The U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Chad Hertz, 18, of Lake Havasu City, was deployed to Afghanistan the very next day. 

Way to go Patriettes!

From left in photo, Lainey Belle, Dolly Marlow, Kandy LaRue, Priscilla Watson, Cydnee Nicole, Heather Riot and Jillian Danielson

Money raised will help Disabled American Veterans to purchase a new van used for transporting veterans to V.A. hospitals including locations in Prescott and Phoenix. 

Local jewelry artist Jamie Larson, of Tiny Shinys, created and donated Pinup Patriette dog-tags, keychains and necklaces valued at more than $100 to the cause. Fifty percent of proceeds will benefit veterans. 

Pinup Patriettes also have an event-traveling message book. People at events, where Pinup Patriettes are participants, are welcome to sign the book with encouraging words for active duty military men and women. The messages will be sent overseas as inspiration once the book is filled. 

For more info visit www.pinuppatriettes.com or follow Pinup Patriettes on Facebook.

As I approached the driveway alongside the building, here come a coyote trotting in my direction.

Aug. 23, 2010

And I backpedaled … literally turned around and walked away while fumbling for my camera. I just felt compelled to give this desert creature a little bit of room.

As a person who owns cats, I couldn’t help but think that is the last thing more than a few local cats or small dogs have seen in their lifetimes. Coyotes brunch on those types of pets around here.

The thought chilled me. My tomcat, Luck, is by far the brightest spot in my life. Against my protests, he insists on forever remaining an indoor/outdoor cat. You see, he was a stray who adopted me more than three years ago. He had lived on his own for quite sometime. And on the edge of town a.k.a. Coyote Alley.

Anyway, this coyote, ran through the junk store parking lot next door to the newsroom, across Acoma Boulevard and into The Office bar parking lot, where the animal stopped, turned around and gave me one last long look. From there, he disappeared into the wash behind that bar.

What a weird way to start my day. (Deep breath) Shoot. Didn’t stop me from letting my cat out this morning though.

Dear God, please help protect my Luck. I can only hope he has many designated hiding spots.

However, my husband asked me out on a married date. And in the wake of going unnoticed as a woman for months by this man (and only slightly appreciated as a cost-free housemaid service), I figured what that heck. I can deal with a little opening weekend, local over-excitement about a horror flick filmed in our city’s backyard. 

The verdict? WAY too much nudity for my taste. (The movie, not my married date — Geez-louise!)

I also could have gone without half of the production time spent on the swimming-nymphs scene. And the porn star/para-sailing scene, well, that was just too national geographic for me. (I mean, come on, I do live in Havasu and therefore can appreciate a really nice set of hooters.) The way the water tugged on those fun bags was wrong on so many levels. 

I am not saying anything about the male member scene. You will have to see it to believe it. Ewwww, sick. Richard Cranium, anyone? : (

The story line of the movie had its strengths and weaknesses like anything, but I must say, I disliked the ending. (Nope. Sorry. I refuse to discuss it any further just in case someone wants to see it that hasn’t yet.)

In the light of that, I absolutely loved seeing Havasu on the big screen. No, I didn’t recognize anyone that I knew, but it did look a little like the holiday weekends in Bridgewater Channel, no lie. And the locations on the Lake were very recognizable, so that was neat. 

Will I rush back to the theater to see it again like I did when “Avatar” was released? No, probably not. And I don’t plan on picking this up when the DVD comes out either even though I am a DVD collector. But, I am really glad I took the time to see it in the theater. 

Especially after enjoying the town’s buzz prior the film’s big debut. It was a big hit in our little city. You gotta love Havasu.

The Enigma, Serana Rose and Rajanaga ARE the Show Devils sideshow

Show Devils traveling side show

Ok. These guys look like freaks. And in a way they are. But, aren’t we all in our own way? Take for instance The Enigma. When I asked him what inspired him in regard to the extreme all-over body art and extreme body modifications, he told me it was all done in hope of setting himself apart from other musicians and sideshow talents.

It seems logical and not so extreme in a different sort of way, right? The man IS an artist. A walking, talking, to the extreme, holdin’ nothing back, putting it all on the line PERFORMANCE ARTIST.

Now let’s take a closer look at a more rigid type of lifestyle, oh I don’t know, like an average joe. A waking up every morning and going to work, slave to a home mortgage, a family, maybe church on Sunday, average joe. Just for fun let’s say our average joe is most comfortable within a realm made up of a handful of friends and family members, all who share the same general type of lifestyle and all around perspective. Furthermore, average joe’s clan probably further conforms or even compromises their beliefs just to belong within their, well, small environment.

Now, to someone even a tad worldly, my average joe might very well be viewed as a freak. Not necessarily for exterior appearances but maybe for closed-mindedness and a tiny existence. In honor of The Enigma … think about that. Let me explain a bit further.

First of all, I must admit to anyone reading this that I was a bit star-struck moments before leaving the newsroom for the interview.

Then I thought, hell, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. This guy has literally been around the world and has probably been gawked at by thousands if not millions the whole way. To meet someone with a certain amount of notoriety like that, even if within the underground subculture of extreme tattooing and body modification, was truly exciting to me.

Having overcome my nerves, I strolled into Living Art Studio Tattoo in Havasu that day to find The Enigma and his sideshow talents in all of their glory. I was expecting this guy and his crew to be guarded, aloof, maybe even assholes.

I was dead wrong. The Enigma was accesible, forthcoming, witty, clever, challenging and playful. Sure, I took notes but I found myself wondering on my return to the newsroom if I had gathered enough substantial information to even write a story. (In all honesty, I needed a dictionary after talking to this guy.)

Serana Rose, one of the Enigma’s traveling sideshow talents, is completely and utterly adorable and I resisted the urge to hug her upon completion of the interview.

All in all, I must say. The world is FULL of different walks of life. And I think every person out there HAS to have a story (yes, even the average joe). To not embrace that beauty, that certainty, seems like a waste. At least to me.

So to The Enigma, I must say. Thanks. The experience was truly my pleasure. And I sincerely hope you choose to visit Havasu again someday.

For more information visit The Enigma’s “Show Devils” Web site.

“Grinch steals mom’s trust. Robber takes Christmas gifts from under family’s tree”

Today's News-Herald Photo: Karen Caporale is pictured Tuesday with the torn packaging that contained a Christmas gift for her son just 12 hours before.

By JAYNE HANSON

TODAY’S NEWS-HERALD

A real-life Grinch entered a Lake Havasu City residence at about 2 a.m. Tuesday and stole presents from beneath the Christmas tree, a wallet and cell phone from the kitchen counter, and the trust a neighborhood mom had in the community.

“I am just flabbergasted, just flabbergasted … I was wrapping gifts at 2 a.m. They (thief) must have been watching me through my window,” said Karen Caporale. The perpetrator took presents that were for her grandchildren and her family, she said.

 The crime occurred after someone reportedly entered the residence in the 1800 block of Willow Avenue and stole four presents including a flannel shirt valued at $30, a pair of jeans valued at $30, a department store gift card valued at $200 and a set of lawn darts valued at $10, according to police reports.

Caporale had just finished wrapping one of the gifts in a box with bright red paper. She took a 10-15 minute break from her late night wrapping to switch her laundry. It was then her home was burglarized.

After she discovered the missing gifts, she woke her son and his few overnight guests to help her look around the yard while they waited for police.

The box and ripped red paper were found in a bush in a nearby neighbor’s yard. The jeans within were gone.

The local mom thinks the thief may have entered through an unlocked sliding patio door near the Christmas tree and gathered the gifts from underneath. Next, the thief probably stepped up two steps into the kitchen and took a cell phone and wallet from the countertop, snatched a few recently wrapped gifts from the couch and left through a second sliding patio door.

The personal items that were situated on the kitchen countertop were within 10 feet of a large kennel containing two family dogs, a dachshund and a pug. The dogs made no indication at the time of the intrusion, Caporale said.

There may be a reason for that.

Caporale has made it a point to provide a safe haven for kids in Havasu looking for a little extra love, a meal, a shower, a warm bed or just a safe place to rest. To accomplish such a task, the Caporale’s doors are always open, the fridge is always full and a friendly face or warm motherly hug is just around the corner.

“I provide a safe house and now I don’t know if I can provide a safe house anymore … I feel like I have been raped,” she said.

The neighborhood mom has her suspicions on who may have done this, but has chosen to sign a complaint refusal with Lake Havasu City Police Department. The refusal stops any further investigations into the incident.

 “Just that they had the gall to walk in my home while I was awake and take presents from under my tree. If they need them (presents) that bad — it’s Christmas — they can just have them,” she said.

True to Dr. Seuss’ storyline, the real-life Grinch’s attempts to stop Christmas came up a bit short.

Caporale said Christmas at her house is to celebrate the birth of Jesus and to celebrate the friends and family who are such a large part of her life. And that is exactly what she plans to do.

The neighborhood mom will have her yearly holiday bash and open her home to 25-30 family and friends Christmas Eve.

The sheer curtains in her window have been replaced with thicker curtains and the doors will be locked at night in the wake of the burglary, Caporale said.

Unfortunately, the few gifts that were stolen were the bulk of her family’s Christmas, she said. Luckily, a few gifts were in hiding until their presentation Christmas Day.

“The last dollar has been spent on hors d’oeuvres for the open house,” Caporale said. No more money will be spent to replace the gifts, but Christmas is about much more than gifts, she said.

You may contact the reporter at jhanson@havasunews.com.

The Caporale's ... and a few family friends pictured by the Christmas Tree (the scene of the crime) Dec. 22, 2009

There are two annual Christmas events I demand my husband take me this time of year: the London Bridge Yacht Club’s “Parade of Lights” in Bridgewater Channel and the live nativity scene. 

A scene from the "Live Drive-thru Nativity" Dec. 20, 2009

We went on the second night of the showing, which was Sunday Dec. 20. We waited in a line of many other cars filled with many other spectators for about 25 minutes. The line probably stretched back just over half a mile from the location of our local Bethlehem on London Bridge Road. 

Jesus, Mary and Joseph ... (I just HAD to say that, sorry)

There are usually 3,300 people who attend the annual two-day event each year, according to organizers. It is free admission with nothing more than an invitation to a Christmas Eve candlelight service at the church shoved through your open vehicle window upon leaving. 

For me, the draw is not only the uniqueness of the volunteer actors, the costumes and the animals, but more specifically the camel. 

I wait all year just to see the camel.

Why? I don’t know. They are such interesting creatures, I mean, they spit, for one. How crazy is that? So awesome. And they have such interesting feet. I mean, what, don’t they have like three toes or something? Weird. Creepy weird. 

Something about them makes me think of foreign desert lands of long ago, shrouded individuals traveling by camel caravan in the middle of some barren land in a windy, dust storm to some faraway destination for some life-or-death reason. I can only imagine their  bright, jeweled fabrics whipping in the breeze on the backs of these beasts, these camels that slowly lumber along, one three-toed step at a time.

All together now, call me crazy … “Crazy” … cool. Merry Christmas!

The whole spread ...

Like last year, a dessert contest followed. The newspaper staff can choose to participate by bringing an anonymous dessert entry. Then, all the newspaper employees get to taste-test the entries and vote on the one they think is the most delicious. 

The dessert contest ...

 As I predicted, a certain co-worker of mine took first place with a cheesecake-type dessert that was truly delicious. She promised to share the recipe with me next week. And as a recipe collector, I am very excited about that.  

There was a tie for second place but I had a crazy day and even though I made a point to ask, I am drawing a blank at the moment and am unable to share just what types of dishes they were. Congrats to those who placed. Sorry. Deadline, what can I say?

The in-house gift exchange and raffle prize giveaway occurred while I was out of the newsroom interviewing a restaurant owner who is quickly approaching a 25 year milestone of being in business in Lake Havasu City. Nice guy, but that is neither here nor there. 

I chose to forgo participating in the gift exchange this year. Trust me when I say that I am really just not that organized. Heck, maybe next year I will have a better feeling about it. 

Luckily, I asked one of my editors to keep an eye on my raffle ticket and my number was called …  (Yay!) Two movie tickets … Sweet! I just LOVE going to the movies and am very excited. 

Christmas in the newsroom : )

 I must say, it was a pretty good day. (Thanks, Mike!) Personally, I think we should have some sort of celebration scheduled every month throughout the year. So fun. 

Well, until next year it is. I have every intention of finding an award-winning recipe that will take the cake, so to speak, during next year’s competition. Hmmm … and so my research begins. 

May the best mixture of flour, eggs, chocolate, sugar and whatever else win. Merry Christmas!

Now, in retrospect, I have to wonder if it was all those years of punching a time clock in the many factories and casinos I worked that has conditioned me to look for the that final cut off, that distinct moment or beacon of quitting time.

In this line of work, there is no such light at the end of the tunnel. I am required to stay until my work is done. But that doesn’t stop me from twitching as soon as I reach that eight-hour mark. 

The anxieties that accompany those eight bells in my mind are no match for many of my life experiences other than that time I had to stay the weekend in jail. And even then I knew come six o’clock Sunday evening I was out of there.

The same with the double shifts of 14 or even 16 hours. I was completely fine because I knew when my time was up. 

But this I find to be a completely excruciating experience.

As a reporter, you can forget about meeting your girlfriends for cocktails, or making that 5:15 aerobics class, dinner with out-of-town relatives and that ceramics or yoga class you paid hard-earned money to sign up for at the local community college. Why? Because you won’t be there. 

Nope. You will be putting the finishing touches on some random sentence that didn’t quite sit right with an editor, waiting for an email or phone call that could contain the tiniest detail to put the cherry on top of said random story, or trying to write like mad to complete another random story that was more than likely a late assignment from previously mentioned editor. 

So, there it is. My life on a stick. Hmmmph. 

I love my job and find it rewarding about 92 percent of the time. The other 8 percent I find myself daydreaming of a comeback tour as a receptionist, a job that holds the very ideal for which I strive — a distinct quitting time. And, man, was I a heck of a receptionist!

Or I could come to realize that I am lazy and just don’t want to do the work. Ok, some days this is true. But, really, I think I am painfully misunderstood. 

My manic mood swings that come on the heels of an eight-hour work day, my witching hour, are probably considered unnecessary, problematic, obtrusive and offensive to some and I get it. That’s only fair, I am quite sure.

The thing is, the anger is not a product of crunch time of deadline or any of that. It is a pure and real struggle with my inner thoughts and emotions as I confront the fact that I very well may have sold my soul to the devil to write.

Think about that.

I love to write more than anything. But to write after my inspiration has been crucified upon the passing of that eighth hour truly makes me feel like a prisoner, a tool, somebody’s female canine.

It is within the realm of my inner self that I find myself on this battlefield without the appropriate or effective tools to handle the pressure. I crack every time. WTF?

Seriously? I would welcome any advice at this point. Quitting just isn’t an option.

Is it really the American way to take something we love, try to turn it into an occupation and then beat it to death, everyday, therefore making it our worst nightmare? Dear Lord, what have I done?