I have a GF from my hometown in Murray Kentucky, who like myself , is one prone to getting out of town…ALOT! Well I caught up with her the other day to find out what is going on, as I found out… ALOT!

I knew she was very gifted in all disciplines of the art world but I am really enjoying what she is passionate about…JEWELRY ; )

If you call yourself a female or someone that loves unique one of a kind gifts then you have got to check Melissa Drakes exquisite hand made line of Jewelry called HappyGoLicky!

If you like what you see let me know better yet let her know! Browse around, bookmark it! Grab something for yourself , your Gf’,Bf’s or your BFF’s LOL!!!

Melissa also makes very unique handmade gifts that would make memorable gifts for weddings, graduation, anniversaries, any occasion that would deserve some thought, warmth  and care towards the recipient.

Be sure to check back soon, I have updated my calendar for some up and coming clinics with more on the way…Looks like its gonna be a great summer!!!!

Cheers Y’all!

Cathy

Today is warmer and raining, our lakes need it. I think I have experienced what I believe to be the coldest winter, since living here in Orlando. Man I cant wait for summer!!!

I’m telling ya it’s gonna be great for 2010!

There will be some new sponsors on board or I guess Ill be on their board LOL!! Anyhow a couple changes on the website and better yet…A whole lot more riding!

Ill be back in the boat this summer , getting folks out on the water and I really do hope you’ll be able to come out and join me. On your lake or mine!

Do you feel like you want to get out of town? Out of the country?  Well then LETS DO IT!!! Come and celebrate my birthday with me in Santa Maria del Oro, Mexico in JULY ! Two sessions over the course of 12 days with surfing in between  (session one 7- 10/ session two  15-18)   If interested drop me an email to book your spots. Session 2 will be  ” No Boyz Allowed”! So come on ladies grab your BF, your BFF or just say screw it.. pack your gear up and come hang out with me and the girls in Mexico.

We have some fun lined up, if you don’t want to surf while we hangout close to Sayulita..No worries.. lay out and get your tan on, , go kayaking, shopping…basically its a girls weekend do what you want IT’S ABOUT TIME!!! Believe me when I say ” Girl you deserve it!”

Once I get the price break down I can mail it to you…The prices for the camp are very competitive with Orlando if not better!

Looking forward to seeing you this summer!!!!!!!!

Cathy

Im gonna warn you right now my post is a little all over the show…whatever! Plus I have not really blogged since just after Halloween cause I have been a bit of a slacker!

I dont know about you folks out there but -THANK GOD- now that we can try and get this past year behind us and finally move on…

Can I get an “AMEN” on that one!

Seriously this year has been the year of working twice as hard for the same  amount or less money BUT at the same time through the struggles, trials and tribulations.. over all, I am a happy camper. I have a job,  a great little place that I rent and obviously am not going hungry by the increasing number on the scale, amazing friends and even more amazing friends ” ) soon officially I will also have a new addition to my household ..

“Taffy” she is a retired racing greyhound that has been lucky enough to escape death twice, once from when the track was through making their money with her and second through misjudgement of her last care takers. Taffy is the 9th. greyhound I have fostered, from the moment she came to me, it was as if, I had had her since she was a pup…so much a like..We are both BIG boned girls, have a lot of scars and we are retired athletes ” )

SUMMER PLANS

I’d like to do some No Boyz Allowed clinics, as well as, Live 2 Ride clinics. Work at the shop when I am not out on the road, take even better care of my health and fitness, pay off  that evil debt and start living like no one esle!

The last statement I made I really beleive that anyone in the world with some self motivation, immersed with great friendships, has some descent integrity, who is not afraid to go against common day thinking will be able to over come anything he or SHE puts their mind to!

I hope all of you had a great evening last night. Mine, like many of my friends was calm, cool, chilled out and relaxing…

MY NEW YEARS EVE!

The best moments for this New Year Eve was definitely sitting on the dock with a good friend…sipping on some bubbly, calm rolling waters from the lake splashing against the dock with the reflections of fireworks cracking all around us enjoying great conversation as usual about our very different lives,,, later revisiting that same dock playing guitar after the nights festivities wound down…

CHILLIN for 2010

I truly believe living by the water is a necessity to creating and finding peace within, especially with the way life has taken on its new mentality of a snooze you loose, information mongers, go go go go go go….now now now society!!

Well its ok to stop, its ok to not check your computer, your phone or turn on the TV for the day…Can you do it? Can you cope with nature, silence or just relaxing..you might find it hard because we have been trained to go go go!

Wakeboarding is a great get away, just you behind the boat doing what you want to do, no cell phone, computer, no one can get hold of you from work, school.. whatever…I hope 2010 you can get out on the water enjoy yourself, if not do something that truly makes you happy ..

What is a good thing ? …

..talk to the people who you care about the most..not a text or an email

..Spend time with your children other than watching tv or playing a video game…break out the scrabble board, monopoly or get outside go camping even if its in your back yard!

..Spend time with your husband or wife …go do something or maybe just stay in no one else around and…  ” )!…  ; )

I guess this year I have seen a lot of people hurting, depressed and hopeless…I have experienced all those things myself and when it happens you have to go back to your roots, make things in your life simple again, find alternative active ways to spend your time like visiting folks or volunteer your time OR help your fellow human…I just started giving blood, why not? I have plenty!

I have a good life because I choose to make it one, although its challenges overwhelm me, I will not give up and neither should you!

I am here for my friends, family, students and anyone who just needs someone to listen.

Please live your life in 2010 for peace, happiness and to help others including yourself!

This was the pumpkin I carved for Halloween !!

Pumpkin Peeper

I love the song from Hank Williams Jr. “Family Tradition” Not because he sings about all the things he shouldn’t be doing but why he is doing it and so proud of it..Makes me laugh and appreciate his songwriting skills!

The song also makes me think about how I grew up and some of my family traditions, sticking with the holiday festivities; Halloween was not only about the costumes, counting-n- dividing candy from the nights rigourous adventures of neighboorhood pandamonium, creepy – n – spooky nightime story get togethers ..Halloween was about carving a creepy or cool pumpkin!

So what do ya think?!!! Which one do u think I carved out?

In the next 2 weeks I’ll post which one it was and how I did it : )

Murray, Kentucky

If you make it to Murray Kentucky home of the Murray High Tigers and the Murray State Racers…

These are my favorite things to visit or to do : )

Land Between the Lakes…Wakeboarding, skiiing, bass fishing, wildlife  and conservation areas..in particular hiking around Golden Pond, visiting the homstead 1880’s and bufflo range…there are trails for motorized vehicles of all classes as well as non-motorized, camping and hunting

Sammon’s Bakery…you have to get there before 8:30am or pickin will be slim, I love their brownies!!!! Sammon’s also has “THE BEST BURGERS IN TOWN!” you’ll have to get there before 2pm or you will be shut out!

The Big Apple was the first restruant/bar to open up in town when Murray went “Damp”…Jesse and the crew at the bar are super friendly..My favorite dish is the “SMOO” dont ask just order it!

“DAMP?”

If your asking yourself ..”What is damp?”

Well do you know what a dry county is? Its a county that chooses not to sell beer or liquor…that’s how I grew up.. no reason to have  fake ID’s to get in the bars because there weren’t any, and the closest place to get beer was to ” Go down South” across the Tennessee state line to a little border town about a 25/30 min. drive from Murray. If you wanted hard liquor or a nice bottle of wine you would just have to keep drivin a little further  about another 2o minutes!…the end result..Homes heavily stocked liquor cabinets and drunk driving… not the best case scenario..

“Wet “means you can buy beer, wine, liquor and consume them … RESPONSIBLY ” )The USA banned the sell of liquor and closed saloons in the 1917’s so when our boys came back from WW1 they couldn’t even get a drink eventually it was lifted in the 1930’s…The level of  responsibility shown by the rest of this country towards alcohol consumption has been the pressing factor as to why my county has stayed dry and has now only gone damp after years of having the Prohibition Act lifted.

The end result of growing up in a dry county? The pro’s vs. con’s..

#1 retirement community of the nation, Top 10 safest college campus in the USA, true sense of communtiy, Super low crime..great place to raise a family!

Growing up saying the pledge of Allegiance in school because it is where you learned who you were no matter what color skin was or where your heritage was from you were…” AMERICAN ” and proud of it…

Ok i can feel I am gonna go off on a tangent…that will have no end…I love my hometown : ) and think I am a better person because of the choices that were made by The People of my hometown…

If you find yourself driving around the Land Between the Lakes area…Drive  into Murray and getch-urself immersed in some southern hospitality..

ARRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggh!!!!!!!!!!!

You just got to laugh when life hands it to you, otherwise you’ll go crazy!

I had just booked a couple days of clinics on Lake Barkley at Land Between the Lakes just out side my hometown of Kentuncky…And thought to my self ” GREAT , I can go home, see my family, take care of some family business and make my living all at the same time SWEET!!!”

And so my trip to Kentucky starts as such..

I left Orlando about 6 hours later than planned with one my BFF’s who came to visit me from Australia, Jodie, I had promised her a road trip years ago and this seemed like the perfect opportunity.

Let me give you some background info on my GF. “Jodes “loves gossip mags, fashion, hair, make up,TV and is not concerned with how long it takes to get anywhere, as long as it is within her comfort zone.. I on the other hand, can be packed in less than 10 min, play all kinds of sports, like to get dirty and  can get from point A to point B …TODAY! Lets just say we are nothing alike but we would do anything in the world for another and have a great time given plenty of space..”SPACE” is the key word ” )

This trip we soon found out we are like oil and water. .LOL!!!

It started like your typical trip from hell, frustration and syniscim being thrown back and forth due to the struggle of just trying to get out on the road…

LEAVING..

The first 30 minutes of the trip was excrutiating, due to the fact that Jodes feelings were hurt because I kept giving her the perpetual nod of disappointment for the lack of urgency or just a half hearted laugh…

Anyhow in the car heading north on the turnpike I started to feel what it must be like to be “the dickhead boyfriend”..I could hear her muffled sniffles of despair …Im thinking OMG is this really happening? BUT then something amazing happened…

Brittany Spears came on the Radio…

It was my chance to break our uncomfortable silence ..

I said “Jodi arent you gonna sing?” she turned to look at me, while in mid- sniffle and was like “Wot?”

I repeated my self ” Well arent you gonna sing?” she was like “Wotta ya mean?”

CW ..” You know why I have you on this trip dont you?”

J.. “No?!”

Laughingly I said, ” I only have you along for entertainment !”

The ice was finally broken we had a big laugh, called each other “Biotches” and that was basically that!

That was until we were between 2 semi’s and thought she was gonna have a coronary, followed by haveing to pee or eat every 2 hours and absolutely having a fit over my speed limit vs. the actual speed limit…I tried explaining the theory of keeping with traffic which  was uneffective. I also tried to relate the common courtesy of passenger duties to the driver, those were not well received at all either…so I was screwed.

THE BREAKDOWN…

I noticed my truck slipping out of gear, at first I was like ” Hmmm…what the?!” but then it went right back in. I thought that was weird but it seemed alright, until it happened again but worse..I had just passed an exit and thought “Oh God I hope I can make it to the next exit and what I would give for a Chevy dealer”.

The next exit was my only option… as I  coasted up the exit ramp I noticed a motel on the left with no cars and on my right something like a Fabric Barn? My faith was dwindling but as we reached the top of the hill..It was as if the clouds had parted and the angels were singing…Low and behold a Ford and Chevy Dealership!  Seriously this never happens to me!

I tell you what when your car breaks down on the highway far from home, it instantly makes a bad situation worse.

BRANNEN MOTOR CO.

I cannot express enough how grateful I am to all of the folks at  Brannen Motor Co. in Unadilla Ga. for their kindness, honesty and timely repair of my Avalanche. They are a top notch place and I only wish that they were a little bit closer to Orlando so i could send them more business!

Those fellas were closing up shop but Rodney took the time to take a quick look at the problem at hand,  lend me a vehicle to get us girls somewhere more safe and gave us directions to the best exit to stay at. The next day when the service manager Bobby had a chance to look at my truck, he called me up and said that  I would have my truck back by the afternoon and it was gonna be le$$ than originally thought…AWESOME!!!!

I don’t think just women are at the mercy of the mechanics, anyone who does not work on their own vehicle is susceptible …and trust me when I say this..This was an opportunity that could have been a dealerships perfect moment to screw some folks who were just passing through… I give a big hearted thanks again out to Brannen Motor Co.!

HOME SWEET HOME!

Back on the road, a day late and a$1000.00 short ,we made it to Murray by midnight…God did it feel good to be home… my Kentucky home : )

The next couple days would be NoBoyzAllowed clinics, Live2Ride Clinics and much needed family time…

Word to the wise …IF YOU DO NOT LIKE TO TRAVEL DISTANCES …whether it be longer than 3 hours, 3 days or 3 weeks definitely DO NOT GET IN A CAR…you will become a pain, if not in your ass, someone elses! HA HA HA!!

Now that I am back home in Orlando settling down from being out on the road hosting clinics, visiting family and training athletes for the WWA World Championships..I’ve also been back at Performance Ski&Surf helping folks get the right gear to help them have more fun out on the water, as well as coach new students before work and on my days off!!! ..Now I can get back to the fun stuff and do a bit of writing to share my stories with you : ) Hope you have enjoyed a great weekend!

CONGRATS to my girls Dallas Friday the new World Champ and respectively Amber Wing and Nicola Butler…Explosive and innovative riding girls!!

Its definitely not an insult to say now that you ” Ride like a Girl!” LOL!!!!!

Hey Ya’ll!

Sorry I haven’t been keepin up with the blog this past week..but I am in serious brain over load.. I’m in Kentucky at the moment, hosting some clinics and in my free time I have been helping my grandma sort things out for herself.

I’ll write about my trip more in detail when I get back to Orlando on the weekend where I can chill out and have some writing space : )

I hope y’all are enjoying your summer and will make some time to spend it with your families…if you want some advice go to the lake! If its not wakeboarding, maybe go camping, fishing or just go for a walk together : )

This has been a crazy week of work, unexpected guess, pro knock outs and preparing for a road trip to get some girls craving for some wake time out on the water!

Now that competitions have been put aside, I have been working at the top pro shop in the country Performance Ski & Surf here in Orlando Florida, which happens to be the place that introduced me to standing sideways! On my days off and before work I get to do what I love… coach all levels here on my lake or behind their boat at their local riding spot.

Well early last week I got a call out of the blue from a GF from Australia who has been working on a Super Yacht based out of Manhattan.. she was flying in, in a couple of hours and wanted to hang out for a week or three and of course I said ” Heck yea! What time? I’ll be there”…(we will call her Britney…Its not her real name but if you ever meet her you will understand ” ) )If you were to see my place you would see that it is quiet small, comfy, cozy, great for entertaining guest for a cook out, but too close for quarters for 2 people…everyday has been a slumber party…

Several days after Britney’s arrival, I got a very confusing phone call from a Miss Amber Wing, who was not making a lot of sense, until Mike from WakeGirls got on the phone to inform me that Amber had just been brought home from the hospital because she knocked herself out while filming a HeelSide 7 attempt….OOOoooooh not good! ” Momma Williams to the rescue!”..a fair bit of riders call me that because a lot of riders out on the pro circuit come from all over the world, when you get hurt its not like your family can just stop everything and come over unless it is something really serious.

Knock out’s do happen especially when riding at a world class level, but it would also be fair to say that they can happen at any level…Anything that you put your heart into in any sport can result in a knockout or injury, it’s just kind of a given. Believe me when I say this was not Amber’s first knock out by any means and probably wont be her last. About a year and a half ago she caught a tip on a Raley, then I remember another time at the Gravity games in Perth, Australia she caught a heel edge on a TS 7…the whites of her eyes were so red it made the color in her eyes bright green…it was so weird Ill have to find that pic and post it…I kept telling her that she use to be blonde, but knocked herself so hard that her hair turned red… she was like ” Wot?”

Why is it when people knock them selves to memory loss that we love to mess with them? Its just too funny and the thought process in our mind is that it is temporary but the blank stare, the hesitation in the answer and the questions they ask or repeating themselves like Amber showed me the same pair of boardies Oakley had just sent her like 3 times ..

Now it is 8:58am and I wanted to leave at 4am, but as life would have it, i’m not on the road to Kentucky yet! No biggie… the No Boyz Allowed clinic on Lake Barkley does not start until Friday but it would be good to get in at a descent time.

I will be updating from the road if I can get wordpress to work on the ole iphone…so we’ll see how she goes!

OMG!!!! I JUST GOT A PACKAGE FROM REEF!!!!!! Its so ridiculous!!!! There are some major perks to being a pro rider and I am sure thankful for all the support REEF has shown me for over 10 years!!!!!!! If you havent seen their awesome line for the ladies it is a must see!!!!

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!!!!!!