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Rated: 18+ · Book · Personal · #1051691

Life, Adventure, Family, Writing what else is there? Random thoughts.

WELCOME TO:

GEMINI RISING

Banner for my blog, "Gemini Rising"

*Flower1* *Flower1* *Flower1* *Flower1* *Flower1* *Flower1*

UPDATED INTRO 30 JUNE 2025:

Just a little about me. I've been married for 33 years this past NOV and currently live in Southern California, but I grew up in New Hampshire.

I've got 2 boys who are young adults.

I work as a 911 dispatcher for LAPD. I enjoy my job a lot. Still. If you can believe that.

I love to write. Thankfully both of my boys achieved Eagle Scout. My Scouting days are over and I'm back to focusing on my writing.

I like to get out in nature, drink coffee and watch football.

Here's a little bio about my zodiac.

GEMINI: Gemini, the sign of the Twins, is dual-natured, elusive, complex and contradictory. On the one hand it produces the virtue of versatility, and on the other the vices of two-facedness and flightiness. The sign is linked with Mercury, the planet of childhood and youth, and its subjects tend to have the graces and faults of the young. When they are good, they are very attractive; when they are bad they are more the worse for being the charmers they are. Like children they are lively, and happy, if circumstances are right for them, or egocentric, imaginative and restless.

Their good qualities are attractive and come easily to them. They are affectionate, courteous, kind, generous, and thoughtful towards the poor and suffering - provided none of the activities resulting from expressing these traits interferes too greatly with their own lives and comforts.

Geminians can be successful in many walks of life though their general characteristics tend to make them unreliable. They are often skilled manipulators of language, in speech and writing, and may be: debaters, diplomats (though in politics they are more interested in theory than practice), orators, preachers (brilliant rather than profound), teachers, authors, poets, journalists, or lawyers.


CURRENT BLOG PROJECT:


FORUM
BCoF 's Virtual 50 State Bucket List Open in new Window. (18+)
We're going to explore one unique place in each of the 50 states in alphabetical order.
#2342653 by Lyn's a Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon


RULES:
1. Blog has to be more than 2 paragraphs, some people have tried putting a one-liner response. That won't cut it.
2.You need to respond at least once every week to other participant's blog posts. This is a 7 week activity= 7 blog responses within each of the weeks. It's fun getting to see what others noted that you might have missed or hadn't thought about.
3. You don't need to blog everyday, catch-ups are allowed if you want to go for the bigger prize award. But each entry must be a separate entry. So, if you do all 51, you'll have 51 entries.
4. Please tag me Lyn's a Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon in your entry so I can keep track of your entries for the prizes.
5. Posting in a book is preferred to keep the forum from being clogged. You can use any book you want.

ALONG FOR THE RIDE:
HOST: Lyn's a Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon
Princess Megan Rose Author IconMail Icon and her wolf, Peyton
Sung'manitu Author IconMail Icon and his pet rock, Peachy
AmyJo-Downhill slide begins! Author IconMail Icon
SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon
AmyJo-Downhill slide begins! Author IconMail Icon
Richard ~ Looking for Luck! Author IconMail Icon
WakeUpAndLive~Petra's Vacay Author IconMail Icon and his dog Sprout
Krista Author IconMail Icon
Jellyfish Author IconMail Icon


RECOGNIZATION:
10-24 Entries, MB plus 10K Awardicon
25-50 Entries, MB plus 25K Awardicon
51 Entries MB plus 50K Awardicon

Merit Badges Collected from Virtual Blogging &Virtual Blogging Friends:
Merit Badge in Let Dreams Take Wing
[Click For More Info]

To my upcoming virtual traveling blog companion. Dream big and fly high!

BLOG ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

SEPTEMBER 2024:

I participated in the
FORUM
Blog Week Birthday Bastion 2025 Open in new Window. (E)
Blogging event from September 1-7, 2025.
#2277665 by WakeUpAndLive~Petra's Vacay Author IconMail Icon
which was a big challenge for me due to my schedule, but I hunkered down and got it done. There's some great entries for the contest and the blog earned the following:

Merit Badge in Nonfiction
[Click For More Info]

Congrats on your Honorable Mention in Blog Week Birthday Bastion 2024

Big thanks to WakeUpAndLive~Petra's Vacay Author IconMail Icon for hosting the contest!

OCTOBER 2024:

I participated in the
FORUM
13 Poetic Days of Halloween Contest 2025 Open in new Window. (E)
Let your spooky poetry shine. Opens Oct. 13th. - closes 12:00am Oct 26th WDC time.
#2328177 by Lyn's a Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon
which honestly was a big challenge for me considering my schedule, and again I hunkered down and did it! There's some great poetry to be found this October and the blog earned the following:

Merit Badge in Halloween
[Click For More Info]

Congratulations on completing the 13 Poetic Days of Halloween.

Big Thanks to Lyn's a Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon for hosting the contest!



Find me at:

WEBSITE:
http://www.stephanieburkhart.com

FACEBOOK:
https://www.facebook.com/StephanieBurkhartAuthor

GOOD READS:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4031660.Stephanie_Burkhart

YOU TUBE CHANNEL:
http://www.youtube.com/user/botrina?feature=mhee

*Exclaim* WARNING *Exclaim*

I intend to be open, honest, and forthright. No topic is off limits from religion to you name it, I'm going there. If you think you might be offended...back up now - this blog isn't for you. For those who "dare" *Wink* check out the "Gemini Rising..."


Another Signature
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July 8, 2025 at 6:42pm
July 8, 2025 at 6:42pm
#1093059
Subtitled: Don't feed SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon Red Bull

Well, SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon drove the party bus all night long and we were in Dewey Beach, Delaware pretty early. Lyn's a Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon was the first in line and signed us all up to go parasailing. SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon fell asleep in the party bus and none of us had the heart to wake her up. WakeUpAndLive~Petra's Vacay Author IconMail Icon took all the pets to the dog run on the beach to stretch their legs.



I LOVE a good beach. When I was growing up, I would go to Hampton Beach State Park in NH and ride the waves. I’d spend hours on the rocks looking for lobsters and starfish. Nowadways, one of my favorite beaches is at Avalon on Catalina Island. I love walking down the boardwalk, soaking up the sun, eating and ice cream and listening to the sound of the waves. It’s peaceful.

Dewey Beach is an unique combination of both. There’s plenty of sand and waves. After the parasailing, I channeled my inner little kid again and went riding the waves with Jellyfish Author IconMail Icon, {user: brennus} and AmyJo-Downhill slide begins! Author IconMail Icon Then we’re joined by Princess Megan Rose Author IconMail Icon and just sit down at the edge of the water where it meets the sand and let the tiny waves wash over our legs.

Parasailing was awesome. Jellyfish Author IconMail Icon was my partner. We laughed and screamed and pee’d our pants when the sail lifted us off the boat. Once we settled in, we marveled at how wide the beach was. If only I had a camera!

Krista Author IconMail Icon and Sung'manitu Author IconMail Icon went to check on SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon. They didn’t want her to miss out. They pumped her full of Red Bull and she was ready to go. She parasailed, went paddleboarding with Krista Author IconMail Icon and Sung'manitu Author IconMail Icon and then went kayaking with weisblaize and Lyn's a Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon. I told them to next time, don’t give SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon 2 Red Bulls. 1 probably would have been enough.

At the end of the day we went to a mom and pop shop for seafood. I LOVE fried clams and pigged out. Everyone tried the crab cakes and the fresh halibut.

It’s hard work being on the beach and we were exhausted. Thankfully, SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon was still running on full and drove us through the night to our next destination!

July 7, 2025 at 5:58pm
July 7, 2025 at 5:58pm
#1092991
SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon drove the party bus through Litchfield and everyone was ooh’ing and ahh’ing at the colonial architecture. Jellyfish Author IconMail Icon said it gave her small town England vibes. Ever on the lookout for a vegan restaurant, Meraki Kitchen looked yummy to her.

A turn here and a turn there and we pulled into Winvian Farms. A visit here is hyped up as a big spa day and it was needed. Everyone was exhausted from Colorado! As soon as we checked in, the sweetest teenagers took Peyton, Sprout, and Peachy for their own spa day in the Pets area.

The treehouse was HUGE. There were comfy bedrooms, a tea room, and big bay windows that overlooked a wicked green forest. Jellyfish Author IconMail Icon AmyJo-Downhill slide begins! Author IconMail Icon, Krista Author IconMail Icon and Richard ~ Looking for Luck! Author IconMail Icon sat down for fancy tea in the tea room.

Princess Megan Rose Author IconMail Icon, Lyn's a Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon, SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon and me went and enjoyed the jacuzzi. WakeUpAndLive~Petra's Vacay Author IconMail Icon and Sung'manitu Author IconMail Icon went to the steam sauna.

The treehouse was made of wood and built around several trees. It had a rustic camping look to it. Everyone just sat back and let the muscles relax after the butt puckering we all had in Colorado. Then we rotated, our group went for the steam sauna, Krista Author IconMail Icon went to the jacuzzi and Sung'manitu Author IconMail Icon group went for tea. Awww…. I almost fell asleep.

At the end of the day, we all went to the party bus and the staff end gave it a carwash and made it smells like strawberries inside. The teenagers brought the pets out. Sprout had a cute little bandana on and Petyon was nicely brushed. Even Peachy had some color around the the ends.

SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon plugged in the Apple maps and took us to the Vegan place. We were all ready for our adventure in Delaware.

July 6, 2025 at 12:06am
July 6, 2025 at 12:06am
#1092907
Okay, when I found out the Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado was the next adventure I freaked out. I’m not in my 20’s anymore. Heights is not my thing. Well, certain heights are not my thing. I can do a roller coaster with only 1 loop-da-loop. I can fly in an airplane. I think I could go parasailing, but I don’t need to do a zip line. That’s not an experience I really want to have at 57.

Sung'manitu Author IconMail Icon, WakeUpAndLive~Petra's Vacay Author IconMail Icon, and Lyn's a Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon wanted to do the zip-line. Me, Princess Megan Rose Author IconMail Icon, Krista Author IconMail Icon, AmyJo-Downhill slide begins! Author IconMail Icon, Jellyfish Author IconMail Icon, SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon, and Richard ~ Looking for Luck! Author IconMail Icon were fine just to do the Jr. Ranger program and stay on solid ground. Lyn's a Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon took Krista Author IconMail Icon camera to take pictures.

The Royal Gorge Bridge is over 1,200 feet high and spans a big canyon. SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon took over driving the party bus from Sung'manitu Author IconMail Icon but the park wouldn’t let her drive the bus across the bridge. It was a pedestrian bridge and only their special cars were allowed to drive on the bridge. And get this – you gotta pay a fee to walk across the bridge! And there’s $35.00 fee per person to enter the park. I got a Veterans discount and I managed to pass Krista Author IconMail Icon off as my sister. Lyn's a Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon used her AAA discount and got everyone else on a discount.

While the high adventurers went to walk the bridge, us Jr. Rangers signed up to do the program. I took care of Peachy. As we followed the program, we saw sheep, falcons, learned how gorges were made and picked up trash to earn our badge. When we met up with the high adventurers, they were all wide eyed and wonder struck.

“I’ve never traveled so fast in my life,” said WakeUpAndLive~Petra's Vacay Author IconMail Icon
“That was wild,” said Sung'manitu Author IconMail Icon
“Let’s do it again,” said

“I’m game for some ice cream,” said Princess Megan Rose Author IconMail Icon
You can’t say no to Ice Cream. We all got in the party bus and we enroute to the nearest Ice Cream shop.


July 5, 2025 at 11:24pm
July 5, 2025 at 11:24pm
#1092903
Well, the party bus went west – Destination: Joshua Tree National Park. Somewhere in New Mexico Sung'manitu Author IconMail Icon fired the bus driver and took over. I was sleeping at the time, so I don’t know why.

Personally, speaking, few deserts are mesmerizing for me. They’re just full of dark yellow dirt and sand. BUT the desert has it’s own ecosystem, it’s own plants, trees, shrubs, animals, rhythms of life. It’s nothing you’ve never known. Joshua Tree National Park was actually created in 1994 to preserve the desert environment, the habitat, the way of life.

As a National park, there’s park rangers, campgrounds, and visitors’ centers with information on the various hiking trails. By the time Sung'manitu Author IconMail Icon pulled the party bus in, we were ready to see the trees – actually cactuses.

One of the Park Rangers said we should do the Sunrise Hike so Lyn's a Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon forked up the dough for a campsite and we camped out in the party bus. I rented a dutch oven and made chili for everyone. Krista Author IconMail Icon helped me cook. Princess Megan Rose Author IconMail Icon wolf, Peyton, wanted to chase after all the roadrunners. Sung'manitu Author IconMail Icon was afraid to put Peachy down because all the rocks looked alike.



At 4 am, the park ranger woke us all up and took us on the Sunrise hike. Honestly, 4 am is too early. It was wicked dark and you could see for miles. If you were a stargazer, you’d be in stargazer heaven. Anyhow, I didn’t even have time to brew coffee. We were up and out. Our guide zigged and zagged on the sandy dirt path and took us past the Ryan Mountain as we made our way to The Cholla Cactus Garden. Did you know there’s more than one type of cactus? Jellyfish Author IconMail Icon got confused which cactus was which. A Joshua tree is distinctive though. It’s like a green-gray upside down pitch fork that is full of prickles. Our Ranger had us all sit on a big flat rock as the sun came up. The sunrise started slow. The night turned lighter and lighter and then a hint of orange-red peered over the horizon highlighting a row of Joshua trees and deepening shadows. It kind of looked like all the Joshua trees were on a long march before going into battle. Richard ~ Looking for Luck! Author IconMail Icon and fell asleep back-to-back. I can’t say I blame them. AmyJo-Downhill slide begins! Author IconMail Icon was getting hungry and asked the Ranger if there was anything to eat. The Ranger went to a nearby cactus and cut it open. AmyJo-Downhill slide begins! Author IconMail Icon ate it without making a face. I was proud of her. Thankfully, the desert was cool as the sunrise appeared over the horizon.

Honestly, I don’t know how we dragged outrsleepy asses back to the bus, but when we got back, we slept for 5 hours straight before we had to get up and get ready for the next adventure.
July 4, 2025 at 1:49pm
July 4, 2025 at 1:49pm
#1092787
Fun on Catalina Island

This year for the 4th of July we made the decision to go back to Avalon, a city on Catalina Island and I as soon as we did, the vibes were happy.

I'll to make a long story short - I want to say around 2000, Brent and I went to Avalon for the 4th and loved it. Everything was chill. There's no rushing around. It's all laid back. We stayed out by the golf course and watched the fireworks before the casino. It was the BEST 4th of July ever so we wanted to go back.

The Golf Cart parade celebrating the 4th.

It took a bit, but we finally went back with baby Andrew I want to say around 2005. We had a blast. In 2006, Brent took Andy and the inlaws as I was pregnant with Joey and had to work the 4th of July. I believe we went back 2007-2012 but every year kept getting bigger and longer and the in-laws started coming along which put pressure on the vibes. 2012 the vibes exploded and Brent said we were never going back. And we didn't until now.

The boat ride was smooth with a stop at 2 Harbors. To my surprise, it was not as packed as it had been in previous years.

It's just me, Brent and Joey as Andy is on the island but on Emerald Bay doing his Boy Scout thing. He visited us when we arrived so that was nice and we got a pic with him.

The first day we settled into our rented condo in Hamilton Cove. We like renting there because it's a very homey feeling. Mind you, prices have increased about 200-300 dollars since the aughts but we saved for it with a vacation fund. There's only 1 Vons now but it's a mega Vons (for Avalon) and it's still busy. We got some food stuffs for b'fast mainly and then had a nice dinner at the Buffalo Nickel.

Yesterday, we walked around Avalon proper looking for Catalina shirts and souvenirs. I got my step count in which I was happy about. A few more people milling around. The USC Marching band gave an hour concert in Wigley Square which I loved! I love live music.

I became a USC fan because of the marching band. I went to a USC/UCLA football game in 1999 when Carson Palmer was the QB for USC at the Rose bowl. I wore USC colors unknowingly, but neither college really spoke to me. When Brent and I went back with Andy in 2005 or was it 2004? and saw the Golf cart parade that's what made me a USC fan. The marching band was at the beginning of the parade and was immediately impressed. I just loved the music, the marching, the fun, etc. A USC fan was born that day. I started following their football games and realized that I could afford USC college football tickets. I usually bought single games or a mini package. I got season tickets in 2018 and I just bought season tickets for the 2025 season. Mind you, prices have gone up on the games, too, so I saved so I could afford it. That and I hit on the daily 3 and 4 a couple of times during the springtime! Thank goodness for Lotto!

More thoughts later...
For Now - Happy 4th of July!

Fireworks
July 4, 2025 at 12:37am
July 4, 2025 at 12:37am
#1092763
Well, I’d never been to Arkansas before, but I knew someone in the Army from there. Lyn's a Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon thought it would be a great idea to visit these botanical gardens at the University of Arkansas in Hot Springs and the party bus got rolling toward Arkansas with all the usual suspects: Princess Megan Rose Author IconMail Icon
Sung'manitu Author IconMail Icon
AmyJo-Downhill slide begins! Author IconMail Icon
SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon
AmyJo-Downhill slide begins! Author IconMail Icon
Richard ~ Looking for Luck! Author IconMail Icon
WakeUpAndLive~Petra's Vacay Author IconMail Icon
Krista Author IconMail Icon
Jellyfish Author IconMail Icon
Noisy Wren Author IconMail Icon

Princess Megan Rose Author IconMail Icon brought Petyon the Wolf and Sung'manitu Author IconMail Icon brought his pet rock, “Peachy.”

Me, I brought my Instagram account. Gotta put my pictures somewhere.

The party bus drove for 2 days straight and we made it time for the 4th of July. Jellyfish Author IconMail Icon couldn’t wait to see real American fireworks. Krista Author IconMail Icon was already humming patriotic music. God Bless America! Noisy Wren Author IconMail Icon was not impressed with the bus driver. He had a bad habit of chewing tobacco and spitting it out the window. She thought that was gross.

So we got to the gardens and all signed up for the Golf Cart tour. I dunno how we did it, but we all packed into 10 seat golf cart. Peyton sat in the front next to the driver like a good wolf, and they gave him the dog rate - $5.00.

Needless to say when the golf cart hit a rut, we all bounced up in the air. AmyJo-Downhill slide begins! Author IconMail Icon wanted to find the hot springs. I didn’t think there was any in the gardens, but I kept my mouth shut. Didn’t want to bust her bubble.

The gardens were surrounded by a lake, and honestly, they reminded me of the gorges in the Fingers Lakes region of New York. It was really green this time of year. Pine trees lined the forest, their large canopies keeping us shaded. The scent of earthy pine cones filled the air. We drove past waterfalls and brooks. There wasn't a tree that wasn't a pine tree. In fact, it was pretty piney.

I got some great pictures for my Instagram. Sung'manitu Author IconMail Icon said Peachy wanted to play in the water, but honestly, that wasn’t a good idea. Peachy could get lost. Lyn's a Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon kept telling the driver to take us to the Anthony Chapel but he didn’t know where it was. And English was not his first language. Finally, he took a wrong turn and we saw it in the distance. Then boom! The golf cart hit a rut, went up in the air, came down on a tree branch and got three flat tires. Lyn's a Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon herded us like cats (Peyton and Peachy were offended again) and we went and saw the chapel. The inside buttresses reminded me of knights who cross their swords so the wedding couple can walk underneath them as they leave the church.

Richard ~ Looking for Luck! Author IconMail Icon helped the driver put the spares on (and don’t ask me where the spares came from because I didn’t think there was any extra room on that golf cart and we drove really slow back to the entrance. When we got there, there were a bunch of food trucks and we stuffed ourselves silly. Afterwards, we mixed and mingled with the locals and when it got dark, we watched the fireworks while listening to the USC marching band play patriotic from my Iphone. Can’t wait to see where the party bus takes us in California.


July 3, 2025 at 9:31pm
July 3, 2025 at 9:31pm
#1092751
Okay, so the gang was waiting outside the Circus Circus in Las Vegas for pick up. Lyn's a Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon Richard ~ Looking for Luck! Author IconMail Icon Sung'manitu Author IconMail Icon AmyJo-Downhill slide begins! Author IconMail Icon WakeUpAndLive~Petra's Vacay Author IconMail Icon were pretty tired from Alaska. They couldn’t stop yawning. Not even 5 hour energy could help them out. Princess Megan Rose Author IconMail Icon made it with a second to spare off dropping off her wolf Peyton at Wolfie Day Care. The bus chugged out of the parking lot and we were on our way to Peach Springs, Arizona to catch a white water raft to go rafting down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon.

SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon asked us people who were awake how we thought the Grand Canyon was made. Krista Author IconMail Icon thought God make it during the 6 days of creation. Jellyfish Author IconMail Icon thought Zeus got mad at Mars and threw a lightning bolt and missed and made the Grand Canyon. I thought Aliens mined the place for gold or uranium – take your pick.

We passed over the Hoover Dam and by the Rout 66 Museum before arriving at Peach Springs. Boy was it hot. Our Indian guides met us at the bus. Lyn's a Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon
Richard ~ Looking for Luck! Author IconMail Icon Sung'manitu Author IconMail Icon AmyJo-Downhill slide begins! Author IconMail Icon WakeUpAndLive~Petra's Vacay Author IconMail Icon woke up just in time to get off the bus.

One of our Native American guides, Tatanka, herded us like cats to our white water raft. Princess Megan Rose Author IconMail Icon was offended for Peyton. We got a safety briefing, threw on our life vests and boom we were off. Colorado River here we come.

Water splashed up over the side of our raft. Sung'manitu Author IconMail Icon and Richard ~ Looking for Luck! Author IconMail Icon paddled their arms off. Everyone got soaking wet. We zigged and zagged. The rugged, earthy walls of the canyon were upon us in no time. One side of the canyon definitely had a desert tone, and the wall was cut in with multiple layers, almost like an old oak tree that had been cut down and you could see over 1,000 rings. There were different layers of sentiment from gold, to rust, to sienna, to light gold. At the top, was a topsoil of sand and rocks. On the other side of the river, it was a bit more forestry – green were the water meets the soil and then it became dirt, rusty brown, reminding me of mud bricks as it got closer to the top.

A wave hit Lyn's a Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon and got her wet from head to toe. Her scowl said it all. Finally, Tatanka maneuvered us to the end point. The gang sloshed out of the raft and made a beeline for the hurricane sized dryer next to the restrooms. Sung'manitu Author IconMail Icon found a pet rock and named it “Peachy.”

July 2, 2025 at 1:03am
July 2, 2025 at 1:03am
#1092649


Hi Lyn's a Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon

Well, I’m on the party cruise with all my buds Princess Megan Rose Author IconMail Icon SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon WakeUpAndLive~Petra's Vacay Author IconMail Icon AmyJo-Downhill slide begins! Author IconMail Icon Krista Author IconMail Icon Sung'manitu Author IconMail Icon Richard ~ Looking for Luck! Author IconMail Icon Noisy Wren Author IconMail Icon and we’re coming into port at Anchorage. Someone was saying the Northern Lights where wicked in Fairbanks and we had to go see them, so in a semi-tipsy stupor, I rented a helicopter to take us from Anchorage to Fairbanks. Everyone wanted to jam in the helicopter. I made the party buds cough up some extra dough and we got a Blackhawk helicopter to take us that had been decommissioned from the Army.

Who knew Fairbanks, Alaska was in the middle of the state? Alaska is HUGE!

It can be a lil challenging maintaining that just right balance of tipsy and some people don’t do helicopter rides well. I have a cast iron stomach and nothing makes me puke – not even an Army helicopter.

The party people made it to Fairbanks and our pilot acted as our guide. He took us to the Birch Hill ski lodge where the sun was due to set at 11:37 PM Alaska Daylight Time! What did we care? We kept right on partying. Our pilot, Gus, made sure the munchies never ran out.

We danced the night away. I asked the pilot if Sarah Palin or Lisa Murkowski lived in Fairbanks. He just frowned at me and gave me another drink.

Time flew by and before you knew it Alaska lived up to its motto – “Land of the Midnight Sun.” The sun set. Gus rushed us up to the roof and WOW. The Aurora Borealis was in full view! Hues of greens and oranges danced in rhythmic waves before us, singing a silent song of harmony. We were all mesmerized. And one by one we all fell asleep.



The next thing I know the pilot was tapping me on the shoulder. “Time to get up and back on the helicopter. You’ve got a cruise to catch!”
July 1, 2025 at 3:43pm
July 1, 2025 at 3:43pm
#1092617
Hi Lyn's a Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon

I maybe 57 now but I visited Space Camp in Huntsville, AL in 1993 when I was 25 years old. I love space so the park blew me away. It had Saturn 5 rockets that were built to size, a mock up of the Space Shuttle and a model of the American Space Shuttle next to the Soviet Space Shuttle (Russia did away with the USSR and became the Russian Federation DEC 1991). In fact, there were mock ups of Soviet capsules and even Soviet mission patches. I still have some of those in my photo books. While I was there, I did spin around in a version of a multi axis trainer. That was a lot of spinning!

Me visiting Space Camp 1993

I’d love to take Sung'manitu Author IconMail Icon and SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon along for the ride. I can’t say I know them well, but I was touched that Sung'manitu Author IconMail Icon sent me a merit badge before our Blogging adventure open so I’d want to do the multi axis trainer with him. I supposed I was up for more adventures when I was 25. Now that I’m 57 I don’t want to ride a roller coaster with more than one loop. Both Sung'manitu Author IconMail Icon and SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon have a sense of adventure and a good sense of humor (at least what I know about them) and for me, that’s who I’d want to try the multi axis trainer with to build team skills.

When I went to Huntsville, I went with Kathy and Dave. At the time we were attending a non-commissioned officer school in Anniston, Alabama and we did a lot of off duty stuff together. All of us were pretty easy going, easy to laugh, and hard workers.


What did it feel like? I barely remember. There was a lot of spinning, and yet, I don’t remember it being terrifying. I didn’t mind the sensation, but getting out of the trainer took a bit because your head was still spinning. That said, I don’t remember that sensation lasting long.

Other things I’d like to do at Space Camp is fly in a jet simulator, build a heat shield, and launch a rocket. Honestly, a week at Space Camp is not enough for me!

I just went to Alaska last year on a cruise so I'm going to take Princess Megan Rose Author IconMail Icon Sung'manitu Author IconMail Icon WakeUpAndLive~Petra's Vacay Author IconMail Icon AmyJo-Downhill slide begins! Author IconMail Icon and a couple more folks on the cruise boat!
June 30, 2025 at 5:15pm
June 30, 2025 at 5:15pm
#1092568
Misc Thoughts:

Well June is winding down and it's been a busy month out on the blogs for the Bard's Hall contest. I've enjoyed visiting all the blogs but it does take me away from other things I need to do on WDC - like catching up on my emails! *Laugh*

Work Adventures

I had to go to downtown Los Angeles today for my 4 hour overtime shift. It's about a 40 min on the freeway, but I usually take the Metrolink which takes about an hour. I don't mind. I appreciate the peace of mind I get not having to worry about the traffic. The Metrolink trains are usually very clean.

I usually walk up from Union Station to the PSAP which is about 10-15 mins. I don't mind but in the last 10 years there's usually homeless encampments out and about. Today, it was fairly clean and the tents were closer to Union Station at the park. The sidewalks were tent free but there were a couple of drugged out zombies sitting in front of the Federal Bldg.

There was a good faith effort to clean up the graffiti from the ICE riots but there's still plenty of "F-Ice" graffiti to find.

I've only got a 4 hour overtime shift, but right now, it's the only CASH overtime in town. Everything else is time and that's wouldn't be so bad but we can't use the time. Why? Because we're short personnel. If anything, we've been on a hiring spree, but that's probably going to slow down because the City is FLAT A$$ BROKE. We need at 650 working bodies and we've probably got bet 500-550, closer to 500.

I make enough money to pay my bills, but if I want to buy gas, I should work some overtime. Living in California is not cheap.

Quote of the Day:
"Honesty is an expensive gift, do not expect it from Cheap People."

Question: Do you take a train when you travel or go on vacation? Why or why not?

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