Tequila and Turquoise Jewelry

Our trip started out like the Fockers…everything fell in to place perfectly. A nice guy that I met at the bar saved me a good seat on the plane (we flew South West, which does not assign seats). We had a few cocktails and played cards for most of the long flight (South West does not offer movies on their cross country flights). My flight left about 40 or so minutes late, but we made up some time in the air and landed just a few minutes after Erin’s plane…she was waiting for me when I disembarked. We got our luggage unusually quick and made our way to the rental car counter where there was no line. The grumpy faced attendant that started to help us decided to go on break mid-way through our rental process and turned us over to Bernadette. Bernadette happily upgraded us from our mid-sized reservation to a brand new PT Cruiser Convertible!! Hell yeah!!


The ride from the airport to the B & B was absolutely beautiful! Living in Florida I forget how amazingly stunning mountains are. I think I like the scenery of the dry high desert over the lush green foliage of humid Florida…or maybe it’s just the change that I like. I do like the architecture in NM better than Florida – everything is Adobe style. Apparently it gets quite cold there and rarely gets too hot so the Adobe is designed to hold heat. Our Innkeepers said that they rarely have to turn on the heat in the winters.

Our B & B was located in a remote area outside of Santa Fe. The house was gorgeous…the pictures on the internet did not do it justice! They have an indoor pool that was built as part of the living area. Just off the kitchen was the patio and pool area. The back wall was all glass looking out over the vast open desert…not a single house in sight.


Fortunately, Erin and I have two very important things in common…we both like to drink and we both love good food! It seems that every day was planned around our meals and every outing included a bar break. People in New Mexico are very passionate people. It became apparent early on that they are very passionate about Tequila…I learned a few things about Tequila that I didn’t know, one being that they do not like Tequila that has color – all the good Tequilas they serve clear. I also never knew that there were so many options and brands of Tequila (none of which are available anywhere near me here in FL). We had some fabulous Margarita’s and I was introduced to Sangrita. Sangrita is a spicy, tomato based sidekick for Tequila. The Tequilas are so good that they are often consumed by sipping rather than mixing in a drink. The Sangrita makes for a nice chaser.

The other thing that the people of New Mexico are passionate about is Turquoise and every jeweler thinks theirs is the best and they will take 30 minutes out of their day to tell you why. Within the first hour of our first adventure we had seen enough Turquoise jewelry to last a lifetime! Erin actually gave in a bought a few pieces…all I bought was a cheap pair of earrings that just happened to match the dress I was wearing that day.

Because I’m a bit of a Negative Nancy I have to briefly touch on one major downfall of our trip. It was freakin’ HOT!!! Yeah, I know it’s the desert, but no one…not the stores, not our B & B, no one has a/c. Apparently it never gets THAT hot there. I know that people use the “but it’s a dry heat” excuse, but I’m not buying it!! I felt like I was cooking in an oven. I guess I’m strange, but I like the humidity. Remember earlier when I mentioned the architecture and that the Adobe holds heat?? Well, we were literally sleeping in a clay oven! There was no place to go to get cool.

We had tons of fun though! We went hiking at a National Monument called Tent Rocks. The area was so beautiful...so much more than any picture can portray. I'm glad that we decided to go!














We went to a town called Madrid that was featured in the movie Wild Hogs. It's an old hippie town. Lots of shops, but not much more. From there we went to the town where Young Guns was filmed. This was a bit of a disappointment, just two short blocks of old west looking buildings...no shops or restaurants, but one very scary looking bar (we opted to avoid this one).

Sunday was spa day. Erin found this awesome spa up in the mountains called Ten Thousand Waves. We both had fabulous massages and a relaxing visit.

All in all our trip rocked!! I could totally see myself living there (except for maybe the winters). Highly recommend it as a vacation spot...any season (well winter only if you enjoy skiing/snowboarding).

Big Debate - need help deciding what to do

Pita got out again last night. It was my fault...I didn't close the door to the garage all the way. I don't know how long he was out, but I didn't realize the door was open till at least an hour since I had last gone out. Initially I thought both cats were gone, but "the fat one" came running when I busted out the bag of treats.

I took the treats out side and called his name but there was no sign of him. I came back in and locked Madi in the bedroom so that I could leave the garage door open in case Pita decided to eturn. Within 5 minutes of me calling him he was back in the house torturing a poor defenseless lizard, which he caught on his outdoor adventure.

Pita spent the entire rest of the evening meowing incessantly at both doors...begging to get out to get more lizards and annoying the hell out of me.

So, the big question...Should I get a cat door? Pros and cons are vast, but here are a few:

Pros:
He's a cat, born outside
He craves the out doors: this might calm him down and make him less of a PITA

Cons:
He could get killed
He will bring in lizards to dismember

I don't know...need help. Should I keep him indoors or allow him to venture outdoors?

Blogging drive

I've kind of lost it...obviously. Just got back from an awesome trip to Santa Fe, NM with Erin. Will blog about it this week...promise. :o)

Windjammer

Our vacation was fine...much better in retrospect than it was while I was actually there. Sorry it's taken so long to blog about it...not really been motivated to write, but here are the cliff notes.

I'll start with the bad...there was a lot of down time with absolutely nothing to do on the ship. The boat was only allowed to stay in Costa Rica for 5 days so when we boarded we had one day at port then had to sail down to Panama to get out of the country then come back. That was about a day and a half. The activities director on the boat was lame and didn't have anything going on during the day on the boat. I'm not much of a lay around in the sun kinda person (especially since it was hell hot there) so I found myself bored.

Next, our room lost it's a/c and since it was hell hot sleep was impossible. It took them 2 days to finally move us to a new room. This room was smaller and on a lower level on the other side of the ship, also, it was a used room and had a soppy wet floor. This wasn't too terrible because it was cold in there. The next morning our steward asked us to move our baggage and when I told him about the floor and asked for a different cabin he told me that we could keep our stuff in the other cabin, but had to pack it all up. So, we slept in one cabin and then had to make the "walk of shame" from one end of the boat to the other in our jammies with bed head back to our other room to get our clothes and shower (not to mention we were now living out of a packed suit case).

We had grand plans of scuba diving, but the scuba guy seemed more interested in getting "some" rather than fixing the problems we encountered with the dive dingy. Apparently it got a hole in it and he wasn't able to fix it. Some how, though, it was fixed by the last day of the cruise...whatever. So, no diving.

We were rarely in a place that was deep enough to dock at so we were shuttle boated from the ship to our ports. We found ourselves, on several occasions, waiting up to 45 min in the hell hot sun to get picked up and returned to the ship after our excursions.

The travel time from the port to the excursions was usually an hour or more one way (our white water trip travel time was 5+ hours round trip, plus 2 hours of rafting)...this left little time to do more than one activity or explore the ports. We got totally hosed on the white water day because that was the port with the most stuff to see. There was a place that we wanted to have dinner at, but because of the 7 hour tour plus nearly an hour to get picked up we had to forfeit the dinner :o(.

OK - to the good...We met some really cool people, everyone on the boat were great! I guess mostly cool people go on windjammer...LOL. Costa Rica is gorgeous!! I'd love to go back and see more of the country. The food on the boat was mostly good. The excursions were mostly good...we did the canopy zip line tour and got rained on, we did a waterfall hike and just missed getting rained on, white water rafting with more rain (my favorite adventure) was kick ass!! The rapids were class 2 - 4 and the drive to the put in was class 4 -5!! Kayaking, snorkeling and most importantly, DRINKING! :O)

I have a ton more pics that I will try to put up later, but here are a couple from our adventures...first, zip line tour...second (obviously) our kick ass white water rafting trip. We plan to make a trip to GA in the near future for another one if anyone would care to join us.



















I wouldn't personally recommend the Windjammer cruise, but the majority of the people on our boat were repeat customers, who told us to give it another try. I'm reluctant to spend the money but have sent a letter to Windjammer in hopes of getting a discount to come back and try again.

Bon Voyage

Well, the time has finally come...Ian and I leave for Costa Rica tomorrow!! We'll be on the boat for 7 nights traveling to 4 different areas along the coast. We're hoping to get some much needed R&R as well as some fun excursions. There are some cool tours such as a rain forest canopy zip line tours and a white water rafting trip. There are also water sports at each stop. The only possible down fall is the fact that it's Green (aka rainy) Season. :o( I've been keeping my eye on the weather and this is what we have to look forward to:

Regardless of the weather we're still going to have fun and make the most of it!! Will send out pictures when we return.

It's been real...

I'm very sad to announce that Sadie has been sold. I totally love the idea of her but, not being able to work on her myself...she was no longer practical.

The guy who is buying the car seems awesome! He even sent me a list of what all he intends on doing with the car...check it out:

~ I fully intend to insure it as an antique auto. (Limited driving)

~ It will be a secondary car for me, not a primary means of transportation.

~ It will be stored in a Garage with a tonneau cover when I come back to Iraq after leave in August.

~ I am going to send it to a restoration sepcialist in Lincoln, to have it re-painted (original color), and have the chrome buffed and cleaned.

~ I'm not sure that I am going to be able to bring it back to mint condition, but I will try to get it as close as possible.

~ Once I return back to Iraq, I am going to have my dad and cousin listed on the insurance. I will then be able to have one of them take it to various places for me sporadically for restoration. I'll look at the dash, but it may be something that I want to have done by a shop.

~ I'll of course have the window realigned.

~ I'm not going to do anything weird to it like put stupid wheels or a weird paint job on it. I prefer cars in their original state.

OK - so he had me with the last comment!! I think she would totally throw another rod if someone put stupid spinner wheels on her!! He wants to love her and squeeze her and call her George.

I do have to say that I am going to miss her. We've had our ups and downs but I did love driving her - the wind in my hair, the whistles and honks, burning my ass on the seat when she sat in the sun too long...ah, those were the days.

Anyhoo...I should have the check on Monday. As long as it clears the bank a shipper will be scheduled to pick her up on Thursday. Anyone up for a final spin???

New Car :^O

Well, I finally found the car that I was looking for. I have ordered (it won't be here till the end of the month) a 2007 Toyota Prius, Silver Pine Mica w/Bisque leather interior. What a pain in the ass it was getting this car. It took 3 dealerships and several weeks. But I think I will be happy with it. According to the Toyota website, I will save $2300+ a year in fuel!! To me, being a paranoid passenger, it's totally worth it!

It will have all the bells and whistles (except the NAV system, which I don't think that I'd use anyway...would be more for the entertainment of my passengers - sorry Ian).

Looking forward to picking it up!

Now, anyone want to buy a '64 Thunderbird Convertible or '95 Honda Civic??????????

A couple of freakin' wussies!

I just got these cool new automatic cat feeders so that when I go on vacation the cats will not eat themselves to death. (side note: also so that at 6am when Pita gets up he will be occupied with food rather than meowing incessantly till I get up.)

So, I got up promptly at 5:58 this morning to monitor the automatic feeders (setting was a chore to get them to feed simultaneously, but I had Justin program one while I did the other...they are about 2 secs off!! Awesome! Thanks). Would you believe that it scared the crap out of both the cats???!! Pita was a bit more ballsy than Madi and ended up chowing down within 5 min or so. (Madi went ape shit and scratched the crap out of me when I tried to put her down in front of the food). I can't believe them...both of them had their paws up in there trying to get the food yesterday when I set the damn things up...now, the food finally comes and they run like a bunch of pansies!!

Will never understand cats....but I do LOVE them :o)

Forgive and Forget

All I can say is THANK YOU Billy Joel for being an addict and hitting rock bottom during a tour with Elton John. Yes, you screwed me out of (what I thought at the time was) the concert of a lifetime…but I have to admit -- I was wrong. Everything happens for a reason and you were just a small piece in a big puzzle. I have now let bygones be bygones…I forgive you and I no longer carry a grudge (Thanks to Ian and Hannah!).

Bright and early this past Saturday morning I began my whirlwind trip to Vegas to see Elton’s Red Piano concert at Caesar’s Palace. I have to say that initially I did not think that this was going to be worth it…exactly 24 hours in Vegas and 13 hours of travel time just for a concert (I left my house Saturday morning at 6:15am and walked back in the door at 11pm Sunday night)…whew, double whew for someone who doesn’t like travel time that much. My concerns grew even more when our quick little lunch cost $77 before tip!! (2 sushi rolls, 2 small Saki’s and 2 green tea’s). Holy crap! I thought food and drinks in Vegas were meant to be cheap to lure all the gamblers…guess I thought wrong!

After meeting up with Hannah and grabbing lunch we decided it was time to try our hand at some video poker and take advantage of the complimentary drinks. We had just over an hour to play before getting ready for the concert. While we were playing Kelley met up with us - she planned to join us for dinner then show us some of the town after the concert. Video poker was fun! I think we got Kelley addicted and I think I've now become addicted to Justin's Play Station version (played for hours while Denise was doing her photo shoot).

Our dinner was fabulous! Wonderful food, great wine and good company. Hannah picked this awesome restaurant with a Hawaiian flare. My first course was to die for...this Ahi tuna roll thingy. Second course, a rock shrimp salad; main, sesame crusted Mahi Mahi; and a yummy dessert trio that I could barely even try because I was so stuffed.

After dinner we made our way to the concert hall. I STILL can not believe that Ian and Hannah scored 3rd row seats for us!! We were right on the end too, so no squishing through people for bathroom breaks, etc. We met these two really nice guys sitting next to us and started yapping about the concert, which led to how much we all paid for our seats. These guys got their tickets through a scalper and saved a ton. They also mentioned that the scalper told them that the first 3 rows got to get on stage with Elton. I laughed and said they got sold a line! There were at least a 1/2 dozen bouncers lining the stage shoving people away who got too close...there's no way they would let 50 to 100 people up there that close to Sir Elton John!!

The concert was absolutely amazing! Elton was funny and personable, the props were unique (there were evil menacing inflatable boobs lurking above our heads) and meaningful (there was video on a large screen behind the stage that almost brought tears to my eyes). The song choice was great...I even grew to like songs that I had not cared much for in the past. This was the best concert I've ever been to and I highly recommend it to everyone - even if you don't like Elton so much...you will walk away loving him!

Near the end of the concert one of the guys sitting next to me leaned over and said, "see, I told you so!" I thought he was talking about the unique props because he mentioned that earlier as well, so I shook my head and said yeah...just as I was turning to look back on stage one of the bouncers was waving us up!!! No FREAKIN' way!!!! Yes WAY!! We got to get up on stage and dance around the big red piano to "Saturday Night"!!! We couldn't believe it!! What a great Birthday present!!!

After the concert Kelley took us to Mandalay Bay to a cool balcony bar to see the night scape of the city. The bar was pretty amazing, the bathrooms...even cooler! There were a couple of stalls that the entire back was was floor to ceiling window so the john looked out over the city. There were some other neat bars in this hotel so if I ever go back I'd like to stay there.

From there we went back to the room to crash...we had to get up relatively early to catch our flight home. Whew...what a fun, exciting, whirlwind of a trip!

Great Escape Artist

His name didn't happen by accident...PITA is a complete and total Pain In The Ass! A very intelligent PITA, but a PITA none-the-less.

This started a couple of weeks ago when I kept finding the back door ajar. I couldn't quite figure out why because if I pulled it securely tight I couldn't just push it open...the handle actually needed to be turned. One evening we came home to the back door wide open and Madi sitting on the back porch checking out the sights (PITA was in the bedroom looking out the window as if he had no clue as to what was going on). The next morning I caught PITA jumping up and grabbing on to the leaver type door handle, putting all his weight into it in order to open the door. I was a little agitated, but very impressed with his ingenuity. Needless to say, I had to replace my door knob with one that requires opposable thumbs to operate.

This past Friday evening I'm sitting in the living room chilling before my trip to Vegas when I see PITA run across the living room with a lizard hanging out of his mouth. Luckily, the lizard was still alive and given his freedom back by returning him to the great outdoors. Not five minutes later I hear an unrecognizable noise coming from the bed room...as I get up to investigate I see PITA run across the living room with another lizard hanging from his mouth. The first thought that goes through my head is that my Florida room has some how become overrun with lizards. This can not be happening...I don't like lizards! especially dead, bloodied ones!! As it turns out, however, this is the SAME lizard that was just set free mere minutes earlier!! Well, looks like the great escape artist has found a new way out...through the accordioned partition between the window sill and my a/c unit!! He just busted right through, went outside, reclaimed his lizard and brought it back inside to play with!!

Thinking quickly, the hole was covered with a cookie sheet and duct tape (what can't it do??). Now I just need to come up with a more permanent solution and/or a cat door :^O (which goes against my beliefs in keeping the kitties home safe and away from dogs, bears and tire danger - Kolla IS moving back to DeLand).

Irregardless...he's a crafty little bastard that makes me shake my head and smile.

Stay tuned for my Vegas adventure!!

Costa Rica

Only 5 years in the making!! We are finally taking our Windjammer cruise! Destination - Costa Rica. I've been wanting to see Costa Rica for years now...have only heard great things about the country. It looks like there is going to be a ton of adventures to take while we are there, a 4-hour white water rafting trip through some remote back country areas, a zip line tour of the forest canopy, yummy island food, snorkeling, scuba diving (maybe) and of course fruity tropical drinks!!

Baring no hurricanes, illness or deaths (I know, morbid thought, but it happens) we will be traveling July 7 - 14. I need a workout plan to get me in a bathing suit by then...any suggestions??

M & M Diaries, "Hostile Take Over"

I'll have what she's having...

Good news! Very good news! Took grandma to the hospital yesterday for her mammogram, turns out it's only some sort of fatty growth. They figure that the only reason it appears to have grown so much since last years mammogram is because grandma is losing weight (the woman only weights 99 lbs!).

So much for diet and exercise! My grandma lives off cheese & crackers and wine (and one can't forget the stick of butter that she includes with every item on her plate..."I'll have a little more butter with that butter")... Not only that, she's NEVER been a really good eater...if it isn't fried or gobbed with mayo, she won't eat it. Just goes to show you that it's all in the genes, which doesn't bode well for me if I plan on dying young and keeping my butt out of some nursing home.

Anyway, it's all good news....86 years down...many more to come! Yay grandma!! We're still having a party and you are all still invited!!

** ELTON **

I totally love Elton John! I have for a very long time. Several years ago I bought tickets to see Elton and Billy Joel in concert together – only to find out a few hours before the event that the show had been cancelled due to Billy Joel being ill (yeah right…hung over or strung out was more like it!). I have since held a strong grudge against Billy (hence my previous comment).

Yesterday, on a routine visit to my grandparents, I walked in to Ian sporting a crazy top hat and a spot with my name on it at the dining room table. Ian, with his best (a little disturbing, I might add) game show host voice invited me to have a seat, as this was Final Jeopardy.

The answer to the Final Jeopardy question was obvious and my grandparents made crap up so I was set to win. When I won Ian ran into the bedroom and came out with a big sign saying I had won round trip tickets to Las Vegas! Next, grandpa went into the room coming out with a sign saying I had also won a night in a Deluxe Suite at Caesar’s Palace along with a gourmet dinner at their 5 star restaurant. Finally, grandma went into the room and came out wearing a silly hat, doing a jig, singing and bearing a sign that said the final prize was…wait for it...3rd row seats to see Elton in concert…did you get that?? 3rd row!!!!!

Not only do I get all of this, but I get to share it with Hannah!! She will be accompanying me on this whirlwind weekend of snazzy hotels, fine dining and ELTON JOHN!!!

Whoo hooo!! Happy Early Birthday to me!!! And thanks to my hunny bunny for making it all possible! We leave on May 12th!

Inhumanity / Jumping to conclusions

This blog is entirely premature, but I have to get it off my chest. Several years ago my grandmother had breast cancer. She had the lymph nodes removed and radiation (she refused chemo). Last year she had an abnormal mammogram, but told me that what they saw was scar tissue…I, not realizing how sneaky my grandmother can be, believed her (assuming this is was the doctors told her).

A couple of weeks ago she commented to me that the cancer was back and that she wasn’t going to do anything about it. This, obliviously, is not the way I would like to see her handle something of this caliber so I talked her into going to the doctor to have it looked at in case it was not what she assumed.

Yesterday was her appointment. The lump is very large (actually visible)…the doctor took a look and felt around it. The first thing she asked my grandmother is what her plans were if she told her that the cancer was back. Well, my grandmother, being the loon that she can be, said “party”.

They are setting her up for a diagnostic mammogram and biopsy. This should all take place in the next week or two.

This is the part of me that’s jumping to conclusions because it has not yet been affirmed that what the doctor saw is in fact the cancer returning…we will not know for sure until the test results (but the way the doctor presented it and grandma’s history – it’s pretty certain).

I know very little about cancer, but what I do know is that it can lead to a long agonizing death. This makes me realize how inhumane our society is that we will put our beloved pets out of their misery, but will sit back and watch our loved ones, our family, our friends, our spouses die a slow painful death. Yeah, I know there are drugs for the pain, but please.

When my mom and Maizee died I was thankful for the fact that neither of them suffered. I don’t know how I’m going to handle this if I have to watch my grandmother suffer even the least little bit.

The only good I can see from knowing that the time is coming is the fact that I will be able to say good-bye unlike my mom’s passing and that we will be able to throw a big ass party for her while she can still enjoy it. You are all invited!!

Hockey

I like hockey! Hockey has all the ingredients of a great sport: fast moving action, great music, fun red-neck hecklers, BEER, fights and blood (albeit only a few drops at this last game). Lara, if you are reading....I think it might even out do Nascar!! It's amazing how much fun you can have for under $20!! Totally worth the drive to Jacksonville. Oh, not to mention...we got to see Jimmy Fallon. No clue why he was there, but was all decked out in hockey garb surrounded by large African American body guards.

Ian can't understand why I like hockey but not MFGs (movies for guys who like movies). They have the similar content...but I just like being there. I miss the games in ATL. Now those were FUN!! Way more fights than any boring MFG! I once saw the ATL Knights mascot deflate and fall down several flights of stairs. Where else can you get that kind of entertainment??

Unfortunately, the home team (Jacksonville Barracudas) lost, but this gives us another opportunity to go back tomorrow night for the big show down...it's the play offs or something like that...I don't care, I just go for the blood and beer!!

One weekend, two funerals

Our sport can be so cruel. Over the years I feel as if I have become numb to death, but never the less, a weekend like this weighs heavy on my heart. This afternoon I will be attending Bob Holler’s funeral/ash dive. Bob was one of the most caring and generous people I have ever met.

Sunday I will be flying up to Georgia to attend the 2nd memorial for Danny Page. I’ve known Danny for 13 years now. He was probably one of the biggest assholes I’ve ever met, but I (as well as many, many others) still like him for who he was.

I know that people must die and that many of those deaths are untimely, so I don’t feel sad for those who are lost. My heart goes out to those who are left behind. Having lost someone really close, I know how difficult it can be. The grief sticks with you for so long. I’m especially sad for Dakota, Bob’s dog. There is no way to explain to her that her daddy will not be back…I think grief is especially hard for our animals. I still feel for my mom’s horses. I wish there was some way to let them know that she did not abandon them.

I'm a MORON!

So, I'm at work today doing a little internet surfing...(not really surfing, actually doing a little work at our book service website and checking some email) when mere moments after shutting down IE my entire computer screen turns green. Oh shit I think...I'm going to be in deep doo doo with Mike for catching the Saint Patrick's Day virus!!

I'm not really allowed to surf the internet and my computer does not have virus software so I'm freaking out wondering how I'm gonna tell Mike. Instead I call Justin thinking that he's a pretty good surfer and is pretty smart with computers...maybe he can find a fix.

Meanwhile, Mike returns from the bank and my eyes are burning from staring at the bright green and pee yellow screen so I decide to fess up.

Mike comes and looks at my screen and decides that we will switch out monitors. Would you believe that I didn't actually have the dreaded Saint Patrick's Day virus??!! LOL Turns out that right at the very moment I shut down the internet my computer monitor blew one of it's color tubes?? and what was left (just days before St. Patty's Day) was green!!

I'm too stupid for my own good sometimes!! And no, there's no such thing as the Saint Patrick's Day virus...at least not one that turns your screen green!

New Wheels

I think it’s new car time. I’m not so much jonesing for anything in
particular like I have in the past (Jetta, Element, T-Bird…) but feel the need for something a bit more green. Being a paranoid passenger I find myself driving a ton. I put about 25,000 miles a year on my car, which is pretty ridiculous considering I live about 3 miles from work.

So far the car highest on my list is the Toyota Camry Hybrid. This thing gets 40 mpg!! It also comes with some of the luxury items that I have missed with the Element such as leather seats, steering wheel controls, and seating for more than 4! Don’t get me wrong, I totally LOVE my Element but it is pretty minimalistic. Plus, it’s quite challenging for my Grandparents (and Lara) to get in and out of. And, one of the main reasons for getting the Element in the first place was so that Maizee had room. :o(

I face a few challenges before I can get this new car. First and foremost I have to get Sadie (the T-Bird) out of the garage. The damn car will not start despite the $4000 new engine and other repairs. Charlie has pretty much thrown up his arms so I’m in the market for a new mechanic. Lara sent me a few links to some local clubs, which I have followed up with, but only received one recommendation. We’ve left several messages for this mechanic but he hasn’t called back…so, back to the drawing board. I’m hoping that our Hispanic neighbors (who, from the number of vehicles in their front yard, are either running a small car dealership or are mechanics themselves) will take a look at her for me.

Next challenge will be selling the Element. I know I won’t get what I should out of it if I trade it in so I’m gonna put it in the Auto Trader. It’s a great car so I’m hoping it will sell fast – but my past history of car sales has not been stellar.

Finally, yet the most exciting challenge will be choosing colors and options. I’m very indecisive so that should be fun. Also, I HATE car dealerships and car salesmen – they just rub me the wrong way. I always feel like I’m taking it up the ass when I’m there.

All that said…hopefully, in the next few months, I will be cruising around in a more economical ride. :o)

American Idol

I have been watching American Idol since season 2. I am absolutely addicted to the show. (If I could choose one talent, it would be the ability to sing.) Not only am I addicted to the show, but also I get pretty fanatical about it, jumping up and down, screaming at the TV and, of course, voting numerous times for the contestants that I love.

This year, however, is starting off quite crappy. It’s not so much that the contestants are bad (but we have had better in past years) but give me a freakin’ break – Diana Ross songs??? WTF? I thought the contest was for American (POP) Idol…not, American (what my grandparents listened to) Idol. These contestants are young adults ranging in age from 17 up to 29 (most being in their early 20s). How is it fair (or interesting) to see these young people butcher these songs? In one hand they tell them to make them their own, but when they do they tell them that it doesn’t work…Well duh! Making the songs their own means bringing them into our era (well the contestants era), which doesn’t work with songs that were written and designed in the freakin’ 60s!

If I’m going to continue to love this show they (the producers) need to step it up a notch and find some artists that these kids can relate to! Thank God for DVR and fast forward!!

BTW, for those of you who watch…I’m vying for Blake (even though his last performance was a little iffy).

Snack Jacks

First off, I have to admit that I am a food snob. Not just a little picky, but full-on outright food snob! My friends say I should be a food critic…if it wasn’t for the writing part, it might be the job for me. I rarely give a restaurant a second chance if they fail to impress on the first visit…it isn’t, however, the story with my favorite beachfront beer drinkin’, crab eatin’ hang out.

The first time I went to Snack Jacks was not long after I moved to Florida. A friend and I were driving about checking out the beach when we stumbled upon this beat up and battered looking establishment. I was totally disgusted when shown our seats…the table was sticky and the place smelled of rotten seafood, which made it difficult to see the really beauty here. The menu seemed to be full of fried this and that – I can’t even remember what I ate, but swore I would never go back.

The second time I went to Snack Jacks was prior to the preview of Norman Kent’s movie, Willing to Fly. The showing was at an auditorium not far from Snack Jacks so that seemed like the logical choice, plus the locals loved the place (I could not understand why, but followed the group). This time I DO remember what I ate…a crab cake sandwich with fires and a Heineken. I remember this distinctly because several hours later, in the middle of Norman’s movie I began throwing up. I tried to ride it out in the parking lot, but my head was pounding and I felt like complete shit. I decided to leave Ian to find a ride home and drive myself back to DeLand. At the time I didn’t really know how to get home, but was able to make my way back on Hwy 11, which is quite desolate and back woods country. I remember pulling over on several occasions to vomit and preying to myself that freaky Jason doesn’t pop out of the woods with a machete. Obviously, that didn’t happen and I lived.

2 strikes and the place is off my radar, right?? WRONG!! I don’t really remember my next visits to Snack Jacks or when I changed my tune, but it has become one of my favorite places. I’ve made a couple of beach jumps there, brought our dogs there for a nice lunch on the porch, been bitten by a Chihuahua, gone there to fly kites, we take all of our visiting friends and family there…it’s just a great place with good vibes and cold buckets of beer.

Kolla and Scott moved not too far from there so this weekend Ian and I drove up there to drop off a dresser and to go to Snack Jacks for lunch. Kolla and I both got our usual, Yuengling and crab legs…mmmm yummy! But were mostly disappointed at our meal…Kolla described our legs as dried up crab jerky (which pretty much sums it up). About an hour after lunch my tummy wasn’t feeling too good and I skipped dinner…but I didn’t complain and will most defiantly be going back for another round!! Any one want to join me??

Had to laugh!

So, my friend Stacie emailed me this in response to my last post...
felt the need to blog it (you can click on any image in my posts to make them larger).

Poll

OK - In your own home, would you sprinkle salt onto a hard boiled egg over your floor (not into a napkin or over the sink, but over your bare floor)? My husband seems to think this practice is OK. If he's sprinkling salt on the floor right in front of me, what is he doing when I'm not looking???

Please let me know your thoughts...am I an anal clean freak (well, yeah I know I am...but we're talking about this particular situation) or is my husband a slob?

Sometimes I still cry

Well, it’s been over two years now and I still find myself crying over my mom’s passing. (I also find myself still crying over my Maizee’s passing and it’s been almost a year now. I loved that damn dog) Is this normal? Or am I just a sentimental freak? I don’t really know. There are so many questions left unanswered.

Sometimes I’m sad because I don’t feel sad, but sometimes I cry because I miss the lost relationship (however dysfunctional it might have been), even after two years I still find myself reaching for the phone to call my mom to talk about things that are bothering me (I’m a bit dysfunctional on my own!). So what else is there? What happens when I’m all that’s left?? No brothers, sisters, mother, father, grandpa, grandma? The reality is a bit unsettling.

New Toys

New camera on the way! I wanted it for my NY trip but decided to just swing by the store while I was in NY. B & H Photo is located somewhere in the city so we planned to swing by after our lunch Friday afternoon. Would you believe that the stupid store closes at 1:00p on Fridays?? WTF?

I've had several people recommend this tiny little camera, but I have to admit that I chose it because it matches my car and cell phone ;o)

Almost famous...

I'm in print! Well, not for the world to see, but as advertising on Justin's business card!! (and no, I'm not the naked one.)

New Years resolutions

OK...so I've never really been one to make (or keep for that matter) New Years resolutions. This year, however, I'm giving it a go. My resolution for 2007 is to cut back on my drinking, go to the gym and lose a few pounds (23 to be exact).

One of the main reasons for the sudden decision to make this change is my grandfather. He can’t understand why I want to lose weight, and goes on to say that I’m “pleasingly plump”, “stacked” (oh yes he did!) and “big boned”. Those terms are nearly as endearing as the term I’ve axed from Ian’s vocabulary, “voluptuous”! My mom once commented to me, “you don’t eat that much, I don’t understand why you are so big…” must be your father’s genes. She always told me that my bio-father’s mother was a large Hungarian woman. Well, I think the genes that I got from my father have contributed to my weight gain, but have nothing to do with the “big woman” genes – my bio-father is an alcoholic.

OK – so until about a year or so ago I never realized how wine can affect your weight. Did you know that there is approximately 605 calories in a bottle of wine? Well, that’s nearly ½ of my daily calorie intake (if I did nothing all day, my body would need approximately 1400 calories to sustain: BMR). So, in all honesty, I’ve been drinking between a ½ and full bottle every night while I sit my fat ass on the couch watching TV (not to mention this is right before bed time!). This is worst that cramming my face full of cookies and ice cream before bed.

Problem #1 one, understood…problem #2…I don’t exercise. When it comes to exercise I am the queen of excuses. I don’t make shit up, but will easily grab on to anything to avoid exercise. I did, however, enjoy running but this came to an abrupt halt a little over a year ago when I started experiencing sever foot pain. Turns out that I have a Morton’s Neuroma. Relief from this ailment has not come easy – I’ve been to the Podiatrist, a myofascial release therapist, had cold laser treatments and most recently “the VooDoo lady” as Mary Beth has coined her. Her technique is some sort of cross between reflexology, acupressure, acupuncture and massage. She literally pokes you with a sharp stick (I thought Mary Beth was just joking when she said that)! The poke is quite painful, but we’ll see if I find relief…will blog more as the treatment progresses.

So, the point of this blog is…after a week and a half of spinning classes, sweating on the elliptical trainer and stairmaster and no wine during the week…I have lost 6 pounds! I’m actually pleasantly surprised and feel like I can get the next 17 off without too much misery! Wish me luck!

Planes, trains and huge shipyards

Well, I survived the bitter temperatures in NY and CT…and I hate to admit it, but it wasn’t all that bad! I mean it WAS cold (9-degrees on Friday with a wind chill of neg 14 and 30 on Saturday) but I found myself not whining as much as I expected. The colder climates are much like Florida only the opposite (duh) – but what I mean is, down here we dress for 90-degree temperatures but freeze our asses of anytime we enter any business or restaurant. Up there you dress for sub zero temps and end up losing 5 pounds in sweat whenever you spend any time in doors. I spent much of Saturday walking around with my coat, hat, and gloves in my arms.

I usually have terrible travel luck…flights delayed for hours, missing connections, flights cancelled, etc. My flight up, however, resembled that of “Meet the Parents”. Everything was on time (early even) and on both legs I had an entire row all to myself…no screaming children or fat people spilling into my space. This wasn’t the case on the trip home though…will
wrap up this blog with that story.

Friday in NY was fabulous (and fabulously cold and windy – which meant much time indoors and underground). We had a most magnificent 2+ hour lunch at Asiate at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel (notice the “Wall of Wine” comment! Definitely my kind of place!! Hehehe). The food was wonderful and view spectacular! From there we went shopping at NY’s 6 floor Macy’s. Neither Hannah nor I are big shoppers so that was short lived; we decided that our time would be better spent in a neighboring Irish Pub. Hannah and I met 2 very nice Irish gentlemen…one of whom is opening his own Pub in NY in March. (I will be planning a trip in the warmer months to check it out.) From there we met Joe for dinner at Samba Sushi. Here we dined and drank the night away waiting the DJ to start up. Either there was no DJ as promised or we missed him to catch the last train out of the city :o(. Hannah and Joe live in CT, which is an approximate 1-hour train ride from Grand Central Station. We are not sure, but almost certain that the train ride was much longer than that as we all fell asleep and missed our stop! At approximately 1:30a we found ourselves at the end of the line. This was the last train of the night so we had to take a cab to get approximately 40 miles back to our stop when Joe had left the car (most definitely not a cheap mistake – but rather amusing!).

Saturday we went to see the shipyard where Joe works…he is the project manager over the building of some massive luxury ships. I really had no idea the scale of these vessels until we entered (sporting our fashionable hard hats) the enormous hangar where his most recent 140+ foot catamaran is being built. This thing is ginormous!! I don’t really have the words to say how spectacular and amazing this construction is. It’s hard to believe that it’s all fashioned out flat sheets of aluminum. From there we went to a cute little town for window-shopping then to the grocery to get ingredients for a yummy tapas style dinner.

Sunday was my journey home day. The flights were not all that bad…first leg only delayed by 20 minutes. Second leg on time, but even though I pre-booked an exit row isle seat I found myself in the back of the bus squished in a middle seat between two rather large men (one of whom was quite the talker – thank God for iPods and good books!). When we landed I made my way to baggage claim to get my suitcase and head home to hug my very missed kitties. I stood there for what seemed like an eternal amount of time when I saw the big blue block that signified the end of the luggage line. WTF?? Where’s my bag?? My planes were all on time and I even have a 2-hour lay over in ATL (plenty of time to get my bag to the new plane). There were several of us looking around helplessly for answers so we found out where to submit our complaint and got in line. The complaint office was empty and we were told that there were some cancellations and that all Delta representatives were helping rebook those passengers and would be over when that debacle was over. 45 minutes later a security guard came over to tell us that it would probably be best if we all went home and came back tomorrow. I was worried that my luggage (containing every toiletry and hair care product that I own) might be lost for good so I called Delta’s help line as I was leaving the airport. An hour later I’m still on the phone and the customer service rep is telling me that there is going to be a charge to deliver my bag to my house when it arrives because I did not fill out any complaint paperwork at the airport itself!! WTF? No way am I going to be charged for any of this! So it was back to the airport Monday afternoon to get my stuff :o(. My bag arrived about 30 minutes after my arrival to the airport, which is not so bad…but the morning at work I felt like a grease ball. I have been blessed with unfortunate hair…it’s wavy, curly, frizzy, whatever you want to call it - without a hair dryer or flat iron I look like little orphan Annie so I was not about to wash my hair before work…not to mention the temp outside was in the 30s!

All in all it was a wonderful trip…Thanks Hannah and Joe!!!!!!

I'm back!

OK I know it was a quick exodus and I know I have stupid "gym hair" - just got home from my first spinning class...thanks Jennifer! But I fixed my picture posting problem - whoohooo!!! So, I will be posting about my NY trip tomorrow when I have more time.

Last post...

Till Blogger fixes their bugs. I can no longer add images to my blogs :o( What fun is a blog without visual aids?

No one reads any way, but was fun while it lasted....

Fridged N.E.

Well, tomorrow I leave for Restaurant Week in NYC! I’m meeting Hannah and Lara for the amazingly yummy 5 star food of New York. The only major downfall I’m seeing is the fact that it’s going to be in the teens in the city with the possibility of snow. Here’s the report Hannah emailed me:

AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT WILL PUSH THROUGH THE REGION THURSDAY AFTERNOON...PRECEDED AND ACCOMPANIED BY SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS WHICH COULD LEAVE A QUICK COATING TO AN INCH OF ACCUMULATION. THE FRONT WILL ALSO USHER IN THE COLDEST AIR MASS OF THE SEASON...WITH LOW TEMPERATURES THURSDAY NIGHT RANGING FROM 10 TO 15 OVER MOST OF THE NEW YORK CITY METROPOLITAN AREA...LONG ISLAND AND COASTAL CONNECTICUT...TO 5 TO 10 ABOVE OVER INLAND SECTIONS. THE ARCTIC AIR IN COMBINATION WITH GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT WILL PRODUCE WIND CHILLS OF 10 TO 15 BELOW OVER THE LOWER HUDSON VALLEY AND SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT...AND 5 TO 10 BELOW ELSEWHERE.

THE MERCURY WILL STRUGGLE TO REACH 20 DEGREES ON FRIDAY IN AND NEAR NEW YORK CITY...AND WILL LIKELY REMAIN IN THE TEENS ELSEWHERE...WITH THE GUSTY NORTHWEST FLOW KEEPING WIND CHILLS BELOW ZERO EXCEPT LATE IN THE AFTERNOON IN AND NEAR THE CITY. WHILE WINDS WILL DIMINISH BY FRIDAY NIGHT...SKIES WILL REMAIN MOSTLY CLEAR IN THE EVENING...WITH EVENING LOWS NEARLY AS COLD AS THOSE OF THURSDAY NIGHT BEFORE SLOWLY RISING LATE AT NIGHT. WIND CHILLS WILL REMAIN BELOW ZERO ACROSS MOST OF THE REGION FRIDAY NIGHT.

Some people might be excited about the possibility of snow…me, not so much! I’m a true Florida girl when it comes to weather and probably the biggest cold wussy that you’ve ever met!! Our original plan is to spend the entire day Friday in the city - I'll let you know how that turns out!

Free to good home...

Meet PITA (pain in the ass) aka Miles. He's our newest 11 month old addition. I thought that as he got older that he would settle down, but that's not the case at all. The little bastard gets into EVERYTHING. His favorite thing is digging in my house plants. Every time I come home there's a new pile of dirt in and around my bed. I've started filling the plants with those little glass gem stones, but that's his new favorite noisy toy (and it's not like he's lacking in the toy department by any means). He kept me up till midnight last night batting the damn things all over the Florida room. On top of that he likes to get up at 5:30 every morning and torment me and my other cat Madi. If it wasn't for total cuteness, he'd be out of here already!! Any ideas or suggestions for subduing the little monster?? Know anyone who wants a charming little mini-cat?? LOL - I can hear him digging in my plants as I blog!! Little glass gems hitting the floor. :o(

Tires that smell like what??

Kumho lavendar scented tires

What’s next?

OK – so really, what’s the point?? I, personally, like the new rubber
smell…but only when I’m in a tire store. I do not routinely get down on my hands and knees to sniff my cars rubber shoes. I think the engineers at Kumho have been sniffing WAY too much rubber!

It’s not noted on the website, but I heard on the radio that they are
currently working on scents for men such as BBQ and hot dog scents! I bet
the neighborhood dogs with LOVE those! Dog mortality rate will be on the
rise – just another reason for “Rover” to chase the family roadster!

It didn't hurt!

Well, I don’t really know what sparked this decision. I’ve never really been fond on nose piercings, but I got a wild hair :o\. I have usually been very conservative with my “body modifications” – I try to keep things in places that are not easily noticed…(I’ve had my tongue pierced (twice), belly button (twice), I have a tattoo on my butt (which only comes out if I have a little alcoholic help) and one on my shoulder; all very easily hidden. Now, I have this shiny, sparkly gem smack in the middle of my face for the world to stare at. Not only that, I can see it in my peripheral vision! Regardless, I think it suits me and I like it. I don’t have a picture, but Mary Beth got hers done too! She’s wanted one for 20+ years. It suits her more than me!!

HOW much????

For my first post I’m going to talk about my ’64 Thunderbird, Sadie. Ever since I saw Thelma and Louise I’ve wanted an old convertible Thunderbird and thanks to a little insomnia I purchased one from Ebay last year. Now, this will probably be a recurring theme in my posts, but things around me do not always work as they should (if it can break, die, go wrong or get lost…it will!). I don’t know why I thought an OLD car would be any different.

The moment the car rolled of the truck (it was shipped here from NY) something broke! The car was with the mechanic the next day, which cost several hundred dollars. From that moment on Sadie seemed to like Charlie’s (my mechanic) garage better than mine! It seemed every time I took her out something broke.

I made up my mind after several months of repairs to sell her. I met a guy in the parking lot of Walgreen’s who fell in love with her and was ready to fork over the dough. Unfortunately, Ian did not have the same ideas. He (and his family) talked me into keeping her with promises of a “Sadie Fund” and coverage of all future repair costs. Little did they know the very next week on a routine drive to dinner, Sadie decided to throw a rod. I’m not sure exactly what that means, but to my passengers and me it meant being stranded on the side of I-4 instead of sitting at a yummy sushi dinner.

Now, 8 months later, after and entire engine replacement, new hoses, new seals, new everything she’s ready to come home. It’s not exactly a welcoming homecoming as in order to get her home I’m going to have to fork over nearly $4000! That’s right…4 grand!! I can think of so many things that I’d rather do with that money! And the “if only’s” keep popping up. If
only I had sold her, if only there really was a “Sadie Fund”… any one want to make a donation? Maybe I could charge for rides.