Sunday, December 16, 2007

The Ritz is slipping

The Ritz video has been surpassed by the Buckingham Guards. Fame is so fleeting.

Monday, November 19, 2007

Throwing Down a Challenge

I challenge everyone to be able to do the Soulja Boy dance.
Instructions by Soulja Boy himself.

Be ready to rumble come this holiday weekend.
Top THAT!

Saturday, November 17, 2007

To the Rescue

If you have ever lived in South Florida you
know about Muscovy ducks. They are the
ugliest bird alive.

I have a bird feeder near the front door and enjoy seeing most of the birds feeding, EXCEPT for the scavenging Muscovy ducks. They scarf up the seeds the other birds knock to the ground.

I saw one of them fly at the feeder like it was going to land, but it just tipped the feeder scattering even more seeds to the ground. And I thought they were stupid.

Unfortunately they also leave huge green poo piles on the front walk. I will accidentally step in it when I go out in the early morning darkness to retrieve the newspaper.

When you try to scare them away, they waddle just beyond reach and wait till you leave and calmly waddle back. When you run at them they again flutter just beyond reach and return. Grrrrrrrr.

Today Flying Screaming Monkey found his purpose! I've had him here and he'll scream when accidentally bumped annoying Blaine and scaring the cat. He IS a flying monkey.....OK a glorified slingshot, but the ducks didn't know. I take aim, he screams and hits them. They don't even hesitate to fly off across the street to the crazy animal lady who will feed anything.

Hooray for Flying Screaming Monkey keeping the neighborhood SAFE!

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

Lockdown

A prisoner being transported in Broward killed the deputy and hijacked the van and gun. The man was from Our Town. Since my school( and 10 others) were near major transportation arteries, we were on lock down. No one moves. Doors locked. This was at 9:00.

This is the 3rd officer in 3 months killed point blank. There was no specials or lunch. All the specials teachers had to deliver food from the cafeteria to every classroom. We ran out of chicken nuggets (only 5 to a tray), then out of grilled cheese, egg salad, turkey sandwich, then bananas, applesauce. Plenty of apples.

3 and 1/2 hours later everyone was finally fed. We could now eat, but they finally captured the guy and specials were back on. We had 10 mins to eat and go to the bathroom, then back to schedule! My poor feet!

Sunday, November 04, 2007

157 SE Fallon Dr

We did a quick weekend camping for no reason at all and stopped in PSL to view the old homestead. Luckily it was empty and for rent so we stomped all around the place.
What a change.
What a mess.




















Most of the pines around the place have been cut down and the rest of the lot is grown up with weeds.You can't even see the canal.
It's been painted with pink trim.


























There are tile floors and the patio has been re screened so that one door is completely gone. We did find our names where we etched them into the concrete.












The back yard is fenced somewhat, but there is only a little walkway between the fence and the growth that totally hides the canal.
















The trees are mostly dead, the basketball goal is gone. The little oak I planted is huge and all over the power lines, the sycamore tree I planted looks scruffy, and the oleander I planted is still growing. Not very bushy, but still there.

West Virginia is being widened and all the homes that faced it have been bought out. It will become a major road connecting US 1 to PSL west of the turnpike. Here is a link detailing the very major project. It includes a bridge.




Happ Boo-Day.



Trick or Treat!

We had left overs. I wonder why?
He-he-he.

Happy B'Day Mac-A-Doo!





The orange one is not from our family.




Two Princesses and Big Penguin.






She is 7!


With Bunny Bun Bun who hasn't yet received her new outfit of a bridal gown with veil. Both look cuddly.

Friday, October 26, 2007

Dixie's Wild Adventure......for her

Well, we thought we'd take the Ritz out this week-end, but it turns out it's crummy weather. Still, the Ritz is in our driveway in case we want to 'do' something. Tonight we went out, with Dixie, to Chik-Fil-A. Oh, My! She trembled and panted and shivered. She snuggled next to me on the back bed. We got our food and ate it in the camper. She never left the bed, not even for a bit of chicken. We then came back home. Big adventure. Maybe tomorrow farther still.......Orlando?

Sunday, October 21, 2007

IKEA-Part 2

We headed off to IKEA today without knowing exactly where it was. Somewhere near Sawgrass Mills. We followed the traffic. Heavy traffic turning south. We found it because of the officers directing traffic to the remote auxiliary parking lots blocks away. People were walking or taking the tram. We decided this was not our day to visit the store, but let our fingers do the walking in the thick 370 page catalog that came in our Sunday paper.

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Come Shop with Me.

South FLa is a happening place right now. Wednesday thousands waited in line to shop at the new IKEA store in Sunrise. We haven't been there yet, but might make it this weekend.

Also, we have a new Target. It's across of Magnolia Center. Diet Cokes were $2.25 for a 12 pack. Everything is bright, shiny, and new. The layout of the store is different so of course I couldn't find anything and HAD to stroll the whole store.

Come shop with me.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Geronimo!!


Look who came to my Book Fair.
Geronimo Stilton!
I only wish I would have remembered to have my
picture taken with him.









Friday, September 21, 2007

Fashion?

Good Lord! Who would even model a suit like the 'person' on the right has on?


A New Toy to Get

There is a new Brain Age out, Brain Age 2. Betsy got a DS Lite because we had so much fun at lunch with mine. For her birthday this month she got the Brain Age 2 chip. It's hard. Gotta have it honey!

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Dreams, Mom, and Mortality

Recently my dreams have included Mom. Not the Mom of the last 20 years or so who has slowly slid into Alzheimer. This summer when we visited her in the nursing home, there was no connection. Not even with music. She glared and then retreated into some inner world.

My dreams have her when she was able. This latest dream has her spotting cows in a pasture for Steve. Dreams seldom make sense that way, but she was walking through high weeds. I was taking the easy way with a dirt trail, but she was able to go anywhere.

This summer Steve and Scott were discussing what they remembered about Mom. Scott mostly remembered the beginning of the ‘slide’. The cooking errors, the confusion, the depression. He was too young to remember anything else. Steve, being a little older, didn’t remember JUST the worst.

Where does the mind go? Do those in nursing homes dream? They spend a lot of time sleeping and being inward. Do they still have dreams?

My Grandmother slid herself into a nursing home. She was always a a little crazy. Mom said that if she ever got that way she hoped that someone would just shoot her. We don’t shoot, we hope. Hope they’re still there, comfortable, will recognize us.

I hope I don’t make the slide. It seems inevitable because it’s in the genes from Grandmother to Mother. I have arthritis. Knees, toes, hips. The eyesight gets more powerful lenses to correct. I would go mad if I became blind. I learned that after the Disney Drew Carey sit in total darkness for 7 minutes experience. The hearing not quite as sharp. But the brain I work on the most. Sudoku, Brain Age (got a 22 once), Big Brain Academy (best I can do is B-) , the Set game day puzzle where my goal is to solve under 3 minutes, Chuzzle, Bejeweled, Noah’s Ark.

I still have my dreams. Today I lost my front tooth. Heard it snap off and had it in my hand. I tried to immediately remember the sub-finder phone number because I wasn’t going into school! When I looked in the mirror it looked OK…..I woke up and immediately felt my teeth with my tongue. Whew! I still have my dreams.

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

1 Month

This is a totally different cat than the one I tried to photograph a month ago.
Then she ran from place to place and you couldn't even get to touch her.

Now, she is a cuddle bunny. She will drape herself over your arms and purr. These photos are right here on my computer desk. Happy 1 month birthday Dixie.

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Up-up-up

Dixie is trying out her vertical skills. We trimmed her nails a couple of days ago so that everything wouldn't get those little pin holes. The kitchen table cloth has little pin-dot holes where she sits on the chair under the table, but feels around to see what might be on the table.

She has climbed the back of chairs and is trying to perfect her chin-ups to see what is on top of the kitchen counters.She walks around studying things. The clock second hand keeps moving and tempting her.

Well, tonight she climbed the big fake ficus tree in the living room. Clear to the top and was peeking out like a squirrel. I'm going to bet this won't be her first try and we may find the whole tree fallen over when we come home one of these afternoons.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

What I Do on the Side


It's Amish and it's Blackberry and it's ME!!

Sunday, August 12, 2007

The Name

We finally settled on a name for our new kitten.
Dixie! She is a southern cat.
What's up Dixie cup?
Dixie Queen
Dixie Belle
Dixie Chick
Whistling Dixie

She loves to play.

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Welcome to the Newest Member

Today we brought home a new kitty. We searched at about 15 different vet places before we found her. She is unnamed. Any suggestions?







Monday, August 06, 2007

Post Trip

The camper has been emptied and all the bedding cleaned. I washed the outside with the extension brush and that used muscles I felt the next day. The floor got scrubbed and Blaine caulked so places. It smells brand new and except for the 12" crack on the windshield, looks great. Tomorrow (supposedly) in the morning the glass folks will replace that too.

-It's nice to be able to just hop out of bed and not have to scoot.
-To be able to use the potty and not wonder if there is enough potty deodorant down there.

-I don't have to be dressed and 'ready to go' by any certain time.


The front walk is getting a do-over. Last summers Chattahoochee make-over was flaking in the front. Last year it rain on the new slurry they put down and it bubbled and wasn't quite right. Today they pressure blasted it all off, re-slurried and scored the tiles. Sometime later this week they will color it. I'm thinking it will look more gray stone as their colorist got bad knees and doesn't do it anymore.

It's time to think school and getting up early again.
We had a great trip and I think we saw ALL of the relates this year.Incredible.


Thursday, August 02, 2007

Thursday, Aug 2-Day 18

Thursday, Aug 2

Not much to report today. I finished Potter last night! Sigh.
We drove from Gatlinburg to a really nice camp in Walterboro, SC.
We seem to have had something crack our windshield. Neither one of us can think of anything that happened, but now we have a repair when we get home.


The office has a huge area where they have their parrot. He his not is a cage and has a lot of toys, keys, water bottles, and stuff to play with. Her/his name is 'Bang'. They said they have a lot of toys so it won't be bored, otherwise it would start loud shrieking.


We are back in the South with palms.

Penguin, we're headed for your house tomorrow!

Wednesday, Aug 1-Day 17

Wednesday, Aug 1

We met Kauffam in Dollywood. We had a great time although it was hot.
Impressions
Hilly.
Not THAT many rides.
Many music shows that you can see.
UP
Uneven
DOWN

We all ate dinner at Bob Evans so we could go next door to the Christmas Palace.
I love that place. I wish they would decorate my house. The new thing is black Christmas trees.























Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Tuesday, July 31-Day 16

Tuesday, July 31

I had a big hill to climb to the showers this AM and it was really awful trying to get back to the camper as my feet kept sliding in the shower clogs. It must have taken me 10 minutes. I was NOT a happy camper.

It's been over a week since the last time we did laundry and we don't have any more clean underwear. We chose not to use the ones at the campground, and went to one nearby. Gave me a chance to read Potter while they washed and dried.


Drove into the KOA closest to Dollywood. We met Kauffam and they had some drama-drama. Seems there little cabin is on top of the mountain and they burned out their brakes on the Neihardt camper driving down and it's in the shop. They had to rent a car to get around.

They had just picked the repaired camper and drove us to Cracker Barrel and then up to the cabin. OH-MY-GOD!!! I swear the incline was 95% and hairpin single lane roads with 'driveways' that went straight up and looked like run-a-way truck ramps.









The cabin had a fantastic view because there were at the top. The kids have a loft. There are 4 TVs, a pool table, a hot tub on the deck, and a fireplace.
Steve left his camera bag at Cracker Barrel, so we left with him before we used the hot tub. We will do Dollywood with them tomorrow.





Couple of Hillbillies belying the Amish heritage.


Monday, July 30, 2007

Monday, July 29-Day 15

Monday, July 29


With an early start, we are headed South.
We are headed from NY to Tennessee to visit with Kauffam if we can.

This ornamental grass and this lavender flowers were at Micky Dee's.

We were headed for mid-Virginia. We drove through the states of New York, New Jersey, Maryland, West Virginia, and finally to Virginia. We are packing in the states today. Staunton KOA is a President's Award Winner and we can certainly see why.
They had a fishing lake, playground, volleyball, a game room with pool tables, mini-golf, a swimming pool, 4 hot tubs, and laundry.


There were bunnies all over. They were very tame and not the color of wild bunnies. These were brown and white and would stretch out right next to you. There must have been at least 20 and this was a huge park.

The KOA was by a stream/river and you could fish or walk out on the stepping stones. It wasn't deep, but was clear and fast moving.


There was also a falls.

The only thing wrong is weak cell phone and Wifi signals. While I'm able to type this, I can't post pictures.