Nicole Tasker Woods

In addition to Monday, I also have tomorrow off. I do love a four day weekend. I am a huge fan of sleeping in and bumming around the house in my pj’s. I have a fun day planned tomorrow when it is just Cali-And-Me. Temps should be in the high 70’s so we are going to go to my in-laws for a swim in their pool. After a couple tiring hours of running and jumping after tennis balls, we are going to head to Golden Spoon for some fat free frozen yogurt. Nothing like a cool treat on a hot day!

Saturday we are all gathering at my in-laws to watch the USC game and then Sunday and Monday are reserved for sleeping and movie-going. I know what you are thinking, I lead a very exciting life. But these are by far my favorite kind of weekends.

After Labor Day, the countdown is on for my friend’s wedding in El Paso, Texas—three weeks away! My mom is my guest to this event and I think it was the perfect choice—this wedding has turned into a girl’s weekend away from our men. We are getting all dolled up every night we are there and are going to fully enjoy our time together. I will be posting some pictures of the event, so be sure to check back in!

Maybe you’re the same as me
You’ll see things I’ll never see
Broken up and spread around
Things you lose aren’t ever found

Maybe I just want to fly
Live forever feeling high
Sounds declining, almost crashing
Inferno fears, reds are flashing

To the sea—cerebral sailing
Float away and never failing
Bounding on the crash of waves
Lose your sight in mental daze

Learning how to falsely worry
Dancing into thankless blurry
Senses shut out faceless dreams
Where everything is as it seems

Copyright © 2008 N.E. Tasker

We went white water rafting a couple of weeks ago on the American River near Coloma in Northern California. The long weekend trip was like a mini-vacation, except for the sore bottoms and aching backs Saturday night after we rowed 21 miles through the river rapids that day. I enjoy this yearly escape up North with family and friends. My parents even flew out from New Hampshire to join in on the festivities. This is their second year and for Ryan and myself, this is our fourth. Every year there is a core group of people who attend regularly, sometimes there are a few newbie’s, but it is mostly the same old crowd. The hotel we stay at is about an hour and a half drive from the rafting spot, but it is a one-of-a-kind location (St. George Hotel).

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I am not a very graceful person. I have more than my fair share of clumsy moments. Even when I walk, I slam my heels into the ground and make a loud clip-clop everywhere I go, whether I’m in sneakers, dress shoes, flip flops or heels. Sometimes I notice the noise and make an attempt to walk softer, but to no avail.

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I had what I was quick to label a ‘lucky day’ on Friday, July 18th. That Friday, I received a call on my cell phone I had won a raffle that I entered the day before. The item being raffled off was two tickets to see Alanis Morissette in a very unique, private setting that only a select few would get to attend. The event was held by 104.3 My FM, a local radio station I started listening to daily when they started the $10,000-a-day-give-away. I never won $10,000, but I did sign up as a My Club member, which is where I earned points every day and ended up using those points to enter the raffle.

Ryan was my guest at the 104.3 My Stage on Monday, July 21st when Alanis Morissette was interviewed by Billy Bush on camera in front of 10 guests (us included) who watched from leopard print pillows on the floor. The room was small and the stage was less than 3 feet from us. Audio clips from the interview were aired on Billy Bush’s radio show and video clips were supposed to show up on Access Hollywood. I know I got on camera a few times, but have yet to find the episode that shows me and my smiling face.

After the interview and performance, we got group photos with Ms. Morissette and I even got to shake her hand.

Ryan and I saw her in concert on her last tour at the House of Blues in Hollywood. We had a great view of her on stage and had a wonderful time–we always enjoyed her music. Her lyrics are very unique and poetic, one of the main reasons why I like her so much. This next album she is promoting sounds incredible and we are already trying to get tickets to her next stop in Los Angeles at the Orpheum in November.

Back to my lucky day…

I got a free massage that Friday afternoon after work and felt so lucky, that I bought myself a Mega Millions lottery ticket. I kept it simple and just spent $1 on a quick-pick. I felt that I shouldn’t push my luck by picking meaningful numbers. Needless to say, I did not win the $125 million that was in the pot.

Monday night my Tivo picked up an episode of The Bachelor: Where Are They Now. The same old stuff was in the first half, but DeAnna and Jesse meeting and chatting with Trista and Ryan was in the second half. That was quite enjoyable. Trista was able to tell DeAnna about what to expect in the next year as far as being in the public eye. Ryan talked to Jesse about how to handle people that come up to them as if they know him and to always be nice. I thought it was cute and I always enjoy seeing where these people are now. Even though they are not really celebrities or millionaires or anyone that we should even care about—but I still have an interest in them, and I know I am not the only one.

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Two
more days
then a two day
release
from stress
tight shoulders
weary bones

Middle
of a long week
took too long
to get here

Anticipation
fills for quick relief
a break for coffee
a break for lunch
a break for pen shopping
in the supply closet

Middle
of a long week
took too long
to get here

Exhausting
sitting here
pretending
I don’t want to be
strolling
on beach shores
toes buried in sand

Middle
of a long week
took too long
to get here

Five
Five thousand
Five thousand pencils
Five thousand pencils sharpened

Years
Years pile
Years pile on creamy
Years pile on creamy vanity

Swept
Swept itself
Swept itself into
Swept itself into bins

Over
Over edges
Over edges slide
Over edges slide again

Many
Many reasons
Many reasons to
Many reasons to reflect

Mirrors
Mirrors bend
Mirrors bend we
Mirrors bend we smile

Copyright © 2008 N.E. Tasker

I like to think that Cali says that to herself when it is just me and her in the house or when we spend the day together. Ryan is in San Francisco on business the rest of this week so it is just the puppy and me curled up in a queen sized bed of fluffy sheets and feather pillows. Instead of Cali laying at my feet (or rather, on my feet) like she does every other night, she curled up next to me last night, her head on Ryan’s pillow. I like waking up in the middle of the night and pulling her close to spoon. She does not groan or sigh, just settles in for a good cuddle.

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I had last Thursday off of work before the Friday July 4th holiday so I took Cali to the beach in Oxnard that day. I had never actually gone to the beach in California in full on beach mode—bathing suit, suntan lotion, etc. I had walked on the beach a time or two in Santa Monica, but since I have moved here, there have been no beach day adventures. My mom used to say to me and my brothers when we were little that we were going on an ‘excellent adventure’ whenever we were in the car heading somewhere. Whether it was some new and exciting place, or just the hardware store down the street…it was always an excellent adventure.

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Well, it is all finally over. DeAnna chose Jesse in the final two hour episode last night. They even had an hour long After The Rose Ceremony episode to follow, but I could not watch three whole hours of the show, I had to get ready for bed. I like that the season is shorter because the episodes are always two hours long, but that does cut down on the available time at night that I have to watch it.

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I watched this week’s episode last night and was very proud of DeAnna. She is making the right decisions for her and is not thinking about anyone else when giving out the roses. As well she should! This is the one thing in her life where she deserves to be completely selfish. Why lead someone on to avoid hurting their feelings? That is what Brad did to her two seasons ago and look what happened.

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