Finding a Launch Site.....Wicomico Shores

The day after our first outing, we decided to get out the Miata and scope out some local areas that we thought might be good for kayaking. We started at Wicomico Shores. It had a public boat ramp, which would do nicely. It also had a dock that you could use to lower yourself into kayak, a technique that I am not ready to try! Upon going out on the dock to get a view of the shoreline, I discovered a small sandy beach just past the picnic grounds and bathrooms. We walked down to it and found that it would be a perfect place to launch. There was even a stream going back into a marshy area. That would be fun to explore. Couldn't tell how far back it went, but worth a look.

This area was in more open water, the Wicomico River. There was a breeze blowing and the water was rougher than we are ready to tackle. If you stayed close to the shore, it could be a nice place to explore. Not far from home, within 5 miles.

Kayaking

So while thinking of what to get for Greg for his birthday, I remembered how much he liked kayaking while we were in Florida on vacation earlier in the Spring. A kayak....perfect gift. So I spent some time on line looking at kayaks. Spent even more time looking in stores. I saw a couple that I thought he might like, but not being a kayaker myself, what did I really know about kayaks? What features would be most liked by the gift recipient? Finally I came to my senses and decided to get him a paddle and a dry bag. The kayak should be chosen by him! 

Glad I let him choose, as he picked something different from what I would have picked for him. He wanted something like what Emily and Jeff had. I was looking for something more stable.

We looked at Bass Pro Shop, no recreational kayaks, just fishing ones. We found what he wanted at Dick's Sporting Goods. He selected a Preception "Swifty."  Since this was a sport that we would be enjoying together, I figured that I should "take the plunge" and get a kayak as well! I picked out a Potomac "Catalyst."Mine has a flatter bottom, a little longer, and has 2 dry wells; one in the bow and one in the stern. (How do you like those boating terms?)

With Greg's schedule, we were not going to be able to try the yaks out till the 4th of July. Our first venture out was to St Mary's Lake in Calloway. The launch went well. We paddled around for about an hour. It was really fun. I never once felt in danger of flipping over. That had been my biggest fear of kayaking. It was a really nice day, the weather was nice. It was a little breezy, but not windy.  I came away from that experience wanting to go again!

Now to look for some more areas to paddle in.........

Emily's Baby Shower March 17th 2012

Emily's baby shower was an absolute success! The guest list of attendees were: Great Grandmothers: Nina Fitzpatrick, Betty Hughes and Phyllis Emeigh . Grandmothers: Susan Markovich, Debbie Gelzinis, and myself. Great Aunts: Casey Huether, Robin Dumler, Debbie Grill, Kathleen C. and Mary Katherine Gonzales, Amy Emeigh. Aunts: Amber Dumler and Alyssa Gelzinis . Cousins: Eva Huether and Ethan Dumler.Second cousins: Amanda Wilson and Amanda Grill. Friends: Beth Shepard, Linda Barnes, Karen Young, Lisa Ellie, Bryce Ellie, Lisa Bartley-Estep.

The decorations were done by Emily Gelzinis and Beth Shepard. They were fantastic! The "cloud and rain drops" were great!!

The food was provided by Greg, via the Olive Garden. The menu consisted of Salad, bread sticks, marinara sauce, Lasagna, 5 Cheese Ziti, Chicken Alfredo, Tiramisu and cupcakes. The food was DELICIOUS!!! We had a variety of sodas, wines, sweet tea and water.

We ate first and then went right to the presents Jeff was on Skype and got to say hi to everyone. He was able to stay on to see the presents open. They got so many nice things.

The diaper doggie cake made a great centerpiece, if I say so myself! All the guests seem to like the gift bags they received, as the left. They were filled with a picture frame, bottle of water, personalized Hershey bar, votive cup with "soft blanket" candle, and a bottle of Bath and Body Works, Antibacterial "Fresh Picked" scent hand wash.

The living room was full of presents! They got so many great gifts and only one repeat gift! The registry at Babies R Us, must not have been working correctly, as we looked up the registry and several things had been purchased, but the registry did not reflect that.

A Big thanks goes out to all those who helped "behind the scenes". Karen, Amber, Linda, Beth and Emily!

Maybe There Is No Mexican Food For Us in B'More

We moved to the city in early October. Seeings as there is just the two of us, we frequently eat out. We have found a few gems, such as Cabanita's Chicken, 2 doors down. It is a Peruvian Chicken Restaurant. We have had their food several times during the past two months. The first time we went there and ate in. The food is good, the servings plentiful and the price, down-right a steal! The Cokes is where they get you! $2.00 for a can of soda? So we most times walk over, and get take out, I always have Coke in the fridge!

Another "gem" is Chipparelli's in Little Italy. It is about a 10 minute walk, but worth it! They have an incredible house salad! Their entrees are big enough for two and then some. We will each order a salad and split an entree between us. Prices are fair and the food is heavenly!

We have also found that you can get excellent "pub grub." There several pubs in our area. Can't say that we have ever left a place unsatisfied. James Joyce has the best Beef/Lamb stew around.

Now Mexican is another story. There are a lot of Hispanic/ Ecuadorean Restaurants on Broadway. We wanted to go for Mexican yesterday afternoon after church, so we set out to find a place. We went by several, and for one reason or another, we decided on Santa Ana Restaurant. We walked in, and all heads turned our way! Ever feel like you wish the floor would open up and suck you under? Sure felt like this yesterday. The second indication that we may not be in the right place, was that no one spoke English, at least to us! After asking the hostess if we should seat ourselves, I knew this was going to be a difficult process. Se hablo Espanol? No we both chimed in. There was an awkward silence. We finally ordered drinks, but when it came to the menu, we both decided, we were just there to "wet our whistle", so to speak. We paid the bill and left, still hungry, but not thirsty! We ended up across the street at a Chinese eat in/take out place. Which was very good, and cheap. We will definitely go there again.

The conclusion we have come to, as this was not the first "Mexican Restaurant" up here that we have tried, with the same results, is that these restaurants are not here for "gringos" to go and eat....they are here for the Hispanics to go to. They pretty much stick to their own culture here. Maybe that is the way it is in larger cities.

All I know is, in Saint Mary's County......You can get a real good "feed" at Salsa's, Monterey's or Fiesta Cafe....And they appreciate your business and want you back!

So Much for Eating Mexican here!

What I didn't Know about Dragonflies

I was just sitting on the deck, looking out over the backyard. It is almost 6:00 pm. The sun is getting low in the sky. I was noticing a swarm of little insects flying just out over the deck. As I focused in on them, I also noticed quite a few dragonflies out over the yard. These dragonflies would buzz around and swoop up an insect! I sat there for a few minutes watching these fascinating creatures "have their dinner!" Just one more of the many miracles of God. The food chain at it's very basic.

I'm getting over the Blues

It has been one week exactly, since I had the laser treatment to my face and neck! What an ordeal! I had no idea that I would be so bruised. I have not gone out since the day after I came home. I went out Thursday with Linda to fullfill two requests for Find A Grave. They were both local, and I didn't see anyone. Since then, I have been a hermit here in the house. Today I was able to use my Bare Minerals to conceal the bruising. I can still see it, but that is because I know where to look. I feel more comfortable now with the idea of getting out of the house.

I am in the doubting phase of this whole thing. I am not sure I am going to get the results that I desired. Time will tell. I have three weeks more to heal and I go back to the Dr. It is at that point that I will have to make up my mind whether I want to proceed with further treatment, or call it quits. I don't know if I can take going through it again. We will see.

I have also started using the treadmill. I did a mile yesterday with varying speeds and inclines. Today I did 2 miles pretty much the same terrain. I hope that I can stay motivated, as I would like to loose some weight and get in shape. If my complexion is going to fail me....I have to work on the body!

First Road Trip of 2011

The first Road Trip of 2011 was to Spring Lake, North Carolina. The purpose was to look after Emily and Jeff's dogs. Emily asked me back before Christmas, if I would be free to dog sit, and since I didn't have any plans....I agreed. I asked Linda if she would like to go .....and like a true friend....she agreed.

We left Mechanicsville on Thursday, January 6th. We had the "Double L", so you know we traveled not only in style, but in comfort! First stop was in Dalghren at the WAWA. It was a gas, $$$, coffee, breakfast stop. Always a necessity when heading south!

We traveled down 95, which had very little traffic, but very many police! I think I must have entered 25 reports for the state of Virginia, to Trapster. Trapster is an App for iphone that alerts you to any sort of traffic alert possible. From speed traps to big road kill. If you go by anything worthy of letting other users know about, you simply enter it. I only starting using this service since radar detectors are illegal in VA.

Back to the trip.......The trusty Garmin routed us around Richmond, which was fine with me, as my second stop is usually exit 9A in Hopewell. You guessed it....another WAWA. You might as well get all the good coffee you can! After leaving Hopewell, we didn't stop again till we were in Halifax, NC . The Oasis, at exit 168 has a Dunkin Donuts, another good source of caffeine, and a very nice bathroom to boot! As we were leaving the Oasis, to get back on "the 95", that one's for you Greg...Remind you of So California? Anyways, we saw an advertisement on an old barn for Historic Halifax. Now I personally have seen that ad 50 times, if I have seen it once! I have thought about checking it out, but was always in too much of a hurry either going North or South to get where I was headed. Linda and I have a lot of things in common, one of them is a sense of adventure. It was kind of like a bucket list item for me, I was curious and who knows, it may be my last chance to check it out! So we both quickly agreed that we would make a quick side trip to Historic Halifax, and see what it had to brag about! It was a short drive off the 95, maybe 5 miles. We went to the Historic Visitor's Center. We were greeted by a lovely young lady who welcomed us with lots of Southern Charm. We watched a 13 minute movie about the origins of the town's early life, then took a tour through their museum. We visited several home sites and stopped and took photos at the cemetery. All in all we probably added an extra hour to our trip, but it was well worth it!

Back on the road again... We did make one more stop along the way. We went to the Nahunta Pork Shop, in Pikesville. They have some of the best sausage, which is what we got to make sausage gravy for our breakfast for the few days we would be at Em and Jeff's.

This time I followed the route that the Garmin wanted to take us. I usually turn off the volume and drive the route that I know by heart. This time it took us through Benson and then through Campbell University, Lillington, and down 210 to Bill Shaw Road. The house was so nice to get to! It was so inviting, the Christmas tree lights were on, and the house was perfect.. all except the absence of smoke detectors! It wasn't quiet though.... All nine dogs realized we were there at the same time, it was quite a chorus! After a quick roll call, we made a list and hopped back in "Double L" and went to Food Lion, yes... we are planning on eating! They didn't have "all" our favorites, but we'll make due. China Star was our choice for dinner.

Long drive, long day....Time to rest up for tomorrow!

Nite All.