It's been a month since I came home from my husband's and my trip to Boston. Boston Red Sox were playing the Texas Rangers at Fenway Park (the Green Monster). The Women's Olympic Trials were the day before the Boston Marathon. The tiny State of Massachusetts was buzzing with electricity.

I found I loved this city. I saw more people walking and riding bikes than anywhere else I've been. While I am no world traveler, I've done some traveling. Walking to the subway, from the subway...a few blocks here, a few blocks there. Definitely, a healthy way to get around. I did a lot of walking. It felt great.

My husband, Andy and I were there for his first Boston Marathon. I say first because I have already reserved hotel reservations for next year, so a second marathon is definitely in the works.

My husband made his flight arrangements a couple of weeks earlier than I did. He was going to go alone and meet up with his brother, Charlie, an avid marathoner. He really wanted me to go, and twisted my arm until I finally made my own flight. Actually he didn't have to twist it, I was just hesitant because I didn't want to do some damage to our savings. So we went on separate flights. Mine was a direct flight (worth every penny spent for it) and I got there an hour ahead. The plan was that we meet at the hotel.

I hadn't been on a plane in almost 18 years, but I got the hang of getting an e-boarding pass and going through TSA to get to plane. My oh my, times have changed in the airline industry.

I took the airport shuttle to the subway station and begun my Bostonian journey with my first subway ride. I just loved that escalator there. It made lugging my carry-on bag and large, old, trusty suitcase so easy. Initially, I had felt anxious about getting around on this strange form of transportation called a subway, the escalator was definitely a familiar ride. It made the baggage haul easy-breezy.

The Ride

After getting my 7-day pass and $6 in dollar coins, the attendant there gave me directions as to how to ride this system to my hotel. Luckily, our hotel was directly across the street from Fenway, so I could have asked a 5 year old Boston kid for directions and he could have got me to my destination.

Here I was, this Texas hick of a gal, taking my first ride and I had to stand and hold on to the bars that go across the length of the care because all of the seats were taken. No biggie...I just anchored my legs around my bags and held on. I couldn't help it but when that thing took off, I accidently let a good ol' Texas "Woo-hoo" out. First thing I do when I get to Boston is embarrass myself. Sheepishly, I apologized to those nearby with a "Sorry, but it's my first time on one of these thangs."

It was my first stop off to change subways that I had to carry my luggage up 2 flights of stairs, no escalators, no elevators -- STAIRS. I had to take yet another flight  of stairs from that level to get to the right subway line. It's one thing to do this by yourself, but with my large suitcase and barely a year after heart surgery, this was a major ordeal. And guess what, I made it to the top.

Then, another subway ride, to another station....and guess what? STAIRS....so I waited for almost everyone who got off with me to go first up those darn (I'm being a lady here) stairs. Lugging them up, step by step, inch by inch, I got them up those next 2 flights of stairs. Then I took a breather. I was definitely feeling it. My own marathon of steps. I was determined, mind you.

Finally, my last ride to the hotel. I was able to get a seat on this one. It was nice to rest my dogs. The albatross of a suitcase next to me, like a chain connected to a large ball and heck, an anvil attached to it, too. I thought about how I packed it and had left room for souveniers and stuff, thinking it was good that I had it to to take on a trip.

However, that last ride to the hotel, I looked at it like it was an evil burden or a type of penance. I wasn't sure which but I retired it that day to a life of storage in one of my closets at home.

With a little breather, I made to the last stop and got to the stairs that went to the street level. The Mother of ALL STAIRS. One long flight up the steepest stairs I've encountered all the way there. I waited for the crowd to go up and once again, somehow, someway, made it to the top.

And there it was....Home...at least for the next 5 days. By the way, I found an elevator in the subway stop by our hotel. It made going down to board our ride so easy. GRRRRR

Dear Oprah,

I like your good friend, Barak. He has a lot of charisma. He would have my vote if there were no other candidate in this election worthy enough to be President, at least as far as I'm concerned.

So you know, I listened to all the debates, Democrat and Republican, and heard what various candidates had to say. I promise you that I truly do not feel guilty for supporting Hillary. Without the uplifting, feel good speeches, she has convinced me with her experience, domestic and foreign. I'll be the first to admit she isn't perfect but neither is Barak. This I can promise you.

I have heard too much "Rah, rah, rah, Bush, Bush, Bush!!!" for the past 7 years. I've heard the "I'm a uniter, not a divider!" among the other moronic words and phrases and it still rings in my ears to this day.  And this from the Republican idiot that we call President. My bull-hockey meter was set off all those years ago. I assure you, I will not jump blindly on any bandwagon because I'm a woman or un-educated about this election.

While some Republicans can put their egos aside and work in a bipartisan manner with Democrats, there are those who will refuse to budge and compromise within our government, even if Barak is elected as our next President. I'm sure of this. Especially when you have the likes of John McCain saying over and over how the Democrats want to "surrender"(sic).  How they loosely throw the term "liberal" around when referring to Democrats, like we are some kind of criminal-minded people. That's okay, let them spew their hateful, mean-spiritness around. I'm sure it'd turn off a lot of independents who are undecided.

I've voted split tickets before. I've leaned conservatively at times. This depends on the issues involved and how they affect the community I live in.

However these primary elections work out, if he is nominated,  your buddy has my support. He is my 2nd choice.  Undeniably, he is a viable candidate.

Yours truly,

The holidays are over and it's that time again in my household. Marathon training! Oh no, not me. I'm the personal assistant, the water-girl, towel-holder, the finishline-cheerleader, to name a few hats I wear around the house. I don't mind being my husband's little Sugar Foot at these events. I like taking pictures of him and others finishing.

The reality is that I am very proud of him. He is very dedicated and disciplined in his training. He has kept a log of his running for several years. How many miles he ran that day/week, what the temperature was like, wind velocity, how he felt during the run, etc. It's all in there. I always kid him about writing in his "diary", if I see him with it. "Dear Diary", I joke around with a sugary tone in my voice, but I know he's doing something he is passionate about.

For the past few years, he has ran fast enough to qualify in the Boston Marathon. While the timing was off or the money wasn't really there for him to be able to go, I've seen the desire to compete in one of the "Big Ones" pass across his face whenever he spoke of it.

This year, the Boston Marathon is a reality. (insert the them to "Rocky" here) He has begun to ease into his marathon-training mode and slowly increasing his weekly mileage. I've seen him do this for the local marathons here in Texas. This year, he seems to have a fire in his belly. Boston!

Happy New Year to my friends and former co-workers. You deserve a super new year. The past year has been a year of many changes.

I don't normally make New Year's resolutions. I've been better off making resolutions any other day of the year. I'm not normally a wishy-washy type of person. I get all the facts about an issue, then make an informed decision and stand by it without fearing whether or not it's a good choice. Usually the outcome is positive, because I cared enough to look at the bigger picture.

This year would have to be different. This is okay, though. To me, it's the timing of it all.

I am starting my new year as an unemployed person. My resolution is to get down to the nitty-gritty and get a job. It isn't that I haven't looked at a few possibilities (living in Victoria, all you get is a few possibilities).

I had to leave a job that I loved so I could deal with a major medical issue. I've got past this and am at 100 percent with the help of physical therapy. I worked hard to make sure I wasn't leaving anyone in a lurch. There was a game-plan which could be put into effect. Facing mortality has a way of getting people to make sure things are put in order. I felt this way with my job. I loved working there, being a part of it. I went to work many days looking forward to the challenges.

I've waited the past few months hoping that by some miracle, there would be an opening for me, again. While I have looked at other job options, they didn't feel right. Perhaps, I felt like I was betraying my old job (old love). I didn't want to miss any opportunity to go back. (sniff, sniff)

Now for a sorrowful goodbye:

"Thanks Old Job. I didn't want to leave you. I only wanted to get better and come back to your crazy ways. You were the best experience I've had in a very long time. We did so many things together. Maybe one day things will work out for the two of us."

Now I am going to iron my business attire, polish my shoes and find another job. I have talent and many skills to take with me. I am ready to move on.

Yes, a resolution that just happened to fall on New Year's Day.

P.S. Another resolution is to blog more. I love to write.

Picture this scenario: An adult walking out of the building while the small children who accompanied him or her are lagging behind about 10-15 feet.  The adults are oblivious to the traffic in the parking lot as well as the kids they're supposed to be tending to.

A few months ago, as I was leaving the county offices, I passed a woman going  to her car. Seconds later, as I approached the door, a small girl, about 3 years old, opens the one of the doors and began running across the parking lot to the woman. I could stand by and watch. I didn't know the child was with this lady. I start after the child in case there were any cars coming. (One was coming in our direction.) That woman thought I was acting deranged. Maybe I was, I mean, hotdang, her baby was running through the parking lot. The only thought I had was a car backing out on her little girl. I was mad at this woman.

These kids are on the average about 2-6 years old, barely higher than the trunk on a car. All it takes is someone backing out of the parking space, not seeing anyone, much less, a small child for there to be a tragedy. What's more is that I've seen this scenario many times. I can only hope with the holidays coming up, these parents will be mindful of their children's safety in the parking lot.

It truly amazes me how these parents can not take their child's hand and escort them to the car. Will it take a tragedy to teach them some common sense?

I have some friends who live in Cornwall, England, thereabouts, who told me about pasties. Meat pasties. Apparently this is about as popular as tacos are in Texas. The filling in a pastie is about as interchangeable as fillings are in a taco in our neck of the woods. She told me her husband was addicted to eating these pasties.

Imagine her surprise when I explained that pasties, here in the U.S., are the very minimal coverings a dancer wears on her upper torso when she works for her wage in a strip club.

She replied with a resounding LOL ("laughing out loud" in e-terms). She said her husband is only allowed to eat meat pasties in England. No pasties for him "across the pond."

I suppose eating a meat pastie is better than eating some of the other foods the British eat. Some of it is very good but I think I'll play it safe and stick to hot tea.