To those starting anew and those who love poems;
A Poem By Robert Longley entitled,
BUTTERFLY
TAKE A STEP OUTSIDE YOUR SHELL
TO DRINK THE SECRETS OF THE WELL
NO LONGER WILL YOU FIT INSIDE
THERE'S NO MORE NEED TO RUN AND HIDE
IT'S EASY NOW TO BE YOURSELF
AND SET YOUR FEARS UPON A SHELF
TO CLOSE YOUR EYES FOR JUST A THOUGHT
AND RECONSIDER ALL YOU'RE TAUGHT
WISHES MADE WHEN YOU WERE YOUNG
CAPTURED IN THE SONGS YOU SUNG
FREED YOUR HEART TO LAUGH AND PLAY
REMINDERS OF A FORMER DAY
SO NOW YOU LOOK THROUGH OPEN EYES
TO ASK THE HOWS, THE WHENS, THE WHYS
TO SEARCH THE WORLD TO FIND YOUR PART
AND FREE THE DREAMS WITHIN YOUR HEART
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Monday, January 30, 2006
5th weekend of 2006
This could be boring to some, so read at your own risk.....
I must say it is difficult to try to keep this blog up regularly. Not only do I not have much to talk about but I don't always have the time to write what there IS to talk about.
Let me sum up my latest experiences for you; They have been good ones. (with the exception of getting a year older).
Last week was my birthday and I turned 37! Wow!
I guess I'm still looking fair for "my age". Am I at the age where I should be saying that? I need to get a haircut, get a tan and lose 15 lbs. I know I can do the first two.
I was certainly smaller before the love of my life came (that would be Charles) . I am much curvier and I luckily got something "up top" but the "bottom" came with them also! I walked/jogged on a fairly regular schedule last year but then blew it all during the holidays (which I love!). I want to go today but there is rain coming (very slowly) and I really don't want to be caught in it. So here I am blogging and procrastinating about walking. I should do my Claudia Schiffer "best buns" workout when I am done here.
Soooooooo, anyway our deadline at the magazine was last week. I designed the color scheme of the cover, designed several new ads and updated the arts calendar, entertainment calendar and client address lists. You can check out the cover (or entire magazine) at my link www. brevardlive.com. Sometimes I design the whole cover and sometimes I just come up with the color scheme and Heike (editor) does the rest. Either way I usually have a big part of it. Sometimes a hindrance, she has had a certain "style" that she doesn't like to sway from.
We finished that with little complications. Our next task is to sell and design the directory for the Palm Bay Art Festival and the HUGE Melbourne Art Festival. Just for the record; Palm Bay businesses are cheap and don't like to fork out to help themselves or show support for their town with the exception of Palm Bay Marina, Pelican Harbour and Liberty Tax Prep.
I volunteered in the library in place of someone who could not make it. I LOVE working in the "media center" as it is now called. It is quiet for the most part and there is lots of stuff to do to keep you busy. I used to work in the library at Edgewater High School in 11th and 12th grades and loved IT so I am accustomed to what goes on. My main tasks at Indialantic are to check in/check out books, put away books and fill teacher requests like copying and laminating (which I learned last week). The kids all have numbers that they universally use for lunch and the library. All you do is ask them their numbers and scan their books like a cashier would scan your groceries. Totally easy and rather fun!!
On Friday while I was volunteering, they held the spelling be for the 4th grade and up. The last two words were hydraulic and seismograph. The winning student will represent us in the next step of the spelling bee. They video taped this and broadcast it live throughout the school. (Charles told me later that day he saw me in the background). I drank coffee and finished the tasks Mrs. Nolan (library lady) had for me.
We had a pretty lazy Saturday day. Eventually Charles and I made our way up to the park down the street ironically named, Orlando Park and played. Its a hit or miss with kids down there. Sometimes they are there and sometimes they aren't. Well this time they weren't so I ended up playing tag with Charles for about 30 minutes and then rested on the park bench admiring what a nice day it was and how nice it is to have a park this pretty and safe right down the street! It has basketball courts, lots of playthings, and a beautiful gazebo with a picnic table. We need to have a picnic down here sometime. They even have a grill
It is only a 5 min walk to the river where there is a park bench and a very little stream. We spent some time there looking for river creatures and admiring that scenery.
We went home and I took a shower to get ready for the evening. My neighbor Judy came over. She had invited me to a play at the "very old" Henegar Center. I think it used to be a High School and it is a very BEAUTIFUL building with dated architecture and huge windows. We had planned to go to Meg o Malleys for dinner beforehand but when we got there at 6:45 there was already an hour wait. Maybe because of the show. Megs is within walking distance of the theater and they are both downtown where I work. The strip really reminds me of "old" Park Ave. in Winter Park with it's antiques shops and unique restaurants. It was really hoppin' this particular night so we decided to hit a new place neither one of us had been to called The Mainstreet Pub. We walked in and apparently they had a main pub, an outdoor terrace and an upstairs bar. We opted for the outdoor terrace since it was a dash quieter and nicely lit with tiki torches and xmas lights. We both ordered margaritas and the crab & artichoke appetizer and chatted. For dinner she ordered a roast beef sandwich and I had the Beef & Bleu salad. Dinner was fresh and yummy. It allowed us plenty of time to socialize and eat unrushed. By the time we were done it was 7:45 and the show started at 8 so we left and walked to the Henegar Center.
The show was entitled "Forever Plaid" and contained 4 bow tie/dinner jacket clad guys and 3 musicians-piano, bass and drums. It was basically about 4 singers from the 50's who died in an accident and came back to life on stage deciding if they wanted to stay and sing or go to heaven. They stayed for a while singing quartets like;
Catch a Falling Star
Day-O
Dream Along with Me
Heart and Soul
Jamaica Farewell
Love is a many splendored thing
Matilda (really cute and audience participation)
Papa loves Mambo
Rags to Riches
She Loves You
Three Coins in the Fountain
Sh Boom
and More
Now mind you, I am (cough) not from that "decade" and I didn't know many of the songs but it was enjoyable. So enjoyable I almost fell asleep. At least during certain parts. It's elevator music. The guys were nice looking, the set was well designed-given the size of the theater, and the music was good. On some songs, people were really applauding so it must have been pretty close to the real thing. I guess the gold sweater had something to do with Perry Como. I figure I have heard his songs somewhere or sometime. I just didn't remember what floor I was on....... I thought of a few people who would have enjoyed this more than me. Luckily Judy was one of them!
I was hoping for a little quicker intermission but the show came back on and they got a little crazier doing Mambo and Beatles and stuff. It ended with them walking up to heaven on a staircase behind this "foggy" curtain.
I really do like seeing shows. This one's to you Nanny!! My great grandmother would always take me to church and to see plays at the Orlando Science Center (or right next door). I didn't always want to go but always seemed to enjoy it anyway. I think she would have really loved this one! The history of the building and the era of the play went hand in hand. Felt like I stepped back in time!
Sunday, we went to Red Lobster for Lunch. Me-fried platter (REALLY shouldn't have), Jerome-Jumbo Shrimp (scampi & fried), Charles-Crab legs/fries.
Stuffed (and with a doggie bag) we went grocery shopping (best time) and found boneless chicken breasts (pkg of 3) marked down to $1 each!
For the record: Winn Dixie in Indialantic/Indian Harbour Beach. Meat section. Will let you know when we eat them. Hoping meat standards are strict for selling. Checking news for recalls.
Anyway.......we bought 4 packages to freeze. What a deal! Went home and did laundry. Charles and I later went to the tennis courts and practiced against the racquetball wall and ran a lap or two around the track. He has his own kids tennis racket (thrift store) and he loved it! Came home and cooked steak/potato for Mac and steak/salad for me. Went to bed discouraged after seeing there was a repeat on Desperate Housewives.
Feeling Sentence: . Appreciating all that I can still do and enjoy in life
I must say it is difficult to try to keep this blog up regularly. Not only do I not have much to talk about but I don't always have the time to write what there IS to talk about.
Let me sum up my latest experiences for you; They have been good ones. (with the exception of getting a year older).
Last week was my birthday and I turned 37! Wow!
I guess I'm still looking fair for "my age". Am I at the age where I should be saying that? I need to get a haircut, get a tan and lose 15 lbs. I know I can do the first two.
I was certainly smaller before the love of my life came (that would be Charles) . I am much curvier and I luckily got something "up top" but the "bottom" came with them also! I walked/jogged on a fairly regular schedule last year but then blew it all during the holidays (which I love!). I want to go today but there is rain coming (very slowly) and I really don't want to be caught in it. So here I am blogging and procrastinating about walking. I should do my Claudia Schiffer "best buns" workout when I am done here.
Soooooooo, anyway our deadline at the magazine was last week. I designed the color scheme of the cover, designed several new ads and updated the arts calendar, entertainment calendar and client address lists. You can check out the cover (or entire magazine) at my link www. brevardlive.com. Sometimes I design the whole cover and sometimes I just come up with the color scheme and Heike (editor) does the rest. Either way I usually have a big part of it. Sometimes a hindrance, she has had a certain "style" that she doesn't like to sway from.
We finished that with little complications. Our next task is to sell and design the directory for the Palm Bay Art Festival and the HUGE Melbourne Art Festival. Just for the record; Palm Bay businesses are cheap and don't like to fork out to help themselves or show support for their town with the exception of Palm Bay Marina, Pelican Harbour and Liberty Tax Prep.
I volunteered in the library in place of someone who could not make it. I LOVE working in the "media center" as it is now called. It is quiet for the most part and there is lots of stuff to do to keep you busy. I used to work in the library at Edgewater High School in 11th and 12th grades and loved IT so I am accustomed to what goes on. My main tasks at Indialantic are to check in/check out books, put away books and fill teacher requests like copying and laminating (which I learned last week). The kids all have numbers that they universally use for lunch and the library. All you do is ask them their numbers and scan their books like a cashier would scan your groceries. Totally easy and rather fun!!
On Friday while I was volunteering, they held the spelling be for the 4th grade and up. The last two words were hydraulic and seismograph. The winning student will represent us in the next step of the spelling bee. They video taped this and broadcast it live throughout the school. (Charles told me later that day he saw me in the background). I drank coffee and finished the tasks Mrs. Nolan (library lady) had for me.
We had a pretty lazy Saturday day. Eventually Charles and I made our way up to the park down the street ironically named, Orlando Park and played. Its a hit or miss with kids down there. Sometimes they are there and sometimes they aren't. Well this time they weren't so I ended up playing tag with Charles for about 30 minutes and then rested on the park bench admiring what a nice day it was and how nice it is to have a park this pretty and safe right down the street! It has basketball courts, lots of playthings, and a beautiful gazebo with a picnic table. We need to have a picnic down here sometime. They even have a grill
It is only a 5 min walk to the river where there is a park bench and a very little stream. We spent some time there looking for river creatures and admiring that scenery.
We went home and I took a shower to get ready for the evening. My neighbor Judy came over. She had invited me to a play at the "very old" Henegar Center. I think it used to be a High School and it is a very BEAUTIFUL building with dated architecture and huge windows. We had planned to go to Meg o Malleys for dinner beforehand but when we got there at 6:45 there was already an hour wait. Maybe because of the show. Megs is within walking distance of the theater and they are both downtown where I work. The strip really reminds me of "old" Park Ave. in Winter Park with it's antiques shops and unique restaurants. It was really hoppin' this particular night so we decided to hit a new place neither one of us had been to called The Mainstreet Pub. We walked in and apparently they had a main pub, an outdoor terrace and an upstairs bar. We opted for the outdoor terrace since it was a dash quieter and nicely lit with tiki torches and xmas lights. We both ordered margaritas and the crab & artichoke appetizer and chatted. For dinner she ordered a roast beef sandwich and I had the Beef & Bleu salad. Dinner was fresh and yummy. It allowed us plenty of time to socialize and eat unrushed. By the time we were done it was 7:45 and the show started at 8 so we left and walked to the Henegar Center.
The show was entitled "Forever Plaid" and contained 4 bow tie/dinner jacket clad guys and 3 musicians-piano, bass and drums. It was basically about 4 singers from the 50's who died in an accident and came back to life on stage deciding if they wanted to stay and sing or go to heaven. They stayed for a while singing quartets like;
Catch a Falling Star
Day-O
Dream Along with Me
Heart and Soul
Jamaica Farewell
Love is a many splendored thing
Matilda (really cute and audience participation)
Papa loves Mambo
Rags to Riches
She Loves You
Three Coins in the Fountain
Sh Boom
and More
Now mind you, I am (cough) not from that "decade" and I didn't know many of the songs but it was enjoyable. So enjoyable I almost fell asleep. At least during certain parts. It's elevator music. The guys were nice looking, the set was well designed-given the size of the theater, and the music was good. On some songs, people were really applauding so it must have been pretty close to the real thing. I guess the gold sweater had something to do with Perry Como. I figure I have heard his songs somewhere or sometime. I just didn't remember what floor I was on....... I thought of a few people who would have enjoyed this more than me. Luckily Judy was one of them!
I was hoping for a little quicker intermission but the show came back on and they got a little crazier doing Mambo and Beatles and stuff. It ended with them walking up to heaven on a staircase behind this "foggy" curtain.
I really do like seeing shows. This one's to you Nanny!! My great grandmother would always take me to church and to see plays at the Orlando Science Center (or right next door). I didn't always want to go but always seemed to enjoy it anyway. I think she would have really loved this one! The history of the building and the era of the play went hand in hand. Felt like I stepped back in time!
Sunday, we went to Red Lobster for Lunch. Me-fried platter (REALLY shouldn't have), Jerome-Jumbo Shrimp (scampi & fried), Charles-Crab legs/fries.
Stuffed (and with a doggie bag) we went grocery shopping (best time) and found boneless chicken breasts (pkg of 3) marked down to $1 each!
For the record: Winn Dixie in Indialantic/Indian Harbour Beach. Meat section. Will let you know when we eat them. Hoping meat standards are strict for selling. Checking news for recalls.
Anyway.......we bought 4 packages to freeze. What a deal! Went home and did laundry. Charles and I later went to the tennis courts and practiced against the racquetball wall and ran a lap or two around the track. He has his own kids tennis racket (thrift store) and he loved it! Came home and cooked steak/potato for Mac and steak/salad for me. Went to bed discouraged after seeing there was a repeat on Desperate Housewives.
Feeling Sentence: . Appreciating all that I can still do and enjoy in life
Thursday, January 26, 2006
The Famous Dino, By Charles McDougall
I am a strong ankilasaurs. I am drinking water. Then, a spino attacked me. "Oof" I said. I whack him with my tail. I get to a cliff. I knock the spino off. Then a spino sneaks up on me and pushes me off. I fell to the hard ground and stayed there for a million years. Then I was famous at museum (with broken bones). I feel famous because I was put in a museum.
I wrote this at school, my Mom had no part in it except for typing...Enjoy!
I wrote this at school, my Mom had no part in it except for typing...Enjoy!
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Birthday Cake #37
Yes this is truly what happens when you are over 35 with two boys at home who don't know how to bake (or buy) a cake. O well. Who could live without Pepperidge Farms? And even with the chance to win (something) instantly!!
None the less, I didn't win anything. It actually said, "Sorry, you are not a winner". Interesting.....I beg to differ.
Monday, January 23, 2006
My Doggie is the Cutest!
Shirt size 10 months. .75¢ at a local thrift store.
Hope You Smile... It's Contagious
Saturday, January 21, 2006
Friday, January 20, 2006
Dinner Inventions 1
Zesty Italian chicken with a blue cheese spread over a bed of spinach served with sauteed fresh yellow squash and a San Fran rice blend.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Epcot - land of dizziness
We received free tickets from Jason (Jerome's cousin) to Epcot for Christmas so I decided to kill two birds with one stone and go the day after the banquet.
It was supposed to only get up to about 57 degrees or so that day and turns out it was pretty windy. We get on the long pants (Floridians don't do long pants well), long sleeves and jackets and decided to brave it anyway. We get there about 9:45 and Im sure there were several 100 people there already.
As we walk in, I heard a faint yell, "Charlene". Who the heck could possibly know me here? And 60 miles away from home at that? I turned around to see Bridget. She and the family were waiting for HER cousin to get her in free too! Always good to have a Walt Disney World Cast Member somewhere in the family. We said a brief hello and went our separate ways hoping to maybe cross paths later.
So we get on the first ride, "Spaceship Earth" pretty quick. One of those typical Disney rides with a slow moving continuos cart and animatronics. Cool and always nice to sit and ride - slowly.
Our next idea was to hit text track and mission space since they are popular and would more than likely get crowded later. Well darn if test track wasn't open. It is a zero to 60 "crash test dummies" kind of ride and I was looking forward to it since I knew Charles could get on it too.
After that, Annette and Charles finally talk me into going on Mission Space and after seeing 3 or 4 signs warning those who are prone to nausea to not ride I wonder what I am doing here. You're talking to someone who gets car sick for gosh sake. I had to be tough for Charles. I was sorta worried about HIM since he got a little queasy on the plane to NY. Well we pretty much get right on after a lecture on flying from who other than Gary Sineese (the rather handsome guy with no leg from Forest Gump). He told everyone their jobs. I guess I was the Navigator. O.K! Sure! Oh and Thanks Gary for also reminding me AGAIN about the spinning and nausea stuff. Again, I contemplate my decision.
We stepped into a compartment with 4 seats. We are missing an engineer. Does that mean we will crash and burn?? So you put your belongings in a drawer and buckle up. I am totally freaking out inside. I can't believe Annette is doing this. The dork cast member in the "Mission Space" costume is telling you this is your last chance as I look on the "dashboard" to see real live barf bags. Oh goodie! I point them out to Charles too just in case.
Just as I anticipated, the doors close and the dashboard comes up to your face giving you access to your buttons and a view out of a "window" which is actually some sort of tv screen. The compartment tilts back so your are laying on your back and all you see is the sky out of your "window". Interesting. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6,. . Crap.5, 4, 3, 2, 1, , , body tenses and blast off. You actually feel the pressure and it feels like you are really lifting off! A little scary but WOW! Gary is talking rather calmly telling the captain, Annette, when to press her buttons. Luckily she is pressing the engineers buttons too. I guess we wont blow up after all.
You apparently slingshot around the moon and you actually feel the g-force. I think that's about the time I started closing my eyes. They tell you not to lift your head or look either way. Just keep looking forward. No problemo. I'm not doing anything-including looking. I hear Gary telling me to push my thruster. Hmmm-no comment. Gary cant you see I have my eyes closed? So I peek just enough to see my button lit up. I pushed it through squinted eyes. You know what? Forget that ^%#*@ button! Why am I succumbing to the need to press a button that really doesn't matter, luckily, or I would have killed us all. A bunch of other stuff happens and I guess we land safely. Just glad I didn't use the barf bag. I have no idea if Charles made it or not. Overall the ride only lasts about 4 minutes or so. We get off and it isn't until then that I feel a little queasy. Not too bad. Thank God it didn't last longer. If you have claustrophobia that isn't the ride for you. Neither Charles (the pilot) nor Annette got queasy. I don't know how they do it.
Off to more rides and to get fast passes. Disney's new way of cutting down on wait times. Really most of the rides or shows had about a 20 minute or less wait time. Not too bad. The only ride we got fast passes to was Soarin'. During the wait for our fast pass "appointment" we went to The Living Seas which includes a cute "interactive" show with the turtle from Nemo. It is a cartoon projected on a large screen. It looks like that fish screen saver on a computer. 'Crush the turtle' talks with the audience. It is really interesting and the "voice of crush" was really good at impromptu answers from silly kids. Can't quite figure out how they made the turtle's mouth move at "real time" as the guy spoke.
There was also dolphins, manatees and all sorts of fish and stuff. This is where I got a really neat picture of the jelly fish. (hopefully posted) I guess you can scuba dive there-for a "small" fee! ha. They had Sea horses (sooooo cute), cuddle fish (I guess they cuddle-ha), snook, live coral and all sorts of other neat sea life.
We got back to Soarin and there was a wait for non-pass people of 70 minutes. NANNY NANNY BOO BOO.! We walked right in and still had to wait 5 min or so. We sit on a row of seats and strap in. Then the row of seats moves forward and up so that all the rows are facing this HUGE screen with no people in front of them. The movie starts and it gets slightly windy. You feel as if you are "soaring" over California. Bridges, waterfalls, oceans, mountains. Feels like your feet are going to hit the trees. Again, however, we are on a simulated moving ride. I have come to the conclusion that I really don't like these. I would rather be REALLY moving. Again, I felt the queasy sensation. Nothing horrible but irritating. Again, The ride lasts only about 4 minutes. It would really suck to wait 70 minutes for a 4 minute ride that makes you seasick.
We decided to eat lunch and really wanted to have a "sit down" lunch. There was this restaurant in The Land called Garden Grill. Guess what? It spun. Slowly but surely. They had several characters walking around greeting the patrons in the restaurant and getting pics. This was a total "kill all birds" situation. The menu was Flank Steak w/ mushroom sauce, Fried Catfish (harvested there), Turkey w/ cranberry glaze, potato casserole, and steamed veggies also grown there. Sounded good but I figured the wait would be long too.
It wasn't. We only waited about 12 minutes and got right on the "lunch ride". They served us a giant loaf of hearty bread with lemon grass butter and filled our ice cold drinks. About 3 feet into the lunch, Annette finally figured out we were moving. Cute. Come to find out, they serve you EVERYTHING on the menu. We got a platter with a little of everything. Charles got chicken strips, fries and mac & cheese. How cool! And everything was very yummy! Meanwhile Pluto, Mickey and Chip (unfortunately not from the REAL chippendales-MOM) came by for pics. I was in the middle of the booth so Annette got all the hugs and Charles got all the pics. When we finished all we could of the lunch, the waiter came by and asked if we wanted more (it was included). No way! Then he said we couldn't leave without dessert. It was included too. Well, Ok if you insist. So he brought out a plate with a beautiful arrangement of pecan pie, brownie pie, and cheesecake with whipped cream and chocolate shavings on top. Charles got a "make your own" cupcake complete with whipped cream, sprinkles and a cherry. By the time we had finished MOST of the dessert, we were back around to the spot we had started from. What timing. And the lunch only cost about $60. Not bad at all for the experience and quality of food considering it was Whip your Wallet out Walt Disney World.
The rest of the day at Epcot was spent watching all the other shows and visiting all of the countries looking for hidden rides. We found one in Mexico and Norway. Charles had been looking forward to the Norway ride, "Maelstrom" the whole trip so we are finally here. The wait says, "20 minutes" but it was more like 35. The whole ride again lasted about 4 minutes. What's with the 4 minute rides?? It basically involved a Viking Ship which you are riding, 3 trolls, and 2 small (very small) water slides. Woo Wee! But Charles was happy. We bought him a plastic viking hat and moved on.
We went to china and found out the Golden Dragons performed. On the field trip on Tuesday Jan 17th the whole 2nd grade will be seeing them. (I am chaperoning-love to catch the King Center Productions). I bought a golden Buddha. (I really should be Buddhist) and a chinese hot tea set for 4 w/ tray-yes I like hot tea- all for about $15.
Once we got out of China it was turning unusually COLD. (well for Florida and the way we were dressed). Our sweatshirt hoods were the saving factor since it was about 55 degrees and very windy. You know, wind chill? Whatever. So we quickly got to the last countries which included Canada. There was some sort of 360 degree movie about Canada that Charles insisted on seeing. Unfortunately for my feet, it was standing room only. WHY O WHY Would they do that to such weary travelers??? I was angry at Disney and angry at the movie that was simulating a helicopter ride looking over the land of Canada. Okay so it WAS beautiful but I had to keep looking down to keep from getting dizzy. What a wimp I am.
We left shortly there after (7:30) due to lack of energy and warmth and headed for where else but Olive Garden. We both agreed it would probably be less $ and better than Whip your Wallet out Walt Disney World.
Once at Olive Garden, I asked the what the wait was (at 8:45 pm Sat night) and the lady said 35 minutes. She asked "how many", I said "three, Mcdougall" then proceeded to go to the restroom. When I came back we realized I didn't have a little "buzzer" thingy. So Annette went to talk to them and they didn't have our name down. They wrote it down and we then proceeded to wait for about 50 minutes!! At least. Charles and I were falling asleep in the lobby of Olive Garden. Annette had to go up and ask them again how long it would take. The seated us right after that.
Charles was so tired he basically fell asleep in the booth next to me while Mom M and I ate. The waiter forgot the little plates for the bread sticks and alfredo (sinful huh?), the parmesan cheese for the salad, mixed up the teas, took forever and basically just slacked. We noticed he was constantly looking for something. It was taking so long to get the bill (and we were very tired and ready to go) that Annette had to call the Manager over who was talking to some employees including our waiter. We explained the delay in seating and the waiters lack of attention was frustrating. She was very sympathetic and professional. She said she was sorry and there was no excuse for the time spent waiting for a seat but that the waiter had somehow lost or got $400 stolen from his little menu book. She explained that he was a really good waiter and any other time we would have received stupendous service. She said he had worked 10 hours that day and that was all his money (darn maybe I should go work for Darden!!) She said his lack of focus was understandable to her but not acceptable and offered to pay for our meal. Annette explained that wasn't necessary but that it really shouldn't take this long to have dinner. Of course, I was rooting for the "free dinner" since it was my turn to pay and said to the manager, "Look, if you take care of the meal, I will tip the waiter well". Basically all was said and done at that point. I thought that was really cool of the manager to stick up for him. She actually made him about $10 more dollars. The waiter came back he said there was no bill. I handed him a $20 and said good luck and we went home.
We watched a tape of Dancing with the Stars, the one where Tatum cant dance O'Neal and crashed. Back home in the morning.
It was supposed to only get up to about 57 degrees or so that day and turns out it was pretty windy. We get on the long pants (Floridians don't do long pants well), long sleeves and jackets and decided to brave it anyway. We get there about 9:45 and Im sure there were several 100 people there already.
As we walk in, I heard a faint yell, "Charlene". Who the heck could possibly know me here? And 60 miles away from home at that? I turned around to see Bridget. She and the family were waiting for HER cousin to get her in free too! Always good to have a Walt Disney World Cast Member somewhere in the family. We said a brief hello and went our separate ways hoping to maybe cross paths later.
So we get on the first ride, "Spaceship Earth" pretty quick. One of those typical Disney rides with a slow moving continuos cart and animatronics. Cool and always nice to sit and ride - slowly.
Our next idea was to hit text track and mission space since they are popular and would more than likely get crowded later. Well darn if test track wasn't open. It is a zero to 60 "crash test dummies" kind of ride and I was looking forward to it since I knew Charles could get on it too.
After that, Annette and Charles finally talk me into going on Mission Space and after seeing 3 or 4 signs warning those who are prone to nausea to not ride I wonder what I am doing here. You're talking to someone who gets car sick for gosh sake. I had to be tough for Charles. I was sorta worried about HIM since he got a little queasy on the plane to NY. Well we pretty much get right on after a lecture on flying from who other than Gary Sineese (the rather handsome guy with no leg from Forest Gump). He told everyone their jobs. I guess I was the Navigator. O.K! Sure! Oh and Thanks Gary for also reminding me AGAIN about the spinning and nausea stuff. Again, I contemplate my decision.
We stepped into a compartment with 4 seats. We are missing an engineer. Does that mean we will crash and burn?? So you put your belongings in a drawer and buckle up. I am totally freaking out inside. I can't believe Annette is doing this. The dork cast member in the "Mission Space" costume is telling you this is your last chance as I look on the "dashboard" to see real live barf bags. Oh goodie! I point them out to Charles too just in case.
Just as I anticipated, the doors close and the dashboard comes up to your face giving you access to your buttons and a view out of a "window" which is actually some sort of tv screen. The compartment tilts back so your are laying on your back and all you see is the sky out of your "window". Interesting. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6,. . Crap.5, 4, 3, 2, 1, , , body tenses and blast off. You actually feel the pressure and it feels like you are really lifting off! A little scary but WOW! Gary is talking rather calmly telling the captain, Annette, when to press her buttons. Luckily she is pressing the engineers buttons too. I guess we wont blow up after all.
You apparently slingshot around the moon and you actually feel the g-force. I think that's about the time I started closing my eyes. They tell you not to lift your head or look either way. Just keep looking forward. No problemo. I'm not doing anything-including looking. I hear Gary telling me to push my thruster. Hmmm-no comment. Gary cant you see I have my eyes closed? So I peek just enough to see my button lit up. I pushed it through squinted eyes. You know what? Forget that ^%#*@ button! Why am I succumbing to the need to press a button that really doesn't matter, luckily, or I would have killed us all. A bunch of other stuff happens and I guess we land safely. Just glad I didn't use the barf bag. I have no idea if Charles made it or not. Overall the ride only lasts about 4 minutes or so. We get off and it isn't until then that I feel a little queasy. Not too bad. Thank God it didn't last longer. If you have claustrophobia that isn't the ride for you. Neither Charles (the pilot) nor Annette got queasy. I don't know how they do it.
Off to more rides and to get fast passes. Disney's new way of cutting down on wait times. Really most of the rides or shows had about a 20 minute or less wait time. Not too bad. The only ride we got fast passes to was Soarin'. During the wait for our fast pass "appointment" we went to The Living Seas which includes a cute "interactive" show with the turtle from Nemo. It is a cartoon projected on a large screen. It looks like that fish screen saver on a computer. 'Crush the turtle' talks with the audience. It is really interesting and the "voice of crush" was really good at impromptu answers from silly kids. Can't quite figure out how they made the turtle's mouth move at "real time" as the guy spoke.
There was also dolphins, manatees and all sorts of fish and stuff. This is where I got a really neat picture of the jelly fish. (hopefully posted) I guess you can scuba dive there-for a "small" fee! ha. They had Sea horses (sooooo cute), cuddle fish (I guess they cuddle-ha), snook, live coral and all sorts of other neat sea life.
We got back to Soarin and there was a wait for non-pass people of 70 minutes. NANNY NANNY BOO BOO.! We walked right in and still had to wait 5 min or so. We sit on a row of seats and strap in. Then the row of seats moves forward and up so that all the rows are facing this HUGE screen with no people in front of them. The movie starts and it gets slightly windy. You feel as if you are "soaring" over California. Bridges, waterfalls, oceans, mountains. Feels like your feet are going to hit the trees. Again, however, we are on a simulated moving ride. I have come to the conclusion that I really don't like these. I would rather be REALLY moving. Again, I felt the queasy sensation. Nothing horrible but irritating. Again, The ride lasts only about 4 minutes. It would really suck to wait 70 minutes for a 4 minute ride that makes you seasick.
We decided to eat lunch and really wanted to have a "sit down" lunch. There was this restaurant in The Land called Garden Grill. Guess what? It spun. Slowly but surely. They had several characters walking around greeting the patrons in the restaurant and getting pics. This was a total "kill all birds" situation. The menu was Flank Steak w/ mushroom sauce, Fried Catfish (harvested there), Turkey w/ cranberry glaze, potato casserole, and steamed veggies also grown there. Sounded good but I figured the wait would be long too.
It wasn't. We only waited about 12 minutes and got right on the "lunch ride". They served us a giant loaf of hearty bread with lemon grass butter and filled our ice cold drinks. About 3 feet into the lunch, Annette finally figured out we were moving. Cute. Come to find out, they serve you EVERYTHING on the menu. We got a platter with a little of everything. Charles got chicken strips, fries and mac & cheese. How cool! And everything was very yummy! Meanwhile Pluto, Mickey and Chip (unfortunately not from the REAL chippendales-MOM) came by for pics. I was in the middle of the booth so Annette got all the hugs and Charles got all the pics. When we finished all we could of the lunch, the waiter came by and asked if we wanted more (it was included). No way! Then he said we couldn't leave without dessert. It was included too. Well, Ok if you insist. So he brought out a plate with a beautiful arrangement of pecan pie, brownie pie, and cheesecake with whipped cream and chocolate shavings on top. Charles got a "make your own" cupcake complete with whipped cream, sprinkles and a cherry. By the time we had finished MOST of the dessert, we were back around to the spot we had started from. What timing. And the lunch only cost about $60. Not bad at all for the experience and quality of food considering it was Whip your Wallet out Walt Disney World.
The rest of the day at Epcot was spent watching all the other shows and visiting all of the countries looking for hidden rides. We found one in Mexico and Norway. Charles had been looking forward to the Norway ride, "Maelstrom" the whole trip so we are finally here. The wait says, "20 minutes" but it was more like 35. The whole ride again lasted about 4 minutes. What's with the 4 minute rides?? It basically involved a Viking Ship which you are riding, 3 trolls, and 2 small (very small) water slides. Woo Wee! But Charles was happy. We bought him a plastic viking hat and moved on.
We went to china and found out the Golden Dragons performed. On the field trip on Tuesday Jan 17th the whole 2nd grade will be seeing them. (I am chaperoning-love to catch the King Center Productions). I bought a golden Buddha. (I really should be Buddhist) and a chinese hot tea set for 4 w/ tray-yes I like hot tea- all for about $15.
Once we got out of China it was turning unusually COLD. (well for Florida and the way we were dressed). Our sweatshirt hoods were the saving factor since it was about 55 degrees and very windy. You know, wind chill? Whatever. So we quickly got to the last countries which included Canada. There was some sort of 360 degree movie about Canada that Charles insisted on seeing. Unfortunately for my feet, it was standing room only. WHY O WHY Would they do that to such weary travelers??? I was angry at Disney and angry at the movie that was simulating a helicopter ride looking over the land of Canada. Okay so it WAS beautiful but I had to keep looking down to keep from getting dizzy. What a wimp I am.
We left shortly there after (7:30) due to lack of energy and warmth and headed for where else but Olive Garden. We both agreed it would probably be less $ and better than Whip your Wallet out Walt Disney World.
Once at Olive Garden, I asked the what the wait was (at 8:45 pm Sat night) and the lady said 35 minutes. She asked "how many", I said "three, Mcdougall" then proceeded to go to the restroom. When I came back we realized I didn't have a little "buzzer" thingy. So Annette went to talk to them and they didn't have our name down. They wrote it down and we then proceeded to wait for about 50 minutes!! At least. Charles and I were falling asleep in the lobby of Olive Garden. Annette had to go up and ask them again how long it would take. The seated us right after that.
Charles was so tired he basically fell asleep in the booth next to me while Mom M and I ate. The waiter forgot the little plates for the bread sticks and alfredo (sinful huh?), the parmesan cheese for the salad, mixed up the teas, took forever and basically just slacked. We noticed he was constantly looking for something. It was taking so long to get the bill (and we were very tired and ready to go) that Annette had to call the Manager over who was talking to some employees including our waiter. We explained the delay in seating and the waiters lack of attention was frustrating. She was very sympathetic and professional. She said she was sorry and there was no excuse for the time spent waiting for a seat but that the waiter had somehow lost or got $400 stolen from his little menu book. She explained that he was a really good waiter and any other time we would have received stupendous service. She said he had worked 10 hours that day and that was all his money (darn maybe I should go work for Darden!!) She said his lack of focus was understandable to her but not acceptable and offered to pay for our meal. Annette explained that wasn't necessary but that it really shouldn't take this long to have dinner. Of course, I was rooting for the "free dinner" since it was my turn to pay and said to the manager, "Look, if you take care of the meal, I will tip the waiter well". Basically all was said and done at that point. I thought that was really cool of the manager to stick up for him. She actually made him about $10 more dollars. The waiter came back he said there was no bill. I handed him a $20 and said good luck and we went home.
We watched a tape of Dancing with the Stars, the one where Tatum cant dance O'Neal and crashed. Back home in the morning.
Monday, January 16, 2006
DONT BUY ANIMAL PRODUCTS MADE IN CHINA!!
Think twice when you see a product marked "Made in China."
As was shown in a videotape in December on CNN and discussed on "Larry King LIve," stuffed animals are sometimes stuffed with animal fur taken from the animals when alive.
Yes- dogs and cats are brutally killed for their pelts, but the factory operators don't want to ruin pelts so they skin animals alive. The animals take up to 20 mintues to die.
Actor Alex Baldwin and Larry King are heavily involved in the fight against this procedure.
Animals should have rights too. Buy anything with fur or stuffing "Made in the USA"
Get the word out!
As was shown in a videotape in December on CNN and discussed on "Larry King LIve," stuffed animals are sometimes stuffed with animal fur taken from the animals when alive.
Yes- dogs and cats are brutally killed for their pelts, but the factory operators don't want to ruin pelts so they skin animals alive. The animals take up to 20 mintues to die.
Actor Alex Baldwin and Larry King are heavily involved in the fight against this procedure.
Animals should have rights too. Buy anything with fur or stuffing "Made in the USA"
Get the word out!
Sunday, January 15, 2006
The Banquet
I have just been informed by my brother-n-law that my mother's blog is better than mine. Seems she has set the blogging bar a little higher. So what do I have to blog about? Well, I've been tossing around some ideas to try to make it more interesting. Also, Charles has started a blog of his own. He has asked me to type a story while he dictates to me. We are not finished with his "sci-fi" novel yet, but when we do, we will certainly publish it via my blog site for your viewing pleasure.
Over this past weekend (Fri. 13th) I was invited by Annette to attend a banquet for ORMC employees. It was to be held at the Contemporary Resort in Disney. The cash bar opened at 6:30 and dinner was to be served at 7:30.
Charles and I arrived in town about 5pm and I got ready. I wore a sexy black skirt with a slanted ruffle on bottom and black shirt with butterflies also slanted the same way on the bottom. I had silver & black jewelry, a silver purse and silver & black strappy shoes. Annette wore black pants, a black sequined top, gold shoes, a gold purse and her favorite jewelry.
Charles was going to the circus with his cousin Crystal, her boyfriend Jason and his son, Jason Jr. so we set him up with some spending money and set out about 6pm in hopes of making it there about 6:45 or so. The traffic was much worse than we anticipated and it ended up taking us a AN HOUR AND A HALF including a wrong turn that took us 4 minutes off course due to unclear instructions on the invitation. Unbelievable! That is why I don't live in Orlando anymore. We got there, decided to valet park and walked into the ballroom. Luckily, they still weren't serving dinner yet due to the fact that a lot of people were still stuck in traffic.
Annette found some coworkers and we got a seat near the back with 6 other people we didn't know.
Quick run down:10 people per table, beautiful setting, caesar salad, crusty bread, Chicken, 2 large shrimp, rice, asparagus, squash, dessert. Of course they all had really long sounding names like, "Asparagus spears marinated with dijon butter", so it sounded like more but it was really good. Of course I had to be the klutz of the table pulling a "wish I looked like Julia Roberts/pretty woman escargot toss" because my shrimp slipped out from underneath my knife.
Anyway some guy talked and honored the veterans employees from 5 years to 45 years, concentrating heavily on the 30, 35, 40 & 45 years. Annette has been there 32 years so she will be due for her 35th soon and will have to walk up in front of about 500 people again. All in all that part only took about an hour. I was sipping coffee, talking to the colored couple next to me so and admiring all of the fancy outfits so I didn't mind sitting through it.
Next they had some "entertainment group", Vocal something or other I think. 3 guys and 2 girl (Annette, leave the name of the group in the comments section below) They performed with no music and sang songs like "Turn the beat Around" and "Put the Lime in the Coconut". Two of the guys were making the music with their mouths. It sounded so real. There was a hot little chinese guy who was fantastic and did several solos including a "DJ record scratch" routine. I was impressed and we were both kind of glad to be in the back because it was pretty loud.
When it was over we stood in the long valet line and waited to get the car. ORMC footed the valet bill with exception of the tip. How nice. We got home around 11 and Crystal & Charles were waiting wearily. Charles fell right asleep (once he knew I was home) and us ladies sat around chatting. We got to bed pretty late and slept hard dreaming of epcot (our trip the next day) and my next blog.
Over this past weekend (Fri. 13th) I was invited by Annette to attend a banquet for ORMC employees. It was to be held at the Contemporary Resort in Disney. The cash bar opened at 6:30 and dinner was to be served at 7:30.
Charles and I arrived in town about 5pm and I got ready. I wore a sexy black skirt with a slanted ruffle on bottom and black shirt with butterflies also slanted the same way on the bottom. I had silver & black jewelry, a silver purse and silver & black strappy shoes. Annette wore black pants, a black sequined top, gold shoes, a gold purse and her favorite jewelry.
Charles was going to the circus with his cousin Crystal, her boyfriend Jason and his son, Jason Jr. so we set him up with some spending money and set out about 6pm in hopes of making it there about 6:45 or so. The traffic was much worse than we anticipated and it ended up taking us a AN HOUR AND A HALF including a wrong turn that took us 4 minutes off course due to unclear instructions on the invitation. Unbelievable! That is why I don't live in Orlando anymore. We got there, decided to valet park and walked into the ballroom. Luckily, they still weren't serving dinner yet due to the fact that a lot of people were still stuck in traffic.
Annette found some coworkers and we got a seat near the back with 6 other people we didn't know.
Quick run down:10 people per table, beautiful setting, caesar salad, crusty bread, Chicken, 2 large shrimp, rice, asparagus, squash, dessert. Of course they all had really long sounding names like, "Asparagus spears marinated with dijon butter", so it sounded like more but it was really good. Of course I had to be the klutz of the table pulling a "wish I looked like Julia Roberts/pretty woman escargot toss" because my shrimp slipped out from underneath my knife.
Anyway some guy talked and honored the veterans employees from 5 years to 45 years, concentrating heavily on the 30, 35, 40 & 45 years. Annette has been there 32 years so she will be due for her 35th soon and will have to walk up in front of about 500 people again. All in all that part only took about an hour. I was sipping coffee, talking to the colored couple next to me so and admiring all of the fancy outfits so I didn't mind sitting through it.
Next they had some "entertainment group", Vocal something or other I think. 3 guys and 2 girl (Annette, leave the name of the group in the comments section below) They performed with no music and sang songs like "Turn the beat Around" and "Put the Lime in the Coconut". Two of the guys were making the music with their mouths. It sounded so real. There was a hot little chinese guy who was fantastic and did several solos including a "DJ record scratch" routine. I was impressed and we were both kind of glad to be in the back because it was pretty loud.
When it was over we stood in the long valet line and waited to get the car. ORMC footed the valet bill with exception of the tip. How nice. We got home around 11 and Crystal & Charles were waiting wearily. Charles fell right asleep (once he knew I was home) and us ladies sat around chatting. We got to bed pretty late and slept hard dreaming of epcot (our trip the next day) and my next blog.
Walk For Life
I enjoy walking/jogging. Especially around here. (Indialantic, FL)
I have a Nike Michael Jordan sport mp3 player and I absolutely couldn't walk with out it. I really enjoy getting into the music. I like upbeat techno normally but I switch it up with a little rock here and there. I started out on Tuesday, January 10, and it was a beautiful day. About 65 degrees.
I go over the Hwy 192 bridge and back. It's a little over 3 miles. It's my own little man-made mountain. On the way, there is a little park with a gazebo and a water fountain. I usually stop, stretch and get a drink of water before I start. It is also the first view of the Indian River which the bridge crosses over. It is extremely calm and there were birds of all kinds sitting out on the water probably enjoying the weather too. There were also two cranes (birds) of some sort. Maybe the were protected ones. Im not sure.
So I get over the bridge and am returning back over the bridge. The view is stupendous! I will have to bring my camera one day. A lone sailboat is traveling south on the Indian River leaving a long trail the shape of a triangle. The sun is shining and I had some sort of techno mix of "Every thing's gonna be all right". A real happy upbeat song. Anyway, I got some sort of happiness euphoria cause the view was breathtaking. I am at the top of the mountain looking down. The "I'm so going to blog this" thought came to mind.
There's something about being ABOVE the flying seagulls that is really neat. I usually see at least one dolphin on every walk and now I look every time and always hope to see one. Sometimes I see families of dolphins which is sooo cool! I eventually spot one off in the distance and continue on my walk to enjoy the fresh air and beauty of my coastal little area knowing that I am doing my body (mind & heart) a bit of good.
I have a Nike Michael Jordan sport mp3 player and I absolutely couldn't walk with out it. I really enjoy getting into the music. I like upbeat techno normally but I switch it up with a little rock here and there. I started out on Tuesday, January 10, and it was a beautiful day. About 65 degrees.
I go over the Hwy 192 bridge and back. It's a little over 3 miles. It's my own little man-made mountain. On the way, there is a little park with a gazebo and a water fountain. I usually stop, stretch and get a drink of water before I start. It is also the first view of the Indian River which the bridge crosses over. It is extremely calm and there were birds of all kinds sitting out on the water probably enjoying the weather too. There were also two cranes (birds) of some sort. Maybe the were protected ones. Im not sure.
So I get over the bridge and am returning back over the bridge. The view is stupendous! I will have to bring my camera one day. A lone sailboat is traveling south on the Indian River leaving a long trail the shape of a triangle. The sun is shining and I had some sort of techno mix of "Every thing's gonna be all right". A real happy upbeat song. Anyway, I got some sort of happiness euphoria cause the view was breathtaking. I am at the top of the mountain looking down. The "I'm so going to blog this" thought came to mind.
There's something about being ABOVE the flying seagulls that is really neat. I usually see at least one dolphin on every walk and now I look every time and always hope to see one. Sometimes I see families of dolphins which is sooo cool! I eventually spot one off in the distance and continue on my walk to enjoy the fresh air and beauty of my coastal little area knowing that I am doing my body (mind & heart) a bit of good.
Friday, January 13, 2006
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Christmas in Vegas - 2005
I just wanted whoever reads this to see my Elegant Grandma and beautiful Mom at Christmas in Las Vegas. Both breast cancer survivors!! You Go Girls!!!
For those of you that don't know the bad news...
Charles and I got home to find several messages on the answering machine from Mom M. saying to call her. It sounded urgent so I immediately called her back. She wasn't home but I talked to Dad M. and he explained that Jerome's grandmother, Princess, had passed on. It was sorrowful news even though I had not had the time to really get to know her. We had visited her 3 or 4 times in Walterboro, South Carolina and when Jerome and I first started dating I met her at the house when they would drive down for Christmas or something with Jerome's grandfather (who by the way was a hoot!). That's another blog.
Anyway, she was a true southern belle. With that southern draw in her voice that made you think of cornbread and fried chicken. At Grandpa B's funeral, she hosted a big ol' buffet and all the friends and neighbors came by to console and chat. She just ran around saying, "Come on in ya'll and have a bite to eat".
She went out in style that's for sure. She died in her sleep on Monday the 2nd. From what I hear she went to church on sunday and shopping with a friend that day. She was under alot of stress with family issues and poor health and unfortunately it caught up with her. With no autopsy due to her health background her funeral was scheduled for January 5th.
Doing the right thing we decided to go for a short trip. Not wanting Charles to miss too much school, we left on Wednesday around 12:30 (he gets credit for being in school the whole day if you take him out after 12). Crystal and Jason (Jerome's cousins) picked us up in Sharons SUV. All I can say is, It was a long trip...6 hours and 2 stops to be exact. Crowded back seat. Me, Charles & Jerome. Luckily Simon had the whole back area with the luggage. I wanted to curl up back there and go to sleep. Sleep was tough sitting up. Not to mention I am a geek and I get car "nauseuos" in the back seat sometimes. Charles was a trooper. Must be nice to be small.
We got to town and Grandpa and Grandma M and Uncle Butch and Aunt Sharon were waiting. We socialized at the funeral parlor a bit. I had to laugh because Jerome was still in his shorts and short sleeve shirt from Florida and it had to be about 47 degrees out. Arms crossed, and cigarette in mouth he patiently shivered until everyone was done talking-not to mention I was tired and ready to get to the hotel and get some food!
We finally went back to the hotel (which accepts pets) and Annette, Butch, Sharon, Crystal, Jason and Charles and I went to Ruby Tuesdays for some food. Jerome and Grandpa stayed back at the hotel happily watching football. The salad bar was great as usual. I had the tilapia and Charles had mini cheeseburgers. Crystal actually knew our waitress who had 2 jobs, 3 kids and a husband fortunately. What a girl! They tipped her well.
Back at the hotel Jerome was cleaning up Annette's pillow that Simon had peed on. We all had our own rooms so we went back to ours (Jerome, Charles and I) and took warm showers in our HUMONGOUS handicap shower. Why we had a handicap room I don't know but everyone came over, checked it out and wished they had one. I cant tell you how good it felt to actually fall asleep vertical that night.
The next morning we got up and quickly got dressed. Jerome, who was complaining about the water DRIBBLING out of the shower head, was running late and probably still drunk as he had gone to bed about 1am due to a football game ending. (which he repeatedly woke me up to view good plays). He looked sooooo hot in his brand spaking new -lightly pinstriped suit. Damn I wish he was a businessman.
We got to the funeral home and the family attended the service. I sat outside with Simon (we had already checked out of the hotel) and chatted with a "colored" man. They call them something else in South Carolina-not going there. He was nice and was there to help an extended (footless, quite disgusting) family member.
We followed the procession to the burial site. It was so neat, and I know it is supposed to be the case but people actually stopped on the road. Going both ways! It is such a nice moral gesture and greatly appreciated. They would never do that in Orlando or NYC!
We watched the burial and stood and chatted with everyone. Her casket was BEAUTIFUL! It was off white, gold and adorned with pink roses. It is always really hard to see someone actually going in the ground. Let me make this clear and official (since it is posted on the world wide web) I don't want to go in the ground. Cremate me, put me in a bucket with cement and drop me off of my farewell cruise that everyone will take in my honor. (hopefully I can pay for everyone's trip by then). I will become a small coral reef in the ocean and if anyone comes back as a dolphin they can swim by and visit!
We then stopped and looked at her tombstone which read, Princess Ann Breland. I could see that there was no death date carved yet. They must do that later. Charles read it with me and asked like an angel would, "Mom was she really a princess?". And I told him, "No, but I bet she is now." and headed home answering many more questions of death.
Anyway, she was a true southern belle. With that southern draw in her voice that made you think of cornbread and fried chicken. At Grandpa B's funeral, she hosted a big ol' buffet and all the friends and neighbors came by to console and chat. She just ran around saying, "Come on in ya'll and have a bite to eat".
She went out in style that's for sure. She died in her sleep on Monday the 2nd. From what I hear she went to church on sunday and shopping with a friend that day. She was under alot of stress with family issues and poor health and unfortunately it caught up with her. With no autopsy due to her health background her funeral was scheduled for January 5th.
Doing the right thing we decided to go for a short trip. Not wanting Charles to miss too much school, we left on Wednesday around 12:30 (he gets credit for being in school the whole day if you take him out after 12). Crystal and Jason (Jerome's cousins) picked us up in Sharons SUV. All I can say is, It was a long trip...6 hours and 2 stops to be exact. Crowded back seat. Me, Charles & Jerome. Luckily Simon had the whole back area with the luggage. I wanted to curl up back there and go to sleep. Sleep was tough sitting up. Not to mention I am a geek and I get car "nauseuos" in the back seat sometimes. Charles was a trooper. Must be nice to be small.
We got to town and Grandpa and Grandma M and Uncle Butch and Aunt Sharon were waiting. We socialized at the funeral parlor a bit. I had to laugh because Jerome was still in his shorts and short sleeve shirt from Florida and it had to be about 47 degrees out. Arms crossed, and cigarette in mouth he patiently shivered until everyone was done talking-not to mention I was tired and ready to get to the hotel and get some food!
We finally went back to the hotel (which accepts pets) and Annette, Butch, Sharon, Crystal, Jason and Charles and I went to Ruby Tuesdays for some food. Jerome and Grandpa stayed back at the hotel happily watching football. The salad bar was great as usual. I had the tilapia and Charles had mini cheeseburgers. Crystal actually knew our waitress who had 2 jobs, 3 kids and a husband fortunately. What a girl! They tipped her well.
Back at the hotel Jerome was cleaning up Annette's pillow that Simon had peed on. We all had our own rooms so we went back to ours (Jerome, Charles and I) and took warm showers in our HUMONGOUS handicap shower. Why we had a handicap room I don't know but everyone came over, checked it out and wished they had one. I cant tell you how good it felt to actually fall asleep vertical that night.
The next morning we got up and quickly got dressed. Jerome, who was complaining about the water DRIBBLING out of the shower head, was running late and probably still drunk as he had gone to bed about 1am due to a football game ending. (which he repeatedly woke me up to view good plays). He looked sooooo hot in his brand spaking new -lightly pinstriped suit. Damn I wish he was a businessman.
We got to the funeral home and the family attended the service. I sat outside with Simon (we had already checked out of the hotel) and chatted with a "colored" man. They call them something else in South Carolina-not going there. He was nice and was there to help an extended (footless, quite disgusting) family member.
We followed the procession to the burial site. It was so neat, and I know it is supposed to be the case but people actually stopped on the road. Going both ways! It is such a nice moral gesture and greatly appreciated. They would never do that in Orlando or NYC!
We watched the burial and stood and chatted with everyone. Her casket was BEAUTIFUL! It was off white, gold and adorned with pink roses. It is always really hard to see someone actually going in the ground. Let me make this clear and official (since it is posted on the world wide web) I don't want to go in the ground. Cremate me, put me in a bucket with cement and drop me off of my farewell cruise that everyone will take in my honor. (hopefully I can pay for everyone's trip by then). I will become a small coral reef in the ocean and if anyone comes back as a dolphin they can swim by and visit!
We then stopped and looked at her tombstone which read, Princess Ann Breland. I could see that there was no death date carved yet. They must do that later. Charles read it with me and asked like an angel would, "Mom was she really a princess?". And I told him, "No, but I bet she is now." and headed home answering many more questions of death.
Saturday, January 07, 2006
The second day of 2006
New Year's Day was great. Spent time with family and friends. Eventually our company had to leave on Sunday and we basically gelled later that day watching movies and playing board games.
On Monday, Charles and I went to visit the Atlantic Ocean which is luckily only about 4 blocks away. Only having to cross A1A (which for now is still only 2 lanes) is the only big feat. Mac was going to George's to watch the Gator Football game and I wanted to get the rest of us out of the house while the weather was nice. The sun was brightly shining and the temp. was about 78-80 degrees or so. Perfect! I felt the sun warming my skin and it actually felt as if I were soaking something up. Vitamin D I guess. I must have needed it because it felt really good. We walked about a mile down the beach and climbed up and down this huge wall of sand that Mother Nature had constructed using the ocean. We scoped the beach for hidden treasures and ran from huge monsters concocted by Sir Charles' inventive mind. After walking back to the towel, I again "gelled" and Charles ran down to meet some new friends. I'm glad he is not shy. I probably wouldn't have been so brave at his age. I would have just sat and played in the sand with my brother. Anyway, he hung out with 4 children ages ranging from 2 yrs to about 7 or 8. They played in the sand a while but then had to leave due to their mothers request. Charles eventually found a new set of kids who wanted to play in the water. Wanting to keep up, he happily ran in and braved the 62 degree freezing water just to play. As a wave would come up they would have this look on their face like "ITS SOOOO COLD, BUT SOOOOO FUN!". A smile that wouldn't quit and I had to laugh outloud a few times. I love to watch him enjoy "natural" fun if you know what I mean. I reveled in the beauty of living so close to something so fun and FREE! I could never get sick of the beach. I sat and enjoyed listening to all of the 'beach' sounds like people playing, waves, seagulls. O course the best part is PEOPLE WATCHING. Got ya beat Bobby, at least they are half naked down here! We enjoyed the rest of our stay and finally walked home only to find bad news waiting...
On Monday, Charles and I went to visit the Atlantic Ocean which is luckily only about 4 blocks away. Only having to cross A1A (which for now is still only 2 lanes) is the only big feat. Mac was going to George's to watch the Gator Football game and I wanted to get the rest of us out of the house while the weather was nice. The sun was brightly shining and the temp. was about 78-80 degrees or so. Perfect! I felt the sun warming my skin and it actually felt as if I were soaking something up. Vitamin D I guess. I must have needed it because it felt really good. We walked about a mile down the beach and climbed up and down this huge wall of sand that Mother Nature had constructed using the ocean. We scoped the beach for hidden treasures and ran from huge monsters concocted by Sir Charles' inventive mind. After walking back to the towel, I again "gelled" and Charles ran down to meet some new friends. I'm glad he is not shy. I probably wouldn't have been so brave at his age. I would have just sat and played in the sand with my brother. Anyway, he hung out with 4 children ages ranging from 2 yrs to about 7 or 8. They played in the sand a while but then had to leave due to their mothers request. Charles eventually found a new set of kids who wanted to play in the water. Wanting to keep up, he happily ran in and braved the 62 degree freezing water just to play. As a wave would come up they would have this look on their face like "ITS SOOOO COLD, BUT SOOOOO FUN!". A smile that wouldn't quit and I had to laugh outloud a few times. I love to watch him enjoy "natural" fun if you know what I mean. I reveled in the beauty of living so close to something so fun and FREE! I could never get sick of the beach. I sat and enjoyed listening to all of the 'beach' sounds like people playing, waves, seagulls. O course the best part is PEOPLE WATCHING. Got ya beat Bobby, at least they are half naked down here! We enjoyed the rest of our stay and finally walked home only to find bad news waiting...
Monday, January 02, 2006
OK, just one more thing for today...
I guess I better spell check before I publish from now on. Please.... scroll down and read on...
My first official Blog
Well Bobby, I guess someone had to kick me in the butt to get this going.
What neat features the internet provides for keeping in touch. I really dont know what to say at this time. My very first blog was provided by Bobby in the form of an email that I sent him. So I thank him and so should everyone else cause I probably wouldnt have done it myself. You know-procrasination. Anyway, I will continue to keep writing every now and then to let you all know the about the "little" things in my life that may be interesting to some. From now on, I will refer to my Mom's as AZ Mom and FL Mom to keep from getting anyone confused. Thanks again Bob and will be bloggin ya soon!!
What neat features the internet provides for keeping in touch. I really dont know what to say at this time. My very first blog was provided by Bobby in the form of an email that I sent him. So I thank him and so should everyone else cause I probably wouldnt have done it myself. You know-procrasination. Anyway, I will continue to keep writing every now and then to let you all know the about the "little" things in my life that may be interesting to some. From now on, I will refer to my Mom's as AZ Mom and FL Mom to keep from getting anyone confused. Thanks again Bob and will be bloggin ya soon!!
The New Year Has Begun
Mom and Dad just left. We had a really nice time. On Saturday (the day they came) Jerome, Charles and I went to Jim's wedding. I wore a cute little A-frame white skirt with black and pink designs on it and a plain black shirt. Totally thinking SJP with exception of the Manolo's (did I spell that right?). Anyway the ceremony was nice and simple. The bride wore a beautiful sage green dress that would have been a BEAUTIFUL shower curtain. (ha). They were both married before so green is appropriate I suppose. Anyway the weather was perfect for an outdoor wedding luckily for them. The reception was at the same place-in the park and they had every party platters that Publix makes. Not too bad.
During the wedding I sat and talked to George's kids. Ann Marie is 13 and Louis is 15. Louis and I talked a lot. He wanted to hear all about NY. He loved my skirt and Louis Vitton handbag and wants to be a performer at Disney for now. Do you see a pattern? I hope he can be who he wants to be w/o his Dad's religious anti-everything attitude. He's a lovable kid.
Then later that night our neighbors had a get together. Everyone brought food. There was: my develed eggs of course, shrimp, meatballs, 7-layer dip, some sort of spinach/filo dough, Thai chicken, veggies/dip, etc..... Dad and Mom both came over and grabbed a plate and hung for a little bit. They fell asleep about 10, Jerome about 11:30 and Charles and I about 1am. Was nice not to have to worry about Charles running around the street since it was blocked off. All the kids played some game named, "Bloody Murder". Kind of like a detective game.
Then the next day, we bought 2 rotisserie chickens and smoked some ribs (they came out good but a little too salty for me-they needed more BBQ sauce-and we made way too many). I also cooked tomatoes and okra (which Mom LOVED), Sauteed baby spinach in bacon, Rice/sausage, develed eggs, corn bread, black eyed peas, and fudge marble cake. Everyone said how good it was and I felt proud to cook for the family a good "southern meal". They especially like the spinach-even Jerome. So what do northern people eat on the 1st of the year????
Anyway, hope you like my long blog entry and don't get too hungry. I am on a major diet starting...................Tomorrow.
During the wedding I sat and talked to George's kids. Ann Marie is 13 and Louis is 15. Louis and I talked a lot. He wanted to hear all about NY. He loved my skirt and Louis Vitton handbag and wants to be a performer at Disney for now. Do you see a pattern? I hope he can be who he wants to be w/o his Dad's religious anti-everything attitude. He's a lovable kid.
Then later that night our neighbors had a get together. Everyone brought food. There was: my develed eggs of course, shrimp, meatballs, 7-layer dip, some sort of spinach/filo dough, Thai chicken, veggies/dip, etc..... Dad and Mom both came over and grabbed a plate and hung for a little bit. They fell asleep about 10, Jerome about 11:30 and Charles and I about 1am. Was nice not to have to worry about Charles running around the street since it was blocked off. All the kids played some game named, "Bloody Murder". Kind of like a detective game.
Then the next day, we bought 2 rotisserie chickens and smoked some ribs (they came out good but a little too salty for me-they needed more BBQ sauce-and we made way too many). I also cooked tomatoes and okra (which Mom LOVED), Sauteed baby spinach in bacon, Rice/sausage, develed eggs, corn bread, black eyed peas, and fudge marble cake. Everyone said how good it was and I felt proud to cook for the family a good "southern meal". They especially like the spinach-even Jerome. So what do northern people eat on the 1st of the year????
Anyway, hope you like my long blog entry and don't get too hungry. I am on a major diet starting...................Tomorrow.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
