Subh Nava Sal from Goa!

Hello everyone! It's New Years Eve in Goa! Last night Karen and I got an early start on the celebrating by hanging out in the hotel bar for .....erm.....5 hours watching football (yeah yeah thats soccer!) I watched Liverpool slay London, and while I was the only Scouser fan in the bar, I still survived! See that Ian, I rooted for L'pool..but when I told them you were an Everton fan, they told me that was impossible!
This hotel is full of Brits, and we just had the best time chatting with them. I find the alcohol capacity of some people to be absolutely amazing, as I was seriously having a tough time balancing myself on the bar stool after a short while. Note to self: never sit crossed legged on a bar stool after 2 shots of Whiskey lest you forget you are a lady in a sundress! Don't worry, I was shortly reminded! Heh!
This morning I got up at 8:30 and went out to the beach to watch fisherman and Indian people swimming in the ocean with their clothes on! And we think that having sand in our bathing suit bottoms is a problem!
I saw some lovely shells that I thought I would bring home to Little Rita. So, I picked one up, and a little set of crab legs wriggled out from inside.....I let out a little squeal and dropped that puppy back in the sand and watched him crawl away. Then every cool shell I picked up after that was also occupied! I tickled some of their legs and watched them run away.
Today I plan to relax and shop and then tonight we are going to party like it's 1999! We met some nice English lads who we hope will let us tag along to some other parties as I guess our hotel party will be more like the over 55 set....no no no i'm not there yet, betas!




I hope you all have a lovely New Year, and I thank you all for being around.....it's so fun to blog this trip and I promise I will come back to your blogs as I return to California on January 7th.
Best to you all, and hugs and kisses to Mister Ratburn and Little Rita, I hope you had fun at Disneyworld!
YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Goa!

Lookit! Another little happy doggie! Hee hee!

Hello from sunny Goa! If you are reading Karens blog, you already know that we got bumped off our flight and had to get "very firm" with those Jeyairways people who informed us that we should just hire a car to bring us to Goa and that no we wouldnt be getting a refund for our flights that they bumped us off of. Thye actually thought we were just going to walk away?

Well, Jetairways didnt know that SUSIES THE BOSS! Of course we got a flight to Goa, via Mumbai~ So here we are. (actually, Karen, Susie and my pal Kishore all had to be bosses in this situation in order to get out of it~ here is a case where too many cooks were definitely needed!)

Once in Goa, I promptly bought two sundresses and I am not covering up my cute little self anymore! I am wandering the streets in my beachdress and I feel cool and comfy now! I really want to get to that pool and read my book!

Tomorrow we will visit old Goa and have fun doing that..... Goa is really really giant and we are on the south end, and we need to get to the North end so we can see some of that action. We will do that tomorrow.

I hope everyone is well and enjoying your holiday festivities! Hugs and kises, Mister Ratburn and Little Rita! Stay away from those alligators my little one, you are much too tasty!

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Mangalore

Have you ever sweated so much that you thought the only thing left of you at the end of the day was going to be a big puddle of water on the floor?
I have.
I looked down, and my body was still here, though! Surprise surprise!
We are off to Goa tomorrow and I am really looking forward to getting into this book I have with me, House of Sand and Fog. I am sure you have seen the movie. I have read the first chapter, and I know I am going to love it. A good book, a Kingfisher and a lounge chair by my pool in my overpriced hotel in Goa..that's what I am looking forward to!
By the way, I think I am finally not sick anymore. I think that the lovely swimming pool here at Summer Sands was the perfect thing to finally break the fever.....4 days having a fever was starting to worry me. But I think I will be ok now.
Time to go reduce my body temperature again, by falling into the pool!


This is our little bungalow at Summer Sands. This morning, three nice dogs came onto our porch for a little shade, and laid down for a little visit. I think I am attracting nice doggies right now, because I miss my Rio. Thank you for the little bit of love, sweet Mangalore doggies!

Take care betas, miss you Mister Ratburn and my Little Rita! YYYYYYYYYYYYY

Happy Happy Happy Bangalore!

Good morning from Bangalore, it's Christmas day....too weird, I am sitting at the computer in my hotel lobby, this totally Charlie Brown Christmas tree next to me....skinny little Santas running around the streets...people wondering why I am not at church...nope, not me.

I hope you are all having a wonderful day...as you know it is not Christmas there yet...Santa must be making his way to your house as I write this!

My only plans for today are to rest and then Karen and I may go over to Mahesh and Sushmas house later for a little Trivial Pursuit. That boy, he just wants to play so he can kick all of our asses, he's totally a trivia master. I'll bet there are no textile topics in his game, and he probably went in and took out all the art q's before I get there!

Tomorrow we fly to Mangalore to visit some rascally pals. I cant wait to lie on the beach and check out the newest FabIndia in Mangalore! Hear that, Kish and Mamta, FabIndia you are taking me to! And that Co-optex place with the sarees that went out with the Grateful Dead, we are going there too! See you two tomorrow!

Yesterday Karen and I had a billion errands to do just like every other Bangalorean, so we did spend some time sitting in traffic in the rickshaw. Only in India can you have a 5 minute conversation with the guy onthe motorcycle or in the other rickky next to you...hilarious! We are having a lot of fun, and Karen is making me rest...I just keep getting every germ imaginable! But I am ok..do not fear!

SO now I will try to steal the picture that is on the front page of the India times this morning, a sadhu and a santa...let me see if I can find it...it's hilarious...nope still trying but this will do for now...see you all and have a lovely day!

I especially want to wish my Little Rita a wonderful Christmas day! That poor little kid, her mom runs off to India, and her dad takes her to Florida where his family celebrates Hannukah! What a good sport you are, little Rita, I love you so! Have fun at Disneyworld my sweet little girl! Kisses to you Mister Ratburn!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!

Rocket of a Surprise & Guest HNT

Here is the long awaited video. I hope you enjoy.

The HNT guest used to be found here!

Mysore! Mysore! Mysore!

Mysore Palace, which is lit up every Sunday night! (stolen pic)

Well kids, I made it to Mysore and I think I am going to survive this Delhi Belly thing....but mannnnnnn I was a bit worried for a few days! I am even more skinny now, thankyou!
So, Mysore...what to say...used to be a mellow little town and now it's hustlng, bustling noisy and crowded. I was sorta looking forward to some peace and quiet but that is not gonna happen!
We are waiting for the palace to open, as it is closed in the afternoon because it is so hot. Just like siesta in Mexico.
I am listening to Tori Amos' Scarlets Walk, my favorite c/d to have in India. Wow, it really does fit well for strolling...what? Tori for India? Well it was my most comforting music for my first lonely visits to India, and even now, when I listen to it in the US, it still reminds me of India. Pick out your cloud, babies!
OK what else.....if you run over to Karens blog you will get pictures...I just dont have the patience for posting pics in India, it takes forever.
Tomorrow I will ride the tiger....I mean the elephants at the palace. That was a Pixies reference for those of you that dont know...:P
Leave it to Youtube to change the video posting to blog format as we were coming over here, so I have no idea how to make that happen now! I hate changes! However, stay posted as very soon I will have a little movie on my blog to show you...getting help with that of course.
Since I cant post my own pics I will steal another...brb!

Nandi the Bull at Chamundi Hills

I give good steal dont I? Heh! Ok people, that's about it for now...more tomorrow after the elephant ride and Chamundi Hills, which has 1,00o steps to the top, Nandi is about halfway. No NO I shall not walk UP the hill, only down! That alone is enough to increase your calf size by an inch for a day! Pump you up!

Take care betas!
Special kisses for Mister Ratburn and Little Rita! Clean that hamster cage missy!
XX

Runaway Train Never Coming Back......

I did not take this picture, I stoled it off the internet, thank you to whoever I stole it from!

Greetings from Bangalore, home of DSL! LOL........Just got off the train from Hampi.....10 hours in a sleeper car. I was a bit nervous to take the train, but it was totally fine....at first we were in the wrong car which smelled like urine pretty badly, and Karen and I almost turned right around and went back to our hotel in Bangalore, but we realized that we were in the wrong car, the pee pee car...how do people sit in the stench for 10 hours? I dont know, but I guess it was all they could afford...our proper car did not smell at all, and we met some wonderful Indian people on the way there and back. Note to the Karnataka state railway....PINESOL LYSOL COMET AJAX SCRUB BRUSHES MOPS WATER....need I say more?

OK so, Hampi was awesome, I got some totally fun and ORANGE hippie clothes, and a ghandi tshirt hurray!! I looked pretty bright in my orange capris with purple embroidery and mirrors, lime green tshirt and magenta shoulder bag! I think maybe I even might have blinded some people! I loved my orange pants so much that I had to have more....after searching I found one green and one orange pair. The green pair were too large so the lovely man that sold them to me altered them while I waited. While waiting, I chatted with the wife of this tailor, and discovered she had 7 daughters. This woman was just 29. Her daughters were aged 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12! SO do the math! Yes, it is very common in Hampi for women to be married at 14 or 15.. If you are wondering, this lovely lady looked older than me....and you all know that number!

Don't get any ideas Little Rita, you are not getting married til you are 30! :D I bargained my way down to 100 rupees apiece for those pants, but when I met the lovely mama and her 7 daughters, I just gave them 500 rupees and told them to keep the change. She then started to cry....ohhh!

We got hennah tattoos on our hands, and saw some amazing ancient ruins, met a wonderful ricky driver named Ramesh, and if you ever come to Hospet/Hampi you must find this young man to help you. He is a marvelous guide, honest fair and sweet. Ramesh wouldn't tell us how much to pay him, he said you pay what was fair...so we gave him 1200 rupees for two trips to the train station (18 kms) plus 5 hours of touring the ruins! He even let Karen drive his rickshaw, but I couldnt since I dont know how to shifty shift! But it was hilarious! When we gave him the money he started to weep...I guess we were quite generous. We left alot of money and "school pens" behind in Hampi....which is what you should do for a town that only gets tourists 3 months of the year.
When I asked Ramesh what did he do the rest of the year to survive he said it is very difficult and he must budget his three months earnings to last the entire year.

I am all weepy right now thinking about the beautiful people of Hampi, how generous, how lovely, how wonderful.
Now, the food was also quite delicious, however, I am sick sick sick! I guess after 4 times to India it is my turn for the Delhi Belly......somehow, Karen is totally fine....yet we ate the same things.....I dont know what happened....but arghh!!

Anyway, we are back in Bangalore, and tomorrow will go to Mysore....that is If I Can! Eeek! Hope all is well in Bloggyland, and Mr Ratburn, Little Rita, Heather, Michelle, Snavybean, big hugs to all of you!

PS For more adventure of the fearless twosome, go here! I have also linked Karens blog and its on my sidebar called Mobilus In India!

Mwah!

Dial up only, Madam!

HI everyone! It is nearly impossible to post visuals here in Hampi as they have only dial up! Sheesh I thought I was behind the times!
Anyway, if I cant post the pic I have planned, then you can always google Hampi and see what it looks like...an ancient city of Hindu, Muslim and Jain architecture...totally mind blowing!
Today I was surrounded by kids wanting me to dance for them so I did my best Bollywood lightbulb/doorknob dance for them! Before we knew it, we were surrounded by about 40 kids all wanting pictures and more of my dancing! Finally we had to escape!
I got some lovely henna tattoos today and did take pics although.bla bla bla you already know...
NO VISUALS! Ack!
It is dusk and I am seriously not prepared for the mosquitos so I am outa here.....I'd better get back to my room and apply the repellant and some more clothes.....
More later, betas!
Hi Mr Ratburn and Little Rita! I love you both!
S

Friends in Bangalore

With Mahesh and Sushma at Peco's drinking beer and eating popcorn - happy to be hanging out together!

Adje Nachle!!!

Greetings from Bangalore! Here is a totally in action picture of Karen and I in an autorickshaw in Bangalore. Notice that I am hanging on for dear life! That is part of the fun of India! Hope all is well in blogland, stay tuned for a rocket of a surprise very soon!
Namaskar! Click click for big big!

My traveling companion also has a blog about our travels, and is not at all hindered by these sticky keyboards! Run on over to her blog quick quick to read more about our adventures!

Chalukya Ahoy!

I am here!!! How can I make a post without visuals? It's just not heard of on Susies The Boss! Well it will have to do!
I am in Bangalore its 85 and very humid sunny, noisy and vibrant!
More later.....Indian keyboards are very sticky! Take care, bloggy peeps!

Heaven Must Be Missing A ......What?

Someone thinks I'm an angel!

The wonderful and talented BS made this picture for me. Isn't it just awesome? Just in case you think he's confused, BS once turned me into a devil as well! Thank you BS, I love it! BTW BS, what beach am I on?

Ok I sent Lime some plastic pickles for crapola and look what I got back! Hurray! It's so cute! Thank you Lime!

Lime has posted more pickly information today as well. For the full picklish rundown, head over to her place!

To start a tradition that surely will last

Here's a short story about the pickle of glass.

The night before Christmas it's hung on the tree.

While everyone's sleeping it's done secretly.

And on Christmas morning when you arise.

The first one to find it, will get a surprise!

Lookit what Logo sent me for my birthday! A cool makeup bag/purse filled with super fun beauty products. She even got the EXACT color of nail polish that I only wear on my toes.....perfect shade for hiding the dirt in India! Thank you Logo, I loveeee it! (Special foldable nail file/buffer already packed! No more splitty thumbnail for me!) Now if I can just keep Little Rita from running off with fuzzy handled little makeup box!

~

So, this is where I get off the bus for awhile.

No! Not that bus!

You know which bus I'm talking about. Tomorrow I leave for India. I want to thank each and every one of you for your lovely birthday wishes, and also for your love and support during this hard time losing our beloved family dog, Rio. I knew that if I ever needed, you would ALL be there, and this was so. Thank you so much. Aren't bloggy peeps just the best?

Namaskara, naanu Bengalurige hoguttiddene. Kelavu dinagala avadhiyalli hindirugi baruttene. Nimagellarigu namma shubhashayagalu.

That sorta means, blessings, i'm outa here, see you all when I get back. At least thats what I'm told. My Indian pal is such a rascal, it might very well say something naughty! Heh, just kidding!

Happy Holidays everyone! If you need to find me, go ask Mr Ratburn!

6 Weird Things About Mr Ratburn!

I've been tagged by Spitty, Evalee, and um, I think, Jillie, and probably about 6 other people to do the weird things list again...well, I have done it twice, yes twice....and so, I present, instead, 6 weird things about Mr Ratburn.

1. Mr Ratburn has been known to hunt down barristas with partners in crime, at closing time, forcing them to surrender prime coffee beans, even pounding on the glass window to get them to open the door. Fortunately, he and said partner in crime are good tippers!

2. When Mr Ratburn eats, he must have 3 items on his plate. If there aren't three items on his plate, he will get up and scour the kitchen for a third item, a pickle, a slice of bread, a carrot, whatever, but there has to be three! (or more, cuz he has the fastest metabolism in the west!)

3. Mr Ratburn cannot sleep if the dishes are not done. That is his job, I don't do dishes. For me, this wierd trait is a very good thing!

4. All items on Ratburns desk must be either perpendicular or parallel to the desk edge. He now has a desk that is shaped like an egg...but somehow, he has still managed to find right angles. (I love to run by and mess up his desk when he is not looking!)

5. Every night, Mr Ratburn sets out his "little outfit" on a hanger, complete with matching socks, which either Little Rita or I must help him select, because he is color blind. (I like to run by and mess up his "little outfit" when he's not looking!)

6. Little Rita has a real stethescope.....often, I will come into her room to find Mr Ratburn listening to his stomach, heart and bowel sounds while he and LR read together. Why does he do this? I have no idea, but now, when I hang out on Little Ritas bed with her, I find myself looking for the stethescope!

Ok that's just too weird! Not tagging anyone...play if you wanna...and I forgot all who tagged me, but erm, wow, I really feel extra weird now!

"We're not weird, but Mr Ratburn is!!!!"

3 India

Goodbye My Sweet Girl.....

Run wild and free my sweet sweet girl.

~

This is a John Hiatt song. It is about his wife, she was too good for this world.

But to my family, it has always been a sweet song about a lovely dog, and so, I place it here for my Rio.

Thank you for letting me be sad today, you know I don't like to do this on my blog, but this time I need to.

~
Dust Down A Country Road

Could not get to sleep
It was on my wedding night
I was tangled in the sheets
And I was dreaming of a light
Pouring from her window
Coming up through the floor
Lifting up the darkness
Crashing through my kitchen door

Down to that old oak table
I went to take a look
And my whole life flashed before me
Just like a story book
She used to make me breakfast
Or sit around and talk
Have another cup of coffee
Or maybe take a little walk

Dust down a country road
Blowing in the wind
Behind an old truck load
Up before the rooster crowed
There's an old dog staring
At the dust down a country road

And that truck is going somewhere
I just can't be sure
When tomorrow's just the day
After all that's gone before
And I always thought of leaving
I never could stay too long
Now her memory's catching up
And our sweet dreams are all gone

Dust down a country road
Blowing in the wind
Behind an old truck load
Up before the rooster crowed
There's an old dog staring
At the dust down a country road

If I had a bullet I'd put it in this gun
And I'd catch that old dog napping
And I'd shoot him before he runs
Cause he ain't much good for nothin'
Except staring at the dust
Lord I wonder what he's looking at
Sneaking up on us

Dust down a country road
Blowing in the wind
Behind an old truck load
Up before the rooster crowed
There's an old dog staring
At the dust down a country road

Yesterday...

4 India

55 Flash Fiction Friday

I can't do this today....but, Lime has written a lovely 55 about her middle child ....run over there and tell her I sent you.
Thanks Lime for keeping the 55 going......may I ask you to be the 55 host until I get back from India?

The loveliest Logo has a really awesome post today too about her new bike, her awesome kids and a very cool Richard Thompson video.

I'll post something tomorrow....it will make you cry...I am sorry in advance......

5 India

Big Fat Losers HNT!

I have a confession to make:

I am a total loser!

That's right, and while we are at it, AndyT13 is a loser too! In fact, you know who else is a loser? Tommy Gunn, that's who!
Just take a look at us.....

Andy before:

Here's me; fat, drunk and happy with the woman of my dreams at 200 lbs in Aruba last April.

Here's me; skinny, sober and miserable at 174 lbs all alone in frigid, gray, awful NY. Any questions? (Hurray Andy made it! Wowee Andy you look HOT!)

~

I've lost a lot of things this year. One of them, or should I say, two, are my love handles, thank goodness! How did I do this, you ask? I had to lose something else first, my beloved Dr Pepper! Yes, I was drinking two of those ...20 oz, I think it is, Dr P's a day...and it shows too! It took me a year, but I have lost 35 pounds!

Now here we have Tommy the Loser! Tommy has lost an astonishing 50 pounds since he reached what we losers like to call "suicide weight". As in, if I ever get to (fill in the blank)----- pounds, I am just going to kill myself!

Here is Tommys before picture, and while he does have a bit of a tummy there, I still think he looks dashing, dont you? (Nothing like a man in dress clothes...)

And, now here we have Mr Tommy Gunn after his 50 pound weight loss! Ooh Mr Gunn, looking super fine, sir! You Tommy, are without a doubt, a loser!

Now, here's an important thing I wanna say, and I am sure Tommy and Andy feel the same: We are all fantastically wonderful no matter what size, and as a fat person trapped in a skinny body, I really, really mean that!

Happy Happy HNT to all of you from Tommy, Andy and Susie, who is the boss!

PS Thank you, Mr Ratburn for allowing me to post these two sexy guys on my blog this week! I even got to be in the middle, woo hoo! You know you are the sexiest of all! Mr Ratburn, by the way, is NOT a loser...why, he had a 28 inch waist when I met him, and we have spent 20 years trying to fatten him up a bit!

6 India

I took these pictures of apple harvest in October. It's 20 degrees outside right now, and sooo some warm sunny pictures are in order!

Have a lovely day, people!

8 India

Monday.....12/04/2006

"Do you have any homes in my price range?"

"That would depend- How do you feel about cardboard?"

This is one of my favorite cartoons. I've had it on our refrigerator for 3 years. We even showed it to a couple of realtors who struggled mightily to find us a house that was under half a million bucks that wasn't falling down, in a bad neighborhood, or termite ridden.
They didn't think the joke was so funny. They also didn't sell us a house!

~

I want to thank each and every one of you for all of the wonderful birthday wishes! I really mean it guys, I feel the love! And, after all of your wonderful comments, I sure as heck don't feel old, either! Bloggy peeps, you are the best!

As you can see, I've got just over a week left before I go to India. Yes, I am getting nervous, and thinking about leaving my family....that's the only bad part, I have to tell you. Well, that, and my Rio. That will come too, this Friday. My poor old doggy is not doing so well, but this week promises to be warm and sunny and beautiful, and I think, made just for doggies to lie in the grass and enjoy. I think I will need to feel much, much more love this week too, bloggy peeps!

(PS Yes, Lime and FG, it's happening again....I'm turning into the traveling crybaby! Heavens knows, you've both seen it enough times before!)

~

Have a great Monday!

India 9

Happy Birthday HNT!!! and UPDATES

Hope you get lucky and get lots of snuggling! Tony

Y
Today is my birthday! I am going to leave my HNT up, and just keep updating today!

Thank you all for your wonderful birthday greetings! I just feel so special! Come back a lot today to remind me how much you love me! Hee hee hee!!!!!

Y

(Even Os came, and I wasn't even naked!)

Y

Be sure to POP on over to Hijacked and see what Lime got me for my birthday, but don't knock on my yurt door, i'm busy!

YYYYYYThanks, Lime! YYYYYY

Now this is the kind of email I like to receive on the morning of my birthday! YYThanks RennyBA! YYY You're the best!

On December 1st, I will be 46 and ya know what? I do not mind one bit, cuz I feel fabulous! I had this elaborate plan to become a mermaid for my birthday HNT, but my real life has really gotten a bit serious right now, and I didn't have time. Mr Ratburn took these pictures about 20 minutes ago....we are hurrying, and I am sweating my ass off! (oh, and had TWO shots of Jack too! It's my birthday, I can!!!)

Just in case you were wondering, I AM butt naked under 14 yards of mermaid organza! Happy Birthday to me!!!

Happy HNT everyone!

What's that Mr Ratburn up to this week?

12 India