Sleeping...Do Not Disturb!! Sunday Tippets, Damsel Style

So, if you have ever been in a hospital, you know that an uninterrupted night's sleep doesn't happen very often!  Nurses need to wake up patients to check vital signs and give medications so that the doctor can have the latest lab results when they visit you in the morning.  Well...that's what they tell me anyway!  It is irritating to say the least.  I'm sure most patients would rather sleep all the way through the night.  Well...plan on that later when you get home from the hospital!

I recently brought my husband home from open heart surgery.  Between work, driving to and from the hospital and actually being over there...well, not much sleep came my way either.   When I tried to take a nap in the waiting room during the surgery...well, it was interrupted by a baby crying.  So, I said, forget it!  It was time to get out the magazines and read while I waited during the 7 hour surgery...  But, at least I had something to read!  My great neighbors brought me a care package with reading material... : )

After any surgery or serious illness, I believe a good night's rest is crucial in helping the patient recover from whatever landed them in the hospital in the first place!  Finally, he is getting the rest that he needs to make it through six week recovery period!  He is like the "Energizer Bunny" though...it's hard to get him to rest.  In fact, almost impossible.  It's like the "man thing" to do...proving that you don't need help and you can do it on your own.  "Oh, I am fine!"  Well...after the first two days home...a little relapse has taken place...now, someone is finally sleeping and letting those around him take care of things.  (Why don't they listen???) Ahhhh....

So, this brings me to my topic of getting a good night sleep ANYTIME!!!  Whether you are sick or healthy...There are many advantages of sleep.  And a good quanity and quality of sleep can improve our health overall.  Now that it is getting colder and heading into winter, those office colds are going to be passed around.  You know it!  A 2009 study in the journal of Archives of Internal Medicine showed that sleeping more than seven hours a night can reduce the risk of catching the common cold.  Now, I know your mother told you that, didn't she???  We've all heard it.  And my thought is, that it's quite true.  Getting that extra hour or two probably is more important than staying up late at night and finishing that blog post!!! (GUILTY!!)  Time management can sometimes cure that evil.  Haha. If it takes another night to finish that post...just do it! 

So, let your system reboot!  Get a good night's sleep...more often!  Get some
power naps in, if you can.  They can also help.  15-20 extra minutes during the lunch hour. (not on the time clock!)  You might be extending your life.  Plain and simple.  Now, excuse me...while I go take a nap.

                                                              No...this is more like it!!!

10 Things You Didn't Want To Know...Friday's "Grab Bag"!

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10 Things...huh.  You REALLY do want to know, don't you??

Ok...So evidently, I didn't fulfill my part of being a recipient of the "Versatile Blogger Award"....Yes, I kind of skipped over a requirement, which was to list a few things that you might not know about me and/or my blog.  Like anyone cares!  Well...I have had a few emails...so, I guess they do!  And I definitely don't want to go to "Blog Court"!!!  So, here you go...as I reach into the Friday Night Grab Bag...let's see what we come up with!  Things that you didn't want to know, but you asked...

1.  At 12 years old, I performed the Haydn Concerto in D Major (for memory) with my mother on the other piano...(we had two grand pianos in our living room as I was growing up.)  No, I was not a child prodigy...Hey, that is actually the book...how about that??? 

2.  I had Mononucleosis when I was 13 yrs old.  As I remember, this old, frumpy teacher with a tweed coat (aka: Susan Boyle)...came to my house every other day with more and more assignments, so I wouldn't get behind in my schoolwork.  It went on for 3 months...ugh.  Boy, was I glad to get back to school!!  

 
 

3.  At 14 years old, I dislocated my pinky finger playing volleyball.  Oh darn!  Piano lessons discontinued!  I didn't like to sit at the piano bench for an hour and a half each day.  It was much more fun to ride into Los Angeles every few weeks and visit the L.A. Dodgers team orthopedic specialist, Frank Jobe.  : )  I loved baseball and he had player pics on his office walls... He was the doctor that performed the famous "Tommy John" surgery. 

4.  In high school, I was on the Field Hockey team...I know what you are thinking...No, I wasn't a tough kid...really the opposite.  Maybe I thought that waving around a stick (or others waving them at me) would make me more outgoing!!  Ha.  Actually, the real reason was because I liked the cool letter jackets that we got.  : )

4.   Believe it or not, I actually had a hole in one at the Newport Beach (CA.)Golf Course...off the tee...down a hill...into the cup!  When my dad and I walked down there, we searched for the ball.  As we walked closer to the cup...there it was.  It became my lucky orange golf ball.  Until I left it in my Camaro one summer day and it exploded in the middle compartment!  Have you ever seen string rubber sprung out?  What a mess!

5.  I had a sewing business with a friend where I sewed in the middle of the night and sold sweatshirts in malls and fairgrounds.  It worked out ok, as I could enjoy my afternoons around the pool in the backyard and be a lounge lizard!!  It was a great job for spending more time with my kids during the day too.  This brings me to fly tying...hmmm...I guess that all of my experience with arts and crafts would probably help me be a pretty good tier...C'mon!  Someone convince me!    

6.  One of the most difficult times in my life was when I owned and managed a commercial janitorial business for 5 years.  My family sure came to bat for me!  Did I ever go to sleep???  Well, when someone wouldn't call in sick!  Employees.  Hmmm... Enough of that memory!!  On the bright side, I was able to use my Bus. Mgmt. education from college.  And my teenagers learned a job skill which they were able to use as a part time job during their school years!  There you go... : ) 

7.   Languages that I have studied:  Spanish and Italian

8.   Favorite Foods:  Mexican food...anyday, anytime!

9.  Why do I really Fly Fish?  Because I have this type of personality that if I can't do something...I keep on trying!  I love a challenge.  Plain and simple.  And I found one that will probably take the rest of my life to conquer!  Or at least have a good time trying... : )

10.  Regarding my blog...This month will be the one year mark...Wow!  Time flies when you are having fun!  Because of this special event, there will be a  1st Year Anniversary CONTEST...so, stay tuned!  November 24, 2010 was the first post.  And because it falls on Thanksgiving this year...we will break out the party favors when you all get back the following Monday!!  Sound like a plan???  Thanks, my friends.  It's because of my loyal readers that makes this blogging so much fun.  And why I have become a more "Versatile Blogger" than I ever imagined possible...

Of Mice And "Me"

A strange occurence happened today...As I was getting ready to re-post one of my favorite posts from the beginning of my writings in celebration of my first blog anniversary...The Outdoor Blogger Network posted a similar subject for bloggers to respond to.  Go over and add your comments to the question...Since I have a lot of newbie readers that might not have read this post the first time around...my re-post is about one of my favorite excursions with some friends journeying up to River X with the Outdooress.  The result of this trip made me go to the OBN Forum and post the following topic:  How do you keep mice out?  Check that out for some great answers.  My favorite response was from Jay at The Naturalist's Angle, who wrote,  "You could always keep a snake that likes to eat mice in the tent. I've got a few you can borrow."  Thanks, Jay...

December 15, 2010  "Nothing Artificial Added..."  Anniversary Edition

On a recent fly fishing trip, I had the privilege of fishing with Rebecca Garlock aka: "The Outdooress".    I will tell you one thing...what you see, is what you get, with Rebecca!   No artificial anything added with this outdoor enthusiast.  And those are the type of people I like to hang out with!   She will be the first to tell you that she doesn't have a special technique or go by a set of rules when she is on the water.  She has her own style and grace that is unique. (We will forgive the one moment above that wasn't all that graceful!!)  I will admit one thing now...I am a better photographer than a  fly fisher...Everything seems very “natural” for Rebecca when it comes to fly fishing.  From the gearing up for the journey to choosing the right fly to use.  Then, as she makes her way towards the middle of the river (where I like to hang out too)…her graceful casts are simply amazing.  I have had to work very hard on my casting, so this was fun watching someone that could do it so effortlessly!  She just kind of takes it all in stride, very relaxed.  And that, my friends, is what makes a great fly fisher…getting to the point of it being second nature to you.

Rebecca and I had a few things in common, which made the trip even more fun.  We are both die-hards.  If there is an obstruction of some type to get us off course...we find a way to work with it.  Example...The famous leaky waders!  Yes, they were leaking...but, like a true camper that she is, she just went ahead and fished while her foot inside the wader felt like it was stuck in a fishbowl of water!  It was all good.  We had a few laughs about that.  Comfort isn't always an option.

                                                                              

We were fortunate to find a perfect campsite alongside the river bank.  As we set up camp, we met some visitors from out of state who were discouraged about their day thus far.  Rebecca quickly opened up the back of her truck, got out her fly boxes and gave them some helpful advice.  They were a little surprised that she would take the time to help...but that is who she is.   Rebecca loves sharing her knowledge and excitement for fly fishing with others so that they too will have a journey to remember.  These two guys left with smiles and hopes of having better luck after chatting with her.  And it always gives karma to the giver, you know!  It's all good.  

One of my friends was an experienced cook.  After hearing that Rebecca can live off of Snicker bars and Diet Coke, I figured that a little extra nourishment wouldn't hurt. : )  I think that she was a little surprised with the menu each day.  Breakfast was my favorite...banana pancakes, sausage, eggs, and juice.   Then, we brought on the three layer pastrami and swiss sandwiches for lunch.  And to cap off a perfect day of extreme fishing, we all gathered around the campfire and had a dutch oven casserole and pineapple upside down cake.....yummy!  

A perfect ending to an awesome day on the river...oh wait!  It wasn't quite over yet!  Did I say that this was my first real camping experience?  And yes, I got an initiation...After I snuggled into my sleeping bag; there was this constant rustling in the brush outside of my tent.  Everyone was sleeping in their vehicles, except for me....and I was starting to think that they had the right idea.  After awhile, I just couldn't sleep until I found out what was making this scratchy noise!  Was it a raccoon, opossum, or a rabbit?  I decided to move my bedding to the middle of the tent.  I laid back down and looked at the amazing view of the stars through the netting of the tent.  But, that could not calm me.  Ok...that was it.  Whatever was making this irritating noise with its feet was going to be found out!  I turned on the flashlight and moved the light around the bottom of the tent to make sure there wasn't something inside with me.  There was a large rock in each corner of the tent.  As I flashed the light on the corner where my head used to be...up sprang this little head with big dark eyes looking at me!  Yes, out came the scream! It didn't scare the mouse though...he proceeded to jump up on the top of the rock and do this little jig of a dance...I'm not kidding!  I couldn't believe it...he then stood up on two legs and posed like he wanted me to take a picture! A real character.  Help came quickly and we returned him to his home in the fields away from my tent.  I can't wait to go camping again!!  (Honestly, I am going to get a pop-up trailer!)   

  

                        Take a look at my favorite fish on the trip.  This is why I will be back! 

All in all, it was an awesome couple of days.  Plenty of fish, good eats, some awesome scenery, mice dancing on rocks, and a midge hook caught in the cook's lip (did I say that Rebecca is also an excellent emergency surgeon?  She will deny that acclaim... :0  But, she is!)   Thanks, Rebecca, for sharing your time and talents with us...we couldn't have asked for a better guide and compadre!                           

Versatile Blogger Awards ~ Sunday Tippets, Damsel Style

And so it has begun...a passing of the torch, so to speak.  Howard, "Cofisher", author of Windknots and Tangled Lines, has passed on the "Versatile Blogger Award" to seven different bloggers.  I was surprised  delighted to have been nominated for this prestigious award.  Thank you, Howard.  It is always an honor to be named in a circle of those blogging friends that you admire.  According to my friends and family though...I'm not really as much "versatile" as I am "all over the map!"  Haha... It would be very tough for me to talk about the same thing day in, day out.  I mean...you can only have so much of  "Brown Trout"!  (Well, maybe not.)  

It is highly encouraged that recipients of blogger awards follow the spirit of sharing with other bloggers. The Versatile Blogger Award requests the following:

1. Post your acceptance\acknowledgement of the reward on your blog. Adding the image to you overall layout is a nice touch as well.
2. Tell 10 things about yourself that your readers may not know about you and your blog.
3. Nominate 7 other blogs for this Versatile Blogger Award. This can be far more of a challenge than one might suspect. Hopefully no one is upset by my selections or non-selections as it were. I follow some awesome blogs and when I think of "Versatile" ...I think of what the word really means... "Capable of doing many things competently"...  As awkward as this is to pick out a few, here we go...

 My "Versatile Blogger Nominations" go to the following and in no specific order:

1.  Owl Jones  This guy talks about everything under the sun...including his GSMNP travels.  And if I didn't know him as well as I do, I would have thought that he would have started a write-in campaign for President by now! J/K... This brook trout lover has funny videos like no other!!! (I especially like the Cardboard Howard and Rebecca slam down)

2.  Troutrageous  Besides the fact that he graces his blog with bikini clad women (which I ignore), I can usually find something to make me laugh at the beginning of my long work day.  And Lilly is just something that no one else has on their blogs...right?  Too cute! 

3.  Fontinalis Rising  If I was to give you one word to describe FR's blog, it would be this... Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!  His writings stir the soul. The photography is amazing.  And I now have a larger vocabulary after looking up a few new words!

4.  Funcfish  This is the one blog that got me wondering if I might like to catch a bass someday... : )

5.  Bigerrfish  I believe Josh can outfish most anyone, anytime, anywhere.  I look forward to the day that I can prove that...and watch in awe. 

6.  Up The Poudre  When I first read Sander's writings, I well...fell in love with those darn bulldogs!  This guy has a remarable way of writing and keeping you enthralled with every word.  But, don't ask him where his favorite spot on the Poudre is...haha.  You could be fishing until dusk.

7.  Mysteries Internal  Oh, that Erin girl...she is so versatile in her posts!  I believe that she could write about most anything!  Wait!  You want a story about a turtle?  Leave it to Erin to bring her adventures to "life" for all of us to enjoy.  It's truly a literary experience.

Ok, I just have to do it...Most Honorable Mention:

8.  One Bug Is Fake   What can you say about a blogger that doesn't want to have a blog...ok...forget that part of it.  Brandon is the freelance blogger!  So, I would have to say that he is the "Most Versatile Blogger" there is!  Hey, he even wrote about how to not catch trout...hmmm.  And what more can be said for someone that is trying the feat of 30 straight days of fishing???  (I'm personally jealous)

There you have it, as close as I can come to naming a few of those "Versatile" bloggers out there.  Now, for the "Top Ten" things that you don't know about me???  Hahahahaha.  Like I am going to open up that can of worms... Today's Tippet:  Never devulge highly classified information.  Some "Mysteries" remain... Internal.

Friday Night "Grab Bag"!

Well, here is a little bit of fly fishing at it's best...something to stir the soul.  Just in case you have wonderful snow like I have coming here this weekend!  Enjoy this awesome vid by CP Flyfishing.  Pull up a chair, put your feet up and sip a cup of hot cocoa.  As of right now, I am still planning on getting in a few hours with my line in the water tomorrow.  Icy guides or not.  I'm afraid Fall is quickly leaving us...