Life, Adventure, Family, Writing what else is there? Random thoughts. |
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WELCOME TO: GEMINI RISING ![]() UPDATED INTRO 30 JUNE 2025: Just a little about me. I've been married for 33 years this past NOV and currently live in Southern California, but I grew up in New Hampshire. I've got 2 boys who are young adults. I work as a 911 dispatcher for LAPD. I enjoy my job a lot. Still. If you can believe that. I love to write. Thankfully both of my boys achieved Eagle Scout. My Scouting days are over and I'm back to focusing on my writing. I like to get out in nature, drink coffee and watch football. Here's a little bio about my zodiac. GEMINI: Gemini, the sign of the Twins, is dual-natured, elusive, complex and contradictory. On the one hand it produces the virtue of versatility, and on the other the vices of two-facedness and flightiness. The sign is linked with Mercury, the planet of childhood and youth, and its subjects tend to have the graces and faults of the young. When they are good, they are very attractive; when they are bad they are more the worse for being the charmers they are. Like children they are lively, and happy, if circumstances are right for them, or egocentric, imaginative and restless. Their good qualities are attractive and come easily to them. They are affectionate, courteous, kind, generous, and thoughtful towards the poor and suffering - provided none of the activities resulting from expressing these traits interferes too greatly with their own lives and comforts. Geminians can be successful in many walks of life though their general characteristics tend to make them unreliable. They are often skilled manipulators of language, in speech and writing, and may be: debaters, diplomats (though in politics they are more interested in theory than practice), orators, preachers (brilliant rather than profound), teachers, authors, poets, journalists, or lawyers. BLOG ACCOMPLISHMENTS: SEPTEMBER 2025:
SEPTEMBER 2025:
Merit Badges collected and earned from "Earn the Badge 2025" SUMMER 2025:
Merit Badges Collected from Virtual Blogging &Virtual Blogging Friends: SEPTEMBER 2024: I participated in the
Big thanks to WakeUpAndLive~NOV Word Monger OCTOBER 2024 & 2025 : I participated in the
Big Thanks to A Warped Witch I Be Find me at: WEBSITE: http://www.stephanieburkhart.com FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/StephanieBurkhartAuthor GOOD READS: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4031660.Stephanie_Burkhart YOU TUBE CHANNEL: http://www.youtube.com/user/botrina?feature=mhee I intend to be open, honest, and forthright. No topic is off limits from religion to you name it, I'm going there. If you think you might be offended...back up now - this blog isn't for you. For those who "dare"
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| Maid of the Mist Most Macabre Princess Megan Snow Rose The Party Bus was rocking and rolling singing Bon Jovi when Maid of the Mist Most Macabre We made it to Ocean City, New Jersey and its amazing Boardwalk around noon. Giant Phantom Jelly They had every flavor you could think of – including buttered popcorn. (I Love Lucy ewww face) Giant Phantom Jelly Krista I wanted to go to Lobster Pot for the Mango Lobster Roll. It was actually pretty tasty. A Warped Witch I Be Šuŋgmánitu Tȟáŋka That fake alien guy must have seen me and Princess Megan Snow Rose Everyone took a moment to ride a ride or play a game. Šuŋgmánitu Tȟáŋka At the end of the day we went to the ocean, sat down on the sand and put our toes in the water. Instead of smores, we all ate salt water taffy and enjoyed the gentle waves lapping at our feet. |
| I was so excited to go to New Hampshire today because I was born and raised here. I sat next to Maid of the Mist Most Macabre I asked Maid of the Mist Most Macabre We took the 16 north through Ossipee, Conway and on the way to Mt. Washington. Mt. Washington is the tallest mountain in New Hampshire and holds the record for wind speed. The best way to get up to the top is the Cog Railway. Mind you, I’ve never ridden it, but it’s on the list for the fam to do when we go back. The Cog is a steep railroad and the engine pushes the train because it’s easy. Right now in summer, the trees are deep green and the air is so crisp! Princess Megan Snow Rose After our Mt. Washington adventure, I tell Maid of the Mist Most Macabre We take a detour and stop by Bretton Woods. It’s a very famous hotel that was constructed in the early 1900’s and many important meetings have been held there. We all ride the gondolas over the area and get another perspective of the White Mountains and the woods that surround the area. Krista We eat lunch at Bretton Woods and then head over to Franconia Notch. The “Old Man of the Mountain” was there before it fell in 2003. The profile was that of an Old Man and it truly was representative of us New Hampshirites. While at the Notch we went kayaking down the Pemigewasset river. We took our time, laughing and giggling. Šuŋgmánitu Tȟáŋka We ended the day Glamping next to the river. WakeUpAndLive~NOV Word Monger Being home, even just for the day, and seeing new places has invigorated my soul. |
| The Party Bus was in great shape for the Extraterrestrial Highway and the 92 mile drive. Maid of the Mist Most Macabre We stopped by the Little A'Le"Inn for lunch. Maid of the Mist Most Macabre When we were done, we went to Vegas and shopped until we dropped at the pedestrian mall on Fremont Street. Princess Megan Snow Rose We had a couple people who were interested in quilting so A Warped Witch I Be After a long day, we all took a shower to get the dirt, dust, and alien sand off of us and our clothes and relaxed down in the hotel/casino lobby watching re-runs of the X-files and drinking WakeUpAndLive~NOV Word Monger A Personal note - I love visiting Nevada and going to Vegas for my bowling league. Mind you, I've only been in the Vegas area, but it's like a hidden gem and you can always find something to do. I'd love to go see the bowling hall of fame in Reno. Maybe one day... |
| Let’s just say there’s plenty of highway in Nebraska. And prairies, and wide open spaces. We were on the way to see the Archway Monument Museum which was a museum over Highway 80. Maid of the Mist Most Macabre A Warped Witch I Be After our stop, Maid of the Mist Most Macabre Toward the end of the day, we went to see the Sandhill Cranes. Krista Šuŋgmánitu Tȟáŋka WakeUpAndLive~NOV Word Monger |
| Maid of the Mist Most Macabre Princess Megan Snow Rose After our visit with Millie’s family - they served us Elk Soup for lunch – we were off to the Park. Maid of the Mist Most Macabre As the sun set low in the sky, Millie took us back to Kalispell and we picked up the Party Bus. Everyone thanked Millie for sharing so much with us. Then Maid of the Mist Most Macabre This was a MEGA luxurious cabin. It had 8 different bedrooms, plenty of bathrooms, a big flat screen TV and a jacuzzi in the back. I made fatijias for dinner and prepared a veggie faitija for Giant Phantom Jelly Once the moon came out, we all retired to our beds and slept like rocks until the morning and our next adventure called. |
| The Party bus cruised up to GEHA Field and Maid of the Mist Most Macabre After parking the Party Bus, we got a tour of the stadium. I’ve been to college football stadiums – the Rose Bowl and the USC Coliseum, but never a pro football stadium. Just so happens the Chiefs were there taking in a practice. Krista Šuŋgmánitu Tȟáŋka ![]() Me and Andy at a USC Football game After the tour, we went to the Museum of Toys and Miniatures. There were a lot of dollhouses. Princess Megan Snow Rose After the dollhouse, we got on a mini bus and visited some out of the way places to eat and drink. The driver took us to a place called Pigwich! Poor Giant Phantom Jelly Maid of the Mist Most Macabre |
| The Party Bus pulled into the Gulf Coast Gator Ranch early in the morning. A Warped Witch I Be After we got done hanging with the gators, Susie and Sal took us for an airboat ride! What fun. The party crew was able to fit in a big fat airboat. There was a huge fan in the back that pushed the boat. Sal let me drive the boat for a bit. I slowed down enough to let Šuŋgmánitu Tȟáŋka For dinner, we went to Nana’s Seafood, but Giant Phantom Jelly After dinner we went on the haunted Bayou Cruise. The boat was a pontoon boat which had just enough seats for the guides and the Party Crew. A Warped Witch I Be After the ride, our guides feed us smores, plied us with tequila sunset. They apologized for the humidity as well as the knats. All was forgiven – especially after the tequila sunsets. The Party Crew did the pub crawl we learned in Minnesota and made it back to the Party Bus where we passed out quickly. I think our snoring kept the old ghostly bayou souls up though. I think I saw one of them knocking on the windows trying to get us to wake up and stop. |
| Maid of the Mist Most Macabre The Wabash caves are cool. They used to be a mine, then was made into a speakeasy, then a swing bar, and a gangster hangout. I think I found a money clip that John Dillinger used in one of the bullet holes down there. Princess Megan Snow Rose After our pub crawl, we managed to crawl back to the Party Bus and pass out, exhausted. |
| Welp, Maid of the Mist Most Macabre Let me tell you, these dunes seemed to go forever. We were all huffing and puffing as we reached the top, but we stopped quite often to drink water and catch our breath. The view was reward! Lake Michigan was gorgeous! The water was incredibly blue. Krista Honestly, there wasn’t much to set up. We were glamping! Luxury camping! Kinda nice after staying in a Boy Scout camp. A Warped Witch I Be WakeUpAndLive~NOV Word Monger A little bit later I went down to the lake shore with A Warped Witch I Be |
| Ah, Massachusetts! The Spirt of America! I’ve been there many times when I was growing up and even going back to show my own family. There’s so much to see and do! And the Party Bus had a day to pack it in! Let me tell you, Maid of the Mist Most Macabre Then we walked the Freedom Trail. There are many historical sites dating back to Revolutionary times. WakeUpAndLive~NOV Word Monger The Red Sox game starts at 4 tonight. Fenway Park is the oldest baseball park in major league baseball. My first time there, I was in middle school and I won an opportunity to tour the park through one of the giveaways at the local Stop and Shop stores. It has changed since then – gotten a heavy facelift, and yet still retains its iconic structure. There’s Pesky’s pole, and the Green Monster where seats are $50.00 each to sit in, though you have to bid for them in a lottery. Fenway was built in the outskirts of Boston at the time, in a swampy like area, but since, the city of Boston has grown around it. Maid of the Mist Most Macabre Here's a story I wrote inspired by their 2004 World Series win:
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