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New Beginnings

Yesterday was a big day in the ToadMama household. A big, big day. The beginning of a new chapter in Hubby’s life. He started his new job. And, even after only one day of orientation, he thinks he’s really going to like it.

“I met about 50 people today,” Hubby reported, as he was telling the family about day one. “And they were all really excited about me joining. It’s been a long time since anyone was excited about having me work for them.”

That just reiterates the fact that his former employers were idiots. It was WAY past time for him to get out of there.

On another front… I do have lots of pics to share from this past weekend. But not enough time right now to get them all posted. So I’ll just share a few. They’re all nature photos. I like nature. And since this blog is letting you experience the world through my eyes, well, here’s the kind of stuff I see.

First, a big, fat toad. He (or she, I didn’t look THAT closely) was on our porch in WV two evenings in a row.


Next, a pretty neat butterfly picture. That’s a SOLDIER BEETLE flying in the background. More on that later this week…


Here’s my favorite ladybug pic. Entomologists call them lady beetles, but that just sounds stupid. “Ladybug” rolls off the tongue better. I think it sounds more natural, too.


And the final bit of nature for today is just another butterfly picture. It’s not a super close-up or anything, I just like the composition of the picture and the vibrant colors.


I hope you enjoyed today’s nature shots. Trust me when I say there are MORE nature shots yet to come. And a weird story, too. I’ll try to get that posted tomorrow.

P.S. – Did anyone notice anything strange about the family photo from my Local Photoshop Disasters post? I thought for sure at least one person would comment…

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Twisties + Sweeping Curves = BIG FUN

Another glorious weekend of motorcycling has come to an end. The weather was far from perfect. Friday, it rained. So we pretty much hung around the house relaxing. Saturday, it was cloudy. We still did about a 5-hour ride. Sunday, the weather was perfect. That’s when we did our longest 7+ hour trip.

The roads in West Virginia are perfect for motorcycling. They are full of the twisties and sweeping curves that make rural riding the pleasure that it is.

A “twisty” is a series of switchbacks, or left-right-left curves. It’s the kind of road you’d expect to encounter after passing a warning sign like this one.

The picture above is a small stretch of US 50 west of Keyser. This curvy incline, AKA hilly twisty, is a typical stretch of “highway” in the mountains. It really is exhilarating and relaxing all at the same time.

The weekend flew by. Even if we were in WV for 4 days. Actually, the entire summer has streaked past. It’s hard to believe summer is almost over. It doesn’t officially end until the autumnal equinox on September 22, of course. But with the kids back in school, the sun setting earlier, and the nights getting cooler, it sure feels like fall is on its way.

I’ll share more images and stories from the weekend in later posts. Right now, I have to get to work (imagine a huge, damn-I-don’t-wanna-work sigh here).

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Bad-ass Bikers

No post today. Except this one, which I prepared ahead of time.

If all is well, and it is sunny, we’ll be riding our motorcycles today. Tomorrow, too. I’ll be back to civilaztion and blog posting on Tuesday.

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Let There Be Sun

Here in the US, it is Labor Day weekend. Monday is a holiday. Most people don’t have to go to work. Unless you work in retail, or a restaurant. In Maryland, if you work in a crab house, of course you’ll be working. ‘Cause there’s just something about eating steamed blue crabs on Labor Day. Which, by the way, is something we never do. Because we’re way too cheap. And crabs are expensive.

For Hubby and I, the plan was to hang out at the WV Place and really enjoy the four-day weekend (I had off of work on Friday, too). It is Saturday, or later, as you read this. Assuming this post-scheduling thing really does work.

As I type this (planning ahead so none of my readers go through ToadMama withdrawal), it is Thursday.

As of right now, the weather isn’t looking so good.

In fact, as you can see from the handy-dandy image I provided on the left, only two of the four days are supposed to be sunny. Motorcycle riding is no fun in the ran. It is downright dangerous.

Although the chances of precipitation do decrease from 50% on Friday to 10% on Sunday.

Maybe we’ll get lucky.

I sure hope so because, remember, we have no Internet. No TV signal either (we have a small TV set we use to watch DVD movies).

We do both love to read and there are plenty of books, but even that gets old. Guess I’d better take some movies along. And my camera. The laptop should come along, too. And more books in case I read the 50 that are already at the cabin.

I hope your weekend is going well!

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I Finally Have the Nerve to Admit…

Hubby left me! Tuesday night. He ran off with two bitches. Not just any bitches, either. Bitches wearing matching maroon bandannas! Thinking they were all cute and stuff.

He’s probably with them this very minute as I sit at home updating my blog. Alone. Even my son abandoned me (had to go to PA for work).

So I wonder what they’re doing right now?

I imagine them having heart-to-heart chats…

And he’s probably giving them ear massages…

Not just quickie ear massages. The full treatment. Where he starts at the temple, then moves back behind the ears…


I wonder if they know he’s got a wife at home? All alone. Lonely without her man.

I’m sure they don’t care. Bitches like that probably don’t even feel guilty.

In fact, they’re probably laughing to themselves, muttering to each other in that crazy, semi-silent, bitch-speak that sounds mostly like whining.

Saying, “Nyah, nyah, we’re here and you’re not!”

I’ll show them. As soon as I finish work for the day, I am leaving. I’m gonna pack my stuff, hit the road, and drop right on in to the middle of the party.

“Enough of this frolicking without me!” I’ll say.

I wonder how the bitches will feel about that?

I’ll let you know when I get back.

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Local Photoshop Disaster

There’s a fun little Blog Shannon told me about a while ago called Photoshop Disasters. It is on my blog roll (the list of other people’s blogs that I like).

As its name implies, it features examples of less-than-perfect graphics obviously altered using Photoshop (probably) or some other image editing software.

Back on Monday, August 18, Towson University was featured.

On August 14, another local — Michael Phelps — made the spotlight. Not because of anything he did, but because someone took certain liberties adding a smile to his face that doesn’t quite fit the moment. Is it me, or is his head way too small, too?

There’s another funny one HERE; funnier yet is that it came from an actual real estate listing.

You also see stuff like this missing nipple shot.

Get the picture?

Photoshop is a very cool program. But it is REALLY easy to get carried away.