Hello??

I don't know if there's anyone out there who even checks here any more. ~sigh~ Clearly, I haven't been and it's my blog.

There just really hasn't been anything to write about, sexual/kinky or otherwise.

Still working with the same long exhausting commute. Still a wife & mother.

There has been no vacation since last year. My vacation days this year have been spent on doctor appointments and university visits (oldest daughter started last month). It's September & I only have 3 of my 15 days left. I could really use a vacation - a secluded warm peaceful beach somewhere preferably - but it's not happening unless I win the lottery.

Things with my husband are the same as always, although we have started marriage counseling. It's only been a few months, too early yet to tell if it's really happening. In the meantime, no club visits or classes, no spankings/floggings, etc. What sex we've had has been the same old-same old and I just don't feel like writing about it.

I've developed a few health issues over the last couple of years. With my difficult work schedule, I've gained a bit of weight. I was overweight to begin with & now it's worse. And this has led to problems with sleeping, among other things.

You know what happens when you're consistently only sleeping a few hours a night? Exhaustion. Depression. Anxiety. Loss of libido. Loss of interest in doing a lot of things you used to do. Irritability.

So I've had a sleep study done -- I have insomnia, apnea, & twitchy limbs. Yay for me ~extreme sarcasm~

I'm working with a sleep behaviorist for the insomnia. She's had me on stimulus control & sleep restriction since Tuesday. Basically, the bed is for sleep only (well, okay, sex too, if I, you know, actually had the energy & desire for it) & I can't go to bed until 12:30am & have to get up at 5:30am. Here it's Sunday & I'm exhausted. Constantly fighting the urge to lie down and sleep. Of course, hub doesn't like it because it's an inconvenience to him - who cares if it's for my health (ooh, I think my sleep deprivation - among other things - bitchiness is showing).

I'm still waiting to see the other doc about the apnea & treatments. I really want to be able to sleep soundly again and not wake up feeling even more tired than when I went to bed.

Anyway, there it is.

Some Pics from Vacation

From The Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach, CA

Cabo San Lucas

Look! it's Gill (Finding Nemo)

What We Did on Our Summer Vacation ~` Days 7 - 10

 

I know I know, finally. The vacation was only six months ago ~rolling my eyes at myself~

Day 7 ~~ Puerta Vallarta

DH decided to be civil, so after breakfast we took a taxi into the older area of town. Our youngest still wasn't feeling well and seemed slightly feverish, but we wanted to get her off the ship for a while. We spent a couple of hours just strolling along the waterfront, enjoying the artwork and window shopping. It was hot and humid, and with YC getting crankier by the moment, we decided to hire a cab to drive us around a bit so we could see a little bit more of the area before taking us back to the ship. After getting the kids settled, DH and I headed back into town for some lunch and shopping.

Later, YC had dinner in my cabin with me and watched TV while snuggling with me. While she still wasn't feeling any better, she didn't want to go to the doctor and I didn't want to push it. So I stayed in with her while once again DH headed out.

Day 8 ~~ Sea Day

About 9a.m. we were awakened by another missing person announcement from the captain. Half an hour later, another announcement ~ still not found. 10a.m. as we were going into breakfast, yet another announcement. We can see that the ship has started to turn; the captain is getting ready to retrace our route back towards Puerta Vallarta, back to where this person was last seen. Not ten minutes later, there is another announcement - this person has finally contacted the captain, all is apparently well, the ship turns back on course.

YC is still feverish and not feeling well, so after breakfast, DH and I take her to the ship's doctor. She had an upper respiratory infection and ear infection. They prescribed antibiotics, decongestant and pain/fever reducer. They don't take insurance directly, so the $200 was charged to our ship account. Insane that a 10 minute meeting and those few meds would cost that much.

I spent most of the day relaxing with YC. DH kept to himself, especially after he and the boy got into a screaming match. Spent some time watching TV with the kids before heading to dinner. YC was definitely feeling better and eating. After dinner, I gave her the medicine and tucked her into bed. The two older kids headed out to the pool and I went to adult only hot tub in the solarium. I stayed there for awhile as the heat felt really good on my aching back. When I went back to the cabin, DH was heading out. I didn't want to go out drinking and partying. After awhile, I headed out to the Promenade to have a cup of tea and read. When it got too noisy I left, hoping to find someplace else quiet and comfortable, but there was loud music and people everywhere. I did see DH in one of the clubs but decided not to join him -- after so many stressed filled days, I really didn't feel like spending time with him, and I also was not in the mood for loud crowds. I was in bed just after 1a.m. DH called to try to get me to join him. When I didn't, he stayed out 'til 3a.m.

Day 9 ~~ Sea Day

Went to breakfast with the kids - DH joined us later. Everyone was civil.

Cold, grey, cloudy day. Too cold to hang around outside. Left kids to their own devices while DH and I checked our bill with the service desk and got copies of the medical records. Bill, not including medical charges, was over $600. DH wanted to know what the kids and I had spent so much money on: $20 in the video arcade, $4 for a coffee, $10 for a mojito and tip. That was all I spent money on ~~ it was all his trips to the bars, the cigar lounge, coffees, etc. But he didn't want to believe it, even though it was all there in black and white detail. He didn't push it. He did finally buy me an anniversary present -- a very nice Guess watch with a paisley design on the face.

We all ate dinner together. I really wanted to look for more marine life, but it was just too cold to stay outside. When I got back to the cabin, DH was working on the packing. I checked on the kids to make sure they were getting all their things found and packed, too. The cruise ship line did not pay attention to what I filled out on our disembarkation form and assigned us to the 10:30a.m. group -- our flight was at 12:30 -- so we were going to have to take all our luggage off ourselves. There was no staying up late or going out, just one last stroll along the promenade and around the decks before heading to bed. We would be docked early in the morning and wanted to be off the ship before 9a.m. At least DH was finally being civil and nice.

Day 10 ~~ Vacation is over

We got up, had breakfast, and got off the ship without too much trouble. We did have an issue with the cab driver who wanted to be paid in cash even though the company took credit cards. Finally DH told him to call another driver for us -- he decided he'd rather take our credit than have a problem. 

We got to the airport with plenty of time to spare. Then there was a delay -- weather between California and home. We had some snacks, played games, and finally boarded and headed home. I really like flying first class :-)  YC was almost 100% back to normal, but I made sure she took decongestant and pain reliever before flying and then shortly before landing to help with any pressure change pain. 

Animals all seemed glad to see us. Home was still standing and everything was as we left it. Nothing to do but unpack and settle in. It was going to be back to work for DH and me in just a day.

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So, there it is. Our 2010 summer family vacation. Kids and I actually had a pretty good time, spent a lot of time with each other, and when we needed alone time, we took it. I think the only person who didn't have a good time was DH and he did that to himself. 

We had fun seeing all the different sea life -- whales, dolphins, sea lions, flying fish, turtles, fish and rays in Cabo. Cabo was beautiful in a sere harsh environment way -- I wouldn't mind going there again. I enjoyed the architecture and sculptures along the waterfront in Puerto Vallarta (a few months later, when SyFy showed Sharktopus, I recognized many of the sites in Puerto Vallarta).

 

Another Year Has Passed

I hope everyone, the few of you who still are kind enough to stop by here, have had a great year, wonderful holidays, and will have a wonderful 2011.

Once again I find myself apologizing for not keeping up with blogging. Even after receiving Emily's comment :-)

I did finally get my computer back in mid-October. It had to be restored to factory defaults. And while I did save everything before sending it in, and everything seems to be back, it's not the same as it was, and probably never will be again. So, while I can do the basics, there is an underlying layer of frustration while working on it.

I decided to do NaNoWriMo again this year. Free time in October was spent planning, plotting, outlining and further prepping for the massive press of writing to be done in November. I did barely any other reading or writing during October, let alone blogging. Then came November 1st and I was off writing. Long story short :-p , 11 p.m. on 11-30 I validated my word count at just over 50k, winning NaNo for the first time (3rd time's the charm). I didn't complete a novel ~~ in fact, barely got into my story, & quite frankly most of it is crap ~~ but there's something about hitting a goal like that. And after taking December off, I'm feeling the urge to start writing and blogging again.

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Things are the usual with us. Mostly status quo, some ups, and a few downs ~~ some quite deep downs. Kids are good. We have managed to schedule a few good play days into our schedule ~~ easier since I'm at home two days a week and he can be a little flexible with his. So spankings, floggings, and wild sex do continue with some regularity.

Oldest has gotten her first college acceptance letter ~ & it includes a scholarship. We're very proud of her. We should hear from a couple of more this spring.

Son is doing pretty well ~~ except for when it comes to dealing with his dad. He's doing well enough in school, but DH never seems to be happy with it, expecting him to to get the same grades as his older sister and to have DH's same math and science abilities. Son is starting to worry about college and what if DH doesn't like his choices. DH keeps pushing him towards medical, engineering, law, etc., but son, while not awful in these areas, leans more towards creative subjects such as art, design, theatre. Son is quite a bit like me.

Youngest is growing up so fast. She's reaching that age where she doesn't look so much like a little girl anymore. She does well in school, has a best friend who she likes to hang with as much as possible and is still my snuggle buddy.

DH still travels a lot with work ~~ 1 to 2 weeks most months: Europe, North America, Central America, South America, Asia... There was talk of expanding manufacturing in Europe and moving us there, but so far not.

And me ~~ I'm still working three days in the office and two days at home. The commute is still killing me. From March until November, most of my route was congested with road work ~~ it typically took 1.5 to 2 hours to get to work or back home again. One day it took three hours to just get to work. Now that winter has arrived, my commute either direction is back down to just over an hour, unless the weather gets bad. So far I've only had one bad snow drive home that took a little over two hours. Anyway, crazy commute means by the time Friday arrives, I am completely knackered. I've been looking around for something else, since I can't afford to just quit, but there's just not much out there ~~ at least not that I can do at least reasonably well.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I promise with the next post I will finish up our vacation story ~~ and maybe even share a few pictures.

What We Did on Our Summer Vacation - Days 5 & 6

First, let me say thank you to those who've commented & emailed. I still haven't managed to get my laptop fixed or replaced, and replying to comments with my phone is somewhat difficult.

Now, on to the vacation...

*Please note - if you were hoping there'd be more stories of sex & spankings, I'm sorry to disappoint, but Day 4 was it. Read on to find out why.*

Day 5 -- The day started off roughly as we were awakened at 3:15 a.m. by the Captain announcing a missing passenger. A few minutes later, another message that all was well.

We woke up for real about 7:45. DH and I wished each other Happy Anniversary (17 years). Then went up with the kids to watch our arrival into Cabo San Lucas before breakfast. Sitting was uncomfortable

After breakfast, we took a tender to shore. Someone was feeding fish by the docks - we saw lots of different types of fish, including "Gil" from "Finding Nemo."

For $10 each we got an hour long boat ride from the marina, out around Land's End, into the Pacific and back, stopping to look at wildlife (sea lions, pelicans, other birds, fish, sting rays) and landscape (arches, caves, beaches) and people enjoying the area (snorkelers, kayakers, parasailers, jet skiers). We then took a water taxi to beaches across the harbor where we had lunch and the kids played.

Once back on the ship, DH arranged for son to have a phone call with his girlfriend; girls and I headed to pools; and DH napped.

Shortly after the ship left Cabo, already later than scheduled, I heard an announcement: "Alpha alpha alpha sportsdeck." It was repeated 3-4 times, very calmly. It was obvious that something major had happened on the sportsdeck. About 15 minutes later the Captain announced that a passenger had broken her foot 'quite badly' and we would be returning to Cabo as she needed hospital care. Once she was off the ship, we continued on to Mazatlan.

I went back to our cabin to get out of my swimsuit and shower before dinner. DH was on the bed watching sports. I offered him a blowjob, but he wasn't interested. Also asked if he was coming to dinner, but he had other plans. So I changed, lotioning my sunburned areas, and he left to watch sports, drink and smoke.

It was now dinnertime, on our anniversary, and no sign of DH; I went to find the kids so I wouldn't have to eat alone. Found the girls sitting with their feet in a hot tub. No sign of the boy. Had dinner and dessert with the girls. While I was enjoying a cup of tea, the boy came in and I sat with him while he ate. We just sat for a while talking about all sorts of things while the restaurant closed around us.

On the way back to our cabin, I met up with DH and we went together to our room. Let's be clear that all free dining was now closed, and I think all the paid dining as well, so there was no possibility of an anniversary dinner. I laid down for a bit as my stomach was suddenly upset. But DH was keen on going out drinking, with or without me, so he left me lying there sick in bed and out he went. Eventually, I fell asleep.


Day 6 -- I was awakened out of a deep sleep at 2:30 a.m. by DH. He wanted to know if I wanted to come join him and his new friends in the hot tubs. I was so angry. He was obviously drunk and didn't care what I was feeling. I kept telling him no, he kept pushing; finally we hung up. I couldn't get back to sleep and was still awake sometime later when he came to the room. He turned on lights, left the bathroom door open so I could hear everything that happened in there. Then he crawled into bed, reeking of alcohol, and began to snore. I finally fell back into a restless sleep.

I was lying in bed, awake, well before 8 a.m. when the Captain announced our arrival in Mazatlan. I got up about 8:30, trying not to disturb DH, thinking I'd just go get breakfast by myself. Only he decided to get up to. I really was not in the mood.

Called the kids and told them to get ready. Youngest came over to our cabin and we were all out on the balcony. We didn't hear the older two knock at our door. They thought we left without them so headed to the restaurant on their own. DH said "Let's go" so youngest and I left, thinking he was right behind us. He wasn't.

We got to the cafe and found the other two holding a table. DH stormed in, glaring at us and sat elsewhere. I sat there while the kids got food; I was no longer hungry. DH left without a word or look. I burst into tears.

While the kids went to their cabin, I went to get a coffee and find info on Mazatlan. When I returned to our cabin, DH was just lying on the bed watching TV. I changed and went to the kids room. It was pretty clear we weren't going ashore.

Kids and I hung out by pools until lunch time. No sign of DH anywhere.

After lunch, the kids went off on their own and I headed back to the cabin. I wanted to nap, but DH was there, sleeping, on my side of the bed. I ended up on the couch, watching TV 'til I fell asleep.

I was already awake when the Captain's announcement that we were leaving Mazatlan woke DH up. With a sarcastic 'what a great day' he went out on the balcony, closing the curtains behind him. I got up, dressed, did hair and makeup; he still hadn't come back in. I went up to watch the departure and maybe see the sunset.

Had dinner with the kids again. Then went to the adult area and enjoyed the hot tub, chatting with the others there. DH walked by, and even though I tried to talk to him, he barely acknowledged me.

Around 11, discovered that the youngest wasn't feeling well. Feverish, sore throat, ear pain. I took her to the midnight buffet to try to get her to eat a little, then to my cabin where we snuggled before I tucked her into bed about 12:45.

I noticed son wasn't in the cabin and as ship-imposed curfew was 1, I went to find him. He was at the buffet. He'd had some food, done some dancing, until
His dad found him and decided to unload on him how awful and ungrateful we all are and how he (DH) never does anything wrong. Son wasn't ready to go to bed, so we went to the Promenade and just sat for a while, not really talking, until he was ready to head to head to his cabin.

I then climbed into my own empty bed.


~~ just a few more days to go

~hugs~
Robin

What We Did on Our Summer Vacation, part 2

Day 3 -- Morning was unexciting. Packing, dropping off luggage at Terminal, quick drive around San Pedro, then waiting with the kids for what seemed like hours while DH returned rental car.
Did overhear one funny bit of conversation~
Son (maybe 6 years old) to father wearing pirate hat w/ Jack Sparrow hair: Dad, if you're going to be a pirate, I'm not going to be your friend.
Alright, well, we found it funny.
Once on board, it took a bit to find our cabins - it was a b-i-g ship. Kids were across the hall from us, in a smaller interior cabin. Which they all felt was grossly unfair.
Stood on deck as we set sail, just enjoying the view ~ brought back memories of being on small boats leaving that same harbor. After lunch, we explored a bit, then spent time is the pool & hot tub. After dinner, we all played video games in the arcade.
By 9:30 we were all dragging so headed to bed.
Gotta say I loved having a balcony. It was fun to leave the curtains & balcony door wide open while changing :-)

Day 4 -- We all slept in 'til about 9:30. While eating breakfast we saw sea lions floating by.
Spent more time exploring the ship. While in the Photo Gallery, I glanced out a window & saw whales. 3 or 4 of them, coming up to breathe as they swam by, the occasional fluke lift.. They were too far away for me to identify what species, but they did not have prominent dorsal fins (so NOT orcas no matter what my son might say).
While the kids went for a swim, DH & I hung out in our cabin for a bit, enjoying the view off our balcony. We even saw several dolphins.
Later, the kids & I were on the balcony and noticed several small animals at the front of the ship, but we weren't sure what they were. At first they appeared to be birds as they seemed to be flying away. But then they would dive into the water... Only we never saw them come back to the surface like you'd think a bird would. Flying fish? We went to a lower deck that was open to the outside so se could get a closer look. Yep. Flying fish. We watched for quite a while as it was interesting to see how they flew.
We also saw more sea lions floating by.
Kids eventually spent more time swimming. We hadn't seen DH since lunch ~ hours earlier. I joined the kids for awhile, then it was time to get ready for Formal Night. Had a wonderful dinner & got a few family photos taken.
After dropping the kids back at their cabin, DH & I went out for a couple of drinks before heading to our own cabin to have some fun. DH put on some porn, laid out all the implements & had me get into position, bent over the edge of the bed. He started with his hand (my favorite), then switched things up by also using the evil bathbrush, the flogger, & the leather paddle. He was rather heavy handed at times & I had to struggle not to make too much noise. Soon I was up on the bed, face pressed down into pillows to muffle my cries & moans as he pounded into me, eliciting multiple orgasms. Then more flogging & spanking as I stayed with my ass up & legs spread. DH applied & rubbed oil on my skin & lubed us both in preparation for anal. It didn't take long 'til I was moaning & screaming into the pillows again as orgasm after orgasm flashed through my body. He even reached around to rub my clit & finger my pussy, before gripping my hips tightly in his hands as he thrust harder & faster for his own release.
Sated & exhausted, we quickly cleaned up & collapsed into bed.

----------------------------------

Part 3 coming soon...


*hugs*
Robin

What We Did on Our Summer Vacation

So a while back I said I would write about our family vacation, a 7-day cruise from Los Angeles (San Pedro) down to Mexico & back.

Here's a start:

Day 1 -- We flew into Orange County Friday afternoon, staying at a hotel by the Long Beach airport. That first night should have clued me in on how the entire trip would go.
After a late family dinner at one of our favorite places, I was hoping for some sex-filled quality time with DH. But there was a game he wanted to watch & a friend he wanted to go out with. By the time the game finished, I was falling asleep. So DH showered & went out.
He came back well after 2 a.m., drunk & high. Yes, I said high, as in stood in the mens bathroom with strangers smoking joints. He climbed in the bed & fell asleep. I did not sleep well.

Day 2 -- Our 15-year-old son woke us at 8 a.m. because he was bored & hungry. And then because we didn't immediately hop up & fulfill all his wishes, he had a breakdown, yelling, sulking, walking off so we couldn't find him. (It was after we got up but before we got with the kids that DH told me about being too drunk & smoking pot. I was incredibly disappointed in him).
I finally managed to 'text' our son down & we went to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. I love this aquarium. When we lived near there, we always had a membership.
Considering how the day had started, we all had a really good time. We saw everything, taking all the time we wanted. We held birds, touched sharks & skates & rays & sea urchins & sea hares. In one of the large tanks there was a huge grouper that seemed to be very interested in our youngest, repeatedly swimming up to & past her. At the largest tank, we got to watch divers feeding lettuce to various fish & sea creatures. Our youngest got an upside down high five from one of them.
Just a really great time. After 2-1/2 hours we were still reluctant to leave but we wanted to visit some of our old haunts, have lunch & then drive down to Huntington Beach & Laguna Beach. Later, it was back to the hotel & a late dinner at In-n-Out.
We did manage to get in a quickie before bed.

Side notes -- I'm a west coast girl ~ childhood in the east bay area of California, youth in Washington State, down to southern California after university. It always feels like coming home. The purple blooms of the jacaranda. Palm trees. Bougainvillas. Hibiscus. Ice plants along the freeways.
White stucco walls. Red tile roofs.
June gloom, which hopefully burns away for at least a few hours before the marine layer rolls back in as the day approaches its end.
Standing on cliffs or beaches staring out to sea, watching boats, ships, surfers, gulls, pelicans; hoping to see dolphins swimming by; listening to the waves crash upon rocks or shush over the sand; salty air blowing & coating skin and hair.
Even after 8 years away, I miss it horribly & always suffer homesickness even after just a short visit.
~sigh~

Someday soon I'll try to get some more posted.

P.S. Right now, I can't add pictures as they are all on my malfunctioning laptop & I am writing this on my phone. Hopefully in the not too distant future I'll be able to get some posted.

*hugs*
Robin