Corey Billie's Airboat Ride Day!

This morning was an early rise, as we drove into Fort Myers to the Winn Dixie, where a van was picking us up and taking us to the Everglades for a four hour tour. Had we known where this airboat place was, we could have done it the day before while we were already out there for the Manatee tour. It was very close to the Marina.

This was cool. From the minute we stepped into the van, Dwight the tour guy started talking. He was mixing in some personal stories with a lot of history. It was a good ride out. We had 12 people on the van.

When we got to Corey Billie's we had to go in and sign away our rights to hold them responsible for anything that may occur on the tour! Eight of us boarded the red airboat with Capt. Gary. He was good. He toured and talked, introduced us to a gator or two, drove us all around the mangrove and through the saw grass. We saw quite a few big birds. He also gave us some thrills on the ride. It was really cool. I tried to video the whole thing, and did get some good footage.

After our ride, we were introduced to Buster the 3 foot 1 1/2 yr old gator. Kim Billie told us all about Buster and then had us hold him, one at a time. I was the first one to go. He felt so much different than I had imagined. I thought he would be hard shelled, but he was like rubber and soft. That was neat!

On our van ride back to Fort Myer's, Dwight continued talking and telling us stories. It was a good trip all round.

We stopped at a Pollo Tropical on the way back to the house, for lunch. It wasn't as good as I had remembered from Miami.

We got home to a pool that was just the right temp. We all went in the pool. I also spent some time in the jacuzzi.

We watched some of the video from this week. I am no video shooter! I move the camera around way too much!

John and Amber went out and got the fixings to make us dinner. We had shrimp scampi with angel hair pasta and cheesey biscuits. It was a great meal. Once again, filled to the brim.

Manatee Day

This morning we drove out past Naples, to the Everglades. We had a Manatee tour scheduled. It was cool. We went to this marina, boarded this pontoon type boat and trolled around the channel. We saw several manatees. There was another couple on board with us, Vito and his wife from Southern Connecticut. W also drove down the river and saw a huge alligator, in an inlet of sorts. He was sunning himself. It was a fun trip. We learned about the "skunk Ape" and about the island, out near Key West, where they did experiments on animals clonning, etc. Made for great story telling, don't know how much of what Capt. Jim Walker said was true, but it was part of the experience!

We stopped at the Cheesecake Factory for Linner on the way back to Cape Coral. Stuffed ourselves once again!

Monday on Sanibel

This morning we decided to go over to Sanibel. I had this bright idea, the night before, to hide a conch shell, that we had purchased, on the beach for Amber and John to find. The beach was way more crowded than we had anticipated, so it was harder to pull off. They didn't fall for it. We did however execute the plan with some success on a couple older gals, wading just off shore. They didn't jump up and down, as we had imagined, but picked up the shell and quickly bagged it.

We did see some dolphins playing around, right off shore. Like I said, there were quite a few people at the beach this day.

We rode around and found a place for lunch, Island Pizza. We ordered a pizza feast and ended up taking alot home.

We scoped out a perfect place to get some sunset shots for Amber. We stopped on the Causeway. We weren't the only people there.

We came home and did up some brats ate and relaxed in the hot tub.

A Different Kind Of Sunday

First full day in Florida. It was really nice waking up to the sound of the water flowing over the edge of the jacuzzi into the pool. It pure sunshine, gentle breezes. The clocks got set back last night, so we got an extra hour of sleep. Today's plan was to go up to the Turvis Tumbler Outlet in Venice and trade in the tumblers with cracks in their seals. I took back 8 for Sharon Potter. I only had one to turn in. They had a lot of new designs since I was last there. I picked up a couple new designs. Later found out that they have an outlet in Fort Myers as well. We stopped in at Sonny's B B Q for lunch on the way back to Englewood. We had to go by Mommy and Deac's to pick up a few things for them. We didn't stay too long. We stopped for a D Q on the way back to Cape Coral. We later went out to Chili's for dinner. with the time change, the jacuzzi had shut off, so the guys overrode the timer and we spent some time relaxin in the hot tub. After getting out and changed, I went back out to the patio. It was neat sitting out there at the table watching the colors in the pool change. Good day!

Travel Log: StarDate 11/05/2010

It started two days ago.... our 2010 vacation. Greg and I got up, finished packing and got the car loaded and were on the road, heading south by 6:00a.m. We drove over to John and Amber's to pick up their luggage. We were driving to Florida, but they were flying. So we took their luggage to make it a little easier on them. We got there right at 6:45. After briefly seeing Gonzo and Bella, we hugged Amber and got on the road.

Sheetz was our first stop! Gas and breakfast was first on the list of things to do. We stopped in Lumberton at Smithfield's for lunch. After all..... they have the best North Carolina style B-B-Q. I usually get a drumstick on the side, as their chicken is pretty darn good as well!

We made a couple other brief stops along the way, and still pulled in to Brunswick, Georgia right on schedule. We did make one unscheduled stop, not cause we wanted to.... but because the South Carolina Trooper pulled us over. A little matter of speeding. He was a nice guy and we were back on the road before you knew it.

After getting checked in, we headed out to find a fabric shop. Where this new Veracruz does not have the shade for the cargo area, I wanted to get some black fleece to lay over our stuff in the back. We ended up at Wal Mart, where they didn't have the fabric department, but we got a great deal on twin throws, that did the job.

I chose where we went for dinner. I chose Michael's Deli and it was a good pick. The prices were way cheap and the food was way good! Sounds like a win/win to me. I got a 21 piece fried fantail shrimp dinner, with mashed pots and gravy and green beans for $5.99. Greg chose a fried fish plate. It was very good!!

We wet back to the Hampton Inn and got settled in for the night. I sure was tired from driving.

The Bittersweet Replacement

After 5 years, a whole lot of good times and 197,775 miles; the Santa Fe (Betsy), was traded in. Anyone who knows me, knows how much I loved that vehicle. It was dependable, smooth riding and a "looker". Of late, it has been starting to show signs of it's age. It was bittersweet, but we recognized the need to trade, while it was still worth a trade-in. Greg and I talked it over and decided to enlist John's help with shopping for a replacement.

John went right into action. Knowing what we like, he was able to scout out the perfect replacement, in just a matter of hours! John has been working in the Dulles area, so on his way home from work he swung by the Pohanka dealership in Fredericksburg. He called to tell us that he had found what he thought we'd like. I drove over to John and Amber's. The three of us went to the dealership and took a test drive, long story short, we bought it!

It is a 2011 Hyundai Veracruz Limited. I have named her "Double L", which stands for Luxury Liner. From the heated leather seats to the back up sensors, she's loaded. With seating for 7, an incredible stereo system and personal climate control for all aboard, this is a luxury liner for sure!

Thank you John, for your love of car shopping and your expertise in dealing with car dealers! You got us a sweet deal for a sweet ride! A Big thank you to my honey for buying me this new car. You always give me your best! I love you!

My "Grandoggie" Blog

I was having trouble coming up with a topic for my blog. I had a couple ideas, but couldn't get them going. Well, I have finally come up with a topic. The last few times I have gone to church, as I have gotten out of my car, I have heard the dogs that live on a farm next door. I have been tempted to peep through the trees that separate the property, but haven't. You see, the dogs that live there, are small dogs. They sound so much like my "Grand Dogs", that it makes me really miss them. So, last night on the drive home from church, I decided that I was going to blog on each of the dogs. Maybe that will help with my missing them. The next 9 blog entries will be on each of my "Grand dogs." I will start out with the "Ladies", as it is only right. We all have been taught that "Ladies go before Gentlemen", so here we go.....

Dolly, a beautiful, warm brown, long haired Dachshund. Dolly is owned by my daughter, Emily, and her husband Jeff. I don't know exactly how old Dolly is, as she was a shelter dog. I first met Dolly when I was in Alabama, visiting Em and Jeff. They were volunteering at Little Tykes Small Dog Shelter in Daleville, near where they lived. Emily and Jeff took me up to the shelter to see what it was all about. My were there a lot of dogs there. They were all barking and running around. Dolly was off to the side in an enclosure, as she had recently given birth. The main focus was on the tiny ball of dark fur that she had produced. It was a female and it could fit in the palm of your hand. I don't know how Dolly ended up at the shelter, but it was God's plan, for which I am sure. With a heart for helping, the Gelzinis' brought Dolly and her newborn home to their house. I think the plan at first, was to provide some quieter surroundings, and some nurturing for the Mother and baby. Dolly had a medical condition at that time. She has a skin/coat problem. Perhaps it was due to stress, who knows. With some tender loving care, she was soon sporting a lovely coat. And with tender loving care, that "baby" grew and was named "Daisy." That "stay" turned into adoption. Dolly and Daisy never returned to the over crowded shelter, they had a new home and a new family that loved them.

When I think of Dolly, I have to smile. She is such a loving dog. It is fun to watch her eat. Mind you that there are now 9 dogs in the Gelzinis home. They all get fed at the same time. With a big self dispensing dog food bowl, Dolly will run up and grab a mouth full. She will then go find a quiet spot, away from the other dogs and munch on her food. When she is done, she will go back again and again following the same routine. It is cute to watch.

One of Dolly's "tricks" is to display her teeth in a grin, when she is told to smile. She will also do this when you say "cheese." It is really hard to get a good shot of her doing this, although I have a few, as she is usually jumping up your leg and the camera angle doesn't always get it. Dolly is also a "pants biter." She would never rip your clothes, or hurt you. It is as if she wants to get your attention. Living in a house with 8 other small dogs, you have to develop a method of getting your owner's attention, and she has.

One of the privileges that Dolly has, that no other dog in that household has, is to get to go to the groomers. When she goes and get's (excuse the pun), "dolled" up. She is exactly that....a doll. She comes back with a clean shiny, trimmed coat, smelling good, and with bows on her ears!

I hope this gives you a good "mental picture" of what Dolly is like. She is a true sweetheart. Just writing this makes me wish I could pick her up and get a snuggle.

Well, writing about the dogs, has not made me miss them any less....Perhaps even more.

June 1st....Oh please let it be a good month

Well, this morning I flipped the page on the calendar. June 1st already. Where did May go?

Summer is beginning, and I am not quite ready for it. I need more cool Spring weather, to get the gardening done. When the temps climb into the 90's, I have no desire to step outside, much less mow the lawn and weed the garden. I am allergic to sweating!! Looks like I am doomed, as all that work needs to be done, and it is supposed to be hot and humid the next few days. Oh well, guess I will suck it up and in the words of Larry the Cable Guy, Get er Done!

Went to my Dermatologist today for my routine 6 month check up. I had three pre-cancerous spots frozen on my face and ear. All was going good till he looked at my left upper arm. There was a small spot there that looked just like the cancer from last spring. He did a biopsy. We'll have the results in about a week. If it is cancer again, hopefully it will be the same kind, not life threatening. I know what is involved with the procedure to remove it, so I am not scared. It is the price you have to pay for all those years of sun damage.

I was meeting Amber and John at the Olive Garden around 6:45 for dinner, and I got out of the Dr.'s right about 2, so I had a few hours to kill, so to speak. I had planned this clothes shopping event, but in light of getting the biopsy, I didn't want to be trying on clothes. So I changed my plans somewhat. I did go to several stores and got all my errands done. John, Amber and I had a nice dinner at the Olive Garden. We then went over to Cold Stone and they treated for ice creams! Yummy!!

All in all, I had a good day, and as I glance at the clock, it is but a few minutes from being tomorrow. Time to go settle in with one of my new books I picked up at Borders while I was out. I got Eat, Pray and Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. I recently heard that Julia Roberts was going to be on the Ophrah Show. I was curious, as I admire Julia and wanted to hear what she had to say. She is starring in the movie based on this book. It sounded interesting, so I got a copy. I'll let you know how it is. I also picked up Spoken from the Heart, by Laura Bush. Mrs. Bush is another person that I admire. I will let you know how that one is as well.

So with a mere three minutes to spare, I will go to bed for today!

Memorial Day Weekend 2010

First of all, I would like to thank all the people out there who are serving in the Armed Forces. I would also like to thank all the people who have served in the Armed Forces, all the spouses and families. Being a Navy wife for 28 years, I know what the families go through. I know what it is like to raise children and run a home, while your loved one is deployed defending our country, whether it be in times of war or times of peace. The sacrifices,, of all involved are great! I appreciate being able to feel safe, here in the United States. I am thankful that the war is not being fought on our shores.

I would also like to remember those who have served and are no longer with us. You may be gone, but your courage and bravery will never be forgotten. May you rest in peace.

God Bless America!

Day Six with My Mac

Day six with my Mac.

Today was a quiet day. I slept in till 9:30, which was a little unusual for me. The past few nights I have been getting to bed rather late, so I guess I was just catching up on some much needed sleep.The mail lady brought my package from Amazon today. Inside was a brand new copy of Switching to the Mac, the missing manual. I am so excited to get it. I sat down and started reading it right away.

Amber came over around 6 pm and we went down to Salsa's for dinner. as usual, the Shrimp Taco Salad was a delight! We came back and she showed me a few things on the Mac. I am grateful for the help.

After Amber left, Greg called and we went through some installations of programs. I got Scribus, which is a publishing program. I also downloaded Google Earth. I haven't installed it yet.

Already it is late , so I will keep this short. I need to get a normal night's sleep.

Tomorrow I hope to learn some more neat stuff about my Mac.

Me and My Mac

I have been using my new Mac off and on most of the day. Have only used the PC, sitting beside it, a couple times to retrieve pass words. My memory is not what it should be, I have to refer to lists constantly! Oh well!

I gave Linda the "grand tour" of the Mac, what little I have learned about it! I actually used some of the cool tips Jeff and Emily had given me on Saturday during our video tutoring session. They were my "Apple support" for the day. Back to the story.... I find myself really liking the touchpad on the Mac! That is something, as I couldn't seem to get the hang of it on the PC. Today, when I have gone to the PC to look at something, I go for the touchpad. I use it a little on the PC, but it being so small, it doesn't have the capability of the Mac's touchpad.

Bottom line....I think I'm gonna like the Mac touchpad!

Well, it is getting late, so I am going to close for now. I'll be back at the keyboard in the morning!

An "Apple" a day.............

Me and My Mac, Learning a new way of computing.

I am wondering how the times is going by so fast! Here it is May 16th already. Today marks the 5 years since my Mother passed away. On the 31 st, my Father will have been gone 12 years. I miss them both very much.

Well, I have decided to make the topic of my blog, my new Mac. Last Friday I took the plunge and decided to change over from a PC to a Mac. I had been entertaining the thought for sometime now, but didn't think I would have Greg's support. He likes PC's and I don't think he would consider switching.

About a week before Mother's Day, Greg started asking me what I would like for a gift. I couldn't really think of anything, so I asked for a rain check. I went down to Emily and Jeff's to watch the pooches while they went to Atlanta for a few days. That Thursday, Emily and I met Amber in Williamsburg, where we spent a few days, at the Legacy of Williamsburg Bed and Breakfast. That was our Mother's Day celebration. We had good weather and a great time. When I returned home, Greg asked again what I wanted for a gift. I told him that I would like a Mac. I really had expected him to "Poo Poo" the idea, but he didn't. He completely surprised me and said ; although he didn't want one, if I did there was no reason not to get one. That was it.....the hunt was on!

I started watching all the Mac videos I could find. I looked at the different models and the features. I don't know what half the specs mean, but I do know what I have in my PC and I wanted the same or more. I decided on the Mac Book Pro 15". This past week, Greg said that he was going to finish up a day early and would be home Thursday night. He said that he was going to take the next day off. I asked him if he would go up to Columbia to the Apple store with me. We headed out Friday morn. We went to Malcolm Grow to get his blood drawn, then we headed over to the Exchange on base so he could get a haircut. We noticed there were some roads closed and some barricades up, so we figured something was going on. He headed into the barber shop and I headed for the clothing dept. Wow... I am going to have to go back there again soon. That is a goldmine for fashion. That's a topic for another day! When I asked, the cashier told me that it was Military Appreciation Day for the Air Show. When we came out of the Exchange, that was obvious, as a stunt plane was going by.

We got up to Columbia Mall and parked in the usual area, by LL Beans. Walked all throught the mall and arrived at the Apple Store. It looked like it was pretty busy, but there were some Macs open, so we went over and started checking them out. I took notice of how we weren't approached by and salespeople, which was good , at the time, as I wanted to get on the Mac and play around and see if infact it was what I wanted to get. After a few minutes, I had made up my mind and went in search of someone to sell me one. I was told that someone would be right over. I watched and waited, and we weren't the next ones to get helped. Guess I was a little impatient, but I was ready to buy and it didn't seem to matter. We left. I'll admit that I was a little down, but we were being ignored, and I knew that I could go up to Annapolis and try there. We went down to the lower level and had lunch at the food court. We had to take the esulator to get up to the level to exit from. Greg asked if I wanted to go back and try again. I was torn, I didn't make my mind up till I got to the top, as to which way I would go. I turned right and we headed back to the Apple Store. When we arrived, there was a salesman at the front door, he looked like Santa. It was as. if he was waiting for us. He asked if he could help us. Then he walked us through the process of purchasing my first Mac. While he went in the back to get the Mac, some young men decided to steal an ipad off the front display table. At first I heard this shattering of glass and some gasps. I thought someone had dropped something on the floor. But it was much more serious than that. I looked up just in time to see three boys running out the front door. The alarms then went off and Apple employees started running towards the front door. It was too late, they were gone! When our salesman returned with the Mac, he said that it is a normal occurrence. Funny thing is, when we first went there earlier, there was a policeman standing guard at the front door. He wasn't there when we came back.

It is Sunday afternoon and I have had my MBP for 2 days. I can already tell that it is going to be a good relationship between us! BTW I did also get the One to One policy, so I can have Apple help for the first year. That's for when I can't ask one of my three experts, ( Jeff, Emily and Amber), for their help.

Yesterday morning I had a three person video conference with Emily and Jeff. That was cool! I also love the back lit keys, what a plus!

So stay tuned to learn how the relationship is going.

Later

Reliving the past 24 days!

Wow, hard to believe that it has been 24 days since I last blogged! Time is going by much too quickly. I am sure lots has happened since I last wrote. The question of the night will be whether or not I can have a "total recall" of what has taken place.

On March 6th, Linda and I went to a seminar given by Ancestry.com.at the Lexington Park Library. It was an all day thing. I ended up winning one of the 2 grand prizes, a year subscription to "Ancestry World Deluxe Edition" We also joined ranks with the St. Mary's Genealogical Society. We went to our first meeting on the 22nd. I think I am going to like it!

First off, I am no longer on Jury Duty. I did get called in for a murder trial, but after 2 hours of juror questioning, my number didn't come up, so I was dismissed. I really would have liked to sit on a trial, but not a murder trial for the first one. Case ran four days, jury didn't deliberate too long. They brought back a guilty verdict.

Emily and the pups came up for part of her Spring break. We had a lot of fun. We went shopping, went to Roy's in Baltimore, Crabby Oyster in King George and Salsa's in Leonardtown. I finally got to meet Rachel and Aaron, Emily's friends from NC. They came up and spent Friday night with us. Saturday they went to the National Harbor to check out the Flagship "Peep" store.

Gonzo and Bella came to stay with us the following week, as John and Amber went out to Las Vegas. That is where the welding competition was held. They had a good time. We had a great time getting to know our "Grankitties"

We had our duct work cleaned out. First time in 22 years. I would highly recommend it!

Greg and I went into the city last Saturday. We went to protest the health care bill. The rally was a last minute thing, but lots of people showed up. A lot carried flags, some carried signs, and some wore slogans on their clothes. Greg did the sign carrying and I wore the slogan. It was his slogan, I stole it for a shirt while he went up to Waldorf at midnight to CVS to get poster board for his sign. I had the shirt done when he got back. I was all proud of it, but he didn't look at it the same way I did, see ..he was going to put that same slogan on his sign! OOps!!!

The weather was excellent on Saturday morning. We met some nice folks on the subway, Paul and Ruth. They had driven down from PA to participate. They asked if they could tag along to get to the rally, as they weren't real sure where to go. We also met this gal from Forestville who said she works/volunteers for Charles Lollar, who is running for Steny Hoyer's seat. She was a gaboholic, but interesting. We stayed till about 3. We were tired and hungry. You know me when I get hungry....or maybe you don't... let's just say, it can get ugly. We went to Toppilinos in Clinton. It was good!

Jeff will be coming home on Tuesday! Praise God, my prayers will have been answered.

Tonight we went to church for a spaghetti dinner, to help the Senior's raise money. It was good. We sat with Gary and Pam Craven. Dick Harbaugh was there, but left soon after we got there.

Greg went to band practice and I worked on the computer. I have been keying in Naturalization records for Ancestry.com. Pretty interesting work.

Also had a surprise friend request on face Book this afternoon....My cousin Lil Eklund from Sweden. She found me two years ago exactly, through Ancestry. We found our great grandfathers were brothers. We email regularly and now we are hooking up on face Book, how cool is that?

Well, that is it for catching up tonight. I'll try and see if I remember how to put photos on here, we have a few pics from Capitol Hill last Saturday.

Have a great weekend all

Anticipation....

Here it is March 2, 2010. There are so many good things, coming up, to look forward to. I feel like a kid before Christmas, so much anticipation, knowing good things are around the corner.

First off, next week, Emily is on Spring break from school, and will be coming home for a few days with the pups. I am so looking forward to spending time with Emily, Charlie, Sammy, Dolly, Baby Girl, Peanut, Fred, Henry, Chester and Blind Girl.

Then on, Friday, Rachel and Aaron are coming to visit. I am looking forward to getting to meet them in person. They are friends of Emily's from church. When I first got started in Face Book they became my friends to help me out in Farmville. Then we all started playing Cafe World. The rest is history. They are coming up from North Carolina to go to the National Harbor to visit the flagship "Peep" store ( as in marshmallow peep), in the country.

The next exciting thing to look forward to is having Bella and Gonzo stay with us while John and Amber are in Las Vegas for the wielding competition. It will be nice having a couple kittys running around. Like the old days. Plus we will get a chance to know them better. That takes us up to the middle of March.

With April comes Jeff's return form Afghanistan. I don't know the exact date yet, but it won't be afar off. I will be so thankful to have him home. I pray that Jeff and Emily won't have to be separated for long periods of time anymore. I wish there were enough troops, so that no one person would have to do more than two rotations, unless they wanted to. I know what it is like to have my husband away. Mind you our longest separation was 7 months, but I endured that for 28 years. We made it through those times, and I am a stronger woman for it. But I know God didn't intend for families to be separated like that.

Drum roll please............Then comes May...One of my favorite holidays comes in May...It's Mother's Day. I am so blessed to be the Mother of two wonderful people. They couldn't have turned out any better. I am proud to claim them as my children. They have given so much joy over the past 28 1/2 years. (well maybe not the three months of morning sickness). I know the best years are yet to come. And Amber and Jeff, well I love them as my own. I couldn't have picked out better spouses for my kids.

This year for Mother's day, Emily, Amber and I are going to a Bed and Breakfast in Williamsburg, VA. I am so looking forward to it (hope I don't bust before we get to go). We started this tradition three years ago, and I hope it continues.

That is a glimpse of what I am looking forward to in the coming months.

Always looking forward with anticipation.

One never knows what God will bring into your life.

Until I blog again.......

Road Trip Destination: National Harbor

I wasn't quite sure what topic I was going to blog on tonight. It was a very interesting day, with several events that would be worthy to "go on" about....

I had jury duty this am, but after rounds of questions, I didn't make the cut. Better luck next time.

My BFF and I went up to National Harbor to check out the new "Peep" store. Yes, it was filled with all sorts of peeps and peep accessories. You have to see it to believe it. They even had peep mouse pads for under $5, Wal Mart's mouse pads aren't even that cheap, oh cool for that matter.

While we were right there, we decided to tour the Gaylord Hotel. That was like nothing I had ever seen before. There was a Chik-fil-A convention going on. We knew something was going on when we pulled into the parking garage and every other car or truck was cow painted. And reading the vanity plates on some of the cars was a give away...EAT MO CHIX

We had lunch at McCormick and Schmick's, oh that cashew crusted mahi mahi with Caribbean salsa was splendid.

The view from the harbor place was really nice. Looks like Disney is going to build a resort there in the near future. It is really worth checking out, I would wait for a nice Spring day, as today was overcast and breezy (cold).

One of the highlights of the entire trip happened while we were enjoying lunch....There was a couple sitting across from us. This man and his wife were very well dressed and were very professional looking. When they finished and were ready to leave, the gentleman came up to our table and said that he didn't want to interrupt, but he wanted to tell us how much we encouraged him and his wife, by praying and thanking the Lord for our food before we ate. He said that they frequently eat out and have never seen that. He said that it was good to know there are other Christians out there. He also said that he and his wife were going to record us, but decided not to. They thanked us, and I thanked them for it encouraged me to have him make a point to stop by and tell me that.

Sometimes I wonder how God is going to use me as a witness, and times like this today, encourage me knowing that God is using me, and once in awhile, He lets me sneak a peek as to how. What a blessing it is to be a Christian, to have been forgiven for all my sin, past present and future, to be loved by My God who will never leave me or forsake me. And to think... all I had to do was to ask Him to forgive me of my sins and be my Savior. Friend... have you asked Him? He is ready... all you have to do is ask.

I hope you all have a blessed night

I rest comfortably on a 45

No, I don't sleep with a gun under my mattress, that's way too dangerous for me. I am referring to my sleep number. You see, I have a Select Comfort bed and 45 is my comfort zone. After being away from my bed for 8 nights, on vacation in various hotels, I was overdue for a good night's sleep.

On the last night of our trip, Greg got sick. He was throwing up and had the runs (sorry Greg, don't mean to put your stuff out there, but, it's part of the story) As I was saying..... He got sick and we were both up most of the night. Thank the good Lord that he was feeling well enough to travel. I had the helm the whole way. We met Emily in Smithfield, as I had a text book for her. She and I had lunch at Smithfield's BBQ, Greg went in, but just sipped tea. We made it a quick visit, wish we could have stayed longer, but Greg needed to get home. Our total driving time was around 9 hours that day. Boy was it good to get home!

Greg had to unpack and then repack his suitcase, as he was going out of town today for the rest of the week. Poor guy, didn't really get to recoup.

I went and picked up our mail from the PO, where it was on hold. Huge bag full for 6 delivery days!

Called into court this evening and surprise........I have to report at 8:30 am. I had plans for tomorrow too! Oh well, I don't want to be in contempt of court, so I will go.

Better get ready for bed, oh what was that??? I hear my 45 calling............

A Travel Day

This morning was pretty much a day in the car driving. We left Tangerine Woods right around 8:30 a.m. We had a real nice time visiting with Mommy and Deac. I hope the weather gets warmer there in Englewood, so they can enjoy the outside more. It has been one of the coldest winters there in awhile.

We stopped at McDonald's for breakfast and were on our way. The ride was uneventful, which was a blessing. We stopped for gas/lunch at a BP/Subway near Jacksonville. We stopped a little while later for oranges to bring home.

We got to our Hampton Inn in Bluffton , SC late in the afternoon. It is a big , new hotel. The breakfast area is at least twice the size of the normal Hampton. There are 434 rooms. Our room is nice, it is like a mini suite.

We went to dinner at a Mexican Restaurant called Mi Tierrita. It was really good. I had a Carne Asada Burrito and Greg had a Macho Combo (chicken burrito, beef taco and cheese enchilada).

I was able to catch up on some farming tonight and we watched some Olympic events.

We leave here in the morning around 8:30 so we can meet Emily in Smithfield at Zaxby's for

lunch.

A Fine Friday in Florida

Today is Friday the 19^th of February. We are here in Englewood, Florida visiting with Mommy and Deac. This morning Mommy had a hair appointment. Greg and I went out to find a Radio Shack to get something for the TV. Afterwards, we rode over to Englewood Beach and then on to Blind Pass Park, where we got out and walked down to the beach. There were a few people out sunning themselves, others just walking along the beach and some just sitting out there reading and getting some fresh air. It was mostly overcast, but the sun did peek out now and then. It was a nice ride. We stopped at a gun shop that we had seen on the drive into town a few days before. It wasn't a big shop, but we each found something that we wanted and bought. I got a padded travel case for my .38 and Greg got a magazine for his AR-15. We then pulled into a Dunkin Donuts for a coffee on the way back to Tangerine Woods.

The four of us played some Rummikub in the afternoon. First time ever, I tied for the win with Deac. We headed up to Sonny’s in Venice for dinner, we got the family meal, which was supposed to be for 4, but could have fed 6-8. It was a platter filled with sliced beef and pork,a whole chicken quartered, easliy 8-10 meaty pork ribs, a bowl of cole slaw, a bowl of green beans, a bowl of Bar-B-Q beans, and an assortment of garlic texas toast/ cornbread loaves... another good meal. We brought home alot, there was simply too much food for the 4 of us.

We tried watching some more home DVD’s, had a few hang-ups. Don’t know the cause, they run fine on computer though.

Packed up all the non essentials before bed and did my “Farmville” for the night. Then we headed to bed. Heading out early tomorrow.

Good Times/ Good Eats

We have been enjoying visiting with Mommy and Deac. We watched an awful movie today. I was embassased, as I brought it along and thought it would be good. It wasn't! It was called couples Retreat, Don't waste your money, it stinks!

We spend a lot of time just talking, which is great, that's what we came to do, just spend time with them. We did go out to eat a bit while we have been here. We went to Momma's Italian, Sonny's B B Q, and Walt's,a seafood place in Sarasota.

Something weird/funny happened at Walt's. While we were there an older lady came in and brought her Pekingese dog with her. She used the guise that it was a "service dog." The owner came out and questioned her about it, and asked for the "papers/license" to prove it. The lady got indignant and said he had no right to ask her that. It went on for quite a while, she couldn't produce the papers, and finally she took the dog to the car, and came back and waited for her food. It was very busy there and the service was really slow. She was still there waiting when we left, and she wasn't looking too happy. Oh well Nuff said.

Came home and had a nice big fat brownie with White house cherry ice cream on top. We all sang Happy Birthday to Mommy. A good day was had by all.

Heading for the West Coast

We got up and left Miami Wednesday morning. We were headed over to the west coast of Florida, to Englewood, to spend a few days with Mommy and Deac. Our ride over included driving through Alligator Alley. We had a little excitement when we got to the toll booth. It seems the person in front of us, didn’t have the $1.50 to pay the toll keeper. You could tell it was going to take longer than it should have to sort out. The passenger in the car actually came back to our car and asked Greg for the money to pay the toll. He said no, by then the toll keeper had gotten the driver’s license number and license plate number and they rolled on out of the toll booth. I wouldn’t want to see the ticket that person gets for failing to pay the toll. (I was hoping that we wouldn’t breakdown on this road and have to ask someone we had earlier turned down for $1.50 to help us.) The ride across Route 75 was pretty dull…until I noticed alligators sunning themselves on the banks of the water that ran along the side of the road. That was cool. I have never seen so many gators in one place. They were everywhere.

We got to Mommy and Deac’s mid-afternoon. It was good to get there, and they both seemed to be doing well. Mommy made Jambalaya for dinner, it was excellent, she has always been a great cook.

Greg turned a lot of VHS Home movies into DVD’s for Mommy and Deac. We have been previewing them. Some of them are really funny.

We played a few rounds of Rummikub. That is always fun. Mommy and Deac are Pros.

Time to turn in for the night

Out to Lunch...Be Right Back

Tonight's blog will be posted tomorrow. Check back in to see what we have been up to the past two days.

Pictures to go with the Key Largo post. The glass bottom boat and the view of the Elk Horn Coral through the glass bottom of the boat.

Tuesday in the Keys

This morning we headed down to Key Largo. It was nothing like I had imagined, but it was nice and we had a fun day. Once on the Key, we stopped at a visitor center, mainly to use the bathroom, but to see what the key had to offer for sights. It wasn't your regular state run visitor center, it was Joe Blow's( not his real name), mainly is was a place that you could book a boat, scuba, snorkeling etc. tour.

We went to the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. There we bought tickets to go on the glass bottom boat cruise. It took us out to Molasses reef, about two miles out, where we were able to see some cool under water creatures. The cruise was 2 1/2 hours. It was a nice day and the sea was pretty calm.

We headed back to Miami and had dinner at Pollo Tropical. We had lunch at one near downtown yesterday. It was so good, we had to go back again. I had a cup of Caribbean Chicken soup, a half rack of Caribbean ribs , white rice and black beans. All very tasty! Greg had the Trio, which consisted of 1/4 chicken, ribs and wings with Black beans and white rice and a side of cole slaw. We got all this and 2 drinks for $20.

Leaving town in the morning. Heading through Alligator Alley to the west coast, Englewood to be exact, where we will be visiting Mommy and Deac for a few days!

I am beat tonight, all this warm sunshine and being out on the water, wears you out.

Miami on a Monday

Drove over to Key Biscayne to Bill Baggs Park. Not only was there a light house and a keeper's cottage, there were a lot of opportunities to do so me walking. We saw a neat little inlet called "No Name" Harbor. Boats could sail in there and spend the night with a little protection from the sea. There were trails to walk thru the mangroves, which we did. We did some driving around too. Pretty big park on the southern tip of Key Biscayne.

We drove through the Art Deco strip of Miami Beach. Lots of shops and lots of people wandering around. Looks like it would be a great place for nightlife. We didn't go out on the beach.

For dinner we drove over to the Bayside Marketplace, next to the American Airlines Arena, and not too far from the cruise line wharfs. This place was nice as well. It was an indoor/outdoor mall with live entertainment. It reminded me of a mall in Honolulu. There were outdoor restaurants where you could sit and overlook the waterfront and hear the music. We decided on a Cuban restaurant called Mambo's. I had a combo plate with black beans, rice, ground beef creole, cassava, a tamale, and a serving of fire roasted, crispy pork. Greg had a Cuban marinated steak, with Plantains, black beans and rice. We topped off dinner with a Cuban Coffee. It was a yummy meal. We strolled around and enjoyed the sights and sounds of the Marketplace after dark.

Mackerel Sky Picture

For some reason, (my incompetence) the picture didn't make it to the last post

When in Rome.....

Happy Valentine’s Day to you all. Today I am getting a head start on my blogging. As I write, we are on the road heading toward Miami. We have already gone by the traffic locked area called Daytona. Today is the running of the Daytona 500.I have never seen so many cars lined up for an event. Although have never driven the beltway before a Redskins game either. May be the same situation, I don’t know. Above the track there was the Good Year blimp and several small airplanes with advertising banners, kind of like at the beach. These looked like they might be circling the track over head. We are on a stretch of road that is pretty much pines, palms, and completely flat. No much in the way of cool stuff to look at. The weather is pleasant, sunny and everything here is green! We did see a “Mackerel sky” this morning. That term was used a lot by my parents. They had a lot of funny little sayings that Greg had never heard of. Noah Webster knew of them, as most all have checked out in the dictionary. I took a picture so you can see what I mean. The sky has a scale look to it, like you would see on the side of a fish.

Tonight I am writing from our room at the Hampton Inn and Suites in Miami Dade. The rest of the ride here went well. As we got closer to the area of West Palm Beach and further south, the ride got more interesting, so I put my computer away and enjoyed the scenery.

One thing happened that was funny, cause the same thing happened to me yesterday, Greg was driving and the gas light came on. We pulled off the next exit and gas was 2.85 a gal (cash) and 2.91 credit. Guess which one we use???

Tonight we decided to try something different for dinner. Neither of us had ever had dinner at the Cheese Cake Factory, so we thought we would try it. Well, let's just say when we got there, there was no question in my mind as to whether or not we would wait in line to eat there. After all, it wasn't my birthday. We decided to find somewhere else to eat. We found a place called the Havana Spice Cafe. We decided to eat local cuisine. It wasn't a fancy place, but homey. There were Cuban men for waiters. They were dressed in all black. I had no idea if the food would be spicy or not. I didn't even know if I would like it, but I had to try it. We had a very nice waiter. I think he could sense that we were not familiar with Cuban food. He was helpful and helped me chose my sides. After looking at he menu I settled on the Pollo al vino Bianco. It was fantastic, to say the least. It was a thin chicken breast sauteed in a white wine cream sauce with mushrooms. I had white rice and maduros (sweet plantains), for my sides. Greg chose Ropa Vieja. It was shredded beef in a creole sauce. He had the same sides. We started off with Cuban bread that was toasted in a press. Since we were both full from the delicious meal, we decided to forgo dessert, but had a Cuban coffee (super sweet espresso), instead. If ever in Miami, I highly recommend Havana Spice Cafe. They have a website, but I haven't been to it yet, but I will post it, hopefully it is "G" rated. You never know with the internet. You type in a simple common word and it takes you to a site that makes you blush. Anyways, here it is:

http://www.havanaspicecafe.com

Simply put, I had a very nice Valentine's Day, and I hope you did as well.

On the Road Again

Greetings from King's Bay, Georgia. We are a little more than half way to our first destination in Miami, Florida.

We left Mechanicsville in the wee hours or the morning. It was about 6:30, but for some of us those are the wee hours! Anyways, We picked up breakfast at the McDonald's in Dalghren, Virginia. We stopped in Hopewell, VA to gas up at Wawa, it was $2.49 gal. When we came out of the store, it was snowing. It was light snow, and was really no problem driving. We did see a few plows out on the roads. There was even one that was going at a pretty good clip, with his blade down, pretty much plowing clear road! We made a stop in Lumberton, North Carolina for lunch. We decided when in NC, eat NC style BBQ. We dinned at Smithfield's, the best BBQ in NC. Actually, I have only ever eaten NC BBQ at Smithfield's and at Howard's in Lillington, NC. I remember it was good, but not as good. I also like the recipe that I use.

Back to the trip.... After lunch, I got behind the wheel. We didn't stop again, till Greg woke up and saw a DQ sign. Luckily I was already in the right hand lane, as we immediately exited 95, for a Heath and a Turtle Blizzard.

On down the road we went. We had some sluggish traffic here and there. Still snow on the ground till Savannah. We made one emergency bathroom break, we'll let you wonder who it was. Greg drove the last leg of the trip for today.

Arrived here at the Navy Lodge. Pretty much looks the same as it did when we stopped here for the night with the kids, heading to Nana and Grampa's for Christmas one year.

We both took lots of pictures on the way here, but there are two pictures that I wish I had gotten, but didn't for one reason or another. One was of the people sledding on the exit ramps in NC, The other picture would have been of the wild bore I saw grazing along the road in Georgia. I was driving at the time and Greg was busy doing something on his Blackberry, so neither of us snapped a picture. But that was cool!

We toured the town of nearby St. Mary's. It was dark, so it was kind of hard to see. We were cruising, looking for a place to eat. We went to a Chinese Buffet. Didn't get stuffed, just ate to fill the belly. Left there and went in search of a cup of coffee. Where is a WAWA when you need one??? Got a cup of coffee at McDonald's. Came back to the Lodge. Greg said he was just going to lay down and stretch out, but he's looking and sounding pretty asleep to me.

Well, time for me to add some pics and hit publish, so I can get some sleep too. Just remember, tomorrow is another glorious day full of adventure ready to happen.

Happy Valentine's Day All.

I Can't Believe What I am Thinking

It started last night, sleet and then changed over to snow. It snowed through the night and ended around 3:00 this afternoon. I went out to start shoveling the driveway, but the two Timmy's came over and wanted to know if they could help. A quick flashback went through my mind, of how my back was hurting from shoveling just a few days ago, I hired them on the spot! It took them the better part of an hour and they had it back down to the asphalt. I paid them, and off they went.

Greg worked from home today, as the APL was closed, due to weather. I made Chicken Parmesan for dinner, as requested. After the dishes were picked up, we played 2 games of Triple Yahtzee. Last night we played two games of it as well. We hadn't played in years. It is good to play a game with another human. I usually play against the computer.

So back to my tag line...See how easy it is for me to get off on a rabbit trail? I'm thinking I have had enough of the white stuff for this year. Maybe it is because Greg and I are now responsible for all the shoveling, or the fact that keeping the fire going is much harder with snow covered wood, or that frequent snow storms have had me cancel 2 parties, or maybe it is the fact that I am not able to jump in the car and go.

Bottom line is; I'm sick of snow! I think We will get out of town and get away from it.

The Bitter Sweetness of the 2010 Blizzard

This morning, while gazing out the kitchen window, I noticed the yard didn't quite look right. Four of our Leyland Cypress trees had lost the battle with the weight of the snow. I immediately got suited up to go out and see the extent of the damage. I was too late to save the trees, I saw at least one uprooted. The snow was so deep. I had a hard time getting out to the back of the yard. It was easily up to my knees. Greg came out to help me and we got the trees on the fence line pretty much dusted off of snow. I had the brilliant idea to go get one of the pairs of snowshoes I inherited from my Father. I brought them out and stepped into them. That was easy enough! Now walk with them. It was like having huge tennis rackets strapped to your feet. I was having fun making cool tracks in the back yard. The problem came with me trying to get down off that snowbank and through the narrow path between the house and the garage. It didn't happen! I ended up plunking down on my butt in a snow bank. It wasn't a pretty sight seeing me try to get up. I was laughing so hard. I finally took the blasted things off and walked out to the front yard to join Greg, who was already working on the huge hew out at the end of the driveway. I couldn't resist putting the snowshoes back on. I was doing fine till I tried to get back up the slope! If my neighbors were looking out their windows, they had a good laugh! I fell, I couldn't get up, I flopped over onto my stomach and still couldn't do anything but laugh. I finally got the snowshoes off and made it down the rest of the hill. Greg said he wished he had his camera, I wish he did too. Maybe we could have been on America's Funniest Videos.

We are supposed to get another storm through here tomorrow. Think I will try out the snow shoes just in the backyard till I get the hang of walking in them.

Super Bowl Sunday

Woke up this morning to a brilliant blue sky and a couple feet of glistening fluffy snow. What a sight. Church was cancelled for today, both morning and evening services. We were smart and shoveled out our driveway yesterday during the storm. It was good exercise, and I have the sore muscles today, to prove it. John and Amber came over and had lunch with us. They stayed and visited for awhile, then were heading to a Super Bowl Party at April & Tommy's. Greg and I had a homemade pizza and watched the game on TV. Glad the Saints won, it was their 1st Super Bowl win. I like to see the under dog come out on top. Federal Govt. is closed tomorrow also the JHAPL, so looks like Greg has a snow day!