, I came home with a nice gouge that will require careful mending. Pray for snow!

this just in

My knee has a tear.

Yep, that's all I know as of yet. I have to wait to hear back from the doc for more details.

Now, do I start marathon training-training or wait?

No need to comment Mom...well...not that you do but no need to start now because I know what you'd say!

WAIT!

Welcome 2005!

I have intended to update this blog for quite a few days but due to family, snow, sunny-dry streets and the constant company of Davey (and did I mention snow?), instead of a “last blog of 2004”, I had to update my title.

I suppose I could ramble about the past year and the special events and accomplishments that have occurred. I have been thinking lately about this website and it’s purpose. I tend to post more pictures than interesting text and I know the words I write can be painful for English majors and grammar police to read. I hesitate writing anything lately.

One thing I do want to mention is that my mother just celebrated her 68th birthday last Wednesday. To see her, you know the years have treated her well. Sure, her hair is a sparkly, silver-white and she can’t open jars like she used to, those issues don’t matter. Her energy and lust for life is what makes her stand out in a room. I could go on forever listing her qualities but the reference could appear excessive. I do hope to spend some quality time with her in the near future. We need to get together and watch “Love Actually” which is a delightful little comedy/romance/drama. It’s not only for hormonal chicks but was also enjoyed by a super-cool male member of my family (who shall remain nameless for the sake of his masculinity).

I finally made it up to the mountain and despite the lack of snow, had a wonderful time! The only injury came from a little puffy white peak which turned out to be a big pointy rock. As the snow fell, the powder built up in some areas, soft and fluffy. This one big rock jumped up and flipped my board slamming me into the snow. My shoulder was a little sore and my knee decided to stay locked up until I made it down to the lodge where I was able to release it where it immediately felt better. I still have not heard from the doctor regarding my MRI so I’m going to safely enjoy the snow until they tell me to stop.

My last day off work, I wake promptly at 5:00 am. I have a new appreciation for early mornings and with a list of “things to do today” a mile long, it is probably best I got up when I did. I am happy to say I do have a better feeling about life’s overwhelming tasks but with a new year, I have all kinds of time to get to them. On that note, I am going to get started on that list, one which begins with having another cup of coffee and then tending to the bills.