Posted in blogging, cars, driving, first car, friends, goals, grammar, humor, Jansen Schmidt, laughter, money, reading, success, travel, tv, vacation, watching tv, weird, weird facts, words, writers, writing, tagged antiques, auto mechanics, automobiles, autos, cave drawings, cave paintings, caveman, cell phones, changing a tire, classics, directions, emojis, good old days, grammar, lost skills, lost talents, phone numbers, proper grammar, shoe laces, shoes, tie a shoe, Velcro, vintage on April 5, 2021| 9 Comments »
The world as we all knew it has changed. It always does. The world is constantly changing. Not always for good, but always changing, nevertheless. Ask your grandparents or your parents about what life was like when they were kids. Think back to when you were a kid. How much has changed in just a few short years?
(more…)Posted in authors, blogging, driving, Family, Fiction, first car, friends, hill billy, humor, Jansen Schmidt, redneck, travel, vacation, Vicksburg, writing, tagged car horns, cars, danger, greeting, hello, honking, horn blowing, horn honking, horns, morse code, random, signal, signals, steering wheel, vehicles, warning on October 15, 2018| 13 Comments »
I don’t know about you, but I rarely use my car horn. I mean, seriously, hardly ever. And usually when I do, I have to press around on the steering wheel a bit to get the exact spot for sound to come out. I just don’t have an up-close and personal relationship with my car horn.
Posted in Baer House Inn, driving, Family, first car, humor, Jansen Schmidt, love, writers, writing, tagged budget, California, Canyon truck, Constitution, driving, freedom, freedoms, GMC, lease, leased cars, Mercedes, Mercedes Benz, Mississippi, moving, new car, new wheels, red car, red truck, Subaru, transportation, used cars, walking on June 12, 2017| 12 Comments »
We all have our own individual definitions of freedom and freedom comes in many forms. (more…)
Posted in blogging, dogs, Family, Fiction, first car, friends, humor, Jansen Schmidt, underwear, writing, tagged boxers, Corvette, dog strollers, hitches, jeans, pants, pretty girls, ripped jeans, sexy, tattoos, thong panties, thongs, trailers, underwear on February 13, 2017| 14 Comments »
I consider myself a reasonably intelligent and caring person, open to new ideas, non-judgmental and a variety of other adjectives. I see and hear things that make me go, “hmmm,” and I see and hear things that make me go, “what?”
And then there are things that make me produce the expression on Steve Harvey’s face above. (more…)
Posted in beach, blogging, bucket list, Caribbean, Carnival cruise, cruise, dancing, drinks, Family, first car, friends, Hawaii, Holidays, humor, Jansen Schmidt, Mexico, vacation, tagged Alaska, Carnival Liberty, cruise to Alaska, cruising, Dancing, photo bombing, silly video, Texas, Youtube, zaffer on August 18, 2014| 23 Comments »
So by now you’re all sick of me talking about Texas so we’re going to give that little outing a rest. It’s time to start focusing on my upcoming cruise. That’s right, in September I’ll be sailing on the deep blue sea, headed north to Alaska.
Carnival Liberty docked at Cozemel, Mexico.
Original photo by P. Rickrode
I don’t know about you, but I love cruising. Only on a cruise can you be in a different port every morning, miles away from where you were yesterday and not have to pack your things and move to a new hotel. On a cruise, your hotel goes with you. Stellar!
Now, I’ve been on several cruises, to several glorious destinations: Eastern Caribbean, Western Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii, but this will be my first journey to Alaska. And the bonus? I can check another thing off my bucket list. You see, it’s a goal of mine to visit every state in our great nation before I meet my maker. So far, with the exception of Alaska, I’ve been in every state west of the Mississippi River and all but the far north eastern corner on the east side. I’ve been as far up as Virginia but that’s it. Some day I’ll visit that last corner of the US.
But, I digress. I’m gearing up for my journey north and in so doing, I’ve been doing some on line research. I don’t want to miss any of the important stuff when I’m in port. Whilst surfing the web, I came across this silly video about cruising that made me giggle. I wanted to share it with you. It’s short and hopefully will bring a smile.
And so I leave you with this question: Have you ever danced behind someone without their knowledge? Would you ever? I think I just might have to give this a go when I get on the ship in a few weeks. Stay tuned for my report (and with any luck a video).
Word of the Day: Zaffer (zaffre)
Fun fact about me: I have owned 9 cars in my life; all but the very first one were brand new when I bought them.
Original post by Jansen Schmidt, August 2014. Original photos by P. Rickrode. Video courtesy You Tube.
Posted in Amazon.com, Aunty Cindy, authors, awards, blogging, drinks, Fiction, first car, friends, humor, Jansen Schmidt, Loucinda McGary, Princess Diana, Uncategorized, words, writers, writing, tagged Adventures of Dog Mom, alcohol, Celtic Women, David Arkenstone, Dodge Viper, Ellen DeGeneres, Enya, Liebster Award, lottery, North Carolina, Toby Keith, Walt Disney on May 12, 2014| 17 Comments »
It happened – I’ve officially been granted the Liebster Award.
What does that mean you ask? It means that I am now officially a Liebster. It’s sort of a distant cousin to the lobster, only without the deep red color and fishy smell. And it’s a little bit like being a leprechaun only taller and less green. Oh let’s be real, I have no idea what it means, but I’m honored just the same that Emily at Adventures of Dog Mom, has bestowed this gracious award on all of her loyal subjects followers.
Here’s the link to Emily’s blog: http://wp.me/p2oq4C-2jP I recommend you check it out if you’re a lover of dogs.
Now this honor is not to be taken lightly; there are regulations that must be followed if you decide to accept the illustrious award. It’s sort of like living in a community governed by CC&R’s. They’re not so bad until you violate one of them. I don’t want to be a violator, so here’s my showing of respect:
Because I’m a rebel like Emily, I’m going to break the rules a bit and not nominate just 11 blogs, but rather share it with all my wonderful readers! So if you are a blogger who would like to have this award all I ask is that you tell people where it came from then copy and paste the questions below with your own individual responses. It’ll be fun. Go on. Do it.
Princess Diana. Photo courtesy Google Images
What is the goal for your blog? I want to make people smile and make them aware of who I am and what I stand for.
If you could meet anyone (past or present), who would it be? I don’t have just one; I have three: Walt Disney (duh), Princess Diana, and Ellen DeGeneres.
Do you have pets? If so, tell us about them! Currently I have one purebred yellow lab named Sherlock. In the past I have had dogs, cats, horses and birds.
What is your guilty pleasure? Hmmmm. Alcohol I guess. And fresh baked bread.
If you won the lottery, what is the first major purchase you would make? Sports car. Dodge viper probably.
What is one simple thing that makes you happy? Baby anythings. I’m a sucker for puppies, kittens, baby birds, any baby animal.
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? Right now my answer is North Carolina, but Tennessee is really pretty, too.
What is the hardest thing about blogging? Technology. There’s really cool things I see on other peoples’ blogs that I wish I knew how to do.
What is your favorite thing about dogs? They love unconditionally. I accidentally stepped on my dog’s tail with a spiked heel and he yelped but then immediately wanted me to play with him. It’s as if he were comforting me because I felt bad for stepping on him.
What is the last book you read? Mozart Murders by Loucinda McGary. http://www.amazon.com/Mozart-Murders-Loucinda-McGary-ebook/dp/B00JAZU5YW/ref=sr_1_10?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1398893975&sr=1-10&keywords=loucinda+mcgary
Who is your favorite musician/band? I like new age music and I listen to a lot of David Arkenstone. I also like Enya and Celtic Women. I like Toby Keith, too and pretty much all old time rock and roll. It’s hard to choose just one.
So there you have it. Now it’s your turn. I can’t wait to see your answers future Liebsters!
Word of the Day: Latitudinarian
Fun fact about me: I rarely wear the color orange.
Original post by Jansen Schmidt, May 2014. Princess Diana photo courtesy Google Images.
Posted in authors, Autumn, blogging, driving, first car, friends, Jansen Schmidt, resolutions, romance, words, writers, writing, tagged birthdays, brunch, celebration of life, celebration of life tree, Holly's Hill Winery, new car, Nissan Rogue, Subaru Impreza, w ine tasting on October 7, 2013| 14 Comments »
I don’t know about you, but for me September went out with a bang. It seems like I was always running from one important event to another.
My dear sweet husband and I decided that when we got back home from vacation we would look into getting him a new vehicle to drive. He’d been researching and looking for just the right car and we finally spent one whole day test driving and haggling over a new car. He ended up with a 2013 Subaru Impreza sedan, not his first choice, but a very nice vehicle in our price range.
Corey’s new wheels
Photo courtesy Google Images
The very next day, my father announced that his car needed about $4,000 worth of repairs and it was time to turn it in for a new one. So, I spent another whole day car shopping with my dad. He ended up with a 2013 shiny black, Nissan Rogue equipped with many features he will never understand or use. Needless to say, the car shopping is over for a very long time.
Next, I celebrated the birthday of one of my dearest friends on a beautiful Sunday. We had brunch on the patio, enjoyed some wine tasting and quality girl time. Happy birthday, Debbi! (Isn’t she cute?)
My dear friend, Debbi Sanders.
That same weekend (here’s your shout out Kirk), some long-time friends of mine celebrated 35 years of marriage with a vow renewal ceremony, followed by a picnic in the park. It was delightful to connect with some friends I haven’t seen in many, many years and share in this joyous event. Congratulations Kirk and Holli Ehnisz, thank you for including me on your very special day. May you enjoy many more years of wedded bliss.
And then I attended a celebration of life party, honoring the life of Mr. Bob Seed who passed away on September 5th following a long battle with cancer. His beautiful wife and dozens of friends gathered in the yard of Holly’s Hill vineyard and winery for laughter, remembrances and moments of reflection. Everyone in attendance put their thumbprint on his memory tree then signed their name. It created a beautiful work of art for his lovely wife Kathy that will forever bloom in a place of honor in her home. Bob Seed, you will be missed.
Bob Seed memory tree
Photo by K. Seed
So, while this post isn’t my normal blubber with snarky comments, it does pay homage to some very dear friends and I thank you all for taking the time to stop by.
I’d love to hear your thoughts about special moments in your lives or celebrations that you have enjoyed in the recent past.
Word of the day: Kami
Fun fact about me: I wear a smaller size shoe now than I did in 7th grade. Not sure how that happened, but it’s true.
Original post by Jansen Schmidt, October 2013. Subaru photo courtesy Google Images.
Posted in awards, blogging, driving, first car, humor, Lake Tahoe, Nascar, rain forest, roses, theater, theatre, Uncategorized, vacation, writers, writing, tagged ballet, birthday, bull riding, circus, Corvette Stingray, Dom Perignon, flowers, jungle, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, scuba diving, zip lining on March 13, 2013| 26 Comments »
This month, in honor of my birthday on the 24th, I’m asking for your guesses regarding my previous birthday activities.
Before we jump into any situations to ponder, let me say congratulations to Tameri Etherton, our February winner! Congratulations, Tameri!
If this is your first visit, the rules for participating are simple – write your guesses in the comments section below, check back on the 2oth to see if you’re a winner. Every month I will award two prizes; one to the person who gets the most guesses correct, and the other for the first person who left a comment and checked back regardless of how many guesses they got correct. You can’t win if you don’t play.
And now, without further ado, here are the questions:
1 – What haven’t I received as a birthday gift?
a) – Really Expensive Jewelry; b) – A car; c) – Flowers; or d) An ugly sweater
2 – What haven’t I attended for my birthday?
a) – The ballet; b) – A bull riding event; c) – The circus; or d) – A Nascar race
3 – What haven’t I eaten for my birthday?
a) – Steak and lobster; b) – Chinese food; c) – Reuben sandwich; or d) Turkey
Twilight on Lake Tahoe
4 – What haven’t I enjoyed on my birthday but I really want to?
a) – Bunging Jumping; b) – Scuba diving; c) – Swimming with dolphins; or d) – Zip-lining through a jungle
5 – Where haven’t I been in honor of my birthday?
a) – San Diego; b) San Francisco; c) Los Angeles; or d) Lake Tahoe
So? How well do you think you know me? I’d love to read your guesses in the comments below. What have you experienced, or not experienced for you birthday, but you hope to enjoy some day soon?
Word of the Day: Squarrose
Fun Fact about me: I love to color. (I even have color books and crayons, but don’t tell anyone.)
Posted in baja bug, beer, blogging, driving, first car, humor, stick shift, writing, tagged baja bug, beer, driving, first car, humor, stick shift on February 1, 2012| 40 Comments »
At the end of last year, blogger extraordinaire, Ginger Calem, blogged about memories of her first car. There were many responses to that post, one of which was mine. (See http://www.gingercalem.wordpress.com). I’ve been thinking about that post ever since and those thoughts were the brain child of this month’s blog topic.
When I got my first car, I had my driver’s license and had been driving independently for over a year. I learned to drive on my parents’ Plymouth Volare. I know, you’re all insanely jealous, but alas, we did live in the lap of luxury so we could afford those extra little creature comforts. (Yeah right.) But, that’s not the real issue I’m discussing here. My first car was a rebuilt 1969 Volkswagen beetle. It was being used by our neighbors as a chicken feed storage bin and was infested with cobwebs and black widow spiders when we towed the thing home with 4 flat tires and a broken windshield.
This whole dream car thing started when my family and I took a little camping trip along the Northern California coast the summer before my senior year of high school. There were a lot of people having a lot of fun on the sand dunes, including a boy – a really cute boy – who had an awesome baja bug! It was love at first sight. Not so much for the boy, although he was dreamy, as for that really cute, totally cool car. My parents were over-the-top pleased that my heart’s desire for a “first car” was a Volkswagen. They’d lucked out. My brother wanted a brand new turbo-charged Mustang (which he got by the way) and I only wanted a cheap, used, inexpensive-to-insure, beetle!
That started the search for my dream car and my dad’s new project – building a baja bug! As any awesome dad would do, he made my dream come true. He transformed that feed shed into my very first cute little car. About a week before school started, it was ready. Bright and shiny and purring like a kitten. One problem – I didn’t know how to drive a stick shift. Dad to the rescue again. Below is an almost verbatim re-telling of my one and only lesson for learning to drive a stick shift:
Sunday afternoon. Not a cloud in the sky. Dad drives us out to outer Mongolia where we’re sure not to encounter another living person, pulls over to the side of the road and gets out. I adjust my new driver’s seat, buckle my new seat belt, adjust my new killer radio and sparkly new mirrors (in that order) and place hands on the steering wheel at 10 and 2. I look to my dad for instructions. He cracks open a beer and says, “Well drive. And don’t spill my beer.”
Now, please understand, I am NOT condoning this method of instruction. Nor is this particularly good parenting. However, I understand now my dad’s redneck way of getting me to learn to drive with that extra pedal on the floor. The one thing my dad loves more than almost anything is beer. To waste even one small drop by allowing it to spill is nothing short of sacrilige. I didn’t want that hanging over my head. And, heaven knows I didn’t want my new car smelling like beer. I was only 17 years old for crying out loud! Let me tell you, I learned quickly how to ease off that clutch. We jerked down that road exactly one time in each gear before I got the hang of it. Dad held the beer can out the window just in case, but it only took that one lesson and I was driving like a pro! According to my dad, it was a one-beer lesson. I think he was a little disappointed that I caught on so quickly.
Anyway, suffice it to say, I haven’t had an automatic transmission vehicle since 1981. I not only learned how to drive a manual transmission, I fell in love with the manual transmission.
So there you have it. My drinking and driver’s education trip down memory lane!
Now tell me, what’s your “learning to drive” story?
Word of the Day: Demurrage
Fun fact about me: I’ve never had a broken bone! (knocking on wood now)
jansenschmidt 