Dublin, Ireland

I try to never turn down an opportunity to travel to places I've never been before. So when my friend Audrey needed a travel buddy to Ireland for her nephew's wedding, I was happy to tag along. Later in the planning phase, her girls Kayla and Sierra were able to miss some school and make the trip. Sierra flew out with us, while Kayla flew out a few days later. Audrey and I took a couple of days at the beginning of the trip to walk all over Dublin while Sierra headed to the country to stay with her cousins.

Below are a few photos from the Dublin part of the trip. More of the rest of the trip to follow later.

I think it's fair to say that we experienced something most people don't in Ireland... continuous SUNNY days! Out of our nine days we had eight with blue skies. Ireland was green and blue which certainly makes Irish eyes smile!


A view from the River Liffey that runs through Dublin.


Audrey was the designated Dublin "Map Girl". I took photos and she found the next stop.


With sunny skies, everyone was out enjoying the good weather. We walked through St. Stephen's Greens where everyone was lounging on the lawns by all the flowers. All the blooming tulips were beautiful.


Audrey in front of Christ's Church Cathedral.


Me in the courtyard of Trinity College.

It's a Two Car Garage Again...

Ok, maybe one and a half. Well, I'm finally driving around in my little car after a year long wait for it's delivery date. I just love it. It's a tiny little car but when you are in it, you FEEL big. Lots of headroom and large front window and sun roof. Needless to say, it's getting lots of attention wherever I go.

My interior photos turned out bad. I'll try to take a few of those later when the sun isn't making harsh shadows and thus some icky photos.

No Brainer...

It seems people my age and older have started freaking out about looking older. Certainly, I could care less what other people think and have found it a bit disturbing how insecure people can be about that stuff. When the whole Botox thing came about, I said to myself "Self, how stupid would it be to actually have a toxin inserted underneath my skin into my body?". After about a nano second of contemplation—I ruled it out as my path to a more youthful appearance. I'm opposed to anything invasive unless it's necessary to prolong or save my life. I've always found it amusing to witness individuals super critical about what they and others eat and then go out and have a toxin injected into their skin.

So my lovely friends (All who do not need any help looking beautiful)—if you were even thinking about Botox or other crap injections (Hmmm... has anybody tested crap as a wrinkle filler? Eeeeeewwww!) —THINK about it. Where is all that stuff going??

Read on and you'll look differently at those cute little lines. If you look hard—those little lines are smiling back at you!

A New Reason to Frown
Have Botox, Will Travel

Backyard Wildlife

This time of year we usually have some visitors in the wash area behind our house. A group of Javelinas. I snapped a few pictures of the new tiny additions. Kobi shares his dog food and I threw out some carrots for them. The babies are so tiny and cute.

New Urban Land Maintenance?

On the way for a hike on North Mountain last evening. Matt and I stopped to see the new clean up crew along a busy Cave Creek road. I'm pretty sure my Dad will be surprised. Usually I only see these on the farm when I visit home.

The BIG Bruise....

Sorry kids... I'm so woefully behind on my "e bloggin". I'll try and catch up right after the taxes are done.

In the meantime, I'm posting a few picts from the now infamous snowboard crash in Canada. If you hadn't already heard--Matt (a.k.a. Cricket) landed on a nice bunch of rocks and broke his hip while on the annual snowboard trip. The photos below are supplied by his fellow trip snowboarder, Ed Hager. When I first got the call I was told that it was "a rock". After seeing the photos, I think a "rock" really meant boulders!

This happened almost 3 weeks ago. Although, Matt tested the Canadian healthcare system through 3 days of hospitalization... I think we can all be thankful that he didn't land on his head!

He's made a remarkable recovery. He ditched the crutches after a couple days at home and is now riding his motorcycle, taking rehab walks and getting about without much of a limp. Per the Doctors--he was lucky to have broken his Iliac crest-- which is a non weight bearing bone. Any further down and he would still be in a world of hurt.

Now I know what to do with Sparky...

Sparky is my yellow barn cat that sometimes has WAY too much energy. He climbs up my leg all day long to get me to play with him. Perhaps he needs to go to cat agility...

The Bowl's Always Half Full...

I was practicing with a new lens on my camera today. Matt got it for me for Christmas after reading a Merlin Mann's 43 Folders (now one of my favorite geek "e" sites). The lens is a single focus 50mm. It is great for portrait photos. It actually forces you to be a little more selective and creative with the close shot. Here's one I liked of Sparky doing his favorite thing... eating out of the big kitty food bowl which always seems to have food in it for him. He's an appreciative little Michigan barn kitty.

Wicked Smart....

I saw this Smart Car ad and HAD to put it on the blog. Certainly when I get a Smart car I can feel GOOD about this!

Back At The Farm

I went back to the farm in Michigan to spend Christmas with my parents. It's always a good experience and a reminder of how quickly times goes by when the work day consists of farm chores such as taking care of animals and cutting wood to keep a big old farm house cozy in the winter.


Winter lamb. It's a good thing they have wool coats!


Giving me that sheepish look.


My Dad as a lumberjack.


Mom treating the farm dogs.


Farm dog Zach after getting a "snow" drink.

Chopper Dan

My B-I-L Dan used his helicopter to drop a guy off whose dirt bike broke down in a remote area. As there were no flat spots for landing, he had to do a "drop" literally. Check it out.

I'm NOT good about these things...

Ok folks... I have a SIN for which I must confess. It's the "Oh I'll remember to..." one. You know when someone you REALLY want to contact leaves a message on your phone... and then you proceed with deleting BEFORE you've written the number down. You know-- the long lost high school buddy.

Well long lost high school buddy/probably would be more if I hadn't well.... lost your phone number way back when....
I'm REACHING out to you via the web. Google up! You'll find me and if you could just call one more time, I won't be so quick to DELETE!

Oh.... I'm a bad friend. Ok, I'm NOT if you actually touch base with me. Or better yet, REACH for me.

So if you've called--please call again. I really DO want to talk to you.

And if you don't reach me--I'm sending you brainwaves...

"E" or as a slight few may know "Betsy" (Don't even think you can go somewhere with this unless you KNEW me in high school....) is here. I really DO want to talk/see you again.

Makenna Cares...

Here's a pat on the back to my cousin Todd (Steve) and wife Heather for teaching their kids about charity and compassion. Their daughter, Makenna, tossed aside vanity to get her long locks cut off for the Pantene Beautiful Lengths program. This program allows one to donate their beautiful healthy hair to create free wigs for women who have lost their hair due to cancer treatment.

I received her haircut photos in an e-mail and thought that it needed to be blogged and shared. Perhaps you are considering a shorter hairdo, but have been hesitant to see those long strands falling to the floor. You can follow Makenna's lead and give something back and feel good about getting a fun new short style. See the link above for details about the program.

Makenna--AWESOME new hairdo. You GO girl!

When Cats Talk...

Yes, cats DO talk!

All Things Ancient

I'm back from my Black Sea Cruise with a cajillion (that means A LOT) photos. This weekend I'll be sorting through them all and posting a few on my blog and web gallery. However, to appease those that are already asking why I haven't posted anything, I'm posting a few from our last day that we spent walking around Rome.

First, let me say that our Cruise took us to many places of ancient and historical interest. "Must see" places as far as I'm concerned. Both at the beginning and end of our trip we spent some extra time in Rome. Two days still wasn't enough. Rome is one of those cities where you just start walking and around almost every corner there is some marvelous piece of art and beauty. I'm kind of a fountain freak so I got an overdose in Rome.

Our last day in Rome was beautiful. Crisp cool air with gorgeous blue skies. Everyone was out enjoying the day.


Token "old guy" photo taken by the Pantheon.


Wanda and Julie (Greenbank) at local market. We bought some really cool spice blends for Italian cooking. I always love the markets with fresh fruits, vegetables, olive oil and more.


Up close fountain photo with fresco buildings for contrast.


The Pantheon. This photo doesn't do it justice. I'll have more photos of the Pantheon when I get them uploaded to my web gallery.


When in Rome... you MUST have gelato!

How Cats Wake Up Humans....

This is so funny... Matt's the official kitty breakfast feeder and I think he will attest to the persistence of cats when they want to be fed!

Mr. Whooooooo...

Jan and I were out walking the dogs when we saw our neighborhood Owl. He was perched on the house next to mine (my other neighbor). I heard him in the wash area behind my house last night. It's been awhile since he's been around and I'm glad to see the owls coming back. I was worried that they had left us for good as I didn't see them much last year. Needless to say, Jan kept him there (using her small dog, Teddy, as bait) while I got my camera. He's definitely a beautiful owl.

Marina Needs A Home of Her Own

If you haven't read how I obtained this cute little cat, please read previous Marina entries (They are tagged "Marina" and you can do a tag search to pull up all the entries on one page). I really love this little kitty, however, I've finally come to the conclusion that she will have to be confined to her guest room OR I must find her a really good home. There is discord between her and my other Siamese (Pepper). I've broken up a few cat fights (so far no ones been hurt) and I worry when I have to leave them alone in the house. Marina gets along fine with Kobi (the dog) and seems to like my other cats, Chili, Figaro and Sparky (although she screams bloody murder when Sparky pounces on her without warning--he does that to all his family).

Anyone who knows me--knows how much I love my pets. I've never given a pet away and I'll probably shed some tears when I do. Marina is a loving little blue tipped traditional Siamese. She loves people. Every morning when I come in to say good morning (she isn't allowed on the bed as Pepper will go after her), she talks up a storm, purrs and begs to be picked up. She loves to be brushed. I bring her out during the day and she lays on my desk and purrs everytime I pet her.

So my dear friends, family & kind hearted animal people... I'm hoping you can help me find a home where Marina will be the "queen", spoiled and be able to roam about her Castle without fear of being beat up by another cat. I think she was already terrorized in her previous outing, when she found herself amongst a group of feral cats (thus the little tear in her ear you can see in her photos).

I would like to GIVE Marina to someone who can provide the following:

• An indoor home. She is not an outdoor cat, nor should she become an outdoor cat. She shows no interest in going back "out there" after spending days, weeks in 100+ degree weather. She is small and would be owl, hawk and coyote bait. In fact, I'm not a fan of anyone letting their cat out.


• Preferably a home without children and if there are children, they would need to be mature enough to handle her with loving care.


• A home where she may explore freely.


• Owner/s who will brush her, pet and hold her, talk back to her when she wants to chat and will spoil her rotten.

In summary, my ideal new home for Marina would be a mature couple or owner, who is retired or works from home and who can provide this loving little girl with the attention she deserves.

Marina has had all her shots, tested negative for feline leukemia and appears to have been spayed (She has shown no signs of going in heat (see my previous entry about taking her to the vet). Just to be on the safe side and to make sure she has a good start--I will include all her toys, kitty house, food for a month AND should there be the remote chance that she is not spayed and goes into heat (which you will know from the "yowling")--I will pick her up and take her to the Humane Society and get her spayed at my expense, and return her to her new home. All vet bills and record will be given to new owner.

Please pass on to anyone you might know that may fit the above criteria and who loves cats. I have no stomach to take to her to the Humane society or even put her on Craigslist as I worry that may jeopardize placing her in a good home.

It's been almost 2 months since I found her and so her fur has grown back where I cut all her matted fur out. She's an absolutely beautiful kitty. She is small, weighs 7.5 lbs and the vet said she is likely only a year old.

Arizona Outlaws Erg Marathon

Last year you might recall that I posted some photos and a blurb about participating in the Arizona Outlaws Erg Marathon. It's a 42,195 meter (26 mile) rowing session on a rowing machine for which we rowers call an erg. This year I did a good deal of organization as the previous organizer, Ted Paxton is in the Netherlands and soon Taiwan. Being a tad heavier than I was last year at this time-- and not erging for almost a month--I was really dreading getting on that ominous looking machine. The week before the event, I was in Seattle/Bainbridge Island visiting my friend Mary. I jokingly told her at least 10 times "I'm going to die" when discussing what I was doing the next weekend. It's probably good that self fullfilling prophecies are not that prevalent. I finished the erg marathon and somehow managed to improve my time from the previous year by a little over 3 minutes. Go figure!

That being said, my achievement was small compared to others. So I think a recap of the day from "E's eyes" is in order. First I want to say--this erg marathon is NOT easy. It sucks all the energy out of you and when you're done you can barely stand up. It's painful (especially the day after). Keep that in mind when reading on.

Last year we had 14 people but this year there were lots of conflicts. Hopefully, next year we'll pick a weekend where more people can participate. Nonetheless, there were some great results and I know that all of us went home with a sense of satisfaction (and soreness).

Here's the things that stick in my mind that made the difference:

Jim Harrison drove up from Tucson with his son Calvin--who became our super helper. Calvin got the movies started, shut garage doors and practically saved me from the super bonk by bringing me a Gatorade from the cooler full of energy drinks they brought. Jim was the first to finish in 3 hours 3 minutes 29 seconds. He is also the leader of our virtual C2 roster to date. Was great to have both Jim and Calvin there.

First time Outlaw erg marathoner, Laura Erhart, was the last to arrive but one of the early finishers. An amazing time of 3 hours 6 minutes and 48 seconds. Certainly an inspiration and an awesome row. I expect she will be in the C2 C.R.A.S.H B sprint event in Boston and finishing up at the top. Her family, friends and even her coach, Dan Duxbury showed up to root her on. Her daughter and 3 Tempe Jr. Crew rowers passed out ice cold wash towels to all of us. That chilly towel on my neck was a temporary distraction from the fact that my legs were like concrete. Thank you!

Then there was Rebecca Clark . A month ago, I was pretty sure she wouldn't be able to attempt the Marathon as she was still battling constant chronic fatigue from a case of Mono and/or Epstein Barr. She mentioned before we started that she may opt out at the half marathon mark. She completed the entire marathon AND improved her time from the year before. Ordinary people would not have made the attempt--but that's what I like about Rebecca--she's not an ordinary person. She's extraordinary!

Art Reimanis had e-mailed me before the event that he didn't expect to do well as he was getting over a respiratory illness. He said he was going to try and do it in 3 hours and 20 minutes or better. Well he chose the later and ended up with a time of 3 hours and 10 minutes, 12 seconds. He's been at the last three erg marathons and is always a consistent performer. Another fine marathon for him.

I remember Kathy Moum telling Ted Paxton last year that she was going to get the exact same time as she always does. Well Ted wasn't there this year--so maybe not saying it allowed her to put in her best marathon time--improving by almost 6 minutes from the previous year. She seem's to get better as she gets older (I have more to say about that... so keep reading).

I first got caught up in rowing with a beginning rowing course taught by "Okie" or Joe "Okie" O'Connor. He's in charge of Tempe Town Lake rowing and everything boating on Tempe Town Lake. Needless to say, many of us admire how much enthusiasm he's fostered about rowing on Tempe Town Lake (TTL) and all the great events coming to TTL because of him. We also admire his super overall athetic abilities. That being said, I'm glad he was there. He's done the event "virtually" in the past, but hopefully he now feels like all of us-- that there is comfort in toughing it out together. He finished behind Jim Harrison by only 2 minutes and in all honesty I think he may have helped us all get a better time than we thought we could just by being present.

Then there is Kat Soderberg. This was Kat's first marathon. Here is where I get back on the subject of age. I don't know how old Kat is... I just know she looks younger than she is. She doesn't know it--but I want to be HER when I'm her age. Kat did the marathon in 3 hours 44 minutes and 6 seconds. Only a couple of minutes slower than my first marathon last year. I do know she is likely more than 10 years older than me and I bet you she will have an even better time next year. So awesome Kat. While still on the subject of age--Laura, Kathy & Kat are all older than me--but they keep rowing better and faster. That's what's so great about this sport-it makes me look forward to getting older!

Great job Erg Marathoners. I hope to see you all again NEXT year!

Here's a few photos (Click for bigger less fuzzy view). I'll post more as I get them from other people. I didn't have my photographer (spouse) there until the very end, however, I know there were lots of camera shots from others.


The Outlaw Erg Marathoners from left to right (If you're reading my blog you already know I'm the short one in the front). Jim Harrison, Art Reimanis, Kathy Moum, Rebecca Clark, Kat Soderberg, Laura Erhart & Okie O'Connor.


Calvin--our "Superboy". Thank you Calvin! Come back and erg next year.


Jim has his system down. Hmmmm, I think the fan made him go faster. I better get one of those for next year.


Kathy and Rebecca establishing their plan to get through another marathon.


I think I'm looking at the erg monitor and thinking "Will I ever finish...) Meanwhile, Laura, (with fan club) is looking at her monitor like "I can't believe I'm going this fast..." Ok, I'm not sure what she was thinking--but she was WICKED fast.

Marina Update

Well... it's almost 2 weeks now since I picked this little Siamese stray up at Tempe Town Lake Marina. I thought I would give a brief update on her integration into Diethelm "Pet Central". Today I spotted her sneaking down the hall and going into the bedroom. She eyed the big bed but noticed there was another BIG kitty on it (Figgy) so she opted not to go there. She went underneath and checked that out--hissed a little at Sparky who really wants her to play with him (he keeps taking all his toys in her room and dropping them). I think she's content to be another "Queen" in the house. Each day she warms up a little more and extends her territory. For the first week we couldn't get her off the carpet cat house set up in her own room. Now she's checking out the "mod" canvas fleecy cat condo I bought at Target. Her eyes match the fleecy material perfectly!

Every night she's spending an hour or two watching a television show in my lap. She's still growling and hissing at the other cats at first sight but settles down after she gets comfortable. Chili, Sparky & Figgy are allowed in her room without any confrontation but she and the other girl cat, Pepper (Lynx Point Siamese), are still not sure who's going to boss the boys around.

Regardless, she loves to talk to me as soon as I walk in the room. She's purring more, running to greet me and loves her brushings. She is quite joyful for the always full food dish and water with ice cubes. Not to mention the moist kitty food breakfast and dinners. Such a life of luxury after laying on cement under sailboats in 100+ degree weather with no food available and her only shelter a cement ditch area. Her hair is starting to grow back where I cut mats out and she loves to clean herself now. She's had all her tests and vaccinations at the vet--no parasites & no diseases. Each day she grows a little closer to her family and reveals a little more personality. I think she's beautiful and certainly she's becoming my "little" girl.