...is on. That duck has officially crossed the line. It is on notice. It came after me this time, as everyone else in the pool was able to get out of the water fast enough. I'm starting to have nightmares about ducks.
Oh, and we've also had raccoons in the yard. It's not an animal conspiracy, yet, but the word is out...I think they were drawn to the fruit I was leaving out for the lizards. Sorry lizards.
In other news...we missed Ike, thankfully. Had a few stressful days of wondering and amassing dried fruit and turkey jerky, but we dodged a bullet there. Only two and a half more months of hurricane season!
Otherwise...school has begun and I've signed up to help out on about six different committees, plus the library and school clinic. What was I thinking? At least it keeps me from going back to sleep after dropping the kids off. Damn. What WAS I thinking?!
In the next episode: Our first family tent camping trip! Yeah, that should be interesting. I've been promised we'll have electricity, though, and Michael's looking into a tent air conditioner. We're so not tent people!
Monday, September 15, 2008
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Wake me when hurricane season is over...
Sunshine State, my ass. It's been raining for a month.
On the bright side, there's only three more months of hurricane season! (Notice how I always try to see the bright side?) We've been lucky, so far. Hanna is looking to brush past us, but move back north - ironic that this storm coincides with my mother being in Florida, her last name is Hannah, but that's close enough for humor's sake. Then Ike's on deck. How many Ike Turner jokes are going to be made with that one? Let's hope it's not too violent of a storm...haha.
Hurricane prep is ongoing. The currency to hoard is apparently bottles of wine to share with the neighbors when you're all sitting around doing nothing because the power's out and the kids aren't in school. Oh, and don't forget to have toilet paper on hand...you don't want to have to run to Publix during a hurricane because you ran out of crucial paper products!
If anyone's interested, here's a link to the hurricane tracking site from the local weather station. I've been checking it daily: http://www.local10.com/hurricanetracker/index.html
Now anyone reading this can watch with me and see how much fun we're in for! Break out the wine and turkey jerky! Anyone up for a game of Uno by lantern light!?
On the bright side, there's only three more months of hurricane season! (Notice how I always try to see the bright side?) We've been lucky, so far. Hanna is looking to brush past us, but move back north - ironic that this storm coincides with my mother being in Florida, her last name is Hannah, but that's close enough for humor's sake. Then Ike's on deck. How many Ike Turner jokes are going to be made with that one? Let's hope it's not too violent of a storm...haha.
Hurricane prep is ongoing. The currency to hoard is apparently bottles of wine to share with the neighbors when you're all sitting around doing nothing because the power's out and the kids aren't in school. Oh, and don't forget to have toilet paper on hand...you don't want to have to run to Publix during a hurricane because you ran out of crucial paper products!
If anyone's interested, here's a link to the hurricane tracking site from the local weather station. I've been checking it daily: http://www.local10.com/hurricanetracker/index.html
Now anyone reading this can watch with me and see how much fun we're in for! Break out the wine and turkey jerky! Anyone up for a game of Uno by lantern light!?
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
When does it get better?
I realize looking at homes for sale in the old neighborhood is probably a bad idea. Thinking about a girls' night out at the Mexican restaurant isn't helping. I even bought some closed toe shoes and that's just not making me less "homesick."
Hopefully, with school starting soon, I'll get back into the workforce and make my own place here, but I keep looking for jobs 1200 miles away. That's a tough commute.
Today's craving: Tim Horton's Iced Cappuccino.
On the up side, I have two new lizards in the back yard: a basilisk (www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/reptiles/lizard/Basilisk.shtml) and an iguana. One of them likes bananas.Here's a link to a cool article on National Geographic's website about the basilisk or Jesus lizards: news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/11/1116_041116_jesus_lizard.html
It comes down to this: I wouldn't mind vacationing here, but living here is getting really boring. It's not that I'm a glutton for punishment, but I miss the changing leaves, watching the shoots come out of the ground - wondering if the hyacinths are coming back, the daffodils peeking out of the ground. I miss the snow too. Not the ice and the bitter wind, mind you, but the quiet blanket of white that covers everything and makes it all white and forces everyone inside to bundle up and be together. I'm tired of painting my toenails and wearing shorts or capris and open-toed shoes.
There's always winter break, I suppose.
Hopefully, with school starting soon, I'll get back into the workforce and make my own place here, but I keep looking for jobs 1200 miles away. That's a tough commute.
Today's craving: Tim Horton's Iced Cappuccino.
On the up side, I have two new lizards in the back yard: a basilisk (www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/reptiles/lizard/Basilisk.shtml) and an iguana. One of them likes bananas.Here's a link to a cool article on National Geographic's website about the basilisk or Jesus lizards: news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/11/1116_041116_jesus_lizard.html
It comes down to this: I wouldn't mind vacationing here, but living here is getting really boring. It's not that I'm a glutton for punishment, but I miss the changing leaves, watching the shoots come out of the ground - wondering if the hyacinths are coming back, the daffodils peeking out of the ground. I miss the snow too. Not the ice and the bitter wind, mind you, but the quiet blanket of white that covers everything and makes it all white and forces everyone inside to bundle up and be together. I'm tired of painting my toenails and wearing shorts or capris and open-toed shoes.
There's always winter break, I suppose.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
I know people in Ohio aren't perfect...
...but this whole East Coast meets South American sense of me first and I deserve it is ridiculous. Not only are people rude, they are actively teaching their children to be rude.
Today, I hate this place and can't wait to leave. I'm going to go take a mega-B vitamin and hope I feel better tomorrow. I don't want my kids growing up here.
Urgh.
PS: please do not patronize NY and Company. They are rude too and I am now and forever boycotting that store.
Today, I hate this place and can't wait to leave. I'm going to go take a mega-B vitamin and hope I feel better tomorrow. I don't want my kids growing up here.
Urgh.
PS: please do not patronize NY and Company. They are rude too and I am now and forever boycotting that store.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
More ramblings...
...So it has been a busy week or so. Some friends from high school came by for a visit - that was fun. Everyone should break out the yearbooks every now and then and try to remember who all those people who signed your book were. Apparently, Steve and I had a great time in Journalism and he'll never forget me. Sorry, Steve, but I don't ever remember taking Journalism, let alone who you might be among the nine hundred people I went to high school with.
Took the girl to Wannado City...where the kids do what they wannado. Apparently, by lunchtime, my daughter wanted to scream her head off for ten minutes about a funnel cake. So we left. That's the point where the mom does what she wants to do.
We also went to the county park near the house...there's a small water park there and it was our first visit since arriving in the Sunshine State. Two big slides, a lazy river, and a kids area. Didn't see my kids most of the day, except for lunch and to reapply sunscreen - mental note: reapply sunscreen more often. A good time was had by all. High points: women with grocery bags on their heads to protect their new do's and the woman who was wearing a bra and white mesh panties instead of a bathing suit. The latter was asked to put something else on, but the entertainment value was already spent.
Things I've been missing this week:
• sitting on the front stoop chatting with the geezers;
• Mac's Cafe burger and tuna melt - on wheat, with cheddar;
• book club;
• hanging at the elementary school playground.
That's all for now. I'll be taking orders soon for life-sized cut-out copies of myself holding a margarita...it's useful for parties and neighborhood gatherings. "Excuse me, I need to go talk to Amy." It's a great way to get a away from awkward conversations. :)
I can make a jointed version to be placed in a chair. Also, a holiday version will follow with appropriate attire and beverage.
Took the girl to Wannado City...where the kids do what they wannado. Apparently, by lunchtime, my daughter wanted to scream her head off for ten minutes about a funnel cake. So we left. That's the point where the mom does what she wants to do.
We also went to the county park near the house...there's a small water park there and it was our first visit since arriving in the Sunshine State. Two big slides, a lazy river, and a kids area. Didn't see my kids most of the day, except for lunch and to reapply sunscreen - mental note: reapply sunscreen more often. A good time was had by all. High points: women with grocery bags on their heads to protect their new do's and the woman who was wearing a bra and white mesh panties instead of a bathing suit. The latter was asked to put something else on, but the entertainment value was already spent.
Things I've been missing this week:
• sitting on the front stoop chatting with the geezers;
• Mac's Cafe burger and tuna melt - on wheat, with cheddar;
• book club;
• hanging at the elementary school playground.
That's all for now. I'll be taking orders soon for life-sized cut-out copies of myself holding a margarita...it's useful for parties and neighborhood gatherings. "Excuse me, I need to go talk to Amy." It's a great way to get a away from awkward conversations. :)
I can make a jointed version to be placed in a chair. Also, a holiday version will follow with appropriate attire and beverage.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Is that turtle running into the surf, or away from all these kids?
So, it's been a few days and I have to admit...Florida didn't suck too hard today. Other than the rain.
The kids and I went to a talk about sea turtles and then watched some hatchlings making their way to the ocean by the light of the moon - seems they head toward the brighter horizon. Which is why beachfront development is screwing the turtles up...they hatch, see all the neon, and start crawling toward cheap beer and all you can eat crab legs. So, it may have been the full moon rising over the Atlantic, or the tarted up cruise ship a mile out that my son thought might be a UFO. Anyway...some of them were clearly clued in and crawled into the surf and that was very cool and encouraging. The kids cheered them on and celebrated each one that drifted out on a wave.
Of course, my kids then complained about sand in their shoes.
The kids and I went to a talk about sea turtles and then watched some hatchlings making their way to the ocean by the light of the moon - seems they head toward the brighter horizon. Which is why beachfront development is screwing the turtles up...they hatch, see all the neon, and start crawling toward cheap beer and all you can eat crab legs. So, it may have been the full moon rising over the Atlantic, or the tarted up cruise ship a mile out that my son thought might be a UFO. Anyway...some of them were clearly clued in and crawled into the surf and that was very cool and encouraging. The kids cheered them on and celebrated each one that drifted out on a wave.
Of course, my kids then complained about sand in their shoes.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
On the plus side...
Ok, a few things I DO like about Florida...
• it's sunny almost all of the time. No more perpetually gray, hazy days;
• the air is clean;
• it's green...everything is green...all year. Ok, maybe not in April/May when it didn't rain for six weeks.
• it's easier to convince people to visit...did I mention this before? How nice it is to visit?
Anyway...the kids are doing well and getting tan (of course, this means I'm convinced they'll develop melanoma, but let's not borrow trouble, eh?). Summer is almost over - thankfully - and they've not succeeded in killing each other. Thank God for small miracles. Yay for all day kindergarten!
On the home front, I finally, for the first time in my adult life, have a room that looks like it was decorated - or at least finished to a degree beyond "hey, that rug is cheap and it'll fit." It's only a bathroom, but it's something.
Baby steps...
• it's sunny almost all of the time. No more perpetually gray, hazy days;
• the air is clean;
• it's green...everything is green...all year. Ok, maybe not in April/May when it didn't rain for six weeks.
• it's easier to convince people to visit...did I mention this before? How nice it is to visit?
Anyway...the kids are doing well and getting tan (of course, this means I'm convinced they'll develop melanoma, but let's not borrow trouble, eh?). Summer is almost over - thankfully - and they've not succeeded in killing each other. Thank God for small miracles. Yay for all day kindergarten!
On the home front, I finally, for the first time in my adult life, have a room that looks like it was decorated - or at least finished to a degree beyond "hey, that rug is cheap and it'll fit." It's only a bathroom, but it's something.
Baby steps...
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