Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Spring Feeling A Lot Like Summer

The temperature is going to be in the mid-80's all week, accompanied by rains. I am not complaining about the rain. Everything is so dry around me. It is turning into one huge dust bowl. I just would like to complain a bit about the heat. We in Florida have to deal with months with temperatures well into the high 90's. Can we have a break and have a mild spring for once?

I celebrated the beginnings of spring by planting an herb garden. I went ahead and bought the plants instead of seeds. I had a catastrophe last year with the cats and my plants. I planted them in the huge pot in my back yard. Basil, cilantro, Thai basil, and stevia. I will pick up others if I don't kill what I already have. I am not sure what I am suppose to do with the stevia. I know it's a natural sweetener, but exactly how to use it, I don't know.

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Restlessness

I hate when I am restless. It is a feeling that makes me feel useless. I have so many things to do and I don't have the organization or the motivation to do them. I blame my current restlessness on my recent vacation. Well, I was spoiled for 6 days. The routine of going back to work and home life is good to go back to. Very stabilizing. Who can live weeks on end having someone cook and clean up after you and remain normal?

I have so many projects going on in my head. I want to get back into scrap booking. I am going to put my herb garden together this week. I am going to get the herbs tomorrow at the Lowes when I go to the bank tomorrow. My yard is such a mess. I want to do more photography. See, just so many things. Not enough hours in the day.

I killed my bamboo plant. How do expect to grow herbs?

It rained a lot today. We needed it. It's all that could happen to keep the state from turning into an inferno.

I cleaned out my spare room and office today. Have 2 nice sized bags that will go to Lindsay's yardsale, whenever that happens. It is neat how rearranging pictures and vacuuming a room can do a world of good. David and Robin will be staying with us next weekend. I think we'll be grilling out on Saturday after service.

I gave Harlem a bath yesterday. I am not a fan of bathing cats, but he really needed one. He was relatively good for the bath. He really pranced around after the bath. His bushy tail was swaying back and forth. Jason and I refer to it as the "Swiffer" tail. He knew he looked good.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Just a Few Shots of Cozumel







The iguana was hanging out by the Mayan Ruins, just blending in. I almost missed him. Just to clear things up, my car in okay. I don't know why the lights came on when we were heading to Tampa. They weren't on when we drove home and the brakes worked fine. We had Juan come by to check the brakes and everything was in working order.

Fun in the Caribbean Sun.......

Well, vacation has come and it has gone, my friends. It was a great time for my husband and I to relax. I say that as I have finished folding underwear and t shirts for Jason. But seriously, we had a blast.

We left Saturday around 11 am. We had a smooth ride to Tampa, until 30 minutes before we reached our destination. A brake light came on the dashboard of our Pacifica saying that our Anti-lock brake system and anti traction system had failed. Great. We've had this vehicle for 6 months, and now, as we go on vacation, 2 hours from home, it decides to crap out. In the midst of all this, I get us lost in downtown Tampa and we cannot find the port. We stop at a convenient store. Our brakes start to grind as we leave. Great, another bad thing before we go on vacation.

Twenty minutes after stopping at the store, we find the port. We drove through Ybor city, which reminds me a lot of St. Augustine with it's quaint shops and brass railings on it's buildings. Guess it's all the Spanish influence.

We send our car off to the valet and pack our belonging with the curb side guy, confident that our hidden liquor supply will not be disturbed. We had hidden Bacardi and Vodka in water bottles and put them back in the plastic wrapping. Genius, so I thought. When we arrived at our stateroom and received our bags, we had a note in the one with the contraband. "For the safety of other passengers, we randomly search luggage for banned items. The items, (4 bottles) have been seized and will not be returned to you. Please contact security if you have any questions or concerns." I had failed to realize that it was Spring Break and that alcohol patrol was in full effect. I should have had an idea when the 20 something boys in the elevator were bragging that 4 of their 7 bags had made it through with their supply. Jason was totally bummed. Dommage.

The first night was very nice. We went to dinner in the main dining room for the early seating. As I thought, we were the youngest people at the table. No offense to any of the people. They were all nice, but wanted to talk of politics and health issues. Yuck. Not what I want to discuss on my vacation on the Caribbean seas.

We promptly changed our seating to the later time. This was also to give us more time to recoup from a days activities, meaning lounging and drinking. To be honest, not that much drinking was done. Who could afford it at 6 to 8 dollars a pop. We had to be especially careful, since we did not have our secret stash.

The 2nd day was what I refer to as "The Fun Day At Sea." We ate breakfast, went to the gym, and laid out on the deck. We met some nice people from Boston. The conversation quickly drifted towards Yankees vs. Red Sox. How typical. Gotta love the rivalry. After a few drinks, Jason's sun baking, and a nap, we got ready for the Welcome party and formal dinner. I was able to wear the black dress I had to buy for Gil's wedding. This time I wasn't force to have the poodle hair. It was nice to not have to buy drinks for once. The welcome party was flowing with champagne, chambourde, and mimosas.

I was a little disappointed with the entertainment on Royal Caribbean. The dancers seemed very out of sync and the choreography was not very good, to say the least. In my corny opinion, I could have come up with better moves. The singers were not half bad. What was I to expect from cruise line entertainment? I guess I expected a little more.

The next day was in Cozumel. We boarded a speed boat and went out to Punta Sur Eco park for a tour of the reserve. The first thing we did was snorkel. I think snorkeling is the perfect thing for newlywed couples to do together. For one thing, you both look so silly in the snorkel gear. You smell like salt water and your hair looks like crap. You have to look graceful in the water, even though it's hell to do it. Let me tell you, I am impressing no one with my snorkeling skills. I think I elbowed Jason about 6 times. I had to apologize a lot that day. I think that is the lesson. When you snorkel, you have to also apologize. I saw some angel fish, star fish, conch and eel. I saw other sort of fish, but I don't know what they were. Creation is so wonderful.

After the snorkeling we went through the jungle to the end of the island near the lighthouse. The water was so crystal blue. If it weren't for the rocks and the rough seas, I would be in their, just like a mermaid. Had to settle for pictures. We jumped on some bikes and rode about 2 miles up the road to the salt water crocs and Mayan ruins. The salt water crocs were impressive. The Mayan ruins at this particular sight were not so much. They stood about 6 feet high and looked like a Mayan doghouse. The truth was that the building is buried in the dirt, only showing the top floor of what was the Mayan weather center. Sounds bizarre, but the Mayans used this particular building near the coast to predict when the hurricanes were coming. The guide Christian explained that they used conch shells and studied the whistling noises the shells made when the wind blew.

After the bike ride we had a Mexican lunch that was great. I had the best Guacamole that I have had in my entire life. It even beats out what I had at the upper class snobbish Miami hot spot the Delano. This guac was the shiznit. I could have eating the entire plate of it with the homemade flour tortilla chips. They tasted much like a pita chip. The arroz con pollo was great too, but the guacamole was the star of the show. What goes great after a Mexican lunch? A Mexican siesta. We passed on the kayaks for the hammocks on the beach with our new friends we made from Georgia. Nice people. The wife reminded me a lot of Susan Moren, one of my clients. Like they say, everyone has a twin somewhere.

There was not much to speak of in terms of shopping in the port of Cozumel. Many shops selling leather boots and sombreros. I know it's stereotypical, but what else would you imagine Mexicans selling? Besides tacos and burritos, of course. I didn't buy anything other than a straw hat that I wanted to wear on the boat ride. I was proud of myself because I spoke to the guy at the kiosk in Spanish. I probably still paid too much for the hat, but I did bargain some. Those weeks in Ecuador weren't a total waste, you see.

We were unable to go to Costa Maya the next day, because of inclement weather. Our docking gateway was deemed unsafe after an older couple slipped and hurt themselves first thing in the morning. Some of the passengers had already made it off the boat and on their way to their excursions. They had to reboard and we sailed off by 9:30 am. We were very disappointed. Jason and I wanted to find some hole-in-the-wall joint to have some more authentic Mexican cuisine and some cervezas without paying 5 bucks a pop. We were so sad to stay on the boat for another day. We filled the day with breakfast, the gym, laying out by the deck, and, for Jason, drinking by the pool. By 2 pm, I didn't feel well. I showered and went back to the cabin. I got sicker as the night went on. I even missed dinner

On this trip, I got caught up on some movies that I had been dying to see. I saw Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist- cute and predictable. The Dutchess- alright Vicky/Christina/Barcelona- strange movie, but I like the guy in the movie. Javier something. Quantum of Solace- I fell asleep.

The following day was dreary. The sun peaked out a little in the morning, with a cool breeze. It was a perfect day to wear a long white linen dress, which is exactly what I did. Jason was disappointed that there was not more sun to bake it. I assured him that he would have the rest of the summer to get some more sun.

The food on the trip was really good. I enjoyed dessert almost every evening. I am really going to have to get used to cooking and cleaning after myself again. No one to put a napkin in my lap. No one to fold my towels into animal shapes. However, I am still swaying as walk as if I am still on the ship. I guess that will be my lasting memento. At least for the next few days.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

2 Cups by Eight AM

So I am busily working at my lap top. Have Jason piece all done for this evening, with a slight amount of ink to spare. Like I've said before, my printer is an inkaholic. I spend so much on ink each year. It's ridiculous. Beyond that, I've got everything squared away.

Jim Gaffigan tickets go on sale this weekend for the Orlando show. We must go, we must. We went with Kathryn and Lyronn back in August, and he was a riot. I was just sad we couldn't stay and meet him, especially after he wrote me a personal email. I know, I won't let the email thing die.

My owl is back. Yesterday evening, I was cleaning and I took the recyclables out back and the bard owl flew directly over my head. I took some pictures of him perched on the tree. They aren't the best quality. They really are amazing creatures. I wish I knew more about them.

That is one of the reason that I love living in this part of Florida. So close to nature, but not so far away from civilization. It is just a beautiful part of the world, no matter what Jason's says. As much as he says he would rather be up north, nothing can beat beautiful weather and nature. I would trade the summers and the hurricanes.

My concert is tomorrow. I can't wait. I think I'll be able to leave work a hair early to meet Erin at her hotel. Gotta get primped for the New Kids. I am actually more excited to see Jaberwackees. They really are awesome. The new season of ABDC was great. I was really pulling for the Beat Freaks, but I do agree that Quest Crew was the best.

Looking at Ricardo and Melissa's pictures of Italy on Saturday made me want to look at my art history books. I've got like a million of them, back when I collected them. I was surprised to see that I still remember a lot. I would really like to go someday soon. My sister went 3 years ago, and she didn't even act like it was a fun experience. To be around all that great art and culture and not even appreciate it. Well, at least I got a Michaelangelo calender that was off the chain.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

I'll Oodle over this weekend some other time

So, it was my anniversary weekend. It really was great, despite some missteps. It all started on my real anniversary, Thursday. I woke up with a terrible back ache. That is the precursor to my period. Sorry for the tmi, but it's true. At noon, Jay calls me to rescue this sweet, but old and sickly cat from Sanford. He was super sweet, but what I needed wasn't an old sick cat.

I took the old and sick cat with me to work the next day. I got his shots updated and checked him for the retro viruses that outside cats can get. Unfortch, he had FIV. It's what people refer to as feline AIDS. Cats can live with it, for the most part. With outside cats, they are more prone to fight. The virus lowers their immune systems. So fighting leads to infections, to sickness, blah, blah, blah. Jason would not let me put this cat to sleep. He searched until he found someone who would take him as an only cat. We gave him to Ken yesterday. I am sure it will work out just fine.

Friday I went to see Marley and Me with mom. Don't go see this movie if you don't want to cry for the last 20 minutes. It's all about the dog getting bloat and the family's decision to put him to sleep. I love how the movie makes his slipping away so dramatic. Marley takes his last breathe and slowly closes his eyes. This is a little word to any who don't what it is like to be in a room when an animal is euthanized. It is terribly sad. I don't want to ruin it for anyone, but dogs don't dramatically close their eyes when it is all over. They stay WIDE open. Even if you want to close them after the animal is gone, they pop back open. It can be kind of creepy for the pet's owner.

Jason had flowers delivered to my office on Friday. The only problem is that 1800Flowers screwed up and doesn't know the difference between Casselberry and Fern Park. They never called Jason to ask for directions and they never delivered my bouquet. Dommage.

Saturday we took a lazy day. We went to breakfast. Then suddenly my lazy Saturday turned into me raking the yard. Well, at least I didn't have to go to the gym. We went to Jim and Elaine's anniversary party. We were the only people there that didn't speak English. No wonder Jim wanted to make sure we were there. After the party, we went to Luigino's, the scene of many of our first dates, our engagement party, and our wedding. It was nice to see Doug again. The meal was expensive, though. The owner, Gino Palucci, was there having dinner with his family. Doug said he's 90 and losing it. For that, we got sort of lousy service. Jay wanted to call an complain, but we didn't want to get Doug in trouble. It really wasn't his fault.

We took Sunday off as well to do chores around the house and to have Dave and Sharon over for dinner. It was nice to see them again. I can't believe they are leaving for Rhode Island in June. It will be nice to visit them again.

New Kids in 3 days, cruise in 11. I can't wait.

Friday, March 6, 2009

Deluded Sunnymakers......

I sort of watched U2 on GMA this morning in between appointments at work. That is why I love my DVR. I don't think I could live without it. Looking forward to the new shows on the travel channel this month. Bridget's Sexiest Beaches looks like it will be a winner. I really really love the new U2 album. I already downloaded to my ipod and have played it several times while working out at the gym.

I didn't go to the gym yesterday because I didn't feel particulary well. I know it is probably just hormones, but I didn't feel like doing anything.

My husband brought me a stray cat home for my anniversary. It's a long story. I really didn't want to take it, but I couldn't say no. Well, he's about 13, declawed, and has fiv.(FIV is a retrovirus cats get from fighting each other.) I seriously don't think this cat would ever fight anyone. He's more of a lover than a fighter. He probably got the crap kicked out of him by some mean orange tom cat. He actually let me give him a bath. I really hope Jason's friend will take him home on Monday. I really don't want a cat isolated in my bathroom for the next 5 years. This is how you let a good deed bite you in the butt.

Going to go see Marley and Me at the dollar theatre with mom this evening. I heard they really focus on the dog's death. I hope not. Not really in the mood for a sad movie today. Maybe we'll go see Valkyrie instead.

So, 4 more hours and work will be over. Yippy.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

No Line on The Horizon- new u2 album

Released today. I downloaded it and it is amazing.........

The Saddest Girl with a Martini......

Oh, I do love Vanilla Sky. I hate it, but I still love it. Mostly, I love the scene of Tom Cruise running through Time Square when it is empty. Very disturbing......

So, the drama continues at work. Tabby comes back tomorrow, but Debi had us leave up the "Now Hiring" sign. I guess we still don't know the ends and outs of what will happen. All I know is that I am leaving in 2 weeks, regardless.

I bought a hammock. I don't know if I have mentioned it before. Ever since we moved into this house I've wanted to have a hammock. My grandma sent me some money, so I used it to finally buy one. 40 bucks at Target.

It has been kinda cold for the last 2 days. Sunday we had a cold front come through and it feels like New Jersey. It was amazing how quick the temperature changed. Before the meeting it was 70. Walking out of the Kingdom Hall it must have been like 45 degrees. I was sad that I didn't wear pantyhose.

I watched Cloverfield this weekend. What a craphole of a movie. I liked the idea of the single tape with the 2 story lines: the monster part and the love story of the 2 main characters being weaved on the tape. (if you didn't know, the movie is basically someone camcorder viewing of being attacked by a monster) It either could have been really good or really bad. It was the latter. It was Godzilla meets Blair Witch Project.

My anniversary is in 2 days. I can't believe it has been 4 years now. How time does fly. It seems only yesterday that I was scrambling around looking for a place to have a reception and putting together Hersey Kiss wedding favors.

On vacation, I want to at least read one book. My mom gave me The Secret Life of Bees. I think that will be the book. I've cheated because I've already seen the movie. Great movie.

Dave and Sharon are coming over on Sunday for dinner. We haven't seen them or had them over in a while. They are moving up to Conn. soon, I guess. I guess we'll find out more on Sunday.

Jason has something planned for our anniversary this weekend. It's a surprise, but I've been trying to figure out what it is. I thought it could be Sea World, but I don't think we'll be taking a whole day off from service on Saturday. I thought maybe he'll take me to that wine bar on Park Avenue in Winter Park. Maybe the Cheesecake Factory. I'm not sure.

My blow dryer died, so my hair looks like a rat's nest this morning because I went to bed with semi-wet hair. I definitely have to get out the chi this morning and work some magic so I don't scare anyone in service.

I found out that Abby and Wendy are going to the New Kids concert, too. I'll have to post some awesome pictures. It will be nice to see Abby. She moved to Ft. Meyers about 6 months ago. I am excited about the show, and even more excited that I don't probably have to work the next day.

I can't wait to get out in the yard and do something other than rake leaves. Jason was so kind as to get me a wheel barrow so I could just take the leaves behind the fence. That is instead of bagging them up. How sweet. No sarcasm. I am glad to say the impatiens are coming back. Slow but surely.

I love this new song by Lily Allen called "The Fear." It really is like nothing I've heard before from her. It might not be extremely new, but new to me. I put a bunch of new music on the ipod. Some new New Kids, some 90's booty rap, stuff from a group called Passion Pit, which is like a Postal Service sort of sound, some Rod Stewart. Just a bunch of random music. Oh, I forgot, new U2. I have to get the new album..........Suppose to be a lot like Achtung Baby! We'll see about that......